Iran threatens to nuke Israel with chilling image showing missile obliterating Tel Aviv

Iran has shared a chilling image of a nuclear missile striking an Israeli city, which appears to be Tel Aviv. In a post on X, the account previously belonging to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei warned that "Khorramshahr is ahead", in reference to the ballistic missile named after the Iranian city. Included in the post was also a striking image of the missile being developed underground, fired from a mobile launcher, and hitting what appears to be the Israeli city. In another post, the account promised consequences, "by God's grace", for "the Zionist regime".

tt said: "The Zionist regime has made a big mistake, and its consequences will make the regime desperate, by God's grace." The city depicted in the image appears to be Tel Aviv, with an Israeli flag and coastal skyline visible. This comes after Tehran launched an overnight attack of cluster bombs targeting Tel Aviv, which were seen in shocking videos flying through the air before crashing into the ground.

Huge blazes erupt as they smash into their targets, with witnesses watching on and filming the explosions. The cluster bombs open up as they zero in on their targets, sending around twenty smaller munitions flying out in a radius of roughly five miles. Each of the smaller missiles carries around 2.5kg of explosives, potentially causing huge damage. (Read More)

Trump mocks Iranian de-escalation efforts, warns of ‘complete destruction’

US President Donald Trump said Saturday that Iran “will be hit very hard,” as he lashed out at Tehran and mocked Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian following comments suggesting the Islamic Republic would suspend attacks against neighboring countries unless attacked from their territory. In a sharply worded statement, Trump said Iran, which he claimed was “being beat to HELL,” had “apologized and surrendered to its Middle East neighbors” and pledged not to fire at them anymore only because of the “relentless US and Israeli attack.”

Trump also mocked Iran’s standing in the region, calling it “THE LOSER OF THE MIDDLE EAST,” and warned that additional targets could now be considered. “Today Iran will be hit very hard!” Trump said, adding that areas and groups previously not under consideration for attack were now being weighed for “complete destruction and certain death.”

Iran's President Masoud Pezeshkian said earlier on Saturday that its temporary leadership council had approved the suspension of attacks against neighboring countries unless an attack on Iran came from those countries. "I must apologize on my own behalf and on behalf of Iran to the neighbouring countries that were attacked by Iran," he said. (read More)

Iranian officers abandon posts, conscripted troops amid US and Israeli strikes - report

Amid the ongoing Israeli and US strikes against the Iranian regime, some officers in the Islamic regime’s armed forces have abandoned their barracks, leaving behind the soldiers under their command to remain on guard duty, a number of conscripts told Iranian opposition outlet Iran International. The soldiers who spoke with the outlet reported that since the killing of former supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on Saturday, confusion has erupted within the Iranian military.

Several soldiers stationed at a military base in Lorestan province told Iran International that they were uncertain about the command structure and were uneasy about the deteriorating security situation. One soldier told the outlet that many commanders had, fearing strikes, abandoned their posts, leaving conscripted soldiers behind without support.i

Some soldiers, also fearing American and Israeli strikes, have been spending nights in open areas outside of the base for fear of being hit in an airstrike, the soldier said, adding that leadership was not paying adequate attention to the needs of the regular troops. The Iran International report comes as the US and Israel have vowed an escalation in the campaign against Iran’s regime. (Ed note: 

The area now known as 'Lorestan province' was located in the northern and mountainous part of the 

Elamite territory, specifically within the Zagros Mountains, north of the central Elamite plain of Susa.)    (Read More)

Trump said to privately mull deployment of some US ground forces to Iran

US President Donald Trump has privately expressed interest in deploying ground forces to Iran, according to NBC News.

In a report citing several sources, the US broadcaster says that Trump has raised the idea with White House aides and Republican officials while laying out his vision for Iran after the war, which he envisions will include cooperation between Tehran and Washington on oil similar to the US and Venezuela.

The sources cited in the report say Trump hasn’t discussed a major ground offensive in Iran, but instead a small group of US forces to carry out missions that the report describes as having specific strategic purposes. The sources add that Trump hasn’t yet made any decision on the matter. (Source)

Israel backing Iranian Kurdish push to seize Iran border areas, sources say

Israel has been bombing parts of western Iran to support Iranian Kurdish militias who hope to exploit the US-Israeli war on Iran to seize towns near the frontier, according to three sources familiar with Israel's talks with the factions. The notion of an offensive by Iranian Kurdish forces based in Iraq gained attention on Friday when US President Donald Trump told Reuters it would be "wonderful" if they crossed the border.

A Kurdish insurgency could have serious consequences for Iran as it defends itself against the air campaign. The militias have consulted with the US about how and whether to attack Iran's security forces, Reuters has reported. Israel has been holding its own talks with Iranian Kurdish insurgent groups based in the semi-autonomous region of Iraqi Kurdistan for around a year, two Iranian Kurdish sources said, while an Israeli source said talks had been "long-term."

The two Iranian Kurdish sources have direct knowledge of the armed dissident groups and the source from Israel has direct knowledge of its engagement with them. All spoke on condition of anonymity. Israel's government and the Israeli military did not immediately respond to requests for comment, and Israel has not commented publicly on such engagement during the current war. An initial goal of the Kurdish factions would be seizing Iranian territory along the border, the three sources said. One of the Kurdish sources said their aim was to seize the towns of Oshnavieh and Piranshahr, among others. (Read More)

The Islamic Republic: A theocracy misread by the West

For nearly half a century, Western policy toward Iran has rested on a foundational misreading: the assumption that the Islamic Republic behaves like a conventional nation-state pursuing rational interests. It has never been one. By design, by constitution, and by the lived reality of its citizens, Iran is a theocracy in which the mosque is the state, the Qur’an provides constitutional logic, and eschatology shapes foreign policy. The regime’s national resources are not directed toward economic development or social prosperity but toward advancing a transnational Shia ideological project rooted in divine mandate.

This misunderstanding has had catastrophic consequences. Western governments negotiated with Tehran as though it were a hostile but ultimately pragmatic state with negotiable grievances, rather than a messianic system animated by theological imperatives. This category error enabled Iran to wage a revolutionary campaign across the Middle East, destabilize multiple states, and project military power through proxies from Lebanon to Yemen—all while Western diplomacy misread theology as rhetoric.

