Defense minister: 'IDF will hold security zone in Lebanon up to the Litani'

Defense Minister Israel Katz says that Israel’s objectives in Lebanon include maintaining security control up to the Litani River, adding that 'all homes in villages near the border in Lebanon will be demolished.'

Defense Minister Israel Katz held a special situation assessment Tuesday at the Kirya in Tel Aviv with senior IDF and defense officials. He opened by expressing condolences to the families of four Nahal reconnaissance soldiers killed in southern Lebanon and wished the wounded a speedy recovery. Katz said the IDF’s operations aim to protect northern residents and remove immediate threats, praising the troops’ bravery and calling on the public to support them and their families.

He described significant progress in the ground offensive, saying forces are entering villages with force, clearing Hezbollah militants, destroying terror infrastructure and weapons, and demolishing buildings used as militant positions. Looking ahead, Katz said that after the operation, the IDF will establish a security zone inside Lebanon, maintaining control up to the Litani River, including its bridges, while eliminating Radwan forces and their weaponry.

He added that, similar to Gaza, more than 600,000 displaced southern Lebanese residents will be barred from returning south of the Litani until northern Israel is secure, and that homes in border villages will be demolished to remove threats. Katz stressed that Israel is also acting against rocket fire from other areas in Lebanon and will intensify its efforts. He said the broader goal is to reduce Iran’s influence in Lebanon, weaken Hezbollah, and remove threats to Israeli civilians, vowing long-term IDF security presence and strict enforcement-similar to Syria and Gaza. (Source)

Katz: IDF to establish security zone 20 miles deep into Lebanon

( Mar. 31, 2026 / JNS ) The Israel Defense Forces would establish a security zone in Southern Lebanon, extending to the Litani River, following its campaign against Iranian-backed Hezbollah, Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said on Tuesday. “At the conclusion of the operation, the IDF will position themselves in a security zone inside Lebanon, along a defensive line against anti-tank missiles,” Katz stated after a security assessment with senior military officials, including Deputy Chief of Staff Maj. Gen. Tamir Yadai. The Litani River lies some 20 miles north of the Blue Line, which currently demarcates the unofficial border between Israel and Lebanon.

Katz announced that the 600,000-plus residents of Southern Lebanon who were evacuated northward in recent weeks would be barred from returning south of the Litani “until the safety and security of northern Israeli residents is ensured.” He also said that all homes in Lebanese villages near the Blue Line would be demolished to eliminate cross-border threats, citing models used by the IDF in the Gaza Strip’s Rafah and Beit Hanoun areas. Israeli forces continue to operate in Lebanon “to protect the residents of the north and to remove direct threats against them,” Katz said, adding that troops were entering villages “with great force,” eliminating Hezbollah terrorists, destroying infrastructure and weapons and demolishing buildings used as firing positions.

“We are determined to separate Lebanon from the Iranian arena and to pull the snake’s teeth and strip Hezbollah of its ability to threaten, changing once and for all the situation in Lebanon, with an IDF security presence in the necessary places—with strict enforcement and absolute deterrence, just as in Syria and Gaza,” the defense minister vowed. “We promised to protect the communities of the north, and that is exactly what we will do,” he declared. Iranian-backed Hezbollah began firing rockets and suicide drones at Israel from Lebanon on March 2, in retaliation for the Jewish state’s targeted killing of Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei. Khamenei was killed in the opening strikes of “Operation Roaring Lion/Epic Fury” against the regime on Feb. 28.

In response to the terrorist organization’s violation of the U.S.-brokered Nov. 27, 2024, truce agreement, Jerusalem launched an aerial campaign against Hezbollah and ordered IDF troops to advance and take control of additional areas in Southern Lebanon to halt cross-border attacks. Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich said on March 23 that the Israel Defense Forces should establish the Litani River as the Jewish state’s “new border with the Lebanese state.” (Ed note: Do you know that the city of TYRE is located about 6 miles SOUTH of the mouth of the Litani River, which acts as a major geographic, political, and military boundary in southern Lebanon?)  (Read More)

Rift deepens between Iran’s president and Guards chief over war, economy

Serious disagreements have emerged between Iran’s President Masoud Pezeshkian and IRGC chief-commander Ahmad Vahidi over how to manage the war and its damaging impact on people’s livelihoods and the economy, sources with knowledge of the matter told Iran International. Pezeshkian has criticized the approach of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps regarding escalating tensions and continuing attacks on neighboring countries, warning about the economic consequences of the situation, according to the sources who spoke on condition of anonymity. He has stressed that without a ceasefire, Iran’s economy could face total collapse within three weeks to one month, the sources said.

On March 7, Pezeshkian in a video message apologized for what he called “fire at will” attacks by the country’s armed forces on neighboring countries and instructed them to stop such attacks. However, the attacks continued shortly after the release of his message. Informed sources told Iran International that Pezeshkian has called for executive and managerial powers to be returned to the administration, a demand that has been firmly rejected by Vahidi. In response to the criticism, the IRGC commander blamed the current situation on the government’s failure to implement structural reforms before the conflict began, the sources said. In recent days, Israeli media have also reported signs of divisions within Iran’s ruling system. The Times of Israel, citing a senior Israeli official, wrote: “There are signs of cracks in the Iranian regime. We are now creating conditions for its overthrow, but ultimately everything depends on the Iranian people.” 

The Israeli outlet Ynet also reported similar internal divisions earlier this month. As the war enters its fifth week, its economic effects are increasingly visible. Reports from major cities indicate that many ATMs are out of cash, not functioning, or physically inaccessible, while online banking services for several major banks, including Bank Melli, are periodically disrupted. Government employees have told Iran International that salaries and benefits for large segments of workers have not been paid regularly over the past three months. In February, before the outbreak of the ongoing war, average inflation for basic necessities reached triple digits, estimated between 105% and 115%. (Source)

Iran war 'shock' is dimming outlook for many economies, IMF says

The International Monetary Fund warned that the war in Iran was causing a global, but asymmetric shock and leading to tighter financial conditions.

The war in the Middle East has caused serious disruption to the economies of frontline countries, and is dimming the outlook for many economies that had just started to recover from previous crises, the International Monetary Fund warned on Monday. In a blog published by the global lender's top economists, the IMF said the war launched by US and Israeli strikes against Iran on February 28 was causing a global, but asymmetric shock and leading to tighter financial conditions.

Iran's closure of the Strait of Hormuz and damage to regional infrastructure have caused the largest disruption to the global oil market in history, as 25%-30% of global oil and 20% of liquefied natural gas normally pass through the narrow waterway, according to the International Energy Agency. Oil prices on Monday were set for a record monthly rise.

