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The Israeli Air Force carried out an overnight strike in Beirut early Sunday, reportedly hitting a hotel in the city’s Raouche neighborhood and causing casualties, according to regional media and security sources.

The Lebanese television station Al-Mayadeen, which is linked to Hezbollah, reported that the attack took place in the Raouche district in central Beirut and involved an Israeli airstrike targeting a hotel in the area.

A security official told the Reuters news agency that the strike was aimed at a specific room inside the hotel building.

Initial reports indicated that the attack left at least two people dead and wounded several others. Further details about the identities of those killed or injured were not immediately available.

WATCH:

استهداف اوتيل رمادا، منطقة الروشة – بيروت. pic.twitter.com/NRgnSh3obC

— Yumna Fawaz (@yumnafawaz) March 7, 2026

{Matzav.com}

The price of oil surged higher and showed no signs of halting its rapid climb a week after the U.S. and Israel launched major attacks on Iran that escalated into a war in the Middle East. The conflict, in which nearly every country in the Middle East has sustained damage from missiles or drone strikes, […]

President Donald Trump said today that he has ruled out allowing Kurdish forces to enter the war against Iran, explaining that he does not want the conflict to become more complicated or place Kurdish fighters in danger.

Speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One, Trump said the United States values its relationship with Kurdish forces but does not want them drawn into the fighting.

“We’re not looking at the Kurds going into Iran. We’re very friendly with the Kurds. We don’t want to make the war anymore complex.”

Trump said Kurdish forces had expressed willingness to participate in the conflict but that he personally decided against allowing it.

“I have ruled it out – I don’t want the Kurds going in. They’re willing to go in, but I told them not to.”

He emphasized that expanding the war by involving additional forces could create further instability and lead to unnecessary casualties among Kurdish fighters.

“We don’t want to make the war more complicated than it already is. We don’t want to see the Kurds harmed or killed. We had a good relationship with them. They were willing to go in, but I told them I didn’t want them to.”

Earlier in the day, Trump attended a solemn ceremony honoring six U.S. Army soldiers who were killed in Iranian attacks. The president saluted as the flag-draped coffins of the fallen service members were carried off the aircraft.

{Matzav.com}

[COMMUNICATED]

As the matzav in Eretz Yisroel weighs heavily on our hearts, some have asked whether the upcoming Shuvu Dinner should be postponed. After consulting with our Daas Torah the guidance was clear: this is precisely the time to continue.

For 35 years, Shuvu has provided Torah education to children across Eretz Yisroel, many from homes with little prior exposure to authentic Torah learning. Today, more than 6,000 children attend Shuvu schools, where they are being prepared for lives of Torah, mitzvos, and Yiras Shamayim.

Shuvu was founded by Rav Avrohom Pam zt”l, whose vision was to bring Torah to Jewish children throughout Eretz Yisroel. That mission continues today under the leadership of our nesiim, Rav Reuven Feinstein shlita and Rav Elya Brudny shlita. 

Especially in difficult times, the learning of these children carries profound meaning. Strengthening their Torah is not separate from the moment – it is part of our response.

For this reason, Shuvu will move forward with its 35th Annual Dinner, be’ezras Hashem, on Sunday, March 15 at Bell Works in New Jersey.

Many members of our team in Eretz Yisroel must remain with their families and may not be able to travel to assist with fundraising. We therefore turn to you to help ensure that Shuvu’s schools and the thousands of children that depend on them remain strong.

Please join our dinner campaign at shuvuusa.org/dinner or call 718-692-3434.

In this zechus, may we be zoche to see yeshuos and nechamos for Klal Yisroel.

An American anti-drone system proven to work against Russian drones in Ukraine will soon be sent to the Middle East to bolster U.S. defenses against Iranian drones, two U.S. officials told The Associated Press on Friday. While the U.S. has used Patriot and THAAD missile systems to take down Iranian missiles successfully, there are limited […]

Qatar, Bahrain, and the United Arab Emirates all reported they intercepted missiles and drones on Saturday evening from Iran. The UAE also reported that debris from an interception killed a worker in Dubai, bringing the number of people killed in the UAE since the war began to four. The attacks came eight hours after Iranian […]

Iran has lost about 70% of its missile-launch capability since Operation Roaring Lion began last Shabbos, Kan News reported on Motzei Shabbos. According to the report, Israel and the US have destroyed around 150 missile launchers inside Iran. An additional 150 launchers were struck from the air and buried beneath debris within underground facilities, rendering […]

