IRNA reports that an explosion was heard near Iran’s Qeshm Island.

The sound appeared to come from the sea, with no reported impact on the island itself.

Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa:

I had nothing to do with 9/11. I was 13 years old at that time. I didn’t know anything about this stuff.

Of course, I am sorry for all the victims, both in the U.S. and those who fell in the Middle East because of the policies that were pursued there.

Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa:

I don’t believe that it’s an appropriate time to discuss things that happened 25 years ago. I was at a different age, and the conditions in the region were different.

Ending the war with Iran has become a top White House priority, according to U.S. officials, despite Trump publicly saying he is comfortable with the conflict continuing through the November midterms.

Source: WaPo

Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa:

It’s a right for the Kurds who are living in Syria to have their cultural and linguistic rights recognized in Syria.

Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa:

At the end of the day, we agreed that Kurdish-inhabited areas are going to learn in the Kurdish language.

After 100 years, the Kurds had their rights recognized.

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent could become Trump’s new AI czar as the administration prepares to create a new AI adviser role and an “AI force.”

Source: Reuters

Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa on Israel:

We almost reached 90% of an agreement with Israel, but then Israel withdrew from the agreement for different reasons they put in place.

Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa:

The Golan Heights are Syrian territory under the recognition of the UN.

There’s no discussion about those territories and to whom they belong.

The U.S. is withholding a visa for Sudan’s army chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan ahead of the UN General Assembly, with sources saying Washington is linking his attendance to acceptance of a proposed 90-day ceasefire.

Sudan has asked the UN to intervene, while Burhan’s side has rejected what it calls a “take-it-or-leave-it” approach.

Source: Reuters

Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa:

We are now getting into having legal status for the Turkish bases in northwestern Syria because any foreign presence should be under the endorsement of the people and have legal status.

Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa on Israel:

It’s not appropriate that what happened on October 7 set Israeli policy for Syria. This is not logical. This brings more security threats.

If you want to protect your own security, you need to respect the security of others.

Israel needs to change its policy because it’s creating problems around it in order to maintain its security. This is not working for them.

Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa on Israel:

Even the presidential palace has been bombed twice by Israel. Our airports are being bombed by Israel.

Will that bring security to Israeli citizens?

Look at the relationships we have with the U.S., UK, and Lebanon. They are successful.

I believe the problem is with Israel, not Syria.

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian has arrived in New York to attend and address the 81st UN General Assembly.

Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa:

When I visited Trump at the White House, when he said the Golan Heights belongs to Israel, I made the joke, “Why don’t you give New Jersey to the Israelis? You don’t own the Golan Heights to give, but you own New Jersey.”

I believe New Jersey is full of Democrats, and they are not voting for Trump, so it would be good to give it to the Israelis. At least this is something you own. Trump doesn’t own the Golan Heights.

Regardless of this joke, the Golan Heights is owned by its own people. It is neither the Syrian president’s, the American president’s, nor any other person’s to abandon or give up to others.

Marco Rubio on Greenland:

Greenland is important for us from a national security point of view.

Like, we can never afford to wake up one day in a world where the Chinese have bases there, the Russians, anybody, you know.

Marco Rubio on Greenland:

There is a movement in Greenland that wants the option to one day become independent. And this deal stands whether they go independent or not.

They simply want the option to one day become an independent country if they so choose to do that. That’ll be up to them.

But whether that happens or not, this deal covers it. In essence, it’ll still be a deal. And that’s why making Greenland a part of the deal was important as well. They signed on to it as well.

Marco Rubio on Iran:

If Iran had a nuclear weapon, they could do whatever they wanted.

They could close the straits and they would tell the world, "You can’t stop us. We control the straits. We’ll do whatever we want because we have a nuclear weapon and we’ll nuke you if you try to stop us."

Marco Rubio on Iran:

Look how they’ve massacred their own people. If they’re willing to massacre their own people, what do you think they’d do to us, or to Israel, or to their neighbors, their Sunni neighbors, for example?

Marco Rubio:

I want to be clear: the United States never targets civilians. Ever.

That doesn’t mean that in a war, unfortunately, tragically, and in a heartbreaking way, some civilians get caught in the crossfire.

But we never target civilians. The United States doesn’t do that.

You know who does target civilians? Iran.