Iran reopens most entrances to 18 underground missile sites struck in war – report

Iran has salvaged entrances to dozens of missile facilities struck by the US and Israel in the recent war, a Sunday report said, as the Islamic Republic continues to rebuild its military infrastructure amid ceasefire talks with the US. According to CNN, citing satellite images, Iran has been able to dig out 50 of 69 tunnel entrances at 18 separate underground missile facilities across the country. It has also repaired other damaged areas of those bases, including key access roads that the US and Israel bombed during the war, the report said.

The regime is “poised to fire far more long-range missiles at Israel and other Middle Eastern nations after rapidly digging out its buried arsenals,” the report said, quoting experts as saying that Iran still possesses some 1,000 ballistic missiles, most of which are stored in those 18 sites. This stockpile of missiles is stored deep below the surface, and largely went untouched by the US and Israeli strikes, which targeted tunnel entrances and surrounding infrastructure, the report said. According to experts cited by CNN, the recent satellite images have revealed the limits of the bombing campaign, with Iran using bulldozers and dump trucks to reopen the missile sites.

Iran can now “continue launching missiles so long as they have launchers and crews, even if production has halted,” Sam Lair, a research associate at the James Martin Center for Nonproliferation Studies, told CNN. “There’s nothing to prevent the launchers from being armed with the ample stockpile of missiles that the Iranians still have.” According to a recent report by Channel 12, Iran has also resumed production of ballistic missiles, at a rate far faster than initially expected. Israeli defense officials also assess Iran could rebuild its drone capabilities within months and significantly ramp up ballistic missile production within about a year, or possibly sooner, the report said. (Read More)

US strikes Iranian targets along Strait of Hormuz as Kuwait defends against drones, missiles

The United States struck Iranian targets in Goruk and Qeshm Island, both located along the Strait of Hormuz, US Central Command (CENTCOM) announced on Monday on X/Twitter. According to CENTCOM, the attacks were in response to Iran's downing of an American MQ-1 Reaper drone. Fighter jets had also been heard over several parts of Tehran, Iran International reported on Monday, citing residents of the city.

Additionally, three explosions were heard in Bandar Abbas on the Strait of Hormuz on Monday morning, according to the outlet. The IRGC later confirmed that it had struck a US air base after an American attack reportedly launched from it targeted a telecoms tower on Sirik Island. No exact location of the base was given, but CENTCOM confirmed that no US personnel were harmed in the strike.

Also on Monday, Kuwait's air defense systems worked to intercept missile and drone attacks, according to its official X account. The Kuwaiti Army said that its air defenses were "currently confronting hostile missile and drone attacks." "The General Staff of the Army notes that if explosion sounds are heard, they result from the air defense systems intercepting the hostile attacks," the statement added.No immediate reports of casualties or damage were available. No immediate reports of casualties or damage were available. (Source)

Rupture at the Top: Internal State Documents Expose Sudden Resignation Request by Iranian President

The highest echelons of the Iranian political establishment have been thrown into a state of unprecedented turmoil following reports that President Masoud Pezeshkian has submitted an official letter of resignation to the office of Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei. The unexpected administrative fracture, initially disclosed by independent regional opposition networks, points to a profound institutional crisis at the heart of the Islamic Republic. Sources familiar with the document reveal that the president utilized remarkably sharp, critical language to describe a systemic collapse of civilian authority across the country.

In his highly confidential correspondence, Pezeshkian issued a stark warning stating that the central governing apparatus of the nation has effectively been pulled away from legitimate constitutional channels. The president explicitly asserted that the vital decision-making centers of the state are now under the absolute, unchecked control of a specific faction of senior commanders within the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. This dramatic assessment indicates that the elected civilian government has been completely marginalized, reducing the presidency to little more than symbolic window dressing for a military junta.

The outgoing chief executive further emphasized that the vacuum created by the systematic exclusion of his cabinet paved a direct path for radical elements within the paramilitary structure to usurp core national institutions. Under these severe constraints, Pezeshkian declared that he is no longer capable of managing the daily affairs of the government or fulfilling his statutory obligations to the public, prompting his demand for an immediate exit from office. While state-aligned media networks in Tehran have spent weeks denying any internal rifts, the emergence of this letter suggests the system is cracking under the combined weight of war pressure, international sanctions, and deep internal distrust. (Read More)

Israel asks US to allow for expanded Beirut strikes, sources tell 'Post' - exclusive

Senior Israeli officials have appealed to senior US officials to allow the IDF to expand the strikes in Beirut, two sources told The Jerusalem Post on Sunday. According to the sources, Israeli officials are hopeful that, given the lack of progress in both the negotiations between Washington and Tehran and the talks between Israel and Lebanon, the US response will be favorable. Early Monday morning, UK Foreign Minister Yvette Cooper called on Israel to halt its Lebanon operations, saying, "It must end."

"Israel's military escalation in Lebanon has killed and displaced civilians, destroyed infrastructure, and eroded space for diplomacy," said Cooper. On Sunday, German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul called for all sides in the conflict to cease hostilities, describing Israel's push into southern Lebanon as "cause for serious concern."

"Any further escalation will exacerbate the already tense situation and trigger new waves of displacement within Lebanon," Wadephul added. On Sunday morning, the IDF announced it had taken control of the Beaufort Ridge outpost and Wadi al-Saluki areas north of the Litani River in southern Lebanon. The IAF, artillery, and tanks conducted extensive support strikes against Hezbollah infrastructure in the area to reduce resistance ahead of the advance. (Read More)

Netanyahu: IDF will strike in Beirut following Hezbollah violations

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu greenlights strikes in Hezbollah stronghold in Beirut following death of IDF soldier, repeated and increased fire from Lebanon.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday morning announced the approval of strikes in Beirut, following the deaths of two IDF soldiers and a sharp increase in Hezbollah launches towards northern Israel. "Due to repeated violations of the ceasefire in Lebanon by the Hezbollah terror group and the attacks against our cities and citizens, I have instructed the IDF, together with Defense Minister Israel Katz, to strike terror targets in the Dahieh quarter of Beirut," Netanyahu announced in a statement.

The Dahieh, literally "suburb," is an upper-class Beirut neighborhood known for being a Hezbollah stronghold and home to a significant portion of the terror group's infrastructure. Despite Hezbollah's increased aggression, Israel has largely avoided striking the Dahieh due to opposition from US President Donald Trump. 

