June 10: Israeli official bemoans US demand that Jerusalem show restraint against Iran, noting Trump didn’t hold back

Albania protests swell as opposition to Kushner resort persists

Thousands take to the streets of Albania’s capital Tirana in the largest demonstration yet against the development of a luxury resort planned by US President Donald Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner.

The project, expected to cost around 5 billion euros ($5.7 billion), has provoked outrage in the Balkan country because of its location near a protected wetland home to flamingoes, seals and sea turtle nesting sites, but also for a perceived lack of transparency surrounding the plans designed by foreign investors.

Protesters hold signs that say “Albania is not for sale” and chant “New Albania” outside Prime Minister Edi Rama’s office as the crowd stretches half a mile down one of the city’s main boulevards.

Rama told Reuters in an interview this week that the project would go ahead and would be completed responsibly.

He also says he has made strides to reduce graft, including through the creation of a special prosecution office, known as SPAK, which has opened a series of high-profile investigations in recent years.

The resort development is the brainchild of Kushner and his wife, Ivanka Trump, who described falling in love with Albania a few years ago while visiting on a yacht.

Protests erupted at the development site near the village of Zvernec when developers erected a fence around some of the land last month. The fence has since been taken down.

Hundreds rally in south Beirut suburbs, Yemen in support of Iran, allies

Hundreds of people rallied this evening in Beirut’s southern suburbs, a stronghold of the Hezbollah terror group, in support of Iran and its allies, AFP correspondents report.

The rally came despite the ongoing war between Israel and the Iran-backed Hezbollah, with Israel pounding south and east Lebanon daily and having struck Beirut’s southern suburbs, known locally as Dahiyeh, most recently on Sunday.

AFP correspondents say hundreds of people, including many women and children, are at the rally, some waving Hezbollah or Iranian flags.

Some hold images of Iranian leaders, including the current supreme leader, Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei, and his father and predecessor Ali Khamenei, who was killed in US-Israeli strikes on February 28 at the start of the US-Israeli war with Iran.

Others hold images of former Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah, who was killed in massive Israeli strikes on Beirut’s southern suburbs in September 2024 during a previous Israel-Hezbollah conflict.

“We are here Dahiyeh in solidarity with the resistance, to send a message that we are steadfast,” Samar Hammoud, 54, tells AFP at the rally.

“Their planes don’t frighten us, their weapons don’t frighten us. We will stay and struggle and we will be victorious, God willing.”

Some women hold pictures of relatives killed in Israeli strikes in the latest war, while some children wave the Lebanese flag as the crowd chants slogans in support of Iran, Hezbollah, Gaza and Yemen.

Hezbollah, Yemen’s Houthi terror group and the Palestinian terror group Hamas in Gaza are part of an “axis of resistance” of pro-Iran forces opposed to Israel and the United States.

In Yemen this evening, the Houthi Al-Masirah channel reports crowds holding a similar gathering in Sanaa, with images of scores of demonstrators in the Yemeni capital, which is held by the Iran-backed group.

Times of Israel staff contributed to this report. 

No sustainable deal can be reached under threats, Iran’s UN envoy says

Iran’s Ambassador to the United Nations Amir Saeid Iravani tells the Security Council that a sustainable deal to end the war with the US and Israel cannot be reached through threats, intimidation and the use of force, and urges the US to refrain from threats like those made by US President Donald Trump today.

Trump said today, “We’re going to be attacking them and attacking them very hard” after Iran downed a US helicopter. He added, “We hit him hard yesterday, and we hit him again hard today — in case you miss it because you don’t turn on your television set.”

Colombia’s president at UN, after slamming Gaza war, appears to lament return to ‘era of the Nazis’

Just days after posting the phrase “Heil Hitler” on social media, outgoing Colombian President Gustavo Petro again invokes the Nazis, this time after criticizing Israel’s conduct in Gaza at the United Nations.

Petro, a left-wing president in the final weeks of his term ahead of the country’s June 21 runoff election, sparked anger when he posted “Heil Hitler” on Sunday in response to an op-ed supporting right-wing presidential candidate Abelardo de la Espriella.

Petro subsequently defended his use of the Nazi slogan, arguing that he was critiquing the language used by the op-ed’s author, which he said included “fascist phrases.” His defense came after criticism from Israeli leaders and others who said the “Heil Hitler” comment was inappropriate.

Today, during a meeting of the United Nations Security Council, Petro says he should have provided more context for his “Heil Hitler” post, according to Spanish-language media.

But he also brings up Nazis again in the context of “the fight for hydrocarbons” and Israel’s war against Hamas in Gaza.

“That’s what makes missiles rain down on peoples, on babies,” Petro says of competition over fossil fuels, according to a video shared by Israeli UN Ambassador Danny Danon, featuring what appears to be the UN’s real-time English translation.

“Twenty thousand have been killed in Gaza,” he says. “Those numbers cannot be hidden. No political or economic interest can conceal that fact. And that is the real red thread of what I’m going to say here, which [is] we’re going back to the era of the Nazis.”

Danon calls Petro “a delusional leader who spreads anti-Semitic statements” in a post on X.

“It is not clear what he took before the discussion this morning, but nothing justifies the reprehensible words that came out of his mouth,” Danon adds.

After tweeting “Heil Hitler” and not even bothering to apologize, the UN Security Council platformed a delusional leader who spreads anti-Semitic statements. Today the President of Colombia even claimed that “We're going back to the era of the Nazis”

It is not clear what he took… pic.twitter.com/1YlOe40nbI

— Danny Danon ???????? דני דנון (@dannydanon) June 10, 2026

Gaza hospital chief Abu Safiya, a Hamas officer held in Israel, looks thinner in 1st photo since Feb. 2025

A photo of Hussam Abu Safiya, the Gaza hospital director and officer in Hamas’s Military Medical Services, is publicized during an appeal hearing held this evening at Israel’s Supreme Court regarding his transfer to solitary confinement, which was reported by Physicians for Human Rights Israel earlier this week.

The image was taken inside his cell, from which he joined the hearing via video call. He appears thinner than he did before his arrest in 2024. The photo is the first image of him since one taken in February 2025, when he was brought to court for a remand hearing. He has yet to be charged.

The court has not yet issued a decision on the appeal, though one is expected in the coming hours.

He appears very weak and sick..

Dr Hussam abu Safiyeh appeared today in the Israeli High Court in occupied Jerusalem.. pic.twitter.com/qa4IETEkkE

— Motasem A Dalloul (@AbujomaaGaza) June 10, 2026

Abu Safiya, director of the Kamal Adwan Hospital in northern Gaza, was arrested by Israel during the war in Gaza in December 2024. He is one of the highest-profile Gazan detainees, and human rights groups have called for his release.

Following his arrest, decade-old photos surfaced showing him wearing Hamas uniforms alongside senior members of the terror group. Abu Safiya holds the rank of colonel in the terror group’s Military Medical Services, according to the service and Palestinian media reports.

The Military Medical Services is separate from Hamas’s military wing, the Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades, though its members directly participated in Hamas’s October 7, 2023, terror onslaught in southern Israel, which sparked the war.

Katz: Campaign against Iran is ‘far from over,’ IDF ‘ready to attack with great strength’

Defense Minister Israel Katz says Israel’s campaign against Iran is “far from over” and that the military remains prepared to “attack with great strength.”

Speaking at a Defense Ministry prize ceremony, he praises IDF soldiers delivering “heavy blows” against Hezbollah in Lebanon, where he says troops cleared out a Christian neighborhood in Tyre and attacked operatives of the terror group there.

Residents of the neighborhood, where religious leaders had previously appealed for international intervention, are now returning to their homes, Katz says.

