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Former Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad was seen attending the funeral of several bodyguards who were reportedly killed in a strike that targeted him earlier this week, fueling further discussion about claims that an assassination attempt had been carried out against the former Iranian president.

Images circulating on social media and regional news outlets on Wednesday showed Ahmadinejad present at the funeral ceremony for members of his security detail who were described by Iranian sources as having been killed during the attack. The appearance appeared to dispel rumors that Ahmadinejad himself had been killed or seriously wounded in the incident.

Reports about the alleged strike began spreading earlier in the week, when several news outlets claimed that a targeted attack had been carried out against Ahmadinejad while he was traveling with his security team. According to those reports, several of his bodyguards were killed in the strike while attempting to shield him.

The reports sparked widespread speculation across social media platforms, with conflicting claims emerging about Ahmadinejad’s condition. Some posts suggested he had been injured or killed, while others insisted he had survived unharmed.

Ahmadinejad’s public appearance at the funeral appeared to put an end to those rumors.

“Ahmadinejad seen today attending the funeral of his martyred bodyguards. Rumours about his death officially over,” stating one report.

Iranian authorities have not released detailed official information about the circumstances of the attack or confirmed who may have been responsible. However, the reports have circulated amid the broader regional conflict involving Iran, Israel, and U.S. forces, which has intensified in recent days.

Ahmadinejad served as president of Iran from 2005 to 2013 and remains a controversial political figure inside the country. Although he no longer holds formal power within Iran’s leadership structure, he continues to maintain a public presence and occasionally comments on political developments.

{Matzav.com}

Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz faced intense questioning Wednesday during a House Oversight Committee hearing, where lawmakers examined allegations involving the use of federal funds in the state.

The session grew contentious at times, particularly during an exchange between Walz and Rep. Nancy Mace.

Much of the hearing centered on a major fraud investigation in Minnesota and issues tied to increased immigration in the state during the Trump administration. However, the discussion briefly veered away from those topics when Mace posed an unrelated question before turning to the issue of state spending on autism programs.

Mace opened her questioning with a pointed inquiry directed at the governor.

“Governor Walz, what is a woman?” she asked. “Have you learned that lesson? Do you know what a woman is?”

Walz declined to engage with the premise of the question and pushed back during the exchange.

“I’m the governor of Minnesota, Congresswoman,” Walz replied. “I’m not here to be your prop or your obsession.”

Mace immediately responded, tying the question to the broader theme of the hearing.

“OK, so if you can’t define what a woman is, you certainly can’t define what fraud is,” Mace interjected.

The line of questioning echoed a similar moment from a June 2025 House Oversight hearing, when Mace asked Walz the same question. At that time, Walz expressed confusion about what she was asking.

“I’m not sure I understand the question here. What do you want me to say?”

Mace then responded at that earlier hearing with a lengthy rebuke.

“I want you to say that a woman like me is an adult human female. That men can’t become women,” she responded back in June. She continued, “You guys are the party of violence, and you’re the party erasing women. You don’t respect us. You’re a bigot. You’re a misogynist. …Mr. Chairman, I yield back.”

During Wednesday’s hearing, the back-and-forth between the two continued as Walz repeatedly rejected Mace’s approach to questioning.

“I’m not here to be your prop,” he said multiple times.

When Mace later asked, “Is doing Minnesota math a prop?” Walz responded by defending his state’s performance in national rankings.

“Minnesota ranks at the top. Where does South Carolina rank?”

At another point, Mace questioned Walz about conditions for children in Minnesota.

“Do you even care about kids in Minnesota?” Mace asked at one point.

Walz fired back by pointing to the state’s metrics in education and social services.

“They rank near the top in nearly every category. My children are fed, my children are housed. My children have healthcare. My children have the best schools.”

Mace eventually concluded her questioning shortly afterward.

WATCH:

{Matzav.com}

[Video below.] White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt sharply criticized CNN reporter Kaitlan Collins during a tense exchange Wednesday over how the media has covered the deaths of U.S. service members killed amid the ongoing conflict with Iran and across the Middle East.

