April 21: Report says Israel doubts prospects of Iran deal, is coordinating potential attack plans with US

WATCH: Trump speaks at White House event, expected to address stalled Iran talks

US President Donald Trump is about to speak at a White House event for American college athletes.

He is expected to address the stalled Iran talks at the beginning of his remarks.

US envoy to Israel reportedly called back to Washington amid Iran developments

US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee has been called to return to Washington for urgent discussions on the situation with Iran, Channel 12 reports.

The report comes as US President Donald Trump announces an extension of the temporary ceasefire with Iran until Tehran submits a unified proposal for an agreement.

Trump announces he is extending Iran ceasefire until Tehran offers clear position

US President Donald Trump speaks with reporters while in flight aboard Air Force One, April 17, 2026, while in route to Joint Base Andrews, Maryland (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

Hours before a two-week ceasefire with Iran was set to expire, US President Donald Trump announces that he is extending the truce for the time being and that the US will hold off on attacking the Islamic Republic.

Trump says his decision was made at the request of Pakistani mediators who said more time was needed for a fractured Iranian leadership to submit a proposal on a deal to permanently end the war.

“Based on the fact that the government of Iran is seriously fractured — not unexpectedly so — and upon the request of Field Marshal Asim Munir, and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, of Pakistan, we have been asked to hold our attack on the country of Iran until such time as their leaders and representatives can come up with a unified proposal,” Trump writes on Truth Social.

“I have therefore directed our military to continue the blockade and in all other respects, remain ready and able, and will therefore extend the ceasefire until such time as their proposal is submitted and discussions are concluded, one way or the other,” Trump adds.

Pakistan was aiming to hold a second round of negotiations between the US and Iran, and while Washington expressed interest in participating, Tehran held off on following suit, taking issue with a continued US blockade of the Islamic Republic’s ports.

Iranian media says Tehran will not attend Islamabad talks, citing ‘excessive demands’

A man rides his motorbike that is adorned with an Iranian national flag, in southern Tehran, Iran, Tuesday, April 21, 2026. (AP Photo/Vahid Salemi)

Iran has officially informed the US that it will not attend talks in Pakistan, believing they would be “a waste of time,” semi-official Iranian news agency Tasnim reports, citing Iranian sources.

“The Iranian negotiating team has informed the American side — through the Pakistani intermediary — that it will not be present in Islamabad, Pakistan, on Wednesday, and that there is currently no prospect of participating in negotiations either,” the Farsi language report reads.

The sources cite Washington’s “failure” to extend the two-week ceasefire to include Israeli fighting with Hezbollah in Lebanon, “excessive” American demands in the negotiations, and imposition of a naval blockade on the Strait of Hormuz as reasons for the decision.

“In messages exchanged over the past several days, the Americans did not back down from their excessive demands… and no meaningful progress was made in the exchanged messages. For this reason, Iran has ultimately announced today that, under these circumstances, attending the negotiations would be a waste of time,” the report reads.

Iran threatens to end Gulf countries’ oil production if attacked from their territory

Iran’s Revolutionary Guards threaten to end oil production in the Middle East if the Islamic Republic faces attacks launched from its Gulf neighbors’ territory.

“The southern neighbours should know that if their geography and facilities are used in the service of the enemies to attack the Iranian nation, they should bid farewell to oil production in the Middle East,” the commander of Guards’ aerospace force, Majid Mousavi, is quoted by Fars news agency as saying.

Thousands take part in alternative torch-lighting ceremony in Tel Aviv

Participants in an alternative 'liberal, democratic' torchlighting ceremony in Tel Aviv, marking Israel's 78th Independence Day, April 21, 2026 (Screenshot)

Thousands of people took part in an alternative “liberal, democratic” torchlighting ceremony tonight in Tel Aviv, in an event led by opponents of the current government.

Torch-lighters at the ceremony, held at the former Hostages Square outside the Tel Aviv Museum, included leaders of the Brothers and Sisters is Arms and Mothers at the Front protest groups, former Likud minister and IDF chief Moshe Ya’alon and others.

כיכר החטופים – טקס הדלקת משואות ישראלי ליברלי דמוקרטי pic.twitter.com/B9P957goNK

— לירי בורק שביט (@lirishavit) April 21, 2026

Yifat Calderon, the cousin of former hostage Ofer Calderon, also lit a torch.

“The October 7 massacre is the greatest disaster in the history of our beloved country,” said Calderon. “The families of the victims, the survivors, and in fact all of us, must receive answers. Any attempts at a cover-up or silencing by those responsible for the failure of October 7 will not be accepted… In order to prevent the next disaster, we will continue to demand the establishment of a state commission of inquiry, which alone will be able to uncover the truth.”

Iran rejects talks with US under pressure and aimed at surrender, senior Iranian official says

Iran could attend talks with the United States in Pakistan if Washington abandons its policy of pressure and threats, a senior Iranian official tells Reuters, adding that Tehran rejects negotiations aimed at surrender.

The official says mediator Pakistan is continuing efforts to persuade the United States to lift its naval blockade and release the Iranian-flagged ​container ship Touska, which was boarded and seized by US forces on Sunday, and its crew.

He accuses Washington of “creating new obstacles every day instead of resolving the differences” to end the war.

IDF says it struck Gaza gunmen who posed a threat to forces

Armed members of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad were targeted and killed in an airstrike in the southern Gaza Strip overnight, the military says.

According to the IDF, the Islamic Jihad terror operatives posed a threat to Israeli forces stationed in southern Gaza.

“Immediately after the identification, the terrorists were struck and eliminated from the air to remove the threat to our forces,” the military says.

At West Bank event, Smotrich declares Israel will rebuild Gaza settlements, fulfilling ‘prophecies’

Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich at an Independence Day event in the West Bank settlement of Brukhin, April 21, 2026. (Courtesy Religious Zionism party)

Israel will return to the Gush Katif settlement bloc abandoned during the 2005 disengagement from Gaza, Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich declares during an Independence Day event in the West Bank settlement of Brukhin, during which he praises the current government for “leading a true revolution” by announcing “no fewer than 103 new settlements in Judea and Samaria.”

Among the settlements approved by the government were Homesh, Sa-Nur, Ganim, and Kadim, which were evacuated during the disengagement, and their reestablishment is an “historical correction of the injustice of the expulsion,” Smotrich declares, stating that “we have returned home, and this time forever.”

“And just as we returned to Northern Samaria, we shall also return to Gush Katif,” he adds, citing Jeremiah’s prophecy of Israel’s return to its land, and stating that “today, here in Samaria, the prophecies of consolation are no longer a dream but the view from the window. The prophecies are taking shape in cranes and tractors, in agriculture and homes, and in boys and girls playing in the streets.”

“We are not just reading the prophecies, we are privileged to be the generation that fulfills them,” he says, praising the government for its military and economic achievements.

Smotrich’s speech comes two days after he called on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to fully occupy and settle the Gaza Strip, insisting that the end of the war against Hamas in Gaza must be accompanied by territorial expansion during a ceremony marking the resettlement of the West Bank town of Sa-Nur.

Despite Smotrich’s proclamations, a return to settlement in Gaza is strongly opposed by the US and remains highly unlikely in the foreseeable future.

Vance’s trip to Islamabad called off for now as Iran refuses to commit to talks

US Vice President JD Vance speaks during a news conference after meeting with representatives from Pakistan and Iran, April 12, 2026, in Islamabad. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin, Pool)

A US official says US Vice President JD Vance’s trip to Islamabad for potential talks with Iran has been called off and put on hold, but cautions that Trump could change his mind at any minute. Iran has so far refused to send representatives to the negotiations, with the Foreign Ministry saying it will only take part if Tehran believes the discussions will yield results.

The US official says Trump’s special envoy Steve Witkoff and son-in-law Jared Kushner are expected in Washington in the afternoon for consultations about how to proceed.

The official declines to predict what will happen if the current ceasefire expires without another meeting in Islamabad but notes that Trump retains options short of restarting airstrikes.

Hezbollah says it attacked Israel, cites what it calls Israeli violations of ceasefire

Hezbollah takes responsibility for the rocket and drone attacks earlier today, which it claims were in response to Israeli violations of the ceasefire in Lebanon.

In a statement, the terror group says it targeted an Israeli artillery position in the northern border community of Kfar Giladi with a rocket barrage and attack drones.

The IDF said several rockets targeted troops in southern Lebanon, and a drone was intercepted before crossing the border into Israel.

Hezbollah claims to have documented over 200 Israeli violations of the ceasefire since it took effect on Friday. It says the attacks on the IDF were carried out in response to those violations and its “right to resist occupation and repel it.”

Israel struck a launcher involved in the attack, but has not yet responded beyond that.

Iran denies women protesters facing execution after Trump seeks release

Iran’s judiciary denies that eight women arrested over protests that shook the Islamic Republic this year are at risk of execution, after US President Donald Trump urged Tehran to release them to help negotiations.

Rights groups have said at least one woman arrested over the January protests has been sentenced to death, while at least one more is facing charges that carry the death penalty and could see her executed.

“Trump was misled once again by fake news,” the judiciary’s official Mizan Online website says. “The women who were claimed to be on the verge of execution, some of them have been released, while others face charges that, if convictions are upheld, would at most result in imprisonment.”

Trump had earlier said on social media that the women’s release could work in Iran’s favor in negotiations, re-posting an activist’s claim that eight women were facing death by hanging. That claim did not give names but included photographs of the women.

“I would greatly appreciate the release of these women,” Trump posted on Truth Social.

US-based Iranian dissident Masih Alinejad posted the names of all eight women on her X account. They had all been arrested in connection with the January protests, which activists say were put down in a crackdown that left thousands dead.

“Say their names,” Alinejad said, alleging that one of those held was as young as 16.

Iran’s foreign minister says US blockade of Iranian ports is an ‘act of war’

Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi says the US blockade of Iranian ports was an “act of war” and thus a violation of the ceasefire.

“Iran knows how to neutralize restrictions, how to defend its interests, and how to resist bullying,” he says in a post on X.

Lighting Independence torch, Argentina’s leader Milei says ‘light always overcomes darkness’

Argentina’s President Javier Milei, a strong supporter of Israel, lights a torch at the official Independence Day ceremony.

Before doing so, he joins an upbeat song number on stage, singing “Libre” by Nino Bravo with Mali Levi and Rotem Cohen.

🇮🇱 AURA TOTAL: TREMENDO RECIBIMIENTO AL PRESIDENTE MILEI EN LA CEREMONIA Y SUBE AL ESCENARIO PARA CANTAR “LIBRE” EN ISRAEL

"VIVA LA LIBERTAD CARAJO" @JMilei pic.twitter.com/WyhyPfqlbE

— Agarra la Pala (@agarra_pala) April 21, 2026

“The light always overcomes the darkness, because lies and hatred always yield to the power of truth and time,” Milei tells the crowd. “Thus, we light this torch in honor of all those who fought for the freedom and sovereignty of Israel. Israel has proven time and again that victory is not determined by the number of soldiers, but by the forces that come from the heavens.”

