President Donald Trump announced Monday evening that both Israel and Iran have reached a consensus on a temporary halt to hostilities, with the ceasefire set to begin in six hours.
“It has been fully agreed by and between Israel and Iran that there will be a Complete and Total CEASEFIRE (in approximately 6 hours from now, when Israel and Iran have wound down and completed their in progress, final missions!), for 12 hours, at which point the War will be considered, ENDED!” Trump wrote in a message shared on his Truth Social platform.
He continued, “Officially, Iran will start the CEASEFIRE and, upon the 12th Hour, Israel will start the CEASEFIRE and, upon the 24th Hour, an Official END to THE 12 DAY WAR will be saluted by the World. During each CEASEFIRE, the other side will remain PEACEFUL and RESPECTFUL. On the assumption that everything works as it should, which it will, I would like to congratulate both Countries, Israel and Iran, on having the Stamina, Courage, and Intelligence to end, what should be called, ‘THE 12 DAY WAR.’ This is a War that could have gone on for years, and destroyed the entire Middle East, but it didn’t, and never will! God bless Israel, God bless Iran, God bless the Middle East, God bless the United States of America, and GOD BLESS THE WORLD!”
According to Trump’s statement, Iran will be the first to initiate the truce, with Israel following 12 hours later. Once both phases are completed, the two-week conflict will officially be declared over, with global recognition anticipated. Trump praised the leadership and resolve of both nations in reaching this point and expressed hope that peace will now prevail.
{Matzav.com}
BREAKING: As promised by the IDF… Israel has begun a new wave of airstrikes in Iran, with explosions heard in numerous areas in Tehran, Parchin military complex, and Tabriz. Air defenses active in Karaj and Bushehr.
Their chances of becoming the next mayor of New York City may have dimmed. Their mission now? Stopping former Gov. Andrew Cuomo from getting to City Hall. In the final day of campaigning before the city’s Democratic primary, candidates who are seen as long shots to win the nomination were urging voters to leave Cuomo off their ballots in the city’s ranked choice election in a last-ditch effort to block the former governor’s comeback from a harassment scandal. “Let’s make sure Andrew Cuomo gets nowhere near City Hall,” candidate and city Comptroller Brad Lander said Monday on WNYC radio, which interviewed the major candidates ahead of the election. State Sen. Zellnor Myrie, another candidate, similarly asked voters to not vote for Cuomo, telling the station, “We need fresh leadership, we need to turn the page and we need bold solutions at this moment.” The pitches came as Cuomo, who has been considered the frontrunner for months, has also been trying to fend off a charge from Zohran Mamdani. Mamdani, a 33-year-old state assemblyman, would be the city’s first Muslim and first Indian-American mayor if elected. A democratic socialist who got elected to the Legislature in 2020, Mamdani started the campaign as a relative unknown but has won support with a energetic campaign centered on improving the cost of living. The assault on Cuomo from fellow members of the Democratic field comes as he has continued to rack up establishment endorsements. Former President Bill Clinton endorsed Cuomo on Sunday, saying voters should not “underestimate the complexity” for the challenges faced by a mayor. The New York Times didn’t issue an endorsement this year, but wrote an editorial praising Lander and saying Cuomo would be a better choice than Mamdani, who it said was unworthy of being on people’s ballots. Cuomo and Mamdani have ratcheted up attacks on each other in the campaign’s final days. “He’s about public relations,” Cuomo said of Mamdani, dismissing his opponent as too focused on looking great on social media, and not skilled enough as an executive to run the city. Mamdani, meanwhile, exuded confidence, telling WNYC he is “one day from toppling a political dynasty.” “New Yorkers are done with the cynical politics of the past. They want a future they can afford,” said Mamdani, who was endorsed by U.S. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders. In a way, Mamdani and Cuomo represent the Democratic Party’s ideological divides, with Cuomo as an older moderate and Mamdani a younger progressive. Their reactions to the American bombing of Iran’s nuclear sites on Sunday offered more evidence of the party’s internal split. Cuomo, in a statement, criticized “the way Trump went about this without consulting Congress, without consulting the normal congressional officials” but stressed that “Iran cannot have nuclear capability.” Mamdani released a statement that slammed Trump but quickly shifted focus back to his key issues, saying “these actions are the result of a political establishment that would rather spend trillions of dollars on weapons than lift millions out of poverty, launch endless wars while silencing calls for peace, and fearmonger about outsiders while billionaires hollow out our democracy from within.” Cuomo, who won three terms as governor, resigned in 2021 after a report from the state attorney general concluded that he sexually harassed 11 women. He […]
A onetime official from the National Security Council during the Clinton administration stirred controversy over the weekend with remarks suggesting that Kamala Harris would have lacked the resolve to carry out the kind of military operation President Trump ordered against Iran’s nuclear infrastructure.