Regarding the conflict with Iran, in which Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reportedly called off a significant strike under US pressure, Katz says, “We must not think the war is done. The campaign against Iran is far from over.”

He adds, “If Iran attacks Israel, it will suffer a heavy blow like the one we did a few days ago. The IDF is ready to attack with great strength in Iran.”

Incoming defense attaché to US promoted to vice admiral

The incoming defense attaché to the United States, Tal Politis, is promoted to the rank of vice admiral, the naval equivalent of major general.

Vice Adm. Politis most recently served as chief of staff of the Navy.

He is set to become defense attaché to the US soon, a role that has been vacant for some six months.

A promotion ceremony was held today at the IDF’s headquarters in Tel Aviv, attended by IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir, Defense Minister Israel Katz, other officers and Politis’s family.

Police defuse explosive in East Jerusalem Jewish neighborhood, criminal motive suspected

Police have defused an explosive discovered in Pisgat Ze’ev, a Jewish neighborhood in East Jerusalem.

The device was found in what has been described as a closet near the entrance to a residential building in the neighborhood, police say.

The explosive was disabled before it could cause any injuries or damage.

Police have launched an investigation into the incident and suspect that it is criminal, rather than terror-related.

Trump: Over 100 million barrels of oil have passed through Hormuz due to ‘secret mission’

US President Donald Trump says over 100 million barrels of crude have passed through the Strait of Hormuz as part of what he called a “secret mission” by the US to support oil tankers.

“More than 200 Commercial Ships have safely traveled through the Strait,” he writes in a post on Truth Social.

Israeli official: US demanded we show restraint against Iran, but Trump didn’t hold back

An Israeli official expresses a rare bout of frustration with the Trump administration over its handling of the ongoing crisis with Iran.

Speaking to The Times of Israel, the Israeli diplomatic official points to what he calls the “justified” US feeling that it needed to respond to Iran’s shooting down of an American military helicopter on Monday night, even though it had previously called on Israel to show restraint in response to Iranian fire.

“The US understandably felt that not responding would have made them look weak, but when we said the same thing following attacks from Iran and Hezbollah, we were told by the administration to show restraint,” the Israeli official says.

While US officials have regularly expressed their frustration with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in anonymous conversations with reporters in recent weeks and months, such ire has been almost unheard of from the Israeli side, as Jerusalem seeks to keep US President Donald Trump in its corner.

The decision by the Israeli official to speak out, even anonymously, points to growing angst in Jerusalem with the Trump administration’s handling of the Iran conflict.

While Trump did indeed express frustration both privately and publicly with Israeli decisions to aggressively respond to attacks from Iran and Hezbollah, he didn’t explicitly demand ahead of time that Netanyahu not carry out those strikes, the Israeli official acknowledges.

Accordingly, the Israeli official admits there were limited practical implications to the US warnings to Israel about not retaliating harshly against Iran and Hezbollah.

US strikes aim to create leverage in talks; official warns Iran not to ‘drag their feet’ — report

Recent American strikes on Iran were meant to ramp up pressure on Tehran in ongoing negotiations to end the war, according to a report on Channel 12 and Axios citing two US officials, after US President Donald Trump said he would strike the country again tonight following Iran’s shooting down of a US helicopter.

The reports air shortly after Trump vows to strike Iran “very hard” tonight, saying the regime has been “playing us for suckers.”

The reports by journalist Barak Ravid, who works for both outlets, say that last night’s US attack was meant to force Iran into responding to America’s latest proposal after two weeks of delays.

The US took care to keep the strikes “proportionate and surgical,” without Iranian casualties, in order to keep the talks alive, the American officials say.

“If we didn’t respond, it would have made us look weak and also negatively influenced our position in the negotiations with Iran,” one of the officials tells Axios.

Ahead of the strikes, the US reportedly made clear to Iran that the targets would solely consist of military facilities.

According to the outlets, the White House, several hours before conducting the strikes, tried once more to solicit an answer from Iranian negotiators regarding Trump’s latest proposal, which included concessions to the regime — but received no response.

Qatari officials landed in Tehran this morning in a bid to continue the talks and already met with Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, Arab and US officials tell ToI.

According to the Channel 12 report, Iran declined to hold a three-way meeting in Doha with American and Qatari officials to discuss the talks, meant to prevent the regime from obtaining a nuclear weapon and reopen the Strait of Hormuz, which Iran closed after the start of US-Israeli strikes.

“The deal is still on the table, but the president is ready to make the Iranians pay a price if they continue to delay and drag their feet,” a US official said, according to Axios.

Leaders of Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Qatar and UAE invited to G7, Macron says

Leaders from Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates will be invited to participate in a G7 session in France next week to discuss the war with Iran, French President Emmanuel Macron says.

Next Tuesday’s summit session will focus on the closure of the Strait of Hormuz by Iran, which has “a real impact on our economies” due in particular to soaring fuel prices, and on “negotiations on Iran,” Macron says.

US issues fresh Iran-related sanctions, US Treasury notice shows

The Trump administration has issued a fresh round of Iran-related sanctions targeting six individuals and four entities, including some tied to China, according to a notice posted on the US Department of Treasury’s website.

‘Israel is not at war with you:’ Netanyahu appeals to Lebanese, says fight is with Hezbollah, Iran

In an English video message addressed to the Lebanese people, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu urges them to “join Israel” in peace despite the “sick aims” of Iran and Hezbollah, which he says are the only obstacles to good relations between the countries.

“I have a message for you, the people of Lebanon. Israel is not at war with you. We’re at war with Hezbollah, that has taken your country hostage, that does Iran’s bidding, that uses your territory to launch terrorist attacks against Israel,” Netanyahu says.

رسالتي إلى الشعب اللبناني pic.twitter.com/I2aU7MYV6P

— Benjamin Netanyahu – בנימין נתניהו (@netanyahu) June 10, 2026

This marks the second such appeal by an Israeli leader today, after President Isaac Herzog sent an Arabic-language message to Lebanese President Joseph Aoun, telling his counterpart that he hopes for “peace” between their countries but that such an outcome depends on Beirut curbing the influence of Iran and its proxy Hezbollah. Netanyahu’s message carries Arabic subtitles.

“Hezbollah is weaker than ever. Israel is stronger than ever,” Netanyahu continues, saying the IDF has eliminated nearly 10,000 Hezbollah terrorists and is “systematically clearing out South Lebanon of these fanatics.”

Along with Israel’s military actions against the Lebanese terror group, “we yearn for peace with you, with Lebanon,” the premier adds. “A peace where our two peoples can invest together, build together, thrive together. The only impediment, the only obstacle to this beautiful vision is Hezbollah,” he says.

“They will sacrifice as many of you as possible to achieve their sick aims,” he warns, adding, “seize your future. Join Israel… once Hezbollah is dismantled, the possibilities are endless. And they are sky high.”

The appeals by Netanyahu and Herzog signal the increasingly open nature of communication between Israel and Lebanon amid ongoing US-hosted direct talks between the two countries, though a long-term agreement has proved difficult to reach.

Iran continues to insist that a truce between Israel and Hezbollah in Lebanon be part of any ceasefire deal with the US, while the Lebanese Armed Forces appear unable to keep the terror group in check amid continued fighting with Israel.

Responding to rabbis’ threat, IDF says men and women won’t serve in ‘same framework’ in Armored Corps

The IDF responds to a threat by the leaders of 12 yeshivas who said today that they would no longer send their students to join tank units because of an army plan to integrate women into the Armored Corps as part of a pilot program.

