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The head of the U.N. nuclear watchdog agency said Monday that there is a possibility of both radiological and chemical contamination within Iran’s main nuclear enrichment facility in Natanz following Israeli strikes, although radiation levels outside the complex are presently normal. The radiation poses a significant danger if uranium is inhaled or ingested, International Atomic Energy Agency Director-General Rafael Mariano Grossi said. The risk can be effectively managed with appropriate protective measures, such as using respiratory protection devices while inside the facilities, Grossi said. “The level of radioactivity outside the Natanz site has remained unchanged and at normal levels, indicating no external radiological impact to the population or the environment from this event,” he said. Grossi was addressing an urgent session of the IAEA’s board in Vienna that was convened at the request of Russia to discuss Israeli attacks against Iranian nuclear facilities. He said that there apparently was no additional damage at Natanz and the Isfahan nuclear research site since Saturday. He said that the main concern inside the Natanz facility is the chemical toxicity of a gas called uranium hexafluoride, which is the result of fluorine mixed with the uranium during enrichment. It’s extremely volatile, will quickly corrode, can burn the skin and is especially deadly if inhaled, experts say. “Amid theses challenging and complex circumstances, it is crucial that the IAEA receives timely and regular technical information about the facilities and their respective sites,” Grossi said. Without information, the U.N. agency “cannot accurately assess the radiological conditions and potential impacts on the population and the environment and cannot provide the necessary assistance.” Grossi said that U.N. inspectors would remain present in Iran and inspect the nuclear facilities “as soon as safety conditions allow.” He warned that “military escalation threatens lives, increases the chance of a radiological release with serious consequences for people and the environment and delays indispensable work towards a diplomatic solution for the long-term assurance that Iran does not acquire a nuclear weapon.” Venezuela delivered a joint statement at the special board meeting on behalf of a group of states, among them Iran and Russia, condemning Israel’s attack on Iran’s nuclear facilities, diplomats said on the condition of anonymity to discuss the closed-door meeting. Satellite photos analyzed by The Associated Press show extensive damage at Iran’s main nuclear enrichment facility in Natanz. The images captured Saturday by Planet Labs PBC show multiple buildings damaged or destroyed. The structures hit include buildings identified by experts as supplying power to the facility. Grossi told the U.N. Security Council on Friday that the above-ground section of the Natanz facility was destroyed. The main centrifuge facility underground didn’t appear to be hit, but the loss of power could have damaged infrastructure there, he said. Israel also struck a nuclear research facility in Isfahan. The IAEA said that four critical buildings were damaged, including an uranium-conversion facility, but there was no sign of increased radiation at Natanz or Isfahan. Grossi also told the IAEA board of governors on Monday that no damage has been seen at the site of the Fordo enrichment site, which is buried under a mountain and protected by anti-aircraft batteries. Fordo appears designed to withstand airstrikes. Grossi also said that the Bushehr nuclear power plant, Iran’s only commercial nuclear power plant, hasn’t been targeted or affected […]

