US State Dept. sanctions Iranian military activities, fuel export in Operation Economic Outcast

Sanctions targeted Iranian individuals and companies that facilitated the trade of petroleum and petrochemical products with Iran or supported military action against US forces.

The US State Department implemented sanctions against Iranian military activities, cyber threats, and illicit oil trade, according to a statement from US State Department Spokesperson Tommy Pigott on Monday evening. "Today, the United States took sweeping action against multiple entities, individuals, and vessels enabling the Iranian regime’s destabilizing activities," Pigott said.

"The measures target Iranian military officials responsible for procuring weapons and directing attacks against US servicemembers and regional partners, Iran-based entities that gathered intelligence for targeting US forces and allies, and a procurement ring supplying Iran’s military and missile programs," he added.

"The US will continue to disrupt, expose, and dismantle Iran’s military and proliferation activities, procurement schemes, malicious cyber operations, and illicit oil trade that sustains the regime’s malign behavior." The sanctions targeted two Iran-based groups that were involved in procuring images used to attacks US forces and bases located across the Middle East.

DadeNegar Startup Studio and the Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Cyber-Electronic Command (IRGC-CEC) were named in the sanctions package. DadeNegar was sanctioned for supporting the "targeting of US and partner facilities in the Middle East for the Iranian military during Operation Epic Fury." The State Department said DadeNegar used commercial Chinese satellite imagery to support Iran's military in its efforts to target and damage US forces and bases in the region. (Read More)

Iran Blacklists Tankers Amid US Pressure

Tehran threatens to seize vessels and confiscate cargo in the Strait of Hormuz, days after President Trump announced sweeping new sanctions aimed at collapsing the Iranian regime. Iran announced Monday that it has placed 45 oil, gas, and petroleum product tankers on a blacklist, claiming the vessels violated regulations while crossing the Strait of Hormuz. The move comes as a direct response to President Donald Trump's weekend declaration of economic "D-Day" against Tehran.

According to a statement from the "Persian Gulf Strait Authority", a newly established Iranian body tasked with managing maritime passage through the waterway, the blacklisted vessels face potential fines, detention, and cargo confiscation. The authority also warned that enforcement action would be taken against any ship that transfers cargo to or from the listed tankers. The escalation in this critical shipping lane follows Washington's threat of unprecedented sanctions and Iran's vow to respond destructively to any new American pressure. The Strait of Hormuz is a vital chokepoint through which roughly one-fifth of global oil supplies pass.

Against this backdrop, the United States has implemented a naval blockade on Iran-linked vessels and is providing escorts for tankers transiting the strait. U.S. Energy Secretary Chris Wright addressed the oil flow situation, stating: "The 7-day average of oil exiting the strait is over 8 million barrels per day. Make no mistake, thanks to the U.S. Navy, oil is flowing through the Strait of Hormuz."

The Iranian blacklist includes tankers owned by major shipping companies from Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and South Korea. Tehran officials clarified that vessel owners must obtain advance transit approval and pay for security services. Any ship seeking removal from the blacklist must submit a formal application to Iranian maritime authorities. This evening, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent announced new economic measures against Iran, including sanctions targeting banks and international entities that maintain commercial ties with the Islamic Republic. (Source)

Tehran gas stations run dry as Iran’s fuel deficit bites

Reports of gasoline shortages spread across Tehran on Monday, with filling stations closing after running out of fuel and motorists describing long searches and queues for increasingly scarce supplies.
Images, videos and accounts posted widely on Persian-language social media showed closed stations and lines of cars at others still operating, with shortages reported in several parts of the capital, including central and northern Tehran. The disruption was also acknowledged by state-affiliated media.
“Some gas stations have closed without a clear explanation, creating considerable concern and questions for people,” SSN wrote, calling on the government to explain whether the closures were part of an attempt to curb fuel consumption and how long they would last.

The shortages bring into the open a problem Iranian officials have been warning about for months: the country is consuming more gasoline than it can produce. Reza Sepahvand, spokesperson for parliament’s Energy Committee, said this month that Iran was producing about 130 million liters of gasoline a day while consuming around 137 million liters, leaving a daily shortfall of about seven million liters. Sepahvand also said gasoline imports had stopped under the US naval blockade, removing one of the ways Tehran had previously made up the difference between domestic production and demand. Other official estimates have put the deficit even higher. Mohammad Jafar Ghaempanah, President Masoud Pezeshkian’s executive deputy, said this month that Iran faced a gasoline imbalance of around 14 million liters a day.

The government is therefore confronting an increasingly difficult choice: finding ways to reduce consumption without sharply raising the price motorists pay at the pump.Iran has for years sold heavily subsidized gasoline, contributing to high consumption and imposing a growing burden on state finances. Pezeshkian himself has questioned the logic of buying fuel at international prices while selling it domestically at a fraction of the cost. But attempts to raise gasoline prices carry considerable political risk. A sudden increase in November 2019 triggered nationwide protests that quickly expanded into broader demonstrations against the Islamic Republic. Security forces responded with a deadly crackdown and a near-total internet shutdown.

The memory of those protests has made gasoline prices one of the most politically sensitive economic issues facing successive Iranian governments. Officials have instead discussed alternatives including changes to fuel quotas, limiting subsidized gasoline and charging higher prices for consumption above allocated amounts.But uncertainty over those plans has itself contributed to anxiety among motorists, with long queues reported at filling stations in recent days. The supply squeeze comes as Iran faces a broader deterioration in economic conditions following months of war and sanctions.

Washington on Monday expanded its campaign of secondary sanctions against Tehran as part of what US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent has called an “economic D-Day” intended to sever Iran’s remaining economic lifelines. For motorists in Tehran, however, the consequences are increasingly immediate. (Read More)

'Iran tried to assassinate one of my sons,' Netanyahu reveals

Netanyahu was speaking on a phone call with Channel 14's military correspondent, Noam Amir, when he stated that the Islamic regime tried to assassinate one of his sons.

Iran tried to assassinate the son of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, the PM said during a phone call with Channel 14's military correspondent Noam Amir, broadcast on Monday. "This is an unbelievable case. Iran targeted one of my sons. Iran tried to murder him, tried to murder one of my sons," the PM stated. "Is this part of the intelligence provided to you?" Amir asked.

"Iran tried to murder one of my sons. And this is why this promise [I am making] is more than a luxury - without it, they could succeed [in killing my son.] People need to show some restraint, especially during an election campaign," Netanyahu replied. "I spoke with the Shin Bet (Israel Security Agency) chief [David Zini] and asked him to provide appropriate security to any prime ministerial candidate," Netanyahu also said.

