"For the first time since Assad's ouster in early December, Syrian Army under the new Islamist government of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) have entered areas of Hermel, Lebanon, resulting in fierce clashes with Hezbollah fighters.
The border breach came amid internecine fighting this week along the border, which Lebanon’s National News Agency (NNA) reported as involving "artillery shelling and heavy machine gun fire on the town of Jarmash on the city of Hermel’s northern border with Syria." ZH
"101 combat clashes have been recorded between Ukraine’s Defense Forces and Russian invaders. In the Pokrovsk axis alone, Ukrainian troops repelled 36 enemy assaults.
In the Kupiansk direction, five Russian attacks were reported as Ukraine repelled assaults near Lozova, Nova Kruhliakivka, Petropavlivka, and Zahryzove.In the Lyman direction, the enemy attacked 20 times, trying to advance near Zelenyi Hai, Kopanky, Novoserhiivka, Hrekivka, Nove, Zelena Dolyna, Novoliubivka, Katerynivka, Yampolivka, Terny, and Kolodiaz.
In the Siversk direction, the invaders twice attacked Ukraine’s positions near Bilohorivka.
In the Kramatorsk direction, three clashes between Ukraine’s Defense Forces and the Russians in the area of Chasiv Yar were recorded.
In the Toretsk direction, the Russians carried out 13 attacks in the areas of Diliivka and Toretsk.
In the Pokrovsk direction, Ukraine held back 36 Russian assault and offensive efforts toward Zelene Pole, Vodiane Druhe, Novotoretske, Pokrovsk, Pishchane, Udachne, Myroliubivka, Promin, Lysivka, Kotliarivka, Uspenivka, Dachne, Andriivka, and Shevchenko.
In the Novopavlivka direction, the Defense Forces repelled eight Russian attacks near Lysivka, Kostiantynopil, and Rozdolne." Ukrin
"The U.S. Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) unveiled the first round of sanctions against Iran under President Trump's second term, reinforcing his campaign pledge to ramp up "maximum pressure" on Tehran. The move targets Iran's oil network, which supplies discounted crude to China, generating billions in revenue that Treasury officials say helps fund regional militant groups."The oil was shipped on behalf of Iran's Armed Forces General Staff (AFGS) and its sanctioned front company, Sepehr Energy Jahan Nama Pars (Sepehr Energy). This action includes entities and individuals in multiple jurisdictions, including the PRC, India, and the United Arab Emirates (UAE), as well as several vessels," the Treasury stated in a press release, adding those "targeted" sanctions were designed to disrupt Iran's "oil network" to ship to China. Three ships were sanctioned, including one very large crude carrier and two Aframaxes tankers.
Secretary of the Treasury Scott Bessent stated, "The Iranian regime remains focused on leveraging its oil revenues to fund the development of its nuclear program, to produce its deadly ballistic missiles and unmanned aerial vehicles, and to support its regional terrorist proxy groups."
"The United States is committed to aggressively targeting any attempt by Iran to secure funding for these malign activities," Bessent noted.
The Biden-Harris era of loose enforcement of sanctions on Iranian oil exports to China is over. Trump and the Treasury's move this week should serve as a clear warning shot to Tehran." ZeroHedge
"Russia launched 112 Shahed attack drones and decoy UAVs of various types against Ukraine in the night. As of 09:00, 81 Shahed attack UAVs and other types of drones were confirmed shot down over Kharkiv, Poltava, Sumy, Kyiv, Cherkasy, Chernihiv, Kirovohrad, Zhytomyr, Khmelnytskyi, Zaporizhzhia, Dnipropetrovsk, Mykolaiv and Odesa oblasts." NV
"U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio will not attend the G20 summit scheduled for Feb. 20-21 in Johannesburg, South Africa, he announced in a post on X.
“I will NOT attend the G20 summit in Johannesburg,” Rubio said.
“South Africa is doing very bad things. Expropriating private property. Using G20 to promote ‘solidarity, equality, & sustainability’. In other words: DEI and climate change.”
He added that his role is to advance U.S. national interests, "not waste taxpayer money or coddle anti-Americanism." NV
"President Volodymyr Zelensky is ready to sit down at the negotiating table with the Russian dictator, but Putin is afraid to talk to him about ending the war.
Answering the question whether he would cancel the decree that makes it impossible to hold talks with Putin, the President noted that “this is the narrative of the Russian Federation.” Ukrin
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