The yeshivas are all part of the “hesder” program, which allows observant young men, typically from a religious nationalist background, to combine several years of Torah studies with a shortened military service currently set at one year and five months.

“After approximately two and a half years of intense, multi-front and unprecedented war, during which the operational missions of the IDF were expanded, and the burden on the reserve forces increased significantly, the IDF needs every male and female combat soldier,” the military says in a statement.

“As the people’s army, the IDF places the highest importance on integrating all populations, while making a great effort to preserve their way of life and needs, in a manner that does not harm one population at the expense of another,” the IDF says.

The rabbis in their letter wrote that they “take a very serious view of the decision by the High Court of Justice to require the IDF to integrate female combat soldiers” in the Armored Corps, after the court ruled last month that the army must begin a trial program for female soldiers to serve in the corps by November, following repeated delays by the military.

“The High Court of Justice did not instruct the IDF to enlist female soldiers into the Armored Corps, but rather instructed it to conduct the planned pilot on the matter,” the military says.

The IDF says it is “working to integrate women into combat roles wherever possible.”

“A pilot, by definition, is an initial trial intended to examine the possibility of continuing [the program],” the military says, adding that the pilot will be conducted in accordance with the military’s existing protocols on men and women serving together, “while ensuring compliance with all required operational and professional standards, and in accordance with operational needs.”

Despite the false claims that men would be forced to serve inside tanks with women, the military has been planning only gender-segregated tanks.

“Among all the options being examined in the pilot, there is no alternative in which men and women will serve together within the same framework,” the IDF says.

The IDF says that in recent months, senior military officials have “maintained continuous contact with the heads of hesder yeshivas and their representatives, alongside other figures in the religious-Zionist community, regarding this matter.”

The IDF has said it urgently needs 12,000 recruits — mostly combat troops — due to the strain caused by the war.

Police question far-right provocateur Mordechai David over obstructing former soccer star

Police have summoned far-right provocateur Mordechai David for interrogation after he recorded himself attempting to block Eyal Berkovic, a former athlete turned news presenter, from driving in Ramat Hasharon.

On Tuesday, David attempted to confront Berkovic in the central city by putting his entire weight on the hood of his Tesla as he tried to drive away. The former soccer star nevertheless accelerated as David remained on top of his vehicle.

Berkovic was also summoned, but has not yet arrived for interrogation over the footage from this week, which police say raised suspicions of “blocking a vehicle and reckless driving involving danger to human life.”

המוקד: העימות בין מרדכי דוד לאייל ברקוביץ’ והסרטון שעורר סערה: המשטרה פתחה בבדיקה ובוחנת לזמן את השניים לחקירה pic.twitter.com/io5sk4UvX6

— חדשות המוקד (@hamoked_il) June 9, 2026

Earlier today, David was questioned under caution on suspicion of violation of privacy and causing a public disturbance. He was released on restrictive conditions as police continue to probe the incident.

David, a social media star who has made a career out of harassing liberal journalists and public figures, also targeted Berkovic earlier this year, apparently over the presenter’s critical stance toward the current government.

Asked about Erdogan’s threats against Israel, Trump praises Turkish leader

US President Donald Trump hails Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in response to a question about the latter’s recent threats against Israel.

A reporter in the Oval Office notes the recent call from Erdogan for countries to confront Israel due to what he said were its destabilizing activities throughout the region, and the journalist asks Trump whether he’s concerned about a confrontation between Jerusalem and Ankara, and whether he still plans to sell Turkey F-35 fighter jets.

“As you know, he’s a very good friend of mine, and we’ve worked very well together. I like him a lot,” Trump responds, avoiding any comment on Erdogan’s threats against Israel.

Trump tells reporters that he hasn’t heard about Erdogan’s latest criticism of Israel but that if he did, he’d call the Turkish leader and make sure that “nothing would happen with Turkey.”

Earlier today, Erdogan said Israel’s attacks on Syria and Lebanon reached a point where they also threaten Turkey, adding Israel’s “aggression” poses a threat to the whole world and must be stopped. Netanyahu shouted back by calling Erdogan an “antisemitic dictator.”

Trump has repeatedly touted Erdogan in the past, but the fact that he was willing to do so again in the context of the Turkish leader’s threats against Israel could be the latest indication of the US President’s growing unease with Netanyahu, whom he has reportedly chewed out in recent phone calls as well as somewhat in the press, asserting that the premier will do whatever he tells him to do when it comes to Iran and Lebanon.

Netanyahu, Trump ‘fully coordinated’ amid US attacks on Iran, PM’s office source says

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and US President Donald Trump are “fully coordinated” amid escalating tensions with Iran as Trump vows to carry out additional attacks on the Islamic Republic, a source in the Prime Minister’s Office tells The Times of Israel.

“The PM and President speak every other day, sometimes every day, and are fully coordinated,” the source says.

The two leaders appeared at odds earlier this week when Trump urged Netanyahu not to escalate after Iran launched ballistic missile attacks, but Israel nevertheless carried out strikes. Trump has since taken a tougher stance towards Tehran following Iran’s downing of a US helicopter over the Strait of Hormuz, though he has not abandoned efforts to reach a diplomatic deal, which he said today was “fully negotiated.”

US says it fired on and disabled an oil tanker that violated Iran port blockade

An American warplane fired on and disabled a tanker in the Gulf of Oman that was attempting to transport oil from Iran in violation of a US blockade, the US military says.

Late the previous day, the aircraft “fired precision munitions into the ship’s engine room after the crew repeatedly failed to comply with directions from American forces,” US Central Command says in a post on X, identifying the vessel as the Palau-flagged M/T Settebello.

IDF says it struck Hezbollah targets in south Lebanon over past day

The IDF says it struck Hezbollah operatives and infrastructure belonging to the terror group in Tyre and other areas of southern Lebanon in the past day.

One of the strikes hit a cache of weapons, according to the IDF. The military publishes footage showing some of the strikes.

At least 13 people were reported killed in Israeli strikes in Lebanon today.

בצור ובדרום לבנון: צה"ל ממשיך לתקוף תשתיות ולחסל מחבלים מארגון הטרור חיזבאללה

במהלך היממה האחרונה, צה"ל תקף תשתיות של ארגון הטרור חיזבאללה וחיסל מחבלים בצור ובמרחבים נוספים בדרום לבנון.

במסגרת אחת התקיפות, הותקף מצבור אמצעי לחימה של ארגון הטרור חיזבאללה. בעקבות התקיפה, זוהו… pic.twitter.com/rcQtm1hjXc

— צבא ההגנה לישראל (@idfonline) June 10, 2026

Trump: US will be attacking Iran again today, ‘They keep playing us for suckers’ but deal is ‘fully negotiated’

US President Donald Trump says the US will be attacking Iran again today after Iran shot down an American military helicopter near the Strait of Hormuz, even as he also says a deal with Iran has been “fully negotiated.”

He adds that Tehran is stalling on signing because it knows how “significant” the concessions would be.

“We’re going to be attacking them and attacking them very hard,” Trump says in the Oval Office when asked to explain his Truth Social post from earlier today, when he said that Iran would have to “pay a price” for taking too long to reach a deal. The first US attack in retaliation for the downing of the helicopter came last night.

“We hit him hard yesterday, and we hit him again hard today — in case you miss it because you don’t turn on your television set,” Trump tells reporters.

US Central Command said late last night that it targeted Iranian military assets in response to the helicopter downing, leading Iran to target several US military bases throughout the region today.

Trump again claims that the sides are close to a deal that will prevent Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon before saying that Tehran has been dragging its feet on signing a deal. The US president, on May 24, claimed the agreement was largely negotiated and for weeks before that also claimed that an agreement was on the verge of being signed.

