Senior Israeli officials have told U.S. diplomats that Iranian protesters will “get slaughtered” if they take to the streets against their government, even as Israel publicly calls for a popular uprising in the country, with a recent Israeli assessment stating that the Government of Iran is “not cracking” and is willing to “fight to the end” despite the ongoing wide-spread bombing campaign and killing of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, according to a cable from the State Department that was reviewed by the Washington Post.

Air raid alerts now across Northern and Central Israel following the detected launch of ballistic missiles from Iran.

Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson publicly criticizes Joe Kent for his letter today announcing his decision to resign from his position as Director of the National Counterterrorism Center, in which he cited the Iran War and our decision to join despite “no imminent threat posed by Iran” and instead under alleged pressure from Israel.

Johnson: “I'm on the Gang of Eight. I got all the briefings. We all understood there was clearly an imminent threat that Iran was very close to the enrichment of nuclear capability and they were building missiles at a pace that no one in the region could keep up with. The Commander-in-Chief and his administration had a very difficult decision to make. I don't know where Joe Kent is getting his information, but he wasn't in those briefings, clearly, because the Secretary of State, the Secretary of War, and everyone, the Joint Chiefs of Staff, General Caine, they had exquisite intelligence that we understood that this was a serious moment for us. Had the President waited, I am personally convinced that we would have mass casualties of Americans, servicemembers and others, and our installations would have been dramatically damaged.”

First statement by President Trump on Joe Kent following his resignation today as Director of the National Counterterrorism Center, citing the Iran War and Israel:

“Well, I read his statement. I always thought he was a nice guy, but I always thought he was weak on security, very weak on security. I didn't know him well, but I thought he seemed like a pretty nice guy. But when I read his statement, I realized that it's a good thing that he's out because he said that Iran was not a threat. Iran was a threat. Every country realized what a threat Iran was. The question is whether or not they wanted to do something about it. And many people, many of the greatest military scholars are saying for years that the President should have taken out Iran because they wanted a nuclear weapon.”

Asked if he is afraid putting U.S. troops on the ground in Iran could turn into another Vietnam, President Trump responds: “No, I’m really not afraid of anything.”

Reports of several explosions and a large fire currently burning at the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad, following an attack by Iranian-backed paramilitary forces and/or Iran.

An American Counter-Rocket, Artillery, and Mortar System (C-RAM) fails to intercept an Iranian Shahed-136 during an attack in the last few minutes on the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad, with the drone seen slamming into the ground inside or near the Embassy Compound.

Smoke rises from the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad as fires can also be seen burning in the Central Bank of Iraq Tower, reportedly after it was struck by a Counter-Rocket, Artillery, and Mortar System (C-RAM) attempting to shoot down Iranian one-way attack drones over Baghdad.

A Counter-Rocket, Artillery, and Mortar System (C-RAM) seen firing into the sky over Baghdad during tonight’s drone attack against the U.S. Embassy and Baghdad International Airport by Iran.

After repeatedly criticizing NATO over the last several days for their decision not to join the Iran War and militarily assist with securing the Strait of Hormuz, President Trump falsely states that he does not need Congress’s approval to pull out of NATO.

Senior officials in the Trump Administration tell Fox News that Joe Kent was “a known leaker” - and was cut out of intelligence briefings with President Trump months ago. Adding that he had not been part of any Iran planning discussions or briefings at all. An official says the White House also told the Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard that she should fire Kent for suspected leaks, but she never had him removed as Director of the National Counterterrorism Center (NCTC).

Joe Kent is a heavily decorated combat veteran who served with the 75th Ranger Regiment and U.S. Special Forces. He served eleven combat tours, primarily in Iraq, and retired in 2018, becoming a paramilitary officer with the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA). His wife, Senior Chief Shannon M. Kent, was killed by a suicide bomber in Syria in 2019. I very much doubt that he was leaking anything, and I think it’s disgusting that members of the Trump Administration would attempt to circulate something like that without providing any kind of evidence, all because he decided to resign in protest of yet another war - which he has seen plenty of - in the Middle East.

The Lebanese Army has announced that Israeli strikes earlier this morning killed three soldiers and injured five others near Zibdin, Qaqa'iya al-Jisr, and al-Duwayr in Nabatieh, Southern Lebanon.

The United States has encouraged Syria to consider sending military forces into Eastern Lebanon to help disarm Hezbollah, but Damascus is reluctant to embark on such a mission for fear of being sucked into the Iran War in the Middle East, five people briefed on the matter told Reuters.

Speaking earlier in the Oval Office, President Trump stated regarding his current thoughts on the Iran War: “Iran is just a military operation to me. Iran is something that was essentially largely over in two or three days because the Navy was wiped out almost immediately. The Air Force came next. The anti-aircraft came next. I mean, we're flying over Iran. We could take out their electric capacity in one hour. We have all the -- there's nothing they can do right now because everything is knocked out. They have no radar, no anti-aircraft. They have nothing.”

Additional footage from the Iranian drone attack earlier against the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad, with sirens heard and a Counter-Rocket, Artillery, and Mortar System (C-RAM) seen firing into the sky over the capital of Iraq.

Following last week’s laundry room fire onboard the USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN-78), which extended into several berthings, the U.S. Navy was forced to take 1,000 mattresses off the future USS John F. Kennedy (CVN-79) in Norfolk, Virginia over the weekend to send to the Ford, sources tell USNI News. In addition, the Navy has also collected almost 2,000 sweatsuits and other clothing items to distribute to the crew because many sailors are unable to clean their clothes with most of the laundry services out of commission, as the tired ship heads for Souda Naval Base in Crete.

In an effort to keep one of its closest partners in the fight against Israel and the United States, Russia has been expanding its intelligence sharing and military cooperation over the last few weeks with Iran, now providing satellite imagery and improved drone technology to aid Tehran’s targeting of U.S. Forces across the Middle East, people familiar with the matter have told the Wall Street Journal.

Russia has been providing Iran with the locations of U.S. military forces as well as those of its regional allies, assistance similar to intelligence the U.S. and European allies have given to Ukraine in recent years, with Moscow’s aid believed to have helped Iran with recent strikes on U.S. radar systems in the Middle East. Those strikes have included an early warning radar for a Terminal High Altitude Area Defense System (THAAD) in Jordan, as well as other targets in Bahrain, Kuwait and Oman.

All non-essential personnel have been ordered to immediately depart Joint Base McGuire–Dix–Lakehurst in New Jersey and the base has been raised to Force Protection Condition (FPCON): Charlie; following reports that “multiple suspicious packages” has been found on base, with a major police response underway.