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President Donald Trump said Monday that the ongoing war involving Iran is unlikely to conclude within the week, though he predicted that the conflict will end in the near future.

Speaking to reporters, Trump indicated that while the fighting is continuing, he believes the outcome is approaching and that the result will ultimately strengthen global security.

“It’ll be wrapped up soon. We’re going to have a much safer world. I had an obligation to do this… you want to see a stock market go down? Start letting them hit you with nukes, okay?” Trump said.

Reporter: Can we wrap this war up this week?

Trump: Yeah, sure. I don’t think so, but it’ll be soon. It won’t be long. And we’re going to have a much safer world when it’s wrapped up.

It’ll be wrapped up soon. pic.twitter.com/oubG0q86Yt

— Clash Report (@clashreport) March 16, 2026

Trump also argued that Iran’s longstanding hostile rhetoric toward the United States should be taken seriously, warning that Tehran would have used nuclear weapons if it had possessed them.

“When they (Iran) say ‘Death to America,’ you should believe them because if they had a nuclear weapon, they would’ve used it.”

According to Trump, the conflict has dramatically weakened Iran’s position in the region, stripping it of the influence it previously projected.

“Iran is a shell of itself, it’s no longer a bully…it’s the bully that got beat up. We beat the crap out of them – and they deserve that,” said Trump.

Trump also revealed additional details about Iran’s military capabilities, stating that the country’s fleet of minelaying vessels has been eliminated.

The President also told reporters that Iran had 22 minelayers in total, and they have all been sunk.

During the same conversation, Trump also made comments about Cuba, suggesting the United States could take action there as well.

Trump hinted that Cuba could also be hit by the US, saying, “I do believe I’ll have the honor of taking Cuba. That would be good. That’s a big honor. I can free it or take it, I think I can do anything I want with it.”

{Matzav.com}

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt discusses ‘Operation Epic Fury’ against Iran and criticizes Democrats for blocking Homeland Security funding on ‘Fox & Friends.’

WATCH:

Amid the ongoing war, the Yenuka, Rav Shlomo Yehuda Be’eri, embarked on a special journey of tefillah at the kivrei tzaddikim in Yerushalayim, beginning at the kever of the Ohr HaChaim HaKadosh and continuing to the Kosel HaMa’aravi, where he davened intensely for the salvation and redemption of Am Yisrael.

Against the backdrop of the war with Iran, the Yenuka left his home in Rishon LeZion on Sunday night and traveled to the city of Yerushalayim in order to visit the resting places of great tzaddikim and to pour out heartfelt tefillos at the Kosel, which has stood unusually empty in recent days.

His first stop was the grave of the Ohr HaChaim HaKadosh on Har HaZeisim. At the site, he also delivered words of chizuk, speaking about the extraordinary holiness of the Ohr HaChaim.

He then continued to the grave of the Rashash, where he spoke about the greatness of the Rashash’s immense Torah scholarship. He also cited teachings from the sefarim hakedoshim about the spiritual significance of hishtatchus at the graves of tzaddikim.

From there, he proceeded to the grave of the Kaf HaChaim. He also davened at the grave of Rav Chaim Delarosa, a disciple of the Rashash, and at the resting place of the tzaddik Rav Gershon of Kitov.

At the largely deserted Kosel HaMa’aravi, the Yenuka davened Maariv with a small minyan of people who accompanied him. Following the tefillah, he stood facing the stones of the empty Kosel for a prolonged period, offering quiet and heartfelt tefillos for the salvation of Am Yisrael.

{Matzav.com}

A missile fragment struck the roof of the Boyaner beis medrash on Rechov Malchei Yisrael in Yerushalayim on Monday, causing damage to the building but no injuries.

The incident occurred just two days before the scheduled wedding of the Boyaner Rebbe’s granddaughter.

Members of the chassidus said the event was a clear miracle, noting that the beis medrash was completely empty at the time the fragment struck.

When the air-raid siren sounded in Yerushalayim, everyone who had been inside the building quickly went down to the protected shelter beneath the beis medrash. Moments later, the fragment hit the roof. The impact damaged part of the newer section of the building, which is not made of reinforced concrete.

