Matzav

Senior Justice Department officials say federal immigration officers are acting within the law when they arrest migrants with final deportation orders inside their homes without first obtaining a judge’s signature, according to comments given to Breitbart News.

Chad Mizelle, chief of staff and Acting Associate Attorney General at the Department of Justice, said existing case law allows such arrests when dealing with fugitives. “In cases of fugitives, courts have recognized that administrative warrants are perfectly okay” for entering a residence without a judicial warrant, he said.

The policy applies to migrants who have received final orders of removal after exhausting the full legal process. Once those rulings are issued, Mizelle said, the individuals are considered fugitives under the law. Over the past several decades, judges have ordered more than one million migrants to leave the country, yet many remained in the United States. During that time, enforcement of immigration law stalled as successive administrations and lawmakers declined to carry out removals, a failure Mizelle said undermined the civil rights of Americans.

Democrats have reacted angrily to the policy, which significantly streamlines ICE’s ability to locate and detain fugitives — including those with violent records — at known addresses and quickly return them to their countries of origin. Under the revised approach, ICE agents no longer need to wait for a judicial warrant, which Mizelle said is often delayed or denied by judges hostile to deportations, and can instead rely on administrative warrants issued by agency attorneys.

Mizelle weighed in publicly as the issue sparked debate online, telling one critic, “Read the en banc court’s decision in US v Lucas. The court held, plain as day, admin [not judicial] warrants suffice for entering the home of a fugitive. Case closed.”

That assertion drew a sharp response from Rep. Ted Lieu (D-CA), who challenged the comparison. “You’re wrong,” Lieu wrote, adding: “Lucas involved an escaped prisoner who had been convicted. Court reasoned he didn’t have expectation of privacy because he wouldn’t have had it in jail cell. In contrast, Supreme Court has held 4th Amendment applies to non-citizens. Case closed.”

Mizelle replied directly, rejecting the distinction Lieu attempted to draw. “You’re arguing that Lucas is different because it involved a fugitive? And what would you call an illegal alien who has been ordered deported by a court of competent jurisdiction, who has exhausted all appeals, who nonetheless is still in the country, and who is actively evading law enforcement? “Fugitive” would be the word you’re searching for.”

The dispute is expected to play out in the federal appeals courts and eventually before the U.S. Supreme Court, a process that could take at least a year as judges grapple with complex and overlapping precedents. Even so, libertarian legal scholar Orin Kerr suggested the government’s argument may ultimately prevail, writing in Reason.com:
“It’s always hard to offer a take on a legal argument when you have to speculate about what the legal argument is, so my take on this is tentative. But if I had to summarize my current thinking, it seems to me that the DHS policy is likely wrong in light of Coolidge, Shadwick, and Payton, although the DHS position is not frivolous in light of Abel as interpreted in Malagerio.”

While the legal battle unfolds, Mizelle said ICE continues to face resistance on the ground. He noted that judges aligned with Democrats have ordered migrants released shortly after detention, while Democratic officials have pulled local police support and allied activists have interfered with enforcement operations.

Mizelle said the policy change emerged from a broader review of immigration enforcement aimed at speeding up deportations of millions of inadmissible migrants admitted during the Biden administration. “They’re looking through all of their policies and trying to really revamp immigration enforcement, and they realize, “Wait a second, like, why are we handcuffing ourselves here?” And so they changed the policy, not because the old policy was required by law. I mean, there’s certainly some inside lawyers, Deep Staters, who for years, have given bad advice. But then whenever [department lawyers] dug in on it [they] said, “Wait a second, we don’t need it — an administrative warrant is perfectly fine.”

He added that the constitutional analysis hinges on reasonableness, not the existence of a judicial warrant. “The reason is … the Fourth Amendment never mentions warrants. It mentions “unreasonable” searches and seizures. So the key question is, what’s reasonable? And what’s reasonable depends on your legitimate expectation of privacy.”

Mizelle argued that migrants who are in the country illegally and have already been ordered removed have little remaining privacy interest. “So if you’re illegally present in the country, you have less of a legitimate claim to privacy, plus you’ve now actually been fully and finally adjudicated to be removed by a court of competent jurisdiction. You basically now have no privacy interests … You are a fugitive from justice … In cases of fugitives, courts have recognized that administrative warrants are perfectly okay.”

He also said the policy is necessary to counter misinformation that has encouraged migrants to evade arrest. “The thing that is actually very compelling, that people don’t realize, is that the ACLU has been telling [migrants] — wrongly, of course, — that if you stay in your house, ICE can’t get you, even if you have a final order of removal, that is, you’re a fugitive from justice. So these [illegal migrants] have not only been staying in their house, but in some instances, they’re literally taunting ICE agents. They’re waving through the windows or passing notes under the doors. I mean, it is as in-your-face as humanly possible.”

