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Right-wing commentator Tucker Carlson alleged that the Israeli government sought to target members of his family and launched a series of sharp accusations against the Jewish state in a program released Friday following his short trip to Israel.

In the broadcast, Carlson described Israel as “probably the most violent country on earth,” labeled it a police state, questioned its legitimacy and the historical connection of the Jewish people to the land, and asserted that it exerts control over U.S. policy. He also falsely claimed that President Isaac Herzog had visited Jeffrey Epstein’s private island, referencing what appeared to be a fabricated AI-generated image that had circulated online.

Carlson, who has emerged as a prominent conservative critic of Israel, traveled to the country Wednesday to interview U.S. Ambassador Mike Huckabee. Some reports indicated that he remained in the airport area and left shortly thereafter. Friday’s program featured his interview with Huckabee along with extended monologues in which Carlson sharply criticized Israel.

Speaking on his own during the show, Carlson said: “There was a threat to my family. The Israeli government, and [Prime Minister] Netanyahu himself, tried to punish two members of my family. I won’t be more specific, but actually punish two members of my family because he, as he has said in public many times, believes in blood guilt, Amalek. You know, when someone commits a crime against you, you punish not just him, but his family, his bloodline.”

Carlson did not provide details or evidence to back up the allegation. Netanyahu has not stated that he supports collective punishment or “blood guilt.” References he made to Amalek following the October 7 attack were widely understood as invoking historic existential threats faced by the Jewish people.

Carlson continued: “There’s no idea that’s less Western than that, more anti-Christian than that. Christians reject that. Netanyahu doesn’t. That’s why he’s talking about Amalek, and he was going after my family, literally, so I felt very threatened by that.”

{Matzav.com}

Newsletter eml

A man drove a pickup truck into the front gate of the Brisbane Synagogue in Queensland, Australia, narrowly missing a person on the premises, according to local authorities.

Footage from the scene shows a Toyota Hilux reversing into the gate of the largest shul in Queensland’s capital city, as an individual standing on the opposite side quickly steps away to avoid being struck.

Police tracked down the vehicle shortly after the incident and took a 32-year-old man into custody, the Australian Broadcasting Corporation reported.

According to the ABC, the suspect faces charges including willful damage, serious vilification or hate crime, dangerous operation of a vehicle, and drug-related offenses.

Law enforcement officials are investigating the episode as a criminal matter rather than an act of terrorism. Police said they do not believe the driver intended to enter the shul building itself.

Australia’s Anti-Defamation League denounced what it described as a “violent vehicle attack” on the shul, calling it “a chilling assault on a sacred place of worship and a stark reminder that antisemitism in Australia is escalating beyond words.”

“While no one was physically injured, the deliberate targeting of a house of worship has sent shockwaves through the Jewish community and reinforced the urgent need for decisive action against hate-fueled violence,” the organization said.

Dvir Abramovich, the group’s chair, said the truck “didn’t just smash into metal gates last night. It smashed into the idea that Jews in Australia can pray in peace. When a vehicle is driven at a synagogue that is intimidation on wheels.

“We are told this is not being treated as terrorism. But when a synagogue is deliberately attacked, the label matters less than the impact. The fear is real. The shock is real. The message is unmistakable. Since October 7, antisemitism in this country has not whispered, it has roared,” he said.

WATCH:

{Matzav.com}

A powerful winter storm is poised to slam the East Coast, with forecasters warning that parts of the region from New York City through Boston and into New England could see as much as 24 inches of snowfall.

Air travel has already been heavily disrupted ahead of the approaching system. More than 1,700 flights were scrapped as airports including JFK, LaGuardia, Newark and Boston Logan prepared for dangerous conditions, FOX Weather reported, citing safety concerns at the major hubs.

AccuWeather senior meteorologist Carl Erickson characterized the system as a significant coastal storm. “We are describing this storm as a major nor’easter,” Erickson told The NY Post, noting that more than 30 million people could be affected, from Delaware and Maryland northward to New York and Boston.

