U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick on his visit to Epstein's private island:

I did have lunch with him as I was on a boat going across on a family vacation.

My wife was with me, as were my four children and nannies.

I don't recall why we did it, but we did.

JD Vance:

Why should we be fighting one another when we can engage in commerce with one another, when we can build partnerships with one another?

U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick on his ties to Epstein file:

Over the next 14 years, I met him two other times that I can recall… probably about 10 emails connecting me with him over a 14-year period.

I did not have any relationship with him.

I barely had anything to do with that person. Okay?

JD Vance on Aliyev:

Other than Trump, the only leader in the world that has really good relations with both the Turks and the Israelis is Aliyev.

And I said, so that means one, the food must be really good here, or two, he must be really charming.

I can confirm that he's very charming. We're going to find out in a little bit about the food, and I'm sure it will be great.

JD Vance:

The Vice President of Azerbaijan is also the President’s wife.

And hopefully that doesn’t give the Second Lady any ideas.

German woman after spotting Turkish Army convoy in Germany for NATO's Steadfast Dart-26 exercise:

There’s literally a Turkish Army convoy here.

What’s going on in Germany?

Despite arrest warrants issued by The Hague against Netanyahu, his plane flew to the U.S. over Greece, Italy, and France.

These are all members of the court.

J.D. Vance posted — then quickly deleted — an X post from Armenia that explicitly used the term “Armenian Genocide.”

The post was replaced with a staff repost that showed the memorial visit but omitted the word “genocide.”

Trump to Israeli Channel 12:

Iran will not possess nuclear weapons or missiles.

🎆 Fireworks marking the anniversary of the Islamic Revolution at Azadi Square in Tehran.

Israel is “certain” that Iran only possesses between 1,500 and 2,000 ballistic missiles.

A 23-year-old British woman was shot dead by her father in Texas after they argued about Donald Trump, an inquest has heard.

Lucy Harrison, from Warrington, was staying at his home when he led her into a bedroom and fatally shot her shortly before she was due to fly home.

Acting ICE Director Todd Lyons:

There is no database for protesters.

I can assure you there is no database that's tracking United States citizens.

Telegram Founder Pavel Durov:

Russia is restricting access to Telegram in an attempt to force its citizens to switch to a state-controlled app built for surveillance and political censorship.

8 years ago, Iran tried the same strategy — and failed. It banned Telegram on made-up pretexts, trying to force people onto a state-run alternative.

Despite the ban, most Iranians still use Telegram (bypassing censorship) and prefer it to surveilled apps.

Restricting citizens’ freedom is never the right answer. Telegram stands for freedom of speech and privacy, no matter the pressure.

Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich describes highly coordinated Israeli strike on Iranian targets, saying “13 missiles” were launched simultaneously to prevent targets from escaping.

The attack was timed for 2:00 AM, with public sirens set to match, because “we couldn’t tell the public.”

He says intelligence showed senior Iranian officers — “three generals” — fled their apartments after a warning, forcing a last-minute change:

“They change the attack plan while the planes are in the air.”

The strike was delayed to 3:00 AM, but he claims “they manage to get those ten, and another four.”

Smotrich concludes by praising Israel’s military capabilities, saying “there’s no army in the world that has the capability to close intelligence and fire like that.”

Trump:

If we do not reach an agreement with Iran, we will be forced to carry out very harsh action.

I am considering sending an aircraft carrier to the region and additional forces.

Source: N12

Barak Ravid after his phone call with Trump:

Trump told me that if a diplomatic agreement cannot be reached with Iran regarding its nuclear program, he will be ready to take military action…

Trump said: ‘Either we make a deal, or we’ll have to do something very tough, like last time.’

He told me that he is considering sending a second aircraft carrier to the Middle East, in addition to the USS Lincoln, and additional attack ships and fighter jets.

‘We have an armada there, and perhaps another one on the way.’

Trump said the Iranians are showing much more flexibility than before the 12-day war:

‘These are completely different contacts than last time.’

The President told me:

'I don’t think Netanyahu is pressured by the US negotiations with Iran. He also wants a deal—he wants a good deal.'

Trump added:

'We can reach an excellent deal with Iran. They won’t have nuclear weapons; they won’t have missiles.' The nuclear issue, according to him, is a 'no-brainer'—meaning it must be part of any deal.

Trump said that the Iranians are showing much more flexibility in the recent round of negotiations that began on Friday than they did in the negotiations before the 12-day war.

He told me:

'These are completely different contacts than last time. The Iranians didn’t believe I would attack them; they took too big a gamble.'

Trump noted that he believes another round of negotiations between the US and Iran will take place as early as next week.

South Korean official Kim Hee Soo sparked backlash and a diplomatic protest after saying South Korea could “import young unmarried women” from countries like Vietnam or Sri Lanka to marry “young men in rural areas” to address the falling birth rate.

After public outrage, Kim apologized, saying he “sincerely bows his head in apology” for using terms like “import” that “undermines human dignity.”

Marco Rubio will visit Hungary and Slovakia this week as part of a Central Europe tour following the Munich Security Conference.

In Budapest, Rubio will meet senior officials to advance bilateral and regional interests, a trip that carries added weight ahead of Hungary’s April election.

In Slovakia, Rubio is expected to focus on regional security, NATO commitments, and cooperation on nuclear energy.

Source: POLITICO