According to CBS News, the Trump Administration is in discussions with the Pentagon and weighting options on how to support potential military action by Israel against Iran without leading to it, with options including aerial-refueling and/or intelligence sharing for the Israeli Air Force, though officials are unaware of any commitments made so far to Israel.

Speaking to reporters earlier at the White House, President Trump was asked how imminent he believed an Israeli strike against Iran was, to which he responded, “Well, I don't want to say imminent, but it looks like it's something that could very well happen. Look, it’s very simple, not complicated, Iran cannot have a nuclear weapon.”

According to Axios, U.S. Special Envoy to the Middle East Steve Witkoff told Senate Republicans during a closed-door briefing last week on Iran, that senior officials are concerned Israeli air-defenses could be “overwhelmed” by an Iranian retaliatory attack, in response to strikes against their nuclear facilities by Israel. Witkoff further told the group that such an attack had the potential to cause massive casualties and damage throughout Israel.

The U.S. State Department has just posted a security alert for U.S. citizens in the Middle East and North Africa, advising them to exercise increased caution, while adding that travel disruptions and increased security concerns for U.S. citizens in the region have resulted from similar tensions in the past between Israel and Iran.

Outgoing Commander of U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM), General Michael E. Kurilla, is expected to arrive in Israel on Saturday for talks with senior military and political officials regarding Iran, only a day before the sixth round of nuclear talks between the United States and Iran are scheduled to take place in Muscat on Sunday. During his trip to the Middle East, Kurilla is also planning to visit other U.S. Allies in the region, including Saudi Arabia.

Update: The Pentagon has now denied this report from Israeli officials by Axios’s Barak Ravid, stating that General Kurilla is not planning to visit Israel on Saturday.

U.S. Democratic Senator Alex Padilla was detained and arrested by federal law enforcement officers earlier, after attempting to interrupt a press briefing being made by Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem in Los Angeles, California.

The Office of U.S. Senator Alex Padilla has released a statement after he was detained earlier by federal law enforcement officers in Los Angeles, with Senator Padilla claiming that he was only trying to ask Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem a question during a press conference, when he was forcibly removed by federal agents, forced to the ground and handcuffed. The statement adds that Senator Padilla has since been released from custody.

Despite the Pentagon claiming that it never happened, the U.S. Army has announced that it is reviewing how political merchandise in support of President Donald J. Trump was approved to be sold on Tuesday during what was supposed to be an apolitical speech by the President celebrating the 250th Birthday of the Army at Fort Bragg in North Carolina. 

During the speech, a number of vendors were spotted selling merchandise for President Trump, including “Make America Great Again” hats and other “America First” swag, which were seen being purchased by soldiers in uniform, likely a violation of a long-standing policy by the Department of Defense, which prohibits troops from expressing their political opinion while in uniform. 

Following the event, Col. Mary Ricks, a Spokesperson for the XVIII Airborne Corps and Fort Bragg, stated “The Army remains committed to its core values and apolitical service to the nation. The Army does not endorse political merchandise or the views it represents. The vendor's presence is under review to determine how it was permitted and to prevent similar occurrences in the future.”

Speaking yesterday to Fox News about the Army’s 250th Birthday on Saturday, U.S. Secretary of the Army Dan Driscoll stated that he spoke Tuesday to an Astronaut on the Moon who is a Soldier, likely referencing Colonel Anne McClain, who is an officer in the U.S. Army currently stationed on the International Space Station (ISS) as part of Expedition 72/73. This hasn't stopped conspiracy theorists online from assuming this was some kind of freudian slip by Secretary Driscoll, revealing a secret base on the Moon.

From what I have now been told, there is much more to this than just "General Kurilla was never planning to travel to Israel."

Speaking to reporters earlier after being forced out of a press conference held by Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem in Los Angeles, U.S. Democratic Senator Alex Padilla stated, “I was not arrested. I was not detained. I will say this. If this is how this administration responds to a senator with a question, if this is how the department of homeland security responds to a senator with a question, you can only imagine what they're doing to farmworkers, to cooks, to day laborers out in the Los Angeles community and throughout California and throughout the country. We will hold this administration accountable.”

U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem and other officials with DHS have since commented on the incident which occurred earlier during her press conference in Los Angeles, stating that federal agents were unaware of who Senator Alex Padilla was when he was forced out of the room and handcuffed, adding that he was released as soon as they realized he was a Senator. Secretary Noem further states that she sat down and spoke with Senator Padilla for about 15–20 minutes after the incident, in which he expressed some issues he had regarding certain immigrant enforcement by ICE, with them exchanging numbers in order to have a future “Line of Communication.”

The U.S. State Department has just released another security alert for Israel and the region, with them stating, “Due to high tensions in the Middle East, the security environment remains complex and can change quickly. We remind U.S. citizens in Israel and the broader region of the continued need for caution and encourage them to monitor the news for breaking developments.”

During a recent interview with Al-Monitor, U.S. Special Envoy to Syria Tom Barrack stated that Trump Administration is concerned Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa’s efforts to promote inclusive governance and engage with the United States could make him a target for assassination by militants, adding “We need to coordinate a protection system around al-Sharaa.”

Amid reports that Israel plans to carry out strikes soon against nuclear facilities inside Iran, U.S. President Donald J. Trump posted earlier on Truth Social that he remains committed to a diplomatic resolution to the Iran nuclear issue, adding, “My entire Administration has been directed to negotiate with Iran. They could be a Great Country, but they first must completely give up hopes of obtaining a Nuclear Weapon.”

Israel could launch strikes against Iranian nuclear facilities as soon as Sunday unless Iran agrees to halt the production of fissile material that can be used to produce a nuclear weapon, according to the Wall Street Journal. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reportedly raised the possibility of strikes against Iran in a phone conversation with U.S. President Trump on Monday, sparking the recent evacuation of diplomats from Iraq and departure of military dependents across the Middle East. U.S. officials say intelligence received in recent days indicates that Israel is preparing for strikes against Iran.

According to Axios, the Trump Administration has informed Israel that the United States will not directly participate in any kind of military strikes against nuclear facilities in Iran, though officials did not clarify if that included indirect support such as intelligence and aerial-refueling for Israel’s Air Force. 

Analysts believe that without U.S. participation, an Israeli operation against Iran’s nuclear enrichment sites would likely be limited, possibly requiring several days of bombing due to the Israeli Air Force not maintaining any kind of long-range strategic bomber like the U.S. Air Force’s B-2 or B-52. 

These bombers would be needed for their ability to carry large “bunker buster” bombs such as the GBU-57A/B  MOP (Massive Ordnance Penetrator) that would likely be required in order to hit Iran's primary facility for enriching weapons-grade uranium, the Fordow Fuel Enrichment Plant (FFEP), which is built into a mountain over 80–90 meters underground near Qom.

Israeli strikes against nuclear facilities in Iran could come on Friday, according to Israeli military officials. -FT

Fighter jets heard within the last hour over Northern Iraq.

Possible missiles or flares seen in the sky over Hajiawa in Northeastern Iraq, near the border with Iran.