Deceased hostage’s mother, injured soldier and Iranian immigrant light Independence Day torches

Ari Spitz, who was critically injured in combat in Gaza, at the Independence Day torch-lighting ceremony in Jerusalem, April 21, 2026 (Video screenshot)

More torch-lighters at the Independence Day ceremony include:

Ari Spitz, who was critically injured and lost two legs and an arm in combat in Gaza.

“Through Ari, we salute all IDF soldiers, including those wounded in body and mind, who paid such a heavy price for restoring peace and security to the residents of Israel,” said organizer Miri Regev, the transportation minister.

Ora Hatan, a northern resident who was chosen as a “symbol of determination” for remaining in Shtula over the past 2+ years of war and who is known for cooking for Israeli forces stationed in the area.

Celebrity chef Assaf Granit, honored for “representing the creative Israeli spirit” as well as Israeli restaurateurs in general, who have faced tough times throughout several years of war.

Roni Ineshaz Farshahd, who as a Jewish judicial official in the Islamic Republic helped Jews under threat from the regime, and who fled to Israel in 1997.

Talik Gvili, the mother of deceased former hostage Ran Gvili; and hostage point man Gal Hirsch, who was involved in efforts to return the hostages in recent years.

Film producer Moshe Edri, an Israel Prize winner whose films “contributed greatly to shaping the face of Israeli society and brought Israeli cinema and the Hebrew language to major stages around the world,” according to Regev.

Rabbi Avraham Zarbiv, whose “character expresses the path of Religious Zionism, which connects values, faith, and action.”

Ben Gvir walks out of Independence Day ceremony after fight over seating

National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir, sporting a noose pin, attends a Knesset National Security Committee meeting discussing his 'death penalty for terrorists' bill in Jerusalem, March 24, 2026. (Yonatan Sindel/Flash90)

National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir and his wife walk out of the annual Independence Day celebration in Jerusalem in response to being asked to move after taking seats reserved for members of Argentine President Javier Milei’s entourage, Hebrew media report, citing ceremony organizers.

Speaking with Channel 12, sources close to the minister claim that he left after he requested to sit next to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu but was rebuffed by Transportation Minister Miri Regev, who organized the annual celebration.

“It is very unfortunate that Miri Regev does not internalize that this is a state ceremony in which all government ministers are supposed to participate,” the sources close to Ben Gvir tell the network.

The network cites organizers as saying that “contrary to the reports, Minister Ben Gvir was assigned a seat like all other ministers and senior staff, but apparently sat by mistake in the seats designated for the President of Argentina and his entourage. Minister Ben Gvir was simply asked to sit in the seat allocated to him.”

In Independence Day address, Netanyahu says Israel ‘stronger than ever,’ Iran’s ‘axis of evil fighting for survival’; hails security zones in Lebanon, Syria

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu delivers a video address at Israel's 78th Independence Day torch-lighting ceremony in Jerusalem, April 21, 2026 (Video screenshot)

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says Israel is “stronger than ever,” hailing its “fight against the forces of evil” and military achievements in a video address screened at the Independence Day state ceremony in Jerusalem.

“Israel is stronger than ever, and together with the United States, we are leading the fight against the forces of evil in the world,” Netanyahu says.

He says enemies have risen up in every generation to try to destroy the Jewish people, but says that in what he calls the “generation of revival,” Israel rises up “against our enemies.”

“The Iranian axis of evil, which plotted to destroy us, is now fighting for its very survival. In the War of Revival, we smashed major parts of [Iran’s axis].

“War of Revival” is the official name approved by the Israeli cabinet last year for Israel’s war against Hamas in Gaza. The adoption of that name has sparked anger and concern from critics who view it as a rebranding effort by Netanyahu and his government to evade responsibility for the Hamas-led October 7, 2023, invasion and massacre. He makes no mention of the Hamas massacre in his address.

“We have launched two bold operations to remove an existential threat from above us,” Netanyahu goes on, referring to the danger posed by Iran’s nuclear and ballistic missile programs.

חג עצמאות שמח ישראל! ???????? pic.twitter.com/J5Nd3ZPdQP

— Benjamin Netanyahu – בנימין נתניהו (@netanyahu) April 21, 2026

He says Israel brought ties with the US under President Donald Trump to “unprecedented heights.”

“We dealt a heavy blow to Iran’s regime of terror, harming its ability to endanger us. We strengthened Israel’s position as a regional power. We forged new alliances and opened the door to expanding the circle of peace,” he says, crediting Israel’s soldiers and citizens, as well as “the courageous decisions we made,” with such feats.

“In the War of Revival, in [Operation] Rising Lion and [Operation] Roaring Lion, we made major achievements,” he reiterates, referring to the two campaigns against Iran.

Of Gaza, he says, “we have returned all of our hostages” from Hamas captivity, “every last one of them,” without differentiating between those who were returned alive versus those whose bodies were returned after they were killed in captivity. He says Israel continues to tackle Hamas, “in order to ensure that Gaza will no longer threaten Israel.”

He also hails Israel’s military actions in Lebanon and Syria, including the establishment of security zones in both those countries. In Lebanon, he says, Israel blew up Hezbollah’s beepers and killed its leader Hassan Nasrallah, “and created a deep security zone that pushes the threat away from residents of the North. In Syria as well, we established a security zone… and we are protecting our Druze brothers,” he continues.

“We are pressing forward on all fronts,” Netanyahu says, moving on to address advancements in the economic, transport, science and technology, innovation and settlement fields.

“With God’s help, we will complete the victory, strengthen our state, and secure our future,” he concludes.

Among those lighting Independence Day torches: IDF officers, entrepreneur, doctor

Professor Dina Ben-Yehuda at the Independence Day torch-lighting ceremony in Jerusalem. (Video screenshot)

The first torch at the Independence Day torchlighting ceremony on Mount Herzl in Jerusalem is lit by IDF officers Col. “Mem” and Maj. Nurit Rokah.

Mem — identified only by his first initial in Hebrew — is the head of the Israeli Air Force’s Iran department, and Rokah is a commander in the Border Defense Corps’s Combat Intelligence Collection Array.

Rokah was wounded while defending the army’s Urim base during the October 7, 2023, Hamas-led onslaught and severely injured a second time in a Hamas ambush in the Gaza Strip in April 2025.

The IAF officer, who is seen wearing sunglasses and a balaclava to mask his identity, says he is lighting the torch “in honor of the fighters, men and women, in the air, at sea, and on land, in the standing army and in the reserves, who operate around the clock, in defense and offense, with courage and determination.”

Rokah similarly says she is lighting the torch “in honor of the fighters, men and women, members of the ground forces, including my brothers and sisters from the Combat Intelligence Collection Array, who operate along all borders and beyond them.”

Another torch-lighter is venture capitalist and cyber entrepreneur Gili Raanan, celebrated for “leading Israeli innovation.”

Next is Professor Dina Ben-Yehuda, a doctor who has held various top jobs in Israel’s medical establishment. She says she is there to represent Israel’s medical establishment that she notes “has been facing difficult years with bravery, from the coronavirus to the long and painful war.”

Torch-lighter Tamer Atallah, a Druze former soldier, is honored for his work to boost ties with Syrian Druze.

At Independence Day ceremony, Knesset speaker hails Israel’s ‘superpower-level capabilities’

Israel has demonstrated rare and “superpower-level capabilities” in fighting its enemies, Knesset Speaker Amir Ohana declares at Israel’s official 78th Independence Day with torch-lighting ceremony on Mount Herzl in Jerusalem.

“We acted over the past year in general and in the most recent operation in particular, to fight our enemies wherever they are,” he says. “Those who plotted to destroy us were destroyed; those who planned to kill us were killed; those who sought to annihilate us were annihilated. The State of Israel has demonstrated superpower-level capabilities, reserved for only a few countries on earth. What does victory look like? This is what victory looks like,” Ohana declares, to cheers from the crowd.

“When all the names that threatened Israeli citizens for many years have been eliminated and replaced once, twice, and three times, that is what victory looks like. When Israeli ingenuity turned imaginary scenarios into bold reality deep within enemy territory, that is what victory looks like. When, over the past year, in the midst of war, 20,000 Jews chose to immigrate to Israel, that is what victory looks like,” he continues, adding that “the mission is not yet over and we must continue to fight.”

Vance delays expected departure for Iran talks

US Vice President JD Vance steps off while arriving on Air Force Two at Athens-Ben Epps Airport on April 14, 2026 in Athens, Georgia. (Chip Somodevilla/Pool via AP)

Vice President JD Vance, expected to lead a US delegation at upcoming negotiations with Iran in Pakistan, is still in Washington to participate in meetings, the White House says.

“Additional policy meetings are taking place at the White House in which the vice president will participate,” an official says in a brief statement.

The official does not provide further details. But Vance’s departure — which has been the subject of contradictory announcements — had been scheduled for this morning, according to recent reports.

Report: Israel doubts prospects of Iran deal, coordinated potential attack plans with US

Israel is doubtful that a deal will be reached between Iran and the United States in the expected talks between them and is jointly preparing with Washington for the war’s resumption, a senior security official tells the Kan public broadcaster.

“The Iranians are trying to stall for time and are speaking in multiple voices. We and the Americans are coordinated and ready to resume the war immediately,” the official says, as Iran is yet to decide whether it will attend the second round of talks in Islamabad before the current two-week ceasefire ends.

Israel and the US have been preparing for a resumption of the war since the ceasefire began, sources familiar with the matter tell the Hebrew network, including conducting exercises involving fighter jets and refueling tankers across the Middle East.

During the visit of CENTCOM chief Adm. Brad Cooper to Israel last week, joint plans and a target bank were approved, including strikes on national and energy infrastructure sites across Iran, according to the report.

These attacks would be intended to apply further pressure on the Iranians to agree to relinquish their nuclear program and enriched uranium, the report adds.

IDF reservist who allegedly killed 2 Palestinians in West Bank suspended from duty

An IDF reservist who allegedly killed two Palestinians in the West Bank earlier has been suspended from duty amid a Military Police investigation into the incident.

His weapon was also confiscated.

Earlier, the IDF said troops were dispatched to the village of al-Mughayyir following reports of stones being hurled at a car with Israelis, one of whom was the reservist.

According to the military, the reservist got out of the vehicle and “opened fire on suspects in the village.”

The IDF said it was aware of the reports that two Palestinians were killed and others were wounded, and that the incident was under investigation, whose “findings will be forwarded to the authorities.”

Iran: No decision yet on sending delegation to Islamabad talks with US

No final decision has been made regarding Iran’s participation in the next round of talks with the US, Iranian foreign ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei tells Iranian state TV.

Mediator Pakistan said earlier it had yet to receive a formal response from Iran on whether it would send a delegation for the second round of talks in Islamabad today, saying a decision is “critical” hours before the two-week ceasefire struck between the warring sides expires.

WATCH: Israel transitions from Memorial Day to Independence Day with torch-lighting ceremony

Israel has begun the transition from the sombre Memorial Day events to the festivities of the nation’s 78th Independence Day.

The traditional torch-lighting ceremony in Jerusalem is now starting in Jerusalem’s Mt. Herzl, with assorted dignitaries in attendance.

The ceremony is being held live, amid fragile ceasefires with Iran and Lebanon.