Western policymakers, shaped by Enlightenment assumptions and the separation of church and state, believe governments respond primarily to material incentives: sanctions, relief, investment, diplomatic isolation. This logic collapses when applied to a system that claims its legitimacy from divine revelation. Western analysis treats religious language as ornamental, not operational; symbolic, not strategic. Yet Iranian leaders routinely justify policy through explicit theological reference. These are not metaphors—they are the blueprint. By filtering Iran’s behavior through secular categories, Western policymakers project their own worldview onto a system that rejects it entirely. The regime behaves consistently, but its consistency is theological, not geopolitical.

A major source of misinterpretation lies in Tehran’s adept use of Marxist political vocabulary—“resistance,” “struggle,” “anti-imperialism.” These terms resonate deeply with Western activists and institutions, creating the illusion of shared political language. But the terminology is camouflage. The regime’s true motivations are written plainly in its constitution, clerical literature, and military doctrine: they are religious, not material. Negotiation is not a path toward moderation but a tool for delay. Diplomacy buys time for an ideology whose end goal is expansion, not coexistence.  (Ed note: A somewhst long, but important and necessary read to understand the Islamic mind.) (Read More)

Clandestine IDF units 8200, 9900 gave key intel. to take out underground Khamenei bunker

The IDF said that 50 aircraft targeted the secret underground lair spread over several blocks in the heart of Tehran, with over 100 munitions

Clandestine IDF units 8200 and 9900 gave key intelligence to the air force to take out the secret underground bunker of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the Jerusalem Post and other media learned on Friday. Unit 8200 serves as Israel's NSA, tracking, eavesdropping, and hacking the communications and devices of foreign adversaries. Unit 9900 is Israel's visual intelligence agency for assessing satellite and other elements of surveillance intelligence of targeted locations.

The IDF said that 50 aircraft targeted the secret underground lair spread over several blocks in the heart of Tehran, with over 100 munitions. A statement said that there were numerous entrances to the secret subterranean complex, which was one of the critical command centers from which Khamenei and others often ran the country during a crisis.

It happens to be that on February 28, Khamenei was killed by Israel in his regular command complex, but the IDF still wanted to remove this vital command component from the Islamic regime's list of assets for managing the war. (Source)

Russia providing Iran intelligence to target US forces, officials say - report

Russia has reportedly given Iran the locations of US military assets, including warships and aircraft, since the start of the war.

Russia is providing Iran with information to target US forces in the Middle East, The Washington Post reported on Friday, citing three officials familiar with the matter. According to the report, Russia has been giving Iran the locations of US military assets since the outbreak of the war, including warships and aircraft. This signals that the expanding conflict now includes one of the US's biggest nuclear competitors with "exquisite intelligence capabilities," The Post noted, adding that it also marks a shift from what experts previously thought, namely that Russia would stay away from the conflict and limit its response to diplomatic condemnations.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov urged earlier this week for hostilities to stop and for a return to political and diplomatic efforts, claiming he was ready to support peaceful, compromise solutions based on international law. On Thursday, Anna Borshchevskaya, ⁠a Russia expert at the Washington Institute, said that, beyond Iran, “Putin has other priorities, and chief among them is Ukraine,” Reuters reported.

“It would be foolish for Russia to go into a direct military confrontation with the United States," she added. The report also cited a senior Russian source who said that “the escalation in and around Iran and the Gulf is already ​diverting attention from the war in Ukraine. That’s just a fact. Everything else is just emotion about a ‘fallen ally.'" (Read More)

IDF orders part of Beirut cleared amid war with Hezbollah

Officially, the four neighborhoods have a combined total of upward of 75,000 residents, but many more people live there.

The Israel Defense Forces on Thursday issued an “urgent” warning for some residents of Beirut’s southern suburbs—a stronghold of the Iran-backed Hezbollah terror group—to immediately evacuate their homes. Col. Avichay Adraee, from the Arab Media Branch in the Israeli military’s Spokesperson’s Unit, ordered residents of Beirut’s Bourj el-Barajneh, Hadath, Haret Hreik and Shiyyah areas to leave and “save your lives.”

The four neighborhoods have a combined total of upward of 75,000 residents, according to official data. However, local reports suggested that as many as 500,000 people could be affected by the evacuation, as the suburbs have large unregistered populations, including refugees. “We will notify you when it is safe to return to your homes,” tweeted Adraee, noting that they are forbidden from heading south, as “any movement southward may put your lives in danger.”

On Wednesday, the IDF ordered all civilians in Southern Lebanon to move north of the Litani River. “The activities of the Hezbollah terrorist organization are forcing the Israel Defense Forces to act against it with force. The IDF does not intend to harm you,” wrote Adraee in a notice posted to X.     (Ed note: History note: Do you realize that we're talking about an international city of more than 2.4 million people? Do you recall that in the 1950's and 1960's that Beirut was called the "Paris of the Middle East?") (Read More)

IDF evacuates Beirut's Dahieh suburb

IDF calls on residents of four neighborhoods in Beirut's Daheih suburb to leave ahead of strikes on Hezbollah targets.

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) published an evacuation notice on Thursday for residents of Beirut's Dahieh suburb, calling on them to leave their homes immediately. The statement published by the IDF’s Arabic-language spokesperson, Col. Avichay Adraee, stated: "Urgent notice to residents of Dahieh in Beirut - save your lives and evacuate your homes immediately. 

According to the notice, residents of the neighborhoods of Burj al-Barajneh and Hadath are instructed to move east toward the Mount Lebanon area via the Beirut-Damascus highway. Residents of the neighborhoods of Haret Hreik and Chiyah were instructed to move north toward Tripoli via the Beirut-Tripoli highway, as well as east toward the Mount Lebanon area via the Metn highway.