Meanwhile, Israel believes that Hezbollah's core command centers have not returned to operations in Dahieh, i24NEWS reported. According to that report, the terror group moved its core centers to other areas in Beirut and outside it at the start of the war, and has not moved them back since the ceasefire began. (Source)

IDF captures strategic Beaufort Castle, as soldier killed in Hezbollah drone strike

Israel captured the historic Beaufort Castle and the surrounding strategic ridge as it pushed deeper into Lebanon, the IDF announced on Sunday. The IDF’s advance into Lebanon, in an effort to constrict Hezbollah rocket and drone fire, came as a soldier was killed and four others were lightly wounded in a Hezbollah explosive drone attack a short distance away. The soldier, Staff Sgt. Michael Tyukin, 21, of the Givati Brigade’s Reconnaissance Unit, was an only child who moved to Israel from Ukraine with his mother in 2020.

Troops took over territory in the Beaufort Ridge and Wadi Saluki stream area and expanded strikes north of the Litani River after the Hezbollah terror group fired multiple rockets and drones at Israel on Saturday afternoon and evening, forcing schools near the border with Lebanon to close on Sunday. Israel had withdrawn from Beaufort in 2000, when it pulled out of southern Lebanon. The castle is some five kilometers from the border, and its recapture is not the IDF’s deepest advance into Lebanon, with troops operating up to 10 kilometers from the border since 2024.

Footage from Sunday morning showed Israeli and IDF flags flying over the citadel, a strategic medieval Crusader-built fortress with symbolic importance in the history of Israel’s military entanglements in Lebanon. Shelling was audible and smoke rose from the surrounding area.The fortress, also known as Qalaat al-Shakif, commands sweeping views of the Galilee Panhandle in northern Israel, as well as the Nabatieh area in southern Lebanon, making it a position of considerable strategic value. Israeli troops captured the castle in one of the first battles of the First Lebanon War in 1982. (Ed note: Great videos of the old castle. Do take a minute and check them out.) (Read More)

IDF captures strategic ridge in deepest incursion into Lebanon since 2000

Israel Defense Forces ground troops have captured a strategic mountain ridge in southeastern Lebanon in their deepest incursion into the country in 26 years, the military said on Sunday. Israeli forces seized Beaufort Castle near the city of Nabatieh as part of the army’s efforts to “eliminate the direct threat to communities in the Galilee Panhandle, including Metula,” it stated. Troops have been advancing deeper into Lebanon for several days after crossing the Litani River, marking an expansion of operations. Israeli forces are now some 5 kilometers, or 3 miles, from Nabatieh, a major urban center and Hezbollah stronghold.

“The operation is focused on gaining control of the Beaufort Ridge and the Wadi al-Saluki area, while also intensifying the campaign against Hezbollah and destroying significant terrorist infrastructure established on the ridge with Iranian guidance,” the IDF said. “In addition, the forces are operating against launch infrastructure in the area that was used to carry out hundreds of rocket launches against Israeli civilians and IDF troops operating in Southern Lebanon,” it added. The military said the operation was one of dozens carried out in recent weeks as part of its ongoing campaign against the Iranian terrorist proxy. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the IDF returned to the Beaufort Ridge “united, determined and stronger than ever.”

“I remind you that 44 years ago, this place was a symbol of a heroic battle by our fighters, but it was also a symbol of deep division among us,” he said, referencing the June 1982 battle for the mountain ridge during the First Lebanon War. Netanyahu added, “Today, we returned to Beaufort differently.” “I have instructed the IDF to expand the incursion in Lebanon. Our forces have crossed the Litani River. They took dominant terrain. They captured the Beaufort ridge. And now my instruction is to deepen and expand our hold on places that were under Hezbollah’s control,” the premier declared. (Ed note: The castle was a Crusader Castle built in the 12th century, circa 1137–1139.)    (Read More)

Satellite Images From Iran Tell a Story Washington Doesn't Want told.

Satellite images show Iran's bulldozers have been working around the clock since the strikes. The tunnels are reopening. US interceptors are running low. The ceasefire is fictional. Three months after the United States and Israel launched a sweeping bombing campaign against Iran's underground missile infrastructure, satellite imagery reviewed by CNN shows that Iran has already reopened 50 of the 69 tunnel entrances that were struck across 18 underground missile facilities. The images document fleets of heavy construction vehicles clearing rubble, filling cratered access roads, and in at least two cases repaving them entirely. The finding raises uncomfortable questions about what the bombing campaign actually achieved, and what it left intact.

The strategy behind striking tunnel entrances rather than the facilities themselves was deliberate: deeply buried underground complexes are largely impervious to conventional air-delivered munitions, even the largest bunker-busters in the US arsenal. The operational logic was to seal the tunnels, trapping missile launchers and equipment inside and preventing them from being driven out to firing positions. What the satellite images now show is that Iran's engineering corps has been methodically unstopping those seals, one entrance at a time, with bulldozers visible at multiple sites within days of the initial strikes.

The tunnel reopenings are the most visible sign of a broader Iranian reconstitution effort that US intelligence has been tracking since the ceasefire. Iran has already rebuilt some missile production facilities that were struck during the Twelve-Day War of June 2025, according to CNN, and US assessments indicate that drone production has been restarted and launcher capacity is being replaced. Iran is reported to have boosted drone production roughly tenfold since the start of the conflict, compensating for degraded ballistic missile infrastructure by pivoting to mass production of cheaper, expendable one-way attack drones that can be launched in overwhelming waves.

That pivot is deliberate and strategically coherent. Iran has launched over 3,000 drones at Gulf states and approximately 1,000 ballistic missiles since February 28, according to JINSA's Gemunder Center for Defense and Strategy. The drone campaign is not designed primarily to achieve precision strikes. It is designed to drain the interceptor stockpiles of the United States and its regional partners, forcing them to expend high-cost interceptors against low-cost threats in a ratio that Tehran calculates it can sustain longer than Washington can. (Read More)

Iran has reopened most entrances to 18 underground missile sites struck in war — report

Iran has salvaged 50 out of 69 tunnel entrances at 18 underground missile facilities struck by the US and Israel in the recent war, CNN reports, citing satellite images. The regime is “poised to fire far more long-range missiles at Israel and other Middle Eastern nations after rapidly digging out its buried arsenals,” the report says. Experts speaking to CNN say the images reveal the limits of the Israel-US bombing campaign, with Iran using bulldozers and dump trucks to reopen the missile sites.

Iran can now “continue launching missiles so long as they have launchers and crews, even if production has halted,” Sam Lair, a research associate at the James Martin Center for Nonproliferation Studies, told CNN. “There’s nothing to prevent the launchers from being armed with the ample stockpile of missiles that the Iranians still have.”

