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President Donald Trump’s administration has approved the rapid sale of more than 20,000 bombs to Israel valued at roughly $650 million by invoking emergency powers to bypass the usual congressional review process, according to a Reuters report citing two U.S. officials familiar with the transaction.

In a statement released late Friday, the U.S. State Department said Secretary of State Marco Rubio determined that an emergency situation required immediate approval of the weapons transfer. Because of that determination, the administration waived the standard congressional review that typically accompanies arms sales of this scale.

According to Reuters, the weapons package includes 12,000 BLU-110A/B general-purpose bomb bodies weighing 1,000 pounds each, which Israel had previously requested.

The decision follows the launch of a joint U.S.-Israeli air campaign against Iran that began a week earlier.

“This proposed sale will contribute to the foreign policy and national security of the United States,” the State Department said in its statement, noting that Repkon USA, a Texas-based company, will serve as the primary contractor.

A State Department official provided additional information on Saturday, explaining that the package also includes BLU-111 500-pound general-purpose bombs as part of an amendment to a previously approved sale.

The official also said Israel is expected to acquire an additional $298 million in essential munitions through direct commercial purchases.

The move drew criticism from some lawmakers. Democratic Representative Gregory Meeks objected to the decision to bypass Congress, arguing that the emergency declaration suggested the administration had not adequately prepared for the conflict.

“The Trump administration has repeatedly insisted it was fully prepared for this war. Rushing to invoke emergency authority to circumvent Congress tells a different story. This is an emergency of the Trump administration’s own creation,” Meeks said in a statement quoted by Reuters.

{Matzav.com}

A land crossing near eastern Turkey’s Van province is one of the few routes connecting Iranians to the rest of the world amid an airspace shutdown in Iran since the U.S. and Israel launched strikes on Tehran over a week ago, triggering war in the Middle East. Most travelers at the border gate in recent days had connections with […]

The first outbound flights from Israel since the start of Operation Roaring Lion took off from Ben Gurion Airport on Sunday morning, allowing thousands of tourists and foreign nationals stranded in Israel to leave the country. A limited number of airlines are operating under strict rules set by the Transportation Ministry. The only flights currently […]

U.S. President Donald Trump said on Motzei Shabbos that Washington does not want another front opened inside Iran. Speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One, Trump stated, “I don’t want the Kurds to enter Iran. They’re willing to go in…but the war is complicated enough without bringing the Kurds into it.” Trump added that he […]

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Senior Israeli officials say that Hezbollah has recently shifted its tactics along Israel’s northern border, aiming to force the evacuation of residents from northern Israel, i24NEWS reported. Northern Command officials have noted that Hezbollah has been focusing its fire on population centers near the border and on previously evacuated communities, while also attacking IDF positions […]

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President Donald Trump on Saturday declined to rule out deploying U.S. ground troops to Iran, signaling that the White House is keeping military options open. Speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One while returning to Florida from Dover Air Force Base, where he attended a dignified transfer ceremony for six American service members killed in […]

SUNDAY MORNING IN IRAN: Fames and smoke continue rising from the Shahran oil refinery in Tehran after multiple IDF airstrikes set it ablaze.

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President Donald Trump sharply criticized British Prime Minister Keir Starmer today, saying the United Kingdom is only considering joining the military campaign against Iran after the United States has already achieved victory.

Trump made the remarks in a post on Truth Social, responding to reports that Britain may send naval forces to the region. “The United Kingdom, our once Great Ally, maybe the Greatest of them all, is finally giving serious thought to sending two aircraft carriers to the Middle East,” Trump wrote on Truth Social. “That’s OK, Prime Minister Starmer, we don’t need them any longer — But we will remember. We don’t need people that join Wars after we’ve already won!”

His comments came after Britain’s Ministry of Defence confirmed that one of the country’s two aircraft carriers had been placed on heightened readiness at Portsmouth in preparation for a possible deployment to the Middle East, according to the BBC.

A British destroyer, HMS Dragon, is also stationed in Portsmouth and preparing to depart for Cyprus after earlier delays.

Starmer has emphasized that the United Kingdom did not participate in the recent strikes but said British forces are still active in the region in a defensive role.

In remarks to the British public on Sunday, Starmer condemned Iran’s response to the U.S. strikes and described Tehran’s actions as dangerous.

He criticized what he called “indiscriminate” attacks by Iran after the U.S. strikes, adding, “The only way to stop the threat is to destroy the missiles at source.”