The IDF emphasized that movement southward is prohibited and warned that traveling in that direction could endanger residents’ lives." Following the warning, Lebanese media reported that residents began to leave the suburb en masse. Videos posted online show traffic jams on roads leading out of the threatened areas. (Source)

IDF assesses Hezbollah attacks may ramp up, urges evacuation of terror group’s Beirut stronghold

Hezbollah rockets continue to be fired on Thursday; Air Force striking terror group’s targets in Lebanon and IDF expands its presence there, repeating warning for all residents south of Litani to leave.

As the rate of Iran’s ballistic missile fire has decreased, the Israeli military assessed Thursday that Hezbollah’s attacks on Israel from Lebanon may increase and called for the evacuation of one of the terror group’s strongholds near Beirut. So far, the Iran-backed Lebanese terror group has launched dozens of rockets and drones at Israel, mainly at the north of the country, but also a handful of projectiles at the center. After attacks by the US and Israel on Iran, Hezbollah launched missiles and drones into Israel Monday for the first time in over a year, and Israel retaliated with strikes on Hezbollah targets in southern Lebanon and Beirut’s southern suburbs, leading to further Hezbollah attacks.

Two Hezbollah rockets have hit northern Israeli towns so far this week, injuring one person. Israel has vowed to exact heavy consequences from the terror group in response to the attacks and is expanding its presence in southern Lebanon. Thursday saw dozens of rockets launched from Lebanon at northern Israel by the evening, causing sirens to sound in the Acre area, Galilee, and the Golan Heights.

The IDF on Thursday issued an “urgent warning” to residents of Beirut’s southern suburbs, a Hezbollah stronghold known as the Dahiyeh, ahead of planned strikes against the terror group. The unprecedented evacuation order marked the first time that the Israeli military has called on wide swaths of the Lebanese capital to evacuate, and came a day after the military warned all Lebanese civilians in south Lebanon to evacuate their homes amid the fighting against Hezbollah and to move north of the Litani River, roughly 30 kilometers (20 miles) north of the Israeli border. (Read More)

Israel launches historic project to send desalinated water into Sea of Galilee

New Reverse Carrier system will send up to 5,000 cubic meters of desalinated water per hour into the lake by early summer, as officials cite climate pressures and wartime conditions.

Israel has begun a historic operation to pump desalinated water into the Sea of Galilee as part of a major effort to stabilize the country’s water supply amid climate change and ongoing wartime conditions, the Israel Water Authority and national water company Mekorot announced this week. The initiative, launched Tuesday, will significantly increase the flow of desalinated seawater to the lake using the “Reverse Carrier” system, one of Israel’s most ambitious water infrastructure projects of the past decade. 

The system is now pumping about 4,000 cubic meters of water per hour, in addition to roughly 1,000 cubic meters per hour that has been flowing since December 2025 from the Ein Ravid area. By early summer, the combined flow is expected to reach approximately 5,000 cubic meters per hour. Officials said the move is intended to capitalize on the current water surplus while strengthening long-term stability in Israel’s water system, particularly as northern regions face declining rainfall. 

“The pumping of desalinated water into the Sea of Galilee is truly a historic move,” Energy and Infrastructure Minister Eli Cohen said. “After we became global leaders in water technologies and built some of the world’s best desalination facilities, it is time to give back to the Sea of Galilee that we all love. This step will also improve water supply in the North and help restore streams and springs.” The project allows desalinated water produced along the Mediterranean coast to be transported inland toward the lake, reversing the direction of Israel’s traditional water flow systems. (Read More)

IDF officer, soldier wounded by Hezbollah anti-tank fire in southern Lebanon

An officer and soldier from the IDF's Givati Brigade were wounded by Hezbollah anti-tank fire in southern Lebanon on Thursday, the military said in an evening statement. The officer was severely wounded, and the soldier was moderately injured, the IDF said. Both individuals were evacuated to Rambam Health Care Campus in Haifa to receive medical treatment, the IDF added, noting that their families had been notified.

The incident is the second of its kind in as many days, raising the total of IDF soldiers wounded in southern Lebanon to four. The IDF conducted strikes on Hezbollah targets in the Dahiyeh area of Beirut on Thursday night. The military announced this minutes after sirens were triggered throughout Israel by Iranian missile launches. Two IDF tank soldiers were moderately wounded during operations in southern Lebanon, the military announced on Wednesday.

The soldiers were wounded as a result of an anti-tank missile fired against them, the military said. Notably, the two soldiers are the IDF’s first wounded soldiers from ground operations in southern Lebanon, which began earlier this week. The pair were evacuated to a nearby hospital, and their families were notified. (Ed note: The Dahiyeh area is a densely populated, primarily Shia Muslim area located in the southern suburbs of Beirut, Lebanon. The city of Sidon is about 27 milles south of the Dahiyeh area of Beirut, and the city of Tyre is about 50 miles south of that area.) (Read More)

Data Center Hunter: Iran Expands Drone Target List, From AWS To Microsoft Facilities

Iranian state-affiliated media says the IRGC has targeted Microsoft data centers in the Gulf region with kamikaze drones, days after IRGC drone strikes hit Amazon data centers in the United Arab Emirates. This underscores a new escalation: commercial data centers no longer appear to be off-limits, a risk we warned readers a little more than a month ago.

"The targeting of Amazon and Microsoft in these operations has dealt a serious blow to the enemy's technological and information infrastructure," Fars News Agency said in a Telegram post, as quoted by the Financial Times. On Monday, two AWS data centers in the UAE were hit by IRGC drones, while an AWS facility in Bahrain was nearly struck by one of these next-generation, low-cost kamikaze drones. These incidents marked the first known instance of a commercial data center being physically targeted in a conflict.

We pointed out in the note titled "Explosion In AI Data Center Buildouts Will Demand Next-Gen Counter-Drone Security" that Wall Street analysts largely end their analysis at the financing and construction of next-generation data centers, with limited discussion regarding the modern security architecture required once these facilities are built and become instant high-value targets for non-state actors or foreign adversaries. Traditional perimeter measures, such as metal chain-link fencing and surveillance systems, are rendered useless in the world of emerging AI threats, including autonomous drone or swarm-based attacks enabled by advances in AI and low-cost unmanned systems. (Read More)

Why Europeans dread standing up to the Mullahs

Senator Lindsey Graham was very direct: “It’s pathetic. How far Western Europe has fallen. To our European allies: you have softened up pathetically and lost your enthusiasm for confronting evil, apparently unless it’s on your doorstep. What a shame." Graham is wrong: not even on our doorstep. Countries like Spain were “reluctant partners" even in the coalition against ISIS, which filled our doorsteps with corpses. Because, as Michel Houellebecq put it from Jerusalem, “we Westerners have lost the will to live and I fear that not even a war would awaken us." Here we are in yet another war.

