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As the winter zman came to a close, Rav Tzemach Mazuz delivered a forceful address to his talmidim, connecting recent global events to the koach of Torah learning while sharply criticizing Israel’s attorney general over the ongoing draft controversy.

Speaking at Yeshivas Kissei Rachamim ahead of bein hazmanim, Rav Mazuz focused on current developments, pressures facing the עולם התורה, and areas he felt required strengthening.

At the outset, he addressed the reported elimination of Iranian leader Ali Khamenei, presenting it as part of a broader spiritual reality and attributing success to Torah study. He illustrated this with a parable.

“Last week, people came to tell me big news. What was the news? That, baruch Hashem, we merited to destroy and eliminate one of the great figures of the Iranians, and there was tremendous celebration. I saw that they wrote that the prime minister made a celebration. Can someone explain to me why he celebrated?”

“I’ll tell you,” he continued. “Because he was the brain behind all the missiles, all the attacks, and all the evil done to the Jewish people. And when that head is cut off, then with Hashem’s help the situation will improve. Just like with Haman—when Haman was killed, the Jewish people celebrated Purim, and we celebrate Purim until today.”

Expanding on the idea, Rav Mazuz compared the situation to a machine, explaining that the visible output depends on a hidden driving force.

“And I say this as a mashal. What is the lesson? Like every year, I went to visit the machine matzah bakery connected to the yeshiva. Someone who stands there sees how the machine works and the matzos come out within minutes. But what drives it all? The engine! Without the engine, there would be no matzos that we eat on Pesach. Everything has a driving force behind it.”

He then identified Torah learners as that driving force. “We are living in a very special time, we are literally seeing miracles and wonders… and who is the engine behind all these successes? You should know the truth—it is you! Israel is saved by Hashem with an eternal salvation. You sit and learn Torah.”

Turning to internal challenges, Rav Mazuz addressed the draft crisis and delivered a sharp critique of the attorney general.

“This legal adviser is constantly working on how to draft yeshiva students. In my humble opinion, she is from the ערב רב, she is not from the Jewish people! She wants to break the Jews by taking yeshiva students into the army—a place filled with very difficult spiritual challenges—and then, chas v’shalom, there is no protection for the Jewish people.”

Despite the challenges, he expressed confidence in the endurance of Torah, drawing from history.

“But with Hashem’s help we will overcome this as well—we have already gone through more difficult things than this. What did the Romans think when they combed the flesh of Rabbi Akiva with iron combs? They thought that would stop Torah learning. But no! The Romans are gone, and the Torah of Rabbi Akiva is alive and enduring. In the merit of the small group of yeshiva students, we are alive and we merit victories.”

As Pesach approached, Rav Mazuz urged his talmidim to remain committed during bein hazmanim.

“When a person is responsible, he does not abandon his role. You are protecting Eretz Yisroel and the entire Jewish people—do not leave your post. Bein hazmanim is meant to rest and regain strength, but one must continue to learn during these days as well. Someone who is careful about this returns to yeshiva with momentum, and the Gemara remains part of his life.”

He concluded by encouraging greater attention to kibbud av v’eim during the break and reminding his audience of the mitzvah of biur maasros and viduy maasros applicable this year, before awarding certificates to students who were tested on the halachos of amira l’nochri.

Iranian officials are pushing back against reports questioning the condition of Mojtaba Khamenei, insisting the country’s supreme leader is healthy and actively leading, despite continued speculation following a deadly Israeli strike.

Esmail Baghaei, a spokesman for Iran’s Foreign Ministry, rejected claims that Mojtaba Khamenei had been killed or was seriously ill. Speaking in an interview with India Today, Baghaei said the Iranian leader is in stable condition and functioning normally.

He added, “We are pleased that the regime is operating efficiently, our armed forces are acting according to Iran’s defense plans, and most importantly, our people are united in the face of these aggressive and brutal actions.”

Mojtaba Khamenei, who assumed leadership after his father, was wounded during an Israeli airstrike targeting his father’s compound in February 2026. That attack killed multiple members of his immediate family, including his father, mother, wife, and daughter.

Days earlier, Iran’s foreign minister, Abbas Araghchi, also sought to dismiss concerns, stating that Mojtaba Khamenei is “in excellent health,” “fully in control of the situation,” and carrying out his responsibilities as expected. The same assurances were echoed by the state-affiliated Mehr News Agency.

Even so, questions persist. While several official statements have been released in Mojtaba Khamenei’s name since the strike, there has been no recent visual confirmation of his condition, and he has not been heard speaking publicly.

{Matzav.com}

President Donald Trump has indicated in recent conversations with close associates that he is aiming to avoid a drawn-out war with Iran and is working toward bringing the conflict to a close in the near future, according to a report published Wednesday.

As the fighting approaches the one-month mark, Trump has privately told advisers that he believes the campaign is nearing its conclusion. He has encouraged them to remain aligned with the four-to-six-week timeframe he has previously outlined publicly, people familiar with the discussions told The Wall Street Journal.

Officials at the White House have also been preparing for a mid-May meeting in Beijing with Chinese leader Xi Jinping, operating under the assumption that the conflict with Iran will be resolved before that summit takes place, according to individuals briefed on the planning.

One source told The Wall Street Journal that Trump expressed concern that the war is pulling attention away from other key priorities on his agenda.

Another individual who recently spoke with the president said Trump appears eager to move on to his next major initiative, though he has not specified what that will be.