Jamie Metzl, a former Senate staffer and a longtime critic of Trump who openly supported Harris in past elections, wrote on X, “I’m not a blind tribalist and am perfectly comfortable praising President Trump for bold and courageous actions in support of America’s core national interests, as he took last night.”
He continued, “Although I believe electing Kamala Harris would have been better for our democracy [and] society. I also believe VP Harris would not have had the courage or fortitude to take such an essential step as the president took last night.”
On Saturday, American forces launched a high-stakes air and missile assault targeting key nuclear facilities in Iran, including Fordow, Isfahan, and Natanz. The coordinated strike involved B-2 stealth bombers and Navy-launched Tomahawk missiles in a dramatic escalation aimed at preventing the Iranian regime from obtaining a nuclear weapon.
While a full official evaluation of the damage has yet to be disclosed, President Trump stated that “monumental damage” had been inflicted on the targeted sites.
Metzl, who also previously served as deputy staff director for then-Senator Joe Biden on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, underscored the severity of the Iranian threat. “Iran has been at war with the United States for 46 years. Its regime has murdered thousands of American citizens,” he said. “Its slogan, ‘Death to America,’ was not window dressing but core ideology.”
He added, “It was racing toward a nuclear weapon with every intention of using it to threaten America, our allies, and the Middle East region as a whole. No actions like this come without risks, and I imagine the story will get more complicated over time, but that’s why these types of decisions are complicated.”
Metzl’s public service also includes time as a United Nations human rights officer, and he is currently part of the World Health Organization’s advisory committee.
From the start of his first presidential campaign in 2016, Trump has consistently emphasized that the United States must not allow Iran to acquire a nuclear weapon.
During her 2024 run for the White House, Harris called Iran the “greatest adversary” of the United States and declared that every option remained available to stop Tehran from becoming a nuclear power.
The strike authorized by Trump came shortly after Israel launched its own preemptive attacks targeting Iranian military and nuclear capabilities, aiming to slow down the regime’s development of weapons of mass destruction.
Military analysts noted that neutralizing the Fordow enrichment facility — buried deep within a mountain — likely required U.S. intervention. On Shabbos, the Air Force deployed 14 Massive Ordnance Penetrators, 30,000-pound GBU-57 A/B “bunker-buster” bombs, to obliterate the fortified site.
{Matzav.com}
The Supreme Court handed the Trump administration a legal victory on Monday, allowing it to continue deporting certain migrants to countries other than their own, without requiring extensive prior notice.
In a 6–3 ruling that split the Court along ideological lines, the justices overturned a decision issued in late April by a federal judge in Boston. That earlier ruling had temporarily blocked the administration’s efforts to quickly remove individuals under the revised deportation policy.
While the majority of justices did not elaborate on their decision, Justice Sonia Sotomayor issued a forceful dissent. She was joined by Justices Elena Kagan and Ketanji Brown Jackson in criticizing the move.
“In matters of life and death, it is best to proceed with caution,” Sotomayor wrote. “In this case, the Government took the opposite approach.”
“This Court now intervenes to grant the Government emergency relief from an order it has repeatedly defied. I cannot join so gross an abuse of the Court’s equitable discretion.”
{Matzav.com}
More Flights Expected; Application Process Still Open
The U.S. Embassy in Israel has begun operating evacuation flights for U.S. citizens and Green Card holders stranded in Israel and seeking to return to the United States.
Four flights departed Israel today, Monday, June 23, heading to Rome, Larnaca, and Athens. Chaim V’Chessed has learned that the Embassy aims to operate as many as six additional flights tomorrow, Tuesday, June 24.
