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Iranian media outlets reported over the weekend that the body of Ali Shamkhani, a senior Iranian military and political figure who was killed in an Israeli strike, was buried without his head.

The report was published by the Iranian newspaper Farhikhtegan, a publication identified with the Iranian regime. According to the report, Shamkhani’s remains were interred in northern Tehran 14 days after he was killed.

Media outlets close to the Iranian government reported that the body of Shamkhani, who served as secretary of Iran’s defense council and as a senior adviser to the Iranian leader who was killed, was buried missing its head.

The state-affiliated newspaper Farhikhtegan reported that the senior Iranian military and security official had been “buried without a head.” Shamkhani was killed on the first day of Operation “Roaring Lion,” during an attack on the residence of Ali Khamenei. The strike, described as one of the most severe blows to Iran’s leadership structure, also resulted in the deaths of Ali Khamenei and several other senior officials in the Iranian government.

According to the report, Shamkhani’s burial ceremony took place on Shabbos at the Imamzadeh Saleh shrine in northern Tehran. His body remained there for 14 days before it was finally buried. The body of Khamenei, however, has still not been buried even after the same two-week period.

The report spread quickly online, where many social media users reacted with satisfaction. One commenter wrote that Shamkhani’s body was apparently found without a head, hands, or legs, adding sarcastically that his head was not cut off using the same device that cuts off the hands of poor people accused of theft, a remark referencing the brutality associated with the slain Iranian official.

{Matzav.com}

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Unhinged commentator Tucker Carlson said in a video released tonight that he believes the Justice Department may be preparing to charge him as an unregistered foreign agent, a move he claims was recommended by the CIA after the agency reviewed his text messages from before the war with Iran.

Carlson outlined the allegation in a five-minute video posted on X, where he said he had learned that intelligence officials were preparing a criminal referral connected to his communications with individuals in Iran.

“The CIA is preparing some kind of criminal referral against me, a crime report to the Department of Justice, on the basis of a supposed crime I committed,” Carlson said. “What’s that crime? Well, talking to people in Iran before the war. They read my texts.”

Carlson said he believes the potential charges would fall under the “Foreign Agent Act,” apparently referring to the Foreign Agents Registration Act, a law enacted in 1938 requiring individuals who are paid by foreign governments to lobby or advocate politically in the United States to register with the Justice Department.

The former Fox News host said he does not believe the case will ultimately move forward and offered several reasons why he expects it will not proceed.

“I’m not an agent of a foreign power,” Carlson said was the first reason. “Unlike a lot of people commenting on U.S. politics and global affairs, I have only one loyalty and that’s the United States and have never acted against it.”

Carlson also said he has never accepted money from any foreign government, which he argued would undermine any accusation that he acted as a foreign agent.

“Don’t need it, don’t want it,” he said.

He further argued that as an American citizen he is free to communicate with people anywhere in the world, and he said that speaking with individuals in Iran should not be considered criminal conduct.

“Legally, I think, the case is ludicrous, and I doubt it’ll even become a case,” Carlson said.

Carlson explained that he decided to publicly discuss the issue for several reasons.

One of those reasons, he said, is his belief that governments tend to become more restrictive during wartime. According to Carlson, when countries are engaged in conflict they typically show “much less tolerance for any kind of dissent,” including in the United States.

He also suggested that his criticism of Israel could have made him a target among certain officials within the intelligence community.

“[There are] some people who are mad at me for my views about Israel and they have some latitude,” Carlson said. “One of the reasons they pass on criminal complaints in effect to law enforcement is to justify warrants for spying. And so that is an absolutely real thing.”

Carlson has strongly criticized the recent joint U.S. and Israeli strikes that killed Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei. He described the operation as “absolutely disgusting and evil,” and said Operation Epic Fury was being “waged” strictly on behalf of Israel.

President Donald Trump responded by distancing Carlson from the Make America Great Again movement.

“Tucker has lost his way,” Trump told ABC’s Jonathan Karl on March 5. “I knew that a long time ago, and he’s not MAGA. MAGA is saving our country. MAGA is making our country great again. MAGA is America first, and Tucker is none of those things. And Tucker is really not smart enough to understand that.”

Trump has also rejected claims that the United States entered the conflict with Iran because it was pressured by Israel. Earlier this month, the president told ABC’s Rachel Scott, “If anything, I might’ve forced Israel’s hand.”