Donald Trump is furious over British Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s refusal to support America with Britain’s resources (“he is not Churchill," he said). But Britain is not alone on the Old Continent, particularly in Western Europe. A few hours after the attacks on Iran began, Spanish Socialist Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez declared on X: “We reject the unilateral military action of the United States and Israel." Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar had an easy time accusing the Spanish government of “siding with Iran." And Iran thanked Spain.

...Emmanuel Macron is worried about “escalation" in Iran and has his foreign minister call China (China, which buys all of Iran’s oil). His concern is shared by the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, who said she was “deeply concerned" about the attack and urged all parties to “exercise maximum restraint."

Now let us try to imagine what Trump thinks of these Europeans who are always crying about the “NATO crisis" or the White House’s lack of enthusiasm in defending Europe. Europe? There is the largest war in the Middle East in 20 years and Europe is less present than a small Arab grand duchy.“ Comfortable in ritually denouncing the ‘reactionary international,’ represented by the Trump-Netanyahu duo, Macron never says a word about the Islamist international, openly protected by La France Insoumise," writes Ivan Rioufol. “Yet this existential threat is far more dangerous for France." (Ed note: Doesn't it sound like Europe and the EU is ready to accept its 'Antichrist.' What say you?)  (Read More)

Israel to attack Iran’s underground missile sites in second phase of war, say sources

TEL AVIV – Israel’s war in Iran is entering a second phase that will see its fighter jets attacking ballistic missile sites buried deep underground, according to two sources familiar with Israel’s military campaign. The joint air assault with the United States in Iran is nearing the end of its first week after opening salvos killed the country’s leaders and set off a regional war with Iranian attacks in Israel, the Gulf and Iraq, and Israeli attacks in Lebanon.

Israel’s military says it has hit hundreds of Iranian missile launchers above ground that could target Israeli cities. The second phase will include bunkers storing ballistic missiles and equipment, said the sources, who spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the subject. One said Israel aimed to neutralise Iran’s ability to launch aerial attacks at Israel by the end of the war, which was also focused on taking out the Islamic republic’s leadership. The military has previously asserted that it and the US military have taken control of much of Iran’s airspace in the opening days of the attacks.

In a statement on March 5, the military said that, overnight, the air force struck “an underground infrastructure site used by the Iranian regime to store ballistic missiles and storage sites for missiles intended for use against aircraft”. The military has not previously announced attacks on underground missile facilities, according to a review of its public statements since the start of the joint US-Israeli attacks on Feb 28. (Read More)

US used B-1 'Lancer' strategic bombers to strike targets inside Iran, CENTCOM confirms

The United States Air Force used B-1 “Lancer” strategic bombers to attack targets in Iran during the first days of the war, the US Central Command (CENTCOM) confirmed on Monday. Further, in a press conference on Wednesday, US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth indicated the aircraft could see expanded use for the remainder of the war.

In a post on X/Twitter on Monday, OSINT account DefenseGeek reported that three B-1 bombers had participated in attacks against Iran. Accompanied by a total of nine KC-46 Pegasus tankers, the bombers reportedly flew from the Ellsworth Air Force Base in South Dakota and back without stopping.

Hours later, CENTCOM verified the claim in another X post, stating that B-1 bombers “struck deep inside Iran to degrade Iranian ballistic missile capabilities.” Additionally, the post included a video showing the bombers taking off at night, but did not mention from where they took off.  Similarly, in the joint press conference with Gen. Dan Caine on Wednesday, Hegseth warned that B-1 bombers, along with other aircraft, could see expanded use as the war continues. “B-2s, B-52s, B-1s, Predator drones, [and fighter jets] controlling the skies and selecting targets” could become the new normal for Iran, he said. (Read More)

IDF hits Iranian ballistic missile storage site

IDF completes wave of strikes against Iranian terror regime targets, striking launch sites both above and below ground.

On Wednesday night, the Israeli Air Force completed an intelligence-based wave of strikes against terror targets belonging to the Iranian terror regime in Tehran. As part of the strikes, the IDF struck infrastructure belonging to the Iranian terror regime’s ballistic missile array. Among the targets struck: an underground infrastructure site used by the Iranian regime to store ballistic missiles and storage sites for missiles intended for use against aircraft.

Additionally, the IDF struck several launch sites of long-range ballistic missiles that posed a real and immediate threat to the State of Israel and its civilians. During the strikes, an Israeli Air Force fighter jet identified several Iranian regime operatives operating a loaded missile launcher intended to be used against aircraft. The fighter jet struck the launcher and the operatives, thwarting the launches toward Israeli aircraft operating over Iran.

"The combined effort to deepen the degradation of the air defenses and the firepower capabilities of the Iranian terror regime continues. This, to minimize the scale of fire towards the State of Israel and to strengthen the Israeli Air Force's aerial superiority," the IDF said. (Source)

Initial aerial footage: IAF fighter jets fly to strike Iran

For the first time since the start of the operation, IDF publishes mid-air footage of jets en route to strike regime targets in Iran.

For the first time since the start of the operation against Iran, the IDF on Wednesday published aerial footage of IAF fighter jets en route to strike regime targets in Iran. Earlier in the day, the IDF announced IAF jets struck a large Iranian terror regime military compound in eastern Tehran.

The compound contained the headquarters of all of the Iranian security organizations, including the IRGC, the Intelligence Directorate, the Basij, the Quds Force, the Internal Security forces, Cyber Warfare, and the unit in Internal Security responsible for suppressing protests.

