President Donald Trump said Wednesday that the United States must complete its military campaign against Iran, declaring that American forces have already inflicted massive damage but that the mission is not yet finished.
Speaking during a rally in Kentucky, Trump praised the operation against Iran and described it as a decisive success so far.
“Operation Epic Fury – is that a great name? Well, it’s only good if you win. You know, you can only do it if you win – and we’ve won. Let me say: we’ve won. You never like to say it too early, but we won the bet in the first hour. It was over.”
Trump on Iran:
We don’t want to leave early, do we? We’ve got to finish the job, right?
Over the past 11 days, our military has virtually destroyed Iran. pic.twitter.com/25PvSIFrFe
— Clash Report (@clashreport) March 11, 2026
Trump said the speed and intensity of the American strikes caught Iranian leaders completely off guard.
“They don’t know what …. hit them. They don’t know. They got hit by the American military – they don’t know. They say, ‘What …. is happening?’ They didn’t expect anything like this.”
The president emphasized that the United States should not halt the campaign prematurely and must see the operation through to completion.
“we don’t want to leave early” and “we’ve got to finish the job”, adding that “over the past 11 days, our military has virtually destroyed Iran.”
He warned that abandoning the effort too soon could allow the threat to reemerge in the future.
“We don’t want to go back every two years. Because someday there will be a time when you don’t have me as president,” he added.
Earlier Wednesday, Trump addressed reporters outside the White House, saying the scale of the military campaign has exceeded expectations.
“we’re doing something that nobody ever thought was possible to do. Our military is the best; it’s the most powerful in the world, and they’re hitting them very hard. This is 47 years of abuse – and killing lots of people.”
Trump also told reporters that the joint U.S.–Israel campaign has already dismantled much of Iran’s military capability, including major branches of its armed forces and key leadership figures.
While noting that additional targets remain, he said the United States has deliberately refrained from striking certain assets.
“We could do a lot worse.”
According to the president, those remaining targets could be eliminated quickly if the United States chose to do so.
“We’re leaving certain things, which if we do, and we could take them out by this afternoon, in fact, within an hour, they will never be able to build that country back.”
Trump said the scope of the damage inflicted so far is unprecedented and suggested further strikes could still follow.
“We have hit them harder than virtually any country in history has been hit, and we’re not finished yet.”
In separate remarks earlier in the day, Trump told Axios that the war effort may reach its conclusion soon, pointing to the extensive damage already inflicted on Iranian military infrastructure.
According to Trump, the number of viable targets has dwindled sharply.
“The war is going great. We are way ahead of the timetable,” he told Axios. “We have done more damage than we thought possible, even in the original six-week period.”
He added that the campaign has been so extensive that there is now “practically nothing left to target.”
{Matzav.com}
Israeli leaders held an emergency security discussion Wednesday evening following a major Hezbollah rocket barrage toward northern Israel, as senior officials warned that the terror group’s actions could lead to a dramatic expansion of Israel’s military campaign in Lebanon.
The meeting took place at the office of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu after Hezbollah fired approximately 100 rockets at northern Israel as part of an ongoing series of attacks the organization has been carrying out in recent days.
A senior Israeli security official told the Saudi news channel Al-Hadath that the United States could potentially join the large-scale Israeli strikes currently targeting Hezbollah positions in Lebanon’s Beqaa Valley, including the city of Baalbek.
According to the official, Hezbollah’s current course of action is self-destructive. “Hezbollah is destroying itself and Lebanon along with it, and is acting as if it has nothing to lose.”
The official added that Israel’s military operations in Lebanon would not be limited to any single region.
“We will operate throughout Lebanon, from south to north, and all targets are legitimate. The military operation in Lebanon will not stop at the Litani River.”
Another senior Israeli official told Channel 12 News that the direction within the Israel Defense Forces is to significantly expand the military campaign against Hezbollah.
The official said the army is preparing for a wide range of scenarios. “They are not specifying how and whether it will also include ground forces, but preparations are being made for every possibility.”
