President Trump warned Monday there would be "very powerful" consequences for Iran if it rebuilds its ballistic missile or nuclear weapons programs.
Why it matters: Trump made clear during a briefing at his Mar-a-Lago estate with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that he wouldn't rule out more military action against Iran.
President Trump said the U.S. military launched strikes against ISIS in Nigeria on Christmas Day because "Islamic terrorists" are attacking Christians in the region.
The big picture: The situation is more nuanced than Trump claims, with analysts and data underscoring that Christians are targets in a small percentage of religiously motivated attacks in the country.
Israeli President Isaac Herzog swiftly denied President Trump's claim on Monday that he had told the U.S. president he would pardon Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Why it matters: Trump has intervened repeatedly in Israel's politics and judicial system by pressuring Herzog to pardon Netanyahu, who faces multiple corruption charges. He did so once again on Monday when Netanyahu arrived to meet him at Mar-a-Lago.
Russian President Vladimir Putin claimed in a call with President Trump on Monday — their second in 24 hours — that Ukraine conducted a drone attack targeting one of his official residences, a claim Kyiv immediately denied.
Why it matters: Putin told Trump that Russia would revise its negotiating position based on the alleged attack, according to Moscow's readout. It's the latest indication the Kremlin is disinclined to accept the deal the U.S. and Ukraine have been negotiating for weeks.
President Trump said after his Sunday meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky that Ukraine and Russia are "closer than ever" to a peace deal and that 95% of the issues have been settled.
Why it matters: The meeting comes at the height of Trump's diplomatic push to reach a peace agreement aimed at ending the war in Ukraine.
China's military conducted live-fire military drills around Taiwan on Monday in what a Chinese official said marked "a stern warning" against 'Taiwan Independence' separatist forces and external interference."
The big picture: The drills involving the Chinese Army, Navy, Air Force and Rocket Force troops came less than two weeks after the Trump administration announced plans for a $11.1 billion weapons deal with Taipei, which prompted Beijing to impose sanctions on Boeing and other U.S. firms.
