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A large fire is currently burning at the Haifa Oil Refinery in Northern Israel, following what appears to have been a direct impact by a ballistic missile fired by Iran.

UPDATE: The IDF Home Front Command says civilians nationwide no longer need to remain in bomb shelters, following Iran’s latest ballistic missile attack.

After years of watching Iran’s terror proxies export violence to democracies worldwide, Israel has now turned those tactics back on Tehran. According to The Wall Street Journal, Mossad agents covertly smuggled drone components into Iran, which were later used to strike at the regime’s covert nuclear weapons program and the scientists behind it.

Before Israeli fighter jets launched their aerial assault this week, the groundwork had already been laid by Israel’s intelligence community. Drones were used to disable critical Iranian air defense systems and missile platforms in advance of the main strikes, the Journal reported.

The long-planned operation, involving preparations stretching back months—and in some cases years—enabled Israeli forces to go deeper into Iranian territory than ever before. According to IDF spokesman Effie Defrin, these missions specifically targeted Iran’s nuclear infrastructure and defense systems. “This is the deepest distance that we have operated so far in Iran,” Defrin stated. “We created aerial freedom of action.”

The Israeli campaign bore similarities to Ukraine’s bold drone attacks on Russian air bases deep inside Russia, showing how distant targets can still be vulnerable when modern warfare tactics are deployed.

Sources told the Journal that Mossad operatives were active inside Iran throughout the operation, orchestrating the groundwork for Israel’s military to carry out its objectives.

Amid growing alarm, Iran’s intelligence services have reportedly issued warnings to civilians and media outlets, urging vigilance over pickup trucks and cargo vehicles believed to be used in drone launches aimed at military sites, according to the Journal.

This week’s attack wasn’t the first signal of Mossad’s reach inside Iranian territory. Last summer, Israel eliminated Hamas chief Ismail Haniyeh at a facility belonging to Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.

Over several years, Israeli intelligence has built a detailed understanding of both Hamas and Iranian leadership, insiders told the Journal.

“No one in Iran in the high echelons can be sure he isn’t known to Israeli intelligence and won’t be the target,” said Sima Shine, a former senior Mossad official and now researcher at the Institute for National Security Studies in Tel Aviv. “It’s not just the damage caused but the nervousness it brings.”

{Matzav.com Israel}

Mayor Eric Adams is under fire after welcoming controversial internet personality Sneako — who has publicly made antisemitic remarks — to Gracie Mansion for a relaxed interview, the NY Post reports.

Sneako, whose legal name is Nicolas “Nico” Kenn De Balinthazy, 26, was previously removed from Twitch for what the platform labeled “extreme hateful conduct.”

During the meeting at the mayor’s Upper East Side residence, Sneako and Adams shared cigars alongside fellow social media figure Amber Rose.

The backlash was swift, with Bronx Congressman Richie Torres taking to social media to voice his outrage.

“The Mayor is smoking cigars at Gracie Mansion with Sneako—yet another antisemite, who once declared: ‘Down with the Jews,’” Torres wrote on X.

“Who’s next on the guest list — David Duke?”

Sneako later posted a video boasting about his cigar session with Adams before heading off to a high-profile dinner with celebrities including Leonardo DiCaprio, Robert De Niro, and Tobey Maguire.

Criticism of Sneako has mounted due to his public praise of Andrew and Tristan Tate — influencers facing serious criminal allegations in Europe — as well as his frequent antisemitic rhetoric.

Among the most egregious of his past comments are: “Down with the Jews! Free Palestine,” and “Every ‘conspiracy theory’ from the last century is just Israel,” both of which he said during a livestream last year, according to watchdog group Stop Antisemitism.

Just before meeting Adams, Sneako wrote on X, “Israel is not compatible with Western civilization.”

Beyond his antisemitism, Sneako has been accused of spreading misogynistic content and associating with figures such as white nationalist Nick Fuentes and Ye, the rapper formerly known as Kanye West, both of whom have expressed admiration for Hitler. Sneako has even spoken at one of Fuentes’ rallies.