{Matzav.com}

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez said on CNN’s “Newsroom Live” that the fatal shooting of Alex Pretti in Minneapolis amounted to an “execution” carried out by Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

Describing what she said was footage taken from a closer vantage point, Ocasio-Cortez claimed the sequence of events showed federal officers escalating the situation moments before the shooting. “There’s a second angle that appears to be circulating much closer to the incident where you see the victim, I believe his name is Alex Pretti and immediately preceding that incident in ICE officer had pushed violently a woman to the ground and he had come over to help get her up. And that is what precipitated this incident. That very quickly led to an execution, a deadly shooting in the street. What we are seeing here is a momentous, pivotal moment for the United States. And I cannot underscore enough how precipitous this moment is.”

She went on to argue that the actions of federal immigration agencies represented a dangerous expansion of enforcement powers far from the nation’s borders, with serious constitutional implications. “ICE and CBP, what we’re seeing here, we will see, which agencies were responsible but at the end of the day, under this so-called excuse of border security, where Minneapolis is over 300 miles from the United States border, we have an unleashing of federal agents and violence, exerting a tremendous amount of violence and loss of life against the American people who are well within their First Amendment rights. And in this case, it seems as though well within their Second Amendment rights.”

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 In this episode, Rabbi Reinman discusses when the seeds of the Talmud were planted.

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Chapter Forty-One: The Oral Law Emerges

After Antigonus passed away, a new phenomenon appeared in Jewish history. For over a thousand years, the Oral Torah had been passed down faithfully from generation to generation, each generation teaching it to the next. The students who received it from their elders numbered in the hundreds and thousands, but only one person in every generation was the Baal Mesorah, the official custodian of the Torah, the ultimate authority whenever questions arose.

There were undoubtedly points of dispute over the years and the centuries, but they always arrived at a resolution. According to the Rambam, the earlier generations enjoyed a very high level of wisdom, and they were almost always able to come to a meeting of the minds. If not, the Baal Mesorah would issue a ruling. In some cases, questions would come to the Sanhedrin, and they would be resolved by a majority vote. The minority opinions that arose during the earlier generations were not recorded for posterity, because the resolutions were so authoritative.

As a result, the minority opinions of previous generations were not recorded. They were irrelevant to the practical performance of the Torah’s demands and instructions. The process of determining the law was esoteric.  The only people privy to it were the highest echelons of rabbis and their disciples. And even the ones privy to the current discussions were probably unfamiliar with the discussions and opinions offered on issues that arose generations before. Once the issues were discussed and the decisions were determined under the guidance of the Baal Mesorah, they were set in stone; they did not need to be revisited.

After Antigonus, however, there was a change in the transmission of the Oral Torah. Until then, there had only been one Baal Mesorah at a time, but Antigonus had two co-equal successors, Yosei ben Yoezer and Yosei ben Yochanan; they were the first of the Zugos, the Pairs. Yosei ben Yoezer was the nasi, the president of the Sanhedrin,  and Yosei ben Yochanan was the av beis din, the father of the court. The nasi preceded the av beis din in ceremonial rank, but in all else they were equal. For the first time, the course of the Torah was no longer in the hands of a single final authority. It was to be guided by consensus.

The rabbinic literature does not give a reason for this radical innovation. It was undoubtedly God’s will, but we cannot presume to know His reasons. The best we can do is speculate. We are faced with two consecutive bifurcations in Judaism. The first was the Sadducee schism during the lifetime of Antigonus. The second came with his passing, when two successors took his place. Could there be a connection? …

Read full chapter and earlier chapters at www.rabbireinman.com.

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​​For more info, email bitachon4life@gmail.com.

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Senior officials in Yerushalayim have voiced sharp frustration with US special envoy Steve Witkoff over what they say is intense pressure on Israel to open the Rafah crossing before the release of the final remaining hostage, Ran Gvili.

One Israeli official, who spoke anonymously, delivered a pointed rebuke of Witkoff in remarks to Ynet, warning that his approach could have dangerous regional consequences. “Witkoff pushed to bring our major rival, Turkey, to the border. The clock is ticking backward toward a confrontation with Turkey, which would pose a real danger to our security.”

According to a report by Kan 11 News, Israeli officials were surprised by the public announcement that the Rafah crossing would be opened and are preparing to seek clarifications from both Witkoff and Jared Kushner. The Security Cabinet is set to meet on Sunday, where ministers are expected to formally approve the opening of the crossing and review recent developments related to Iran.

