A fresh start to the week: It’s Monday, March 31, 2025. Here’s what’s happening around the world in defense and global affairs.

 

US Rebuilds Deterrence Across Taiwan Strait, Challenges China

US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth reaffirmed America’s commitment to deterring Chinese aggression across the Taiwan Strait, emphasizing “robust, ready and credible deterrence” in the Indo-Pacific region.

Speaking in Japan on Sunday, Hegseth criticized China’s “aggressive and coercive” actions, while stopping short of explicitly urging Tokyo to increase defense spending.

Instead, he expressed confidence in Japan’s judgment and praised the strength of the US-Japan alliance.

Amid concerns over President Trump’s “America First” approach, Hegseth insisted that deterrence and global leadership were being re-established.

The Pentagon aims to build a powerful alliance to dissuade China from taking aggressive steps against Taiwan.

Japan, moving away from its traditional pacifism, has been boosting its military capabilities, including “counterstrike” capabilities, and raising defense spending to NATO standards.

A new US command headquarters will be set up in Japan to improve joint military readiness, especially in response to potential conflicts in Taiwan or the Korean peninsula.

 

Trump Slams Putin, Threatens Tariffs

US President Donald Trump expressed Sunday strong anger toward Russian President Vladimir Putin over comments questioning Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s leadership.

In a call with NBC’s Kristen Welker, Trump allegedly said he was “very angry, pissed off,” and warned of secondary tariffs on Russian oil if Moscow is found responsible for continued bloodshed in Ukraine.

Trump’s frustration contrasts with his past critiques of Zelenskyy and comes amid ongoing US efforts to broker peace in the over three-year-long war.

Despite recent negotiations, Putin rejected a proposed 30-day ceasefire and suggested replacing Zelenskyy as a condition for peace.

On the battlefield, Russia has made gains, including strikes on Kharkiv and capturing a village near Ukraine’s Dnipropetrovsk region.

The Kremlin continues to refuse a ceasefire without sanction relief. Trump’s threat of 25 to 50 percent oil tariffs targets not only Russia but potentially its buyers, such as China and India.

The situation remains tense, with Zelenskyy urging more international pressure on Russia and criticizing delays in implementing a ceasefire proposal.

 

US Hits ISIS, Downs Militants

The US military, in coordination with the Somali government, conducted an airstrike on Saturday targeting Islamic State (ISIS) operatives in Somalia’s Puntland region.

The strike, carried out by US Africa Command (AFRICOM), killed multiple ISIS-Somalia fighters and reportedly caused no civilian casualties.

The operation, southeast of Bosasso, is part of a broader counter-terrorism effort.

Although ISIS has a smaller footprint in Somalia compared to the dominant jihadist group Al-Shabaab, it has been growing in strength in the semi-autonomous Puntland region.

This airstrike follows a similar US operation two days earlier and another in February that reportedly killed key ISIS figures.

 

Militants Strike Town in Burkina Faso, Kill Dozens

A suspected jihadist attack in eastern Burkina Faso has left several dozen soldiers and civilian auxiliaries dead, with around 30 more injured, according to local and security sources.

According to Sunday reports, the assault targeted an army detachment in Diapaga, Tapoa province, and also affected the town itself, where terrorists reportedly set fire to homes and shops.

The military responded with retaliatory action, killing several assailants and launching an area sweep. This incident adds to the ongoing violence in Burkina Faso, where jihadist groups linked to ISIS and Al-Qaeda have caused over 26,000 deaths and displaced over two million people since 2015.

The country’s military government, in power since 2022, has established a new rapid intervention battalion (BIR) and mobilized civilian defense volunteers (VDP) to combat the threat, though their actions have faced scrutiny from human rights organizations.

 

Niger Quits Coalition, Shields Oilfields

Niger has officially pulled out of the Multinational Joint Task Force (MNJTF), a regional military coalition formed to fight Islamist insurgents around the Lake Chad region.

The Nigerien Army announced late Saturday the decision via state television, citing a shift in focus toward securing vital oil infrastructure from jihadist attacks.

Tensions among the coalition members—Cameroon, Chad, Niger, and Nigeria—have grown since Niger’s 2023 military coup, with Niger accusing Nigeria of foreign interference.

The coalition has battled Boko Haram and Islamic State-linked insurgents since 2015, amid a broader conflict that has killed over 40,000 people and displaced two million.

Niger’s decision follows similar frustration from Chad, which had threatened to leave the task force after suffering heavy losses.

Ongoing insecurity near Niger’s oil pipeline to Benin has reinforced the country’s priority to defend its economic lifelines.

 

Sudan’s Army Reclaims Khartoum, Forces Paramilitary Forces Out

The commander of Sudan’s Rapid Support Forces (RSF), Mohamed Hamdan Daglo, admitted on Sunday that the group has withdrawn from Khartoum, conceding territory to the national army after nearly two years of war.

Daglo’s remarks came just days after the RSF vowed no surrender.

Army chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan declared key areas of the capital reclaimed, including the presidential palace and airport, and reiterated a refusal to negotiate with the RSF.

Daglo echoed this hardline stance, stating there would be no talks with the army, only conflict.

Despite the army’s gains in Khartoum, Sudan remains divided, with the RSF maintaining control over Darfur and parts of the south.

The conflict has caused one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises, displacing over 12 million people and leading to widespread famine.

 

Israel Orders Evacuation, Eyes Rafah Assault

The Israeli military issued Monday widespread evacuation orders for most of Rafah in southern Gaza, signaling the potential launch of a new ground offensive.

This move comes as Israel intensifies its military operations after ending a ceasefire with Hamas earlier in the month.


Nearly all of Rafah’s population has been told to relocate to Muwasi, a coastal area already overcrowded with tent camps, with the evacuation order falling during the Eid al-Fitr holiday.

Israel had previously seized the Rafah-Egypt border corridor during a May operation, despite agreeing under US pressure to withdraw from it as part of a January ceasefire deal.

Israel now refuses to withdraw, citing the need to prevent weapons smuggling.

The Israeli government insists military operations will continue until Hamas releases the remaining 59 hostages, disarms, and exits Gaza — conditions Hamas has rejected.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has also proposed resettling Gaza’s population in other countries under US President Trump’s emigration plan, which Palestinians and human rights groups have condemned as forced expulsion.

The war began on October 7, 2023, when Hamas militants attacked Israel, killing 1,200 people and taking 251 hostages.

Since then, Israel’s response has killed over 50,000 Palestinians, displaced 90 percent of Gaza’s population, and left vast areas in ruins.

 

Sources: News Agencies