According to the IDF, Iranian operatives who are responsible for managing the operation, promoting additional terrorist attacks against Israel and the region, and repressing the people of Iran were operating in the command centers that were targeted. (Source)

Many Muslims Believe That Donald Trump Is The Islamic Version Of The Antichrist

For large numbers of Muslims all over the world, the fact that Donald Trump is leading an attack on Iran is evidence that the Islamic apocalypse is upon us. I realize that this may sound crazy to many of you, but this is what they actually believe. In Islamic theology, there is a shadowy figure known as "the Dajjal" that rises during the end times. According to Wikipedia, "the Dajjal" roughly corresponds to the figure of the Antichrist in the Christian faith...

"Al-Masih ad-Dajjal (Arabic: الْمَسِيحُ الدَّجَّالُ, romanized: Al-Masih ad-Dajjal, lit. 'the deceitful Messiah'),otherwise referred to simply as the Dajjal, is an antagonistic figure in Islamic apocalyptism who will pretend to be the promised Messiah and later claim to be God, appearing before the Day of Judgment according to the Islamic eschatological narrative." 

The Dajjal is not mentioned in the Quran, but he is mentioned and described in the Hadith. Corresponding to the Antichrist in Christianity, the Dajjal is said to emerge out in the East, although the specific location varies among the various sources. There is nobody in the world that Shiite Muslims hate more than Donald Trump. And so it shouldn't be any surprise that many of them have started to believe that Trump is "the Dajjal"...

But a Fox News Digital investigation reveals that, for certain hardline Shiite ideologues, including in the U.S., this is not an ending but a prophetic showdown that will usher in the arrival of the "Mahdi," a messiah, according to Islamic eschatology, or the theology of end times. In this prophecy, Mahdi will emerge to battle Dajjal, the Islamic equivalent of the Antichrist, in a final battle of Armageddon. For many of these ideologues, President Donald Trump is Dajjal. Yes, a lot of them really do believe this. And this is not a recent phenomenon. More than a year ago, a senior cleric in Iran preached a sermon in which he boldly declared that "the Dajjal" is Trump... 

A senior cleric appointed by Iran's Supreme Leader suggested in a sermon on Friday that US president Donald Trump was the one-eyed Islamic equivalent of the Antichrist prophesied to menace humanity around judgment day. "He is completely one-eyed, and this is a sign of the end times," Seyyed Hassan Ameli told congregants in a sermon for Islamic Friday prayers according to the Tehran-based Didban News website.

Now that war has erupted, Muslims all over the world are having debates about whether Trump is "the Dajjal" or not. This is particularly true in Shiite communities. (Ed note: We do know that with Iran it's the Shiites against the Sunnis, and for Iran this is not a politcal war, it's a religious war.) (Read More)

Watch: IDF moves deeper into Lebanon

The IDF Spokesperson Unit on Wednesday published initial footage of ground operations deep in southern Lebanon. IDF forces are currently holding several key strategic points in Lebanese territory to create a direct security buffer.

Three divisions are operating as part of the operation in various areas: forces from the 91st Division are concentrating their efforts in south-eastern Lebanon, the 210th Division is operating in the Mount Dov area, and 146th Division forces are in south-western Lebanon.

The operation includes infantry, armored, and combat engineering forces who are working in full synchronization under the Northern Command.The IDF clarified that the purpose of the operation is to create “an additional layer of security" for northern residents. The deployment on the ground is intended to continue directly thwarting threats, destroying terrorist infrastructure along the border area, and preventing any attempted infiltration into Israeli territory. (Ed note: A typical IDF army division comprises roughly 10,000 to 15,000+ men, so this is a substantial army moving into Lebanon.)   (Source)

Tel Aviv stock market bucks global trends, betting on Israel’s future stability

As Israel confronts Iran, the Tel Aviv Stock Exchange climbs, driven by optimism for reduced geopolitical risk and market resilience.

The Tel Aviv Stock Exchange (TASE) rose on Tuesday, and the screens continued to be green, three days into the Israeli-American war on Iran that plunged the region into instability. Shares of defense, energy, and financial companies led the gains. The Israeli currency, the shekel, jumped 1.5% versus the dollar, close to the 30-year high it reached last month. The green screens at the stock exchange reflected investor expectations that the confrontation with Iran could ultimately bring greater geopolitical stability, something that has been lacking for decades.

“What we saw yesterday was euphoria, a situation in which investors are valuing only the best-case scenario, without taking into consideration any other possibility,” Dr. Gali Ingber, head of finance studies at Israel’s College of Management Academic Studies, told The Media Line. Other stock markets dropped on Monday in response to the war, and oil prices increased, fueling inflation concerns.

“The rise in TASE is because of the belief that the war will have a positive impact on Israel’s risk premium,” Ingber explained. The Volatility Index, VIX, otherwise known as the “fear index” in different stock exchanges, surged at the beginning of the week as uncertainty about the war gripped global investors. Gold also gained strength as investors prefer to move to safe-haven assets at times of instability. But not in Tel Aviv.

“Israel is an anomaly,” Professor Ilan Alon, an economics expert from Ariel University, told The Media Line. “In most wars, there is usually a withdrawal of investments.” The rally also reflects the unique structure of Israel’s economy. Institutional investors dominate trading on the Tel Aviv exchange, with local pension and long-term savings funds continuing to deploy capital even during periods of conflict. Unlike foreign markets that may react swiftly to geopolitical shocks, Israeli institutional investors often take a longer view, betting on structural strength in technology, defense exports, and energy development. This has proven itself in the past.    (Read More)

Israel sends troops into southern Lebanon as Hezbollah says it is ready for ‘open war’

BEIRUT (AP) — Israel sent troops into southern Lebanon on Tuesday and warned residents of more than 80 villages to evacuate as the Iran-backed militant Hezbollah group said it was ready for an “open war” with Israel in the wake of the U.S.-Israeli war on Iran. The development came after Hezbollah fired rockets and launched drones early Monday toward northern Israel. Israel retaliated with a wave of airstrikes that killed 50 people in Lebanon, including seven children as well as a Palestinian militant and a Hezbollah intelligence official in Beirut’s southern suburbs.

