War Monitor

BNO: Kim Yo Jong, sister of Kim Jong Un, denies North Korea is behind the $6.3 billion Binance hack, calling the U.S. claim “preposterous nonsense” and suggesting the Trump administration itself could be responsible, citing the Strategic Bitcoin Reserve.

TMZ identified the victims in Greenacres, Florida business jet crash this afternoon:

• Tech entrepreneur Adam Robinson (pictured)
• His wife Helen (pictured), their two young children and their nanny
• 2 family friends
• 55-year-old pilot Jeff Gregory
• 20-year-old co-pilot Nathalia Gadelha Filgueiras (pictured)

U.S. and Iranian forces exchanged fire in the Strait of Hormuz overnight, with Iran reportedly shooting down an MQ-9 Reaper drone while U.S. aircraft struck Iranian targets on Qeshm Island.

Authorities have not released the names of the nine people killed in the crash, however some social media accounts, and at least one AI chatbot, have named a specific Florida woman as the female pilot heard in the air traffic control recordings.

Neither the NTSB, the FAA nor local officials have confirmed that, and the claims rest on her past social media posts and a comment under a TikTok video.

Naming an individual before officials identify the victims risks misidentifying someone and adding to a family’s grief. Wait for authorities to release names.

Social media accounts linked to Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) are circulating an image of burning vessels as the IRGC Navy claims that 11 “violating oil tankers” have been set ablaze in the Strait of Hormuz over the past nine days, with some allegedly sunk.

The IRGC’s count begins on October 25, when U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) commander Admiral Brad Cooper flew over the strait in a visit Tehran has dismissed as a “show visit.”

Iran has not identified the tankers or provided evidence to substantiate its claims. However, the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) has reported nine vessel attacks over the same period. UKMTO has also warned that its figures are incomplete, as many attacked vessels do not report incidents to the center.

Recent FPV footage of Russian drone strikes on Ukrainian infantry

Imam Mohammad Mardini, delivering the Friday sermon in Dearborn:

“These ‘Satanic people’ have waged 28 wars since 2001 to reduce the world’s population.

“We know what they are doing with our money, and we must vote to change this reality.

“What endures is work, jihad, and martyrdom for Allah.”

Russia's Ministry of Emergency Situations says its mobile app was hacked, with attackers sending a fake alert warning of a nuclear strike.

Closeup footage shows the large crater from the business jet crash which killed 9 people in Greenacres, Florida.

BNO News: "In air traffic control audio, the crew of the aircraft, identified as N722BD, declared an emergency and reported an increasingly rapid descent. “Mayday, mayday. We’re descending 10,000 feet per minute,” a voice from the aircraft said. “We’re going to crash into the ground.” “I’m here with you. Talk to me,” a controller responded. “We are descending 22,000 feet and we are banking 60 degrees,” the crew said, followed by screaming and an unintelligible passage. “We’re going to die. Holy f*ck, we’re out of time,” the crew said before the transmission cut off."

New footage captures the aircraft crash in Greenacres, Florida.

Preliminary information suggests the aircraft that crashed is a business jet.

Donald Trump when asked if Nicki Minaj will be the new press secretary:

"That’s a good idea. I think I have to think about that."

U.S. Ambassador to Poland Tom Rose has urged all sides to “take a deep breath” as the confrontation surrounding Poland’s Constitutional Tribunal escalates.

Rose described the situation as “an unprecedented confrontation over the government’s use of state power and the independence and authority of a constitutional institution.” He noted that both sides “offer sharply different accounts,” adding that “it is not our place to judge or interfere.”

He stressed that Poland’s “strength ultimately must come from within” and called on government officials, police, and demonstrators to avoid actions that could “provoke violence or further escalation.”

U.S. ambassador to Poland says events at the Constitutional Tribunal are very serious and appear to be an unprecedented confrontation over the government’s use of state power and the independence of a constitutional institution, urging all sides to avoid actions that could provoke violence as thousands gather outside.

He adds: "America is on Poland’s side. It is not our place to judge or interfere in its internal affairs. Our concern is for the stability, security, and democratic future of a country we are proud to call our friend and ally."

