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The head of the United Nations’ nuclear watchdog issued a stark warning Tuesday following a deeper analysis of U.S. airstrikes on Iran’s nuclear program: the destruction is more severe than initially reported — and may include chemical contamination. This comes as other reports from CNN and Times of Israel say that the airstrikes either delayed Iran’s nuclear program by a few months (according to CNN), or a few years (according to Times of Israel). This latest report, first published by the NY Post, creates a new layer of speculation and confusion. Rafael Grossi, Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), said new satellite imagery of Iran’s Fordow and Natanz nuclear sites revealed previously unseen damage, including evidence of potential toxic hazards at Natanz and critical infrastructure hits at Fordow. At Fordow — a fortified underground facility carved into the mountains south of Tehran — analysts found that access roads and at least one entrance had been struck. The U.S. is believed to have dropped 14 30,000-pound bunker-buster bombs on the site, which houses uranium enrichment equipment buried as deep as 300 feet underground. The findings at Natanz were no better. IAEA analysts identified two direct missile penetrations above the facility’s underground enrichment halls — areas used for both uranium processing and sensitive storage. Grossi warned that based on the known contents of those chambers, “this strike may have caused localized contamination and chemical hazards.” The U.S. reportedly used cruise missiles launched from a nuclear-powered submarine to hit Natanz and two other sites in the coordinated Saturday strike. While Grossi assured that “no radiological impact” has been detected in surrounding populations so far, the full extent of the damage remains unclear. IAEA teams have not been permitted on the ground to inspect the facilities firsthand, limiting the agency’s ability to assess potential contamination or nuclear material leakage. Grossi has formally called on Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi to grant immediate access to the damaged sites, warning that continued non-cooperation could permanently derail diplomatic efforts. “Resuming cooperation with the IAEA is key to a successful diplomatic agreement to finally resolve the dispute over Iran’s nuclear activities,” Grossi wrote. Compounding international concern is the revelation that nearly 900 pounds of uranium enriched to 60% has gone missing since the Israeli airstrikes began on June 13. Grossi confirmed that the IAEA has no current knowledge of the uranium’s location — a deeply troubling development given how close that level of enrichment is to weapons-grade material. U.S. Vice President J.D. Vance suggested the missing uranium may have been buried beneath the rubble during the bombings. But other experts point to satellite footage that captured trucks entering and exiting Fordow and other nuclear sites in the days leading up to the strikes — raising the possibility that Iran deliberately moved or concealed the material in anticipation of the assault. (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

Israeli intelligence now assesses that the joint U.S.-Israel strikes on Iran’s nuclear infrastructure have significantly delayed — but not eliminated — Tehran’s atomic ambitions. A senior Israeli official told The Times of Israel that the coordinated operation has pushed Iran’s nuclear program back by “several years.” However, the official emphasized that the program was not fully dismantled, contradicting the White House narrative. A separate CNN report on Tuesday said that the U.S. airstrikes on Iran’s nuclear infrastructure failed to cripple the country’s atomic ambitions, undercutting public claims by President Donald Trump and his defense officials that the mission delivered total destruction. “The damage is real and strategic,” the Israeli official said, “but not absolute.” He noted that Israeli intelligence is continuing to refine its assessment as new data comes in from surveillance and covert sources, with a clearer picture expected in the coming weeks. The official defended the necessity of the strikes, arguing that the results far surpassed anything that could have been achieved at the negotiating table. “No amount of diplomacy would have produced this level of disruption,” he said, adding that the operation sends a clear message to Tehran about the costs of pursuing uranium enrichment. Alongside the nuclear targets, Israeli and American forces also struck dozens of missile and military installations throughout Iran, including suspected IRGC command centers and air defense systems. Echoing the assessment, IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir said Tuesday night, “We have set Iran’s nuclear project back by years — and the same goes for its missile program.” Zamir did not provide exact estimates but described the campaign as “a strategic success across multiple fronts.” Still, the comments from Israeli leadership mark a subtle but significant departure from the tone in Washington, where Trump and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth have repeatedly claimed the strikes “obliterated” Iran’s nuclear capabilities. (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

With the conclusion of Operation “Am K’Lavi” and the lifting of public gathering restrictions by the Home Front Command, the Kosel has resumed full activity. Thousands of people have already begun arriving at the Kosel Plaza to offer tefillos of gratitude.