The United States is deploying a third aircraft carrier to the Middle East, US media outlets reported. According to reports, the USS George H.W. Bush has begun sailing toward the region with its carrier strike group, including three guided-missile destroyers. The group is expected to reach the eastern Mediterranean within 10 to 12 days, joining […]

IDF commando forces carried out a raid in eastern Lebanon overnight Friday to search for the remains of Israeli Air Force navigator Ron Arad, who was taken captive in Lebanon nearly 40 years ago. Arad was captured by the Amal organization in Lebanon on October 16, 1986, and has been considered missing since May 5, […]

The White House said Friday that U.S. forces are moving steadily toward gaining control of Iranian airspace, with officials estimating that key military goals could be achieved within the next month to six weeks.

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters that the United States believes its military objectives in the campaign against Iran are within reach on that timeline.

Leavitt also indicated that discussions are underway regarding potential leadership in Iran following the conflict. She said that “there are a number of people who we are looking to lead Iran.”

.@PressSec: "What I will tell you is what @POTUS has already laid out, which is that the achievable objectives of Operation Epic Fury we expect to last about 4-6 weeks, and we are well on our way to achieving those objectives." pic.twitter.com/AHqlKamYBp

— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) March 6, 2026

She further announced that President Donald Trump is scheduled to host a meeting at the White House with major defense contractors together with Secretary of War Pete Hegseth.

According to Leavitt, the meeting is intended to focus on expanding domestic weapons production and strengthening the country’s defense manufacturing capacity.

“The purpose is to discuss the president’s aggressive and fierce support for rapidly increasing the ability of US manufacturers to produce American-made weapons,” she said, stressing, “We have more than enough ammunition and weapon stockpiles to achieve the objectives of Operation Epic Fury and beyond.”

Later in the day, speaking during an appearance on Fox News, Leavitt addressed remarks President Trump made earlier regarding Iran’s future.

She clarified a social media post by Trump that read, “There will be no deal with Iran except unconditional surrender!”

Leavitt explained that the statement referred to eliminating Iran’s ability to threaten the United States.

“What President Trump means when he says ‘unconditional surrender’ is when he, as Commander-in-Chief of the U.S. Military and the leader of the free world – determines that Iran can no longer pose a threat to the United States,” Leavitt explained.

{Matzav.com}

Chaim V’Chessed has learned that the U.S. government is working toward arranging evacuation flights for American citizens seeking to return to the United States from Israel. In the coming days, the U.S. Embassy hopes – if conditions permit – to operate flights from Ben Gurion Airport. At this stage, details are still being worked out, and seats will be extremely limited.

State Department officials have been reviewing the names submitted to Chaim V’Chessed’s extensive evacuation interest list and cross-referencing them with the State Department’s Crisis Intake Form. In fact, most names submitted through the Chaim V’Chessed list have already been added to the Crisis Intake Form system.

Those who wish may also submit their information directly through the State Department’s Crisis Intake Form. Some individuals who do so may discover that they are already listed in the system.

At present, no schedule or final procedures have been announced. Embassy officials stress that travelers should not contact the embassy or Chaim V’Chessed regarding these flights. Instead, individuals should ensure that their information is submitted through the appropriate registration links. If and when seats become available, travelers may be contacted – possibly with short notice.

Chaim V’Chessed has also learned that, as opposed to the U.S. evacuation flights following October 7 attacks, these flights will likely be provided at no charge.

{Matzav.com}

Qatar’s energy minister is warning that the ongoing war in the Middle East could drive oil prices above $150 per barrel, a surge he says would send shockwaves through the global economy.

Saad al-Kaabi cautioned in an interview with the Financial Times that such a sharp rise in crude prices could devastate economies around the world as supply disruptions deepen and energy markets grow increasingly unstable.

The price of oil has already climbed roughly 7 percent to more than $90 per barrel after spending much of the year trading between $60 and $70. The current surge has oil on track for its largest weekly gain since 2022, with Brent crude jumping nearly 30 percent this week as fighting in the region escalates.

Al-Kaabi said the economic consequences will quickly spread if the conflict continues for an extended period.

“If this war continues for a few weeks, GDP growth around the world will be impacted,” he said. “Everybody’s energy price is going to go higher.”

“There will be shortages of some products, and there will be a chain reaction of factories that cannot supply,” al-Kaabi added.

He also indicated that energy producers in the Gulf region might be forced to suspend production in certain circumstances, a move that would likely push prices even higher. Even if hostilities stop soon, he noted that restoring normal production could take weeks or even months.

