International Holocaust Remembrance Day
01/27/2026
International Holocaust Remembrance Day
01/27/2026 08:06 AM EST
Marco Rubio, Secretary of State
International Holocaust Remembrance Day
Press Statement
January 27, 2026
Today, the United States joins countries around the world in remembering the six million Jews who were systematically murdered in the Holocaust, as well as the millions of others the Nazis marked for persecution and mass murder. As we commemorate the liberation of the Nazi death camp Auschwitz-Birkenau, we reaffirm a solemn and moral truth: all human beings are valuable and endowed by their Creator with inherent dignity and certain unalienable rights.
This enduring commitment, expressed in our annual commemoration of International Holocaust Remembrance Day, reflects our resolve, in the words of President Trump, to “build a society that always values the sanctity of every human life and the dignity of every faith.” The United States will always counter antisemitism worldwide, champion justice for Holocaust survivors and heirs, and defend the integrity of Holocaust memory.
Implementation of Iran-Related United Nations Security Council Resolutions
01/27/2026
Implementation of Iran-Related United Nations Security Council Resolutions
01/27/2026 04:28 PM EST
Thomas "Tommy" Pigott, Principal Deputy Spokesperson
Implementation of Iran-Related United Nations Security Council Resolutions
Press Statement
January 27, 2026
The United States of America, along with 40 countries, gathered last week in Prague, the Czech Republic for a symposium designed to further advance the implementation of the reimposed United Nations Security Council resolutions (UNSCRs) on the Iranian regime. Participants discussed the full range of issues affecting UN Member State implementation of the renewed obligations. The symposium served as an opportunity to secure commitments from several attending countries that intend to receive country- and sector-specific technical security assistance from the United States to maximize the impact of sanctions on the Iranian regime.
The symposium featured discussions on the threats posed by the Iranian regime’s nuclear, ballistic missile, and conventional arms activities. Participants discussed the importance of using all relevant national measures and capabilities to implement the provisions enumerated in the restored resolutions more robustly. In view of the Iranian regime’s continued proliferation threat and the brutal crackdown on Iranian protestors, the United States and partners recognize the urgent need to promote universal implementation of the UNSCRs and associated restrictive measures on Iran’s proliferation activities.
The six UNSCRs – 1696, 1737, 1747, 1803, 1835, and 1929 – were reimposed on September 27, 2025, following the Iranian regime’s continuing “significant non-performance” of its nuclear commitments. The UNSCRs include provisions that require the Iranian regime to suspend uranium enrichment-, heavy water-, and reprocessing-related activities; prohibit Iran from using ballistic missile technology; prohibit Iranian arms imports and exports; reimpose travel bans and global asset freezes on listed persons; and authorize the seizure of prohibited cargo being transferred to and from Iran.
Secretary Rubio’s Call with Greece Foreign Minister Gerapetritis
01/30/2026
Secretary Rubio’s Call with Greece Foreign Minister Gerapetritis
01/30/2026 12:31 PM EST
Office of the Spokesperson
Secretary Rubio’s Call with Greece Foreign Minister Gerapetritis
Readout
January 30, 2026
The below is attributable to Principal Deputy Spokesperson Tommy Pigott:
Secretary of State Marco Rubio spoke with Greek Foreign Minister Giorgos Gerapetritis today to discuss deepening U.S.-Greece cooperation on energy security and regional stability. Both leaders emphasized the continued importance and long history of the U.S.-Greece strategic partnership.
The Week at State: January 23, 2026 – January 29, 2026
01/30/2026
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January 23 – January 29
Here’s what happened at State this week. ⤵️🎤 Secretary Rubio testified before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee on U.S. policy towards Venezuela.
🕊️ The Board of Peace welcomed new members.
🍃 The U.S. withdrew from the one-sided Paris Climate Agreement.
Secretary Rubio Testifies on U.S. Policy Towards Venezuela
Secretary Rubio testifies to the Senate Foreign Relations Committee in Washington, D.C., on January 28, 2026. (Photo credit: U.S. Senate)
On January 28, Secretary Rubio briefed the Senate Foreign Relations Committee on U.S. policy towards Venezuela.
The Secretary told the Committee that “the Western Hemisphere is our home, and we will not tolerate criminality within this Hemisphere that harms American citizens or permit territory to become platforms for our adversaries.”
With the removal of Nicolás Maduro, “President Trump’s actions have created the conditions for Venezuelans to begin returning home and rebuilding their country. The United States is prepared to help oversee Venezuela’s transition from a criminal state to a responsible partner,” said Secretary Rubio.
President Trump Welcomes Founding Members of Board of Peace
President Trump addresses world leaders attending the inauguration of the Board of Peace. (Official White House Photo by Daniel Torok)
Last week in Davos, President Trump ratified the Charter of the Board of Peace.
This week, he welcomed founding members from around the world. The founding members represent countries around the world who have committed to building a secure and prosperous future for Gaza that delivers lasting peace, stability, and opportunity for its people.
As President Trump said, “The first steps toward a brighter day for the Middle East, and a much safer future for the world are unfolding right before your very eyes.”
The United States Exits From the Paris Climate Agreement
The President announced that the U.S. would withdraw from the Paris Climate Agreement upon taking office. This action took effect on January 27.
Secretary Rubio welcomed the exit with a statement. The President “withdrew from the one-sided Paris Climate Agreement which raises prices, hinders economic growth, and weakens our national security,” he said.
“The U.S. will no longer be a part of international agreements and initiatives that undermine our national interests.”
News You May Have MissedThe State Department cut spending by $1.8 billion in the first year of President Trump’s second term.
President Trump and Mexican President Sheinbaum discussed border security, trade, and drug trafficking.
The White House and the State Department observed International Holocaust Remembrance Day, marking the anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz-Birkenau and reaffirming our commitment to countering antisemitism.
