— 🇺🇸/🇮🇷 BREAKING: The White House is 'seriously considering' indirect nuclear talks with Iran – Axios

U.S. officials have said that Trump 'does not want to go to war with Iran' but needs military assets in the region to 'establish deterrence' in negotiations.

The White House is split between those who think a deal is possible and those who back strikes on Iran's nuclear facilities.

@Middle_East_Spectator

— 🇱🇧/🇮🇱 NEW: Israel continues to target temporary makeshift homes in southern Lebanon with drones, denying people the right to return after their houses were destroyed during the war

Meanwhile, the Lebanese Army, which continues to deploy in the south, was fired upon by the IDF just yesterday, forcing them to retreat at least once.

@Middle_East_Spectator

🇮🇱🇵🇸 The IDF has expanded its ground operation into Rafah and advised remaining Gazans in the area to evacuate, Defense Minister Israel Katz said.

@TabZLIVE

— 🇺🇸/🇮🇷 Iranian Foreign Ministry:

'Despite initially insisting on direct negotiations, the U.S. has now stated it is open for indirect negotiations with Iran.

If these negotiations are conducted in a setting of mutual respect, not with threats or blackmail, then we will consider it.'

@Middle_East_Spectator

— 🇺🇸/🇷🇺 NEW: The U.S. Treasury Department has announced new sanctions on four Russian individuals and three companies.

@Middle_East_Spectator

—❗️🇺🇸/🇮🇷 Iranian Foreign Minister, Abbas Araqchi: 'We continue to warn against any attack on Iran and its sovereignity, and we affirm that our response will be swift and decisive'

@Middle_East_Spectator

— 🇺🇸/🇮🇷 NEW: Trump's Special Envoy for the Middle East, Steve Witkoff, offered to visit Tehran or meet with Iranian government officials in a neutral country; Iran rejected the proposal, stating that Witkoff is an 'irrelevant person' and that Iran 'is not interested' in directly meeting with the Americans

@Middle_East_Spectator

—❗️🇮🇷/🇫🇷/🇺🇸 BREAKING: 'War with Iran is almost inevitable, if there is no Nuclear Deal soon' – France's Foreign Minister, after a rare Defense Cabinet meeting on Iran in Paris

@Middle_East_Spectator

— 🇵🇸/🇮🇱 NEW: Sirens in Sderot, rockets incoming from Gaza

@Middle_East_Spectator

— NOTE: False reports are currently circulating that Iran has closed its airspace, this claim has allegedly been attributed to Mehr News.

1. Mehr News has not reported such a thing at all.

2. Iran's airspace remains open.

3. The claim originates from a shady Ukrainian Twitter account.

@Middle_East_Spectator

— 🇺🇸 NEW: Donald Trump has revealed the details of 'Liberation Day' tariffs.

@Middle_East_Spectator

— 🇺🇸/🇮🇱 NEW: The Trump administration has suspended research grants totaling $210 million to Princeton University due to 'antisemitism.'

@Middle_East_Spectator

— ❗️🇸🇾 Statement by the Islamic Resistance Front in Syria:

'Cells of the Islamic Resistance Front in Syria are currently confronting an incursion of the Israeli occupation forces on the Nawa and Tasil axis, engaging them with appropriate weapons, inflicting direct casualties among their ranks in addition to downing an enemy drone.

Indeed Allah is the Guardian of the Oppressed, and the Supporter of the Wronged.'

@Middle_East_Spectator

— NOTE: While there are several groups currently claiming to be fighting against Israel, especially the newly formed 'Islamic Resistance Front in Syria', there is no solid proof that these groups have any significant forces or influence on the ground.

As of now, they likely consist of small amounts of hideout cells aligned with the former government, but there is no meaningful large-scale or organized resistance. The lack of visual footage uploaded by the groups, in addition to claims of engagements usually only surfacing after clashes already took place, indicates this could be mostly false claims of responsibility.

While some previous instances of fighting between local Syrians and the IDF in Daraa seemed to be carried out by this group, the current clashes are likely a result of calls for popular mobilization by several mosques throughout villages in southern Syria today.

@Middle_East_Spectator

TLDR; Yes, resistance groups against Israel do exist in Syria, but the ongoing clashes are a result of local armed residents confronting the Israelis after calls for mobilization from mosques throughout villages today.