🇺🇸🇻🇪⚡️- Venezuelan Foreign Minister announced that on May 23rd, US (assumed military) aircraft will be flying over Caracas, Venezuela, and doing rehearsals for diplomatic evacuation procedures.

🇺🇸🇱🇧⚡️- "Today, Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control designated nine Hizballah-aligned officials, including individuals embedded across Lebanon’s government seeking to influence key state decisions. Hizballah’s continued militant activity and coercive influence over the Lebanese state undermine the Lebanese government’s ability to assert its authority over state institutions and disarm the terrorist group." - US Treasury Department.

"Hizballah is a terrorist organization and must be fully disarmed. Treasury will continue to take action against officials who have infiltrated the Lebanese government and are enabling Hizballah to wage its senseless campaign of violence against the Lebanese people and obstruct lasting peace." - Scott Bessent, US Treasury Secretary.

🇺🇸🇻🇪⚡️- The Largest US energy company, Exxon Mobil, is in talks with the Venezuelan government to reacquire oil production rights in Venezuela, after being kicked out of Venezuela almost 20 years ago when then-President Hugo Chavez began to nationalise the Venezuelan oil industry.

🇺🇸🇮🇷⚡️- The House of Representatives has cancelled their vote on the war powers, which would stop new strikes on Iran, as they lack the votes to pass.

The House has now failed 4 votes on the war powers resolution.

🇮🇷⚡- Iran says 35 ships have paid the toll and have safely crossed the Strait of Hormuz in the past 24 hours.

🇸🇴🇾🇪⚡- UKMTO reports a vessel in the waters north of Socotra, Yemen, was approached by a small boat with five people on board. The vessel fired warning shots, which forced the small boat, likely Somali pirates, to alter their course.

🇺🇳🇨🇩⚡️- WHO increases the severity of the Ebola outbreak in the DRC from "high" to "very high".

🇺🇦🇹🇷⚡️- Zelensky will attend NATO's summit in Ankara in July.

🇫🇷🇸🇾⚡- Syria's Ahmed al-Sharaa will attend the G7 summit in France next month.

🇮🇷🇵🇰⚡- Pakistan's Army Chief Asim Munir has departed for Tehran.

🇶🇦🇮🇷⚡- A Qatari delegation has also arrived in Tehran.

🇫🇷🇲🇱🇷🇺⚡- The Russians are negotiating with Bamako on their possible departure from Mali, says Bruno Fuchs, Deputy of the French National Assembly.

🇫🇷⚡️- The French Presidential residence, the Elysée, was searched by the police yesterday after over a month of delays. Per a statement, the search lasted a few hours and several individuals were questioned.

No update has been given on the investigation into the fraudulous "Panthénisation" events organized by close advisors of Macron.

🇺🇸🇮🇷⚡- BREAKING: Saudi's al-Arabiya claims to have obtained the final draft agreement between the US and Iran which is expected to be announced within hours or days.

The deal was brokered by China and Saudi Arabia, with Qatari and Pakistani mediation. Neither Tehran nor Washington have yet commented on the alleged leaked deal.

The terms of the deal are:

- Immediate, comprehensive, unconditional ceasefire on all fronts, including land, sea, air.
- Mutual commitment not to target military, civilian or economic infrastructure.
- End to military operations and halt the media war.
- Commitments to respect sovereignty, territorial integrity and non-interference in internal affairs.
- Guarantees freedom of navigation in the Arabian Gulf, the Strait of Hormuz and the Gulf of Oman.
- Joint mechanism to monitor implementation and resolve disputes.
- Negotiations on outstanding issues would begin within seven days.
- Gradual lifting of US sanctions in exchange for Iran’s commitment to the terms of the agreement.
- Draft agreement reaffirms compliance with international law and UN Charter.
- Agreement would take effect immediately once officially announced by both sides.

🇺🇸⚡️- "NEW STOCK MARKET RECORD!" - President Trump via Truth Social.

🇺🇸🇮🇷⚡️- “Draft details circulating are false.” - WSJ.

🇺🇲⚡️- The Trump administration has announced they will fix a major loophole in the immigration system, specifically the Adjustement of Status part of the process to obtain a green card. The closed loophole is mainly targeting "students, temporary workers, or people on tourist visas" abusing the system. People from these categories will now be obligated to apply for a green card from their home country, and will no longer be able to do so from within the U.S.

"Aliens seeking Adjustment of Status must do so through consular processing via the Department of State outside of the country." - USCIS memo.

🇺🇸🇮🇳🇵🇭⚡- The US is planning on replacing India with the Philippines in the QUAD strategic partnership, Foreign Policy reports.

The partnership began to fade due to India's poor commitments, including failing to meet US demands in curbing illegal and sanctioned Russian oil, a deterioration of relations with Washington last year, and failing to host the QUAD 2025 summit.

Note, India's replacement with the Philippines is something the so-called 'realists' at the Quincy Institute have long argued for.

🇺🇸⚡️- BREAKING: Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard has resigned, according to Fox News.

🇲🇱⚡️- The JNIM ambushed a Malian military convoy yesterday. At least 7 soldiers were claimed to have been killed by the JNIM. Local authorities report at least 25 deaths.