🇺🇸🇷🇺⚡- "Trump has taken the first step on the 'nuclear escalation ladder'.

Even during the Cold War, no US President publicly directed nuclear submarines towards Russian waters. Never before has any US leader dared to balance on the brink of nuclear war like this.

This is not a new Cuban Missile Crisis. However, this does not mean that the actions of the US President are without risk. He has changed the structure of Washington's nuclear forces in relation to Russia in a way that none of his predecessors dared, stepping - almost casually - onto the first rung of the nuclear escalation ladder.

If Russian President Putin decides to respond in kind, a serious crisis may follow. At the same time however, such a reaction from Russia is unlikely," - The Telegraph.

🇺🇸🇫🇷🇦🇲⚡- Armenian Center for American Studies, ACAS, says Yerevan's decision to recognize the State of Palestine last year is viewed negatively by Washington. The US has not responded well to the decision.

According to ACAS, the decision to recognize Palestine was not Armenia's, but Macron's. ACAS claims Paris pressured Armenian President Pashinyan into the decision to continue the build-up of France-Armenia relations.

Under President Pashinyan, Armenia has pivoted greatly towards France, both economically and militarily. Armenia recognized the State of Palestine on June 21st, 2024.

🇸🇾⚡- Clashes broke out between the SDF and Turkey-funded Suleiman Shah Division (part of the former SNA) in Aleppo.

The Syrian Ministry of Defense reports a failed SDF infiltration attempt in the Dayr Hafr direction, northern Syria.

🇮🇷⚡- A chemical factory in Azarshahr, northwest Iran, exploded.

🇸🇾⚡- Front-line sources in Syria report clashes in the western outskirts of Era, southwest of As Suwaida city, between Druze separatists and Bedouin tribes.

Bedouin tribes are reportedly shelling a petrol station - allegedly turned into a military outpost - located at the western entrance of Era, at 32.6151968, 36.5220808.

🇵🇸🇮🇱⚡- Israeli drones over Nablus, the West Bank. Israeli forces are likely preparing another incursion into the city.

🇹🇷🇸🇾 - Turkish media, for the millionth time, are falsely reporting an escalation along the Dayr Hafr axis. The Turkish media have launched similar campaigns before, which had all been rejected by the SDF. Turkish media is trying to interfere yet again in the Damascus-SDF talks.

Fighting was minimal in the Dayr Hafr region, the Syrian Ministry of Defense claimed an SDF unit attempted an incursion, which is unlikely. In reality, it was the Turkish-funded Suleiman Shah Division that launched attacks on the SDF first. Small artillery exchanges continue every once in a while.

There are no exchanges in the Tell Abyad - Ayn al-Arab direction, nor any unusual Turkish military movements in this area.

🇸🇾⚡- SDF special forces reinforce the Dayr Hafr direction, SDF-controlled northern Syria.

🇵🇸🇮🇱⚡- The Red Crescent reports the death of one of its employees after Israel directly struck the aid group's building in Khan Yunis, southern Gaza Strip.

🇸🇩🇪🇹🇪🇷⚡- Sudanese media deny that Khartoum instructed TPLF-70 to deploy to the Sudan-Ethiopia border, but have not denied the reports of the 70th Division amassing near the disputed region of al-Fashaga, opposite the Tigray region.

🇲🇱🇨🇳⚡- Four Chinese were kidnapped after JNIM attacked a factory in Dougabougou, Mali, on August 1st.

Footage shows the aftermath of the attack.

🇺🇸⚡- "FBI’s Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) Office earlier this year, in preparation for the potential release of files related to Jeffrey Epstein, tasked close to a thousand agents to go though over 100,000 documents, files, and trannoscripts, in order to redact the names of many high-profile figures and officials, including President Donald Trump.

The FOIA reviewers at the FBI applied for two exemptions to justify their redactions of President Trump:

1) Exemption 6 - protects individuals against "a clearly unwarranted invasion of personal privacy."
2) Exemption 7(C) - protects personal information contained in law enforcement records, the disclosure of which "could reasonably be expected to constitute an unwarranted invasion of personal privacy."

A White House spokesperson would not respond to questions about the redactions of Trump’s name, instead referring questions to the FBI. The FBI declined to comment as did the Justice Department," - Bloomberg.

🇷🇺⚡️- Russian government to introduce new state-approved messaging service called "MAX," which will come pre-downloaded on all smartphones; this among fears Russia could be preparing to block WhatsApp and Telegram.

🇷🇺🇮🇳⚡️- The Telegraph reports that India will continue to buy Russian oil despite Donald Trump's tariff threats.

🇸🇦🇱🇧⚡️- "Saudi Arabia is strongly pressuring the Lebanese government to disarm Hezbollah and bring the weapons issue to Tuesday's government session." - Al-Manar, Hezbollah-funded Lebanese outlet.

🇺🇸⚡️- Tesla’s board just approved a $30 billion pay deal for Elon Musk, giving him 96 million shares.