U.S. Department of State:

The U.S. will continue to ban Iranian UN Mission officials, visiting officials, and their dependents from buying wholesale club memberships or luxury goods here.

New York-area retailers: be on guard, don’t become complicit in these violations.

Jürgen Klopp said Germany’s national team can help reclaim national pride after the AfD’s election victory in Saxony-Anhalt, saying patriotism should not be left “to the wrong people.”

Klopp:

I’d like to reclaim the flag for myself and for us. I don’t want to entrust national pride to the wrong people.

Pakistan’s military spokesperson Lt. Gen. Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry said Islamabad would defend Saudi Arabia “to any extent” as Houthi missile and drone attacks target the Kingdom.

“Pakistan fully stands with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, both diplomatically and physically,” Chaudhry told Arab News. “We will go to any extent.”

Iran’s IRGC Navy said a Togo-flagged tanker, Trend, was hit and stopped after catching fire while attempting to illegally cross the Strait of Hormuz.

The IRGC warned that any unauthorized vessel passage through the strategic waterway would result in the “destruction” of the vessel.

Germany’s Consulate General in St. Petersburg closed on September 17 after Russia revoked its operating permission in response to Berlin’s decision to shut the Russian consulate in Bonn.

French far-right politician Éric Zemmour:

Kylian Mbappé’s "Islamic solidarity" is stronger than French solidarity, or even that of his host country, Spain.

French far-right politician Éric Zemmour:

Robots can replace immigrants in certain jobs.

French far-right politician Éric Zemmour:

Marine Le Pen is a woman of the left; she thinks Islam is compatible with the French Republic.

French far-right politician Éric Zemmour:

We must send back all foreign offenders, even those who are not in prison.

We must also send back long-term unemployed people, and therefore all those who live only on social assistance.

French President Macron will host leaders of parliamentary parties at the Élysée Palace on September 18 to discuss international conflicts and their domestic consequences.

Party leaders or presidential candidates attending include Jordan Bardella, Bruno Retailleau, Gabriel Attal, François Bayrou, Marine Tondelier, Fabien Roussel, Olivier Faure, Raphaël Glucksmann and Manuel Bompard.

Military and intelligence officials will also brief Macron and the participants on security developments.

Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico:

The situation has never been as serious and tense regarding the possibility of a pan-European military conflict as it is now.

Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico on NATO:

I do not want Slovakia to become part of some military conflict because of Article 5.

Yes, we are in NATO, we respect that, we care about cooperation and fulfilling our commitments, but as prime minister I will do everything to ensure that Slovakia is never dragged into a military conflict.

Israel’s Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar said Israel wants “substantive, open and candid dialogue” to establish ties with Austria’s Freedom Party (FPÖ), a party founded by former Nazis and historically associated with antisemitic figures.

The move followed FPÖ leader Herbert Kickl’s speech in Strasbourg, where he condemned Hamas’ October 7 attack and adopted the IHRA definition of antisemitism.

Likud ministers welcomed the development. Diaspora Affairs Minister Amichai Chikli called it a “historic turning point” in relations between the FPÖ and Israel.

Israel had previously maintained a formal boycott of the FPÖ due to its Nazi-era roots and history of antisemitic leaders.

Source: Haaretz

Sen. John Fetterman on Hasan Piker:

Our base loves him. So, like, maybe I can’t compete with that.

Sen. John Fetterman on Hasan Piker:

I feel like I lost to Hasan Piker.

Hasan Piker:

I think the Middle East would be more stable if Iran had nuclear weapons. Having said that, I am not advocating for it.

Do I want Iran to have nuclear arms? No, but I also don’t want America, Russia, or China to have nuclear arms either.

Joe Rogan:

Trump supporters are fucking nuts, man; they’re rabid.

Trump jokes:

The power of this office is crazy. I could have banned fishing.

I think I am going to do that just for a day or two.

Jake Sullivan on Iran:

Trump keeps talking about how he’s getting the Strait at least partially open. But just in the last 24 hours, we heard that something like four ships got through.

And that’s at the cost of billions of dollars and nearly half the U.S. Navy, and most of our special forces being devoted to try to pry the Strait open a little bit.

We’re stuck and there’s no good way out.

Trump on Iran:

Iran wants to make a deal. They’re not ready, in my opinion.

We’re going to either make a deal that’s good, or we’re not going to make a deal at all.

Trump on Iran:

Look anywhere in the world, Iran is considered the most evil country in the world, and they’ve been that for a long time.