According to the official, Lebanon’s government has demonstrated that it is unable to restrain Hezbollah’s activities. “The Lebanese state has proven that it is not a factor in restraining Hezbollah. They don’t take them into account.”
The official added that developments over the next day could have a major impact on how the campaign unfolds.
“The coming 24 hours will significantly shape the continuation of the campaign in Lebanon,” he said. “Hezbollah is bringing about its own end with its own hands.”
Meanwhile, IDF Arabic-language spokesman Lt. Col. Avichay Adraee issued an urgent warning Wednesday evening to residents of the Dahiyeh district in Beirut ahead of an expected wave of Israeli strikes.
“Due to the crimes of the Hezbollah terrorist organization, the IDF will soon operate with great intensity against its assets, operatives and weapons,” Adraee wrote.
“For your safety, the IDF urges you to evacuate immediately,” the spokesman added, stressing that residents should not return to the area “until further notice.”
{Matzav.com}
Hezbollah launched a large-scale assault on northern Israel Wednesday evening, firing rockets and deploying drones for several hours and forcing hundreds of thousands of Israelis into bomb shelters. The attack marked the most intense barrage by the Lebanese terror group since fighting escalated earlier this month amid the ongoing war between Israel, the United States, and Iran.
According to Israeli military assessments, the opening wave began shortly after 8 p.m., when Hezbollah fired roughly 100 rockets toward northern Israel. At the same time, Iran launched a ballistic missile toward central Israel, which the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps later described as part of a coordinated offensive. Additional Iranian missiles were subsequently fired toward both northern and southern parts of the country.
Footage shows Hezbollah's large rocket barrage on northern Israel this evening. Around 100 rockets were fired, according to IDF assessments. pic.twitter.com/8wuG6J8kgg
— Emanuel (Mannie) Fabian (@manniefabian) March 11, 2026
Israel’s air defense systems intercepted the Iranian missiles and also engaged many of the rockets fired from Lebanon. Still, several impacts were reported in northern communities, sparking fires and causing minor injuries.
Magen David Adom said two people were hurt during the attack. A 35-year-old woman and a man in his 50s were struck by “flying objects” after a rocket impact and were transported to a hospital for treatment.
Rescue officials said one of the victims was wounded when a rocket struck a home in the northern town of Bi’ina. Emergency crews also treated four additional individuals at the scene who were suffering from severe anxiety following the strike.
الضاحية#ملحق pic.twitter.com/1LA6sfqneK
— Mulhak – ملحق (@Mulhak) March 11, 2026
As sirens sounded across northern Israel, including throughout the Galilee and in the Haifa region, the Israel Defense Forces instructed residents to remain near protected areas. Hezbollah continued launching rockets and drones toward Israeli territory, with alerts triggered in communities as far as 50 kilometers from the Lebanese border.
The military estimated that at least 150 rockets were fired at northern Israel over several hours during the barrage.
Some long-range rockets landed in open areas. Because those projectiles were not headed toward populated locations, warning sirens were not activated in those cases. Nevertheless, residents in central Israel reported hearing explosions during the attacks.
لحظة الغارات على الضاحيه الجنوبية لبيروت pic.twitter.com/WZCiZHot23
— Annahar النهار (@Annahar) March 11, 2026
The fighting continued into the early hours of Thursday. Alerts warning of possible drone infiltration were activated in Nahariya and other communities in the Western Galilee. Hezbollah also launched additional long-range rockets that triggered sirens in Tel Aviv and nearby towns.
During the same period, the IDF reported detecting an Iranian ballistic missile that activated warning systems in central Israel, the Jerusalem area, and parts of the south.
In response to the attacks, Israeli forces carried out major airstrikes against Hezbollah targets in Lebanon, including positions in the group’s stronghold in southern Beirut. An Israeli official said the military may begin striking Lebanese civilian infrastructure if the government in Beirut fails to restrain the Iran-backed terror group.
The IDF had previously warned that Hezbollah could escalate its rocket and drone attacks as the broader conflict intensified.