As Erev Rosh Chodesh Tamuz approaches on Wednesday—a time considered especially auspicious for tefillah and yeshuah—thousands are expected to gather at the Kosel for special Yom Kippur Katan minyanim.

At the central midday minyan, Nishmas Kol Chai and Mizmor L’Sodah will be recited in a moving display of thanksgiving for the miracles experienced during the days of war.

The Western Wall Heritage Foundation is encouraging the public to revisit the Kosel Tunnels, which have reopened to the public, and to take part in immersive guided tours offered for groups and individuals across several fascinating routes.

{Matzav.com Israel}

HaGaon HaRav Naftali Kaplan, the Mashgiach of Yeshivas Netiv HaDaas, held a special va’ad on Thursday, during which he spoke about the war between Israel and Iran and the historical events happening in our time. HaRav Kaplan began by speaking about the time when Moshe Rabbeinu questioned Hashem, ‘Why did You send me?”—after Pharaoh intensified the conditions of slavery for Am Yisrael after Hashem sent Moshe to speak with him. HaRav Kaplan quoted the Ramban, who said that Moshe didn’t realize that geulah doesn’t happen suddenly but is implemented stage by stage, explaining that the final geulah will also not happen like many people think, that Moshiach will suddenly appear on a horse and rebuild Yerushalayim. But just like the geulah happened in Mitzrayim, there will be stages and more difficult times and hidden and open nissim during the final geulah. The Mashgiach also spoke about Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu’s public statements of emunah, which he said are also a neis. An open neis is “water turning into blood,” and hiddin nissim are  “200 fighter jets who went to bomb Iran and returned safely to Israel” or “Binyamin Netanyahu saying that there was Siyata Dishmaya.” HaRav Naftali concluded the va’ad by saying that “these are the days of Moshiach and we should be mechazeik in using our time wisely.” (YWN Israel Desk—Jerusalem)

A new poll taken in the aftermath of Israel’s 12-day war with Iran shows Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu gaining ground politically — but not enough to reclaim a governing majority. The survey, conducted by Channel 12 following a ceasefire widely seen as a military and strategic success for Israel, gives Netanyahu’s Likud party 26 seats in the 120-seat Knesset — a modest four-seat gain from pre-war polling. Yet despite the bump, Netanyahu’s right-wing coalition remains short of the 61-seat majority needed to govern. According to the poll, the current coalition would muster only 49 seats, down from the 64 it held prior to the war. Opposition parties collectively would control 61 seats, while Arab parties, traditionally reluctant to join any government, would hold the remaining 10. Sources close to the prime minister reportedly expressed disappointment, saying Netanyahu had anticipated a much stronger surge in support following the war, which saw Iran’s missile and drone capabilities severely degraded and Iran’s nuclear program in shambles, in what many viewed as a defining moment for Israeli deterrence. The standout political shift comes from former Prime Minister Naftali Bennett, whose newly re-launched party is projected to win a striking 24 seats — positioning him as the second-largest political force and a viable challenger to Netanyahu. The poll marks the first time this year that Netanyahu leads Bennett in a head-to-head popularity question. When asked who is best suited to serve as prime minister, 38% of respondents chose Netanyahu, compared to 35% for Bennett. Another 21% said neither were fit for the role, and 6% were undecided. Still, Netanyahu maintains a clear edge over other opposition leaders, including Yesh Atid head Yair Lapid. The rest of the political map remains deeply fractured. The left-wing “Democrats” would secure 12 seats, while Yair Lapid’s centrist Yesh Atid, Shas, and Avigdor Lieberman’s nationalist Yisrael Beytenu each pull in nine seats. United Torah Judaism polls at eight seats, and Defense Minister Benny Gantz’s National Unity collapses to seven. Far-right Otzma Yehudit registers just six seats — a sharp fall from its previous electoral performance. Arab parties Hadash-Ta’al and Ra’am each receive five seats, continuing to hold sway as kingmakers unlikely to align with either major bloc. (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

Israel’s Home Front Command announced Tuesday evening a full return to normalcy across the country, lifting all restrictions that had been in place during the recent Iran war. The decision followed a situational assessment and was approved by Defense Minister Yisroel Katz.

