Morning Brief: Pentagon Orders Renaming of USNS Harvey Milk, UN Security Council to Vote on Gaza Ceasefire Resolution

Welcome to Wednesday! Begin your day with SOFREP’s Morning Brief, offering essential news on defense and global affairs for June 4, 2025. Today’s headlines include the Pentagon will rename the USNS Harvey Milk, drawing backlash from LGBTQ+ advocates and Democrats. Trump ruled out any uranium enrichment in new Iran nuclear talks. The UN plans a Gaza ceasefire vote, but a US veto is expected. Israel struck Syria after rockets hit the Golan Heights. A Sudan airstrike killed five aid workers, with both sides blaming each other. Al-Qaeda-linked militants killed over 60 Malian soldiers in major attacks. Russia hit Sumy, killing four, while Ukraine damaged the Kerch Bridge in retaliation. US Defense Secretary Hegseth skipped a Ukraine aid meeting, signaling reduced support.

—

Pentagon Orders Renaming of USNS Harvey Milk, Drawing Sharp Criticism

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has ordered the US Navy to rename the USNS Harvey Milk (T-AO 206), a John Lewis-class replenishment oiler named after the slain gay rights activist and former Navy officer.

The directive aligns with President Donald Trump’s and Hegseth’s priorities, according to defense officials speaking anonymously.

The ship, commissioned in 2021, was originally named in 2016 by then-Navy Secretary Ray Mabus as part of a class honoring civil rights leaders.

Milk, a Navy officer forced to resign in 1955 after being outed as gay, became the first openly gay man elected to public office in California before his assassination in 1978. He received the Presidential Medal of Freedom posthumously in 2009.

The Navy declined comment, but Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell confirmed name reviews are ongoing and said new designations would reflect national history and a “warrior ethos.”

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has ordered the Navy to rename the ship that honors Harvey Milk, a former sailor who later became the first openly gay man elected to office in California.

The USNS Harvey Milk, a John Lewis-class replenishment oiler, was first named after the gay… pic.twitter.com/noo6Dm0Uxe

— Stars and Stripes (@starsandstripes) June 3, 2025

The ship, currently under maintenance in Alabama, will reportedly be renamed by mid-June—timed to coincide with Pride Month.

The move sparked immediate backlash. Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi called the decision “spiteful,” while LGBTQ+ advocates labeled it a discriminatory erasure. Critics, including scholars and veterans’ groups, condemned the renaming as an act of institutional homophobia that undermines military values of service and inclusion.

Trump Rejects Uranium Enrichment in New Iran Deal as Tensions Rise

President Donald Trump ruled out any uranium enrichment by Iran under a potential new nuclear agreement, sharply rejecting a proposal that would allow limited enrichment on Iranian soil.

Trump made the announcement Monday on Truth Social, criticizing former President Joe Biden for failing to curb Iran’s nuclear progress and stating firmly, “WE WILL NOT ALLOW ANY ENRICHMENT OF URANIUM!”

His comments came after Axios reported that Washington’s proposal to Tehran, sent Saturday, would permit low-level enrichment for a limited time.

Iran has defended its nuclear activity as peaceful and aimed at power generation, with Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi warning that any deal attempting to deprive Iran of such activity would fail.

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) recently revealed Iran had increased uranium enrichment to 60 percent, just below weapons-grade. IAEA chief Rafael Grossi, in Cairo, called for greater transparency from Tehran.

NEW | Iran increased its stockpile of 60 percent enriched uranium by 133.8 kilograms, or 3.2 significant quantities, since February 2025, according to an unreleased International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) report. (1/7) pic.twitter.com/meHrxBWner

— Critical Threats (@criticalthreats) June 3, 2025

Araghchi pushed back, accusing Western powers of politicizing the agency to escalate tensions.

Iran insists any deal must include the full lifting of US sanctions. Iranian officials stated they received US proposals through Omani mediators after five rounds of talks. Meanwhile, the US envoy on Iran, Steve Witkoff, reiterated that Washington’s red line is a total ban on enrichment.

Despite calls for diplomacy, including from Egypt’s President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, Tehran vowed to continue enrichment with or without a deal.

UN Security Council to Vote on Gaza Ceasefire Resolution, Likely Facing US Veto

The United Nations (UN) Security Council is set to vote Wednesday on a resolution demanding an “immediate, unconditional and permanent ceasefire” in Gaza, alongside the full release of hostages and the restoration of unrestricted humanitarian aid.

The resolution, drafted by the Council’s ten elected members, comes amid warnings of famine and deteriorating conditions in Gaza.