In the past, he has also made disturbing comments about Nazi symbolism, stating “the Nazis had drip,” and referring to the swastika as “aesthetically pleasing.”

Despite the outrage, Adams’ office stood by his decision to appear with Sneako. “Mayor Adams has always stood strongly with the Jewish community and will continue to do so without compromise. He has a long and proud record of fighting antisemitism, supporting Jewish causes, and building lasting relationships with Jewish leaders across the city and state,” a spokesperson told The Post.

“The Mayor is frequently interviewed by a wide range of streamers, podcasters, and media figures from many backgrounds. While he does not share the views of all who interview him, his values remain unwavering.

“Antisemitism has no place in New York City, and no one can question Mayor Adams’ deep and ongoing commitment to combating hate in all its forms.”

This controversy comes on the heels of Adams signing an executive order formalizing the city’s adoption of the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance’s definition of antisemitism.

That decision has itself sparked criticism from anti-Israel organizations, who argue the IHRA’s language is meant to shield Israel from legitimate scrutiny by equating criticism of the state with antisemitic hate.

{Matzav.com}

New York Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez cautioned over the weekend that Andrew Cuomo’s potential return to political office could serve as a springboard to a national campaign.

“This is not just about New York City, but this is about the United States,” she told a cheering crowd during a rally in support of Zohran Mamdani, her fellow progressive and candidate for mayor, at Manhattan’s Terminal 5.

“I mean that literally, because Andrew Cuomo has made clear that if he wins this race, he wants to run for president of the United States of America,” AOC said.

Ocasio-Cortez, 35, a longtime ally of Senator Bernie Sanders of Vermont, 83, also took a swipe at Cuomo’s age. Despite having backed 82-year-old Joe Biden for reelection last year, she criticized Cuomo, now 67, for representing an older political era she believes should step aside for younger leadership.

“In a world and a nation that is crying to end the gerontocracy of our leadership that wants a new day, that wants to see a new generation ascend, it is unconscionable to send Andrew Cuomo to Gracie Mansion once again,” the congresswoman said.

It’s worth noting that Cuomo has never actually lived in Gracie Mansion, having never served as mayor of New York City. His political experience stems from his time as New York’s governor between 2011 and 2021.

Responding to her remarks, Cuomo spokesperson Rich Azzopardi dismissed the accusation. “I have no idea where the far left got this silly new talking point, but the governor has said that — death aside — he’ll be finishing his own term,” Azzopardi told The NY Post.

Ocasio-Cortez insisted the upcoming June 24 Democratic primary is a pivotal moment for progressives, not just in the city, but nationwide.

“If we can change the page in the biggest and best city in the United States, then we can change the page in the country,” she proclaimed.

Zohran Mamdani, a 33-year-old state assemblyman, has gained traction recently with a campaign anchored in unapologetically progressive policies.

Among his proposals: city-operated grocery stores, a 2% millionaire tax increase, raising the corporate tax rate by 4.5%, universal childcare, free public bus service, and shifting law enforcement duties toward social services and mental health care.

Despite Mamdani’s rise in popularity among some circles, Cuomo remains the dominant figure in the race, as many in the Democratic establishment fear a Mamdani victory could alienate moderate voters.

Ocasio-Cortez blasted the support Cuomo has received, calling it a betrayal by party elites. She highlighted the inconsistency of those who once called for his resignation after allegations of misconduct — which he has denied — but are now endorsing his candidacy.

“I cannot tell you how shocked I have been,” she said of those backing Cuomo again. “As a survivor of … assault, I will never unsee that.

“The [message the] political establishment sends to so many people is that it does not matter your positions, your content, your ideas, how experienced you are,” she complained. “It doesn’t matter how much you work with them. They will still choose their old friends and an old generation every single time.”

{Matzav.com}

Iran has claimed that it managed to bring down an Israeli warplane amid ongoing hostilities that began three days ago. Since early June 13, Israeli forces have been carrying out airstrikes across Tehran, targeting military installations, nuclear infrastructure, and petroleum assets.