Officials from Israel’s Home Front Command arrived at the site to inspect the structure and ensure that the building remained safe.

Yossi Goldstein, CEO of Gavast, the company that built the structural framework of the beis medrash ceiling, commented on the damage: “Fortunately, the damage is minimal. The high-quality and durable construction of Gavast proves itself even in moments like these.”

Preparations had already been underway in the Boyaner chassidus for the wedding scheduled for this Wednesday, celebrating the marriage of the Rebbe’s granddaughter, the daughter of his eldest son, Rav Yosef Breyer.

Following the incident, organizers began considering moving the wedding to a different location. The celebration will likely be relocated either to the underground complex of Karlin chassidus in Givat Ze’ev or to the Agroisseh Shtib hall in Kiryat Belz.

The chosson mohl gathering that had been scheduled for Monday evening was moved to the tish hall of Rachmastrivka chassidus in the Gush 80 neighborhood.

Later in the evening, after Maariv, the Boyaner Rebbe came out to address the chassidim and spoke about the need to thank Hashem for the miracle.

“Let them give thanks to Hashem for His kindness and for His wonders to mankind. We must give thanks for what happened today, and from now on there should be a sweetening of the harsh decrees, as it says, ‘For He has satisfied the longing soul and filled the hungry soul with goodness’ — and we should pray that the wedding as well should take place at a good and successful time.”

{Matzav.com}

Iran’s new supreme leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, reportedly escaped death during the Israeli strike that killed his father, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, because he had stepped outside the compound for a brief walk shortly before the missiles struck, according to a newly surfaced report.

Details of the incident emerged from leaked audio of a private meeting discussing the February 28 attack on Khamenei’s compound. The recording indicates that Mojtba Khamenei had been with his father in Tehran but had stepped outside “to do something” just minutes before the strike occurred, The Telegraph reported.

The recording also described the devastating effects of the attack, including gruesome details about the destruction left behind. According to the audio, Iran’s military chief was killed so completely in the blast that the remains recovered amounted to only “a few kilos of flesh,” while Ayatollah Ali Khamenei’s son-in-law was discovered with his head split in two by the impact.

Moments after Mojtba left the building, Israel reportedly launched Blue Sparrow ballistic missiles that struck the compound. The attack killed Ayatollah Ali Khamenei along with dozens of senior military officials and members of his family, but Mojtba himself survived.

“God’s will was that Mojtba had to go out to the yard to do something and then return,” Mazaher Hosseini, head of protocol for Khamenei’s office, reportedly told Iranian leaders in a private meeting on March 12.

Hossein said Mojtba was outside the building and approaching the stairs when the strike occurred.

“He was outside and was heading upstairs when they struck the building with a missile. His wife, Ms Haddad, was martyred instantly,” Hosseini added.

According to Hosseini, Mojtba sustained only minor physical harm in the blast, reinforcing earlier claims about the extent of his injuries.

Hosseini maintained that Mojtba only suffered “a minor injury to his leg,” echoing recent reports about the new leader’s wounds.

The official also informed senior Iranian clerics and commanders of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps that multiple missiles were involved in the strike on the compound.

According to the leaked recording, at least three missiles hit the site. One reportedly struck the area where Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was located, while another hit Mojtba’s residence on an upper floor as well as the home of his brother-in-law, Misbah al-Huda Bagheri Kani.

“The missile was so powerful that it went downstairs where Mr Misbah was, it went to Mr Misbah’s room,” Hosseini said. “The missiles were struck in a way that cut his head in half.”

Hosseini also reported that Mostafa Khamenei, the late leader’s eldest son, survived the attack along with his wife and emerged from the scene without injuries.

Hosseini noted that Mostafa Khamenei, Khamenei’s eldest son, survived the attack with his wife, coming out of the destruction “unharmed.”

The recording also described the condition in which Iranian military chief Mohammad Shirazi was found after the strike.

“He was blown to pieces – they could find nothing from him, and at the end they found a few kilos of flesh and identified it as his body,” Hosseini said, according to the leaked audio.

The audio recording surfaced as speculation continues regarding Mojtba Khamenei’s health and whereabouts, as the new supreme leader has not appeared publicly since the conflict began.