With the US president now indicating that the US is prioritizing retaliation against Iran, it would appear that a signing is not imminent.

“They keep playing us for suckers,” Trump says, adding that Iran would be facing a far worse retaliation had the pilots in the downed helicopter been injured by the Iranian drone, which he claims was “a bomb that was lodged in the helicopter that didn’t explode.”

Asked whether he’s again considering attacking Iranian energy sites, Trump declines to answer definitively, saying he could “knock them out” if he wanted.

He adds that the US has managed to get ships through the Strait of Hormuz, including 22 last night, thanks to Iran not having a radar system.

After police say she should be indicted for fake jobs, May Golan decries ‘political witch hunt on steroids’

After police recommend that May Golan be prosecuted over suspicions that she created fake jobs in her ministry for acquaintances, the social equality minister decries a “political witch hunt on steroids” and insists she has committed no crime.

She claims she is being persecuted by a “junta” for exposing corruption.

“From the moment when it became known that I was exposing the debacles and crimes that the junta is so afraid of, and spilling the foulest beans, a decision was made to go after me in every way possible,” she writes on X.

She accuses police investigators of acting like the Sicilian mafia and of starving her acquaintances.

Investigators in the Lahav 433 major crimes unit led the probe against Golan, who is suspected of bribery, fraud, and breach of trust for the alleged job-fixing.

Iran envoy slams ‘counter-productive’ resolution from UN nuclear watchdog

Iran’s ambassador in Vienna calls a new resolution passed by the UN nuclear watchdog demanding access to Tehran’s nuclear sites “counter-productive” and an obstacle to talks with Washington.

Ambassador Reza Najafi tells AFP the International Atomic Energy Agency resolution was “politically motivated” and “legally flawed.”

The vote “cannot help and, would be indeed counterproductive to the current situation,” he adds. “It further complicates the volatile situation, volatile ceasefire, and the unfinished negotiations between Iran and the US,” he says.

Israeli airstrikes kill 13 in south Lebanon, Lebanese sources say

Israeli airstrikes in southern Lebanon killed at least 13 people today, Lebanese security sources say, as Israel pressed its campaign against Hezbollah and the Iran-backed terror group claimed fresh attacks against IDF forces in the south.

There is no immediate comment from the IDF.

The dead include nine people killed in the village of Dayr Debba, 8 kilometers (5 miles) east of the city of Tyre, the state-run National News Agency reports. Reuters footage showed vehicles ablaze in the southern city of Sidon after an Israeli airstrike.

In addition, a Lebanese soldier died on Wednesday from wounds caused by an Israeli airstrike in the south on March 17, the Lebanese military says.

Times of Israel staff contributed to this report. 

Trump says he is seeking permanent intelligence chief with security experience

US President Donald Trump says that he is looking for a permanent nominee who has experience in national security to head the Office of the Director of National Intelligence.

Trump, in a post on Truth Social, adds that he had asked Bill Pulte, whom he has named as the acting director effective June 19, to immediately downsize the office and revert staff to their home agencies.

Iran threatens to stop World Cup games if faced with unauthorized flags or slogans

Iran threatens to halt its matches at the World Cup if unauthorized flags are displayed or slogans targeting the national team are chanted at stadiums, Iranian media reports, citing Sports Minister Ahmad Donyamali, following criticism of the team’s presence at the tournament.

The World Cup begins tomorrow, with Iran opening its Group G campaign against New Zealand in Los Angeles on June 15. The team next faces Belgium at the same venue on June 21 before taking on Egypt in Seattle on June 26.

“We have informed FIFA that if unofficial flags are brought or slogans against the national team are chanted in the stadiums where Iran plays in the World Cup, the team manager will definitely be responsible for stopping the match,” Donyamali said yesterday, according to Iranian media. “We have been assured that no disruptive incidents will occur in the stadium during the match against Egypt.”

Iran and Egypt’s football associations had previously urged FIFA to prevent any LGBTQ+ Pride-related activities during the Seattle match. The fixture had been designated by local organizers as a “Pride Match” to coincide with Seattle’s Pride weekend.

In April, protesters gathered outside the FIFA Congress in Vancouver called for Iran to be banned from the tournament, saying the team represents the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps rather than the Iranian people.

3 Haredi protesters arrested at demos in Jerusalem on suspicion of attacking police officers

Police arrest three Haredi protesters on suspicion of rioting and attacking police officers in Jerusalem, as anti-draft demonstrations continue to rock the capital.

Many of the participants “attacked officers, threw objects and refused to obey the instructions of forces at the scene,” police say in a statement.

Police are employing riot control methods including stun grenades and horses to break up the stormy demonstrations throughout the city.

The demonstrations are taking place after the extremist Jerusalem Faction movement called on its followers to turn out nationwide in protest of police’s intention to transfer 19 Haredi draft dodgers to IDF custody.

הפרגוד: מגרש הרוסים שימוש מוגבר ברימוני הלם pic.twitter.com/ICXqsY3xW6

— הפרגוד (@moshepargod) June 10, 2026

The detainees were arrested alongside 46 others during a riot last week outside the home of Supreme Court Justice Noam Sohlberg, in which a Haredi mob caused extensive property damage to the judge’s home.

3 of 4 Arab-majority parties say they’ll run together in election, invite Ra’am to join

Arab-majority party Hadash announces that it, Ta’al and Balad will move forward with reestablishing a joint slate ahead of the upcoming elections, while “leaving the door open” for Mansour Abbas’s Ra’am to join at a later stage.

“Hadash, Ta’al and Balad have decided to move forward with reestablishing the Joint List ahead of the upcoming elections,” the party says in a statement, referencing a united Arab slate that ran in previous elections, adding that “a final agreement with Ra’am has not yet been reached” despite the three parties’ “efforts and flexibility.”

Hadash says it remains committed to forming “the broadest possible joint list,” but that it cannot remain in “a state of waiting and uncertainty.” It adds that even if Ra’am ultimately runs separately, the sides will seek a vote-sharing agreement to maximize surplus votes and boost turnout.

All four parties signed an agreement in January committing to work together to revive the joint slate ahead of this year’s elections, but negotiations have been stalled for months, mainly due to Abbas’s insistence that the bloc be purely technical to preserve Ra’am’s ability to join a governing coalition, which the other Arab parties oppose.

According to Hadash, however, the three parties ultimately accepted that demand. A source with knowledge of the negotiations tells The Times of Israel that ultimately the main obstacle to a slate with all four parties was Ra’am’s demand that the other parties commit not to oppose or bring down any government that the Islamist party chooses to join.

That condition was a red line for the other three parties, the source says, arguing that they, “like Ra’am, insist on their right to act independently” and vote as they see fit.

Polls show a joint slate of the four parties winning 12-15 seats, with the parties garnering a smaller number of seats if they were to run separately.

IAEA board passes resolution demanding Iran report uranium stocks

The UN nuclear watchdog’s 35-nation Board of Governors passes a US-backed resolution telling Iran to declare its remaining enriched uranium stocks and let inspectors verify them, which could complicate Washington’s talks with Tehran to end the war.

The move came within hours of the US and Iran trading military strikes after US President Donald Trump said Iran had downed a US Apache helicopter near the Strait of Hormuz.

Israeli and US attacks in June of last year destroyed or badly damaged Iranian uranium-enrichment plants but much of the enriched uranium they produced, including material close to weapons-grade, is thought to have survived.

Iran still has not informed the International Atomic Energy Agency of the fate of that material, or let IAEA inspectors return to the bombed sites to check. The US led the push for the resolution, but Iran has called it “whitewashing military aggression” since inspectors had access before the strikes.