IDF says Hezbollah breached truce by launching rockets at troops, drone at Israel

Hezbollah violated the ceasefire by firing several rockets at Israeli troops stationed in southern Lebanon, as well as launching a drone at Israel, the military says.

According to the IDF, Hezbollah fired several rockets toward troops stationed in the Rab al-Thalathine area, within the Israeli-held security zone.

Within a few minutes, the IDF says it struck the launcher used in the attack.

Separately, the IDF says that the sirens that sounded in Kfar Yuval and Ma’ayan Baruch on the Lebanon border were not false alarms as initially reported. Following an examination, the IDF says the alerts were triggered in the border communities due to the interception of a drone that was launched from Lebanon. The drone was shot down before crossing the border, according to the military.

The IDF says the attacks are “blatant violations of the ceasefire agreement.”

US says Lebanese law outlawing contact with Israelis is ‘counterproductive’

The US State Department calls a Lebanese law outlawing contact with Israeli nationals “counterproductive.”

Asked to comment on a report that Washington is urging Beirut to scrap the law ahead of the second round of ambassador-level talks with Israel on Thursday, a State Department official says, “We do not comment on private diplomatic discussions.”

“We regard all such anti-normalization laws as outdated and counterproductive,” the official clarifies.

“The Lebanese government has made bold steps to making peace and we encourage them to continue,” the official says, avoiding an outright denial of the report.

IDF checking if rockets launched at troops in southern Lebanon

The military is investigating whether rockets were launched by Hezbollah at troops operating in southern Lebanon a short while ago.

Alerts were activated in the border communities of Kfar Yuval and Ma’ayan Baruch, though the military said those were false alarms.

Stocks slip, oil climbs as US-Iran truce expiration looms

Oil prices climb and stocks slide as uncertainty reigns over US-Iranian peace talks resuming and the expiration of the two-week ceasefire in the Middle East looms.

Investors had been hoping that, despite hostile rhetoric, there was scope for a deal to end the Middle East war and reopen the vital Strait of Hormuz to oil and gas shipments.

But Iran has not yet sent a delegation to neighboring Pakistan for a new round of peace talks with the United States, even as the two-week ceasefire is set to expire within hours.

A US delegation led by Vice President JD Vance is expected to leave shortly from Washington for Islamabad, which earlier this month hosted a first round of talks that ended without a deal. However, there is no confirmation of Vance’s departure.

Trump urges Iran to make a deal: ‘They have to use common sense’

With the two-week ceasefire with Iran slated to expire in less than seven hours, US President Donald Trump urges Iran’s leadership to make a deal with Washington.

“Iran can get themselves on a very good footing if they make a deal,” Trump says in an interview with CNBC.

“They have to use reason and they have to use common sense, and they can get themselves into a great position to make themselves into a great country,” Trump adds.

It’s unclear whether the expiration of the two-week ceasefire at around 6:30 Eastern Time (1:30 a.m. Israel Time on Wednesday) means an immediate return to fighting, especially given that Trump claimed yesterday that the truce doesn’t expire until Wednesday night Eastern Time.

NYC’s antisemitism task force to hold inaugural hearing tomorrow

New York City Councilmember Inna Vernikov at the city's annual Israel parade, in New York City, May 18, 2025. (Luke Tress/Times of Israel)

The New York City Council’s Bipartisan Task Force to Combat Antisemitism will hold its inaugural hearing at City Hall tomorrow.

New York City Council Speaker Julie Menin and allies established the task force earlier this year, part of a broader plan to rein in antisemitism in the city, where Jews are targeted by hate crimes far more than any other group, according to NYPD data.

The hearing will focus on the reporting of antisemitic hate crimes, says Councilmember Inna Vernikov, the council’s Republican minority whip and a co-chair of the task force. The other chair is Councilmember Eric Dinowitz, a Democrat.

Vernikov says the NYPD, the mayoral Office to Combat Antisemitism, Jewish organizations and civil rights groups will testify.

The district attorney from each borough has also been invited, but only Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez has confirmed he will attend, Vernikov says.

The hearing begins at 12:00 p.m. in City Hall’s Committee Room. The public, including hate crimes victims, are invited to attend or testify.

The hearings will also be livestreamed on the council’s website.

Syrian charged with plotting attack on Jews and ‘infidels’ in Berlin

German prosecutors have charged a 23-year-old Syrian man with plotting a knife attack on “infidels” and Jews in Berlin, authorities say.

The unidentified man bought a knife and materials to build explosives off the internet, and looked up content about “martyrdom” and “jihad” on social media platforms like Telegram and TikTok, prosecutors say.

He faces charges of preparing a terrorist offense and financing terrorism, as well as disseminating propaganda materials of terrorist organizations.

The man was arrested on November 1 and has been in detention since. Authorities do not identify him by name, but say that he arrived in Germany in December 2023 as an asylum seeker.

German police launch raids against Syrian trafficking ring

Illustrative: German police officers walk in Munich, Germany, Thursday, Feb. 12, 2026. (AP Photo/Michael Probst)

German police launch mass raids targeting a trafficking ring accused of fraudulently using Syrian refugees’ residency documents to enable compatriots to come to Germany.

Around 1,000 officers are deployed to search more than 50 residential and business premises in and around the eastern city of Leipzig, according to the federal police office in Halle an der Saale.

Police believe the ring operated by using genuine residency documents issued to Syrian refugees in Germany, which were sent to people in Syria with a similar appearance.

Most of those targeted in the raids were suspected of allowing their documents to be used in the scheme, with a smaller number suspected of allowing “unauthorized entry” to Germany.

Sirens heard in northern towns were false alarm — IDF

The sirens that sounded in Kfar Yuval and Ma’ayan Baruch on the Lebanon border were false alarms, according to the military.

The IDF says the alerts were activated due to a “false identification.”

Amid ceasefire, rocket sirens sound in communities on Lebanon border

Sirens warning of rocket fire sound in two communities on the Lebanon border.

The alerts are activated in Kfar Yuval and Ma’ayan Baruch.

The IDF says it is looking into the details.

IDF says it struck Hezbollah operatives who ‘violated ceasefire’

The Israeli Air Force struck and killed several Hezbollah operatives who “violated the ceasefire understandings” and posed a threat to troops in southern Lebanon in the past day, the military says.

In one incident earlier today, troops of the Golani Brigade spotted several operatives near the village of Qoussair who “crossed the forward defense line, and approached the forces in a manner that posed an immediate threat,” the military says.

In two incidents yesterday in the same area, the IDF says it identified “armed terrorists” who also crossed the ceasefire line.

In all three incidents, the Israeli Air Force “struck the terrorists to remove the threat,” the military says.

Iran executes eighth man over 2026 protests

Iranian authorities execute a man convicted of helping to set fire to a major mosque in Tehran during protests in January, the judiciary says.

Amir Ali Mirjafari was accused of setting fire to the Gholhak Grand Mosque and also working with the Israeli spy agency Mossad, the judiciary’s Mizan news agency reports.

He is the eighth person to be hanged over the January demonstrations within just over a month.

Rights groups accuse the Islamic Republic of using capital punishment to instill fear throughout society and stepping up executions of political prisoners against the background of the war against the US and Israel.

“By baselessly linking his participation in the January protests to Israel and the US, the Islamic Republic continues its strategy of framing domestic civil unrest as foreign espionage to expedite the execution of protesters,” Norway-based NGO Iran Human Rights says.

Pakistan says waiting for Iran’s formal response on US talks attendance

Mediator Pakistan has yet to receive a formal response from Iran on whether it will send a delegation for a second round of talks with the United States, Islamabad’s information minister says.

“Formal response from Iranian side about confirmation of delegation to attend Islamabad Peace Talks is still awaited,” Minister Attaullah Tarar posts on X, saying that a decision is “critical” as just hours remain until the two-week ceasefire struck between the warring sides expires.

2 soldiers dismissed, jailed for smashing Jesus statue in south Lebanon; new statue erected

An IDF soldier smashes a statue of Jesus in southern Lebanon, in an image uploaded to social media on April 19, 2026. (X/used in accordance with Clause 27a of the Copyright Law)

The Israeli soldier who smashed a statue of Jesus with a sledgehammer in southern Lebanon and the soldier who photographed him have been dismissed from combat duty and sentenced to 30 days in jail, the military announces.

The IDF says the statue was replaced by troops a short while ago, “in full coordination with the local community.”

“The Northern Command worked to coordinate the replacement of the statue from the moment it received the report of the incident,” the military says, adding that it “expresses deep regret over the incident, and is working to ensure that it does not happen again in the future.”

An investigation by the military into the incident in the Christian village of Debel found that in addition to the soldier who damaged the statue and the soldier who photographed him, six other troops were “present at the scene and did not act to stop the incident or report it.”

“The inquiry determined that the soldiers’ conduct completely deviated from IDF orders and values,” the military says.

The findings of the investigation were presented last night to the commander of the 162nd Division, Brig. Gen. Sagiv Dahan, who is responsible for the sector where the incident took place. The IDF says Dahan accepted the findings and the  commanders’ recommendations.

Accordingly, he decided to dismiss from combat duty the soldier who damaged the statute and the soldier who photographed the act, and sent them to military prison for 30 days.

“The remaining troops who stood by have been summoned for clarification discussions that will be held later on, after which further command-level measures will be determined,” the military says.

The IDF says that “procedures regarding conduct with religious institutions and symbols were reinforced to the troops prior to their entry into the relevant areas, and will be reinforced again for all troops in the area following the incident.”

The investigation was also presented to IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir and Northern Command chief Maj. Gen. Rafi Milo. Zamir “condemned the incident and stated that it constitutes unacceptable conduct and a moral failure, far exceeding any acceptable standard and contradicting IDF values and the expected conduct of its troops,” the military says.

Germany, Italy reject proposal to suspend EU-Israel cooperation deal as ‘inappropriate’

German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul addresses a joint press conference with the Lithuanian foreign minister at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Vilnius, Lithuania, January 5, 2026. (Petras Malukas / AFP)

Germany and Italy rebuff calls to suspend an EU cooperation deal with Israel, despite anger over the war in Lebanon and the situation in the West Bank.

Spain and Ireland had put the issue of halting the June 2000 agreement on the table at a meeting of EU foreign ministers in Luxembourg.

German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul calls the proposal “inappropriate.”

“We have to talk with Israel about the critical issues,” he says at the start of the meeting, adding: “That has to be done in a critical, constructive dialogue with Israel.”

Italian counterpart Antonio Tajani pushes back as well, saying that “no decision will be taken today.”

Attitudes toward Israel among EU member states, already hardened over its conduct in the war in Gaza, have stiffened further after the Israeli campaign in Lebanon — in response to Hezbollah attacks — and a new law on the death penalty for Palestinian terror convicts in the West Bank.

“We need to act. We need to make sure that our fundamental values are protected,” Irish Foreign Minister Helen McEntee said.

Videos show harassment of Orthodox Jews in Brooklyn

Two videos show apparent harassment of Orthodox Jewish New Yorkers.

One of the clips, released by the Boro Park Shomrim neighborhood watch group, shows a white SUV pulling onto a crosswalk. The passengers call outto a Jewish man, before one of the car’s occupants gets out and chases the man down the street, shouting, “Come here!” while the other occupants cheer.

