Marco Rubio on Cuba:

I know there are plenty of people in American academia, and frankly the American press, that sympathize with the Cuban regime.

Part of it is motivated by their anti-Americanism.

In the past, we have seen people in our own government that sympathized with the Cuban regime. It's the way they get spies without paying them.

Marco Rubio on China:

China wants to become the most powerful country in the world, and they want to do so at our expense.

Obviously, we are Americans; we're not going to allow that to happen.

At the same time, we are the two most powerful economies in the world, probably the two most powerful militaries in the world, although ours is further along than theirs, but nonetheless.

And I think it's important for two big countries like this—the two most powerful countries in the world—to have a relationship, to have the ability to speak to one another, and try to de-conflict where possible because it could lead to some really bad things.

The foundation of that is the relationship that President Trump has with President Xi, which is a relationship of mutual respect, and they get along, and that really is important that our two presidents can speak to one another.

And it's okay. It's—I think it's almost irresponsible, by the way—to not have direct communications with the Chinese. We want stability in our relationship.

Marco Rubio:

After the end of the Cold War, everybody thought the whole world was just going to become free-enterprise democracies and everyone would get along, and nation-states would no longer matter.

And unfortunately, we made decisions in our foreign policy on that ridiculous basis that actually caused us to hurt our country.

We started saying things like, "We don't care where things are made. Let it be made in another country as long as it's cheaper prices for America," and it ended up de-industrializing our country and costing us millions of jobs.

So what you see President Trump doing now is re-balancing those things.

Marco Rubio on Iran:

I don't think the Iranian regime has ever faced a president like President Trump, which is someone who actually takes action.

Marco Rubio on Iran:

The regime has to change. You may not have regime change, but the regime has to change.

They want to export the revolution. That does have to change.

Marco Rubio on Ukraine:

The dynamics have changed just a little bit in that conflict over the last few months.

The Ukrainians now are able to conduct long-range strikes deep into Russia, bringing the war to the Russian people.

What we are willing to explore is whether that new dynamic has, in any way, opened the door to some negotiated settlement.

Marco Rubio on Iran:

Nothing we have wanted to do in the Middle East—none of the actions we've taken or the successes—has been impeded by anything any country in the world has done against us.

Japan is expected to announce on Monday that it coordinated with the U.S. to intervene in currency markets to support the yen after it fell to a 40-year low.

The joint yen-buying operation comes after Japan is estimated to have spent nearly $59 billion on intervention.

The move aims to stabilize the currency and prevent broader financial market disruptions, while signaling close coordination between Tokyo and Washington.

Source: Reuters

Armenia's government resigned Sunday, as required by the Constitution, after the newly elected parliament held its first session in Yerevan.

Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said the outgoing cabinet will remain in a caretaker role until a new government is formed.

Capital One says it closed more than 300 Trump Organization bank accounts in 2021 following an internal anti-money-laundering review, rejecting claims that the decision was politically motivated.

The filing marks the first time a bank has publicly linked the account closures to AML concerns, though Capital One says it is not accusing the Trump Organization of money laundering.

Source: The Guardian

Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich:

The Iranian regime won't fall during the war.

The Iranian public was not going to pour into the streets while Israeli and American aircraft were overhead. They couldn't appear to be joining the enemy.

The emphasis should be: economy, economy, economy, economy. That is what will ultimately bring down the regime.

I think the regime can reach a point where ordinary citizens feel they have nothing left to lose.

Once that happens, fear stops being a barrier. They will go out, rise up, and overthrow the regime.

Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich admits:

God promised us—the Land of Israel in its full biblical extent.

I sincerely hope and pray that one day that vision will be fulfilled.

Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich:

Settler violence is on the margins of the margins of the margins.

Every society has violent fringes—Tel Aviv, Ra'anana, New York, San Francisco. Every society has violent fringes.

Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich on Gaza:

I want Israel to conquer the entire Gaza Strip. I want us to establish Israeli military rule there.

After that, we should resettle Gaza with Jews.

In my view, there is no other solution.

Netanyahu asked Trump to establish what they call the "Board of Peace." That would mean multinational forces.

I oppose that.

Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich:

For me, complete victory means that we resettle the Gaza Strip. There has to be a price—a price for the mistake, a price for the defeat suffered by our enemies.

Whoever carried out the worst massacre against us since the Holocaust should lose territory.

That is the price.

It is the only language our enemies understand.

Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich:

For years I have said that the repeated rounds of fighting in Gaza were a mistake. They believed that Israel should increase pressure instead—stop humanitarian aid, stop vaccines during the COVID period, tighten the blockade.

I told them that all of those measures would only lead to another round of fighting. People would be killed, yet nothing fundamental would change.

As long as Israel was unwilling to make that decisive move, it had no choice but to manage the conflict instead.

Gaza should have been conquered. Hamas should have been destroyed.

Iran's Fars:

Iranian sources deny reports that a deal has been reached to reopen the Strait of Hormuz.

They say the strait will remain restricted while U.S. hostile actions continue, with ship transit allowed only via designated routes and IRGC naval approval.

The earlier reports were described as false.

The Lebanese army says five soldiers were lightly wounded in an Israeli attack while escorting civilians in military vehicles near Kfra, Bint Jbeil.

Armenian President Vahan Khachaturyan has reappointed Nikol Pashinyan as prime minister after the government's resignation earlier today.