The danger posed by sleeper cells operating within the United States is at an all-time high, according to U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), though officials say there are currently no specific or credible threats.
A memo circulated by CBP Commissioner Rodney Scott, and obtained by NewsNation, sister outlet to The Hill, highlighted concerns about unauthorized Iranian entries into the U.S. “Thousands of Iranian nationals have been documented entering the United States illegally and countless more were likely in the known and unknown got-a-ways,” Scott wrote.
He continued, “Though we have not received any specific credible threats to share with you all currently, the threat of sleeper cells or sympathizers acting on their own, or at the behest of Iran has never been higher.”
CBP agents were urged in the memo to remain “vigilant” amid the rising concerns.
On Saturday, President Trump confirmed that the United States carried out airstrikes on three of Iran’s nuclear facilities, escalating its involvement in the ongoing hostilities between Iran and Israel. Iran’s representative to the United Nations denounced America’s actions, warning that Tehran’s military will determine an appropriate response.
Speaking on NewsNation Friday, correspondent Rich McHugh noted, “experts that we’ve talked to said that should the U.S. join these strikes against Iran, they may try to activate these sleeper cells in the U.S. and the West.”
Retired General Frank McKenzie, who previously led U.S. Central Command, expressed concern Sunday about potential retaliation. He stated that American forces stationed in Iraq and Syria are “certainly vulnerable” to counterattacks by Iran.
{Matzav.com}
A newly emerging COVID-19 strain spreading in the United States is being blamed for a particularly painful sore throat, which some have started calling “razor blade throat.”
The variant, dubbed “nimbus” and formally designated NB.1.8.1, is a descendant of the omicron lineage and is under active observation by the World Health Organization.
“Your throat is so dry, so cracked, it’s so painful, it’s even hard to drink sometimes,” said Dr. Muhammad Azam of Sharp Community Medical Group in California, speaking to ABC 10.
This version of the virus was initially detected back in January and has since been identified in countries around the world, including Canada and at least 13 states across the U.S.
Beyond the intense sore throat, the nimbus variant presents with symptoms similar to other omicron offshoots, including cough, fever, fatigue, muscle aches, nasal congestion, headache, nausea, vomiting, and loss of taste or smell, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
“Sore throat has been a part of the spectrum of COVID from the beginning,” said Amesh Adalja, senior scholar at the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security.
“It is something that we know occurs just like it occurs with many other respiratory viruses.”
Currently, the dominant strain in the U.S. remains LP.8.1, which accounts for 38 percent of reported COVID-19 cases. However, the NB.1.8.1 variant is close behind, now responsible for 37 percent of infections, based on CDC tracking.
The CDC does caution, however, that due to a low number of virus sequences being submitted, the accuracy of these estimates is limited.
The World Health Organization has stated that NB.1.8.1 does not appear to pose a greater global threat than other circulating strains.
The WHO also maintains that current COVID-19 vaccines continue to offer solid protection against severe outcomes, including hospitalization, from the new variant.
Dr. Peter Chin-Hong, an infectious disease expert and professor at the University of California, San Francisco, told ABC News that sore throat is now a prevalent complaint among patients.
“I think it’s certainly amongst the spectrum of symptoms that you can get, and we know that sore throat is reported by about 70% of patients now with COVID, so it’s not unusual, and like with everything in medicine, there’s always a spectrum,” he said.
{Matzav.com}
A wave of excitement has swept through the Torah world following the discovery of a remarkable passage in a centuries-old sefer that appears to allude to current events in the Strait of Hormuz, potentially linking them to the war of Gog uMagog.
Sunday morning, Rav Moshe Chaim Schneider, a close talmid and confidant of the tzaddik Rav Dov Kook of Tiveria, visited the home of his rebbi. Rav Schneider, editor of the Torah bulletin Sifsei Kohen, presented Rav Kook with a rare manuscript excerpt from the sefer Kli Paz, authored over 500 years ago by the renowned mekubal Rav Shmuel Laniado, also known as the Ba’al HaKelim for his series of works, including Kli Paz, Kli Chemdah, and Kli Yakar.
Rav Shmuel Laniado, who lived in Aram Tzovah (modern-day Aleppo, Syria), penned a comprehensive commentary on Sefer Yeshayah. The original manuscript was printed posthumously in Venice nearly four centuries ago and became known as Kli Paz.
