Trump Sends 350 National Guard Troops to New Orleans Amid Immigration Crackdown
The Trump administration is deploying 350 National Guard troops to New Orleans through February to support federal law enforcement ahead of the New Year, the Pentagon said Tuesday.
Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell said the Guard will assist the Justice Department and the Department of Homeland Security as Border Patrol agents carry out a months-long immigration crackdown that has already led to several hundred arrests.
Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry praised President Donald Trump and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth for approving the deployment, saying it will help address violence in the city.
🚨BREAKING: Today I am announcing 350 National Guard troops will be deployed to New Orleans.
These citizen soldiers will help ensure safety during the busiest season in the city. We owe them all a debt of gratitude for their commitment to our State and Nation.
I also want to… pic.twitter.com/TWsIE2DQwa
— Governor Jeff Landry (@LAGovJeffLandry) December 23, 2025
Critics argue the move is unnecessary and risks intimidating residents, noting that New Orleans has seen significant declines in homicides and other violent crimes this year.
The deployment follows previous Guard missions tied to major events and security incidents, including a deadly New Year’s Day truck attack and large gatherings such as Mardi Gras and the Super Bowl.
US, Iran Clash at UN as Nuclear Diplomacy Stalls
Iran and the United States reaffirmed support for diplomacy during a tense United Nations Security Council meeting Tuesday, but both sides signaled little progress toward reviving a nuclear deal.
Iranian Ambassador Amir Saeid Iravani said Tehran remains committed to negotiations and the principles of the 2015 nuclear agreement, while placing responsibility on the US, Britain, and France to rebuild trust. US Mission counselor Morgan Ortagus said Washington remains open to talks only if Iran agrees to direct negotiations and abandons uranium enrichment, a core dispute.
The exchange followed the cancellation of planned talks after Israel’s June war with Iran and US strikes on Iranian nuclear sites.
The United States and Iran traded barbs at the United Nations Security Council over conditions for reviving nuclear talks, with the US saying it remains ready for direct negotiations and Iran rejecting Washington’s terms https://t.co/GFnQH8Run1 pic.twitter.com/T3gul0HoJ5
— Reuters (@Reuters) December 23, 2025
The standoff comes as Iran accelerates uranium enrichment, Western powers reinstate UN sanctions, and international divisions sharpen over how to curb Tehran’s nuclear program.
Ex-Aide Says Netanyahu Sought to Avoid Blame After October 7 Attack
A former close aide to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the prime minister moved to deflect responsibility in the immediate aftermath of Hamas’ October 7, 2023 attack on Israel, which triggered the ongoing war in Gaza.
Eli Feldstein, a former Netanyahu spokesperson now facing trial over an alleged leak of classified information, told Israel’s Kan broadcaster that Netanyahu tasked him with countering media pressure over accountability for the security failure. Feldstein said the request came in the days following the attack, when Hamas-led militants killed about 1,200 people in southern Israel and took 251 hostages.
Eli Feldstein, who stands accused of operating as a Qatari agent while working as Netanyahu’s spokesman, reveals the one and only mission he ever got from the PM: Figure out how I can shirk responsibility for October 7. Do anything. This is just the promo for a long interview… pic.twitter.com/c7I7gmLQZ5
— UnXeptable (@UnxeptableD) December 22, 2025
Netanyahu’s office rejected the claims as false and self-serving.
The allegations emerge as Israel’s war in Gaza, launched in response to the attack, has killed nearly 71,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry, and as Netanyahu continues to resist an independent state inquiry into the events.
Settlers Attack West Bank Home as Violence Rises; Israel Walks Back Gaza Settlement Talk
Israeli settlers attacked a Palestinian home overnight in the town of As Samu’ in the occupied West Bank, killing three sheep, injuring four others, and sending three young children to the hospital, Palestinian officials said Tuesday.
The attack, which involved property damage and the use of chemical spray, prompted Israeli police to arrest five settlers and open an investigation. The incident reflects a broader surge in settler violence against Palestinians, with the United Nations recording a sharp rise in attacks during recent months.
