US DoD: No Plans to Relinquish NATO SACEUR Post + US and Iran Nuclear Talks in Oman + President Trump: $1 Trillion Defense Budget (FY26) + More

For review:1. US DoD: No Plans to Relinquish NATO SACEUR Post.  The Pentagon does not have plans to relinquish the post of NATO’s Supreme Allied Commander Europe (SACEUR), said Katherine Thompson, assistant secretary of defense for international security affairs.2.  Suspected US airstrikes pounded the area around Yemen’s Red Sea port city of Hodeida on Tuesday night.3. US and Iran Nuclear Talks in Oman. Negotiations are to be mediated by Omani Foreign Minister Badr al-Busaidi and led by Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and US Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff. 4.  The US military will deploy long-range surveillance drones (Northrup Grumman MQ-4C Triton) in the Japanese region of Okinawa near Taiwan, Tokyo’s defense minister said Tuesday. 5. US Secretary of Defense Hegseth visits Panama- meets with Panama's President  José Raúl Mulino. Secretary Hegseth said the U.S. will not allow China or any other country to threaten the (Panama) canal’s operation. 6. NATO Supreme Allied Commander and EUCOM Commander. General Christopher Cavoli (US Army) told US House of Representative lawmakers that current force levels in Europe should remain.7. President Trump: $1 Trillion Defense Budget (FY26).  Defense Secretary Hegseth seemed to confirm that Trump was referring to the fiscal year 2026 request, saying on X, “COMING SOON: the first TRILLION dollar @DeptofDefense budget.” 8. US Navy's F/A XX program could be last manned fighter.  US Navy officials would not say when an announcement on F/A-XX would be made, but it could come soon.  Breaking Defense reported last month that Lockheed Martin had been eliminated from the running for F/A-XX, leaving Boeing and Northrop Grumman as the remaining competitors.