Netanyahu also reacted to Shin Bet's hesitation over granting security to former IDF chief of staff Gadi Eisenkot, who polls show is a major contender to become prime minister after October's election. "I spoke with the head of the Shin Bet and asked him to take care of the appropriate security for whoever is running for prime minister," Netanyahu told Amir. In July, The Ministerial Committee for Shin Bet (Israel Security Agency) Affairs approved the granting of extended personal protection to Netanyahu's wife, Sara, and their sons, Yair and Avner. Netanyahu did not appear to say whether Yair or Avner was the target of Iran's assassination attempt. (Source)

‘Outrageous’: UN slams threats from Netanyahu, Katz to evacuate Gazans over ‘children’s kites’

GENEVA, Switzerland — The United Nations on Tuesday slammed Israel’s threat to evacuate people from areas where kites, drones and balloons are launched in Gaza, lamenting “unacceptable rhetoric” coming from Israeli leaders. “On the threat of expulsion due to children’s kite flying, I hope we can all agree that this is outrageous,” UN rights office spokeswoman Ravina Shamdasani told reporters in Geneva. Israel warned Hamas on Sunday that it would step up operations in Gaza if launches of kites, drones and balloons toward Israel continued, after a recent increase in such incidents. Hamas has denied responsibility.

The Israeli military believes Hamas was behind the launches, which did not carry explosives and may have been testing how Israel would respond. The incidents have revived memories of waves of kites and balloons launched from Gaza in previous years, notably in 2018-21, some of which sparked massive fires in southern Israel. In those incidents, burning material was attached to kite tails or to clusters of helium balloons, and some carried small explosive charges, including devices that detonated on handling.

Four kites were found in communities near the Gaza border on Saturday and one was shot down by the army on Sunday, bringing the total number recovered in recent days to around 10. On Monday, Channel 12 reported that nine kites were launched from the Gaza Strip toward IDF troops in June, but the incidents were neither publicly reported at the time nor met with an Israeli response. 

...Bassem Naim, a member of Hamas’s political bureau, claimed in a statement that the kites were “launched from Gaza by children searching for their innocent childhood amid the rubble.” (Ed note: Anyone else remember kids having such complex, sophisticated, and elaborate kites at the playground? And large helium balloons capable of carrying fire pots which can start a fire in an Israeli field?) (Read More)

IDF destroys Hamas weapons caches in Gaza mosques

According to the IDF, dozens of rifles were stored inside the Shati and Deir al-Balah area mosques in violation of international law.

The IDF and ISA conducted precise strikes in the Shati and Deir al-Balah areas in the Gaza Strip on Monday to destroy two Hamas weapons storage facilities, containing dozens of Kalashnikov rifles, magazines, and additional military equipment.

These facilities, established inside two mosques in the Gaza Strip, were used by Hamas terrorists to conceal and store weapons. Before the strikes, advance warnings were issued to the population to mitigate harm to civilians. Additional precautions included the use of precise munitions and aerial surveillance.

The IDF condemned the use of the mosques as weapons storage facilities, calling it "another example of Hamas’ systematic exploitation of civilian infrastructure, including mosques, in violation of international law, to advance and execute terror attacks against IDF troops and Israeli civilians." (Source)

Israel seeking to lead intensifying international race over anti-satellite weaponry - analysis

Space warfare weapons are expected to threaten satellites and thus could also damage photography, communication, or any technology that is fundamentally dependent on space.

The global satellite market, both civilian and military, is growing, and with it the fear of threats. Due to this, US Space Command commander General Stephen Whiting recently told a conference in Alabama that the development of anti-satellite weapons is high on the US list of priorities. According to him, such means, some of which are expected to be based on satellites of various types, are essential for deterring enemies and dealing with attacks.

Space warfare weapons are expected to threaten satellites, and thus could also damage photography, communication, or any technology that is fundamentally dependent on space. Plans may also be uncovered to diversify the missile threats from space to Earth. In Israel, the public was told about the field when Defense Minister Israel Katz said earlier this year that Israel aspires to be "one of the three leading countries in the world in the field of space offense," but those who have long been in the space arms race are the superpowers: the US, Russia, and China.

Elon Musk's SpaceX, for example, celebrated an impressive milestone last Friday, crossing the 11,000-satellite mark in space, far more than any other space operator. Starlink's gap with the rest of the market is so large that, for comparison's sake, OneWeb is in second place with "only" 650 satellites. (Read More)

Israel plans development of space weapons capable of striking targets on Earth

Israel is set to develop offensive space capabilities as part of the Defense Ministry’s multiyear budget plan for the space sector, including systems designed to defend Israeli satellites from hostile spacecraft and weapons capable of striking targets on Earth from space. The plan includes upgrades to existing capabilities, including expanded intelligence collection from space and improved communications systems. A dedicated budget will be allocated for offensive space activity as part of a broader effort to strengthen Israel’s position in the space domain. The Defense Ministry’s multiyear plan focuses on several areas.

The first is the expansion of IDF intelligence collection capabilities from space through multiple layers, allowing operations around the clock, in all weather conditions and across multiple locations simultaneously. The second area involves establishing broad, resilient, and continuous communications capabilities for the defense establishment.

In addition, a dedicated budget will support offensive space operations focused on two main areas: weapons designed to protect Israeli satellites from hostile satellites, and weapons capable of striking targets on Earth from space, both to defend the Israeli home front and to strike hostile actors. To advance these efforts, the Directorate of Defense Research and Development (MAFAT), the IDF, and Israel’s defense industries are engaged in a planning and development process.

One factor accelerating the process is Operation Roaring Lion, during which the Defense Ministry and the IDF expanded their use of satellites to gather precise intelligence from space. This strengthened their ability to build target banks during the war. Defense Minister Israel Katz has argued in closed forums that the space domain requires a major, rapid upgrade to create an advantage over enemy states and position Israel among the world’s five leading countries in the field. (Ed note: So what about Israel's new ray gun? The new high-energy laser defense system called the Iron Beam?)  (Read More)

Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Pakistan invited Iran to join newly-established Mecca defense pact - report

Iran has been invited to join the Mecca Agreement for Mutual Defense, the new security alliance established by Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Pakistan earlier this month, Al Mayadeen reported on Saturday, citing a senior Iranian official. The invitation has not yet been officially confirmed by Iran's Foreign Ministry or by any of the three countries that are parties to the agreement. Mehdi Rahimi, head of the Iranian parliament's Khaneh Mellat news agency, told the channel that "Iran has received an invitation to join the Mecca Agreement, and the matter is under review."

Rahimi added that countries in the region "are moving toward seeking a regional security umbrella," and claimed that this represented "a victory for Iran, because it has been calling for this for a long time." The Mecca Agreement was signed on August 7 by Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.

