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Report: Trump Weighs Intensive 10-To-14-Day Air Campaign In Iran

Matzav -

President Donald Trump is reportedly weighing a sweeping military campaign against Iran that could involve up to two weeks of sustained airstrikes targeting the regime’s missile infrastructure, even as his administration continues to leave the door open for a diplomatic resolution.

According to a report published Thursday by The Wall Street Journal, Trump is reviewing plans prepared by U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) for a large-scale aerial operation lasting between 10 and 14 days that would focus on severely degrading Iran’s missile capabilities.

People familiar with the discussions told the newspaper that the proposal, developed by CENTCOM commander Admiral Brad Cooper, would represent a significant escalation beyond the previous round of American strikes against Iranian targets.

Despite the military planning, administration officials are also considering a more limited strike option that could preserve the possibility of renewed negotiations with Tehran.

A U.S. official told The Wall Street Journal that, as of Wednesday afternoon, Trump had not yet decided whether to proceed with military action or what targets, if any, would ultimately be selected.

The official added that Trump was “not surprised” by Iran’s decision to resume hostilities and described the president as being “in an escalatory mood” while senior officials weighed the next course of action.

Earlier Wednesday, Trump vowed a powerful response after Iran launched missiles at U.S. bases in Jordan overnight.

“We are going to hit them very hard. I can say that because there is very little they can do about it,” he told reporters in the Oval Office.

“We’re going to be hitting them very hard, because it’s our turn to hit them. They know it’s coming, they’re asking us not to do it. They tried shooting last night…we had five rockets shot going 8,500 mph, and all five rockets were knocked down to the ground – but they nevertheless took a shot, so it’s our turn,” Trump stated.

Trump had previously told Fox News, “We are going to beat the ing out of them.”

He added, “We’ll be hitting them hard. They are going to get a beating.”

The president described Iran’s missile barrage as a surprise attack, saying U.S. forces had only minutes to intercept the incoming missiles before they reached their intended targets.

Tuesday night’s attack marked Iran’s first missile strike against a U.S. base in the region since Trump ordered a pause in military operations against Iran the previous Friday. Tehran fired missiles at locations in Jordan after several days without launching similar attacks.

Later that evening, CENTCOM announced that U.S. forces, working alongside the Saudi Arabian Armed Forces, carried out precision strikes in Iraq against Iran-backed terrorist groups directed by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) to attack American troops and Saudi energy facilities.

“US and Saudi fighter aircraft struck multiple terrorist logistics and weapons sites across eastern Iraq in a strong response to over 30 IRGC-directed aerial drone attacks in the last 72 hours,” said CENTCOM.

It added, “The unwarranted attacks against US forces were not successful.”

{Matzav.com}

Boeing Takes Massive Hit As Costs For New Air Force One Skyrocket To $3 Billion

Matzav -

Boeing disclosed Tuesday that it has absorbed yet another major financial loss on the long-delayed Air Force One replacement program, with total cost overruns now exceeding $3 billion as the company struggles to deliver two new presidential aircraft.

During its quarterly earnings call, the aerospace giant revealed it had recorded an additional $280 million charge tied to the project, pushing the program’s total losses beyond the $3 billion mark.

“While the charge is disappointing, we recognize how critical schedule performance is to our customer and we are investing accordingly to maintain our commitment to deliver the airplane in 2028,” Boeing CEO Kelly Ortberg said on the call.

Ortberg said the latest financial setback stems from Boeing’s decision to devote substantially more personnel and resources to constructing and testing the two specially modified Boeing 747 aircraft. According to the CEO, the added investment is intended to “help mitigate potential risk during certification and flight test.”

Under the terms of the $3.9 billion agreement President Trump negotiated with Boeing in 2018, the company—not the federal government—is responsible for covering any expenses that exceed the contract price.

By 2024, Boeing had already reported approximately $2.8 billion in cost overruns on the Air Force One program, according to Aviation Week.

