🇦🇪 🇸🇦 ⚡️ — Several UAE companies withdraw from a major defense exhibition held in Saudi Arabia

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🇮🇷 ⚡️ — Iranian Foreign Minister: We had long and intense discussions today, with several sessions held indirectly. We exchanged our views and listened to the other party's opinions. The continuation of negotiations depends on talks and consultations in the capitals. In my opinion, there was a positive atmosphere and it was a good start.

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🇦🇪 🇸🇦 ⚠️ — A number of Emirati companies are withdrawing from a major defense exhibition being held in Saudi Arabia.

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🇷🇺 🇺🇦 — NEW: Russian troops took control of eight communities in the Kharkov, Sumy and Zaporozhye Regions and the Donetsk People’s Republic during Jan 31–Feb 6, the Russian Defense Ministry said.

🔴 Battlegroup North have taken Zelyonoye (Kharkov) and Popovka (Sumy); Battlegroup South captured Stepanovka (Donetsk People’s Republic); Battlegroup Center captured Toretskoye and Sukhetskoye (Donetsk People’s Republic); Battlegroup East captured Staroukrainka, Petrovka and Pridorozhnoye (Zaporozhye).

🔴 Russian forces delivered one massive and five combined strikes on Ukrainian military-industrial enterprises, energy and transport facilities, ammunition depots, UAV production/storage sites and temporary deployment areas over the week.

🔴 Russia’s Battlegroup North inflicted >1,415 casualties (destroyed 1 tank, 2 ACVs, 78 vehicles, 9 field guns, 4 HIMARS, 3 EW/radar stations, 33 depots); Battlegroup West inflicted >1,180 casualties (1 tank, 14 ACVs, 105 vehicles, 15 field guns, 29 depots); Battlegroup South inflicted >1,050 casualties (5 tanks, 19 ACVs, 105 vehicles, 16 field guns).

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🇺🇸 ⚡️ — Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi to IRNA:

The subject of our talks is only the nuclear issue. We have no dialogue on any other issue with the Americans. We mentioned that the nuclear talks and the resolution of the main issues should be conducted in a calm atmosphere without tension or threats. The condition of any dialogue is to refrain from threats and pressure, and we frankly raised this point and expect it to be taken into account so that there is a possibility of continuing the dialogue.

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🇮🇷 🇪🇺 ⚡️ — The European Union imposes a new package of sanctions on Iran

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🇮🇶 ✈ — Iraqi F-16 aircraft are launching airstrikes against ISIS cells in the Makhoual Mountains, located between the Zawiyah and Al-Musayq districts in northern Iraq.

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🇺🇸 ❌ 🇮🇷 🇴🇲 ⚠️ — Wall Street Journal cites informed sources: Iran refused to end nuclear fuel enrichment or transfer it abroad during talks with U.S. officials in Oman, rejecting a key American demand.

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🇱🇧 🇱🇧 ⚡️ — Reuters: The Lebanese Hezbollah accepts the resignation of its senior official Wafic Safa

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🇺🇸 🇮🇷 🇴🇲 ⚡️ — The Wall Street Journal, citing sources: Both the American and Iranian sides showed little change from their initial positions in the Muscat talks.

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🇱🇾 ⚡️ — U.S. Justice Department:

A key suspect in the 2012 Benghazi attack has been arrested.

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🇪🇺 🇺🇸 🇷🇺 ⚡️ — NEW: European Commission (EC) to ban Russian oil transportation services in coordination with members of the Group of Seven (G7), EC President Ursula von der Leyen said.

🔴 The EC will introduce a full maritime services ban for Russian crude oil to slash energy revenues and make finding buyers harder.

🔴 Brussels listed 43 more vessels as part of the shadow fleet, reaching 640 total, and will restrict Russia’s ability to acquire tankers and block maintenance and other services for LNG tankers and icebreakers.

🔴 The 20th sanctions package also proposes banning financial transactions for twenty more Russian regional banks, curbs on Russian payment systems and cryptocurrencies, and other foreign trade restrictions to be considered by the EU Council.

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🇪🇺 🇷🇺 ⚡️ — NEW: European Commission presented the 20th package of anti-Russian sanctions, key element the complete ban of Russian oil transportation servicing, Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said.

🔴 "I now call on the Member States to swiftly endorse these new sanctions," von der Leyen said.

🔴 The Commission said earlier it plans to put the new sanctions package into effect by February 24.

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🇱🇧 ⚡️ — The Lebanese President:

"We are progressively taking inventory of the weapons."

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🇺🇸 🇮🇷 🇪🇺 ⚡️ — Negotiations between Iran and the United States have begun today. Both Europe and the U.S. State Department have issued new sanctions on Iran.

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🇱🇾 🇺🇸 ⚡️ — NEW: Zubayr Al-Bakoush, a suspect in the 2012 attack on a U.S. compound in Benghazi that killed four Americans, has been arrested and landed at Joint Base Andrews.

🔴 He was taken into custody and arrived at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland at 3 a.m. Friday.

🔴 Attorney General Pam Bondi: “We have never stopped seeking justice for that crime against our nation.” U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro said an eight-count indictment charges Al-Bakoush with crimes including the murders of Ambassador Chris Stevens and State Department employee Sean Smith.

🔴 The Sept. 11–12, 2012 attack involved at least 20 militants with AK-47s and grenade launchers who breached the consulate; a separate attack on the annex, including a mortar barrage, killed security officers Tyrone Woods and Glen Doherty; Ahmed Abu Khattala was captured in 2014, convicted and is serving a sentence.

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