The resolution text submitted by the United States, Britain, France and Germany passes with 21 votes in favor, three against and 10 abstentions, diplomats at the closed-door meeting say.

The countries opposing are Russia, China and Niger, they say, adding that Venezuela was not allowed to take part.

Bill Gates to testify in US congressional panel’s Jeffrey Epstein investigation

Bill Gates will appear today before a congressional panel investigating the Jeffrey Epstein files, becoming the latest powerful figure linked to the disgraced financier to testify.

Members of the House Oversight Committee are slated to interview the billionaire Microsoft co-founder behind closed doors, as they have done with other witnesses in the investigation. Transcripts are often released later.

Gates, as he arrives at the Capitol this morning, notes he is there voluntarily and says he hopes his testimony will be useful for the committee.

“I hope my testimony is helpful to the work, the important work of the committee, to find justice for the victims,” he says.

Republican US Rep. James Comer, the committee chairman, formally requested that Gates testify after he appeared multiple times in a trove of documents released by the Justice Department as part of its Epstein probe.

The files read like a who’s who of powerful men across tech, finance, politics and other industries. All have denied involvement in Epstein’s crimes, but some maintained or formed friendships with him even after his history of sexual abuse came to light.

Included in the files are calendar entries for meetings between Gates and Epstein, email correspondence between the two about philanthropic projects and photos of Gates at events that Epstein also attended.

Their professional relationship began in 2011, three years after Epstein pleaded guilty in Florida to soliciting prostitution from a minor, and lasted until at least late 2014, according to the documents.

Epstein was federally indicted in July 2019 on charges of sex trafficking of minors and conspiracy to commit sex trafficking of minors. The Justice Department alleged that Epstein formed a vast network of underage girls, some as young as 14, for him to sexually abuse between 2002 and 2005. He died by suicide in a New York jail cell in 2019 while awaiting trial.

Gates, who chairs the Gates Foundation, has not been accused of wrongdoing in connection with Epstein and has denied any knowledge of Epstein’s abuse of girls. He has said they met only to discuss philanthropy and has called his association with Epstein “a huge mistake.”

Both Gates and his ex-wife, Melinda French Gates, have said his association with Epstein created tension in their marriage.

IDF confirms damage to airbase during Iranian missile fire this week, no injuries

The IDF confirms that damage was caused at the Israeli Air Force’s Ramat David Airbase during Iran’s ballistic missile fire on Israel earlier this week.

Yesterday, low-resolution satellite imagery showed what appeared to be an impact at a warehouse at the base.

The Israeli Air Force is still investigating what struck the warehouse, although preliminary findings point to falling fragments following an interception of an Iranian ballistic missile, rather than a direct impact.

According to the military, no equipment was damaged, no injuries were caused, and there was no harm to the operational functioning of the airbase.

Suspected Hezbollah drone intercepted over Lebanon near Israeli troops, IDF says

A suspected Hezbollah drone was intercepted over an area of southern Lebanon where Israeli troops are operating, the military says.

The “suspicious aerial target” triggered sirens in the border community of Shlomi, but did not cross into Israeli territory, according to the army.

Sirens sound in north warning of suspected drone from Lebanon

Sirens warning of a suspected drone infiltration from Lebanon sound in the border community of Shlomi.

The IDF says it is looking into the details.

Haredi protesters gather outside prisons nationwide in latest anti-police action

Ultra-Orthodox demonstrators are gathering outside prisons in major cities across the country to protest the police’s reported intention to transfer 19 draft dodgers to IDF custody, after they were detained during last week’s attack on the home of Supreme Court Justice Noam Sohlberg.

The extremist Jerusalem Faction movement, known for its vehement opposition to Haredi conscription, calls on its followers to protest the transfer of the suspects to the IDF Military Police.

Police say dozens of protesters have already converged on the Russian Compound police station in Jerusalem and are trying to “block the movement of vehicles transporting the detainees from the nearby detention facility.” Law enforcement is upping its presence at the scene as officers work to break up the crowd.

Officers are seen using force against the protesters, with one cop dragging a Haredi man across a street as the crowd shouts at law enforcement. Police have not reported any arrests so far.

חרדים הגיעו ל-4 בתי כלא ברחבי הארץ להפגין נגד הסגרת החשודים מהפגיעה בבית השופט סולברג לצה"ל; במגרש הרוסים בירושלים התפרץ עימות בין מפגינים לשוטרים.@daniel_grovais pic.twitter.com/AjKNud5WKE

— כאן חדשות (@kann_news) June 10, 2026

Outside the walls of the Abu Kabir detention center in Tel Aviv, hundreds of young Haredi men and boys have gathered for a protest on a nearby street. Border Police officers are at the scene but have not made any move to disperse the crowd.

Protests are also taking place outside Nitzan Prison in Ramle and Hadarim Prison near Ra’anana.

A week ago, a mob of Haredi rioters descended on Sohlberg’s home, breaking the windows of his house and car, smashing pots on his front porch and vandalizing the property.

Sixty-five were arrested at the scene by police, 19 of whom were apparently later found to be draft dodgers and subsequently held in custody, according to the Jerusalem Faction.

IDF says it detained 2 Lebanese suspects who approached troops

The Israeli military says it detained two Lebanese suspects who approached troops in southern Lebanon earlier today.

“Following the identification, the forces apprehended the suspects, who were transferred to Israeli territory for further questioning to rule out any threat,” the IDF says in response to a query.

Haredi MK declares ‘holy war’ after quasi-constitutional Torah study bill advances

Senior ultra-Orthodox lawmakers hail the Knesset’s vote to advance a controversial quasi-constitutional Basic Law bill declaring Torah study a foundational value of the State of Israel, calling it “a declaration of holy war” and branding opponents of the legislation “antisemites.”

“This is a declaration of holy war against those who blaspheme God, persecute the Torah and oppose those who study it,” United Torah Judaism MK Yisrael Eichler says, following years of the “honor” and “dignity” of Torah scholars being “trampled into the dust under the boots of dictatorial jurists who have seized power.”

UTJ lawmaker Meir Porush refers to opponents of the bill as “antisemites” and “enemies of the Torah and its students.” He also vilifies the judiciary, saying that the Haredi parties were compelled to bring forward this bill due to “the malicious conduct of the judicial system and the systematic persecution of Torah scholars over recent years.”

UTJ chairman Yitzhak Goldknopf calls today’s vote “the beginning of correcting a four-year injustice,” which will “restore the proper respect” for yeshiva students.”

The legislation comes amid a years-long debate over military exemptions for Haredi men that has intensified since the Hamas-led October 7, 2023, attack and ensuing multifront war. Ultra-Orthodox parties have sought to preserve the exemptions following a 2024 High Court ruling that deemed them unconstitutional, leading some state benefits to be curtailed.

The legislation now moves to committee and must still pass three additional Knesset readings before becoming law.

First oil tanker from Gulf headed to Europe since March, maritime tracking firm says

A tanker carrying 2 million barrels of crude oil is heading toward Europe having left the Gulf at the end of May, the first such shipment since March, data from the maritime tracking firm Kpler shows.

The Advantage Victory, a Marshall Islands-flagged tanker, passed through the Strait of Hormuz on May 27 without indicating its destination.

The vessel revealed its destination only on Monday, with its AIS signal indicating “NL RTM,” the code for Rotterdam in the Netherlands, one of Europe’s biggest ports.

It is scheduled to arrive on July 7.

The tanker, which was loaded with Iraqi oil at Basra on February 24 and March 1, is currently off the coast of Madagascar, according to its transponder.