The company originally pledged to deliver the first aircraft by December 2024, but the Government Accountability Office reported earlier this month that Boeing is now “almost 3 years behind its current baseline schedule.”

Boeing now expects the first presidential aircraft to be delivered in mid-2028, with the second scheduled to follow by mid-2029.

The current Air Force One fleet consists of two aging Boeing 747-200 aircraft that have served as presidential transports since the 1990s.

President Trump has also flown aboard the luxury $400 million aircraft donated by Qatar—often referred to as the “palace in the sky”—as the presidential plane. That aircraft, however, was removed from service earlier this month so it could undergo upgrades to strengthen its anti-missile defense systems.

Air Force One aircraft require some of the most advanced communications technology and defensive capabilities in the world to safeguard the president, making the program exceptionally expensive and technically demanding.

Trump has repeatedly criticized Boeing over the years for the ballooning costs and repeated delays surrounding the long-awaited replacement aircraft.

{Matzav.com}

Goldknopf Blasts Netanyahu, Says Chareidim Were Betrayed: “I Meet Torah Learners in Prison—For That You Go Straight to Jail?”

Matzav -

United Torah Judaism chairman MK Yitzchak Goldknopf launched a blistering attack on Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu and the right-wing coalition in an interview in Hebrew with Kikar HaShabbat, accusing the Prime Minister of abandoning the Chareidi public, breaking his promises, and allowing unprecedented sanctions and arrests against yeshiva students. Goldknopf also declared that any future coalition must pass a draft law protecting Torah learners without quotas or sanctions.

Speaking against the backdrop of High Court rulings, the arrests of yeshiva students, and the ongoing battle over the military draft, Goldknopf said the Chareidi parties made serious strategic mistakes and accused Netanyahu of failing to honor commitments made to the Chareidi parties.

He also sharply criticized police conduct during demonstrations and the treatment of detainees held in military prisons, declaring that, as far as he is concerned, the so-called right-wing bloc no longer exists. He insisted that his support for any future government would depend on legislation fully protecting the status of Torah learners without enlistment targets or penalties.

Addressing the High Court’s decision to freeze the arrests law, Goldknopf said, “I think everyone knew there would be petitions against this issue, especially since the legal experts told us this law was hanging by a thread. But as long as there was something more that could be done regarding these arrests, I joined that effort and supported it.”

Asked about criticism within Agudas Yisroel that Shas chairman Aryeh Deri knew in advance the law would ultimately be struck down, Goldknopf replied, “We did it because we couldn’t avoid asking them to do it, but did it bring ahavas chinam or sinas chinam? I don’t think it brought so much ahavas chinam.”

Reflecting on the current crisis facing the Chareidi community, including sanctions that did not exist since the establishment of the state and the arrest of Torah learners, Goldknopf said, “How did we get here? Because we didn’t know how to say what Ben Gvir said and did. If Netanyahu had heard from us that we were leaving—and everyone would have left—believe me, there would have been a draft law exactly as we wanted, without sanctions.”

He continued his criticism of the coalition’s conduct, saying, “As long as Netanyahu knew we were only talking and didn’t really intend to carry it out, he rode on us, and he rode on us very well, and he had a good government. He stood in America next to Trump—how? Because we gave him 64. Who were the seven MKs who supported him? United Torah Judaism. If we had been stronger, we would have passed the draft law and not a hair on the head of a yeshiva student would have been harmed.”

Asked directly whether Netanyahu bears responsibility for the current situation, Goldknopf answered, “What kind of question is that? Is there any doubt? Have you ever seen something Netanyahu wanted that he didn’t accomplish? He knows how to lead and how to achieve results. If they had wanted to—and decided that the draft law came before everything else—and he said that—they could have passed it before the government was formed and before the state budget. They dragged it out, threw sand in our eyes, and made promises to us.”