The storm is expected to begin Sunday and intensify through early Monday, bringing wind gusts exceeding 60 miles per hour. Snowfall could accumulate at rates of 1 to 3 inches per hour in some locations, raising concerns about downed power lines and possible coastal flooding.

New York Gov. Kathy Hochul issued a state of emergency covering New York City, Long Island and Southern Westchester County effective Sunday morning, as projections showed the city alone could receive between 18 and 24 inches of snow.

FOX Weather reported that Extreme Impact Zones — areas where daily life is likely to face major disruption — have been expanded to include both New York City and Boston.

Erickson warned the storm will pack “very strong winds, near blizzard conditions, and treacherous travel conditions,” adding, “And those travel conditions are going to worsen rapidly Sunday night into Monday morning.”

Blizzard warnings for New York City, Long Island and parts of New Jersey are scheduled to take effect at 6 a.m. Sunday and remain in place until 6 p.m. Monday. Such warnings are issued when forecasters anticipate 13 to 18 inches of snow combined with winds of at least 55 miles per hour.

Officials expect total accumulations in the five boroughs and on Long Island to range from 18 to 24 inches.

“There could be some localized power outages with the wind gusts,” Erickson warned.

Light snow may begin around 6 a.m. Sunday, when temperatures will sit just above freezing, but heavier precipitation is forecast to move in by the afternoon.

“It will be difficult to get a lot in the way of accumulation during the daytime hours on Sunday, just given temperatures above freezing,” he said.

“The worst of this storm will be overnight Sunday and into Monday morning. That’s when we expect the core of this nor’easter.”

Snowfall intensity is expected to ramp up around 5 p.m. Sunday, Erickson said, with the most significant accumulations likely between 10 p.m. Sunday and 10 a.m. Monday.

“You could be talking about 1 inch per hour or higher during that time,” he said.

Heavy snow should persist into mid-morning Monday before gradually easing around noon and tapering off by late afternoon.

“The heaviest of snow will begin to taper off as we had past daybreak Monday,” he said.

“But there will still be some snow flying around into Monday afternoon.”

Temperatures Sunday are expected to reach the mid-30s, with Monday slightly warmer in the upper 30s.

“There’s not going to be a an extreme shot of cold air with this storm, which is why it will be difficult to get the snow to accumulate during the day tomorrow,” he said.

By Tuesday, highs should remain in the mid-30s, followed by lower 40s on Wednesday and Thursday.

“So it will a slow, gradual melt of the snow throughout much of next week,” he said.

The last official blizzard to strike New York City was in January 2016, when the storm known as “Snowzilla” blanketed the city with more than two feet of snow.

{Matzav.com}

President Donald Trump said Saturday that he is increasing the current 10% blanket tariff on imports from around the world to 15%, intensifying his trade policy one day after the Supreme Court issued a ruling concerning his authority to impose such duties.

In a message posted on Truth Social, Trump sharply criticized what he described as a “ridiculous, poorly written, and extraordinarily anti-American decision on Tariffs issued yesterday” by the Supreme Court. He said that after conducting a “thorough, detailed, and complete review,” he had decided to move forward without delay.

“Please let this statement serve to represent that I, as President of the United States of America, will be, effective immediately, raising the 10% Worldwide Tariff on Countries… to the fully allowed, and legally tested, 15% level,” Trump wrote.

He further stated that over the “next short number of months,” his administration would “determine and issue the new and legally permissible Tariffs,” calling the effort part of what he described as an “extraordinarily successful process of Making America Great Again — GREATER THAN EVER BEFORE!!!”

The Supreme Court’s decision earlier in the week focused on how far a president may go in using trade laws and emergency powers to levy tariffs. The justices examined the boundaries set by current statutes governing international commerce and executive authority.

Although the administration has faulted the ruling, Trump indicated that it still permits increased tariffs within what he referred to as “fully allowed” and “legally tested” limits.

