🇺🇸⚡️- Senator John Kennedy of Louisiana and an anonymous GOP senator both claimed that Senate Majority Leader John Thune is tough-talking to avoid upsetting the White House over a six-bill government funding package that Democrats are pushing to remove DHS funding from, risking a government shutdown if the bill does not pass by Friday.

Both Kennedy and the anonymous senator claim that if the options are a government shutdown or eliminating DHS funding, Thune and GOP senators will choose the latter. - The Hill.

🇺🇸🇻🇪⚡️- “The United States is handing over a tanker to Venezuela that it had seized earlier this month, two U.S. officials told Reuters on Wednesday.”

🇮🇷⚡️- Initial reports indicate that Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei visited the Shiite Muslim holy city of Qom and the Jamkaran Mosque.

It is noteworthy that he has, in the past, visited the Jamkaran Mosque prior to making major decisions.

🇺🇸🇮🇷⚡- "President Trump is weighing a major new strike on Iran after preliminary discussions between Washington and Tehran over its nuclear and ballistic missile programs failed.

Trump is now considering airstrikes aimed at Iranian leaders and security officials believed to be responsible for the killing of protesters during the recent anti-government protests, as well as strikes on Iran’s nuclear sites and government institutions.

No final decision has yet been made on how to proceed," - CNN.

🇳🇪⚡- BREAKING: Sounds of gunfire and explosions heard near Niamey International Airport, Niger.

🇳🇪⚡- Niger's air defenses are active over Niamey International Airport, engaging with unidentified projectiles.

🇳🇪🇧🇫⚡- Air Algerie passenger flight (reg: 7T-VJS) diverted towards Burkina Faso as it approached Niamey International Airport.

🇳🇪⚡- Gunfire and air defense activity at Niamey International Airport, Niger, has been ongoing for 90 minutes now.

🇳🇪 - Two weeks ago, the Civil Aviation Agency of Niger, ANAC, claimed at a senior government meeting that JNIM cells may have infiltrated neighbourhoods around the airport.

🇳🇪⚡- Local Nigerien media reports the air defense activity at Niamey International Airport has stopped.

🇺🇸⚡️- Democratic Representative Marie Gluesenkamp Perez's Vancouver office was vandalized following her statements on ICE. Perez was the only elected Democrat to condemn anti ICE rioters and advocated for peaceful protests.

🇺🇸🇮🇷⚡️- “Iran has been trying to rebuild its nuclear sites even deeper underground.” - CNN.

🇺🇸🇮🇷⚡️- “Trump is aware that a military strike against Iran would be far more difficult than a precise covert operation into Venezuela.” - CNN citing two US officials.

🇺🇸🇮🇷⚡️- "Mr. Trump may be able to start a war, but he would have no control over how it ends." - Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad-Bagher Ghalibaf.

🇺🇸🇮🇷⚡️- "Iran has refused to limit the range of its ballistic missiles and informed Washington that it will only discuss its nuclear program." - CNN.