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.”

French President Macron:

Sport represents 2% of global GDP worldwide.

In Africa, it is only 0.5% of GDP.

That is not normal because, in reality, there is a kind of looting of athletes who go to other countries.

French President Macron:

Mali’s coup leaders preferred their own security over the fight against terrorism.

WATCH: Reza Pahlavi criticizes President Trump’s Iran strategy:

On the one hand said people need to rise and at the same time say wait, we are negotiating. It's confusing the hell out of everyone.

You cannot send mixed signals.

Trump:

When the Fake News says that the Iranian enemy is doing well, Militarily, against us, it’s virtual TREASON in that it is such a false, and even preposterous, statement. They are aiding and abetting the enemy! All it does is give Iran false hope when none should exist.

These are American cowards that are rooting against our Country. Iran had 159 ships in their Navy — Every single ship is now resting at the bottom of the sea. They have no Navy, their Air Force is gone, all Technology is gone, their “leaders” are no longer with us, and the Country is an Economic Disaster.

Only Losers, Ingrates, and Fools are able to make a case against America!

📸 Marco Rubio wearing the exact same gray Nike Tech sweatsuit that Nicolás Maduro was wearing in his arrest photos.

U.S. intelligence assessments say Iran still retains much of its military capability despite Trump administration claims that it was “decimated.”

Officials believe Iran has regained access to most of its missile sites and underground facilities, including 30 of 33 sites along the Strait of Hormuz. Iran is also estimated to still have about 70% of its missile stockpile and mobile launchers.

Intelligence reports suggest Iran recovered faster than expected and remains capable of threatening U.S. warships and oil traffic in the Strait of Hormuz.

Source: NYT

Iraq and Pakistan have reached separate agreements with Iran to secure oil and LNG shipments through the Strait of Hormuz.

Iraq reportedly secured safe passage for two oil tankers, while Pakistan arranged LNG deliveries from Qatar via Iran-approved routes.

Iran is said to be shifting from blocking Hormuz to controlling access, with other countries now exploring similar deals.

Source: Reuters

Trump: