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An Israeli source with firsthand information confirmed to ABC News that the United States and Israel previously rehearsed this strike during a joint military drill held about a year ago.

According to the source, what made the exercise unique was that it marked the first time the two allies simulated offensive maneuvers specifically targeting Iran’s nuclear infrastructure.

The source added that the original planning for the operation took place during the Biden administration, noting, “But we did not think a year ago that this would happen now.”

{Matzav.com}

“If you came into the country illegally — if you are not a legal resident of the United States of America — you ought to go back home,” says VP JD Vance. “If you’re in the U.S. illegally, you are at risk of deportation.”

In the wake of the military action ordered by President Trump today, Iran may choose to retaliate by striking U.S. bases and strategic military sites located throughout the Middle East.

One potential target is Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar, which stands as the largest American military installation in the region.

The U.S. Navy’s Fifth Fleet, headquartered in Bahrain, is another key American presence. It plays a central role in naval operations throughout the Persian Gulf.

Al Asad Air Base in Iraq, which came under fire from Iran in 2020 following the death of Quds Force commander Qasem Soleimani, remains a significant deployment hub for thousands of American troops.

Harir Air Base, located in Erbil, Iraq, has previously been attacked by drones launched by Iranian proxy forces, making it another likely option for reprisal.

In southern Syria, the U.S. operates Al Tanf Garrison near the tri-border area of Iraq and Jordan. In January 2024, an Iranian-aligned militia carried out a deadly strike on Tower 22, just a short distance from Al Tanf, killing three American service members.

Ali al-Salem Air Base in Kuwait, roughly 20 miles from the Iraqi frontier, hosts the Air Force’s 386th Air Expeditionary Wing and is a key staging location.

Al Dhafra Air Base in the United Arab Emirates is another essential site. It houses the Air Force’s 380th Air Expeditionary Wing, which flies F-22 Raptors along with a range of reconnaissance aircraft and drones.

In addition to these installations, Iran could aim its aggression at American embassies located in nearby countries such as Iraq, the UAE, or Israel.

Beyond direct attacks, Iran could attempt to block the Strait of Hormuz—a strategically vital waterway through which around 25% of global oil supply and about one-third of the world’s liquefied natural gas pass.

According to a U.S. official earlier this month, around 40,000 active-duty American service members are currently stationed either on land in the Middle East or aboard ships in the surrounding waters.

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth emphasized during Senate testimony on Wednesday that protecting U.S. personnel remains the Pentagon’s top concern while simultaneously advising Trump on possible responses to Iranian aggression.

“We have maximum force protection in the region at all times being maintained,” Hegseth told the Senate Armed Services Committee.

Earlier this month, Hegseth approved the voluntary departure of all military family members from U.S. bases throughout the region, a precautionary measure given the volatile situation.

{Matzav.com}

Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard was not seen among the officials photographed with President Trump and his top national security advisors during a high-level meeting in the Situation Room earlier today.

Gabbard, who testified before Congress in March asserting that “Iran is not building a nuclear weapon,” has come under scrutiny as President Trump offered a sharply different assessment in recent public statements.

During remarks on Friday, the president pushed back on that narrative, stating, “my intelligence community is wrong” if they believe there is no indication that Iran is developing nuclear weapons.

When asked specifically about Gabbard’s statement, Trump responded emphatically: “She’s wrong.”

{Matzav.com}

President Donald Trump addressed the nation tonight after the United States struck three nuclear sites in Iran. From the White House, Trump was joined by Vice President JD Vance, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Secretary of State Marco Rubio.

WATCH IN FULL:

Read the transcript of Trump’s speech below:

“A short time ago, the U.S. military carried out massive precision strikes on the three key nuclear facilities in the Iranian regime: Fordo, Natanz and Isfahan. Everybody heard those names for years as they built this horribly destructive enterprise. Our objective was the destruction of Iran’s nuclear enrichment capacity, and a stop to the nuclear threat posed by the world’s No. 1 state sponsor of terror.

“Tonight, I can report to the world that the strikes were a spectacular military success. Iran’s key nuclear enrichment facilities have been completely and totally obliterated.

“Iran, the bully of the Middle East, must now make peace. If they do not, future attacks will be far greater and a lot easier.

“For years, Iran has been saying death to America, death to Israel. They have been killing our people, blowing off their arms, blowing off their legs with roadside bombs. That was their specialty. We lost over a thousand people and hundreds of thousands throughout the Middle East and around the world have died as a direct result of their hate.

“In particular, so many were killed by their general, Qasem Soleimani. I decided a long time ago that I would not let this happen. It will not continue. I want to thank and congratulate Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu. We worked as a team. Like perhaps no team has ever worked before. And we’ve gone a long way to erasing this horrible threat to Israel.

“I want to thank the Israeli military for the wonderful job they’ve done. And most importantly, I want to congratulate the great American patriots who flew those magnificent machines tonight and all of the United States military on an operation the likes of which the world has not seen in many, many decades.

