News

Morning Brief: Congress Probes Trump’s Caribbean Ops, Hegseth Backs South Korea’s Defense Spending Boost, Russia Claims Gains in Pokrovsk

BY Guy D. McCardle

Congress challenges Trump strikes, Seoul shows unity, Sudan crisis deepens. Here’s your Tuesday Morning Brief rundown, November 4, 2025.

An aerial view of besieged Pokrovsk. (Image via X)

Good morning — it’s Tuesday, November 4, 2025. Congress presses President Trump for answers on his expanding Caribbean strikes, while senators edge toward ending the record-long government shutdown. The US and South Korea show unity with a joint F-16 flight, Ukraine’s drones strike deep inside Russia, and the UN warns Sudan’s war is spiraling after the fall of El-Fasher. Meanwhile, a Philippine rescue helicopter crashes amid a deadly typhoon.

Advertisement

—

 

Congress Questions Trump’s Expanding Caribbean Strikes Amid Bipartisan Demands for Oversight

US lawmakers from both parties are demanding greater transparency over President Donald Trump’s escalating military strikes on alleged drug traffickers in the Caribbean, which have killed more than 60 people since September.

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has praised the attacks as a campaign against “narco-terrorists,” but critics warn they could constitute unauthorized military action near Venezuela and Colombia.

Advertisement

While the White House says it has held seven classified briefings for Congress, several Democrats—including Senators Jeanne Shaheen, Mark Warner, and Tammy Duckworth—say they’ve been excluded or received minimal information. Some Republicans, including Senators Rand Paul and Mike Rounds, also expressed concern about the lack of legal justification and the absence of a bipartisan process.

Senator Lindsey Graham has defended the operations as a decisive counter-narcotics action that requires no further congressional approval.

The debate has reignited calls for a new War Powers Resolution to clarify Congress’s authority over the use of force abroad.

 

Senate Leaders Signal Possible Breakthrough in 34-Day Government Shutdown

After more than a month of a federal government shutdown, Senate leaders from both parties on Monday expressed cautious optimism about finding a path to end the standoff that has halted key programs and left thousands of federal workers unpaid.

Senate Majority Leader John Thune and Democratic Whip Dick Durbin both said they sensed progress toward an “off-ramp,” though differences remain over funding and the renewal of expiring healthcare subsidies.

Senate Appropriations Chair Susan Collins said bipartisan talks over the weekend had made headway, with Democrats offering new compromise language.

The shutdown, now in its 34th day, has frozen about $1.7 trillion in discretionary spending and disrupted aid programs, military pay, and airport operations.

A group of centrist House lawmakers also proposed a temporary healthcare compromise to help break the deadlock.

 

US Navy Launches App to Give Sailors and Public Easy Access to Official Messages

The US Navy has released a new mobile app, MyNavy Messages, that allows sailors, their families, and the public to access official Navy policies and announcements.

The app, available for iOS and Android, displays ALNAV and NAVADMIN messages, allows sorting and bookmarking, and includes emergency hotline contacts such as the DOD Safe Helpline and the 988 Lifeline.

Developed by the MyNavyHR Digital Transformation Office, the app was created in response to sailors’ requests for easier mobile access to Navy communications during listening sessions held earlier this year. It was officially launched on October 22 after testing by service members.

Future updates will expand message archives beyond 2025 and include related fact sheets.

The Navy will continue to publish messages online, although updates to the MyNavyHR site have been delayed due to the ongoing government shutdown.

 

US, South Korean Military Chiefs Fly Joint F-16 Formation in Show of Alliance

US Joint Chiefs Chairman General Dan Caine and South Korean counterpart General Jin Yong-sung flew together Monday in a five-ship formation of US and South Korean F-16 fighters, marking the first time the top military officers from both countries have jointly commanded an in-flight formation.

The flight, departing from Osan Air Base, followed the 50th US-South Korea Military Committee Meeting in Seoul and symbolized the strength of the alliance, according to South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff. The formation included both nations’ versions of the F-16 and a South Korean E-737 early warning aircraft.

Caine and US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth were in South Korea for annual defense talks with their counterparts. They also visited the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) near the Panmunjom truce village, where negotiations to end the Korean War took place.

 

Hegseth Backs South Korea’s Defense Spending Boost, Calls for Stronger Self-Reliance Against North

US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth on Tuesday praised South Korea’s plan to raise its defense budget by 8.2 percent, saying the move will strengthen Seoul’s ability to counter North Korean threats and take greater responsibility for its own defense.

After talks in Seoul with Defense Minister Ahn Gyu-back, Hegseth said the allies agreed to expand cooperation on ship maintenance for US warships in South Korea and to maintain readiness amid growing regional challenges.

Hegseth emphasized that while the alliance’s focus remains on deterring Pyongyang, it must also be flexible for broader regional contingencies involving China. Ahn reiterated that South Korea will not pursue its own nuclear weapons but will continue working under a framework that integrates US nuclear and South Korean conventional capabilities.

The meeting ended without a joint statement—an unusual outcome—but both sides said there were no differences in their positions.

North Korea did not comment on the talks but fired artillery into western waters shortly before Hegseth’s arrival.

