Former Chief of Police for the Northern Takhar Province of Afghanistan until the Taliban takeover in 2021, General Ikramuddin Saree, was assassinated by unknown assailants earlier today in the Iranian capital of Tehran.

A Christmas Eve patrol earlier tonight over Eastern Poland by a Turkish E-7T “Peace Eagle” Airborne Early Warning and Control (AEW&C) Aircraft, operating as part of NATO’s Operation Eastern Sentry, near the border with Ukraine.

U.S. President Donald J. Trump has directed the Pentagon to focus almost exclusively on enforcing the “quarantine” of oil coming from and going to Venezuela for at least the next two months, in the form of a quasi-blockade in the Southern Caribbean by the Coast Guard and Navy, a U.S. official has told Reuters.

Element of the Iwo Jima Amphibious Ready Group, consisting of the Wasp-class amphibious assault ship, USS Iwo Jima (LHD-7); the San Antonio-class amphibious transport dock, USS Fort Lauderdale (LPD-28); along with what appears to be a Henry J. Kaiser-class replenishment oiler and the the M/V Ocean Trader, a highly customized roll-on/roll-off cargo ship converted into a special operations command center and “mothership” operated by U.S. Military Sealift Command (MSC), were spotted on satellite imagery heading southeast earlier today in the Southern Caribbean.

Credit for the satellite imagery goes to @SA_Defensa on X.

All of the pieces appear to now be in place for future military action against Venezuela and possibly other locations in Latin America.

Merry Christmas to all my followers, subscribers, and everyone else who celebrates. May your day be filled with peace, family, good food, and a brief respite from the current chaos of the world. Grateful for your continued support throughout this year. Take a moment today to step away from the feed, enjoy the time with those who matter most. Merry Christmas! 🎄

U.S. President Donald J. Trump has announced that the United States tonight carried out a “powerful and deadly strike” against the Islamic State (ISIS) in Northwestern Nigeria.

Tonight’s strikes against ISIS targets in Northwestern Nigeria, ordered by President Donald J. Trump, were carried out in coordination with the Nigerian Government, according to U.S. officials who spoke to the New York Times.

A U.S. Air Force E-3B “Sentry” Airborne Early Warning and Control (AEW&C) Aircraft has departed MacDill Air Force Base in Tampa, Florida, and is heading southeast towards Puerto Rico.

Footage released earlier tonight by the U.S. Department of Defense, showing the launch of a BGM-109 Tomahawk Land Attack Cruise Missile (TLAM) from the Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer, USS Paul Ignatius (DDG-117), positioned in the Eastern Atlantic, against ISIS terror targets in Northwestern Nigeria.

Three, possibly more, KC-135R “Stratotanker” Aerial-Refueling Tankers outbound from MacDill Air Force Base in Tampa, Florida, heading in the direction of the Caribbean Sea, with other strike and support assets also appearing to depart bases in the Mainland United States. Unusual movements to see on Christmas, likely additional pre-positioning to bases in the Caribbean or in preparation for another “show of force” off the coast of Venezuela.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is expected to meet President Donald J. Trump at his Mar-a-Lago Resort in Palm Beach, Florida on Sunday, to discuss ongoing efforts and peace negotiations to end the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

The USS Paul Ignatius (DDG-117) fired roughly a dozen BGM-109 Tomahawk Land Attack Cruise Missiles (TLAM) against an ISIS-affiliated site in Northwestern Nigeria on the evening of Christmas Day, with the strikes being carried out with the support of Nigeria’s Government, against a target that was too remote for an operation by the Nigerian Armed Forces, a U.S. defense official told Reuters.

The Operational Command of the Polish Armed Forces has announced that fighter aircraft with the Polish and Allied Air Forces have been scrambled in response to the ongoing Russian drone and missile attack against Western Ukraine, with ground-based air defense systems as well as radar reconnaissance systems having also been raised to their maximum state-of-readiness across Poland.

Someone is panicking…

Following the meeting Sunday with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky at his Mar-a-Lago Resort in Palm Beach, Florida; President Donald J. Trump will meet Monday with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to discuss the situation in Gaza, several officials have told Axios.

The future of the peace agreement in Gaza is expected to hinge on the meeting, with White House officials becoming increasing frustrated with Netanyahu, who they feel is “slow-walking” and undermining the peace process, while fearing that Israel will soon resume its full-scale war with Hamas.

Like the Biden Administration before them, Trump’s team has found itself bickering with the Israelis for weeks on tactical matters like opening the Rafah Border Crossing with Egypt and supplying tents to displaced Palestinians seeking shelter for the Winter. “It's J.D., Marco, Jared, Steve, Susie. Netanyahu has lost them. The only one he has left is the President, who still likes him, but even he wants to see the Gaza deal moving faster than it is right now,” a White House official told Axios.