{beacon} Welcome to The Hill's Defense & NatSec newsletter {beacon} Defense &National Security Defense &National Security   The Big Story  Biden, Netanyahu speak ahead of expected retaliation against Iran President Biden spoke with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Wednesday for the first time in weeks, amid heightened tensions between the leaders as Israel calibrates its expected retaliatory strike against Iran.  © AP Photo/Michel Euler The call lasted 30 minutes and was “direct” and “productive,” said White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre. She added that more details of their discussion would be issued in a readout later in the day. Vice President Harris was also on the call.    It was the first time Biden spoke with Netanyahu by phone in nearly two months; their last conversation was on Aug. 21. The call came after the U.S. helped Israel down nearly 200 ballistic missiles fired by Iran at Israel on Oct. 1. Netanyahu reportedly postponed a trip by his defense minister and political rival, Yoav Gallant, until he spoke with Biden.    “The U.S. and the Israeli government have been discussing, have had discussions since last week, certainly after the Iran attack, those discussions continued with the president and prime minister,” Jean-Pierre said.    “They had a direct, productive conversation as they’ve had many times.”    Biden last week called for Israel to respond “proportionally” and spoke out against Israel striking Iranian nuclear facilities.    The White House has, at times, acknowledged the president’s frustration with Netanyahu over some of Israel’s military operations in the past year, after launching a war on Hamas in response to its attack against the country on Oct. 7, in which an estimated 1,200 people were killed and 250 taken hostage.    In reported excerpts from the book “War” by acclaimed journalist Bob Woodward, Biden referred to Netanyahu as a “son of a bitch,” a “bad guy,” and used other profanities to express frustration as Israel ramped up its operations in the Gaza Strip, where more than 40,000 Palestinians have been killed.    Jean-Pierre said the administration is “working our way back towards a cease-fire process” between Israel and Hezbollah in Lebanon, and between Israel and Hamas in Gaza, to allow the release of the remaining hostages.    Read the full report at TheHill.com.   Welcome to The Hill’s Defense & National Security newsletter, I'm Ellen Mitchell — your guide to the latest developments at the Pentagon, on Capitol Hill and beyond.   Did someone forward you this newsletter? Subscribe here.   Essential Reads  How policy will affect defense and national security now and inthe future:   Russia has suffered more than 600K casualties in Ukraine, US official says Russia has suffered more than 600,000 casualties in the war with Ukraine, a senior U.S. defense official said Wednesday. The number of Russian dead or wounded is significantly higher than the last official update from the U.S., which had estimated more than 300,000 casualties since the war began in February 2022. The U.S. official said Russia sustained more casualties in September of this year than at any other point in the …  Full Story   Netanyahu says replacement for slain Hezbollah chief was killed Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Tuesday that his forces have killed the replacement for slain Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah in another blow for the Lebanese militant group. Netanyahu, in a video address to the people of Lebanon, confirmed that Hashem Safieddine, who was expected to replace Nasrallah, was killed amid speculation of his death in a strike last week. “We have degraded Hezbollah’s …  Full Story   Israel defense minister cancels visit with Pentagon chief Israel has canceled a planned Wednesday meeting between its Defense Minister Yoav Gallant and U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, the Pentagon confirmed Tuesday. “We were just informed that Minister Gallant will be postponing his trip to Washington, D.C.,” Pentagon deputy press secretary Sabrina Singh told reporters. “Secretary Austin looks forward to seeing him soon.” Austin was set to meet with his Israeli counterpart …  Full Story   Intel defensive briefings surge as adversaries seek to influence congressional races Intelligence community officials said they have given more than three times the number of defensive briefings this year to those who may be the target of foreign influence efforts as in past election cycles. The details come as officials warn that China, Russia and Cuba are making a concerted effort to target congressional races in the U.S., using tactics similar to those seen in bids to influence the presidential election. …  Full Story   On Our Radar  Upcoming things we're watching on our beat:  Hurricane Milton is expected to make landfall near Tampa, Fla., late tonight or early Thursday morning. President Biden has postponed a trip to Germany for a meeting of the Ukraine Defense Contact Group as the U.S. addresses the threat from Milton. Secretary of State Antony Blinken is in the Laos capitol of Vientiane until Friday for the East Asia Summit and the U.S.-Association of Southeast Asian Nations conference.   In Other News  Branch out with a different read from The Hill: A GOP rep asked ICE for an update. Then Trump ran with the number A previously obscure immigration dataset entered the public lexicon over the past week, sparking a new attack line for Republicans and a deluge of fact-checking over an accurate, yet decontextualized, number. Last week, Rep. Tony Gonzales (R-Texas) drew attention to the Immigration and Customs Enforcement … Full Story   On Tap Tomorrow  Events in and around the defense world:  The Potomac Officers Club will hold its 2024 GovCon International Summit on “How international partnerships, coalition warfare and emerging technologies are reshaping the defense landscape and how the U.S. can stay ahead, curve,” with Schuyler Moore, CTO at U.S. Central Command, and Michael Miller, director of the Defense Security Cooperation Agency, at 8 a.m.  The Center for Strategic and International Studies will host a virtual discussion on “The changing nature of counterintelligence threats,” with Michael Casey, director of the National Counterintelligence and Security Center, at 10 a.m.  Atlantic Council will have a talk on “The Global Risks Facing the Next President,” with Senate Intelligence Chairman Mark Warner (D-Va.), at 11:15 a.m.  The Foundation for Defense of Democracies will hold an event on “Beijing’s Axis of Chaos” at 3:30 p.m.    What We're Reading  News we've flagged from other outlets: VA transfers patients, closes facilities ahead of Hurricane Milton making landfall in Florida (Military.com) Israeli defense minister warns an attack on Iran would be ‘lethal’ and ‘surprising’ (The Associated Press)   Trending Today  Two key stories on The Hill right now: Democrats start to hit the panic button Democrats’ nerves are at an all-time high.  Two months ago — even a month ago — they were feeling bullish about Vice President Harris’s … Read more Susan Rice: Trump’s reported calls with Putin appear illegal Former White House adviser and United Nations ambassador Susan Rice called out former President Trump over a report that he has spoken with Russian … Read more   Opinions in The Hill  Op-eds related to defense & national security submitted to The Hill: Is the day of reckoning for the Islamic Republic of Iran finally here? How the next president can be a ‘cheap hawk’ The Ships for America Act would be good for the Navy as well     You're all caught up. See you tomorrow!  Close Thank you for signing up! Subscribe to more newsletters here The latest in politics and policy. Direct to your inbox. Sign up for the Defense and National Security newsletter Subscribe