The confrontation unfolded during a White House briefing when Collins, CNN’s chief White House correspondent, asked Leavitt about comments made earlier by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth at a Pentagon press conference. At that event, Hegseth accused the “fake news” media of highlighting the deaths of American troops in a way that was intended to make President Donald Trump “look bad.”

The discussion escalated after Collins raised Hegseth’s remarks and also referenced reports that Trump plans to attend the dignified transfer ceremony for the remains of six U.S. soldiers killed Sunday during an attack on a command center in Kuwait.

“Is it the position of this administration that the press should not prominently cover the deaths of U.S. service members?” Collins asked Leavitt.

“No,” Leavitt answered. “It’s the position of this administration that the press in this room and the press across the country should accurately report on the success of Operation Epic Fury and the damage it is doing to the rogue Iranian regime that has threatened the lives of every single American in this room.”

Collins pressed further, noting that Hegseth had been “complaining that it was front page news about these six service members who were killed.”

Leavitt rebuked the CNN reporter for the follow-up and repeatedly interrupted as Collins attempted to respond and fact-check the press secretary’s comments.

“That’s not what the secretary said, Kaitlan, and that’s not what the secretary meant,” Leavitt said. “And you know it. You know you’re being disingenuous.”

Collins then quoted Hegseth directly, reading from his earlier remarks at the Pentagon.

“When a few drones get through or tragic things happen, it’s front page news. I get it. The press only wants to make the president look bad, but try for once to report the reality.”

“You know we cover the deaths of service members under any president,” Collins also hit back.

Leavitt responded by reiterating Hegseth’s criticism and accusing the media of trying to undermine the administration.

“The press does only want to make the president look bad,” the rattled press secretary replied. “That’s it. That’s a fact.”

She then continued her criticism of CNN and its coverage.

“Listen to me, especially you, and especially CNN,” Leavitt snapped back at Collins. “The Secretary of Defense cares deeply about our war fighters and our men and women in uniform. He travels all across this country to meet with them, to connect with them, and your network has hardly ever probably reported on that.”

Collins attempted to close the exchange by noting that reporting on Trump’s plans to attend the transfer of the soldiers’ remains was not negative coverage but instead highlighted his actions as president.

Leavitt responded that the administration expects the media to report on that event while again accusing CNN of consistently portraying the president in a negative light.

“We expect you to cover that as you should, Kaitlan, but you and your network know that you take every single thing this administration says and tries to use it to make the president look bad,” Leavitt said, before adding a final jab about CNN’s ratings.

Earlier in the briefing, Leavitt also defended Trump’s decision to launch strikes against Iran, saying the move was based on intelligence indicating an imminent threat to the United States and its allies.

“The president was not going to be just another president on a very long list who sat back and stood by and passed the buck of this direct threat to the next administration,” she said Wednesday after The Independent pressed her on the shifting explanations for the war offered by top administration officials since the weekend.

WATCH:

{Matzav.com}

Israeli defense officials are preparing for the possibility that Hezbollah could attempt an infiltration into northern Israeli communities, amid concerns that Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps may push for such an operation to be carried out through the Lebanese terror group.

The scenario, raised during discussions held over the past 24 hours among Israel’s political and military leadership, involves the Radwan Force — Hezbollah’s elite commando unit — attempting to infiltrate communities along Israel’s northern border, according to a report aired on Channel 12 News.

According to the report, Israel’s defense establishment is preparing for a range of potential Hezbollah activities, including a ground infiltration. Officials believe there is a possibility that Iran’s Revolutionary Guards could encourage Hezbollah to carry out such an operation using the Radwan Force, even as the IDF has deployed troops to several positions inside southern Lebanon.

Channel 12 further reported that Israel’s political leadership has instructed the military to reinforce forces in the north. In response, the IDF has increased troop deployments both inside Lebanon and in the areas surrounding northern Israeli communities in order to be prepared for such a scenario, even though officials believe the chances of a large-scale operation remain relatively low.