Witkoff and Kushner arrived in Israel today, but their trip was not scheduled in advance. The visit was organized at the request of Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu following the announcement that the Rafah crossing would be opened as part of President Trump’s rollout of the “Board of Peace.”

During their stay, the two envoys are meeting with Netanyahu to discuss the planned opening of the Rafah crossing, as anticipation grows over the expected return of Ran Gvili, the last hostage still being held. On Saturday night, Gvili’s family released a statement emphasizing their concern and urgency: “President Trump himself stated this week in Davos that Hamas knows exactly where our son is being held.”

In their appeal, the family called on international actors to redirect their efforts. “Given this knowledge, we urge that pressure be directed where it belongs: on Hamas, to fulfill its obligations under the agreement. Hamas is deceiving the international community and refusing to return our son – the last remaining hostage – in clear violation of the agreement it signed.”

The statement concluded with a direct message to Israel’s leadership regarding the ongoing diplomatic engagement. “We ask that the Prime Minister of Israel make clear to the respected American envoys that anyone who truly seeks to advance the rehabilitation of Gaza and peace in the Middle East must, first and foremost, bring Rani home.”

{Matzav.com}

Newly surfaced close-up video footage of the fatal Minneapolis shooting shows that protester Alex Jeffrey Pretti was armed, with the federal agent who fired more than a dozen shots appearing to react to a perceived threat during the chaotic confrontation.

It remains unclear whether Pretti had already drawn the weapon before being subdued, whether an officer pulled it from his clothing, or whether he was in the process of reaching for it when another federal agent was seen removing the gun from the 37-year-old as he was pinned to the ground.

A review of the disturbing footage conducted by CNN found that a federal agent reached into the struggle and secured a firearm just moments before a different officer opened fire, killing Pretti.

According to the report, the weapon visible in the video appears consistent with the 9 mm semi-automatic handgun that the Department of Homeland Security said Pretti possessed during the incident.

The analysis also captured officers shouting “he’s got a gun,” as an unidentified agent reached into Pretti’s waistband to retrieve the firearm.

Multiple videos show the agent who fired the fatal shots discharging his weapon at close range and then firing at least nine additional rounds into Pretti after he was already motionless on the ground.

Shortly before the shooting, one video showed Pretti holding his phone while attempting to assist a woman who had been knocked to the ground by an immigration agent, as both were repeatedly sprayed with tear gas.

A large group of federal officers then pulled Pretti away from the woman and forced him to the ground, where he struggled briefly on his hands and knees. Moments later, an agent wearing a gray jacket appeared to take possession of Pretti’s gun, followed almost immediately by the sound of gunfire.

The Department of Homeland Security said Pretti had approached U.S. Border Patrol officers with a 9 mm semi-automatic handgun while agents were carrying out a “targeted” arrest.

“The officers attempted to disarm this individual, but the armed suspect reacted violently,” DHS Secretary Kristi Noem said at a press conference Saturday night.

“Fearing for his life and for the lives of his fellow officers around him, an agent fired defensive shots. Medics were on the scene immediately and attempted to deliver medical aid to the subject, but he was pronounced dead at the scene.”

{Matzav.com}

Residents across New York City and the surrounding region are preparing for a significant winter storm expected to bring heavy snowfall along with dangerously cold temperatures throughout the weekend.

Winter storm warnings are in effect across New York and New Jersey, leading both governors to declare states of emergency as forecasters warn that parts of the Tri-State Area could see a foot of snow or more. The system is shaping up to be the most severe snowstorm to hit the city since February 2021.

Gov. Kathy Hochul ordered the activation of the New York National Guard to provide assistance throughout New York City, Long Island, and the northern suburbs as the storm intensifies.

Mayor Zohran Mamdani cautioned residents that conditions could deteriorate rapidly, warning of “whiteout or near-blizzard” conditions at the height of the storm.

Storm timeline

Winter storm warnings remain in effect from 3 a.m. Sunday through 6 p.m. Monday. Snow is expected to begin early Sunday morning and intensify as the day progresses, according to updated forecast models.

From 3 a.m. to 7 a.m. Sunday, snow is forecast to spread across the region from west to east as the storm system moves north, beginning lightly before strengthening by daybreak.

Between 7 a.m. and 2 p.m. Sunday, snowfall is expected to become extremely heavy, with rates reaching 1 to 2 inches per hour in some areas.