“Hopefully, we will no longer need their services in this capacity. I hope that’s so. I also want to congratulate the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Gen. Dan “Raizin'” Cain — spectacular general — and all of the brilliant military minds involved in this attack.

“With all of that being said, this cannot continue. There will be either peace or there will be tragedy for Iran, far greater than we have witnessed over the last eight days. Remember, there are many targets left. Tonight’s was the most difficult of them all by far, and perhaps the most lethal. But if peace does not come quickly, we will go after those other targets with precision, speed and skill. Most of them can be taken out in a matter of minutes.

MORE: Israel-Iran live updates: Trump announces attack on Iranian nuclear sites
“There is no military in the world that could have done what we did tonight. Not even close. There has never been a military that could do what took place just a little while ago.

“Tomorrow, Gen. Caine, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, will have a press conference at 8 a.m. at the Pentagon. And I want to just thank everybody, and in particular, God.

“I want to just say, we love you, God, and we love our great military. Protect them. God bless the Middle East. God bless Israel, and god bless America. Thank you very much. Thank you.”

{Matzav.com}

Maran Rav Shmuel Kamenetsky, rosh yeshiva of the Philadelphia Yeshiva and the zekan roshei haeyshivos, has been released from the hospital.

The rosh yeshiva had been hospitalized due to low hemoglobin levels and remained so that additional tests could be conducted to evaluate other health concerns.

All are asked to continue davening for the complete refuah sheleimah of Rav Shmuel ben Itta Ettil.

{Matzav.com}

Democratic New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez said Trump’s strikes on Iran constitute “grounds for impeachment.”

“The President’s disastrous decision to bomb Iran without authorization is a grave violation of the Constitution and Congressional War Powers,” she said on X. “He has impulsively risked launching a war that may ensnare us for generations. It is absolutely and clearly grounds for impeachment.”

{Matzav.com}

Israeli Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu declared that his earlier commitment to dismantle Iran’s nuclear infrastructure had now been fulfilled.

In a Hebrew-language video message addressed to the nation following the American assault on Iranian nuclear sites, Netanyahu emphasized that the U.S. military action had been executed in “full coordination” with Israel’s armed forces.

Netanyahu noted that the U.S. had effectively brought to completion the mission the Israeli military launched on June 13 to target Iran’s nuclear installations.

“At the beginning of the operation, I promised you that Iran’s nuclear facilities would be destroyed, one way or another. This promise was kept,” Netanyahu says.

He shared that President Trump had phoned him right after the U.S. strike concluded, offering heartfelt congratulations during what Netanyahu described as an emotional and sincere conversation.

“He congratulated me, he congratulated our army and he congratulated our people,” Netanyahu says, adding that he responded with words of appreciation in kind.

“President Trump is leading the free world with strength. He is a great friend of Israel, a friend like no other,” the premier continues, expressing deep gratitude to Trump.

{Matzav.com Israel}

WATCH:

With great sadness, Matzav.com reports the passing of Rav Shmuel Breskin zt”l of Lakewood.

Rav Shmuel was a talmid of Rav Shneur Kotler zt”l at Beth Medrash Govoha, where he immersed himself in limud haTorah.

Rav Shmuel’s wife Leah, was a daughter of Rav Moshe Finkel zt”l and sister of Rav Elya Boruch Finkel zt”l.

Details of the levayah will be published once finalized.

Yehi zichro boruch.

{Matzav.com}

The U.S. evacuated 79 staff and families from the U.S. Embassy in Israel on Friday as the conflict between Israel and Iran intensifies and growing numbers of private American citizens seek information on how to leave Israel and Iran. An internal State Department memo says the military flight, the second known to have occurred this week, left Tel Aviv for Sofia, Bulgaria, where some or all of the passengers were to get a connecting charter flight to Washington.

Iran’s Supreme Leader Khamenei warns the U.S. “the US will be harmed and suffer heavier blows than in the past.”

Lakewood Alerts regrets to inform you of the petirah of Harav Shmuel Breskin zt”l, a tremendous talmid chochom and longtime Lakewood residents who was niftar over Shabbos. Read the full details on Lakewood Alerts  

On Shabbos, an IAF aircraft struck three F-14 fighter jets belonging to the Iranian Armed Forces in central Iran.

