From: Martin Nowak
To: Jeffrey Epstein
Date: December 26, 2017

time travel

TKJ183, a Boeing 737 MAX 8 with AJet flying between Istanbul and Tehran, is squawking “7700” and has declared an emergency over Central Turkey, currently returning to Sabiha Gökçen International Airport in Istanbul.

Four KC-135R “Stratotanker” Aerial-Refueling Tankers have departed Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar within the last hour and are heading west across Saudi Arabia. This appears to likely be a rotation by the U.S. Air Force’s 434th Air Refueling Wing, with these KC-135s either heading to bases in Europe or returning to the United States.

President Donald J. Trump spoke to reporters about Iran earlier onboard Air Force One while enroute to Palm Beach, Florida from Joint Base Andrews

Reporter: “Sir, could you give us an update on where you're thinking is right now with Iran, if you have made a final decision on what you want to do?”

Trump: “I certainly can't tell you that, but we do have very big, powerful ships heading in that direction, as you know. I can't tell you. I hope they negotiate something that's acceptable.”

Reporter: “Saudi Arabia's defense minister reportedly said that if the U.S. backs off a strike, that will only embolden Tehran. What's your reaction to that, sir?”

Trump: “Some people think that. Some people don't. You can make a negotiated deal that would be satisfactory with no nuclear weapons. They should do that, but I don't know that they will. But they are talking to us, seriously talking to us.”

“But they are talking to us, seriously talking to us.”

This is the first time I have seen Trump talk like this in recent weeks about Iran. Attempts to deescalate and push talks by Qatar, Turkey, and Egypt may have been successful, though we will have to wait and see.

Erfan Soltani, the 26-year-old Iranian man who was at risk of execution for his alleged participation in anti-government demonstrations across Iran earlier this month, and whose case received significant international attention, being mentioned directed by President Donald J. Trump, has been released on bail, his family tells the Hengaw Organization for Human Rights.

Top U.S. and Israeli generals met on Friday at the Pentagon to discuss tensions surrounding Iran, according to Reuters.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is currently meeting with Defense Minister Israel Katz, Mossad Director David Barnea, and Chief of General Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir, following Zamir’s return from Washington, during which he met with senior defense and military officials at the Pentagon, according to N12.

American airstrikes on Iran are not imminent, U.S. officials say, because the Pentagon is moving in additional air defenses to better protect Israel, Arab allies and American forces in the event of a retaliation by Iran and a potential prolonged conflict, officials tell the Wall Street Journal.

The U.S. military could conduct limited airstrikes on Iran if the President were to order an attack today, officials say, but the kind of decisive attack that President Trump has asked the military to prepare would likely prompt a proportional response from Iran, requiring the U.S. to have robust air defenses in place to protect Israel as well as American troops across the Middle East.

The Trump Administration has told Iran through multiple channels that it's open to meeting to negotiate a deal, a senior U.S. official tells Axios.

Turkey, Egypt and Qatar are working to organize a meeting between White House Special Envoy Steve Witkoff and senior officials from Iran later this week in Ankara.

Reporter: “Sir, on Iran, the Supreme Leader said today that a U.S. attack could spark a regional war. Do you have any response to that?”

President Trump: “Why wouldn't he say that? Of course, he’s gonna say that. But we have the biggest, most powerful ships in the world over there. Very close. A couple of days and hopefully, we'll make a deal. If we don't make a deal, then we'll find out whether or not he was right.”

President Donald J. Trump appears to have softened his stance recently on Cuba, telling reporters earlier at his Mar-a-Lago Resort that talks are ongoing with high-level officials and he thinks a deal will be made with Cuba.

Reporter: “Mr. President, what do you want out of a Cuba deal?”

Trump: “Well, Cuba is a failing nation. It has been for a long time. But now it doesn't have Venezuela to prop it up. So we're talking to the people from Cuba - the highest people in Cuba - to see what happens. I want the people that came here that were horribly treated by Cuba to be taken care of, to be able to go back and do what they have to do. You know, they have their family there. They haven't been able to see them in years - many, many years. So, I think we're going to make a deal with Cuba… It's in bad shape. Cuba is in bad shape. Cuba has a humanitarian problem.”

The United States and Iran have informed each other that they are ready to conduct negotiations on an agreement to end ongoing tensions in the region, a senior American official aware of the details tells N12.

Traders on Polymarket remain unconfident that regime change will be coming soon to Iran as negotiations and a potential deal now appear possible, with chances that the Iranian Government will fall before 2027 currently sitting at 32%, down nearly 10% since Friday.