Poles are praying outside the country’s Supreme Court on Friday night amid what they describe as an attempted coup against the judicial system by Prime Minister Donald Tusk.

Traders on Polymarket are giving Democrats roughly a 70% chance of winning majorities in both the U.S. House and Senate in Tuesday’s midterm elections.

Republicans currently control both chambers. Democrats need a net gain of three seats in the House and four in the Senate to secure majorities.

All 435 House seats, 35 Senate seats, and 36 governorships are up for election.

The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) has issued two warnings reporting separate maritime incidents, one occurring today and another on October 28.

In today’s incident, a vessel was reportedly struck by an unknown projectile approximately 40 nautical miles south of Iran’s Lavan Island. The crew is reportedly safe, and no environmental impact has been reported.

In the October 28 incident, a crude oil tanker was reportedly struck by an unknown projectile while transiting the Strait of Hormuz.

The US has finally approved a $2.1 billion sale of 500 Patriot PAC-3 interceptors to Ukraine, financed by European funds.

Footage from a Ukrainian Air Force MiG-29 Fulcrum as it scores a gun kill on a Russian Geran-4 jet-powered attack drone using its 30mm cannon.

CZ, the owner of Binance, is threatening Elon Musk after his exchange was hacked and lost more than $6 billion.

A brawl broke out in Armenia’s parliament earlier today between lawmakers from the ruling Civil Contract party and the opposition resulting in the suspension of the session. The incident was broadcast live and shows lawmakers wrestling and throwing punches. Local media report an ambulance arrived at the building and an opposition lawmaker from the Strong Armenia faction was seen bleeding from the nose. Security staff separated the sides, and the clashes continued in the corridors. No official injury report has been released.

The confrontation began during a speech by Civil Contract MP Taron Chakhoyan, who accused opposition members and associates of former president Robert Kocharyan of corruption and clashed verbally with Narek Karapetyan, head of the Strong Armenia faction.

Azernews reports a similar clash took place in early October.

Just earlier, Flavio Bolsonaro reported on arrived in Miami, Florida after losing the election to his opponent in Brazil, President Lula. His passport and documents were restricted and the move comes following reports that the U.S. provided him with a visa.

Brazil’s Federal Police will investigate Senator Flávio Bolsonaro’s presidential campaign over two allegations: foreign financing and the manipulation of social media algorithms during the election.

The investigation was ordered by Supreme Court Justice Flávio Dino.

Ukraine’s 1039th Air Defense Regiment has released an extensive compilation showing its French-supplied Crotale surface-to-air missile systems intercepting Russian aerial targets.

President Donald Trump criticized the ceasefire with Iran, calling it a “waste of time.” He said the agreement allowed some ships to pass through as a gesture of goodwill, but maintained that the ceasefire had little value.

Finnish President Alexander Stubb and Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre spoke by phone with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday, followed by calls with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Reuters reported.

Stubb’s office said his conversation with Putin focused on upcoming meetings in Abu Dhabi. Zelenskyy said Friday that Ukrainian, Russian and U.S. negotiators had agreed to hold technical-level talks there in early November.

Stubb described his call with Putin as “frank and substantive,” emphasizing that the outcome of the war would directly affect Finland’s and Europe’s broader security. He added that ending the conflict would require direct discussions.

A Zelenskyy aide confirmed that the Ukrainian president spoke with both leaders afterward. Stubb and Støre stressed that they participated as representatives of their respective countries, rather than on behalf of Europe, and reaffirmed their commitment to supporting Ukraine.

According to Reuters, most Western European leaders have avoided direct contact with Putin since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.

Stubb and Støre met U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff and Zelenskyy in Oslo last week, a day before Witkoff held talks with Putin in St. Petersburg. Following that meeting, the Kremlin said it was prepared to resume U.S.-mediated peace talks with Ukraine in November, marking the first such discussions since February.

In a recent post, NATO’s Allied Maritime Command announced that Standing NATO Maritime Group 1 (SNMG1) had observed a Russian Kilo-class submarine operating in the High North.

The announcement comes amid increased NATO signaling around the surveillance and monitoring of Russian naval activity in the region.

Former FBI Director James Comey releases video after being charged with leaking national defense information to a reporter in 2016, saying the charge is an appalling abuse of the Department of Justice and that he is still innocent.