BREAKING: After midnight (Palestine time), Israeli settler terrorists attacked a Palestinian family’s home in the town of as-Samu, Hebron, in the West Bank.
They beat a mother and her three children and sprayed them with pepper spray, including an infant. All were injured and… pic.twitter.com/UCftI7olKJ
— Ihab Hassan (@IhabHassane) December 23, 2025
The violence comes amid long-running Israeli occupation of the territory, where more than 500,000 Israeli settlers live.
Separately, Israel’s defense minister briefly suggested the re-establishment of settlements in Gaza before retracting the remarks, after drawing apparent US criticism and reaffirming that Israel has no plans to resettle the territory.
Syrian Christians Mark Christmas After Deadly Church Bombing
Hundreds of worshippers gathered this week at Mar Elias Church near Damascus to honor 25 people killed in a June suicide attack and to reaffirm their faith ahead of Christmas.
The service took place in Dweil’a, where a gunman opened fire and detonated an explosive vest inside the Greek Orthodox church during Sunday prayers, an attack authorities blamed on an Islamic State cell.
Congregants remembered three men who tackled the attacker and pushed him from the center of the church, actions they say saved many lives.
For the first time in years, Christians from three villages in Syria’s Idlib province lit Christmas trees in public, after more than a decade under rebel and later jihadist control.
The area fell to armed groups in 2012 and was later dominated by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, the… pic.twitter.com/O3oaPrBwbR
— The New Arab (@The_NewArab) December 22, 2025
The gathering occurred amid heightened security and ongoing fears among Syria’s Christian minority, as the country’s new Islamist-led government struggles to contain sectarian violence after years of civil war.
Church leaders and families of victims said the memorial reflected both grief and a call for peace in a country still facing deep instability.
Ukrainian Drones Target Moscow, Spark Industrial Fire South of Capital
Ukrainian drone attacks struck regions around Moscow overnight, prompting Russian air defenses to shoot down multiple aircraft and triggering an industrial fire in the Tula region, Russian officials said Wednesday.
Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said at least three drones aimed at the capital were downed, with no immediate reports of damage, while aviation authorities temporarily restricted operations at two major Moscow airports.
BREAKING:
Ukrainian suicide drones are striking the Yefremov rubber plant in the Tula region of Russia.
It’s a key supplier for the Russian Army pic.twitter.com/nnjDEOSlma
— Visegrád 24 (@visegrad24) December 24, 2025
In Tula, directly south of Moscow, debris from a downed drone ignited a fire at an unspecified industrial site, Governor Dmitry Milyaev said. Russia’s defense ministry reported destroying 172 Ukrainian drones nationwide, nearly half over border regions.
Ukraine says it is intensifying long-range drone strikes to target Russian military, energy, and logistics infrastructure in response to continued Russian attacks on Ukrainian territory.
Pope Urges Christmas Ceasefire After Russia Rejects Proposal
Pope Leo XIV said Tuesday he was saddened that Russia rejected a proposed Christmas ceasefire in its nearly four-year war with Ukraine.
Speaking to journalists outside his residence in Castel Gandolfo, Italy, the pope said he would again appeal for a pause in fighting to observe Christmas Day as a time of peace. Leo, the first US pope, called on people of goodwill to support at least 24 hours without violence.
Pope Leo said that he feels ‘much sadness’ that Russia did not agree to a Christmas ceasefire in its war with Ukraine https://t.co/w3ej6RBZS1 pic.twitter.com/wwCeLTdAVa
— Reuters (@Reuters) December 24, 2025
His remarks came as the conflict between Russia and Ukraine continues with no agreement on a temporary holiday truce.
Sources: News Agencies
—
** Editor’s Note: Thinking about subscribing to SOFREP? You can support Veteran Journalism & do it now for only $1 for your first year. Pull the trigger on this amazing offer HERE. – GDM
Morning Brief: Pentagon Warns China’s Rapid Military Buildup, US and Iran Clash at UN Meeting, Settlers Attack West Bank Home
Pentagon warns on China; Guard sent to New Orleans; US–Iran tensions rise. Here’s your Wednesday morning brief for December 24th, 2025
Advertisement