That death toll is a revised figure from an earlier one reported by the Health Ministry, which originally said Monday that 52 people died in the strikes. Lebanese Health Minister Rakan Nassereddine then on Tuesday reduced that number to 40, then later raised the toll to 50. Lebanon also said 335 people were wounded and that tens of thousands were displaced. The U.N. refugee agency said Tuesday that 30,000 displaced people were staying in collective shelters in Lebanon, “while many others slept in their cars, on sides of the roads as they could not yet find safe shelter.”

Hezbollah fired two salvos of rockets toward northern Israel, the militant group said while Israeli airstrikes overnight damaged a building housing Hezbollah’s television and radio stations. Beirut’s southern suburbs also saw a series of strikes on Tuesday afternoon that came without warning. The Israeli military later said it targeted Hezbollah officials.

The Israeli military’s Arabic spokesman, Avichay Adraee, warned residents of more than 80 villages and towns in southern Lebanon to leave, adding that people should not return to these areas until further notice. A senior Hezbollah official said that after more than a year of abiding by a ceasefire as Israel’s strikes continued on Lebanon, the group’s patience has ended, leaving it with no option but to fight Israel. “The Zionist enemy wanted an open war, which it has not stopped since the ceasefire agreement,” Mohamoud Komati said. “So let it be an open war,” added the Hezbollah official. (Read More)

BREAKING: IDF Ground Forces Enter Lebanon

IDF troops have begun seizing dominant tactical positions on the Lebanese side of the border. Forces are currently focusing on the immediate security zone to neutralize Hezbollah threats. In a significant tactical development on the fourth day of Operation Roaring Lion, the IDF has transitioned from holding fixed border outposts to seizing "controlling points" on the Lebanese side of the frontier. According to military correspondent Yinon Yatach, the strategy of maintaining presence at only five specific strategic outposts (a carryover from previous ceasefire arrangements) has been abandoned in favor of a more fluid, offensive posture. 

 Current Tactical Status

* Dominant Positions: IDF ground units have begun moving into Lebanese territory to take control of ridges and high-ground positions that overlook Israeli border communities. This move is designed to deny Hezbollah direct line-of-sight for anti-tank missiles and sniper fire.

* The "Security Zone": For now, military sources indicate that the forces are remaining within the immediate security zone (the area directly adjacent to the Blue Line). The goal is to create a "buffer of safety" rather than a deep territorial conquest at this stage.

* Operational Goal: By holding these high points, the IDF can more effectively monitor and strike Hezbollah cells attempting to approach the fence or launch short-range projectiles.

Chief of Staff's Directive

This maneuver follows a clear directive from IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir, who stated yesterday that there would be "no more evacuations" of Israeli towns. To fulfill this promise, the IDF is now moving the "front line" several hundred meters into Lebanese territory to ensure that any combat takes place on the enemy's side of the border. Reports indicate that Hezbollah's elite Radwan forces approached the Israel-Lebanon border, and that's what caused this shift. (Read More)

Watch: Broad strikes on Hezbollah and Hamas targets in southern Lebanon

The IDF carries out broad strikes on Hezbollah and Hamas terror targets in southern Lebanon, including weapons depots and launchers in Tyre and Sidon.

The IDF on Tuesday evening completed additional broad-scale strikes targeting Hezbollah terrorist targets in southern Lebanon. Among the targets struck were weapons storage facilities, missile launchers, command centers, and a number of terrorist infrastructure sites belonging to the Hezbollah and Hamas terrorist organizations in areas of Tyre and Sidon in southern Lebanon.

The IDF noted that the infrastructure sites were used by the terrorist organizations to advance and carry out various terror attacks against IDF troops and Israeli civilians. Prior to the strikes, measures were taken to minimize the risk of harm to civilians, including advance warnings, the use of precision munitions, and aerial surveillance.

“The IDF is operating determinedly against Hezbollah following the terrorist organization’s decision to deliberately attack Israel in defense of the Iranian terrorist regime and will not allow any harm to the civilians of the State of Israel," said the IDF Spokesperson’s Unit. (Source)

Hezbollah targets Tel Aviv area for first time since 2024 ceasefire

The Iranian-backed Hezbollah terrorist group fired three rockets into Israel on Tuesday night, targeting the Tel Aviv region for the first time since the November 2024 ceasefire, the Israel Defense Forces said.“Following alerts that were activated a short time ago in the center and north of the country, several launches were identified crossing from Lebanese territory,” the IDF stated. The Air Force shot down two projectiles, and one rocket fell in an open area, the army added. The attacks activated air-raid sirens in the center and Tel Aviv, as well as parts of the north, including Haifa, sending millions running for shelter.

The Magen David Adom emergency response group said an Israeli man in his 40s sustained a head wound when running to a bomb shelter in Holon, a city just south of Tel Aviv. The man was evacuated to Tel Aviv Sourasky Medical Center’s Ichilov Hospital in moderate condition. The IDF on Wednesday morning announced a series of fresh strikes against Hezbollah targets in Lebanon’s capital, Beirut, in response. 

The Iranian-backed terror army in Lebanon launched dozens of rockets and several unmanned aerial vehicles across the Jewish state’s northern border throughout the day on Tuesday, injuring at least one Israeli. In response, the IDF struck approximately 60 Hezbollah targets in Southern Lebanon, the military announced late on Tuesday night. (Read More)

Lindsey Graham urges Trump to join Israel in striking Hezbollah

Senator Lindsey Graham (R-SC) called on President Trump on Tuesday to join Israel in striking the Hezbollah terrorist organization in Lebanon. The appeal came as the IDF struck Hezbollah targets and sent troops across the border into southern Lebanon. The moves followed Hezbollah’s violations of the ceasefire in Lebanon by firing rockets toward Israel and joining Iran’s attacks during the ongoing US-Israeli war.

Speaking to reporters and quoted by CBS, Graham said, "I'm calling on President Trump today: Join Israel to attack Hezbollah. Avenge the Marines," referring to a 1993 suicide bombing of a US barracks in Lebanon that killed hundreds of American service members, an attack the United States has blamed on Hezbollah. Graham, a close ally of Trump and a hardliner on Iran, also defended the president’s military campaign against Iran. He argued the Iranian regime is in its "death throes" and said that "the demise of this regime is at hand."