The ceasefire declared by Trump in April came with core declared goals of the war unfulfilled, including ensuring that Iran does not attain nuclear weapons, destroying its missile program, and creating the conditions for the Iranian public to overthrow the regime. (Source)

Trump Hardens Iran Deal Terms after Khamenei Fails to Sign Agreement

US president signals no money will flow and demands total nuclear disarmament; Iran denies nuclear negotiations are even taking place. A carefully negotiated ceasefire framework between the United States and Iran is teetering on the edge of collapse after Iran's Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei failed to formally approve the agreed terms, prompting President Donald Trump to harden his conditions and freeze key financial provisions of the proposed deal.

Negotiators from the US and Iran reached agreement on a 60-day memorandum of understanding (MoU) to extend the ongoing ceasefire, according to a Thursday Axios report confirmed by two US officials. However, Mojtaba Khamenei has not approved the drafted agreement, which is why President Trump has also withheld his own approval, a source familiar with the matter told The Jerusalem Post. In effect, there appears to be an understanding among Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad-Bagher Ghalibaf, and US envoy Steve Witkoff and his team, but senior Iranian leadership has not yet formally agreed to a ceasefire extension.

US Vice President JD Vance described talks as making "good progress," and said that if signed, the memorandum of understanding would be the most significant diplomatic step since the war began on February 28. According to US sources, the draft terms include unrestricted shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, Iran removing all mines from the strait within 30 days, a proportional lifting of the US naval blockade as commercial shipping resumes, US sanctions waivers to allow Iran to sell oil, Iran's commitment not to pursue nuclear weapons, and a US commitment to discuss sanctions relief.

A two-month extension of the ceasefire would also extend beyond the FIFA World Cup period, during which Iran is scheduled to play all three group-stage matches on US soil, providing both sides with an opportunity to consolidate their positions without committing to final decisions. With Khamenei's silence frustrating Washington, Trump moved to tighten his demands. Trump insisted that Iran must agree it will "never have a nuclear weapon or bomb," and that Iran's stockpiles of highly enriched uranium — which he called "nuclear dust" — will be "unearthed" and destroyed by the US in close coordination with Iran and the UN's nuclear energy agency.

He also announced: "No money will be exchanged, until further notice," appearing to freeze the sanctions relief Iran was supposed to receive under the MoU once signed, adding that "other items, of far less importance, have been agreed to." Trump had told advisers a day earlier that he was not satisfied with the current state of talks. (Read More)

Trump said seeking changes to Iran deal, focused on fate of uranium stockpile

US President Donald Trump put off his decision on the memorandum of understanding with Iran after demanding his team secure more concessions on Iran’s nuclear program, Axios reported Sunday, citing a senior administration official and a US source briefed on the matter. Trump also wants some changes to the draft’s language about reopening the Strait of Hormuz, the second source said, without elaborating. A separate report in Israeli daily Israel Hayom said the US let dozens of Qatari oil and liquefied natural gas tankers sail through the strait over the past week after Iran okayed the tankers’ passage and in some cases received payment for it.

Some of the vessels were even escorted by the US Navy, said Israel Hayom, which cited three unidentified diplomatic and intelligence sources. According to the report, the vessels were headed to Europe and East Asia, mostly India or China. Trump on Friday said he was entering the Situation Room for a “final determination” on Iran, after the White House said that, pending his approval, Washington and Tehran had agreed to a 60-day ceasefire extension during which the sides would hammer out nuclear commitments.

The Situation Room meeting ended inconclusively, according to US media, and Iranian officials denied Trump’s suggestions that the memorandum of understanding contains nuclear concessions or a commitment to fully reopening the strait. The senior official cited by Axios said Trump asked his team during the meeting to amend the timetable of the nuclear talks, in which the US seeks to remove about 10 warheads’ worth of highly enriched uranium that Iran has amassed. The material is thought to have been buried after the US hit key Iranian nuclear sites during the June 2025 Israel-Iran war.

Trump wants “more specifics about how the US gets the material and the timing,” the official was quoted as saying. According to the official, the Iranians would need about three days to get back to Trump because “they’re literally in caves and they’re not using email.” Washington is “willing to wait so the president gets what he asks for,” the official said. “It could be a week. It could be less. It could be more. At the turn of the week, we hope to have something.” The White House did not immediately comment, Axios said. (Read More)

Hezbollah expands range of rocket fire (ACRE)

Sirens sound across northern Israel as additional areas absorb rocket fire from the Hezbollah terror group; hospitals move underground.

Sirens sounded on Sunday afternoon in the city of Akko (Acre) and its industrial zone, shortly after a preliminary warning was issued regarding the possibility of rocket fire toward the area. Preliminary warnings were also issued in the Krayot area near Haifa. In Kiryat Shmona, a preliminary warning was given about half a minute before the sirens were activated. At the same time, sirens sounded in many communities along the Israel-Lebanon border.

Earlier, several launches were identified from Lebanon toward the Nahariya area. The Israeli Air Force intercepted some of the launches, while others fell in open areas. No injuries were reported. Sirens along the confrontation line have continued repeatedly, and since the morning, numerous sirens have sounded in the area - both due to rocket and missile fire and due to concerns of hostile aircraft infiltrations - in Rosh Hanikra, Betzet, Shlomi, the Miluot North Industrial Zone, Achziv Beach, Liman, Hanita, Ya’ara, Adamit, Arab al-Aramshe, Shomera, Even Menachem, Zar’it, Gesher Haziv, Sa’ar, Metula, Kfar Giladi, Tel Hai, Kiryat Shmona, and Beit Hillel.

At the same time, amid the increase in fire and alerts, hospitals in northern Israel officially announced that they are moving their medical activity to protected spaces and underground areas. (Ed note: The city of Acre is located about 14 miles north of the city of Haifa, and is situated across the northern curve of the Bay of Haifa.)    (Source)

WATCH: People run for shelter as Hezbollah rocket barrage hits water near Nahariya beach

Hezbollah fired its first barrage of missiles against Nahariya in almost a month, with the IDF reporting that several projectiles were intercepted or fell into open areas.

Hezbollah fired dozens of missiles and drones at the North over the weekend, with the IDF saying it was planning to intensify its campaign against the terrorist organization in Lebanon. Residents of numerous northern communities rushed to shelters as sirens sounded throughout the Western and Upper Galilee. A video circulated by Army Radio on Saturday from a Nahariya beach showed missiles from a Hezbollah barrage hitting the ocean, with beachgoers running for cover amid explosions.