The agreement establishes a principle of mutual defense under which an attack on any one of the three countries would be considered an attack on all of them. Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan compared the mechanism to Article 5 of the NATO treaty, but stressed that the agreement was not directed against Iran or any specific country. The member states have already begun developing mechanisms for diplomatic and military coordination, including meetings among foreign and defense ministers and military commanders, joint exercises, and cooperation between their defense industries. (Read More)

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In three months | 13 kilometers of terror tunnels destroyed in Gaza

Paratroopers Brigade troops completed their defensive and infrastructure-clearing missions along the “Yellow Line." The tunnel in which the late Lt. Hadar Goldin was held was also destroyed.

Troops from the Paratroopers Brigade, under the command of the 143rd Gaza Division and the 99th Division, operated over the past three months in the Gaza Strip as part of a defensive mission to clear the Yellow Line area of terrorist infrastructure. During their activity, the troops, together with Yahalom, dismantled and sealed underground tunnels totaling 13 kilometers in length, including part of the tunnel where LT Hadar Goldin was held.

The troops dismantled numerous terrorist infrastructure sites and located weapons used by the Hamas terrorist organization to carry out terror activity against Israeli civilians and IDF troops. The weapons located included RPG rockets, mortar shells, grenades, missile launchers, and ammunition.

In addition, troops established new routes and military posts as part of efforts to strengthen the defensivposture in the area. (Ed note: 13 kilometers is about 8 miles, no small effort. Also check out the great pictures at the end of this article.)  (Source)

Trump: Iran Collapsing Amid U.S. Sanctions

The US President posts emphatic statement on social media as Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent unveils what he calls "economic D-Day" targeting Tehran's remaining financial lifelines. President Donald Trump posted a brief but emphatic statement on his Truth Social platform Monday afternoon, writing in capital letters: "IRAN IS COMPLETELY COLLAPSING!!!" The post, signed with his customary "President DJT," quickly garnered thousands of likes and shares.

Trump's declaration came against the backdrop of an extraordinary announcement by U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, who revealed that Washington is entering the final phase of its economic campaign against Iran. Bessent stated that President Trump has dismantled Iran's military capabilities, destroyed nearly 100 percent of its military production facilities, and buried its nuclear program. The Treasury chief indicated that a major financial escalation would begin imminently.

Bessent characterized the upcoming measures as "economic D-Day" - a financial assault on an unprecedented scale. "At dawn, economic D-Day will begin, the largest financial attack ever against an adversary," the Treasury Secretary announced. "Our goal is to sever every economic lifeline sustaining the tyrannical regime until Tehran stands alone."

The planned sanctions are expected to target independent Chinese refineries purchasing smuggled Iranian oil, foreign banks facilitating financial transfers, and digital money-laundering networks and cryptocurrency exchanges. Additional measures will focus on Iranian airlines and the hidden maritime fleet used to circumvent existing embargoes. (Read More)

Bessent warns: 'Endgame' with Iran is near

US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent says the Iran confrontation is entering its “endgame" as Washington prepares an unprecedented economic offensive.

US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said Sunday that Washington is approaching the “endgame" in its confrontation with Iran, following what he described as the destruction of much of Tehran's military capabilities. “President Trump has dismantled Iran’s military capabilities, destroyed nearly 100 percent of its military factories, and buried its nuclear program," Bessent wrote on social media. “We are now entering the endgame. At dawn begins an economic D-Day - the single greatest financial offensive ever marshaled against an adversary," he added. Bessent argued that the Trump administration had fundamentally changed the balance of pressure between Washington and Tehran.

“The Islamic Republic has subsisted by dressing extortion as security guarantees. It has drawn strength from a calculus that regards Iranian retaliation as certain and American enforcement as negotiable. Under President Trump, that era is over. And those who fear the danger of defying Tehran ought not to discount the cost of testing Washington," warned Bessent. He said Trump had also laid the groundwork for an expansive campaign targeting Iran's remaining economic lifelines.

The Treasury Secretary further stated that Trump “has created the conditions to leverage every agency, every authority and action many assumed we would never summon. Our objective is to sever every economic lifeline that sustains the tyrannical regime until Tehran stands alone." Bessent's announcement followed Trump's declaration Wednesday of a sweeping new economic campaign against Iran. In a Truth Social post, the president described the effort as "an economic D-Day" and warned countries providing economic assistance to Tehran that they would face consequences. (Read More)

Kushner's extraordinary warning to Hamas

Jared Kushner reportedly met Hamas leader Khalil al-Hayya in Cairo after US intelligence indicated that some Hamas officials were planning to violate commitments to disarm.

The negotiations with the Hamas terrorist organization in Cairo have reportedly entered a critical phase, with a direct warning delivered to Hamas' leadership by the US. According to an exclusive report by Channel 12 News, US envoy Jared Kushner met with senior Hamas official Khalil al-Hayya and made it clear that any attempt to violate the agreement or conceal weapons would bring the diplomatic process to an immediate halt and leave Israel free to act militarily.

According to the report, the meeting was prompted by intelligence shared with the United States and mediators suggesting that elements within Hamas were planning to avoid full implementation of commitments to disarm and dismantle their military capabilities. According to two sources present at the meeting, Kushner told Hamas representatives in front of all mediators: "The real test will be implementation. If you try to deceive us, the process will stop, and no one will stand in Israel's way."

The report adds that Kushner emphasized Israel's deep distrust of Hamas and stressed that if Israel fulfills its obligations under the agreement, Hamas will be expected to fully implement its own commitments, including complete disarmament, ending military rearmament, and demilitarizing the Gaza Strip. Channel 12 further reported that officials involved in the negotiations said Kushner is determined to avoid a return to the status quo that allowed Hamas to remain armed and in power for years. According to those officials, if Hamas fails to honor its commitments, Israel would receive broad international legitimacy to take military action against the organization. At the same time, Hamas leaders reportedly assured the mediators that they would implement all 20 clauses of the proposed framework, including those requiring disarmament and demilitarization. (Source)

Kushner Issues Direct Warning To Hamas Over Disarmament Verification

US Special Envoy Jared Kushner warned Hamas leader Khalil al-Hayya that non compliance with the 20 point demilitarization agreement would result in the immediate end of diplomatic efforts and unrestricted Israeli action American intelligence officials received clear evidence indicating that factions within Hamas are planning to evade their commitment to full disarmament during ongoing peace negotiations in Cairo. Following these intelligence reports, US Special Envoy Jared Kushner delivered an explicit warning to senior Hamas leader Khalil al-Hayya in front of international mediators, demanding a complete commitment to disarm, surrender governance of Gaza, and halt military expansion.