Speaking about his visits to military prisons, Goldknopf expressed outrage over the detention of yeshiva students.

“I meet detainees there for nothing. I ask them, ‘Who did you murder?’ ‘Who did you steal from?’ ‘Money laundering?’ ‘Why are you sitting in prison?’ And they answer because ‘they sat and learned Torah.’ So what? Because of that you arrest a person? There is no law to arrest them. Why arrest them? Straight to prison? What is this, a chicken? How do you put a person in prison? What’s going on here? Is this atonement?”

Goldknopf also condemned what he described as excessive police force during Chareidi demonstrations.

“They decided somewhere that the blood of the Chareidi public is ownerless. When you see a police officer or Border Police officer grabbing his brother and stripping off his clothes—where in the world has anyone heard of such a thing? How can anyone even imagine that a person could do that? And for what? He demonstrated. Couldn’t cars and ambulances pass in Kaplan too?”

Asked whether he still considers himself part of the right-wing bloc, Goldknopf dismissed the idea outright.

“‘Bloc’? What bloc? How can there be a bloc? A bloc exists when people trust one another. When one betrays another, is that called a bloc? Netanyahu only betrayed us? Didn’t he also hurt us? What am I supposed to tell the thousands of yeshiva students who never received the money they were promised?”

Looking ahead to the next government, Goldknopf said his condition for joining any coalition would be clear.

“The status of Torah learners must be regulated so they are lawful citizens in the State of Israel like everyone else. We will not agree to sanctions or quotas. How can you even say that word (sanctions)? If someone works at Tnuva or Strauss, are you going to impose sanctions on him? What happened here? Who invented this word?”

He concluded with another forceful attack on the sanctions imposed on Torah learners.

“After everything we’ve gone through here, every part of our body has been slaughtered and torn apart. Today we are covered in blood because you carried out such an attack against us that today a Chareidi Jew is humiliated. One is afraid to walk in the street, another can’t send his child to daycare, another can’t travel abroad, they can’t go on vacation like everyone else, they can’t get a driver’s license. What happened here? Is there another country that discriminates against so many of its own citizens?”

Goldknopf reiterated that his demand remains unchanged.

“To recognize all the citizens of Israel as respected citizens who receive all their rights. The demand is that what existed until now should continue—that anyone who learns Torah receives a one-year deferment. A law without sanctions and without quotas. What are sanctions?”

{Matzav.com}

Hidden Gem for Bein Hazemanim: The Kever of Rav Oshiya, the Ancient Oak, and a Scenic Spring Below

Matzav -

Thousands visit the kever of the Amora Rav Oshiya on Tu B’Av, when many observe the longstanding custom of circling the gravesite as a segulah. Just a five-minute walk downhill lies Ein Tiria, a tranquil spring nestled alongside Nachal Peki’in, offering visitors a peaceful setting with shaded seating, flowing water, and scenic surroundings.

Towering above the gravesite is a centuries-old oak tree that has long been revered by both Jews and local Druze residents. According to local tradition, the Druze never cut its branches for firewood or construction. They collected only the leaves that naturally fell to the ground, burning them as incense around the sick because they believed the sacred tree possessed healing powers.

Another local tradition tells of Ottoman soldiers who ignored the site’s sanctity and cut branches from the tree for firewood. According to the legend, none of them survived, a fate attributed to their desecration of the holy site.

Visitors who come to the kever often recite tefillos and perform the custom of walking in circles around the grave as a segulah. The site was once mistakenly identified as the burial place of Rav Yehoshua ben Chananyah, but that attribution has since been rejected. According to the Arizal, Rav Yehoshua is buried in Tzfas.

Although the exact date of Rav Oshiya’s passing is unknown, the accepted custom is to visit his kever on Tu B’Av.

