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President Donald Trump will commemorate the 25th anniversary of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks at the Pentagon rather than attending the annual ceremony at the World Trade Center site in New York City, according to The New York Times.

Trump had reportedly sought an opportunity to deliver remarks at the Ground Zero ceremony. However, the National September 11 Memorial & Museum has prohibited speeches at the observance since 2012, a policy established to preserve the nonpartisan and solemn character of the event, according to the Times.

Instead, Trump will participate in the Sept. 11 commemoration at the Pentagon, two people familiar with the plans told the newspaper. Vice President JD Vance is expected to represent the White House at the Manhattan ceremony.

The president is scheduled to travel to Ireland the following day to attend a tournament at his golf course there. According to the Times, departing for Ireland from the New York area would create greater disruptions to local air and road traffic than leaving from Joint Base Andrews in Maryland.

Trump most recently attended the Ground Zero commemoration in 2024. During that visit to New York, he also stopped at a city fire station.

“On the 25th anniversary of this tragic day, the president will remember those who were killed at the hands of evil terrorists, honor their loved ones, and pay tribute to the brave first responders who put their lives on the line to rescue their fellow Americans,” Anna Kelly, a spokeswoman for the president, told the Times.

Trump is expected to address those gathered at the Pentagon ceremony, as he did during last year’s 9/11 observance there.

Among those expected to attend the 25th-anniversary ceremony in Manhattan are former New York City Mayor Rudolph Giuliani, Presidents Bill Clinton, George W. Bush and Barack Obama, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and former first lady Laura Bush.

{Matzav.com}

U.S. forces have cleared Iranian sea mines from internationally recognized shipping lanes in the Strait of Hormuz, CENTCOM Commander Adm. Brad Cooper announced Thursday, marking a significant development in American efforts to keep the vital waterway open while enforcing a naval blockade against Iran.

In an operational update, Cooper said thousands of American servicemembers are simultaneously carrying out the blockade and working to ensure that commercial vessels can continue navigating the strategically crucial Strait.

“We have successfully cleared sea mines in the Strait’s international shipping lanes that were laid months ago by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps,” Cooper said. “Internationally recognized transit routes in the Strait are free of Iranian sea mines thanks to the incredible work of the US military.”

Cooper said the operation brought together Navy divers and Navy SEALs, along with aerial assets belonging to the Army, Navy, Air Force and Marine Corps. The mission was carried out under hazardous conditions, he said, but U.S. personnel succeeded in eliminating the mines from the designated shipping routes.

“The circumstances were challenging and dangerous to say the least, but we got the job done,” he said. “Bottom line, today, international shipping lanes are open and momentum is building.”

The routes cleared by American forces are part of the internationally recognized traffic separation system used in the Strait of Hormuz, which organizes ships traveling in opposite directions through the narrow passage.

Cooper said the U.S. military has assisted nearly 1,500 commercial ships in navigating the Strait under coordinated protection in recent months. Collectively, those vessels carried nearly 750 million barrels of crude oil to markets around the world.

Iran, meanwhile, has been prevented from shipping oil from its own shores since the United States resumed its naval blockade in mid-July, according to the CENTCOM commander.

“And while American forces have supported 750 million barrels of crude oil leaving the Gulf, Iran has exported zero oil from its shores since we resumed the naval blockade in mid-July. We have been highly effective,” Cooper said.

Cooper said that no ships have been permitted to enter or leave Iranian ports without U.S. authorization since the blockade resumed, aside from vessels granted exceptions for humanitarian purposes.

The operation has involved thousands of U.S. servicemembers, more than 20 warships and hundreds of aircraft. Cooper said American forces have forced 75 vessels attempting to violate the blockade to turn around and disabled three others after they refused to comply with U.S. instructions.

Cooper commended the American personnel participating in the mission and said CENTCOM remains fully committed to carrying out its objectives.

“We remain vigilant, lethal, and resolved,” he said.

The CENTCOM commander also said he recently traveled to the region, where he met with American servicemembers directly involved in the ongoing operations.

“I just could not be prouder of their efforts, and I know that the American people share that same pride,” Cooper said. He concluded by calling on U.S. personnel to remain ready for what comes next and to continue looking out for one another.

{Matzav.com}

The Trump administration has rejected the possibility of returning to the preliminary agreement reached with Iran in June, according to a new report, as the White House says there are currently no negotiations taking place between Washington and Tehran.