The head of the U.N. nuclear watchdog agency said Monday that there is a possibility of both radiological and chemical contamination within Iran’s main nuclear enrichment facility in Natanz following Israeli strikes, although radiation levels outside the complex are presently normal. The radiation poses a significant danger if uranium is inhaled or ingested, International Atomic Energy Agency Director-General Rafael Mariano Grossi said. The risk can be effectively managed with appropriate protective measures, such as using respiratory protection devices while inside the facilities, Grossi said. “The level of radioactivity outside the Natanz site has remained unchanged and at normal levels, indicating no external radiological impact to the population or the environment from this event,” he said. Grossi was addressing an urgent session of the IAEA’s board in Vienna that was convened at the request of Russia to discuss Israeli attacks against Iranian nuclear facilities. He said that there apparently was no additional damage at Natanz and the Isfahan nuclear research site since Saturday. He said that the main concern inside the Natanz facility is the chemical toxicity of a gas called uranium hexafluoride, which is the result of fluorine mixed with the uranium during enrichment. It’s extremely volatile, will quickly corrode, can burn the skin and is especially deadly if inhaled, experts say. “Amid theses challenging and complex circumstances, it is crucial that the IAEA receives timely and regular technical information about the facilities and their respective sites,” Grossi said. Without information, the U.N. agency “cannot accurately assess the radiological conditions and potential impacts on the population and the environment and cannot provide the necessary assistance.” Grossi said that U.N. inspectors would remain present in Iran and inspect the nuclear facilities “as soon as safety conditions allow.” He warned that “military escalation threatens lives, increases the chance of a radiological release with serious consequences for people and the environment and delays indispensable work towards a diplomatic solution for the long-term assurance that Iran does not acquire a nuclear weapon.” Venezuela delivered a joint statement at the special board meeting on behalf of a group of states, among them Iran and Russia, condemning Israel’s attack on Iran’s nuclear facilities, diplomats said on the condition of anonymity to discuss the closed-door meeting. Satellite photos analyzed by The Associated Press show extensive damage at Iran’s main nuclear enrichment facility in Natanz. The images captured Saturday by Planet Labs PBC show multiple buildings damaged or destroyed. The structures hit include buildings identified by experts as supplying power to the facility. Grossi told the U.N. Security Council on Friday that the above-ground section of the Natanz facility was destroyed. The main centrifuge facility underground didn’t appear to be hit, but the loss of power could have damaged infrastructure there, he said. Israel also struck a nuclear research facility in Isfahan. The IAEA said that four critical buildings were damaged, including an uranium-conversion facility, but there was no sign of increased radiation at Natanz or Isfahan. Grossi also told the IAEA board of governors on Monday that no damage has been seen at the site of the Fordo enrichment site, which is buried under a mountain and protected by anti-aircraft batteries. Fordo appears designed to withstand airstrikes. Grossi also said that the Bushehr nuclear power plant, Iran’s only commercial nuclear power plant, hasn’t been targeted or affected […]

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Just before 4:00 a.m. on Monday, a wave of missile fire from Iran hit central Israel, resulting in the deaths of three people.

Magen David Adom medics responded to multiple scenes across central Israel, transporting 67 people to various hospitals. Among the injured were a 30-year-old woman in critical condition, six individuals in moderate condition, and dozens more suffering from either minor wounds or emotional trauma.

In the north, around Haifa, two people sustained minor injuries at separate impact locations. Rescue crews are working to access three individuals believed to be trapped beneath debris.

According to a statement from Israel Fire and Rescue Services, two tall residential buildings in the greater Tel Aviv area were directly hit by Iranian missiles. Eight emergency units were dispatched to these scenes to assist those trapped under the wreckage.

Efforts to locate additional victims are ongoing at all known strike zones. Concurrently, Israeli defense systems intercepted drones near Eilat and Rosh Hanikra, preventing further damage.

The Home Front Command has now updated its safety instructions, allowing residents in some regions to leave their shelters. Emergency teams continue to operate at various locations where missiles landed.

“You are urged to continue following the instructions of the Home Front Command and all official updates issued to you.”

The Israel Defense Forces reminded citizens not to share videos or photos of impact sites. “The enemy monitors this footage to improve its impact capabilities. Be responsible – Do not share locations online!”

Earlier, the IDF confirmed that it had launched attacks on Iranian missile-launching infrastructure inside central Iran.

On Sunday night, a separate missile landed in Haifa between two buildings, leaving one woman moderately hurt and six others with minor injuries. Additionally, two people were lightly injured in a strike on a moshav in the Lachish area.

{Matzav.com Israel}

President Trump pushed back against recent remarks by Tucker Carlson, who accused him of betraying the America First doctrine by siding with Israel during its military actions targeting Iran.

Carlson, typically a staunch Trump supporter, criticized Israel’s offensive, suggesting that the United States had a role in it. He wrote that the country was “complicit in the act of war” and added, “politicians purporting to be America First can’t now credibly turn around and say they had nothing to do with it.”

Trump responded by emphasizing that he was the originator of the America First platform and therefore determines what the phrase truly means.

“Well, considering that I’m the one that developed ‘America First,’ and considering that the term wasn’t used until I came along, I think I’m the one that decides that,” Trump told The Atlantic when asked for his reaction.

He also addressed the broader debate around diplomacy and security, saying: “For those people who say they want peace—you can’t have peace if Iran has a nuclear weapon. So for all of those wonderful people who don’t want to do anything about Iran having a nuclear weapon—that’s not peace.”

Earlier on, Trump had indicated his reluctance about Israel launching any military operation against Iran. Before the assault took place, he told reporters that “I don’t want them going in because I think it [an attack] would blow” the ongoing nuclear negotiations between the US and Iran.

After Israel executed a series of attacks that targeted Iranian nuclear sites, eliminated key scientists, and killed top commanders, Secretary of State Marco Rubio made clear in a public statement that, “We are not involved in strikes against Iran.”