 

US Submarine Maintenance in Australia Marks Key Step Toward AUKUS Deployment

The US Navy submarine USS Vermont (SSN-792) is undergoing major maintenance at Australia’s HMAS Stirling base, marking a milestone in preparations for a multinational rotational force of nuclear-powered submarines under the AUKUS (Australia – United States – United Kingdom) pact.

Australia’s Defence Department said the work, coordinated with the Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard, is more complex than previous maintenance done on the USS Hawaii (SSN-776) last year and will help train Australian personnel and test support systems.

The maintenance comes as part of plans to establish Submarine Rotational Force-West by 2027, with one British and four US submarines operating from Stirling. Upgrades worth $5.2 billion are underway at the base, and as many as 9,000 Americans could accompany the deployment.

The Vermont’s 134-member crew includes 13 Australian sailors, highlighting growing integration under AUKUS.

 

Russia Claims Gains in Pokrovsk as Ukraine Says Its Forces Hold Line

Russia said Monday that its troops had advanced into the eastern Ukrainian city of Pokrovsk, capturing parts of the industrial and railway districts after months of fighting.

Ukraine disputed the claim, saying its forces still controlled the city and were repelling small Russian assault groups.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Pokrovsk remained under severe pressure but that Russian forces had not made gains in the past day. He also described the nearby front in Dobropillia as “complicated,” with Moscow reinforcing its troops.

If Russia captures Pokrovsk, it would mark its most significant territorial gain since taking Avdiivka in early 2024, positioning its forces to move toward Kramatorsk and Sloviansk.

The battle comes as the war nears its fourth year with stalled peace talks and both sides claiming limited progress.

 

Ukrainian Drones Strike Deep Inside Russia

Ukraine launched long-range drone attacks deep inside Russia on Tuesday, targeting an industrial plant in Sterlitamak, about 1,300 kilometers (800 miles) from the border, as heavy fighting continued for control of the eastern city of Pokrovsk.

Russian officials said two drones were shot down with no casualties, though an explosion damaged part of the Sterlitamak Petrochemical Plant’s water treatment facility. Explosions were also reported in the Nizhny Novgorod region, where key refineries are located.

Russia claimed to have intercepted 85 Ukrainian drones overnight while launching its own large-scale strikes on Ukraine, including 130 drones and seven missiles. One person was killed and 11 injured in Dnipropetrovsk.

Romania said Russian attacks on Ukraine’s Danube ports triggered air policing missions near its border.

 

Iranians Mark US Embassy Takeover Anniversary Amid Tensions After June War with Israel

Thousands of Iranians rallied Tuesday to mark the anniversary of the 1979 US Embassy takeover in Tehran, the first such commemoration since the US and Israel bombed Iranian nuclear sites during a 12-day conflict in June.

Crowds chanted anti-American and anti-Israeli slogans, burned flags, and displayed missile mock-ups and centrifuge replicas.

Ayatollah Ali Khamenei ruled out any move to normalize relations with Washington, while Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf accused the US and Israel of trying to weaken Iran by killing its scientists.

The June conflict left nearly 1,100 Iranians dead and prompted Tehran to suspend nuclear monitoring by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).

Iran, which now holds uranium enriched up to 60 percent, faces renewed United Nations sanctions over its nuclear program, further deepening tensions with the West.

 

UN Chief Warns Sudan War ‘Spiraling Out of Control’ After Paramilitary Seizes Darfur City

UN Secretary-General António Guterres warned Tuesday that Sudan’s war is “spiraling out of control” after the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) captured the Darfur city of el-Fasher following an 18-month siege.

Speaking at a summit in Qatar, Guterres called for an immediate ceasefire, saying hundreds of thousands of civilians are trapped without food or aid and that there are “credible reports” of mass executions, ethnic killings, and sexual assaults.

The RSF has denied committing atrocities, but evidence from survivors, videos, and satellite images points to widespread destruction. More than 40,000 people have been killed since the conflict between the RSF and Sudan’s military began in April 2023, with over 14 million displaced and famine spreading across multiple regions.

Guterres urged nations to halt arms flows into Sudan and hold perpetrators accountable for war crimes.

 

Philippine Air Force Helicopter Crashes During Typhoon Rescue

A Philippine Air Force Super Huey helicopter carrying five personnel crashed Monday in Agusan del Sur province while en route to assist in typhoon relief operations, the military said.

Search efforts are underway, and no details on the crew’s condition or cause of the crash have been released.

Typhoon Kalmaegi has killed at least five people and caused widespread flooding across central provinces. Residents were trapped on rooftops in Cebu, where emergency workers struggled to reach them amid floating debris. More than 387,000 people evacuated before landfall, and over 3,500 ferry passengers were stranded due to suspended sea travel.

Kalmaegi, packing winds of up to 180 kph (112 mph), is expected to move into the South China Sea by Wednesday.

The storm comes as Cebu continues to recover from a deadly 6.9 magnitude earthquake in September. The Philippines, hit by about 20 typhoons a year, remains one of the world’s most disaster-prone nations.

 

Sources: News Agencies

Advertisement

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

More From SOFREP

COMMENTS

You must become a subscriber or login to view or post comments on this article.