🇩🇪🇯🇵⚡️ — Germany is seeking closer defense cooperation with Japan, proposing a "Reciprocal Access Agreement" to make it easier for troops from both countries to operate on each other’s territory by reducing legal and bureaucratic barriers, POLITICO reports.

➡️ The proposal, put forward by Defense Minister Boris Pistorius during talks in Yokosuka, would make it easier to do deployments for training, exercises, and potential operations, marking a step beyond Germany’s previous, more limited Indo-Pacific engagements.

🇦🇪🇮🇷⚡️ — An Emirates A380 and a Saudia A321 were hit while stationed at Dubai International Airport early in the Iran war, according to WSJ.

🇮🇷❌🇺🇸🇮🇱 — NEW: Iran warned that if the U.S. strikes its power plants, it will respond by fully closing the Strait of Hormuz and launching widespread attacks on Israeli and regional energy infrastructure, as well as U.S.-linked assets, escalating into a broader campaign against American economic interests in the region.

🇺🇸🇮🇱❌🇮🇷 — Iran's Ministry of Health says 210 children have been killed in the war so far.

🇺🇸🇮🇱❌🇮🇷 — Iran’s Health Ministry says over 1,510 people under the age of 18 have been injured since the start of the war.

➡️ It also reported that around 300 health, treatment, and emergency centers have been damaged, and about 30 ambulances have been taken out of service.

🇮🇱❌🇱🇧🇱🇧 — An Israeli flag raised in the village of Khiam in southern Lebanon.

➡️ Fighting is still ongoing in the area, as the Israeli offensive continues across southern Lebanon.

🇮🇱❌🇵🇸 — NEW: An Israeli airstrike has struck a Palestinian police car in the Nuseirat camp, central Gaza Strip.

➡️ Four have reportedly been killed in the attack.

🇺🇸❌🇮🇷 — Kristen Welker: Could US troops go into Kharg Island to secure it?

Treasury Secretary Bessent: All options are on the table

Welker: So that's a possibility?

Bessent: All options are on the table

🇺🇸🇮🇷⚡️ — Kristen Welker: Would the administration ever raise taxes in order to fund this war?

Treasury Secretary Bessent: Kristen, terrible framing.

Welker: It's a simple question.

Bessent: It's a ridiculous question.

Welker: Can you answer it?

Bessent: Why would we do that?... We have plenty. We have a trillion dollars in this year's budget for the military. It's not under consideration at all.

🪖🇺🇸🇮🇷⚡️ — Margaret Brennan: Israel says these were intercontinental ballistic missiles that were launched at Diego Garcia and could hit Berlin, Paris, and Rome. Does NATO share that Israeli assessment?

Mark Rutte: We cannot confirm that at the moment, so we are looking into that. But if this would be true, it is more evidence that what President Trump is doing here, taking out the ballistic missile capability and taking out the nuclear capability from Iran, is crucial.

The president doing this is crucial. And I've seen the polling, but I really hope the American people will be with him because he is doing this to make the whole world safer.