Shortly after the conflict escalated, Iranian officials claimed they had downed an Israeli aircraft and taken a pilot into custody. Israel promptly dismissed the report, categorizing it as fabricated. Later, Iranian sources doubled down, releasing a follow-up statement alleging that a jet had indeed been shot down—and that video evidence existed. A clip began circulating online, purporting to show a fighter jet being struck by anti-aircraft fire.

However, serious inconsistencies quickly emerged. Experts pointed out that the footage was not authentic. In fact, the video clip originated from the video game Arma 3, which is known for its highly realistic graphics and has been misused before to present fictional military incidents as real. Analysts further noted that the aircraft depicted wasn’t even an Israeli model—it appeared to resemble a Russian fighter.

Cybersecurity researchers traced the origin of the claim to Tasnim News Agency, which is affiliated with Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. The false report was then spread widely via a network of Telegram channels known for echoing pro-Iran narratives.

Within just 40 minutes, the story—stripped of all source attribution—had been picked up by platforms like X, Facebook, and even two satellite TV stations based in Lebanon. The rapid spread of misinformation prompted a rare official rebuttal from the IDF Spokesperson’s Unit. “No Israeli aircraft have been downed. The footage is fake,” the statement clarified, assuring that every pilot who participated in the airstrikes on Friday “landed safely at base.”

Investigative teams from open-source intelligence groups Bellingcat and GeoConfirmed quickly confirmed the footage’s true origin. Their analysis proved the clip was taken, frame by frame, from a December 2022 custom mission in Arma 3, a military simulation game. The game’s developer, Bohemia Interactive, has long warned that its lifelike visuals are “routinely weaponized” in global conflicts, from Ukraine to Gaza. The company has even published guidelines to help viewers identify fake videos, pointing to characteristics such as pixelation, shaky off-screen recording, and aircraft models inconsistent with the nation allegedly involved.

{Matzav.com Israel}

In a Sunday op-ed published by the Jerusalem Post, MK Yair Lapid, leader of the opposition, offered a firm endorsement of Israel’s recent military response against Iran, arguing that it was both warranted and essential.

Lapid issued a stark warning about Iran’s intentions, stating that the regime “could advance its nuclear program and work to build an arsenal of nuclear weapons,” while continuing to “fund and support terror organizations that do everything they can to murder Jews in Israel and abroad.” He further cautioned that Iran “could target Israelis abroad, including mass casualty terror attacks,” and attempt to “normalize … the idea that it is legitimate to attempt to destroy Israel and wipe out the Jewish people.”

He stressed that the Iranian threat is far from theoretical, noting that “Iran stands behind Hamas and Hezbollah, behind the massacre on October 7, and behind the attack on the Israeli Embassy in Buenos Aires and further attacks from Bulgaria to Mumbai, from Kenya to Thailand.” Lapid pointed out that the regime has made its intentions abundantly clear: it has “repeatedly said, without hesitation and without shame, that its ultimate goal is the destruction of the State of Israel.”

Drawing a sharp distinction between the two nations, Lapid said: “And to avoid any doubt, Israel isn’t interested in destroying Iran. We have no historical or territorial conflict with the Iranian people. We have no demands of one another except for one: The Iranian regime wants us to die, and we refuse.”

While often critical of Prime Minister Binyomin Netanyahu, Lapid stood behind the decision to strike Iran and the urgency behind it. “The whole country is united in this moment, when faced with an enemy sworn to our destruction, nothing will divide us,” he wrote. He ended with a firm message on the stakes: “We went to war for the only reason that justifies war – we had no choice. A nuclear Iran would have been an existential threat to the State of Israel. Iran cannot be a nuclear state. Not now. Not ever.”