The White House announced that the last body belonging to a hostage captured by Hamas on October 7, 2023, had been returned.
The State Department announced a partnership with the National Football League to support the Department’s sports diplomacy initiatives and to collaborate on major sporting events, including international NFL games and the Super Bowl.
Upcoming DatesFebruary 4: Critical Minerals Ministerial
February 6: Milan Cortina Winter Olympics Opening Ceremony
February 13-15: Munich Security Conference
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Digital Press Briefing with General Dagvin R.M. Anderson Commander, U.S. Africa Command and Sergeant Major Garric M. Banfield, Command Senior Enlisted Leader, U.S. Africa Command on AFRICOM Priorities on the African Continent
02/03/2026
Digital Press Briefing with General Dagvin R.M. Anderson Commander, U.S. Africa Command and Sergeant Major Garric M. Banfield, Command Senior Enlisted Leader, U.S. Africa Command on AFRICOM Priorities on the African Continent
02/03/2026 12:35 PM EST
Gen. Dagvin R.M. Anderson, Commander, U.S. Africa Command
Sergeant Major Garric M. Banfield, Command Senior Enlisted Leader, U.S. Africa Command
Africa Regional Media Hub
MODERATOR: Good afternoon. My name is Phillip Assis, and I am the director of the U.S. State Department’s Africa Regional Media Hub. It is my pleasure to welcome journalists from across Africa and beyond to today’s press briefing, which is our first of 2026. We are privileged to be joined today by General Dagvin R.M. Anderson, who is the seventh commander of U.S. Africa Command, otherwise known as AFRICOM. General Anderson has been the commander of AFRICOM since August of 2025, and he joins us today from the AFRICOM headquarters.
General Anderson is also joined today by Sergeant Major Garric Banfield, who is the Command Senior Enlisted Leader of AFRICOM. Sergeant Major Banfield will also give remarks.
Today’s briefing is on the record, and you may quote our guests by name and title. We will begin today’s briefing with opening remarks by General Anderson, followed by Sergeant Major Banfield, and then turn to your questions. We have received many questions in advance, and we’ll unfortunately not have a chance to respond to all of them.
And with that, I am pleased to turn the floor over to General Anderson.
GENERAL ANDERSON: Thanks, Phillip, I appreciate it. Sergeant Major Garric Banfield and I are here today and happy to talk to folks from across the continent about the issues here regarding Africa and our mutual security interests.
First of all, I’d just like to say I am happy to be back working in Africa. I am the new commander here at AFRICOM. I’ve been here for about five months, but I am not new to Africa or working on the continent, having been the Special Operations Command for Africa a few years ago just down the hill here at Kelley Barracks. So it’s, for me, very happy to be back engaging with the partners and being able to hear views from a different perspective.
And so one of those things to start real quick, I had the opportunity – literally we just – the sergeant major and I just got back from a trip to East Africa. We visited Ethiopia, Kenya, and Djibouti with the Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau. It was a great opportunity to do a combined visit with our State Department leadership, but also to come out and hear from our partners in the region and also discuss areas of mutual interest. One of the things – we had a great opportunity; it was a great visit. I got to go to the Black Lion Air Show in Ethiopia, and it was the 90th anniversary of that air force – older than our own Air Force in the United States. It was a great opportunity to talk about our long history of working together, where Colonel John Robinson came to Ethiopia in 1935 to help them establish their air force during a time of crisis, and then after the war stayed to develop – help them establish Ethiopian Airlines, obviously a great symbol of Ethiopia but a great symbol of the African continent as well.
And it’s just interesting to me as we look forward – and the reason I was traveling with the deputy secretary – of looking at where economic investment and development coincide with security and stability. And I just thought, historically, that was a great example of where a U.S. engagement for security then turned into an investment in economic and development security for the future of Ethiopia. And so this is not a new history for us, but it is something we’re starting to explore more of. And after that – this confluence of economics and security.
And then, after that, we went to Kenya, where I had the great opportunity to accompany the deputy secretary down to Manda Bay and a groundbreaking ceremony for the new runway that both the U.S. and Kenya are investing in. Again, part of the security investment that is in Lamu County that is the head of or the start of an economic corridor as well. So again, the confluence of economics and security and where those come together.
And then had the opportunity also to go to the African Union, where we discussed these same issues. It was received very well from the chairman of the African Union as well as the economics council, looking at where these come together. But more importantly, we had the – the sergeant major and I had the opportunity to lay a wreath at the memorial wall at the African Union, and it was just a powerful reminder of the sacrifice all of us have put into maintaining peace and stability around the world through these missions, especially on the African continent, and the importance of doing this together, and that it’s not one nation or one effort, but it’s the combined effort to address these serious threats that we all face.
I’ll pause there and I’ll let the sergeant major say a couple of words.
SERGEANT MAJOR BANFIELD: Yeah, hello, this is Sergeant Major Garric Banfield. I’m newly joining the AFRICOM team. I’ve been here about two and a half months, but I have prior Africa experience, so formerly served at – just like General Anderson, at Special Operations Command Africa, and I’m excited and honored to be rejoining the team here.
I’m sort of in my campaign-of-learning phase at a new level. My last assignment, we focused on special operations, and in this position, we’re focusing on the entire security apparatus with all services and our partner nations. I’m happily engaged with our partners’ enlisted leaders, such as Sergeant Major Omari Haji from Kenya, and I’m learning a lot from him. I’m excited to see what the U.S. forces can – how we can partner with African nations to find out what the security concerns are and assist with those, and I’m also excited about what we can learn from our African partners.