The Anti-Defamation League says the NYPD’s hate crimes unit is investigating. The Boro Park Shomrim says the incident took place during the Passover holiday.

These individuals are wanted by @NYPDHateCrimes for terrorizing and harassing local residents in Boro Park over Pesach. If you can help us identify them, please contact 911 and our 24-hour emergency hotline 718-871-6666. #YourCityYourCall. @NYPD66Pct pic.twitter.com/WFRBGDXej7

— 𝐁𝐨𝐫𝐨 𝐏𝐚𝐫𝐤 𝐒𝐡𝐨𝐦𝐫𝐢𝐦 (@BPShomrim) April 20, 2026

A second video, shared by local media, shows a person on a bicycle knocking the hat off of an elderly Jewish man in the Williamsburg neighborhood in Brooklyn.

Shocking! 2 perps on cyclists assaulted and threw down a hat from a elderly Jewish person, on Williamsburg St & Lee Ave, @WSPUshomrim and @NYPD90Pct are on scene investigating for a possible hate crime. @nypdhatecrimes pic.twitter.com/Y3mXw6CZmH

— WILLIAMSBURG NEWS (@WMSBG) April 20, 2026

Jews are targeted in hate crimes more than all other groups combined in New York City, according to NYPD data.

The two incidents illustrate the kind of low-level harassment that takes place on the street, often targeting visibly identifiable Jews.

Israel pans Stockholm protesters’ gory staging of Ben Gvir ‘killing’ Palestinian mother and baby

Israel’s ambassador to Sweden has condemned a protest in Stockholm in which activists staged gory and graphic depictions of a blood-covered Jew, apparently Israel’s far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir, slitting the throat of a Palestinian mother and killing her baby.

The protest, held in Odenplan Square over the weekend, featured a person portraying a Jew wearing a yarmulka, seemingly Ben-Gvir, walking alongside an ostensible IDF soldier wearing a sign identifying him as a fascist, as the crowd chanted “Crush Zionism.” The street theater was part of a larger protest against Israel’s policies, including its military actions in Gaza and Lebanon.

Open acts of antisemitism, week after week in the streets of Stockholm.

The same centuries-old stereotypes and blood libels, repackaged by replacing “Jews”with “Zionists.”

Authorities tolerate “freedom of expression”being abused to promote hate and incitement against a… https://t.co/cnD8gJ6svJ

— Ziv Nevo Kulman 🇮🇱 (@zivnk) April 19, 2026

Ambassador Ziv Nevo Kulman decries the “open acts of antisemitism, week after week in the streets of Stockholm.”

“The same centuries-old stereotypes and blood libels, repackaged by replacing ‘Jews’ with ‘Zionists,'” he writes on X. “Authorities tolerate ‘freedom of expression’ being abused to promote hate and incitement against a national minority.”

“This is Europe, 2026,” he laments.

Trump claims US has cameras ‘on every inch’ of Iranian nuclear sites

US President Donald Trump claims the US “space force has cameras on every inch” of the three Iran nuclear sites hit by the US in the June 2025 Operation Midnight Hammer.

In his latest Truth Social post, Trump claims the strikes “totally obliterated the Nuclear Dust locations to the point where bloodthirsty Iran has been unable to get to it or dig it out.”

Trump asks Iran’s leaders to cancel execution of eight women

US President tells Iran’s leaders that he would “appreciate” it if they didn’t execute eight Iranian women.

In a Truth Social post, Trump attaches a screen capture of another post, from American pro-Israel activist Eyal Yakoby, in which Yakoby writes that Iran is preparing to hang eight women, and shows their pictures.

It’s unclear whether Yakoby’s information has been verified.

“To the Iranian leaders, who will soon be in negotiations with my representatives: I would greatly appreciate the release of these women,” Trump says.

“I am sure that they will respect the fact that you did so. Please do them no harm! Would be a great start to our negotiations!”

BREAKING: The Islamic Republic is preparing to hang eight women.

Not a word from the international community or so-called human rights organizations. pic.twitter.com/aBKxkjbdym

— Eyal Yakoby (@EYakoby) April 21, 2026

Man and woman shot dead in northern village

Paramedics arrive at the scene of a shooting in Yarka, a Druze village in northern Israel, on April 21, 2026. (Screenshot/Magen David Adom)

A man and woman have been shot and killed in Yarka, a Druze village in northern Israel.

Paramedics pronounced the two victims dead at the scene. The man appears to be in his 30s, while the woman appears to be around 20, Magen David Adom says in a statement.

In footage from the crime scene, police and paramedics gather on a road near a grove that has been blocked off with barrier tape.

Police have launched an investigation into the incident and are searching for suspects. No arrests have yet been reported.

Trump says US stopped ship delivering Chinese ‘gift’ to Iran

President Donald Trump says US forces intercepted a ship carrying a “gift” to Iran from China as Tehran tries to restock its military during a ceasefire period.

The ship had “a gift from China” which “wasn’t very nice,” Trump tells CNBC. “I was a little surprised,” he added, saying he thought he had an “understanding” with China’s President Xi Jinping.

A week ago, Trump announced that Xi had assured him there would be no Chinese weapons deliveries to Iran, a close partner with Beijing for years.

Reports in Lebanon of Israeli strike in country’s south

Lebanese media reports an Israeli strike in the Wadi al-Hujair area in southern Lebanon.

There is no immediate comment from the IDF.

🔴معلومات اولية عن غارة تستهدف محيط وادي الحجير – وادي سلوقي pic.twitter.com/Bgg5ptCIxP

— موقع جنوب 24 (@janoub24website) April 21, 2026

After uproar, Kyrgyzstan hotel removes sign barring entry to ‘Jews and animals’

A sign saying that “Jews and animals are not allowed” was removed from a hotel in the city of Osh in Kyrgyzstan after widespread condemnation, according to Israel’s ambassador to the Republic of Kazakhstan and the Kyrgyz Republic.

Yesterday, the embassy posted a photo of the sign on X, calling it an “openly antisemitic and offensive statement.” The sign included warnings in Kyrgyz, Russian and English, with images of a Star of David and a dog.

The Embassy of the State of Israel to the Republic of Kazakhstan and Kyrgyz Republic strongly condemns the appearance of a sign in one of the hotel in the city of Osh in Kyrgyz Republic containing openly antisemitic and offensive statement. pic.twitter.com/iHCUEuqr7n

— Израиль в Кыргызстане (@IsraelinKg) April 20, 2026

Ambassador Yoav Bistritsky says today that the matter has been resolved.

“I welcome the swift action by the authorities in Kyrgyzstan to remove the antisemitic and offensive sign and to open a criminal investigation against those responsible,” Bistritsky writes on X. “Such hatred has no place in any society. I will continue to follow the matter closely.”

I welcome the swift action by the authorities in Kyrgyzstan to remove the antisemitic and offensive sign and to open a criminal investigation against those responsible. Such hatred has no place in any society. I will continue to follow the matter closely. https://t.co/dnDQMzb5lR

— Yoav Bistritsky (@YoavBistritsky) April 21, 2026

Approximately 400 Jews are believed to live in Kyrgyzstan, a country of 7.4 million people, according to data from the World Jewish Congress. Israel has had diplomatic relations with the country since 1992.

Footage of shooting in al-Mughayyir shows uniformed man firing weapon

Footage circulating in Palestinian circles of the shooting in al-Mughayyir, near Ramallah, today appears to show a man in uniform firing a long weapon for roughly half a minute toward the village.

In the video, he is seen advancing slowly while firing.

תיעוד מהירי במורייר שפורסם במקורות פלסטינים. במשך כחצי דקה נראה אדם לובש מדים שיורה בנשק ארוך לעבר הכפר. בתיעוד המקורי שהופץ (וחתכתי) הופיעה גם תמונת היורה לכאורה ופרטיו. הפלסטינים טוענים כי הוא זוהה ע"י התושבים.
מצה"ל נמסר כי "כוחות צה״ל קפצו למרחב הכפר אל מועייר שבחטיבת… https://t.co/3Vw9VMw95i pic.twitter.com/XRklEl5lVY

— Nurit Yohanan (@nurityohanan) April 21, 2026

According to the Red Crescent, two people — aged 13 and 38 — were shot dead, and four were wounded near the village school.

Palestinians claim the shooter is a settler identified by residents of the village.

The IDF says it is investigating the incident.

Trump says he does not want to extend ceasefire with Iran

US President Donald Trump listens in the Oval Office of the White House, Saturday, April 18, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson)

US President Donald Trump tells CNBC he does not want to extend the ceasefire with Iran, adding the US is in a strong negotiating position and will end up with what he calls a great deal.

“I don’t want to do that. We don’t have that much time,” Trump says when asked about the possibility of extending the ceasefire that is set to expire tomorrow.

Washington has expressed confidence that talks with Iran will go ahead in Pakistan, and a senior Iranian official said Tehran was considering joining.

With the prospect of last-ditch further peace talks still up in the air, Trump says the US will resume its attacks on Iran if a deal is not struck with Tehran soon.

“I expect to be bombing because I think that’s a better attitude to go in with. But we’re ready to go. I mean, the military is raring to go,” he says.

IDF says it’s probing soldier’s reported killing of 2 Palestinians in West Bank

The IDF says it is investigating after a reservist soldier opened fire on Palestinians in the West Bank, reportedly killing two and wounding others.

The fatalities in the village of al-Mughayyir, near Ramallah, were a 13-year-old boy and a 38-year-old man, according to residents.

The IDF says that troops were dispatched to al-Mughayyir following reports of stones being hurled at a car with Israelis, one of whom was a reservist.

According to the military, the reservist got out of the car and “opened fire on suspects in the village.”

When troops arrived at the scene, they “acted to disperse the violent riot in the village,” the army says.

The IDF says it is aware of the reports that two Palestinians were killed and others were wounded. It says the incident is under investigation, “and its findings will be forwarded to the authorities.”

Israel ‘relentlessly pursuing’ everyone involved in October 7 attack — Netanyahu

Speaking at the Memorial Day ceremony for Israeli victims of terror attacks, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says the country is making “continuous efforts to settle accounts with everyone involved in the events of October 7,” referring to the 2023 invasion of southern Israel by Hamas.

“With the assistance of the IDF and the Shin Bet,” he says, “we are relentlessly pursuing the murderers who harmed us — and we have had many successes.”

Netanyahu points the finger at Palestinian leadership for generations of terrorist attacks, citing “the rampant incitement from their religious leaders, the encouragement of murder — openly and covertly — by their leadership, their textbooks filled with poison in their educational institutions, the so-called ‘camps’ used to brainwash their children, and the social networks that reflect their culture of death.”

Over 150 Jewish leaders sign letter decrying desecration of Jesus statue in Lebanon

An IDF soldier smashes a statue of Jesus in southern Lebanon, in an image uploaded to social media on April 19, 2026. (X/used in accordance with Clause 27a of the Copyright Law)

More than 150 Jewish leaders have signed a letter condemning an Israeli soldier’s destruction of a Jesus statue in southern Lebanon, calling the act a “desecration of God’s name.”

The letter was penned as a response to a viral photograph revealed earlier this week of an IDF soldier using a sledgehammer to smash the religious icon in the Christian village of Debel.

