🇺🇸🇮🇷⚡️- Trump halted a restart of the war partially because of Pentagon concerns that Iran has improved its monitoring systems of U.S. air operations and its air defenses. - NYT.

🇺🇸🇮🇷⚡️- Iranian commanders, possibly with Russian help, studied the flight patterns of American fighter jets and bombers, the U.S. military official said.

The official warned that the downing of the F-15E jet last month and the groundfire that struck an F-35 revealed that American flight tactics had become too predictable in ways that allowed Iran to defend against them more capably. - NYT.

🇺🇸🇮🇷⚡️- "The official added that the Iranians had repositioned many of their remaining arms and instilled a belief that Iran can successfully resist the United States, whether by effectively blocking the Strait of Hormuz, attacking energy infrastructure in neighboring Gulf states or threatening American aircraft." - NYT.

🇺🇸☪️⚡️- The suspects have been identified as 17-year-old Cain Clark and 18-year-old Caleb Vasquez.

Anti-Islamic writing and a suicide note were found in the vehicle.

🇺🇸🇮🇱⚡️- "If you vote against foreign aid to Israel and call out AIPAC, then the Jewish lobby will spend $20 million to primary you, get the President to endorse your opponent, and destroy your reputation with a phony scandal.

If Massie loses tomorrow, you know Israel still owns Congress." - Nick Fuentes.

🇺🇸🇵🇭⚡️- Under Secretary of State for Economic Affairs Jacob Helberg has traveled to the Philippines to advance discussions on the Pax Silica initiative signed earlier this year between the United States and the Philippines.

The Pax Silicia Initiative grants the US a 4,000-acre economic zone in Luzon, Philippines, with occupation rights, operational control under U.S. common law, diplomatic immunity, and secure access to Philippine critical minerals, that will be processed on site for export to the US and its allies. Similar to the legal and land rights given to an Embassy, the first of its kind.

The US State Department refers to this as the "first Zone in a broader industrial network—a constellation of integrated manufacturing sites, logistics corridors, and shared financial instruments spanning partner nations across multiple continents."

The Philippines is one of many countries to sign the initiative aimed at securing a critical resource supply chain independent of China, alongside Australia, Finland, India, Israel, Japan, Qatar, the Republic of Korea, Singapore, Sweden, the United Arab Emirates, and the United Kingdom. Although the Philippines is the first to offer land rights as part of the deal, due to US companies wanting a higher level of guarantees from the risks of higher political instability and less stable legal system.

🇺🇸🇨🇳🇷🇺⚡️- Xi Jinping told President Trump that he thinks Russian President Vladimir Putin might end up regretting his invasion of Ukraine, according to The Financial Times.

🇺🇸🐊⚡️- A poll of 750 likely voters from the Public Sentiment Institute indicated a huge gain for Florida Republican Gubernatorial candidate James Fishback, in striking distance of Trump-endorsed Byron Donalds:

Donalds: 46%
Fishback: 35%
Undecided: 19%

In addition, Fishback is +40 among the 17-25 age group, while Donalds holds the majority of middle-aged and older voters.

🇨🇳🇹🇼🇵🇭⚡️- Philippines President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. said the Philippines would have no choice but to be involved in any Taiwan conflict.

🇺🇸🇨🇳⚡️- The Mayor of the Southern California city Arcadia has resigned and will plead guilty to illegally acting as an agent of China.

Eileen Wang has been charged by the US Department of Justice with one count of acting in the United States as an illegal agent of a foreign government.

Prosecutors allege Eileen Wang and one other individual (who has already been charged and is serving four years in prison) promoted pro People’s Republic of China propaganda through a website named "U.S. News Center.” and took orders from the PRC government to post content.

"For example, in June 2021, a PRC official contacted Wang and other individuals via the WeChat encrypted messaging application with pre-written news articles, including a PRC official-written essay in the Los Angeles Times that stated: 'China’s Stance on the Xinjiang Issue – There is no genocide in Xinjiang; there is no such thing as ‘forced labor’ in any production activity, including cotton production. Spreading such rumor to do defame China, destroy Xinjiang’s safety and stability, weaken local economy, suppress China’s development[.]'" - US Department of Justice.

🇨🇳⚡️- "The Chinese PLA Navy sent a carrier task group led by aircraft carrier Liaoning (Hull 16) to relevant waters of the Western Pacific on May 19 to conduct training on such subjects as far-seas tactical flight, live-fire shooting, support and cover, and integrated search and rescue operations, so as to test and enhance the troops’ combat capabilities.

This is a routine training organized in accordance with the annual plan and fully complies with international law and practice." - Chinese Military.

🇺🇸⚡️- The US Army is pushing defence contractors to provide proposals for new patriot missile interceptors with a per-unit cost of below $1 Million. The latest and greatest generation PAC-3 MSE variant costs approximately $5 Million, meaning almost 1/5 the PAC-3 MSE cost.