Media reports indicated that Israel had been preparing for a possible expansion of attacks from both Iran and Hezbollah. According to Channel 12, Israeli cabinet ministers were informed earlier Wednesday that officials expected heavy missile and rocket fire later in the day.
Hezbollah said its initial rocket barrage was launched from multiple locations across Lebanon. In a statement, the group declared that “in response to the criminal aggression against dozens of Lebanese cities and towns and Beirut’s southern suburbs,” its fighters targeted sites in northern Israel “with dozens of rockets” as part of a new military operation announced shortly beforehand.
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps also described the assault as a joint effort with Hezbollah. In a statement carried by the Tasnim news agency, the IRGC said the attack on Israel was a “joint and integrated operation.”
According to the statement, Iran launched several ballistic missiles while Hezbollah simultaneously fired rockets and drones at more than 50 targets inside Israel.
Earlier in the conflict, the IDF had said it did not have intelligence suggesting that simultaneous attacks by Iran and Hezbollah were coordinated.
Following the barrage, the Israeli Air Force carried out what the military described as an “extensive” wave of strikes targeting Hezbollah rocket launchers and infrastructure in Lebanon.
Israeli officials said the strikes were intended to prevent additional rocket fire toward Israeli territory.
Before launching strikes on Beirut, the IDF issued evacuation warnings to residents of the southern suburbs of the Lebanese capital for the third time that day.
“Do not return to the southern suburb until further notice,” said army spokesman Col. Avichay Adaree.
Journalists in Beirut reported hearing explosions across the city, and footage showed large blasts sending smoke billowing over the southern districts. Lebanon’s state-run National News Agency reported at least “six heavy strikes” in the area.
Earlier in the war with Iran, the IDF said it had already targeted more than 70 Hezbollah sites in southern Beirut, including the demolition of 50 multi-story buildings used by the terror group.
Israeli officials warned that the situation could soon expand into a broader conflict in Lebanon.
A senior security official told Hebrew media outlets that the fighting may be approaching a critical stage. “We are on the eve of a fateful campaign in Lebanon which will determine the future of both countries.”
“There is a security discussion right now,” the official said. “The campaign in Lebanon is going to expand significantly.”
According to the official, the escalation could involve mobilizing additional reservists.
“Hezbollah, in its calculations, wants to turn our attention away from Iran, and thinks that if it draws us in, we will take our foot off the gas in the campaign against Iran,” the official said. Hezbollah, the official continued, “wants to create a new balance in which Israel’s enforcement policy in Lebanon ends, and we don’t attack at all. That won’t happen. Therefore, this is heading toward a serious escalation.”
“We have more capabilities and tools, and we can conduct campaigns in parallel against Iran and against Lebanon,” the official added.
The official also told Ynet that Lebanon’s government has not taken steps to curb Hezbollah’s activity.
According to Channel 12, Israel conveyed a warning to Beirut through the United States and other Western governments that if Lebanon does not restrain Hezbollah, Israel could begin striking national infrastructure across the country.
{Matzav.com}
Spain has announced that it is permanently recalling its ambassador from Israel and eliminating the ambassadorial post altogether, signaling a deepening rift between the two countries over Israel’s military actions against Iran and the Hamas terrorist organization.
Spain’s Foreign Ministry said the country’s diplomatic mission in Tel Aviv will continue to operate, but it will now be led by a charge d’affaires rather than a full ambassador.
The decision marks an escalation in a dispute that began months ago. In September, Spain had already pulled its ambassador from Israel amid mounting tensions after Madrid barred ships transporting arms and ammunition destined for Israel from docking at Spanish ports.
U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham sharply criticized Spain’s latest move, warning that it sends the wrong message as Israel and the United States confront Iran’s regime.
“I was just informed that the Spanish government has permanently recalled their ambassador to Israel. This is hard for me to absorb. Spain is a member of NATO, and the United States and Israel are in joint operations against the Iranian regime who openly calls for the destruction of the Jewish State, attacks against the West, and seeks to purify Islam in its own image. The religious Nazi regime in Iran is the problem, not the Jewish State. I hope Spain’s actions will not encourage the tyrannical, fanatical regime in Iran – that abuses its own people – to hang on. Time will tell.”