{Matzav.com}

Israel’s unprecedented military operation against Iran was set in motion after intelligence uncovered alarming progress in Tehran’s nuclear weapons development, according to a bombshell report aired by Army Radio on Sunday. In the days leading up to Friday’s strikes, Israeli intelligence services reportedly presented top political leaders with what officials described as “golden information” — evidence that Iranian scientists had conducted successful tests on critical components of a nuclear explosive device. The findings indicated that Iran was mere weeks away from assembling a nuclear bomb, if it chose to proceed. But the intelligence also came with a chilling caveat: Israel couldn’t be sure this was the full picture. Officials warned that Iran may have already advanced further in weaponization than the available data suggested. According to the report, Iran began quietly accelerating its nuclear weapons program around late 2023 or early 2024, shortly after Hamas’s October 7 massacre in southern Israel. The regime gathered teams of scientists and divided them into discreet working groups, each assigned a piece of the complex puzzle required to transform enriched uranium into a functioning nuclear warhead. These covert efforts ran alongside Iran’s ongoing enrichment of uranium to near-weapons-grade levels — far beyond any peaceful civilian need. As of late May, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) reported that Iran’s enriched uranium stockpile, if further refined, was sufficient to produce as many as nine nuclear weapons. The intelligence revelations — and what officials called “irrefutable evidence” that Iran had chosen the path of nuclear armament — left Jerusalem with a fateful decision. The government gave the green light for a sweeping preemptive operation that began in the early hours of Friday. Among the opening targets: Iran’s top nuclear scientists. The IDF confirmed that nine senior nuclear experts were killed in pinpoint strikes on Tehran. All had played key roles in the development of nuclear detonation devices and were described by the IDF as “direct heirs” to Mohsen Fakhrizadeh, the architect of Iran’s nuclear ambitions who was assassinated in 2020. The scientists eliminated were: Fereydoon Abbasi – nuclear engineering Mohammad Mehdi Tehranchi – physics Akbar Motalebi Zadeh – chemical engineering Saeed Barji – materials engineering Amir Hassan Fakhahi – physics Abd al-Hamid Minoushehr – reactor physics Mansour Asgari – physics Ahmad Reza Zolfaghari Daryani – nuclear engineering Ali Bakhouei Katirimi – mechanical engineering “These individuals were not only scientists — they were repositories of decades of expertise,” said a senior IDF official. “Their elimination represents a significant setback to Iran’s nuclear project.” The assassinations were the product of a multi-year intelligence effort, the IDF said, involving dozens of analysts working on a classified operation to monitor, track, and ultimately neutralize key figures in Iran’s nuclear apparatus. Friday’s pre-dawn offensive, which also took out six senior military officials and multiple missile bases, marked a turning point in the long-simmering shadow war between Israel and Iran. Military officials said the Israeli operation is expected to continue for at least several more days and could include further strikes deep inside Iran. “We are prepared for heavy fire,” one official said. “But by the end of this operation, there will be no nuclear threat from the Islamic Republic.” The international community has predictably urged restraint. But in Jerusalem, Israeli leaders insisted they had no alternative. “This was not a war […]

