The Ukrainian Air Force reports that during last night’s large-scale attack against Ukraine, primarily targeting the capital of Kyiv, Russia launched and Ukrainian air-defenses were able to down 226 of 242 Shahed and Herbera-Style One-Way Attack Drones, 8 of 13 Iskander-M/S-400 Tactical Ballistic Missiles, 10 of 22 Kalibr Sea-Launched Cruise Missiles, and 0 of 1 “Oreshnik” Intermediate-Range Ballistic Missile (IRBM).

Overnight, President Donald J. Trump announced that he had cancelled a second wave of attacks against Venezuela, citing their “cooperation” regarding the release of political prisoners and “as it pertains to rebuilding, in a much bigger, better, and more modern form, their oil and gas infrastructure.”

The U.S. Coast Guard is currently attempting to seize the sanctioned stateless oil tanker Olina in the Caribbean Sea, officials have told Reuters.

Lots of horrific claims being made by Iranian opposition channels this morning, following last night’s anti-government protests and nationwide internet blackout, with reports of a heavy crackdown overnight by security forces in Tehran. Channels on Telegram claim that security forces opened fire on crowds with live-ammunition, killing dozens, with one opposition correspondent claiming that a doctor said the death toll was higher than the civilian casualties seen during the Twelve-Day War with Israel.

Six members of Iranian security forces were killed during last night’s anti-government demonstrations in the city of Hamadan, while several others were killed and injured in Tehran, according to Iran’s state-owned Tasnim News Agency.

U.S. President Donald J. Trump, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Secretary of Energy Chris Wright, and Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum will meet today at the White House with executives from seventeen oil and energy companies to discuss Venezuela, these include:

- Chevron
- Exxon
- Conoco Phillips
- Continental
- Halliburton
- HKN
- Valero
- Marathon
- Shell
- Trafigura
- Vitol Americas
- Repsol
- Eni
- Aspect Holdings
- Tallgrass
- Raisa Energy
- Hilcorp

U.S. Southern Command (SOUTHCOM) has announced and published footage of this morning’s boarding and seizure of the stateless sanctioned oil tanker, M/T Olina, in the Caribbean Sea, carried out by Sailors and Marines assigned to Joint Task Force-Southern Spear (JTF-SS), in coordination with the Department of Homeland Security, launched from the USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN-78).

BLKCAT5, a U.S. Navy MQ-4C “Triton” High-Altitude Surveillance Drone is returning to Naval Station Mayport in Florida, following a patrol this morning over the Gulf of America off the coast of Mexico’s Yucatán Peninsula. This follows a statement yesterday by President Trump, claiming that land strikes would begin soon against the Cartels in Mexico.

Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum states that Mexico will “strengthen communication” with the United States, following yesterday’s statement from President Trump suggested special operations and land strikes soon against the Cartels in Mexico.

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio spoke today with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, to discuss ongoing efforts to end the Russian invasion of Ukraine as well as the significance of Arctic Security for all members of NATO.

Early this week, U.S. intelligence assessed that the ongoing anti-government protests in Iran lacked sufficient energy to challenge the stability of the regime, officials told Axios. But that view is reportedly being reassessed in light of recent events. “The protests are serious, and we will continue to monitor them,” a senior U.S. official said.

Over three minutes of footage published by Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem from this morning’s boarding and seizure of the stateless sanctioned oil tanker, M/T Olina, in the Caribbean Sea, carried out by the U.S. Coast Guard in coordination with Sailors and Marines assigned to Joint Task Force-Southern Spear (JTF-SS).

Footage published by Iran International which appears to show multiple bodies laying on the ground outside Alghadir Hospital in Eastern Tehran, following massive anti-government protests in the capital overnight on Thursday.

Massive crowds of anti-government protestors tonight in the Northeastern Iranian city of Mashhad, likely tens of thousands from a city with a population of roughly 3,400,000.

Diplomatic and security personnel from the U.S. Venezuela Affairs Unit, which has been operating out of Colombia since 2019, traveled to the Venezuelan capital on Friday along with the Acting U.S. Ambassador to Colombia, John McNamara, in order to conduct an initial assessment to determine whether operations could resume in phases at the site of the U.S. Embassy in Caracas, several officials have told CNN.

The entire local government municipality building in the Northern Iranian city of Karaj is currently engulfed in flames, as anti-government protests appear to be on the verge of overflowing in Iran.

Speaking earlier to reporters at the White House, President Donald J. Trump once again threatened to intervene in the ongoing demonstrations in Iran if the government begins the mass killing of protesters, stating, “Iran's in big trouble. It looks to me that the people are taking over certain cities that nobody thought were really possible just a few weeks ago. We're watching the situation very carefully. I've made the statement very strongly that if they start killing people like they have in the past, we will get involved. We'll be hitting them very hard where it hurts.”

Fires burn inside the Bank Keshavarzi (Bank of Agriculture) in the city of Shiraz in Southern Iran.

Fires burn and crowds of anti-government protesters, estimated to be well over a hundred thousand, were seen occupying the highway and other major roads earlier tonight in Mashhad, Northeastern Iran.