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Hundreds of protesters gathered overnight in Yerushalayim in an attempt to prevent the arrest of a yeshiva bochur by military police, leading to violent confrontations and the deployment of Border Police forces.

The incident began overnight, when military police arrested Yosef Levy, a talmid of Yeshiva Pe’er Yosef, in the Armon Hanatziv neighborhood of Yerushalayim, for allegedly not identifying himself to military police officers. He was taken to a police station for further questioning.

Following the arrest, a large protest erupted at the scene. Demonstrators claimed that police used heavy force to disperse the crowd, including stun grenades.

At the same time, dozens of additional protesters gathered at Kikar HaShabbos in Yerushalayim to protest the arrest. During efforts to disperse the demonstration, Border Police officers were filmed striking protesters with batons.

The developments come after Police Commissioner Danny Levy recently instructed police officers to detain any draft deserter encountered and transfer him to military police custody for further handling.

Until now, Israeli police had generally refrained from arresting draft deserters directly. Critics of the new directive have described it as a major policy shift driven by pressure from the attorney general, whom many in the Olam HaTorah accuse of aggressively targeting bnei yeshivos.

Just before Shavuos, an avreich from Ofakim was stopped on a highway and transferred to military police custody, marking one of the first known implementations of the commissioner’s new policy.

{Matzav.com}

Emergency responders and MDA medics were called overnight to Rechov HaRav Kahaneman in Bnei Brak following a traffic accident involving two vehicles, one of which was carrying a chosson and kallah.

Hatzalah volunteers provided initial medical treatment at the scene to eight injured individuals of various ages, including the chosson and kallah. All of the injuries were classified as minor.

The injured were later transported by MDA ambulances and a Hatzalah ambulance to Mayanei Hayeshua Medical Center in Bnei Brak for further treatment.

{Matzav.com}

President Donald Trump pushed back on Monday against critics of the potential agreement being negotiated with Iran, writing on his Truth Social account that any such accord “will either be a great and meaningful one, or there will be no deal.”

Trump continued, “It will be the exact opposite of the [2015] JCPOA disaster negotiated by the failed Obama Administration, which was a direct and open path to a Nuclear Weapon for Iran. No, I don’t do deals like that!”

The White House said in a social media post on Sunday that negotiations with Tehran are progressing smoothly. The statement followed an announcement on Friday by Trump that Iran and “various other countries” had “largely negotiated” an agreement to end hostilities.

“The negotiations are proceeding in an orderly and constructive manner, and I have informed my representatives not to rush into a deal in that time is on our side. … Both sides must take their time and get it right. There can be no mistakes!” the White House posted, quoting Trump.

The post included an attached statement from the president saying that the relationship between the United States and the Iranians was becoming much more “professional” and “productive.

“They must understand, however, that they cannot develop or procure a nuclear weapon or bomb,” Trump said.

Reportedly, the proposed deal with Iran includes reopening the Strait of Hormuz and easing sanctions to allow Tehran to resume oil exports. In return, Iran reportedly committed not to advance its nuclear program.

Trump defended the potential deal in a Truth Social post on Sunday, saying that if an agreement is reached, “it will be a good and proper one, not like the one made by Obama, which gave Iran massive amounts of CASH, and a clear and open path to a Nuclear Weapon.”

The president continued: “Our deal is the exact opposite, but nobody has seen it, or knows what it is. It isn’t even fully negotiated yet. So don’t listen to the losers, who are critical about something they know nothing about. Unlike those before me who should have solved this problem many years ago, I don’t make bad deals! President DJT.”

A U.S. official told Axios on Sunday that the White House believes that “it could take several days” for an agreement to end the war with Iran to be approved by Iran’s leadership, including Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu posted to X on Sunday that he had spoken with Trump about the negotiations.

“President Trump and I agreed that any final agreement with Iran must eliminate the nuclear danger. That means dismantling Iran’s nuclear enrichment sites and removing its enriched nuclear material from its territory,” Netanyahu wrote. “My policy, like President Trump’s, remains unchanged: Iran will not have nuclear weapons.”