This was Hezbollah’s first barrage on Nahariya in almost a month. The IDF said that several projectiles were intercepted or fell in open areas. The terrorist organization also targeted Karmiel in an incident that represented the farthest attack by Hezbollah since the ceasefire went into effect a month ago. Hezbollah has intensified its fire over Friday night and into Saturday. It fired between 10 and 15 missiles overnight and more during the day. One of those directly hit Kiryat Shmona’s city center overnight, the IDF said on Saturday.

According to the city’s mayor, Avichai Stern, the other missiles were successfully intercepted by the Iron Dome during that barrage. Meanwhile, the IDF said on Saturday that it was preparing for the possibility of intensified fire from Lebanon, specifically toward the North, following the progress of IDF operations in Lebanon. While there is no change to the Home Front Command guidelines, the army said that the public should remain vigilant and act responsibly while continuing to adhere to the current regulations. (Ed note: The city of Nahariya is located directly on the Mediterranean Sea and is about 34 miles north of Haifa. It is Israel's northernmost coastal city, just south of the Lebanese border. Nahariya has a population of about 64,000 people, and was founded in 1935 by Jewish refugees fleeing Nazi Germany.)  (Source)

Metula leader: ‘If our residents don’t sleep, Beirut won’t sleep either’

Metula Council head David Azulay decries another night of sirens and fear along the northern border, demanding a stronger Israeli response as IDF forces reportedly operate north of the Litani.

The Israeli Air Force on Saturday struck several targets in southern Lebanon, after IDF Arabic-language spokesman Avichay Adraee issued evacuation notices to residents of many villages, instructing them to move north of the Zahrani River. A senior Lebanese military source said that IDF forces crossed the Litani River in southern Lebanon and are on the outskirts of the city of Nabatieh. According to the report, Zawtar al-Sharqiya and Shqif Arnoun are among the villages and towns reached by the forces north of the Litani.

The Lebanese army reported that two Lebanese soldiers were seriously wounded after being attacked inside a vehicle by an Israeli UAV on the main road in the Aabba area near Nabatieh. Meanwhile, Hezbollah launched dozens of rockets and drones towards northern Israel, one of which directly hit the commercial center in Kiryat Shmona. Metula Council head David Azulay slammed, "This was another night of abandonment, sirens, running to protected spaces, and an impossible reality for the residents of the Upper Galilee and the confrontation line, and the Israeli government simply does not care.

We cannot continue to normalize this insane reality." "As long as the residents of Metula, Kiryat Shmona, Misgav Am, Shomera, Zar’it, Liman, and the entire confrontation line are not sleeping - the residents of Beirut will not sleep either! The ceasefire exists only there - and we will not accept this reality." (Ed note: Listen up, President Trump! If the residents of the cities and towns of northern Israel can't sleep at night, why should the residents of Beirut be any different?) (Source)

IDF expanding operations in southern Lebanon

Special operation north of the Litani River, planned for over a year, aims to secure Metula and other Galilee Panhandle communities.

The IDF’s ground maneuver in southern Lebanon is undergoing a dramatic expansion. Kan News reported that the special operation, whose planning began more than a year ago, includes activity north of the Litani River. As part of the operation, the IDF is capturing areas, has built at least five bridges over the Litani, and has opened routes using engineering forces through the Lebanese thicket and among boulders, allowing many forces to cross to the other side of the river.

The goal of the operation is to remove the direct anti-tank missile threat to communities in the Galilee Panhandle, especially Metula, since the area toward which IDF forces are advancing dominates the town, allowing both observation and fire.

The report also stated that the IDF tried to carry out this operation two months ago with the 98th Division, but the soldiers encountered Hezbollah ambushes, the plans were not sufficiently developed, and Northern Command chief Maj. Gen. Rafi Milo ordered the operation canceled and transferred to the 36th Division, which planned it anew. (Source)

Israel shuts schools near Lebanon border amid repeated Hezbollah rocket, drone attacks

IDF Home Front Command tightens guidelines, as Nahariya hospital moves operations underground; Lebanese PM accuses Israel of ‘scorched-earth policy’ but defends ongoing peace talks

Schools in towns and cities near the border with Lebanon were shuttered starting Sunday, as the IDF Home Front Command tightened its restrictions in light of intensified Hezbollah drone and rocket attacks on northern Israel over the weekend. No educational activities were taking place in communities along the Lebanon border, including Kiryat Shmona, as well as Meron, Bar Yohai, Or HaGanuz, Safsufa, Yesud HaMa’ala, Kisra-Sumei, Beit Jann and Sde Eliezer. In the Upper Galilee and northern Golan, along with Katzrin and Kidmat Tzvi, educational activities were permitted only inside a building or in an area where a shelter can be reached in time, according to the guidelines issued Saturday evening.

Workplaces can operate in all of those areas, provided an adequate shelter can be reached in time. According to the guidelines, gatherings are restricted to 50 people outdoors and 200 indoors, and beaches are closed. The guidelines were to remain in effect until Monday at 9 p.m., by which time the Home Front Command was to conduct another assessment. Meanwhile, the Health Ministry announced Saturday that the Galilee Medical Center in Nahariya would be moving operations to an underground protected area.

The developments came as Hezbollah fired multiple rockets and drones at Israel on Saturday afternoon and evening, and as the IDF expanded operations in southern Lebanon. The Israeli military told AFP that more than 25 projectiles were launched from Lebanon towards Israel on Saturday. Incoming rocket sirens sounded in the northern cities of Karmiel and Safed for the first time since the ceasefire, as well as in Kiryat Shmona and other northern communities that were targeted repeatedly. (Read More)

The Hidden Signatures: Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei Holds Final Veto Over Sixty Day Truce

Senior Israeli security officials have revealed that the pending sixty-day ceasefire and nuclear framework agreement remains entirely stalled due to a total lack of authorization from Iran's Supreme Leader, Mojtaba Khamenei.

The diplomatic trajectory of the ongoing regional war remains highly volatile, as senior Israeli political and defense officials reveal that the potential sixty-day ceasefire agreement between Washington and Tehran has not received crucial authorization from the highest levels of the Iranian regime. While Western media outlets reported that a comprehensive memorandum of understanding had been successfully finalized, intelligence assessments in Jerusalem indicate that the deal cannot move forward until Iran's Supreme Leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, provides an official response to the draft.