GENERAL ANDERSON: And, Phillip, I guess I talked a lot about our last trip. Just I had a couple points real quick also. It was very clear, having come back to this theater, watching the threat of terrorism grow across the continent, working quite a bit in the west as well, looking at how we can help address those common issues, but also looking for opportunities. And so while that terrorist threat with ISIS and al-Qaida continues to grow, also looking at how we can work with key partners to address the changing character of war. And so I’ve been to Morocco and Tunisia already twice, and looking – working with them on opportunities to develop their centers of excellence as they look to help train partners from across the continent and be a force multiplier in this counterterrorism effort.
And I’ve also been to West Africa and talked to folks along the coast, the Gulf of Guinea, both about the maritime security and cooperation opportunities, but also how they’re looking at the growing threat of terrorism.
And so I’ve been to multiple countries; I’ve visited 11 countries thus far, been back several times and had the opportunity to engage and listen to what the partners have to say and to learn where we can best work together to address this common threat. And very clearly as we look at this, how to – as we see the changing character of war, how do we bring innovation to the continent, how do we look at emerging technologies to address these threats – I think an area that the United States excels at and can help develop.
I also, like we said, talked about the economic and security confluence, and what is it we can help bring to economic development, looking at trade opportunities that have a security confluence or a security implication, and then looking at how do we share information and understanding and address these threats together. Because security leads to stability; that stability creates opportunities for investment; and that investment creates prosperity for both African partners as well as the United States.
And so looking at the holistic part of this, our role as a convener, our role as the foundation of security for the United States and some of our African partners – how do we bring this together to be more effective.
And with that, Phillip, I’ll pause.
MODERATOR: Great, thank you. That’s actually a really interesting overview, and some of that history I wasn’t aware of. Actually the question – we’ll go now to our questions, and actually I think some of our questions will touch on the themes that you just discussed.
So our first comes from Mr. Geoffrey York of The Globe and Mail in South Africa, who asks: “Can you please update us on the current status of your 2026 exercises?”
GENERAL ANDERSON: Sure, I’d be happy to talk about those. We’ve got several. And again, as these work against transnational or regional threats, all our exercises are focused on being multilateral and bringing multiple countries together not just from Africa but from Europe, South America, the Middle East, even some Indo-Pacific countries, as we have a common interest in addressing these threats, particularly the terrorist threat but also the growing narcotics threat and smuggling.
So with that, our largest exercise is in Morocco, and called African Lion. We are looking for that in May. We’re excited this year as the United States approaches its 250th birthday that Morocco has been with us every step of the way as the first country to have recognized us as a nation. And so to be able to have this exercise here I think is important, and to continue to be able to bring innovation as well.
And so African Lion brings 19 African countries together with six European and then some from South America and the Middle East as well. It’s done in three spokes. We’ve got a spoke in Tunisia, another one in Ghana, and in Senegal – again, looking at that regional component, not just a single nation.
We also have the Cutlass Express series going on in Mozambique – 14 countries, five European, two Indo-Pacific countries, bringing eight different maritime operations centers across East Africa together. I’ve also got my deputy commander is out in Mauritius right now as part of the Cutlass Express series, engaging as part of the exercise.
Also we’ve got Justified Accord held out of Kenya this year. We’ve got five African countries and three European countries participating along with concentrated spokes in Tanzania and Djibouti. And I’ll let the sergeant major comment briefly on Flintlock and some of the efforts we’re doing there.
SERGEANT MAJOR BANFIELD: Yeah, Flintlock is the special operations component exercise, which this year will be hubbed out of Côte d’Ivoire with a spoke in Libya. That exercise will bring together 26 African nations, 15 European partners, and two from the Indo-Pacific, and one South American partner. It’ll be a multinational exercise focused on counterterrorism. One thing that’s unique this year is that spoke in Libya, which will be led by Italian mentors; we’ll bring together both east and west Libyans at the tactical level.
The – one of the – the most valuable things that we get out of these multinational operations – exercises is multi – learning about each other. Multinational operations are extremely complex, as we’ve seen over the last 20 years of doing those. It’s something that we have to exercise regularly to build interoperability amongst partners.
MODERATOR: Great, thank you for that. Our next question comes from Mr. Kanishkh Kanodia of The Economist in the United Kingdom: “What steps and efforts has AFRICOM taken for counterterrorism with African partner countries?”
GENERAL ANDERSON: Yeah, thanks for the question. Again, just to highlight, we – the sergeant major and I just visited East Africa, where we talked to the leadership in Ethiopia, Kenya, and Djibouti, looking at how we address al-Shabaab in particular but also ISIS and the growing connection of the Houthis into that region.
And how we can address that – everyone concurred that it has to be done together. And so we’re looking at ways to work with our partners across the region to increase the opportunities to apply pressure to these terrorist groups that are creating disruptions across the region, and actually across the continent. So how do we work together to focus our efforts, and that was the key discussions I had with both Prime Minister Abiy and President Ruto as well as President Guelleh in Djibouti. And everyone is keenly interested in looking at opportunities here of how to disrupt these terrorist threats together.
In addition, we’re looking at working in the west. I think a great example of that is the partnership we’ve had with Nigeria. I was able to go to the Aqaba Process in Rome last – late last year that was hosted by the prime minister of Italy and the king of Jordan, focused specifically on the terrorist threat in West Africa. And at that meeting, I was able to meet President Tinubu. We were able to share some thoughts and agree that we needed to work together on a way forward in the region. That has led to increased collaboration between our nations, to include a small U.S. team that brings some unique capabilities from the United States in order to augment what Nigeria has been doing for several years. And I think we’ve had some really good, positive movement there. My deputy was just there with a high-level delegation from State Department led by Allison Hooker, in order to look at how we can continue to move forward together.
And then again, as I mentioned earlier, both Morocco and Tunisia have been very good partners. We’ve made a lot of progress there. Both are looking at centers of excellence that they can establish to continue that counterterrorism framing and effort and provide – be a force multiplier in helping address that threat together so as we continue to invest in those centers of excellence, they can continue to help train partner nations.