“President Trump is extraordinarily skilled at multi-tasking and works on multiple challenges at the same time,” White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said. “The President is laser focused on fully achieving the military objectives against the terrorist Iranian regime. The president’s sole focus is always victory.”

According to the report, one proposal Trump has discussed with advisers involves securing U.S. access to portions of Iran’s oil resources as part of a potential agreement to end the conflict. A senior administration official said, however, that no formal planning is currently underway for such an arrangement.

While Trump has not ruled out deploying U.S. troops on the ground in Iran, he remains hesitant to take that step, in part because it could prolong the war. Officials told The Wall Street Journal that he is also concerned that American casualties could rise if the conflict continues.

Earlier this week, Trump announced a temporary halt of five days on “any and all military strikes against Iranian power plants and energy infrastructure” in order to allow space for diplomatic talks between Washington and Tehran. He added that the United States is in contact with “very solid” figures inside Iran.

Reports that followed suggested that Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf was involved in representing Iran in discussions with the U.S., though Ghalibaf publicly denied that any negotiations were taking place.

Speaking Wednesday night in Washington, Trump said he believes Iran is interested in reaching an agreement but is unwilling to acknowledge it openly.

“I’ve never seen anything like we’re doing in the Middle East with Iran. And they are negotiating, by the way, and they want to make a deal so badly, but they’re afraid to say it, because they figure they’ll be killed by their own people. They’re also afraid they’ll be killed by us,” the President stated.

He added a pointed remark about Iran’s leadership, saying, “There’s never been a head of a country that wanted that job less than being the head of Iran. We listen to some of the things they say, we hear them very clearly. They say, ‘I don’t want it, we’d like to make you the next supreme leader. No thank you, I don’t want it.'”

{Matzav.com}

The United States has crossed a significant threshold in its ongoing military campaign against Iran, with more than 10,000 strikes carried out since late February, according to a senior U.S. commander, as the conflict continues to intensify both on the battlefield and across global economic systems.

In an update posted Wednesday, U.S. Navy Adm. Brad Cooper, who leads United States Central Command, said American forces reached the 10,000-strike mark nearly four weeks into Operation Epic Fury.

Cooper reported that U.S. operations have exceeded that number since the campaign began on Feb. 28, adding that forces remain “on plan or ahead of plan” in efforts aimed at dismantling Iran’s capacity to project power beyond its borders.

He said that sustained U.S. precision attacks have “overwhelmed Iranian air defenses,” created “tangible effects,” and significantly reduced Iran’s ability to target American forces and allied nations, noting that continued combat sorties are eroding Tehran’s offensive capabilities.

According to Cooper, U.S. strikes have crippled Iran’s naval strength, with roughly 92% of its largest vessels rendered inoperable. He also said that Iran’s use of drones and missiles has dropped by more than 90% following coordinated U.S. and allied operations.

He further stated that more than two-thirds of Iran’s facilities tied to missile, drone, and naval production—as well as key shipyards—have been hit or destroyed, while U.S. forces have maintained control of the skies and conducted over 10,000 combat flights throughout the campaign.

Cooper praised the role of long-range B-52 bombers and the involvement of more than 50,000 U.S. troops, saying they “embody the courage and resilience” of American service members.

Despite the scale of U.S. operations, Iran has continued launching retaliatory strikes, firing missiles and deploying drones at Israeli territory as well as U.S. and allied installations across the Middle East.

Several Iranian barrages have struck sites throughout Israel, including residential areas and civilian infrastructure. One such attack on March 1 resulted in the deaths of at least nine Israeli civilians.

Thousands of Israelis have been wounded in the attacks, with total injuries surpassing 4,000.

Iranian strikes have also reached U.S. bases and allied facilities in Gulf countries, with missiles crossing regional airspace and causing structural damage. In some instances, drone attacks have struck U.S. Embassy compounds, leading to minor damage.

By mid-March, U.S. officials reported that at least 13 American service members had been killed in the conflict, with approximately 232 wounded. More than 200 of those injured have since returned to duty.

Earlier casualty reports had placed the U.S. death toll at six, though subsequent updates reflected a higher number as the campaign progressed.

Beyond the battlefield, the conflict has sent shockwaves through global energy and shipping markets.

Following U.S. and Israeli strikes, Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps issued warnings that effectively shut down commercial traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, triggering a steep drop in maritime activity.

At least a dozen commercial vessels sustained damage during the crisis, and one tugboat was sunk. Traffic through the strait initially declined by about 70% and, at times, came to a near standstill.

The disruption has affected roughly 20% of the world’s daily oil supply, along with significant shipments of liquefied natural gas, forcing major shipping companies to halt operations or reroute along significantly longer paths.

Oil markets reacted sharply, with Brent crude prices climbing past $100 per barrel and reaching highs of approximately $126.

The dual impact of sustained military conflict and the disruption of the Strait of Hormuz has driven up war-risk insurance premiums for shipping and contributed to broader economic strain, including supply chain disruptions, rising commodity costs, and increased inflation in energy-dependent economies.

While U.S. officials maintain that Operation Epic Fury is steadily weakening Iran’s military capabilities and limiting its ability to conduct external attacks, Tehran’s ongoing retaliation continues to cause casualties and damage to Israeli and American interests throughout the region.

At the same time, Iran’s effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz has underscored the far-reaching global consequences of the conflict, particularly in energy markets and international trade.

U.S. military leaders continue to express confidence that Iran’s offensive capacity is diminishing as American forces sustain air superiority and press forward with the campaign.

{Matzav.com}

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