The Wall Street Journal reported Thursday, citing people familiar with the matter, that the administration has declined to revive the June framework, creating another obstacle to efforts to restart diplomatic negotiations with the Islamic Republic.

The report emerged as White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt publicly confirmed that Washington and Tehran are not presently holding talks.

Appearing on Fox News on Thursday, Leavitt said, “There are currently no negotiations happening,” while emphasizing that “all options remain on the table.”

The administration’s position comes after President Donald Trump said a day earlier that he has established no deadline for ending the conflict with Iran and is prepared to allow the confrontation to continue for as long as he believes necessary.

During an interview with Al Jazeera, Trump said he was “not in a hurry” to return to the negotiating table with Tehran, adding: “I have no time schedule, none.”

The president said the two principal forms of pressure Washington has employed against the Islamic Republic — economic measures and military force — had been “both effective.”

Trump also described Iran as facing an increasingly severe economic crisis, pointing to “massive inflation” and saying its economy was “falling apart.” He additionally accused the Iranian regime of “treating their people very badly, they are killing many, many protesters.”

On Thursday, Trump pushed back against reports claiming that he is attempting to arrange a meeting with Iranian officials to reach a new agreement. The president said it is Iran, rather than the United States, that is seeking a return to negotiations.

“Jonathan Hunt of FoxNews did a particularly inaccurate report on the Failing Islamic Republic of Iran. I don’t want to meet, they do. In fact, they are begging to make a deal. Bret Baier should straighten out his flunkies, for a change!” Trump wrote on Truth Social.

Trump subsequently posted another brief message, declaring, “Iran Is a Failing Nation!”

Efforts to reach a permanent agreement between Washington and Tehran remain at an impasse. Although U.S. military strikes against Iran continued until recently, the administration has increasingly turned its attention to a sweeping campaign of economic pressure. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent on Monday announced “Operation Economic Outcast,” an initiative aimed at further isolating Iran economically and choking off sources of revenue that sustain the regime.

The current pause in U.S. military strikes does not mean that Washington has ruled out renewed attacks. U.S. Secretary of War Pete Hegseth said Monday that military action remains among the options available to the Trump administration.

“By no means are we foreclosing using kinetic strikes anywhere in the Strait of Hormuz or around Iran,” Hegseth told reporters.

Hegseth also argued that the Iranian regime cannot withstand the level of economic pressure the United States is now applying.

{Matzav.com}

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Thousands of Breslover Chassidim planning to travel to Uman for Rosh Hashanah are facing growing uncertainty just days before the annual airlift begins, with numerous charter flights sold to passengers still lacking the necessary takeoff and landing slots at Ben Gurion Airport.

The first travelers are expected to begin departing as early as this coming Sunday, yet many passengers who have already paid substantial sums for their tickets are discovering that their flights have not received final slot approval from the Israel Airports Authority.

The situation is becoming an increasingly familiar source of frustration for Uman travelers, with last-minute uncertainty surrounding flights recurring in recent years despite the annual pilgrimage taking place at the same time each year.

The greatest pressure is expected during several critical travel periods, with outbound flights from Ben Gurion Airport concentrated between Sept. 7 and Sept. 10, 2026, and return flights to Israel scheduled primarily between Sept. 14 and Sept. 16.

As of Thursday, a number of airlines — including Electra, Cyprus, SkyUp, Albastar, HiSky and FlyOne — reportedly had yet to receive the required slots for their planned flights.

Foreign airlines are already warning that they may be forced to cancel flights altogether. The carriers say regulatory and operational requirements make it impossible for them to keep aircraft and crews in limbo indefinitely while waiting until the last moment for confirmation.

Among those traveling to Uman, frustration and anxiety are mounting.

“This is simply Chelm, there’s no other word for it,” said Nachman, a Yerushalayim resident who purchased tickets for himself and his two sons. “This trip has existed for almost 40 years. The dates are fixed on the calendar. This coming Sunday people are already beginning to fly, and there are still no approvals! How can it be that the Israel Airports Authority doesn’t prepare for this in advance? Every year we reach the 90th minute and don’t know if we’ll take off. A few years ago, we found ourselves sleeping on the floor of the terminal with small children because of ‘slot’ delays. They simply disregard us because we fly on charters and not with regularly scheduled airlines.”