These flights are available only to those who have registered in advance. Applicants must register via the U.S. State Department’s Crisis Intake Form at this link. As previously reported by Chaim V’Chessed, when completing the form, applicants must check off that they are seeking assistance leaving Israel and are requesting financial help.
After submitting the form, applicants immediately receive an email confirmation. If selected for a flight, they will receive a second email, generally within a few days, from the State Department informing them of their eligibility. When received, applicants must immediately reply, confirming their willingness to travel.
These Embassy-coordinated flights may currently be the most viable option for many Americans attempting to leave Israel. It is important to note, however, that evacuees must independently arrange and purchase onward travel from the European city to which they are flown.
Other potential exit options from Israel include land crossings into Jordan or Egypt. However, both these alternatives involve travel through areas with challenges and heightened security risks. Additionally, travelers can travel by sea to Cyprus.
Chaim V’Chessed will continue to monitor developments closely and share verified updates as they become available.
{Matzav.com}
BREAKING: The U.S. Supreme Court will allow the Trump administration to resume the deportation of convicted criminals to “third countries” to which they have no previous connection
The nation’s major health insurers are promising to scale back and improve a widely despised practice that leads to care delays and complications. UnitedHealthcare, CVS Health’s Aetna and dozens of other insurers say they plan to reduce the scope of health care claims subject to prior authorization, standardize parts of the process and expand responses done in real time. Prior authorization means insurers require approval before they’ll cover medical care, a prescription or a service like an imaging exam. Insurers say they do this to guard against care overuse and to make sure patients get the right treatment. But doctors say the practice has grown in scope and complication, leading to frequent care delays. The fatal shooting of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson in December prompted many people to vent their frustrations with coverage issues like prior authorization. Major health insurers have promised to overhaul the paperwork-laden process before, but little has changed. Dr. Mehmet Oz, who now oversees the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, said on Monday that insurers are motivated to make something stick this time around. “There’s violence in the streets over this,” Oz said during a news conference Monday, hours after meeting with most major U.S. insurers. “Americans are upset about it.” Insurers said Monday that they will standardize electronic prior authorization by the end of next year to help speed up the process. They will reduce the scope of claims subject to medical prior authorization, and they will honor the preapprovals of a previous insurer for a window of time after someone switches plans. They also plan to expand the number of real-time responses, and they say they will ensure that claims denied for clinical reasons will continue to get reviews by “medical professionals.” But they made no promises that those reviewers will be in the same specialty as the treating doctor, a common complaint from physicians. Insurers have promised to voluntarily make the changes, but Oz said that the Trump administration will look into regulations if progress isn’t made. “You fix it or we’re going to fix it,” Oz said. Researchers say prior authorization has grown more common as care costs have climbed, especially for prescription drugs, lab testing, physical therapy and imaging exams. “We’re sort of trapped between care being unaffordable and then these nonfinancial barriers and administrative burdens growing worse,” said Michael Anne Kyle, an assistant professor at the University of Pennsylvania who studies how patients access care. Nearly all customers of Medicare Advantage plans, the privately run version of the federal government’s Medicare program, need prior authorization for some services, particularly expensive care like hospital stays, the health policy research organization KFF found in a study of 2023 claims. The study also found that insurers denied about 6% of all requests. Dr. Ashley Sumrall of Charlotte, North Carolina, says she has seen an increase in prior authorizations required for routine exams like MRIs. An oncologist who treats brain tumors, Sumrall said these images are critical for doctors to determine whether a treatment is working and to plan next steps. Doctors say delays from requests that are eventually approved or coverage rejections can harm patients by giving a disease time to progress untreated. They also can spike anxiety in patients who want to know whether their tumor has stopped growing and if […]
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The IDF is preparing to ask the Supreme Court for another postponement in submitting its official response to a petition concerning the Draft Law, according to a report from Galei Tzahal. The reason for the delay request is the current military campaign involving Iran, which is occupying the attention of the army’s top brass.
The military’s original deadline to respond was set for Tuesday. However, with the ongoing regional hostilities demanding the full attention of senior defense officials, the IDF is expected to seek an extension.
This comes after a planned meeting with the Attorney General to discuss the matter was already deferred at the army’s request. That meeting had been scheduled to include a detailed presentation from the Manpower Directorate on new strategies for cracking down on draft evasion—plans that have yet to be submitted.
