UPCOMING PROPHECY WATCHERS CONFERENCE

CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFORMATION.

Iranian president: It’s time to end war with US as Tehran is ‘in a position of power’

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian says it is time to end the months-long Middle East war with the United States and Israel because Tehran is in a position of strength over Washington.

“It is better that we bring the war to an end now, as we are in a position of power and dignity, and the whole world acknowledges our victory and emphasizes that America has attacked our schools, hospitals and infrastructure in violation of all regulations and is hated around the world,” he says in a meeting with doctors. (Ed note: Says Pezeshkian: "In your face, President Trump.) (Source)

Treasury Secretary Bessent says US will 'squash' Iranian economy, collapse 'murderous regime'

"We are going to collapse this [the Iranian] regime," US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent told CNBC in an interview on Thursday. "You are either with us or against us," he added, "we are going to squash the economy of this murderous regime." Bessent explained that the US will be increasing economic pressure pressure on Iran, reiterating US President Donald Trump's statements on Truth Social on Wednesday night, when the president announced that Iran would face "an ECONOMIC D-DAY."

He added that he will be holding a press conference on Monday to discuss exactly what the economic pressure will entail, noting that if any of American allies continue doing business with Iran, whether transferring money, or buying their oil, "then the US Treasury and the US government, they will put its full might and force toward enforcing against you."

"I see lots of reports that said, 'oh, well, this has never worked.' It does work, because we have a combination. It is a one-two punch," Bessent told CNBC. "We have the blockade, and we are going to have the toughest sanctions in history. And I will tell you, this will work. It worked in Venezuela once we put up the blockade. It is working in Cuba right now. And it is going to work in Iran, and we are going to collapse this regime."

Bessent also echoed Trump's claim that the US, not Iran, controls the Strait of Hormuz. "We do have control of the strait," he said, adding "You would have seen media reports that large amounts of energy are getting out. And I think that we can continue doing that in the southern lane, and that I think oil markets are misinterpreting what this economic pressure means." "The economic pressure means that we are going to, all of our allies, and this is going to be the greatest coordinated economic isolation in the history of the world." (Ed note: Listen to the Treasury Secretary.) (Read More)

Iranian Parliament Speaker Ghalibaf's Iraq visit seeks to reshape ties amid regional unrest

Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf’svisit to Iraq comes as Tehran seeks to “reshuffle relations with Iraq,” Dr. Yaron Schneider, a researcher at the Institute for National Security Studies (INSS) specializing in Iran-backed Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF), told The Jerusalem Post on Wednesday. Ghalibaf traveled to Iraq on Wednesday for a three-day visit amid growing tensions over the September 30 deadline for militia disarmament and as Iraq grapples with a severe economic crisis stemming from the prolonged closure of the Strait of Hormuz. Upon his arrival, he insisted that the two countries needed to strengthen a “new regional order” and denounced “foreign interference.”

On Thursday, he met with the President of the Supreme Judicial Council of Iraq, Faiq Zidan, to discuss “mutual interests,” following talks on Wednesday with senior Iraqi officials on issues including “strengthening bilateral relations, border security, the fight against terrorism, expanding economic cooperation and implementing joint agreements,” according to Iran’s Tasnim news agency. The issue of economic cooperation is one that Iran has used to interfere in Baghdad’s domestic policies, Schneider explained.

Iraq’s economy remains heavily reliant on oil, which accounts for 90% of government revenue, 95% of export earnings, and more than 53% of the country’s gross domestic product.“Iraq is heavily reliant on oil exports as the basis of its economy. The government depends on that, and salaries are being delayed because of it. This is a crisis that is still ongoing and might undermine the state if it continues. They don’t have any short-term solution for this crisis,” he said, adding that Iraq’s monthly oil revenues fell from around $7–$8 billion down to $1.2–$1.9 billion. (Read More)

Qatar Rebukes Iran Over Hormuz Disruptions

Qatari foreign minister condemns what he calls "maritime extortion" in strategic waterway, as Iran faces mounting international isolation amid U.S. pressure campaign. Qatar publicly criticized Iran for the first time, joining other Gulf states in condemning Tehran's actions in the Strait of Hormuz, a notable diplomatic shift as Iran faces growing international pressure.

Qatar's Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman condemned what he called "maritime extortion and piracy" involving disruptions to shipping traffic through the strategic waterway, a vital route for global energy supplies. The statement follows Trump's announcement of a new phase in U.S. efforts against Iran, including what he described as complete economic strangulation of the Iranian economy, and the UAE's recent decision to sever all commercial ties with Tehran.

Sheikh Mohammed demanded that maritime traffic return to open shipping with no conditions, quotas, or restrictions from any party or state. He noted that other nations, particularly Oman, which Iran had approached as a potential partner in controlling access to Hormuz, have taken the same position. Qatar said it would keep trying to mediate between Iran and the U.S., but made clear it expects unrestricted navigation through the Persian Gulf waterway. (Source)

Huckabee says Turkish military was 'further south than supposed' before Israel's attack on Syria

"I don't think it was intended to be provocative. They saw the Turkish military moving at a level far further south than they were ever supposed to be," US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee told Al Arabiya in a Thursday interview, when speaking about Israel’s strikes on the Abu al-Duhur military airfield in the Idlib province in northwestern Syria on Tuesday.

"When Israel sees a military start to build up closer and closer to them, and that the leadership of the country has said, uh, we're going to rebuild the Ottoman Empire and take over Jerusalem. They take that seriously," he added, saying that he hopes for both countries to agree about using dialogue to solve these disputes in the future.

He also said that, although Erdogan's comment about taking over Jerusalem might not be "an imminent threat,"Israel's actions can be seen as normal in a region like the Middle East, where tensions are high, and a fast reaction usually comes before an option to dialogue. "Nobody wants to see an escalation of the tension, an escalation of violence. So, every effort is being made to try to temper down any of the activity. And I feel like we can get there," he continued.