The war's impact would depend on how long it lasts, how far it spreads, and how much damage it inflicts on infrastructure and supply chains, the IMF said, urging countries to carefully calibrate any measures to manage the shock. The IMF was also supporting member countries with policy advice and financial assistance, where needed and in coordination with the international community, the fund said.

The IMF statement came as finance leaders from the Group of Seven economic powers said they were ready to take "all necessary measures" to safeguard energy market stability and limit broader economic spillovers from recent volatility. The International Energy Agency's 32 members agreed earlier this month to release a record 400 million barrels of oil from strategic stockpiles to combat a spike in global crude prices. (Read More)

Iran’s leadership is struggling to function with internal chaos - report

Sources for the New York Times describe chaos in Tehran: the leadership is paralyzed, the IRGC is making the decisions, and Trump is frustrated by the lack of a negotiation counterpart.

Sources quoted by The New York Times overnight described a situation of deep dysfunction in Tehran, where decision-making has been severely disrupted following joint US and Israeli strikes. Officials said damage to communications infrastructure has fueled paranoia among senior figures, who now fear their conversations are being intercepted, leading many to avoid direct contact altogether. This has hindered coordination of military responses and stalled efforts to formulate positions in potential negotiations. 

According to the report, the breakdown in communication has also intensified internal power struggles. Intelligence assessments indicate that Mojtaba Khamenei currently serves largely as a symbolic figure, while decision-making authority has shifted to the remaining leadership of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. US officials said more hardline elements within the Guards have become increasingly influential, filling the vacuum left by weakened political and religious leadership.

A senior military official cited in the report said Iran’s central command structure has been significantly degraded, forcing a shift to decentralized operations. Local commanders are now acting independently, without coordination from Tehran, a development that has reduced the effectiveness of Iranian military actions. US officials also noted growing frustration within the Trump administration over the lack of a clear Iranian counterpart for negotiations. According to the report, the current leadership structure has made it difficult for Tehran to respond coherently to US diplomatic proposals.

People familiar with the intelligence assessments said Washington believes Iran would only agree to a deal under severe economic pressure. However, current officials assess that Tehran does not yet view itself as losing the conflict, contributing to the ongoing stalemate. Israeli officials speaking to The New York Times compared the situation in Iran to the breakdown experienced by Hamas in Gaza after its leadership was eliminated. They said communication challenges are forcing reliance on intermediaries and slow exchanges, complicating both military coordination and diplomatic efforts, and leaving uncertainty over who is authorized to make decisions on behalf of the Iranian government. (Source)

Israel shifts to hitting Iran’s economy, as it enters ‘completion phase’ of war

A month into the war with Iran, the Israeli military has almost completed bombing all of the targets it defined for itself at the start of the conflict, and has now been ordered by Israel’s political leadership to shift to hitting “economic” targets of the Iranian regime, The Times of Israel learned on Monday. Israel launched its campaign against Iran, alongside the United States, to degrade the regime’s military capabilities, distance threats posed by Iran — including its nuclear and ballistic missile programs — and “create the conditions” for the Iranian people to topple the regime, the military and other Israeli leaders have said.

The Israeli Air Force has conducted hundreds of waves of strikes in Iran, dropping over 13,000 bombs on Iranian regime and military sites, including air defense systems, ballistic missile launchers, weapon production sites, some nuclear facilities, and various headquarters. Israeli strikes have also killed dozens of top Iranian officials, including former supreme leader Ali Khamnieni, Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps commander Mohammad Pakpour, and many other senior military commanders.

On Saturday, IDF Spokesman Brig. Gen. Effie Defrin said that “within a few days” the military would complete targeting all of the “critical” assets of Iran’s military production industries, sites used to develop weapons that threaten Israel. The military has also said it has taken out most of Iran’s ballistic missile launchers and air defense systems. Israel’s defense establishment is now in what it described as the “completion phase” of the goals it set out at the start of the war, meaning it believes it has largely achieved its objectives of degrading Iran’s military capabilities and “creating the conditions” for the Iranian regime to fall, The Times of Israel has learned. (Read More)

U.N. Nuclear Watchdog: Iran’s Nuclear Program Sustained ‘Enormous Damage,’ but Is Not ‘Destroyed’

International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Director-General Rafael Grossi said on Sunday that Iran’s nuclear program has sustained “enormous damage,” but warned “elements that were not destroyed persist” in the wake of both last summer’s massive U.S. airstrikes and the current war in Iran.
Grossi told CNN host Fareed Zakaria that Iran’s nuclear ambitions have suffered major setbacks but have not been completely eliminated. “There was enormous damage, in particular during the 12-Day War last year, at Isfahan, Natanz, and Fordow,” he said, referencing Iran’s three main uranium enrichment sites.

Grossi said the month-long Operation Epic Fury has included “targets and objectives that go far beyond the range of the nuclear field,” but even combined with the damage from last year’s strikes, “not everything was destroyed.” Grossi also agreed with Zakaria’s observation that one “cannot bomb the knowledge away,” or eliminate Iran’s intellectual progress toward nuclear weapons with an aerial bombing campaign. “Don’t forget that this activity of uranium enrichment, which is rather complex, is not something that is impossible to do. The methodology is quite sophisticated. The centrifuges that spin at high velocity, to separate the isotope of uranium which is interesting from the one which is not – all of these things Iran has mastered over the years,” he said.

Grossi noted that uranium enrichment is “not, per se, a nuclear activity,” and if the Iranians are patient enough, it can be conducted in small-scale operations that would be difficult to hunt down and destroy. “You may have, in Iran, thousands – or perhaps more – of workshops, or small factories, where they could reproduce these capacities,” he said. Grossi agreed with U.S. intelligence estimates that the U.S. stealth-bomber strikes against Isfahan, Natanz, and Fordow inflicted “very considerable” damage, pushing Iran’s nuclear program back for years, but he said “there are things that remain.” (Read More)

"Food for Sharks": Iranian Commanders Issue Vicious Threat to U.S. Troops

Iranian military commanders have threatened to turn American soldiers into "shark food" while reports emerge that a top IRGC general has been assassinated in a targeted strike.

The rhetoric from the Iranian regime has reached a fever pitch as military leaders issue graphic threats against the United States and Israel. In a series of defiant statements, commanders from the Iranian Navy and the Khatam al-Anbiya Headquarters have warned that any American attempt at a ground invasion or territorial occupation would end in a humiliating defeat. At the same time, regional reports indicate a major blow to the regime's internal stability; the Saudi channel Al-Hadath has reported the assassination of Hassan Hassanzadeh, a high ranking IRGC commander responsible for ground forces, the Basij, and internal security in Tehran.