The warning comes after an Iranian drone strike earlier in the week targeted Qatar’s largest liquefied natural gas facility.

The conflict, now entering its seventh day, has already sent energy markets into turmoil. Concerns intensified after Iran effectively closed the Strait of Hormuz, one of the most critical shipping lanes for oil worldwide. Approximately 21 million barrels of oil per day—about one-fifth of global oil trade—pass through that narrow waterway.

Qatar, the world’s second-largest exporter of liquefied natural gas, is also cautioning that the disruption could ripple across global gas markets.

Al-Kaabi said buyers in Asia are likely to rush to secure available supplies, a development that could push gas prices higher internationally. He also told the Times that he expects additional Gulf nations to declare force majeure in the coming days.

“In addition to energy, there will be a halt on all other trade in between the [Gulf] and the world, which will have a significant effect on the economies of the [Gulf] and all the trading partners around the world,” al-Kaabi said.

Economists say rising oil and gas prices could also reignite inflation and place new financial pressure on households already coping with high living costs.

Ruth Curtice, chief executive of the Resolution Foundation, a nonpartisan British think tank, told the financial website This Is Money that sustained increases in oil and gas prices could push inflation back up to 3 percent “by the summer.”

Helen Miller, director of the Institute for Fiscal Studies, added, “If war in the Middle East drags on, that will be unambiguously bad news for all of us.”

{Matzav.com}

The wife of New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani is facing criticism after reports surfaced that she interacted with social media posts praising the Hamas assault on Israel on October 7, 2023.

According to Jewish Insider, Rama Duwaji had liked several Instagram posts tied to the attack carried out that day. One of the posts included images showing Palestinians breaking through Israel’s border barriers and described the incursion as “breaking the walls of apartheid.”

Another post she reportedly liked featured Palestinians sitting atop a captured Israeli military vehicle and included the caption, “Resisting apartheid since 1948.”

Both of those posts appeared online on the same day Hamas carried out its attack.

The report also states that Duwaji liked two additional posts the following day that expressed support for protests against Israel.

Neither Duwaji nor Mamdani has issued a response to the report. The couple began their relationship in 2021 and were married last year.

The revelations come shortly after The New York Times reported on controversial social media activity involving the wife of US Rep. Dan Goldman, who is Jewish. According to that report, Goldman’s wife had liked posts soon after the October 7 attack that criticized Jews who supported Palestinians, suggested that people backing the Palestinian cause should be sent to Gaza, and labeled Black Lives Matter a “terrorist organization” because one of its chapters praised the Hamas attack.

New York City Council member Inna Vernikov, a Jewish Republican, sharply criticized The New York Times coverage, arguing that the paper has not applied the same scrutiny to Mamdani. “Will the ‘paper of record’ ask [Mamdani] a single question on this? THEY WON’T.”

{Matzav.com}

By Yaakov Lappin

The joint American-Israeli campaign against Iran represents an unprecedented level of military integration. It is aimed at fundamentally transforming the strategic reality of the Middle East while neutralizing the Iranian nuclear and ballistic missile threats, several former Israeli defense officials and analysts said Thursday.

Speaking during a webinar hosted by the Jerusalem Institute for Strategy and Security (JISS), Col. (res.) Dr. Eran Lerman, vice president of JISS and former deputy director for foreign policy and international affairs at Israel’s National Security Council, emphasized the historic nature of the allied offensive.

“Never before in our history—and we’ve been working in alignment with the United States—did we actually work in combined operations mode, something that the last reminiscent [case] is of the British and the Americans in Normandy [in 1944],” Lerman said.

“This is an ongoing effort, shoulder to shoulder with full intelligence sharing, with full operational transparency with each other, with highly coordinated division of labor. Totally unprecedented,” he added.

Lerman said the American motivation at the highest level for the war is driven fundamentally by the nuclear issue. He argued that after the previous conflict in June 2025, the U.S. defense establishment realized that Iran had not been dissuaded from pursuing its course of action.

Additional American goals, he said, are to keep the Strait of Hormuz open to maritime traffic and to counter the Iranian attempt to take Gulf Arab states “hostage” by targeting them with missile and drone attacks.

Regarding regime change, Lerman noted the Trump administration’s aversion to prolonged nation-building projects.

“The very words regime change are highly problematic for the Trump administration,” Lerman explained, citing the shadow of Vietnam and Iraq. Instead, the strategy focuses on “creating the conditions for the Iranian people to take their fate into their hands,” primarily through the destruction of the regime’s repressive mechanisms.