From mid-afternoon through late evening Sunday, warmer air may be drawn into the system, pushing the freezing line northwest. During this period, New York City and areas to the south and east could see a mix of freezing rain and sleet, while parts of the Jersey Shore and Long Island’s South Shore may change over to plain rain. Areas north and west of the city are expected to remain all snow, with heavy accumulations continuing.

Winds are also forecast to strengthen, particularly along the coast, with gusts between 25 and 35 mph. Ice accumulation of up to two-tenths of an inch is possible, raising concerns about downed trees and power disruptions when combined with the gusty winds.

From late Sunday night into early Monday morning, precipitation is expected to transition back to snow across the entire Tri-State Area as the storm gradually weakens. Light to moderate snow could linger into Monday afternoon.

Expected snowfall totals

Despite periods of mixed precipitation, forecasters say snow totals will be substantial across much of the region.

Areas north and west of New York City are most likely to receive more than 12 inches of snow. The five boroughs and nearby locations are expected to see between 8 and 12 inches, while coastal areas may receive lower totals due to mixing, generally in the 5- to 10-inch range.

Forecast totals include:

New York City: 8–12 inches

Long Island: 8–12 inches on the North Shore and western sections; 4–9 inches on the South Shore and eastern areas

Central New Jersey and the Jersey Shore: 8–12 inches inland; 4–9 inches along the coast

North Jersey, the Lower Hudson Valley, and Connecticut: 12 inches or more

Upper Hudson Valley and far northwestern New Jersey: 12 inches or more

Officials urge residents to limit travel, prepare for power outages, and closely monitor updates as the storm unfolds.

{Matzav.com}

Iran’s powerful Revolutionary Guard issued a stark warning to the United States on Friday, declaring it is fully prepared for confrontation as American naval forces move toward the Middle East.

The statement follows weeks of escalating pressure from President Donald Trump amid widespread anti-regime demonstrations inside Iran and a harsh government crackdown in which the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps has played a central role.

“The Islamic Revolutionary Guard and dear Iran stand more ready than ever, finger on the trigger, to execute the orders and directives of the Commander-in-Chief,” IRGC Gen. Mohammad Pakpour said, according to The Associated Press, which cited Nournews, an outlet closely aligned with Iran’s Supreme National Security Council.

Pakpour also cautioned Washington and Jerusalem “to avoid any miscalculation,” the AP reported, echoing a warning issued last week by an Iranian ambassador who accused the U.S. and Israel of fueling “political destabilization, internal unrest and chaos.”

President Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu have both voiced support for Iranian protesters. Netanyahu said Israel was “closely monitoring” developments and pledged that once Iran is “liberated from the yoke of tyranny,” Israel would be ready to help usher in peace.

Earlier this week, Iranian officials directly threatened Trump, warning him not to take action against Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

“Trump knows that if any hand of aggression is extended toward our leader, we not only cut that hand, but also we will set fire to their world,” said Gen. Abolfazl Shekarchi, a spokesman for Iran’s armed forces, according to the AP.

On Thursday, Trump confirmed that U.S. naval forces were being repositioned toward Iran, telling reporters aboard Air Force One that the move was precautionary.

“We have a massive fleet heading in that direction, and maybe we won’t have to use it,” Trump said, according to the AP.

A U.S. Navy official later told the AP that the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln, along with accompanying warships, was operating in the Indian Ocean.

The unrest in Iran began on Dec. 28, when large crowds took to the streets to protest worsening economic conditions and the country’s growing international isolation. Since then, despite a government-imposed internet blackout, reports of widespread violence against demonstrators have continued to surface.

At the outset of the protests, Trump warned Tehran that the United States was “locked and loaded” and prepared to respond if the regime used force against civilians.

In a Truth Social post on Jan. 16, Trump claimed the Iranian government had canceled more than 800 scheduled executions.

Iran’s chief prosecutor, Mohammad Movahedi, rejected that claim on Friday, saying, “This claim is completely false; no such number exists, nor has the judiciary made any such decision,” according to the AP.

The U.S.-based Human Rights Activists News Agency reported Friday that confirmed deaths have climbed to 5,137, with 7,402 people seriously wounded. The group said arrests have surged to nearly 28,000.

Iranian authorities offered their first official casualty figures on Wednesday, stating that 3,117 people were killed. Of those, officials said 2,427 were civilians and security personnel, while the remainder were described as “terrorists,” the AP reported.

Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O’Hara said during a press conference that the man fatally shot by a federal agent was legally permitted to carry a firearm, offering a sharply different characterization from that later provided by federal authorities.