Footage shows Ukrainian Storm Shadow cruise missiles striking Russia’s Energia military electronics plant in Yelets over the weekend.

At least seven missiles reportedly hit the facility, damaging multiple workshops involved in producing batteries for several Russian missile systems.

President Donald Trump says he will offer a $1 million reward to anyone who reports voter fraud that results in an arrest and conviction.

Trump responds to Barack Obama:

“We have to explain to Obama that the White House is a symbol of America and it has to be maintained properly. Guys like Obama don’t see it.”

Trump on Brazil’s election: “It looked like another rigged election, frankly. I didn’t take sides, but it was a terrible look for the world. Elections have to be indisputable, and it looked very bad to me.”

A Nukhba Force cell commander and a Hamas sniper were among four operatives killed in Israeli strikes in Gaza on Saturday and Sunday, according to the IDF. The other two operatives were members of Palestinian Islamic Jihad.

The IDF also reported destroying a building in northern Gaza on Sunday that was allegedly being used as a sniper position.

The military accused all four operatives of advancing attacks against Israeli troops and civilians in “systematic violation of the ceasefire.”

Footage from the Kaepung area shows North Korean soldiers deployed alongside 122mm self-propelled howitzers, with their barrels pointed south.

The artillery systems have reportedly been moved closer to the border with South Korea.

U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent on Iran:

“I believe the regime’s leadership is now hiding the true value of the rial. I think it’s through three million, and that’s why they’ve stopped publishing the rate.

“I would predict that from March 2026 to March 2027, the economy will contract by more than 25% — a greater contraction than the Soviet Union experienced after its collapse.”

Traders on Polymarket are giving Benjamin Netanyahu just a 27% chance of remaining Israeli Prime Minister, while former IDF Chief of Staff Gadi Eisenkot has surged to 58% ahead of tomorrow’s election.

Eisenkot, who led the IDF from 2015 to 2019, served in Netanyahu’s wartime government after October 7 before leaving in 2024. He now leads the Yashar party and has emerged as Netanyahu’s main challenger.

Israeli voters head to the polls on Tuesday, October 27.

Iranian MP Ahmad Naderi:

“I have advocated for Iran to build and test an atomic bomb for a decade.

“Now, Friday preachers and the Supreme Leader’s representatives agree with me.

“Mojtaba Khamenei’s fatwa on nuclear weapons will differ from his father’s, as circumstances have changed.”

Pakistan has initiated a four-way meeting with Iran, Türkiye, and Saudi Arabia, which began moments ago in Tehran with Iranian support and cooperation.

The agenda includes regional security, the consequences of military aggression, ongoing acts of aggression, and humanitarian assistance for the people of Palestine and Lebanon.

A vessel has reportedly been attacked near Iraq’s Port of Basra and is now on fire.

Iran targeted a vessel in the same area on October 20. The incident comes amid more than two dozen reported Iranian attacks on maritime traffic since the beginning of October.

First statement from Brazil's Lula:

"This was an election in which we had to overcome interference coming from outside the country through digital platforms, which we will have to regulate."

U.S. forces in the Middle East are prepared to launch new, potentially major operations against Iran “within 96 hours of receiving” an order from President Donald J. Trump, according to two U.S. officials who spoke to CNN. The officials say sufficient forces are in the region and the scope would go beyond “mowing the lawn,” meaning strikes on radars and launchers that can be quickly rebuilt.

CNN reports officials believe an order could come before the end of the year, most likely after the November 3rd midterm elections. Officials also said President Trump has not made a final decision, appears to lean toward major action, and has backed off at the last moment before. U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) and Pentagon leaders have built a target list covering Iranian energy infrastructure, military sites and nuclear facilities.

Sources told CNN that Iran and the Houthis would likely retaliate immediately against U.S. personnel and facilities in the region but are unlikely to launch preemptive attacks now. Only the embassy in Riyadh is currently under ordered departure, but one source says others are expected to follow or face personnel caps.

Ukrainian forces are mounting a cruise missile raid into western Russia this morning, the third in a row.

Local Russian channels report a number of cruise missiles and jet-powered drones heading towards the Voronezh and Tambov areas.