Trump also reaffirmed Israel’s right to take action against threats “on every front, including Lebanon,” the prime minister added. JNS

Israeli Juvenile Court Judge Noam Shilo has issued a public apology after sparking outrage by comparing Palestinian minors who entered Israel illegally to Jews during the Holocaust.

The remarks were made in response to a complaint filed against him with the Judicial Ombudsman, retired judge Asher Kula, following controversial comments Shilo made during a court proceeding involving two Palestinian teenagers.

“I deeply regret what was said. I had absolutely no intention of harming the sacred memory of the Holocaust and the terrible tragedy that befell the Jewish people during World War II,” Judge Shilo wrote in his response.

He added, “I should not have shared my feelings, even in an off-the-record conversation.”

Shilo also noted that many members of both his father’s and mother’s families were murdered during the Holocaust in mass shootings and extermination camps in Poland, Latvia, and Ukraine.

According to Shilo’s explanation, the hearing involved two approximately 14-year-old minors who, he said, appeared “malnourished, thin, weakened, and younger than their age.”

After deciding to release the minors without issuing an order against them, prosecutors requested a delay in implementation of the ruling in order to file an appeal.

Shilo stated that during an off-the-record discussion with prosecutors and defense attorneys, he expressed sympathy for the teenagers, who had allegedly entered Israel to sell inexpensive products to drivers near the Tira-Taybeh junction. He said their appearance reminded him of children during World War II who attempted to bring food home to their families.

The judge emphasized that he ultimately agreed to delay his ruling for 24 hours, during which the minors remained in custody. The following day, the Central-Lod District Court accepted the state’s appeal, convicted the minors, and sentenced them to prison terms equivalent to the time they had already spent in detention while waiving financial penalties.

“I apologize from the depths of my heart to anyone who was hurt or may have been hurt by my statement,” Shilo wrote, adding that he would continue judging minors “with dedication,” as he has throughout nearly 17 years serving as a juvenile court judge.

Judicial Ombudsman Asher Kula accepted the apology and wrote in his ruling: “One who admits and abandons his wrongdoing will be shown mercy. A judge who courageously acknowledges his mistake and retracts it actually strengthens public trust in both himself and the judicial system.”

The controversy first emerged last month in a report by i24NEWS, which revealed that Shilo had presided over the case of two 15-year-old Palestinian minors who infiltrated Israel after climbing over the security fence and were later apprehended by police.

At the time, the judge declined to convict or punish them, citing their age and physical condition. During the hearing, he remarked: “They remind me of Jews who stole potatoes during the Holocaust.”

The comparison triggered widespread public backlash, prompting prosecutors to appeal the ruling. The District Court later overturned the decision, convicted the two minors, and imposed prison sentences.

In an earlier statement, the judicial system’s spokesperson’s office said the judge’s comments “stemmed from the human association that arose in light of the minors’ young and emaciated appearance, which reflected their distress and nothing more.”

{Matzav.com}

Japanese researchers are moving forward with plans for a revolutionary hypersonic passenger aircraft capable of flying at speeds more than twice as fast as the retired Concorde jet, potentially shrinking flights from Tokyo to the United States to just two hours.

The project is being developed with the involvement of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, known as JAXA, which recently completed a major test of an experimental aircraft at its Kakuda Space Center in Miyagi Prefecture, according to Interesting Engineering.

During the test, engineers placed the prototype aircraft inside a specialized ramjet engine testing facility designed to recreate the extreme conditions associated with hypersonic flight.

Researchers simulated speeds of Mach 5 — approximately five times the speed of sound.

According to reports, the experiment successfully validated key systems required for hypersonic travel, including the aircraft’s thermal protection technology, flight control systems, and ramjet engine combustion performance under extreme temperatures and pressure.

Such testing is considered essential because aircraft traveling at those speeds can encounter external temperatures approaching 1,000 degrees Celsius.

The next stage of development could involve attaching the experimental aircraft to a sounding rocket or similar launch platform in order to conduct a real-world Mach 5 flight demonstration.