Tariffs have remained a cornerstone of Trump’s economic agenda. He maintains that higher import duties shield American industries, shrink trade imbalances, and confront foreign governments that he says have “been ‘ripping’ the U.S. off for decades.”

Opponents argue that sweeping tariffs could drive up costs for consumers and invite countermeasures from other countries.

Saturday’s move signals that, despite judicial review of his powers, Trump intends to continue expanding tariff measures as a central feature of his administration’s economic policy.

{Matzav.com}

U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee said in a newly released interview that Israel has a biblical claim to extensive areas of the Middle East, while emphasizing that the country is not pursuing territorial expansion beyond its current sovereignty.

In an appearance on the Tucker Carlson Show that was released Friday, Huckabee cited Bereishis 15:18, referencing the posuk in which Hashem promises Avrohom Avinu that his descendants would inherit territory stretching “from the Nile to the Euphrates.”

During the discussion, host Tucker Carlson remarked that such a description would imply that Israel could lay claim to “basically the entire Middle East,” including present-day Jordan, Syria, Lebanon, as well as parts of Saudi Arabia and Iraq.

Huckabee pushed back on that interpretation, responding, “Not sure we’d go that far,” and adding, “It would be a big piece of land.”

BREAKING: US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee tells Tucker Carlson that Israel has the Biblical right to take over all of the Middle East.

“It would be fine if they took it all.” pic.twitter.com/BN4fXh03ga

— Tucker Carlson Network (@TCNetwork) February 20, 2026

When Carlson followed up by asking, “Does Israel have the right to that land?” Huckabee answered, “It would be fine if they took it all.”

Despite those comments, Huckabee made clear that Israel is not attempting to seize control of the broader region. He said that the Jewish state’s focus is on maintaining its right to exist and to live securely within the territory currently under Israeli sovereignty.

{Matzav.com}

President Trump announced today that he is raising the existing 10% worldwide tariff to the maximum legally permitted 15% level, citing decades of unfair treatment toward the U.S.

Student protests broke out today at major universities in Tehran and Mashhad, where protesters chanted anti-regime slogans such as “Death to Khamenei” and “Freedom.” Some participants also urged U.S. intervention, saying they would “finish the job.”

Fox News has obtained new information that appears to contradict the Biden administration’s claim that it had no involvement in the Department of Justice’s raid on President Trump’s Mar-a-Lago home in Palm Beach, Florida.

A military base in central Jordan has seen a sharp increase in U.S. aircraft activity, emerging as a key hub for potential American operations involving Iran, according to a report in The New York Times. New satellite imagery captured Friday shows more than 60 attack aircraft stationed at Muwaffaq Salti Air Base — roughly triple […]

BREAKING: Footage shows a truck plowing into the gates of the Brisbane Synagogue in Australia. Police arrested a 32-year-old Sunnybank man, charging him with willful damage, serious vilification or hate crime, dangerous operation of a vehicle, and drug-related offenses. The incident occurred Friday evening on Margaret Street; no injuries were reported.

The Pentagon and the Energy Department for the first time airlifted a small nuclear reactor from California to Utah, demonstrating what they say is the U.S. potential to quickly deploy nuclear power for military and civilian use. The nearly 700-mile flight last weekend — which transported a 5-megawatt microreactor without nuclear fuel — highlights the […]

The National Weather Service has placed New York and New Jersey under a winter storm watch as a significant snow system is expected to impact the region beginning Sunday.

The alert is scheduled to take effect Sunday morning and remain in place through Monday afternoon, forecasters said.

Meteorologists are predicting heavy snowfall across the tri-state area, which could sharply reduce visibility and make travel dangerous. Wet, heavy snow combined with strong wind gusts may also cause tree limbs to snap, potentially leading to scattered damage.