The high stakes meeting in Egypt represents a major effort by the Peace Council to prevent a return to previous security dynamics in the region. Two sources present during the negotiations confirmed that Kushner confronted the Hamas delegation directly regarding implementation metrics. "The test will be in implementation, and if you try to cheat, the process will stop and no one will stand in Israel's way," Kushner told the Hamas leadership.

Kushner emphasized that Israeli authorities maintain severe doubts regarding Hamas's intentions, making strict verification essential. Peace Council representatives noted that Kushner organized the direct meeting to prevent Israel from facing international political isolation while ensuring terrorists are not allowed to remain armed. According to council officials, the current diplomatic framework ensures that if Israel abides by the agreement while Hamas fails to uphold its obligations, Israel will receive total international backing to eliminate the threat.

Members of the Peace Council reiterated that maintaining the status quo of an armed terrorist entity in Gaza remains unacceptable. "If Israel acts wisely, we will know very soon whether Hamas will fulfill the commitment it gave to the Peace Council," a council representative stated. "If so, this will be the removal of a very significant threat and a great achievement, and if not, Israel will have the international legitimacy and support to deal with the threat as it needs."

Peace Council officials warned that if Israel appears to derail the framework, it risks losing the international political backing needed to change the situation on the ground. In response to Kushner's warnings, Hamas leaders explicitly committed before all regional mediators to fully implement every provision of the 20 point plan, including all specific clauses requiring complete demilitarization and disarmament. (Source)

Iran Threatens Barron Trump in New Video

State-controlled Iranian media published footage containing personal details about the president's youngest son, including his college routine and social circle, threatening his safety. Iran's regime has escalated its threatening rhetoric, now targeting the youngest son of President Donald Trump. After issuing warnings directed at the president himself, his wife, and nations cooperating with U.S. policy, Tehran has released propaganda material threatening 20-year-old Barron Trump.

Iranian state-controlled media outlets published a video containing direct threats against Barron, the president's youngest child. The footage includes what Iranian sources claim is information gathered from open sources and intelligence operations. According to the regime's claims, Iranian operatives or their collaborators have access to Barron's immediate environment. The video details aspects of Barron's daily life, including his college studies, friendships, and romantic relationships. Iranian propagandists suggest they could target him in multiple ways and locations of their choosing.

The material claims that one of Barron's close friends, referred to by the code name "Bo Loudon", serves as an intelligence source for Iran, and that they "can reach" Barron whenever they choose. The expanded circle of threats appears to be Iran's response to the economic pressure campaign launched by the Trump administration, which multiple sources indicate has significantly damaged Iran's economy.

Barron, now 20, is President Trump's youngest son and has grown up in the political spotlight. He is widely considered the most similar to his father among Trump's children, both in personality and demeanor, with many describing him as having a "colorful" personality like the president. (Ed note: This is scary. How should President Trump react to this personal threat to his immediate family? Check out the two minute video from Iran.) (Source)

Iran Vows ‘Devastating’ Military Response: U.S. Readies to Unleash Toughest Sanctions to ‘Collapse’ Regime

Iran vowed a “devastating” military response Friday as the United States enters a new phase of economic warfare against Tehran, with the Trump administration preparing the “toughest sanctions in history” as part of an escalating campaign Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent says will “collapse” the Iranian regime. President Donald Trump made clear Friday that Washington’s shift toward economic pressure does not take further military action off the table, while again pointing to Iran’s battered armed forces, economic deterioration, and the U.S. blockade around the Strait of Hormuz as evidence of the mounting pressure on Tehran. 

“No, not at all,” Trump told reporters at Joint Base Andrews when asked whether the turn toward economic warfare meant U.S. military options against Iran had become limited. “It just means that we’re seeing what happens,” Trump said. “They have no money. They have no navy. They have no air force. They’re not paying their soldiers. They’re not paying their police. They have 350% inflation.”

Trump also said the United States has “total control” around the Strait of Hormuz through its blockade, extending, he said, “well into” the surrounding land areas. “They would love to make a deal, but they’re not ready to make the right deal, in my opinion,” he said. The latest warning from Tehran came from Armed Forces Chief of Staff Maj. Gen. Ali Abdollahi, who said Friday that Iran is prepared to retaliate across virtually every military domain in the event of what he called another enemy “miscalculation” or threat.

With comprehensive, intelligent and up-to-date readiness in all areas — ground, naval, air, air defense, space and cyber — [Iran’s armed forces] will confront any miscalculation and conventional or modern threats by the enemies with revolutionary, forceful, regret-inducing and devastating responses,” Abdollahi said in a message marking Iran’s Defense Industry Day. Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian issued his own warning Friday even as he argued that the conflict should be brought to an end while Tehran remains, in his telling, in a “position of power and dignity.” “We will under no circumstances bow to bullying, and there is no doubt about that,” Pezeshkian said. “We will stand against them until our last breath and give them a crushing response.” (Read More)

Iran Mocks Trump Over Hormuz With Satire

After U.S. president labeled strategic waterway "new American territory," Tehran responds with viral image ridiculing the claim. The confrontation over the Strait of Hormuz has moved beyond naval vessels and diplomatic threats into the realm of online satire. Iranian media recently circulated a mocking image showing a figure resembling U.S. President Donald Trump standing in the strait's waters, wearing a yellow duck-shaped flotation ring and holding a sign reading "American Territory."

The satirical visual emerged amid escalating tensions between Washington and Tehranover control of the strategically vital waterway. The timing of Iran's response was deliberate. On August 23, Trump posted a map depicting the Strait of Hormuz as "new U.S. territory," his second such post following a similar map on August 18. Earlier, he had stated that after the United States "defeats" Iran, he intends to convert the strait into American territory. Tehran rejected the American claim outright, insisting the waterway will remain closed until Washington changes its policies and meets Iranian demands.

Behind the mockery lies a serious geopolitical standoff. The Strait of Hormuz serves as a critical chokepoint in the global energy system. Before the current conflict, a substantial portion of the world's oil and gas exports passed through it, meaning any disruption to shipping there could affect energy prices, maritime commerce, and the broader global economy.

Trump maintains that the United States controls the strait and that vessels cannot pass without American authorization. Iran presents the opposite picture, asserting the waterway is closed and will only reopen when U.S. policy shifts.The dispute intensified when Trump published his map marked "NEW U.S. Territory. International media outlets, including AFP, reported on the move, characterizing it as a rhetorical escalation in the battle over control of the waterway. (Ed note: Be sure to check out the short video by Iran.)   (Source)

Iran executes protest detainee accused of ‘operational actions’ for Israel

Iran executes Majid Adineh, arrested during January protests and sentenced to death on charges including alleged actions in favor of Israel and the US.