During the first segment of the interview, the ambassador was asked on repeated occasions about Israel's negative response to the 15-point plan agreed by the US, Hamas, and international mediators to disarm the terrorist group in Gaza. He explained that, even if there was an agreement, the lack of action by Hamas was what was delaying the implementation, while the Israeli response was only focused on ensuring that Hamas would disarm before any Israeli troops would leave Gaza. (Read More)

Sheikh who fought Hezbollah: “They brought ruin upon Lebanon"

Sheikh Muhammad Ali al-Fouani accuses Iran of brainwashing the disadvantaged population and claims that international pressure would lead to Hezbollah’s rapid collapse.

Exiled Shiite cleric Sheikh Muhammad Ali al-Fouani issued sharp and unprecedented criticism of the Hezbollah terrorist organization during an interview with Kan News. In his remarks, he accused the organization of destroying the country and severely damaging its standing. Speaking about the organization’s activities, al-Fouani said: “This organization has brought ruin upon Lebanon and caused us to become an object of hatred and revulsion."

He went on to question Hezbollah’s credibility, declaring: “Hezbollah claims to be religious and preaches modesty and morality, but its inner character does not match its outward appearance. Therefore, as long as its people do not keep their word, they are not truthful." The cleric also addressed Iranian influence over Lebanon’s Shiite community and the public price it has exacted.

“The Iranians brainwashed the ‘mustad’afin’ [the oppressed or disadvantaged] with the lie of ‘Wilayat al-Faqih’ [absolute rule of the Islamic jurist] and turned them into victims. They caused them to fight and be killed, and their dreams vanished. Now those whose children were killed harbor resentment toward Hezbollah." Asked whether there was a realistic possibility that Hezbollah would disarm, al-Fouani rejected the claim that such a scenario was impossible.“No, these are not dreams. Look at what happened to them in Syria-they fled from there," he replied. He further assessed that the organization’s standing among the Lebanese public is extremely precarious. “Hezbollah knows that when the time comes, the people will turn against it and subject it to a summary trial. If all the countries act against it simultaneously, it will collapse, just as it collapsed in Syria, within 72 hours." (Read More)

US plans to again bar Abbas from going to NYC for UN address next month — official

For the second year in a row, US President Donald Trump’s administration plans to prevent Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas from traveling to New York next month to speak before the United Nations General Assembly, a US official told The Times of Israel. The US refused to grant Abbas a visa to enter the US last year, claiming the PA had been taking steps that undermine prospects for peace. Washington didn’t elaborate on its specific grievances with Ramallah at the time, and the move was seen as part of an effort to undermine a conference that France and Saudi Arabia were hosting ahead of the General Assembly’s high-level week last year that was aimed at promoting a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

The Trump administration opposed the gathering, claiming that it was a reward to Hamas and undermined efforts to end the war in Gaza. No such conference is scheduled at the UN this year, but the US plans to maintain the precedent regarding Abbas that it set last year, the US official said. Hoping to reverse the policy, Abbas asked Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan if he could speak to Trump about the visa ban, anion Authority Presiden Palestinian official told The Times of Israel.

Erdogan heeded the request, which Abbas made during his visit to Ankara last week, the Palestinian official said, touting the Turkish leader’s assistance. Erdogan held a phone call on Tuesday with Trump, who has repeatedly called the Turkish president his “good friend.” (Ed note: Palestinian Authority President Mahmounc Abbas is now in his 22nd year of a 4 yr term as President.)   (Read More)

EU said readying cross-industry sanctions against Israel over E1 settlement project

The European Union is reportedly preparing a package of sanctions against Israel if it goes through with its plan for a major, controversial settlement expansion in the hot-button E1 area of the West Bank. The sanctions, reportedly covering commerce, academics and security, would add teeth to a range of Western condemnations of the plan. The government on Tuesday issued a tender for the construction of seven residential compounds with 1,234 housing units in the E1 area east of Jerusalem, which Israeli settlement activists seek to develop in order to prevent the establishment of a Palestinian state.

Channel 13 reported, citing two Western diplomats, that the EU has devised a list of initial sanctions if the construction begins. The list was said to include specifically labeling products from Israel — not only from West Bank settlements — as well as scaling down academic collaborations with Israel and halting certain security and diplomatic collaborations between Brussels and Jerusalem. This aspect of the unconfirmed report would go against longstanding EU policy of differentiating between Israel and West Bank settlements.

The E1 expansion would connect the Jerusalem and Ma’ale Adumim areas, effectively scuttling the prospect of contiguous Palestinian sovereignty between the population centers of Bethlehem, East Jerusalem and Ramallah. The project was frozen for long years amid fierce opposition from the international community, including past US administrations, which feared that building a new settlement neighborhood on the mostly empty tract of land would rule out a viable Palestinian state.

The housing units in the tender are some of the roughly 3,400 E1 housing units that the government greenlit in August 2025. Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich lauded the E1 expansion plan at the time, saying it “practically erases the two-state delusion.” France, Italy, Britain and Germany on Thursday piled on mounting international condemnation of the project, warning businesses against bidding for the construction tenders by saying they would be at risk of “involving themselves in serious breaches of international law.” (Read More)

Undermining the TWO-STATE solution : driving a wedge through JUDEA & SAMARIA (Palestinian Tunnels)?

Malaysia, Canada and six European countries condemn Israel’s plans to expand settlements in the occupied West Bank, warning that the E1 project could divide the territory and undermine prospects for a Palestinian state and a two-state solution. Note: this video is pro-Palestinian.

David Grusch: The Whistleblower Who Told Congress We're Not Alone

Staff of Prophecy Headlines.com

It is very interesting that on a very mainstream podcast by well-known television personality Dr. Phil that he has a military intelligence whistleblower who testified before Congress in 2023 that the U.S. government has recovered what he says is craft of "non-human origin."

On Dr. Phil’srecent podcast below, entitled, David Grusch: The Whistleblower Who Told Congress We're Not Alone, incredibly he says the following to his viewers,

"My interest in this has always been, if there is something that is going to come out that involves aircraft not of this earth and intelligent non-human life forms that's going to have a significant impact certainly on a portion of our population that could be negative for them...We need to be prepared to support our society. If people feel like human exceptionalism doesn't hold true, the evangelical community can have a problem in what their belief systems have been."

Could these possible future events that Dr. Phil is talking about cause some Christians to turn away from the true faith? 

