· Venezuela: twin 7.2 and 7.5 quakes west of Caracas, the strongest since 1900
· At least 164 dead as Trump and Rubio pledge fast US aid
· The Senate reverses, rejecting the war-powers resolution 50-47 after the murder-hornet lunch
· The war winds down: oil at pre-war lows, the Gulf rejects Hormuz tolls
· Markets: Brent ~$73, Micron smashes earnings and dispels AI-bubble fear
DAY 118 THU 9:00 AM ET MORNING BRIEF — War 118 / Deal signed Day 8 / Trickle-Back Day 11 / Midterms T-131. SIX MORNING MOVES — Conflict -2 to 63, Energy -2 to 68, Coalition +2 to 34, Crypto +2 to 72, Tech Primacy +2 to 80, Gold -2 to 73, Mr. Robert's calls. Legitimacy 3 ON LIFE SUPPORT.
• VENEZUELA — twin quakes of 7.2 and 7.5, 39 seconds apart, struck west of Caracas near San Felipe on Wednesday evening, the strongest since 1900; at least 164 are dead and ~971 hurt with the toll expected to climb into the thousands, La Guaira flattened, the Simon Bolivar airport and the Caracas exchange shut. Trump and Rubio pledged big, fast, effective US aid and deployed search-and-rescue teams; France, Spain, Germany and China are sending crews. Mr. Robert's read: this lands less than six months after the US captured Maduro and installed Delcy Rodriguez with Washington's blessing — a humanitarian opening that deepens the Reconstruction and Western Hemisphere Consolidation theses, oil and rebuild capital flowing in behind the rescue teams. LatAm holds 99 at the ceiling, reinforced.
• THE SENATE REVERSES — a day after Trump's murder-hornet lunch, the Senate flipped, rejecting the war-powers resolution 50-47 with Cassidy crossing back and Paul voting present — undoing Tuesday's 50-48 rebuke. Trump said it puts Iran on notice. Mr. Robert: the whip operation closed ranks after the venting session, a cohesion up-tick — Coalition +2 to 34. Leverage reasserted, not resolved.
• THE WAR WINDS DOWN — oil fell to its lowest since before the war as tankers pour through Hormuz at ~85% of pre-war volumes. Rubio, in Bahrain with the GCC, said Gulf states showed zero support for any Hormuz toll or fee and called Iran a greater threat to Europe than to the US; no reconstruction fund for Iran was discussed. The IRGC rejected a new shipping lane; 57 ships have transited since Monday under the UN evacuation; Grossi says inspections will happen. Conflict -2 to 63.
• THE COURT — SCOTUS hands down opinions at 10 AM with the term's biggest cases still live: the Fed-governor and regulator firing powers (Cook, Slaughter), birthright citizenship (Barbara), mail-in ballots (Watson), campaign finance (NRSC), transgender athletes (Hecox), and asylum (Al Otro Lado). Already decided this term: the tariffs struck down 6-3, racial gerrymandering and conversion therapy upheld. The new docket section tracks what is decided and what is pending. Legitimacy stays 3 ON LIFE SUPPORT until a branch structurally fails.
• MARKETS — oil at pre-war lows, Brent ~$73 and WTI below $70 for the first time since March 2, ~40% off the wartime peak with the prompt spread flipping to contango; the pump still sticky at $3.93 and a DOJ gouging probe. Equities ripped as Micron smashed earnings and dispelled the AI-bubble fear that drove the chip rout — futures rebound, the S&P near 7,390, VIX ~18.6, the dollar firm at ~101. Gold holds near its seven-month low ~$4,100; BTC ~$61.3K and XRP ~$1.08 stabilized after the crush. Crypto +2 to 72.
• THE CUP — Mexico completed its group sweep, South Africa stunned South Korea, and Brazil looked like Brazil with Vini Jr. and Cunha both brilliant; Morocco was flat but held on. The US plays tonight and is resting several starters. Mr. Robert's new order: Argentina 1, France 2, Spain 3, Brazil up to 4, Germany 5.
• BOTTOM LINE — the war is winding down on the President's terms while a Caribbean catastrophe hands him a Western-Hemisphere opening; oil at pre-war lows is the number that decides November, and the Senate just reminded everyone the leverage runs both ways. The talks are live, Lebanon is the wire, SCOTUS is the next institutional test, T-131 to November.