The political echelon in Jerusalem has maintained a strict, formal silence regarding the specific components of the text, with neither the Prime Minister’s Office nor the Ministry of Defense issuing public briefings. However, senior analysts speaking behind closed doors clarified that United States President Donald Trump currently has nothing concrete to sign, as the entire framework is frozen while awaiting approval from the opposing leadership. The sources noted that while high-level Iranian officials like Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf and Abbas Araqchi managed to reach basic understandings with American negotiators, they simply do not possess the executive authority required to sign a binding international treaty.

Israeli intelligence agencies currently possess zero indications that Mojtaba Khamenei has signaled his assent to the framework, with defense planners predicting that the Supreme Leader will likely utilize a delay tactic by offering a conditional agreement to drag out negotiations. This assessment aligns closely with official statements published by Iran’s state-aligned Tasnim news agency, which quoted sources close to the delegation asserting that the document remains unfinalized. The Iranian press apparatus emphasized that the regime has not yet notified its Pakistani diplomatic intermediaries that a final text exists, contradicting Western reports. (Read More)

Trump meeting to make ‘final determination’ on Iran deal said to end with no decision

Tehran denies US president’s suggestion that agreement announced by White House includes nuclear concessions; deal includes $300B fund for Iran’s reconstruction, sources tell NYT.

US President Donald Trump announced on Friday that he was entering the White House Situation Room to make a “final determination” on a memorandum of understanding to extend the ceasefire with Iran and reopen the Strait of Hormuz. But the meeting ended after two hours with no decision, a senior administration official told the New York Times, insisting an agreement was still close but required further debate about issues including the unfreezing of Iranian funds. “President Trump will only make a deal that is good for America and satisfies his red lines,” a White House official told AFP on condition of anonymity after the meeting. “Iran can never possess a nuclear weapon.”

Announcing the meeting in a post on his Truth Social platform, Trump insisted that Iran’s stockpiles of highly enriched uranium would be extracted and destroyed by the US, even though such a clause is not included in the terms of the MoU. Iran’s Foreign Ministry responded that talks were ongoing but “no final agreement has been reached yet,” contradicting the White House’s claim that Trump’s approval was the last thing needed before a deal could be reached.

The ministry also denied Trump’s suggestion that Iran would relinquish its enriched uranium. “We are focused on ending the war, and there are no negotiations on the nuclear issue,” ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei told state TV. A senior Iranian source told Reuters that while a political understanding has been reached, it has not yet been finalized. The MoU announced by the White House on Thursday would reopen the Strait of Hormuz and extend the ongoing Iran ceasefire by 60 days. In that time, Washington and Tehran would hold further talks on curbing Iran’s nuclear program.  (Read More)

Trump's refusal to return to war with Iran will 'cost him dearly', Saudi expert claims

Saudi analyst Mubarak al-Ati said that the US's decline on the international stage has prevented Saudi Arabia and other Gulf States from taking Trump's demands to join the Abraham Accords seriously.

Saudi Arabia no longer trusts the US to provide protection, Saudi analyst Mubarak al-Ati said in an interview on Russia Today TV earlier this week. "It seems that [US President Donald] Trump refuses to return to war and overthrow the Ayatollah's regime. This will cost him dearly,” Ati said, while claiming that the US president has shown that he is a paper tiger. Ati said that the US’s first real sign of its failure in international affairs was Biden’s “humiliating exit” from Afghanistan in 2021. “The US is still a superpower, but not as it was a decade ago,” he opined.

“The balance of power has changed significantly, and for rising powers such as India, Saudi Arabia, and Brazil, all of which are G20 members, there are now new possibilities, and they can establish relations with all forces, not just with the US.” The Saudi expert claims that the US’s dwindling presence on the world stage has led Gulf States and other Muslim countries to not take Trump’s demands to join the Abraham Accords very seriously.

“Saudi Arabia refrained from being drawn into war and did not stand alongside Israel and the United States, just as it did not stand alongside Iran,” Ati said. “Saudi Arabia has not declared hostility toward any of the parties, and this means they analyzed the situation and saw themselves as an independent actor who cannot be a satellite of Israel and the US. "He said that instead, Saudi Arabia is leading a new “Arab-Islamic bloc” with Pakistan, Turkey, and Qatar, which will likely be announced soon. (Read More)

Satellite images reveal Iran rapidly rebuilds its missile and drone arsenal

A CNN analysis of satellite images reveals that the Islamic Republic has reopened at least 50 blocked access points at 18 underground missile sites. Contrary to statements by Trump, the arsenal was not destroyed but trapped, and is now being cleared with bulldozers. The Pentagon is concerned that Iran will rebuild its drone fleet within six months.

Against the backdrop of the fragile ceasefire between Iran and the US, the Islamic Republic is working at an unprecedented pace to restore the military capabilities damaged during the war. An analysis of new satellite images from Airbus Defence and Space, revealed by CNN, shows that since the ceasefire began, Tehran has already managed to clear at least 50 blocked access points at 18 different missile sites. The satellite analysis casts a heavy shadow over statements by US President Donald Trump that Iran's missile arsenal had been almost completely destroyed. The images indicate that the combined Israeli-US attacks during the war disabled these "missile cities" by blocking their entry points, effectively "trapping" a huge portion of Iran's launchers and severely damaging its ability to fire missiles in real time.

Now, however, using bulldozers and removal trucks, Iran is renewing access to vast quantities of missiles stored in those underground facilities, effectively undoing the results of a military strategy that required enormous Israeli-American firepower. At the same time, the Pentagon continues to stand by the success of the campaign and insists that the operational actions achieved their required objectives. The satellite images present a worrying picture on the ground. Images from April 10 documented intensive efforts to clear debris and rubble from the blocked entrance to a tunnel at a major missile base south of the city of Tabriz. (Read More)

Netanyahu confirms IDF soldiers crossed Litani River, air force 'operating in Beirut, Bekaa Valley'

IDF soldiers crossed to the north of Lebanon's Litani River, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu confirmed on Friday during a visit to Israel's northern border. "Our forces have crossed the Litani and advanced to controlling positions," said Netanyahu, and added, "We are operating in Beirut, in the Beqaa, across the entire width of the front, and are dealing Hezbollah a crushing blow." Netanyahu visited the border alongside Defense Minister Israel Katz and was briefed by Northern Command Chief Maj.-Gen. Rafi Milo and 36th Division Commander Brig.-Gen. Yiftach Norkin on the IDF's Lebanon operations.

"I spoke with the brigade commanders who are currently in the field," said Netanyahu. "I hear them, and I also hear the soldiers, some of whom are standing here behind me; there is an immense fighting spirit. From here, the battle against Hezbollah in the north is being managed." The Prime Minister also said that he was impressed with the military's results. "There are very impressive results here," he said. "The brigade commanders tell me, as do the soldiers, that in every contact with them, in every encounter, we are both eliminating Hezbollah and causing them to flee."