The Commander of the Iranian Navy claimed that the regime has the USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier group under "precise and continuous surveillance." He asserted that the eastern Strait of Hormuz and the Sea of Oman are under total Iranian control, stating that they are simply "waiting for the moment of revenge." Meanwhile, a spokesperson for the military warned that American commanders and soldiers would become "food for the sharks of the Persian Gulf" if they crossed into Iranian territory.

Amidst this aggression, Iranian diplomatic sources confirmed that their ambassador will refuse to leave Lebanon, despite an official deadline set by the Lebanese Foreign Ministry, signaling Tehran's intent to maintain its grip on its terror proxies regardless of diplomatic pressure. (Ed note: I go with our US Marines!)    (Source)

Report: Pentagon Preps Weeks‑Long Ground Ops in Iran as U.S. Marines Arrive in Theater

The Pentagon is preparing for what could become weeks-long ground operations inside Iran — including Special Operations raids and limited infantry missions — as U.S. forces, including a Marine expeditionary unit now in theater, continue to build up for a potentially more dangerous next phase of Operation Epic Fury, according to a report published Saturday.

U.S. officials told the Washington Post that the plans under discussion would stop short of a full-scale invasion and instead center on targeted ground missions involving a mix of Special Operations forces and conventional infantry. The report said the planning, underway for weeks, has included possible operations involving Kharg Island, Iran’s primary oil export hub, as well as raids on coastal positions near the Strait of Hormuz targeting capabilities used to threaten freedom of navigation through the strategic waterway.

It remained unclear Saturday whether President Donald Trump would approve any of the options being prepared. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said the planning reflects standard military preparation, stating, “It’s the job of the Pentagon to make preparations in order to give the Commander in Chief maximum optionality. It does not mean the President has made a decision.”

Leavitt warned earlier this week the regime “should not miscalculate again,” adding that if Tehran refuses to recognize that it has been defeated and abandon its nuclear ambitions, President Trump is “prepared to unleash hell.” Separately, Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Friday the United States can achieve its objectives “without ground troops,” while stressing the president must remain prepared for multiple contingencies as the situation continues to evolve. (Read More)

Report: Trump weighs military operation to seize Iran's uranium stockpile

President Trump is weighing a high-risk military operation to extract nearly 1,000 pounds of enriched uranium from Iran as part of efforts to prevent the Islamic regime from developing a nuclear weapon, according to The Wall Street Journal. US President Donald Trump is weighing a military operation to extract nearly 1,000 pounds of uranium from Iran, according to US officials who spoke to The Wall Street Journal on Sunday. The complex and risky mission would likely put American forces inside the country for days or longer. Trump has not yet made a decision on whether to give the order, the officials told the newspaper. They added that he is considering the danger to US troops. But the president remains generally open to the idea because it could help accomplish his central goal of preventing Iran from ever making a nuclear weapon. 

The president has also encouraged his advisers to press Iran to agree to surrender the material as a condition for ending the war, according to a person familiar with Trump’s thinking. Trump has been clear in conversations with political allies that the Iranians cannot keep the material. He has discussed seizing it by force if Iran will not give it up at the negotiating table. Pakistan, Turkey and Egypt have acted as intermediaries between the US and Iran. But Washington and Tehran have not yet engaged in direct negotiations to end the war. 

“It’s the job of the Pentagon to make preparations in order to give the commander-in-chief maximum optionality. It does not mean the president has made a decision," White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said in a statement. The Pentagon did not comment and a spokesman for US Central Command declined to comment.Before Israel and the US conducted a series of airstrikes on Iran in June last year, the country was believed to have more than 400 kilograms of 60 percent highly enriched uranium, and nearly 200 kilograms of 20 percent fissile material, which is easily converted into 90 percent weapons-grade uranium. (Read More)

Crippling the Arsenal: How Israel Just Set Iran’s Missile Program Back Years

Israeli fighter jets have completed a massive wave of 140 strikes, successfully destroying critical missile production facilities and UAV engine plants deep inside Iranian territory. The Israeli Air Force has delivered a crippling blow to the Iranian military industrial complex, conducting over 140 precision strikes in a single 24 hour period. The operation, directed by the Intelligence Directorate, targeted dozens of weapons manufacturing sites in Tehran and across central and western Iran. 

The primary objective was to dismantle the infrastructure used to produce ballistic missiles and unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). Among the high value targets destroyed was a unique facility used by the Iranian Ministry of Defense to manufacture critical components for long range missiles, one of only two such sites in the entire country.

The overnight strikes were wide ranging and systematic. Israeli aircraft successfully hit sites dedicated to the production of ballistic missile engines, weapons storage bunkers, and factories producing engines for "suicide drones." Additionally, a central military facility used for the development of air defense systems and the storage of anti-aircraft missiles was neutralized. In the northern theater, the IDF also identified and destroyed a loaded missile launcher in Lebanon’s Bekaa Valley that was ready for immediate firing toward Israel. By targeting the source of the weaponry, the IDF aims to significantly reduce the regime's capacity to continue its long distance war against Israeli citizens. (Source)

 

Netanyahu orders IDF to expand security zone in Southern Lebanon

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Sunday that he had instructed the Israel Defense Forces to “further expand the existing security zone” on the Lebanese side of the border with Israel to “finally thwart the threat of invasion and to keep anti-tank missile fire away.” Until 2000, Israel had maintained a buffer zone in Southern Lebanon, together with the now-defunct South Lebanon Army, a predominantly Christian entity with recruits from the Maronite minority of Lebanon. After the 2000 IDF pullout, Hezbollah became one of the best-armed terror groups in the world, capable of sustained fighting with the IDF.

“It must be understood that [slain Hezbollah leader Hassan] Nasrallah created a great force here. He believed that with this force he would destroy us. We eliminated Nasrallah. We eliminated thousands of Hezbollah terrorists, and above all, we eliminated the enormous threat of 150,000 missiles and rockets, which were intended to destroy Israeli cities,” Netanyahu said. “But Hezbollah still has a residual ability to launch rockets at us.”

Netanyahu said he’d discussed with the heads of the IDF Northern Command “ways to remove this threat as well,” though he added that he “cannot share these discussions.” The premier added “that we are determined to fundamentally change this situation in the north.” In a short address announcing the security buffer push, Netanyahu also provided an overview of what he presented as the achievements of the war against Iran and its proxies since the Hamas-led Oct. 7, 2023, massacre. “We are in a multi-front campaign. We are striking with tremendous force at Iran and its proxies. We are bringing about tremendous achievements, achievements that are creating visible cracks in the terrorist regime in Tehran.”

