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President Donald Trump sharply criticized several NATO allies on Tuesday after some European governments refused to allow the United States to use their military bases in operations against Iran, singling out Spain and the United Kingdom in a heated exchange.

During a meeting with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, Trump expressed frustration with America’s European partners, arguing that they rely too heavily on the United States for defense while failing to contribute enough themselves.

Trump also threatened economic consequences for Spain and took direct aim at British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, accusing him of lacking the leadership shown by Britain’s wartime prime minister.

“This is not Winston Churchill that we’re dealing with,” Trump said of the Labour prime minister.

Tensions between the two leaders have escalated since Starmer declined to allow U.S. forces to launch the initial round of strikes against Iran from British military bases on Saturday.

Starmer publicly condemned the airstrikes in an address to the House of Commons on Monday, delivering a speech that some observers compared to a memorable scene from the film Love Actually, in which the fictional British prime minister confronts an overbearing American president.

“This government does not believe in regime change from the skies,” Starmer declared. “It is my duty to judge what is in Britain’s national interest. That is what I have done. And I stand by it.”

The prime minister’s comments surprised some observers who had viewed his relationship with Trump as relatively friendly, particularly after he arranged a high-profile state visit featuring a formal dinner hosted by the King at Windsor Castle.

Others, however, applauded Starmer’s stance. The Labour government is facing mounting political pressure ahead of the next election amid economic concerns tied to rising living costs as well as renewed attention surrounding scandals involving the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

“I am no fan of Keir Starmer,” British commentator James Melville wrote on social media. “But if he stands up to Trump & prevents the UK from entering into another potentially disastrous military conflict in the Middle East, he will gain respect for that.”

Despite the public tension, Trump and Starmer remain in regular contact. A source familiar with the matter told The Post that the two leaders have spoken by phone several times in the past week.

Still, Trump’s criticism has strained the traditionally close relationship between Washington and London.

“I think the relationship is at its lowest point in recent history — probably have to go back to when Reagan invaded Grenada without giving Thatcher a heads up,” Lew Lukens, senior partner with Signum Global Advisors and former acting-Ambassador at the US embassy in London, told The Post.

Lukens added that he doubts the dispute will ultimately lead to retaliation by Washington.

“At the end of the day, the US needs UK defense cooperation and intelligence support as it carries out its strikes against Iran,” he pointed out.

{Matzav.com}

President Donald Trump said Tuesday that the United States may deploy naval escorts for commercial oil tankers traveling through the Strait of Hormuz as tensions with Iran continue to rise.

Writing on Truth Social, Trump signaled that the Navy could move quickly to safeguard maritime traffic in the strategic waterway. “If necessary, the United States Navy will begin escorting tankers through the Strait of Hormuz, as soon as possible.” He added: “No matter what, the United States will ensure the FREE FLOW of ENERGY to the WORLD. The United States’ ECONOMIC and MILITARY MIGHT is the GREATEST ON EARTH.”

Trump also announced that he had instructed the U.S. International Development Finance Corporation to offer “political risk insurance and guarantees” intended to protect shipping and trade moving through the Persian Gulf region.

The Strait of Hormuz, located between Iran and Oman, is one of the most critical shipping routes for global energy supplies. According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration, about one-fifth of the world’s petroleum liquids consumption passes through the narrow channel.

Financial markets reacted quickly to the rising tensions, with oil prices climbing while U.S. stock futures moved lower as traders assessed the possibility of disruptions to energy shipments through the strait.

Iran has frequently threatened to block or interfere with traffic in the Strait of Hormuz during previous confrontations with the United States and Israel, warning that such action could come in response to military strikes or economic sanctions.

The U.S. Navy’s Fifth Fleet, which operates from its headquarters in Bahrain, routinely patrols the Persian Gulf. During the late stages of the Iran-Iraq War, American naval forces escorted Kuwaiti oil tankers under the U.S. flag during Operation Earnest Will in 1987 and 1988 after Iranian attacks targeted commercial shipping.

Trump’s comments suggest that his administration is prepared to rely on American naval strength to ensure that global oil shipments continue moving through the Strait of Hormuz without interruption.

{Matzav.com}

The Pentagon has released the names of four of the six American service members who were killed Sunday in an Iranian drone strike, according to reporting by CNN.

The fallen soldiers were identified as Capt. Cody Khork, 35; Sgt. 1st Class Noah Tietjens, 42; Sgt. 1st Class Nicole Amor, 39; and Sgt. Declan Coady, 20. All four were members of the 103rd Sustainment Command, a U.S. Army Reserve logistics unit headquartered in Iowa.

The identities of the two remaining soldiers killed in the attack have not yet been publicly disclosed.

Earlier reports indicated that the suspected drone strike hit a temporary tactical operations center at the port of Shuaiba in Kuwait on Sunday. At the time, the troops stationed there were attached to the 1st Theater Sustainment Command.