Following the strikes, Trump posted on Truth Social to remind Iran of the 60-day deadline he had set for reaching a new nuclear agreement and encouraged the regime to reengage in talks.

Carlson, who has long spoken out against interventionist foreign policy, reaffirmed his opposition to any involvement with Iran and blamed the U.S. for enabling Israel’s strike through military aid.

“While the American military may not have physically perpetrated the assault, years of funding and sending weapons to Israel, which Donald Trump just bragged about on Truth Social, undeniably place the U.S. at the center of last night’s events,” Carlson said in a newsletter he released afterward.

He continued his critique by saying, “Washington knew these attacks would happen. They aided Israel in carrying them out. Politicians purporting to be America First can’t now credibly turn around and say they had nothing to do with it.”

Meanwhile, the U.S. has assisted Israel in defending itself from Iranian retaliation. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declared that the strikes were “just the beginning.”

Iran’s top leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, responded with a stark warning of his own: “Life will be dark for them.”

“They started it. They started a war.”

Israel’s offensive came at a moment when Iran was already weakened. Its regional allies and proxies had suffered extensive losses: the Assad regime collapsed in Syria, a major Israeli cyberattack took out senior Hezbollah figures, and much of Hamas’s command was eliminated in the recent Gaza war.

Talks that were planned between the U.S. and Iran regarding the nuclear issue—originally scheduled to take place in Oman—were scrapped after the Israeli strikes.

Trump has reiterated that America played no direct role in the attack on Iran, but at the same time, he warned Tehran of the consequences should they target the United States.

“The U.S. had nothing to do with the attack on Iran, tonight,” Trump wrote on Truth Social shortly after midnight on Sunday.

“If we are attacked in any way, shape or form by Iran, the full strength and might of the U.S. Armed Forces will come down on you at levels never seen before. However, we can easily get a deal done between Iran and Israel, and end this bloody conflict!!!”

{Matzav.com}

A select group of seven senior officials from Israel’s National Security Cabinet met regularly over the past year to plan the military operation against Iran that was launched on Friday, according to a source who requested anonymity, the Jerusalem Post reports.

This inner circle included Prime Minister Binyomin Netanyahu, Defense Minister Yisroel Katz, Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer, Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar, Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, and Shas leader MK Arye Deri.

These seven officials were the only members of the government who were briefed in advance about the pending assault prior to the full cabinet convening late Thursday. Internally referred to as the “small ministers’ forum,” the group functioned similarly to the limited war cabinet that was established during the early stages of the current conflict, the source explained.

In addition to these cabinet members, a few other figures in Israel’s political leadership were informed about the strike shortly before it was carried out. These included MK Yuli Edelstein, who chairs the Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee, and opposition leader MK Yair Lapid.

Due to the extreme sensitivity surrounding the timing of the operation, several reports indicated that ministers were told to remain in place for several hours after granting final approval to the attack late Thursday night, waiting until the operation officially commenced. During the meeting, cabinet members were required to sign confidentiality agreements.

Netanyahu had initially authorized the operation as far back as November, and it was originally slated to be executed in late April. However, it was postponed due to “a number of reasons,” Netanyahu later said.

Speaking to Channel 12 on Sunday night, National Security Council chief Tzachi Hanegbi added that many commercial flights left Israel ahead of the operation’s launch to minimize the risk of civilian airliners being affected by potential Iranian counterstrikes.

{Matzav.com Israel}

TRAGIC UPDATE: Three people were killed in Iranian ballistic missile impacts, Magen David Adom says.

Vance Luther Boelter, the man suspected of executing a politically motivated double murder and attempted assassination of a sitting Minnesota state senator, was taken into custody Sunday night following a high-intensity manhunt across the state.

Boelter, 57, had previously been appointed to a government position by Minnesota Governor Tim Walz. Authorities had been searching for him since he allegedly shot State Senator John Hoffman and his wife, Yvette, and fatally gunned down former Democratic House Speaker Melissa Hortman and her husband.

According to sources who spoke with Fox 9, Boelter was apprehended in an open field in Sibley County late Sunday.

Investigators say Boelter was dressed as a law enforcement officer, complete with a full uniform, bulletproof vest, and a disturbing Halloween mask, when he began his violent rampage in a suburb in northern Minnesota.

The incident began early Shabbos morning around 2 a.m., when Boelter arrived at Senator Hoffman’s residence in Champlin.

