Trump:

We and China are the two superpowers of the world.

Trump:

We have Iran very much under control.

We are either going to make a deal, or they will be decimated. One way or the other, we win.

Trump:

Every American understands that Iran cannot have a nuclear weapon.

If the stock market goes up or down a little bit, the American people understand.

Reporter: Do you think you might travel to Russia this year?

Trump: I will do whatever is necessary.

Trump:

You will see the golden age of America when this war ends, and you are seeing it now.

Trump: We have a ballroom that’s under budget. It’s going up right here. I’ve doubled the size of it because we obviously need that.

Reporter: The price doubled.

Trump: I doubled the size of it, you dumb person. You are not a smart person.

Reporter: Inflation is now at its highest level in 3 years. Are your policies not working?

Trump: My policies are working incredibly. If you go back to just before the war, inflation was at 1.7%. If you want to let these lunatics have a nuclear weapon, then you’re a stupid person, and you happen to be I know you very well.

A source told Fars News Agency that Iran will not enter a second round of talks with the U.S. unless five conditions are met: ending regional wars (especially in Lebanon), lifting sanctions, releasing frozen Iranian funds, compensating war damages, and recognizing Iran’s control over the Strait of Hormuz.

Iran says these are minimum trust-building steps before any new negotiations.

BIG: Saudi Arabia secretly launched retaliatory airstrikes on Iran in late March after repeated Iranian missile and drone attacks on the kingdom.

Source: Reuters

Trump leaves for China.

Palantir CEO Alex Karp delivered a sharp rebuke to Germany, criticizing the Bundeswehr's refusal to integrate Palantir's software and urging Europe to buy battle-tested Ukrainian defense technology instead of "politically favored" alternatives.

He challenged Europe:

Which products will Europe buy to defend itself?

Products tested in PowerPoint presentations, or products that single-handedly held off a major military power?

He called Germany's debate around his company "like talking about witchcraft."

Source: Welt

Belgium's Defence Minister Theo Francken on his Türkiye visit:

We visited Baykar yesterday. It was truly mind-blowing.

We need to adapt, to modernize, to adapt to technology and artificial intelligence — and to learn from Türkiye.

Yes, we will buy drones. We currently have a large ongoing tender process.

I hope yes. Whenever possible, we will work together with Türkiye.

Today we signed many contracts between Belgian defense companies and Turkish companies.

Belgium's Defence Minister Theo Francken on his Türkiye visit:

In Belgium, we neglected defense. You did not.

You have always invested in defense. And now, while the world is as unstable as it is today, of course, you are strong. We are weaker.

We need to become strong again, and we can learn from your country.

Belgium's Defence Minister Theo Francken:

Türkiye should be included in the SAFE mechanism created to finance Europe's defense capacity.

Some countries say no, let it be without Türkiye.

But from Belgium's perspective, the stance is very clear. Türkiye should be included in SAFE as soon as possible.

IRGC FPV drone operators hit a target painted as a U.S. UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter during military drills.

Prof. Nathalie Tocci | European Foreign Policy Expert | Johns Hopkins SAIS, Europe:
 

The middle powers debate post-Trump is far more normative than before.
 
Canadian PM Mark Carney framed it well, despite him not naming them specifically - there are wannabe empires out there: Russia, America, possibly China.
 
And then there are middle & small powers that have an interest in rules, laws & norms.
 
The rules-based order may have become a fiction that needs rethinking - but rethinking doesn't mean abandoning rules altogether. It means reinterpreting, revising & building on them.
 
Middle powers have no interest in the law of the jungle & the survival of the fittest. And that is a very different conversation.

FULL INTERVIEW

NEW: The Pentagon is considering renaming the Iran war “Operation Sledgehammer” if the ceasefire collapses and Trump resumes major combat operations.

Source: NBC

Prof. Nathalie Tocci | European Foreign Policy Expert | Johns Hopkins SAIS, Europe:
 

EU autonomy has two sides - how much you produce yourself in industry, energy & defense, and how much you diversify partnerships with others.
 
We're already seeing diversification in trade. US tariffs pushed the EU to sign trade agreements with Mercosur, India, Indonesia & Australia in just a few months - something that would never have happened otherwise.
 
This is just the beginning. Diversification in energy, climate, industry & defense is coming.

FULL INTERVIEW

The Congressional Budget Office says Trump’s proposed Golden Dome missile shield could cost $1.2 trillion over 20 years — far above the Pentagon’s $185 billion estimate.

French President Macron:

We have millions of young people who are 100% French and 100% Malian, 100% French and Algerian, 100% French and Senegalese, and so on.

And that is an immense opportunity to succeed together with this continent.

French President Macron says that anti-France narratives in Africa are being pushed by foreign powers, calling “the Russians and others” the “real colonizers of the 21st century.”