Senior JISS fellow Maj. Gen. (res.) Yaakov Amidror, a former Israeli national security adviser, echoed the sentiment that regime change cannot be guaranteed by external military force.

“What should be ensured by the operation, by the war, [is] that any regime, this one or another one, will be very, very weak,” said Amidror.

He estimated the conflict could last “two to six weeks,” noting that the allied forces must reach a point where they agree the regime is sufficiently degraded.

Professor Col. (res.) Gabi Siboni, CEO of JISS, placed the current operations within the broader context of Israel’s grand strategy since the Hamas-led massacre on Oct. 7, 2023.

“I think that if you look at it carefully, you see a very clear strategy of Israel, developed by our prime minister and the Cabinet, which was to eliminate the proxies of Iran, isolate Iran, and then deal with Iran,” Siboni explained.

He praised the shift in posture, noting that the United States military operates without the restrictive layers of self-imposed legal constraints that Israel had typically adopted for itself.

“We are learning from the Americans now,” Siboni said. “We are learning a very important lesson regarding the way military operations should be conducted to make sure that we are doing it to kill the enemy and to win the war.”

Maj. (res.) Alex Grinberg, an expert at JISS on Iran and the Shi’ite world, provided insight into the internal dynamics of the Iranian regime under fire. He said that the goal must be to “break the back of the enemy.”

“It’s a regime that is sadistic and that blackmails money from families to get [back] the bodies of their dear ones [protesters] who were massacred. So, this regime must be destroyed,” Grinberg argued.

He analyzed Iran’s strikes against Gulf nations, suggesting they are a desperate attempt to saturate American air defense systems.

“Its geopolitical behavior proves that there is no way to compromise with this regime,” Grinberg said, describing the Islamic Republic as “incurably aggressive.”

He also called for the elimination of former senior IRGC commanders and military advisers, saying, “These are very powerful people, and they must be done in as soon as possible because they’re very dangerous.”

Any scenario of the regime surrendering as Nazi Germany did in 1945 is baseless, said Grinberg, adding that this is based on decentralized power networks, and that the war goal should be to “break separately all of the vertebrae of this spine. And this way it will stop functioning.”

Dr. Pnina Shuker, a JISS national security expert, focused on the profound impact of these Iranian strikes on the Gulf Arab states.

“It appears that the Iranian logic behind attacking Gulf states is to create internal instability, aiming to exert indirect pressure on the United States to end the war,” Shuker assessed. “There is a logic behind this modus operandi. However, it seems these attacks are achieving the exact opposite result.”

Instead of driving a wedge between regional allies, the attacks are accelerating defense integration and deepening strategic reliance on international partnerships, Shuker observed.

She noted that Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates have set aside their recent political disputes to unite against the shared Iranian threat.

She explained that Qatar faces an even more complex situation, having previously maintained a delicate balancing act with Tehran. However, the Iranian attempt to strike Doha International Airport crossed a red line.

“The Qatari prime minister flatly rejected these claims [that the missiles were aimed at American interests],” Shuker noted. “He accused Iran of dragging its neighbors into war.”

While the Gulf states have exercised notable restraint, Shuker warned of uncertainty as Iran continues to escalate.

“The Gulf states now face a dual-front challenge: sustaining effective interception against unpredictable missile swarms, while safeguarding domestic stability in the face of pro-Iranian mobilization,” she concluded.

When asked about the potential for the Trump administration to seek an end to the conflict before Israel’s desired timetable, Shuker cautioned that internal American politics could play a role. JNS

Russia has reportedly been supplying Iran with intelligence about the locations of American military forces in the Middle East in an effort to help Tehran respond to ongoing U.S. and Israeli strikes, according to a new report.

The Washington Post reported Friday that since the start of “Operation Epic Fury” about a week ago, Moscow has been passing along information about the positions of U.S. naval vessels, aircraft, and other military assets in the region. Three sources familiar with the situation told the newspaper about the alleged intelligence sharing.

“It does seem like it’s a pretty comprehensive effort,” one official familiar with the intel told the outlet.

Since the campaign began with its opening strike, Iran has attempted to retaliate by launching thousands of drones and missiles aimed at American targets throughout the Middle East.

Despite reports that Russia may be assisting Tehran with intelligence, President Trump and War Secretary Pete Hegseth have said the United States has swiftly gained control of the battlefield, asserting that American forces have achieved “total dominance” and that Iran has already “lost everything.”

Details about how extensively Russia may be helping Iran identify potential targets remain unclear.

