🌅 COMBATE Morning Roundup | October 13, 2026

• Iran demands $15 billion transit fee from tech giants for underwater cables — Iranian state media declared that companies like Google, Meta, and Amazon must pay annual fees and secure permits for their fiber-optic data cables passing through the Strait of Hormuz and Persian Gulf. Over 99 percent of international data traffic relies on these submarine networks.

• Tehran warns neighbors of ground incursions if war expands — Iran cautioned regional Arab states that its armed forces could launch ground operations into neighboring territories if a broader conflict breaks out, the Wall Street Journal reported. Iranian officials also warned that Saudi oil facilities remain targetable.

• Putin and UAE President discuss US-Russia diesel agreement — The Russian and Emirati leaders held a phone call to review the recent Washington-Moscow diesel supply deal. The Kremlin warned that planned European Union sanctions could jeopardize the arrangement, while Russian energy officials expect to export up to 3.5 million tons of diesel monthly by year-end.

• Massive Ukrainian drone swarm targets Moscow — Russian air defenses intercepted a wave of 417 Ukrainian drones targeting the capital region overnight, marking one of the largest such attacks since early autumn. Separately, the FSB thwarted a planned Ukrainian drone strike on the Baltimor military airfield in Voronezh.

• Protests erupt in Azerbaijan over school hijab ban — Demonstrations are growing against the government of Ilham Aliyev after authorities banned students and teachers from wearing the hijab in educational institutions.

• Iran dismantles weapons smuggling ring from Iraqi Kurdistan — Intelligence forces arrested two operatives entering Kermanshah province from the Kurdistan Region, seizing 109 firearms and thousands of rounds of ammunition intended for terrorist operations.

📖 Full report: https://telegra.ph/COMBATE-Digest---combate-20261013-1200Z-10-13

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