Iranian authorities early Sunday morning executed Majid Adineh, who was arrested during the January 2026 protests, the regime judiciary-affiliated Mizan News Agency reported. According to Mizan, the Karaj Revolutionary Court sentenced Adineh to death and ordered the confiscation of all his property after convicting him of carrying out “operational actions in favor of Israel, the US, and hostile groups."

The sentence was subsequently upheld by Iran’s Supreme Court following an appeal. Adineh was arrested on the evening of January 9 in the Mohammadshahr area of Karaj together with another person by intelligence forces of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) in Alborz Province, northwest of Tehran. Iran’s judiciary claimed that authorities found a handgun, three magazines, 30 rounds of ammunition, two electric shock devices, two cans of tear gas spray, a battery-powered saw, and a bottle of gasoline at the time of his arrest.

The claims regarding the circumstances of Adineh’s arrest, the items allegedly found in his possession, his interrogation, and statements attributed to him could not be independently verified. Human rights organizations have repeatedly questioned the accuracy of such claims by Iranian authorities. Mizan reported that during questioning, Adineh initially denied using a firearm and said he had gone to the area to purchase clothing. According to the judiciary’s account, he also said he intended to help security forces move people away from the protest. He reportedly said that he had the bottle of gasoline and saw with him to counter the effects of tear gas.

The judiciary claimed that laboratory examinations showed that the firearm allegedly recovered from Adineh had been fired on January 8 and 9. Mizan said that after being confronted with the findings, Adineh acknowledged possessing the firearm and other equipment and said he had been aware of calls to participate in protests. Mizan also alleged that Adineh was affiliated with and had received training from an opposition group based outside Iran. The report did not identify the group or provide evidence regarding the alleged connection. (Ed note: Hey, President Trump, the Islamic Republic is still killing its own people faster than you ever could in an all out war.) (Read More)

Netanyahu’s office scorns Turkish regime threat to arrest PM

Israel “has long ceased to be impressed by Turkey’s hypocrisy,” the Prime Minister’s Office in Jerusalem said on Friday, hours after Ankara issued another arrest warrant for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan “is an antisemitic dictator who has massacred Kurds, harbors Hamas terrorists, occupies half of Cyprus, and jails record numbers of journalists and politicians who oppose him,” the PMO said in a separate statement in English. “He now seeks to extend his aggression against Israel into Syria. Israel will not tolerate it,” the statement read. “Erdoğan’s pathetic attempt to intimidate the leaders and soldiers of Israel, the only true democracy in the Middle East, will go nowhere,” it added.

In the Hebrew statement, the PMO stressed that Israel will continue to “act forcefully” against Turkey’s attempts to undermine stability in the region. Earlier on Friday, Turkey’s Justice Minister Akin Gürlek announced on X the issuance of arrest warrants for Netanyahu and other Israeli officials, as part of a supposed investigation into Israel’s interception of a Gaza-bound protest flotilla in spring 2026. Ankara issued its first arrest warrants on July 14 for Israel’s prime minister and another person identified as “Afek Moskovitch”—whose title was not clarified by Turkish authorities—over allegations of genocide in Gaza. AFP cited Turkish İhlas News Agency at the time as saying that Moskovitch is an Israel Defense Forces soldier who posted footage of himself on Instagram destroying property in Gaza.

Netanyahu, Moskovitch, and 33 other Israelis were mentioned by Gürlek on Friday in connection with the interception of the Global Sumud Flotilla that sought to breach the blockade of Gaza, which aims to prevent the Hamas terrorist organization from acquiring arms to boost its power. Gürlek wrote on X that Ankara “categorically reject[s]” the notion that Netanyahu’s government is “untouchable and unaccountable.”Following Netanyahu’s office’s statement, the Turkish Presidency’s Directorate of Communications lashed out at the “outrageous ravings” of the Israeli PMO, saying that they are “devoid of historical fact and political seriousness.” Jerusalem’s attempt to portray Turkey as a threat is part of a “cheap political strategy” and poses “serious risks” not only to Israeli society, “but also to regional and global peace and stability,” the Directorate of Communications said. (Read More)

Netanyahu Responds to Turkish Arrest Threat

Israeli prime minister calls Erdoğan an "antisemitic tyrant" after Turkish officials announce plans to pursue international arrest warrant and Red Notice.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu issued a sharp rebuke to Turkey after senior officials in Ankara announced they would pursue additional arrest warrants and international legal measures against him. The Turkish government said it plans to seek a "Red Notice" (an international police arrest warrant issued through Interpol (accusing Netanyahu of violations of international law related to Israel's efforts to block Turkish aid shipments to Gaza.

Netanyahu responded forcefully to the Turkish threats, stating that "Israel has long since stopped being impressed by Turkey's hypocrisy." He characterized Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan as "an antisemitic tyrant who massacred Kurds, supports the massacre by the Hamas terror organization, and oppresses his own people."

The Israeli leader also vowed to counter Turkish regional ambitions that could affect Israeli security. "Israel will continue to act forcefully against Turkey's attempts to undermine stability in the region and against any threat to its security," Netanyahu declared. (Ed note: PM Netanyahu is correct. President Erdogan hates the Kurds almost as much as he hates the Jews.)    (Source)

In meeting with Kushner, Netanyahu makes ‘very clear, in no uncertain words, that he is against a Palestinian state’

“The other side heard the message very well,” a senior Israeli official says of the Israeli prime minister’s meeting with the Trump adviser.

(JNS) In a meeting on Monday with Jared Kushner, U.S. President Donald Trump’s son-in-law who advises the president on Middle East subjects, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu made “very clear, and in no uncertain terms, that he is against a Palestinian state,” according to a senior Israeli official. Kushner and other visiting Americans didn’t press a Palestinian state, but the prime minister made it “abundantly clear that he is 100% firm on this,” the senior Israeli official told JNS.

Netanyahu “made it incredibly clear that this was something that he is against, and the vast majority of Israelis are against,” the Israeli official told JNS. “I think the other side heard the message very well.” The discussions come as implementation of Trump’s 20-point plan remains stalled over the issue of Hamas’s disarmament. The Jewish state has maintained that the terror group must disarm fully before Israeli forces withdraw and large-scale reconstruction can begin. Kushner traveled to Israel to meet Netanyahu with members of the Board of Peace, the group Trump created to oversee Gaza’s post-war administration, after Netanyahu publicly rejected a 15-point plan agreed to between the board and Hamas.