Day 118 Thursday Morning 9:00 AM ET. War 118 / Deal signed Day 8 / Hormuz recovering / Trickle-Back Day 11 / Midterms T-131. VENEZUELA: twin quakes of magnitude 7.2 and 7.5 struck 39 seconds apart west of Caracas near San Felipe on Wednesday evening, the strongest since 1900; at least 164 are dead and ~971 hurt, with the toll expected to climb into the thousands, La Guaira flattened, the Simon Bolivar airport and the Caracas exchange shut.
THE AID — Trump and Rubio pledged big, fast, effective US assistance and deployed search-and-rescue teams; France, Spain, Germany and China are sending crews and aircraft. Mr. Robert: the disaster lands less than six months after the US captured Maduro and installed Delcy Rodriguez with Washington's blessing, opening Venezuela's oil to Western capital — a humanitarian opening that deepens the Reconstruction and Western Hemisphere Consolidation theses. LatAm holds 99 at the ceiling, reinforced.
THE SENATE REVERSES — a day after Trump's murder-hornet lunch, the chamber rejected the war-powers resolution 50-47, Cassidy crossing back and Paul voting present, undoing Tuesday's 50-48 rebuke; Trump said it puts Iran on notice. Mr. Robert: the whip operation closed ranks after the venting session, a cohesion up-tick — Coalition +2 to 34. The leverage runs both ways.
THE WAR WINDS DOWN — oil fell to its lowest since before the war as Hormuz runs at ~85% of pre-war volume; Rubio, in Bahrain with the GCC, said Gulf states showed zero support for any Hormuz toll and called Iran a greater threat to Europe than to the US, with no reconstruction fund for Iran discussed. The IRGC rejected a new lane, 57 ships have transited since Monday, and Grossi says inspections will happen. Conflict -2 to 63.
THE COURT — SCOTUS hands down opinions at 10 AM with the Fed-governor and regulator firing powers, birthright citizenship, mail-in ballots, campaign finance, transgender athletes and asylum all still live; the term has already struck the tariffs 6-3. The new docket tracker lays out decided and pending. Legitimacy stays 3 ON LIFE SUPPORT until a branch structurally fails.
MARKETS — oil at pre-war lows, Brent ~$73 and WTI below $70 for the first time since March 2, ~40% off the peak with the prompt spread in contango; the pump sticky at $3.93 and a DOJ gouging probe. Equities ripped as Micron smashed earnings and dispelled the AI-bubble fear, the S&P near 7,390, VIX ~18.6, the dollar firm at ~101. Gold near its seven-month low ~$4,100; BTC ~$61.3K and XRP ~$1.08 stabilized. INDEX DAY 118 MORNING: SIX CALLED MOVES — Conflict -2 to 63, Energy -2 to 68, Coalition +2 to 34, Crypto +2 to 72, Tech Primacy +2 to 80, Gold -2 to 73; Legitimacy 3 ON LIFE SUPPORT.
AND THE CUP — Mexico completed its group sweep, South Africa stunned South Korea, and Brazil looked like Brazil with Vini Jr. and Cunha both brilliant; Morocco was flat but held on, and the US rests several starters tonight. Mr. Robert's new order: Argentina 1, France 2, Spain 3, Brazil up to 4, Germany 5, Netherlands 6, England 7, the US 8. The talks are live and Lebanon is still the wire, SCOTUS is the next institutional test, T-131 to November.
9:00 AM ET THURSDAY — DAY 118. The lead is a catastrophe in the Caribbean. Twin earthquakes of magnitude 7.2 and 7.5 struck 39 seconds apart west of Caracas near San Felipe on Wednesday evening, the strongest to hit Venezuela since 1900; at least 164 are confirmed dead and roughly 971 injured, with officials and the USGS warning the toll could climb into the thousands. La Guaira was hardest hit, the Simon Bolivar international airport is closed and the Caracas Stock Exchange suspended trading.
THE AID — Trump and Rubio pledged big, fast, effective US assistance and deployed federal search-and-rescue teams; France is sending 85 rescuers, Spain and Germany are flying in crews and aircraft, and China is contributing. Mr. Robert: the disaster lands less than six months after the US military captured Maduro and acting President Delcy Rodriguez was installed with Washington's blessing, opening Venezuela's oil to Western capital — a humanitarian opening that deepens the Reconstruction and Western Hemisphere Consolidation theses, rebuild money flowing in behind the rescue teams. LatAm holds 99 at the ceiling, reinforced.