Instead of those entities surprising Israel, “we are surprising them. We are the active party, we are the attacking party, we are the initiating side—and we are deep in their territory,” he said. Netanyahu recalled that shortly after the Oct. 7 Hamas invasion, he’d said that “we would change the face of the Middle East, and we did it. But we also changed our security concept. We are initiating, we are attacking, and we have created three security belts deep in enemy territory.” In Syria, he said, the buffer extends from the crest of Mount Hermon to the Yarmouk River; in Gaza, to more than half of the Strip. “And in Lebanon, I have now instructed to further expand the existing security zone,” Netanyahu said. (Source)

Israeli strike on Beirut earlier killed at least 3 Hezbollah members, security source says

BEIRUT, Lebanon — An Israeli airstrike on a residential building near Beirut’s southern suburbs killed at least three Hezbollah members, a security source tells AFP.

The strike “targeted an office used by Hezbollah, killing three members and seriously wounding three others,” while the Israeli army, for its part, announced it had “begun striking Hezbollah terrorist infrastructures in Beirut.”

An AFP photographer says the targeted apartment is located in a neighborhood crowded with shops and commercial establishments, several of which were damaged, adding that armed Hezbollah members set up a security cordon following the strike. (Source)

12 US troops wounded, 2 seriously, in Iranian attack on Saudi base — report

Several aerial refueling planes said damaged; ballistic missile and drones used in attack; 300 American soldiers injured since start of war, vast majority of casualties described as minor.

An Iranian attack on a base in Saudi Arabia has wounded at least 12 American soldiers, two of them seriously, US media reported Friday. Iran has kept up retaliatory attacks on Gulf nations it accuses of serving as a launchpad for US strikes on the regime, which began in a joint operation with Israel on February 28. The attack on the Prince Sultan Air Base in Saudi Arabia included at least one missile and several drones, The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal reported, citing unidentified officials.

The soldiers were inside a building at the base when it was struck, the Journal reported. Several aerial refueling planes also suffered damage in the attack, the reports said. Saudi Arabia has previously intercepted several missiles fired near the base. The Pentagon and US Central Command did not immediately respond to AFP requests for comment. Thirteen US military service members have been killed since the conflict with Iran broke out, with seven killed in the Gulf and six in Iraq. More than 300 more have been wounded.

According to US Navy Captain Tim Hawkins, the “vast majority” of the injuries have been minor, and most troops have already returned to duty.A US official who asked not to be identified told AFP that 10 troops remained seriously wounded. Iran’s government has not released an updated casualty toll, but a US-based activist group said on March 23 that around 1,167 Iranian troops had been killed and that the status of 658 troops was unknown. AFP is not able to independently verify tolls in Iran due to reporting restrictions. (Read More)

IDF slays Hezbollah ‘journalist,’ seizes hundreds of weapons in Lebanese school

Two Israeli officers were critically wounded during ground operations in Southern Lebanon. Commandos from the Israeli Navy’s Shayetet 13 unit raided a school in Al-Khiam, Southern Lebanon, seizing hundreds of weapons kept there, on March 27, 2026. Photos: IDF. In Southern Lebanon on Saturday, the Israel Defense Forces targeted and killed Ali Hassan Shaib, a Hezbollah Radwan Force terrorist who operated for years under the guise of a journalist for the terrorist organization’s Al-Manar television network, the military said in a statement.

In his journalist role, Shaib “consistently worked to expose the locations of IDF troops operating in Southern Lebanon and along the border, and maintained continuous contact with other operatives in [Hezbollah’s elite] Radwan Force in particular and within the organization in general,” the IDF said.
In addition, he engaged in incitement against IDF troops and civilians of the State of Israel, serving as Hezbollah’s mouthpiece for distributing propaganda materials, including during the ongoing “Operation Roaring Lion,” the army continued. The IDF will continue to act forcefully against the terrorist organization Hezbollah, which chose to join the fighting and operate under the auspices of the Iranian terrorist regime, and will not allow harm to the civilians of the State of Israel,” the military stressed.

According to the Al-Manar website in English, Fatima Ftouni, a correspondent of the Hezbollah-affiliated Al-Mayadeen channel, was also killed in the strike Ftouni’s brother, a videographer, and Shaib’s relative were also killed, Lebanese media reported. The group was struck by a drone while driving on the main road in Jezzine, located some 14 miles east to the coastal city of Sidon, reports added. Lebanese President Joseph Aoun condemned the strike, calling it “⁠a brazen crime that violates all treaties and norms through which journalists enjoy international protection in war,” Reuters reported.Meanwhile, IDF troops continued to press forward in Southern Lebanon over the weekend, clearing the area of terrorist elements responsible for attacks on Israelis.

As part of this effort, the Israeli Navy’s Shayetet 13 (“Flotilla 13") commando unit carried out a targeted raid on Friday following intelligence of the presence of weapons in a school in the village of Al-Khiam in the Nabatieh Governorate, northeast of the Israeli town of Metula, the IDF Spokesperson’s Unit said on Saturday. (Ed note: Did you know that the Israeli Navy had a commando unit?)    (Read More)

The US may be weighing a ground operation in Iran, and it could last for weeks - report

According to the report, any operation would not involve a full-scale invasion. US President Trump had not yet approved the plans due to the high risk they pose to American soldiers.

The Pentagon is preparing for a ground operation against Iran that could last weeks if US President Donald Trump decides to attack Tehran by ground, The Washington Post reported on Saturday, citing US officials. According to the report, any operation would not involve a full-scale invasion but would instead focus on special operations missions and specific infantry ground operations.

The report also mentions that, due to the high risk that these operations would represent for American soldiers, it was unclear as of Saturday night if Trump would approve of such an operation. “It’s the job of the Pentagon to make preparations in order to give the Commander in Chief maximum optionality. It does not mean the President has made a decision,” White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said when asked about the report of a possible ground operation.

The report comes as an expeditionary force of 2,500 US Marines, accompanied by 2,500 sailors, arrived in the Middle East on Sunday aboard the USS Tripoli amphibious ready group, according to The New York Times. The Washington Post also reported that the Pentagon did not respond to requests for comment. Senior US officials told The Jerusalem Post last week that it appears there may be no alternative but for the United States to launch a ground military operation to seize the Iranian island of Kharg.

The US attacked military targets on the island back on March 13, with Trump saying that it decided to "spare" the oil infrastructure on the island. Kharg is Iran's main oil processing site, with 90% of its exports passing through the island before being shipped. A US official confirmed to the Post that “the US military has accelerated the deployment of thousands of Marines and Navy personnel to the Middle East.” (Read More)

"The Enemy Plans a Ground Invasion": Iranian Parliament Speaker Issues Defiant Warning to U.S.

