Yeshiva World News

Iran Launches Ballistic Missile Barrage on Israel; Multiple Injuries Reported in Haifa

Israel was rocked Friday by a fresh barrage of ballistic missiles launched from Iran, triggering a rare nationwide alert and sending millions of civilians scrambling to bomb shelters across the country. The IDF confirmed that approximately 25 ballistic missiles were fired from Iranian territory in the latest attack. Air raid sirens sounded across Israel—including in Jerusalem, Tel Aviv, Haifa, and Beersheva—as air defense systems engaged incoming threats. Loud explosions were reported in multiple regions, including the south, center, and north of the country. The Home Front Command issued a rare directive instructing civilians across the nation to seek shelter and remain indoors. After the attack subsided, it later announced that citizens could safely exit bomb shelters. While southern and central Israel reported no injuries, Haifa bore the brunt of the assault. According to Magen David Adom (MDA), 17 people were wounded in the northern port city, including a 16-year-old boy and a man in his 40s who were seriously injured by shrapnel. A 54-year-old was moderately wounded, and 14 others sustained light injuries. All were transported to local hospitals for treatment. Medics and emergency responders rushed to impact sites across the country, with confirmed fragment damage reported in Beersheba and several central cities. It remains unclear whether Iran used a cluster bomb warhead—a device designed to disperse smaller munitions over a wide area—in the attack. The IDF continues to assess the extent of the damage and monitor for additional threats. (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

El Al Offers Free Cruise from Cyprus to Israel for Stranded Passengers Amid Airspace Closure

In light of the continued closure of Israeli airspace, El Al has announced an alternative route home for stranded passengers — by sea. In coordination with Mano Maritime, a cruise ship will sail from Limassol, Cyprus, to the port of Ashdod on Wednesday, June 26. The voyage will be free of charge for El Al and Sun D’Or customers whose flights were cancelled due to the ongoing situation. Other travelers can book a one-way ticket for €550 through the El Al website. The ship, which can accommodate approximately 1,500 passengers, will first depart from Ashdod to Limassol on Monday, June 24, carrying ticketed passengers from Israel to Cyprus.

IDF Kills Key October 7 Terrorist Ali Saadi Wasfi al-Agha in Gaza Airstrike, Linked to Hostage Murders

Terroriat Ali Saadi Wasfi al-Agha, was killed Monday in an Israeli airstrike targeting a hideout in central Gaza, the IDF announced. According to the IDF, al-Agha played a key role in the October 7 attacks and was personally involved in the abduction, murder, and burial of Israeli hostages, including Gadi Haggai and Judith Weinstein. The military said the bodies of Haggai and Weinstein were discovered earlier this month in al-Agha’s home in Khan Younis.

IDF Ordered To “Destabilize The Regime” As Report Claims US Attack On Iran Coming Tonight

Israeli Defense Minister Yisrael Katz has ordered the IDF to escalate its military campaign against Iranian regime targets in Tehran, aiming to destabilize the government and deter further missile attacks on Israeli cities. Following a high-level assessment Friday morning with IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir and other senior military officials, Katz directed the IDF to focus on symbolic regime assets, including the Basij paramilitary force and the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), as well as Iran’s internal repression apparatus. The goal, he said, is to “bring about the destabilization of the regime and increase deterrence against missile attacks on Israel’s home front,” while continuing to degrade Iran’s nuclear program. Unconfirmed reports from Iran International, citing Israeli security sources, indicate that a joint U.S.-Israeli strike on the Fordow nuclear facility—Iran’s most fortified and sensitive enrichment sites—could be imminent, possibly as early as Friday night. The Fordow site, buried 300 feet underground near Qom, is a linchpin of Iran’s nuclear program. Initial Israeli airstrikes reportedly caused little damage to the facility, and military analysts believe a bunker-busting weapon would be required to neutralize it. Signs of U.S. military readiness have added to speculation of impending action, despite reports that President Trump is wavering in his decision. In recent days, three KC-46A Pegasus aerial refueling tankers departed from Travis Air Force Base in California, and four more launched from Altus Air Force Base in Oklahoma—aircraft essential for extending the range of U.S. B-2 Spirit stealth bombers – the only aircraft capable of deploying the 30,000-pound GBU-57A/B Massive Ordnance Penetrator (MOP), specifically designed for deeply buried targets like Fordow. (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

Trump Hesitates on Iran Strike, Fearing ‘Another Libya’ and Fallout of Regime Collapse

President Donald Trump is holding off on authorizing U.S. airstrikes against Iran’s nuclear sites, amid growing concerns that toppling Iran’s leadership could plunge the region into chaos and repeat the mistakes of Libya, the NY Post reports. According to multiple sources close to the administration, Trump has repeatedly invoked the NATO-led intervention in Libya during internal deliberations, citing it as a cautionary tale of regime change gone wrong. In 2011, the U.S. joined a coalition to remove Libyan dictator Muammar Gaddafi, only to watch the country descend into civil war and lawlessness — a scenario Trump is determined to avoid with Iran. “He doesn’t want it to turn into Libya,” said one insider familiar with the president’s thinking. “The concern is: if Khamenei falls, what comes next?” That apprehension has played a major role in Trump’s decision to delay a final call on whether to assist Israel in striking Iran’s heavily fortified nuclear facilities at Fordow and Natanz. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt confirmed Thursday that the president would likely make his decision within the next two weeks, citing the potential for renewed diplomatic talks. “There is a substantial chance of negotiations that may or may not take place with Iran in the near future,” Leavitt said during a briefing. “The president is weighing that very seriously.” Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi is expected to meet with European diplomats in Geneva on Friday. While Trump’s special envoy Steve Witkoff will not attend, he continues to engage in backchannel talks, Leavitt said. While the Israeli government has made clear its desire for regime change — with Defense Minister Yisrael Katz calling Ayatollah Ali Khamenei “the modern Hitler” — Trump’s calculus is different. “He’s not interested in who runs Iran,” said one source close to the White House. “That’s a message his base appreciates — it’s about preventing a nuclear weapon, not remaking Iran.” According to one source briefed on the internal discussions, Trump has expressed a preference for a narrowly tailored operation using U.S. bunker-buster bombs — 30,000-pound munitions capable of penetrating the underground Fordow site, something Israeli warplanes can’t currently achieve on their own. “This would not be Libya. This would not be Iraq,” the source said. “The goal is simple: knock out Iran’s nuclear capability and leave.” Still, even a limited strike carries risks. Officials have warned that any U.S. military action could provoke Iranian retaliation, including terror attacks, regional proxy warfare, or attempts to block shipping in the Persian Gulf. There are also fears of radioactive contamination from destroyed enrichment sites. “He’d rather have a deal,” said one adviser, echoing Trump’s longstanding reluctance to launch new military interventions. “But he also doesn’t want to let the window close.” CIA Director John Ratcliffe reportedly compared Iran’s current nuclear position to a football team sitting on the one-yard line — “You don’t get that close unless you’re planning to score,” he told officials, according to a source familiar with the meeting. Ratcliffe and others have noted Iran’s uranium stockpile is enriched to 60% — a short technical leap from the 90% threshold needed for weapons-grade fuel. The International Atomic Energy Agency and U.S. Central Command have each warned that Iran could produce enough weapons-grade uranium for a bomb in as little as one week. General Michael Kurilla testified this […]

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