Video of O’Hara’s remarks, aired by C-SPAN and later shared online by Midas Touch’s digital editor, shows the police chief explaining that the man who was killed had minimal prior contact with law enforcement.

In the footage, O’Hara states that the deceased individual’s “only interaction with law enforcement was for traffic tickets.”

He went on to add, “We believe he is a lawful gun owner with a permit to carry.”

In contrast, Breitbart News reported that the Department of Homeland Security issued a statement asserting that the armed man who was shot and killed in Minneapolis posed a grave threat to officers.

According to DHS, the individual “wanted to…massacre law enforcement.”

The department said the man “approached U.S. Border Patrol Officers with a 9 mm semi-automatic handgun.”

DHS further detailed the encounter in its statement, saying: “The officers attempted to disarm the suspect but the armed suspect violently resisted. More details on the armed struggle are forthcoming. Fearing for his life and the lives and safety of fellow officers, an agent fired defensive shots. Medics on scene immediately delivered medical aid to the subject but [he] was pronounced dead at the scene.”

O’Hara: What I can tell you, is we have identified this person. 37-year-old white male, resident of the city. The only interaction that we are aware of with law enforcement has been for traffic tickets. We believe he is a lawful gun owner with a permit to carry. pic.twitter.com/FSdNZXUjPs

— Acyn (@Acyn) January 24, 2026

Video appears to show a shooting involving federal officers in Minneapolis. This video may include graphic content. At this point, it is not yet clear exactly what occurred in the video or what happened before the footage begins. Ali Velshi reports.

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It is with great sadness that Matzav.com reports the petirah of the Kossoner Rebbe of Boro Park, who was niftar on Friday and buried later that day at the Har Shalom cemetery in Monsey.

Rav Rothenberg led his kehillah from his beis medrash on Ninth Avenue in Boro Park, where he guided his chassidim in the path of his forebears with devotion and humility.

The Rebbe was born an only son to his father, Rav Asher Yeshaya Rothenberg of Kosson, who lived on Rechov Chofetz Chaim in Bnei Brak and was niftar approximately fifteen years ago. His father was the son of Rav Moshe Shmuel of Kosson, grandson of the Shmuah Tovah of Kosson and great-grandson of Rav Yosef of Kosson, the author of Bnei Shloshim.

He was a descendant of a distinguished lineage of tzaddikim from the Ziditchov, Komarna, and Tosh dynasties. Through marriage, he was a son-in-law of Rav Menachem Mendel Rubin, the Admor of Kerestir, and a grandson of Rav Yeshayale of Kerestir.

Known for his rare humility, warmth, and refinement, the Rebbe served the Ribono Shel Olam with deep sincerity and toiled in Torah day and night. He taught Torah to many talmidim and for years served as a melamed at the Belzer Talmud Torah in Boro Park. With a warm smile and genuine affection, he uplifted his talmidim and instilled within them a sense of kedushah.

He was deeply connected with the Satmar Rebbe, the Vayoel Moshe, and remained closely attached to his derech throughout his life.

At the corner of 50th Street and Ninth Avenue in Boro Park, Rav Rothenberg led his beis medrash, becoming known in particular for his avodah of tefillah, which left a lasting impression on his chassidim and admirers.

In recent years, the Rebbe endured significant yissurim. On Erev Shabbos, he was niftar.

Yehi zichro boruch.

{Matzav.com}

California Gov. Gavin Newsom today blamed President Trump for the deadly shooting of an armed anti-ICE protester in Minneapolis, accusing the president of deliberately creating conditions to justify invoking the Insurrection Act.

Newsom asserted that Trump was seeking to manufacture chaos as a pretext for deploying extraordinary federal powers.

“Yesterday, hundreds of thousands filled the streets of Minnesota – marching in subzero temperatures in a PEACEFUL protest. Not the excuse to invoke the Insurrection Act the President wanted,” he wrote on X on today.

“So today, Trump made a shooting happen,” Newsom wrote.

“The President must end his violent occupation of Minnesota. NOW.”

The shooting occurred during what federal officials described as a “targeted operation” shortly after 9 a.m. local time, as Customs and Border Patrol agents attempted to arrest an accused criminal migrant. Authorities said Alex Jeffrey Pretti approached the agents while armed and attempted to interfere with the arrest.

Pretti, 37, who local officials said was a lawful gun owner, was shot following a physical confrontation with the agents and was pronounced dead at the scene.

The incident marked the second fatal shooting of a protester in Minnesota this month tied to encounters with immigration authorities, following the Jan. 7 death of Renee Nichole Good.