It was the first tanker to traverse the Strait of Hormuz with oil heading to Europe since March 1, when the ship New Vision left the Gulf amid the confusion after the United States and Israel launched their war with Iran on February 28. Iran subsequently largely blocked the strait to non-Iranian traffic.

The tanker unloaded in Le Havre, France and Southwold, Britain in early April.

Around 103 oil tankers have left the Gulf through the Strait of Hormuz since March 1, carrying a total of 185 million barrels of crude oil, according to Kpler data.

From the beginning of the war until mid-April, when the US blockade of Iranian ports began, oil leaving the Gulf through the Strait of Hormuz was primarily Iranian, at 81 percent.

Since mid-April, tankers have come mainly from other Gulf countries (84 percent), with most unloading for clients in Asia or the Middle East.

The destination of some tankers, primarily Iranian, is unknown.

Times of Israel staff contributed to this report.

Opposition slams Torah study Basic Law bill as bid to preserve Haredi IDF draft exemptions

Opposition leaders lambaste the coalition after the Knesset votes to advance a controversial quasi-constituitonal Basic Law enshrining Torah study as a foundational value and effectively equating long-term Torah study with military service.

The coalition has insisted that language equating Torah study with military service will be removed before the bill’s next reading, warning that otherwise it will withdraw its support.

But left-wing Democrats MK Gilad Kariv dismisses those assurances, calling them “a complete lie.”

“The legislation explicitly states that evading military service in favor of yeshiva study will be recognized as a significant contribution to the State of Israel,” Kariv says, accusing the coalition of “spitting in the face of the serving public and bereaved families.”

Responding to United Torah Judaism MK Moshe Gafni’s remarks in the plenum that Torah study has sustained the Jewish people throughout history, including “in Warsaw during the Holocaust,” Opposition Leader Yair Lapid says, “In the Warsaw Ghetto they did not receive stipends to study Torah; in the Warsaw Ghetto they took up arms and launched a revolt for the Jewish people.”

He noted that his father, Holocaust survivor and former government minister Tommy Lapid, was forced into the ghetto “because there was no [Jewish] army.”

“This is a law to finance draft evasion. It is not a law about Torah – it’s a law about money,” says Lapid, chair of the centrist Yesh Atid.

National Unity MK Gadi Eisenkot, who is leading the opposition party Yashar ahead of upcoming elections, calls the legislation part of “a deal for a few more weeks in power” between the ultra-Orthodox parties and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s coalition, made at the expense of “Israeli lives and security.”

Former prime minister Naftali Bennett, who is also running to unseat Netanyahu as head of the Together slate, appeals directly to the Haredi public, arguing that the measure will harm both the state and the ultra-Orthodox community while serving only Haredi political leaders.

Referring to the leaders of the Haredi Shas and UTJ parties, he says, “[Aryeh] Deri and [Yitzhak] Goldknopf are condemning you to lives of poverty and dependence while they live in luxury villas and wear luxury brands. This is not Torah — it is a business model.”

Teen indicted on suspicion of pummeling Palestinian family’s dog

A teenager is indicted on charges of animal abuse and trespass, both racially motivated, for allegedly severely beating a dog belonging to a Palestinian family last month.

The 16-year old, who cannot be named because he is a minor, is a resident of the Maale Adumim settlement in the central West Bank.

The incident came to light after video footage emerged of a suspect repeatedly beating a dog on the head with two clubs until it apparently lost consciousness, and then continuing to club it afterwards.

The dog belongs to a family in the Palestinian village of Atara, near Ramallah, whose yard the defendant had allegedly illegally entered during a raid by settler extremists in the village.

The official X account of the Office of the Prime Minister of the State of Palestine posted a day afterwards that the dog had survived the attack and was treated by veterinarians for its wounds.

The indictment, filed to the Jerusalem Juvenile Court, alleges that the teen had trespassed into the Palestinian family’s yard in Atara on several occasions during 2026. In the incident in question, he allegedly entered with two of his own dogs, carried two clubs, and beat the dog, causing it severe injuries.

Prosecutors have requested that the teen be held in custody until the end of legal proceedings against him.

Knesset advances quasi-constitutional Basic Law bill effectively equating Torah study with IDF service

The Knesset votes 56-43 to advance a controversial Basic Law declaring Torah study a foundational value of the State of Israel, and effectively equating the study of Torah with military service.

Sponsored by ultra-Orthodox United Torah Judaism lawmakers MKs Moshe Gafni and Yaakov Asher, and backed by the ultra-Orthodox Shas party, the quasi-constitutional measure seeks to enshrine Torah study as a foundational value of the State of Israel and recognize long-term Torah study as service to the state and the Jewish people.

The legislative effort comes amid a fierce, years-long national debate over the blanket exemptions from military service that have long been given to Haredi men. Calls for Haredi conscription have mounted as Israel has fought a multifront war since the Hamas-led October 7, 2023, attack, while ultra-Orthodox parties have sought to preserve the military service exemptions following a 2024 High Court ruling that found them unconstitutional, leading some state benefits to be curtailed.

The legislation would recognize those who dedicate themselves to long-term Torah study as performing “meaningful service” to the state that is, essentially, equivalent to army service and confers upon those engaged in it equal rights to those who serve in the army.

The measure faced opposition from several coalition lawmakers, with four ultimately voting against it: Likud MKs Dan Illouz and Yuli Edelstein, Deputy Foreign Minister Sharren Haskel and Religious Zionism MK Moshe Solomon.

Speaking in the Knesset on behalf of the government, Minister Ze’ev Elkin says the coalition will support the bill in subsequent readings only if language comparing Torah students to military servicemembers is removed.

“The government’s position is to support the bill, provided that the comparison between Torah scholars and those who serve is removed,” Elkin tells the plenum, adding that the legislation will be amended before its subsequent readings or “will not advance.”

According to Hebrew media reports, Arab parties Hadash-Ta’al and Ra’am were absent from the vote as part of an understanding with the ultra-Orthodox parties, under which the latter have promised to block legislation backed by National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir to increase restrictions on the use of loudspeakers for calls to prayer in mosques in exchange for the Arab factions not opposing the Basic Law on Torah study.

The bill will now be sent to the Knesset House Committee, which will determine which committee will prepare it for its subsequent readings.

US, allies condemn Iran’s ‘lethal plotting’ in Europe, North America and Australia

The United States, Britain, European allies and other nations condemned Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps-Intelligence Organization, Quds Force, and Ministry of Intelligence and Security for “lethal plotting” and other actions in Europe, North America and Australia, a joint statement says.

Iran is alleged to be behind multiple antisemitic attacks in the UK and elsewhere. A new UK law will crack down on proxies of hostile states like Iran.

UN to send investigators to Lebanon over potential law breaches, rights chief says

The UN human rights office will deploy a team of investigators to Lebanon next week to assess potential violations of international law by all parties during the current war in the country between Israel and the Iran-backed Hezbollah terror group, UN human rights chief Volker Türk says.

“It’s the first time that we are sending this assessment mission, and the idea is indeed to look at violations by all parties — violations of international law, violations of international human rights law, and to document this, and eventually to report back to you on our findings,” Turk says.

Fighting has continued in Lebanon despite repeated declarations of a ceasefire amid direct talks between Jerusalem and Beirut backed by Washington.

The crisis is rapidly eroding food security, with nearly one in four people in Lebanon — about 1.24 million people — expected to face crisis and emergency levels of ⁠food insecurity until August, according to the UN.

Times of Israel staff contributed to this report.

Herzog in Arabic message to Lebanese counterpart: ‘Secure Lebanon’s freedom’ from Hezbollah, Iran

In an apparent first for an Israeli president, Isaac Herzog sends an Arabic-language message to Lebanese President Joseph Aoun, telling his counterpart that he hopes for “peace” between their countries but that this depends on Beirut curbing the influence of Iran and Hezbollah.

