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The Pentagon has played down a report that four four-star commanders formally objected to prolonging the war in Iran, with its top spokesman saying Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth receives such objections constantly and proceeds anyway.

Meanwhile, Russia's finance minister turned up at US-hosted G20 talks for the first time since the invasion of Ukraine, to visible European irritation.

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Major Story

🇺🇸🇮🇷 Pentagon plays down report of commanders objecting to Iran war

Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell said Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth sees formal objections from senior commanders constantly and proceeds anyway, responding to a Washington Post report that four four-star officers had advised against prolonging the war in Iran.

The Post said the commanders lodged formal "non-concurs" against a plan to keep more than 50,000 US troops in the Middle East through September, with some deployments potentially running into 2027.

They were named as Adm Daryl Caudle, Gen Alexus Grynkewich, Gen Francis L Donovan and Adm Samuel Paparo, with the chief of naval operations telling Hegseth the navy could not sustain its commitment because no end date had been set.

Parnell called the publication of classified assessments a crime and said much of the reporting was inaccurate, without disputing that the objections had been filed or specifying what was wrong.

President Donald Trump wrote on Truth Social that Iran was "officially a Failed Nation", six weeks after Hegseth told senators the war had cost an estimated $37.5bn including projected costs through September.

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1️⃣ 🇷🇺🇪🇺 Suspected Russian shadow fleet oil tanker boarded by EU forces in the Mediterranean: EU High Representative Kaja Kallas said troops from Operation Irini boarded the MV Sun in the Mediterranean for flag verification, after suspicions the vessel was sailing under a false flag in breach of international maritime law. Kallas said it was the sixth suspected shadow fleet ship boarded by EU operations in recent months, and that the fleet would be on the agenda at a meeting of EU defence ministers.

2️⃣ 🇮🇱🇬🇷 Israel, Greece seal €3B 'Achilles Shield' defense deal: Israel agreed to build a multilayered air defence network for Greece, combining David's Sling, BARAK MX and SPYDER interceptors with Israeli radars and a national command system against ballistic missiles, aircraft and drones. Israel's Defence Ministry called it the largest defence export deal in the history of Israel-Greece relations, and Greece put its value at €3.035 billion.

3️⃣ 🇩🇪🇫🇷 Germany and France float plan to bring Kallas under von der Leyen's supervision: Germany and France have proposed placing EU High Representative Kaja Kallas under the direct supervision of European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, giving her a hands-on role over Commission departments including development aid, humanitarian relief and defence industry. The European External Action Service, which Kallas currently leads independently, would be weakened.

4️⃣ 🇪🇸🇲🇦 Morocco not to blame for Ceuta border breach, says Spanish PM: Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez said no intelligence agency had raised doubts over Moroccan involvement in last month's mass crossing into Ceuta, and accused accounts linked to Israel, Russia and the international far right of spreading disinformation. Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar called the accusation a "brazen lie" and the Kremlin rejected any connection.

5️⃣ 🇺🇳 UN spotlights nuclear weapon states' refusal to ratify test ban treaty: UN disarmament chief Izumi Nakamitsu warned the General Assembly that any resumption of nuclear testing would erode decades of restraint, deepen mistrust and risk triggering an arms race. The US, China, Iran, Egypt and Israel have signed but not ratified the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty, India, Pakistan and North Korea have done neither, and Russia revoked its ratification in 2023.

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