THE SENATE REVERSES — a day after Trump arrived at the GOP Steering lunch mad as a murder hornet, the Senate flipped. The chamber rejected the war-powers resolution 50-47, with Bill Cassidy crossing back to the President and Rand Paul voting present — undoing Tuesday's 50-48 rebuke. Trump said the vote puts Iran on notice. Mr. Robert: the whip operation closed ranks after the venting session, a cohesion up-tick — Coalition +2 to 34. The leverage runs both ways.
THE WAR WINDS DOWN — oil fell to its lowest level since before the war as tankers pour through Hormuz, the IEA pegging UAE exports at ~85% of pre-war volume. Secretary Rubio, in Bahrain with the GCC, said Gulf states showed zero support for any toll or fee on the strait and called Iran a greater threat to Europe than to the United States; no reconstruction fund for Iran was discussed. The IRGC rejected a proposed new shipping lane, 57 ships have transited since Monday under the UN evacuation, and Grossi says inspections will happen. Conflict -2 to 63.
THE COURT — the Supreme Court hands down opinions at 10 AM with the term's biggest cases still outstanding: the President's power to fire a Fed governor (Trump v. Cook) and independent regulators (Trump v. Slaughter), birthright citizenship (Trump v. Barbara), mail-in ballot deadlines (Watson v. RNC), campaign-finance limits (NRSC v. FEC), transgender athletes (Little v. Hecox) and asylum (Noem v. Al Otro Lado). The term has already struck down the tariffs 6-3 and ruled on racial gerrymandering and conversion therapy. New this edition, the brief adds a dedicated Supreme Court Docket section — you will find it in the navigation — laying out what the term has already decided and what is still pending, each case tracked against the Legitimacy index. Legitimacy stays 3 ON LIFE SUPPORT until a branch structurally fails.
MARKETS — oil sits at pre-war lows: Brent near $73 and WTI below $70 for the first time since March 2, roughly 40% off the wartime peak, the prompt spread flipping into bearish contango for the first time since the war began. The pump stayed sticky at $3.93 with a DOJ gouging probe running. Equities ripped — Micron smashed earnings and dispelled the AI-bubble fear that drove the two-session chip rout, futures rebounded, the S&P traded near 7,390, the VIX eased to ~18.6 and the dollar firmed near 101. Gold breaks toward its seven-month low around $4,100; BTC ~$61.3K and XRP ~$1.08 stabilized after the sub-$60K and sub-$1 crush. Crypto +2 to 72, Tech Primacy +2 to 80 on the Micron rebound, Gold -2 to 73 as the low gives way.
LEBANON + ISRAEL — an Israeli soldier was killed in the south and Israeli drone strikes on Hezbollah continued inside the security zone; Katz holds that Israel will not withdraw. The de-confliction cell that excludes Israel is still the structure meant to contain it.
AND THE CUP — Mexico completed its group sweep, South Africa stunned South Korea, and Brazil looked like Brazil with Vini Jr. and Cunha both brilliant; Morocco was flat but came back and held on. The US plays tonight and is resting several starters. Mr. Robert's new order: Argentina 1, France 2, Spain 3, Brazil up to 4, Germany 5. The talks are live, Lebanon is the wire, SCOTUS is the next institutional test, T-131 to November.