"And it is this spirit that brings us these achievements," Netanyahu continued. "I salute you. You are lions. You have commanders who are lions, and you are proving the strength of the Israel Defense Forces' spirit. Keep going, with great success, until the very end." (Ed note: Israel has issued repeated evacuation warnings to the southern coastal city of Tyre and has carried out heavy strikes there as well.) (Source)

Why Hamas and the Gaza Strip were excluded from the draft US-Iran agreemen

On May 23, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi sent a letter to Hezbollah Secretary-General Naim Qassem stating that Tehran would not abandon its demand for an end to the “aggression against Lebanon” as a fundamental condition for any permanent agreement to end the war with the United States. On May 24, Hezbollah confirmed in an official statement that Qassem had received the message from Araghchi, which declared that “the Islamic Republic, until the very last moment, will never cease supporting movements seeking justice and freedom, foremost among them Hezbollah, the victorious resistance movement.”

The letter further stated that “from the very first moment several regional states entered mediation efforts aimed at reducing tensions between Iran and the United States, the Islamic Republic linked any possible agreement to a ceasefire in Lebanon,” emphasizing that “this important issue remains a nonnegotiable principle and an integral part of the just demands of the Iranian government and our heroic people, and it will remain so in the future.” Araghchi also clarified that “in the latest proposal submitted by the Islamic Republic through the Pakistani mediator, aimed at achieving a permanent and stable end to the war, the demand to include Lebanon within the ceasefire framework was explicitly emphasized.”

...Meanwhile, commentators in the Gaza Strip have expressed considerable astonishment that Iran linked Lebanon to any agreement with the U.S. while refraining from doing the same for Gaza and Hamas, despite Hamas being a clear component of the Iranian-led “Axis of Resistance.” This is particularly notable given that Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh was assassinated by Israel in Tehran on July 31, 2024. Senior Israeli security officials believe that Iran is operating according to a clear strategic hierarchy in which the Lebanese arena is viewed as far more important than Gaza and Hamas.

...There are several central reasons for this assessment. First, from Tehran’s perspective, Hezbollah constitutes the most important strategic asset within the “Axis of Resistance.” The organization serves as Iran’s primary deterrent force against Israel, possessing a vast arsenal of missiles, rockets, UAVs and explosive drones, as well as direct influence along Israel’s northern border and the capability to threaten the Israeli home front. For this reason, Iran sees restoring Hezbollah’s strength and ending the fighting in Lebanon as a top-tier national security interest. By contrast, Hamas and the Gaza Strip are viewed by the Iranian leadership as a less critical strategic arena.

...The war in Gaza has already significantly weakened Hamas, while large portions of the Strip’s military and civilian infrastructure have been destroyed by Israel. Therefore, from Iran’s perspective, although Hamas retains ideological and symbolic importance, it is not considered a strategic asset on the same level as Hezbollah.Another reason is that the current negotiations with the U.S. are focused primarily on preventing a broader regional escalation, reopening the Strait of Hormuz, securing Iranian oil exports, and regulating the confrontation involving Iran, Israel and the U.S. Lebanon is directly tied to this confrontation because of Hezbollah’s involvement and the fear of a full-scale regional war. The Gaza Strip, by contrast, is viewed by the Iranian leadership more as a distinct Palestinian-Israeli arena. (Read More)

Who should speak for Israel? The case for Caroline Glick

Pearl-clutching about the veteran journalist possibly being sent to the New York consulate misses the point. The Jewish state needs bold advocates more than traditional diplomats. 

As far as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s leftist critics are concerned, the last thing Israel needs is someone representing the country abroad who enthusiastically supports his policies, and is ready to do intellectual and verbal combat with the government’s opponents. If that doesn’t make sense, then welcome to Israeli politics. That basic conundrum explains the firestorm that has greeted the floating of the idea that Netanyahu might name veteran journalist and current adviser Caroline Glick to the post of consul general in New York City. Glick was a senior contributing editor at JNS and hosted “The Caroline Glick” show on JNS TV before being named as Netanyahu’s international affairs adviser in February 2025.

In many ways, she is an ideal candidate for such a post. She was born, raised and educated (at Columbia and Harvard universities) in the United States. As a result, she speaks unaccented idiomatic American English, unlike most of Israel’s diplomats. After making aliyah, she served in the Israel Defense Forces, where she worked as coordinator of negotiations with the Palestinian Authority during the period of the Oslo Accords. After becoming a journalist, she was embedded with the U.S. Army during the invasion of Iraq and worked as a frontline war correspondent. Since then—and outside of a brief stint running for the Knesset in 2019—she’s been covering and commenting on the issues that are at the forefront of Israeli public policy and diplomacy.

Moreover, as someone who worked with Netanyahu for a while in the 1990s and then again in the last year, she understands the prime minister’s views as well as anyone. So, what’s the problem with sending her to represent Israel in the city with the largest Jewish population outside of the Jewish state? The answer, according to the scathing comments published in recent days in outlets like The Times of Israel and Haaretz, is that her views are in line with those of the government she would represent and the voters who elected it. According to both of those publications, which are bitterly opposed to that government, sending Glick to New York would offend “progressive” Jews. As far as the far-left Haaretz is concerned, Netanyahu is “spitting in American Jews’ faces” by even thinking of such an appointment.

...What Israel and American Jewry need now is not someone who will try to make friends with Mamdani or be comfortable at a soirée with editors of the Times or liberal Jews who continue foolishly to look to both for leadership. An Israeli representative who will take on the intersectional left and the antisemitic right with equal boldness is what is required right now. So is someone who will fearlessly speak directly to ordinary Jews and not just to the Manhattan elites. And that is exactly what Caroline Glick would do if given this opportunity. (Ed note: An excellent article from Jonathan S. Tobin.) (Read More)

US general meets Cuban military officials at edge of Guantanamo Bay

Donovan's meeting in Cuba is the first in recent memory by a head of Southern Command and comes amid growing concerns in Cuba of a possible US military attack on the Communist-run island.

The top US general overseeing forces in Latin America held a rare meeting on Friday with senior Cuban military officials at the perimeter of US Naval Station Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, the US military said on Friday, confirming a Reuters story. US General Francis Donovan, head of US Southern Command, briefly discussed operational security matters with the Cuban delegation, which included Cuban General Roberto Legra Sotolongo, first deputy minister of the chief of the General Staff, US Southern Command said on X.

