🇺🇸🇮🇷🇮🇹⚡- BREAKING: Two Iranian sources tell CNN that nuclear talks in Rome are unlikely to yield an agreement. The Iranians say US demands for a complete halt to Iran's enrichment program will cause the nuclear negotiations to "collapse".

The Iranians say they only agreed to talks today, which start at 1pm local time in Rome, to assess the US position.

🇻🇦🇷🇺🇺🇦⚡- BREAKING: Russia's Foreign Minister, Sergei Lavrov, dismisses Trump's proposal for holding the second round of Russia-Ukraine talks at the Vatican.

Lavrov disrespects the Vatican as "inelegant," and said to "not to waste your brainpower on working out options that are not very realistic."

🇷🇺🇺🇦⚡- The Russian Ministry of Defense says 1,177 Ukrainian drones were destroyed over Russian air space between May 20 and 23.

The total number of drones launched by Ukraine would have been significantly higher as many managed to make impacts, thus making it the largest drone attack in history.

🇷🇺🇺🇦⚡- The massive Russia-Ukraine prisoner exchange is underway, that was negotiated in Istanbul, Turkey.

The total exchange will see a 1000-1000 swap. The first batch of 300-300 are currently being swapped today.

🇵🇸🇮🇱⚡- "In light of [Knesset Opposition Leader] Yair Golan's behavior when he spun a blood libel against IDF soldiers with the reckless and false accusation that they "murder Palestinian babies as a hobby" - I decided to instruct the IDF not to call up Yair Golan for reserve service anymore and to prohibit him from wearing the IDF uniform and entering IDF bases.

There is no place for people like Golan in public life, and I expect all public representatives from the [political] right and left to denounce him and renounce his behavior," - Israel Katz, Defense Minister of Israel.

🇺🇸🇮🇷🇮🇹⚡- The 5th round of US-Iran talks in Rome have begun.

🇺🇸🇮🇷🇮🇹 - The talks began 40 minutes late, as the meeting between US Envoy Witkoff and Mossad Chief Barnea overran.

🇳🇪🇨🇳⚡- BREAKING: Niger demands all Chinese oil companies to leave the country in the next seven days!

In March, Niger demanded several Chinese companies to cease operations in the country, citing lack of compliance with local laws. The companies in March were primarily involved in the SORAZ, CNPC and WAPCO projects.

🇺🇸🇸🇩🇦🇪⚡- Sudan has strongly rejected US claims of using chemical weapons against the UAE-backed Rapid Support Forces.

🇺🇸🇮🇷🇮🇹⚡- Ahead of US-Iran talks in Rome, Lorenzo Somigli, an Italian journalist for Il Tazebao, visited Tehran and said "Iran will not abandon" its path of enrichment. Somigli said the Iranians believe their enrichment program to be a "great achievement of Iranian science."

🇷🇺🇺🇦⚡- Russian forces have entered the large town Kindrashovka, where heavy fighting in ongoing, and have captured the small settlement of Radkovka - Kupyansk direction.

The advance puts Russian forces directly north of the strategic city of Kupyansk, situated on the Oskol River.

🇨🇳🇹🇼⚡- "Taiwan has recently seen several incidents of Chinese citizens arriving illegally on small boats, prompting speculation they could be part of China's cognitive warfare tactics," - Taiwan Plus News, Taiwanese outlet.

🇨🇳🇵🇭🇹🇼⚡- "The Chinese Coast Guard is barbaric, and is at the forefront of the Communist bully’s expansionism. I want to make it clear that Taiwan stands with our brothers & sisters in the Philippines," - Joseph Wu, Secretary-General of the National Security Council of Taiwan.

🇺🇸🇮🇷🇮🇹⚡- BREAKING: US Envoy Witkoff has left the talks, citing a "scheduled flight".

Note, Witkoff does not use a commercial jet... There is no such thing as a "scheduled flight".

🇺🇸🇮🇷🇮🇹⚡- Iran's Ministry of Foreign Affairs says talks are ongoing with the US delegation, despite Witkoff's departure.

🇺🇸🇮🇷🇮🇹⚡- Iran's Ministry of Foreign Affairs claims the 'atmosphere' of the talks remains 'calm'.

🇺🇸🇮🇷🇮🇹⚡- BREAKING: The fifth round of US-Iran talks in Rome have abruptly ended, lasting 3 hours.

Witkoff therefore left the talks 15 - 20 minutes before they officially ended.

🇺🇸🇮🇷🇮🇹 - A rundown of the 5th round of US-Iran talks:

- The talks were initially cancelled by both sides over disagreements regarding Iran's enrichment program.
- With Oman's mediation, both sides agreed to talks within the last 72 hours.
- US Envoy Witkoff met Israel's Strategic Minister Dermer and Mossad Chief Barnea two hours before the US-Iran talks.
- Witkoff and Barnea met one-to-one, which overran by 40 minutes, thus he was delayed for the US-Iran talks, making Iran's Araghchi wait.
- Talks were scheduled for three hours long, according to Axios' Barak Ravid. But instead lasted 2 hours, 20 minutes, as the US side arrived late.
- Two hours into the 2 hours and 20 minutes meeting, Witkoff abruptly left, citing a "scheduled flight". Witkoff does not use commercial flights, so therefore does not have pre-scheduled flights.
- Talks continued between Iran and a leaderless US delegation for just 20 minutes, before they ended too - not completing the required 3 hours format.

🇺🇸🇮🇷🇴🇲⚡- "Fifth round of Iran-US indirect talks ends with some but not conclusive progress. We hope the remaining issues in Iran-US indirect talks will be clarified in coming days," - Badr bin Hamad, Foreign Minister of Oman.

🇺🇸🇮🇷🇮🇹⚡- "The fifth round of negotiations was one of the most professional rounds of talks. Our positions are completely clear and we stand by them. The American side now has a better understanding of our positions.

The Omani Foreign Minister had some ideas, and more expert work was scheduled to be done on those ideas. These ideas could possibly be a solution.

The next round of negotiations will be held after both sides announce their opinions. I hope in the next one or two meetings we can reach solutions that will allow the negotiations to progress. With Oman's ideas to remove obstacles, there is a possibility of progress," - Abbas Araghchi, Iran's Foreign Minister.

🇩🇪⚡- BREAKING: A knife attack at the Hamburg Subway, Germany, injuring at least 12 people.