A source familiar with the incident said the operations center consisted of a triple-wide trailer used as office space for military personnel. The structure was surrounded by concrete blast barriers commonly used to shield bases from threats such as vehicle bombs and improvised explosive devices. However, the building had no overhead protection capable of stopping drones or incoming missiles.

According to the source, no siren or warning alert was issued before the strike, leaving the soldiers without time to reach a bunker or other protective shelter.

U.S. Central Command said the ongoing conflict with Iran has also left 18 American service members seriously wounded.

President Donald Trump and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth have warned that further casualties may occur as the military campaign continues.

“They’re great people,” Trump said about the six troops who were killed in a phone interview with the Daily Mail. “And, you know, we expect that to happen, unfortunately. Could happen continuous – it could happen again.”

New federal work requirements for certain recipients of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program went into effect Sunday, representing the latest move by the Trump administration to tighten eligibility standards and curb abuse in government welfare programs.

The revised policy requires some able-bodied adults without dependents to work, enroll in job-training programs, or perform volunteer service for at least 20 hours each week in order to continue receiving food-stamp assistance.

The rules include several exemptions. Individuals with verified medical conditions, as well as those responsible for caring for young children, may qualify to remain on the program without meeting the weekly work requirement.

Administration officials say the goal of the changes is to ensure that government safety-net programs remain focused on those most in need, such as seniors, people with disabilities, pregnant women, and low-income families raising children.

The SNAP policy shift also fits into a broader legislative effort by congressional Republicans to strengthen work standards across multiple public-assistance programs, including Medicaid and federal housing aid, through measures currently being debated in Congress.

In a May 2025 opinion piece published in The New York Times, several senior administration officials argued that federal welfare programs have moved away from their intended purpose. The article was authored by Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services Administrator Mehmet Oz, Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins, and Housing and Urban Development Secretary Scott Turner.

The officials pointed to an increase in able-bodied adults without children receiving government benefits, a trend they said accelerated after Medicaid was expanded in many states.

Referring to research conducted by an economist at the American Enterprise Institute, they wrote that only 44 percent of able-bodied, working-age Medicaid recipients without dependents logged at least 80 hours of work during the month examined.

The authors said welfare programs should function as temporary support designed to help individuals regain independence rather than as permanent assistance.

They wrote that welfare should serve as a “short-term hand-up, not a lifetime handout.”

“Our agencies are united in a very straightforward policy approach: Able-bodied adults receiving benefits must work, participate in job training or volunteer in their communities at least 20 hours a week,” the officials wrote.

Supporters of the new SNAP policy say the requirements will help expand the workforce, safeguard taxpayer funds, and discourage long-term reliance on government benefits.

Administration officials have also described the policy shift as part of a broader initiative to address improper payments and fraud in federal aid programs, though they have not yet outlined specific anti-fraud enforcement measures tied directly to the changes that took effect March 1.

Polling referenced in the opinion essay suggested that between 60 percent and 80 percent of Americans favor work requirements in programs such as Medicaid.

Advocates for the policy also highlight the bipartisan welfare reform law enacted in 1996 under President Bill Clinton, which linked certain benefits to employment and was credited with increasing workforce participation and lowering child poverty during the late 1990s.

Opponents of work requirements have long argued that such policies can introduce bureaucratic obstacles that cause qualified individuals to lose benefits even when they are meeting program standards.

Administration officials reject that argument, saying the real problem is reliance on welfare rather than employment, and stressing that recipients can fulfill the requirement through jobs, job-training programs, or volunteer work.

Officials at the Departments of Agriculture, Health and Human Services, and Housing and Urban Development have indicated they are ready to apply similar work standards to other programs under their authority, working alongside Congress and state governments to formalize the policy changes.

{Matzav.com}

Israeli President Isaac Herzog said Tuesday that the ultimate objective in confronting Iran is to stop the Islamic Republic from emerging as the dominant military power in the Middle East.

Speaking in Jerusalem during an interview with Newsmax correspondent Zach Anders, Herzog said Israel’s aspirations are not about controlling the region but about achieving stability and peace, invoking the biblical image of a people living securely in their homeland.

“It’s not our aim to come and say all to all other nations we’re hegemonious,” Herzog said. “As we say, we want to live in peace and dwell, you know, under our palm tree, as the Bible says.”

Herzog acknowledged that some might see advantages to holding overwhelming military power in the region, but he stressed that such dominance is not Israel’s goal.

“But we don’t necessarily have to say it because it’s not that we are now in an ego battle,” he said. “What we are trying to say is we want to build a coalition of nations that in terms of moving toward peace, in a dialog between Jew and Muslim and Christian, something that brings a better future to our children.

“That’s what we’re trying to do.”

President Donald Trump, speaking Saturday after the United States and Israel launched their joint military campaign against Iran, accused the Iranian regime of backing terrorist groups responsible for widespread violence.

Trump said the Islamic Republic had armed, trained, and financed militias “that had soaked the earth with blood and guts.”

Herzog also directed remarks toward the Iranian public, urging them to reflect on how their leadership has used the nation’s resources to support terrorism abroad rather than improving conditions for their own citizens.