Spain has also publicly criticized the recent U.S. and Israeli strikes targeting Iran’s leadership and military infrastructure.
The diplomatic friction between Jerusalem and Madrid intensified further in September after remarks by Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez during the war that followed the October 7 massacre.
During those comments, Sanchez appeared to lament that Spain lacked the capability to deter Israel militarily, stating that “Spain does not have nuclear weapons” that could stop Israel’s campaign against Hamas.
Israel’s government strongly condemned the remarks, accusing Sanchez of invoking dangerous rhetoric.
“Spanish PM Sanchez said yesterday that Spain can’t stop Israel’s battle against Hamas terrorists because ‘Spain does not have nuclear weapons.’ That’s a blatant genocidal threat on the world’s only Jewish State,” the Prime Minister’s Office said.
“Apparently, the Spanish Inquisition, the expulsion of the Jews of Spain and the systematic mass murder of Jews in the Holocaust, is not enough for Sanchez. Incredible,” it added.
{Matzav.com}
Travel out of Israel remains significantly disrupted, and observers are anticipating an even greater surge of passengers seeking to depart as yeshiva and seminary semesters draw to a close.
The limited number of flights operating out of Ben-Gurion Airport – constrained both by reduced airline schedules and government-imposed passenger caps – have not been sufficient to meet current demand. With large numbers of students expected to seek departure in the coming days, those limitations are projected to become even more acute.
Egypt Remains Key – But With Challenges
As previously reported by Chaim V’Chessed, travel through Egypt has until now been the most viable route for those seeking to exit Israel. However, the vast majority of flights have departed from Sharm el-Sheikh – a journey of several hours from the Israeli border through the Sinai Peninsula, terrain that some travelers have been hesitant to traverse.
Dramatic New Development: Flights for Students and Others
In a significant new development, the Igud of Yeshivas and Seminaries, together with Eretz HaKodesh, have announced plans to operate flights from Taba Airport.
Taba Airport is located just minutes from the Eilat border crossing, making it a far more accessible and attractive option. Even individuals who have been reluctant to travel deep into the Sinai Peninsula have indicated a willingness to consider departures from Taba due to its proximity to the border.
The first of these flights is scheduled to depart on Sunday, March 15. Organizers state that if the initial flights are successful, they are prepared to add numerous additional flights in the days that follow.
The current route being offered is from Taba to Milan, with an option to continue onward to New York. Transportation is being arranged from Jerusalem to the Taba border crossing, providing a streamlined solution from Jerusalem to the airport itself.
For the many students currently seeking viable exit options, this new route appears to offer a potentially significant solution. Chaim V’Chessed has arranged that a limited number of seats will also be made available to members of the general public.
Click here for more information about these flights.
State Department Flights Continue – Officials Stress Immediate Departure Only
State Department evacuation flights continue, though they remain limited and face logistical challenges. Following consultation with State Department officials, Chaim V’Chessed is able to share the following important information:
The officials expressed strong commitment to assisting American citizens seeking to exit Israel, while acknowledging operational challenges. They shared that efforts are underway to improve efficiency and service. At the moment, charter flights will travel only to Athens, Greece, and passengers will need to make their own way home from there.
Officials emphasized that these flights are intended only for individuals who are ready, willing, and able to depart Israel immediately. Many people have submitted the Crisis Intake Form despite only wishing to travel in the coming days or weeks. When such applicants are contacted and indicate they are not prepared to leave immediately, they may be removed from the lists. These additional names can slow processing and delay urgent assistance. The State Department therefore requests that only passengers ready to depart immediately complete the Crisis Intake Form.
Additionally, it is crucial to include information for all immediate family members on the same form. Officials also request that travelers who filled out the form but have already found alternate plans should notify the State Department, by phone or email, so that others in need of assistance will be helped.
Chaim V’Chessed expresses gratitude to State Department officials for their assistance. We remain in ongoing contact and will share updates as further information becomes available.
{Matzav.com}