As the 10-day clock ticks down, the region remains on a knife-edge. While Trump projects confidence in a "deal," Qalibaf’s message suggests that Tehran is bracing for, and perhaps even inviting, a localized ground war. Amidst the highest regional tensions in decades, Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf issued a dramatic communique on Sunday, warning the Iranian people that the United States is secretly plotting a ground invasionwhile publicly feigning an interest in diplomacy.

In a sharp letter published Sunday morning, Qalibaf accused Washington of strategic duplicity. "The enemy openly sends messages of negotiation and dialogue, but secretly plans a ground attack," Qalibaf wrote. He warned that Iranian armed forces are prepared for a direct confrontation: The Speaker’s comments highlight a massive disconnect between Tehran’s rhetoric and recent statements from President Trump.

* The Ultimatum: Just hours prior, Trump announced a 10-day extension of his ultimatum to Iran, claiming the delay was at Tehran's request and that "talks are progressing very well." 

* The 15-Point Plan: Qalibaf dismissed these diplomatic overtures as an attempt by the U.S. to "achieve through diplomacy what it could not achieve through war," specifically referencing a 15-point proposal delivered via Pakistan that demands the removal of enriched uranium and the cessation of Iran’s ballistic missile program. 

* Ongoing Strikes: Qalibaf remained defiant on the military front, stating, "Our launches continue, our missiles will not stop, and our determination has only grown."


The fiery rhetoric comes as the Pentagon bolsters its regional footprint. Reports indicate the arrival of 5,000 U.S. personnel, comprising 2,500 Marines and 2,500 sailors, aboard the USS Tripoli Amphibious Ready Group. Pentagon officials have reportedly acknowledged preparations for "limited ground operations," which could include integrated raids by special operations and conventional infantry. (Read More)

Iran risks renewed protests as citizens reach 'breaking point' amid war-stricken economy

Over 40% of Iran's population lives below the absolute poverty line, with that figure exceeding 50% in the capital. Economists warn, however, that the real poverty rate may have climbed above 60%. 

Iran’s already dying economy is now being pushed toward full collapse after several weeks of war. Food prices are rising not only day by day but hour by hour, with some staples increasing by at least 50 percent compared to pre-war levels. At the same time, the disruption of internet access has halted many services. Factories and production facilities are facing acute shortages of raw materials, and the country’s administrative system has been severely impaired. “It has become impossible to endure this situation any longer,” a Tehran resident told The Media Line.

According to figures cited by state-affiliated institutions and some economists, more than 40% of the populationnow lives below the absolute poverty line, with that figure exceeding 50% in the capital. Economists warn, however, that the real poverty rate may have climbed above 60% nationwide. As the middle class erodes, the gap between those earning less than 50 million tomans per month (about $320) and those earning more than 200 million tomans per month (about $1,280) has widened sharply. However, across most occupations, the average monthly income of employees and skilled workers in Tehran does not exceed 25 million tomans (about $160), meaning that the majority fall below the poverty line, which economists say would require at least twice that amount to sustain a basic standard of living. 

This comes as the Persian New Year period - when Iranian households traditionally increase spending on food, clothing, and social gatherings - typically drives seasonal price spikes. This year, however, those pressures have intensified dramatically under wartime conditions. Last year, 180 Iranian economists issued a statement warning of a looming economic breakdown driven by runaway inflation and monetary policies, particularly exchange-rate mechanisms that grant preferential access and rents to state-linked institutions, including the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). (Read More)

Iranian President’s warning: 'The economy will collapse'

A report by Iran International reveals a sharp conflict at the top of the regime between President Masoud Pezakhian and the commander of the Revolutionary Guards. 

A report by Iran International reveals a sharp confrontation within Iran’s leadership between President Masoud Pezeshkian and the commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. According to the report, Pezeshkian criticized the IRGC and warned that without a ceasefire, Iran’s economy could collapse within three to four weeks. 

Tensions reportedly developed between Pezeshkian and IRGC commander Ahmad Vahidi over the conduct of the war and its severe impact on the domestic economy. Sources cited by the outlet said the president criticized the escalation pursued by the IRGC, particularly attacks against neighboring countries, which are causing serious economic consequences.

Beyond the economic issue, Pezeshkian also called for executive powers to be returned to the civilian government. According to the report, his request was rejected by Vahidi, who in turn accused the government of failing to implement structural reforms even before the current conflict began. An Iranian source also told The New York Times that strikes targeting steel factories in Iran have significantly damaged the local economy and could delay the country’s post-war recovery. According to the source, these factories supply essential raw materials for construction and infrastructure, including roads and buildings. (Ed note: By the way, what is the city of Tehran doing about drinking water?)     (Source)

3 Palestinians, including teen, killed by IDF in West Bank; CNN crew briefly detained

Army says troops fired at ‘key instigators’ in Qalandiya incidents; 15-year-old shot in Dheisheh refugee camp; journalists held while covering settler violence, one put in chokehold.

Three Palestinians, including a 15-year-old, were shot and killed by Israeli forces in the southern and central West Bank over the past day, the Palestinian Authority’s Health Ministry said Friday night. Mustafa Hamad, 22, died early Friday of wounds sustained overnight when Israeli forces opened fire at the entrance to the East Jerusalem neighborhood of Kafr Aqab, also wounding three other Palestinians, one of whom was arrested, according to WAFA, the Palestinian Authority’s official news agency. Sufian Abu Leil, 46, was reportedly shot in the head by troops who clashed with Palestinians leaving Hamad’s funeral in the adjacent Qalandiya refugee camp on Friday afternoon, WAFA said, adding that another young man was also wounded.

Both Hamad and Abu Leil succumbed to their wounds at the Palestine Medical Complex in Ramallah, according to Palestinian reports. The Israel Defense Forces confirmed that “in two different incidents over the past day,” troops operating near the central West Bank’s Qalandiya refugee camp opened fire on “key instigators” of “disturbances that included hurling of stones at the forces.” Hits were identified. There are no casualties to our forces,” the IDF said.

The military did not immediately comment on the death of 15-year-old Adham Dahman south of Bethlehem. Dahman succumbed to his wounds at the Beit Jala Governmental Hospital, where he was rushed late Friday night after being shot by Israeli forces operating in the Dheisheh refugee camp, the PA Health Ministry said. (Ed note: The Dheisheh refugee camp is a densely populated, long-standing Palestinian refugee camp located south of Bethlehem in the West Bank, established in 1949 to house refugees from over 45 villages near Jerusalem and Hebron. Covering roughly 0.33 sq km, it houses over 19,000 residents. Here we definitely have a example of "the tents of Edom" as found in Psalm 83:6. Check it out.) (Read More)

The Shadow Army At Israel's Doorstep - One Surprise Attack Away From Disaster

A new investigative report by the Regavim Movement is sounding an alarm that many in Israel and abroad may not be prepared to hear: the Palestinian Authority Security Forces (PASF) may no longer be merely a civilian policing body, but a growing armed force capable of posing a strategic threat to the Jewish state. According to the March 24 report, The Writing is on the Wall (of Jericho), the Palestinian Authority is developing what Regavim describes as a "terror army in the heart of the state," one that could one day launch a surprise attack on Israel on a scale that could eclipse the horrors of Oct. 7, 2023.