According to the updated guidelines, all regions of Israel—except for the Gaza border communities—are now permitted to operate without limitations in all areas of daily life. Schools, workplaces, and public gatherings may resume normal activity after nearly two weeks of intense fighting and in light of the current ceasefire.

In the Gaza periphery, educational activities may now take place without restriction, subject to instructions from the Ministry of Education and local municipalities. Workplaces in that region are also authorized to operate as usual.

Gatherings and public services are now allowed for up to 2,000 participants, except in towns officially classified as being in a state of emergency, where restrictions will remain in effect.

The Airports Authority also confirmed that Ben Gurion Airport and Haifa Airport are resuming full operations. The limitations on the number of incoming and outgoing flights, as well as on the number of passengers per flight, have been lifted. Entry to airport terminals for both travelers and accompanying individuals is once again permitted.

Starting Wednesday morning, duty-free shops in the airports will reopen, in accordance with all relevant security and regulatory guidelines. Border crossings will continue functioning as normal.

The Home Front Command urged the public to remain vigilant and stay informed by following official updates through the National Emergency Portal and the Home Front Command’s mobile app.

{Matzav.com Israel}

Ashkenazi Chief Rabbi of Israel HaRav Kalman Bar published a halachic letter on Monday, in which he explains why, despite the war, getting married during the three weeks is forbidden. Last week, HaGaon HaRav Yitzchak Yosef called on couples from the Sephardi and even Ashkenazi sectors to get married during the three weeks rather than postpone their weddings. He explained that “there is no greater time of need than this,” and emphasized that even those who are generally machmir should be lenient this year, emphasizing, “המחמיר בזה יוצא שכרו בהפסדו.” Although as of Tuesday morning, the war is officially over, the dilemma for couples who postponed their weddings due to the war still exists due to the difficulty in finding available chasunah halls after Tisha B’Av. In a lengthy response to questions by engaged couples who asked whether they can marry during the three weeks, HaRav Bar paskened that there is no heter to get married during these days, despite the circumstances. The Rav explained the reasons for the minhag not to marry during the three weeks, saying that mourning and joy are contradictory. In addition, the Rav noted that “it is not a good siman” to marry during these days, and חמירא סכנתא מאיסורא (danger is stricter than prohibition), and therefore we have not found any posek who permitted this, and certainly not with a fancy seudah. HaRav Bar emphasized that the poskim did not allow marriage even on the night of the 17th of Tammuz [before the fast begins], even at a sha’as hadchak (time of need). HaRav Bar noted that the Sephardim who are noheig to hold chasunos until Rosh Chodesh Av are of course, permitted to wed during those days and ended with “כל המתאבל על ירושלים זוכה ורואה בשמחתה.” (YWN Israel Desk—Jerusalem)

The House of Representatives decisively rejected a renewed bid by Rep. Al Green (D-Texas) on Tuesday to impeach President Trump in response to the recent U.S. military strikes in Iran. Despite anger among some Democrats over the weekend’s events, the vote revealed little momentum within the party to pursue impeachment at this time.

In a lopsided 344-79 vote, the House opted to table Green’s resolution, effectively shelving the effort. Notably, 128 Democrats joined their Republican colleagues in voting to dismiss the measure, signaling bipartisan resistance to launching another impeachment proceeding.

Rep. Green has long been one of Trump’s most outspoken critics, frequently calling for impeachment over a range of issues involving both foreign and domestic policy. His latest resolution centered on Trump’s decision to authorize airstrikes against three Iranian targets without first obtaining congressional approval.