Starmer also confirmed that Britain agreed to a U.S. request to allow American forces to use British military bases for what he described as a limited purpose.

Trump also voiced frustration in comments to the Telegraph in the U.K., saying he was unhappy with the timing of Britain’s decision.

He told the newspaper he was “very disappointed” in Starmer and argued that it “took far too long” for the prime minister to authorize the use of British bases for U.S. operations.

Meanwhile, Britain has increased its military presence across the region. According to the Ministry of Defence, British fighter aircraft are conducting flights over Jordan, Cyprus, and Qatar as part of regional defense efforts, and a Merlin helicopter is being deployed to support aerial surveillance operations.

Starmer said his government’s approach is focused on stability and responsible leadership during the crisis.

“While the region has been plunged into chaos, my focus is providing calm, levelheaded leadership in the national interest,” Starmer said this week. “That means deploying our military and diplomatic strength to protect our people.

“And it means having the strength to stand firm by our values and our principles, no matter the pressure to do otherwise. The longstanding British position is that the best way forward for the regime and world is a negotiated settlement with Iran where they give up their nuclear ambitions.”

Starmer said that position is why Britain chose not to participate in the initial joint strikes carried out by the United States and Israel on February 28.

Speaking in Parliament this week, he also stressed that any British military action must meet strict legal and strategic standards.

“We all remember the mistakes of Iraq, and we have learned those lessons. Any U.K. actions must ⁠always have a lawful basis, and a viable, thought-through plan,” Starmer said. “This government does not believe in regime change from the skies.”

Former British Prime Minister Liz Truss weighed in on the dispute, sharing Trump’s Truth Social comments on X and writing, “Justified and damning.”

{Matzav.com}

Iran’s ruling religious establishment may move within the next day to select a new supreme leader, according to reports indicating that members of the country’s Assembly of Experts could soon convene to make the decision.

Ayatollah Mozaffari, one of the members of the 88-member Assembly of Experts, said he hopes a meeting will be held in the coming 24 hours, although an official session has not yet been formally scheduled, according to Iranian International.

Because the Assembly’s regular meeting location was damaged in recent Israeli airstrikes, the selection process is expected to be conducted virtually.

The strikes earlier this week caused significant destruction to Iranian government and military facilities. According to The Jerusalem Post, the Tuesday attack “flattened” the IRGC’s compound in Qom, as well as a building in Tehran that served as the previous parliament site.

Under Iran’s political system, the Assembly of Experts is responsible for choosing the country’s supreme leader, and the next leader is expected to be selected from among the body’s 88 members.

Sources told the outlet that Mojtaba Khamenei had been expected to be announced as the next supreme leader on Saturday, but the vote did not proceed as planned after 14 members of the Assembly reportedly boycotted the session.

Mojtaba, the second son of the late Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, is believed to have strong backing from the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. However, some members of the Assembly have reportedly objected to the idea of transferring leadership directly to the son of the longtime ayatollah.

He has been widely associated with his father’s hardline ideological positions and strong anti-Western views.

President Donald Trump criticized the possibility of Mojtaba assuming the position, saying such a move would not resolve the current conflict.

“They are wasting their time. Khamenei’s son is a lightweight,” Trump said this week.

“We want someone that will bring harmony and peace to Iran.”

{Matzav.com}

President Donald Trump said today that U.S. forces have inflicted major damage on Iran’s military in recent days, claiming that dozens of Iranian naval vessels have been destroyed as part of the ongoing conflict.

Speaking at the first Shield of the Americas Summit, Trump said the United States had achieved significant military successes in Iran while also hinting that Washington may take action against Cuba. The summit is being led by outgoing Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem.

Trump described what he said were decisive blows against Iran’s military infrastructure. “we’ve knocked out 42 navy ships” in three days, adding that the US is doing “very well” in Iran.

He also said Iranian air and communications systems had been severely damaged during the campaign. “We knocked out their Air Force. We knocked out their communications, and all telecommunications has gone,” Trump said of Iran.

The summit reflects Trump’s broader push to expand U.S. influence in the Western Hemisphere under what his administration calls the “Donroe Doctrine,” a policy aimed at restoring stronger American leadership in the region. In recent decades, U.S. presidents have generally avoided asserting that level of control across the hemisphere.

Iran responded critically to Trump’s remarks. Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi wrote on X that Iran’s president had signaled a willingness to reduce tensions under certain conditions.

According to Araghchi, the Iranian president “expressed openness to de-escalation within our region-provided that our neighbors’ airspace, territory, and waters are not used to attack the Iranian People.”

