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President Donald Trump said he believes a face-to-face meeting with Iranian Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei could eventually take place, signaling optimism about ongoing diplomatic contacts despite the continuing conflict and the slow pace of negotiations.

During an appearance on Miranda Devine’s “Pod Force One” podcast, released Wednesday, Trump said Khamenei continues to play a central role in Iran’s decision-making process, even though he has remained out of public view since the war erupted on Feb. 28 following joint U.S.-Israeli strikes.

Mojtaba Khamenei, 56, was reportedly wounded during those attacks. Reports have also claimed that the strikes killed his father, Ali Khamenei, who had served as Iran’s supreme leader, along with other members of the family.

“He’s involved, absolutely,” Trump said. “Yeah, I think they have a lot of respect for him.”

Trump explained that Khamenei’s absence from public appearances has added complications to diplomatic efforts, requiring messages to be passed indirectly through intermediaries rather than through direct contact.

“I haven’t had the privilege of meeting him … If you believe the stories, he’s missing a lot of different parts,” Trump told Devine.

Even so, the president indicated that discussions between the two sides have continued to move forward and suggested that communication channels remain effective.

“They say he is giving approval because that’s the way it has been for a long, long time,” Trump said. “His father and then him, I guess it’s a succession. But we seem to be getting along quite well.”

When asked whether he would welcome a personal meeting with the Iranian leader, Trump responded positively and left open the possibility that such a meeting could occur in the future.

“Yeah, I’d like to meet him. I’d love to meet everybody. I would like to meet him, and we probably will meet at some point, depending on how it all works out.”

Trump has long favored direct diplomacy with foreign leaders, including figures regarded as hostile to the United States, arguing that personal engagement can help reduce tensions and advance negotiations.

During his first term in office, he held three meetings with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un in an effort to address concerns over North Korea’s nuclear program. He also pursued plans to bring Taliban leaders to Camp David for peace talks, although that initiative was ultimately canceled.

The president’s latest remarks mark a notable change in tone from comments he made earlier about Mojtaba Khamenei. In the past, Trump criticized him sharply, referring to the Iranian leader as a “lightweight” and an “unacceptable” choice to lead Iran.

{Matzav.com}

Rav Ben Tzion Mutzapi, one of the leading Sephardic gedolei Torah, has weighed in on the ongoing controversy surrounding Israel’s draft law, the status of bnei yeshivah, and the arrests of Torah students, declaring that efforts to weaken Torah learning will ultimately fail.

In a letter sent to avreichim learning in a kollel in Ofakim, Rav Mutzapi sharply criticized those he believes are targeting the Torah world and expressed confidence that the Torah community will remain steadfast despite mounting pressures.

“My beloved friends, for 70 years the Erev Rav have exerted all their strength and burst with anger when they see Torah-observant Jews sitting and learning Torah. They do not need us in the army at all because they have additional soldiers and even surpluses.”

The senior posek argued that opponents of Torah study have repeatedly attempted to curtail the growth of the Torah world through a variety of measures, yet have consistently failed to achieve their goals.

“What have they not done? Four times every year, corresponding to the seasons of the year, through various regulations, difficulties, decrees, sanctions, temptations, threats, and incitement against Torah learners—and they have accomplished nothing.”

Rav Mutzapi went on to cite promises from Tanach, emphasizing that the Jewish people have been assured that Torah will never be forgotten or abandoned.

“Hashem promised us through Moshe, His faithful servant, ‘For it shall not be forgotten from the mouth of his descendants,’” he wrote. “And through Shmuel Hanovi, ‘For Hashem will not forsake His people, nor abandon His inheritance.’”

Rav Mutzapi stressed that those seeking to diminish Torah observance would not succeed and accused them of attempting to uproot Torah through cultural and social influences.

“They will not overcome us, they will not subdue us, because their goal is to cause Torah to be forgotten. All of the entertainment programs, the permissiveness disguised as freedom, the parades of donkeys, only add to their shame and disgrace.”

Concluding his message, Rav Mutzapi urged Torah students to remain committed to their learning and to draw strength from Hashem’s enduring love for His people.

“We will not abandon the Torah, and it will never abandon us. Remember, my friend, that every night we bless, ‘And Your love shall never depart from us forever.’ Hashem declares, ‘I love you.’”

Rabbi Dovid Boaron, rosh yeshiva of Yeshivas Kibbutz Givat Ze’ev, says one of his talmidim is still struggling to recover after spending five days in military detention following his arrest as a draft evader.

Speaking in an interview with Kol Chai, Rabbi Boaron recounted the recent arrest of Reuven Lamenatzeach, a student at the yeshiva who was detained while returning from a family event.

