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Demonstrators protesting construction of the Yerushalayim light rail once again disrupted service Wednesday night, blocking the tracks along Bar-Lev Boulevard before continuing their protest near Rechov Bar-Ilan. The demonstration temporarily halted rail operations and added to mounting delays and financial losses tied to the ongoing campaign against the project.

Protesters gathered along the route of the light rail on Bar-Lev Boulevard, preventing trains from passing and disrupting service for commuters.

Officers from the Yerushalayim District Police, along with Border Police personnel, responded to the scene. A police commander declared the gathering an unlawful disturbance and instructed demonstrators to clear the tracks. When they refused, security forces moved in to disperse the crowd, eventually reopening the route.

At the same time, a separate protest continued near Bar-Ilan, where demonstrators gathered along another section of the light rail construction zone. Police remained at the scene as the protest continued.

As a result of the demonstration, the Yerushalayim Light Rail announced that train service between the Yekutiel Adam Station and the Central Bus Station had been suspended. Approximately 30 minutes later, limited service resumed, operating only between Hadassah Ein Kerem and Givat HaMivtar Station in both directions.

Wednesday night’s protest was the latest in a series of recurring demonstrations targeting the light rail construction near Bar-Ilan Street. The area has repeatedly seen road blockages, confrontations with police, and damage to infrastructure and construction equipment.

The economic impact of the sustained protests has become increasingly significant. According to published estimates, vandalism, construction delays, and repeated disruptions have caused approximately 400 million shekels in losses to the Green Line project.

Those delays have also forced officials to revise the project’s timetable. Sections of the line where construction proceeded without disruption are expected to open later this year, while the Bar-Ilan Street segment has reportedly been pushed back by at least a year, with completion now projected for the end of 2027.

Despite the mounting financial losses and repeated delays, the nightly demonstrations have continued, and Wednesday’s protest once again succeeded in disrupting light rail service in Yerushalayim.

{Matzav.com}

President Trump said Wednesday night that Iran has reached out to the United States seeking a deal, but questioned whether Tehran could be trusted to honor any agreement as American forces continued a second straight night of military strikes against Iranian targets.

Speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One while returning to Washington from Turkey, Trump said Iranian officials had recently contacted him in hopes of restarting negotiations.

“Iran called a while ago. They want to make a deal so badly,” said the President, who added, “I just don’t know if they are worthy. I don’t know if they are going to honor the deal. That’s the problem.”

Trump on Iran:

Iran called a while ago. They want to make a deal so badly.

I just don't know if they are worthy. I don't know if they are going to honor the deal. That's the problem. pic.twitter.com/yE63e3lfVP

— Clash Report (@clashreport) July 8, 2026

Trump’s remarks came after the U.S. military carried out another wave of attacks inside Iran, marking the second consecutive night of American strikes.

Discussing the latest operation, Trump vowed that the United States would continue responding forcefully to any Iranian aggression.

“We just hit them very hard. We hit them 20 to 1. Every time they hit us, we are going to hit them 20.”

When asked whether he had received intelligence about specific threats from Iran, Trump acknowledged that he remains a primary target.

“I hear threats all the time. I am number one on their list.”

Earlier Wednesday, U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) confirmed that American forces had begun launching additional military operations against Iranian targets.

The announcement followed reports of explosions in several locations across Iran, including Bandar Abbas, Chabahar, and Kharg Island.

“At the direction of the Commander in Chief, US Central Command forces have started conducting additional strikes against Iran to further degrade their ability to threaten freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz,” said CENTCOM.

“The United States is holding Iran accountable for recent unjustified aggression against commercial shipping and civilian crews freely navigating a vital international waterway,” it added.

Trump also addressed the military action in a post on Truth Social, framing the strikes as retaliation for Iran’s attacks on commercial shipping.

“This is in retribution for yesterday’s bombing of ships by Iran. If it happens again, it will get much worse!” he wrote.

At the same time, a U.S. official told CNN that the ceasefire between the United States and Iran “has at least temporarily ceased”.

The official said the situation remains highly fluid and warned that additional military action could follow beyond the strikes already announced. According to the official, U.S. forces are closely monitoring developments, while the latest attacks were directed at Iranian missiles and drones that could threaten American military assets, including aircraft carriers.

The newest round of strikes followed a large-scale operation the previous night, when CENTCOM said it attacked more than 80 targets across Iran using precision-guided munitions in what it described as “as an immediate response to Iran’s latest attacks on commercial vessels transiting the Strait of Hormuz.”

{Matzav.com}

President Trump received a blunt threat from Iran on Wednesday after declaring that the U.S.-Iran ceasefire appeared to have collapsed and signaling that additional American military action—including possible strikes involving Iran’s vital Kharg Island oil terminal—could be on the table.

The warning came from Ebrahim Rezaei, spokesman for the Iranian Parliament’s National Security and Foreign Policy Committee, after Trump discussed the possibility of further military operations against the strategically important island during remarks at the NATO summit in Turkey.