Signatories from Orthodox, Conservative, and Reform denominations described the act as a “vile betrayal of Jewish values” and issued a direct apology to the global Christian community. The response was initiated by Israel365 Action, an Israeli organization that works to bridge evangelical Christian and Jewish communities around shared support for Israel.

Prominent signatories include Rabbi Dr. Kenneth Brander of Ohr Torah Stone, Rabbi Mark Dratch of International Jewish Committee on Interreligious Consultations (IJCIC), Rabbi David Rosen of Religions for Peace, Rabbi Dr. Shmuly Yanklowitz of Uri L’Tzedek, and veteran educator Rabbi Dr. Yitz Greenberg.

“As Jewish leaders, we apologize to the Christian community for this repulsive act and renew our commitment to stand for the sanctity of all holy places and sacred symbols,” the letter says.

UK counterterror police nabs 8 more people over London arson attacks, plot to target Jewish community

LONDON — British counterterrorism police arrested a further eight people as part of an investigation into suspected arson attacks in London, including an alleged plot targeting a venue linked to the Jewish community, the force said on Tuesday.

Seven of the arrests were made in the past 48 hours and relate to a suspected conspiracy to commit arson, it says, adding that while it was believed the intended target was a venue associated with the Jewish community, the specific target or venue has not yet been identified.

Hezbollah-linked parliament speaker says IDF will keep facing ‘resistance’ if it doesn’t leave Lebanon

Lebanon's Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri chairs a parliamentary session to elect a president, in Beirut, January 9, 2025. (Anwar Amro / AFP)

Lebanon’s parliament speaker warns that Israeli forces occupying parts of the country’s south would face resistance if they fail to withdraw, signaling a risk of renewed confrontation ahead of US-mediated talks this week.

On Thursday, the US will host ambassador-level talks between Israel and Lebanon, which was dragged into war on March 2 when Hezbollah opened fire on Israel in support of Tehran in the regional conflict.

Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri, Lebanon’s most senior Shiite statesman and a Hezbollah ally, tells Lebanese newspaper al-Joumhouria that Lebanon could not tolerate losing a meter of land.

If Israel “maintains its occupation, whether of areas, positions, or by drawing yellow lines, it will smell the scent of resistance every day,” says Berri, leader of the Shiite Amal Movement.

“If they insist on remaining, they will face resistance, and our history bears witness to that,” Berri says.

Berri reiterates his view that there was no need for direct talks with Israel, noting that he has been a party to several rounds of indirect negotiations with Israel over the years.

Golan blasts lavish Hasidic fundraising event held on Memorial Day eve

The Democrats chairman Yair Golan issues a scathing condemnation after the Mothers at the Front protest group shares a video showing what appears to be the Gur Hasidic movement holding a lavish event on Memorial Day eve in the central Israeli city of Ness Ziona.

“They don’t enlist. [in the army] They don’t share the burden. And they don’t are about those who enlisted, fought and fell to protect them as well,” tweets Golan. “This contempt for mutual responsibility and the foundations of the state must end. We will put a stop to this celebration built on the backs of those who serve and at the expense of the entire public.”

The gathering, described by the Mothers at the Front as a fundraising event, was focused on selling homes to young Hasidic couples, according to an Instagram post by the Walla news site. “It’s time to say it clearly and loudly: Whoever doesn’t wear a uniform, whoever doesn’t honor the memory of the fallen, and whoever chooses to celebrate while the entire country weeps has no place in the leadership of the state,” the group declares.

אתמול בזמן שהלב שלנו נדם בצפירה הם חגגו על שולחנות ערוכים.
הטקס האלטרנטיבי של חסידות גור – על הקירות כתוב יזכור אבל אין קשר לזכר הנופלים. באמת קשה למצוא את המילים כדי לתאר את עומק הזעזוע ממה שקרה אתמול בנס ציונה.
בערב הכי קדוש וכואב לחברה הישראלית, בערב יום הזיכרון, התקיים… pic.twitter.com/8EBKUB7Q1V

— אימהות בחזית (@IBahazit) April 21, 2026

US, Iran have signaled they will attend talks in Islamabad tomorrow, officials say

A police officer walks past billboards near the Serena Hotel ahead of the planned second round of negotiations between the US and Iran, in Islamabad, Pakistan, April 21, 2026. (AP Photo/Anjum Naveed)

ISLAMABAD, Pakistan — Two regional officials say that the United States and Iran have signaled they will hold a new round of the ceasefire talks in Islamabad.

The officials’ comments come as neither the US nor Iran have publicly confirmed the timing of the talks, with Iranian state television denying any official was already in Pakistan’s capital.

Pakistan-led mediators received confirmation that the top negotiators, US Vice President JD Vance and Iran’s parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, will arrive in Islamabad early tomorrow to lead their teams in the talks, the officials tell The Associated Press.

The officials speak on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to brief reporters.

In short post, Trump accuses Iran of violating truce ‘numerous times’

In a single-line post, US President Donald Trump accuses Iran of violating the ceasefire “numerous” times. Talks to end the war permanently are in doubt with Iranian media saying the country has not sent a delegation to negotiations in Pakistan yet.

“Iran has Violated the Cease Fire numerous times!” Trump writes on Truth Social.

The two-week ceasefire, which halted the war that began with US-Israeli strikes on February 28, is set to lapse Wednesday.

US forces board tanker as part of efforts to curb support for Iran

WASHINGTON — US forces boarded a sanctioned tanker without incident in the Indo-Pacific region as part of the effort to disrupt vessels providing support to Iran, the Pentagon says in a post on X.

Overnight, U.S. forces conducted a right-of-visit, maritime interdiction and boarding of the stateless sanctioned M/T Tifani without incident in the INDOPACOM area of responsibility.⁰⁰As we have made clear, we will pursue global maritime enforcement efforts to disrupt illicit… pic.twitter.com/EGwDe3dBI3

— Department of War 🇺🇸 (@DeptofWar) April 21, 2026

At memorial ceremony, Netanyahu says he brought home all Gaza hostages; heckler replies, ‘Some of them were killed in tunnels’

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu attends a state Memorial Day ceremony commemorating fallen soldiers, at Mount Herzl in Jerusalem, April 21, 2026. (Ilia Yefimovich/Pool Photo via AP)

As Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says that he brought back all hostages held in Gaza, a heckler in the crowd yells out, “Some of them were killed in tunnels,” during the state Memorial Day ceremony for victims of terror.

“Your heavy loss is everyone’s loss. Your deep sorrow is everyone’s sorrow. The physical and mental pain of the wounded is all our pain, and we are committed as a people and a country to providing you with the fullest assistance, the fullest support possible,” Netanyahu says.

He adds that “we brought back all the hostages” who were kidnapped to Gaza on October 7, 2023, prompting the heckler’s rebuttal.

In apparent jab at judiciary, Ben Gvir defends his backing of army and police at memorial ceremony

National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir at the military section of the Dimona cemetery in southern Israel on Memorial Day, April 21, 2026. (Otzma Yehudit)

National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir appears to take aim at the High Court of Justice and Attorney General Gali Bahav-Miara during a Memorial Day speech at the military section of the Dimona cemetery in southern Israel, declaring that “the backing I give to the fighters and police officers in the field is absolute, because this is the only way to ensure that the sacrifice of your loved ones was not in vain.”

“We will not return to the days of exile and weakness,” Ben Gvir declares. “We are a strong people, with a resolute army and police, and with a government that is committed to a decisive victory.”

Ben Gvir is currently embroiled in a legal battle concerning his alleged interference in police matters. The High Court of Justice last week heard several petitions demanding his dismissal, which claim that the “backing” he provides police officers, especially those under criminal investigation, serves his political agenda and is liable to erode law enforcement’s restraint.

“We see, and this isn’t [just] a feeling, that the minister very much supports the police officers — that’s fantastic — but only if they do something for one side,” Supreme Court President Isaac Amit said to Ben Gvir’s attorney during a hearing.

Baharav-Miara has backed the petitions demanding that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu be forced to fire Ben Gvir.

In their decision last Thursday, the nine justices who heard the petitions ordered Ben Gvir to refrain from “expressing himself in the matter of using police force against citizens, including ongoing investigations” and told him and Baharav-Miara to reach an agreement to curb any undue influence on police work.

Ben Gvir has denounced criticism of his approach and has said that he “will continue to appoint [police officers] based on who implements [my] policy, as I have done up until this point, and if the attorney general interferes, we’ll blow up the negotiations.”

Charlie Summers contributed to this report.

Red Crescent says two Palestinians killed in settler attack on West Bank village

Two Palestinians were killed and four were wounded by settler gunfire near the village of al-Mughayyir, in the Ramallah area, during a settler attack, the Red Crescent says.

Imran Abu Awliya, a resident of al-Mughayyir, tells The Times of Israel that the fatalities were a 13-year-old boy who was a student at the school and a 38-year-old man from the village.

Abu Awliya adds that the incident began when five settlers — some in civilian clothing and some in uniform — were herding livestock near the village, close to the school located on its outskirts. According to him, students went out to see who they were, and the settlers opened fire at the windows. A 13-year-old boy who had gone out to use the bathroom was killed.

Due to the shooting, relatives were called to take the children home from the school. Abu Awliya says that a 38-year-old man was then shot dead when he came to collect his relatives from the school, and several others were wounded.

He adds that police and army forces later arrived at the scene and used tear gas to disperse those present.

The IDF has not yet issued a response.

Footage circulating online appears to show settlers moving around the area of the village, possibly prior to the shooting.

مستوطنون يطلقون الرصاص الحي على مدرسة المغير قضاء رام الله، ووقوع إصابات في صفوف الطلاب#فيديو pic.twitter.com/dUXCplXAPK

— الجزيرة فلسطين (@AJA_Palestine) April 21, 2026

مقتل شخصين وإصابة 4 إثر هجوم للمستوطنين على قرية المغير شمال مدينة رام الله بالضفة الغربية pic.twitter.com/QWa37O4SjC

— ا لـحـدث (@AlHadath) April 21, 2026

Lapid: Memorial Day is for entire country to show bereaved families it remembers fallen too

Opposition Leader Yair Lapid speaks at a Memorial Day ceremony, at the Herzliya military cemetery, April 21, 2026. (Yesh Atid video screenshot)

Memorial Day is not necessary for the families of fallen Israeli soldiers to remember their loved ones, who are always with them, but rather to provide the rest of the country the opportunity to show them that they remember as well, Opposition Leader Yair Lapid declares at the Herzliya military cemetery.

“Bereaved families do not need Memorial Day to remember. There isn’t a day they don’t remember. The problem isn’t today, it’s all the other days,” he says.

“For those standing here, 364 days a year are [also] Memorial Day. You didn’t come to the cemetery today to remember. You don’t need a ceremony to remember. You came so that we could tell you that we haven’t forgotten. That the State of Israel remembers. That the State of Israel bows its head before its dead and before their families, and we swear to do everything to be worthy of them.”

Only 36% of Americans approve of strikes on Iran, many question Trump’s temperament — poll

US President Donald Trump listens in the Oval Office of the White House, April 18, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson)

WASHINGTON — US President Donald Trump’s approval rating held at the lowest of his term in recent days as many Americans questioned his temperament amid the Iran war and a feud with Pope Leo, a Reuters/Ipsos poll finds.