“I extend a hand of peace to the president of Lebanon and to the Lebanese people. But it is your responsibility to secure Lebanon’s freedom from the dictates of Hezbollah, Iran, and terrorist organizations, so that it may preserve its status as a sovereign and independent state,” Herzog says in a video released by his office, during a tour of Israel’s northern border.

“My dream is to travel to Beirut, and this dream is still alive, but only if Lebanon’s future is determined in Beirut, and not in Tehran,” Herzog adds.

The appeal signals the increasingly open nature of communication between Israel and Lebanon amid ongoing US-hosted direct talks between the two countries, though a long-term agreement has proved difficult to reach: Iran continues to insist that a truce between Israel and Hezbollah in Lebanon be part of any ceasefire deal with the US, while the Lebanese Armed Forces appear unable to keep the Hezbollah in check.

Switching to English, Herzog accuses the Iran-backed terror group of violating Israel’s 2006 and 2024 ceasefire agreements with Lebanon, saying Israel “cannot accept any attacks on our citizens, any attacks crossing our borders, any terror attacks. We have the full right to defend ourselves, and so long as there is no clear arrangement that protects our nation, it will be impossible to move forward.”

“So it’s in your hands, fight for it,” he says in the message, addressing the Lebanese people.

Qatari negotiators in Iran after consultations with US amid efforts for potential deal

An official with knowledge of the matter tells Reuters that Qatari negotiators traveled to Tehran today after consultations with the US, in an effort to finalize a potential US-Iran agreement.

There is no immediate comment from Washington or Tehran.

Netanyahu brands Erdogan ‘antisemitic dictator’ who supports Hamas after Turkish leader condemned Israeli strikes

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu hits back at Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s condemnation of Israeli “aggression” in the region, accusing his Turkish counterpart of being an “antisemitic dictator” unfit to criticize Israel.

“The antisemitic dictator Erdogan, who is carrying out genocide against the Kurds, supports the Hamas terrorist organization, oppresses his own people, and imprisons political opponents, is the last person who can preach morality to Israel,” the premier says in a Hebrew-language statement.

“Israel and the IDF, the most moral army in the world, will continue to act with strength against Iran and its proxies, which threaten the Middle East and the entire world,” Netanyahu adds.

Some human rights groups and Western governments have long accused Turkey of repressing political opponents. Ankara has also faced criticism over its military campaigns against Kurdish groups in Turkey, Syria, and Iraq, though it rejects allegations of genocide. Israel has frequently accused Erdogan of supporting Hamas, many of whose leaders are hosted in Turkey. The president has praised the group’s terrorists as “freedom fighters” while condemning Israel, including by comparing it to Nazi Germany and likening Netanyahu to Adolf Hitler.

Erdogan said earlier today that Israel’s attacks on Syria and Lebanon have reached a point where they also threaten Turkey, adding Israel’s “aggression” poses a threat to the whole world and must be stopped.

Trump shares ‘West Wing’ clip touting virtue of ‘disproportionate response’ after US retaliated against Iran

US President Donald Trump posts on Truth Social a scene from the TV series “West Wing” that touts the virtue of a “disproportionate response” to an attack on the US.

The post comes hours after the US retaliated against Iran for downing an American military helicopter in a drone strike that ended without any casualties.

Trump reposted US Central Command’s announcement on “self-defense” strikes that the US took overnight against Iranian targets and then attached the clip from West Wing in which the fictional US President Jed Bartlett demands his aides draw up a “disproportionate response” to the Syrian downing of a US military plane after they initially come to him with plans deemed more proportionate.

What Trump doesn’t show is the subsequent scene in the episode where Bartlett agrees to approve the more proportionate response after recognizing that the alternative he was initially pushing for would have led to many civilian deaths.

Trump declared yesterday that the US “must” respond to the helicopter downing, but telegraphed the development in a manner that indicated that he was opting for a measured retaliation that Tehran would know was coming.

But Iran responded by targeting several US military bases in the region this morning

Hours later, Trump indicated that the back and forth wasn’t over, posting on Truth Social that Iran was taking too long to negotiate a deal and that now it “will have to pay the price.”

Trump says he may order new strikes on Iran’s power plants and bridges

US President Donald Trump says he may order fresh strikes on Iran’s power plants and bridges, saying that Tehran is taking too long to reach a deal.

“I may keep going,” he says in comments in a phone interview, cited by Fox News. “They had a chance to sign a deal and survive.”

The reported comments come shortly after the US president said on Truth Social that Iran has “taken too long to negotiate a deal that would have been great for them. Now they will have to pay the price!”

Overnight, the US carried out strikes on Iran in retaliation for the downing of an American military helicopter. Iran responded with strikes on several US military bases in the region.

NEW: President Trump tells me he "may keep going" with strikes against Iran and is getting closer to targeting Iranian power plants and bridges.

The President also spoke about the U.S. military helicopter that was downed saying that an Iranian drone lodged between the two… pic.twitter.com/j5aQEIzi9s

— Trey Yingst (@TreyYingst) June 10, 2026

2 said killed in Israeli strike in Lebanon’s Sidon

Lebanese media reports two dead in an Israeli drone strike in the coastal city of Sidon.

Lebanon’s National News Agency reports that an “enemy drone” targeted a car, “which led to the death of two people who were inside it, and a large fire broke out in it and spread to a number of cars parked in the area.”

Sidon is located some 50 kilometers from the border with Israel, and IDF strikes in the area have been relatively rare in recent months.

There is no immediate comment from the IDF.

المعلومات الأولية تشير إلى أن الغارة في مدينة صيدا استهدفت سيارة pic.twitter.com/ZHM7eKK4Vq

— هنا لبنان (@thisislebnews) June 10, 2026

Police complete probe of Social Equality Minister May Golan, transfer case to prosecutors

Police announce they have completed their criminal investigation into Social Equality Minister May Golan and transferred the case to the State Attorney’s Office for potential prosecution.

The Likud politician is suspected of creating fictitious jobs in her ministry for relatives of friends and influential colleagues, who did no actual work despite being paid a government salary.

Investigators in the Lahav 433 major crimes unit led the probe against Golan, who is suspected of bribery, fraud and breach of trust for the alleged job-fixing.

Law enforcement went public with the investigation in September last year after a months-long covert investigation.

After reviewing police’s findings in the probe, state prosecutors will come to a decision on whether to file charges against the minister.

Trump says Iran taking too long to negotiate deal: ‘Now they will have to pay the price!’

US President Donald Trump says Iran has “taken too long to negotiate a deal that would have been great for them. Now they will have to pay the price!”

The Truth Social post suggests that the US may attack Iran again, after carrying out strikes overnight in retaliation for the downing of an American military helicopter.

Iran responded with strikes on several US military bases in the region.

Trump, nonetheless, insists in his post that Iran is in a very weak position. “Iran’s military is a complete and total mess. Much of it, like their navy and air force, doesn’t even exist anymore. They have been completely defeated. Iran is all talk and no action. The bully of the Middle East is DEAD!”

Amnesty accuses Israel of ‘ethnic cleansing’ of Bedouin and herding communities in West Bank

Amnesty International has accused Israel of conducting a campaign of ethnic cleansing in the West Bank against Bedouin and Palestinian herding communities over the last three and a half years.

The report by Amnesty, a frequent and ardent critic of Israel, details the severe violence engaged in by settler extremists against such communities, and what it says is the failure of Israeli authorities to prosecute the extremists who harass them, vandalize their property, and on numerous occasions have severely wounded or killed Palestinians inside their own towns and villages.