“Now the Holy Spirit tells us clearly that in the last times some will turn away from the true faith; they will follow deceptive spirits and teachings that come from demons.” (1 Timothy 4:1, NLT) 

Stay tuned for the latest breaking news on this coming great deception in the weeks to follow exclusively for the readers of this Newsstand at PROPHECY HEADLINES.COM.

 

Ex-MK: Egypt Peace Treaty 'Just Paper'

Idan Roll cautions against relying on 1979 agreement, citing Egyptian military buildup and weapons smuggling into Gaza. Former Knesset member Idan Roll issued a stark warning Thursday about Israel's relationship with Egypt, arguing that the countries' peace agreement provides no assurance that Cairo won't initiate hostilities in the future.   

"A peace treaty is no guarantee that Egypt won't go to war, it's just paper," Roll wrote on X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter. He contended that the agreement holds force only as long as Egypt has no interest in violating it. According to Roll, the treaty's effectiveness depends entirely on "Israeli deterrence and Egypt's own interests." He warned that "the day Egypt decides it's 'worthwhile' to attack Israel, no paper we signed will prevent her from doing so."    

Roll, who served in the Knesset with the centrist Yesh Atid party, clarified that he is not advocating for opening another military front. "I'm not saying Israel should open a front against Egypt, but rather that we must not view Egypt as a handled front and certainly not as an ally," he wrote. The former lawmaker rejected the framing that presents a choice between the Egyptian threat and Qatari involvement in the Gaza Strip. Both countries, he argued, pose potential problems for Israel: "Egypt in Gaza is dangerous to Israel. So is Qatar. Unfortunately, we have more than one problem."   

Roll maintained that evaluating relations with Egypt solely through the lens of the 1979 peace treaty is "deficient and even dangerous." The agreement, he noted, reflects a regional reality from decades ago, while conditions in the Middle East have changed dramatically since its signing. He went on to accuse Egypt of a series of actions since the October 7 Hamas attacks, including "repeated violations of the peace agreement" and a buildup of Egyptian military forces. Roll also addressed weapons smuggling into the Gaza Strip, asserting that the events of October 7 demonstrated that Egypt either cannot or will not prevent such smuggling operations.

 "Whoever cannot be trusted to prevent smuggling into the Strip, it stands to reason they should not be allowed to manage the Strip," he concluded.  (Ed note: The Rafah Border Crossing and the Philadelphia Corridor which includes that crossing is the source of much smuggling. Both Hal LIndsey and Bill Salus have well said that the treaties with both Egypt and Jordan, "are as thin as the paper they are printed upon.")   (Source)

Netanyahu: Syria was on verge of deploying Turkish troops—Israel warned against it

Syria was on the verge of breaching the status quo in security matters by permitting the deployment of Turkish troops at an airbase near Aleppo, Israel’s Prime Minister’s Office said in a statement on Tuesday night. Overnight Monday, the Abu al-Duhur Military Airbase in Idlib in northwestern Syria reportedly came under attack. Syrian authorities accused Israel of carrying out the offensive. “Israel repeatedly warned Syria that such a deployment would pose a threat to Israel’s security. Syria chose to ignore these warnings,” the PMO continued, apparently referencing the strikes. “Israel will not tolerate threats to its security, and would welcome a return to the status quo,” which was agreed to with Syria, the PMO added.

Syria’s foreign ministry on Tuesday blamed Israel for carrying out the attack, calling it “a violation of its sovereignty and territorial integrity.” Syria’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates described the strikes as “an unjustified act of aggression” and a “dangerous escalation” threatening the region’s security and stability, the state’s official Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA) reported. Syria called on the international community and the United Nations Security Council to take a firm stance against any Israeli violations of Syrian sovereignty.

United States Ambassador to Turkey and Special Presidential Envoy to Iraq and Syria Tom Barrack said that “we are deeply concerned that the confirmed Israeli airstrikes on Abu al-Duhur Airbase constitute an unnecessary escalation that does not advance regional stability.” Barrack said in an X post that Syria’s al-Sharaa government had signaled a preference for deescalation with Israel and said Washington would continue facilitating discussions between the sides. He urged “restraint and engagement” and called on all parties to prioritize dialogue over additional military incidents. (Read More)

Syria Defends Its ‘Legal Right’ to Nuclear Energy as U.N. Atomic Chief Visits

The government of Syria, under former wanted al-Qaeda jihadist Ahmed al-Sharaa, granted the head of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) access to a formerly secret nuclear site in the country on Tuesday, vowing to cooperate with the United Nations agency. IAEA Director-General Rafael Grossi’s tour of a Deir ez-Zor facility believed to have been used by former dictator Bashar Assad for illicit nuclear development follows over a year of communication between Sharaa’s new regime and Grossi’s office in the aftermath of the fall of the Assad regime. Over half a century of Assad dynasty rule came to an end in December 2024 when Sharaa’s jihadist militia, Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), drove Assad and his family out of Damascus. 

During his time in Syria this week, Grossi visited the previously undeclared Deir ez-Zor nuclear site and engaged in several meetings with Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani, who emphasized in public statements that the Sharaa government initiated the invitation to the IAEA to inspect former Assad regime nuclear sites. “The visit, which included the site at Deir ez-Zor and a second location related to the nuclear material identified by Syria recently, marks the most significant advance to date in the cooperation between Syria and the Agency,” the IAEA said in a statement on Tuesday, “towards resolving the outstanding safeguards issues arising from undeclared activities related to the former regime, under Syria’s Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) Safeguards Agreement.”

...“Al-Shaibani said Syria had granted access to the Deir ez-Zor site after more than 18 years on its own initiative and as a sovereign decision,” SANA reported. “He reaffirmed Syria’s sovereign and legal right to civilian and peaceful uses of atomic energy and to pursue a peaceful nuclear program and benefit from its applications.” (Ed note: Always keep one eye on the state of Syria.)  (Read More)

Hamas must be drained of its money as well as its weapons

I’d really like to think that the US Middle East peace team has gotten over Steve Witkoff’s delusion that Hamas is not ideologically intractable and that it can be persuaded to lay down its weapons and quietly slink away into history. I’d like to believe that when Jared Kushner meets, as he did again in Egypt over the weekend, with Khalil al-Hayya, he is thoroughly aware that the current Hamas chief was one of the architects of the October 7, 2023, invasion and massacre in southern Israel, and remains laser-locked on the goal of destroying Israel.