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez also condemned federal authorities after the shooting and urged lawmakers to cut off funding for Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

“We have a responsibility to protect Americans from tyranny,” Ocasio-Cortez wrote on X.

“DHS just shot a man in broad daylight two weeks after they shot a mother in the face without consequence.”

“They need our votes to continue. We cannot give it to them. Every Senator should vote NO,” AOC blasted.

{Matzav.com}

President Trump accused Minnesota’s top political leaders of fueling unrest after a 37-year-old man was shot and killed today when he allegedly brandished a firearm near federal agents attempting to arrest a migrant.

In a Truth Social post, the president shared an image of the weapon authorities said belonged to the man, who was pronounced dead at the scene.

“This is the gunman’s gun, loaded (with two additional full magazines!), and ready to go – What is that all about?” Trump wrote.

“Where are the local Police? Why weren’t they allowed to protect ICE Officers?”

Trump directed sharp criticism at Gov. Tim Walz and Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey, both of whom have publicly opposed the presence of federal immigration agents in the city.

“The Mayor and the Governor are inciting Insurrection, with their pompous, dangerous, and arrogant rhetoric!” the president wrote.

“Instead, these sanctimonious political fools should be looking for the Billions of Dollars that has been stolen from the people of Minnesota, and the United States of America. LET OUR ICE PATRIOTS DO THEIR JOB!”

The president argued that conditions would be significantly worse if Immigration and Customs Enforcement had not carried out extensive enforcement actions.

“12,000 Illegal Alien Criminals, many of them violent, have been arrested and taken out of Minnesota. If they were still there, you would see something far worse than you are witnessing today!” he wrote.

Trump said the federal presence in Minnesota is tied to an ongoing welfare fraud investigation in the state.

“Why does Ilhan Omar have $34 Million Dollars in her account?” he wrote, referring to the Minnesota congresswoman.

“And where are the Tens of Billions of Dollars that have been stolen from the once Great State of Minnesota? We are there because of massive Monetary Fraud, with Billions of Dollars missing, and Illegal Criminals that were allowed to infiltrate the State through the Democrats’ Open Border Policy.”

“We want the money back, and we want it back, NOW,” Trump continued. “Those Fraudsters who stole the money are going to jail, where they belong! This is no different than a really big Bank Robbery. Much of what you’re witnessing is a COVER UP for this Theft and Fraud.”

In the aftermath of the shooting, Walz authorized the deployment of the Minnesota National Guard following the death of Alex Jeffrey Pretti, who authorities said was killed after attempting to interfere with the arrest of a criminal migrant.

{Matzav.com}

Several major international airlines abruptly suspended weekend flights to Israel and other Middle Eastern destinations, citing rising regional tensions, according to reports Friday night.

Channel 12 News reported that Dutch carrier KLM and Air France halted flights to Israel, the United Arab Emirates, and Saudi Arabia, with both airlines attributing the move to escalating instability in the region.

Additional carriers soon followed. i24NEWS reported that Lufthansa and Swiss canceled their Saturday flights to the Middle East, while United Airways and Air Canada also scrapped scheduled flights to Israel.

The sudden wave of cancellations comes amid growing speculation that President Trump may authorize military action against Iran following a deadly crackdown by the regime on anti-government protesters.

KLM had only resumed service to Israel at the end of September, part of a broader return by foreign airlines after earlier hostilities between Iran and Israel subsided.

On Thursday, Trump delivered another forceful message to Tehran while speaking with reporters aboard Air Force One during his return flight from Davos to Washington, pointing to a major U.S. military buildup in the region.

“We have a lot of ships going in that direction, just in case. We have a big flotilla going in that direction. And we’ll see what happens,” Trump said. “We have a big force going toward Iran. I’d rather not see anything happen, but we’re watching them very closely.”

Trump also reiterated his claim that he intervened last week to stop mass executions planned by Iranian authorities.

“I stopped 837 hangings [last] Thursday. They would have been dead. Every one of them would have been hung. This is like from a thousand years ago,” he said.

“I said ‘if you hang those people, you’re going to be hit harder than you’ve ever been hit. It’ll make what we did to your Iran nuclear look like peanuts.’ And an hour before this horrible thing was going to take place, they canceled it. And they actually said they canceled it. They didn’t postpone it. They canceled it. So that was a good sign.”

Despite pointing to that outcome, Trump stressed that the United States continues to prepare militarily.

“But we have an armada, we have a massive fleet heading in that direction. And maybe we won’t have to use it. We’ll see.”

Speaking earlier this week in an interview with CNBC, Trump addressed the deteriorating situation in Iran and said Washington remains on alert.