Japan’s efforts are part of an intensifying international race to develop ultra-fast next-generation transportation systems. If successful, the aircraft could dramatically transform long-distance travel by cutting a trip from Tokyo to the United States from roughly half a day to approximately two hours.

Part of the aircraft’s speed advantage would come from operating at altitudes reaching nearly 17 miles above Earth — more than twice the cruising altitude of standard commercial jets.

At Mach 5, the aircraft would travel at roughly 3,300 miles per hour, making it about six times faster than conventional passenger planes.

The famed Concorde, which remained in service until 2003, reached speeds of approximately Mach 2 and had a maximum recorded speed of about 1,400 miles per hour.

Despite the excitement surrounding the project, researchers caution that commercial hypersonic travel remains many years away.

Hideyuki Taguchi, a professor at the Tokyo University of Science, told Mainichi: “Developing a conventional aircraft typically takes about 10 years. Since the development of hypersonic passenger aircraft requires two stages of demonstration — an experimental aircraft followed by a passenger aircraft — we hope development can be completed in about 20 years.”

Tetsuya Sato, a professor at Waseda University, added: “This result is still only a first step. Our dream is to connect it to a flight demonstration.”

Japan is not alone in pursuing ultra-fast commercial aviation technology.

Among the most closely watched projects in recent years are NASA’s X-59 experimental aircraft and Boom Supersonic’s XB-1, both of which have recently completed important test flights aimed at solving longstanding challenges involving speed, noise, and fuel efficiency.

{Matzav.com}

Americans across the political spectrum are expressing growing frustration over rising living costs as families gather for Memorial Day weekend, with new polling showing widespread concern about inflation, grocery bills, gas prices, and overall financial stability.

A CNN survey found that majorities of Democrats, Republicans, and independents said they have changed the way they shop for groceries in recent months in an effort to stay within their budgets.

The same poll found that 59 percent of Americans have also reduced spending on entertainment and nonessential purchases as household expenses continue climbing.

More than three-quarters of respondents said policies implemented by President Trump have contributed to higher living costs in their communities. Even among Republicans, 55 percent said Trump’s policies have played a role in increasing expenses.

Poll after poll has pointed to deepening economic unease among voters nationwide. In the latest New York Times/Siena survey, nearly half of all voters rated the economy as “poor,” representing an 11-point increase since January.

Meanwhile, Gallup reported that Americans’ confidence in the economy has fallen to its lowest level in four years.

Fuel prices have become another major source of frustration, with average gas prices nationwide climbing above $4.50 per gallon, according to AAA.

Polling conducted by Fox News found that nearly 80 percent of voters — including a majority of Republicans — believe the Trump administration bears responsibility for the spike in fuel costs. Large numbers of respondents also blamed oil companies, the war in Iran, and government regulations for the increase.

Overall, the Fox survey found that 57 percent of voters now believe Trump’s policies have harmed the country, an increase from the 51 percent who expressed the same view one year earlier.

{Matzav.com}

The NYPD’s Internal Affairs Bureau has launched an investigation after a viral social media photo appeared to show two uniformed Bronx police officers making hand gestures associated with the Mac Baller Brims, a violent Bronx-based faction of the Bloods gang tied to murders, shootings, and armed robberies.

The image, which surfaced on Instagram on May 4 before spreading widely on X, shows two masked officers posing with a young man inside what appears to be a McDonald’s restaurant. In the photograph, one officer is seen crossing his middle finger over his ring finger, while the second displays three fingers with his index finger bent backward.

According to the New York Post, both gestures are recognized as signs connected to the Mac Baller Brims.

“This incident is under internal review,” an NYPD spokesperson told the Post, confirming that the matter is being investigated by the Internal Affairs Bureau.

Sources cited by the newspaper identified one of the officers as Shane Cruz, who joined the department in 2024 and was reassigned earlier this year from the 43rd Precinct in Soundview to the 73rd Precinct in Brownsville.

The second officer is also assigned to the 43rd Precinct, though he has not yet been publicly identified because his badge number cannot be seen in the image.

A law enforcement source told the Post that Cruz’s reassignment had nothing to do with the circulating photo and claimed the officers had merely been “messing around” with a young man they knew personally.

