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Israeli PM Netanyahu Won’t Rule Out Killing Iran’s Supreme Leader, Says It Would ‘End the Conflict’

Matzav -

Israeli Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu stated on Monday that taking out Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei would put an end to the hostilities between Israel and the Islamic Republic — a stance he said he maintains even though President Trump had previously advised him against such a move.

“It’s not going to escalate the conflict, it’s going to end the conflict,” Netanyahu said in an interview with ABC News’ Jonathan Karl, describing Khamenei as “like a modern Hitler.”

WATCH:

When pressed on whether Israel was planning to eliminate Khamenei, Netanyahu responded by saying the country was taking the necessary steps to defend itself, adding that both he and Trump were targets of an Iranian assassination attempt.

“They actually had their proxy shoot a drone right into my bedroom window,” Netanyahu said.

Last Friday, Israel launched an expansive military operation against Iran, striking its nuclear infrastructure and targeting high-level scientists and military leaders. Since that strike, the two nations have been engaged in ongoing exchanges of missile fire.

According to reports from Axios and Reuters on Sunday, Trump had previously advised Netanyahu against killing the 86-year-old Khamenei, who has ruled Iran since 1989 following the death of revolutionary leader Ayatollah Khomeini, who overthrew the shah a decade earlier.

During his interview with ABC, Netanyahu expressed strong admiration for Trump, though he respectfully diverged from the U.S. leader’s position on the issue of eliminating Iran’s top figure. He also played down Trump’s suggestion that the two nations could come to the negotiating table.

“They don’t want a seat at the table. They want to blow up the table,” Netanyahu said.

“I understand, ‘America First.’ I don’t understand America, dead,” the Israeli leader said. “We’re doing something that is in the service of mankind, of humanity.”

In a message posted Sunday on Truth Social, Trump wrote: “Iran and Israel should make a deal, and will make a deal… we will have PEACE, soon, between Israel and Iran! Many calls and meetings now taking place.”

{Matzav.com}

WATCH: Israel Strikes Iran’s State TV While It Is on the Air

Matzav -

While Iranian state television aired a live broadcast on Monday, a sudden explosion shook the studio, sending the anchor scrambling for safety as debris and smoke filled the room. The live feed cut out abruptly after the blast.

The explosion was the result of an Israeli airstrike that targeted the headquarters of IRIB, Iran’s official state broadcasting service, marking a significant expansion in Israel’s military offensive within Iran.

WATCH:

Up until this point, Israeli military officials had stated that their operations were limited to strategic sites tied to Iran’s nuclear ambitions and missile capabilities.

That claim was called into question as Israel issued multiple evacuation alerts for heavily populated sectors of Tehran, including the neighborhood where Iran’s main broadcasting station is situated.

The exact number of civilians who have complied with the evacuation orders remains uncertain, and there are growing doubts over whether a large-scale departure is logistically feasible in such a short window.

According to Iran’s health ministry, Israeli strikes have resulted in the deaths of roughly 250 Iranians since Friday. Meanwhile, Israel reports 24 fatalities on its side due to Iran’s retaliatory missile attacks, which on Monday struck Israel’s oil refinery in Haifa.

Israeli military officials now say they’ve established dominance over the skies of Tehran by disabling Iran’s aerial defense network.

Over the weekend, Israeli authorities reportedly considered taking out Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, believing they had the opportunity to do so. However, President Trump advised against moving forward with the plan.

Israel has since requested that the Trump administration directly engage in the war, particularly to help neutralize Iran’s fortified underground uranium enrichment plants. Thus far, U.S. involvement has remained limited to supporting Israel’s defensive measures.

Following a fresh round of Iranian missile launches on Monday, Israeli Defense Minister Yisroel Katz warned that residents of Tehran would soon “pay the price” for the strikes against Israeli population centers.

Not long afterward, Katz clarified that his comment did not mean civilians would be deliberately harmed, but rather that they would be removed from danger zones through evacuation.

Before the airstrike on the TV station, Katz had also declared: “Iran’s propaganda mouthpiece is going to be silenced.”

Roughly thirty minutes after the hit on the broadcast headquarters, Iranian state television resumed its programming from a different studio. The anchor who had been live during the explosion, Sahar Emami, eventually returned to the air.

