Pete Hegseth:

I don't know what Lloyd Austin did for four years. I really don't.

The amount of neglect, the amount of stale thinking and bureaucracy, it was staggering when we took over.

Ukraine’s new Commander-in-Chief Mykhailo Drapatyi led the iconic 2014 Mariupol BMP breakthrough.

He ordered his crew to smash through a separatist barricade in one of the war’s most famous early moments.

General Caine:

I want to highlight that the incredible work that the Ukraine industrial base is doing as they scale their own capabilities.

It ranges from their surface-to-air capabilities to their air-to-air capabilities. I'll note that recently we had the first air-to-air kill where a Ukrainian F-16 shot down a Russian fighter.

So I think their ability to scale their layered defense has come along a long way over the past couple years with the help and assistance of many.

Trump compares wars on Truth Social.

Iran war has cost the U.S. $37.5 billion, Hegseth says.

Pete Hegseth:

President Trump deserves the kind of praise he should get for undertaking this effort and having the courage to make sure that crazy Islamists can’t have a nuclear weapon.

Q: Are Russia and China helping Iran, and if so, how?

Hegseth: There are ways in which both of those countries are, at different levels, enabling some of the things Iran is doing. Yes.

Hegseth ranting at the Senate:

Do you want radical Islamists to have a nuclear bomb that can stare down the world?

Q: Do we have the ability to destroy whatever is underneath Iran's Pickaxe Mountain?

Hegseth: A lot of our capabilities are classified, Senator. But if anybody in the world can reach anything on God’s green Earth, it’s the United States military.

Q: In the war between Russia and Ukraine, who do we want to win?

Caine: I want Ukraine to win.

Q: Is Russia America's friend?

Caine: I think it's a complicated relationship... I don't think they are our friends.

Q: There are reports that we hit desalination plants in Iran. Were these deliberate targets?

Caine: I am not aware of those being particular targets.

NEW: Iran warns that if the U.S. attacks its nuclear or other key facilities, it will treat it as a major escalation and target U.S. interests, allies, and supporters across the region.

Pete Hegseth on Iran:

We are not fighting stupid wars again.

We haven't been trying to remake Iranian society.

Pete Hegseth on Iran:

We didn't start this war. Iran started this war 47 years ago.

We didn't start it. They did.

Pete Hegseth on Iran:

I am not asking for unlimited bombs. I am asking for the right bombs at the right time.

Pete Hegseth on Iran:

The nuclear sites were obliterated, but the Iranians foolishly continued to attempt to pursue nuclear capabilities.

Trump wants FIFA President Gianni Infantino to become the next UN secretary-general.

He believes Infantino's global reputation and experience leading FIFA make him a strong candidate to replace António Guterres.

Source: New York Post

Kuwait says its air defenses are intercepting hostile drones.

New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani said the city lacks the legal authority to arrest Benjamin Netanyahu if he visits New York.

"My administration has reviewed every avenue... It is clear that we do not have the independent legal authority to enforce this warrant," Mamdani said.

He added that "the federal government, however, does" and called on it to "join the ICC and execute this warrant."

President Trump approved a 30-year civilian nuclear agreement with Saudi Arabia worth tens of billions of dollars, giving U.S. companies a leading role in building the kingdom's nuclear infrastructure.

A key feature is the potential construction of a U.S.-built uranium enrichment facility in Saudi Arabia if a joint study finds it commercially justified.

The Trump administration says U.S. oversight and a "black box" system would prevent sensitive technology transfer and reduce the risk of military use.

Unlike the Biden administration, Trump did not require Saudi Arabia to normalize relations with Israel before approving the deal.

The agreement is expected to be signed this week and sent to Congress, where opponents face a difficult path to blocking it.

Source: WSJ

The Pentagon says Sgt. Angel S. Rampersad, a US soldier previously reported missing after an Iranian attack on a military base in Jordan, is now believed to have been killed in action.