Rumors have circulated that his injuries may be more severe than what Iranian authorities have publicly acknowledged. President Trump also addressed the uncertainty surrounding Mojtba’s condition.

“A lot of people are saying that he’s badly disfigured. They’re saying that he lost his leg, one leg, and he’s been hurt very badly. Other people are saying he’s dead,” Trump told reporters on Monday.

“We haven’t seen” him “at all,” Trump said, adding that US officials don’t know “if he’s dead or not. Nobody’s seen him, which is unusual.”

{Matzav.com}

Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi rebels have so far remained on the sidelines as the Iran war widens across the Middle East, raising questions about why — and when the battle-hardened group might join the fight. Iran has retaliated against the United States and Israel with missiles and drones, targeting American military bases and other locations in […]

It is with deep regret that YWN shares the petirah of Reb Chaim Tzvi Elbaum Z”L, who was tragically niftar Monday morning after succumbing to injuries he sustained when he was struck by a vehicle in Boro Park late last year. He was 89. The accident occurred on December 22, 2025, at approximately 11:40 a.m. […]

President Trump signs an Executive Order putting VP Vance in charge of the new Anti-Fraud Task Force.

VP Vance on Operation Epic Fury: “What the President said consistently going back to 2015 — and I agreed with him — was that Iran should not have a nuclear weapon… I trust President Trump to get the job done… and to make sure that the mistakes of the past aren’t repeated.”

Officials in Cuba reported an island-wide blackout Monday in the country of some 11 million people as its energy and economic crises deepen and its power grid continues to crumble. The Ministry of Energy and Mines on X noted a “complete disconnection” of the country’s electrical system and said it was investigating, noting there were […]

B”H Before Pesach While Everyone Prepares Their Homes for the Yom Tov, the Shachar Family Has No Home to Prepare, A devastating battery explosion burned the Shachar family’s home to the ground. Their young son suffered severe burns and is undergoing long, painful rehabilitation. The father, Reb Avraham Shachar a respected sofer who supported his […]

Authorities are investigating after chilling antisemitic graffiti was discovered in a Manhattan park. The message — reading “Kill a Jew, go to heaven” — was scrawled on a boulder in Riverside Park on the Upper West Side, one of New York City’s most heavily Jewish neighborhoods. Micah Lasher, the Jewish New York State assemblyman who represents […]

A federal judge in Boston on Monday issued a temporary order preventing federal health authorities from reducing the list of vaccines recommended for children nationwide. In the same ruling, the judge said U.S. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. likely failed to follow required federal procedures when he reorganized a key advisory panel that provides guidance on vaccination policy.

The ruling suspends a directive Kennedy announced in January that would have eliminated the universal recommendation that children receive several routine vaccines, including those protecting against influenza, rotavirus, hepatitis A, hepatitis B, certain meningitis strains, and RSV.

Major medical organizations quickly raised concerns about the policy shift. The American Academy of Pediatrics and several other groups revised a lawsuit they had originally filed in July, urging the court to intervene and block the government from reducing the standard childhood immunization schedule used across the country.

In addition, the judge determined that Kennedy’s restructuring of the federal vaccine advisory committee likely did not comply with federal law. As a result, the court ordered that the new appointments to the panel — along with any decisions made by the reorganized group — be paused until further legal review.

{Matzav.com}

A Knesset committee on Monday advanced a bill that would strengthen Charieidi authority over the Kosel Plaza. The Knesset House Committee voted to send the proposal to the Constitution, Law and Justice Committee to prepare it for its first reading in the Knesset plenum. The legislation comes after a recent High Court ruling pushing the […]

New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani announced Monday that the city will lower the speed limit to 15 miles per hour outside more than 800 schools this year, part of a broader effort to improve safety for students. Mamdani said his administration plans to expand the measure to all eligible schools across the city by […]

Leaked audio obtained by The Telegraph claims Mojtaba Khamenei narrowly escaped death during the U.S.–Israeli strikes on February 28 that reportedly killed his father, Ali Khamenei. According to the recording, Mazaher Hosseini, head of protocol in Khamenei’s office, told clerics and commanders of the IRGC that Mojtaba stepped outside the residence moments before missiles struck […]

Israelis cheer as Iranian missile is intercepted over Tel Aviv.