Forecasts call for widespread accumulations ranging from 3 to 10 inches in parts of New York City, as well as Westchester and Putnam counties, Nassau County, northeastern New Jersey and portions of Connecticut.

Suffolk County is expected to see even greater totals, with projections of 10 to 13 inches of snow. The National Weather Service cautioned that blizzard-like conditions are possible in that area.

City officials are urging caution as the storm approaches. The New York City Office of Emergency Management advised residents to limit nonessential travel on Sunday and Monday morning and to rely on public transportation if travel is necessary. New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani said municipal crews are preparing for the storm and are continuing to monitor the forecast closely.

{Matzav.com}

President Donald Trump has given Iran 10 to 15 days to return to negotiations or face repercussions, placing a tight timetable on the latest round of nuclear diplomacy and raising questions about whether military action could follow if talks fail. The new deadline comes after Trump said in June that he would decide “within the next two weeks” whether to strike Iran, ultimately reaching a decision just two days later. On Thursday, he issued another warning, saying the Islamic Republic must move toward negotiations within 10 to 15 days or face consequences.

The shortened timeframe now looms over renewed diplomatic efforts. Analysts note that when Trump sets deadlines, they can serve both as pressure tactics and as signals of potential escalation.

Jason Brodsky, policy director at United Against Nuclear Iran, told Fox News Digital, “The Iranian regime has been operating under a grand delusion that they can turn President Trump into President Obama and President Trump has made it clear that that’s not happening.”

Brodsky said officials inside the administration appear doubtful that the talks will lead to a meaningful breakthrough. “I think there’s deep skepticism in the Trump administration that this negotiation is going to produce any acceptable outcome.”

He suggested that diplomacy may be functioning as part of a broader strategy. “They’re using the diplomatic process to sharpen the choices of the Iranian leadership and to buy time to make sure that we have the appropriate military assets in the region.”

A Middle Eastern source familiar with the discussions told Fox News Digital that Iranian leaders recognize how close the threat of conflict feels and are unlikely to intentionally provoke Trump at this moment.

At the same time, the source said Tehran is unwilling to accept restrictions on its short-range missile capabilities, describing that issue as a clear red line established by Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei. Iranian negotiators, the source said, do not have authority to compromise on that matter, and any concession on missiles would be perceived domestically as tantamount to defeat in war.

However, the source indicated there could be room for discussion regarding uranium enrichment limits if meaningful sanctions relief were offered in return.

Brodsky argued that Iran’s fundamental positions remain unchanged. “They’re trying to engage in a lot of distraction… shiny objects, to distract from the fact that they’re not prepared to make the concessions that President Trump is requiring of them,” he said. “The Iranian positions do not change and have not changed fundamentally. They refuse to accept President Trump’s position on zero enrichment. They refuse to dismantle their nuclear infrastructure. They refuse limitations on Iran’s missile program, and they refuse to end support for terror groups.”

Behnam Taleblu, a senior fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, cautioned that Tehran may attempt to advance a different kind of arrangement altogether.

“The first kind of deal that we have to be worried about… they may pitch an agreement that is based more on transposing the current reality onto paper… these kinds of agreements are more like understandings,” Taleblu said.

“You take the present reality, and you transpose that onto paper, and then you make the U.S. pay for something it already achieved.”

Taleblu outlined what he views as Iran’s broader goals. “The Iranians want three things, essentially. The first is they want to deter and prevent a strike.”

“The second is that they are actually using negotiations… to take the wind out of the wings of Iranian dissidents. And then the third is… they actually do want some kind of foreign financial stabilization and sanctions relief.”

“What the Iranians want is to play for time… an agreement like this doesn’t really require the Iranians to offer anything.”

Taleblu also said the administration’s strategy remains intentionally unclear. “It’s hard to read the tea leaves of the administration here. Obviously, they don’t want a nuclear Iran, but also obviously they don’t want a long war in the Middle East.”