Carlson said another reason he believes the report about potential charges surfaced is because intelligence agencies sometimes leak such stories in order to intimidate critics.

He said the intelligence community occasionally publicizes allegations as a tactic intended to “humiliate and terrify” those it considers adversaries.

{Matzav.com}

President Donald Trump’s personal cellphone number has reportedly become a sought-after commodity among political insiders, journalists, and business figures, with reports of attempts to buy, trade, or otherwise obtain the number circulating within Washington circles.

According to a report by The Atlantic’s Michael Sherer, citing two administration officials, the president’s private phone number has become the subject of what officials described as “suspected horse-trading and black-market sales among influence brokers.” The report states that corporate executives and cryptocurrency investors have allegedly tried to pay for access to the number, while some journalists have exchanged contact information for other world leaders in deals likened to trading baseball cards.

The report said that Trump’s personal number has even been “offered for sale to deep-pocketed interests seeking influence.”

Part of what has made the number so valuable, according to the report, is Trump’s unusual level of accessibility. Journalists have often expressed surprise that they are able to directly call the president on his private line, something that is far less common with most modern presidents.

One administration official told The Atlantic that the president’s personal phone frequently rings with calls from members of the press.

“It is literally call after reporter call,” one of the officials said. “It is just boom, boom, boom.”

The report indicated that many of the incoming numbers are not saved in the president’s phone under identifiable names. Because the number has spread so widely among members of the press, White House staff have at times found themselves searching unfamiliar callers online to determine who they are.

“It’s out of control,” an administration official said. “It’s like a wrecking ball.”

Beyond business executives allegedly offering cash or cryptocurrency for the number, The Atlantic reported that its own staff was approached with a proposal involving a trade of high-profile contacts.

Scherer wrote: “We were recently approached by another journalist who offered to trade more than two dozen cellphone numbers of significant stature for the one number of most significant stature. (We declined.) One person we talked with has heard that the going rate for this sort of swap is a one-to-one trade for another major world leader.”

White House spokesperson Anna Kelly responded to the report by emphasizing the president’s openness with the media.

“President Trump is the most transparent and accessible president in history. The press can’t get enough of Trump, and they know it.”

{Matzav.com}

Americans who decide to give up their U.S. citizenship will now face a far lower cost to complete the process, after the federal government dramatically reduced the required fee.

The U.S. State Department announced Friday that it has lowered the price to formally renounce U.S. citizenship from $2,350 to $450. The reduction had been promised in 2023 but only now officially took effect, according to a report by the Associated Press.

“The Department of State (‘Department’) is proposing to amend the Schedule of Fees for Consular Services (‘Schedule’) to reduce the current fee for Administrative Processing of a Request for a Certificate of Loss of Nationality of the United States (CLN) from $2,350 to $450,” the rule on the Federal Register website read.

The newly lowered amount restores the cost to the same level that existed in 2010, when the federal government first began charging individuals a fee to renounce their citizenship, the AP reported.

“The fee was raised from $450 to $2,350 in 2015 to cover the administrative expenses as the number of people wanting to renounce their citizenship surged in part due to new U.S. tax reporting requirements for American expatriates that angered many,” the article noted, adding the process to renounce one’s U.S. citizenship is not always easy.

The procedure itself remains a detailed and deliberate process that requires applicants to repeatedly confirm their decision before it can be finalized.

“Applicants must repeatedly confirm in multiple written and verbal attestations to a State Department consular officer that they understand the implications of the step before being allowed to take a formal oath of renunciation. It must then be reviewed by the department,” the AP stated.

While the government has made it cheaper to relinquish citizenship, President Donald Trump has publicly emphasized the importance and privilege of becoming an American citizen.

During a naturalization ceremony in July, President Trump addressed newly sworn-in Americans and underscored the significance of their decision.

“My fellow Americans, how exciting this is. Congratulations. Today, you receive one of the most priceless gifts ever granted by human hands. You become a citizen of the United States of America. What an honor,” he said:

Following that event, Trump’s United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) strengthened its standards for evaluating foreign nationals seeking citizenship. According to Breitbart News, the agency also initiated a program aimed at revoking citizenship from individuals who obtained it through fraudulent means.

Earlier this year, Breitbart reported that the Trump administration discovered widespread abuse in the immigration system.