The Kremlin has sharply criticized the military campaign against Iran, describing it as “a preplanned and unprovoked act of armed aggression against a sovereign and independent UN member state.”

Hegseth, meanwhile, said the U.S. military operation against the Iranian regime has delivered overwhelming results during the first several days of fighting.

“Our forces are executing with unmatched skill and the mission is advancing decisively,” the Pentagon chief said Thursday.

“This is the kind of no nonsense, results driven warfighting that America demands.”

He also indicated that additional American military strength is being deployed to the region.

“Our capabilities are overwhelming and gathering still, as are those of our Israeli partners,” he said.

“Our munitions are full up and our will is ironclad, which means our timeline is ours and ours alone to control, as long as it takes to ensure the United States of America achieves these objectives.”

{Matzav.com}

President Donald Trump declared Friday that the United States will not reach any agreement with Iran unless the country first agrees to unconditional surrender, issuing the warning in a message posted on Truth Social as the war between the United States, Israel, and Iran continues.

“There will be no deal with Iran except UNCONDITIONAL SURRENDER!”

Trump went on to outline what he said could follow such a surrender, suggesting that once a new leadership acceptable to the United States and its allies is chosen, efforts could begin to rebuild Iran.

“After that, and the selection of a GREAT & ACCEPTABLE Leader(s), we, and many of our wonderful and very brave allies and partners, will work tirelessly to bring Iran back from the brink of destruction, making it economically bigger, better, and stronger than ever before,” he went on.

“IRAN WILL HAVE A GREAT FUTURE. ‘MAKE IRAN GREAT AGAIN (MIGA!).’ Thank you for your attention to this matter!”

The president’s demand for Tehran’s capitulation came one day after he also said he wants a direct role in determining who will succeed Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who was killed during the initial wave of U.S.-Israeli strikes that launched the war last Saturday.

Trump dismissed speculation that Khamenei’s 56-year-old son, Mojtaba, could take over the leadership role, calling him a “lightweight” and an “unacceptable” option.

In a phone interview Friday with CNN, Trump said he would not necessarily oppose another religious leader assuming the position previously held by Khamenei.

“I may be, yeah, I mean, it depends on who the person is,” he told anchor Dana Bash on the phone. “I don’t mind religious leaders. I deal with a lot of religious leaders and they are fantastic.”

Trump also indicated that he would not insist that Iran become a democracy as part of any leadership transition.

“There has to be a leader that’s going be fair and just. Do a great job. Treat the United States and Israel well, and treat the other countries in the Middle East — they’re all our partners,” he told Bash.

At present, Iran is reportedly being governed by a three-man council that includes two hardline figures along with the country’s president, Masoud Pezeshkian.

Throughout the week, Trump has repeatedly pointed to the recent leadership change in Venezuela as a model for what could eventually happen in Iran, after U.S. commandos captured socialist leader Nicolas Maduro on Jan. 3 and the White House backed Vice President Delcy Rodriguez, who agreed to release political prisoners and cooperate with American oil companies.

The president has acknowledged, however, that replicating that scenario in Iran may be more complicated, noting that more than four dozen senior officials have already been killed during the war.

Still, Trump expressed confidence that the strategy will succeed.

“It’s gonna work very easily. It’s going to work like did in Venezuela. We have a wonderful leader there. She’s doing a fantastic job. And it’s going to work Iike in Venezuela.”

Trump also voiced support Thursday for reported plans by Iranian Kurdish forces to enter Iran from Iraq in hopes of sparking a broader uprising against the regime in Tehran.

“I think it’s wonderful that they would want to do that,” the president told Reuters. “I’d be all for it.”

{Matzav.com}

WH Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt: The President will be meeting with defense contractors here at the White House in a few minutes, along with Secretary Hegseth. The purpose is to discuss the president’s aggressive and fierce support for rapidly increasing the ability of U.S. manufacturers to produce American-made weapons…

WH Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt: What I will tell you is what President Trump has already laid out, which is that the achievable objectives of Operation Epic Fury we expect to last about 4-6 weeks, and we are well on our way to achieving those objectives.

The IDF announced that the IAF carried out another wave of airstrikes on Friday in the Dahiyeh district of Beirut, targeting several Hezbollah command centers, including an IRGC Air Force command center as well as facilities used by Hezbollah’s naval unit, financial unit, and Operating Council. The military said the sites were used to plan […]

Dramatic footage circulating online appears to show an Iranian ballistic missile slamming into the area of Prince Sultan Air Base in Al-Kharj, Saudi Arabia, with the video capturing the moment of impact as a massive explosion erupts near the base.