“The military architecture they’re moving into the region is signaling that they’re prepared to engage in one anyway. The question that the administration has not resolved politically… is: What is the political end state of the strikes? That’s the cultivation of ambiguity that the president excels at.”

Jacob Olidort, Chief Research Officer and Director of American Security at the America First Policy Institute, told Fox News Digital, “The President has been clear that he wants to give diplomacy a chance. However, if, in his estimation, diplomatic efforts prove unsuccessful, he will almost certainly turn to military options. What is rightfully unpredictable is the specific objective and scope of military action the President may take.”

“Specifically, will military action serve as a new layer of diplomatic pressure towards creating a new opportunity to make Iran agree to our demands — military force as coercive diplomacy — or simply achieve the intended objectives that diplomacy could not? Regardless, the President has a record of taking bold action to protect the American people from Iran’s threats.”

Sources inside Iran told Fox News Digital that public opinion remains divided. While many Iranians oppose the idea of a foreign military intervention, frustration over the deaths of young protesters continues to fuel unrest and deepen internal tensions.

With the 10 to 15-day window now counting down, Trump’s deadline appears to function not merely as a date on the calendar but as an instrument of leverage in a volatile diplomatic standoff.

{Matzav.com}

Mortgage rates declined again this week, reaching their lowest point in nearly three years, though housing market activity continues to show signs of weakness.

Freddie Mac reported that the average rate on a 30-year fixed mortgage fell to 6.01 percent, down from 6.09 percent the previous week. At this time last year, the same loan averaged 6.85 percent.

“This lower rate environment is not only improving affordability for prospective homebuyers, it’s also strengthening the financial position of homeowners,” said Sam Khater, Freddie Mac’s chief economist.

Khater added that refinancing demand has surged compared to last year, noting that applications have more than doubled. That increase has enabled many recent buyers to cut thousands of dollars from their yearly mortgage costs.

Rates on 15-year fixed mortgages, commonly used for refinancing, also moved lower, declining to 5.35 percent — the lowest level recorded since October 2024.

The easing in mortgage rates follows a recent decline in the 10-year Treasury yield, which typically influences home loan rates.

After beginning 2025 near the 7 percent mark, longer-term mortgage rates started to ease in July as investors adjusted expectations in anticipation of Federal Reserve rate reductions.

While the lower rates have modestly improved buying power for consumers, they have not yet translated into a meaningful rebound in home sales.

According to the National Association of Realtors, sales of existing homes dropped 8.4 percent in January compared to December, marking the sharpest monthly decline in almost four years.

Severe winter conditions likely played a role in slowing activity, but elevated home prices also remain a barrier. The median price for an existing home climbed to $396,800 in January — a record for the month — amid continued limited inventory. That figure represented the 31st straight month of annual price increases, NAR reported.

Industry analysts expect mortgage rates to remain in the low-6 percent range throughout 2026, suggesting that additional rate declines may be modest.

Jake Krimmel, senior economist at Realtor.com, cautioned that even if borrowing costs fall further, the persistent shortage of homes could offset any benefit.

“Without a significant return of supply through the easing of the mortgage ‘lock-in effect,’ lower rates may simply reignite competition and spike prices,” Krimmel said.

{Matzav.com}

President Donald Trump on Friday unveiled a new 10% worldwide tariff set to take effect immediately, responding to a Supreme Court ruling that restricted his ability to impose certain trade duties under emergency powers. While criticizing the decision, Trump said his administration would move forward using other legal avenues and confirmed that previously enacted national security and China-related tariffs will remain in force.

At a press conference following the Court’s 6-3 decision, Trump described the ruling as “deeply disappointing” and declared, “Today I will sign an order to impose a 10% global tariff under Section 122 over and above our normal tariffs already being charged.”

He singled out Justices Clarence Thomas, Samuel Alito, and Brett Kavanaugh for their dissents, commending their positions, while expressing frustration with other members of the Court. Trump said he was “ashamed of certain members of the court” for their rulings.