“We hope there’s not going to be further action. They were shooting people indiscriminately on the streets and they were going to hang 837, mostly young people,” he said, referring to his warning that the U.S. would respond forcefully if protesters were harmed.

{Matzav.com}

President Trump told The NY Post that a classified weapon he dubbed “The Discombobulator” played a decisive role in the U.S. operation that led to the arrest of Venezuela’s drug-linked leader Nicolás Maduro.

According to Trump, the previously undisclosed technology was used during a daring Jan. 3 raid in Caracas, when U.S. helicopters moved in to seize Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, on federal narcotics and weapons charges — an operation he said was carried out without a single American casualty.

“The Discombobulator. I’m not allowed to talk about it,” Trump said during an exclusive interview conducted in the Oval Office.

“I would love to,” the president added, before acknowledging that the weapon was deployed during the covert mission.

“They never got their rockets off. They had Russian and Chinese rockets, and they never got one off. We came in, they pressed buttons and nothing worked. They were all set for us.”

Trump addressed the secret weapon after being asked about recent reports claiming the Biden administration had acquired a pulsed-energy device believed by some to be connected to “Havana Syndrome.”

Details about the technology remain scarce, but those reports followed firsthand accounts from Venezuela describing how Maduro’s armed guards were incapacitated, with some allegedly collapsing while “bleeding through the nose” and vomiting blood.

One former member of Maduro’s security detail later said that “suddenly all our radar systems shut down without any explanation.”

“The next thing we saw were drones, a lot of drones, flying over our positions. We didn’t know how to react,” he said, adding that helicopters soon followed — “barely eight” — delivering roughly 20 U.S. troops into the area.

According to the account, “The Discombobulator” was then directed at forces protecting Maduro.

“At one point, they launched something; I don’t know how to describe it. It was like a very intense sound wave. Suddenly I felt like my head was exploding from the inside,” the witness said.

“We all started bleeding from the nose. Some were vomiting blood. We fell to the ground, unable to move. We couldn’t even stand up after that sonic weapon — or whatever it was.”

Maduro, 63, is currently being held in a federal detention facility in Brooklyn as he awaits trial on narcoterrorism charges. His former vice president, Delcy Rodríguez, has assumed the role of interim president.

“We have a great relationship with the new president,” Trump said. “She’s been terrific.”

Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has reportedly gone into hiding, retreating to an underground bunker amid fears he could be targeted by U.S. airstrikes as the USS Abraham Lincoln heads toward the Persian Gulf.

According to a report by Iran International cited by the Jerusalem Post, the 86-year-old leader relocated to a heavily fortified shelter in Tehran linked to an extensive network of underground tunnels after senior military commanders warned that the chances of an imminent U.S. attack were rising.

The report said Khamenei has delegated responsibility for the Islamic Republic’s daily operations to his youngest son, Masoud Khamenei, 53.

Masoud Khamenei is now tasked with emergency oversight duties, including serving as the main conduit between the supreme leader and Iran’s executive leadership, according to the same account.

Iranian officials reportedly assessed the risk of U.S. strikes as especially high after President Trump announced that American naval forces were moving toward the Middle East, issuing a warning to the ayatollah amid escalating rhetoric between Washington and Tehran.

Trump said Friday that the U.S. Navy was dispatching a large “armada.”

Stars and Stripes reported that the Abraham Lincoln Carrier Strike Group — accompanied by three destroyers — is traveling from the Indian Ocean toward the Persian Gulf near Iran.

Despite the heightened military posture, Iranian leaders have publicly refused to de-escalate. President Masoud Pezeshkian warned that any strike by the U.S. or Israel targeting the supreme leader would be treated as “an all-out war against us.”

Iran’s parliamentary commission on national security echoed that stance this week, declaring that an attack on Khamenei would amount to grounds for a jihad, according to the Iranian Students News Agency as cited by the Jerusalem Post.

Khamenei, who is usually active online, has not posted on X since Jan. 17. It remains unclear exactly when he entered the bunker.

This is not the first time the supreme leader has withdrawn underground during a crisis. Khamenei also disappeared from public view last June when he reportedly sheltered in a bunker during the 12-Day War with Israel. At that time, he was said to have prepared a list of possible successors in case he was killed.

In his most recent post this year, Khamenei vowed to pursue both domestic and foreign “criminals” he blamed for the nationwide protests that erupted on Dec. 28.

Those demonstrations — fueled by economic collapse following the worst drought in decades — have been met with lethal force, with regime security units reportedly killing at least 3,000 civilians. Some groups have claimed the death toll could be as high as 20,000.

