Iran has long insisted it never pursued nuclear weapons — but comments from a former senior official cast doubt on that claim. In April 2022, Ali Motahari, former Deputy Speaker of Iran’s Parliament, admitted that the country’s nuclear program originally aimed to develop a bomb. “If we had managed to keep it secret and conduct a nuclear test, the matter would have been settled,” he said. “Once we had started, we should have seen it through to the end.” The interviewer, taken aback, asked whether such a statement might jeopardize ongoing negotiations. Motahari replied dismissively: “No one pays attention to what I say.”

Volcano Awakens in Russia’s Kamchatka Peninsula The Krasheninnikov volcano has erupted for the first time in over 460 years, marking its first recorded eruption in modern history. The massive ash cloud has reached an altitude of 5 to 6 kilometers, prompting alerts in the region.

President Donald Trump announced Friday that he had ordered the removal of the Bureau of Labor Statistics commissioner following the release of that day’s jobs report, stating, “We didn’t believe the numbers.” He added that the commissioner was “very suspect.”

DroneBomber reports that operators from Ukraine’s 1st Territorial Defense Brigade destroyed a bridge over the Tsata River in Russia’s Bryansk region, with the strike captured by both reconnaissance and FPV drones. View quoted note →

Macron to Israel: “Airdrops alone are insufficient. Israel MUST allow full humanitarian access to prevent famine.” Notably, Macron refers to a “risk of famine.”

Tensions spike in the Hamas negotiations. A senior political official told Tamir Morag moments ago: “Hamas has broken off contact and no longer appears willing to negotiate. There’s simply no one left to talk to.” Another source confirmed: “Sadly, it seems the deal is off. This may be the end of the road.”

REPORTER: "Is there any use at all in pressuring Israel now to come to some sort of longer-term solution?" TRUMP: "If you do that, you really are rewarding Hamas — and I'm not about to do that."

Teresa Ribera, a top deputy to Ursula von der Leyen, has reportedly criticized fellow EU commissioners for failing to take a firm stance against Israel, warning that “history will judge them,” according to Spanish media. Ribera has allegedly been pressing von der Leyen for weeks to adopt a stronger position on the issue.

Netanyahu’s Office stated: “Hamas stole food from its own people. Israel responded by airdropping aid to civilians in Gaza and urged other countries to join us. Some have already stepped up.”