🇺🇸🇮🇷 - The Wall Street Journal has also reported similar – Trump may carry out a limited operation to force Iran into accepting US demands.

🇺🇸🇮🇷⚡- "Trump is ready to launch an extended military assault on Iran.

Regional allies Saudi Arabia and the UAE favor a limited operation instead of an extended attack," - Washington Post.

🇸🇦🇬🇷🇮🇱⚡- "Riyadh wants to replace Israel with Syria for Greece fibre-optic cable route.

Saudi Arabian Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has publicly accused Israel of committing genocide in Gaza. Riyadh is also at odds with the UAE, Israel’s closest Arab partner, in Yemen, Sudan, and the Red Sea.

A project like this is consistent with Saudi attempts to reintegrate Syria to the regional fold and isolate Israel. Saudi Arabia's shift on the project could throw a wrench in Greece’s relationship with Israel if it is indeed snubbed in the new route," - The Middle East Eye.

🇷🇺🇨🇳⚡️- Russia has carried out its first known triple LNG ship-to-ship transfer near Murmansk. The LNG is likely bound for China’s Beihai LNG terminal, despite Western sanctions.

🇺🇸⚡️- "Based on the tremendous interest shown, I will be directing the Secretary of War, and other relevant Departments and Agencies, to begin the process of identifying and releasing Government files related to alien and extraterrestrial life, unidentified aerial phenomena (UAP), and unidentified flying objects (UFOs), and any and all other information connected to these highly complex, but extremely interesting and important, matters. GOD BLESS AMERICA!" - President Trump via Truth Social

🇺🇸🇮🇷⚡️- BREAKING: Congress and its elected leaders are on track to give U.S. President Donald Trump the equivalent of a green light ahead of a potential major war in the Middle East, barring a surprise. - Axios.

🇺🇸🇰🇷🇨🇳⚡- "U.S. Forces in South Korea (USFK) and Chinese fighter jets were in a brief aerial standoff over the Yellow Sea earlier this week as the U.S. Air Force's rare exercise prompted the Chinese military to scramble its own fighter jets in response.

Several USFK F-16 fighter jets took off from Osan Air Base in Pyeongtaek, South Korea, and flew above international waters in the Yellow Sea, prompting the Chinese military to dispatch its own fighter jets to the scene, but no clash occurred," - Yonhap.

🇮🇷🇮🇱⚡️- "IDF officials estimate Iran could possess at least 5,000 ballistic missiles by 2027, producing about 100 per month, and say layered air defenses cannot fully prevent damage from sustained, large-scale barrages." - ynet.

🇪🇹⚡- Ethiopian military, ENDF, has now begun amassing heavy troops along the western Tigray Interim Administration, TIA, region. Large ENDF columns are arriving in Tselemti and Welkait, near the Eritrean border.

Tigray separatists, TDF, continue mobilizing in the southern TIA region, particularly around Alamata.

🇺🇸🇸🇦⚡- As part of a US - Saudi Arabia deal, Riyadh will possibly start enriching uranium on its soil, AP reports.

🇪🇹⚡- Addis Ababa has blocked international media from travelling to the Tigray region, northern Ethiopia.

🇺🇸🇷🇺⚡- "The North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) detected and tracked two Russian Tu-95s, two Su-35s, and one A-50 operating in the Alaskan Air Defense Identification Zone (ADIZ) on February 19th, 2026.

NORAD launched two F-16s, two F-35s, one E-3, and four KC-135s to intercept, positively identify, and escort the aircraft until they departed the Alaskan ADIZ," - NORAD.

🇺🇸🇮🇷⚡- "NATO officials have received no details of a US plan for strikes on Iran," - The New York Times.

🇩🇰🇮🇷⚡- Denmark seized an Iranian container vessel, NORA, just north of Denmark.

The vessel, flying under the Cameroonian flag, had departed St. Petersburg, Russia, and was en route to Iran via a stop in Egypt.

🇳🇬⚡- "At least 34 people were killed when suspected [Islamic State affiliated] Lakurawa militants launched coordinated attacks on multiple villages in Kebbi State, northwest Nigeria," - Reuters.

🇸🇦🇮🇱⚡- "Normalization between Israel and Saudi Arabia is no longer a 'when' but a 'whether'. Saudi Arabia was to normalize ties with Israel in exchange for US defense and nuclear perks.

That framework is now obsolete, because Saudi Arabia captured most of the prize without paying the price.

Washington Institute for Near East Policy poll from August 2023 found 43% of Saudis in favor of establishing ties with Israel. Israel-Hamas war destroyed that. That number fell to 17% in November 2023," - The Jerusalem Post.

🇸🇦🇮🇱⚡- "The shifting regional power balance in the Middle East has transformed Israel from a natural ally against Iran, into Riyadh's most formidable competitor for regional leadership.

Saudi's response has been swift. It has joined a defensive pact with Pakistan. It is in talks with Ankara to purchase up to 100 Turkish KAAN fifth-generation stealth jets.

Most importantly, Saudi Arabia will never join the Abraham Accords because in Riyadh's view, the Accords are irreversibly associated with the United Arab Emirates - the Kingdom's chief Gulf rival. Joining a framework branded with Abu Dhabi's fingerprints is something 'the King of the Middle East' cannot do," - The Jerusalem Post.

🇸🇦🇮🇱⚡- "The contours of what some are calling an 'Islamic NATO' are emerging in real time – not as a response to Israel’s enemies, but as a response to Israel’s dominance," - The Jerusalem Post.

🇺🇸🇮🇷⚡- "The US did not demand from Iran during the Geneva negotiations to agree to zero uranium enrichment on Iranian territory.

We talked about steps that could show the US that our nuclear program is only for peaceful purposes," - Abbas Araghchi, Iran's Foreign Minister, tells MSNBC.

🇺🇸⚡- USS Gerald R. Ford has entered the Mediterranean Sea.