President Trump warned on Friday that the United States could impose a sweeping 100% tariff on Canadian goods, sharply criticizing Prime Minister Mark Carney for pursuing closer trade ties with China.

In a series of statements, Trump derided Carney — whom he repeatedly referred to as “governor” — and said the Canadian leader was dangerously misguided in believing he could gain leverage over Beijing.

“China will eat Canada alive, completely devour it, including the destruction of their businesses, social fabric, and general way of life,” Trump wrote on his Truth Social account.

Trump went on to caution that Canada would not be allowed to serve as a conduit for Chinese exports into the United States.

“If Governor Carney thinks he is going to make Canada a “Drop Off Port” for China to send goods and products into the United States, he is sorely mistaken,” he said.

The president warned that any agreement between Ottawa and Beijing would trigger severe economic consequences, recalling that he imposed a 35% tariff on Canada in August.

“If Canada makes a deal with China, it will immediately be hit with a 100% Tariff against all Canadian goods and products coming into the U.S.A. Thank you for your attention to this matter!” Trump wrote.

Carney earlier pushed back against Trump’s geopolitical ambitions, including efforts related to Greenland, while speaking Tuesday before a gathering of world leaders and global elites.

“The old order is not coming back. We should not mourn it,” Carney said. “Nostalgia is not a strategy.”

The Canadian prime minister traveled to China from Jan. 14 to Jan. 17, where he met with Chinese President Xi Jinping and announced agreements aimed at increasing the flow of Chinese electric vehicles into Canada at reduced tariffs.

Just a week earlier, Trump had taken a more relaxed tone about Canada’s outreach to Beijing.

“That’s what he should be doing. It’s a good thing for him to sign a trade deal. If you can get a deal with China, you should do that,” Trump said at the time.

The shift in rhetoric suggests growing concern within the administration that China could use Canada as a backdoor to expand its access to U.S. markets, even as Trump continues to threaten new tariffs against Beijing over trade practices and policy disputes.

On Jan. 12, Trump said he would impose a 25% tariff on any country that does business with Iran, a move that raised the prospect of renewed trade tensions with China, whose global trade surplus reached a record $1.2 trillion last year.

The latest exchange marks another chapter in the increasingly bitter relationship between Trump and Carney, the former head of both the Bank of England and the Bank of Canada. Last week, Trump removed Canada from his newly created “Board of Peace” after Carney criticized his foreign policy stance.

“Canada lives because of the United States,” Trump said at Davos. “Remember that, Mark, the next time you make your statements.”

Carney fired back on Thursday.

“Canada doesn’t live because of the United States. Canada thrives because we are Canadian,” he said.

Trump initially began his term floating the idea of Canada becoming the 51st U.S. state, but the rhetoric faded after Carney’s election as prime minister in April. Trump had previously sparred with Carney’s predecessor, Justin Trudeau, whom he also occasionally referred to as “governor.”

{Matzav.com}

President Trump said the United States has taken control of Venezuelan oil from seven tankers that were recently seized, though he declined to disclose where the vessels are now located.

“I’m not allowed to tell you,” the president told The NY Post during an interview in the Oval Office on Friday. “But let’s put it this way, they don’t have any oil. We take the oil.”

Trump made the remarks while seated behind the Resolute Desk.

Visible behind him was the Nobel Peace Prize he received from Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado, still in its frame and resting against the base of a golden eagle statue.

The president said he has not yet decided where the award will ultimately be displayed inside the White House.

At the same time, Trump said the oil taken from Venezuela is already being processed inside the United States.

“The oil’s coming into the refineries in Houston, in various places.”

The administration plans to sell as much as 50 million barrels of Venezuelan crude at prevailing market rates.

“We are running the oil in Venezuela,” Trump said. “Venezuela is going to get some, and we’re going to get some. Then we have the big oil companies going in, and they’ll be taking so much oil that Venezuela will make more money than they’ve ever made before.”

Following the removal of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro in a surprise overnight operation on Jan. 3, the Trump administration moved quickly to assert control over the country’s oil production, refining operations, and international supply chain.

Earlier this month, Trump met with executives from major energy companies to discuss a potential $100 billion investment aimed at rebuilding and modernizing Venezuela’s oil infrastructure.

Administration officials have indicated that proceeds from the seized tankers could be used to help fund those reconstruction efforts.

Trump has also suggested that the U.S. government would compensate American oil companies for their role in reviving Venezuela’s energy sector.

The president told The Post that he is satisfied with interim President Delcy Rodríguez.

“We have a great relationship with the new president,” he said. “She’s been terrific.”

{Matzav.com}