Marco Rubio:

There is no oil blockade on Cuba per se.

Marco Rubio:

The status quo in Cuba is unacceptable, and we will be addressing it—but not today.

Marco Rubio:

There is no problem between the Lebanese government and the Israeli government.

Israel doesn’t claim any land in Lebanon.

Marco Rubio:

The operation is over—Epic Fury; we are done with that stage of it.

Marco Rubio:

The world is a victim of Iran.

Marco Rubio:

The Strait of Hormuz does not belong to Iran; they don’t have a right to shut it down.

This cannot be normalized.

German Foreign Minister Wadephul:

Germany stands for Israel’s security — and that commitment stands.

And it will always be clear: we will not allow this state’s existence to be threatened.

That is what Germany stands for.

German Foreign Minister Wadephul:

The violence carried out by "some settlers" in the West Bank against the Palestinian civilian population is something we clearly reject, and we expect the Israeli rule of law to prosecute these crimes.

Dear Gideon, among friends, critical words must — indeed, must be allowed.

At the same time, every Israeli can rely on the fact that we will consistently stand up for Israel’s security.

Germany's Chancellor Merz continues to demand:

Iran must come to the negotiating table.

It must stop playing for time.

It must no longer take the region and the entire world hostage.

Its military nuclear program must be ended completely and forever, and there must be no further strikes against Israel and our partners in the region.

Iran has launched a new system regulating vessel passage through the Strait of Hormuz, according to state TV.

Ships must first notify Iranian authorities, then receive an electronic message outlining navigation rules. After accepting these terms, they are granted a transit permit.

Permits will be issued by a newly established government body.

BIG: Trump paused “Project Freedom” — the U.S. mission escorting ships through the Strait of Hormuz — for a short time to allow Iran negotiations to continue.

The broader blockade on Iran is still active.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi meets with his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi in China.

China Is Still Supplying Iran and Russia’s Drone Programs Despite U.S. Sanctions.

Small Chinese companies are openly exporting dual-use drone components—including engines, batteries, fiber-optic cables and chips—to Iran and Russia, often in defiance of U.S. sanctions.

One company, Xiamen Victory Technology, even marketed German-designed L550 drone engines linked to Iran’s Shahed-136 attack drones during recent regional fighting.

U.S. officials say stopping the trade is difficult because drones rely on common commercial parts that are easy to move through global supply chains. Many Chinese suppliers are small firms with little exposure to U.S. sanctions and increasingly operate openly.

Source: WSJ

Jonathan Pollard, the former US intelligence analyst imprisoned for spying for Israel, says he will run for the Israeli parliament on a platform calling for the forced removal of Palestinians from Gaza.

In a TV interview, Pollard said he supports “forcible removal” of Gaza’s residents and annexing the territory for Israeli settlement.

He said the October 7 Hamas attack pushed him into politics and accused Israel’s leadership of failing to protect citizens.

Source: The Guardian

BIG: Israeli “investors” bought around 70% of the village of Trozena in southern Cyprus, taking control of much of the land and many buildings in the area.

The purchases sparked controversy after reports that private security restricted access to parts of the village and stopped visitors from entering certain areas.

Cypriot authorities said the village remains under state control and people can enter.

The U.S. says Iraq’s next prime minister must take clear steps to curb pro-Iran armed groups before Washington restores financial transfers and security aid.

A senior U.S. official said Washington wants Iraq to remove militia members from state institutions, stop government funding and salaries for them, and draw a clear line between the state and armed groups.

Source: CBS News

A cargo ship in the Gulf region was struck by a suspected land-attack cruise missile late Tuesday, injuring several Filipino crew members.

The vessel, the CGM San Antonio, owned by a French company, was near Dubai at the time of the attack.

The U.K. Maritime Trade Operations Centre said a cargo vessel had been hit by an “unknown projectile.”

Source: CBS News

Pakistan’s PM Shehbaz Sharif:

I am grateful to President Donald Trump for his courageous leadership and timely announcement regarding the pause in Project Freedom in the Strait of Hormuz.

President Trump's gracious response to the request made by Pakistan and other brotherly countries, particularly the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and my dear brother Crown Prince and Prime Minister of Saudi Arabia H.R.H Prince Mohammed bin Salman, will go a long way towards advancing regional peace, stability and reconciliation during this sensitive period.