New Trump post on Truth Social.

Somaliland says it expects to sign a trade partnership with Israel, the first nation to recognise its independence, and may offer access to mineral resources such as lithium in return for Israeli technology and investment.

President Abdirahman Mohamed Abdullahi said talks are ongoing but no deal is final yet.

Source: Reuters

U.S. official to Axios:

It's really the Israelis who want a strike on Iran.

The President is just not there.

The US warned Iraq it may restrict access to oil revenues if it appoints Nouri al-Maliki as Prime Minister, saying he is too close to Iran.

Source: Bloomberg

The US plans to issue a general license letting companies pump oil in Venezuela, easing sanctions to revive its collapsed energy sector.

It follows a recent license allowing firms to buy and sell Venezuelan oil, shifting exports back toward US refiners.

Source: Bloomberg

Peter Mandelson will step down from the House of Lords following revelations about his links to Jeffrey Epstein.

His departure from the Lords takes effect at midnight, though he will still retain his title unless new legislation removes it.

WATCH: Saudi Crown Prince MBS welcomed Turkish President Erdogan with an official ceremony at Al Yamamah Palace in Riyadh.

Russian Geran-2 (Shahed-136) kamikaze drone prepared for launch from a pickup truck.

Israel and Azerbaijan signed an AI cooperation agreement in the presence of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

Netanyahu:

Send my warmest greetings to President Aliyev.

We always say, ‘Next year in Jerusalem’ — tell him, ‘This year in Jerusalem.’

Let him come and visit us. He will be very warmly received.

NEW: Iran is seeking to change Friday’s U.S. talks by moving them from Istanbul to Oman and making them bilateral.

Iran wants to hold them only with the U.S., rather than with several Arab and Muslim countries attending as observers.

Source: Axios

BREAKING: The U.S. military shot down an Iranian drone that approached a U.S. Navy aircraft carrier in the Arabian Sea, a U.S. official says.

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Colombian President Petro met with Trump at the White House.

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Saif al-Islam Gaddafi, the most prominent son of late Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi, has been killed.

The circumstances of his death remain unclear.

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Trump-Petro meeting has ended.

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The House passed a $1.2 trillion spending bill (217–214) to end the partial government shutdown and sent it to Trump, who says he will sign it.

Trump on Iran:

They would like to negotiate, we are negotiating with them right now.