According to the rosh yeshiva, undercover officers stopped the bochur on Highway 1 and quickly discovered that he had been classified as a draft evader.

“When they saw that he was a draft evader, they immediately identified him. Unfortunately, they did not even allow him to make a phone call to his parents. They immediately took him away in handcuffs,” Rabbi Boaron said.

Although Lamenatzeach was released after only five days—a relatively short period compared to some similar cases—Rabbi Boaron said the experience left a deep impact on the young man.

“He came out broken. There is a lot of humiliation that people go through there,” the rosh yeshiva said.

Relaying what the bochur told him after his release, Rabbi Boaron described difficult conditions in both detention and military prison. He said the student slept on a thin mattress placed on the floor, had limited opportunities for tefillah, and faced challenging living conditions.

“The hardest part, he said, was the humiliation. If a shirt was slightly out, there were immediate punishments. These are things a ben Torah is not accustomed to.”

Rabbi Boaron added that the bochur was housed together with Bedouin detainees and encountered circumstances that were entirely unfamiliar to him.

“He told me, ‘I would not wish this on anyone.’”

The rosh yeshiva said that although the detention lasted less than a week, its effects remain evident.

“Today he has already returned to the yeshiva, but I see that the bochur is still not fully here. It will take time for him to recover from the experience.”

Following his release, Lamenatzeach visited several gedolim to receive encouragement and guidance.

Rabbi Boaron said that during a visit with Rav Meir Tzvi Bergman, the message was simple and repeated several times.

“Do not be afraid, do not be afraid.”

According to the rosh yeshiva, Rav Bergman emphasized those words repeatedly in an effort to strengthen the young man’s spirits.

The bochur later visited Rav Moshe Hillel Hirsch, where the conversation turned to a friend who had been with him during the incident but was not arrested.

“He asked whether the friend was Ashkenazi, and when they answered that he only looked Ashkenazi, he replied with a smile, ‘No, it is important that he is Ashkenazi.’”

Rabbi Boaron also shared details about how that friend managed to avoid arrest.

“He started talking with the officers about the draft, chatted with them for a bit, and then simply took off and left,” the rosh yeshiva said, describing the escape as another miracle that occurred that night.

During the interview, Rabbi Boaron also discussed the growth of the institutions under his leadership in Givat Ze’ev. He said the local cheder now serves nearly 300 students and that the yeshiva, founded approximately two years ago, operates three daily learning sessions with a strong emphasis on intensive Torah study.

Concluding the interview, Rabbi Boaron expressed concern that additional arrests of yeshiva students may lie ahead.

“This is only the beginning,” he said. “If there is no Torah, there is no derech eretz and there is no state.”

{Matzav.com}

A visit by a group of educators from a prominent Litvishe Talmud Torah to the city of Chevron reportedly ended with an ideological dispute after one of the institutions’ spiritual directors criticized aspects of the tour and declared that Jews are forbidden to reside in the city.

The unusual exchange took place during a recent educational trip attended by approximately 150 melamdim from a well-known Litvishe cheder in central Israel.

The educators visited several historic Jewish sites throughout Chevron, including the graves of Yishai and Rus, the resting places of the Sdei Chemed and Reishis Chochmah, and other revered figures associated with the city. The tour culminated with a visit to the Me’aras Hamachpeilah, where participants davened for personal and communal salvation.

The group was led by Rabbi Yeshayahu Rosenberger, a Gerer chossid, who presented the city’s Jewish history, tracing its story from Biblical times through the eras of Dovid Hamelech and Chizkiyahu, and continuing through the modern period, including the Chabad community, the arrival of the Slabodka Yeshiva, and the contemporary Jewish presence in Chevron.

During the tour, Rabbi Rosenberger recounted traditions connected to the Avrohom Avinu Shul, including accounts that Avrohom Avinu had revealed himself there. Some of the educators reportedly expressed skepticism regarding those traditions.

Rosenberger emphasized several times throughout the tour that his purpose was not to promote any particular ideology but rather to present historical narratives and traditions preserved by the Jewish community of Chevron.

The discussion intensified when he described one of the most famous episodes in the history of the renewed Jewish settlement in Chevron: the story of Sarah Nachshon, whose young son, Avrohom Yedidya, was buried in Chevron’s ancient cemetery in 1975. The burial was significant because it marked the first Jewish burial in the heart of the city since the 1929 Chevron massacre and the subsequent expulsion of the Jewish community.

Rosenberger recounted the statement Sarah Nachshon made at the graveside, words that later became closely associated with the modern Jewish return to Chevron.

“Thousands of years ago, Avrohom buried Sarah in Chevron, and thus acquired Chevron; and today I, Sarah, bury my son Avrohom here, and thus we will acquire Chevron in our generation.”