“During a congressional hearing this week, USCIS Director Joe Edlow told Congress that fraud investigators at the agency have cracked down on immigration fraud and have uncovered a shocking number of cases where immigrants secured visas or green cards through fraudulent means,” the Breitbart News report stated.

{Matzav.com}

President Donald Trump said he was surprised that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has not moved more quickly toward a negotiated agreement to end the war with Russia, suggesting that Russian President Vladimir Putin is prepared to reach a deal.

In an interview with NBC News, Trump said he expected Zelensky to be more willing to pursue diplomatic negotiations aimed at resolving the conflict.

“I’m surprised that Zelensky doesn’t want to make a deal. Tell Zelensky to make a deal because [Russian President Vladimir] Putin’s willing to make a deal,” Trump told NBC News in an interview.

Trump added that in his view, the Ukrainian leader has been more difficult to negotiate with than Moscow.

“Zelensky is far more difficult to make a deal with,” the US president added.

The remarks come as the war between Russia and Ukraine continues with no immediate resolution in sight, despite intermittent discussions about possible diplomatic efforts to end the fighting.

Trump has repeatedly said he believes a negotiated settlement could bring the conflict to an end and has argued that both sides should pursue an agreement to stop the war. His comments reflect ongoing debate among Western leaders and policymakers about whether diplomacy or continued military pressure offers the most realistic path toward ending the conflict.

The Ukrainian government has consistently maintained that any agreement must include protections for Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, while Russia has continued to press its own demands as the fighting continues across several fronts.

{Matzav.com}

President Donald Trump called on Transportation Security Administration officers to continue reporting to their posts even though many have not received paychecks, as the partial shutdown of the Department of Homeland Security reached its 29th day. The standoff in Washington has left thousands of airport security screeners working without full pay during the busy spring break travel season.

In a post on Truth Social, Trump expressed appreciation for TSA officers and placed responsibility for the prolonged funding dispute on Democrats.

“Thank you to Johnny Jones and all of our GREAT TSA Agents who are going to work but not being paid because the Radical Left Democrats refuse to honor the deal that was approved and voted on in Congress.”

“They want your money to go to “Border Criminals, Murderers, foreign Drug Dealers, and some of the worst people on earth.”

“They don’t want it to go to you. Keep fighting for the USA. GO TO WORK! I promise that I will never forget you!!! President DJT,”

Johnny Jones serves as secretary-treasurer of the American Federation of Government Employees TSA Council 100, the union body that represents TSA officers, and reports indicate he also works as a TSA agent himself.

According to Fox News, that dual role means he is both a TSA employee and a union representative.

The shutdown began when funding for the Department of Homeland Security expired on February 13, forcing parts of the agency to halt operations beginning the following day.

By Saturday, the funding lapse had entered its 29th day.

TSA officers, who are designated as essential personnel, have continued carrying out their duties despite the shutdown, though many did not receive their full paycheck on Friday.

The TSA employs roughly 50,000 officers across the country. Reuters reported that the shutdown has already begun to affect staffing levels and airport operations as some employees call in sick or leave their positions.

Republicans argue that Democrats are responsible for the situation because they have declined to approve a broader funding bill for DHS that GOP leaders say already includes measures related to oversight of Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

Democrats counter that the Republican proposal does not sufficiently address concerns about the conduct of ICE and Customs and Border Protection. They have instead promoted narrower funding measures that would provide resources for agencies such as TSA, FEMA, and the Coast Guard while negotiations continue over immigration enforcement policy.

Those agency-specific funding proposals have not passed the Senate, leaving both sides accusing the other of exploiting frontline workers for political leverage.

The impact of the shutdown is increasingly visible at airports.

At some locations, security lines have stretched to nearly three hours, while airports in several cities have begun seeking donations and gift cards to help unpaid TSA employees cover basic living expenses.

With no agreement yet in sight, the effects of the political deadlock are falling most heavily on travelers and the officers responsible for screening them.

{Matzav.com}

As the current flu season in the United States begins to wind down, health officials say this year’s influenza vaccine performed poorly, with effectiveness rates among the lowest seen in more than ten years.

Experts say the reduced protection was largely due to the emergence of a flu strain early in the winter that was not well matched to the vaccine formula, contributing to a strong wave of infections during the first part of the season.

