NEW: CIA Director John Ratcliffe is set to join Secretary of State Marco Rubio for a classified 3 p.m. ET briefing on Iran with the congressional “Gang of Eight.”

India is reportedly considering buying 36–40 Russian Su-57 stealth fighters in a roughly $7 billion deal as a stopgap until its indigenous AMCA jet is ready in about a decade.

Moscow is offering technology transfer and local production, and the move is driven by concerns over China’s growing fifth-generation fleet.

No final decision has been made yet.

NEW: France has agreed to restore full access for U.S. Ambassador Charles Kushner after a phone call with Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot.

Kushner pledged not to interfere in France’s domestic affairs, easing tensions triggered by U.S. comments and his earlier failure to attend a diplomatic summons.

Normal high-level contacts are now being reinstated.

Trump will discuss his plans for Iran during his State of the Union speech.

Source: Reuters, citing White House officials

Hegseth gave Anthropic until Friday to grant the Pentagon unrestricted access to its Claude AI model or face penalties, including being cut off as a supplier or forced compliance under the Defense Production Act.

Anthropic refuses to allow uses involving mass surveillance or fully autonomous weapons.

Source: Axios

Erika Kirk, widow of Charlie Kirk, will attend tonight’s State of the Union as one of Trump’s guests, the White House said.

Israel sponsored trips for African journalists and influencers — including from South Africa, Ethiopia, Rwanda, Cameroon, Morocco, and Kenya — to visit Israel.

In South Africa, three major outlets failed to disclose that their reporting trips were funded by Israel.

The sponsored visits produced one-sided coverage that lacked Palestinian perspectives.

Source: Al Jazeera

The UN General Assembly adopted a resolution calling for an immediate ceasefire in Ukraine.

The measure passed 107–12, with 51 abstentions. Russia voted against, while the US abstained.

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney will visit India, Australia and Japan from Feb. 26 to March 7.

He will meet Narendra Modi, Anthony Albanese and Sanae Takaichi to discuss expanding cooperation in energy, technology, artificial intelligence and critical minerals.

German Chancellor Merz on China and Taiwan:

With regard to Taiwan, the German government adheres to its One-China policy.

However, we determine the precise form this takes ourselves.

German Chancellor Merz before his visit to China:

In China, it is said that a horse does not demonstrate its strength alone, but only by pulling the wagon together with others.

I think this is a fitting image at the beginning of my journey.

Netanyahu:

Israel is powerful because we know that history is not going to give us another chance. This is it.

There are only so many miracles that a people can perform.

Coming back from the dead, breaking all the rules of history — because you can’t come back from the dead. But we did.

Netanyahu says Gaza needs “re-education.”

Netanyahu:

Radical voices on the left spread lies about genocide. Radical voices on the right demand that Jews take DNA tests.

Both are wrong. Both are dangerous. And both must be confronted.

Netanyahu:

Israel is not a burden to America.

Israel is a strategic asset to America.

Netanyahu on Iran:

I’ve told Iran that if it attacks us, we will respond with unimaginable force.

Netanyahu:

Although we represent only 0.2 percent of the world’s population, the Jewish contribution to humanity in every field, in medicine, in science, in physics, in so many areas, has been unmatched.

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer following Gang of Eight briefing on Iran:

Look, this is serious.

The administration has to make its case to the American people.

Trump on Iran:

Iran desperately wants a deal. But Iran just can’t say the sacred phrase “we won’t build nuclear weapons.”