In purportedly agreeing to the US-established Board of Peace’s plan for its own disarmament and Israel’s withdrawal from Gaza, Hamas is manifestly playing the United States and playing for time: It is recruiting; it is training; it is awaiting a less intrusive, more anti-Israel American administration; it is awaiting a resumption of funding from the despicably resilient Iranian regime.

That does not mean that the US-led effort, via the Board, to marginalize Hamas and gradually change the face of Gaza is a lost cause. But success requires genuine Hamas disarmament; ongoing, relentless elimination of Hamas operatives preparing and attempting to carry out attacks… and a heightened focus on Hamas’s finances.

According to Yitzhak Gal, of the center-left Mitvim advocacy think tank, Hamas retains broad leverage over aid entering the near-50% of Gaza where it retains control, and is able to tax (at entry and in the markets), obstruct and loot supplies to the tune of some $2 million a day. (A Board of Peace official acknowledged to The Times of Israel that diversion of aid continues, but did not confirm Gal’s figure, and said the scale of Hamas intervention has been going down.) It is essential, therefore, urged Gal, that the Board’s yet-to-be-deployed International Stabilization Force fully control the entire aid distribution process. (Ed note: A long, but very interesting article from David Horovitz) (Read More)

Trump declares 'Economic D-Day' against Iran, promises consequences to any country providing aid

"Oil smuggling, swap lines, cash transfers, exchange houses, ship registries, front companies - It all needs to stop NOW," Trump wrote. "You know who you are."

US President Donald Trump declared that the United States would be targeting Iran with "the most crushing economic operation ever taken against any country" in a Truth Social post on Wednesday. "This will be an ECONOMIC D-DAY," Trump announced, adding that the US needed all its allies to aid in isolating Iran. Trump also announced that any country which provided aid to Iran would face "TREMENDOUS Economic Consequences."

"Oil smuggling, swap lines, cash transfers, exchange houses, ship registries, front companies - It all needs to stop NOW," Trump wrote. "You know who you are." Trump also described Iran as "maniacs" who were "on the ropes." "These HISTORIC MEASURES will cripple them and their ability to project terror worldwide," he stated, adding, "IRAN WILL NEVER HAVE A NUCLEAR WEAPON."

On Monday, Trump's envoy Jared Kushner told Fox News that conversations between the US and different areas of the Iranian government were probably more robust than ever, but the two sides had not yet reached an understanding. "Trump doesn't want to rush into a deal, he'll make the right deal when it's ready," Kushner said. Kushner also said that Trump was placing an emphasis on economic pressure over military actions, focusing on the blockade of Iran which had left the Iranian economy "way worse off now." (Source)

Iran Defiant Over Trump Economic Threat

Iranian officials and Revolutionary Guards dismiss President Trump's shift to economic pressure, vowing resilience while threatening enhanced military capabilities. Following President Trump's overnight announcement of what he termed "economic warfare" against Iran aimed at strangling the regime, senior officials in Tehran and the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) have issued sharp and dismissive responses.

Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi mocked Trump for his latest threat, stating: "They say Iran is on the verge of defeat, yet they're begging their allies for help. Military warfare yielded nothing, so now they're calling their next failure 'economic warfare.' It won't succeed either." The Revolutionary Guards were also unconcerned about what Trump said, responding with military threats of their own. 

IRGC spokesman Hussein Mohabi warned: "We are advancing day by day in all areas of combat capabilities, manufacturing our weapons to be more precise, more destructive, and more technologically advanced. If war breaks out again, our weapons will undoubtedly be different from what they were before. The difference may appear in warheads, in precision, in missile range, or in any other domain." (Source)

Israel markets first 1,400 units in strategic E1 corridor

The importance of E1 lies in its location: between Ma’ale Adumim, a Jewish city in the Judean Desert, and Israel’s capital.

The Israel Lands Authority, which manages most of the lands in Israel, on Tuesday announced it would market to contractors and entrepreneurs the first 1,400 housing units of E1 (“East 1”), a strategically significant area in Judea and Samaria. Contractors who win the bids will construct the units. The importance of E1 lies in its location. The 12-square-kilometer (4.6-sq.-mile) area sits between Ma’ale Adumim, a Jewish city of about 40,000 in the Judean Desert, and Jerusalem. Once built up, E1 will connect Ma’ale Adumim to the capital, forming a larger metropolis, preventing the Palestinian Authority from surrounding Jerusalem with its own metropolis, which would include Ramallah, eastern parts of Jerusalem and Bethlehem. (The P.A. intends to wrest from Israel eastern sections of Jerusalem for its own future capital.)

Israeli security analysts have long warned that Jerusalem will become a border town if the surrounding Arab settlement is allowed to continue unhindered. The answer, they say, is E1, which would protect Jerusalem, drive a wedge through the nearly contiguous Arab settlement enveloping it and ensure Jewish territorial contiguity eastward to the Jordan Valley. Until now, the P.A. has been winning the contiguity battle, building illegally on Israeli-controlled land. Arab settlement snakes along the eastern side of Jerusalem north to Ramallah and south to Bethlehem.

Both sides agree E1 construction threatens Arab geographic contiguity. At an on-site press conference held in Ma’ale Adumim on Aug. 14, 2025, to celebrate the government’s historic announcement, Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich declared that E1 construction “buries the idea of a Palestinian state.”
The P.A. said the same thing. Wafa, its official news site, described E1’s chief objective as “undermining the establishment of a Palestinian state with Jerusalem as its capital.” E1 construction was first proposed in 1994 by Israel’s then-Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin. International pressure has been the main reason construction has not moved forward, even though support for the plan enjoys national consensus. All prime ministers since Rabin have voiced approval for the proposal.

On Tuesday, Ma’ale Adumim Mayor Guy Yifrach celebrated E1’s shift from the planning to the implementation stage. “After more than 30 years of promises, struggles and international pressure, today we are turning a vision into reality,” he said in a statement provided to JNS by the municipality. “The first 1,400 housing units are underway and will be joined by about 2,000 more units later. E1 will connect Ma’ale Adumim to Jerusalem and ensure the city’s continued growth for future generations.” (Read More)

Government opens bidding to build 1,200 homes in controversial E1 settlement project

The government on Tuesday issued a tender for the construction of seven residential compounds housing 1,234 housing units in the E1 area east of Jerusalem, where Israeli settlement activists seek to divide the West Bank.