The six-day public opinion poll, concluded yesterday, shows only 36 percent of Americans approve of Trump’s job performance, unchanged from a month earlier. Trump enjoyed the highest approval rating of his current term, 47%, shortly after he was sworn in to office on January 20, 2025.

Trump has been under pressure since his administration and Israel launched a war against Iran in February, which has pushed gasoline prices sharply higher. Some 36% of Americans approve of US military strikes against Iran, compared with 35% in a Reuters/Ipsos poll conducted April 10-12. The latest poll of 4,557 US adults nationwide, conducted online, has a margin of error of 2 percentage points.

The poll shows many Americans, including some members of Trump’s Republican Party, have some concerns about the 79-year-old president’s temperament and mental sharpness following a series of explosive outbursts.

Only 26% of Americans say they consider Trump “even-tempered.” Republicans are divided on this question, with 53% considering him to be so and 46% saying he is not, while a handful declined to answer the question. Only 7% of Democrats see Trump as even-tempered.

In Memorial Day speech, Smotrich says Israelis fought together against enemies despite differences

Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich speaks on Memorial Day at the Kfar Etzion cemetery, in the West Bank, April 21, 2026. (Bezalel Smotrich/X)

Despite their differences, Israelis have stood and fought together against their enemies, declares Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich at a Memorial Day ceremony at the Kfar Etzion cemetery, asserting that the residents of the Gush Etzion settlement bloc had written “another glorious chapter in the history of the People of Israel.”

“For the past two and a half years, we have been in the midst of a campaign; alongside the great achievements, there are also prices, alongside the high points, there were also low points, yet our spirit remains steadfast,” he says. “Our enemies viewed our internal struggles as an opportunity, but they were mistaken. At the moment of truth, in the tank, in the plane, and at the post, we all stand as one fist in the historic struggle between good and evil. And good is destined to prevail.”

“We will continue to build our land out of unity, to be worthy of the sacrifice of the fallen buried here. We will continue to carry the torch of generations, and in its light we will continue to build Gush Etzion and the State of Israel,” Smotrich adds.

IDF again warns residents not to return to southern Lebanese villages amid truce

The IDF reiterates its warning to Lebanese civilians against returning to villages in southern Lebanon amid the fragile truce.

“We reiterate that during the ceasefire agreement, the IDF continues to remain deployed in its positions in southern Lebanon in the face of the ongoing terror activity of Hezbollah,” army spokesman Col. Avichay Adraee says in a post on X.

“We again warn that, for your safety and the safety of your family members, until further notice, you are required not to move south of the line of the displayed villages and their surroundings,” he says, attaching a map showing the IDF’s new security zone.

“It is also prohibited to approach the Litani River area, Wadi al-Salhani, and Saluki,” he adds.

#عاجل ‼️رسالة عاجلة إلى سكان جنوب لبنان
⭕️نجدد تأكيدنا انه خلال فترة اتفاق وقف إطلاق النار يواصل جيش الدفاع تمركزه في مواقعه بجنوب لبنان في مواجهة النشاطات الإرهابية المستمرة لمنظمة حزب الله.
⭕️نعود ونحذر انه وحرصًا على سلامتكم وسلامة أبناء عائلاتكم وحتى إشعار آخر انتم مطالبون… pic.twitter.com/iQ3Kr292IU

— افيخاي ادرعي (@AvichayAdraee) April 21, 2026

Mossad agent ‘Mem’ fell outside of Israel, contributed to Iran war success, spy chief reveals

Mossad chief David Barnea (L) and Shin Bet chief David Zini at a Memorial Day ceremony at the Western Wall, in Jerusalem's Old City, April 20, 2026. (Chaim Goldberg/Flash90)

A Mossad agent, known only by the first Hebrew letter of his name, “Mem,” fell outside of Israel’s borders, says Mossad chief David Barnea.

“On this day,” he says during a Memorial Day ceremony at Mossad headquarters, “I think about the fallen Mossad members and their choice to contribute over the years to Israel’s security.”

“During Operation Roaring Lion, my thoughts and heart were filled with pride in the person and work of Mem, who fell outside of Israel while fulfilling his duties,” says Barnea.

“The operation led by Mem combined creativity, cunning, and advanced technology and significantly influenced the success of the campaign against Iran,” Barnea continues.

Mem died several years ago, according to Hebrew media reports.

Roger Waters, Macklemore among hundreds of artists calling for Eurovision boycott over Israel’s participation

People react as they watch the votes being counted during the 2025 Eurovision Song Contest being screened at a community center in Tel Aviv, Israel, early on May 18, 2025. (Maya Levin / AFP)

As they have annually for many years, a group of hundreds of musical artists sign on to a call to boycott the upcoming Eurovision in Vienna over Israel’s slated participation.

This year’s list is organized by the “No Music for Genocide” initiative, which also calls on anti-Israel artists to have their music geo-blocked inside Israel.

“We reject Eurovision being used to whitewash and normalise Israel’s genocide, siege and brutal military occupation against Palestinians,” the letter reads. ” We stand in solidarity with Palestinian calls for public broadcasters, performers, screening party organisers, crew, and fans to boycott Eurovision until the EBU bans complicit Israeli broadcaster KAN.”

The organizers say the letter has been signed by more than 1,100 culture figures, although most are unknown names. The signatories contain few surprises and include known anti-Israel activists Roger Waters, Brian Eno, Macklemore, Massive Attack, and Kneecap — which was investigated over its public support for the Hezbollah terror group. Other signatories include musicians Paloma Faith, Peter Gabriel, Nadine Shah, and Primal Scream.

Last week, a letter backing Israel’s participation in the Eurovision was released by the Creative Community for Peace organization, with signatures including Gene Simmons, Scooter Braun, Boy George, and Sharon Osbourne.

Israel was cleared to participate in the competition next month following a vote that was backed by an overwhelming majority of European Broadcasting Union members. Following the vote, the broadcasters from Spain, Iceland, Slovenia, the Netherlands, and Ireland pulled out of the contest in protest.

Protesters disrupt ministers’ Memorial Day speeches in Druze village and Tel Aviv

Protesters disrupt Memorial Day ceremonies in the northern Druze village of Isfiya and in Tel Aviv, interrupting speeches by Energy Minister Eli Cohen and Immigration Minister Ofir Sofer.

In Isfiya, several local residents yell at Cohen about the government’s housing policy, screaming that “it is the Israeli government destroying our sons’ homes, not missiles from Iran.” These sentiments are also shared, in a less confrontational manner, during a speech by Druze spiritual leader Sheikh Muwaffaq Tarif, according to the Walla news site.

Male Druze citizens are required to serve in the IDF, and while the community makes up just 2 percent of the population, the Druze account for 3 percent of all career soldiers, according to the military. Many in the community have expressed resentment over the Kamenitz Law, a 2017 amendment to the planning law widely understood to target Arab communities, where building permits are almost impossible to secure, with the result that Arabs build illegally and are then fined or threatened with demolition by the government.

מחאה מול השר אלי כהן בבית העלמין בעספיא. אחד המשתתפים צעק לעברו: "תתביישו לכם, מה עשיתם בשבילנו? הממשלה רק הורסת בתים". מחאה נרשמה גם בבית העלמין קריית שאול בתל אביב @_Gitsis_

צילום: לפי סעיף 27א' לחוק זכות יוצרים pic.twitter.com/W5seYlBrD3

— החדשות – N12 (@N12News) April 21, 2026

Members of the community also protested the law in Isfiya during a memorial event in 2024. In 2023, then-intelligence minister Gila Gamliel was prevented from entering the town’s military cemetery partly because she supported a law that enshrined Israel as the nation-state of the Jewish people, which is seen by the Druze community as exclusionary.

At the Kiryat Shaul cemetery in Tel Aviv during a speech by Sofer, protesters held up signs emblazoned with the slogan “Government of death,” which other attendees attempted to take down.

ערוץ 7: קומץ מפגינות הניפו שלט נגד הממשלה במהלך נאומו של השר סופר בטקס בקריית שאול. pic.twitter.com/lVKX0SoyWF

— זירת החדשות (@ZiratNews) April 21, 2026

At state Memorial Day ceremony, Netanyahu says war against Iran prevented ‘another Holocaust’

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu speaks at the state Memorial Day ceremony at Mount Herzl, Jerusalem, April 21, 2026. (GPO screenshot)

The Islamic Republic of Iran wanted to perpetrate a “Holocaust” against Israel and the Jews, says Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the state Memorial Day ceremony at Mount Herzl.

“The ayatollah regime in Iran planned another Holocaust,” says Netanyahu. “It sought to destroy us with nuclear weapons and thousands of ballistic missiles. Had we not acted decisively, the names Natanz, Fordo, and Isfahan might have joined Auschwitz, Majdanek, and Treblinka.”

Netanyahu says that it did not happen, “because together with our great ally, the United States, we dismantled that machinery of destruction in advance. We removed an immediate existential threat.”

“That is the essence of this campaign,” he continues, “to ensure that the lifeline of the Jewish people is never cut.”

He offers an ecumenical angle on the day, highlighting a Druze NCO who fell in southern Lebanon last month: “Jews and Druze, shoulder to shoulder — alongside Christians, Muslims, Bedouins, Circassians — all united in a vital mission.”

At Sderot cemetery, Gantz says more fighting to follow ‘deceptive calm’

Blue and White chairman Benny Gantz at a Memorial Day ceremony in the southern city of Sderot, April 21, 2026. (Blue and White)

Despite the current “deceptive calm,” there will be more fighting ahead, requiring Israelis to stand together and overcome their internal disagreements, declares Blue and White chairman Benny Gantz at a Memorial Day ceremony at the Sderot military cemetery.

The best way to remember those who died defending Israel is to “embrace every soldier in the standing army and the reserves and wrap the bereaved families in our support. We remember them all when we rise above the disputes that tear us apart and unite. We remember them all when we cling to the land and continue to live and fulfill the Zionist vision. We remember when we continue to fight and prevent our enemies from achieving their ambition to destroy us,” he says.

Gantz warns that while Israelis have already gone through two and a half years of war, “unfortunately, many more challenges await us in the near future.”

“The deceptive calm will still require us to continue fighting — in Gaza, Lebanon, Iran, Syria, Judea and Samaria, and Yemen. We will prevail over our enemies if we are united among ourselves,” he continues, praising the residents of Sderot and the wider south for fighting back against Hamas on October 7, calling the city “an “example and model of how strong we are, how willing we are to fight for our place and our future.”

In city assaulted on Oct. 7, culture minister vows Israel won’t stop fighting until enemies defeated

Culture Minister Miki Zohar speaks at a Memorial Day ceremony in Ofakim, April 21, 2026. (Courtesy of Miki Zohar)

Speaking at a Memorial Day ceremony in the southern city of Ofakim, Culture Minister Miki Zohar insists that Israel will not stop fighting its enemies until they are defeated.

“Here in the city that experienced the worst of all, and before the residents, who displayed great strength, we make it clear to our enemies: We will continue to strike with power anyone who challenges us, and we will not let up until the war is decided and victory is achieved,” he declares.