A kosher grocery store in Brookline, Massachusetts, was the target of an antisemitic attack early Sunday morning, after a brick scrawled with the words “Free Palestine” was thrown through its front window. The incident occurred shortly after midnight at The Butcherie, a long-established Jewish-owned business located at 428 Harvard Street. According to Brookline police, at least two masked individuals approached the store from nearby Coolidge Street before launching the brick into the storefront and fleeing the scene. Surveillance footage captured the suspects in motion—one clearly holding a brick—both as they approached the building and as they fled. Investigators say no other businesses in the area were targeted, and the motive appears to be focused specifically on The Butcherie. “This was not random,” Gil Zilberberg, the store’s owner, told local media. “It’s a hate crime. Pure and simple. I’ve been here over twenty years, and this is heartbreaking—not just for me, but for the whole community.” In the wake of the attack, more than 150 people gathered outside the store on Sunday afternoon in a spontaneous show of support. Local residents, Jewish community members, and allies condemned the incident and expressed alarm over rising antisemitic rhetoric and violence. The Anti-Defamation League (ADL) also issued a statement decrying the act. Samantha Joseph, the ADL’s New England Regional Director, called the vandalism “yet another example of antisemitism masquerading as political protest.” “Targeting a Jewish business over the conflict in the Middle East is not activism—it’s bigotry,” Joseph said. “This kind of hate has no place in our communities, and it must be confronted head-on. Silence is complicity.” Brookline police are treating the case as a potential hate crime and have appealed to the public for assistance. Anyone with information, security footage, or tips related to the incident is urged to contact the department at 617-730-2711. As investigators work to identify the perpetrators, Zilberberg says he’s heartened by the community’s response—but remains deeply troubled. “This wasn’t just about breaking a window,” he said. “It was about sending a message. But the message we’re sending back is louder: Hate has no home here.” (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was evacuated to an underground bunker in northeastern Tehran just hours after Israeli airstrikes began Friday, according to a report by Iran International citing two sources inside the country. Khamenei, along with his family, reportedly took shelter in the heavily fortified Lavizan complex — the same location he retreated to during previous escalations in April and October 2024, when Iran launched missile attacks on Israel. The revelation comes amid explosive claims that Israeli forces had an opportunity to assassinate the Supreme Leader during the opening phase of the current operation but refrained — reportedly due to pressure from the United States. Axios, citing U.S. officials, reported that President Donald Trump made it clear he was firmly against targeting Iran’s top political figure. “We communicated to the Israelis that President Trump is opposed to that,” one senior U.S. official told the outlet. “The Iranians haven’t killed an American, and discussion of killing political leaders should not be on the table.” According to a diplomatic source cited by Iran International, Israel intentionally withheld a strike on Khamenei to offer him one final chance to abandon the country’s uranium enrichment program. The White House has so far distanced itself from Israel’s sweeping military campaign, which is now entering its fourth day. Officials say Trump is seeking to avoid further escalation and preserve a potential path to nuclear negotiations with Tehran. At the same time, the administration has argued that any Iranian retaliation against U.S. forces would be met with a crushing response. Reports of a U.S.-Israeli rift over the assassination claims have been met with public denials in Jerusalem. Israeli National Security Adviser Tzachi Hanegbi dismissed the Axios report in an interview with Channel 12, calling it “fake news.” Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu also waved off the allegation in an interview with Fox News’ Bret Baier. “There are a lot of false reports about conversations that didn’t take place,” Netanyahu said. “I don’t want to get into that.” Still, Israeli Ambassador to the United States Yechiel Leiter did not rule out future action against Khamenei. Speaking on ABC’s This Week, Leiter said, “I think it’s fair to say that nobody who’s threatening the destruction of Israel should be off the target list.” (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

Israeli Prime Minister Binyomin Netanyahu said in an interview with Fox News on Sunday that Israel’s recent air assault on Iran, carried out under Operation Rising Lion, was launched to prevent what he described as a looming nuclear catastrophe.

According to Netanyahu, Israel’s decision to act was based on intelligence indicating that Iran was only a few months away from building its first nuclear weapon.

“We had to act,” Netanyahu declared. “It was the 12th hour, and we did act. To save ourselves but also … to protect the world from this incendiary regime.”

He explained that Israeli intelligence, which was also shared with the United States, revealed a covert Iranian program focused on weaponizing uranium. “The intel we got and we shared with the United States was absolutely clear: That they were working in a secret plan to weaponize the uranium, they were marching very quickly, they would achieve a test device and possibly an initial device within months, and certainly less than a year,” he said.

“That is something that we couldn’t possibly accept,” Netanyahu continued. “We will not have a second Holocaust, a nuclear Holocaust. We already had one, in the previous century – the Jewish state is not going to have the Holocaust committed on the Jewish people. It’s not going to happen.”

Netanyahu further stated that intelligence assessments indicated Iran had already accumulated enough enriched uranium to produce nine nuclear bombs. “All they had to do was weaponize them. We stopped that,” he told Fox News.

When Fox News anchor Bret Baier asked whether Israel’s operation aimed to bring about regime change in Iran, Netanyahu responded, “It could certainly be the result, because the Iran regime is very weak.”

