BLACKWATER USA | DAILY BRIEF - Blackwater Worldwide

Posted by BW ACTUAL on Jul 9th 2025

Ukraine

Pres. Trump said he was "not happy" with Pres. Putin for "killing too many people" in Ukraine, and announced that the U.S. would send Ukraine more weapons to defend itself with.
That appears to reverse the Pentagon's pause on new weapons transfers to Ukraine, which AP suggested had been announced last week without Trump's approval.
As if to prove Trump's point, Russia launched yet another record barrage of drones and missiles at Ukraine, targeting mainly military and infrastructure sites in the center and west of the country. Ukraine says it intercepted most of the incoming fire.

Afghanistan

The International Criminal Court (ICC) issued arrest warrants for the Taliban's supreme leader, Sheikh Hibatullah Akhunzada, and the head of its Supreme Court, Abdul Hakim Haqqani, for human rights violations related to its medieval restrictions on women.
The Taliban retorted that it doesn't recognize the ICC or its jurisdiction, and it's highly unlikely the warrants will be executed: Akhunzada is a recluse who rarely travels outside of Kandahar - much less Afghanistan - and Haqqani is already under EU sanctions that hinder his travel to places where he now risks arrest.

Gaza

Many - including Pres. Trump - had hoped that Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu's White House meeting with Trump on Monday would lead to a Gaza ceasefire this week, but it sounds like working-level negotiations in Qatar are unfolding slowly. Trump's lead envoy, Steve Witkoff, is still hopeful for a deal this week, though.

Iran

In an interview with Tucker Carlson, Iran's Pres. Pezeshkian claimed that Israel previously tried to assassinate him, which is probably true.
Pezeshkian also said he was open to reopening nuclear negotiations with the U.S. - even as he acknowledged that U.S. strikes on Iran's nuclear sites last month damaged Iran's trust in its negotiating partner.

Yemen

A probable Houthi attack killed three crew aboard a Liberian-flagged tanker, the Eternity C, off the coast of Yemen yesterday.
That incident and a separate attack nearby on Sunday that forced the crew of the Magic Seas to abandon ship are raising doubts about the truce Pres. Trump announced with the Houthis in May.

Taiwan

Taiwan launched its annual military exercises simulating - and defending against - a Chinese invasion today. This year's drills are the largest ever, with 22,000 reservists taking part and featuring HIMARS for the first time.
Separately, Taiwan logged a record $154 billion in exports for the second quarter of 2025, driven by global demand for AI chips. Some analysts refer to Taiwan's chipmaking prowess as a "silicon shield" that chip consumers - especially the U.S. - have an incentive to defend against Chinese aggression.

Trade

Pres. Trump surprised copper markets by announcing a new 50% tariff on copper imports to the U.S. The U.S. produces about half of the refined copper it uses, and it imports nearly all (90%) of the balance from the Americas (Chile, Canada, and Peru). Copper futures spiked by 17% as buyers rushed to secure supplies at lower prices before tariffs kick in.
Meanwhile, Trump granted another extension on "reciprocal" tariffs to allow more time for bilateral trade deals to unfold. The new levies were slated to take effect today, but will now start August 1 - unless they're postponed again (Trump says they won't be).
Trump also sent letters to 14 (mostly Asian) countries outlining the tariff levels they face starting August 1 if they don't reach bilateral trade deals with the U.S. before then. Among the recipients were Japan and South Korea, which would both see their exports to the U.S. taxed at 25% in the absence of a deal.