Hello,

The United States has announced "Project Freedom" to escort ships through the Strait of Hormuz using destroyers and 15,000 service members, with Iran rejecting the move as a ceasefire violation.

This comes as over 30 European leaders gathered in Armenia signalling a westward shift for one of Moscow's closest regional allies, and Poland's Prime Minister warned NATO is "disintegrating" following US plans to withdraw troops from Germany.

More below ⤵️

Top 5 Stories

1️⃣ 🇦🇲🇪🇺 European summit in Armenia signals shift from Russia: Over 30 European leaders are gathering in Armenia for two summits, representing a significant shift for Russia's closest South Caucasus ally, which hosts a Russian military base and receives discounted gas through Putin's Eurasian Economic Union. Armenia's westward turn followed Russia's failure to intervene during Azerbaijan's 2023 Nagorno-Karabakh takeover, prompting Yerevan to pursue EU membership and sign a U.S.-brokered peace deal with Baku in August.

2️⃣ 🇵🇱🇺🇸🇩🇪 Tusk warns of NATO collapse amid US-Germany rift: Poland's Prime Minister Donald Tusk warned NATO is "disintegrating" after Washington announced plans to withdraw around 5,000 troops from Germany over the next 6-12 months. The pullout was accelerated following German Chancellor Merz's comments that the U.S. is being "humiliated" in Iran negotiations, prompting Trump to respond that Merz should focus on Ukraine and Germany's domestic issues.

3️⃣ 🇺🇦🇷🇺 Ukrainian strikes target Russian nuclear site and oil port: Ukrainian drone strikes hit Russia's Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant and the Baltic port of Primorsk, with Zelenskyy claiming successful hits on vessels and port infrastructure as oil prices hover above $120 per barrel. Russian strikes on Ukraine left at least three dead, damaging residential buildings in Odesa and Kherson, while Moscow fired 268 drones and one ballistic missile overnight.

4️⃣ 🇺🇸🇨🇺 Trump floats Cuba takeover after Iran operations: The U.S. president joked that the navy would take over Cuba "almost immediately" after finishing operations in Iran, suggesting an aircraft carrier would stop offshore and Cuba would surrender. The comments followed new sanctions targeting broad sectors of Cuba's economy and individuals in energy, defense, and financial services, which Havana condemned as collective punishment.

5️⃣ 🇸🇦 OPEC+ output increase remains symbolic amid war: OPEC+ agreed to raise oil output targets by 188,000 barrels per day for June, though the increase remains largely symbolic as the Iran war continues disrupting Gulf supplies through the Strait of Hormuz. The decision follows the UAE's departure from OPEC+ and signals readiness to boost supplies once the conflict ends, despite oil prices exceeding $125 per barrel.

Together with:

Every headline satisfies an opinion. Except ours.

Remember when the news was about what happened, not how to feel about it? 1440's Daily Digest is bringing that back. Every morning, they sift through 100+ sources to deliver a concise, unbiased briefing — no pundits, no paywalls, no politics. Just the facts, all in five minutes. For free.

Read the newsletter trusted by 4.5 million fact-seekers.

Major Story

🇮🇷 Iran War Update

Military

1️⃣ 🇮🇱 Netanyahu announces counter-drone initiative: Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Sunday he has initiated a project to counter Hezbollah's first-person view drones, which killed one soldier and wounded dozens in southern Lebanon. Netanyahu also announced Israel will acquire two squadrons of F-35 and F-15IA aircraft and invest NIS 350 billion over a decade in domestic munitions production.

2️⃣ 🇺🇸 Trump launches ship rescue operation in Hormuz: President Donald Trump announced Sunday the U.S. will begin "Project Freedom" on Monday to guide stranded ships from the Iran-controlled Strait of Hormuz, deploying destroyers, aircraft and 15,000 service members. Iran denounced the move as a ceasefire violation as two ships near the strait reported attacks Sunday.

3️⃣ 🇮🇷 Bulk carrier attacked near Strait of Hormuz: A bulk carrier was attacked by multiple small craft near Sirik, Iran, with all crew reported safe, according to Britain's UKMTO. 

Diplomatic

1️⃣ 🇨🇳🇱🇧 China urges reversal of UNIFIL withdrawal: China's UN Ambassador Fu Cong called Friday for reversing the Security Council's decision to withdraw UNIFIL peacekeepers from Lebanon by December 2026, stating a genuine ceasefire does not exist. At least six peacekeepers have been killed since Israel's March 2 offensive.

2️⃣ 🇮🇷🇺🇸 Iran receives US response to peace proposal: Iran has received a US response to its 14-point peace proposal calling for US withdrawal from Iran's borders, an end to the naval blockade, and cessation of hostilities within 30 days. Trump told Israel's Kan News the proposal was unacceptable, stating Iran has not paid a sufficient price, while lawmakers from both parties express frustration with the costly conflict.

Together with:

Read less. Know more.

Morning Brew delivers the biggest stories in business, finance, and tech in about 5 minutes — with just enough personality to keep things interesting.

Join 4,000,000+ professionals who start their mornings a little smarter.

Check it out

Other News

1️⃣ 🇬🇧🇺🇦🇪🇺 Britain set to back EU loan package for Kyiv: The UK is preparing to join the EU's €90 billion loan scheme for Ukraine, covering two-thirds of Kyiv's needs over the next two years with most funds earmarked for military spending. Prime Minister Keir Starmer will announce the move at the European gathering in Armenia, while London plans further sanctions on Russian firms this week to disrupt military supply chains.

2️⃣ 🇹🇼🇸🇿🇨🇳 Lai reaches Eswatini after China blocks initial trip: Taiwan's President Lai Ching-te arrived in Eswatini following "careful arrangements" by diplomatic and security teams, days after Taiwan blamed China for pressuring African nations to cancel his original April trip. China described the visit as a "stowaway-style escape farce" and scrapped tariffs for all African countries except Eswatini, Taiwan's sole diplomatic ally on the continent.

3️⃣ 🇫🇯 Rabuka weighs emergency powers in drug crackdown: Fiji's Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka is considering declaring a state of emergency to grant military and police special powers amid a nationwide crackdown on drug and gang activity. The move follows the suspected murder of alleged drug kingpin Jone Vakarisi during a military interrogation two weeks ago, with a leaked death certificate listing asphyxia and severe traumatic injuries as cause of death.

4️⃣ 🇲🇱 Bamako blames officers for jihadist collaboration: Mali's government accused military officers of collaborating with jihadis and separatists in recent attacks that killed Defense Minister Sadio Camara and led to territorial losses including Kidal. The Azawad Liberation Front claimed it captured the strategic Tessalit military camp near Algeria after Malian and Russian forces withdrew, while JNIM jihadis enforced a total blockade of Bamako's four major routes.

Weekly Updates?

Want weekly updates as well as daily?

Subscribe to our sister publication Geopolitics Weekly here ⤵️

Our Shop

Ukraine Phone Wallpaper Pack