Venezuela’s interim government has released at least 4 American detainees and dozens of prisoners.

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Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner are seeking to travel to Moscow soon for talks with Putin as part of efforts to broker an end to the war in Ukraine.

A meeting could take place this month, though plans aren’t finalized and depend in part on Putin’s willingness to meet.

Source: Bloomberg

Then U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo in 2019:

Our effort in this administration is to make sure that we lay down the right policy for our time on duty, our watch. And I'm convinced we’re truly getting there.

You can see it in the things that are happening inside of the Islamic Republic of Iran—not only the economic distress...

Foreign actors are arming the protesters in Iran with live firearms, which is the reason for the hundreds of regime personnel killed.

Source: Israeli Channel 14

BIG: Iran has warned U.S. allies in the Middle East that it will strike U.S. bases on their soil if United States attacks Iran.

Source: Reuters

NEW: Some personnel were advised to leave the U.S. military’s Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar by Wednesday evening.

Source: Reuters

Chinese authorities have told domestic firms to stop using certain U.S. and Israeli cybersecurity software, citing national security risks.

Affected companies include U.S. firms VMware, Palo Alto Networks, and Fortinet, as well as Israel’s Check Point Software Technologies.

Source: Reuters

Iran’s warning was sent to countries including Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Türkiye, and Qatar.

Source: Reuters

Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan spoke twice by phone with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi within 24 hours.

NEW: Indian Embassy in Tehran asks its nationals to leave Iran.

The Israeli Prime Minister’s aircraft, Wing of Zion, has departed from Israel.

Wing of Zion took off on a training flight.

Source: Israeli Channel 12

Reza Pahlavi:

We have had more casualties in the last two days. Four times the number of people who were dead as a result of the 9/11 terrorist attack.

12,000 plus. That’s what we get so far. It might be more.

Source: Fox News

Canada Looks East to Hedge U.S. Dependence Amid Strained Ties

Mark Carney is visiting Beijing this week for Canada’s highest-level China talks in nearly a decade, including a meeting with Xi Jinping.

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Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov:

When the United States begins to act while ignoring all the norms that it itself promoted, it leads one to conclude that our American colleagues are unreliable.

Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov:

When the United States resorts to unfair competition methods, it indicates that the U.S. competitive position is deteriorating.

Ursula von der Leyen:

Greenland belongs to its people, so it is up to Denmark and Greenland—and only them—to decide on matters that concern Denmark and Greenland.

Ursula von der Leyen:

Greenland is part of NATO...

Ursula von der Leyen:

Greenlanders can count on us.