The report added that the directive to the military is to avoid taking any risks, even when it comes to the possibility of a small infiltration attempt by a limited Hezbollah cell. Officials stressed that it would be a mistake to assume that the presence of Israeli forces alone guarantees such an incident will not occur.

“This is still a scenario that forces are preparing for as if it could happen at any moment — a type of lesson learned from the events of October 7,” the sources emphasized.

{Matzav.com}

Thousands of Kurdish fighters are said to have moved from Iraq into Iran on Wednesday, marking a new stage in the widening military campaign against the Iranian regime.

Officials from the United States and Israel confirmed that the operation is underway, according to reports by Fox News and The Jerusalem Post.

At the same time, a senior representative of the Kurdistan Regional Government forcefully rejected claims that Kurdish forces from Iraq were participating in the assault.

“Not a single Iraqi Kurd has crossed the border. This is patently false,” Aziz Ahmad, the deputy chief of staff to the prime minister of Kurdistan, wrote on X.

According to The Jerusalem Post, Kurdish factions based near the Iraq–Iran frontier are the ones carrying out the ground operation.

Those organizations command thousands of armed fighters and had reportedly been making preparations in recent days for a cross-border move intended to stretch Iranian security forces thin by forcing them to respond in multiple areas across the country.

The push into Iranian territory may have begun earlier in the week, according to the report.

{Matzav.com}

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President Donald Trump said Wednesday that the United States now holds a commanding advantage in its war with Iran following a series of coordinated American and Israeli strikes aimed at dismantling Tehran’s military capabilities.

Speaking at the White House in remarks reported by Fox News, Trump described the ongoing campaign as highly effective and said the results have exceeded expectations.

“We’re doing very well on the war front, to put it mildly,” Trump said. “Somebody said on a scale of 10, where would you rate it? I said about a 15.”

https://twitter.com/i/status/2029292690689393130

Trump said the attacks have severely damaged Iran’s missile infrastructure, describing rapid progress in eliminating both weapons and launch systems.

“Their missiles are being wiped out rapidly. Their launchers are being wiped out,” he said.

The President also pointed to what he described as Iran’s long history of threatening the United States and Israel, saying the current military action is addressing dangers that have persisted for decades.

“That was a tremendous threat to us for many years,” he said. “For 47 years they have been killing our people and killing people from all over the world.”

Trump said the recent strikes have shifted the strategic balance in favor of the United States and its allies.

“We’re in a very strong position now,” Trump added. “It’s a great display of military strength.”

Earlier Wednesday, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt also praised the military campaign, saying “Operation Epic Fury has been a resounding success.”

Leavitt said U.S. forces have targeted “more than 2,000 targets,” eliminating “hundreds and hundreds of ballistic missiles, launchers, and drones.” She added, citing the Department of War, that the United States expects “to have complete and total dominance over Iranian airspace in the coming hours.”

{Matzav.com}

Republican senators on Wednesday voted down a resolution that would have required President Donald Trump to secure approval from Congress before undertaking any additional U.S. military operations against Iran.

The measure was defeated by a vote of 47 to 53. Republican Senator Rand Paul broke with most members of his party and joined nearly all Democrats in supporting the resolution, while Democratic Senator John Fetterman sided with Republicans in opposing it.

Even if the proposal had passed this procedural stage, it still faced a difficult path forward. The resolution would have needed to move through the Senate’s full amendment process before it could advance to the House of Representatives. In addition, the legislation would almost certainly have faced a presidential veto, meaning supporters would have needed a two-thirds majority in both chambers of Congress to override it.

The vote came shortly after Trump publicly criticized five Republican senators who had supported an earlier war powers resolution related to potential military action in Venezuela. Of those lawmakers, only Paul once again voted in favor of restricting the president’s authority.

The issue is now expected to come before the House of Representatives, where lawmakers are scheduled to vote on a related measure on Thursday.

{Matzav.com}

Air raid sirens will be sounding momentarily in Central Israel including Yerushalyim. A barrage of missiles was launched toward Israel. The public is requested to continue to follow the instructions of the Home Front Command, the public is requested to stay in protected spaces until official notice. The IDF is currently identifying and intercepting threats.

