🌆 COMBATE Evening Roundup | September 19, 2026

• Trump signs Russia-Iran sanctions into law — The "Lindsey Graham Russia and Iran Sanctions Act of 2026" cleared Congress and was signed by the president; its core authorizes secondary sanctions on countries trading with Russia.

• Aramco halts October crude deliveries to Europe — Saudi Aramco told at least two European refiners they will receive no crude next month after the attack on the East-West pipeline shut the kingdom's key export route.

• Türkiye shuts Iran's Bank Mellat in Istanbul — The banking regulator revoked the Iranian state bank's license, ending a presence dating to 1982, after US sanctions had already cut off its SWIFT access.

• Iran war tab: $43.6 billion, hidden casualties — A CENTCOM estimate counts $28B for munitions replenishment alone; the Washington Post says at least 22-23 troops died against 18 officially listed, and allies were warned of weapons delays up to five years.

• Trump claims 'permanent control' of Greenland security — He announced a deal with Denmark and Greenland; Copenhagen confirmed the Arctic defense accord is signed next week at the UN General Assembly.

• Drone strike hits Kursk nuclear plant cooling tower — The IAEA was informed of Thursday's strike; Russia's Ulyanov accused the EU of turning a blind eye to Ukrainian attacks on nuclear facilities.

• Duma vote 'under fire'; Russia advances — A Zaporizhzhia polling-station chief was killed by a drone as Moscow denounced "atrocious attacks" on election commissions; Putin voted online amid mounting cyberattacks. Forces liberated 10 settlements in a week, claiming 9,325 Ukrainian losses.

• Putin to the West: live in peace or "we will respond" — He cited NATO Baltic drills practicing seizure of civilian vessels and said Russia cannot be intimidated; drone output rose tenfold and the arms export order book tops $70 billion.

• Fico: Slovakia stays out of war even under NATO Article 5 — Zelensky opened his "Carpathian Eight" summit pleading an "astronomical" budget deficit and demanding more funds.

• Fuel crisis squeezes Europe — Macron convened party leaders as retail chief Leclerc admitted the surge "completely escapes us" and conceded Hormuz remains effectively closed; Germany planned a 17-cent fuel tax cut from October 1.

• Trump bars CNN, Politico and MSNOW from the White House — Citing "fake news" and promising more bans; CNN vowed legal action.

• Cuba suffers new total blackout — The grid collapsed again, leaving some nine million without power; the Pentagon will shift MQ-9 Reaper drones from Africa to Latin America for counternarcotics operations.

📖 Full report: https://telegra.ph/COMBATE-Digest---combate-20260919-0000Z-09-19

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