New data released Friday by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows that visits to doctors’ offices and hospitals for flu-related symptoms continued to decline through last week. The number of states reporting high levels of flu activity has dropped to 16, many located in a region stretching from Colorado across to Virginia.

“The winter respiratory virus season is slowly coming to a close, and we’re all very grateful for that,” said Dr. William Schaffner, a Vanderbilt University vaccine expert.

According to a CDC report published this week, the vaccine used this season was only about 25% to 30% effective in preventing flu-related illnesses serious enough to send adults to a doctor’s office, clinic, or hospital. Among children, those who received the vaccine were about 40% less likely to require medical treatment.

Health officials typically consider flu vaccines successful when they provide between 40% and 60% protection. Based on past CDC research, the effectiveness recorded this season ranks among the lowest levels observed in roughly the last twenty years.

Flu cases surged toward the end of December and were particularly severe in certain regions. Health officials in New York City described the outbreak there as the most intense flu season in two decades.

Relatively low vaccination rates contributed to the situation, but specialists also pointed to the new strain responsible for the majority of infections.

The dominant virus this year belonged to the influenza A H3N2 category. The specific variant, known as subclade K, appeared to spread more easily than other strains, although it did not necessarily lead to more severe illness.

The vaccine designed for this flu season targeted a different version of the H3N2 virus, which may explain why the shot offered less protection, Schaffner said.

CDC researchers estimate that the flu has caused at least 27 million illnesses so far this season, along with approximately 350,000 hospitalizations and 22,000 deaths. At the same point last year, the agency estimated at least 40 million illnesses and 520,000 hospitalizations, though the number of deaths was roughly similar.

At least 101 children have died from flu-related complications this season. Among cases where vaccination status was known, roughly 85% of those children had not been fully vaccinated against influenza.

Although the vaccine does not prevent every infection, it still plays an important role in reducing the risk of severe illness and death, Schaffner said, noting that receiving the flu shot remains beneficial.

CDC figures indicate that vaccination rates among adults have risen slightly this year, reaching 46.5%. The increase follows last year’s particularly severe season, which recorded the highest number of child flu deaths this century.

Among children in the United States, about 48% had received a flu shot by the end of last month. That rate is similar to last year’s level but lower than the approximately 52% vaccination rate recorded at the same point in 2024, according to CDC data.

Since 2010, federal health authorities have recommended annual flu vaccination for everyone six months of age and older. However, in January the Trump administration ended the broad recommendation that all children receive the vaccine, instead stating that the decision should be made by parents in consultation with family physicians.

Meanwhile, preparations are already underway for the next flu season. Last month, the World Health Organization announced its recommended virus strains for vaccines that will be used in the 2026–2027 flu season in the northern hemisphere. The organization said the next vaccines should be designed to protect against subclade K. Earlier this week, an advisory panel at the U.S. Food and Drug Administration endorsed those recommendations.

{Matzav.com}

Russian President Vladimir Putin recently suggested transferring Iran’s stockpile of enriched uranium to Russia as part of a possible arrangement to end the war, but President Donald Trump rejected the proposal, according to two sources familiar with the discussions.

The idea was reportedly raised during a phone conversation between Putin and Trump earlier this week, according to a report by N12.

One of the central objectives of the war for both the United States and Israel is gaining control over Iran’s approximately 450 kilograms of uranium enriched to 60 percent. Experts say that material could potentially be enriched to 90 percent within weeks and would be sufficient to produce more than ten nuclear weapons. In theory, Putin’s proposal could have provided a way to remove the uranium from Iran without requiring American or Israeli troops to enter the country.

During the call on Monday, Putin reportedly presented several possible approaches for ending the conflict between the United States and Iran. The idea of transferring the uranium to Russia was one of the proposals discussed.

“This is not the first time this proposal has been raised. It was not accepted. The American position is that we need to see that the uranium is secured,” a senior U.S. official said.

In the final round of diplomatic talks held before the war began, Iran rejected the possibility of transferring its uranium stockpile to Russia. Instead, Tehran proposed diluting the uranium inside its own nuclear facilities under supervision from the International Atomic Energy Agency. It remains unclear whether Iran would now be willing to reconsider the Russian proposal.

At the same time, the United States and Israel have also examined the possibility of deploying special forces into Iran later in the war to seize control of the enriched uranium stockpile. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said during a press conference yesterday that the United States “has a variety of options” for taking control of Iran’s highly enriched uranium.

