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Ziad Abu Rish, associate professor of Middle Eastern Studies at Bard College, said most observers believe Netanyahu wants to escalate the attacks on Lebanon to "demonstrate his unstoppable resolve," aiming to occupy southern Lebanon while simultaneously "severely striking" Hezbollah and Lebanese civilians. Saturday's attack, which killed 11 people, continued the established pattern since the so-called ceasefire, where Israel attacks Hezbollah and Lebanese civilians with the tacit approval of the United States, facing no consequences. This ceasefire agreement was "in name only," lasting only briefly between June 19 and 23, when Iran pressured Israel to halt its attacks on Lebanon in order to reach a memorandum of understanding with the United States. In separate negotiations with Israel and the Lebanese government, the United States proposed to Lebanon that Israel limit its attacks and occupation to the south and the Bekaa Valley in exchange for not attacking the capital, Beirut. As a result, the people of southern Lebanon continue to live under Israeli occupation and airstrikes. It should be noted that most of the civilian infrastructure destroyed in southern Lebanon occurred in areas under Israeli control during the ceasefire, including houses, hospitals, schools, fortresses, and farmland.
The European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre reports that a 4.4-magnitude earthquake struck the Flores region of Indonesia at a depth of 4.0 kilometers.
US President Trump: The Senate must pass the "No More Clock-Changing Act" as soon as possible. More sunlight is always good (it even helps fight crime!), but more importantly, stop the absurd habit of turning clocks and watches back and forth twice a year—it's confusing and inconvenient. Get it fixed now!
According to CNN, 71% of people believe that US President Trump's efforts to lower the prices of everyday goods are insufficient, up from 58% last year.
Colombian President: In a phone call with US President Trump, he requested that the US temporarily suspend tariffs on Colombian products due to the earthquake.
U.S. Central Command: The USS Abraham Lincoln, homeported in San Diego, set sail last November for its deployment mission and arrived in the Middle East in January. The strike group has successfully carried out thousands of combat sorties to support Operation Epic Fury, regional security missions, and the current U.S. naval blockade of Iran.
U.S. Central Command: Admiral Brad Cooper stated that the USS Lincoln Carrier Strike Group is a powerful and accomplished American team, and they are rightfully proud of everything they have accomplished. History will record this deployment as one of the most intense and far-reaching deployments in modern history.
U.S. Central Command: During his recent visit, Admiral Brad Cooper addressed the crew of the USS Lincoln, thanking them for their immense dedication and courage. He also met with some junior officers and presented awards to those who had performed outstandingly.
The head of Iran's Energy Optimization Organization stated that in the first option, gasoline prices would remain unchanged, but the total allocation would be capped at 121 million liters, and refueling stations would be closed once the quota was exhausted. In the second option, the 121 million liters of gasoline produced daily would be allocated to individual vehicles, and anyone wishing to exceed their quota would have to purchase gasoline at free market prices. In the third option, gasoline quotas would be allocated to the public at 30 liters per person per month, and the transfer, purchase, and sale of quotas would be permitted.
US President Trump posted a picture on social media of himself wearing a hat that read "Trump 2028" with the caption "We are going to win".
According to The Information, Nvidia (NVDA.O) is in talks to invest $3 billion in SB Energy as part of the OpenAI data center deal.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan: Europe seems unwilling to accept Türkiye into the EU. Joining the EU is not our priority; Europe is the one that's losing out.
Russian Foreign Ministry: The potential US and Turkish arms supply plans to Kyiv would weaken Moscow’s relations with Washington and Ankara.
Russian Foreign Ministry: A spokesperson for the Russian Foreign Ministry stated that the US and Turkey have been asked to explain their reported plans to provide weapons to Kyiv.
According to Iranian media outlet Fars News, Iranian military officials say three Iranian Air Force personnel went missing following an operation against a US base in March and are currently being held in Qatar.
Iran's intelligence ministry stated that while handling a major case of foreign infiltration and interference, its personnel, carrying out orders from judicial authorities to arrest two suspects, discovered two French diplomats illegally present at a secret meeting location. Due to the numerous violations of Iranian law and diplomatic obligations by the two individuals, after confirming their identities, Iran notified the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and, accompanied by diplomatic police, handed them over to the Iranian ambassador to France. The Iranian intelligence ministry claimed that during the investigation of the suspects and the verification of documents found at the scene, the French side engaged in extensive media hype, attempting to preemptively cover up the violations. Preliminary investigations revealed that the documents exposed a so-called "Termite Project," involving infiltration, foreign interference, and creating conditions for French actions to undermine Iran's national independence, including identifying targets inside and outside Iran, establishing secret contacts, and building a clandestine network. The Iranian intelligence ministry stated that the signature of the former French ambassador to Iran was found on the seized contracts, therefore the French government must be held accountable for its illegal and interfering activities and explain this "reckless planning."
Ukrainian President Zelensky: The Ukrainian military attacked a Russian military airbase in Nizhny Novgorod and Russian oil facilities in Ust-Luga.
Ukrainian President Zelensky: The Ukrainian military attacked a Russian missile factory in Samara.
According to the Iranian news agency IRNA, Hossein Nushabadi, Director General of Parliamentary and Legal Affairs at the Iranian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, stated in an interview that Washington's controversial claims regarding control of the Strait of Hormuz are primarily driven by domestic political needs and are a passive response to Iran's assertion of power and strategic actions in this waterway. He stated that the US president's unfounded claims regarding the Strait of Hormuz are inconsistent with international shipping rules and the relevant provisions of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea. Nushabadi also pointed out that Iran possesses political and military dominance over the Strait of Hormuz, a lifeline vital to global energy and the economy, making it a powerful lever and strategic trump card in response to external threats.
Hungarian Prime Minister Majol: Authorities will sink two barges on Saturday to raise the Danube River level and prevent the nuclear power plant from shutting down, as the water level has dropped again.