The U.S. State Department has authorized the departure of non-emergency government personnel and family members of government personnel from the American Embassy in Israel due to safety risks, likely related to tensions with Iran, stating that “Persons may wish to consider leaving Israel while commercial flights are available.”

In an email this morning to embassy staff, U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee warned that whoever still wishes to leave Israel, they “should do so TODAY.”

The Chinese Foreign Ministry is urging citizens in Iran to evacuate the country as soon as possible and while commercial options are still available, citing regional tensions between Iran, Israel, and the United States, according to Reuters.

The LÉ Samuel Beckett, a Samuel Beckett-class offshore patrol vessel of the Irish Naval Service, struck the side of a canal at Sir John Rogerson’s Quay on the south side of the River Liffey this morning in Dublin, Ireland. The incident occurred during a complicated maneuvering evolution quayside, with the vessel suffering minor damage though no crewmembers were injured, according to the Irish Defence Forces.

Footage credit: @BartGonnissen

Following several more arrivals overnight, a total of around 14 aerial-refueling tankers with the U.S. Air Force are now forward deployed to Ben Gurion International Airport in Tel Aviv, Israel, including 9 KC-46A Pegasus and 5 KC-135R/T Stratotankers, who, in the event of strikes against Iran, will support the large number of F-22 Raptors now stationed at Ovda Airbase in Southern Israel.

After seen departing yesterday from Crete Naval Base in Souda Bay, Greece, the USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN-78) and several of her escorts reportedly arrived this morning off the coast of Haifa in Northern Israel, which is likely to be her final position to assist with the Defense of Israel.

Upwards of 14 KC-46A Pegasus and KC-135R/T Stratotankers with the U.S. Air Force seen this morning on the tarmac at Ben Gurion International Airport in Tel Aviv, Israel.

With the arrival of the USS Gerald R. Ford carrier strike group and its carrier air wing in the Eastern Mediterranean Sea, there are now more than 250 attack aircraft (A-10, F-15, F-16, F-18, F-35) in the Middle East with more than 100 additional attack aircraft spread out across Europe. This is in addition to more than 125 U.S. Air Force KC-135's and KC-46's spread across the region.

According to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Iran has stored highly enriched Uranium at its Isfahan nuclear facility. The revelation comes after an IAEA report was sent to member states and seen by Reuters. Uranium, up to 60% purity rate, close to weapons grade, is reportedly stored at the site. The site was struck during Operation Midnight Hammer last year, but the efficacy of the strikes, as it relates to destroying the complex, has been questioned by many analysts and lawmakers in the months since the strikes.

According to a release from the UK’s Foreign Commonwealth Development Office (FCDO), the UK has withdrawn its embassy staff from Iran, citing security risks as U.S.-Iran talks continue to merit little success and the U.S. force posture in CENTCOM area of responsibility continues to increase. The embassy continues to run remotely, according to the release.

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio is set to visit Israel on Monday and Tuesday to coordinate with Israel on the Trump Administration’s 20-point Gaza Peace Plan, Iran, and other issues in the Middle East.

Prior to departing the White House earlier today, U.S. President Donald J. Trump said that there will be additional U.S.-Iran talks today but emphasized his unhappiness with the nature of the Iranian negotiations framework, saying he doesn’t like how they negotiate. When asked about the potential of strikes on Iran, he gave an ambiguous answer, and added that the decision has yet to be made.

In an interesting statement to press outside of the White House earlier, U.S. President Donald J. Trump said that a “friendly takeover of Cuba” is a possibility. Without elaborating on the actual logistics of such a takeover, the president repeated his statement and added that it would be great for Cubans who greatly want to return to their country but can’t due to the current geopolitical dynamic between the U.S. and Cuba’s ruling regime.

The U.S. Attorney's Office in D.C. has filed a complaint seeking the forfeiture of the motor tanker Skipper, and it's 1.8M barrel cargo of Venezuelan crude oil, that was boarded and seized on December 10th in the Southern Caribbean for violating sanctions by the U.S. Coast Guard.

U.S. President Donald J. Trump has posted to TruthSocial directing that all federal agencies "IMMEDIATELY CEASE all use of Anthorpic's technology" and goes on to say there will be a six month phase out period for agencies like the Department of Defense. His post also advises Anthropic to "get their act together" or he will use the "Full Power of the Presidencey to make them comply, with major civil and criminal consequences to follow."

In a release, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio has designated Iran as a State Sponsor of Wrongful Detention. Iran has routinely detained Americans to use as bargaining chips for negotiations frameworks or to gain concessions from the U.S. in the past. Should Iran fail to stop using this underhanded tactic, the release says that “additional measures, including passport restrictions and geographic travel restrictions “to, through, or from Iran,” will be implemented.

Following President Trump's TruthSocial directive earlier today for all agencies to immediately cease using Anthropic, and their language model, Claude AI, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth has declared Anthropic a "supply-chain risk to national security" effectively blacklisting the company from doing business with any government agency, or any contractor who does business with the U.S. Government.

The U.S. Government and Pentagon under Pete Hegseth has now effectively blacklisted Anthropic, as well as it’s language model Claude AI, which is currently being used as a backbone by several defense systems, while listing the company as a “supply chain risk,” a label not even placed on a majority of defense contractors or companies working for the Armed Forces of China and Russia. All because Anthropic refused to remove safeguards that would allow the Pentagon to develop weapons that fire without human involvement and commit mass domestic surveillance directed at Americans.