Boelter allegedly opened fire inside the home, hitting both Hoffman, 60, and his wife multiple times and leaving them with critical injuries.

In a dramatic act of protection, Yvette reportedly threw herself over their daughter, Hope, to shield her from the bullets, according to a statement made by the couple’s nephew.

Both John and Yvette Hoffman were rushed to surgery and are now reported to be in stable condition.

After fleeing the first crime scene, Boelter — still dressed in his fake police outfit — drove to the home of Melissa Hortman, the former Speaker of the Minnesota House, in Brooklyn Park.

Once there, he is accused of shooting both Hortman and her husband Mark several times, killing them.

Hortman, 55, was declared dead at the scene. Her husband succumbed to his wounds shortly after arriving at the hospital.

Police officers, who had gone to check on Hortman’s well-being after receiving word about the earlier shooting at the Hoffmans’ home, encountered the suspect as he exited her property in disguise.

During the confrontation, officers fired at Boelter and temporarily had him trapped inside the home. However, the suspect managed to flee the scene before being captured later that evening.

After carrying out the attacks, Boelter allegedly sent a chilling text message to two close friends, confessing to the crimes and indicating he may not survive.

“David and Ron, I love you guys. I made some choices, and you guys don’t know anything about this, but I’m going to be gone for a while. May be dead shortly, so I just want to let you know I love you guys both and I wish it hadn’t gone this way,” Boelter told David Carlson, according to KARE.

On Shabbos morning, law enforcement stopped Boelter’s wife, Jenny Boelter, who was traveling by car with family members. She was detained and questioned in connection to the attacks. Authorities discovered a firearm and several passports inside the vehicle.

{Matzav.com}

A terrifying barrage of roughly 100 missiles launched from Iran rained down on Israel in the early hours of Monday morning, sending half-asleep residents running to shelters, killing at least eight victims, and injuring hundreds. The large-scale attack, which began just before 4:00 a.m., resulted in direct strikes in multiple cities, including Tel Aviv, Petach Tikvah, Bnei Brak, and Haifa—the latter of which impacted an oil refinery, sparking a huge blaze. MDA EMTs and paramedics pronounced the deaths of 4 people—2 women and 2 men, all approximately 70 years old—at impact sites in Petach Tikvah and Bnei Brak. Three of the fatalities in Petach Tikvah were found amid the rubble of a high-rise, and a fourth fatality was pulled from the rubble hours later, at about 9 a.m. A man approximately 80 years old was found lifeless at the site of a missile strike in Bnei Brak. ZAKA was dispatched to the scene following reports of individuals trapped with serious concerns for their safety. After an extensive search, the man was located, but tragically, he was pronounced dead. Additionally, 21 people in Bnei Brak were injured, two moderately, and were evacuated to Maayanei HaYeshua Hospital. Three additional fatalities were found at an impact site in a residential area in Haifa after hours of searching. The three were first reported as trapped, and contact with them was gradually lost. At about 9:30 a.m., the three were found and pronounced dead. In Tel Aviv, residential areas also sustained direct missile hits, injuring over 100 people, including a 10-year-old boy who was seriously injured and a newborn baby. A total of 287 injured victims from the various impact sites were hospitalized by Monday morning at 10 a.m., one in serious condition, 13 in moderate condition, 240 in light condition, and 11 who were suffering from shock. Another 25 had not yet been evaluated. Israel Fire and Rescue Services confirmed that two high-rise residential buildings suffered direct hits in the assault. The force of the explosions shattered windows, ignited fires, and sent debris crashing through apartments. Eight rescue teams were dispatched to the scenes, working through the chaos and rubble to reach those trapped beneath the wreckage. (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

A heavy missile assault launched by Iran early Monday morning left 25 individuals wounded. Two people suffered moderate injuries, while the remainder were lightly hurt in the attack that began just before 4:00 a.m. and involved dozens of projectiles fired at Israel.

The missiles hit at least four separate locations across northern and central parts of the country. One of the rockets directly struck a structure in central Israel, according to reports.

Medical teams from Magen David Adom responded to the scene in the central region, treating approximately 20 victims who sustained moderate or minor wounds. Several others were attended to for symptoms of emotional trauma.

Emergency personnel are actively conducting searches at the affected sites to determine whether additional people may be trapped or injured. Separately, reports confirmed that a drone was intercepted near Eilat.