Despite the evolving security situation and the likely delay in court proceedings, IDF officials stress that one key development remains unchanged: beginning next month, more than 50,000 draft notices will be sent to chareidi men who are of conscription age.
In a statement, the IDF Spokesperson’s Unit confirmed: “There is no change in the planned issuance of the summonses in the scope and timing previously presented. In addition, the plan for enforcing draft evasion will be presented transparently through the standard channels. Due to the security situation, a request for an extension may be submitted to the Supreme Court regarding the deadline for submitting the response. The IDF will continue to operate in accordance with the law.”
{Matzav.com}
The war between Israel and Iran has raised concerns that Iran could retaliate by trying to close the Strait of Hormuz, the world’s most important oil chokepoint due to the large volumes of crude that pass through it every day. The U.S. military’s strike on three sites in Iran over the weekend has raised questions about how its military might respond. The Strait of Hormuz is between Oman and Iran, which boasts a fleet of fast-attack boats and thousands of naval mines as well as missiles that it could use to make the strait impassable, at least for a time. Iran’s main naval base at Bandar Abbas is on the north coast of the strait. It could also fire missiles from its long Persian Gulf shore, as its allies, Yemen’s Houthi rebels, have done in the Red Sea. About 20 million barrels of oil per day, or around 20% of the world’s oil consumption, passed through the strait in 2024. Most of that oil goes to Asia. Here is a look at the waterway and its impact on the global economy: An energy highway in a volatile region The strait connects the Persian Gulf with the Gulf of Oman and the Arabian Sea. It’s only 33 kilometers (21 miles) wide at its narrowest point, but deep enough and wide enough to handle the world’s largest crude oil tankers. Oil that passes through the strait comes from Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Iraq, Iran, Kuwait, and Bahrain, while major supplies of liquefied natural gas come from Qatar. At its narrowest point, the sea lanes for tankers lie in Omani waters, and before and after that cross into Iranian territory. While some global oil chokepoints can be circumvented by taking longer routes that simply add costs, that’s not an option for most of the oil moving through the strait. That’s because the pipelines that could be used to carry the oil on land, such as Saudi Arabia’s East-West pipeline, they don’t have nearly enough capacity. “Most volumes that transit the strait have no alternative means of exiting the region,” according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration. Closing the Strait of Hormuz would send oil prices massively higher — at least at first If Iran blocked the strait, oil prices could shoot as high as $120-$130 per barrel, at least temporarily, said Homayoun Falakshahi, head of crude oil analyst at Kpler, in an online webinar Sunday. That would deal an inflationary shock to the global economy — if it lasted. Analysts think it wouldn’t. Asia would be directly impacted because 84% of the oil moving through the strait is headed for Asia; top destinations are China, India, Japan and South Korea. China gets 47% of its seaborne oil from the Gulf. China, however, has an oil inventory of 1.1 billion barrels, or 2 1/2 months of supply. U.S. oil customers would feel the impact of the higher prices but would not lose much supply. The U.S. imported only about 7% of its oil from Persian Gulf countries through the strait in 2024, according to the USEIA. That was the lowest level in nearly 40 years. Iran has good reasons not to block the strait Closing the strait would cut off Iran’s own oil exports. While Iran does have a new terminal under construction at Jask, just outside the […]
National Crisis? For Next Level VIP – It’s a Mission When the skies shut down and Ben Gurion Airport stood deserted, Next Level VIP, led by Shai Graucher, faced a formidable challenge: bringing its clients home safely from across the world. Today, that mission reached a remarkable milestone with the arrival of the first private flight from New York carrying the Rebbe of Gur. Luxury Under Fire: Next Level’s Heroic Response Amid War As tensions between Israel and Iran escalated into open conflict, Israel entered an unprecedented state: nearly two full weeks without commercial flights in or out of the country. With Ben Gurion Airport shut down, hundreds of thousands of Israelis and tourists were stranded—either abroad with no way home or within Israel with no way out. The silent terminals and empty departure boards told the story of a national emergency. But while others waited, Next Level VIP acted. Via Egypt and Jordan – VIP Rescue Routes Amid the chaos, Next Level VIP refused