Trump also acknowledged for the first time that Russia may be providing some level of assistance to Iran in the conflict, after days of reports suggesting Moscow has been sharing intelligence that could help guide attacks on American forces.

“I think he (Putin) might be helping them a little bit, yes. And he probably thinks we are helping Ukraine, right?” Trump said in an interview with Fox Radio.

{Matzav.com}

A recommendation from the Israeli government supporting a pardon for Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu is expected to be submitted to President Yitzchok Herzog in the coming days, according to a report by Kan News.

The report said that Heritage Minister Amichai Eliyahu also plans to submit a separate recommendation to the president regarding a pardon for Netanyahu sometime next week.

Eliyahu is permitted to present his recommendation independently of the conclusions reached by the Justice Ministry’s clemency department, and he has done so in the past. After the recommendations are submitted, the matter will be reviewed by the legal advisers at the President’s Residence, who may suggest that Netanyahu revise his request for clemency before Herzog makes a final decision. The president is expected to rule on the issue in the coming weeks.

The developments come against the backdrop of a recent public dispute involving President Donald Trump and Herzog.

Last week, Trump criticized Herzog and said he was “a disgrace,” claiming that the Israeli president had promised him five times over the past year that he would grant Netanyahu a pardon.

Earlier this week, Netanyahu delivered a recorded address in which he refrained from condemning Trump’s remarks. Responding to a question from Kan 11, Netanyahu said: “Herzog should do the right thing and not give in to pressures from home or abroad. He should put an end to this absurd circus.”

Herzog addressed the issue yesterday during a visit to the village of Zarzir, which had been struck by an Iranian missile. The president said he had expected Netanyahu to publicly condemn Trump’s comments.

“I am not seeking my own honor, but the honor of the state. I am the president of the sovereign and independent State of Israel, and under these circumstances one must distinguish between long-standing political and legal disagreements — and blatant harm to the symbols of government and the sovereignty of the state. A statement on this matter was expected.”44

{Matzav.com}

Israel’s opening strike in the war against Iran succeeded in eliminating much of the country’s senior security leadership after Israeli intelligence discovered that a high-level meeting of Iranian officials had been moved up by several hours, prompting Israel to accelerate its attack.

According to details reported by journalist Ronen Bergman, the strike had originally been planned for that Motzoei Shabbos, when Iran’s Supreme Defense Council was scheduled to hold its weekly meeting. Many of the country’s most senior military and security officials were expected to attend the gathering.

Israeli planners believed that a concentrated strike against the meeting would accomplish two key objectives. First, eliminating multiple senior figures at once would create chaos among lower-ranking officials and make it difficult for Iran to respond effectively. Second, once the broader military campaign began, those same leaders would likely disperse to fortified bunkers, making it far more difficult to target them individually.

However, Israeli military intelligence received urgent information indicating that the meeting had been moved up to that Shabbos morning. Some assessments suggested the change may have been made out of concern that Israel could launch an attack later in the evening or overnight.

As the Israeli Air Force prepared aircraft assigned to the first wave of strikes, intelligence officials received an additional report that significantly altered the situation. According to the new information, Iran’s supreme leader, Ali Khamenei, was still at his residence. In recent days, the Revolutionary Guards had circulated claims that the leader had been moved away from Tehran or even outside the country, but intelligence suggested he had remained at home. Israeli officials recognized the moment as a rare opportunity that might not come again.

Bergman reported on Ynet that Israel decided to launch approximately 30 missiles aimed at destroying the entire site, including the meeting hall used by the Supreme Defense Council, the residence of the supreme leader, and the adjacent military office.

Later that night, Israeli intelligence learned that another senior-level meeting was scheduled to take place at the Iranian Ministry of Intelligence building several kilometers away, where top officials in the country’s intelligence apparatus were gathering. That location was also added to the opening strike plan.

The unusual convergence of events — Khamenei remaining at his residence or military office, the Supreme Defense Council meeting taking place above ground, and a simultaneous meeting of senior intelligence officials nearby — created the conditions for what became the devastating opening strike of the second war with Iran.

Israeli intelligence officials later said it remains unclear why Iran’s leadership had not moved underground despite signs that an attack could be imminent. U.S. forces had been concentrating in the region and the possibility of a strike had already been widely discussed.

