Lt. Gen. Igor Yerusalimov, ~53, a senior Russian officer, was buried under heavy security in Moscow with multiple sources linking his death to the Aug 1 bombing at the Balzi Rossi restaurant.

Russian authorities haven't publicly confirmed his cause of death or named him as a victim.

Yerusalimov was a staff officer with operational-planning experience on the Ukrainian direction, promoted to lieutenant general in 2025.

German authorities, acting on a tip from a foreign intelligence partner, disrupted a Russian intelligence plot to assassinate Stefan Thumann, founder and CEO of Bavarian drone manufacturer Donaustahl, which supplies reconnaissance and FPV drones to Ukraine.

Investigators say two suspected Russian-recruited agents surveilled Thumann, his home, and his company before being arrested in Germany and Spain on suspicion of acting for a foreign intelligence service.

Source: Pravda Ukraine

NEW: US-Ukraine intelligence sharing has rebounded to previous high levels after its brief suspension in March 2025, significantly boosting Ukraine's deep-strike drone and missile campaign inside Russia.

Source: Politico

Russia is training newly recruited North Korean troops, likely in preparation for future offensive operations in Ukraine.

Japan says North Korea has launched a suspected ballistic missile.

Iranian pilots attacked US bases without GPS, according to a deputy coordinator of Iranian Army Air Force, who described how the mission relied on old-school navigation to stay undetected:

Our pilots were trained to guide the fighter jets in various missions using only maps and rudimentary systems, without relying on GPS or INS [inertial navigation].

Perhaps our trump card was that there was no outgoing signal—not even a radio signal—from our aircraft, and probably on the first day, the enemy didn't imagine the air force would have the audacity to carry out such a mission.

In a clip from Alex Holder's upcoming documentary Lindsey's Game, Benjamin Netanyahu sings "Happy Birthday" to Sen. Lindsey Graham and hands him a piece of cake.

Graham jokes, "You should have seen the cake the Saudis got me."

The moment was filmed at Blair House in July 2025.

Dasha Burns: You ever say, "Mr. President, that's a crazy idea. Don't do that?"

Mike Johnson: Yes. We have a very close relationship, and I talk him out of it.

US House Speaker Mike Johnson:

We're going to win this election whether we resolve the Iran situation before the election or not.

US House Speaker Mike Johnson:

The first quarter the economy was beginning to take off like a rocket, and then we got into this skirmish with Iran.

Former U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo:

There are those within my party, the Republican Party, who think President Trump made a mistake... They would describe this as a war of choice.

That's just a false, straw man argument, right? This was no war of choice.

We've been at war with Iranians for decades.

It was time to make sure that they didn't have the capacity to become like North Korea—impenetrable, unattackable.

Former U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo:

At least Chairman Kim—and I spent way too much time with that son of a gun—hasn't conducted massive terror operations and killed thousands of Americans over the last decade.

The Iranians would have behaved very differently had they possessed the kind of nuclear program that Chairman Kim has.

The world would be a fundamentally different place.

Q: Do you still believe that some kind of regime change is possible in Iran?

Mike Pompeo: 100%.

The Democratic Republic of the Congo has banned exports of copper and cobalt concentrates to encourage domestic processing and keep more value from its mineral resources.

The government also introduced a new tax on valuable mining by-products as part of its effort to increase mining revenue.

Source: Reuters

Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan:

Israel's attacks targeting Syria's sovereignty and territorial integrity are one of the most serious threats to the country's stability.

The international community must demonstrate a stronger response in the face of Israel's occupying mentality.

It must apply the necessary pressure to ensure compliance with the 1974 Disengagement of Forces Agreement and respect for Syria's sovereignty.

Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan:

The Israeli government aims to sabotage peace efforts and separate the Palestinians from Gaza, and this objective has not changed.

If possible, it seeks to turn Gaza into a place without Palestinians, a place where they cannot live.

However, Netanyahu will not succeed in this policy; the people of Gaza will continue to live in Gaza and build their future there.

Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shibani:

Clearing our shared borders of terrorism and protecting them jointly is very important here. Bringing this process to success will serve our common interests.

Outside of [the state], there should be no armed authority [operating independently]; such elements must not exist.

Weapons should be solely under the national umbrella and under [state] authority.

This is very important for the stability of this region and the region [as a whole].

Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan:

When Damascus, Aleppo, and Hama are wealthier and safer, we immediately feel it in Gaziantep, Mersin, and Istanbul.

Likewise, destabilizing activities occurring in any part of Syria constitute a threat inside Türkiye.

With this understanding, [our efforts in] counterterrorism, defense and security will deepen further.

Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan on U.S-Iran negotiations:

God willing, the negotiations between Iran and America will conclude today with good news.

Frankly, the issue of the [Strait/Hormuz] involves some complication. Its technical details, of course—Oman also has a role it needs to play regarding the map.

By what mechanism and method, and for what duration, this [passage] will be kept open? This is being worked on, of course.

It is important that agreement is reached on a transition period. Oil needs to keep flowing so that world oil prices and energy prices don't rise; and secondly, so that this creates a process allowing for a lasting agreement.

So a 60-day period is being discussed. If it is worked out within that 60-day period, a permanent agreement between the parties can be reached.

Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan on U.S-Iran negotiations:

On other matters beyond the Strait, we know that in principle—especially on the nuclear issue—there are certain agreements in principle that they have reached.

Therefore, if both sides put forward sincere will on this matter, a permanent agreement can be reached.

But first, this problem regarding the Strait needs to be resolved.

NEW: Iran's Ministry of Intelligence says it arrested 21 alleged Mossad-linked suspects in Kerman for reportedly gathering intelligence on sensitive military and air defense sites.

It also announced the arrest of four armed gang members and five suspects allegedly tied to the coup plot, seizing multiple military-grade weapons and referring the detainees to the judiciary.