The majority opinion included Justices Neil Gorsuch and Amy Coney Barrett, both appointed by Trump, who joined Chief Justice John Roberts in applying the major questions doctrine. Justice Elena Kagan, joined by Justices Sonia Sotomayor and Ketanji Brown Jackson, agreed that the International Emergency Economic Powers Act does not authorize tariffs but argued that the matter could have been resolved through traditional statutory interpretation rather than invoking the major questions doctrine.

Trump claimed that foreign governments were reacting positively to the ruling but predicted that their satisfaction would be short-lived. “They’re so happy, and they’re dancing in the streets, but they won’t be dancing for long,” he said.

He also took aim at the Court’s liberal justices, calling them “an automatic no” and comparing their stance to that of congressional Democrats. Trump further alleged that some justices are swayed by political pressure and foreign interests, though he offered no specific evidence to support that claim.

The president said he refrained from public commentary while the case was under review, asserting that he did not want to influence the Court’s deliberations. “I didn’t want to do anything that would affect the decision of the court, because I understand the court,” Trump said, adding that he believes the court can be “very easily swayed.”

He also remarked that he had attempted to conduct himself appropriately during the process. “I want to be a good boy.”

Defending his broader trade strategy, Trump cited recent stock market performance as proof of the effectiveness of his tariff policies. “Our stock market has just recently broken 50,000 on the Dow and … broken 7,000 on the S&P,” he said. “Nobody thought it was possible to do it within four years. And we did it in one year.”

Trump further credited tariffs with influencing geopolitical outcomes, stating they helped resolve “five of the eight wars that I settled,” including tensions between India and Pakistan. He reiterated his belief that the conflict could have escalated into nuclear confrontation and said Pakistan’s prime minister told him he could have “saved 35 million lives” by helping bring the fighting to an end.

He also tied tariffs to domestic security concerns, arguing that trade penalties combined with stricter border measures reduced fentanyl entering the United States by 30%. He characterized the duties as a consequence for countries “illegally sending this poison into our country.”

Trump stressed that tariffs linked to fentanyl enforcement remain unaffected by the Court’s ruling. “All of those tariffs remain,” he said. “They all remain. We’re still getting them, and we will after the decision.”

Although he disagreed with the Court’s reasoning, Trump argued that the ruling still leaves significant authority for imposing tariffs through alternative statutes, quoting from what he described as language in Kavanaugh’s dissent. “Although I firmly disagree with the court’s holding today, the decision might not substantially constrain a president’s ability to order tariffs going forward,” Trump said, reading from the dissent. “And it doesn’t.”

He then cited several other trade laws — including the Trade Expansion Act of 1962, the Trade Act of 1974, and the Tariff Act of 1930 — as mechanisms that can be used to implement duties, describing them as involving a “little bit longer process” but capable of broader application. “In fact, I can charge much more than I was charging,” Trump said.

Calling the decision contradictory, Trump argued that while the Court limited his ability to impose minimal tariffs under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act, it left open the possibility of sweeping trade restrictions. “To show you how ridiculous the opinion is,” Trump said, “the court said that I’m not allowed to charge even $1 … but I am allowed to cut off any and all trade or business with that same country.”

He maintained that the ruling ultimately clarified presidential authority rather than diminishing it. “The Supreme Court did not overrule tariffs,” Trump said. “They merely overruled a particular use of tariffs.”

Trump reiterated that tariffs enacted for national security reasons and other enforcement measures remain active. “Therefore, effective immediately, all national security tariffs under section 232 and existing Section 301 tariffs … remain in place, fully in place and in full force and effect,” he said.

In addition, the administration is initiating new trade reviews. “We’re also initiating Section 301 and other investigations to protect our country from unfair trading practices of other countries and companies,” Trump said.

He concluded by pledging further steps to compensate for the tools invalidated by the Court. “But other alternatives will now be used to replace the ones that the court incorrectly rejected,” he said. “We have alternatives. Great alternatives.”

