Trump:

I would like to congratulate President Xi, and the Great Country of China, on their massive Birthright Citizenship WIN!

Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin celebrated Iran's World Cup exit, telling reporters, "I'm just glad they're done, and they're not coming back."

He added that he was "so happy" officials were able to revoke the team's visas, saying he "might've sung a song or two or maybe even danced a happy dance," and noted he was "very happy they're going back because there wasn't a single team that we dealt with more than them."

Source: Sports Business Journal

Macron delivers a speech on the death penalty — sunglasses on, indoors:

The death penalty has never made a society safer.

Never. Because it does not deter. That is false. It has been shown, observed, measured.

It can be a weapon. It is never a shield.

NEW: Poland halts MiG-29 jet transfer to Ukraine after drone-tech deal stalls.

Poland will not deliver additional MiG-29 fighters to Ukraine after Kyiv refused to share drone technology, Defense Minister Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz said.

Talks on transferring the remaining MiG-29s in the Polish Air Force — beyond the 14 already delivered — had been underway since December.

Warsaw had set the transfer of Ukrainian know-how in drone development and counter-drone systems (with missile technology also reportedly on the table) as a condition.

Kyiv did not deliver, and the deal has stalled.

Iran's Ghalibaf to the U.S:

If they refuse to implement what was discussed, we are also prepared for war.

Iran's Ghalibaf:

Even now that we are negotiating with America, we are not negotiating with a friend.

We are negotiating with an untrustworthy enemy who will definitely take action against us whenever they find the opportunity.

In truth, a person can negotiate well only if they are also prepared for war.

If it becomes necessary to do this through war and fire, we will do it. We said that if they respond, we will definitely respond again.

Lebanese Army is being placed at the service of the Zionist regime so that it can ensure the security of the Zionist regime.

Netanyahu:

Let me tell you something: The war is never over.

Do you want to live? In the Middle East, and in the world, you must be very strong.

We are very strong. Israel is stronger than ever.

Iran's Ghalibaf:

From the day the blockade was actually lifted until today, we have exported over 40 million barrels of oil — and this happened in just the last 10 or 12 days.

But in the previous 50 or 60 days, we truly didn't export even a single barrel of oil. We were entirely tied up with this issue.

The text of the understanding states that passage through the strait without charge is only for 60 days.

Iran will under no circumstances back down from its rights in the Strait of Hormuz. These are our territorial waters.

JD Vance on Lebanon:

Lebanon and Israel are talking to each other directly in a way that they weren't a few months ago. They both are sort of broadly aligned.

And you could even make an argument that if you harmonize the Lebanon–Israel peace deal with the agreement signed between the United States and Iran, what both of those documents fundamentally say is that Lebanon's territorial integrity will be respected.

So things have definitely changed. I think the question is whether that change is durable.

Source: The Michael Knowles Show

JD Vance on Iran:

We want durable commitments that are verifiable and backed up by inspections that Iran will denuclearize their entire country.

Source: The Michael Knowles Show

JD Vance on China and AI:

I'm not sure many Americans have a good understanding of how the Chinese actually think about AI.

I think there's a part of Xi's inner circle that probably just wants to dominate the AI arms race.

I actually think there is a part of Xi's inner circle that says, "We don't want to lose to the United States, but we don't want to win either."

They're, I think, a little freaked out by it, is what I'm saying.

Source: The Michael Knowles Show

JD Vance on Iran:

One of the things I find just fascinating and frustrating about the Iranians is they'll say, "No, no, there aren't peace talks ongoing," but there are technical talks between the United States and Iran about the peace deal.

It's a Persian negotiating tactic and a Persian rhetorical device that I don't understand.

Source: The Michael Knowles Show

JD Vance on Iran:

Trump is willing to drop bombs—but only if it serves an objective.

Source: The Michael Knowles Show

Iran's Ghalibaf:

We are selling our oil at a 20 percent premium.

If America wants to fight, we also know well how to fight.

If they intend to deprive us of selling our oil, no one will benefit from oil at all.

Former Israeli PM Naftali Bennett:

Regarding Syria's Al-Sharaa, I would be extremely cautious.

I would not give him any benefit of the doubt because this guy is a murderer. He's a terrorist. He murdered many, many people.

I never say never about anything, but fundamentally my running assumption is that he's a terrorist wearing suits.

It's his burden to prove otherwise, and time will tell.

Former Israeli PM Naftali Bennett on Syria's al-Sharaa:

Right now his military is weak, so he'll pretend to be really nice and peaceful.

Then he'll rearm himself, rebuild, gain strength, and fight another day.

The ideology that he harbored—and manifested in action, including recently—is very bad.

Former Israeli PM Naftali Bennett on Türkiye:

Türkiye is complicated because I'm a big believer in Türkiye, but I think Erdogan is a disaster.

I think he harbors radical Islamist ideology and he hates Israel.

He essentially wants to wipe Israel off the earth—the State of Israel.

But I would navigate through that.

I would work where we can.

I would be open to anyone with goodwill, or even reasonable will.

Former Israeli PM Naftali Bennett on Gaza:

My vision of Gaza is they govern their own lives. We have to retain overriding security control so they don't do that again.

But we dismantle Hamas, and they lead lives of dignity and freedom and prosperity, and we have our lives of security.

That's my vision. That's my endgame. And I have a sequence of how to reach it.