House and Senate Republicans are taking slightly different approaches when it comes to the tax cuts that lawmakers are looking to include in their massive tax and spending cuts bill. Republicans in the two chambers don’t agree on the size of a deduction for state and local taxes. And they are at odds on such things as allowing people to use their health savings accounts to help pay for their gym membership, or whether electric vehicle and hybrid owners should have to pay an annual fee. The House passed its version shortly before Memorial Day. Now the Senate is looking to pass its version. While the two bills are similar on the major tax provisions, how they work out their differences in the coming weeks will determine how quickly they can get a final product over the finish line. President Donald Trump is pushing to have the legislation on his desk by July 4th. Here’s a look at some of the key differences between the two bills: Tax break for families The child tax credit currently stands at $2,000 per child. The House bill temporarily boosts the child tax credit to $2,500 for the 2025 through 2028 tax years, roughly the length of President Donald Trump’s second term. It also indexes the credit amount for inflation beginning in 2027. The Senate bill provides a smaller, initial bump-up to $2,200, but the bump is permanent, with the credit amount indexed for inflation beginning next year. Trump campaign promises Trump promised on the campaign trail that he would seek to end income taxes on tips, overtime and Social Security benefits. Also, he would give car buyers a new tax break by allowing them to deduct the interest paid on auto loans. The House and Senate bills incorporate those promises with temporary deductions lasting from the 2025 through 2028 tax years, but with some differences. The House bill creates a deduction on tips for those working in jobs that have customarily received tips. The House also provides for a deduction for overtime that’s equal to the amount of OT a worker has earned. The Senate bill comes with more restrictions. The deduction for tips is limited to $25,000 per taxpayer and the deduction for overtime is limited to $12,500 per taxpayer. The House and Senate bills both provide a deduction of up to $10,000 for interest paid on loans for vehicles made in the United States. And on Social Security, the bills don’t directly touch the program. Instead, they grant a larger tax deduction for Americans age 65 and older. The House sets the deduction at $4,000. The Senate sets it at $6,000. Both chambers include income limits over which the new deductions begin to phase out. More SALT The caps on state and local tax deductions, known in Washington as the SALT cap, now stand at $10,000. The House bill, in a bid to win over Republicans from New York, California and New Jersey, lifts the cap to $40,000 per household with incomes of less than $500,000. The credit phases down for households earning more than $500,000. The Senate bill keeps the cap at $10,000. That’s a non-starter in the House, but Republicans in the two chambers will look to negotiate a final number over the coming weeks that both sides can […]

President Trump delivered remarks after strikes on three nuclear facilities in Iran, saying “Iran, the bully of the Middle East, must now make peace” and threatened further action.

WATCH:

During a College baseball game today, ESPN announced President Donald Trump launching U.S. strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities.

California’s challenge of the Trump administration’s military deployment in Los Angeles returned to a federal courtroom in San Francisco on Friday for a brief hearing after an appeals court handed President Donald Trump a key procedural win. U.S. District Judge Charles Breyer put off issuing any additional rulings and instead asked for briefings from both sides by noon Monday on whether the Posse Comitatus Act, which prohibits troops from conducting civilian law enforcement on U.S. soil, is being violated in Los Angeles. The hearing happened the day after the 9th Circuit appellate panel allowed the president to keep control of National Guard troops he deployed in response to protests over immigration raids. California Gov. Gavin Newsom said in his complaint that “violation of the Posse Comitatus Act is imminent, if not already underway” but Breyer last week postponed considering that allegation. Vice President JD Vance, a Marine veteran, traveled to Los Angeles on Friday and met with troops, including U.S. Marines who have been deployed to protect federal buildings. According to Vance, the court determined Trump’s determination to send in federal troops “was legitimate” and he will do it again if necessary. “The president has a very simple proposal to everybody in every city, every community, every town whether big or small, if you enforce your own laws and if you protect federal law enforcement, we’re not going to send in the National Guard because it’s unnecessary,” Vance told journalists after touring a federal complex in Los Angeles. Vance’s tour of a multiagency Federal Joint Operations Center and a mobile command center came as demonstrations have calmed after sometimes-violent clashes between protesters and police and outbreaks of vandalism and break-ins that followed immigration raids across Southern California earlier this month. Tens of thousands have also marched peacefully in Los Angeles since June 8. National Guard troops have been accompanying federal agents on some immigration raids, and Marines briefly detained a man on the first day they deployed to protect a federal building. The marked the first time federal troops detained a civilian since deploying to the nation’s second-largest city. Trump allowed to keep control of National Guard Breyer found Trump acted illegally when, over opposition from California’s governor, the president activated the soldiers. However, the appellate decision halted the judge’s temporary restraining order. Breyer asked the lawyers on Friday to address whether he or the appellate court retains primary jurisdiction to grant an injunction under the Posse Comitatus Act. California has sought a preliminary injunction giving Newsom back control of the troops in Los Angeles, where protests have calmed down in recent days. Trump, a Republican, argued that the troops have been necessary to restore order. Newsom, a Democrat, said their presence on the streets of a U.S. city inflamed tensions, usurped local authority and wasted resources. Los Angeles mayor lifts curfew after protests subside The demonstrations appear to be winding down, although dozens of protesters showed up Thursday at Dodger Stadium, where a group of federal agents gathered at a parking lot with their faces covered, traveling in SUVs and cargo vans. The Los Angeles Dodgers organization asked them to leave, and they did. On Tuesday, Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass lifted a downtown curfew that was first imposed in response to vandalism and clashes with police after crowds […]

United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres expressed serious concern following the U.S. military strikes on Iran ordered by President Trump, saying the developments had deeply unsettled him.

“This is a dangerous escalation in a region already on the edge – and a direct threat to international peace and security,” Guterres tweets.

He added that he is “gravely alarmed by the use of force by the United States against Iran today.”

{Matzav.com}