Eric Sanders, an attorney and former NYPD officer, told the newspaper that the gestures shown in the photograph were legitimate Mac Baller Brims hand signs and argued that both officers should immediately be placed on modified duty pending the outcome of the investigation.

Retired NYPD Assistant Commissioner Kevin O’Connor said the officers appeared to be attempting Bloods-related signs, though he suggested they may have done so incorrectly. He also questioned whether the blue clothing worn by the civilian in the photo — a color commonly associated with the rival Crips gang — indicated the exchange may have been intended as a joke.

Michael Alcazar, a former NYPD detective who now teaches at John Jay College of Criminal Justice, told the Post that investigators would likely review the officers’ backgrounds and determine whether the conduct violated department standards.

He added that if either officer failed to disclose prior gang affiliations during the hiring process, it could potentially result in termination from the department.

The Mac Baller Brims have long been a focus of both federal and state prosecutors in New York.

In 2019, federal prosecutors in Manhattan charged 13 alleged members and associates of the gang with racketeering, drug trafficking, and firearms crimes linked to violence in the Mount Hope section of the Bronx between 2017 and 2019. A superseding indictment filed the following year added murder charges.

In another major case, the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office indicted three alleged gang members in May 2023 in connection with a series of armed robberies targeting smoke shops in Chelsea, Union Square, and the West Village.

The controversy comes as the NYPD continues grappling with recruiting and staffing challenges.

In February 2025, Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch reduced the department’s college credit requirement for recruits from 60 credits to 24, citing a growing hiring crisis and the fact that 29 percent of applicants — roughly 2,275 people — had been disqualified under the previous standards during 2023.

Tisch, who remained police commissioner after Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s election victory, has repeatedly emphasized internal discipline and accountability since taking over the department in November 2024 under Mayor Eric Adams.

Iran executed a man accused of spying during the ongoing war with Israel and the United States, marking the first time the Islamic Republic has imposed a death sentence for wartime espionage tied directly to the current conflict, AFP reported.

Iranian state judiciary outlet Mizan Online identified the executed man as Mojtaba Kian. According to the report, Kian, “who sent information related to the country’s defense industry units to the enemy, was hanged early this morning.”

The regime claimed that Kian secretly transferred classified information concerning Iran’s military production infrastructure during the approximately 40-day war.

Since the outbreak of fighting, Iranian authorities have sharply escalated arrests and executions involving alleged cooperation with what Tehran calls the “Zionist-American enemy.” However, until now, those executed had allegedly committed their offenses before the war began.

Sunday’s execution marked the first known case involving accusations connected specifically to intelligence activity carried out during the conflict itself.

According to court documents cited by Iranian media, Kian “sent multiple messages to hostile networks affiliated with “the Zionist-American enemy”, including coordinates and information on facilities producing parts related to the country’s defense industries.”

Iranian authorities further alleged that the information was transmitted through foreign satellite television channels. While the judiciary did not identify the specific broadcasters involved, Tehran has repeatedly accused Persian-language media outlets operating abroad of serving as intelligence arms for Israel.

Iran has long accused Israel of conducting sabotage operations inside the country and has routinely arrested, prosecuted, and executed individuals accused of cooperating with Israeli intelligence services.

Human rights organizations say Iran remains one of the world’s leading executioners, second only to China, and accuse the regime of using executions to intimidate the population and suppress dissent.

Amnesty International reported last week that more than 2,150 people were executed in Iran during the past year.

According to the organization’s findings, at least 2,707 executions were carried out worldwide in 2025, with Tehran alone responsible for 2,159 of them — more than double the number attributed to the Iranian regime in 2024.

{Matzav.com}

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The IDF announced Monday morning that Sergeant Nehoray Leizer Hy”d, 19, of Eilat, was killed during combat operations in southern Lebanon.

According to the IDF Spokesperson’s Unit, Sergeant Leizer was killed Sunday at approximately 3:00 p.m. when an explosive drone launched by the Hezbollah terror organization detonated near a group of Israeli soldiers operating in the area.

