A major arms-sales package from the United States for Taiwan, worth over $11 billion, is in limbo following pressure from Chinese President Xi Jinping and concerns among some in the Trump Administration that greenlighting the weapons deal would derail a future economic deal between the two countries as well as President Trump’s upcoming visit to Beijing, U.S. officials have told the Wall Street Journal.

12 F-15E Strike Eagles with the U.S. Air Force’s 492nd Fighter Squadron departed RAF Lakenheath earlier today bound for the Middle East, with a total of 36 F-15Es to soon be in theatre across the U.S. Central Command’s Area-of-Responsibility.

In addition to the E-11A BACN that arrived in Germany yesterday, three more are deployed to Prince Sultan Air Base, Saudi Arabia. When this one arrives, 5 of 8 active aircraft in the fleet will be in the EUCOM and CENTCOM Areas-of-Responsibility. The E-11A enables cross platform data and voice connectivity for ground and air forces.

An Israeli Political-Security Cabinet meeting scheduled for Thursday has been rescheduled for Sunday at 6:30PM, according to i24NEWS.

A Tu-214PU Airborne Command Post with Russia’s “Rossiya” Special Flight Squadron has just left Tehran returning to Moscow.

The Russian Steregushchiy-class corvette “Stoikiy” has arrived in the Iranian port of Bandar Abbas in the Strait of Hormuz ahead of upcoming naval exercises later this week with the Iranian Navy and Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) in the Gulf of Oman.

A U.S. Air Force E-3 “Sentry” Airborne Early Warning and Control (AEW&C) Aircraft, DENALI02, which arrived at RAF Mildenhall from Elmendorf Air Force Base in Anchorage, Alaska earlier this week, filmed departing today for the Middle East.

Video credit goes to @ArmchairAdml on X.

Conservative commentator and influencer Tucker Carlson has arrived in Israel to conduct an interview with U.S. Ambassador Mike Huckabee.

Israel has raised its alert level and is stepping up military preparations amid growing indications of a potential joint American-Israel attack on Iran in the coming days, two Israeli sources told CNN.

The Israeli Homefront Command and Magen David Adom (MDA) have been instructed to prepare for a full-scale war with Iran, with a high-level defensive alert having been declared across Israel, according to N12.

U.S. officials tell i24NEWS: “Forces weren’t deployed just to sit on bases for long weeks.”

Several KC-135R Stratotankers arrive at Naval Station Rota in Spain after crossing the Atlantic from the United States, while 2 KC-135Rs and a 2 KC-46As, CLEAN21/22/31/32, depart Rota towing the 12 F-16CJ Strike Eagles with the South Carolina Air National Guard’s 169th Fighter Wing that arrived at Lajes Field yesterday, across the Mediterranean.

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt: “Well there's many reasons and arguments that one could make for a strike against Iran. The President had a very successful operation as Commander-in-Chief with Operation Midnight Hammer, as you know, as you just said, totally obliterated Iran's nuclear facilities. The President has always been very clear, though, with respect to Iran or any country around the world, diplomacy is always his first option, and Iran would be very wise to make a deal with President Trump and with this administration.“

In a post earlier on Truth Social about the United Kingdom’s plan to turn over the Chagos Islands - which contains Diego Garcia - to Mauritius, President Donald J. Trump stated: “Should Iran decide not to make a Deal, it may be necessary for the United States to use Diego Garcia, and the Airfield located in Fairford, in order to eradicate a potential attack by a highly unstable and dangerous Regime — An attack that would potentially be made on the United Kingdom, as well as other friendly Countries.”

Just yesterday, the U.S. State Department said in statement that it “supports the decision of the United Kingdom to proceed with its agreement with Mauritius concerning the Chagos Archipelago.”

Chief of the Israeli Homefront Command, Maj. Gen. Shay Kalper, in a classified briefing in front of the Knesset: “We are preparing for a large multi-front scenario.” -i24NEWS

Six F-22s with the U.S. Air Force’s 1st Fighter Wing, meant to join the other flight of F-22s that arrived yesterday at RAF Lakenheath, were forced to return to Langley Air Force Base in Virginia after departing earlier today, following an issue involving the aerial-refueling tankers meant to tow them across the Atlantic.

The United States is in the process of withdrawing all of its roughly 1,000 troops from Syria, ending a decade-long military operation in the country aimed at countering the Islamic State. Forces have already withdrawn from the Al-Tanf Garrison, a strategic outpost at the borders of Syria, Jordan and Iraq, and the Al-Shaddadi Patrol Base in Northeast Syria in early February, while the remaining bases in the country will be turned over the Syrian Army in the next two months, three American officials told the Wall Street Journal.

The United States is likely to attack Iran eventually but not necessarily in the coming days, despite the spike in global media “noise” surrounding the conflict, with President Trump having not yet decided on his final course of action, even after showing disappointment over recent negotiations with Iran, sources have told The Jerusalem Post.

The Trump Administration has decided that a U.S. military presence in Syria is no longer necessary, two officials said, citing the near-total disbandment of the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), who agreed last month to fully integrate into the Syrian Army.

The U.S. Air Force has officially unveiled the new paint scheme for part of the executive airlift fleet, which includes the upcoming Air Force One and Two, encompassing the VC-25B and C-32A. In the post, the Air Force states "This artist rendering depicts the VC-25B in its new livery. The U.S. Air Force is implementing this red, white, gold and dark blue paint scheme for the VC-25B, 747-8i as well as the executive airlift fleet, which includes four C-32 aircraft." The new paint scheme may also apply to the C-40B/C.