Rav Oshiya of Tiria was a fourth-generation Amora who earned his livelihood as a launderer. Chazal relate that while washing clothes in a river, he found jewelry that had been lost by a Roman noblewoman while bathing. Even after she told him he could keep it, he insisted on returning the valuables, explaining that the Torah commands honesty and that its teachings must be upheld. Upon his passing, tradition relates that his bier was seen floating through the air, prompting his contemporaries to apply to him the verse, “If a man would give all the wealth of his house for love, it would utterly be despised.”

A short five-minute descent from the kever brings visitors to Ein Tiria. Fed by natural springs and situated beside Nachal Peki’in, the area includes shaded picnic tables, small water channels, and a sealed well. A local Chassidic yeshiva has expressed interest in renovating the spring so it can be used as a mikvah, though local Druze residents have reportedly opposed the plan.

The site is easily accessible by entering “Kever Rabi Oshiya Ish Tiria” into Waze. Visitors will also find a small hospitality beis medrash near the entrance offering hot and cold drinks as well as restroom facilities, making it a convenient destination for those traveling during bein hazemanim.

{Matzav.com}

Schumer Pleads With Fetterman to Stay as Democratic Rift Deepens Over Israel

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Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer publicly appealed to Sen. John Fetterman of Pennsylvania to remain in the Democratic Party on Wednesday, praising him as a valued member of the caucus even as tensions continue to grow between Fetterman and the party’s progressive wing over Israel and other issues.

When asked whether he wants Fetterman to continue serving as a Democrat, Schumer replied, “Yes, and he is a very good member of Congress.”

Schumer also emphasized that the Democratic caucus embraces a broad range of viewpoints, saying, “People in our caucus very much like him and respect him and we’re a big-tent party. We can have a lot of different views in that party.”

His remarks came just days after Senate Majority Leader John Thune revealed that Republicans would gladly welcome Fetterman if he ever decided to leave the Democratic Party and join the GOP.

“Yes, we would welcome him,” Thune said, adding that he and other Republican senators have spoken with Fetterman about the difficulties he faces within his own party.

“I have had conversations with him in the past as have many of my colleagues about the challenges he faces in his caucus. And there are many of us who, I think, would welcome the opportunity to have him join the Republican conference but ultimately that’s a decision that’s up to him,” Thune told reporters.

Thune argued that Fetterman may ultimately find himself more politically aligned with Republicans, asserting that the Democratic Party is “moving further and further, more radically, to the more extreme left on a lot of issues.”

Earlier this month, Fetterman said at The Hill Nation Summit that unwavering support for Israel remains a defining principle for him and warned that he would leave the Democratic Party if it formally abandoned the Jewish state.

“If our party ever becomes — and just makes it official — the anti-Israel party, that’s when I would leave because that’s been a moral clarity for me,” he warned.

Fetterman said he struggles to understand why many within his party have become increasingly hostile toward Israel despite the two nations sharing many democratic values.

“My long-term concern has been with the Democratic Party, as I am a member of that, is that our party is going to back away and turn their back to Israel,” he said.

A Quinnipiac University survey conducted earlier this month among 895 registered Pennsylvania voters found that Fetterman continues to enjoy positive overall job approval, with 48 percent approving of his performance and 41 percent disapproving.

The poll also highlighted a striking partisan divide. While 77 percent of Republicans said they approve of the job Fetterman is doing, 69 percent of Democrats said they disapprove of his performance.

The survey further found that a majority of Democrats—52 percent—said they would like to see Fetterman leave the Democratic Party, underscoring the widening divide between the senator and many members of his own political base.

{Matzav.com}

CHAOS IN BROOKLYN: Brazen Boro Park Theft Suspects Captured After Wild Police Chase Across Brooklyn

Matzav -

[Videos below.] A man accused of stealing expensive electronics and other valuable merchandise from several Boro Park businesses was arrested Wednesday following a dramatic pursuit that stretched from Boro Park to Crown Heights, ending with the suspects in NYPD custody.