The attack also left another IDF soldier seriously wounded.

Israeli intelligence officials now believe that the violent demonstrations and repeated clashes along the Gaza border fence in the months leading up to October 7 were part of a deliberate Hamas operation aimed at preparing for the massive terror assault on southern Israel.

According to newly uncovered intelligence assessments, Hamas operatives exploited the protests to study Israeli military response patterns and locate vulnerable areas along the security barrier.

Israeli officials say terrorists posing as civilian demonstrators, balloon launchers, and rioters collected operational intelligence during the disturbances and even marked specific sections of the fence that would later serve as breach points during the invasion.

The findings, first reported Sunday by the Israeli news outlet Srugim, indicate that Hamas identified 114 separate locations along the Gaza border fence in advance of the attack.

Those same locations were reportedly activated simultaneously on October 7, when more than 6,000 Hamas Nukhba terrorists and armed Gazans poured into southern Israel.

According to the report, some of the breaches were narrow openings intended for individual gunmen, while others were large enough to allow motorcycles and pickup trucks to move through rapidly, transforming parts of the border into what Israeli officials described as a “terror highway” leading directly into Israeli communities.

The intelligence conclusions are reportedly supported by an internal Hamas document attributed to slain Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar.

Officials involved in the assessment say the document indicates that Hamas leadership believed Israel had completely misread the purpose of the border unrest and failed to grasp the broader military operation being quietly developed behind the scenes.

Israeli intelligence sources cited in the report said Hamas determined that Israeli officials “did not take the staged protests seriously” and failed to realize that the disturbances were being used to gather intelligence and rehearse the large-scale infiltration that unfolded on October 7.

{Matzav.com}

A $25,000 reward is now being offered for information leading to the safe return of Esther, the missing Toronto teenage girl whose disappearance has sparked widespread concern and ongoing search efforts throughout the community.

Newly released posters distributed Sunday identify the girl as possibly going by the names “Esti” or “Sylvia” and include updated information about her last known movements. According to the latest details, Esther was last spotted in downtown Toronto on a bus at approximately 12:35 a.m. on May 16.

Authorities also released a new surveillance image showing Esther wearing gray sweatpants and a green top, believed to be the outfit she was wearing at the time she disappeared.

The updated posters prominently announce a reward of up to $25,000 for information leading to her safe return and urge anyone with information to come forward immediately.

The case has drawn major attention in Toronto and beyond, with volunteers, community organizations, and law enforcement continuing intensive efforts to locate her.

Family members and organizers involved in the search continue pleading with the public to remain alert and report any possible sightings or information that could assist investigators.

Anyone with information is urged to call 647-478-2230 immediately.

{Matzav.com}

A yeshiva bochur who recently enlisted in the IDF described a painful and humiliating confrontation he says he experienced at a train station in Haifa, where a woman allegedly screamed at him for not serving in the military — and then spit in his face after he showed her proof that he had just signed his enlistment papers.

The incident came to public attention after media personality and Channel 14 host Yinon Magal shared on X a WhatsApp message he received from the young man, identified only as Ariel.

In the message, Ariel wrote: “Hi Yinon, I’m a yeshiva bochur and today I signed enlistment papers for the IDF. On my way back, a leftist woman around 60 years old started screaming at me about why I’m not enlisting. When I showed her the document proving that I signed up for the army, she spit in my face. And then people say this isn’t pure hatred of chareidim.”

Magal responded in disbelief, writing: “She spit in your face?? Crazy.”

Later Sunday evening, Ariel recounted the incident in an emotional interview with Yaakov Grodka on Kol Barama Radio’s main news program, describing the ordeal in greater detail.

“I was returning from the enlistment office after signing my IDF draft papers,” Ariel said. “At the train station, a woman around 60 years old approached me and started screaming that I’m a chareidi who doesn’t enlist. When I showed her the document proving that I had literally enlisted that very day, she simply spit in my face.”

The yeshiva bochur openly described the emotional toll the encounter took on him.