DAY 118 MORNING 9:00 AM ET — VENEZUELA: Twin 7.2 And 7.5 Quakes 39 Seconds Apart West Of Caracas, The Strongest Since 1900, At Least 164 Dead And ~971 Hurt, The Toll Climbing Into The Thousands / TRUMP AND RUBIO PLEDGE BIG, FAST, EFFECTIVE US AID Less Than Six Months After Washington Captured Maduro / THE SENATE REVERSES: The Chamber Rejects The War-Powers Resolution 50-47, Undoing Tuesday's Rebuke, Trump Says It Puts Iran On Notice / THE WAR WINDS DOWN: Oil At Pre-War Lows, The Gulf Gives Zero Support For Hormuz Tolls / SCOTUS DELIVERS AT 10 AM / MARKETS: Brent ~$73 / WTI Below $70, Micron Smashes Earnings, BTC ~$61.3K / XRP ~$1.08, Gold ~$4,100 / WORLD CUP: MEXICO SWEEPS, SOUTH AFRICA STUNS SOUTH KOREA / INDEX DAY 118 MORNING: SIX CALLED MOVES — CONFLICT -2 TO 63, ENERGY -2 TO 68, COALITION +2 TO 34, CRYPTO +2 TO 72, TECH PRIMACY +2 TO 80, GOLD -2 TO 73, LEGITIMACY 3 ON LIFE SUPPORT, T-131 — Day 118 Thursday Morning 9:00 AM ET. June 25, 2026. The lead is a catastrophe in the Caribbean. Twin earthquakes of magnitude 7.2 and 7.5 struck 39 seconds apart west of Caracas near San Felipe on Wednesday evening, the strongest since 1900; at least 164 are dead and ~971 hurt, with the toll expected to climb into the thousands, La Guaira flattened, the Simon Bolivar airport and the Caracas exchange shut. Trump and Rubio pledged big, fast, effective US aid and deployed search-and-rescue teams, with France, Spain, Germany and China sending crews. Mr. Robert: it lands less than six months after the US captured Maduro and installed Delcy Rodriguez with Washington's blessing — a humanitarian opening that deepens Reconstruction and Western Hemisphere Consolidation; LatAm holds 99, reinforced. The Senate reversed, rejecting the war-powers resolution 50-47 with Cassidy crossing back and Paul voting present, undoing Tuesday's 50-48 rebuke; Trump said it puts Iran on notice — the whip closed ranks, Coalition +2 to 34. The war winds down: oil at the lowest since before the war, Brent ~$73 and WTI below $70 first time since March 2, ~40% off the peak with the prompt spread in contango; Rubio in Bahrain said the GCC gave zero support for any Hormuz toll and called Iran a greater threat to Europe than the US, the IRGC rejected a new lane, and Grossi says inspections will happen — Conflict -2 to 63, Energy -2 to 68. SCOTUS hands down opinions at 10 AM with the Fed-firing, birthright and mail-in-ballot cases still live; Legitimacy 3 ON LIFE SUPPORT. Markets: Micron smashed earnings and dispelled the AI-bubble fear, futures rebounded, gold near its seven-month low ~$4,100, BTC ~$61.3K and XRP ~$1.08 stabilized — Crypto +2 to 72, Tech Primacy +2 to 80, Gold -2 to 73. World Cup: Mexico swept its group, South Africa stunned South Korea, Brazil looked like Brazil. The talks are live and Lebanon is still the wire, T-131 to November.
The group stage keeps delivering. Co-host Mexico completed a clean group sweep at home, South Africa pulled off the upset of the round by stunning South Korea, and Brazil finally looked like Brazil — Vinicius Jr. and Matheus Cunha both turning in brilliant performances. Morocco was flat for long stretches but came back to hold on. The United States plays tonight and is resting several starters with the group already in hand, the kind of squad-rotation luxury only the favorites get. The result is a reshuffled top of the table: Brazil's statement performance vaults it up the order while the teams it leapfrogged each slide a spot.
Mr. Robert's read: Brazil's the mover — up five to fourth on the strength of the Vini Jr.-Cunha showing — so the order is now 1 Argentina, 2 France, 3 Spain, 4 Brazil, 5 Germany, 6 Netherlands, 7 England, 8 United States, 9 Norway, 10 Mexico, 11 Colombia, 12 Portugal, 13 Morocco. Morocco's flat-but-survived day drops it three to thirteenth; Mexico, Colombia and Portugal each tick up one as the field reshuffles around Brazil. The knockouts are where the seedings get settled. Expand any edition for the chart and the reasoning.
Two earthquakes, magnitude 7.2 and 7.5, struck 39 seconds apart on Wednesday evening near San Felipe in Yaracuy state, west of Caracas — the most powerful to hit Venezuela since 1900. At least 164 are confirmed dead and roughly 971 injured, and officials and the USGS warn the toll could climb into the thousands; the USGS puts meaningful odds on a final count in the tens of thousands. The port city of La Guaira was hardest hit, the Simon Bolivar international airport is closed, and the Caracas Stock Exchange suspended trading. Trump and Rubio pledged big, fast, effective US assistance and deployed federal search-and-rescue teams, with France sending 85 rescuers, Spain and Germany flying in crews and A400M aircraft, and China contributing; an IMF rebuild facility of around $200M is being assembled.