Speaking to reporters, Trump revealed that American forces had already carried out an attack involving part of Kharg Island and suggested that additional action could follow.

“We attacked Kharg Island last night, knocked out a piece,” Trump said.

“I said, ‘Don’t touch the oil, because maybe we’ll take over Kharg Island.'”

“I said, ‘Don’t hit the pipes, just hit everything else.'”

“And they hit it.”

“They may hit it again tonight.”

Trump also indicated that the ceasefire between Washington and Tehran was effectively finished following the latest exchange of military strikes.

Rezaei responded with a direct warning in a post on X.

“Come — we are waiting for you — and we promise that not a single American soldier will return alive,” Rezaei wrote, according to an English translation provided by X.

Situated in the Persian Gulf off Iran’s southern coastline, Kharg Island serves as the country’s primary oil export terminal and is widely viewed as one of Tehran’s most strategically valuable assets.

Roughly 90% of Iran’s crude oil exports typically pass through the island, making it a crucial source of government revenue and a prime target for any effort aimed at disrupting Iran’s ability to finance its activities.

Its proximity to the Strait of Hormuz further elevates its importance, as the narrow waterway is one of the world’s most critical maritime chokepoints for global energy shipments.

Earlier in the conflict, reports indicated that the Trump administration evaluated several military options involving Kharg Island, including possible operations to seize the island or strike facilities connected to Iran’s oil export infrastructure.

According to those reports, U.S. officials also examined potential military operations targeting other islands near the Strait of Hormuz as part of broader efforts to reduce Iran’s ability to threaten international shipping.

Kharg Island was also hit during fighting in April.

At that time, the Trump administration emphasized that the strikes were not directed at Iran’s oil production or export facilities.

{Matzav.com}

President Trump unexpectedly abandoned plans to depart Turkey aboard the new $400 million Air Force One on Wednesday, opting instead for the older presidential aircraft as tensions with Iran intensified. The sudden decision immediately fueled widespread speculation that security concerns — including the possibility of an Iranian attack — played a role, particularly after Trump repeatedly discussed Tehran’s alleged desire to assassinate him.

Rather than returning from the NATO summit aboard the lavish new aircraft that he had enthusiastically debuted last week, Trump boarded the previous version of Air Force One. The switch came just days after he had begun showcasing the new jet, which he has repeatedly praised as a major upgrade to the presidential fleet.

Although Trump publicly insisted the new aircraft was heading to England so American service members could tour it, many questioned that explanation after he spent much of the day highlighting threats from Iran against his life.

Asked directly during a press conference whether security concerns influenced the decision, Trump stopped short of dismissing the suggestion.

“I’m number one on the kill list for Iran. They’re lovely people,” Trump told a NY Post reporter who asked if security concerns motivated the switch.

Earlier Wednesday, Trump also warned of the danger posed by Tehran, saying, “They want to take out the US leader, me … And so far, I guess I’ve been a little bit lucky. But that maybe doesn’t last very long.”

When questioned by a New York Times reporter about why he wasn’t using the new aircraft, Trump responded: “It’s flying to Europe, to one of the big bases, two or three of the big bases, where we can show it to the people, and we’ll be going home by normal methods.”

The president had eagerly displayed the aircraft during its first official outings, including two domestic trips last week, and upon arriving in Ankara on Tuesday, he again praised the jet’s luxurious features.

The older Air Force One is widely believed to be equipped with advanced missile-defense systems, one reason officials have long restricted close-up photographs of the aircraft’s rear section. Whether the newly acquired presidential jet has been fitted with comparable defensive capabilities has not been publicly confirmed.

The aircraft change came as Trump dramatically escalated military pressure on Iran. Overnight, he ordered a new wave of American airstrikes, declared the recently brokered peace arrangement effectively finished, and warned that additional strikes could follow later Wednesday. He also floated the possibility of targeting Iran’s Kharg Island oil terminal and restoring a naval blockade.

In his initial social media announcement, Trump framed the decision as a tribute to American troops.

“We are sending the brand new, and truly spectacular, Air Force One to Mildenhall Air Force Base, in the United Kingdom, to give them a chance to tour the Aircraft — Everybody is so excited, and we thought that they should be the first,” Trump wrote.

He added, “For old time’s sake, we’ll be taking the former Air Force One, from Turkey to Mildenhall, a short trip that is totally worth doing in order to give our Great Military Heroes a chance to appreciate our beautiful new addition to the Air Force Fleet!”

Military analysts suggested the official explanation may not tell the whole story. Retired Army Gen. Robert Abrams told ABC News that security at Ankara’s airport “was probably a concern” and that “it had to be significant enough, I think, in this case for President Trump to agree not to fly out on it.”

Marc Polymeropoulos, a retired CIA official, also questioned whether the aircraft was fully prepared for overseas presidential missions, writing on X that he believed the plane was “not equipped with [an] appropriate comms/force pro[tection]/security package” for international duty and that “Secret Service and US [Air Force] pleas must have won out.”