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Additional footage released by the IDF of airstrikes in Iran a short while ago.

US-Israeli airstrikes reportedly struck the Iranian Ministry of Intelligence in Tehran.

A rare high-level gathering in Tehran provided the opening the United States and Israel had been waiting for: Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, along with roughly 40 top security officials, assembled inside his heavily fortified compound. Within hours, Israeli warplanes carried out a sweeping daytime assault that reduced parts of the complex to rubble, killing Khamenei, dozens of senior officials, and three of his family members.

According to a report published Sunday by The New York Times, U.S. intelligence agencies had spent months tracking the 86-year-old ruler’s movements and routines. The CIA closely studied his patterns before receiving fresh intelligence indicating that he would attend the pivotal meeting in central Tehran. Officials described the intelligence as “high fidelity,” confirming that Khamenei himself would be present at the leadership compound.

Once the unusual concentration of Iran’s political and military leadership was confirmed, American and Israeli defense officials accelerated plans for the strike, known as “Operation Epic Fury.” Originally intended to take place under cover of darkness, the attack was shifted to Saturday morning to capitalize on the opportunity presented by the meeting, sources familiar with the operation told the Times. The daylight assault eliminated Khamenei and approximately 40 senior Iranian figures, including the Minister of Defense, the Head of Intelligence, and the Supreme Leader’s Advisor for Security Affairs and Secretary of the Defense Council.

U.S. intelligence capabilities reportedly improved following last year’s 12-day war, during which officials gained deeper insight into how Khamenei operated and communicated under pressure.

Among those killed were Rear Adm. Shamkhani and Maj. Gen. Pakpour, according to Iranian state media outlet IRNA. State television also reported that Abdolrahim Mousavi, Iran’s Armed Forces Chief of Staff and the country’s highest-ranking military officer, was killed in the joint U.S.-Israeli airstrikes.

Israeli officials had spent months preparing what was later characterized as a “tactical surprise.” Intelligence services from both countries were monitoring multiple senior-level meetings planned for that morning — an unusually large gathering of Iran’s leadership in a single location.

Israeli fighter jets reportedly departed around 6 a.m. local time, with long-range precision munitions striking the compound at approximately 9:40 a.m. in Tehran. Published accounts indicate that about 30 bombs were dropped on the site, leaving it “scorched and shattered,” according to The Wall Street Journal. Khamenei and other top officials were said to have been inside two separate buildings within the compound that were destroyed in the attack.

President Trump publicly confirmed Khamenei’s death, describing him as “one of the most evil people in history.”

“This is not only Justice for the people of Iran, but for all Great Americans, and those people from many Countries throughout the World, that have been killed or mutilated by Khamenei and his gang of bloodthirsty THUGS,” Trump wrote on his Truth Social Saturday.

The commander in chief urged remaining Iranian officials to pursue diplomacy, saying it would be “much easier now than it was a day ago, obviously, because they are getting beat up badly,” he told CBS News’ Robert Costa.

Trump also offered what he called “immunity” to members of the regime’s security apparatus who choose not to continue fighting, warning of severe consequences otherwise.

“We are hearing that many of their IRGC, Military, and other Security and Police Forces, no longer want to fight, and are looking for Immunity from us,” Trump said in a social media post. “As I said last night, ‘Now they can have Immunity, later they only get Death!’”

{Matzav.com}

President Trump announced Sunday that American forces have sunk nine Iranian naval vessels and inflicted heavy damage on Tehran’s naval command infrastructure.

“I have just been informed that we have destroyed and sunk 9 Iranian Naval Ships, some of them relatively large and important,” Trump posted on Truth Social. “We are going after the rest — They will soon be floating at the bottom of the sea, also!”

The president added that a separate strike targeted Iranian naval leadership facilities.

“In a different attack, we largely destroyed their Naval Headquarters,” the president added. “Other than that, their Navy is doing very well!”

{Matzav.com}

Three American troops have died and five others were “seriously wounded” during Operation Epic Fury, the ongoing U.S. military campaign targeting Iran, according to a statement from the U.S. military.

Additional personnel who sustained minor shrapnel wounds and concussions have received medical treatment and are expected to resume their duties shortly.

“Major combat operations continue and our response effort is ongoing,” CENTCOM said in an update Sunday morning.

U.S. Central Command also stated that it is not yet releasing the names of the deceased, explaining that it is withholding the identifies the “fallen warriors” until 24 hours after their families have been notified.

Officials have not specified the location where the American service members were killed.

The casualties come as Iran has launched retaliatory attacks against U.S. military installations throughout the Middle East following strikes that eliminated much of Iran’s top leadership — including Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

In the wake of those strikes, the Islamic State fired missiles and deployed attack drones targeting U.S. allies across the region, including the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Bahrain, Jordan, and Kuwait, all of which host American military bases.