Another traveler, Chaim of Beit Shemesh, expressed similar anger over the uncertainty.

“We paid thousands of dollars. You can’t play with people like this. We feel that there is no one in the country taking responsibility for us. During summer vacation, Ben Gurion Airport handles tens of thousands of people a day, but when it comes to Uman, suddenly the system collapses.”

With no resolution yet in sight, numerous travelers have contacted Rabbi Nosson Ben Nun, chairman of the United Breslov in Uman organization, as well as activist Reb Levi Yitzchok Gewirtz, asking them to intervene immediately with the Israel Airports Authority.

The problem extends far beyond Ben Gurion Airport because of the ongoing war in Ukraine.

With direct flights into Ukraine unavailable, travelers are expected to fly into neighboring countries, particularly Romania, before continuing overland to Uman.

Romanian and Ukrainian authorities require detailed and finalized transportation plans in advance so they can prepare border crossings, regulate the movement of the large numbers of passengers and arrange security personnel and buses.

Without final departure slots from Ben Gurion Airport, organizers cannot provide authorities in those countries with definitive schedules. That uncertainty threatens to disrupt the entire complex transportation chain needed to move thousands of travelers from Israel to Uman.

Officials familiar with the arrangements warn that unless the Israel Airports Authority resolves the slot issue within the next day or two, large numbers of Chassidim could ultimately find themselves unable to reach Uman for Rosh Hashanah.

Such an outcome could also result in significant financial losses for travelers who have already spent large sums not only on airfare but also on food and accommodations in Uman.

“This is an event that is known about in advance. You can’t operate by putting out fires every year when the flights are about to leave,” said an official involved in organizing Uman travel. “It’s time for the Israel Airports Authority to treat the Uman operation as a regular national event, and not as a surprise that falls on them from the sky.”

{Matzav.com}

Rav Dov Landau, rosh yeshivas Slabodka, delivered a special shiur today at Yeshivas Zichron Yaakov, followed by words of chizuk to the bnei hayeshiva ahead of the Yomim Noraim, urging them to immerse themselves completely in Torah learning and emphasizing the importance of pursuing truth even when doing so requires admitting that one was wrong.

In his remarks, the rosh yeshiva focused on the obligation to approach Torah with genuine hasmadah and total absorption in learning. He stressed that this responsibility takes on particular significance during the difficult period currently facing those living in Eretz Yisroel.

“We need to learn, to be occupied with learning, to be immersed in learning — not to learn superficially, but to learn with immersion and diligence,” Rav Landau told the bochurim. “And with this difficult situation that we have here in Eretz Yisroel, certainly what we are obligated to do — with this and without this, it makes no difference — is to be immersed in learning, absorbed in learning. To get up in the morning — perhaps one cannot think in Torah learning; that is forbidden before Birchos HaTorah.”

Rav Landau went on to draw a distinction between genuine toil in understanding a sugya and merely searching for interesting insights or appealing vortlach.

“A good question, a good sevara of Rabbi Akiva Eiger — to be immersed in learning, not to search. Vortlach are a very beautiful thing, but that is not learning,” he said.

The rosh yeshiva emphasized that true Torah learning requires iyun, effort and a determined search to understand a sugya in its full depth, rather than being satisfied with attractive ideas and novel observations.

Rav Landau then spoke about the obligation to search for the truth in Torah, citing the Chazon Ish’s comments regarding the Kesef Mishneh.

“Hashem should help us that we should be able to learn, to search, as the Chazon Ish writes in the margin regarding the Kesef Mishneh: The Kesef Mishneh knew that there is truth in Torah, and he sought that truth — to seek the truth as much as we are able and capable of understanding, knowing and searching,” Rav Landau said.

He added that a genuine commitment to truth also requires a person to be willing to recognize when someone else has understood something correctly while he himself has not.

Rav Landau concluded with a pointed message about the importance of being able to acknowledge a mistake, explaining that being wrong is not a catastrophe; refusing to admit it is.

“Hashem should help us that we search for the truth. Included in that is that we acknowledge the one who says it. We did not merit to know, and the other person merited to know. It’s not terrible that the other person merited — it’s not a tragedy, nothing happened. If we made a mistake, no tragedy occurred. The tragedy is when we do not admit a mistake. Hashem should help us that we learn properly, that we are immersed in learning, absorbed in learning. And I wish everyone all the best, a kesivah vachasimah tovah, all the best.”