The tender published by the Construction and Housing Ministry gives contractors until October 19 to bid on the project — a week before the October 27 parliamentary election.

The housing units in the tender are some of the roughly 3,400 E1 housing units that were greenlit last August. Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich lauded the E1 expansion plan at the time, saying it “practically erases the two-state delusion” by splitting up the territory that would be slated for a Palestinian state. (Read More)

KEEP YOUR EYE ON JUDEA & SAMARIA - ISRAEL IS EXPANDING!

While the Pope and international community clamors for a two-state solution, current events in Judea and Samaria (West Bank) are rapidly squelching that possibility. Jewish settlers are on an unabated rampage to force Palestinians out of their villages.

Complicating matters for the Palestinians, Israel's Ministry of Construction and Housing just issued a tender for 1,234 new housing units in the controversial E1 zone of the West Bank, located between Jerusalem and Ma'ale Adumim. The bidding deadline is October 19, 2026, ahead of Israel's late-October general election.

This puts the first nail in the coffin of a Palestinian state with East Jerusalem as its capital. The two short, Palestinian biased videos, below illustrate how the Jewish settlers are seizing Judea and Samaria and with the general support of the Israeli government.

Pope Leo XIV Calls For End To West Bank Violence, Urges Two-State Solution For Palestine

Pope Leo XIV has called for an immediate end to violence against Palestinians in the occupied West Bank and urged the international community to step up efforts to advance a two-state solution for Palestine and Israel. 

Speaking on Sunday after his weekly prayer in Rome, Leo said the international community should work toward a political settlement capable of securing what he described as a“just and lasting peace.” 

His remarks came amid reports of increasing violence by Israeli settlers against Palestinians in the West Bank, where tensions have risen sharply in recent weeks. (Read More)

______________________________

Dr. Bill Salus says: The two-state solution ship has sailed.already. There are only two chances for a two-state solution - SLIM to NONE!

A Third Red Heifer Is Born: Rabbis Race to Examine the Herd Israel Has Waited 2,000 Years to Raise

 

A calf was born in a dairy barn in the Jordan Valley last week, and on Rosh Chodesh Elul, a delegation of rabbis stood over her, running their hands through her coat. She was the third heifer of her kind to be born in Israel this season, joining two others already under watch in the Galilee and the Golan Heights. Together, the three calves represent the most concrete progress yet toward a goal Jewish tradition has pursued since the destruction of the Second Temple: raising a red heifer whose ashes can restore ritual purity to the Jewish people. 

The examinations were carried out by the Beit Midrash, the rabbinic study hall, of the National Institute for Red Heifer Research, a body that unites religious Zionist, Litvish, and Hasidic rabbis around a single national mission. Members of the Institute traveled to all three farms in a single sweep, checking the calves from tail to head for the disqualifying flaws that have derailed nearly every red heifer candidate in living memory.

 The requirements come directly from the Hebrew Bible. “This is the ritual law that Hashem has commanded: Instruct the Israelites to bring you a red cow without blemish, in which there is no defect and on which no yoke has been laid” (Numbers 19:2). Since the Second Temple’s destruction nearly two thousand years ago, the ashes of such a cow have been unavailable, leaving every Jew in a state of ritual impurity from contact with the dead, a status the Bible calls tumat met. Without those ashes, the purification described in the Torah cannot take place, and full Temple service cannot resume. That is why a light hair on a newborn calf is not a minor veterinary detail. It is the difference between a heifer that can eventually serve the nation and one that cannot. (Read More)

___________________________________

Brad Myers - Senior Researcher Comments: In the future, after 2,000 years, the ashes of a red heifer without blemish will be used for temple sacrifices in a rebuilt Third Temple in Jerusalem. Unfortunately, this proposed Third Temple will not be the one described in detail in Ezekiel 40–48, as its location, size, and measurements do not align with the plans drafted by the Temple Institute—which has created detailed blueprints and 3D digital renderings. The Bible foretells in Daniel 9:27 and 2 Thessalonians 2:4 that this Third Temple will restore animal sacrifices but will ultimately be desecrated by the 'man of lawlessness,' known as the Antichrist.

Syria's foreign minister confirms nuclear material found by IAEA at Deir ez-Zor site

Syria is not known to hold operational stockpiles of nuclear material for a weapons program, but Israel bombed a suspected Syrian nuclear reactor in 2007 in the country's eastern province.

Nuclear material in Syria was discovered and collected by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Saudi state-owned Al-Hadath reported on Tuesday, citing confirmation by Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad Hassan al-Shaibani. According to the report, al-Shaibani emphasized that the material, discovered in Syria's Dier al-Zor site, will remain in Syrian custody, "subject to IAEA guarantees."

"We will provide the necessary conditions for handling nuclear materials and storing them safely," said al-Shaibani, who further noted that Damascus, "on its own initiative," permitted the IAEA to access the site. Al-Shaibani made the comments at a joint press conference with IAEA chief Rafael Grossi in Damascus, where he added that Syria had the right to use the material for civil and peaceful purposes. He noted that cooperation between Syria and the IAEA has reached "advanced stages."

Since the ouster of former president Bashar al-Assad in late 2024, Syria's new authorities have committed to working with the United Nations' nuclear watchdog to address the legacy of nuclear activities during decades of Assad family rule.Grossi said the agency accessed the site after the Syrian government notified it.  (Ed note: Watch out, Israel. Always keep one eye on the state of Syria.)   (Source)

Syria airfield attack sends warning to Erdogan and al-Sharaa

Analysis: The strike in northeast Syria likely served the same strategic goal as the 2025 T4 attack: warning Erdogan where Israel’s red line lies and telling al-Sharaa not to let Turkish air defenses restrict Israeli freedom of action. In early April 2025, Israeli Air Force jets struck the runways and facilities of Syria’s T4 military air base. It was hardly the first time the base had reportedly been targeted by Israel. During the Syrian civil war, T4 served not only the Syrian Air Force but also Iranian forces, which sought to use it to transfer advanced air defense systems to Hezbollah and Syria. For that reason, according to foreign reports, the Israeli Air Force attacked the base several times.