Israel is currently in the middle of fragile ceasefires with Lebanon and Iran.

Fifteen Hamas terrorists from the terror group’s elite Nukhba force infiltrated Ofakim early on the morning of October 7, 2023, and launched a brutal assault, murdering 25 civilians and injuring several others. The Israel Defense Forces failed in its mission to protect the city, a military investigation published last year concluded, determining that the rapid halt to the killing spree was due not to military intervention, but to the courage and initiative of local police officers, armed civilians and a handful of soldiers.

UK police say 17-year-old boy charged over arson attack on London synagogue

A police forensic officer works inside a cordon set up near Kenton United Synagogue in Harrow, northwest London, on April 19, 2026, the scene of an overnight arson attack. (JUSTIN TALLIS / AFP)

LONDON, — British police say that a 17-year-old boy has been charged in connection with a counter-terrorism investigation into an arson attack on a synagogue in north London over the weekend.

The boy, who was charged with arson not endangering life, is due to appear at Westminster Magistrates’ Court today, police say in the statement.

Laying wreath for Memorial Day, Liberman stresses ‘duty to ensure that the fallen did not fall in vain’

Yisrael Beytenu chairman Avigdor Liberman lays a wreath on Memorial Day, at the Safed Military Cemetery, April 21, 2026. (Yisrael Beytenu)

After laying a wreath during a ceremony at the Safed military cemetery, Yisrael Beytenu chairman Avigdor Liberman states that it “is our duty to ensure that the fallen did not fall in vain, and that the State of Israel will know how to protect its citizens in every place and at all times.”

At police memorial, Ben Gvir says October 7 massacre was both ‘sad moment’ and ‘great opportunity’

National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir gives a speech at police's annual Memorial Day ceremony on Mount Herzl in Jerusalem on April 21, 2026. (Charlie Summers/Times of Israel)

Speaking at the police’s Memorial Day ceremony on Mount Herzl, National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir says October 7 presented a “great opportunity” to alter Israel’s security stance.

“October 7 was a moment of trial, a very sad moment, [but] also a moment of great opportunity to change the ‘conception,'” he says, adding the Hamas-led massacre was a chance to “reestablish deterrence and the standing of the IDF, police and the Prison Service, and of Israel as a superpower.”

“Some of these opportunities we have embraced with both arms,” he adds. “I am proud that we have an army, Mossad, and Shin Bet that assassinated Sinwar, Nasrallah, Khamenei, and other tens of thousands of bloody murderers.”

He tells the crowd in Jerusalem, composed of police brass and bereaved relatives of slain officers, that he strives to be “worthy” of security forces through the laws he has passed as part of the right-wing ruling coalition.

This worthiness is realized “whenever we go out into the field, in every law passed, every time we give backing to our officers, our warriors,” he says.

Ben Gvir is currently embroiled in a legal battle concerning his alleged interference in police matters. The High Court of Justice last week heard several petitions demanding his dismissal, which claim that the “backing” he provides police officers, especially those under criminal investigation, serves his political agenda and is liable to erode law enforcement’s restraint.

Ben Gvir further references Israel’s Prison Service, boasting that the security agency has “completely changed its previous worldview.”

“Today the summer camps have been stopped, there is order in the prisons, there is governance, there is determination, there is sovereignty,” he declares, referring to the worsening conditions of Palestinian security prisoners in Israeli jails.

He leaves the ceremony early with his aide Hanamel Dorfman and the rest of his entourage before senior law enforcement officials go up to lay wreaths in memory of the fallen.

Israeli troops reportedly raid several villages on Syrian side of border; detain at least one person

Syrian media reports that Israeli troops carried out raids in several villages in the Quneitra and Daraa area, close to the border, during which at least one person was captured.

According to Syria TV, an IDF patrol entered the village of Taranga this morning and “raided a number of houses and kidnapped one of the village residents, before withdrawing towards its military base.”

The outlet says Israeli forces also searched homes in the border villages of Kuwaya and Ma’ariya, and another small farming village.

There is no immediate comment from the IDF on the raids.

The IDF has been deployed to nine posts inside southern Syria since the fall of the Bashar al-Assad regime in December 2024, mostly within a UN-patrolled buffer zone on the border between the countries.

Troops have been operating in areas up to around 15 kilometers (some nine miles) deep into Syria, aiming to capture weapons that Israel says could pose a threat to the country if they fall into the hands of “hostile forces.”

Belgian FM says Israel’s actions in Lebanon ‘totally unacceptable,’ calls for partial halt to EU agreement

From left, High Representative for Gaza Nikolay Mladenov, Belgium's Foreign Minister Maxime Prevot, European Union foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas, Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammad Mustafa, and Norway's Foreign Minister Espen Barth Eide, during a meeting of the Global Alliance for the Implementation of the Two-State Solution in Brussels, Belgium, April 20, 2026. (AP Photo/ Geert Vanden Wijngaert)

LUXEMBOURG — Israel’s actions in Lebanon are “totally unacceptable,” Belgian Foreign Minister Maxime Prevot says ahead of a meeting with EU foreign ministers in Luxembourg.

“Israel’s conduct is completely unacceptable. Of course, we must firmly condemn Hezbollah’s initial attacks, which, in seeking to show solidarity with Iran, dragged Lebanon into a war it did not want, as well as Israel’s disproportionate and indiscriminate response.”

He also says Belgium is calling for at least a partial suspension of the EU’s Association Agreement with Israel, adding that Belgium is “aware that a full suspension is probably out of reach given the positions of the various European countries.”

Iranian state media says no delegation has departed for talks with US ‘so far’

Ahead of planned US-Iran talks, security personnel guide commuters for alternate routes from a checkpoint near the Serena Hotel, at the Red Zone area in Islamabad, Pakistan, on April 21, 2026. (Asif HASSAN / AFP)

TEHRAN, Iran — Iranian state television says that no Iranian delegation has yet departed for talks with the United States in Pakistan.

“So far, no delegation from Iran has departed for Islamabad, Pakistan; whether it is the main or subsidiary delegation; primary or secondary,” state TV says, dismissing reports suggesting otherwise.

Settlers reportedly demolish Palestinian school in northern Jordan Valley

Settlers overnight demolished a school in Hammamat al-Malih in the northern Jordan Valley using bulldozers, Palestinian media reports.

The site was reportedly covered with Israeli flags.

No further details were immediately available.

صور | الاحتلال يدمر مدرسة المالح الأساسية المختلطة في الأغوار الشمالية، ومرافقها ومحتوياتها. pic.twitter.com/EphIDoA10k

— فلسطين أون لايـن (@F24online) April 21, 2026

Spain, Slovenia, Ireland ask EU to suspend Association Agreement with Israel

BRUSSELS, Belgium — Spain, Slovenia, and Ireland have asked the EU to discuss the suspension of its association treaty with Israel, Spanish Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Albares says ahead of a meeting of EU foreign ministers in Luxembourg.

“Spain, along with Slovenia and Ireland, has requested that the suspension of the Association Agreement between the European Union and Israel be discussed and debated today,” Albares says.

Sirens ring out across Israel to mark Memorial Day for fallen soldiers, terror victims

People and Israeli soldiers visit graves of Israeli soldiers at the Nahalat Yitzhak military cemetery in Tel Aviv, as Israel marks Memorial Day, April 21, 2026. (Miriam Alster/Flash90)

Sirens ring out across Israel at 11 a.m., bringing the country to a standstill for two minutes to mark Memorial Day.

The siren marks the beginning of the state memorial ceremony at the Mount Herzl Military Cemetery in Jerusalem, as well as other memorial events across the country.

Since last Memorial Day, 174 members of Israel’s security forces have been killed during their service, according to fresh figures released by the Defense Ministry.

That includes two soldiers who were killed over the weekend by Hezbollah explosive devices in southern Lebanon.

Another 54 veterans died due to complications from injuries sustained during their service over the past year.

The annual figures include all soldiers, police, and members of other security services who died in the past year, whether in the line of duty, or as a result of an accident, illness, or suicide.

The numbers bring the total to 25,648 who have died during service to the country since 1860, the year from which Israel, and, before it, the Jewish community in the region began counting its fallen soldiers and defenders.

Senior Iranian commander says military ready with ‘immediate and decisive response’ if war resumes

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — Iran’s armed forces are ready to deliver an “immediate and decisive response” to any renewed hostile action by its adversaries, a senior Iranian military commander says, according to semi-official Tasnim news agency.

A two-week ceasefire between Iran and the US is set to expire tomorrow. The two countries have accused each other of breaching the ceasefire and have both tightened control over Gulf maritime transit.

Ali Abdollahi, commander of the Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters, says Tehran retained the upper hand in the military field, including in the management of the Strait of Hormuz, and would not allow the US president to “create false narratives over the situation on the ground.”

Iran war causing worst energy crisis in history, IEA chief says

International Energy Agency Executive Director Fatih Birol speaks at the National Press Club in Canberra, Australia, Monday, March 23, 2026. (Lukas Coch/AAP Image via AP)

PARIS, France — The conflict between Iran and the United States and Israel is creating the worst energy crisis ever faced by the world, the head of the International Energy Agency (IEA) says.

“This is indeed the biggest crisis in history,” Fatih Birol tells France Inter radio in an interview broadcast on Tuesday.

“The crisis is already huge, if you combine the effects of the petrol crisis and the gas crisis with Russia,” he adds.

The war in the Middle East has choked up maritime traffic in the Strait of Hormuz, which is a conduit for a fifth of global oil and liquefied natural gas flows.

It has also come on top of the effects of Russia’s war with Ukraine, which had already severed Russian gas supplies to Europe.

Birol had said earlier this month that he viewed the current situation in global energy markets as worse than previous crises in 1973, 1979, and 2022 combined.

In March, the IEA agreed to release a record 400 million barrels of oil from strategic stockpiles to combat rising oil prices caused by the US-Israeli war with Iran.

Iran executes alleged spy for Israel accused of burning down mosque during January protests

In this photo obtained by The Associated Press, Iranians attend an anti-government protest in Tehran, Iran, January 9, 2026. (UGC via AP)

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — Iran executed a man who was accused of being a leader of a network linked to Israel’s intelligence service and of setting fire to a mosque in Tehran during January protests, the judiciary’s news outlet Mizan reports.

Mizan identifies the man as Amirali Mirjafari, saying he had been convicted of carrying out arson at the Qolhak mosque in Tehran and leading anti-security activities.

His death sentence was upheld by the Supreme Court and carried out early on Tuesday, Mizan adds.

Iran was rocked by nationwide anti-government protests earlier this year, which were repressed in the biggest crackdown in the Islamic Republic’s history.

Car that killed 16-year-old Palestinian cyclist reportedly belongs to minister’s security detail

The car that collided with and killed a 16-year-old Palestinian cyclist this morning near Hebron in the West Bank reportedly belongs to the Magen security company, which protects cabinet ministers.

Palestinian media names the victim as Mohammad Majdi al-Jabari.

It is unclear which minister the car was meant to protect. The Maariv daily reports that, according to initial findings, the car belongs to National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir’s security convoy. But Haaretz reports, citing a security source, that the car was en route to guard Settlements Minister Orit Strock.

Ben Gvir lives in the Hebron-area settlement of Kiryat Arba. Strock lives in Hebron.