US officials are expected to veto the measure, as they did with a similar resolution in November 2023. The US has not formally commented on the current draft. The resolution also criticizes the new Israeli and US-backed aid distribution system, saying it violates humanitarian principles and enables the use of aid as a weapon.

#Gaza: Palestinians have been presented the grimmest of choices: die from starvation or risk being killed while trying to access the meagre food that is being made available through #Israel’s militarized humanitarian assistance mechanism.

— UN Human Rights (@UNHumanRights) June 3, 2025

Gaza remains almost entirely dependent on outside aid following Israel’s military offensive and March 2 blockade, which was only partially lifted under international pressure. Since then, only 370 of the 620 aid trucks allowed through have reached civilians, with some shipments looted.

The war began after Hamas’s October 2023 attack killed 1,200 people in southern Israel and resulted in 251 hostages. Israel’s response has killed over 54,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry.

The UN has approved only four of 14 Gaza-related resolutions since the conflict began.

Israel, Syria Trade Strikes Following Rocket Fire into Golan Heights

Two rockets fired from Syria struck open areas in the Israeli-controlled Golan Heights on Tuesday, marking the first cross-border strike from Syrian territory since the fall of Bashar al-Assad in December.

A Telegram group calling itself the Mohammed Deif Brigades claimed responsibility, though analysts question its authenticity.

Israel responded with artillery and airstrikes on Syria’s Daraa province and areas near Quneitra. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported “violent explosions” from Israeli strikes.

Damascus denied involvement, stating it has not verified the rocket launch and insisted Syria poses no regional threat.

Two rockets have hit the occupied Syrian Golan Heights after the Israeli regime’s air defenses failed to intercept them. The regime’s army claims the rockets were fired from Syria.

Follow: https://t.co/GKZwI4ehqL pic.twitter.com/Ex3Cpw83tI

— Press TV 🔻 (@PressTV) June 4, 2025

Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz held Syria’s new president, Ahmad al-Sharaa, directly accountable and promised a full response. Israel remains wary of the new Islamist-led Syrian government and continues its campaign of preemptive strikes in the region.

The US, now engaging with al-Sharaa’s government and easing sanctions, has encouraged normalization between Syria and Israel.

Al-Sharaa, in a recent interview, expressed interest in restoring the 1974 ceasefire agreement but stopped short of endorsing full diplomatic ties.

Airstrike on UN Aid Convoy in Darfur Kills Five; Sudanese Warring Factions Trade Blame

An airstrike on a 15-truck UN aid convoy near Koma in North Darfur killed five Sudanese contractors and wounded several others Monday night, the UN confirmed.

The convoy, organized by the World Food Programme (WFP) and UNICEF, was carrying food and nutrition supplies to the besieged city of el-Fasher — its first such delivery attempt in over a year.

The convoy had traveled more than 1,100 miles from Port Sudan through hostile terrain and was about 50 miles from its destination when the strike occurred.

The UN called the incident “devastating” and condemned attacks on humanitarian workers as violations of international humanitarian law.

.@WFP and UNICEF condemn an attack on a joint humanitarian convoy in North Darfur, Sudan, last night.

Five members of the convoy were killed, and several more people were injured.

Details: https://t.co/O9ayyfmLPv pic.twitter.com/0TRF1UoCR7

— UNICEF (@UNICEF) June 3, 2025

Both sides in Sudan’s ongoing civil war blamed each other. The Rapid Support Forces (RSF) accused Sudan’s military of launching a drone strike in a “preplanned attack,” releasing footage of charred vehicles loaded with flour bags.

The military, however, claimed RSF-operated drones carried out the strike. Local Resistance Committees in el-Fasher sided with the military’s version, calling the RSF’s statement a cover-up.

El-Fasher remains one of the last military strongholds in Darfur and has been under RSF siege since May. The war between Sudan’s army and the RSF has displaced 13 million people and created what the UN calls the world’s worst humanitarian crisis. Atrocities including mass rape and ethnic cleansing have been reported, especially in Darfur.

The UN demanded an urgent investigation and accountability for the attack, which follows the bombing of WFP facilities in el-Fasher last week. Aid groups are now reassessing efforts to reach civilians trapped by the fighting.

JNIM Extremists Kill Dozens of Soldiers in Coordinated Mali Attacks

Al-Qaeda-linked militants killed at least 60 Malian soldiers and wounded 40 more in a major assault on a military base in Boulkessi near the Burkina Faso border on Sunday, according to civil society and military sources.

The jihadist group Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin (JNIM) claimed responsibility for the attack, in which nearly all the estimated 280 soldiers stationed at the base were either killed or captured.