"Donovan also led a perimeter security assessment of the naval base and discussed force protection, safety of service members and their families, and operational readiness with base officials," it said. Donovan's meeting in Cuba is the first in recent memory by a head of Southern Command and comes amid growing concerns in Cuba of a possible US military attack on the Communist-run island. The Cuban Foreign Ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The meeting follows a rare visit by CIA Director John Ratcliffe to Havana earlier in May. President Donald Trump has often cited Cuba among the foreign policy goals of his second term and has hinted it will become his focus once the war with Iran is over.Cuba has been a US antagonist for decades, since Fidel Castro's 1959 revolution. Trump is strongly supported by hardline Cuban Americans in Florida, who have pushed for US-instigated regime change for decades, and his administration has been steadily ramping up pressure on the island.

On May 20, the US formally charged former President Raúl Castro with four counts of murder for the 1996 downing of a civilian aircraft operated by Miami-based exiles. The indictment was the latest example of the Trump administration's efforts to assert US influence in the Western Hemisphere. Washington's more assertive role in Latin America was epitomized by an audacious raid by the US military on January 3 to capture Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro in Caracas, and then fly him to New York to face drug trafficking charges. Maduro, a socialist aligned with Havana, pleaded not guilty. (Read More)

For Israel, the Iran Deal Is Someone Else's Negotiation - With Existential Stakes

Jerusalem supported the war. It had almost no seat at the table. Now it must decide how hard to push back against a deal it didn't shape. When the United States and Iran went to war earlier this year, Israel was a partner. When they sat down to negotiate a way out, Israel was largely not in the room. That gap, between Israel's centrality to the conflict and its near-total exclusion from the diplomatic process, now defines Jerusalem's uncomfortable position as a tentative 60-day framework deal takes shape between Washington and Tehran.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Sunday he had spoken with Trump the previous evening, and that the two agreed "any final agreement with Iran must eliminate the nuclear danger" - meaning the dismantling of enrichment sites and the removal of highly enriched uranium from Iranian soil. Trump reaffirmed Israel's right to defend itself "on every front, including Lebanon," Netanyahu added. The statement was carefully worded, supportive of the process, firm on the destination. But behind it lies a deep unease that Israeli officials have been less careful to conceal.

A senior Israeli official, speaking without authorization to do so publicly, called the emerging agreement "bad." Israel's core fear, the official indicated, is that the deal will ultimately deliver only its first half, Iran reopens the Strait of Hormuz, sanctions ease, oil flows again, while the far harder second half, curbing Iran's nuclear program, simply never arrives. It is a fear with historical resonance. Israeli governments have watched international agreements with Iran expire, collapse, or be circumvented before. The memory is acute.

Despite the deal's profound implications for Israel, negotiations have reportedly been conducted with near-total exclusion of Jerusalem. Israel will not officially be party to whatever agreement emerges, yet will effectively be bound by it — limited in what it can achieve militarily without U.S. participation, and with Netanyahu unlikely to be seen torpedoing the president's deal-making on such weighty matters. That constraint is the central paradox Israel faces. It cannot easily say no to Trump. It cannot easily say yes to a deal that may leave Iran's nuclear infrastructure intact. (Read More)

Report: US demanding Israel coordinate Beirut strikes, prohibits collapsing buildings

Channel 12 reports the US demanded advance notice on targeted eliminations and opposed collapsing buildings during Israeli operations in Lebanon.

American officials instructed Israel to notify them in advance about targeted eliminations and clarified that they do not approve of bringing down buildings during such operations, according to Israeli sources cited by Channel 12. The report stated that the US was not surprised by the targeted strike in Beirut in which Israel reportedly attempted to eliminate Ali al-Husseini, commander of the missile array of Hezbollah’s Imam Hussein Division. As part of the coordination mechanisms between Israel and the US, including military, diplomatic, and security channels, Israel informed the Americans before the operational opportunity to carry out the strike attempt emerged, the report said.

Al-Husseini is affiliated with a force connected to Iran, and Israeli officials viewed the attempted elimination as potentially significant. The report further stated that consultations were held in Israel during which various limited options were discussed. Since Israel was unable to strike Hezbollah’s main strongholds or bring down buildings, the option ultimately selected involved ground territorial operations.

The IDF has been operating on the ground inside Lebanon, although Israeli officials reportedly believe this may not resolve the issue of explosive drones. The report added that expanding the number of soldiers across a wider area could create additional targets for such attacks. According to the report, Israel’s current objective is to exact a price from Hezbollah, though additional incidents involving explosive drones in different locations could occur in the near future. (Ed note: This is ridiculous! How can Israel defend itself, while Hezbollah hides amongst its civilians? President Trump is giving Israel the same orders that the past US presidents have done. This. to the detriment, disadvantage, and harm to the citizens of Israel.)  (Read More)

Israel concerned US-Iran agreement could limit IDF in Lebanon

Israel’s defense establishment fears that a future agreement between the United States and Iran could lead to a freeze in IDF operations against the Hezbollah terror group in Lebanon. A senior Northern Command official told Kan News that Hezbollah is applying heavy pressure on Iran to be included in the agreement and is pushing for a full ceasefire.

According to the report, Israel fears that an agreement including Hezbollah could lead to a halt in airstrikes and even to an American demand for IDF forces to withdraw from the security zone in southern Lebanon. The senior Northern Command official said that "the organization is weak, despite the attacks it is carrying out from deep inside the territory against IDF forces - mainly using explosive drones, UAVs, and rockets."

He added, "Hezbollah is fighting for its life." Meanwhile, CNN reported that at least 50 access tunnels to Iran's underground "missile cities" were cleaned out and repaired after they were blocked following Israeli strikes. (Source)

Modern Warfare Incoming: Elite Commanders Warn Explosive Drones Will Soon Target Central Cities

Senior defense experts and former field commanders have issued a stark warning, revealing that advanced kamikaze drone technologies are rapidly spreading toward high-density civilian centers in central Israel.

The tactical reality of modern warfare is shifting rapidly, prompting urgent warnings from seasoned military officers who assert that the explosive first-person-view drone threat currently face by forces along the northern border will inevitably expand into central Israel, Judea, and Samaria. The strategic warning was brought to light by Colonel Oren Zini, the former commander of the Menashe Brigade, who clarified that the arrival of these precision kamikaze aircraft in high-density civilian hubs like Kfar Saba is merely a matter of time. Zini dismissed any skepticism regarding the trajectory of the threat, stating that anyone who doubts this development fails to comprehend the basic operational dynamics of the modern Middle East.