MODERATOR: Great, thank you for that. We have a third question in from Mr. Euphraim Kubwimana of the Shikiriza newspaper in Burundi, who asks: “What has AFRICOM accomplished over the last 6 months?” Or in other words, since you’ve been there, General Anderson. What has AFRICOM accomplished?
SERGEANT MAJOR BANFIELD: Yeah, I’ll start this one out. This is Sergeant Major Banfield. One thing that I’ve been extremely impressed with since returning here to the AFRICOM team is what I’ve seen as far as innovation. That’s both introducing existing technologies to our African partners to see where they could use them to improve their security situation, but also what we’ve learned from them and how those are applied, and it’s a two-way relationship here of introducing the technology to them and then learning how those can be applied within the security environment on the African continent from them.
GENERAL ANDERSON: Yeah, I think for me, from General Anderson here, in the first few months I think one of the best things that have – for me has been able to get out, travel, and engage with the partners and listen to their concerns and listen to how they see the threats and the issues and the opportunities going forward. And I’ve learned a lot. And I think that’s been, for me, really helpful to understand what those threats are, to help shine a light on these concerns and illuminate the issues, both with our partners but also as I engage in Europe with the European partners and back in the United States, to create a common understanding of not just the threats but the opportunities that exist in Africa.
So for me, the – probably the biggest accomplishment has just been able to get out and hear from the African partners. But with that, also I’d just like to also share that we’re looking at how we can deepen the relationships, how we can share information, how we can engage in that understanding. Recently, as well as last month, in Washington, D.C., I shared a conference across the interagency in the United States where we talked to leadership from the Department of State and the Department of Commerce as well as from the Department of War on how we can better integrate these efforts in order to provide options and opportunities to our partners in Africa.
So how do we actually bring the economic, the information, and the military levers together to be more effective and to address the partners’ needs and understand what they’re looking for and how we can create that operational independence of our partners. Because ultimately that’s the goal, is to help degrade the threat and provide opportunities for development that allow all of us to prosper together.
MODERATOR: Great, thank you for that. Our next question comes from Abdirahman Jeylani of the Arlaadi Media Network in Somalia, and this is a question about Somalia: “U.S. airstrikes in Somalia increased last year. Could you explain why this happened and how these strikes have supported your Somali partners?”
GENERAL ANDERSON: Absolutely. We see these strikes as critical support to our partners. I’ll just give one quick example that we have seen. We, in Puntland, helped support our partner forces there in an offensive up into the Golis Mountains against Daesh. And that was largely – it’s been largely successful. It’s collapsed the area that ISIS has been able to operate in. I was just back in Puntland in November, where we talked with our partners and about the importance of the unique capabilities that the U.S. can bring – the ability to bring ISR training, some resupply, these targeted strikes. And what they told me – it was very clear. I mean, I want to be clear. This was what the partner told us, is that these strikes have allowed them to stay engaged, to shrink the territory held by ISIS, but more importantly, to remain in the Golis Mountains and apply continued pressure to ISIS, quite literally keeping them and ISIS’s leadership underground.
And that is where we’re looking. What is it – what are the unique capabilities that the United States can bring that enable our partners to be successful? And that’s where we see the greatest success, and that’s where these strikes have been very helpful, and that’s what we’re hearing from the partners in Somalia.
SERGEANT MAJOR BANFIELD: Yeah, another area beyond airstrikes that we’re very interested in is maritime domain awareness. We’re looking for a technical opportunity – technical solutions – that’ll help us increase maritime domain awareness along the border – along the coast of the African continent. This will help us defeat threats from terrorists but also illicit activity, such as illegal, unauthorized fishing and piracy. And the intent with that is assist them in improving their security capabilities to protect their shorelines and borders.
GENERAL ANDERSON: Yeah, and I think that’s an important point because it goes beyond just the strikes. That tends to be what gets a lot of the news, but as we see the Houthi threat – smuggling weapons into Somalia, supporting Al-Shabaab and the increased cooperation there – we’re looking at ways to increase that domain awareness of our partners so they can protect their borders and help secure those sea lanes and reduce that threat that goes across the Gulf of Aden and the Red Sea. So I think while the strikes are important and, I think, have done a substantial amount of enabling our partners to be successful, we’re looking beyond just those strikes and how can we address the greater threat, especially as we see greater cooperation of some of these organizations in the region.
MODERATOR: Great. Thank you. I’m afraid we only have time for one more question, and that question goes to Mr. Mamadou Diallo of FIM FM in Guinea, who asks: “What is the level of threat of insecurity and overall instability in the West African sub-region according to AFRICOM?”
GENERAL ANDERSON: Yeah, that’s a great question. We clearly see the growing threat as an issue, both from Daesh and al-Qaida. And JNIM is clearly affiliated with al-Qaida in the Sahel. We’re seeing them apply more pressure in those areas, especially across the Sahel, threatening the capitals in the region, spilling down into some of the other countries. And again, having traveled to several countries there along the Gulf of Guinea, understand the shared concerns that they have as this threat continues to expand. I’ll say that – again, that this highlights the importance that the Aqaba conference had in Rome a few months ago, where both the prime minister of Italy and the king of Jordan helped focus the interest of folks on this and highlight the importance of addressing this threat. We will continue to engage with willing partners to address this common threat as we look across the region.
But again, I’d like to highlight the – our partnership with Nigeria is a great example of a very willing and capable partner who requested the unique capabilities that only the U.S. can bring – with some of the ISR, some of the intelligence fusion – to bring that to bear together. And when we do that, we are much more effective to counter these threats. And being able to counter these threats together, I think, has been – is critical to our future. And so while there are many nations that are concerned with this, when we can find a capable, willing partner to work with and we can fuse the unique capabilities that U.S. brings, we have seen success in addressing these threats.