“After she spit on me, the thought crossed my mind that maybe this whole thing was a mistake and why I even needed to enlist in the first place,” he shared. “I felt deeply humiliated, and it took me a long time to calm down. At the same time, I’m not looking for anyone’s appreciation — this is something between me and myself, and I’m completely at peace with it.”

Ariel also said he believes the woman’s behavior reflected deep-seated hostility toward the chareidi community rather than anger over military service itself.

“That woman didn’t want to see chareidim in the army — she simply hates chareidim,” he said. “They hate that we are in the government, and they hate our very existence. While she was publicly humiliating me and spitting at me, several of her friends were standing there laughing together with her.”

{Matzav.com}

A quiet meeting between former IDF Chief of Staff Gadi Eisenkot and Degel HaTorah chairman MK Moshe Gafni took place last week immediately after Rav Dov Landau’s dramatic declaration regarding the “dismantling of the right-wing bloc,” according to a report aired Sunday evening on Channel 12 News.

The reported meeting comes amid mounting political turmoil surrounding the draft law and intensifying efforts by opposition figures to reshape alliances ahead of a possible election campaign.

According to the report, the atmosphere during the meeting was positive despite the sensitive backdrop surrounding the ongoing debate over the enlistment of bochurim and members of the chareidi community.

At the same time, Eisenkot has recently come under attack from political rivals who argue that his proposed draft framework is significantly softer on chareidi enlistment than the positions advanced by Naftali Bennett and Avigdor Lieberman.

Under Eisenkot’s proposal, approximately 30 percent of bnei yeshiva would receive exemptions and would not face sanctions. Bennett and Lieberman, however, continue insisting on universal enlistment policies under the principle that “whoever does not serve receives nothing.”

Sources close to Eisenkot declined to confirm or deny that the meeting took place, saying only that “he is operating through numerous channels to advance elections and bring down the government.”

Meanwhile, representatives for Gafni’s office stated that they “do not comment on meetings held by Gafni with various public figures.”

Last week, Eisenkot made clear that the issue of military service remains a red line for him politically, even if it leads to another round of elections.

“There are profound disagreements between myself and the chareidim, and the distorted reality that has developed cannot be accepted,” Eisenkot said during a conference hosted by the Association of Corporations.

Reports published roughly two weeks ago indicated growing communication between chareidi political figures and Eisenkot. According to those reports, chareidi representatives urged him not to rush into alliances with Bennett or Yair Lapid, while expressing the view that Eisenkot’s enlistment framework is more practical and leaves room for compromise.

Shortly after those reports surfaced, Eisenkot was seen touring Tel Aviv’s Carmel Market, where he also declined to rule out joining a future coalition government that includes chareidi parties.

Israel’s Land Authority officially enacted a new policy Sunday barring individuals classified as draft evaders from participating in government-subsidized housing lotteries, marking a significant escalation in efforts to pressure military-age citizens to regularize their status with the IDF.

The move follows a recent High Court ruling ordering the government to revoke various state benefits from individuals designated by the military as draft-eligible citizens who failed to resolve their enlistment status.

Under the newly published decision by the Israel Land Authority Council, eligibility for participating in discounted housing programs such as “Target Price Housing” will now depend on military records confirming that neither the applicant nor a spouse is classified by the IDF as a draft evader who has not arranged his or her legal status.

According to the decision, sections 4.7.19 and 4.7.20 of the Israel Land Council regulations governing subsidized housing tenders were formally amended to include the new restrictions.

The policy change comes roughly one month after Israel’s High Court ruled that certain government benefits should be denied in order to encourage military enlistment. The justices emphasized at the time that the measures constituted the revocation of benefits rather than the denial of inherent legal rights.

As part of that ruling, the court specifically instructed the Israel Land Authority to convene and formulate a policy regarding eligibility for housing discounts — a directive now implemented through Sunday’s announcement.

The court also ruled that resolving one’s military status with the IDF would become a prerequisite for receiving additional state subsidies and discounts, including daycare assistance, after-school program subsidies, public transportation discounts, and municipal property tax reductions.

The judges noted that these measures represent only an initial phase and stressed that additional enforcement actions may still be necessary in the future.

