🇺🇸🇪🇷⚡- The US is seeking to reset ties with reclusive but strategically vital Eritrea, including the potential easing of sanctions, the Wall Street Journal reports.

🇺🇸🇮🇷⚡️- "I have ordered the United States Navy to shoot and kill any boat, small boats though they may be (Their naval ships are ALL, 159 of them, at the bottom of the sea!), that is putting mines in the waters of the Strait of Hormuz. There is to be no hesitation. Additionally, our mine “sweepers” are clearing the Strait right now. I am hereby ordering that activity to continue, but at a tripled up level! Thank you for your attention to this matter. President DONALD J. TRUMP" - President Trump via Truth Social.

🇺🇸🇮🇷⚡️- A post shared by President Donald Trump on truth social that says;

"If there are two factions in Iran, one that wants a deal and one that doesn't, let's kill the ones who dont want a deal".

🇺🇸🇮🇷⚡️- "Iran is having a very hard time figuring out who their leader is! They just don’t know! The infighting is between the “Hardliners,” who have been losing BADLY on the battlefield, and the “Moderates,” who are not very moderate at all (but gaining respect!), is CRAZY! We have total control over the Strait of Hormuz. No ship can enter or leave without the approval of the United States Navy. It is “Sealed up Tight,” until such time as Iran is able to make a DEAL!!! Thank you for your attention to this matter. President DONALD J. TRUMP" - President Trump via Truth Social.

🇮🇷⚡️- According to the New York Times, the IRGC is the main ruling force within the Iranian regime, as Mojtaba Khamenei has had one leg operated on thrice, and most likely amputated, in addition to surgery on one hand with continual nerve damage, and severe damage to his face and lips, which limit his ability to speak clearly.

Notably, since the start of the War in Iran, the generals have taken the initiative due to the length of time it takes for messages to reach Khamenei, due to extreme security precautions, and fearing an attempt on his life. For example, it was the IRGC who strategized the attacks on Israel and the Gulf States, closing the Strait of Hormuz, and agreed to the ceasefire with the United States.

As for leadership within the IRGC, they've sidelined Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi in favor of Speaker of Parliament Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, along with military generals who attended the negotiations in Islamabad for the first time.

🇺🇸🇮🇷⚡️- Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf directly rejects President Trump’s claim of infighting in Iran, stating that the country remains loyal to the Supreme Leader and are ready to make the “criminal enemy” regret its actions.

🇺🇸🇮🇷⚡️- Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian has posted the same message as the Parliament speaker, refuting Trump’s claim of division in Iran.

🇮🇷⚡️- BREAKING: Iran’s Mehr News Agency says air defenses have gone active in Tehran and are “confronting hostile targets.”

🇮🇷🇮🇱⚡️- Israel denies any involvement.

🇺🇸🇮🇷⚡️- The USS George H.W. Bush carrier strike group has entered the U.S. Central Command area of responsibility.

🇮🇷⚡️- There has been no attack in Iran. The air defenses were activated for reasons that are still unclear. The announcement about the air defenses confronting hostile targets came directly from Iranian state media, Mehr News.

🇮🇷⚡️- Multiple Iranian journalists have refuted the claim made by Israeli Channel 12 that Mohammed Bagher Ghalibaf resigned from Iran's negotiating team, calling the claims "absolutely false and a joke."

🇺🇸⚡️- An active shooter has been reported at the Mall of Louisiana in Baton Rouge. Law enforcement is on the scene. Early reports mention multiple casualties on site.

🇺🇸🇨🇳⚡️- BREAKING: The White House claims to have proof China has been stealing AI models and data from U.S. artificial intelligence labs.

🇺🇸🇨🇳⚡️- "The US government has information indicating that foreign entities, principally based in China, are engaged in deliberate, ​industrial-scale campaigns to distil US frontier AI systems." - Michael Kratsios, Director of ​the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy.

🇺🇸🇨🇳⚡️- The Chinese Embassy in Washington has denied these claims.