Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, the kingdom’s de facto leader, told Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian during a call on Tuesday, that Saudi Arabia would not allow its airspace or territory to be used by the United States for an attack against Iran, following a similar statement issued earlier this week by the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

President Donald J. Trump once again said this morning in a post on Truth Social that a “massive Armada” is heading towards Iran, claiming that the fleet - which is led by the USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN-72) - is larger than that sent to Venezuela, which consisted of over a dozen naval vessels including both a Carrier Strike Group and an Amphibious Ready Group. President Trump adds that he hopes, “Iran will quickly ‘Come to the Table’ and negotiate a fair and equitable deal - NO NUCLEAR WEAPONS - one that is good for all parties.
Time is running out, it is truly of the essence!
As I told Iran once before, MAKE A DEAL!”

Speaking today in front of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Secretary of State Marco Rubio spoke about the current military buildup in the Middle East directed at Iran, stating:

“On the issue of our presence in the region, here's the baseline I want to set for everybody. The baseline is this: we have 30,000 to 40,000 American troops stationed across eight or nine facilities in that region. All are within the reach, theoretically, not theoretically, in reality, all are within the reach of an array of thousands of Iranian, one-way UAVs and Iranian short range of ballistic missiles that threaten our troop presence. We have to have enough force and power in the region just on a baseline to defend against that possibility. That at some point, as a result of something, the Iranian regime decides to strike at our troop presence in the region. The President always reserves the preemptive defensive option. In essence, if we have indications that in fact they're going to attack our troops in the region, to defend our personnel in the region. We also have security agreements, the Defense of Israel Plan and others, that requires to have a forced posture in the region to defend against that. And so I think it's wise and prudent to have a forced posture within the region that could respond and potentially, not necessarily what's going to happen, but if necessary, preemptively prevent the attack against thousands of American servicemen and other facilities in the region and our allies. I hope it doesn't come to that. But that's, I think, what you're seeing now is the ability to posture assets in the region to defend against what could be an Iranian threat against our personnel. They certainly have the capability to do it because they've amassed thousands and thousands of ballistic missiles that they've built despite the fact that their economy is collapsing. They keep spending money on that. Thank you.”

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said that the Iranian government’s “days are numbered” during a press conference earlier today alongside Romanian Prime Minister Ilie Bolojan, with him stating, “A regime that can only hold onto power through sheer violence and terror against its own population: its days are numbered. It could be a matter of weeks but this regime has no legitimacy to govern the country.”

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security has placed the federal agents involved in this past weekend’s shooting of 37-year old Alex Pretti in Minneapolis on administrative leave, officials tell the New York Times.

Ali Shamkhani, senior political advisor to Iranian Supreme-Leader Ali Khamenei, has said that any idea of a “limited strike” against Iran is an illusion, stating that any military action by the United States “from any origin and at any level,” will be considered the beginning of a war and its response will be “immediate, all out and unprecedented, targeting the heart of Tel Aviv and all supporters of the aggressor [Israel and the United States].”

Iran’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Abbas Araghchi, has joined the list of Iranian officials making threats of retaliation today directed at Israel and the United States, stating that the Armed Forced of Iran are “prepared - with their fingers on the trigger - to immediately and powerfully respond to ANY aggression against our beloved land, air, and sea.” However, Araghchi does leave open the possibility of negotiations and potential deal with the United States, claiming, “Iran has always welcomed a mutually beneficial, fair and equitable NUCLEAR DEAL - on equal footing, and free from coercion, threats, and intimidation - which ensures Iran's rights to PEACEFUL nuclear technology, and guarantees NO NUCLEAR WEAPONS.”

According to U.S. and European officials involved in the ongoing negotiations who spoke to the New York Times, three demands have been given to the Iranians to prevent potential military actions by the United States, these include:

- Permanent end to all enrichment of uranium at sites throughout Iran.
- Limits on the range and number of long-range ballistic missiles maintained by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).
- End to all support for proxy groups in the Middle East, including Hamas, Hezbollah and the Houthis operating in Yemen.

Fighterbomber, a Telegram channel affiliated with the Russian Air Force, has made a post suggesting the loss of an Su-34 “Fullback” Fighter-Bomber/Strike Aircraft.

Ukrainian channels confirm that an Su-34 Fighter-Bomber with the Russian Air Force was downed by Ukraine today over the Black Sea, resulting in the death of both aviators, with the aircraft said to have been shot down off the coast of the Odesa Oblast.

Syrian Interior Minister Anas Khattab has announced the immediate implementation of directives under Presidential Decree No. 13, issued by President Ahmed al-Sharaa, granting Syrian citizenship and rights to Kurds in Northeastern Syria that were previously denied under the Government of Bashar al-Assad.

A U.S. Air Force C-5M “Super Galaxy” Strategic Heavy-Lift Aircraft is currently crossing Saudi Arabia bound for Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar, possibly carrying air-defense systems and/or other equipment from Ramstein Air Base in Germany. Interestingly, the C-5M arrived at Ramstein earlier this week from MacDill Air Force Base, which houses the Headquarters for both U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) and U.S. Special Operations Command (SOCOM).

France has now joined the rest of the European Union in supporting the inclusion of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) on the EU Terrorist List, opening the door for further sanctions and restrictions on both the IRGC and the Iranian Government.

According to the Wall Street Journal, Iran has already signaled a rejection to some of terms for negotiations set by the United States, which include a complete ban to the enrichment of uranium, limits on long-range ballistic missiles, and an end to support for proxy groups across the Middle East. A senior Iranian official said Tehran would not compromise on its right to continue enrichment for civilian purposes or to maintain its long-range missile arsenal, which it considers necessary for its defense, specifically against Israel.

President Donald J. Trump is weighing a major new round of strikes against Iran after preliminary discussions between Washington and Tehran over limiting the country’s nuclear program and ballistic missile production failed to make progress, people familiar with the matter tell CNN.

Options that President Trump is now considering include military airstrikes aimed at Iranian leaders and the security officials believed to be responsible for the killing of protesters during recent anti-government protests, as well as strikes on Iran’s nuclear sites and government institutions, the sources said. Trump has not made a final decision on how to proceed, but he believes his military options have been expanded from earlier this month now that the USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN-72) and her Carrier Strike Group have arrived in the Middle East.

Heavy gunfire and explosions reported within the last hour around Diori Hamani International Airport in Niamey, the capital of Niger.

Passengers and staff seen taking cover, amid some kind of attack against Diori Hamani International Airport in the Nigerien capital of Niamey.

Flights to Diori Hamani International Airport in Niamey are being diverted to other airports in West Africa.

The United States is planning to move one or more Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) Anti-Ballistic Missile Systems to the Middle East in the coming days, in order to bolster the several air-defense systems already deployed to the region and to protect U.S. Forces from potential retaliation in response to strikes against Iran, multiple sources have told CNN.

During the Twelve-Day War last June between Israel and Iran, the U.S. Army expended over 150 THAAD Interceptors, 25% of its inventory, defending Israel from ballistic missiles launched by Iran and the Iranian-backed Houthis in Yemen. In 2024 and 2025, the U.S. only procured 23 Interceptors, and are expected to receive around 37 in 2026.