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Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu delivered a message to Iran’s leaders on Tuesday, warning that should they decide to attack Israel, the Jewish state’s response will be greater than the last round.

“Don’t count on it to be quiet if you attack us. Don’t count on a rerun. It will be a different broadcast—far more powerful,” the prime minister said while addressing the Negev Conference in Dimona, a regional forum focused on the economic development of Israel’s south.

“We are prepared for any scenario,” he said. “Gone are the days when someone hits us, and we don’t even strike them with a single blow.”

Israel and Iran last exchanged strikes on June 7, when Iran launched ballistic missiles at Israel in retaliation for an Israeli attack against its proxy Hezbollah in Lebanon.

Israel hit Iran’s Mahshahr petrochemical complex in return.

Since then, the Islamic Republic has so far refrained from hitting Israel, even as U.S. and Iranian forces intensify their exchange of volleys.

Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps instead attacked Bahrain, Jordan and three tankers transiting the Strait of Hormuz in response to the latest U.S. strikes.

Two of the vessels, the Mombasa and Al Bahiyah, which were linked to the United Arab Emirates, briefly caught fire, the Associated Press reported. The Emirati Defense Ministry said the attacks killed one mariner and wounded eight others.

Bahrain’s Defense Force said its air defenses intercepted “a number of treacherous Iranian aerial attacks,” adding that “the deliberate use of missiles and drones to target civilians and private property constitutes a flagrant violation of international humanitarian law.”

A Jordanian military source told the state-run Petra News Agency that the army “successfully intercepted and shot down four missiles that breached Jordanian airspace from Iranian territory early Tuesday.”

U.S. President Donald Trump ordered more strikes against Iranian regime targets on Monday in response to the Islamic Republic’s attacks on commercial ships in the Strait of Hormuz.

Also on Monday, Trump told Fox News that the United States will be “taking over” the Strait of Hormuz.

In a subsequent Truth Social post, Trump declared the Strait open and that, from “this point forward,” the United States will be known as “the guardian of the Hormuz Strait.”

He said that America is reimposing the Iranian blockade, “so named because it is only stopping Iran’s ships or customers from entering or leaving. All other countries will have fair and open use of the Strait.”

However, Washington said it will charge 20% on all cargo shipped, plus “costs necessary to do the job of providing safety and security to this very volatile section of the World,” Trump added.

CENTCOM said the blockade on all “maritime traffic entering and exiting Iranian ports” would go into effect at 4 p.m. Eastern Time on Tuesday. JNS

{Matzav.com}

One of Israel’s most sweeping public transportation reforms in decades has been pulled from the Knesset agenda after Chareidi parties objected over concerns that it could eventually undermine the longstanding status quo regarding Shabbos.

The Metropolitan Transportation Reform, which was approved by the Knesset Economics Committee last month for its second and third readings, was expected to come before the Knesset plenum on Tuesday. Instead, lawmakers removed the legislation from the agenda amid opposition from Chareidi coalition partners.

The proposed reform would transfer broad authority over public transportation planning and management from the Transportation Ministry to newly established metropolitan authorities. Although supporters repeatedly emphasized during committee deliberations that the legislation would not authorize local governments to operate public transportation on Shabbos or alter existing arrangements, Chareidi lawmakers remained concerned that future administrations could use the new framework to erode the status quo.

As previously reported, the legislation had already faced significant obstacles before clearing the Economics Committee, with one of the primary disputes centering on who would lead the newly created metropolitan transportation authorities.

During negotiations led by Economics Committee Chairman MK David Bitan, a compromise was reached under which the director of Israel’s National Public Transportation Authority would head the Gush Dan metropolitan authority for an initial transition period of 18 months. After that, the position would be transferred to a representative of the Tel Aviv municipality, followed by elections among all member municipalities.

The Transportation Ministry opposed that arrangement, insisting that the National Public Transportation Authority retain control for three years instead. The disagreement delayed the legislation and added another layer of political complexity to the reform.

Under the version approved by the Economics Committee, the Gush Dan metropolitan authority would include Tel Aviv, Bnei Brak, Ramat Gan, Holon, Bat Yam, Givatayim, Herzliya, and Ramat Hasharon, with Rishon LeZion and Kiryat Ono expected to join later.

According to sources, Bnei Brak would hold only about 13 percent of the voting power within the metropolitan authority. City officials expressed concern that neighboring municipalities could approve major public transportation policies without meaningful input from the predominantly Torah-observant city.

Beit Shemesh sought to be excluded entirely from the legislation, fearing that Jerusalem would control an overwhelming majority of the voting power within the Jerusalem metropolitan authority. That request was ultimately granted, and Beit Shemesh was removed from the framework. Mevaseret Zion was also excluded, while Tzur Hadassah was added to the Jerusalem metropolitan authority. At the same time, Rechasim was incorporated into the Haifa metropolitan authority.

Alongside the metropolitan transportation reform, the Economics Committee separately approved legislation repealing amendments to the Parking Law. Under the revised measure, private parking facilities will once again be permitted to charge by the full hour and then in 15-minute increments. That provision passed independently and is expected to take effect four months after the law is officially published.

With the metropolitan reform now off the Knesset agenda, it remains unclear when it will return for debate and a final vote. Its future is expected to depend on negotiations between the coalition and the Chareidi parties, particularly over guarantees that the legislation will not lead to any erosion of the Shabbos status quo.

{Matzav.com}

President Donald Trump is signaling that the U.S. military campaign against Iran will continue to escalate, declaring that the strikes will not stop until he decides they have achieved their objective. He also warned that critical infrastructure, including energy facilities, power plants, and bridges, could soon become targets unless Tehran agrees to negotiations.

Speaking with Fox News correspondent Trey Yingst, Trump said the campaign is being deliberately phased, with Iran’s energy sector reserved for later stages of the operation.

“I’ll save the energy targets for last, but ultimately we’ll hit energy targets,” Trump told Fox News reporter Trey Yingst in an interview.

Trump also described an aggressive timetable for the ongoing military action, saying the intensity of the strikes would increase over the coming days.

“We’re going to hit them very hard tonight. We’re going to hit them very hard tomorrow night. We’re going to hit them very hard the night after, and then next week it gets really bad for them because next week comes the power plants,” Trump said.

The president went on to warn that even broader attacks on Iran’s infrastructure would follow if its leadership refuses to enter negotiations with the United States.

“Next week comes the bridges. We’re going to knock out all their power plants. We’re going to knock out all their bridges unless they get to the table and negotiate.”

{Matzav.com}