In late July, Trump touted the 15-point “road map,” which called for Hamas to be disarmed gradually while Israel withdrew from Gaza in a parallel and phased fashion, as a breakthrough. Netanyahu rejected the idea categorically on Aug. 9. “I want to be clear here,” the prime minister said at a cabinet meeting. “Israel is ruling out the 15-point document.” During the four-hour meeting on Monday at Netanyahu’s office, the sides appeared to iron out their differences. “We will not allow Gaza to be rebuilt until demilitarization occurs,” Kushner told Fox News on Monday. He added that no one wants to send money to a conflict zone “if it’s just going to be taken over by terrorists and blown up again.” “We’re also not going to restrict Israel’s right to defend itself if there are any imminent threats,” Kushner said.

Netanyahu supported Trump’s 20-point plan to end the Gaza war during a joint press conference at the White House on Sept. 29, 2025. The plan included a “credible pathway to Palestinian self-determination and statehood” once the Palestinian Authority completed a reform program. Among the reforms was an end to the authority’s pay-for-slay program, which rewards terrorists and their families with stipends.“One thing we did say, ‘We’re absolutely against a Palestinian state,’” Netanyahu said at the time. “Trump said he understood.”

The prime minister has repeatedly expressed his opposition to a Palestinian state. “Our opposition to a Palestinian state on any territory west of the Jordan River exists, is firm and has not changed in the slightest,” he said at a cabinet meeting in November 2025. “I have been pushing back against these attempts for decades, doing so against external pressure as well as internal pressure,” Netanyahu said at the time. “So I don’t need encouragement, tweets or lectures from anyone.” (Ed note: Jared said, “We’re also not going to restrict Israel’s right to defend itself if there are any imminent threats,” Wow, what a guy!)  (Source)

Trump envoy Barrack faces criticism over Syria stance and Golan comments - analysis

A dispute between Israel and US President Donald Trump’s special envoy to Syria, Tom Barrack, intensified this week after comments he made on the Golan Heights and Turkey’s role in Syria prompted criticism from Israeli officials and Trump allies who said his positions conflict with the president’s stated policy. Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar criticized Barrack following the comments, saying they were “full of inaccuracies” and included positions that “contradict the position of Trump himself regarding the Golan Heights.”

Conservative activist Laura Loomer also joined the criticism. Loomer, who maintains close and regular ties with Trump and is considered to have the president’s attention, pointed to the proclamation Trump signed in 2019 and called on Barrack to resign over what she described as a lack of understanding of US foreign policy. This was not the first time this week that Loomer criticized the envoy. Following Barrack’s condemnation of the Israeli strike on the Abu al-Duhur base in Syria, she wrote that “Tom Barrack is without a doubt one of the worst choices of the Trump administration,” adding: “He always sides with the bad guys.”

Loomer claimed that Turkey attempted to deploy advanced Russian air defense systems at bases in Syria ahead of a possible deployment of Turkish aircraft in the country. A source familiar with the details confirmed to The Jerusalem Post that Turkey is indeed seeking to deploy radar systems there and, in the future, air defense systems operated by Turkish soldiers.

Barrack, however, offered a nearly opposite assessment. He described the government of Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa as one that does not take an aggressive approach, said Ankara is not interested in a military confrontation with Israel, and described the Israeli strike on the Syrian base as an “unnecessary escalation.” According to Barrack, Turkey was not warned about the strike, and its aircraft could have been scrambled toward Israeli aircraft, a scenario that could have led to a direct confrontation between Israel and a NATO member. (Ed note: US special envoy to Syria, Tom Barrack is no friend to Israel, and has proved it before.) (Read More)

IDF strikes Syrian terrorist poised to carry out imminent terror attack on Israeli soldiers

The IDF struck a terrorist in southern Syria on Saturday who was in the “final stages” of preparing a terror attack against Israeli soldiers, the military said. According to Army Radio, the terrorist was planning an improvised explosive device (IED) attack on IDF soldiers in the area. The statement by the military follows reports earlier on Saturday that one person was injured by an IDF drone strike in Syria on the outskirts of Damascus, according to Qatari state-funded broadcaster Al Jazeera.

The Israeli drone struck a vehicle in an Al-Ayn area farm, the report added, with an IDF spokesperson telling Maariv at the time that the details of the reported strike are being investigated. The strike follows an IDF attack against the Abu al-Duhurmilitary airfield in Idlib province in northwestern Syria on Tuesday. US Special Envoy to Syria and Ambassador to Turkey Tom Barrack suggested in an interview earlier on Saturday that the IDF strike may have been intended to provoke Ankara and could have been linked to political considerations ahead of Israel’s elections. After Barrack's statements, Defense Minister Israel Katz said they were "full of inaccuracies" and argued they contradicted US President Trump's positions.

"The attempt by opposition figures and parts of the media to paint the operation in Syria in political colors stems from a combination of ignorance, a lack of understanding of Israel’s security interests, and a constant desire to attack the government, and deserves every condemnation. "The response of US envoy Barrack is full of inaccuracies and positions that contradict US President Trump’s own position regarding the Golan Heights.” Katz added that the IDF issued a direct warning to senior Syrian officials before strikes on the Abu al-Duhur airfield "in an attempt to prevent the move." (Read More)

Why Israel is moving attack helicopters north

Following an Air Force investigation into the October 7 massacre, Squadron 190 has relocated north as the IDF seeks faster response times and greater readiness along Israel’s northern border.

The Israel Air Force has completed a major operational relocation, with Squadron 190, which operates attack helicopters, transferring its activities from Ramon Airbase in the Negev to Ramat David Airbase in northern Israel. The move follows an Air Force investigation into the failures during the October 7th massacre and is intended to improve operational readiness and ensure a rapid response to developments along Israel’s northern border. During the October 7th massacre, air crews were forced to operate under exceptionally complex conditions as they attempted to assist ground forces and civilians while working with an unclear and rapidly changing operational picture.

As part of the lessons learned from the events, the IDF decided to move attack helicopters closer to the northern front. The Air Force has emphasized the critical role of attack helicopters on the modern battlefield, particularly during extreme and rapidly developing situations. One of the squadron’s crew members described the importance of the aircraft: “There is no substitute for this machine.

It has no substitute on dark nights, in crazy weather, in the toughest situations there are. When a combat helicopter arrives, it changes the battle." “I think the whole system today is a very well-oiled system, working amazingly," he added. “The ability to provide the fire ground forces need is on a significantly higher order of magnitude than what we had years ago. In the end, the security of the State and protecting the borders remain our only goals." (Source)

Israel must stop Erdogan’s military expansion before Turkey reaches its borders - opinion

Unless Israel draws concrete red lines in Syria and the eastern Mediterranean, the Turkish army and navy will further encroach upon Israel’s northern and maritime borders. Israel could find itself facing Turkish tanks on the Golan Heights and Turkish frigates off the coast of Caesarea. This is the warning I heard this week from a very senior Israeli intelligence official.