The disaster lands less than six months after the US military captured Nicolas Maduro and acting President Delcy Rodriguez was installed with Washington's blessing, a transition that opened Venezuela's oil sector to Western capital. Aftershocks continue along the fault west of the capital, and the government has appealed for international help as hospitals in La Guaira and Caracas strain.
The Republican crack closed. A day after Trump arrived at the GOP Steering lunch mad as a murder hornet over Tuesday's 50-48 war-powers rebuke, the Senate flipped: it rejected the resolution 50-47, with Bill Cassidy crossing back to the President and Rand Paul voting present, undoing the prior vote that had instructed Trump to halt operations or seek authorization. Trump said the result puts Iran on notice. It is a clean whip-operation win after a venting session that looked like the conference coming apart — the leverage running back the President's way as the war itself winds down.
Tuesday's rebuke had been the first time since the 1973 War Powers Resolution that both chambers approved a concurrent resolution directing a president to end a conflict; the reversal strips even that symbolic force. The rebels are nearly all spent — Cornyn lost his primary to Paxton, Cassidy lost his, Tillis is not running, Collins and Murkowski are perennial, McConnell hospitalized and absent — and after the lunch the conference chose to close ranks rather than keep fighting itself weeks from the midterms.
Trump blames vandals working with knives ‘in the dark of night’ for the peeling ‘American flag blue’ coating and algae blooms marring his $16.4M Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool renovation, the centerpiece of his remake of the capital for the nation’s 250th birthday. But internal Park Service documents obtained by the Times tell another story: the foam cuts workers found were not related to the peeling sealant or the algae; the coating appears to have gone on too thin on two no-bid contracts rushed for July 4; the ozone nanobubblers meant to kill algae kept failing; and DC phosphate-treated water plus duck droppings fed the bloom. Work may not be finished until after July 4, dead ducks have turned up nearby, and a fence is going up early.
The administration awarded a $14.7M no-bid coating contract and a $1.7M nanobubbler contract, bypassing competitive bidding for an ‘urgent’ 250th deadline. A coatings expert who reviewed the records said the peeling looks like too little material applied too hastily. Tillis mocked the prosecution threat against the alleged vandals next to Trump’s blanket J6 pardons. A WaPo critic called the fiasco a metaphor for the presidency.
Secretary Rubio, in Bahrain with the GCC, said Gulf states showed no support for any tolling or fee system on the Strait of Hormuz — the unified line Washington wanted — and called Iran a greater threat to Europe than to the United States. No reconstruction fund for Iran was discussed. The framing lands as the war visibly winds down: oil fell to its lowest since before the conflict, the IEA pegs UAE exports at ~85% of pre-war volume, the IRGC rejected a proposed new shipping lane, 57 ships have transited the strait since Monday under the UN evacuation, and Grossi says IAEA inspections will happen even as the technical round stays set for June 29-30 in Switzerland.
The toll-versus-fee fight is the live negotiation under the recovery: Iran and Oman keep working a service-fee regime for after the 60-day pause, the leverage Tehran keeps once the guns go quiet, while Rubio insists no country may charge for transit of an international waterway. Bessent has defended the deal — we changed the regime — while critics note the relief is front-loaded. Rubio's harder Iran line, and his Europe-threat framing, sit alongside the burden-shifting message NATO carries into Ankara.
Colombia swung hard right. Abelardo de la Espriella — a brash, tough-on-crime outsider lawyer nicknamed 'El Tigre,' backed by Trump — clinched Sunday's presidential runoff, and on Wednesday his left-wing rival Iván Cepeda conceded. De la Espriella will succeed the leftist Gustavo Petro, who cut diplomatic ties with Israel in 2024 over Gaza, and the president-elect moved fast to reverse course, posting after a call with Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar that 'Israel can count on Colombia as a loyal friend and steadfast ally' and vowing to 'restore and strengthen' relations like never before. He takes office Aug 7. Colombia becomes the latest Latin American country to tilt rightward, alongside Peru, where Trump-aligned Keiko Fujimori holds an apparently insurmountable runoff lead.