to wait for government airlifts. Under the leadership of Shai Graucher, the company launched an immediate and daring initiative to evacuate clients through Egypt and Jordan. Luxury vehicles escorted clients to border crossings at Taba and Aqaba. Crossing the borders with full coordination, clients were greeted by professional teams and secure convoys on the other side, which then took them to safe airports. From there, private charter jets transported them to destinations worldwide. In one instance, a group of 250 Orthodox Jewish tourists from New York, stranded in Israel, were bused to Sinai and flown out via Sharm El-Sheikh and Europe—a fully coordinated evacuation complete with security and glatt kosher meals. In other cases, Jordan served as a key gateway for international evacuation flights. Every client was personally escorted by Next Level teams, ensuring complete comfort, safety, and peace of mind from doorstep to destination. The Historic Return: The Rebbe of Gur Flies Home After days of intensive planning, the flagship mission of this operation took off: the first private client flight from New York to Tel Aviv since the outbreak of the war. On board was a group of prominent clients—led by the Rebbe of Gur, who had been stuck abroad since the conflict began. This emotional and historic flight was made possible thanks to the quick action and deep network of Shai Graucher, who responded immediately to a request from the Werdiger family to help bring the Rebbe home. A private jet was arranged in record time, and following the Rebbe’s safe arrival in Israel, the first outbound Next Level clients departed on a return flight to New York. This was the first aircraft to land at Ben Gurion from New York since the war began—a testament to Next Level’s unmatched ability to deliver even under fire. “We Don’t Sell Flights – We Sell Peace of Mind” “While most flights to and from Israel were suspended due to the conflict with Iran, Next Level VIP successfully took care of every single client,” says Shai Graucher. “We don’t just sell flights, drivers, or hotels — we sell a complete service experience. We make sure every detail is covered, from A to Z.” Even in high-risk situations, Next Level delivers on every front. “It’s not about money,” Shai explains. “It’s about service.” Want to know […]
The following letter was sent by Mr. Sol Werdiger, Chairman of the Board of Agudath Israel of America and Rabbi Chaim Dovid Zwiebel, Executive Vice President of Agudath Israel of America, to President Donald Trump:
Dear Mr. President:
We write on behalf of Agudath Israel of America, a 103-year-old national Orthodox Jewish organization, to convey our heartfelt appreciation to you for the bold and decisive actions you took on Saturday to prevent Iran from obtaining a nuclear bomb.
Iran has made no secret of its design to annihilate Israel – may it never come to pass! This has been its goal ever since the Islamic Revolution of 1979, when its leaders referred to Israel as a “cancerous tumor” that must be eliminated from the face of this earth. The threat to Israel posed by Iranian nuclear capacity would be existential.
Iran has no credibility with respect to its nuclear program. It has proceeded with impunity to violate its nuclear nonproliferation obligations, as the International Atomic Energy Agency recently detailed in a report where it described Iran’s “rapid accumulation of highly enriched uranium,” and Iran’s failure to provide “technically credible answers regarding the nuclear material at three locations.”
As you know, Mr. President, it’s not just Israel that has an interest in blocking Iran’s nefarious designs. The entire free world has a stake in a de-nuclearized Iran. As you said in your remarks on Saturday, Iran is “the world’s number one state sponsor of terror.” Your courageous actions struck a blow at the heart of global terror. Thank you.
We also thank you, Mr. President, for giving G-d such prominent mention in your moving remarks. Hashem is Master of the Universe, and we pray to Him that we will one day soon see everlasting peace in the Middle East and across the globe.
With our warmest wishes and deep appreciation,
Sol Werdiger
Chairman of the Board
Rabbi David Zwiebel
Executive Vice President
{Matzav.com}
Iranian State TV airs footage of the missiles launched at the U.S. Al-Udeid air base in Qatar.
Major General Yaniv Asor, who leads the IDF’s Southern Command, paid a visit on Monday to the troops of the 252nd Division. During his address, he spoke about the ongoing military campaign in Gaza and reiterated the central objectives of Operation Swords of Iron.
“Since October 7th, we have been at war — a war for our right to live as a free people in our country, a war to preserve the Jewish homeland. These are historic days in which we are initiating, we are surprising, we are daring, and we are striking Iran—the head of the snake,” Asor said.
