Hi Global Recap readers,
Scrolling this weekend, my heart stopped for a second when I saw the footage below.
With everything happening in the region right now, I’m not crazy to assume the worst (initially) right?
🇮🇱 ISRAEL
Mushroom, Then Denial
A large mushroom cloud near Beit Shemesh sent videos circulating online before Israel’s state-owned Tomer defense firm said it was a planned rocket-engine test, not an attack.
What We Know:
Tomer said the blast was pre-planned and carried out as scheduled.
No injuries or civilian damage were reported.
Residents said they got no public warning, despite the size of the blast and the shock across nearby communities.
What We Don’t Know:
Whether the test involved a routine engine trial, a failed test, or something larger.
Claims that Arrow-3 missile stocks were involved are circulating, but not verified.
🇮🇷🇦🇪 IRAN & UAE
Nuclear Site Hit
Iran Suspected
Seeing an Iranian state TV host shoot at a UAE flag on live TV over the weekend, it doesn’t seem too far fetched to suspect Iran.
A drone hit near the Barakah nuclear plant in the UAE, sparking a fire but causing no injuries, radiation leak, or public safety threat.
Abu Dhabi is pointing the finger at Iran or an allied proxy.
What We Know:
The source of the attack is still under investigation, so Iranian responsibility remains an Emirati claim, not a confirmed finding.
UAE officials said 3 drones entered from the west, 2 were intercepted, and 1 hit an electrical generator outside Barakah's inner perimeter.
The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) said military activity threatening nuclear safety is unacceptable.
UAE foreign minister, Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, said that the country has the full right to respond to such "terrorist attacks."
🇨🇺🇺🇸 CUBA & US
Drone War Warning
According to Axios: classified US intelligence says Cuba has acquired more than 300 military drones from Russia and Iran since 2023 and discussed using them against the US—namely, Guantánamo Bay, US military vessels, and possibly Key West.
However, US officials say that an attack isn’t imminent.
What We Know:
CIA Director John Ratcliffe visited Havana Thursday and warned Cuban officials against serving as a platform for US adversaries.
Cuba accused the US of building a "fraudulent case" for sanctions or military action, and said it does not want war.
The drone claims have not been independently verified.
Note: Why is this supposed "classified" intel out in the open? We cannot be sure, but the US now definitely has this drone-based argument for treating Cuba as a security risk, not just a sanctions target.
🇷🇺🇺🇦 RUSSIA & UKRAINE
Moscow Hit. Hard.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy confirming that the Defense Forces of Ukraine conducted the massive drone attack against Russia.
Ukraine hit Russia with one of its largest drone attacks of the war, killing at least 4 four people and wounding 12, including 3 deaths near Moscow and 1 in Belgorod.
What We Know:
Russia said it destroyed 556 Ukrainian drones overnight and more than 1,000 over 24 hours.
Zelenskyy confirmed the operation, said some drones flew more than 500 km, and called it justified retaliation.
Sheremetyevo Airport reported drone debris but no damage or flight disruption.
Russia also sent 287 drones at Ukraine overnight, wounding eight in Dnipropetrovsk.
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