Iran’s stock market reopened after 80 days.

Russia has started nuclear force exercises scheduled for May 19–21.

The drills will practice preparation and potential use of nuclear weapons stationed in Belarus.

Russia’s Strategic Missile Forces, long-range aviation, the Northern and Pacific Fleets, and units from the Leningrad and Central military districts are taking part.

The exercises involve more than 200 missile launchers, 140 aircraft, 73 surface ships, and 13 submarines.

The Trump administration is considering military action against Cuba after months of economic pressure failed to force reforms in Havana.

Officials say the White House is frustrated that sanctions, fuel restrictions, and diplomatic pressure have not weakened the Cuban government enough to bring change.

Military options range from limited airstrikes to broader operations aimed at destabilizing the regime. U.S. Southern Command has reportedly begun drafting contingency plans, though no decision has been made.

Source: POLITICO

Israel has seized roughly 1,000 sq km across Gaza, Lebanon and Syria since the October 7 attacks.

Most of the land is in southern Lebanon, where Israel says it is creating a “security zone” against Hezbollah, while the rest is divided between Gaza and Syria.

The expansion has displaced millions and heightened regional fears of a long-term occupation, especially as far-right Israeli politicians and settlers push for broader territorial ambitions.

Source: FT

Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich:

The Palestinian Authority has launched a war, and it will get a war.

I signed an order for the evacuation of Khan al-Ahmar.

Israeli Culture Minister Miki Zohar:

I very much hope that Türkiye does not choose the path of war with Israel, because there is no doubt that it would pay an enormous price for doing so.

They are welcome to try to attack us. The Iranians thought the same thing — and look where they are today.

If the Turks think the same way, they may find themselves in an even worse situation.

Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich:

I have been informed that the prosecutor of the antisemitic court has submitted a request for a fundamental international arrest warrant against me.

This request joins the unprecedented arrest warrants issued against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant.

This clumsy attempt to force upon us a policy of security suicide through sanctions and arrest warrants will not succeed.

As a sovereign and independent state, we will not accept hypocritical dictates from biased bodies that repeatedly stand against the State of Israel — against our biblical, historical, and legal rights in our homeland, and against our right and duty to self-defense and security.

Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich:

Issuing arrest warrants against the Prime Minister is a declaration of war. Issuing arrest warrants against the Defense Minister and against the Finance Minister is a declaration of war.

And in the face of a declaration of war, we will respond with war.

I am not a submissive Jew. No. The Palestinian Authority started a war, and it will receive war.

From today, every economic or other target within my authority to strike — whether as Finance Minister or as a minister in the Defense Ministry — will be attacked. Not with words or gimmicks, but with actions.

And I announce here and now the first target that will be attacked: immediately after my remarks, we will sign an order for the evacuation of Khan al-Ahmar.

I promise all of you — this is only the beginning.

Israeli Finance Minister Smotrich attacks Europe:

Unfortunately, many European countries never excelled in love for Zion.

Hypocrisy and double standards have become the trademark of many of those countries.

Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich:

I say here unequivocally: if Hezbollah does not surrender, we will take more and more territory from them.

NEW: A NATO Baltic Air Policing jet shot down a stray Ukrainian drone over Estonia's Lake Võrtsjärv on Monday — the first such intercept over Estonian territory.

The UAV likely drifted off course due to Russian electronic warfare jamming.

Estonian Defense Minister Hanno Pevkur said Latvia provided advance warning, enabling early detection.

Baltic states had previously avoided shooting down errant Ukrainian drones to limit escalation.

Israeli Culture Minister Miki Zohar:

The campaign is not over. We are still in the middle of it.

I met with Netanyahu and asked him: Why haven’t we achieved victory yet?

And his answer was: We will achieve it.

We will remove Iran’s nuclear threat. We will defeat Hezbollah, and we will defeat Hamas.

Latvia scrambled NATO jets and issued shelter-in-place alerts across eastern municipalities after unidentified drones were detected near its borders.

The alert expanded from southeastern regions toward central Latvia.

This is consistent with the ongoing pattern of stray drones spilling into Baltic airspace from the Ukraine war.

Israeli Culture Minister Miki Zohar:

Messiah is something good. It’s something all of us want to arrive soon. Even the Chief of Staff, I think, would want the Messiah to come.

NEW: Sweden is buying four French FDI-class frigates from Naval Group for ~$4.25 billion — its biggest defense purchase since the 1980s.

First delivery expected 2030.

The frigates will triple Sweden's naval air defense capacity in the Baltic.

France beat out UK/Saab and Spain for the contract.

Russian soldier smashes a downed Ukrainian FPV drone with a stick.

The result is predictable.

An explosion hit the outskirts of Damascus.

Reuters cited a military source saying a car bomb exploded near Syria’s Armament Management Center in the capital.

Trump said he paused a planned U.S. strike on Iran after Gulf leaders requested more time for negotiations.

However, several Gulf officials later said they were unaware of any imminent U.S. attack plan.

Source: WSJ

NATO has confirmed that Romanian F-16 fighter jets participating in NATO’s Baltic Air Policing mission in Lithuania shot down a drone that entered Estonian airspace.

China “completely” denies FT’s report on Xi-Trump meeting.

European intelligence agencies say China secretly trained around 200 Russian troops in drone warfare and counter-drone tactics last year, with some later returning to fight in Ukraine.

Documents reviewed by Reuters describe covert training in Chinese military facilities, including drone operations, electronic warfare, and explosives handling.

Source: Reuters