Footage shows multiple Ukrainian Storm Shadow cruise missiles striking Russia’s Proton military electronics plant in Orel over the weekend.

The strike reportedly caused extensive damage to a semiconductor fabrication facility at the plant.

Brazilian Senator Flávio Bolsonaro:

"It is impossible to recognize the election results in the context of how these things happened. We are going to use our legal team, we are going to request the annulment of these elections."

Lula retakes the lead in the Brazilian presidential election.

With 47.6% of polling sections counted, Lula has 50.01% against Bolsonaro’s 49.99%

An anti-ship cruise missile (ASCM) launcher in Sirik was reportedly struck by an “unknown missile” after launching ASCMs toward the Strait of Hormuz.

The strike follows reports of powerful explosions in Sirik, with local residents describing the blasts as so intense that the ground shook violently.

Cristiano Zanin served as Lula’s personal lawyer for years before Lula appointed him to Brazil’s Supreme Federal Court.

Multiple powerful explosions were reportedly heard offshore near Iran’s Hormozgan coastline, with the cause still unknown.

Construction continues at Iran's mountain airbase with underground hangars, known as 'Eagle 44', despite at least three rounds of strikes this year, according to TWZ, which reviewed Planet Labs satellite imagery from September 29th. TWZ’s account of the strikes is based on imagery, a New York Times report and an analysis by imagery provider Soar Atlas.

Eagle 44, also called Oghab 44, is an Iranian Air Force base in Hormozgan province, about 100 miles northwest of the Strait of Hormuz. Iran’s state media unveiled it in February 2023.

TWZ says the September imagery shows a new taxiway section completed on the western side, with the next segment prepared but not yet paved, and obstacles removed from the runway.

The imagery also shows what appears to be damage from Israeli and U.S. airstrikes. Craters are visible near the western tunnel entrances. Two support buildings are destroyed and a third is damaged, with no rebuilding visible. The four tunnel entrances appear intact, but it’s unclear whether they are open or sealed. TWZ says a second taxiway would ease a bottleneck for launching and recovering aircraft. That is its interpretation.

What’s inside the mountain, and how many Iranian fighters remain, is unknown. TWZ notes administration statements that Iran’s air force has been destroyed, including U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) Commander Admiral Brad Cooper telling Congress in May that Iranian sorties were “zero,” and says U.S. and Western officials have also said Iran has rebuilt faster than expected.

Trump: " We did get Greenland."

Trump mocks Ilhan Omar with an impression, saying it “pisses him off” that she criticizes the way he runs the United States.

*LULA AT 57.7%, BOLSONARO AT 42.3% AS 0.25% BRAZIL VOTES TALLIED

Brazil's Supreme Court Justice Cristiano Zanin has issued a preliminary ruling extending voting in the presidential runoff nationwide until 7 PM local time, following reports of public transportation disruptions that prevented voters from reaching polling stations.

Brazil’s Supreme Court Justice Extends Voting Hours by Two Hours — Brazil’s Version of Mail-In Ballots.

France saw 410,000 protesters nationwide on October 24, according to the Interior Ministry, while unions reported higher turnout.

Police estimated that 110,000 people marched in Paris. The demonstrations remained largely peaceful, though tear gas and clashes broke out as crowds dispersed.

Authorities deployed 70,000 officers nationwide.

Riot police in Marseille, France, were forced to retreat as violent unrest erupted across the city.

Footage shows Ukrainian troops using small mining trains to travel through gas pipelines outside Kupyansk, where intense underground fighting has been ongoing for days.

Zelensky told ABC News that Ukraine needs a strong president to survive during wartime, but after the war, Ukrainians will be free to choose whoever they want to lead the country.

He also revealed that Ukraine has received just 24 Patriot missiles from the US over the past 90 days, while the US and its Middle Eastern allies have used more than 2,000 in the first few days of the war against Iran.

Ukrainian attack drones struck another Russian synthetic rubber production facility in Omsk tonight, sparking a fire at the site.

The plant also accounts for roughly a quarter of Russia’s domestic MTBE production, a key gasoline additive used to boost octane levels.

According to the Saudi Arabia’s Joint Forces spokesperson a Houthi ballistic missile, heading towards Riyadh, Saudi Arabia was intercepted and destroyed.