SERGEANT MAJOR BANFIELD: Yeah, this is Sergeant Major Banfield. I want to emphasize that we are ready and willing to work with willing partners to get after shared security concerns. As far as the instability, the threat of instability, instability in stable areas are a hospitable environment for violent extremist organizations and terrorist organizations. I believe strongly that security – a secure environment leads to a stable environment, and that’s where it branches off from an area that’s hospitable to terrorists and VEO’s and goes towards an area that adds investment and prosperity for both the African nation and the United States.
MODERATOR: Great. Before we close, General Anderson and – or Sergeant Major Banfield, are there any final remarks that you wish to make or any points that you wanted to be certain that we cover today?
SERGEANT MAJOR BANFIELD: No, I’d just like to say again I’m honored and privileged to be back here with the AFRICOM team, and I look forward to working with our African partners the next few years of my tour.
GENERAL ANDERSON: Yeah, and just a couple things. Again, I echo Sergeant Major Banfield’s sentiment that it’s great to be back at AFRICOM and great to be back on the continent working with the partners. As the Special Operations Command Africa commander, I saw some of these issues. As the AFRICOM commander, I’m being exposed to a broader array – and not just the challenges and the significant challenges that we face ahead, but also the opportunities. And I think that’s a area where we’re working with the current administration to see how we can leverage some of the economic opportunities and investments that lead and contribute directly to security.
And this is an area that we haven’t, in the past – from the Pentagon’s perspective – looked at as closely, and so this is an area that we are continuing to explore, but I see great opportunity across the continent. There are areas that we look at that not just investment in a single item or a single thing, but investments in areas such as the Lobito Corridor, where it’s not just a port but it’s the rail, it’s the mining, it’s the infrastructure that goes with it that all contribute to security and economic development. And what we’re seeing is how we can work these together hand in hand and incrementally make progress. And I think there’s a huge amount of opportunity across the continent here, and we look forward to exploring that.
I also continue to be very impressed with our partners. I always appreciate hearing their views and really the opportunities that we have together. And that’s something that these last five months have been an education for me, highlighting multiple opportunities and trying to focus then now where can we have the most effect with those opportunities, because there’s a myriad of them – where do we get the best return and, from my perspective, on the security impact. And then we’re in conversations, like I said, in our government in the United States back in Washington, then that is one piece of the calculus that looks at where can we focus some of this investment, where do we focus our security engagements to have that best return.
There are some real opportunities for some of those investments. We didn’t get to talk about those. We talked a little bit about Lobito Corridor, about Angola, Mozambique, Libya, other places that have great potential that we can bring security and economics together, because again, that security leads to stability, that stability creates opportunity for investment, and those investments lead to prosperity for all of us. And that’s part of what we’re looking at. It’s a new way of looking at things for us here at AFRICOM and we’re excited to talk to our African partners about where they see these opportunities as well.
Phillip, that’s all I got but I appreciate the time and enjoyed the discussion.
MODERATOR: Thank you. We did too. Thank you, General Anderson and Sergeant Major Banfield, for joining us today. We really appreciate it. And thank you, journalists from across Africa, for participating in today’s briefing. I’m sorry we were not able to get to all the many questions that came in.
We will send a transcript and an audio recording of today’s briefing. We’ll send that to all of you who’ve registered shortly after this call. If you have any questions about the briefing, please reach out to us at AFMediaHub@state.gov, and also, if you publish any articles or broadcasts based on today’s briefing, we’d appreciate a copy of that as well at the same email address.
And finally, I’d like to invite you to follow us on X. Our handle is @AfricaMediaHub. And for our French-speaking participants, please also join us at the handle @USAenFrancais. Thank you all and I wish you all a nice day.
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Under Secretary DiNanno’s Travel to Switzerland and Israel
02/04/2026
Under Secretary DiNanno’s Travel to Switzerland and Israel
02/04/2026 02:33 PM EST
Office of the Spokesperson
Under Secretary DiNanno’s Travel to Switzerland and Israel
Media Note
February 4, 2026
Under Secretary of State for Arms Control and International Security Thomas G. DiNanno will travel to Geneva, Switzerland, and Tel Aviv, Israel, from February 5-10, 2026.
In Geneva on February 6, Under Secretary DiNanno will address the United Nations Conference on Disarmament. He will meet with several allies and partners to discuss issues of mutual interest.
In Tel Aviv on February 8, the Under Secretary will lead a combined Department of State – Department of War team for the Joint Political Military Group Dialogue with Israeli officials. He will also visit several military sites to see how the United States and Israel operationalize their national security cooperation.
United States and Hungary Partner on Advancing Religious Freedom in the Middle East and Africa
02/04/2026
United States and Hungary Partner on Advancing Religious Freedom in the Middle East and Africa
02/04/2026 02:58 PM EST
Office of the Spokesperson
United States and Hungary Partner on Advancing Religious Freedom in the Middle East and Africa
Media Note
February 4, 2026
Today, Deputy Secretary for Management and Resources Michael J. Rigas and Hungary’s State Secretary for the Aid of Persecuted Christians and the Hungary Helps Program, Tristan Azbej, signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) to facilitate cooperation in supporting Christians and people of faith facing persecution, particularly in the Middle East and sub-Saharan Africa. This agreement strongly reaffirms the United States’ and Hungary’s commitment to defending our common heritage and promoting religious freedom around the world.
Christians are the most persecuted religious group worldwide, yet atrocities and attacks against them too often go unaddressed. Such persecution presents a threat to American security and undermines the values upon which our nation was built. The United States continues to call on our allies to join in providing life-saving assistance to those endangered by religious persecution.
Hungary has answered that call, once again affirming its place as a true leader and defender of persecuted Christians. Today’s signing once again underscores our shared values and affirms that this is indeed a “golden era of U.S.-Hungary relations.”