“All you worked for has been spent on terror all over the world and in other countries in the region, just to create havoc and terror and pain and agony and bloodshed,” Herzog said. “Just as President Trump boldly explained in his statement.”

{Matzav.com}

Many were surprised on Leil Purim to see HaGaon Rav Asher Arieli, the most prominent maggid shiur in the Olam HaTorah and rosh yeshivah at Yeshivas Mir in Yerushalayim, present in Bnei Brak for Krias HaMegillah. Rav Arieli, who delivers the largest shiur in the yeshivah’s famed Bais Yisroel, was seen listening to the Megillah reading at Bais HaMedrash Ohel Tamar.

It has since become known that Rav Arieli had come to Bnei Brak to spend time with his elderly mother, who resides in the city, as he does periodically. Being in Bnei Brak for Purim, he remained there to hear the Megillah.

Photographer Naftali Lerer related the encounter: “I was walking through the streets of Bnei Brak preparing to photograph rabbanim during Krias HaMegillah on Leil Purim. As I was standing outside the bais haknesses of the tzaddik Chacham Nissim Ben Shimon, a Yid approached me and asked if I knew of an open cellphone store — he needed to arrange his phone to receive war alerts. I directed him to a nearby shop on the corner of Rabbi Akiva and Elisha.”

Lerer continued, “He looked familiar to me, and then I realized it was Rav Asher Arieli — whom I had never met face to face — and with such pshitus. I immediately ran after him and asked: The Rosh Yeshivah lives in Yerushalayim. Where is the Rav hearing Megillah in Bnei Brak? He answered that he would be at Bais HaMedrash Ohel Tamar.”

“Of course, I could not forgo the zechus that came my way. In the midst of making my rounds to photograph Gedolei Yisroel, I went to the bais haknesses on Yonah HaNavi Street and merited capturing these rare images.”

{Matzav.com}

A recent halachic ruling issued by the Gaavad of Heichal Hora’ah, HaGaon Rav Moshe Bransdorfer, concerning individuals stranded abroad due to the war has drawn sharp opposition. Rav Yosef Abitbul has published a letter expressing strong objection and stating that the ruling should not be followed in practice.

Rav Bransdorfer had ruled that anyone stuck in chutz la’aretz because of the war should observe Purim according to his city of residence. Rav Abitbul, author of Shaarei Yosef, responded that this approach is not correct according to halachah.

In his letter, Rav Abitbul explains that the Megillah states, “Al kein haYehudim haPerazim haYoshvim b’arei haPerazos,” and Chazal derive from this that even a peruz ben yomo is considered a peruz, and a mukaf ben yomo is considered a mukaf. Therefore, he argues that if a person is currently remaining in chutz la’aretz, even if he is there b’oneis, he must observe Purim according to the place where he is physically present.

He writes that it is difficult to understand the opposing view, calling it “chiddush atzum neged divrei haPoskim.” He explains that the halachic authorities who rule based on a person’s intent are discussing a case where someone is delayed but expects to arrive at his destination in time. However, if a person is delayed due to circumstances beyond his control and knows that he will remain where he is, he must observe Purim according to his current location and not according to where he resides. Since he is anus and aware that he will remain in that place and not in Yerushalayim, he is certainly obligated to observe on the fourteenth of Adar, as Rav Abitbul elaborates at length in Shaarei Yosef, Hilchos Purim. He concludes that it is extremely difficult to say otherwise.

According to Rav Abitbul, this ruling also does not align with the view of Maran the Chazon Ish, who held that one follows his actual location rather than his prior intention. In his view, the determining factor is where the person is physically present when Purim arrives.

{Matzav.com}

The United States military has eliminated 17 Iranian naval vessels, including a submarine, and carried out close to 2,000 strikes across Iran during the initial phase of President Donald Trump’s military campaign against the Iranian regime.

The figures were disclosed by U.S. Central Command commander Gen. Brad Cooper, according to Reuters.

In a video message posted to X, Cooper said Iran’s naval forces have effectively ceased operating across the region’s key maritime routes.

“Today, there is not a single Iranian ship underway in the Arabian Gulf, Strait of Hormuz, or Gulf of Oman,” Cooper said in the video.

The numbers highlight the sweeping scale of the U.S. operation authorized by Trump. Administration officials say the campaign is designed to dismantle Iran’s ability to threaten Americans, Israel, and other U.S. allies throughout the Middle East.

According to CENTCOM, the military effort is focusing on Iran’s command-and-control networks, air defense systems, missile and drone launch sites, and other installations connected to attacks on U.S. forces and allied nations.

Stars and Stripes reported that American forces have deployed a wide range of military assets in the campaign’s opening days, including aircraft, naval vessels, missiles, and drones. The number of strikes had already exceeded 1,000 early in the operation as additional targets were identified.

President Trump has said the intensity and scope of the attacks have severely weakened Iran’s military capabilities, stating that the country’s armed forces have effectively been “knocked out” and that critical components such as the navy, air force, radar network, and air defenses have been neutralized, according to reporting by Time.