The passage Rav Schneider shared with Rav Kook generated tremendous excitement due to its astonishing relevance to recent geopolitical developments. In his commentary on the verse “Ki zevach laHashem b’Botzrah” (Yeshayah 34:6), Rav Laniado writes chilling words: “There is a country far from Bavel called Botzrah, situated between the border of Ashur and Paras and the border of the land of Edom—‘Hormuz.’ It is currently under the control of the Yishmaelim, and blessed is He who knows the truth of these matters. Perhaps the war of the End of Days will pass through there.”
These words have taken on dramatic new significance in light of the current tensions surrounding the Strait of Hormuz, a vital maritime artery that links Iran to global trade and military interests. As has been widely reported, Iran has recently threatened to attack any American vessel attempting to pass through the strait. The Kli Paz‘s identification of Hormuz as a potential flashpoint for the war of Acharis HaYamim raises chilling implications, potentially casting modern-day conflicts in the region in a prophetic light.
Upon being shown the passage by Rav Schneider, Rav Kook was visibly moved. Turning to his talmid, he said, “Fortunate are you to have merited such a revelation—one that may awaken thousands of Jews to teshuvah. The merit of publicizing it is immense.”
{Matzav.com Israel}
A travel ordeal late Friday night left a group of Israelis stranded between borders after unexpected flight delays prevented them from entering Israel via Jordan.
The situation unfolded around 8:00 p.m., when MK Moshe Roth of United Torah Judaism received a distress call from an Israeli citizen among a group stuck at Larnaca Airport in Cyprus. The travelers, which included several families with young children, were originally scheduled to fly to Aqaba, Jordan, and then cross into Israel. However, repeated flight delays pushed their departure to 11:00 p.m.
By the time their flight landed, the Jordanian border had already closed at its usual hour of 8:00 p.m., leaving the group stranded in an unsecured and unfamiliar location during the night.
Since the border was not scheduled to reopen until late the next morning, the group faced long hours of vulnerability and discomfort. Realizing the seriousness of the situation, MK Roth quickly took action to seek a resolution.
He reached out to Deputy Minister Uri Maklev, the Foreign Ministry’s Situation Room, and senior members of Israel’s security establishment to begin coordinating an urgent response. The Israeli officials worked diplomatic channels to contact Jordanian authorities and request an exceptional reopening of the border.
After intense efforts, the Israeli team was able to contact and wake the Jordanian officer in charge of the crossing. That officer agreed to open the border for the stranded group. A senior official on the Jordanian side took possession of the Israelis’ passports, and the local police provided a secure escort from the airport to the border.
The operation was carried out under strict security protocols, given the threats in the region. At 3:00 a.m., after several hours of high-stakes coordination, the group finally crossed safely into Israeli territory.
Individuals familiar with the overnight operation highlighted the active involvement and dedication of MK Roth, who remained in touch with the group throughout the night and worked closely with different agencies to coordinate the complex logistics.
“In the end, the ones who took action, made the effort, and cared were the Knesset members from United Torah Judaism,” said one member of the rescued group. “It didn’t matter to them who was stranded — religious, secular, young people, or families. They gave us genuine help without asking questions; their only concern was to help Jews in distress.”
{Matzav.com Israel}
With tensions running high and the global community on edge over Iran’s anticipated response to the recent U.S. strikes on its nuclear facilities, Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has harshly criticized Israel’s actions in the region.
In a statement posted to social media early this morning, Khamenei condemned Israel’s June 13 bombing campaign, calling it “a big mistake” and “a big crime.”
“The Zionist enemy… is being punished right now,” he wrote, accompanying the message with a graphic image showing missiles descending on an Israeli city, beneath a large skull.
Khamenei’s post appeared to be a reference to the most recent missile incident targeting Israel, in which a single rocket was fired but successfully intercepted by the country’s defense systems.
{Matzav.com}In a heartfelt address transmitted to thousands of Bobover chassidim across Israel, including hundreds of yeshiva students, the Bobover Rebbe delivered words of encouragement and urgency amid the ongoing war, stressing the imperative to adhere meticulously to all safety directives.
The Rebbe opened his message with hoda’ah l’Hashem for the many chassodim bestowed upon the residents of Eretz HaKodesh. “Nevertheless,” he continued, “we are still in a situation that demands tefillah—hoshanah nefesh mi’behala.”
Speaking with deep personal connection, the Rebbe said, “I speak to each and every one of you individually. I do not remove you from my thoughts—day or night. I daven constantly for loyal and beloved ovdei Hashem, and I daven that we merit peace and calm, and that we should hear only besuros tovos.”
