According to Axios, U.S. President Donald J. Trump’s recent letter delivered to Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei included a “two-month deadline” for Iran to agree to a new nuclear deal. The letter reportedly did not say what would occur once the two months elapsed, but it is likely that the chance of U.S. and/or Israeli military actions against Iran and its nuclear program would dramatically increase.

During an earlier White House presser, when asked if the U.S.-Ukraine minerals deal is now defunct, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt reiterated past comments by saying that they have “moved past” the mineral deal to focus on long-term peace deal between Russia and Ukraine. While a definitive answer, “no,” was given at first, the secretary’s subsequent answer, as well as those from State Department officials, would indicate that the minerals deal may no longer be on the table.

During a State Department presser, State Department Spokesperson Tammy Bruce said that a ceasefire deal must include a cessation of the bilateral aid and cooperation between Russia and North Korea that started as a result of the war in Ukraine. North Korea has not only sent weapon systems but soldiers as well to fight in a select area of the front. In return, Russia has sent food, economic aid, and most importantly, aided in the R&D efforts of North Korea’s defense industry.

According to Reuters citing Russia’s national daily newspaper Kommersant, Russian President Vladimir Putin would like U.S. President Trump to formally recognize Russia’s claim to all regions of Eastern Ukraine annexed in September 2022, including Donetsk, Kherson, Luhansk and Zaporizhzhia, as well as the Crimean Peninsula, which was invaded and annexed by Russia in 2014. In exchange for the recognition, Putin has said that he would not lay claim to the Ukrainian port city of Odesa on the Black Sea and other territory in Ukraine. When asked, Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov claimed that Putin had not discussed the idea with Trump during their call on Tuesday.

U.S. Democratic Senator John Fetterman, of course wearing his iconic hoodie with basketball shorts and accompanied by his wife Gisele, met tonight in Jerusalem with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his wife Sara.

During their meeting tonight in Jerusalem, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu gifted Senator John Fetterman a “silver pager” similar to the golden one presented last month by Netanyahu to U.S. President Donald J. Trump, likely in reference to last year’s Israeli pager attack against Hezbollah.

An hours-long standoff, near the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency’s (CIA) headquarters in McLean, Virginia, just ended earlier after a man fired shots into the air but injured no one. The man eventually surrendered to responding SWAT officers. No injuries or deaths have been reported by authorities.

The U.S. Navy’s largest base in the world, Naval Station Norfolk in Virginia is currently suffering a major power outage, the cause and estimated time of repair is unknown.

According to Barak Ravid of Axios, before the letter from U.S. President Donald J. Trump was delivered to Iran’s principal decision-maker, key regional allies and partners were notified of the letter and what it contained. These nations included Israel, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

Europe’s Role or Lack Thereof
The E3 coalition, a foreign policy and security alliance consisting of France, the UK, and Germany, has signaled their own outlook on how to deal with Iran, and it remains to be seen if the U.S. will take said outlook into account. It should be noted that the E3’s outlook mainly consists of returning to some sort of diplomatic deal where incentives are provided to Iran. Iran has violated and reneged on such deals, like the JCPOA (Iran Deal), in the past, and there’s really no indication they would abide by a new one.

In a post earlier today on Truth Social, U.S. President Donald J. Trump once again called for Iran to halt the transfer of military aid or supplies to the Houthis in Yemen, adding, “Let the Houthis fight it out themselves. Either way they lose, but this way they lose quickly. Tremendous damage has been inflicted upon the Houthi barbarians, and watch how it will get progressively worse — It’s not even a fair fight, and never will be. They will be completely annihilated!”

Early reports of renewed U.S. air strikes in the Houthi-controlled coastal province of Hodeidah.

The Iranian-backed Houthi terrorist group is claiming to have downed yet another U.S. Air Force MQ-9 “Reaper” Surveillance and Attack Drone today over the Dhamar Governorate of Southwestern Yemen. So far there has been no confirmation yet by the U.S. Department of Defense or evidence provided by the Houthis, but if true, this would be the 16th MQ-9 to be shot-down by the Houthis since 2023.