Overview
- President Donald Trump said he canceled a planned U.S. strike on Iran after being told Tehran halted mass executions, even as the military kept a carrier group and air defenses flowing to the region and Israel’s Mossad chief flew to the United States for consultations.
- Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei declared the country would not be drawn into war and vowed those he called domestic and foreign instigators of unrest would face punishment.
- The Syrian Democratic Forces announced a withdrawal from parts of eastern Aleppo, while the Syrian army said it entered Dier Hafer and Meskenah, took dozens of nearby towns and the Jirah air base, and declared west of the Euphrates a closed military zone as clashes and casualty reports emerged near Meskenah.
- Syrian authorities reported seizing the Sufyan oil field, the Rasafa junction, and the Thawra field near Tabqa, as U.S. officials warned Damascus against a wider offensive and Senator Lindsey Graham threatened to restore Caesar sanctions; a CENTCOM spokesman noted a U.S. military visit to Dier Hafer for partner talks.
- France deployed an initial military contingent to Greenland under a European mission, and the White House said European forces on the island do not affect the president’s stance, with NATO capitals assessing alliance implications as Canada reaffirmed Article 5 commitments.