According to the report, some of the Litvishe educators were uncomfortable with the statement when interpreted literally, feeling that it drew a comparison between Sarah Nachshon and figures from Tanach.

Following the tour, one of the institutions’ spiritual directors reportedly approached Rabbi Rosenberger and expressed concern that elements of the presentation could encourage nationalist sentiment among educators.

“You have to be careful. It is forbidden to inject nationalism into the community of melamdim. And you should know that Jews are forbidden to live in Chevron; the holy Torah forbids living here. Nationalism must not be allowed to penetrate the younger generation.”

Despite the criticism, participants reportedly expressed appreciation for Rabbi Rosenberger’s extensive knowledge and engaging presentation. Sources said the comments were delivered privately and respectfully, reflecting the menahel’s worldview rather than an attempt to publicly challenge the guide.

Those familiar with the event noted that the overwhelming majority of the tour focused on the city’s ancient Jewish heritage, the Avos HaKedoshim, and the historical significance of Chevron. Only a relatively small portion of the program addressed the contemporary Jewish community and modern settlement activity in the city.

The Jewish community of Isfahan issued a sharply worded statement condemning Israel and the United States during a memorial ceremony held in recent days for Iranians killed during the war, declaring support for the Islamic Republic and expressing solidarity with the Iranian people.

The event was held in memory of 170 teachers and children who Iranian officials say were mistakenly killed at the outset of the conflict. According to reports, the tragedy occurred on February 28, 2026, when a cruise missile struck the Shajara Tayeba girls’ elementary school in the southern Iranian city of Minab during a U.S. military operation targeting military sites in the area.

Addressing the gathering, Hakham Suleiman Sadeghpour, one of the leaders of the Jewish community in Isfahan, criticized Israel and the United States while emphasizing the longstanding coexistence of Jews and Muslims in Iran.

“Jews and Muslims throughout the history of this land have lived side by side and played a significant role in creating stable coexistence. In Iran’s history, the solidarity and unity of the people have been important factors in helping the country overcome various challenges and crises.”

Sadeghpour delivered his remarks during a memorial service held at the Keter David Synagogue in Isfahan. He also condemned what he called the “Zionist regime” and praised social cohesion as a key factor in Iran’s endurance.

“Cooperation and social unity are central characteristics of the continuity and stability of Iranian society throughout different periods of Iran’s history.”

He went on to say that Iran has faced numerous hardships over the centuries and has consistently overcome them through national unity.

“Iran has faced many difficult events and conditions throughout history, and history shows that the presence of the people alongside one another and the strengthening of the collective spirit have always played a decisive role in overcoming those conditions.”

Sadeghpour added that the concept of national solidarity remains relevant today and can help preserve peace and stability.

“Reference to the concept of national solidarity, beyond being part of the country’s historical heritage, can still help strengthen tranquility, stability, and peace.”

At the conclusion of the ceremony, the Jewish community of Isfahan released an official statement concerning the war, known in Iran as “Roar of the Lion.”

“We condemn the Zionist and American activity against the Republic of Iran.”

The statement stressed that Iranian Jews identify strongly with their homeland and see themselves as an integral part of the nation.

“We, the Jewish community, express our sympathy and support wherever the name of Iran is mentioned. The distinction between religion and faith is no longer meaningful. Iranian Jews have always seen themselves as Iranians, are filled with sorrow over the martyrdom of Iran’s great leader, and rejoice at the selection of his lawful successor.”

The statement also expressed condolences over the deaths of the children in Minab and condemned the attack as a war crime.

“The Jewish community of Isfahan expresses its deepest condolences over the martyrdom of the children of the noble lineage of Minab and condemns this shameful war crime. The names of the martyrs have touched all of our hearts. This war crime is reprehensible, and the perpetrators of these crimes must be taught a lesson that Iranians will never surrender.”

In perhaps the most striking remarks of the event, Sadeghpour invoked the Biblical story of Moshe and Pharaoh, comparing Iran’s struggle against its adversaries to that ancient conflict.

“Just as Moshe Rabbeinu defeated Pharaoh and the Egyptians, so too will Iran and the Iranian people overcome the perpetrators of these crimes. We will prove that we, the men, women, and children, are present in the field and have shed our blood for this homeland. We, the followers of the Muslim, Zoroastrian, Jewish, and Christian faiths, have all sacrificed martyrs for this country and have always proven that America and the Zionist regime can only imagine bringing this nation to its knees.”

The statement concluded with a prayer that no more children would be harmed and a declaration of loyalty to Iran.

“With the hope that no student will be killed behind a school desk, and with the hope that no foreigner will be allowed to invade this land, Iran is our life.”