{Matzav.com}

U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee delivered a blunt message to Tehran, saying Iran must agree to a comprehensive deal dismantling its nuclear ambitions or risk American military force.

In an interview with Fox News, Huckabee stressed that Iranian leaders should take President Donald Trump’s warnings seriously and not assume they are rhetorical.

“If there’s not a deal, and a deal means they get rid of their nuclear enrichment, they don’t have any more aspirations for nuclear weapon, they quit killing their citizens, and they start lowering the inventory of ballistic missiles and especially the range – if they don’t do that, President Trump has said there is no deal,” said the Ambassador.

Huckabee added that any miscalculation by Iran regarding Trump’s resolve would be a serious mistake. “If they don’t believe President Trump will do what he says in a military action, then they’re not real smart and they certainly have a short memory. They don’t remember what happened to them last summer,” he said, referencing U.S. strikes carried out in June against Iranian nuclear facilities during Operation Midnight Hammer.

Turning to the situation in Gaza, Huckabee addressed the aftermath of the war and President Trump’s recent inaugural meeting of the Board of Peace, which is tasked with overseeing reconstruction efforts in the region.

“The great tragedy of Gaza is that it could have been Singapore, but Hamas turned it into Haiti. They built an underground system of tunnels that is larger than the London Underground, over 500 miles of tunnels, to the express purpose of carrying out terrorist activities,” he said.

Huckabee also made clear that, in his view, Israel should not be responsible for funding the rebuilding of Gaza under current circumstances.

“Absolutely not, and I’ll tell you if anything, there ought to be reparations to Israel for the extraordinary fight that they have had to conduct to get their hostages back – 252, including many Americans – and to pay reparations to the families for the 1,200 people who were murdered, massacred and mutilated by these hideous disgusting savages of Hamas,” he said.

{Matzav.com}

President Donald Trump on Friday sharply warned Iran to agree to what he called a fair nuclear deal, while condemning the regime’s recent violent suppression of anti-government demonstrations and signaling he is weighing possible military action.

Speaking publicly about last month’s crackdown, Trump highlighted the reported scale of the bloodshed and drew a distinction between Iran’s citizens and its ruling leadership. “You know, the people of Iran are a lot different than the leaders of Iran. And it’s a very, very sad situation. 32,000 people were killed over a relatively short period of time,” Trump said, in his first reference to a specific death toll tied to the unrest. “They were going to hang 800, two weeks ago, some by crane. They lift them up with a tall crane and they play them around the square.”

Trump went on to describe what he said was a direct warning delivered to Tehran over the planned executions. “They were going to hang 837 people and I gave them the word: ‘If you hang one person, even one person, that you’re going to be hit right then and there.’ I wasn’t waiting two weeks and negotiating, and they gave up the hanging. They didn’t hang 837. Supposedly they didn’t hang anybody,” he added.

NEW: Trump says the Islamic regime in Iran killed 32,000 protesters.

"I feel very badly for the people of Iran. They have lived in hell." pic.twitter.com/4YDWqnd78D

— Kassy Akiva (@KassyAkiva) February 20, 2026

Expressing sympathy for ordinary Iranians, Trump said, “I feel very badly for the people of Iran. They’ve lived in hell,” continued Trump.

Earlier in the day, Trump appeared to acknowledge that he is considering a limited military strike aimed at pressuring Iran into accepting U.S. terms for a nuclear agreement. When reporters asked whether he was contemplating such an option, following a Wall Street Journal report published Thursday, Trump briefly paused before replying, “I guess you can say I am considering it.”

Even as he made that remark, Trump signaled he would not disclose details of any potential course of action, indicating he would not publicly reveal his strategy regarding Iran as reporters were escorted from the room.