For further information on the MOU, please contact IRFPress@state.gov.
2026 Critical Minerals Ministerial
02/04/2026
2026 Critical Minerals Ministerial
02/04/2026 08:49 PM EST
Office of the Spokesperson
2026 Critical Minerals Ministerial
Fact Sheet
February 4, 2026
Today the United States, together with our partners and allies, has set out to reshape the global market for critical minerals and rare earths. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, joined by Vice President JD Vance, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, Interior Secretary Doug Burgum, Energy Secretary Chris Wright, and U.S. Trade Representative Ambassador Jamieson Greer, hosted representatives of 54 countries and the European Commission, including 43 foreign and other ministers, at the 2026 Critical Minerals Ministerial.
Delegations from the following countries attended: Angola, Argentina, Armenia, Australia, Bahrain, Belgium, Bolivia, Brazil, Canada, Cook Islands, the Czech Republic, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Estonia, the European Commission, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Guinea, India, Israel, Italy, Japan, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Lithuania, Malaysia, Mexico, Mongolia, Morocco, New Zealand, Norway, Oman, Pakistan, Paraguay, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Qatar, the Republic of Korea, Romania, Saudi Arabia, Sierra Leone, Singapore, Sweden, Thailand, the Netherlands, Ukraine, the United Arab Emirates, the United Kingdom, Uzbekistan, and Zambia.
Critical minerals and rare earths are essential for our most advanced technologies and will only become more important as AI, robotics, batteries, and autonomous devices transform our economies. Today, this market is highly concentrated, leaving it a tool of political coercion and supply chain disruption, putting our core interests at risk. We will build new sources of supply, foster secure and reliable transport and logistics networks, and transform the global market into one that is secure, diversified, and resilient, end-to-end.
At today’s Ministerial, the United States and our partners took action to build secure and resilient critical mineral supply chains. In one day, the United States signed new bilateral critical minerals frameworks and memorandums of understanding (MOUs), announced U.S. government financing opportunities to support strategic minerals projects, and celebrated the launch of the Forum on Resource Geostrategic Engagement (FORGE). These efforts are complemented by our collaboration between the United States and its nine Pax Silica partners to secure strategic stacks of the global technology supply chain.
Today, the United States signed eleven new bilateral critical minerals frameworks or MOUs with countries, including Argentina, the Cook Islands, Ecuador, Guinea, Morocco, Paraguay, Peru, the Philippines, the United Arab Emirates, and Uzbekistan. The United States signed ten other critical mineral frameworks or MOUs in the past five months and reached completion of negotiations on such agreements with seventeen other countries. The United States is demonstrating unprecedented leadership in critical minerals diplomacy. These frameworks lay the groundwork for nations to collaborate on pricing challenges, spur development, create fair markets, close gaps in priority supply chains, and expand access to financing.
Secretary Rubio announced the creation of FORGE as the successor to the Minerals Security Partnership (MSP). FORGE, which will be chaired by the Republic of Korea through June, will lead with bold and decisive action to address ongoing challenges in the global critical minerals marketplace. Understanding the benefits of working together and building on the MSP, FORGE partners will collaborate at the policy and project levels to advance initiatives that strengthen diversified, resilient, and secure critical minerals supply chains.
Recognizing that governments alone cannot solve this problem, we are committed to close partnership with the private sector, including through Pax Silica, which will lead through investments in mining, refining and processing, end use applications, and recycling and reprocessing. On February 3, the day before the ministerial, we brought leading lights in the private sector together with governments from around the world to discuss supply chain challenges and investment opportunities. That day, Deputy Secretary Landau witnessed the signing of an MOU between Glencore and the U.S.-backed Orion Critical Mineral Consortium in relation to a potential acquisition of assets in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). This MOU reflects the core objectives of the U.S.-DRC Strategic Partnership Agreement by encouraging greater U.S. investment in the DRC’s mining sector and promoting secure, reliable, and mutually beneficial flows of copper and cobalt to the United States from the DRC. Following the ministerial on February 4, Deputy Secretary Landau and Under Secretary Helberg convened a task force of mining industry leaders to advance priority projects in the framework of new collaboration with the United States and its partners.
The U.S. Government is mobilizing unprecedented resources to secure critical mineral supply chains, supporting projects with more than $30 billion in letters of interest, investments, loans, and other support over the past six months in partnership with the private sector. These investments, along with Pax Silica and our reinvigorated diplomatic and commercial engagement driven by America First values, are having a multiplier effect, mobilizing private capital many times greater than the U.S. government outlay, which will generate billions of dollars in new projects to secure our supply chains. These coordinated efforts span domestic and international projects, strengthening U.S. national security and economic competitiveness. Under the Trump Administration, America is leading the global race for strategic minerals and advanced manufacturing. This is only the beginning—dozens of additional projects are in the pipeline undergoing due diligence by U.S. funding agencies, with more coming online soon.
U.S. Government support for critical mineral supply chains in the recent past includes:
Export-Import Bank of the United States (EXIM)
On February 2nd, President Trump announced Project Vault, a landmark initiative led by the Chairman of the Export-Import Bank of the United States (EXIM), which marks an unprecedented step in U.S. industrial policy by establishing a domestic strategic reserve for critical minerals. The EXIM Board of Directors approved a Direct Loan of up to $10 billion for Project Vault, more than double the largest financing in EXIM’s history, designed to shield domestic manufacturers from supply shocks, expand U.S. production and processing of critical raw materials, and fundamentally strengthen America’s critical minerals sector.
More broadly, over the past year, EXIM has issued $14.8 billion in Letters of Interest for critical minerals projects under the Trump Administration, including, in recent months, $455 million for rare earth development and processing in the United States; $400 million for lithium extraction in Arkansas; $350 million for cobalt and nickel production in Australia; and $215 million for tin extraction across the United Kingdom and Australia.