A verbal confrontation took place outside Austin–Bergstrom International Airport between Texas Rep. Greg Casar and Texas Sen. John Cornyn over funding for DHS earlier today.

Israel’s ambassador to the United Nations, Danny Danon, said Monday that Israel’s recent military moves against Hezbollah were required after diplomatic efforts failed to prevent the terror group from launching rockets from southern Lebanon in violation of international agreements.

Speaking at a press briefing, Danon said Israel had taken steps overnight to broaden its defensive posture along the northern border in response to ongoing attacks.

“Overnight, Israel expanded the forward defense area in southern Lebanon. This step was taken to remove immediate terrorist threats near our border and create an additional layer of security for the residents of northern Israel,” Danon said at a press briefing this morning (Monday).

Danon stressed that Israel had not sought the confrontation, blaming Hezbollah for initiating the escalation through repeated rocket launches targeting Israeli communities.

He emphasized: “Israel did not choose this situation. Hezbollah did. For weeks, Hezbollah has been launching rockets at Israeli communities from southern Lebanon. It has been doing so from areas where it is not supposed to be present at all.”

He also questioned the continued reliance on diplomacy by the United Nations when Hezbollah has repeatedly ignored existing agreements meant to prevent its presence in southern Lebanon.

Danon referenced remarks made during a recent visit to Lebanon by UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and challenged the notion that dialogue alone could resolve the situation.

Danon questioned the UN’s continued focus on diplomacy when Hezbollah has failed to abide by any diplomatic agreements until now. “On Friday, last week, during his visit to Lebanon, UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres said, and I quote, ‘There is no military solution, only diplomacy and dialogue.’ Israel supports diplomacy, but diplomacy only works when agreements are enforced. Under UN Security Council Resolution 1701, Hezbollah is not supposed to operate south of the Litani River. That area was meant to be free of Hezbollah weapons. Yet Hezbollah is operating there. Hezbollah is firing from there. And the Lebanese government has not taken sufficient action to stop it.”

According to Danon, commitments made through diplomatic channels only months ago have gone unenforced, leaving Israel with little choice but to respond to continued rocket fire.

“Diplomatic commitments were made only last November. They were not enforced. When rockets continue to be fired from areas that were supposed to be free of weapons, Israel cannot sit back and pretend that diplomacy is working,” he said.

Danon further accused Hezbollah of deliberately targeting Israeli civilians while operating from populated areas in Lebanon.

Danon accused Hezbollah of “indiscriminate fire” in its rocket attacks, while using civilians as human shields. “That is their method: Launch rockets at Israeli communities, hide behind civilians, and then blame Israel.”

During the briefing, Danon urged the Lebanese government to take responsibility for restraining Hezbollah and preventing further escalation.

He called on the Lebanese government to “step up” and fulfill its obligations to confront Hezbollah and stop the terrorist organization from repeatedly dragging Lebanon into conflicts with Israel. “Lebanon must restrain Hezbollah now, or we will.”

To illustrate the scale of the attacks, Danon presented a map documenting the volume of rocket fire directed at Israel in a short period of time.

During the briefing, Danon presented a map showing that 213 rockets were launched by Hezbollah at Israel in just 16 hours, all from southern Lebanon south of the Litani River, in blatant violation of Security Council Resolution 1701.

The map that was presented highlights the scope of the firing and Hezbollah’s systematic violation of UN resolutions. At the same time, Israel is working to expand its buffer defense area following ongoing threats on the northern border.

Danon concluded by pointing to the figures as evidence that Hezbollah continues to operate freely in areas where it is prohibited under international agreements.

Danon said: “213 rockets in 16 hours prove that Hezbollah continues to fire freely from south of the Litani in clear violation of UN resolutions. Israel is working to remove the threat of terrorism from its border and expand its defense area to protect its citizens.”

{Matzav.com}

Trump: We hit, to the best of our knowledge, all of their mine-laying ships. Now they can put them on other types of ships, I guess, and drop them in. But we don’t know that any even have been dropped in, we’re not sure any have been.