His comments coincided with new developments in the region. The USS Gerald R. Ford, which Trump directed to deploy to the Middle East last week, has now entered the Mediterranean Sea, according to maritime tracking information. Tracking data also showed that the USS Mahan, an Arleigh Burke-class destroyer that is part of the Ford carrier strike group, passed through the Strait of Gibraltar. The aircraft carrier itself is expected to require several more days before arriving in the Middle East, where it would be positioned for potential operations involving Iran.

A day earlier, Trump cautioned that Iran must finalize an agreement regarding its nuclear activities or face consequences, warning that “bad things” would occur if no deal is reached.

While maintaining that diplomatic talks are progressing, Trump emphasized that any accord must meet U.S. standards. “Now, we may have to take it a step further – or we may not. Maybe we’re going to make a deal. You’re going to be finding out over the next, probably 10 days,” Trump added.

According to a report Wednesday by CBS News, senior national security officials have informed Trump that the U.S. military stands ready to carry out strikes against Iran as soon as Saturday, if directed to do so.

At the same time, individuals familiar with the high-level deliberations told CBS News that any action is unlikely to occur within the immediate weekend timeframe.

Separately, The Telegraph quoted a source within the U.S. administration as saying the probability of war in the coming weeks now stands at 90 percent. An Israeli former intelligence chief cited in the same report indicated he believes a strike could happen within days.

{Matzav.com}

It is with great sadness that Matzav.com reports the petirah of Rav Moshe Nusbacher zt”l, a revered talmid chacham who devoted his life to spreading Torah and yiras Shamayim within the batei midrash while remaining remarkably unassuming. Known as a profound talmid chochom and a master of Toras hanistar, he passed away at the age of 78.

Rav Nusbacher was born on the 25th of Elul 5707 to his father, Rav Avraham Yosef Nusbacher.

In his youth, he studied at Yeshivas Or Yisrael L’tzeirim in Petach Tikvah, where he absorbed Torah from the rosh yeshiva, Rav Yosef Rozovsky.

He later continued his learning at Yeshivas Ponovezh, cleaving closely to the roshei yeshiva, Rav Shmuel Rozovsky and Rav Mordechai Shlomo Berman.

Upon reaching marriageable age, he married his wife, Rebbetzin Yonah, a daughter of the Chabad mashpia, Rav Nachum Goldschmidt.

Rebbetzin Yonah leads spiritual support and guidance for women and girls rescued from Arab villages by Yad L’Achim.

Together, Rav Moshe and his wife established a home firmly founded upon Torah and yirah. For many years, Rav Nusbacher delivered shiurim with penetrating depth and exceptional clarity.

Over the course of his life, he served as rosh kollel in Ramat Hasharon, a ram at Yeshivas Or Yosef in Chadeira, was among the founders of Yeshivas Shaarei Dovid Premishlan, and served as one of the roshei yeshiva at Yeshivas Shaar HaTalmud in Kiryat Herzog. He also headed Kollel Adabra Be’eidosecha.

He was deeply connected, heart and soul, to Rav Dovid Chai Abuchatzeira of Nahariya, who described him as one of the hidden tzaddikim of the generation whose true greatness was known to few, a towering talmid chochom in the hidden dimensions of Torah.

He merited to leave behind an outstanding mishpacha. Among his sons are Rav Yechezkel Nusbacher, author of the sefarim Adabra Be’eidosecha; Rav Nachum Nusbacher, rosh yeshiva of Shaar HaTalmud; and Rav Shalom Nusbacher.

The levayah took place at his home at 17 Rechov Harav Herzog in Bnei Brak and proceeded to Segulah Cemetery in Petach Tikvah for kevurah.

Yehi zichro boruch.

{Matzav.com}

TRUMP: Our country is the hottest country anywhere in the world right now, and it was a dead country 1.5 years ago…But now, I’m going to go in a different direction—which is even stronger than our original choice.

TRUMP: “To show you how ridiculous the opinion is, however, the Court said that… I can’t charge one dollar to any country under IEEPA… but I am allowed to cut off any and all trade or business with that same country.”