{Matzav.com}

Trump Directs ICE to Prioritize Deportations in Los Angeles, Chicago, and New York

Yeshiva World News -

President Donald Trump on Sunday directed federal immigration officials to prioritize deportations from Democratic-run cities, a move that comes after large protests erupted in Los Angeles and other major cities against the Trump administration’s immigration policies. Trump in a social media posting called on U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials “to do all in their power to achieve the very important goal of delivering the single largest Mass Deportation Program in History.” He added that to reach the goal officials ”must expand efforts to detain and deport Illegal Aliens in America’s largest Cities, such as Los Angeles, Chicago, and New York, where Millions upon Millions of Illegal Aliens reside.” Trump’s declaration comes after weeks of increased enforcement, and after Stephen Miller, White House deputy chief of staff and main architect of Trump’s immigration policies, said ICE officers would target at least 3,000 arrests a day, up from about 650 a day during the first five months of Trump’s second term. At the same time, the Trump administration has directed immigration officers to pause arrests at farms, restaurants and hotels, after Trump expressed alarm about the impact aggressive enforcement is having on those industries, according to a U.S. official familiar with the matter who spoke only on condition of anonymity. Protests over federal immigration enforcement raids have been flaring up around the country. Opponents of Trump’s immigration policies took to the streets as part of the “no kings” demonstrations Saturday that came as Trump held a massive parade in Washington for the 250th anniversary of the U.S. Army. Saturday’s protests were mostly peaceful. But police in Los Angeles used tear gas and crowd-control munitions to clear out protesters after the event ended. Officers in Portland, Oregon, also fired tear gas and projectiles to disperse a crowd that protested in front of a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement building well into the evening. Trump made the call for stepped up enforcement in Democratic-controlled cities on social media as he was making his way to the Group of Seven economic summit in Alberta, Canada. He suggested to reporters as he departed the White House for the G7 on Sunday evening that his decision to deploy National Guard troops to Los Angeles was the reason the protests in that city went peacefully. “If we didn’t have the National Guard on call and ready, they would rip Los Angeles apart,” Trump said. The shift also come as Trump is grappling with the impact his mass deportation effort is having on key industries that rely on workers in the country illegally. Trump posted on his Truth Social site Thursday that he heard from hotel, agriculture and leisure industries that his “very aggressive policy on immigration is taking very good, long time workers away from them” and promised that changes would be made . That same day Tatum King, an official with ICE’s Homeland Security Investigations unit, wrote to regional leaders telling them to halt investigations of the agriculture industry, including meatpackers, as well as of restaurants and hotels, according to the U.S. official. (AP)

Israel Wipes Out a Third of Iran’s Missiles, Drastically Reducing Tehran’s Strikes

Matzav -

Israel has successfully taken out one-third of Iran’s ballistic missile launchers since Thursday, a move that IDF officials say has significantly diminished the threat posed by Tehran—not only to Israel, but globally, according to a report in The New York Post.

Since launching Operation Rising Lion, Israeli forces have neutralized approximately 120 missile launchers, leaving Iran with just two-thirds of its original inventory, IDF spokesman Brig. Gen. Effie Defrin said Monday. This blow to Iran’s missile capabilities marks a major shift in the region’s balance of power.

As a result of Israel’s offensive, Iran’s retaliatory capacity has shrunk dramatically. According to a different IDF source, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps launched under 50 missiles at Israel during the most recent wave—nearly half the number fired in previous attacks.

“The Israeli Air Force struck over 100 military targets in Iran overnight,” the source explained. “The strikes focused on central Iran — the main area where missile launchers and ballistic missiles remain.”

Among the sites hit were over 20 missiles that were moments away from being fired at Israeli targets.

“Based on precise intelligence, launch teams that were either operating from command centers or en route to carry out launches against Israel were eliminated during the strikes,” the official said.

Israel’s rapid achievement in establishing complete aerial dominance over Tehran within three days is what enabled the IDF to carry out these high-impact missions—something President Vladimir Putin has not managed in over three years of fighting in Ukraine.