In the same ruling, the High Court also criticized Israeli police for previously refusing to cooperate with the military in detaining draft deserters until military police arrived. Since then, the issue has gained renewed attention following a policy shift announced by Police Commissioner Danny Levy regarding police cooperation with military enforcement efforts.

New American intelligence findings indicate that Iran’s Supreme Leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, has gone into deep hiding at a secret location and is almost entirely cut off from direct communication with the outside world, according to a CBS News report released Sunday.

US officials familiar with the intelligence said the secrecy surrounding Khamenei’s whereabouts is so extreme that messages to him are being relayed through an elaborate chain of couriers rather than through conventional communication channels.

The breakdown has reportedly crippled the Iranian regime’s internal operations. Officials tasked with handling discussions involving the Trump administration are struggling to communicate even among themselves, creating major delays in negotiations and slowing progress on both current and previous agreements with Washington.

Sources told CBS News that whenever the United States sends diplomatic proposals or revisions connected to a possible deal, the complicated process of delivering the information to Iran’s top ruler creates severe delays. Two American officials said responses from Tehran can take an unusually long time because of the bottleneck.

A White House spokesperson declined to address questions regarding intelligence connected to Khamenei’s location or the regime’s communication methods.

Even amid the chaos, officials say some headway has been made. A senior administration official said Sunday that the Supreme Leader had approved the broad outlines of the latest draft agreement. At the same time, President Donald Trump wrote on Truth Social that he expects a final decision within days.

Khamenei, who was reportedly wounded during joint American and Israeli strikes carried out as part of Operation Epic Fury, has adopted extraordinary security precautions following attacks similar to those that killed his father, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who ruled Iran from 1989 until Feb. 28. The extent of the secrecy surrounding him is evident in the fact that he has neither appeared publicly nor been heard from since before the war began.

American officials believe the paranoia gripping the regime stems from repeated intelligence penetrations by the US and Israel. According to one official cited by CBS News, intelligence gathered from sources inside Iran’s own government enabled the targeting and elimination of much of the country’s senior leadership during the conflict.

As a result, senior Iranian officials are reportedly living in near-total isolation. Sources said many of the regime’s remaining leaders rarely emerge into public view, spending extended periods inside heavily protected bunkers and limiting contact with one another unless absolutely necessary.

“Watching them try to figure out how to talk to each other is almost like watching a sitcom. They are completely exasperated,” one official remarked.

Officials said the strictest security measures are centered around the Supreme Leader himself. Even top-ranking members of the Iranian government reportedly do not know his exact location and have no direct means of reaching him. Instead, information is passed through a carefully designed courier network intended to conceal where he is hiding.

“This is why you see people saying things like, ‘The Supreme Leader has agreed to the framework,’ or ‘We’re waiting to hear back on the final deal points.’ Every piece of information he receives is dated and there’s a lot of latency to his responses,” an official explained.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio forcefully defended the Trump administration’s ongoing negotiations with Iran on Sunday, dismissing criticism from fellow Republicans as “absurd” amid growing backlash over a possible agreement involving the Strait of Hormuz and Iran’s nuclear program.

Speaking during a press conference in India, Rubio rejected suggestions that President Trump would approve any arrangement that strengthens Tehran’s nuclear position.

“The idea that somehow this president, given everything he’s already proven he’s willing to do, is going to somehow agree to a deal that ultimately winds up putting Iran in a stronger position when it comes to nuclear ambitions is absurd,” Rubio said.

“That’s just not going to happen. But our preference is to address this through a diplomatic means, and that’s what we are endeavoring to do here. I think we’ve made some progress. I’m always cautious when I say that because you can agree to things on paper; they actually have to be implemented,” he added.

Rubio’s comments followed President Trump’s announcement that negotiations with Iran were “largely negotiated” after discussions with Arab allies throughout the Middle East. Trump indicated that one major component of the agreement would involve reopening the Strait of Hormuz, the critical global shipping route that has remained effectively shut amid the regional conflict.

“Final aspects and details of the Deal are currently being discussed, and will be announced shortly,” Trump wrote on Truth Social. “In addition to many other elements of the Agreement, the Strait of Hormuz will be opened.”