But the April 2025 strike appeared to be different. Arab and international media reported at the time that Israel targeted T4’s runways because Turkey, following the collapse of Bashar Assad’s regime, was seeking to take control of the base and deploy air defense systems and detection radars there.

Israel appeared to be drawing a red line. As Turkish troops, engineers and contractors made their way toward the base, Israeli aircraft struck its runways and surrounding areas, signaling that Jerusalem would not accept a Turkish military presence at such a strategically important site. From Israel’s perspective, sophisticated Turkish radar and interception systems there could severely restrict the Israeli Air Force’s freedom of action over Syria. As later became clear, that freedom of movement was also relevant to the aerial route used for strikes against western Iran. (Read More)

Turkey rejects Israel's justification for strikes on Syrian airbase

Turkey on Tuesday night condemned Israel's confirmation that it carried out airstrikes on the Abu al-Duhur airbase in Syria, rejecting Jerusalem's explanation for the operation. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office said Israel acted after Syria was close to violating a security understanding by allowing Turkish forces to deploy at an airbase near Aleppo. "Israel and Syria agreed to a status quo in security matters, which Syria was on the verge of breaching by permitting Turkish troops to deploy at an airbase near Aleppo."

The statement added that Israel had repeatedly warned Damascus that a Turkish deployment there would endanger Israeli security. “Israel repeatedly warned Syria that such a deployment would pose a threat to Israel's security. Syria chose to ignore these warnings. Israel will not tolerate threats to its security, and would welcome a return to the status quo." Turkey's Directorate of Communications rejected the Israeli explanation, accusing Jerusalem of attempting to justify an attack on Syrian territory. "The allegations put forward by the Israeli Prime Ministry, which lack seriousness, aim to legitimize Israel's unlawful airstrikes targeting the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Syria."

Ankara further accused Netanyahu of pursuing regional expansion and destabilization for political purposes ahead of elections in Israel. "The accusations raised stem from Netanyahu's intent to continue his expansionist and destabilizing policies in the region ahead of elections in Israel," Turkey claimed. "Turkey, like the vast majority of the international community, supports the establishment of lasting peace in our region. The sole path to this lies in Netanyahu abandoning his aggressive and coercive policies and demonstrating respect for international law."

Turkey also defended its cooperation with the Syrian government, saying it would continue working with Damascus to promote stability. "Turkey will steadfastly continue its cooperation with the Syrian Government on legitimate grounds to establish peace, stability, and prosperity in Syria, and will never allow Syria to be destabilized," the statement concluded. The dispute comes amid already strained relations between Turkey and Israel. Ankara and Jerusalem had been moving toward renewed diplomatic ties before the October 7, 2023 Hamas terrorist massacre in southern Israel, but relations deteriorated sharply afterward. Turkish officials, particularly President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, have since repeatedly criticized Israel. (Ed note: What did "Turkish forces to deploy at an airbase near Aleppo" mean? Was Turkey setting up to take over Syria, stage an attack on Israel, or go after the Kurds, which they hate almost as much as they hate the Jews.) (Read Move)

Israel confirms striking Syrian air base, saying Turkey was planning to deploy forces

Netanyahu’s office asserts Damascus was repeatedly warned ‘such a deployment would pose a threat to Israel’s security’; Trump’s envoy says US working to establish deconfliction mechanism for Israel, Syria and Turkey.

Israel confirmed late Tuesday that it was behind overnight airstrikes against a Syrian military airport, where it claimed Turkey was planning to deploy forces.“Israel and Syria agreed to a status quo in security matters, which Syria was on the verge of breaching by permitting Turkish troops to deploy at an airbase near Aleppo,” said Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office in an English-language statement. The Prime Minister’s Office said Israel “repeatedly warned Syria that such a deployment would pose a threat to Israel’s security.”

“Syria chose to ignore these warnings,” Netanyahu’s office said, adding that Israel “will not tolerate threats to its security, and would welcome a return to the status quo.” In response, Ankara decried “the frivolous allegations put forward by the Israeli Prime Minister’s Office,” according to a Turkish government statement quoted by the Anadolu state news agency, saying they “aim to legitimize Israel’s unlawful airstrikes targeting Syria’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.” An unnamed Turkish official also denied to Axios that Ankara was seeking to establish a military presence at the Abu Duhur air base in Idlib province. “There was no Turkish presence at the airbase. Israel is inventing pretexts to bomb neighboring countries and destabilize the region,” the official asserted.

The attack marked extraordinary defiance by Israel of the United States, which has sought to support Syria’s new government led by a former jihadist allied with Turkey. US special envoy for Syria Tom Barrack criticized the strikes as an “unnecessary escalation that does not advance regional stability.”  (Ed note: AGAIN WITH OLD GOMER: What did "Turkish forces to deploy at an airbase near Aleppo" mean? Was Turkey setting up to take over Syria, stage an attack on Israel, or go after the Kurds, which they hate almost as much as they hate the Jews.) (Read More)

Zamir tours Syria after Israeli strike

IDF Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir visits IDF positions in southern Syria following strike on Syrian airbase to prevent planned Turkish military deployment.

Following Israel's recent strike in Syria, IDF Chief of Staff LTG Eyal Zamir visited the area on Wednesday and toured IDF positions in the security zone in southern Syria. The visit was conducted together with the Commander of the Northern Command, the Commander of the 210th Division, and additional commanders. During the tour, Zamir received an operational briefing on the sector and spoke with reservists serving in the area. On Tuesday night, the Prime Minister's Office confirmed that Israel was behind the strike on the Abu al-Duhur military airport in Syria.

"Israel and Syria agreed to a status quo in security matters, which Syria was on the verge of breaching by permitting Turkish troops to deploy at an airbase near Aleppo," the English-language statement said. "Israel repeatedly warned Syria that such a deployment would pose a threat to Israel's security. Syria chose to ignore these warnings. Israel will not tolerate threats to its security, and would welcome a return to the status quo."