Recalling a poignant moment from the recent wedding of his granddaughter, the Rebbe shared: “Last week under the chuppah, I expressed the thought that while standing beneath the chupah in the open skies of Eretz Yisroel, our brethren were seeking shelter in bunkers. Rachmana litzlan. We find in the Gemara that Rav Shmuel bar Yitzchok danced with three myrtle branches, and we explained that he was alluding to Eretz Yisroel, which is referred to in Yirmiyahu as ‘eretz eretz eretz, hear the word of Hashem,’ which Rashi explains refers to the three regions within Eretz Yisroel.”
The Rebbe emphasized that in times of war, Klal Yisroel has a sacred tradition from our avos and gedolei hadoros how to behave: “To claim there is nothing to fear or to ignore the events unfolding around us is not our way. The Rambam states it is a mitzvas asei min haTorah to cry out and sound the alarm when tragedy strikes. That is what removes calamity.”
He continued, “It is critical to view the reality soberly. U’shemartem me’od lenafshoseichem—we must take great care of our lives. Even in a situation of safek sefeika, a distant doubt, we must strictly follow all instructions. As the pasuk says, ‘Chavi me’at rega ad ya’avor za’am’—hide for a brief moment until the wrath passes. The Ramban explains that the Torah records how Yaakov Avinu was saved to teach us that Hashem redeems His servants, even from mighty forces. Just as it happened to Yaakov, so will it be for us. Yaakov prepared for battle—with gifts, tefillah, and by fleeing to save himself. Likewise, each of us must be scrupulous not to disregard the rescue protocols.”
The Rebbe also urged his followers to engage in introspection and repentance: “We must strengthen ourselves in teshuvah and cheshbon hanefesh. V’haya machanecha kadosh—our camp must be holy. We must ensure that we are not, chas v’shalom, pushing away the Shechinah. We must safeguard all our spiritual vessels, so that middah k’neged middah, protection is granted to us from Above. Strengthen your tefillah… Our emunah must remain strong: ‘If Hashem does not guard the city, the watchman stays awake in vain.’ Only through faith can we persevere.”
At the same time, the Rebbe warned against falling into despair: “We must not be overtaken by despondency. As my grandfather, the Kedushas Tzion, wrote in a holy letter, ‘Who permitted you to worry or grieve?’ Rather, we must strengthen ourselves, and every individual should uplift their family, despite all the stress and distractions.”
He offered particular encouragement to the yeshiva bochurim and kollel yungeleit who continue to persevere in their Torah learning: “They are fulfilling the verse, ‘Mah ahavti Sorasecha kol hayom hi sichasi.’ In their merit, we will be saved from exile and distress.”
{Matzav.com}
The Israel Airports Authority announced Sunday evening that it will be significantly broadening the scope of Operation “Safe Return” beginning Monday.
As part of the expanded effort, Ben Gurion Airport will now handle up to 24 incoming flights per day from various international destinations. Outbound flights will also resume, in coordination with the Civil Aviation Authority, the Ministry of Transportation, and national security officials, and under the guidance of Transportation Minister Miri Regev.
According to the updated plan, each departing flight will be capped at 50 passengers. This restriction is intended to alleviate airport crowding and limit passengers’ time spent in the terminal, in line with enhanced safety and security procedures.
All outbound passengers will be required to comply with new protocols. Flights will depart exclusively from Terminal 3, and only ticketed travelers will be permitted entry. Exceptions will be granted only to necessary escorts of minors or passengers needing assistance. Entry into the terminal will be through Gate 02 on the ground floor (Floor G), as the terminal’s upper levels will be closed to the public.
Security screening and check-in will be conducted on Floor G. Afterward, passengers will proceed to Floor 3, where carry-on baggage inspection, border control, and boarding will take place. To ensure a smooth process, the Airports Authority advises travelers not to arrive more than two hours before their scheduled departure and strongly recommends using public transportation.
For passenger convenience, cafés will be open in the departure areas and concourses. However, duty-free shops will remain closed to discourage unnecessary delays inside the terminal.
Inbound flights under Operation “Safe Return” will proceed as scheduled, with plans to gradually increase both the number of flights and passenger intake. Travelers who made advance purchases through the “Shop and Store” duty-free service will be able to collect their items upon arrival. Only passengers arriving directly at Ben Gurion Airport will be allowed to pick up purchases, and duty-free operators will contact those ineligible for pickup to arrange alternate delivery.
In addition, individuals who parked their vehicles at Ben Gurion Airport prior to the launch of Operation Swords of Iron will now be able to retrieve their cars. Parking charges will apply only for the period between the car’s entry date and June 13.
{Matzav.com Israel}
