Syrian Interior Minister Anas Khattab announced the immediate enforcement of directives under Presidential Decree No. 13, issued by President Ahmed al-Sharaa, granting Syrian citizenship and full rights to Kurds in northeastern Syria that had been denied under the government of Bashar al-Assad.

Ukrainian media report that a Russian Air Force Su-34 fighter-bomber was shot down by Ukrainian forces over the Black Sea today. The aircraft reportedly crashed off the coast of Odesa Oblast, killing both crew members on board. View quoted note →

Russian forces have reportedly lost a Su-34 fighter-bomber.

Senator Lindsey Graham: “Trump is Reagan plus. He’s a man of peace, but not someone to be taken lightly. So what did he say to the protesters? Keep protesting—help is on the way. I hope he can find a deal to end the bloodshed in Iran. But Iran is the world’s largest state sponsor of terrorism and has likely killed around 30,000 of its own people. When Donald Trump makes a promise, he delivers. And to the Iranian people, President Trump has your back.”

Secretary Rubio on Venezuela: “You can hold elections endlessly, but if the opposition has no access to the media and opposition candidates aren’t even allowed on the ballot, those elections are neither free nor fair. Our goal is a Venezuela that is free, fair, prosperous, and friendly. That won’t happen in three weeks—it’s going to take time.”

Nicki Minaj: “I’m probably the president’s biggest fan, and that’s not going to change. The hate and criticism don’t affect me at all—if anything, they push me to support him even more. We’re not going to let them bully him. God is protecting him.”

Senator Kaine: “Trump repeatedly mixed up Iceland and Greenland, right? We’re not upset with Iceland, are we?” Rubio: “Yes, he meant Greenland. And I think we’re all familiar with presidents who’ve had verbal slip-ups—some far more often than this one.”

Iranian official Mehdi Mohammadi said there is no such thing as a limited strike, stressing that Iran is prepared for a prolonged confrontation aimed at making this the final war. He added that threats against Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei alone would be sufficient to expand the conflict beyond Iran’s borders.

Putin to Ahmad al-Sharaa: "We have been closely following your efforts regarding the restoration of Syria's territorial integrity, and I want to congratulate you on the fact that this process is gaining momentum. We have always advocated for the restoration of Syria's territorial integrity, you know about this, and we support all your efforts in this direction. I hope that the integration of the Euphrates region is undoubtedly an important step in this direction, and it will contribute to the restoration of Syria's territorial integrity in general. We congratulate you on this. We are very glad to see you. Welcome, Mr. President."

The deputy chief of staff of Iraq’s Popular Mobilization Forces told RT: “We categorically reject American interference across the region. We strongly oppose any strikes on Iran and support the Islamic Republic’s right to defend itself.”