The chase began after NYPD officers and Boro Park Shomrim attempted to stop the suspects near 13th Avenue and 53rd Street. Although the vehicle was surrounded by multiple cars, the driver smashed into several of them to break free before racing down 13th Avenue, putting both pedestrians and other motorists in danger.

As the suspects fled, Boro Park Shomrim quickly obtained the vehicle’s license plate information and continued to track its movements while working in close coordination with the NYPD. Officers pursued from the ground as the NYPD Aviation Unit monitored the vehicle from above, relaying its location to responding units.

The pursuit ultimately ended in Crown Heights, where Crown Heights Shomrim located the suspects’ vehicle. NYPD officers then moved in and took the suspects into custody.

WATCH:

https://matzav.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/VIDEO-2026-07-29-21-15-56.mp4 https://matzav.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/VIDEO-2026-07-29-21-16-07.mp4

{Matzav.com}

US Launches Airstrikes In Iran Following Trump’s Warning

Matzav -

The United States launched a series of airstrikes against targets inside Iran early Thursday, marking a significant escalation in the conflict after President Donald Trump vowed swift retaliation for Iran’s overnight attack on U.S. forces stationed in Jordan.

According to a senior U.S. official cited by Channel 12 News, American forces began striking targets across Iran during the early morning hours.

U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) confirmed the operation, stating, “US forces began launching strikes against Iran at 8 p.m. ET today. The strikes are a powerful response to yesterday’s attempted Iranian attacks on U.S. forces based in the Middle East.”

Iranian media reported explosions in several parts of the country, including Nurabad in Fars Province, the southern port city of Sirik, and the city of Ahvaz.

Additional reports from Iranian outlets later said that three blasts were heard on Qeshm Island in the Strait of Hormuz, while another explosion was reported in Bushehr.

The military action came just hours after Trump declared that the United States would respond forcefully to Iran’s attack on American bases in Jordan the previous night.

“We are going to hit them very hard. I can say that because there is very little they can do about it,” he told reporters in the Oval Office.

“We’re going to be hitting them very hard, because it’s our turn to hit them. They know it’s coming, they’re asking us not to do it. They tried shooting last night…we had five rockets shot going 8,500 mph, and all five rockets were knocked down to the ground – but they nevertheless took a shot, so it’s our turn,” Trump stated.

Earlier, Trump told Fox News, “We are going to beat the ing out of them.”

He added, “We’ll be hitting them hard. They are going to get a beating.”

Trump described Iran’s missile barrage as an unexpected assault, saying U.S. forces had only minutes to intercept the incoming projectiles before they reached their targets.

Just before the latest round of strikes began, The Wall Street Journal reported that Trump was weighing whether to expand the military campaign against Tehran. According to the report, U.S. military planners had prepared options for an intensive aerial operation lasting between 10 and 14 days, aimed primarily at destroying Iran’s missile capabilities.

A U.S. official told The Wall Street Journal that, as of Wednesday afternoon, Trump had not yet made a final determination regarding either the scale of the operation or the specific targets that could be struck.

The same official said Trump was “not surprised” by Tehran’s decision to restart hostilities and described the president as being “in an escalatory mood” while senior administration officials continued evaluating the next phase of the U.S. response.

{Matzav.com}

Trump Administration Ends Biden-Era Medicare Drug Subsidy Program, Says Insurers No Longer Need Bailout

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The Trump administration announced it will phase out a Biden-era Medicare subsidy program for prescription drug coverage, arguing the initiative primarily benefited insurance companies rather than seniors. The subsidies will expire at the end of this year and will not be renewed for 2027.

The decision means enhanced subsidies tied to Medicare Part D prescription drug plans will end after 2026. Medicare Part D, which is administered through private insurance companies, provides optional prescription drug coverage to help Medicare beneficiaries pay for both brand-name and generic medications. Enrollees can purchase it as a standalone plan alongside Original Medicare or receive it through a Medicare Advantage plan.

