Under the recent integration agreement with the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), security elements with the Syrian Ministry of Defense and Interior have entered the Kurdish-majority city of Qamishli in Northeastern Syria, on the border with Turkey.

Interesting and rare flight today over the Baltic Sea by JAKE27, a U.S. Air Force WC-135R “Constant Phoenix” Airborne Radiological-Detection Aircraft, tasked with the collection of samples from the atmosphere for the purpose of detecting and identifying nuclear incidents, explosions, and/or weapons, known more commonly as the Nuke Sniffer. The WC-135 flew laps for nearly six hours over the Baltic, possibly searching for nuclear readings from any Russian commercial and naval vessels in the area as well as military sites in the Russian exclave of Kaliningrad.

In the past week or so, a number of Israeli defense and intelligence officials, including Israel Chief of General Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir, have visited Washington, with Zamir briefing the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Dan Caine on Israel's offensive and defensive plans in the event of a renewed war with Iran, according to Axios.

“It's safe to say that nothing came out of that meeting to change his or the President's mind on attacking Iran,” a U.S. official said, referring to Caine and Trump. “It's really the Israelis who want a strike. The President is just not there.” President Trump “really does not want to do it,” a senior official said. Back in June, President Trump believed Iran's nuclear activities posed a “legitimate, imminent threat.” “He does not feel that way here.”

Three of President Trump's advisers all told Axios they think launching a military option now against Iran wouldn't be the right way to go. One of them said that skepticism holds for many in Trump's close orbit, while another said a strike right now would only undermine much of the President's agenda in the Middle East and in the World.

Six Iranian gunboats armed with .50cal machine guns approached the American-flagged, Danish-owned oil tanker M/T STENA IMPERATIVE earlier today near the Strait of Hormuz in a threatening manner, after the vessel departed the United Arab Emirates bound for the Naval Support Activity Bahrain on the Persian Gulf.

According to the Maritime-security firm Vanguard Tech, the Iranian gunboats ordered the oil tanker to halt and prepare for boarding by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). In response to the threat, the tanker sped up and was not further perused by the gunboats, later meeting up with a U.S. naval vessel that escorted the tanker the remaining way to Bahrain.

Iran has demanded changes to the venue and format for negotiations with the United States this Friday, potentially putting the talks at risk of collapse, two sources with knowledge of the situation tell Axios.

According to sources, the Iranians want to move the talks from Istanbul, Turkey to Muscat in Oman, and instead of a talks featuring several Arab and Muslim countries, they want to hold them in a bilateral format, only with the Americans.

The U.S. Navy shot down an Iranian drone that approached the USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN-72) and her Carrier Strike Group earlier today in the Arabian Sea, a U.S. official tells Reuters.

Officials tell Reuters that the Iranian drone shot down earlier today over the Arabian Sea was a Shahed-139 Surveillance Drone, which was downed by an F-35C Lightning ll with Marine Fighter Attack Squadron 314 (VMFA-314) after approaching the USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN-72).

Despite attempts to deescalate, the drone continued flying in the direction of the Lincoln “aggressively” and with “unclear intent,” resulting in its shoot down by the F-35C, according to officials with U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) who spoke to CBS News.

U.S. President Donald J. Trump meeting in the Oval Office today with Colombian President Gustavo Petro.

Speaking earlier on Fox News, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt confirms the shoot down of an Iranian drone that was “acting aggressively” towards the USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN-72) today over the Arabian Sea, though states that President Trump remains committed to pursuing diplomacy with Iran. Leavitt also stated that talks between Trump’s special envoy Steve Witkoff and the Iranians are still scheduled for later this week, despite changes in the format and venue demanded today by Iran.

Today’s meeting between White House special envoy Steve Witkoff and senior Israeli defense and intelligence officials has now concluded, with Chief of General Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir reportedly showing Witkoff the latest intelligence picture as well as the threat posed by Iran to Israel, prior to talks later this week with Iranian officials in Oman or Turkey.

Quoting a defense official at the meeting who spoke to Channel 14: “We warned the Americans that the Iranians will violate any agreement and that there's no point in trying to reach one. Under an agreement, they won't dismantle their nuclear program or missile capabilities, and part of the reasons they're trying to drag things out is likely in order to transfer offensive weapons to hiding places.”

Israel has requested “operational freedom” from the United States to conduct unilateral military action against Iran, as President Donald J. Trump leans towards diplomacy instead of strikes against the Islamic Republic, according to the Israeli Public Broadcasting Corporation.

In my opinion, there is almost zero chance that President Trump would give Israel the “green light” to strike Iran if he is actually seriously considering diplomacy, as even if the U.S. didn’t join strikes against Iran, U.S. assets would still be required to defend Israel.

According to a source close to the Trump Administration who spoke to Israel Hayom, President Donald J. Trump remains firm on four goals ahead of this week’s talks with Iran, they include:

- Renunciation of the nuclear program
- Halting the long-range ballistic missile program
- Cessation of funding for proxy organizations across the Middle East
- Proper treatment of demonstrators who participated in protests against the regime in early January

UPDATE: Iranian officials speaking to Al-Monitor have denied reports from earlier today that talks Friday with the United States are on the verge of collapse, stating that, “Both sides are deciding together on the best format and venue,” with “options on the table” including Oman and Turkey.

The Commanding General of U.S. Africa Command (AFRICOM), Air Force Gen. Dagvin R. M. Anderson, told reporters today that a small team of military officers have been sent to Nigeria to assist the Nigerian Armed Forces in combating the rising threat of terrorism in West Africa. Today’s announcement follows several missile strikes by the U.S. Navy carried out Christmas Day under orders from President Donald J. Trump against ISIS targets in Northern Nigeria.

Another Iranian drone, possibly a Shahed-129/139, was spotted earlier returning from a mission over the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman, close to the last known location of the USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN-72) and her Carrier Strike Group, and near where a second drone was downed earlier today by a U.S. Marine Corps’ F-35C Lightning ll.