Responding to criticism from Democrats who argue Iran did not pose an imminent threat to the United States, Graham said, "The idea that you're going to let a homicidal maniac get to the imminent stage, to me, is misplaced." Graham has long taken a tough line on Iran and spoke out against a deal between the US and Iran, arguing that true peace in the Middle East would only be possible once the Iranian regime falls. (Source)

Report: Israel hacked Tehran traffic cameras to track Khamenei ahead of assassination

Israel hacked into Tehran’s extensive traffic camera network in order to track the bodyguards of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and other top Iranian officials ahead of Saturday’s assassination of the supreme leader, the Financial Times reported on Monday, citing two people familiar with the matter. Iran’s cameras are believed to be part of the state’s surveillance apparatus, allowing authorities to identify and pursue protesters and regime opponents. But the Mossad, Israel’s spy agency, was able to co-opt the network for use against the regime, the report said.

The FT said Israel gained access to the cameras years ago, and found that one particular camera was angled in such a way that it showed where members of Khamenei’s security team parked their cars. Through the cameras, Israeli intelligence built files on the guards’ addresses, work schedules, and who they were assigned to protect. On the day of the attack, Israel and the US also disrupted cellular service on Tehran’s Pasteur Street, where Khamenei was assassinated, so those trying to reach the bodyguards and deliver possible warnings would receive busy signals, per the report.

“We knew Tehran like we know Jerusalem,” an Israeli intelligence official told the Financial Times. “And when you know [a place] as well as you know the street you grew up on, you notice a single thing that’s out of place.” Israel used AI tools and algorithms it had developed to sort through mountains of data it was amassing on Iran’s leadership and their movements, according to an official who spoke with the British daily, which said the bulk of the work was performed by the IDF’s Unit 8200. The massive data mining operation allowed the military to track Khamenei to the Saturday meeting where he was struck, and assured Mossad and the CIA that senior officials were on their way to the meeting. (Read More)

Russia halts construction work at Iran’s Bushehr nuclear plant due to strikes nearby

MOSCOW — Russia’s state nuclear corporation, Rosatom, has halted construction work at new units of Iran’s nuclear power plant in the port city of Bushehr because of the US-Israeli air assault on Iran, its chief Alexei Likhachev said Tuesday. Likhachev had earlier warned of the threat posed by strikes near Iranian nuclear facilities, and said explosions could be heard “just kilometers away” from the plant, although the facility itself was not being targeted. Work has been stopped at the construction sites of the second and third units of the plant, he told journalists.

“It is difficult to predict the further course of events, given the ongoing military operations against Iran, but our people will remain there in any case, and this facility will be among our priorities,” he said. Likhachev said there was no telephone or electronic communication with the leadership of the Iranian nuclear industry, but contact with colleagues at the construction site remained.

Some 639 Russian personnel remain in Iran, and some who were already in the capital Tehran are leaving, Likhachev said. Nearly 100 workers and their families were evacuated on Saturday, when US and Israeli attacks on Iran began, and Likhachev said evacuations of staff would continue during breaks in airstrikes. (Source)

IDF destroys secret nuclear site, over 300 ballistic missile launchers across Iran

The IDF destroyed a secret Iranian nuclear weapons development site on Tuesday, IDF Chief Spokesman Brig.-Gen. Effie Defrin revealed in a press conference. Separately, the IDF stated that, since the start of the war, the air force had destroyed some 300 Iranian missile launchers.

Naming the site as Min Zadai, on the northeast outskirts of Tehran, Defrin said that the site was linked to weapons development. He said that IDF intelligence followed nuclear scientists who tried to travel there clandestinely. By following these scientists, he said, the IDF was able to learn about the dangerous nature of these activities that could help Tehran resume aspects of weapons development for a nuclear bomb.

Most of the global media attention focuses on uranium enrichment since it is the hardest issue to conquer and can take many years to master. But without a number of weapons components being developed, enriched uranium cannot be delivered as a weapon. In June 2025, Israel’s bombing campaign destroyed dozens of sites relating to weapons development, essentially shutting down that side of the nuclear coin. Defrin’s revelation is the first public statement made by the IDF regarding Iran’s new progress with rehabilitating aspects of its weapons development since the 12 Day War in June 2025. (Source)

US Navy will protect Gulf shipping as Iran threatens Strait of Hormuz, according to President Trump

US President Donald Trump said Tuesday that the US Navy will protect commercial shipping in the Middle East “if necessary” and that his administration will offer government-backed insurance to safeguard maritime trade, as tensions with Iran disrupt global energy markets.

In a social media post, President Trump said Washington would provide “at a very reasonable price, political risk insurance and guarantees for ALL Maritime Trade, especially Energy, traveling through the Gulf.” He added that the plan “will ensure the FREE FLOW of ENERGY to the WORLD.”

His announcement came as oil and gas prices climbed amid concerns over shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, a narrow passage between Oman and Iran that is vital to global supply. In 2025, about 13 million barrels of oil transited the route each day, representing roughly 31% of the world’s seaborne crude shipments, according to energy intelligence firm Kpler. Brent crude, the global benchmark, rose 2.6% to around $80 per barrel and is nearly 10% higher since the conflict began. Analysts have warned that a prolonged disruption could drive prices above $100 per barrel. (Read More)

Syria deploys thousands of troops to border with Lebanon, officials say

Syria has reinforced its border with Lebanon with rocket units and thousands of troops, eight Syrian and Lebanese sources said Tuesday, after the Lebanese terror group Hezbollah attacked Israel in support of Tehran amid the war that the US and Israel launched against Iran on Saturday. The sources included five Syrian military officers, a Syrian security official and two Lebanese security officials who spoke on condition of anonymity. The Syrian officers said the Syrian reinforcement operation began in February but sped up in recent days. The Syrian and Lebanese armed forces did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

The Syrian officers, including a senior member of the military, said the move was aimed at preventing arms and drugs smuggling, and at blocking Iran-backed Hezbollah and other armed groups from infiltrating Syria. A Syrian officer told Reuters that military formations from several Syrian army divisions, including the 52nd and 84th Divisions, have expanded their presence along the border in western Homs countryside and south of Tartus. The reinforcements include infantry units, armored vehicles and short-range Grad and Katyusha rocket launchers, the official said.

