According to the Wall Street Journal, one of the most significant developments behind the scenes during the U.S.-Iran conflict was a major disagreement between Washington and Riyadh.

The report confirms earlier reporting that Saudi Arabia initially refused to allow the U.S. military to use its bases and airspace for Project Freedom, the U.S. operation intended to protect commercial shipping and reopen the Strait of Hormuz. The refusal reportedly forced the U.S. to abort the operation shortly after it began.

The new report reveals that the Trump administration warned Saudi Arabia it could delay deliveries of critical air defense interceptors unless the kingdom reversed its decision. Saudi Arabia ultimately relented, but the episode reportedly exposed one of the deepest strains in the U.S.-Saudi security relationship in years.

Source: https://www.wsj.com/world/middle-east/saudi-arabia-us-relationship-iran-war-ca0f31a0

According to the Wall Street Journal, President Trump has recently considered resuming large-scale military operations against Iran but has, for now, chosen to continue diplomatic negotiations.

The report says the administration believes another major air campaign could undermine efforts to negotiate limits on Iran's nuclear program and further destabilize the region, while targeted retaliatory strikes remain available to respond to Iranian violations. Taken together, the approach suggests the White House is attempting to preserve military leverage while giving diplomacy additional time to produce a longer-term agreement.

Source: https://www.wsj.com/world/middle-east/trump-briefed-on-all-out-war-options-in-iran-but-opts-to-stick-with-talks-98304b5b?st=D6VAhU

Anthropic has announced it has received notice from the U.S. Department of Commerce that export controls on 'Claude Fable 5' and 'Mythos 5' have been lifted, with service expected to begin being restored to users tomorrow.

The restrictions stemmed from a June 12 directive from the Department of Commerce requiring Anthropic to immediately suspend access for all foreign nationals, regardless of where they were located.

Because of the way the order was structured, Anthropic suspended access platform-wide while it worked to comply with the directive.

DEVELOPING: Suspected Armed Boarding Incident off Yemen

The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) has issued an advisory after a merchant vessel reported being illegally boarded off the coast of Yemen.

According to the report, a small craft carrying four individuals armed with rocket-propelled grenades (RPGs) approached the vessel. The boarders reportedly damaged the bridge and adjacent compartments after gaining access.

The crew has retreated to the vessel's citadel (anti-piracy safe room) and is reported to be safe while awaiting assistance.

According to U.S. Naval Forces Central Command / U.S. 5th Fleet, a U.S. Navy MH-60S "Sea Hawk" assigned to the USS George H.W. Bush (CVN-77) made an emergency water landing in the Arabian Sea at approximately 3:30 a.m. ET.

Three of the four crew members have been recovered and are in stable condition. U.S. Navy assets are continuing to search for the remaining missing crew member.

The Navy stated there are no indications the incident was the result of hostile fire.

President Donald J. Trump has arrived in Medora, North Dakota, for the opening of the Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library aboard a specially painted BNSF Railway train commemorating America's 250th anniversary.

The journey retraced the same rail route that Theodore Roosevelt traveled in 1883, when his first trip to the Dakota Territory helped shape the experiences that would later define his presidency and conservation legacy.

According to Axios, citing officials with knowledge on the matter, the U.S. and Iran have agreed to “keep things quiet” in the coming weeks, in an effort to realize some level of success within the MOU’s 60-day negotiation period. According to officials, speaking to Axios, talks in Doha, Qatar, set for yesterday and today, were “positive.”

Two individuals, Angela Nikolau, 33, and Ivan Kuznetsov, 32, climbed the Empire State Building in New York City, New York today and unfurled a banner that said “When the power of love beats the love of power, the world knows peace,” a known Jimmy Hendrix quote. Upon descending the couple were arrested and charged with burglary, reckless endangerment, criminal mischief, violation of local laws, possession of burglar’s tools, criminal tampering, criminal trespass and disorderly conduct.

Explosions heard now in Kyiv, Ukraine, amidst an ongoing Russian ballistic missile attack.

People take shelter in subway systems in Kyiv, Ukraine, amidst the ongoing Russian drone and ballistic missile strikes against Ukraine’s capital.

An apartment building can be seen on fire following an impact from Russian fires, amidst renewed drone and missile strikes on Ukraine’s capital of Kyiv.

The viral account of a German citizen documenting his travels through the U.S. during the World Cup was deleted yesterday. The account’s owner, Freddy, has now been invited to the White House, according to the White House Special Envoy for Tourism Nick Adam’s.

Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif is set to visit Iran for the funeral of Iran’s former supreme leader Ali Khamenei, according to a statement made to press by the Pakistani Foreign Ministry spokesman. Per the statement, Prime Minister Sharif will visit both Iran and Turkiye from 3-5 July.

Yesterday, U.S. officials told the Jerusalem Post that no frozen Iranian funds have been released, nor will they be until Iran complies with the statutes of the MOU, with a U.S. official saying “no frozen funds have been released and no frozen funds will be released unless Iran meets the requirements outlined in the MOU.” In addition to this, both Qatari and Saudi officials have told a number of news outlets, including the New York Times, that funds will not be released or committed to Iranian reconstruction funds until tangible progress is seen from the MOU framework.

According to a release from U.S. Naval Forces Central Command (NAVCENT), on July 1, an MH-60S Sea Hawk helicopter from the USS George H.W. Bush (CVN-77) was forced to make an emergency water landing in the Arabian Sea. Three of the crew members were recovered with a fourth still missing. According to @haltman of @thewarzonewire, citing a U.S. Navy official, the search for the fourth missing crew member is still ongoing.

Syrian State TV has confirmed that the explosion at a café earlier today, which killed and wounded several people, was caused by an explosive device.

The incident comes as Syria continues to face a fragile security environment despite a reduction in large-scale fighting. While many areas of the country have seen improved stability, attacks involving improvised explosive devices (IEDs), targeted assassinations, and operations by extremist cells, including remnants of ISIS, continue to pose a persistent threat, particularly in urban centers and contested regions.

Authorities have not yet identified those responsible for today's bombing, and the investigation remains ongoing.

Over the last 24 hours, commercial traffic through the Strait of Hormuz has remained steady despite continued regional tensions.

Based on visible automatic identification system (AIS) data from MarineTraffic.com, roughly two-thirds of transiting vessels continued to use the Iranian (northern) traffic separation scheme, while the remaining traffic utilized the Omani (southern) route.

Traffic remains below pre-conflict norms, and the true number of transits is likely higher than visible due to some vessels continuing to disable AIS while crossing the Strait.