He emphasized that Hamas cannot be allowed to remain in Gaza and that victory in this campaign is essential. “We cannot tolerate Hamas here — we will not end this war until the threat has been eliminated. It is this campaign which brings us closer to returning the hostages and the fallen. I fully believe that we will not stop until we bring our living brothers and sisters home. This mission lives deep within us,” he said.
Asor highlighted the determination of the IDF and the importance of holding strategic ground to defend nearby Israeli towns. “With a spirit of initiative and offense, determination and perseverance—unrelenting perseverance—we will not stop until you have taken these ridges, the ridge that overlooks Gaza and dramatically improves our ability to protect Netivot, Sderot, Ofakim, Sa’ad, Kibbutz Gaza, Alumim, and Nahal Oz.”
He concluded by describing the emotional and strategic significance of the high ground. “When civilians look up to this ridge, they see the Israeli flag, they see IDF posts, and they feel safe enough to return. We will not stop until we defeat Hamas and bring our hostages home,” the head of the Southern Command concluded.
{Matzav.com}
New York’s governor on Monday proposed the construction of the state’s first new nuclear power plant in decades. Gov. Kathy Hochul directed the state’s power authority to develop an advanced, “zero-emission” facility in upstate New York that she hopes will help create a clean, reliable and affordable electric grid for the state. She said the state power authority will seek to develop “at least” one new nuclear energy facility with a combined capacity of no less than one gigawatt of electricity. That would increase the state’s total nuclear capacity to about 4.3 gigawatts. The Democrat said the state needs to secure its “energy independence” if it wants to continue to attract large manufacturers that create good-paying jobs as it deactivates aging fossil fuel power plants. “We’re going to get it done,” Hochul said, speaking at the Niagara County Power Project in Lewiston. “This historic initiative will lay the foundation for the next generation of prosperity.” The governor said the state hasn’t decided on a potential location, but that upstate communities appear receptive, given the potential for creating 1,600 construction jobs and 1,200 permanent jobs once the facility is operational. “Everybody is raising their hand right now,” Hochul said. “It’s going to be hard to decide.” Among those likely in the running is the Nine Mile Point nuclear plant in Oswego. Hochul’s administration has been supportive of Maryland power company Constellation’s bid to build a new nuclear reactor at the two-reactor facility. American utilities have been broadly reluctant to launch new nuclear plants due to high cost overruns and delays on recent high-profile projects. Georgia Power Company completed the first two new nuclear reactors in the country in a generation last year. But Units 3 and 4 at Plant Vogtle in Waynesboro, Georgia, cost nearly $35 billion and were powered up some seven years later than initially hoped. Last month, the Tennessee Valley Authority, the nation’s largest public power company, applied to the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission to develop what it bills as a next-generation nuclear power plant at its Clinch River site in Oak Ridge. The federally owned utility provides electricity to seven states and operates three traditional, large nuclear power plants, providing about 40% of the Tennessee Valley’s power. New York currently has three active nuclear plants, all located upstate along Lake Ontario and owned by Constellation. The Nine Mile Point, Robert Emmett Ginna and James A. FitzPatrick plants provide about 3.3 gigawatts of power, or roughly 20% of the state’s electricity, according to Hochul’s office. The last nuclear power plant built in the state was Unit 2 at Nine Mile Point in 1989. At its peak, nuclear power provided about 5.4 gigawatts, or roughly one-third of the state’s electrical supply, according to the advocacy group Nuclear New York. The New York Power Authority previously operated two nuclear plants, including the Indian Point Power Plant, which shut down in 2021. That facility was located along the Hudson River some 25 miles (40 kilometers) north of New York City in Buchanan. The other facility, once operated by the state, was the FitzPatrick plant, which the power authority sold in 2000 and is now run by Constellation. (AP)