Mali’s army confirmed the assault but withheld casualty figures, stating only that troops “fought to their last breath.” This marks one of the deadliest attacks on Malian forces in recent months, as extremist violence continues to escalate across the Sahel.

On Monday, JNIM also launched coordinated attacks on a military airport, base, and checkpoints in Timbuktu. The Malian army claimed to have repelled the assault, killing 13 extremists. One soldier died of his injuries, and 10 others were wounded, according to local medical sources.

Residents reported hearing heavy gunfire and seeing armed militants on motorcycles.

The scale and timing of the two attacks indicate significant planning, said Rida Lyammouri of the Policy Center for the New South.

Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger—each now under military rule—have expelled French troops and rely on Russian mercenaries for security, as extremist groups gain strength in the region.

Russian Strike on Sumy Kills Four as Ukraine Hits Back with Kerch Bridge Blast

A Russian rocket attack on the Ukrainian city of Sumy killed at least four civilians and wounded 25 on Tuesday, according to Ukrainian officials.

The strike, which hit apartment buildings and a medical facility, came one day after fruitless peace talks in Istanbul. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy condemned the attack as a clear signal that Moscow has no intention of ending the war.

In retaliation, Ukraine’s Security Service (SBU) claimed it damaged the Kerch Bridge, a critical Russian supply route to occupied Crimea, using over a ton of seabed explosives.

The SBU said the bridge is now in “emergency condition,” though Russia temporarily reopened it after two closures on Tuesday.

Meanwhile, Ukrainian drones hit multiple air bases deep inside Russia over the weekend, reportedly damaging or destroying over 40 aircraft. The Kremlin confirmed damage at two bases but downplayed the scale. The attacks signal Kyiv’s continued offensive capabilities even as battlefield conditions stagnate along a 1,000-kilometer (621-mile) front line.

NEW: Kremlin officials publicly acknowledged that Russia seeks the “complete destruction” of Ukraine, indicating Moscow’s disinterest in good faith peace negotiations and a near-term resolution to the war.

Ukraine struck the Kerch Strait Bridge on June 3 for the third time since… pic.twitter.com/5W3U4bE5t5

— Institute for the Study of War (@TheStudyofWar) June 3, 2025

Despite public gestures toward peace, Russia rejected a US-proposed ceasefire that Ukraine accepted. Russian officials, including former President Dmitry Medvedev, said negotiations aim not for compromise but for Ukraine’s total defeat.

A Putin-Zelenskyy-Trump summit remains unlikely, according to the Kremlin.

Russia has intensified strikes on Sumy and Kharkiv, aiming to establish a cross-border buffer zone. In Kharkiv’s Chystovodivka village, Russian artillery killed two civilians and wounded three. Moscow also claimed to have captured the village of Andriivka in Sumy, a claim Ukraine has not confirmed.

As both sides maintain hardline positions, the death toll continues to rise. The UN estimates over 12,000 Ukrainian civilians have died since the war began in 2022, alongside tens of thousands of military casualties.

US Defense Chief Skips Key Ukraine Aid Meeting, Signaling Shift in Policy

For the first time since the Ukraine Defense Contact Group was formed in 2022, the US Secretary of Defense will not attend its meeting.

Pete Hegseth will miss Wednesday’s Brussels session, which brings together over 50 defense leaders coordinating military aid to Ukraine.

A US official confirmed Hegseth will neither attend in person nor via video, arriving only after the meeting concludes.

This marks a further US retreat from Ukraine war support. Since taking office, the Trump administration has announced no new military aid to Ukraine.

Hegseth is OUT — SecDef is skipping Ukraine Defense Contact group meeting

The first time a Pentagon chief will not attend Ramstein in 3 years — AP https://t.co/pz9XpnndFx pic.twitter.com/mUowco79Lt

— RT (@RT_com) June 4, 2025

Hegseth has also handed group leadership to Germany and the United Kingdom, signaling Washington’s shift in focus toward the Indo-Pacific and away from European security priorities.

During previous remarks, Hegseth urged Ukraine to drop its NATO membership ambitions and abandon efforts to reclaim all Russian-occupied territory. The change in US posture follows warnings from French President Emmanuel Macron, who criticized the West’s growing focus on China at the expense of Ukraine, arguing it threatens US strategic credibility.

General Christopher Cavoli, NATO’s supreme allied commander, will represent the US at the meeting. Meanwhile, a senior Ukrainian delegation is in Washington for high-level talks on defense, sanctions, and postwar recovery.

Ukraine’s representatives are expected to meet with Secretary of State Marco Rubio and other officials to discuss recent negotiations with Russia and battlefield conditions.

Sources: News Agencies, Stars and Stripes, The Associated Press