According to the veteran commander, the military establishment cannot rely purely on passive technological shields to safeguard civilian populations from these low-altitude aerial threats. The only permanent solution requires an aggressive, continuous physical presence on the ground, with combat forces operating deep within hostile territory to actively liquidate drone manufacturing laboratories and apprehend the specialized technical cells operating them. Zini noted a historical pattern where advanced combat methodologies utilized by Hezbollah in Lebanon systematically migrate to southern terrorist factions, a process he termed the Lebanonization of Gaza, which is now actively repeating within regional arenas.

The urgency of the aerial threat was echoed by defense analysts who warned that a severe lack of systematic preparation could inadvertently facilitate a catastrophic scenario reminiscent of past border breaches, including coordinated swarm attacks on isolated military bases and civilian outposts. Commentators noted that the fact that Gaza-based factions have not yet launched a mass volley of thirty or forty explosive drones simultaneously to completely overwhelm frontline positions is nothing short of a miracle. The ongoing vulnerability has been characterized as a institutional failure, with critics pointing out that lessons from international conflict zones like Ukraine, where cheap drones permanently altered conventional battlefield doctrines, were largely ignored by procurement officials. (Read More)

Synchronized Decapitation: Israel Ignores International Pressure to Maintain Deep Capital Assaults

Defense Minister Israel Katz has verified that the military will continue launching high-intensity operations across all regional theaters following a powerful precision airstrike targeting a top commander in the heart of Beirut.

The Israeli Air Force has shattered a three-week period of relative quiet in the Lebanese capital, launching a high-powered, precision targeted strike against a senior commander hidden deep within an urban safehouse in central Beirut. The sudden, high-intensity aerial operation targeted a highly fortified structure located directly inside the Dahiyeh district, a primary logistical and military stronghold for regional paramilitary operations. Immediately following the kinetic engagement, Defense Minister Israel Katz convened an emergency, multi-front situational assessment with the nation’s top security brass to review active defense parameters and finalize upcoming operational stages.

The high-level strategy session featured an extensive array of top tier military command personnel, including Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir, the Director-General of the Ministry of Defense, and the commanding generals of the Intelligence and Operations Directorates. Representatives from both the Shin Bet and the Mossad were also present to deliver real-time data regarding the fluid situation on the ground. During the briefing, Minister Katz issued a definitive statement to the international community, asserting that the defense establishment will continue to operate with absolute force wherever necessary to permanently eradicate existential threats to the state.

While initial battlefield reports from the ground in Lebanon suggested the strike had occurred in an outlying rural suburb, verified video footage obtained from the target coordinate quickly confirmed a surgical strike in the dense urban core of the capital. Intelligence tracking indicates that the operation was a direct attempt on the life of Ali Al-Habsani, a senior operative who occupies a critical dual command role bridging the gap between local forces and the Iranian Quds Force. Al-Habsani is identified by Western intelligence networks as the primary official in charge of rocketry systems within the elite Imam Hussein Division.

Furthermore, tactical planners believe Al-Habsani is directly tied to the highly aggressive aerial drone campaigns that have targeted northern civilian districts with increasing frequency over the past several weeks. The targeted safehouse was completely compromised by multiple heavy munitions, which successfully bypassed localized air defense networks to neutralize the threat. Although official forensic validation is still being compiled by field assets, the strike sends an uncompromised message that the political leadership will not tolerate any geographic sanctuaries for individuals planning asymmetric assaults.    (Read More)

US denies Iranian claims of aircraft interception near Bushehr

Explosions were also heard near the Strait of Hormuz and Bandar Abbas, Iran's semi-official Tasnim news reported on Thursday night.

No US aircraft were shot down near Bushehr, Iran, despite a claim made on Iranian state TV, US Central Command announced early on Friday. Iran's state TV said early on Friday that a US aircraft was destroyed in Iran's Jam governorate in Bushehr, citing its governor, Masoud Tangestani. Explosions were also heard near the Strait of Hormuzand Bandar Abbas, Iran's semi-official Tasnim news reported on Thursday night. Tasnim later reported that the sounds came from exchanged fire made in warning to ships in the Strait of Hormuz.

Semi-official Fars news agency also said on Thursday that Iran's armed forces carried out a missile launch operation from the southern region of the country toward specified targets, and that the destination of the missiles was not yet clear. Earlier on Thursday, Iran's Revolutionary Guard said that it targeted a US airbase after the US military carried out what a Washington official said were strikes targeting an Iranian drone operation near the Strait of Hormuz, hours after US President Donald Trump rejected a report he was close to a compromise deal with Tehran.

The escalation in hostilities highlighted threats to the tenuous ceasefire between the US and Iran that took effect in early April, dampening hopes for a peace deal and sending oil prices surging again. (Ed  note: Remember, the Bushehr Nuclear Power Plant is located in Bushehr Province.)   (Source)

Netanyahu says he told IDF to seize 70% of Gaza, well beyond terms of truce

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Thursday that he ordered the Israel Defense Forces to take control of 70 percent of the Gaza Strip – well beyond the portion of the enclave that Jerusalem was allowed to temporarily continue occupying as part of an October 2025 ceasefire deal with Hamas. “At this point, we are fully in control of 60% of the territory of the Gaza Strip… and my directive is to get to… 70%,” Netanyahu said, in Hebrew-language remarks delivered at a conference held by the Ein Prat Leadership Academy. When one audience member shouted out that Israel should take “100 percent” of the territory in Gaza, Netanyahu responded, “First 70%. We’ll start with that.”

Netanyahu acknowledged last week that Israel already holds 60 percent of the territory in the Strip, significantly more than the roughly 53% allotted to Israel in the October ceasefire deal. That truce, which secured the release of hostages held by Hamas and other terror groups in Gaza, left Hamas in de facto control of the remainder of the Strip.

The deal was envisioned as part of a larger process that would see the terror group disarmed and the enclave demilitarized, but progress toward that vision has stalled, as Hamas has refused to lay down its weapons and Israel has continued striking deep inside Gaza, while facing allegations that it is violating additional terms of the October agreement. Maps issued by Israel in March showed a new restricted area controlled by Israel. Marked with an orange line, it made up an estimated 11% of Gaza’s territory beyond the “Yellow Line” demarcating the part of Gaza occupied by Israeli troops since the truce.The areas appeared to cordon off nearly two-thirds of Gaza’s territory in total. (Ed note: So now the IDF will have to move all those big yellow border blocks.)  (Read More)