The war between Israel and Iran has raised concerns that Iran could retaliate by trying to close the Strait of Hormuz, the world’s most important oil chokepoint due to the large volumes of crude that pass through it every day. The U.S. military’s strike on three sites in Iran over the weekend has raised questions about how its military might respond. The Strait of Hormuz is between Oman and Iran, which boasts a fleet of fast-attack boats and thousands of naval mines as well as missiles that it could use to make the strait impassable, at least for a time. Iran’s main naval base at Bandar Abbas is on the north coast of the strait. It could also fire missiles from its long Persian Gulf shore, as its allies, Yemen’s Houthi rebels, have done in the Red Sea. About 20 million barrels of oil per day, or around 20% of the world’s oil consumption, passed through the strait in 2024. Most of that oil goes to Asia. Here is a look at the waterway and its impact on the global economy: An energy highway in a volatile region The strait connects the Persian Gulf with the Gulf of Oman and the Arabian Sea. It’s only 33 kilometers (21 miles) wide at its narrowest point, but deep enough and wide enough to handle the world’s largest crude oil tankers. Oil that passes through the strait comes from Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Iraq, Iran, Kuwait, and Bahrain, while major supplies of liquefied natural gas come from Qatar. At its narrowest point, the sea lanes for tankers lie in Omani waters, and before and after that cross into Iranian territory. While some global oil chokepoints can be circumvented by taking longer routes that simply add costs, that’s not an option for most of the oil moving through the strait. That’s because the pipelines that could be used to carry the oil on land, such as Saudi Arabia’s East-West pipeline, don’t have nearly enough capacity. “Most volumes that transit the strait have no alternative means of exiting the region,” according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration. Closing the Strait of Hormuz would send oil prices massively higher — at least at first If Iran blocked the strait, oil prices could shoot as high as $120-$130 per barrel, at least temporarily, said Homayoun Falakshahi, head of crude oil analyst at Kpler, in an online webinar Sunday. That would deal an inflationary shock to the global economy — if it lasted. Analysts think it wouldn’t. Asia would be directly impacted because 84% of the oil moving through the strait is headed for Asia; top destinations are China, India, Japan and South Korea. China gets 47% of its seaborne oil from the Gulf. China, however, has an oil inventory of 1.1 billion barrels, or 2 1/2 months of supply. U.S. oil customers would feel the impact of the higher prices but would not lose much supply. The U.S. imported only about 7% of its oil from Persian Gulf countries through the strait in 2024, according to the USEIA. That was the lowest level in nearly 40 years. Iran has good reasons not to block the strait Closing the strait would cut off Iran’s own oil exports. While Iran does have a new terminal under construction […]
According to a report by Israel’s Channel 12, Israel has conveyed messages to Iran expressing its desire to bring the current exchange of missiles and aerial strikes to a conclusion within a matter of days.
High-ranking Israeli sources told the outlet that Israel believes it is on the verge of reaching its key military objectives. Nevertheless, they emphasized that Israel retains the ability to intensify its response by targeting thousands of strategic sites that could severely weaken Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei’s regime.
The report also noted that Israel is using its strategy in Lebanon as a blueprint to prevent Iran from reestablishing its nuclear and missile programs. Since Hezbollah agreed to a ceasefire in November, Israel has carried out numerous strikes against the group’s personnel and facilities, aiming to prevent the Iran-aligned organization from launching future attacks or restoring its military infrastructure.
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Matzav.com}
The White House on Monday declared the weekend’s U.S. military strikes on Iran an unqualified success, claiming that the Islamic Republic’s nuclear weapons capability has been entirely dismantled. Speaking on Good Morning America, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt stated with certainty that the strikes “completely and totally obliterated” Iran’s nuclear facilities, including sites used to enrich and store uranium. “They no longer have the capability to build nuclear weapons and threaten the world with them,” Leavitt said. Calling the operation a “resounding success,” Leavitt said the strikes directly targeted facilities believed to house Iran’s enriched uranium stockpiles, including the heavily fortified Fordow facility. “We have a high degree of confidence that where those strikes took place is where Iran’s enriched uranium was stored,” she said. While the Trump administration has not yet provided public evidence to back up its confidence, the strikes employed specialized bunker-busting munitions to penetrate deeply buried targets, which was necessary in targeting the Fordow site, which is built into a mountain and was specifically designed to survive military attacks. The White House also addressed the geopolitical fallout from the strikes. “This strike on Saturday did make our homeland safer,” Leavitt emphasized, linking the operation to the regime’s long-standing threats of “death to America.” She warned Tehran not to escalate tensions further. “The administration is actively and closely monitoring the situation in the Strait of Hormuz — and the Iranian regime would be foolish to make that decision.” (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)
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