Military Times and Axios also reported that Trump said U.S. forces destroyed nine Iranian naval ships and that Iran’s naval headquarters had been “largely destroyed,” describing the maritime campaign as proof that Tehran is rapidly losing its ability to project power across the region.

Officials at the White House have not provided a detailed schedule for how long the conflict may continue. Administration statements have largely emphasized that the campaign will proceed until the threats posed by Iran to the United States and its allies have been eliminated.

The Guardian reported Monday that Trump indicated the operation might last about four weeks, while also suggesting the timeline could change depending on Iran’s continued retaliatory actions.

Security analysts cited in international coverage say that despite suffering heavy losses to its conventional forces, Iran may still attempt to drag out the conflict through missile launches, drone strikes, and the use of proxy militias.

There are also growing signs that Tehran has expanded its retaliation beyond its own territory by striking U.S. facilities and allied countries throughout the Middle East.

The U.S. State Department announced Sunday in a joint statement with Bahrain, Jordan, Kuwait, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates that Iran had carried out “missile and drone attacks” across the region following the American-Israeli strikes.

Al Jazeera reported Sunday that explosions and air defense activity were detected in several Gulf cities, including Dubai, Doha, and Manama, as Iran continued attacks targeting American assets and regional partners.

ABC News reported Tuesday that the United States shut down its embassies in Saudi Arabia and Kuwait amid the escalating situation, citing U.S. officials who said Iranian drones struck near the U.S. Embassy compound in Riyadh.

The Washington Post reported Tuesday that an internal State Department alert said the U.S. Embassy in Riyadh suffered structural damage following what it described as a drone attack.

The Guardian also reported Tuesday that Iranian missile and drone strikes have targeted American and allied facilities across several Gulf states, including a drone strike near the U.S. consulate in Dubai that triggered an emergency response.

Al-Monitor reported Monday that Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps publicly claimed responsibility for attacks on U.S. targets and said the retaliation extended to several Gulf countries that host American forces.

The spread of Iranian missile and drone attacks across multiple countries has strengthened the Trump administration’s argument that the military campaign is aimed at preventing a wider regional threat to the United States and its allies.

{Matzav.com}

A powerful explosion shook Bnei Brak in the midst of Purim celebrations, with missile fragments landing in the Ramat Elchanan neighborhood. One of the projectiles struck an apartment belonging to the Landau family on Sonnenfeld Street moments after they had hurried into a bomb shelter.

The family, members of the Belzer community, had been in the middle of preparing their Purim seudah when the siren sounded. Sensing that the threat was very close, they quickly went down to the shelter. Shortly after they took cover, a fragment slammed into their bedroom, causing extensive damage to their apartment and neighboring units. Miraculously, no one inside the home was injured.

The family is that of Rabbi Yochanan Landau, a respected Belzer chassid and son of the late Rabbi Yitzchak Landau zt”l, who had served as a longtime attendant in the Belzer court. They were spared at the last moment when they descended to the shelter.

In addition to the damage to the Landau residence, a woman living in the same building was wounded by shrapnel and evacuated to the hospital. The public has been asked to daven for the recovery of Miriam bas Ahava Henna Libba. A photograph from inside the building shows a door riddled with holes from shrapnel. The woman had been sitting nearby reciting Tehillim when the blast occurred and survived in what residents described as a clear neis.

Elsewhere in Bnei Brak, a home on Rashbam Street — the street where Rav Chaim Kanievsky zt”l, lived until his passing four years ago — was also hit by missile fragments. Despite the impact, no injuries were reported there.

Additional debris fell on Miriam HaNeviah Street, where fragments landed in the yard of a kindergarten. The school was closed due to the Purim holiday, and no one was present at the time.

{Matzav.com}

Israel will begin reopening Ben Gurion Airport on Thursday under a limited operating framework, Transportation Minister Miri Regev said Tuesday evening, outlining initial steps to gradually restore air travel.

Under the first phase of the plan, no outbound international flights will depart from Israel, but inbound service will resume at a rate of two landings per hour. The airport is expected to function around the clock. Aircraft arriving in Israel will depart from foreign destinations without passengers and land fully booked. At the outset, only Israeli carriers will be permitted to operate flights into Ben Gurion Airport.

Authorities stated that arriving passengers will move swiftly through the terminal. Upon landing, travelers will proceed directly to passport control, collect their luggage, and exit the airport as quickly as possible. Planes will remain on the ground only briefly before taking off again for overseas destinations.

Earlier in the day, the Transportation Ministry also unveiled a coordinated transportation system for Israelis returning through the Taba border crossing in Egypt. According to the announcement, buses will be provided for passengers landing at Taba Airport and crossing into Israel by land. The buses will be stationed outside the terminal on the Israeli side, synchronized with the scheduled arrival times of incoming flights.

After the conflict with Iran began, Israeli airlines initiated plans to repatriate citizens stranded abroad. On Monday, Hungary’s Wizz Air confirmed it would participate in the effort to return Israelis, joining Greece-based Bluebird in assisting with the airlift operations.