The subsidy program was created during the Biden administration as part of broader changes to Medicare’s prescription drug benefit. Those reforms introduced a $2,000 annual ceiling on out-of-pocket prescription drug costs and also authorized Medicare to negotiate prices for certain high-cost medications covered under Part D.

Most participants receiving the subsidies are senior citizens or individuals with disabilities, many of whom are now waiting to learn what their monthly premiums will be once the program ends.

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) said updated premium information is expected to be released sometime between mid-September and late September.

According to CMS, the national average monthly bid amount for Medicare Part D plans in 2027 will be $296.05, a figure used to determine the federal government’s direct subsidy payments to participating insurance plans.

The agency also announced that the standard Medicare Part D beneficiary premium for 2027 will be $41.33.

Reuters reported that approximately 25 million Americans are enrolled in standalone Medicare Part D prescription drug plans.

Defending the decision, CMS Administrator Dr. Mehmet Oz wrote Tuesday on X: “We are stabilizing the market so this bailout is no longer needed. Premiums will go up by less than $10 for most Medicare recipients, with many even seeing LOWER premiums.”

Oz added, “Every Medicare beneficiary still has access to low-cost plans, and we will continue to lower prescription drug prices for every American patient, from more MFN deals to our policy giving seniors access to GLP-1s for $50 a month.”

{Matzav.com}

Trump Says He ‘Respects’ Biden’s Pardon of Fauci, But Calls Fifth Amendment Plea ‘Terrible’

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President Donald Trump said Wednesday that he respects President Joe Biden’s decision to pardon Dr. Anthony Fauci, even after the longtime public health official repeatedly invoked the Fifth Amendment during a contentious Senate hearing examining the federal response to the COVID-19 pandemic. At the same time, Trump questioned whether Biden personally signed the pardon, raising concerns about the administration’s use of an autopen.

Speaking with reporters in the Oval Office, Trump emphasized the extraordinary authority vested in the presidency when it comes to granting clemency.

“The most powerful thing a president has, they say, is the power of pardon,” Trump told reporters in the Oval Office. “So he was pardoned by Biden, and I respect that. I know how powerful it is. … They say it’s literally the most powerful thing a president has.”

Before leaving office, Biden issued Fauci a sweeping pardon covering any potential federal offenses committed between Jan. 1, 2014, and Jan. 19, 2025.

The pardon came about two years after Fauci retired from public service. He had spent 38 years leading the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases and served both as Biden’s chief medical adviser and as one of the leading figures in the Trump administration’s response to the COVID-19 outbreak.

Trump said the only lingering question surrounding the pardon concerns whether Biden personally approved it or whether it was executed through an autopen. Trump and members of his administration have argued that pardons and executive actions signed by autopen could be legally questionable, despite the fact that previous presidents have also used the device.

“He probably didn’t sign this one,” Trump said Wednesday, referring to Biden’s pardon of Fauci. “So, I can’t tell you what the law is. I’ve heard that you have to have a lot of proof, you need to have letters, you need to have all sorts of things.”

Trump later added, “Maybe there’s something on the autopen. Other than that, the power of pardon is very powerful.”

Earlier Wednesday, Fauci appeared before the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, where he invoked the Fifth Amendment 111 times during a hearing that lasted roughly three hours as Republican lawmakers sharply criticized his handling of the pandemic.

Before the hearing began, committee chairman Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) released thousands of pages from Fauci’s personal diary spanning 2019 through 2022, encompassing much of the pandemic period. In his opening remarks, Fauci accused Paul of being singularly focused on prosecuting him and said that concern drove his decision not to answer lawmakers’ questions.

“The only conclusion I can reach is that the sole reason he is calling me before this committee is to get me to say something, anything, that could vindicate his repeated public pledges that I end up, in his words, ‘behind bars,’” Fauci remarked.