A senior Israeli official confirmed to Fox News that Israel carried out the strike and said Jerusalem had shared sensitive intelligence with Washington beforehand. According to the official, the intelligence was shared at the highest levels of the various agencies and bodies in both countries. The senior Israeli official also addressed Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa, saying, "He understands that he cannot act like the previous Syrian regime. It is possible that he did not understand what was happening, or did not know." (Ed note: Always keep one eye on the state of Syria.) (Source)

Report: Saudi Arabia Resumes Loading Oil in Strait of Hormuz

Trade industry sources said on Tuesday that Saudi Aramco, the national oil company of Saudi Arabia, has resumed loading tankers with product at its Juaymah and Ras Tanura oil terminals, which lie within the contested waters of the Strait of Hormuz.

The move suggests Aramco believes it will be able to ship its products through the Strait of Hormuz, either in coordination with Iran, or in defiance of Iran’s terrorist threats. The Saudis might even see Hormuz as safer than the alternative route through the Red Sea they have been using, as Iran’s regional proxy, the Houthi insurgents of Yemen, have “banned” Saudi Arabia from using another vital shipping chokepoint, the Bab el-Mandeb Strait.

Emma Li, a market analyst with Vortexa, told Reuters on Tuesday that the Saudis might have concluded they have no choice but to dare the Strait of Hormuz again because their only other gambit to ship oil to Asia was a lengthy route through the Mediterranean and Aramco’s Asian customers are “not happy with the long voyages and high freight cost.”

According to ship tracking services, three Saudi supertankers loaded two million barrels of crude oil apiece from Juaymah and Ras Tanura over the past week – the first time in three weeks that either port has loaded an oil cargo. Six more Very Large Crude Carriers (VLCCs) are in position to load from the ports in the near future and all of the massive ships would need to pass through the Strait of Hormuz to deliver their cargoes to Asian customers, predominantly China. Aramco made a public offer of crude oil cargoes to Asian buyers on Monday, proposing to deliver the oil via ship-to-ship transfers off Fujairah, a port city in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) that lies on the Gulf of Oman side of the Strait of Hormuz. The offer included heavy grades of crude oil, which can be refined into high-quality fuels. (Read More)

PM, Kushner clashed over continued Israeli strikes on Oct. 7 terrorists — officials

The main dispute during Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s meeting on Monday with US special envoy Jared Kushner was over the premier’s insistence that Israel continue carrying out strikes on Hamas operatives who allegedly took part in the terror group’s October 7 onslaught, an official present at the sit-down told The Times of Israel.

Earlier this month, Israel acknowledged having established a special operation to hunt down and kill every single Palestinian terrorist involved in the October 7, 2023, invasion and atrocities. The mission has resulted in countless apparent violations of the ceasefire that Israel and Hamas inked in October 2025, but the US-controlled Board of Peace has not adamantly objected, as the Israel Defense Forces in most cases has claimed those targeted posed an imminent threat to troops.

For months, the Board of Peace prioritized coaxing Hamas to accept its disarmament proposal, which it finally did on July 30. Once in place, the plan envisions both sides immediately halting all military operations, though Netanyahu has come out against the proposal and raised that specific issue during his meeting with Kushner, according to the official present. While Kushner assured Netanyahu that he would not oppose Israeli strikes against those who genuinely pose an “imminent threat,” US President Donald Trump’s son-in-law and senior aide told the premier that the rationale should not be widely interpreted, the official said.

To the frustration of the Board of Peace delegation, Netanyahu insisted the strikes against participants in the October 7 attack would continue, according to the official, who added that no agreement was reached on the matter. A second source briefed on the meeting confirmed the official’s account. Hours after Kushner left Israel, the IDF carried out one of its deadliest strikes in months, targeting what it said was a gathering of senior Hamas operatives. Reports said at least six people were killed, including a child, and over 10 wounded in the strike, among them an elderly woman. Even while theoretically understanding Israel’s desire to pursue October 7 terrorists, the continued harm to civilians in those strikes has been an increasing cause of concern for the Board of Peace, the official said. (Ed note: What should be of concern to the so called "Board of Peace" is the fact that Hamas is a killer terrorist organization who hides itself among its civilians in hope that they won't be killed themselves. Jared should know better.) (Read More)

Trump calls off Iran talks as Tehran doubles down on Hormuz leverage

President Donald Trump has halted diplomatic engagement with Iran until further notice, the White House said on Tuesday, as Tehran hardens its position over the Strait of Hormuz and presses Washington to meet its demands. Trump said Tuesday on Truth Social that no conversations with Iran were taking place and none were scheduled, adding that the US naval blockade remained “in full force and effect.” A White House official later told Semafor that Trump’s post amounted to calling off talks with Tehran “for the foreseeable future.” The move came as the 60-day period set by the Islamabad memorandum for reaching a final agreement reached its stated end. Iranian officials, however, dispute that the negotiating clock ever formally began, arguing that Washington failed to fulfill the commitments required for negotiations to start.

Iranian Foreign Ministry officials say the United States initially fulfilled only commitments concerning the lifting of restrictions on Iranian oil sales and the naval blockade before abandoning them, while failing to implement its other obligations altogether. They therefore argue that negotiations with Washington never began and that the 60-day period cannot be considered to have expired in the manner described in media reports, although the memorandum says the two sides committed to reaching a final deal within a maximum of 60 days, extendable by mutual consent. Citing that argument, the state-run IRNA news agency wrote Tuesday that although the Islamabad memorandum is not currently being implemented, it could still serve as a basis for returning to negotiations and ending the war. “All it takes is the will on the American side to implement all of its commitments,” IRNA wrote.

Earlier in the day, Tehran-based news website Rouydad24 similarly argued that the end of the 60-day period did not necessarily mean the end of diplomacy. The intensification of the naval blockade and economic pressure, Trump’s threat to take military action against Oman if it “gets in the way” of his administration’s dealings with Tehran, and his references to back-channel contact with the Revolutionary Guards suggested that pressure and diplomacy could still proceed simultaneously, it said, with the Strait of Hormuz emerging as Iran’s main bargaining tool. “The existence of back-channel contacts with Iran, Oman’s efforts, and continued messaging from Pakistan and Qatar show that the path of diplomacy has not been completely closed,” Rouydad24 wrote. It added that “the end of the 60-day period may perhaps be better understood not as the end of negotiations, but as the end of one model of negotiations.” (Read More)

Iran Calls Trump ‘Delusional,’ Declares ‘Post-American Order’ — After He Claims Hormuz as ‘New U.S. Territory’

Iranian officials fired back at President Donald Trump on Tuesday, calling him “delusional” and declaring a “post-American order” in the Persian Gulf after the president posted a map labeling the Strait of Hormuz “New U.S. Territory” and insisted the strategic waterway is “open and operating.”

