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.

Trump on Iran:

I think we will end up winning. I don’t know about through a deal, but we are already winning. I think we will end up winning.

The UN General Assembly voted to allow Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas to address world leaders by video after the U.S. denied him a visa to travel to New York.

The resolution also allows Abbas and other Palestinian officials to participate virtually in UN meetings for the next year if they cannot enter the U.S.

Source: Reuters

Cybersecurity researchers hacked into an OpenAI employee’s ChatGPT account using Anthropic tools, gaining access to internal software information and GitHub code.

The three Hacktron AI researchers exploited a flaw in OpenAI’s third-party Discourse community forum as part of the company’s bug bounty programme and were paid $6,500. OpenAI said it fixed the vulnerabilities.

Source: FT

Italy will deploy warships to protect its commercial vessels through the Bab al-Mandeb strait, Defence Minister Guido Crosetto said, warning Rome would not wait for an EU decision.

“We have the capabilities to protect the passage,” Crosetto said, adding that Italy “must not allow bureaucratic delays in decision-making to exacerbate an already complex situation.”

BIG: The Trump administration is considering signing business deals with Russia before the war in Ukraine ends, marking a shift from Trump’s earlier position that economic agreements should wait until a peace settlement.

Officials believe offering Moscow economic incentives could help persuade Putin and members of Russia’s elite to support an agreement.

Possible areas previously discussed by Russian officials include rare earths, aluminum, Arctic projects and energy.

Source: NYT

A China Coast Guard vessel collided with and damaged a Philippine government boat during a fuel resupply mission for Filipino fishermen near Sabina Shoal, the Philippine Coast Guard said.

The Philippines accused the Chinese vessel of deliberately ramming the boat after dangerous manoeuvres. No injuries were reported.

China disputed the account, saying the Philippine vessel ignored warnings and cut across its bow, and blamed Manila for the collision.

South Korea will not deploy troops or military assets to intervene in the Iran war, President Lee said Friday.

“There will be no involvement or intervention in the war,” Lee said, adding Seoul would carry out only “the minimum necessary activities” to protect South Korean merchant ships and oil routes.

Venezuela’s government and opposition are close to a deal to move about $4 billion in central bank gold from the Bank of England to the Federal Reserve Bank of New York.

Delcy Rodríguez’s interim government would gain legal control of the gold but could not immediately sell it. The reserves could instead be used as collateral for borrowing.

The U.S.-backed deal could end a seven-year dispute over the gold, but it has not yet been finalized.

Source: FT

South Korean President Lee Jae Myung:

For peace and stability, we have to communicate and cooperate. If communication is cut off and hostility grows, the risks increase.

But the North is clearly refusing to communicate with the Republic of Korea.

We have continued trying to communicate and hold dialogue, and we will keep making those efforts going forward.

Trump counterterrorism adviser Sebastian Gorka:

You cannot have a relationship with Allah. Okay? A human being can't do that.

Trump counterterrorism adviser Sebastian Gorka:

Allah could decree tomorrow that murder is just. Our God can't do that.

There can be no limitations on Allah. Therefore, he can have a capricious attitude to morality.

Trump counterterrorism adviser Sebastian Gorka:

If you are a fundamental originalist, the Quran isn't something you read on Friday. It is a religious text, it is a political text, it is a military strategist text.

Trump counterterrorism adviser Sebastian Gorka:

I don't really care about the price of gas because the price of gas will be cheap when we win, which will be soon.

And it's not about the midterms. It's about dealing death to those who wish to kill Americans.

If you think that's less important than the price of gas, you're not an American. End of story.

UKMTO says a tanker was hit by an unknown projectile in the Strait of Hormuz, sparking a fire that was later extinguished.

The crew is safe and authorities are investigating.