In a statement, Ben Gvir’s office says that the “vehicle is not the minister’s and the minister was not at the scene.”

“As for the incident itself: the Arab minor burst into the road at a red light, and the security guard did all he could to avoid an accident and was even injured himself and at the moment is being treated at a hospital,” the statement reads.

At Memorial Day ceremony, Katz vows Hezbollah chief will ‘pay with his head’

Defense Minister Israel Katz at a Memorial Day ceremony at the Western Wall, Jerusalem's Old City, April 20, 2026. (Chaim Goldberg/Flash90)

Defense Minister Israel Katz vows Hezbollah leader Naim Qassem will “pay with the loss of his head” for attacks on Israel, during a speech at Mount Herzl for the annual ceremony of the counting of the names of fallen soldiers.

“Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and I ordered the IDF to act with strength, even during the ceasefire, in order to defend our soldiers in Lebanon against every threat.

“Our duty to the northern residents remains clear and unequivocal: to bring security,” he continued, vowing to act against threats north of Lebanon’s Litani River as well.

“Nasrallah destroyed the Shiite community in Lebanon and Naim Qassem will destroy it and pay with the loss of homes and territory — just like Hamas did in Rafah and Beit Hanoun in Gaza — until he also pays with the loss of his head,” Katz says.

16-year-old killed after car hit electric bike in West Bank

The scene after a car crashed into an electric bike near Hebron in the West Bank, killing a Palestinian teen, April 21, 2026. (MDA)

A 16-year-old boy was killed after a car collided with his electric bicycle near Beit Einun Junction, near Hebron in the West Bank.

Mohammad Majdi al-Ja’abari, 16, from Hebron, was declared dead by medics at the scene.

Police have opened an investigation.

Nurit Yohanan contributed to this report.

Trump: Extracting Iran’s buried uranium will be ‘long and difficult process’

This satellite image from Planet Labs PBC shows the rubble of the Pilot Fuel Enrichment Plant at Iran's Natanz nuclear enrichment site on December 3, 2025. (Planet Labs PBC via AP)

US President Donald Trump says Iranian uranium enrichment and storage sites were completely destroyed in an operation in June, and that digging out the nuclear material will be difficult.

“Operation Midnight Hammer was a complete and total obliteration of the Nuclear Dust sites in Iran. Therefore, digging it out will be a long and difficult process. Fake News CNN, and other corrupt Media Networks and Platforms, fail to give our great aviators the credit they deserve — Always trying to demean and belittle — LOSERS!!!” he writes on Truth Social.

Trump has previously claimed that the June operation during the 12-day war with Iran successfully destroyed Iran’s uranium enrichment facilities, and has recently claimed Tehran has agreed to allow the material to be shipped out of the country.

However, Iranian officials have insisted on their “nuclear rights” and have not agreed to such a term.

In Memorial Day message, Netanyahu says Israel has ‘removed’ an existential threat, but fight isn’t over

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says that while the war against Iran and its terror proxies isn’t over, Israel removed the existential threat they posed, in a message to bereaved families on Memorial Day.

“We remember every fallen soldier whose life was cut short, but on Memorial Day we meet them with a broader perspective, a national perspective,” he says.

“The collective memory touches the foundations of our existence, as a country that constantly struggles for its security,” he adds.

Touching on the ongoing conflict with Iran and its terror proxies, Netanyahu says the campaign isn’t over, “but we have already removed an existential threat from us. We have returned all our hostages, hit our enemies hard, and made Israel a stronger state than ever before.”

Board of Peace reportedly holds talks with Dubai firm to run Gaza reconstruction

DP World's chairman and CEO Sultan Ahmed bin Sulayem at a presentation in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, April 29, 2018. (AP Photo/Kamran Jebreili)

Representatives for Donald Trump’s Board of Peace have held discussions with state-owned Dubai multinational DP World about managing supply chains and other infrastructure projects in Gaza, the Financial Times reports, citing three people familiar with the matter.

The talks examine whether DP World could enter into a partnership with the Board of Peace to run the logistics for humanitarian aid and other goods entering Gaza, the report says.

Iranian ship seized by US likely contained dual-use items — sources

LONDON — The Iranian-flagged container ship Touska, which was boarded and seized by US forces on Sunday, is likely to have what Washington deems dual-use items that could be used by the military on board, maritime security sources say.

The small container ship, which is part of the Islamic Republic of Iran Shipping Lines (IRISL) group that has been hit with US sanctions, was boarded on Sunday off the coast of Iran’s Chabahar port in the Gulf of Oman and last reported its position at 1308 GMT, according to ship-tracking data on the Marine Traffic platform.

The US Central Command said Touska’s crew failed to comply with repeated warnings over a six-hour period, and that the vessel was in violation of a US blockade.

The security sources, who declined to be identified, say their initial assessments were that the vessel was likely to be carrying dual-use items after a voyage from Asia.

The vessel had previously transported items deemed as dual-use, one of the sources says.

The sources do not go into details on the items. US Central Command has listed metals, pipes, and electronic components among other goods that could have a military as well as an industrial use and could be captured.

Iran’s foreign ministry says US forces attacked an Iranian commercial vessel, the Touska, near its coast, condemning the incident as “unlawful and a violation” of international law, according to Iranian media.

Iran demanded the immediate release of the vessel, its sailors and their families, the ministry says, adding that the incident breached a ceasefire agreed this month and warning that Washington would be responsible for any further escalation.

U.S. forces patrol the Arabian Sea near M/V Touska, April 20, as the Iranian-flagged vessel's container cargo is searched after U.S. Marines boarded and seized the ship when it attempted to violate the U.S. naval blockade. pic.twitter.com/Czs127lK6p

— U.S. Central Command (@CENTCOM) April 20, 2026

Trump’s nonstop public commentary harming Iran talks, his aides tell CNN

US President Donald Trump listens in the Oval Office of the White House, April 18, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson)

US President Donald Trump has been torpedoing the Iran negotiations with his nonstop public commentary about their content, several of his advisers told CNN.

The talks were nearing a breakthrough on Friday when Trump began commenting about them on social media and in marathon phone interviews with reporters, according to CNN, which cites several US officials who spoke on condition of anonymity.

Trump in those interviews claimed that Iran agreed to every point of contention, including giving up its entire stockpile of enriched uranium.

Iranian officials quickly issued denials of Trump’s claims, with the US officials acknowledging to CNN that the talks were at a very sensitive stage when the president began weighing in and that his comments didn’t help alleviate the deep Iranian mistrust of Washington.

Responding to the report, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt says, “The United States has never been closer to a good deal with Iran, unlike the horrible deal made by the Obama administration, thanks to President Trump’s negotiating ability. Anyone who cannot see President Trump’s tactics to play the long game are either stupid or willfully ignorant.”

The US officials suggested Trump caused further harm by continuing to take calls from reporters and posting dozens of times on Truth Social each day.

Trump on Sunday said that US Vice President JD Vance would not be attending the second round of Iran talks in Pakistan due to security concerns. The White House later clarified that Vance would in fact be leading the US delegation in Pakistan.

On Monday, Trump claimed in an interview that Vance had already departed for Islamabad when he in fact was still in Washington and now isn’t even supposed to leave until Tuesday.

Later Monday, Trump claimed that a deal with Iran would be reached later today, even though talks were not scheduled to begin until Tuesday at the earliest and Tehran has not even confirmed that it will attend.

He then told Bloomberg that the two-week ceasefire with Iran expires on Wednesday night, even though that would be one day later than the deadline that he originally set.

Vance to reportedly depart Tuesday for Iran talks in Pakistan

US Vice President JD Vance speaks during a Turning Point USA event at Akins Ford Arena at the Classic Center in Athens, Georgia, April 14, 2026. (Chip Somodevilla/Pool via AP)

US Vice President JD Vance will travel to Pakistan on Tuesday for Iran talks, Axios reports, citing US sources.

According to the report, which says Vance is expected to be accompanied by US President Donald Trump’s envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, the White House was waiting all Monday for a signal that Iran would dispatch a delegation to the talks, with a green light eventually coming at night.

Tim Cook to step down as Apple CEO, hand reins over to iPhone maker’s hardware leader

FILE - Apple CEO Tim Cook speaks on stage during an announcement of new products at Apple Park in Cupertino, California, September 9, 2025. (AP Photo/Godofredo A. Vásquez, File)

Apple CEO Tim Cook is stepping down from the job that he inherited from the late Steve Jobs, ending a nearly 15-year reign that saw the company’s market value soar by more than $3.6 trillion during an iPhone-fueled era of prosperity.

Cook, 65, will turn the CEO duties over to Apple’s head of hardware engineering, John Ternus, on September 1 while remaining involved with the Cupertino, California, company as executive chairman. That’s similar to the transitions made by Amazon’s Jeff Bezos and Netflix’s Reed Hastings after they ended their highly successful tenures as CEO.

“It has been the greatest privilege of my life to be the CEO of Apple and to have been trusted to lead such an extraordinary company,” Cook says in a statement. “I love Apple with all of my being, and I am so grateful to have had the opportunity to work with a team of such ingenious, innovative, creative, and deeply caring people.”

Ternus, 50, has been with Apple for the past quarter century, including the past five years overseeing the engineering underlying the iPhone, iPad and Mac — a role that made him a prime candidate to succeed Cook.

“I am profoundly grateful for this opportunity to carry Apple’s mission forward,” Ternus says in a statement.

The transition to a new CEO comes at a pivotal time for Apple. Artificial intelligence has unleashed the most upheaval within the industry since Jobs unveiled the first iPhone in 2007. Apple has gotten off to a rough start in AI after stumbling in its efforts to deliver new features built on the technology, as promised nearly two years ago.

Earlier this year, Apple finally turned to Google — an early leader in the AI race — for help making the iPhone’s virtual assistant Siri into a more conversational and versatile helper.

Although he never shook the perception that he lacked Jobs’ vision, Cook leveraged the popularity of the iPhone and other breakthroughs orchestrated by his predecessor to lift Apple to heights that seemed unfathomable when it was on the brink of bankruptcy during the mid-1990s.

Iran’s top negotiator blasts Trump for imposing US naval blockade, amid doubts over further talks

FILE - Iran's parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, speaks during a press conference in Beirut, Lebanon, on October 12, 2024. (AP Photo/Bilal Hussein, File)

Iran’s chief negotiator seems to cast further doubt on a second round of talks with the United States.

In a post on X, Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf hits out at President Donald Trump over the American naval blockade of Iran, accusing the US of seeking to use the talks to force the Islamic Republic’s “surrender or to justify renewed warmongering.”

“We do not accept negotiations under the shadow of threats,” Ghalibaf writes.

He also says Iran has been preparing “to reveal new cards on the battlefield.”

Police arrest ultra-Orthodox extremists seen tearing down Israeli flags on eve of Memorial Day

Suspects arrested for tearing down Israeli flags in Beit Shemesh on April 20, 2026. (Israel Police)

Police say they have arrested two ultra-Orthodox extremists who were allegedly seen tearing down Israeli flags in the town of Beit Shemesh on the eve of Memorial Day.

The suspects were transferred for questioning after which a decision will be made as to whether to request that their remand be extended.