Israel’s Air Force commander suggested Wednesday that elite Israeli special forces may be operating deep inside Iran, describing ongoing missions in the country as the kind that “could ignite the imagination.” In a letter to Air Force personnel about Operation Roaring Lion, Maj. Gen. Tomer Bar revealed that fighters from the military’s most secretive units […]

Agudath Israel of America has appointed New Jersey Assemblyman Avi Schnall as the organization’s new Chief Operating Officer.

The appointment was first shared at a meeting of the Moetzes Gedolei Hatorah held last Thursday in Boro Park, Brooklyn. The news was later conveyed to Agudah staff members during a gathering on Taanis Esther. The official announcement was made today by Shlomo Werdiger, Chairman of the Board of Trustees of Agudath Israel of America.

“Avi is a longtime employee of Agudas Yisroel, an effective advocate for both his home state of New Jersey as [previously] the state director, and more recently for yeshiva children across the country as our Director of Federal Education Affairs in Washington, D.C. Avi also has the Agudah in his DNA as the grandson of the beloved, longtime Agudah activist Mr. Zloitchy Gluck z”l. Avi’s infectious enthusiasm, his dedication to Klal Yisroel, and his ability to form personal connections and relationships, will certainly serve him in good stead as he moves forward on this more important national role in Agudas Yisroel,” Mr. Werdiger added.

In his new capacity as Chief Operating Officer, Assemblyman Schnall will oversee the day-to-day operations of Agudath Israel of America, one of the nation’s leading Orthodox Jewish advocacy organizations.

A Brooklyn native who now resides in Lakewood, New Jersey, Schnall currently serves in the New Jersey State Assembly representing the 30th legislative district. The district includes Lakewood and Point Pleasant, as well as several Monmouth County municipalities including Avon-by-the-Sea, Belmar, Bradley Beach, Brielle, Farmingdale, Howell Township, Lake Como, Manasquan, Sea Girt, Spring Lake, Spring Lake Heights, and Wall Township.

Schnall first assumed a leadership role with Agudah of New Jersey in 2014. In that position, he advocated for the Orthodox Jewish community on both the state and local levels and developed working relationships with officials across the political spectrum. During that time, he earned the confidence of both the Christie and Murphy administrations.

He has also served on the New Jersey Department of Education’s Nonpublic School Committee, where he was appointed chairman in 2018. In 2020, Governor Phil Murphy selected Schnall to serve on the Social Services and Faith Committee of the Restart and Recovery Advice Council.

Schnall grew up in Flatbush and pursued his Torah studies in Yeshiva of Philadelphia before continuing his learning under Rav Dovid Soloveitchik in Eretz Yisroel. He later learned at Bais Medrash Govoah in Lakewood.

Before entering the field of public advocacy, Schnall spent more than seven years working for Oorah, where he served as National Director of Learn n’ Chill Zone and as head counselor of the organization’s boys division summer camp.

The spirit of communal leadership and askonus was instilled in Schnall from a young age. His grandfather, Reb Louis (Loychie) Glueck z”l, was a devoted Agudah activist and a close confidant of Rabbi Moshe Sherer zt”l. Known as a proud bearer of the Agudah banner, he worked tirelessly on behalf of the organization and ensured that those values were passed on to the next generation.

{Matzav.com}

A Russian-flagged tanker carrying liquefied natural gas exploded and erupted in flames before sinking in the Mediterranean Sea off the coast of Libya, authorities in the North African country said Wednesday, and Russia blamed the sinking on an attack by Ukrainian sea drones. According to the Libyan Maritime Authority, there were “sudden explosions, followed by […]

Senate Republicans voted down an effort Wednesday to halt President Donald Trump’s war against Iran, demonstrating early support for a conflict that has rapidly spread across the Middle East with no clear U.S. exit strategy. The legislation, known as a war powers resolution, failed on a 47-53 vote tally. The vote fell mostly along party lines, though […]

An Israeli flight bound for Dubai was forced to land in Saudi Arabia after Iranian strikes targeted the Gulf region, leaving about 180 Israeli passengers unexpectedly stranded before they began traveling by bus toward the United Arab Emirates.