Defense authorities in those countries confirmed that incoming missiles aimed at their territories were intercepted. However, debris from the interceptions caused extensive damage in several areas.

At least one person was killed and 11 others were injured in strikes that hit airports in Abu Dhabi and Dubai in the United Arab Emirates.

Beyond Khamenei, Iran’s former president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad — who had previously called for Israel’s destruction — was also killed in the joint U.S.-Israeli military operation.

{Matzav.com}

HaGaon Rav Moshe Hillel Hirsch and HaGaon Rav Dov Landau released a special letter of chizuk in response to the current matzav in Eretz Yisroel during Operation “Roaring Lion.”

The letter opens with an address to “our brethren, Bnei Yisroel dwelling in the Holy Land and in every place,” and speaks of the gravity of the hour.

“At a time such as this,” they write, “when the nation dwelling in Tzion is in a matzav of war and great danger, רח”ל, and additionally when the burden of governmental decrees weighs heavily upon the בני הישיבות and kollelim, it is our obligation to increase Torah and tefillah before the Creator of the world, that He pour upon us mercy from Heaven, save us from all who rise against us, and show us wonders as in the days of Mordechai and Esther.”

They add the plea: “Avinu Malkeinu, annul the counsel of our enemies and remove from upon us all harsh decrees.”

In the continuation of the letter, the gedolim call upon the ציבור to gather in the batei midrash and botei knesses on Ta’anis Esther prior to Mincha to recite specific perakim of Tehillim — chapters 22, 83, and 85 — verse by verse, followed by the recitation of Keil Melech and the Yud-Gimmel Middos HaRachamim.

They further note in the name of the Chazon Ish that the kappitel of “Yosheiv B’Seiser” is a segulah against shells and bombs.

The letter concludes with a heartfelt tefillah: “May it be the will of our Father in Heaven that He hasten the geulah, speed the yeshuah, and take us from distress to relief; may joy and gladness overtake us, and may sorrow and sighing flee away.”

{Matzav.com}

U.S./Israeli airstrikes targeted the Shahid Beheshti Pier at Chabahar Port, a facility reportedly operated by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.

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Israel’s Chief Rabbis released a public letter on Motzaei Shabbos in response to the war with Iran, urging the tzibbur to strengthen themselves through added fasting, prayer, and heartfelt supplication during what they described as a “difficult campaign” against a cruel enemy.

The letter, signed by the Rishon LeZion and Chief Rabbi of Israel, Rav Dovid Yosef, and the Chief Rabbi of Israel, Rav Kalman Meir Ber, was issued under the heading “Lech Kenos Es Kol HaYehudim.”

In their message, the rabbanim write: “We stand in the midst of a difficult campaign against a hostile and cruel enemy. We witness the steadfastness of the Air Force pilots, of the soldiers of the IDF, and of all members of the security forces.

“And just as we merited in the days of Purim to be saved after fasting and crying out — ‘when Mordechai the Jew and Esther established and accepted upon themselves and their descendants the matters of the fasts and their cry’ — so too now it is incumbent upon the public to increase matters of fasting and outcry.”

The rabbanim continue by calling upon the tzibbur to intensify tefillah and supplication, writing: “Therefore, we must increase prayer and supplications so that in these days of Purim as well, we should merit, with Hashem’s help, to be saved.”

They instruct that during Shacharis and Mincha, after Shemoneh Esrei, Avinu Malkeinu should be recited, along with chapters of Tehillim — 20, 121, 123, and 130. The letter concludes with the prayer that “our prayers should be accepted favorably and that we should merit salvation speedily.”

The Chief Rabbis also stress the obligation to follow the directives of the Home Front Command, noting that regulations concerning public gatherings may change from time to time. They close with a blessing drawn from Megillas Esther: “LaYehudim haysa ora v’simcha v’sasson v’ikar — so may it be for us.”

{Matzav.com}

UPDATE FROM THE SCENE IN BEIT SHEMESH: Police released a statement saying that 11 individuals remain unaccounted for, and efforts to locate them are ongoing alongside searches to rule out the possibility of additional people trapped under the rubble.

Video shows an American destroyer launching Tomahawk missiles at targets inside Iran as part of U.S. strikes on Iranian military infrastructure.

Just one day before the outbreak of Operation “Roaring Lion,” Rav Yitzchak Zilberstein, the revered posek, delivered powerful words of chizuk and reassurance during his renowned shiur for doctors and rabbanim at Maayanei HaYeshua Medical Center. In the midst of mounting tension, his message was one of calm, bitachon, and deep emunah.

Concluding his Thursday night shiur on Parshas Tetzaveh, Rav Zilberstein addressed the matzav with clarity and serenity, speaking directly to the concerns that were already in the air — concerns that, within 24 hours, would erupt into open war.