Mojtaba Khamenei, the son of Iranian Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, has reportedly been selected to succeed his father as Iran’s supreme leader, according to Iranian opposition media.

Iranian International reported Tuesday that the 56-year-old cleric was chosen by Iran’s Assembly of Experts to take control of the country.

The claim was quickly echoed across Israeli media outlets, though it had not been verified by Iran’s official state-run media channels.

In the immediate aftermath of Saturday’s strike that eliminated Iran’s top cleric, early reports had suggested that Mojtaba Khamenei might have been among roughly 40 senior figures killed in the attack. Those reports now appear to have been incorrect.

His reported elevation comes after days of uncertainty surrounding who would assume leadership following the death of the elder Khamenei, who had dominated Iran’s political and religious landscape for decades with a rigid anti-Western posture and tight control over the regime.

Mojtaba Khamenei is widely viewed as a firm adherent to his father’s uncompromising conservative ideology. He is also believed to maintain strong connections with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, the powerful military force known for enforcing the regime’s authority, according to CNN.

Although he did not hold a formal government position under his father’s rule, Mojtaba was nevertheless placed under U.S. sanctions in 2019.

If confirmed, his selection would mark a notable shift for the Islamic Republic, which has historically rejected hereditary succession in leadership—particularly given that the 1979 revolution overthrew a monarchy.

Since the strike, Iran has reportedly been governed by a temporary three-man council that includes two senior loyalists who survived the attack. In the days following the upheaval, speculation intensified over who would ultimately consolidate power.

The country has faced mounting instability since the strikes, with continued missile attacks inside Iran and retaliatory rocket and drone assaults targeting U.S. interests throughout the region.

A federal judge ruled Tuesday that the federal government acted unlawfully in attempting to terminate New York’s congestion pricing program, delivering a significant legal win to the state and preserving, for now, the nation’s first traffic-reduction toll plan.

The 149-page opinion issued by Judge Lewis J. Liman of Federal District Court in Manhattan brings a temporary end to an extended clash between Gov. Kathy Hochul and the White House. The administration had sought for more than a year to dismantle the toll initiative, arguing—without presenting evidence—that it would damage the regional economy. Although other lawsuits related to the program are still pending, the ruling represents a major setback for federal efforts to shut it down.

The decision follows an earlier move by Judge Liman to shield the toll system from actions threatened by Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy. Duffy had warned that Washington could withhold approval and funding for various highway and transit projects in New York if the state did not scrap congestion pricing.

In his opinion, Judge Liman rejected the federal government’s assertion that it could revoke prior approval for the program and faulted officials for threatening New York’s transportation funding as leverage. He made clear that the administration’s attempt to rescind its earlier authorization overstepped legal bounds.

“It would be difficult to imagine a more definitive repudiation of contractual obligations by any party to any form of agreement than the repudiation and rescission set forth in the Feb. 19 letter,” he wrote on Tuesday, referring to the first demands issued by the federal government last year.

New York’s congestion pricing system, which aims to ease traffic and generate revenue for public transit upgrades, went into effect on Jan. 5, 2025. Under the program, most motorists pay $9 to enter Manhattan south of 60th Street during peak hours. Commercial trucks are charged more, up to $21.60 per entry. Overnight rates are reduced by 75 percent, bringing the fee for most vehicles down to $2.25.

Shortly after the tolls began, in February 2025, Secretary Duffy directed Governor Hochul to suspend the plan, arguing that it went beyond the authority granted under the federal program used to approve it. President Trump also weighed in publicly, declaring on social media that congestion pricing was finished and that New York had been “saved.” He shared an image of himself wearing a crown with the caption, “LONG LIVE THE KING.”

Governor Hochul, who had previously postponed the rollout of the tolls over economic considerations, resisted the federal pressure. The Metropolitan Transportation Authority, which oversees the program, quickly filed suit in federal court in Manhattan to prevent what it described as unlawful interference, maintaining that the toll plan had undergone extensive review and received proper authorization during the Biden administration.

Following the ruling, Hochul praised the court’s decision and pledged to continue defending the program against further challenges.

“The judge’s decision is clear: Donald Trump’s unlawful attempts to trample on the self-governance of his home state have failed spectacularly,” she said. “Congestion pricing is legal, it works, and it is here to stay. The cameras are staying on.”

Janno Lieber, chief executive of the M.T.A., also celebrated the outcome, framing it as a rebuke to Secretary Duffy, who has repeatedly criticized New York City’s transit system.

“Today — once again — Secretary Duffy failed and New York is winning.”

{Matzav.com}

Air-raid sirens were activated Tuesday morning across central Israel and parts of Samaria after Iran launched a ballistic missile carrying a cluster warhead. One of the explosive fragments struck a residential building in Petah Tikva. No injuries were reported in that incident.

A cluster bomb disperses approximately 20 smaller munitions at an altitude of roughly seven kilometers above the intended target. Those submunitions then scatter across an area spanning about eight kilometers.