“Some of (the eliminated 20 missiles) were identified by IAF aircraft just minutes before their planned launch, covered on in plastic,” the official said.

This dominance in the skies has allowed the IDF to go after Iranian missile units while they are actively attempting to attack Israel.

“The aerial capabilities we previously saw in Gaza, Lebanon and Judea and Samaria (also known as the West Bank) are now operational in Iran,” Defrin said.

Israel also struck more than 20 command hubs associated with the Iranian military and the Quds Force, killing several high-ranking officers, including the head of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard’s intelligence branch, his deputy, and the Quds Force’s deputy intelligence chief.

“The Quds Force has been the main conduit for many of the terrorist attacks and assaults against Israel in recent decades,” Defrin said. “Now, the command centers where these attacks were planned have been completely destroyed.”

“The Quds Force is the central terror arm of the Iranian regime. It is responsible for operating Iran’s proxies around Israel’s borders and for distributing weapons and missiles intended for attack the state of Israel,” he added.

Despite these major setbacks for Iran, the regime still managed to carry out deadly strikes in four separate locations across central and northern Israel on Sunday night, killing eight civilians and wounding many others, according to Defrin.

“This is the face of the Iranian terror regime: While we target military and nuclear capabilities intended to destroy the state of Israel, they fire at population centers with the aim of harming civilians,” he said.

“This is precisely why we launched the operation: to eliminate the existential threat posed to the state of Israel: the nuclear and missile threats.”

{Matzav.com}

El Al Launches Emergency Flights to Repatriate 150,000 Israelis Stranded Abroad Amid Airspace Closures

Yeshiva World News -

In a sweeping effort to bring home tens of thousands of Israeli citizens stranded overseas, El Al  has launched emergency repatriation flights following the closure of Israel’s airspace due to the ballistic missile threat from Iran. The operation, carried out in coordination with the Ministry of Transportation, is the first major step toward addressing the estimated 150,000 Israelis currently abroad with no commercial way to return home. El Al and its charter subsidiary, Sundor, opened a dedicated online registration portal Monday for passengers whose flights to Israel were canceled. The airline urged travelers to register online only, as phone requests would not be accepted. Registrants were told to expect an email confirmation—typically within three hours—though the airline clarified that confirmation does not guarantee a seat. Shortly after the announcement, a surge in traffic briefly crashed El Al’s website, preventing many from accessing the portal. The disruption was resolved within hours, and the system is now fully operational. At a press conference Monday, Transportation Minister Miri Regev announced that outbound flights would also be authorized, allowing temporary visitors—including Birthright Israel participants—to return to their countries of origin. “There’s no need to panic,” Regev reassured Israelis abroad. “You’re overseas—enjoy yourselves. I know it’s not simple… but I ask for your patience.” El Al noted that seat allocation will be prioritized based on the original departure dates of canceled flights. However, humanitarian and security-sensitive cases may be given precedence, pending government approval. The order of registration will be recorded, but it will not serve as the primary basis for assigning seats. Instead, decisions will reflect a combination of logistics, operational capacity, and the evolving security landscape. Travelers were advised to expect delays in both scheduling and communication. The airline recommended securing temporary accommodations and saving all related receipts for potential reimbursement, in accordance with Israel’s consumer protection laws. El Al emphasized that flight schedules will be published only after government clearance is granted, and reiterated its close cooperation with state authorities to ensure the safety and efficiency of the repatriation process. (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

El Al Opens Registration For Return Flights For Its Passengers Who Were Stranded Abroad

Matzav -

El Al will begin operating a limited number of one-way flights to Tel Aviv by Thursday, to gradually bring home the tens of thousands of Israelis stranded abroad by the war against Iran, Transport Minister Miri Regev said.

Arkia said it will also operate rescue flights, as soon as Israeli security officials give the go ahead, from Athens, Larnaca, Rome, Paris and New York, including on Saturdays.

Monday’s announcements come as some 150,000 Israelis remain stranded abroad since the Jewish state closed its airspace to civilian traffic after launching a preemptive strike on Friday against Iranian nuclear and military sites.

Israir will operate rescue flights as well but it has not put out an announcement yet and does not have a start date as that is contingent on security approval.