He said: “What can I say? First of all, residents of Bnei Brak — there is nothing to fear! My sister-in-law, Rebbetzin Batsheva Kanievsky, of blessed memory, once woke up in the middle of the night and told my brother-in-law, Rav Chaim Kanievsky, that a bomb had fallen in Bnei Brak. But he told her, ‘That is a mistake, it is not Bnei Brak,’ and indeed it turned out that it fell a few meters beyond Bnei Brak.”

With palpable warmth, Rav Zilberstein continued: “Look, my dear ones, today in the yeshivos they are learning very well, very, very well. It seems to me that here in Bnei Brak nothing will happen, and I very much want to ask that all of us together fulfill the mitzvah of loving our fellow Jews, and that we also pray for all our brothers. Residents of Bnei Brak — there is nothing to speak about. I only want to ask that everyone think about our brothers who are not residents of Bnei Brak.”

He then added words that resonated deeply with those present: “It seems to me that they have no chance — that is how it appears to me! Look, people are sitting here and speaking words of Torah, they are not handing out chocolate…, not blankets…, they are simply sitting and learning, truly Torah for its own sake!

“I think that regarding Bnei Brak there is nothing at all to fear, and I also think that in the other cities there is nothing to fear. Why? Because the yeshiva students today also have good character traits. The mussar studied in the yeshivos — if that is so, I believe they protect the entire nation. That is how it seems to me.”

In a striking moment of confidence, Rav Zilberstein declared: “It seems to me that only salvations await us. That is what I think.”

One of the Rav’s close associates later related that he personally heard Rav Chaim Kanievsky say regarding the city of Modiin Illit that Kiryat Sefer has the same din as Bnei Brak, since it is a makom entirely filled with lomdei Torah.

Rav Zilberstein concluded with heartfelt divrei chizuk: “Therefore, I think that right now we simply need to increase love among fellow Jews, and it does not appear to me that anything will happen here. It seems to me that nothing at all will happen here.”

Following his remarks, Rav Zilberstein recited a kapitel Tehillim together with the participants, with deep kavana, and concluded with the tefillah of “Acheinu Kol Beis Yisrael.”

{Matzav.com}

According to CNN, Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has authorized the Royal Saudi Armed Forces to respond militarily to Iran if necessary, describing attempted Iranian attacks against Riyadh and the Kingdom’s eastern region as “cowardly.”

Footage shows thick smoke billowing into the sky following an apparent impact in Bahrain.

The IDF says it has called up 100,000 reservists as fighting with Iran continues. Forces have been bolstered along Israel’s borders with Syria, Lebanon, Gaza, and in the West Bank. The Home Front Command has mobilized 20,000 reservists, largely for search and rescue operations. The Air Force, Navy, and Intelligence Directorate have also been reinforced. […]

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Sen. Rick Scott: I want to thank President Trump for having the guts to do this… What we’re doing is the right thing to do… I’m glad that Khamenei’s gone, the Ayatollah’s gone. The world’s a safer place.

The United Nations Security Council held an emergency session overnight following the joint Israeli-American strike on Iran, where Israel’s Ambassador to the UN, Danny Danon, said Israel is acting to eliminate an existential threat before it becomes reality and will firmly exercise its right to self-defense.

Addressing the council, Danon said that during a week when Jews around the world mark the holiday of Purim, many Israelis are sitting in bomb shelters. He drew a historical parallel to ancient Persia and warned against ignoring open threats of destruction.

He stated: “In the week when we mark the holiday of Purim, many Israelis are sitting in shelters. More than 2,500 years ago in Persia, they tried to destroy the Jewish people. It began with words, continued with a decree, and nearly ended in massacre. Queen Esther understood what the world did not understand — when someone rises to destroy your people, you act. You do not wait.”

Danon also referenced a recent visit to Auschwitz, where he stood alongside dozens of ambassadors, and warned against appeasing extremism.

He said: “At Auschwitz we saw where hesitation in the face of extremism leads. There were leaders who believed aggression could be calmed through concessions. They were wrong. Concessions did not stop evil — they strengthened it. We will take no risks and we will defend ourselves.”

Emphasizing coordination between Israel and the United States, Danon said both countries are acting because they refuse to ignore explicit threats of annihilation.

He concluded: “Israel and the United States are acting together because we do not ignore declarations of destruction. We will stop the radical regime before it becomes nuclear. Our responsibility is to act, now.”

{Matzav.com}

Araghchi: We do not attack our brother countries in the Persian Gulf, rather our operation is against American targets. It is completely clear that American military bases, which attack us, are our targets.

Araghchi: This assassination will make the confrontation more complicated and even more dangerous. This action is completely unprecedented and is considered a major violation of international law; that the leader of a country is assassinated by foreign forces.