Filing the resolution once again on Tuesday, Green asserted that Trump violated his constitutional responsibilities by bypassing Congress before initiating military action. The resolution states: “In his conduct of the office of President of the United States, Donald J. Trump, in violation of his constitutional oath faithfully to execute the office of President of the United States and, to the best of his ability, preserve, protect, and defend the Constitution of the United States, and in violation of his constitutional duty to take care that the laws be faithfully executed, abused the powers of the presidency when he disregarded the doctrine of separation of powers by usurping Congress’s power to declare war and ordered the United States military to bomb another country without the constitutionally mandated congressional authorization or notice to Congress — cognizant of the fact that should another country’s military bomb a facility within the United States of America, it would be a de facto declaration of war against the United States of America.”

{Matzav.com}

Following the conclusion of Operation “Am K’Lavi” and the significant blows dealt to Iran’s military and nuclear infrastructure, Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu is considering a diplomatic visit to the United States, which would include a meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump at the White House.

According to senior diplomatic officials, formal discussions between Yerushalayim and Washington have yet to begin, but the intention is to schedule the visit as soon as possible—potentially within the next few weeks. One official noted, “The goal is to create a symbolic and international moment of victory over Iran—both on the diplomatic stage and in the court of global public opinion.”

The planned trip is being described behind the scenes as a “victory celebration,” although the exact timing remains uncertain, and it is still unclear whether the visit will proceed without delays.

Within Israel’s political sphere, the move is seen as an effort to reinforce the legitimacy of the recent military campaign, especially amid increasing debate over the impending ceasefire. For Netanyahu, the meeting—should it materialize—would serve to project strength and mark a personal achievement in reaffirming ties with one of Israel’s most important allies.

{Matzav.com}

Israel’s main international gateway, Ben Gurion Airport, is returning to full operations after the Home Front Command lifted all wartime travel restrictions, the Israel Airports Authority announced Tuesday. Effective immediately, limitations on the number of incoming and outgoing flights, as well as passenger capacity per flight, have been removed. In addition, entry restrictions for travelers and accompanying individuals at airport terminals have been fully lifted. “The restrictions on the number of incoming and outgoing flights, as well as the number of passengers on each flight, have been lifted,” the Airports Authority said in a statement. “In addition, restrictions on the arrival of passengers and accompanying persons at the airports have been lifted.” Duty-free shops at Ben Gurion and other airports are set to reopen beginning Wednesday morning, operating under updated security and regulatory protocols. The Airports Authority urged travelers to stay informed by checking with their airlines for the latest flight schedule updates. (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

MK Avigdor Lieberman, head of the Yisrael Beytenu party, issued a stark warning on Tuesday in response to President Donald Trump’s announcement of a diplomatic initiative aimed at ending hostilities with Iran. Lieberman expressed deep concern that this approach could backfire, posing significant dangers not only to Israel but to the wider region as well.

In a post shared across his social media platforms, Lieberman praised the accomplishments of Israel’s military and intelligence agencies during the conflict, calling them “extraordinary military achievements.” However, he criticized how the war is winding down. “The final chord is particularly bitter and jarring,” he wrote, voicing his disappointment with what he described as a retreat into diplomacy instead of forcing Iran into a full surrender.

Lieberman argued that shifting to talks with Tehran is a strategic miscalculation. “Instead of unconditional surrender, the world is entering into a difficult and exhausting negotiation process,” he said, asserting that Iran has made no serious moves to abandon its nuclear program, its production of long-range missiles, or its financial and operational backing of terror organizations.

Reflecting on his earlier warnings, Lieberman reiterated that he had cautioned against allowing the Iranian regime to survive the war in a weakened state. “There is nothing more dangerous than leaving a wounded lion,” he wrote, emphasizing the threat of a still-defiant but injured Iran.

He concluded his remarks by warning that halting the war without securing a clear and definitive outcome could lead to devastating consequences. “It will certainly lead us to another war within two or three years, and under much worse conditions,” he cautioned, underlining his belief that a temporary truce without resolution would only delay the inevitable.