The incident occurred after the launch of Operation “Shaagat HaAri” and the start of large-scale strikes against Iran, which led to the rapid closure of Israeli airspace early that morning. Thousands of Israelis abroad were left unable to return home, and estimates suggest that roughly 100,000 Israelis are currently stranded outside Israel.

Among those affected were dozens of Israelis aboard a FlyDubai flight that had departed for Dubai. The aircraft ultimately landed in Saudi Arabia, where passengers remained on board before beginning a long overland journey to the UAE by bus.

“Our flight to Dubai took off about an hour after the airspace was closed, according to the announcement by the Ministry of Transportation,” said Reuven, one of the passengers, speaking to Ynet. He added that travelers had not yet received clear information about what would happen next.

Another passenger, Eran Feitelovich, who had boarded a flight from Tel Aviv to Dubai, told N12 that the alert announcing the beginning of the military operation sounded while passengers were still standing in the boarding bridge.

“We asked to get off the plane, but they told us it was impossible,” said Reuven Kim, another passenger on the flight. According to him, the aircraft remained on the runway for roughly 50 minutes while sirens were sounding before it finally took off.

Passengers quoted in reports said that during the flight a man moved through the cabin checking passengers’ nationalities and noting who was Israeli and who was not, though no one was removed from the aircraft. “Everyone is still here,” one passenger said.

While the plane remained grounded in Saudi Arabia, rumors circulated among passengers that they might eventually be transported by bus to Dubai — a journey estimated to take about 12 hours.

The developments came as Iran expanded its attacks across the Gulf region. Neighboring countries were also targeted, including Bahrain, where footage circulated showing an Iranian drone striking a building that, according to the Iranian news agency Sada, houses senior American officials.

{Matzav.com}

In a message released on Wednesday evening, Agudah Chairman Mr. Sol Werdiger announced that Assemblyman Avi Schnall has been appointed the new Chief Operating Officer (COO) of Agudath Israel of America. “Avi is a longtime employee of Agudas Yisroel, an effective advocate for both his home state of New Jersey as [previously] the state director, […]

Israel’s Home Front Command announced Wednesday that it will tighten nationwide civilian safety restrictions, shifting the country to a more restrictive activity level as the security situation continues to evolve.

Following a new situational assessment by military officials, authorities said updated defensive guidelines will take effect beginning Thursday, March 5, 2026, at 12:00.

Under the revised policy, all regions of the country will move from what had been classified as an “essential activity” level to a stricter “limited activity” level.

One of the most significant changes affects schools and other educational frameworks. Educational activities are prohibited (except for activities specified under the outlined exceptions).

New limits have also been placed on public gatherings. Gatherings: Gatherings of up to 50 people are permitted, provided that a standard protected space can be reached within the required protection time.

Workplaces will also face new operating restrictions under the updated policy. Workplaces: Workplaces may operate only in locations from which a standard protected space can be reached within the required protection time.

Officials said the updated guidelines are scheduled to remain in force beginning Thursday, March 5, 2026, at 12:00 and will stay in effect until Saturday, March 7, 2026, at 20:00.

{Matzav.com}

The IDF Home Front Command announced that wartime restrictions in Israel will be eased starting Thursday at noon, shifting from “essential activity” to “limited activity” as the rate of Iranian ballistic missile fire slows. Gatherings of up to 50 people and limited workplace activity will be allowed if shelters are accessible, while educational activities remain […]

The Senate rejected a Democrat-backed War Powers resolution aimed at limiting President Trump’s authority to conduct further military action against Iran without congressional approval in a 48–52 vote. Sen. John Fetterman (D-PA) joined Republicans in opposing the measure, while Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) voted with Democrats.

Footage shows U.S.–Israeli airstrikes hitting an IRGC missile site in Yazd, central Iran, earlier tonight.