The Syrian security official said Damascus had no plans for military action against any neighboring country. “But Syria is prepared to deal with any security threat to itself or its partners,” he said. Still, the move has fueled concern among some European and Lebanese officials over a possible incursion. The Syrian military officers vehemently denied any such plans, saying Syria wants balanced relations with its neighbor after decades of strained ties linked to Syria’s outsized influence in Lebanon and Hezbollah’s support for the former government of Syrian president Bashar Al-Assad during a 14-year civil war. Syria had troops stationed in Lebanon from 1976 until 2005 including during Lebanon’s civil war that ended in 1990. (Ed note: Always keep that one eye on the state of Syria.)  (Read More)

IDF says Lebanon invasion possible, Israel Katz declares Hezbollah chief Qassem a target

With an enormous potential of five IDF divisions on call, IDF Chief Spokesman Effie Defrin on Monday said that it was still possible that the military might invade southern Lebanon in response to Hezbollah’s rocket attacks overnight. Defrin did not commit to such an invasion but notably did not rule it out. Overnight, Hezbollah fired rockets around the northern border and as deep into Israel as the Haifa area. Late Monday night, the terror group also tried to attack Israel with drones, which were reportedly shot down.

No one was killed by the rocket fire, and there was little in terms of reporting of even damage to physical sites, leading to speculation that Hezbollah had intended a symbolic attack that it hoped would lead to a moderate response from Israel. The IDF chief spokesman emphasized that the IDF had ordered the evacuation of over 50 southern Lebanese villages overnight.

Multiple Israeli defense sources, however, indicated to The Jerusalem Post that Israel will take advantage of Hezbollah’s decision to carry out a large operation against it both to physically eliminate many of its capabilities and leaders, as well as to try to further pressure it into disarming vis-à-vis the Lebanese military.

Supporting the narrative of a possible invasion, IDF Chief of Staff Lt.-Gen. Eyal Zamir held a briefing on the northern border. The briefing saw an unusually large turnout, with no fewer than five IDF division commanders, including divisions 210, 91, 146, 162, and 36, the largest number assembled during the 2023-2025 war invasions of Gaza or Lebanon. (Ed note: Are we looking at Bible prophecy? In Psalm 83:7 we have GEBAL which is now called Jbeil and is about 62 miles north of the border of Israel, and the city of TYRE, which is only about 12 miles north of the border of Israel. Not named in the prophecy of Psalm 83, but very relevant in prophecy is the city of SIDON, which is about 25 miles north of the border of Israel. Could we see that prophecy as found in Ezekiel 28:21-23 in the coming days?) Read More)

IDF strike kills Hezbollah intel chief; Lebanon to ban terror group’s military activity

Beirut demands group hands over weapons and tells army to prevent it from attacking Israel; Israeli strikes across Lebanon kill senior PIJ commander, hit Hezbollah-linked banks.

Israel said Monday that the head of Hezbollah’s intelligence arm was killed in an overnight strike and Beirut said it would ban the terror group’s military activities, hours after the Iran-backed organization fired rockets and drones at Israel, leading to major retaliatory strikes overnight and throughout Monday.
The Israel Defense Forces confirmed that the overnight strike in the Lebanese capital killed Hussein Makled, whom it called “the head of Hezbollah’s intelligence headquarters.”

The military said Makled was responsible for “forming the intelligence picture using various intelligence collection tools to provide the Hezbollah terror organization with intelligence assessments regarding IDF troops and the State of Israel.” “He also closely cooperated with senior commanders in Hezbollah who planned and advanced terror attacks against Israel and its citizens,” the IDF added. The terror group’s overnight attacks — which it said were in retaliation for the killing of Iranian supreme leader Ali Khamenei in the opening minutes of the joint Israeli-US assault on Iran on Saturday — led to waves of Israeli airstrikes across Lebanon, including in the capital.

One overnight strike in southern Beirut killed a senior commander in Palestinian Islamic Jihad’s al-Quds Brigades. The terror group identified him as Adham al-Othman, 41, and described as “commander of al-Quds Brigades in the Lebanese arena.” Later Monday, the IDF carried out a wide wave of airstrikes across southern Lebanon, after it issued evacuation warnings to Lebanese civilians. According to the military, it struck some 70 Hezbollah weapon depots and rocket launching sites. The military also carried out a major wave of strikes against branches of the Al-Qard al-Hasan association, which the IDF said is used by Hezbollah to store money, manage salaries for its operatives, transfer funds from Iran, and purchase weapons. (Ed note: Didn't the Hezbollah commanders get the reorder on their new pagers?)  (Read More)

IDF sends troops further into south Lebanon and strikes Beirut amid Hezbollah attacks

The Israel Defense Forces said Tuesday it had deployed troops deeper into southern Lebanon, beyond the five posts it currently holds, “as part of an enhanced forward defense posture” amid attacks by the Hezbollah terror group. The expanded deployment came after Iran-backed Hezbollah began launching rockets and drones at northern Israel early Monday in response Israel’s killing of the Islamic Republic’s supreme leader. Israel has retaliated with an intensive bombing campaign. The terror group fired more rockets and drones overnight and Tuesday morning.

“To prevent the possibility of direct fire at Israeli communities, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and I have authorized the IDF to advance and hold additional dominant terrain in Lebanon and defend the border communities from there,” Defense Minister Israel Katz said in a statement. “The IDF continues to operate forcefully against Hezbollah targets in Lebanon. The terrorist organization is paying and will pay a heavy price for firing at Israel,” he added. Soldiers of the 91st “Galilee” Regional Division were “positioned at several points near the border area as part of an enhanced forward defense posture,” the army said.

The army said it was “working to create an additional layer of security for residents of northern Israel.” “Northern Command has moved forward, taken control of the dominating terrain, and is creating a buffer, as we promised, between our residents and any threat,” IDF Spokesman Brig. Gen. Effie Defrin said at a press conference. (Read More)