Iran is believed to possess three models of ballistic missiles equipped with cluster warheads, including the Qader and the Khorramshahr, both of which have the range to reach Israel. While such missiles are not capable of breaching a reinforced safe room, they can still inflict damage and cause injuries in exposed areas.

Earlier Tuesday morning, a separate attack occurred in the north when a rocket fired from Lebanon struck a private residence in Kfar Yuval in the Galilee Panhandle.

Fire and rescue personnel who arrived at the scene confirmed that the house sustained a direct hit.

The four residents inside the home were conscious when first responders reached them. They suffered blast-related injuries and were treated initially at the scene. Emergency crews remained in the area to evaluate structural damage and ensure there were no additional hazards.

Magen David Adom paramedics administered care on site and transported two individuals to Ziv Medical Center: a 64-year-old man with light injuries caused by shattered glass, and a 24-year-old woman suffering from shock. Two other residents treated for shock were not taken to the hospital.

President Donald Trump dismissed claims that Israel compelled the United States to enter the conflict with Iran, suggesting instead that he may have been the one urging action.

Speaking to reporters, Trump was asked whether Israel had “forced” his decision to confront Tehran militarily. He rejected the premise and indicated the opposite dynamic may have been at play.

“I might have forced their hand.”

Trump said his administration had been engaged in talks with Iranian officials prior to the outbreak of hostilities, but he concluded that diplomacy was unlikely to prevent aggression from Tehran.

“We were having negotiations with these lunatics,” Trump stated in reference to the Ayatollah’s regime in Iran. “It was my opinion that they were going to attack first. If we didn’t do it, they were going to attack.”

He said his assessment was shaped by the tone and direction of the discussions, which led him to believe an attack was imminent. According to Trump, he was convinced that Iran was preparing strikes not only against Israel but also against other countries in the region.

He reiterated that if any country had been influenced to act, it may have been Israel responding to American resolve.

“If anything, I might have forced Israel’s hand, but Israel was ready and we were ready” Trump said.

Trump characterized the military campaign as successful, asserting that Iran’s capabilities were being systematically degraded.

The President stated that the war is going well, as “virtually everything they have is being knocked out now.” He accused Iran of “hitting countries that were neutral … and now those countries are all fighting against them.”

He said Iran’s actions demonstrate the nature of the threat posed by its leadership.

Trump asserted that this “shows the level of evil that we’re dealing with. They’ll hit people that were at least somewhat friendly, also hitting only civilian places, hotels and apartment buildings.”

When asked to outline the most troubling potential outcome of the conflict, Trump said the gravest possibility would be a leadership change in Iran that fails to alter the regime’s direction.

When asked what the “worst-case scenario” his administration envisions for Iran, he answered that the worst-case scenario would be for the next leader of Iran to be just as bad as Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

{Matzav.com}

Israel carried out a strike on a council building in Qom where members of Iran’s Assembly of Experts were in the process of voting on the country’s next Supreme Leader, according to a security source.

The facility, located south of Tehran, was reportedly targeted while the 88-member clerical body was engaged in the leadership selection process. However, Channel 12 reported that the full Assembly was not inside the building at the time of the strike, noting that members had cast their ballots individually. Only a small team assigned to tally the votes was present when the attack occurred.

Earlier in the afternoon, shortly before 4:00 p.m., the IDF announced it had initiated a ninth wave of airstrikes in Tehran. Iranian reports soon followed describing blasts in the capital. State-affiliated media outlets in Iran also cited explosions in the cities of Raj, Shiraz, and Fawah.

תיעוד: בניין מועצת המומחים בעיר קום הותקף. מדובר במועצה שתפקידה היחיד הוא בחירת המנהיג העליון של איראן@OmerShahar123 pic.twitter.com/ZkTsoU4asL

— כאן חדשות (@kann_news) March 3, 2026

Concurrently, the IDF’s Persian-language spokesperson, Lt. Col. (res.) Kamal Pinhasi, released a public evacuation warning directed at residents in Tehran’s “Hakimiyeh” industrial zone. “In the coming hours, the IDF will operate in the area,” the notice stated.

In a separate message posted in Persian on social media, the Mossad addressed the unfolding leadership developments in Iran, writing: “It doesn’t matter who is chosen today; his fate has been decreed. Only the Iranian nation will choose their next leader.”

مهم نیست  امروز چه کسی انتخاب میشود سرنوشت  او قلم زده شده، تنها ملت ایران راهبر آتی خود را انتخاب خواهند کرد pic.twitter.com/dwyRW6ZB4U

— Mossad Farsi (@MossadSpokesman) March 3, 2026

The clarification regarding the limited presence inside the Assembly of Experts building followed claims in Iranian media that the “American-Zionist criminals” had struck the site during the leadership vote. Video broadcast by local outlets showed extensive structural damage to the building.

President Donald Trump declared Tuesday that Iran’s efforts to reopen negotiations come too late, as fighting between the Islamic Republic and the combined forces of the United States and Israel moved into its fourth day.