The warning echoes the alarm expressed in the 2025 Nagel Commission report (which evaluated Israel’s security budget and force buildup) about the Turkish drive toward an Islamist-jihadist regional order with Ottoman-era hegemonic ambitions. Israel must be prepared, the commission’s report cautioned, for direct confrontation with Ankara and with Syrian proxies and armies aligned with Turkey.

The threat from Syria could evolve into something even more dangerous than the Iranian threat,” the report stated. This threatening reality explains the Israeli air strike several days ago on an airbase near Idlib in northern Syria, where the Turks apparently were setting up a radar and air defense system that was meant to interfere with the IAF’s operations in the north.

The Israeli strike sent a stark signal to Turkey’s radical Islamist dictator Recep Tayyip Erdogan and his Syrian satrap, the former ISIS terrorist named Ahmed al-Sharaa (a.k.a. Mohammed al-Julani), to back off. Understand: Erdogan is a true-blue believing old-school antisemite, who considers classic antisemitic myths like the Protocols of the Elders of Zion (where Jews control the global banking and media conglomerates) as truth. He honestly hates Jews and Israelis, and he openly seeks to lead a pan-Islamic coalition to crush Israel – while remaining a member of NATO. (Ed note: Be advised, old Gomer is not going to go away.) (Read More)

Turkey Seeks Interpol Warrant for Netanyahu

Turkish Justice Ministry formally petitions Interpol for international arrest notice against PM and other Israeli officials, citing alleged war crimes. Move follows Netanyahu's sharp warning to Ankara over Turkish military presence in Syria. Turkey's Justice Ministry has formally requested that Interpol issue a Red Notice—an international arrest alert, against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and other senior Israeli officials. The move comes just one day after Netanyahu issued a stern warning to Ankara regarding Turkish military activity in Syria.

Turkish Justice Minister Yilmaz Tunç confirmed that the request follows arrest warrants issued in Turkey on July 14 as part of ongoing legal proceedings in that country. The Turkish investigation involves 35 Israeli defendants, including Netanyahu and an individual named Efek Moscovitz, in connection with Israeli naval forces' interception of an international activist flotilla in Mediterranean waters on Yom Kippur last year. Turkish authorities accuse the Israeli officials of genocide and crimes against humanity.

An Interpol Red Notice functions as an international request for law enforcement agencies to locate and provisionally arrest individuals pending possible extradition. It is distributed to all member countries of the international policing organization. Turkish officials said the relevant documentation has been forwarded to Turkey's Interior and Foreign Ministries to advance the request with Interpol headquarters.

The formal Turkish petition lists a lengthy series of charges against the Israeli officials, including genocide, crimes against humanity, deprivation of liberty under aggravated circumstances, hijacking of transportation vehicles, aggravated robbery, intentional assault, torture, and property damage. Turkey's Justice Ministry issued a sharp condemnation of Israeli policy in Gaza, stating that Turkey, under President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's leadership, will not allow those responsible to enjoy impunity and will continue using all available tools in national and international law to bring them to justice.

The legal escalation unfolds against a backdrop of mounting security tensions between the two countries. On Wednesday evening, Netanyahu held a security consultation with defense and intelligence chiefs focused on regional developments in Syria and concerns about Turkish entrenchment there. Earlier that day, the prime minister issued a forceful warning to Ankara following reports of closer ties between Syria's new government in Damascus and Turkey. "We will not tolerate Turkish military entrenchment in Syria that threatens Israel," Netanyahu declared. He emphasized that Israel's message had been conveyed in advance to relevant parties in the region, using the emphatic phrase "Don't." (Read More)

Iran leaders sound economic alarms under Trump’s Economic D-Day

Warnings from senior Iranian officials about the cost of prolonging the war are increasingly converging with Washington’s central pressure point: whether Iran can economically sustain the conflict. The warnings come as President Donald Trump launches an “Economic D-Day” against Iran, describing it as the “most crushing economic operation ever taken against any country” and seeking to deepen Tehran’s financial isolation. President Masoud Pezeshkian said Friday Iran should seek to end the war now, linking his appeal to mounting financial constraints and the economic consequences of continued fighting.

“It is better to end the war today, when we are powerful and respected and the whole world acknowledges our victory,” Pezeshkian said. His comments went beyond the case for ending hostilities. Pezeshkian said the maritime blockade had complicated Iran’s imports and exports and that the government lacked resources to meet some of its obligations to workers, retirees and government employees. “The government is facing financial constraints. When we chant slogans, we must also accept the hardship that comes with them,” he said. Parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf delivered a similar economic warning during a visit to Baghdad, saying military strength could not preserve the Islamic Republic without growth, domestic production and functioning financial flows.

“No matter how much military power we have, if people are hungry and we don't have financial circulation, economic growth and domestic production, we will not endure,” Ghalibaf said Thursday. The comments put two of Iran’s most senior elected officials on the same terrain Washington has increasingly emphasized: the economic capacity of the Islamic Republic to keep fighting. President Donald Trump announced this week the “most crushing economic operation ever taken against any country,” targeting Iran and warning of economic consequences for countries, companies and financial institutions that continue providing it with support. (Read More)

US redesignates Hezbollah as terror group in ‘service to Iranian regime’

Hezbollah, the Iran-backed terrorist group that has controlled southern Lebanon for decades, “operates with little to no regard for Lebanese sovereignty, the Lebanese people or the Lebanese state,” a U.S. State Department official said on Thursday, as the Trump administration again sanctioned Hezbollah “for service to the Iranian regime.” “The United States will not relent in targeting Iran’s financial support networks, including those enabling Hezbollah to threaten peace, undermine the sovereignty of the Lebanese state and endanger the security of our regional allies,” wrote Tommy Pigott, spokesman for the State Department. The official said that Hezbollah, which has long been sanctioned as a foreign terrorist organization, is being re-designated “an Iranian proxy, not a stand-alone operation as implied by the previous designation.”

The action on Thursday “builds on years of U.S. designations that have repeatedly documented the operational, financial and logistical integration” between Hezbollah and the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps-Quds Force, which is Iran’s elite military wing specializing in unconventional warfare, foreign intelligence and management of Iran’s network of terrorist proxies throughout the Middle East. Thursday’s determination “formally recognizes” Hezbollah’s activities “as an extension of the IRGC-QF” and “not a Lebanese resistance movement.” Jointly, the U.S. Treasury Department sanctioned 10 people, who it said take part in a network that helps move hundreds of millions of dollars of sanctions-evading cash transfers between the Quds Force and Hezbollah, using commercial flights between Lebanon, Turkey, the United Arab Emirates and Iran.