EXIM’s critical minerals portfolio of authorized transactions includes:
$10 billion – Project Vault: Establishing the U.S. Strategic Critical Minerals Reserve to support domestic manufacturers and strengthen supply chain security
$1.3 billion – Reko Diq (Pakistan): Copper and gold production
$27.4 million – 6K Additive (Pennsylvania): Titanium, nickel, and advanced metal powders
$23.5 million – Amaero Advanced Materials (Tennessee): Advanced materials and critical metals processing
$15.9 million – Empire State Mines (New York): Zinc mining and production
$11.1 million – IperionX (Virginia): Titanium processing and manufacturin
Department of Energy (DOE)
Through the DOE Loan Programs Office, the Department has supported major private sector projects to strengthen U.S. critical mineral and battery supply chains, including:
$2.3 billion loan for Lithium Americas’ Thacker Pass project (lithium carbonate from clay);
$996 million loan for Ioneer’s Rhyolite Ridge project (lithium carbonate and boric acid);
$475 million loan for Glencore Battery Recycling (lithium, nickel, cobalt, and manganese extraction);
$98 million loan for Syrah’s Vidalia facility (natural graphite processing);
$1.4 billion conditional commitment for EnergySource Minerals’ Project ATLiS (lithium hydroxide from geothermal brine);
$754.8 million conditional commitment for Novonix’s Project Kathari (synthetic graphite processing);
$1.26 billion conditional commitment for Michigan Potash (potash mine and processing);
The Department of Energy also has launched additional funding and partnership opportunities in 2025, including:
$134 million for a Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) to establish a Rare Earth Elements Demonstration Facility, strengthening domestic rare earth supply chains (NOFO December 1, 2025);
$355 million supporting: The “Mine of the Future – Proving Ground Initiative” to advance next-generation mining technologies and piloting byproduct critical minerals and materials recovery at domestic industrial facilities (NOFO November 14, 2025);
$50 million for a Critical Minerals and Materials Accelerator (NOI, August 13, 2025);
$500 million for Battery Materials Process and Battery Manufacturing and Recycling Grants (NOI, August 13, 2025);
$40 million for Reliable Ore Characterization with Keystone Sensing (ROCKS) (NOFO, August 25, 2025);
$20 million for Magnetic Acceleration Generating New Innovations and Tactical Outcomes (MAGNITO) (NOFO, August 25, 2025);
$6 million for Technology for Recovery and Advanced Critical-material Extraction – Gallium (TRACE-Ga) (PIA, September 15, 2025);
The Department of War
Ambler Metals, $35 million equity committed, Oct 2025, Alaska;
Alcoa-Sojitz, $93 million equity committed, Oct 2025, Western Australia, crowded in $170.3 million of equity from foreign and private investors;
Vulcan Elements, $620 million debt committed, Nov 2025, North Carolina, crowded in $550 million of equity from private investors;
ReElement, $80 million debt committed, Nov 2025, Indiana, crowded in $200 million of equity from private investors;
Korea Zinc, $1.25 billion committed and funded debt, $2.4 billion of conditionally committed debt Dec 2025, Republic of Korea and Tennessee, crowded in $2.4 billion of debt from private investors;
Korea Zinc, $150 million equity funded, Dec 2025, Republic of Korea and Tennessee, crowded in $540 million of equity from private investors;
Atalco, $150 million equity funded, Dec 2025, St. Ann, Jamaica, and Louisiana, crowded in $300 million of equity from private investors.
U.S. International Development Finance Corporation (DFC)
Under the Trump administration, the U.S. International Development Finance Corporation has invested in and is exploring more than a billion dollars in new mineral exploration deals and strengthened critical mineral supply chains for the United States and U.S. allies, including:
$75 million initial seed investment for critical minerals and strategic sectors in Ukraine that has mobilized another $75 million in non-U.S. government funding;
$600 million into the Orion Critical Minerals Consortium for critical minerals investments worldwide, that has mobilized an additional $1.2 billion in non-U.S. government funding;
$565 million for heavy and light rare earth extraction in Brazil;
LOI exploring up to $700 million to help finance tungsten development in Kazakhstan;
Joint venture negotiations with African trading vehicle that has secured 100,000 tons of copper for the U.S. and 50,000 for U.S. allies, Saudi Arabia and the UAE;
Strategic investment partnerships to explore critical mineral investment opportunities with leading Gulf firms.
Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR)
This morning, USTR announced an Action Plan on Critical Minerals with Mexico that develops coordinated trade policies and mechanisms that mitigate critical mineral supply chain vulnerabilities.
Also today, USTR announced that the United States, the European Commission, and Japan intend to develop Action Plans for critical minerals supply chain resilience.
For press inquiries, submit a request here.
Under Secretary Rogers’s Travel to Ireland, Hungary, Poland, and Germany
02/05/2026
Under Secretary Rogers’s Travel to Ireland, Hungary, Poland, and Germany
02/05/2026 07:08 PM EST
Office of the Spokesperson
Under Secretary Rogers’s Travel to Ireland, Hungary, Poland, and Germany
Media Note
February 5, 2026
Under Secretary of State for Public Diplomacy Sarah Rogers will travel to Dublin, Budapest, Warsaw, and Munich February 5-15, 2026. During her upcoming trip, Under Secretary Rogers will meet with government counterparts and private sector leaders to advance freedom of speech and digital freedom, strengthen American economic interests, and highlight American excellence through Freedom 250 celebrations. Under Secretary Rogers will also attend the Munich Security Conference as part of the U.S. delegation.
The Week at State: January 30, 2026 – February 5, 2026
02/06/2026
View as a webpage / Share
January 30 – February 5
Here’s what happened at State this week. ⤵️💎 The United States hosted the Critical Minerals Ministerial to secure global supply chains.