"At any moment, the Palestinian Authority Security Forces may mobilize against us, and the events of Oct. 7 will seem like a walk in the park in comparison," Naomi Linder Kahn, director of the International Division of Regavim, told JNS on Tuesday. According to the report, the PASF has evolved far beyond its intended role under the 1995 Oslo II framework, which originally capped its size at 30,000 personnel equipped primarily with light arms for internal law enforcement and policing duties. Regavim alleges that the force now numbers approximately 65,000 combat-trained personnel, including individuals with prior terror convictions, and possesses weaponry far more suited to offensive military operations than routine public security. That includes grenade launchers, machine guns, armored vehicles, and armor-piercing munitions.The report also claims that Palestinian Authority personnel have received advanced military training abroad, including officer and command instruction in Russia; armored, tank, and artillery training in Pakistan; and tactical parachuting training in Egypt and Italy.

According to Regavim, training facilities in Jordan and Jericho--often publicly described as centers for civilian policing--have hosted exercises involving live-fire attacks from high-speed all-terrain motorcycles, urban warfare drills, breaching operations using explosives, and coordinated combat maneuvers. Those are not the normal tools of a neighborhood police force. Those are the skills of a force preparing for war. And that is where this story becomes even more disturbing. Because the true danger is not just that the Palestinian Authority may be developing the capability to strike. It is that much of the international community still insists on pretending the PA represents a fundamentally different long-term threat than Hamas. That assumption is becoming harder and harder to defend.

...If Israel ever faces a coordinated betrayal from within Judea and Samaria--whether through direct PASF mobilization, mass defections, insider facilitation, weapons diversion, or simultaneous uprisings tied to a broader regional war--the consequences could be staggering. Israel's central population centers are within immediate reach. Major roads, communities, and vulnerable chokepoints sit far closer to these areas than many outside the region fully appreciate. The result would not simply be another terror wave. It could become a full-spectrum internal assault. (Ed note: A chilling, sobering, and scary analysis from the Regavim Movement.) (Read More)

'If Lebanon wont disarm Hezbollah, the IDF will': Effie Defrin warns against Hezbollah’s rearmament

“If the Lebanese government does not disarm Hezbollah, the IDF will. We will not allow Hezbollah to rearm, and we will continue operating in order to protect our civilians on our northern border.”

Israel will disarm Hezbollah if the Lebanese government continues its inaction that allows the terrorist organization to rearm and rebuild, IDF spokesperson Brig.-Gen. Effie Defrin threatened in a video statement released on Friday. Defrin drew attention to the Lebanese government's promises to disarm the group, stating that “contrary to the declaration by the Lebanese government earlier this year, Hezbollah is still operating and conducting attacks from southern Lebanon.”

He pointed out Hezbollah’s efforts to rebuild and their attacks on Israel since joining the Iranian regime in launching rockets and drones towards civilian areas on March 2, stating that the attacks are ‘putting both Israeli and Lebanese civilians at risk.’ Included in Defrin’s video statement was a clip of Senior Hezbollah official Wafiq Safa speaking on a podcast during which he admitted that the Lebanese terrorist organization has been actively attempting to rearm and rebuild. Speaking on an episode of the Lebanese podcast 'Podium,' released on March 22, Safa stated that over the past 15 months, Hezbollah has been “working on building up its capabilities.”

Safa identified three areas where Hezbollah is actively rebuilding. “Firstly, missiles, both in quantity and quality; secondly, attack drones, both in quantity and quality; and thirdly, ground forces of all kinds,” he shared. He continued to describe Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam’s support for a move to disarm Hezbollah as “ill-considered,” accusing him of “sitting in a trap” for expressing openness to negotiation with Israel. (Read More)

Israeli air force strikes Hezbollah targets in Beirut for second time on Friday

The Israel Air Force conducted a new wave of strikes on Hezbollah terrorist infrastructure in the Lebanese capital of Beirut for the second time on Friday, the IDF said that evening. The IDF did not provide further details on the strikes. The earlier wave of strikes, however, coincided with Israeli airstrikes on Iranian targets in three locations across the Islamic Republic. IDF attacks in Beirut often target the southern suburb of Dahiyeh, long considered a Hezbollah stronghold. Separately on Friday, the Lebanese Health Ministry reported that, between March 2 and March 27, 1,142 people had been killed in Israeli strikes on Lebanon. It did not differentiate between civilians and Hezbollah operatives.

The ministry said another 3,315 had been injured. Israel launched Operation Roaring Lion against the Iranian regime on February 28. On March 2, Hezbollah joined the war, launching daily rocket and drone attacks, mainly against northern Israel. On Thursday, 43-year-old Uri Peretz was killed in Nahariya by a series of Hezbollah rockets that wounded another 25 people.

Israel responded with airstrikes and a subsequent ground campaign against the terrorist organization that displaced hundreds of thousands of residents of southern Lebanon. UN officials said on Friday that more than 370,000 children were among those displaced over the last three weeks. By last Friday, according to the IDF’s tally, nearly 600 Hezbollah terrorists had been killed by Israeli actions. On Tuesday, Defense Minister Israel Katz said that Israel would occupy southern Lebanon up to the Litani River to create a "defensive buffer." Katz said the IDF would "control the remaining bridges and the security zone up to the Litani,” a river that meets the Mediterranean about 30 km north of Israel's border. (Source)

First Houthi launch toward Israel since war began triggers alerts across the Negev

Tehran could use the Houthis to take action in the Bab al-Mandab Strait, which connects the Red Sea to the Gulf of Aden and the Indian Ocean.

A ballistic missile was launched from Yemen toward Israeli territory on Saturday morning, marking the first such attack by the Iran-backed Houthis since Operation Roaring Lion began a month ago, the IDF has confirmed, with the group vowing to continue its offensive until its "objectives are met." Air defense systems were activated to intercept the threat, the military said, as sirens sounded across Beersheba and surrounding communities in the Negev. Residents were instructed to follow Home Front Command guidelines amid the unfolding situation. There were no immediate reports of casualties or direct impacts at the time of writing.