The U.S. is discreetly moving some diplomats and their families out of the Middle East amid concerns of regional escalation - CNN

Nonessential staff and families have been ordered out of Saudi Arabia, with staffing reductions reported in Jordan, Qatar, the UAE, and Lebanon.

Rubio argues that the war in Ukraine ultimately comes down to the Donbas region, roughly 11% of the country that Russia wants but has been unable to capture militarily, while Ukraine refuses to surrender it due to concerns over sovereignty and security.

He says the key now is finding a compromise in which both sides make concessions to bring the war to an end.

Kenya announces second Ebola death:

The United States has called on Cubans to cooperate with the CIA to facilitate regime change.

The move follows remarks by President Donald Trump at a campaign rally in South Florida this afternoon, where he suggested that the U.S. could intervene in Cuba following the war with Iran.

Very large explosions were heard moments ago in Bandar Lengeh and Bandar Kong in southern Iran.

At the same time, fighter jets belonging to the Islamic Republic of Iran Air Force (IRIAF) were reportedly airborne over Bandar Lengeh.

President Trump says “I assume Ilhan Omar must IMMEDIATELY resign from Congress” after Fox News report that she used a fake name (Ilhan Nur Said Elmi) to be sworn in.

WSJ: Iran is now warning that renewed U.S. and Israeli airstrikes would trigger retaliation across the Persian Gulf, targeting American military installations and warships, as well as civilian infrastructure in neighboring countries, including airports and oil pipelines.

President Trump says Rep. Ilhan Omar is using a different name to secure her election to Congress, says her real name is “Ilhan Nur Said Elmi.”

Trump says that Omar had “openly admitted to fraud” and declared that she would no longer be legally eligible to serve in Congress.

U.S. President Donald Trump on Iran:

“We’re gonna have Iran finished very soon, one way or the other. It’s almost insignificant to me which way.

It’s going to be done very soon, and your gasoline prices and your oil are going to come tumbling down.”

Good night, Nostr. Sleep well, and I’ll see you all tomorrow. 🫡

Near Kupyansk in Ukraine’s Kharkiv region, Ukrainian and Russian forces engaged in close-quarters combat inside Soviet-era pipelines, reportedly fighting at distances as short as four meters from one another.

During his visit to Türkiye today, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney announced a new strategic partnership between the two countries.

According to Carney and subsequent reports, the partnership will be built around four pillars: economic trade and investment, defense cooperation, energy agreements, and cultural and people-to-people ties.

The announcement comes as Canada, amid ongoing strategic tensions with the United States, increasingly seeks to expand cooperation with other nations across multiple sectors in an effort to diversify its partnerships and advance its broader strategic objectives.

Key areas of potential cooperation include feasibility discussions on joint projects to expand Türkiye’s nuclear power capacity, greater defense industry cooperation, and investments in key Turkish industries, including critical minerals.

Defense cooperation is particularly notable, as Canada had previously imposed restrictions on certain defense exports to Türkiye amid concerns over Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s increasingly authoritarian tendencies.

President Trump accuses Iran of “doing everything they can to drive up the price of oil prior to the U.S. midterm election.”

Via Rasgip Soylu, the full text of the Mecca Joint Defense Agreement between Saudi Arabia, Türkiye, and Pakistan has now been published. The Turkish government has also submitted the agreement to parliament for ratification.

Previously, amid Houthi attacks, Saudi Arabia invoked the agreement, prompting criticism over Türkiye’s limited response. Turkish officials countered that the deal was not yet legally in force.

U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) has issued an update marking 100 days of the second naval blockade of Iran, stating that the operation has helped “prevent Iran from exporting at least $25 billion.”

CENTCOM says the blockade is applying pressure on the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps’ (IRGC) ability to finance proxy militias, including the Houthis and Hezbollah.

Following earlier reports that Iranian launch sites were targeted, new reports indicate that multiple launches have taken place from Iran in the direction of the Strait of Hormuz.

Additionally, combat aircraft have been reported over Iraq.

These developments follow reports that Israel conducted a large-scale combat exercise sortie over Iraq and Syria, rehearsing a potential future strike against Iran.