Because the senior leadership remained above ground, Israel did not need to use bunker-busting munitions in the first strike. Roughly 30 missiles were fired at the compound of the supreme leader, destroying his residence along with two separate conference halls used by the Supreme Defense Council, both of which had been designated as targets.

According to Bergman, the missiles also destroyed a nearby office where aides were located as well as the supreme leader’s military office, where his military secretary was present. At the Iranian Ministry of Intelligence building, several participants in the senior meeting were also killed.

Officials said that those who had already descended into bunkers or were located on underground levels at the supreme leader’s complex survived the strike, but the senior leadership figures who remained above ground were eliminated.

{Matzav.com}

The Pentagon is sending the USS Tripoli along with thousands of American service members to the Middle East as the United States intensifies its military posture against Iran following President Donald Trump’s pledge to unleash “unparalleled firepower” against the country’s leadership.

The amphibious assault ship is being moved as U.S. military officials acknowledge that Iran continues to exert influence over the strategically important Strait of Hormuz, a development that has contributed to rising global oil prices.

The Tripoli’s journey from East Asia to the region is expected to take roughly two weeks, a timeline that corresponds with Energy Secretary Chris Wright’s forecast that the crucial shipping lane could be reopened “by the end of the month”.

The decision to reposition the vessel, which resembles a small aircraft carrier and is designed to operate closer to coastal areas, was first reported by the Wall Street Journal.

Officials have not provided a clear picture of the full size of the deployment.

According to the Journal, Secretary of War Pete Hegseth approved the deployment of an “element of an amphibious ready group and attached Marine expeditionary unit, typically consisting of several warships and 5,000 Marines and sailors.”

Fox News chief national security correspondent Jennifer Griffin also confirmed the movement of forces but reported that roughly 2,500 Marines are included in the redeployment.

The USS Tripoli, which is based in Japan, was observed sailing south of Taiwan on Thursday without accompanying vessels, according to the U.S. Naval Institute. It remains uncertain whether it will later link up with the USS San Diego and USS New Orleans, amphibious transport dock ships that typically operate as part of the Tripoli Amphibious Ready Group.

Comparable naval movements took place ahead of the opening phase of the war with Iran on February 28.

In late January, the USS Abraham Lincoln carrier strike group entered the Arabian Sea south of Iran, while the USS Gerald R. Ford departed from Crete for the eastern Mediterranean on February 26, just two days before the first wave of strikes.

Earlier operations conducted by the Trump administration relied heavily on surprise, including misleading signals about the timing of the attacks that preceded the president’s decision this past June to authorize strikes on three Iranian nuclear facilities.

Trump previously indicated that military buildups can signal coming action. After ordering the January 3 special forces operation in Caracas to capture socialist leader Nicolas Maduro, he later said the naval forces positioned offshore had been a sign of what was about to happen.

In addition to efforts to reopen the Strait of Hormuz — through which roughly 20 percent of the world’s oil supply travels — U.S. officials have also examined the possibility of seizing Iran’s Kharg Island, which serves as the loading point for approximately 90 percent of the country’s oil exports.

Trump said during an interview on Fox News Radio broadcast Friday that Kharg Island is not currently the main focus of American military plans, though he emphasized that his priorities could shift quickly.

“It’s not high on the list, but it’s one of so many different things, and I can change my mind in seconds,” Trump told host Brian Kileamde. “I can’t answer a question like that … You shouldn’t be even asking it.”

Despite the fighting, the Wall Street Journal reported Tuesday that the conflict has not significantly disrupted operations at Kharg Island, with Iran reportedly exporting even more fuel than before the war began.

The Pentagon declined to confirm the movement of the USS Tripoli, with one official telling The Post: “Due to operational security, we do not discuss future or hypothetical movements.”

At the same time, Army Secretary Dan Driscoll confirmed Friday that the U.S. Army has transferred 10,000 interceptor drones previously used against Russian forces in Ukraine to the Middle East to help counter Iranian drone attacks targeting American bases and civilian areas in Israel and Arab countries.

Speaking to Bloomberg News, Driscoll said the AI-powered Merops drones — produced by Project Eagle, a defense initiative supported by former Google CEO Eric Schmidt — were delivered to the region within five days after Operation Epic Fury began.

According to Bloomberg, each Merops drone costs between $14,000 and $15,000, making them less expensive than Iran’s Shahed drones, which cost at least $20,000 per unit.