The Houthis confirmed the attack several hours later, saying they had targeted Israel in response to continued Israeli strikes across Iran, Lebanon, Iraq, and the West Bank, and warned that their operations would continue until their "objectives are met." The Houthis have previously stated that they want an end to the attacks on the “axis of resistance,” which includes Iranian-backed groups in Iraq and Lebanon. The Houthis, an Iran-backed proxy based in Yemen, have previously threatened to target Israel in coordination with other Iranian proxies in the region. However, this marks the first confirmed missile launch toward Israeli territory from Yemen since the war began on February 28.

Arab News reported that “the group has shown an ability to strike targets far beyond Yemen and disrupt shipping lanes around the Arabian Peninsula and the Red Sea, as they did in support of Hamas in Gaza after October 7, 2023.” The Houthis have previously demonstrated their capacity to halt maritime traffic in the Red Sea, an outcome that would further strain the global economy. With the Strait of Hormuz already largely restricted, additional disruption along the Red Sea corridor, which feeds into the Suez Canal, would compound pressure on global trade. (Read More)

U.S. Marines and Paratroopers Conducting Drills for Chemical and Nuclear Hazards en Route to Mideast

U.S. Marines and paratroopers who could be sent into combat in Iran are conducting CBRN (Chemical, Biological, Radiological, and Nuclear) safety drills at their bases in Europe and aboard ship as they sail to the Middle East. The National reported on Friday that advance units of paratroopers from the 82nd Airborne Division, flown from America to Europe to prepare for possible deployment in Iran, have been supplied with “detection systems, gas masks and protective ‘Mopp’ coveralls.”

MOPP (Mission Oriented Protective Posture) suits are essentially hazmat suits for soldiers. MOPP alerts are issued in various levels requiring heavier amounts of protective gear as the anticipated hazard condition grows more serious. Retired U.S. Marine Corps officer Jonathan Hackett told The National that the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit is “practicing CBRN drills on deck as we speak” as they head for the Middle East aboard the amphibious assault ship USS Tripoli, a relatively small aircraft carrier that transports Marines and their support equipment to conflict zones. The CBRN unit can also be scaled up in size, but the conventional marine forces will have their CBRN gear and be drilling on it, with 15 seconds to get mask and Mopp on when someone shouts ‘Gas, gas, gas,’” he explained.

Military analysts and hazardous materials specialists said there are several potential hazard scenarios in Iran, including damage to Iran’s Bushehr nuclear power plant, Iran’s elusive stockpile of near-weapons-grade uranium, inadvertent breaches of bunkers where Iran stores chemical weapons left over from the Iran-Iraq War in the 1980s, and the worst-case scenario of a desperate Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) loading chemical or biological payloads into its missiles. Iran also helped Syrian dictator Bashar Assad develop his chemical weapons, and some analysts fear Iran might have reclaimed some of Assad’s inventory after he was drivenfrom power in December 2024. (Read More)

Israel bombs 2 IRGC-linked steel plants, 2 nuclear facilities as Iran vows revenge

Israeli security source says damage to steel plants partially owned by IRGC expected to cost billions, ‘paralyze’ industry; IDF: separate strikes hit Yazd yellowcake facility, Arak heavy water reactor.

The Israeli Air Force on Friday bombed two of Iran’s largest steel factories, according to Iranian media and Israeli security sources, as well as two facilities linked to Iran’s nuclear program, in moves that sparked vows of retaliation from Tehran. The Fars news agency reported that Israeli strikes hit Khuzestan Steel near Ahvaz and Mobarakeh Steel in Isfahan, two major production facilities. The strikes on the plants, which an Israeli security source briefing reporters said were partially owned by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, were expected to cause billions of dollars in damage to the Iranian economy, as well as “paralyze” Iran’s steel industry.

It marked the first apparent instance of Israel targeting Iranian industrial facilities not directly linked to its defense or oil and gas industries. US President Donald Trump indicated earlier this week that energy sites would not be hit for the time being, as Washington has sought to avoid turning Iran into a failed state, while Jerusalem has indicated such a result is still preferable to the current regime’s continued rule. An Israeli security source told reporters that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Israel Katz ordered the Friday strikes, with the latter publicly vowing separately that Israel would intensify its strikes against Iran.  The strikes sparked a sharp rebuke from Iran, with Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi also vowing that Tehran would exact a “HEAVY price.”

“Israel has hit two of Iran’s largest steel factories, a power plant and civilian nuclear sites among other infrastructure. Israel claims it acted in coordination with the US,” Araghchi said in a social media post. The IRGC also vowed to target industrial sites in Israel and in the Gulf states in response, warning employees of the region’s industrial sites “that have American shareholders as well as heavy industries allied with the Zionist regime… to leave their workplaces immediately” as they vowed to carry out retaliatory attacks. (Read More)

Israel strikes Iranian nuclear development facilities, Tehran vows retaliation (ARAK)

The IDF attack on the heavy water reactor comes after the military called for residents of nearby Arak to evacuate ahead of imminent strikes on regime military infrastructure.

Israel attacked Iran’s Khandab heavy water reactor in Arak, as well as the uranium enrichment facility at Ardakan, on Friday, the IDF confirmed. Earlier Iranian state media reports noted that the enrichment facility produced yellowcake, a concentrated uranium powder used in the early stages of nuclear fuel production. Later on Friday, a missile struck the Bushehr nuclear plant in Iran, according to the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran, with no casualties, material damage, or technical disruptions being reported.

A government official told the Islamic Republic’s semi-official Fars News Agency, which is linked to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), that no casualties occured in the reported attack on the heavy water reactor, and that there is no danger to the local population. Fars reported that the facility was struck twice. "Heavy water is a unique material used to operate nuclear reactors, such as the inactive Arak reactor, which was originally designed to have weapons-grade plutonium production capabilities," the IDF said. "These materials can also be used as a neutron source for nuclear weapons.

The military added that the facility, which was hit during the June 2025 war between Israel and Iran, was also a "significant economic asset" for the Iranian regime and generated tens of millions of dollars for the Iranian Atomic Energy Organization. (Read More)

Araghchi threatens retaliation after IDF strikes Iranian nuclear development facilities

By The Jerusalem Post staff

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi responded to the Israeli attacks on Iranian nuclear development facilities on Friday, saying Israel will "pay a heavy price for its crimes."

"Israel hit two of Iran's largest steel plants, a power plant, and civilian nuclear sites, along with other infrastructure," said Araghchi, further claiming that the strikes contradict US President Donald Trump's 10-day deadline for diplomacy.

Iran’s Terrorist IRGC Lowers Age to Join Repressive Forces to 12 amid War

Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), a U.S.-designated terrorist organization, announced this week the launch of a campaign to recruit boys as young as 12 to join their forces manning checkpoints and patrols repressing Iranian citizens. The “For Iran” campaign is apparently meant to help with the ongoing repression of dissident Iranians, as well as train Iranians to prepare for any potential American or Israeli ground invasion. While evidence has existed for years that Iran recruits boys into security roles, contrary to international law against the use of child soldiers, this new effort appears to be an escalation intended to expand Tehran’s control over its citizenry.