{Matzav.com}

In a test case for the artificial intelligence industry, a federal judge has ruled that AI company Anthropic didn’t break the law by training its chatbot Claude on millions of copyrighted books. But the company is still on the hook and must now go to trial over how it acquired those books by downloading them from online “shadow libraries” of pirated copies. U.S. District Judge William Alsup of San Francisco said in a ruling filed late Monday that the AI system’s distilling from thousands of written works to be able to produce its own passages of text qualified as “fair use” under U.S. copyright law because it was “quintessentially transformative.” “Like any reader aspiring to be a writer, Anthropic’s (AI large language models) trained upon works not to race ahead and replicate or supplant them — but to turn a hard corner and create something different,” Alsup wrote. But while dismissing a key claim made by the group of authors who sued the company for copyright infringement last year, Alsup also said Anthropic must still go to trial in December over its alleged theft of their works. “Anthropic had no entitlement to use pirated copies for its central library,” Alsup wrote. A trio of writers — Andrea Bartz, Charles Graeber and Kirk Wallace Johnson — alleged in their lawsuit last summer that Anthropic’s practices amounted to “large-scale theft,” and that the company “seeks to profit from strip-mining the human expression and ingenuity behind each one of those works.” As the case proceeded over the past year in San Francisco’s federal court, documents disclosed in court showed Anthropic’s internal concerns about the legality of their use of online repositories of pirated works. So the company later shifted its approach and attempted to purchase copies of digitized books. “That Anthropic later bought a copy of a book it earlier stole off the internet will not absolve it of liability for the theft but it may affect the extent of statutory damages,” Alsup wrote. The ruling could set a precedent for similar lawsuits that have piled up against Anthropic competitor OpenAI, maker of ChatGPT, as well as against Meta Platforms, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram. Anthropic — founded by ex-OpenAI leaders in 2021 — has marketed itself as the more responsible and safety-focused developer of generative AI models that can compose emails, summarize documents and interact with people in a natural way. But the lawsuit filed last year alleged that Anthropic’s actions “have made a mockery of its lofty goals” by tapping into repositories of pirated writings to build its AI product. Anthropic said Tuesday it was pleased that the judge recognized that AI training was transformative and consistent with “copyright’s purpose in enabling creativity and fostering scientific progress.” Its statement didn’t address the piracy claims. The authors’ attorneys declined comment. (AP)

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, today (Tuesday, 24 June 2025) [translated from Hebrew]: “Dear citizens of Israel, In the 12 days of Operation Rising Lion, we achieved a historic victory, which will stand for generations. We removed two existential threats: The threat of annihilation by nuclear weapons and the threat of annihilation by 20,000 ballistic missiles. Had we not acted now, the State of Israel would have soon faced the danger of annihilation. But this did not happen because at the decisive moment, we rose up and stood like lions, and our roar shook Tehran and echoed around the world. In the scriptures, it is said: ‘By stratagems shall you make war.’ The surprise opening blow of Rising Lion will go down in the annals of Israel’s wars and will be studied by every military in the world. In one strike, in one blow, we eliminated Iran’s senior command, including three chiefs-of-staff and many other senior officers. And in those same moments, we eliminated Iran’s leading nuclear scientists – those who held the knowledge, led the nuclear program and sought to bring upon us destruction and death. We destroyed the main enrichment facility in Natanz, the uranium conversion plant in Isfahan and the heavy water installation in Arak. Our friend, President Trump, stood alongside us in an unprecedented manner. On his order, the US military destroyed the enrichment facility deep underground at Fordo. We attacked dozens of installations of the Iranian nuclear program, including laboratories and factories for producing centrifuges. You certainly remember seven years ago, how in a brilliant Mossad operation, we brought to Israel the heart of Iran’s secret nuclear archive. We revealed Iran’s secret nuclear program for the annihilation of the State of Israel to President Trump, to the entire world and to you, citizens of Israel. Indeed, today, now, in this operation, we completed the work and struck the entire archive. This archive concentrated within it Iran’s overall knowledge for producing atomic bombs. We also did this. For decades, I have promised you that Iran would not have nuclear weapons. And indeed, in all of the swift actions that our soldiers carried out, we sent Iran’s nuclear project to oblivion. And if anyone in Iran tries to rebuild this project – we will act with the same determination and the same force to cut off any such attempt. I reiterate: Iran will not have nuclear weapons. With the same force and determination, we destroyed Iran’s industry for producing ballistic missiles. We destroyed dozens of missile production factories. We struck hard at their stock of missiles. We destroyed most of their launchers. In many cases, we destroyed them minutes before they could launch their missiles of death at Israel. Iran’s malicious intention, to threaten – within a few years – the existence of Israel with tens of thousands of ballistic missiles – this threat has also been removed. Regarding the Iranian regime, we struck crushing blows at this wicked regime. We eliminated many senior commanders. We destroyed command centers. We attacked Revolutionary Guards bases. We attacked Basij bases. We struck the symbols of the regime. Today, this morning, a few hours before the ceasefire, we struck the ayatollahs’ regime with the hardest blow of all since the start of the war, with the hardest blow in its history. […]