He added that the effort at easing tensions “Gesture to our neighbors was almost immediately killed by President Trump.”

While Trump said the administration’s primary focus remains on Iran, he also suggested the United States could soon turn attention toward Cuba.

The administration has already indicated it may support political change on the island and is examining claims by the Cuban government that four people were killed aboard a Florida-registered boat near the Villa Clara coastline last month.

“Cuba’s at the end of the line,” Trump said. “They’re very much at the end of the line. They have no money. They have no oil. They have a bad philosophy. They have a bad regime that’s been bad for a long time.”

The summit takes place as Trump devotes much of his current term to reshaping global trade relationships while also pressing leaders in the Western Hemisphere to increase efforts to stop illegal immigration.

White House spokesperson Anna Kelly said the administration’s strategy is intended to strengthen stability and cooperation across the region.

“After years of neglect, President Trump established the ‘Donroe Doctrine’ to restore American preeminence in the Western Hemisphere,” Kelly said in a statement emailed to Axios.

“The President has successfully strengthened our relationships in our own backyard to make the entire region safer and more stable.”

{Matzav.com}

Antisemitic media personality Tucker Carlson doubled down on his recent ludicrous claims about Chabad-Lubavitch being behind the Iran war. In a “clarification” of his comments, Carlson said that Chabad supports “violence against innocents” and maintained that Chabad is somehow central to the ongoing war with Iran. Carlson first sparked outrage earlier this week by claiming […]

A familiar and beloved figure who welcomed countless visitors to the Kosel HaMa’aravi for decades has passed away. Reb Mordechai Levy z”l, widely known as the “Ish HaKosel – Man of the Kosel,” passed away at the age of 81. His levayah was held on Friday and kevurah took place on Har HaMenuchos in Yerushalayim.

Reb Mordechai had become one of the most recognizable and cherished presences at the Kosel. For years, he stood in the shadow of the ancient stones of the site, greeting thousands of mispallelim with warmth.

Reb Mordechai passed away at Shaarei Tzedek Medical Center in Yerushalayim after a period of suffering. He leaves behind a large family, as well as countless admirers and regular visitors to the Kosel who feel his absence deeply.

Those who frequented the site knew that Reb Mordechai was far more than just another regular mispallel. He had become, in many ways, the living spirit of the Kosel plaza itself. Anyone who arrived at s’rid Beis Mikdasheinu, whether in the quiet hours before dawn or late at night, would likely encounter his radiant presence.

He was known for offering heartfelt brachos to anyone who approached him, greeting people with an unusually warm smile. His friendly words and encouragement made him a source of comfort for countless visitors.

Reb Mordechai had a particularly special connection with soldiers of the Israel Defense Forces. Whenever he noticed a soldier standing at the Kosel plaza in uniform, he would approach, place his hand gently on the soldier’s head, and shower him with brachos for protection and success.

Yehi zichro boruch. {Matzav.com}

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu convened a high-level security meeting tonight with Defense Minister Yisrael Katz and top military and intelligence officials as Israel weighs the possibility that the Iranian regime could collapse under mounting pressure from the ongoing war. According to Channel 12, Israeli leaders believe the intensifying campaign against Iran is exposing deep […]

A federal jury in Brooklyn on Friday convicted a Pakistani national accused of working with Iranian operatives to orchestrate a plot to assassinate Donald Trump at a campaign rally during the 2024 presidential race. The defendant, Asif Merchant, 48, was found guilty of murder-for-hire and terrorism-related charges after jurors deliberated for less than two hours. […]

New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani is facing mounting criticism after a report revealed that his wife, Rama Duwaji, liked social media posts celebrating the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas attack on Israel — the deadliest assault on Jews since the Holocaust. The report, published by Jewish Insider, found that Duwaji’s Instagram account had interacted with […]

Israeli security officials believe that Mojtaba Khamenei, the son of Iran’s late supreme leader Ali Khamenei and a leading contender to succeed him, survived an airstrike this week that targeted senior Iranian leadership figures. According to the Israeli assessment, Mojtaba Khamenei was wounded in the strike but remains alive. The development comes as Iran’s clerical […]

SPRING FORWARD UNITED STATES: Set those clocks 60 minutes ahead before you hit the hay on Motzei Shabbos. The time change officially starts Sunday at 2 a.m. local time. Digital clocks like the ones on cellphones will automatically change. Analog clocks and any clocks or watches that do not automatically adjust will need to be […]