“We’re actually on the better end of the cost curve there,” Driscoll told the outlet. “So each time Iran launches one that we are able to take down, they are losing a meaningful amount of money.”

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has offered to help the United States and its regional partners intercept Iranian drones, but Trump dismissed the proposal during his Fox News Radio interview.

“No, we don’t need their help on drone defense,” he said. “We know more about drones than anybody. We have the best drones in the world, actually.”

{Matzav.com}

NYC Mayor Zohran Mamdani announced that more than 80 repair crews will be dispatched across all five boroughs early Saturday for a citywide “pothole repair blitz.” The move comes after the city logged over 11,000 hazardous pothole complaints through 311 so far this year an increase of more than 30% compared to the same period […]

France has drafted a proposal to end the war in Lebanon that would include Lebanon recognizing Israel as part of a broader peace framework, according to Axios. Israel and the United States are reviewing the plan, aiming to reach a political declaration within about a month. The proposal calls for Lebanon to recognize Israel and […]

On Friday, IDF Chief of Staff LTG Eyal Zamir visited a logistics center operated by the Technology and Logistics Directorate in central Israel, where he held a situational assessment on logistical support for Operation Roaring Lion. During the visit, Zamir highlighted cooperation with the U.S. Armed Forces, offered condolences for the lives lost, and said […]

An explosion outside a Jewish school in Amsterdam early Shabbos morning is under investigation after the blast damaged part of the building but caused no injuries, Dutch authorities said. Police said the explosion occurred before dawn in the Buitenveldert district in southern Amsterdam, a residential area with a large Jewish population. The school was empty […]

The office of Israeli Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu issued a statement today rejecting online speculation that the Israeli leader had been assassinated. The 76-year-old prime minister addressed the rumors after several commentators on social media, including Candace Owens, questioned his whereabouts following the circulation of a video clip from one of his speeches.

Earlier in the week, users on social media circulated screenshots taken from a video shared by the prime minister. Some claimed the footage showed Netanyahu with six fingers on one hand and suggested the clip may have been artificially generated or altered using artificial intelligence.

The discussion gained additional attention after conservative commentator Candace Owens posted messages online accusing officials in Washington of misleading the public about developments in Iran.

“Washington D.C is lying to the American people about what is going on in Iran,” she wrote on X, platform formerly known as Twitter. “It is not going well.”

Owens also questioned Netanyahu’s absence from public view. “Also where is Bibi Netanyahu?” Owens wrote, using the Israeli leader’s nickname. “Why is his office releasing and deleting fake AI videos from him and why is there mass panic at the White House?”

The Prime Minister’s Office rejected the claims outright, according to a report by the state-run Anadolu News Agency.

An Anadolu correspondent asked Israeli officials about the rumors circulating online suggesting that Netanyahu had been killed.

“These are fake news; the Prime Minister is fine,” the office replied.

Owens responded to the statement with another post on social media.

“I don’t know that Bibi is dead but it is very evident there is real panic at the White House and this war is not going as planned. And with the way Trump casually lied about bombing the school girls, it’s hard to trust anything coming from this admin.”

Meanwhile, The Times of Israel reported, citing an Israeli official, that Netanyahu recently contacted Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in order to arrange a phone conversation. The purpose of the call has not been publicly disclosed.

According to a separate report by Ynet, the Israeli leader is interested in discussing possible cooperation with Ukraine in confronting Iranian drone threats, which Ukraine has faced for several years.

At the same time, Israel’s Defense Minister Yisroel Katz said today that the war with Iran had reached what he described as a critical stage, while praising recent American strikes on targets on Iran’s Kharg Island oil export facility.

“The global and regional struggle against Iran, led by US President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, is escalating and entering the decisive phase that will continue as long as necessary,” Katz told military top brass in a televised statement.

{Matzav.com}

The American flag was raised Saturday over the U.S. Embassy in Venezuela for the first time since 2019, a move that highlighted the recent shift in relations between the two countries since then President Nicolás Maduro was captured by American troops in January. Though the flag is now waving, the building is undergoing renovations and […]

President Donald Trump on Saturday called on countries around the world to deploy warships to protect shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, warning that Iran’s escalating attacks on vessels could choke off one of the most critical energy corridors on the planet. In a series of blunt posts on Truth Social, Trump urged nations that […]