Following the hearing, Paul announced that he intends to seek a committee vote next week to hold Fauci in contempt of Congress.

Trump also weighed in on Fauci’s repeated invocation of the Fifth Amendment, calling the move “terrible.”

He continued, “I inherited Fauci. He was here from the 1980s, so I had him for a period of time. I disagreed with him on a lot. I would’ve had to close down the whole country if I listened to him.”

{Matzav.com}

Report: Iran to Get Chinese Missiles as Xi Flouts Promise to Trump

Matzav -

Iran is reportedly moving forward with a major purchase of hundreds of Chinese-made shoulder-fired air defense missiles, a development that could undermine Chinese President Xi Jinping’s reported assurances to President Donald Trump that Beijing would not arm the Islamic Republic. The reported deal also threatens to complicate renewed U.S. efforts to negotiate with Tehran over its nuclear program.

According to Reuters, which cited three sources familiar with the arrangement, Iran has agreed to purchase between 300 and 400 Chinese-made man-portable air defense systems, known as MANPADS, in an agreement worth between $60 million and $70 million.

If completed, the acquisition would represent one of Iran’s largest efforts to restore its battered air defense network after months of coordinated U.S. and Israeli strikes exposed serious weaknesses in its ability to shield military installations, missile sites, and other strategic assets, Reuters reported.

The reported transaction also presents a potential challenge for the Trump administration as it seeks to reopen diplomatic talks with Tehran.

Trump has repeatedly cautioned China against supplying military equipment to Iran and has publicly stated that Xi assured him Beijing was not providing weapons to the regime.

Should the missile transfer move ahead as reported, it would likely raise new doubts about whether China followed through on those commitments.

China’s Foreign Ministry dismissed the report outright.

“The relevant reports are completely groundless,” a ministry spokesperson said, according to Reuters, adding that China has consistently worked to promote peace and end the conflict.

Iran’s Foreign Ministry did not immediately respond when Reuters sought comment on the report.

Reuters said the agreement was reportedly brokered through Hong Kong-based Zhongqing Baoshang International Investment, which sources described as serving as an intermediary between Iran and the Chinese supplier.

The first shipment is expected to consist of Chinese QW-12 and FN-16 shoulder-fired missile systems, Reuters reported. The infrared-guided weapons are designed to target helicopters, drones, and other aircraft flying at low altitudes.

Sources familiar with the arrangement told Reuters the initial delivery could arrive within weeks, while emphasizing that both the timetable and the final number of missiles remain subject to change.

Reuters also reported that the shipment is expected to travel from western China through Pakistan before ultimately reaching Iran.

Pakistan’s military rejected claims that it would play any role in transporting the weapons.

Pakistan’s military public relations office called reports that it would assist in transporting the weapons “absolutely concocted and false,” Reuters reported.

Defense experts told Reuters that mobile shoulder-fired missile systems would strengthen Iran’s defenses because they can be easily relocated and hidden, making them much harder to eliminate than fixed air defense installations.

According to Reuters, the missiles are intended to protect critical military bases, nuclear facilities, and other strategic sites that sustained heavy damage during the recent conflict.

Iran has been engaged in a broad effort to rebuild its military capabilities after repeated U.S. and Israeli operations targeted its missile arsenal, drone infrastructure, and integrated air defense system.

Reuters reported that the planned missile purchase is one element of Iran’s wider campaign to restore military capabilities that were significantly degraded during the fighting.

The reported agreement comes as the Trump administration attempts to revive negotiations with Tehran aimed at preventing Iran from acquiring a nuclear weapon.

Trump has repeatedly warned that if diplomacy fails to produce an agreement blocking Iran’s path to a nuclear weapon, the United States is prepared to resume military action.

If the reported Chinese missile shipment is carried out, it could inject new tensions into those negotiations while intensifying concerns in Washington over Beijing’s role in helping Iran rebuild its military strength.

{Matzav.com}

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