Bessent:

The rest of the world wants to be more like us.

We have this great economy, we’re accelerating away from the rest of the world.

Former IDF volunteer Brian Mast is reportedly on the shortlist to take over as Secretary of the Army following Dan Driscoll’s resignation.

Source: Nick Sortor

A U.S. strike hit a wedding in Kuhestak, Iran, killing four people, including a child, and injuring 53 others, according to Iranian officials.

Source: NYT

Iran’s Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters says U.S. forces carried out airstrikes on military and civilian sites in southern Iran, causing casualties.

It says Iranian forces responded with missile and drone strikes on U.S. bases in the region, claiming heavy damage and significant American casualties.

The headquarters says the attacks will continue until the U.S. “regrets” its actions, warning that any country cooperating with U.S. forces will face “dangerous consequences.”

The IRGC said its forces carried out a combined missile and drone strike on U.S. facilities in Erbil, destroying a maintenance center, technical equipment warehouses, and a surveillance-balloon guidance system.

It also claimed that fuel storage tanks were set on fire and several U.S. personnel were killed.

Russia's Medvedev on Germany:

They deserve a direct strike against all German military production facilities intended for the Banderite clique.

And quite possibly, against some other locations in Berlin as well.

Police are investigating a suspected sabotage attack on an Amprion power substation in Bergheim, Germany, after a short circuit knocked out several power lines.

The wider electricity supply was not affected, but police say the incident appears to have been deliberate rather than a technical fault.

Investigators are now examining possible links to a recent sabotage attempt in Brandenburg.

Source: WDR

The IRGC said it struck Al-Salim air base in Kuwait with missiles and drones this morning, targeting the American commander’s residence and a drone hub.

It claimed several U.S. personnel were killed and drones destroyed.

Türkiye's ASELSAN live-fired its TOLUN deep-strike munition family from AKINCI drone with military officials from 15+ countries watching.

Three variants tested:

— TOLUN I hit a container target with direct impact.

— TOLUN F detonated above an armored vehicle using a proximity sensor.

— TOLUN P penetrated two layers of reinforced concrete.

All scored direct hits.

GPS jamming-resistant, selectable attack angles, day/night capable.

Multiple munitions can be carried via ASELSAN's SADAK-4T rack for simultaneous multi-target engagement in a single sortie.

The IRGC says two oil tankers attempting to pass through an unauthorized route near the Strait of Hormuz were hit by mines and set on fire.

It warned shipping companies of stricter penalties for following U.S. instructions and using illegal routes.

Iran's Ghalibaf:

Minab school: children massacred.

Lamerd sports hall: kids slaughtered.

Kouhestak wedding: children killed with families.

If a power acts like Satan, picks targets like Satan, and kills like Satan, it’s Satan.

Shields a junior Satan that does the same? It’s THE Great Satan.

Prof. John Mearsheimer:

The only place where you have something of a balance in terms of firepower up on the frontlines has to do with drones.

These drones have played a key role in allowing the Ukrainians to compensate for the fact that they don't have enough troops to cover the front line.

Without drones, both the balance of firepower and the balance of manpower is so lopsided in Russia's favor that I think the Russians would have rolled up the Ukrainians a year or two ago.

Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz on Iran:

There is a probability that Iran will attack Israel. Why? To try to extract themselves.

Between a stranglehold and a war, they might prefer the latter.

We are prepared for this, especially as we are in the holiday season.

They like to attack during Jewish holidays because they are Jew-haters.

Prof. John Mearsheimer on Russian casualties:

These numbers are ridiculous. There's no question that the Russians have suffered a few hundred thousand deaths. I don't deny that for one second.

But the idea that your average Russian recruit only lasts somewhere between 20 to 30 hours is, I think it's fair to say, ludicrous. There is no evidence that this is happening.

The Russians are moving very slowly and very carefully.

The Russians are not engaging in frontal attacks. They're moving forward in a very methodical way, depending very heavily on firepower.

Prof. John Mearsheimer:

It is possible that the right will win in both France and Germany in a future election.

If the right wins in one of those elections, it's likely that France or Germany will abandon its strong support for Ukraine.

The right in Germany and the right in France have made it clear that they have no love lost for NATO.

They think it's time to end this formidable German or French commitment to Ukraine.

Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz on Gaza:

Today, between 60% and 70% of Gaza is desolate.

There is still work to do, but about 70% of the area is desolate—without residents, without houses, without tunnels.

BIG: Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz on Gaza:

There is no real solution for Gaza in the end without this migration. By the way, 80% want to migrate; it’s checked constantly in surveys.

Hamas doesn’t allow them, and there are no countries in the world that will take them.

We are fully prepared to move them out if it becomes possible—by sea, by air, by every way possible. Egypt is not willing, so it won’t be through them.

What’s delaying it is that the accepting countries want US support. Every country that is willing wants American backing. Currently, President Trump didn’t cancel this; he froze it. All the Arab countries came to him due to their pressure on this matter.

The moment will come. When will it come? When it becomes clear that Hamas is not meeting its commitment. Then we will get a green light to move forward militarily, territorially, and in other areas, and this thing will gain momentum.

Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz:

There is no Jewish terror in the West Bank. I’ve canceled that term.

Terror is whoever acts to commit terror against the State of Israel.

Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz:

We destroyed 70% of Gaza. We destroyed areas in southern Lebanon; we ruined dozens of villages that served as Hezbollah strongholds.

We evacuated 200,000 residents.

We conquered the refugee camps in the West Bank. The IDF stayed inside. 40,000 residents were evacuated and didn’t return.

The IDF destroyed infrastructure there, killed terrorists, and it is still inside.

German Foreign Minister Wadephul:

Russia escalated, and Russia carried out this hybrid attack, and Russia must now live with the consequences.

I repeat what I said yesterday: it was a necessary and appropriate response.

And we always combine this with our willingness to talk sensibly with Russia again.

German Foreign Minister Wadephul:

We need to discuss how to make the European Union fit for the 21st century.

Europe must be capable of shaping world politics.

And therefore, in our foreign-policy actions, we must also be able to make majority decisions, and we must think about reforms to the system.