“The investigation and disruption of this network are the result of close coordination and collaboration with our Turkish partners,” Pigott wrote. The State Department official said that Hezbollah has “twice dragged Lebanon into devastating wars, subordinating the country’s interests to Tehran’s regional agenda and leaving the Lebanese people to bear the consequences.” He called the terror group “the obstacle to Lebanon’s sovereignty, stability and economic recovery.” The United States, Israel and Lebanon have developed a trilateral framework to help restore Lebanese sovereignty to the southern part of the country, which Hezbollah has long used to launch attacks on Israel. As part of that pact, Israel and Lebanon are coordinating on so-called “pilot zones,” and Hezbollah, either voluntarily or by force, is to exit designated areas and relocate further north. (Read More)

US responds to Israel's E1 tender: 'We do not support' Judea and Samaria annexation (E1 Tender)

The US says it opposes Israeli annexation as Israel advances a 1,234-home tender in the E1 area between Jerusalem and Ma'ale Adumim.

The United States does not support Israeli annexation of the Judea and Samaria region, a State Department spokesperson told Axios on Friday in response to Israel's decision to advance construction plans in the E1 area between Jerusalem and Ma'ale Adumim. "As the President has clearly stated, the US does not support Israel annexing the West Bank. A stable West Bank keeps Israel secure and is in line with this Administration’s goal to achieve peace in the region," the spokesperson told Axios.

Israel issued a tender on Tuesday for seven residential compounds in E1, comprising 1,234 housing units. The projects are part of approximately 3,400 housing units approved for the area last August. The announcement has drawn criticism from several European governments. Britain's Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband called for the tender to be withdrawn on Wednesday. "This Israeli Government’s publication of a tender for the E1 settlement project is an unacceptable and destructive act. E1 would cut across the heart of Palestine and risks separating the West Bank from East Jerusalem, which would endanger the viability of a two-state solution," Miliband said in a statement condemning the move.

"The UK has been clear privately and publicly in our opposition to E1 and our support for a two-state solution as the only way to ensure long-term security and peace for both Palestinians and Israelis. All settlements damage that prospect and are a flagrant breach of international law," he claimed. Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar rejected London's position on Thursday, accusing Miliband of adopting a patronizing tone. "I reject outright the statement of the UK Foreign Secretary and the patronizing tone of his words," Sa'ar wrote on social media.

"The Jewish people have the right to live throughout the Land of Israel, just as the British have the right to live in London and throughout the United Kingdom. More than a century ago, the Balfour Declaration formally recognized the historic right of the Jewish people to re-establish their national home in the Land of Israel - including in the area in question." (Read More)

International contention continues as eight more countries condemn Israel's E1 settlement plan (E1 Tender)

Foreign ministers from Jordan, the UAE, Indonesia, Pakistan, Turkey, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and Egypt condemned Israel’s E1 West Bank settlement plan in a joint statement on Friday. “The E1 settlement plan constitutes a dangerous escalation that further advances settlement expansion and annexation and undermines the geographical contiguity of the Occupied Palestinian Territory, particularly between the West Bank and East Jerusalem,” said the statement.

The ministers alleged that the plan threatens the “viability and realization of an independent, contiguous Palestinian State” and “constitutes a direct challenge to international efforts aimed at achieving peace, foremost among them [US] President Donald Trump’s Comprehensive Plan.” The ministers’ statement comes only a day after France, Germany, Britain and Italy released a joint condemnation of the E1 plan.

The countries called the project “unacceptable,” with the UK threatening to prepare targeted sanctions against those involved in settlement expansion. A spokesperson for the US State Department spoke to N12 News later on Friday, saying that the US government "does not support annexation, noting that the stance is something US President Donald Trump "has already made clear."

The government’s plan includes populating the West Bank’s E1 area, located between Ma’aleh Adumim and Jerusalem, with 3,412 new housing units expected to expand the settlement city by around 12 square kilometers. The Civil Administration's Higher Planning Committee approved the project in 2025. (Read More)

England's outrageous outrage

What is chutzpah? A Jew pouring a foundation in his ancestral homeland who gets a summons, a sanctions package, a joint communiqué with six other governments and a threat to label his tomatoes. Opinion.

"Britain will not stand back and accept the destruction of the two-state solution," the British Foreign Secretary declared this week, after summoning Israel's Chargé d'Affaires like a headmaster calling in a boy caught smoking behind the bicycle shed. The offense? A tender for apartments in E1, between Jerusalem and Ma'ale Adumim, in the Jewish homeland, approved in 2025, processed for months, and now suddenly the gravest threat to world peace since the fall of Singapore. Fine. Don't stand back. Sit down. Lie down. Have a smoke behind the bicycle shed. Do whatever it is you do these days instead of governing His Majesty’s Global Colonial Empire. Just spare us the sermon.

Because here is what has changed, and what London has not yet noticed: Jews are finished dying so that nations with unimaginable quantities of Jewish blood on their hands can feel comfortable with themselves. We are finished being the raw material for other people's moral self-portraits. And we are finished pretending that a fictitious nation with no coinage, no kings, no language, no archaeology, no literature and no recorded existence as a distinct people prior to roughly 1964 has a superior claim to the hills of Judea than the people whose entire civilizational library was written there. Let us review the résumé of one of many instructors in international morality.

In 1920 and 1921, a year after international law formally designated the Land of Israel as the national home of the Jewish people, your predecessor Winston Churchill took a pen and handed 78 percent of it to the Arabs to create the Emirate of Transjordan. He did not ask us. He did not consult us. He simply amputated the overwhelming majority of the Jewish national home and gifted it to a non-native Hashemite family from the Hejaz as a consolation prize. The two-state solution, if anyone in Whitehall is counting, was implemented over a century ago. It is called Jordan. It sits there to this day, seventy-eight percent of the promise, and nobody in London has ever once described it as an obstacle to peace.

...Which brings me to Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar's reply, which was excellent, and which I would nonetheless amend in one particular. Sa'ar said the Jewish people have the right to live throughout the Land of Israel "just as the British have the right to live in London and throughout the United Kingdom." With respect, no. Our right is greater than theirs. The British acquired Britain the way they acquired everything else, by conquest, only earlier, and with fewer witnesses. We were given this land by its Creator, and for those who find that argument insufficiently secular, our claim is anchored in a documentary record longer, deeper and more legally continuous than that of the overwhelming majority of states currently sitting in the General Assembly. Balfour. San Remo. The League of Nations. The United Nations Charter. Three thousand years of literature, liturgy, coinage, pottery and graves. Show me the Palestinian equivalent. Take your time. (Ed note: Tell it like it is, Daniel Winston!) (Read More)