IRGC official Rahim Nadali reportedly told state media on Thursday that the IRGC is launching the “For Iran” campaign to expand recruitment to the terrorist organization and indoctrinate new members into fighting “the global bully,” referring to the United States. “At the Basij checkpoints and patrols that you see across the cities, we had a very high number of volunteers among young people and teenagers who wanted to participate,” he explained, according to a translation by the Agence France-Presse (AFP). “Considering the ages of those requesting to join, we have now lowered the minimum age to 12 years old, because children aged 12-13 want to be involved.”

He reportedly described the jobs open to the younger recruits as “operational patrols” meant to intimidate Iranians and “collecting security data.” Iran using children for its various repressive and terrorist activities is a longstanding policy, though the new campaign appears to be an expansion of it. Speaking to the United Nations in 2018, then-American Ambassador Nikki Haley explained to the Security Council that Iran actively “celebrates” child soldiers, particularly the IRGC. “The Basij Resistance Force is a paramilitary force operating under Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps,” she detailed. “In addition to cracking down on dissidents and enforcing internal security in Iran, the Basij indoctrinate school children and provide combat training to children as young as 12 years old. These children are then coerced into fighting abroad for the IRGC.” (Ed note: And if you don't volunteer, your sister will disappear, and one day you will come home from school, and your mother will be gone.)  (Read More)

Gulf states tell US ending the war is not enough, Iran’s capabilities must be degraded - analysis

The big question confronting Gulf policymakers is no longer how the Iran war ends, but what kind of regional order will follow its end.

Gulf Arab states are telling the US that any deal with Tehran should do more than end the war, and must permanently curb Iran's missile and drone capabilities and ensure global energy supplies are never again "weaponised," four Gulf sources said. US President Donald Trump has extended his deadline for Iran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, which carries ​about 20% of global oil and liquefied natural gas supplies, or face the destruction of its energy plants. But the big question confronting Gulf policymakers is no longer how the Iran war ends, but what kind of regional order follows, the four Gulf sources with knowledge of the matter told Reuters.

Gulf officials, whose countries have been repeatedly fired on by Tehran during the US-Israeli war on Iran, have told Washington in private meetings that the Islamic Republic has left them no diplomatic "off-ramp," the sources said. The officials want any deal to lock in enforceable restraints on missile and drone attacks on energy and civilian assets, threats to oil and shipping routes, and proxy warfare, the sources added. Any agreement must rewrite the rules of engagement by providing guarantees that the Strait of Hormuz is never again used as a tool of war, and Gulf states must be written into the architecture of what comes next, they say.

"The real challenge is not persuading Iran to stop the war, but ensuring the Gulf is not left exposed to the same dynamics that made it possible in the first place," Ebtessam Al‑Kerbi, president of the Emirates Policy Centre, told Reuters. Yousef al‑Otaiba, the United Arab Emirates’ ambassador to the United States, has framed the war not as a crisis to be frozen but as a test of whether Iran can still hold the global economy hostage afterwards. "A simple ceasefire isn’t enough," Otaiba wrote in a column for the Wall Street Journal. "We need a conclusive outcome that addresses Iran’s full range of threats: nuclear capabilities, missiles, drones, terror proxies, and blockades of international sea lanes." (Read More)

Gulf nations take lead on Iran at UN while Europe weakens stance, Danon tells 'Post' - interview

While sharply criticizing European countries, the ambassador noted that regional rivals had set aside their differences to face a common threat.

In recent weeks, one of the most striking developments at the UN has been the Gulf nations’ assertive role in curbing Iranian influence. “I am certainly surprised by what has been happening here at the UN in recent weeks,” Israel’s UN Ambassador Danny Danon says in a conversation with The Jerusalem Post. “In the past, we had cooperation and held similar positions with the Gulf states, but it was behind the scenes. But this time, they are simply operating in an open manner, with determination and assertiveness, I would say, against Iran.”

He pointed to a recent Security Council resolution by the Gulf countries condemning Iranian attacks and a subsequent move regarding maritime freedom – a resolution put on the table of the UN Security Council by Bahrain – as evidence of this new Gulf resolve. “It has a very strong language against Iran and a threat of use of force if Tehran does not allow freedom to ships to sail in the Straits of Hormuz.”

However, he sharply criticized European countries – particularly France – for its attempts to put forward a “light resolution.” “European countries like France are working to soften these proposals, sometimes even neutralizing them, essentially doing the work for Iran. This is a phenomenon I don’t recall ever seeing in the corridors of the UN,” he said. Danon noted that even regional rivals have set aside their differences to face the common threat. “There was very high tension between the UAE and Saudi Arabia on many issues. They managed to set aside all disputes and unite forces right now in their struggle against Iran.” (Read More)

Hezbollah unleashes over 600 attacks on Israel in past 24 hours, doubling prior peak

Hezbollah's spike in attacks on Israel and IDF forces is likely not sustainable, but could be part of an effort to coerce Israel and the US into a ceasefire on all fronts.

Hezbollah has fired over 600 times on Israel and IDFtroops in the last 24 hours, around double its prior high of around 300 aerial threats during the 2023-2024 conflict between the sides, IDF sources have confirmed. The vast majority of the rockets, mortars, and drones were launched at IDF forces holding positions in or seeking to advance within southern Lebanon. This major spike in Hezbollah attacks, up from a general average of around 100 attacks per day during the current war, occurred in the shadow of a possible end to the Israel-Iran war.

IDF Northern Command Chief Maj. Gen. Rafi Milo also announced on Thursday night that the IDF has now killed around 750 Hezbollah fighters since the start of the current conflict, jumping from just 500 a few days ago. Despite increased expectations of such a potential ceasefire, Israel has made noises that it may wish to continue pummeling Hezbollah with airstrikes, as well as to continue its invasion of southern Lebanon. Hezbollah's spike in attacks on Israel and IDF forces is likely not sustainable, but could be part of an effort to coerce Israel and the US into a ceasefire on all fronts, or to convince Israel to withdraw from southern Lebanon.

Meanwhile, top Israeli political and military officials have increasingly publicly commented in recent days on the likelihood of Israel holding onto southern Lebanon up to the Litani River for some undefined period to try to force Hezbollah to disarm, something the terror group refused to do despite pressure from the Lebanese government since a fall 2024 prior ceasefire. One reason Hezbollah may be succeeding in firing more could be due to the IDF's advancing deeper into southern Lebanon. (Read More)