The government rescue plan will include flights from several major cities that El Al services but will not include outbound travel at this stage.

The list of the cities and the flights times will be announced by the Israeli national carrier.

“We will carry out the gradual return of Israelis in a staged manner in coordination with the Ministry of Defense,” Regev said. “I am aware of the distress of Israelis wanting to return home, but we will not take a chance and allow a plane to land and then heaven forfend there is an event on the ground where we will need to explain how we allowed a plane to land with more than 300 people killed.

“I am asking those abroad to have patience. There is no reason to be under pressure. You are abroad. Enjoy,” she said.

El Al announced on Monday that it is suspending all regularly scheduled flights through June 23, but is preparing to operate a limited number of rescue flights from various destinations in coordination with the approval from government ministries. The flag carrier said that passengers whose flights have been canceled can register for the special return flights via a link on its website.

More than 60,000 passengers signed up on El Al’s registration site in the hour after the option was announced.

The head of Israel’s Civil Aviation Authority warned this weekend that it will take weeks before all Israelis stranded abroad will be able to fly home.

His remarks dampened hopes among some travelers that Israel would carry out immediate return flights from nearby countries, specifically Cyprus and Greece, as it has in past flare-ups of violence.

Israeli carriers have relocated their planes to Larnaca, Cyprus, and Athens, Greece, in line with the recommendations of a contingency plan developed ahead of the strike on Iran. JNS

{Matzav.com Israel}

WhatsApp to Start Showing Ads in Updates Tab as Meta Seeks New Revenue

Yeshiva World News -

WhatsApp said Monday that users will start seeing ads in some parts of the app, as owner Meta Platforms moves to cultivate a new revenue stream by tapping the billions of people that use the messaging service. Advertisements will be shown only in the app’s Updates tab, which is used by as many as 1.5 billion people each day. However, they won’t appear where personal chats are located, developers said. “The personal messaging experience on WhatsApp isn’t changing, and personal messages, calls and statuses are end-to-end encrypted and cannot be used to show ads,” WhatsApp said in a blog post. It’s a big change for the company, whose founders Jan Koum and Brian Acton vowed to keep the platform free of ads when they created it in 2009. Facebook purchased WhatsApp in 2014 and the pair left a few years later. Parent company Meta has long been trying to generate revenue from WhatsApp. WhatsApp said ads will be targeted to users based on information like the user’s age, the country or city where they’re located, the language they’re using, the channels they’re following in the app, and how they’re interacting with the ads they see. WhatsApp said it won’t use personal messages, calls and groups that a user is a member of to target ads to the user. It’s one of three advertising features that WhatsApp unveiled on Monday as it tries to monetize the app’s user base. Channels will also be able to charge users a monthly fee for subscriptions so they can get exclusive updates. And business owners will be able to pay to promote their channel’s visibility to new users. (AP)

Israel Strikes Command Center of Iran’s Elite Military Unit That Lead Tehran’s Support For Hamas

Matzav -

The Israel Defense Forces carried out a major overnight offensive that obliterated the central operational hub of Iran’s Quds Force, a top-tier military unit that has played a key role in coordinating terror activities by Hamas, Hezbollah, and the Houthis, according to IDF spokesman Brig. Gen. Effie Defrin.

“The Quds Force has been the main conduit for many of the terrorist attacks and assaults against Israel in recent decades,” he said. “Now, the command centers where these attacks were planned have been completely destroyed.”

As part of the operation, Israeli forces struck over 20 different sites tied to Iran’s military and the Quds Force, successfully eliminating several high-ranking figures. Among those killed were the Islamic Revolutionary Guard’s intelligence chief, his second-in-command, and the deputy leader of Quds Force intelligence operations.

“The Quds Force is the central terror arm of the Iranian regime. It is responsible for operating Iran’s proxies around Israel’s borders and for distributing weapons and missiles intended for attack the state of Israel,” Defrin said.

Hamas, the militant group based in Gaza, was behind the horrific October 7, 2023, massacre of Israeli civilians, which triggered the ongoing war. The organization still holds numerous Israeli captives and retains the remains of many who were killed in the attack.

{Matzav.com Israel}

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