Rubio demands US envoys avoid inflammatory remarks after Huckabee sparks regional fury
The UN Security Council has lifted sanctions against the dissolved rebel group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), once linked to Al-Qaeda, following its dissolution by Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio issued a memo to American ambassadors urging them to avoid inflammatory remarks that could increase regional tensions, amid controversy over comments by Huckabee suggesting Israel's biblical land rights. Meanwhile, geopolitical tensions continue with escalated violence between Pakistan and Afghan Taliban forces, and a major media merger between Paramount and Warner Bros. Discovery was announced, valued at $110 billion. Additionally, the House Oversight Committee highlighted differing views on Bill Clinton’s responses during a deposition related to Jeffrey Epstein.
The Times of Israel is liveblogging Saturday’s events as they unfold.
UN Security Council lifts sanctions on Syria’s HTS rebel group
The UN Security Council has lifted its sanctions against the dissolved Islamist armed group HTS, once led by Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa.
Sharaa led Hayat Tahrir al-Sham when it, alongside other rebel groups, toppled Syrian strongman Bashar al-Assad in 2024.
The group had been under UN Security Council sanctions since its earlier inception as the Al-Qaeda-affiliated Al-Nusra Front, the jihadist network’s official branch in Syria.
In 2016, the group announced it had severed its ties with Al-Qaeda and rebranded as HTS — though it remained sanctioned.
In December 2024, shortly after taking power, Sharaa announced the dissolution of all armed rebel groups that had toppled Assad, including HTS.
Sharaa himself was removed from UN Security Council sanctions last year, following a resolution from the United States.
Rubio tells ambassadors to avoid inflammatory remarks after Huckabee sparks regional fury
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio sent a memo to American ambassadors around the world, demanding that they not make comments that could “inflame regional audiences,” days after US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee sparked massive backlash in the Mideast and beyond for suggesting that Israel had a biblical right to much of the land in the region.
“Given rising tensions in the region, Chiefs of Mission and embassies at addressee posts must refrain from public statements, interviews, or social media activity that could in any way inflame regional audiences, prejudice sensitive political issues, or complicate US relationships,” states the cable obtained by the Guardian.
“Chiefs of Mission are expected to avoid all commentary on issues that could heighten tensions or create confusion about US policy. Discipline in public messaging is essential, especially at this time,” the memo adds.
Huckabee is not singled out by name in the cable, but the directive is widely interpreted in the administration as a rebuke of him, the Guardian says.
White House officials were reportedly concerned that Huckabee’s comments could even harm the ongoing negotiations with Iran.
“The president is starting to get pissed with Huckabee for interfering with his negotiation,” a person familiar with the matter tells the Guardian.
“And he hasn’t forgotten that his daughter refused to endorse him in the last campaign,” the source adds, taking a shot at Arkansas Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders.
In an interview with conservative commentator Tucker Carlson last week, Huckabee said “it would be fine” if Israel took over a large swath of the Middle East.
He added, however: “I don’t think that’s what we’re talking about here today … they’re not asking to take it over.”
Lindsey Graham suggests regime change would be better than a deal with Iran
While US President Donald Trump’s administration suggests it’s still open to reaching a nuclear deal with Iran, Republican Senator Lindsey Graham cautions against doing so.
“To any dealmaker regarding Iran: please understand your deal will have to come to the Senate and be tested,” Graham tweets.
It’s unclear, though, whether a deal reached by the US and Iran would require Congressional approval.
Moreover, Graham is one of the more hawkish Republican senators, and it’s unclear whether he or other GOP lawmakers would be willing to defy Trump if he brings a deal for their approval.
“When it comes to matters like this, it’s not about a political party to me. I am going ask the hard questions no matter who presents the deal,” Graham insists.
“To say I’m suspicious that the ayatollah and his regime will change and keep their word is the biggest understatement in history. I would also caution, beware of anything that comes from Oman.”
“It is clear to me that the best and only long-term answer is to stand with the Iranian people and demand regime change,” Graham adds.
US says it supports Pakistan’s ‘right to defend itself’ against Afghan Taliban
The United States says it supports Pakistan’s “right to defend itself” against attacks from Afghanistan’s Taliban rulers after Islamabad said earlier in the day that the neighboring countries were in “open war.”
Afghanistan’s Taliban rulers had said earlier today that they were willing to negotiate after Pakistan bombed their forces in major cities.
“The United States supports Pakistan’s right to defend itself against attacks from the Taliban, a Specially Designated Global Terrorist group,” a State Department spokesperson says in an emailed statement.
Pakistan is nuclear-armed and its military capabilities are vastly superior to Afghanistan’s. However, the Taliban are adept at guerrilla warfare, hardened by decades of fighting with US-led forces, before returning to power in 2021 when Washington withdrew chaotically.
Pakistan is a major non-NATO ally of Washington. The US considers the Afghan Taliban to be a “terrorist” group.
The latest violence erupted after Pakistan’s airstrikes on Afghan territory last weekend triggered Afghan retaliatory attacks along the border on Thursday, escalating long‑simmering tensions over Pakistan’s claim that Afghanistan shelters Pakistani Taliban militants. Afghanistan denies this and argues Pakistan is deflecting blame for its own security failures.
The State Department spokesperson says Washington is aware of the escalation in tensions and “outbreak of fighting between Pakistan and the Afghan Taliban,” adding the US was “saddened by the loss of life.”
Both sides reported heavy losses in the fighting, which Pakistan’s Defense Minister Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif said amounted to an “open war.”
“The Taliban have consistently failed to uphold their counterterrorism commitments,” the State Department says, adding that “terrorist groups use Afghanistan as a launching pad for their heinous attacks.”
Paramount acquires Warner Bros. in $110 bn mega-merger
US media conglomerate Paramount Skydance announces that it will acquire Warner Bros. Discovery in a deal valuing the combined company at $110 billion, after beating Netflix in a bruising bidding war.
The agreement ends a five-month saga and creates an entertainment behemoth whose impact on a struggling media landscape — and connections to Donald Trump’s White House — will be closely scrutinized.
The merged entity will include CNN, CBS, HBO and Nickelodeon as well as some of Hollywood’s most valuable franchises, including Harry Potter, Game of Thrones, the DC Universe, Mission Impossible and SpongeBob SquarePants.
Under the terms of the agreement, Paramount will pay $31.00 per share in cash for all outstanding Warner Bros. shares, implying an equity value of $81 billion — and $110 billion when including the mountain of debt Paramount will take on.
The transaction has been unanimously approved by both companies’ boards and is expected to close in the third quarter of 2026, the companies said.
“Our pursuit of Warner Bros. Discovery has been guided by a clear purpose: to honor the legacy of two iconic companies while accelerating our vision of building a next-generation media and entertainment company,” says Paramount chairman and CEO David Ellison.
The deal closes a battle that ended Thursday when Netflix walked away, unwilling to match Paramount’s latest offer.
GOP chair of Epstein panel: Bill Clinton ‘answered every question’
The Republican chair of the panel that grilled former US president Bill Clinton on his ties to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein credits him with answering every question, but another lawmaker pointed to “inconsistencies.”
“We believe this was a very productive deposition, that president Clinton answered every question — or attempted to answer every question,” US House Oversight Committee chairman James Comer says after the hearing.
Comer’s colleague, fellow Republican Nancy Mace, adds, “I will comment that I believe you’ll see some inconsistencies in some of the responses” when the testimony video and transcript are released.
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