In a post published on his Truth Social platform, Trump dismissed Tehran’s reported interest in talks and pointed to what he described as the destruction of key elements of Iran’s military leadership and capabilities.

“Their air defense, Air Force, Navy, and Leadership is gone. They want to talk. I said ‘Too Late!'”

Earlier in the day, Trump also highlighted the strength of America’s weapons reserves, asserting that U.S. stockpiles are at unprecedented levels and capable of sustaining a prolonged conflict if necessary.

“The United States Munitions Stockpiles have, at the medium and upper medium grade, never been higher or better – As was stated to me today, we have a virtually unlimited supply of these weapons,” Trump wrote on Truth Social.

He added that existing supplies alone would be sufficient to maintain military operations for as long as required.

“Wars can be fought ‘forever,’ and very successfully, using just these supplies (which are better than other countries finest arms!).”

The Israel Defense Forces announced Tuesday night that it carried out a strike on a covert Iranian site identified as “Minzadehei,” describing it as a facility where the regime was advancing critical components needed for nuclear weapons.

During an evening briefing, IDF Spokesperson Brigadier General Effie Defrin said the target was part of Iran’s continued effort to develop military nuclear capabilities, even after sustaining significant damage in earlier operations.

According to the military, “Despite the severe damage [in Operation Rising Lion], the Iranian terror regime did not cease nuclear weapon activities and continued to advance development of the required capabilities for nuclear weapons, while shifting infrastructure to an underground site defended against aerial strikes.”

The IDF stated that the facility housed a specialized team operating in secrecy.

“In the site, a group of nuclear scientists operated covertly to develop a key component for nuclear weapons,” the military stated.

Israeli intelligence services tracked the scientists’ movements after previous strikes and ultimately identified their relocation to the underground compound, officials said.

“IDF intelligence continued to follow the scientists’ activities and located their new location at this site in a manner that enabled a precise strike on the covert underground compound.

“The strike removes a key component in the Iranian regime’s capability to develop nuclear weapons and joins a series of strikes conducted during Operation ‘Rising Lion’ that were essential to eliminate the Iranian nuclear threat,” the IDF statement concluded.

[Video below.] Iranian representatives informed American officials during high-level negotiations last month that the Islamic Republic had accumulated enough enriched uranium to produce 11 nuclear weapons, according to President Donald Trump’s special envoy.

In an interview with Fox News host Sean Hannity, envoy Steve Witkoff disclosed that Iranian negotiators openly acknowledged the size and potency of their stockpile at the outset of discussions.

“Both the Iranian negotiators said to us directly with, you know, no shame, that they controlled 460 kilograms of 60% [enriched uranium],” Steve Witkoff told Fox News host Sean Hannity, “and they’re aware that that could make 11 nuclear bombs, and that was the beginning of their negotiating stance.”

Witkoff and Jared Kushner, President Trump’s son-in-law, participated in three separate rounds of indirect negotiations with Iranian officials. The talks began in Oman on Feb. 6 and concluded in Geneva, Switzerland, on Feb. 26. The meetings were viewed as a final diplomatic attempt to head off American military action against Iran.

According to Witkoff, the Iranians began the discussions by asserting what they described as a fundamental right to continue enriching uranium.

“Jared and I opened up with the Iranian negotiators telling us they had the inalienable right to enrich all their nuclear fuel that they possessed. That’s how they opened up,” Witkoff recounted.

He said the U.S. delegation immediately pushed back, conveying President Trump’s position.

“We, of course, responded that the president feels we have the inalienable right to stop you dead in your tracks,” he continued.

Witkoff described the tone of the exchange as tense from the start, saying the Iranian team insisted enrichment would remain the baseline for any agreement.

“They then went on to say that beyond the inalienable right to enrich, that that was going to be their starting point. And Jared and I just sort of looked at ourselves flummoxed and said, ‘Well, we’re really in for it now.’”

Before the Geneva session, Witkoff had drawn global attention by warning that Iran was close to producing weapons-ready nuclear material, saying it was “probably a week away from having industrial-grade bomb-making material.”

Speaking further on Monday, he elaborated on those concerns and detailed the scale of Iran’s nuclear inventory.

“I know this: They have 10,000, roughly, kilograms of fissionable material. That’s broken up into roughly 460 kilograms of 60% enriched uranium, another 1,000 kilograms of 20% enriched uranium …They manufacture their own centrifuges to enrich this material. So, there’s almost no stopping them. They have an endless supply of it.

“The 60% material, Sean, can be brought to 90%, that’s weapons-grade, in roughly one week, maybe 10 days at the outside. The 20% can be brought to weapons-grade inside of three to four weeks.”

Witkoff said the Iranian officials appeared confident about the progress of their program and the manner in which they advanced it.

“They were proud of it,” Witkoff went on. “They were proud that they had evaded all sorts of oversight protocols to get to a place where they could deliver 11 nuclear bombs.”

He added that the U.S. side presented an alternative proposal intended to eliminate the need for Iran to enrich uranium domestically. Under that offer, the United States would supply nuclear fuel for civilian purposes over the next decade, provided it was not diverted to weapons development.

