A newly released image from the Israeli Air Force appears to show F-16I jets armed with cluster munitions during strikes on Iran.

While the exact payload is unclear, the weapons resemble U.S.-style dispensers that can carry submunitions such as BLU-91/B anti-tank mines.

If confirmed, the likely objective is to disrupt Iran’s long-range ballistic missile operations by mining key areas, including entrances to underground facilities and launch zones.

Source: TWZ

Former Head of the British Army General Lord Dannatt:

US domestic opinion will be very averse to seeing large numbers of American service members coming home in body bags.

It would be foolish for any American military planner to think this could be done without casualties.

There will be casualties. There will be fatalities. The question is how many, and to what extent the US public is willing to tolerate them.

I think Donald Trump, if he’s honest with himself, has to admit he’s bitten off something pretty big — perhaps more than he can chew.

I also think a lot of domestic opinion is swinging against him, so he has some very difficult issues to face.

Frankly, if I were a senior US military adviser, I would be prepared to draw up plans for a ground operation, but I would make very clear to the president the difficulties involved and the likelihood of casualties.

My bottom-line advice would be: Mr. President, I wouldn’t do this.

Trump has signaled 12 times that the Iran War may be close to ending, repeatedly claiming victory, predicting it would wrap up soon, or pointing to possible peace talks—even as the conflict continues into its fifth week.

Source: Axios

Saudi Arabia, the UAE and other Gulf allies are privately urging Trump to keep fighting Iran, saying the regime hasn’t been weakened enough.

The UAE is reportedly the most hawkish — even pushing for a ground invasion — while Oman and Qatar favor diplomacy.

Saudi officials say ending the war now won’t produce a “good deal.”

The UAE has taken a harder tone, saying:

“An Iranian regime that launches ballistic missiles at homes… is no longer an acceptable feature of the regional landscape. We want a guarantee that this will never happen again.”

Gulf states want any deal to neutralize Iran’s nuclear and missile programs and prevent future Strait of Hormuz shutdowns.

Source: AP

Netanyahu on Iran:

They tried to kill Trump twice… they’re still trying to kill him.

Netanyahu:

I don’t hear North Korea chanting “Death to America.” I don’t hear China or Russia chanting it either.

These are all adversarial countries, but they’re not seized by fanaticism — Iran is.

Netanyahu on Europe:

Many European countries have shown remarkable weakness in the face of a regime that calls America the “Great Satan,” Israel the “small Satan,” and views Europe as something in between — a civilization that must also be crushed.

The White House signaled Trump may end the Iran war even if the Strait of Hormuz isn’t fully reopened.

Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said reopening the Strait is “not one of the core objectives” of the operation.

Netanyahu:

There are military solutions to the Strait of Hormuz that the United States is leading.

Netanyahu:

There are things that I hear from the Arab countries and from the United States as well:

And I think these are interesting ideas — to divert all the energy pipelines, oil and gas from the Gulf, where the Iranians have a geographic choke point, westward across Saudi Arabia to the Red Sea and up to the Mediterranean ports, our ports in Israel.

And therefore, you just get around the geographic choke point.

Netanyahu:

The Gulf States are actually encouraging the United States to accelerate its action against Iran.

Netanyahu:

We knocked out about 70% of Iran’s steel capacity.

Retired U.S. Army Brigadier General Steve Anderson:

The president and his advisers are in the midst of the greatest geopolitical disaster in the history of our country. They have completely mismanaged this war.

To even talk about putting boots on the ground in any capacity — whether at Kharg Island, the Straits of Hormuz, or, God help us, if they try to go into Isfahan or Fordow to retrieve nuclear material — would be an absolute disaster.

When I was a cadet at West Point 50 years ago, we studied Sun Tzu.

One of the things he said was, “Know the enemy as yourself.” We do not know this enemy.

The IRGC are committed religious fanatics, and there is no fanatic like a religious fanatic. They’re not fighting for Iran. They’re fighting for Allah. They’re fighting for Islam.

It’s a kill-or-be-killed situation. They are going to do everything possible to beat us and to outlast us.

If we think we’re going to take Kharg Island and diminish their revenues — and that they care about that — that is ludicrous.

Netanyahu:

People don’t know history — but there was a Nazi regime, and the Nazi regime had the army, the Wehrmacht, but it also had the elite troops. And that’s the SS, the stormtroopers.

The stormtroopers of this regime are called the Revolutionary Guards and the Basij.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis signed a bill renaming Palm Beach International Airport after Donald Trump.

The change—pending FAA approval and a local agreement—will make it “President Donald J. Trump International Airport.”

Nursing home operator Joseph Schwartz was convicted of a $39 million tax fraud tied to his company, Skyline Healthcare, which ran facilities across the U.S.

Despite being sentenced to three years in prison, he was pardoned by Trump after serving just three months.

Schwartz’s nursing homes were plagued by neglect, understaffing, and financial mismanagement. Families of residents who suffered or died sued and won millions in court judgments—such as the family of Doris Coulson, awarded nearly $19 million after her death—but they have been unable to collect any money.

Source: ProPublica

A broker for Pete Hegseth tried to invest millions in a defense-focused ETF from BlackRock shortly before the US-Israel attack on Iran.

The fund includes major defense companies that benefit from military spending.

The deal didn’t happen because the ETF wasn’t available to Morgan Stanley clients at the time.

Source: FT

Kuwait says its giant crude oil tanker Al-Salmi was directly targeted by an Iranian attack while anchored in the anchorage area of Dubai Port, UAE.

The tanker was fully loaded at the time of the incident.

The attack caused structural damage to the vessel and triggered a fire on board, with a possible oil spill in the surrounding waters.

Trump’s approval just under 40% and falling.

Net approval ~ -17 (worst of his second term so far).

Main reason: rising gas prices (~$4) + economic frustration.

Iran war isn’t helping, no rally effect; it’s unpopular and tied to higher costs.

Source: Silver Bulletin

A 23-year-old Moroccan rapper, Souhaib Qabli (L7assal), was sentenced to 8 months in prison after releasing music that attacked corruption, poor public services, restrictions on speech, and Morocco’s normalization with Israel.

NEW: 4 more IDF soldiers were killed in southern Lebanon.