The contract states the proposed interceptor will "serve as supplementals to the Integrated Fires Air and Missile Defense mission against Air Breathing Threats (ABT) [Manned aircraft], Cruise Missiles, Close-Range Ballistic Missiles (CRBM), and Short-Range Ballistic Missiles (SRBM)", and not a replacement for existing Patriot PAC series interceptors. The current PAC-3 MSE is capable of dealing with all the listed threats, although the army has been publicly looking to cut its "cost per interception" ratio for some time.

The request states the interceptor modules must be a drop-in interceptor for the existing M903 launch station and integrated battle systems that are currently used for the patriot missile systems, and the existing PAC-3 and PAC-2 interceptors, meaning the US and allies will be able to quickly field the new type.

The Army is looking for suppliers to provide designs and prototypes for four main component groups, "Low-Cost Interceptor AUR and Fire Control", "Low-Cost Rocket Motor", "Low-Cost Seeker", "Fire Control and Flight Guidance Implementation", as well as a "Weapon Systems Integrator" who will be responsible for combining the Modular Systems together to create a single interceptor that they describe as a "Modular Open Systems Approach (MOSA) to integrate 'best of breed' components". This style of modular design would allow the Pentagon to take bids from smaller companies, not capable of producing a full interceptor themselves, and also allow multiple companies to produce modular pieces to greatly increase the production rate, which is a known problem patriot system, as well as not being as reliant on a single supplier for the entire weapon type. The problem of the supply quantity is increasing, coming under pressure as the Navy is also seeking to integrate the PAC-3 MSE into their Vessels for ship defence as well.

The solutions must be ready for capability demonstrations by Q4 of 2026.

🇺🇸🇮🇷🇮🇱⚡️- The US Senate will hold a vote tomorrow for the eighth time on a war powers resolution to end the war in Iran, an almost weekly vote in the Senate since the war started. The House of Representatives may also vote again this week, who have also voted 3 times on this same issue.

🇺🇸🇨🇺⚡️- The US Department of the Treasury has added 9 individuals and the Directorate of Intelligence of Cuba Sanctioned Cuban parties.

- Mayra Arevich Marín, Minister of Communications.
- Vicente de la O Levy, Minister of Energy and Mines.
- Rosabel Gamon Verde, Minister of Justice.
- José Miguel Gómez del Vallín, Head of Military Counterintelligence (MINFAR).
- Juan Esteban Lazo Hernández, President of the National Assembly of People's Power.
- Joaquín Quintas Solá, Deputy Minister of the Revolutionary Armed Forces.
- Eugenio Armando Rabilero Aguilera, Chief of the Eastern Army.
- Raúl Villar Kessell, Chief of the Central Army.
- Roberto Tomás Morales Ojeda, Former Vice President; secretary of organization of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Cuba.

🇺🇸🇨🇺⚡- After months of economic pressure, the US is considering military action against the Cuban regime to force reforms on Havana, Politico reports.

🇨🇩⚡️- Democratic Republic of the Congo's Ministry of Health reports there are now 131 deaths, from 513 cases of Ebola.

🇺🇸🇷🇺⚡️- The US Department of the Treasury has extended the sanctions waiver for Russian origin crude and petroleum products until June 17. The waiver only includes oil products that have already been loaded onto a ship before April 17, and does not include new shipments.

🇮🇱⚡️- Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's testimony has been shortened by several hours again today for "security-political reasons"

🇦🇪🇮🇱⚡- Aircraft M‑ABGG, designated for use by senior Israeli officials, has arrived in Abu Dhabi following its departure from Tel Aviv.

The aircraft has been used on numerous occasions by the Mossad.

🇱🇧🇮🇱⚡️- "URGENT WARNING TO RESIDENTS OF LEBANON LOCATED IN THE FOLLOWING TOWNS AND VILLAGES: Toura, Al-Nabatieh Al-Tahta, Houbbous, Al-Bazouriyeh, Tayr Debba, Kafr Huna, Ain Qana, Labaya, Jibshit, Al-Shahabiya (Tayr Zibine), Burj Al-Shamali (Tyre), Houmein Al-Fouqa

- In light of the terrorist Hezbollah party violating the ceasefire agreement, the Defense Army is compelled to act against it forcefully. The Defense Army does not intend to harm you.

- To ensure your safety, you must evacuate your homes immediately and stay away from the villages and towns for a distance of no less than 1000 meters to open areas.

- Anyone present near Hezbollah elements, their facilities, and combat means endangers their life!"- Israeli Defence Force.

🇱🇻🇷🇺🇺🇦⚡️- The Latvian Military has published a notice for a drone threat in Latvian airspace, stating that NATO air policing fighters have been deployed, and for residents to seek shelter until the all clear is given.

The notice applies to the region of Krāslava, Preiļi, Ludza, and Rēzekne, which cover Latvia's south eastern border with Belarus.