The Home Front Command has updated its instructions, allowing residents in specific areas to exit their shelters. First responders and military units remain deployed at numerous scenes across the country where impacts were recorded.

“You are urged to continue following the instructions of the Home Front Command and all official updates issued to you.”

In a statement, the Israel Defense Forces urged the public not to disseminate images or videos of impact locations. “The enemy monitors this footage to improve its impact capabilities. Be responsible – Do not share locations online!”

Earlier on Monday, the IDF confirmed it had initiated airstrikes against missile launch platforms in central Iran that had been used to target Israel.

The previous evening, a missile landed between two residential buildings in Haifa, leaving a woman moderately injured and lightly wounding six others. In a separate incident in the Lachish area, two more people sustained light injuries.

During this latest offensive, Iran fired a total of 30 missiles at Israeli territory.

{Matzav.com Israel}

Additional footage showing extensive damage from a ballistic missile impact to a high-rise residential building in Petach Tikva, east of Tel-Aviv.

MDA teams on scene at a number of sites of rocket strikes in central Israel. Areas being searched for casualties.

Early Monday morning, ZAKA reported that two more bodies had been located and recovered from the debris left by an Iranian missile strike in Bat Yam.

With this discovery, the total number of fatalities in Bat Yam resulting from the recent missile attacks has increased to nine, according to ZAKA’s latest update.

KAN reported that one individual is still unaccounted for in the city in connection with the strikes.

Nationwide, the death toll since the start of Operation Rising Lion has climbed to 16.

A senior official from the IDF’s Home Front Command stated the previous day that Bat Yam experienced the most devastating civilian attack thus far in the conflict with Iran. The official added, “they know who they are looking for and which apartments they were in when the Iranian strike hit.”

{Matzav.com Israel}

On Sunday, remnants from Iran’s latest wave of ballistic missile attacks landed in two different areas of the West Bank, with one piece of debris igniting a fire near the home of Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas and another injuring three young children near Sa’ir, according to The Jerusalem Post, citing local sources and eyewitnesses.

The first incident occurred in al-Bireh, adjacent to Ramallah, around 11:20 a.m. Residents described hearing “a huge boom.” Video circulated by media outlets in Ramallah showed metal shrapnel lodged in a rooftop water tank, which security officials later identified as part of an Iranian Shahab-class missile. Firefighters from the Civil Defence unit responded quickly and extinguished the flames.

There were no injuries reported in that location, though the site of the impact was dangerously close to Abbas’s residence. One user on X, writing in Arabic, claimed the missile fragments had fallen “right behind Abu Mazen’s house,” adding, “intensify your prayers so that next time it lands exactly [on target].”

Roughly an hour and a half later, another set of missile fragments believed to be from an Iranian projectile intercepted over central Israel fell near the Palestinian village of Sa’ir, located northeast of Hebron. The Palestinian Red Crescent reported that three children—ages six, seven, and twelve—sustained injuries from broken glass when the missile impact shattered nearby windows. All three were taken to Hebron’s al-Ahli Hospital, where they were listed in light-to-moderate condition.

Both sites were cordoned off by police, and bomb squads were deployed to recover and examine the wreckage. Initial assessments suggest the debris came from a Shahab-3 missile that was destroyed mid-air by Israel’s Arrow-3 missile defense system as part of Operation Rising Lion (Am Kelavi). That campaign began after Iran launched a massive retaliation against Israel’s earlier strikes on Iranian military and nuclear infrastructure.

The IDF has yet to release an official statement about Sunday’s events. However, defense experts have acknowledged that missile fragments falling to the ground are a natural consequence of the ongoing interception efforts, which have now extended into a third day. Iran’s retaliatory attacks have so far resulted in 13 Israeli fatalities and nearly 400 wounded. Missile debris has also been reported in Jordan, the Negev, and now the West Bank—highlighting the growing reach of this conflict.

Civil Defense agencies in the West Bank issued public warnings, urging residents to avoid contact with any unknown or suspicious metal fragments and to report them to emergency services. Meanwhile, rocket sirens continued to wail across multiple regions of Israel late into the night.

{Matzav.com Israel}

Emergency and rescue teams are responding to a direct impact incident in Petah Tikvah.

A large fire is currently burning at the Haifa Oil Refinery in Northern Israel, following what appears to have been a direct impact by a ballistic missile fired by Iran.

UPDATE: The IDF Home Front Command says civilians nationwide no longer need to remain in bomb shelters, following Iran’s latest ballistic missile attack.