The Knesset’s Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee, led by MK Yuli Edelstein, convened behind closed doors today at the Kirya military compound in Tel Aviv. Defense Minister Yisroel Katz joined the session and delivered a comprehensive update on the current state of Israel’s military campaigns across Gaza, the northern front, and in the Iranian sphere.

Minister Katz disclosed that Iran had been preparing to initiate a major assault, but Israel acted first to prevent it. “The Iranians planned to strike first and launch between 400 to 500 missiles in the opening strike. If we hadn’t acted first, it would have been much harder for us. Our biggest challenge was opening the skies and neutralizing Iran’s air defense systems. We controlled the skies and were able to continue.”

He continued, explaining how Israel differentiated between military targets. “During the war, we made a distinction and targeted more members of the Revolutionary Guards than the Iranian military. When we wanted to eliminate Khamenei, he hid.”

Katz reported that Israel’s military objectives in Iran had been fully realized and pointed to American assistance in the final stages. “We met 100% of the operational objectives in Iran, and the Americans helped a lot in the end,” he said. With a touch of irony, he added, “If Trump had woken up after a quarter of an hour, the strike this morning would have been even stronger.”

Outlining Israel’s future approach to the Iranian nuclear threat, Katz described a plan modeled on strategies previously used in Lebanon. “Iran no longer has the ability to produce nuclear weapons. I instructed the IDF to prepare an enforcement plan in cooperation with the Americans, based on the Lebanese model, but much more comprehensive, to enforce any attempt to develop nuclear weapons and ballistic missiles.”

He also mentioned an upcoming diplomatic mission by Prime Minister Netanyahu to coordinate policy with Washington. “Netanyahu will fly to the U.S. to build agreements with the Americans on Iran. Right now, this is just a ceasefire. We must remember that Trump canceled the central sanction on Iran selling oil to the Chinese, and as a result, Iran could become stronger again.”

Responding to concerns from Knesset members about Gaza, Katz dismissed reports of interference from legal authorities as baseless. “The military advocate is not harming the fighting. These are just false reports.” Some committee members had criticized the IDF’s limited ground movement since the Iran operation began, expressing frustration that legal constraints were forcing Israel to supply humanitarian aid to Hamas-controlled areas.

Later, Katz posted on X that he had spoken with U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, expressing appreciation for Washington’s support and reiterating Israel’s commitment to the truce. “I spoke moments ago with U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth. I thanked him for President Donald Trump’s bold decision to act with Israel against the Iranian nuclear threat. The Secretary praised Israel and the IDF for the historic achievements made. I emphasized that Israel will respect the ceasefire — as long as the other side does. We agreed to deepen the close U.S.-Israel security cooperation,” Katz wrote.