“They rejected that, which told us at that very moment that they had no — no notion of doing anything other than retaining enrichment for the purpose of weaponizing.”

As joint U.S.-Israeli military operations against Iran moved into their fourth day, Witkoff characterized Tehran’s approach at the negotiating table as unrealistic and confrontational.

With the US-Israeli war against Iran entering a fourth day, Witkoff described Tehran’s negotiating position as “silly,” but added: “They thought they could strong-arm us.”

He said President Trump had tasked him and Kushner with determining whether Iran was prepared to meet Washington’s core demands, which went far beyond the nuclear issue alone.

“President Trump sent me and Jared there to really determine on his behalf whether they were serious about doing a deal that addressed his objectives, which are elimination of their missile program; elimination of their advocacy and support for proxies, which is destabilizing the entire Middle East; elimination of their navy, so we can have freedom of the seas and not be threatened with the shutdown of the Gulf [Strait] of Hormuz; and finally, no nuclear enrichment that can get them to weapons-grade, which means no nuclear bomb.

“And we went in there and tried to make a fair deal with them, and it was very, very clear that it was — that it was going to be impossible, probably by the end of the second meeting. But we then went back for the third meeting [in Geneva] just to give it the last college try,” Witkoff went on.

“It was not positive, that meeting.”

President Donald Trump dismissed criticism from prominent voices within the MAGA movement after authorizing a large-scale military offensive against Iran, insisting the operation is essential to protect the United States and its allies.

The joint U.S.-Israel strikes began on Shabbos, even as diplomatic discussions were underway. The attacks reportedly eliminated dozens of senior Iranian officials, including Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei. Six American servicemembers have also been killed in the fighting.

Some well-known conservative commentators have publicly opposed the military action. Megyn Kelly argued that “no one should have to die for a foreign country,” while Tucker Carlson described the attacks on Iran as “absolutely disgusting and evil.”

In comments to journalist Rachael Bade of The Inner Circle on Monday, Trump forcefully rejected the criticism, directly addressing Kelly and Carlson, both former Fox News hosts.

“I think that MAGA is Trump — MAGA’s not the other two,” Trump said of Kelly and Carlson. “MAGA wants to see our country thrive and be safe. And MAGA loves what I’m doing — every aspect of it… This is a detour that we have to take in order to keep our country safe and keep other countries safe, frankly.”

Trump also took aim at Kelly specifically, suggesting she revisit historical precedent.

The president added that Kelly should “study her history book a little bit.”

“Megan was opposed to me for years when I ran the first time and nothing stopped me,” Trump stated. “And so, you know, some people are against — and they always come back. She came all the way back. But now I guess she maybe doesn’t like the idea of this war, but I do because I have to keep nuclear weapons out of the hands of the Iranians.”

Turning to Carlson, who reportedly visited the White House three times in recent weeks in an effort to argue against striking Iran, Trump said the criticism does not concern him.

Regarding Carlson, Trump said the criticism does not bother him, explaining that Carlson “can say whatever he wants; it has no impact on me.”

A sweeping investigative report published in the British newspaper The Financial Times outlines what it describes as the extensive intelligence effort that culminated in the elimination of Iran’s former supreme leader, Ali Khamenei. According to the report, the operation was years in the making and relied on a sophisticated blend of advanced technological surveillance and precise human intelligence, with close monitoring of the daily routines of senior regime figures in Tehran.

The investigation claims that over an extended period, nearly all traffic cameras across the Iranian capital were hacked. The footage gathered was reportedly transmitted to servers in Tel Aviv and southern Israel, where analysts tracked the movements of security personnel, drivers, and other key individuals connected to the leadership. One particular camera angle is said to have provided a crucial vantage point, revealing where members of Khamenei’s security detail routinely parked and how activity inside the secured compound typically unfolded.

At the same time, Israel allegedly penetrated Iranian cellular networks, gaining access to communications data and movement patterns of high-ranking officials. Sources cited in the report said that the CIA also maintained a human source who confirmed that a meeting attended by Khamenei was scheduled for Saturday morning — a detail that helped complete the intelligence picture and finalize operational planning.

To prevent any last-minute alerts within the security perimeter, cellular antennas near the meeting location were reportedly disrupted, causing phones to appear “busy” in real time. A senior figure in Israel’s intelligence community told the newspaper: “הכרנו את טהראן כמו שאנחנו מכירים את ירושלים – We knew Tehran the way we know Yerushalayim.” According to the account, the combined intelligence gathered by Unit 8200 and Mossad operatives enabled the launch of up to 30 precision-guided munitions at the meeting site.

The report further asserts that the timing of the strike was driven by assessments that in the event of open war, top regime officials would quickly disappear into fortified underground bunkers. By integrating advanced algorithms, analysis of behavioral patterns — including residential addresses, work schedules, and travel routes — and the focused activation of intelligence assets, planners created the framework for what was described as a successful mission.

{Matzav.com}