🤝 President Trump and Prime Minister Narendra Modi sealed a historic trade partnership.
⛷️ Vice President JD Vance and Secretary Rubio arrived in Milan to lead the U.S. delegation to the Winter Olympics.
Securing Critical Mineral Supply Chains
Secretary Rubio holds a press availability during the Critical Minerals Ministerial at the Department of State in Washington, D.C., February 4, 2026. (Official State Department photo by Freddie Everett)
On February 4, the State Department brought together global partners in Washington, D.C., for a Critical Minerals Ministerial. At the ministerial, like-minded governments worked to build stable and strong supply chains in order to reshape the global market for critical minerals and rare earths.
"Economic security is national security,” Secretary Rubio said in his opening remarks. Everyone “stand[s] to benefit from the secure supply chains that we want to be a big part of building.”
The ministerial focused on reducing dependence on adversarial nations for minerals required for defense technologies and for American manufacturing.
Speaking at the ministerial, Vice President Vance invited allies to form a critical minerals trading bloc.
Supply chains that support critical industries can vanish in the blink of an eye, Vice President Vance said in his remarks. “It is the business of the government … to confront such problems, and we want to confront them together.”
President Trump and Prime Minister Modi Reach Historic Deal
President Trump and Prime Minister Modi meet in the Oval Office February 13, 2025. (White House/Molly Riley)
Following a call with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, President Trump announced a major trade deal between the United States and India. This historic agreement aims to bolster the relationship between the world’s largest democracies while addressing key global security concerns.
“It was an honor to speak with Prime Minister Modi,” President Trump said in a Truth Social post. “He is one of my greatest friends, and a Powerful and Respected leader of his Country.”
As part of the deal, India has agreed to stop buying Russian oil, committing instead to increase purchases from the United States and possibly Venezuela. President Trump noted that this shift would help end the war in Ukraine.
Key provisions of the agreement the President highlighted in his Truth Social post include both the U.S. and India reducing tariffs on each other’s goods and a $500 billion commitment from Prime Minister Modi to buy U.S. energy, technology, agriculture, and other products.
Securing Water Resources
The United States and Mexico have agreed to strengthen the implementation of the 1944 Water Treaty. Committing to the treaty, which governs the shared use of the water in the Rio Grande, will provide greater certainty for farmers, ranchers, and producers in the United States.
“Water is the lifeblood of the farmers and ranchers who power South Texas’s agricultural economy,” said U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke L. Rollins. “This understanding between our countries is a direct result of President Trump’s determination to secure fair, practical deals that deliver for American agriculture.”
Under the new agreement, Mexico has committed to deliver a minimum of 350,000 acre-feet of water (approximately 114 billion gallons) each year to the United States during the current five-year cycle.
U.S. Delegation Arrives at the Winter Olympics
Secretary Rubio and Vice President Vance greet Team USA athletes at the Team USA Welcome Experience ahead of the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympic Games in Milan on February 5, 2026. (Official State Department photo by Mateo S. Melendy)
Vice President Vance and Secretary Rubio led the official United States Presidential Delegation to the 2026 Milan Cortina Winter Olympics.
The delegation’s presence bolsters the U.S.-Italy alliance and supports American athletes on the global stage.
For citizens traveling to the games, we encourage travelers to enroll in the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP) for real-time updates and to keep important information close at hand.
News You May Have MissedThe White House announced Project Vault, a $12 billion stockpile of critical minerals.
The United States announced $200 million for the Sudan Humanitarian Fund to help address the catastrophic humanitarian crisis affecting millions of people in Sudan.
Secretary Rubio announced sanctions on Iranian government officials for their brutal suppression of peaceful protests.
The United States and Hungary are partnering in efforts to expand religious freedom in the Middle East and sub-Saharan Africa.
President Trump reauthorized the African Growth and Opportunity Act, which provides eligible sub-Saharan African countries with duty-free access to the U.S. market for thousands of products.
Upcoming DatesFebruary 6: Milan Cortina Winter Olympics Opening Ceremony
February 13-15: Munich Security Conference
February 18: G20 Foreign Ministers’ Meeting
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Deputy Secretary Landau’s Meeting with Bosnia and Herzegovina Member of the Presidency Cvijanović
02/06/2026
Deputy Secretary Landau’s Meeting with Bosnia and Herzegovina Member of the Presidency Cvijanović
02/06/2026 02:55 PM EST
Office of the Spokesperson
Deputy Secretary Landau’s Meeting with Bosnia and Herzegovina Member of the Presidency Cvijanović
Readout
February 6, 2026
The below is attributable to Principal Deputy Spokesperson Tommy Pigott:
Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau met today with Member of the Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Željka Cvijanović. Deputy Secretary Landau underscored U.S. interest in expanding economic cooperation and highlighted the completion of the Southern Interconnection gas pipeline as a strategic energy priority.
Under Secretary Helberg’s Travel to Italy, Armenia, and Azerbaijan
02/07/2026
Under Secretary Helberg’s Travel to Italy, Armenia, and Azerbaijan
02/07/2026 10:37 AM EST
Office of the Spokesperson
Under Secretary Helberg’s Travel to Italy, Armenia, and Azerbaijan
Media Note
February 7, 2026
Under Secretary for Economic Affairs Jacob Helberg will join Vice President J.D. Vance in Milan, Italy; Yerevan, Armenia; and Baku, Azerbaijan, February 9-11, 2026. In Milan, Under Secretary Helberg will celebrate the American excellence of Team USA at the Milano Cortina 2026 Olympic Games. His travel to Armenia and Azerbaijan will advance President Trump’s peace efforts and promote the Trump Route for International Peace and Prosperity (TRIPP).
To stay up to date, follow @UnderSecE on X. For media inquiries, please submit requests through the State Department’s media portal.
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