Trump posted the map to Truth Social without comment Tuesday, following up on a claim he first floated last week and embraced again Monday when asked about the prospect of declaring the strait American territory.“I mean we control it,” Trump told reporters in the Oval Office. “We control it with the blockade, and I like the idea of declaring it a territory.” Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi responded directly to Trump’s map, warning that Tehran would correct what he called the president’s “delusion.” “Just as Trump correctly referred to the Persian Gulf by its proper name, his delusion about the Strait of Hormuz will soon either be dispelled, or we will set this deluded man straight,” Gharibabadi wrote on X.

Mohsen Rezaei, the newly appointed secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council and a former commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), followed with a taunt of his own, posting an image depicting the roughly 7,000-mile distance between Washington and Hormuz beneath the words, “Some Dreams Are Too Far From Reality.” “The gap between America’s inability to reopen the Strait of Hormuz and its claim to own it is greater than the 7,000-mile distance between Washington and the Strait itself,” Rezaei wrote.“Welcome to the post-American order in the Persian Gulf,” he added. (Read More)

Leaked audio: Iran's Basij brace for new protests and fear being named online

Officials of Iran's Basij militia can be heard on a leaked recording weighing the risk of a new round of protests and the danger that members will be identified online, a rare glimpse of the anxiety inside the force the state sends against demonstrators. In the audio recording of a closed meeting of the Media and Cyberspace Headquarters in Pakdasht, Tehran province, officials discuss possible new demonstrations, the online identification of Basij members and plans to track anti-government activity and individuals on social media. The meeting was held amid recent developments including the killing of Hamidreza Rajabzadeh, a Basij member and government-aligned religious singer, as well as growing concern among officials over the role and influence of social media.

The meeting was held amid recent developments including the killing of Hamidreza Rajabzadeh, a Basij member and government-aligned religious singer, as well as growing concern among officials over the role and influence of social media. The Media and Cyberspace Headquarters is made up of cyber personnel and government supporters operating under the supervision of the Revolutionary Guards. The concerns raised at the meeting echoed recent remarks by Ebrahim Garmabdari, commander of the Revolutionary Guards in Pakdasht, who said government opponents were using sanctions, infiltration and social media to target the Islamic Republic’s governing structure.

Earlier this week, Iran’s supreme leader appointed Hossein Taeb, a veteran intelligence official, to lead the Basij paramilitary forces, giving the former protest crackdown figure a mandate to expand the paramilitary force’s grassroots intelligence network and use of new technologies. Participants of the meeting raised concerns about mounting social and psychological pressure on government-aligned forces. Referring to Rajabzadeh’s recent killing, the meeting’s lead speaker described the incident as a warning that pro-government figures could be targeted both offline and online.

He said the pressure was intended to make Basij members, mosque clerics and local base commanders regret or feel ashamed of their affiliation, potentially pushing them to adopt opposition views to avoid social rejection. Earlier in the meeting, a participant identified as Mr. Shahbazi said the underlying tensions had not subsided and warned that public protests against the government and confrontation with security forces could continue. (Ed note: The BASIJ is the group that during the last Iranian uprising, rode around on their motorcycles, attacking the civilians in the streets, killing them at will. They also went into the hospitals and shot the wounded, or drug them out into the street and shot them.) (Read More)

Russians Are Pulling Billions From Banks As Fears Grow That Putin Could Seize Deposits to Fund The War

A senior executive at Sberbank, Russia's largest retail bank, warned that withdrawals for all of 2026 could approach twice the amount withdrawn during that first year of the war.

Russians are pulling billions of dollars out of banks at a pace not seen since the early days of the invasion of Ukraine, as drone attacks, mounting economic strains and fears that the Kremlin could eventually tap private deposits to finance the war shake confidence in the country's financial system. Nearly $3.4 billion, or 286.4 billion rubles, were withdrawn during the first two weeks of August, according to Russian Central Bank data cited by The Washington Post. That followed withdrawals of $7.3 billion in July and more than $4.5 billion in June.

The exodus has already pushed withdrawals this year above the roughly $24.7 billion during the first year after the February 2022 invasion. Taras Skvortsov, a senior executive at Sberbank, Russia's largest retail bank, warned that withdrawals for all of 2026 could approach twice the amount taken out during that first year of war. This time, however, the pressure is unfolding against a very different economic backdrop. Russian banks have spent years extending government-directed loans to defense industries, while high interest rates, bad debts and a slowing civilian economy have increased strains on the financial sector.

"Drones are flying. Things are burning down. Nervousness is growing," a former senior Russian finance official told The Post, describing a return to the instinct of keeping cash "under their pillow" rather than trusting banks. The exodus has already pushed withdrawals this year above the roughly $24.7 billion during the first year after the February 2022 invasion. Taras Skvortsov, a senior executive at Sberbank, Russia's largest retail bank, warned that withdrawals for all of 2026 could approach twice the amount taken out during that first year of war. This time, however, the pressure is unfolding against a very different economic backdrop. Russian banks have spent years extending government-directed loans to defense industries, while high interest rates, bad debts and a slowing civilian economy have increased strains on the financial sector. "Drones are flying. Things are burning down. Nervousness is growing," a former senior Russian finance official told The Post, describing a return to the instinct of keeping cash "under their pillow" rather than trusting banks.

Alexandra Prokopenko, a former adviser to Russia's Central Bank, said the withdrawals point to declining confidence that money held inside the banking system will remain untouched, which is potentially more damaging than a temporary demand for cash. "This is all a consequence of the fear that the government will do something with the banking system, that it could nationalize deposits," Prokopenko told The Post. While she considers outright nationalization unlikely, she said restrictions on withdrawals could not be ruled out. (Read More)