He elaborated by condemning the ruling clerics in Tehran, saying, “80% of the people would throw these theological thugs out. They shoot women because their hair is uncovered. They shoot students. They just suck the oxygen out from these brave and gifted people, the Iranian people. The decision to act, to rise up this time, is the decision of the Iranian people.”

The Israeli leader expressed confidence that the military strikes had dealt a serious blow to Iran’s capabilities. “I think we’ve set them back quite a bit. They were very surprised,” Netanyahu told Fox News.

{Matzav.com}

Against the backdrop of the war between Israel and Iran and escalating tensions across the Middle East, the Jewish community in Moldova has reported a series of troubling events over the weekend in the capital, Chisinau. Over Shabbos, members of the community discovered that dozens of kivrei Yisroel in the Chisinau Jewish cemetery had been vandalized in what appears to be a deliberate and malicious act. This incident is part of a broader uptick in antisemitic incidents across the country in recent days. Among the deeply troubling occurrences: verbal harassment and threats directed at Yidden in public, antisemitic graffiti defacing the outer wall of a shul, and the inclusion of distorted and revisionist Holocaust content in a newly published state-sanctioned history textbook. Rabbi Pinchas Zaltzman, Chief Rabbi of Moldova and a talmid chacham who has faithfully served the local community for decades, said the events are part of a troubling trend sweeping across Europe. “As the conflict in the Middle East intensifies, we’re unfortunately witnessing an alarming surge in antisemitism,” said Rabbi Zaltzman. “This hatred is spilling over far beyond the region, and Moldova, too, is feeling its effects.” “The recent acts of grave desecration, coupled with attempts to rewrite the truth of the Holocaust rachmana litzlan, are not just attacks on the Jewish people—they are attacks on the very dignity of human society.” (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

In an unexpected development, the mashgiach, Rav Don Segal, has departed for the United States to join a critical fundraising mission on behalf of Keren Olam HaTorah.

The mashgiach will be joining forces with Rav Moshe Hillel Hirsch and Rav Dovid Cohen, to raise vital support for the Torah world during this time of unprecedented need.

The Mashgiach’s arrival is all the more remarkable given his recent stay in Switzerland, where he has been recuperating. His decision to embark on this journey underscores the urgency of the cause and his unwavering dedication to the needs of the Olam HaTorah.

With flights from Eretz Yisroel disrupted due to the ongoing conflict, the mashgiach has gone to great lengths to travel to the United States, determined to stand alongside his fellow gedolim in this critical campaign.

{Matzav.com}

Iranian media has published videos showing a kamikaze drone manufacturing building used by the Mossad in Tehran.

According to Iran International, Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei was moved to a secure underground facility in northeastern Tehran just hours after Israel launched airstrikes on Friday.

The report, which cites two well-placed sources within Iran, states that Khamenei is currently accompanied by his entire family in a shelter located in the Lavizan district.

The same bunker had reportedly been used by Khamenei during earlier crises, including Iran’s missile attacks on Israel in April and October of 2024.

The news outlet also quotes a diplomatic source from the region who said that Israel deliberately chose not to target Khamenei on the first night of its military operation. According to the source, the decision was made in hopes of giving Iran’s leader one last opportunity to fully abandon his nuclear enrichment efforts.

{Matzav.com}

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WATCH: Yechiel Leiter, the Israeli ambassador to the U.S., said Israel is targeting Iran’s nuclear program. “We’re not going to allow these ballistic missiles to continue to hit Israel. And we’re going to do what we have to do to defend our country.”

Manhunt for suspect in shootings of Minnesota lawmakers continues for second day The suspect, Vance Luther Boelter, is alleged to have killed Minnesota Democratic state Rep. Melissa Hortman and her husband, Mark. Boelter is still at-large Sunday morning, more than 24 hours after the attacks. The suspect also allegedly shot Minnesota state Sen. John Hoffman, also a Democrat, and his wife, Yvette. “We believe he’s somewhere in the vicinity, and they are going to find him,” Sen. Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota said of the gunman.