{Matzav.com Israel}

The IDF Chief of the General Staff LTG Eyal Zamir conducted a situational assessment with members of the General Staff Forum, following the beginning of the ceasefire with Iran, and made the following remarks: “We have concluded a significant phase, but the campaign against Iran is not over. We are entering a new phase based on the achievements of the current one. We’ve set Iran’s nuclear project back by years, and the same applies to its missile program. The IDF performed at its best — the Intelligence Directorate delivered unprecedented intelligence achievements. IAF pilots operated with courage, while putting their lives at risk, thousands of kilometers from Israeli territory and struck and destroyed military targets. The Aerial Defense Array and communication units operated with their unique operational capabilities to protect the home front. Home Front Command personnel acted with ingenuity to save lives — all coordinated under the Operations Directorate. Every command, directorate, and branch contributed to the success of the operation — whether through direct participation in the Iran operation or through robust defense in their respective arenas. Despite the phenomenal achievement — we must keep our feet on the ground. Many challenges still lie ahead. We must stay focused, there’s no time to rest on our laurels. Now the focus shifts back to Gaza — to bring the hostages home and to dismantle the Hamas regime. I am proud to have the privilege to command the organization through this period. (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

Dancing at the Kosel tonight, as Yidden celebrate the victory of the destruction of the Iranian nuclear program.

The Rosh Yeshiva of Mir Yerushalyim, HaRav Leizer Yudel Finkel, reciting “Nishmas” at the Kosel following the end of the war with Iran.

The first Maariv at the Kosel after its been reopened following the war with Iran.

Music played on loudspeakers in the city of Rechasim, celebrating the end of the war with Iran.

Maj. Gen. (res.) Eliezer (Chayni) Marom, who once led the Israeli Navy, reflected on Operation Rising Lion and the military strikes inside Iran during an interview with 103FM. Offering a candid assessment, he shared his perspective on how Israeli expectations about its adversaries may have been inflated.

“I completely agree that we overestimated not only Iran, but also Hezbollah. In the end, we took the intelligence assessment, analyzed it, and always forgot that Israel also has an offensive capability,” said Marom.

He elaborated by citing Hezbollah’s arsenal as an example, pointing out that the figures can sound daunting when viewed in isolation. “Take Hezbollah as an example. When we say Hezbollah has 160,000 rockets and will launch 3,000 rockets a day at us, with a certain percentage hitting power stations, it sounds terrifying. But we must remember that we have significant power and excellent intelligence – we operate both defensively and offensively. That means we strike missile bases and launchers, and this essentially reduces the impact of those 3,000 rockets to nearly nothing.”

Marom observed that the ongoing conflict brought about a gradual but meaningful shift in Israel’s strategic posture. “This war, in an evolutionary way, gave us increasing courage as we progressed, and in the end, we had enough courage to strike in Iran. Ultimately, with all due respect to the ministers, the one who made the decision was the Prime Minister—no one else. And really, there was no choice. What do you want, to leave us exposed to a barrage of 500 to 1,000 ballistic missiles fired at the State of Israel? Let’s say they launch 800, and we intercept 70-80 percent depending on the day, dozens of missiles still fall here. We’ve seen what those missiles can do.”

When asked if Israel might come to regret concluding the campaign at its present juncture, Marom expressed confidence in what had been accomplished. “No, I don’t think so. Let’s look at what we’ve achieved in these twelve days—I don’t think any of us could have imagined the scale of the achievement. It is enormous.”

Turning his focus to the capabilities of Iran’s military, Marom pointed out that Israel maintains a significant edge thanks to its technological advantage and advanced defense infrastructure. “We have absolute technological superiority. We use mostly Western and American weapons, along with some Israeli systems, and this weaponry is significantly superior to anything the Iranians could get from the Russians. We’ve known this for many years. We struck freely in Syria, even when there were S-300 and S-400 systems—we knew how to neutralize them and achieve air superiority. After the October 2024 strikes, it was clear we had near-total control of the skies because we destroyed all of their anti-aircraft batteries.”

He went on to note the unprecedented level of digital coordination now possible on the battlefield. “This is also the first networked war,” he said. “A UAV or loitering munition hovers over Tehran, spots a launcher vehicle, feeds it into a command and control system, and suddenly everyone on the system sees the same image. This happens in seconds. This should make everyone understand the level of achievement we’ve reached.”

Marom wrapped up by emphasizing the vast disparity between the two militaries. “The technology we use compared to theirs is like heaven and earth. The difference is in intelligence, in the quality of personnel, in motivation, in everything combined,” he concluded.

{Matzav.com Israel}