De la Espriella ran a hardline law-and-order campaign in a country exhausted by Petro-era turbulence, and his win realigns Bogota toward Washington on security, migration and Israel after years of friction. Petro had been one of the hemisphere's loudest critics of Israel's war in Gaza; the reversal is immediate and symbolic. The shift slots into a broader regional pattern — Colombia, Peru and others moving into the US orbit as the administration runs its Pacific boat-strike campaign and its southern mission.
Six months into City Hall, Mayor Mamdani became an overnight kingmaker, sweeping three Democratic House primaries with handpicked insurgents: Brad Lander routed Dan Goldman, democratic socialist Darializa Avila Chevalier upset Congressional Hispanic Caucus chair Adriano Espaillat, and democratic socialist Claire Valdez beat the retiring incumbent’s pick — doubling the socialist bloc in the House to four. It was an anti-AIPAC night in America’s most heavily Jewish city, with Valdez’s crowd chanting against the lobby and pro-Israel incumbents routed; the establishment’s Micah Lasher held NY-12 over AI-targeted Alex Bores.
The wins accelerate the party’s shift away from Israel and expose its New York leaders: Schumer, underwater in the polls, now faces a live 2028 primary threat from the left, and Jeffries, eyeing the speakership, must knit a fractious caucus as DSA-backed members decline to commit to backing him. Outside New York the trend was mixed — AIPAC’s Boafo won in Maryland — so it is a New York earthquake, not yet a national one. DSA is surveying its 250 chapters for a 2028 presidential pick.
Oil has nearly erased its entire wartime gain. Brent fell to ~$73 and WTI dropped below $70 for the first time since March 2, roughly 40% off the wartime peak and a fourth straight down session, as tankers pour through Hormuz at ~85% of pre-war volume and Middle East, West African and waiver barrels flood the market — the prompt spread flipped into bearish contango for the first time since the war began. Equities ripped the other way: Micron smashed earnings and dispelled the AI-bubble fear that drove the two-session chip rout, US futures rebounded, the S&P traded near 7,390, the VIX eased to ~18.6 and the dollar firmed near 101. Gold holds near its seven-month low around $4,100; BTC ~$61.3K and XRP ~$1.08 stabilized after the sub-$60K and sub-$1 crush.
The pump stayed sticky at a $3.93 national average (+32% since the war) and diesel at $4.98, with Trump's DOJ gouging probe running; US crude inventories are at their lowest since 1984, Cushing near operating minimums. BofA dropped its BoE-hike call on the cheaper oil. Crypto rode the Micron-led bounce off Tuesday's extreme-fear lows, BTC still off roughly half its October ~$126K high, the quantum overhang from Monday's executive orders underneath.
NATO chief Mark Rutte meets Trump at 3:30 to set the stage for a summit in Turkey in two weeks, walking a tightrope: assure Trump the alliance will do more without overpromising for allies who have little left to give. Trump remains stung that NATO members did not rush warships to the Middle East during the war — they say, no, we would rather not help — and his team is pushing ‘burden-shifting,’ pulling US troop categories out of immediate NATO command. The White House pointedly framed it around the war: allies should have been there for the United States during the successful Operation Epic Fury. Meanwhile the E5 — France, Germany, Italy, Poland, the UK — convene in Berlin to prepare for Ankara and to jockey over who leads any Russia talks.
Last year’s Hague summit won a 5% spending goal and Trump’s praise; this year there are fewer big swings and more anxiety, with the UK, Spain and Czechia near their limits. Starmer attends Berlin as a lame duck after announcing his resignation; Meloni and Tusk resist letting the E3 lead Russia diplomacy. Rutte’s message: unity, no surprises, no public discord.
Israel’s defense minister Israel Katz said the military will not withdraw from southern Lebanon even if Washington demands it: 200,000 residents will not return, citing the risk of roadside bombs and attacks in any security zone with a civilian population. The Israeli army said it struck two Hezbollah fighters in the Ali al-Taher area, calling them an immediate threat. And Culture Minister Miki Zohar warned that Washington is on a ‘collision course’ with Israel over its Iran deal, saying a US agreement will not solve the nuclear-weapons issue and the war phase will return faster than people think.
The friction is the gap the deal cannot close: the US-Iran-Lebanon deconfliction cell pointedly excludes Israel, and President Aoun says Lebanon will consolidate the truce by deploying its army after an Israeli pullout — a pullout Katz now rules out. The EU is drafting a three-year mission to train Lebanese forces. Fighting has quieted in recent days, but the structural standoff is unresolved.