The emerging framework has sparked alarm among several Republican senators and conservative foreign policy figures, many of whom fear the administration could concede too much to Tehran after months of military confrontation.

Sen. Lindsey Graham warned that any agreement allowing Iran to maintain regional leverage would dramatically alter the balance of power in the Middle East.

“If a deal is struck to end the Iranian conflict because it is believed that the Strait of Hormuz cannot be protected from Iranian terrorism and Iran still possesses the capability to destroy major Gulf oil infrastructure, then Iran will be perceived as being a dominate force requiring a diplomatic solution,” Graham wrote in a post on X.

Sen. Ted Cruz also expressed deep concerns over reports surrounding the negotiations, suggesting some voices within the administration may be pushing the White House toward a dangerous compromise.

“President Trump’s decision to strike Iran was the most consequential decision of his second term. He was right to do so, and we achieved extraordinary military results—including destroying all of their missiles & drones and sinking their entire navy,” Cruz wrote.

“If the result of all that is to be an Iranian regime—still run by Islamists who chant ‘death to America’—now receiving billions of dollars, being able to enrich uranium & develop nuclear weapons, and having effective control over the Strait of Hormuz, then that outcome would be a disastrous mistake,” he continued.

Former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo also voiced skepticism over the direction of the talks, comparing the rumored framework to Obama-era negotiations that conservatives long criticized.

“The deal being floated with Iran seems straight out of the Wendy Sherman-Robert Malley-Ben Rhodes playbook: Pay the [Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC)] to build a WMD program and terrorize the world,” Pompeo said in an X post.

{Matzav.com}

Sen. Cory Booker said Sunday that Democrats are facing a leadership crisis ahead of the midterm elections, arguing that voters have lost confidence in the party establishment and are looking instead for candidates who focus more on people than politics.

Speaking on CNN’s “State of the Union,” the New Jersey Democrat said his party must reinvent itself if it hopes to regain public trust before November’s elections.

“We need to focus on the people, and the Democratic Party desperately needs new leadership, and that’s what’s exciting me about this cycle. It’s not only new leaders emerging, but a new vision for our party,” Booker told host Jake Tapper.

Booker pointed to several Democratic Senate candidates whom he believes are helping reshape the party’s image, including Sen. Jon Ossoff of Georgia, along with Roy Cooper and James Talarico, the Democratic Senate nominees in North Carolina and Texas.

According to Booker, those candidates are “leaders” who are “stepping up and saying, ‘I don’t give a damn about parties. I care about people.’”

The senator argued that the Democratic Party’s larger problem is a lack of public confidence in its political machinery.

“You cannot lead the people if they don’t trust you, and that’s what’s lacking right now with the party apparatus. But the people running out there that I’m running around this country trying to support, they’re building real trust with the American people, and that’s my hope,” Booker added.

His remarks come as Democrats continue grappling with fallout from the party’s disappointing 2024 election performance. Lawmakers within the party recently criticized the Democratic National Committee over its newly released autopsy report analyzing Kamala Harris’s loss to President Trump.

The 192-page review notably avoided addressing President Biden’s decision to seek reelection despite concerns over his age, as well as Harris becoming the nominee without facing a competitive primary process.

Booker acknowledged that the DNC faces serious problems moving forward.

“The Democratic National Committee has got to do a lot better if they’re going to meet this moment in history,” he said.

Still, Booker suggested that many Americans are no longer paying close attention to party structures and political infighting, because they are far more focused on their own financial and personal struggles.

“The American people have lost trust because of all politics as usual. People are suffering, people are hurting, and they’re going to support the leaders,” Booker added.

When asked directly whether Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer remains one of the leaders he trusts, Booker avoided giving a direct endorsement. However, he stressed that Schumer, House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries, and the broader Democratic leadership must present a clear alternative vision to President Trump.

“You are not going to win this election just by what you’re against,” he noted. “You need to start articulating who you’re for and what you’re for. Have a vision that’s compelling that not only engenders trust but makes sense for the American people.”

{Matzav.com}