When asked whether Arab and Israeli officials had persuaded him not to strike Iran, U.S. President Donald Trump responded, “Nobody convinced me—I convinced myself. Yesterday, there were more than 800 hangings scheduled. They didn’t hang anyone. They cancelled the hangings. That had a big impact.” View quoted note →

The U.S. Department of Energy is exploring a plan to swap heavy Venezuelan crude for U.S. medium, sour oil to replenish the Strategic Petroleum Reserve, two sources said on Friday, according to Reuters.

U.S. officials say military action remains an option if Iran resumes killing protesters, while Israeli officials believe that despite the delay, a U.S. military strike could still occur in the coming days, according to Axios.

In an earlier post on Truth Social, President Donald J. Trump praised the Iranian government’s decision to cancel the execution of more than 800 protesters that had been scheduled for Thursday. He wrote, “I greatly respect the fact that all scheduled hangings, which were to take place yesterday (over 800 of them), have been cancelled by the leadership of Iran. Thank you!”

Pro-Iranian Iraqi Shia militias rally in Baghdad in support of Tehran’s Islamic regime.

U.S. forces arrived earlier today in the northern Syrian town of Dayr Hafir, in the eastern Aleppo Governorate, where they met with a delegation from the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF). The visit comes amid efforts to de-escalate rising tensions that could soon lead to major clashes between the SDF and the Syrian Army.

Senior Iranian cleric Hassan Rahimpour Azghadi, a member of Iran’s Supreme Council of the Cultural Revolution, said in Mashhad that Tehran should treat U.S. President Donald Trump “the way the United States treated Nicolás Maduro.” He added that he knows Trump’s character well and claimed that if Trump were arrested and “slapped a couple of times, he would howl like a dog.”

An Iraqi security source told CNN that in recent weeks nearly 5,000 fighters from Iranian-backed paramilitary groups in Iraq crossed into Iran through two southern Iraqi border crossings—the Shaib crossing in Maysan Province and the Zurbatiya crossing in Wasit Province—to assist with the ongoing crackdown on anti-government protests in Tehran and elsewhere in Iran. A European military source separately confirmed that about 800 Shiite militia fighters traveled from the Iraqi provinces of Diyala, Maysan, and Basra to support the Iranian crackdown. The fighters reportedly belong to Tehran-aligned armed groups, including Kataib Hezbollah, Harakat Hezbollah al-Nujaba, Kataib Sayyid al-Shuhada, and the Badr Organization, all operating under the umbrella of Iraq’s Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF).

President Donald J. Trump is delaying a decision on striking Iran as the White House consults internally and with allies over the timing of a potential operation and whether it would significantly destabilize the regime, according to five U.S., Israeli, and Arab sources familiar with the matter who spoke to Axios. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu spoke with Trump on Wednesday and urged him to wait, giving Israel more time to prepare for possible Iranian retaliation. An Israeli source said that beyond concerns about retaliation, the current U.S. plan focuses on strikes against Iranian security force targets but is viewed by Israel as insufficient to meaningfully weaken or destabilize the Islamic regime.

Yoon Suk Yeol, South Korea’s impeached president, has been sentenced to five years in prison on charges of abuse of power, obstruction of justice, and falsifying documents stemming from his failed military coup and declaration of martial law in December 2024. Friday’s ruling marks the first verdict among four trials connected to Yoon’s aborted martial law attempt. The most serious case, scheduled for February, involves charges of insurrection, for which prosecutors are seeking the death penalty.

U.S. Special Envoy Steve Witkoff was asked during an onstage interview at the Israeli-American Council conference in Florida on Wednesday night whether he believes a U.S. military strike against Iran is likely. “I hope there’s a diplomatic resolution. I really do,” Witkoff said, outlining four key issues he said must be addressed in any agreement with Iran: nuclear enrichment, missile capabilities—specifically reducing their inventory—the amount of nuclear material Iran possesses, which he said totals roughly 2,000 kilograms enriched between 3.67% and 60%, and Iran’s network of regional proxies. “If they want to come back to the League of Nations, and we can solve those four problems diplomatically, that would be a great resolution,” Witkoff said. “The alternative is a bad one.” Asked if he had a message for Iranians seeking the fall of the regime, Witkoff replied, “They’re incredibly courageous people, and we stand with you.”

According to Iran’s envoy to Pakistan, Reza Amiri Moghadam, President Donald J. Trump has conveyed that he does not intend to attack Iran and has urged Tehran to show restraint, Pakistani English-language outlet Dawn reported. Moghadam said he received the message via Pakistan around 1:00 a.m. PKT (20:00 GMT) on Wednesday, indicating that Trump did not seek war and asked Iran not to target U.S. bases or interests in the Middle East.

U.S. Ambassador to NATO Matthew Whitaker compared the situation in Ukraine to the “final yard” in football—the toughest phase before victory. He said the current negotiations are critically important, noting that the finish is close but the last step will be the most difficult.

Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said that frustrations over economic and social hardships in Iran are being mischaracterized as an ideological uprising against the regime. He added that, upon closer examination, there is nothing in the situation that should encourage or embolden countries abroad that are hostile to Iran.

A senior Hamas official told Reuters that the group is prepared to hand over its authority to a Palestinian technocratic body.

Greenland’s Foreign Minister Vivian Motzfeldt became emotional during a live TV appearance, saying, “We are doing our utmost. But in recent days, naturally… I’m getting very emotional. I am overwhelmed.”

TRUMP: "FoxNews: "Iranian protester will no longer be sentenced to death after President Trump’s warnings. Likewise others." This is good news. Hopefully, it will continue!"

U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said Wednesday evening that the leadership of the Islamic Republic is smuggling millions of dollars out of Iran, adding that the United States is tracking the movement of those funds.

President Donald J. Trump said in a post this afternoon that he had a “very good call” Wednesday morning with Venezuela’s interim president, Delcy Rodríguez. Trump said the discussion covered a range of topics, including oil, minerals, trade, and national security, adding, “This partnership between the United States of America and Venezuela will be a spectacular one FOR ALL.”

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