The report also details the massive increase in the establishment of new settlements by the Israeli government, alongside illegal herding outposts established by settlers, as part of what Amnesty says is an effort to drive Palestinians off the land, in particular in Area C where Israel has full security and civilian control and which constitutes some 60 percent of the West Bank.

The organization cited figures from the UN showing that some 117 predominantly Bedouin and herding Palestinian communities “have faced either full or partial displacement between January 2023 and April 2026,” amounting to at least 5,910 people who Amnesty say have been forcibly displaced.

“Over the past three and a half years Israeli authorities have accelerated a state-sponsored campaign of ethnic cleansing in the West Bank, uprooting, dispossessing and forcibly transferring Palestinian communities,” Amnesty alleges.

“What we are witnessing is deliberate, state-led annexation, in complete violation of international law unfolding before the eyes of the entire world,” claims Agnès Callamard, Amnesty International’s Secretary General.

“Our report exposes that these abuses are not the result of a few ‘bad apples.’ Settler violence is a core component of a state-sanctioned campaign of ethnic cleansing, central to maintaining Israel’s system of apartheid.”

Amnesty says it interviewed 45 Palestinians from 12 communities, who were either displaced or at risk of displacement, as well as 19 lawyers, activists who witnessed incidents of settler violence, journalists and Israeli and Palestinian NGO representatives.

The IDF says in response to the report that its mission is “to safeguard the security of all residents of Judea and Samaria, Palestinians and Israelis alike,” and insists that in situations where there is a suspicion that troops did not adhere to IDF orders, those incidents are “thoroughly examined, and in appropriate cases disciplinary measures are taken by commanders or a criminal investigation is opened to clarify the circumstances.”

It adds that when troops encounter cases of law violations by Israeli civilians, including violent incidents or incidents directed against Palestinians or their property, “the troops are required to act to stop the violation and, if necessary, detain or apprehend the suspects until police arrive at the scene.”

The Prime Minister’s Office and the Defense Ministry did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

Erdogan: Israel’s strikes on Lebanon and Syria threaten Turkey, its ‘aggression’ must be stopped

Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan says that Israel’s attacks on Syria and Lebanon have reached a point where they also threaten Turkey, adding Israel’s “aggression” poses a threat to the whole world and must be stopped.

Israel says it is acting against the ongoing threat posed by the Hezbollah terror group in south Lebanon, and argues that the terms of the ceasefire allow it to do so.

In Syria, Israel has carried out hundreds of strikes since the overthrow of president Bashar al-Assad in December 2004 — though not since March — while also initiating an unprecedented dialogue with the new authorities.

Speaking to lawmakers in parliament, Erdogan also claims there were initiatives led by Israel to destabilize the Mediterranean region and warns that “nobody should chase adventures” or join Israel’s “boat of mischief.”

He says any moves violating the rights of Turks and Turkish Cypriots will be met with a clear and strong response from Ankara. It is unclear what Erdogan was referring to.

The comments come just days after Turkey’s interior minister said that his country will one day bring about the “liberation” of Jerusalem, vowing to restore Turkish control to the city that the Ottoman Empire ruled for hundreds of years.

Those comments drew sharp rebuke from Israel, with the Foreign Ministry saying that the “Ottoman Empire is gone” and that Jerusalem “shall remain the eternal capital of Israel.”

Israel’s relations with Turkey, which were once the Jewish state’s strongest with any country in the region, have drastically deteriorated in recent years, especially since the start of the war sparked by the Hamas-led October 7, 2023, attack.

Erdogan has since been one of the most harshly critical foreign leaders of Israel, accusing Jerusalem of genocide and war crimes, praising ICC arrest warrants against Israeli leaders, and calling on the UN to recommend the use of force against Israel.

Turkey regularly hosts Hamas leaders, and Erdogan has praised the group’s terrorists as “freedom fighters” while condemning Israel, including by comparing it to Nazi Germany and likening Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to Hitler. The country has also suspended trade with Israel, and Turkish air carriers have stopped flying to Israel.

2 crew members missing after fire erupts on tanker off Oman, maritime agency says

Two crew members were missing after a fire started in the engine room of a tanker 20 nautical miles northeast of Oman’s Sohar, the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations agency says.

UKMTO reported one casualty, without giving further details, and does not report the cause of the fire.

Somali World Cup referee, denied entry to US, arrives in Mogadishu to hero’s welcome

A World Cup referee from Somalia who was denied entry to the United States is received by a crowd of supporters and officials as he arrives in Somalia’s capital of Mogadishu, where he says he plans to be at the next World Cup and urges Somali youths to be proud of their country.

Omar Artan was set to be the first referee from Somalia to officiate at a World Cup after making FIFA’s final list for the tournament. He is one of Africa’s top referees and was named the continent’s best male referee in 2025.

He was denied entry at Miami International Airport on Saturday over “vetting concerns,” US Customs and Border Protection said in a statement without giving details of those concerns. FIFA subsequently cut him from the tournament’s referee list.

Artan was issued a visa to travel to the US last week, according to the Somalia Embassy in Kenya that processed it. US is co-hosting with Mexico and Canada, and Artan was due to meet up with other World Cup referees at their training base in Miami.

He returns to a hero’s welcome at the airport in Mogadishu, where he thanks the Somali government and people as well as FIFA for their support for him.

“I promise you, God willing, that I will attend the next one,” he says as hundreds of supporters at the airport wave the Somali flag. “I want the Somali public to take comfort in this and remain confident.”

The US’s highly unusual move to deny a FIFA-appointed match official permission to enter a World Cup host country drew outrage across the world and raised questions among some fans about America’s capacity to host the competition.

Somalia is one of nearly 40 countries subject to new travel restrictions under the Trump administration’s crackdown on immigration.

Maj. Gen. Guy Markizeno enters role as Netanyahu’s military secretary in handover ceremony

Maj. Gen. Guy Markizeno entered the role of military secretary to the prime minister during a handover ceremony, replacing Roman Gofman who now heads the Mossad spy agency.

Markizeno, who previously served as military secretary to the defense minister, was promoted to major general at the ceremony yesterday.

The ceremony was attended by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Defense Minister Israel Katz, and IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir.

The next military secretary to the defense minister has not yet been selected.

Former Meretz MK Michal Rozin will run in Democrats primaries

Former Meretz MK Michal Rozin announces that she will compete for a spot on the Democrats’ Knesset slate in the party’s internal primaries, set to be held this summer.

“There will not be a second chance for the rehabilitation of the State of Israel,” Rozin says, adding that she hopes to bring the parliamentary experience needed to help maintain a future anti-Netanyahu coalition and avoid the mistakes that led to the collapse of the Bennett-Lapid government in 2022.

Rozin, 56, served in the Knesset from 2013 to 2022. Before entering politics, she headed the Association of Rape Crisis Centers in Israel.

She helped broker the 2024 merger between Labor and Meretz that formed The Democrats.

Last month, party members ratified an agreement guaranteeing Meretz candidates spots on the joint list in the 6th, 8th and 14th positions. With the Democrats consistently polling around eight seats — double Labor’s current Knesset representation; Meretz failed to pass the electoral threshold and is not represented in Knesset — the top two of those reserved slots are widely seen as realistic.

Democrats chair Yair Golan endorses her candidacy, calling Rozin “one of the most skilled lawmakers” he worked with during their years together in the Knesset under Meretz and saying her return to politics will strengthen both the party and Israel’s democratic camp.

Rozin’s announcement follows news earlier this month that former deputy head of the National Security Council Eran Etzion and anti-government protest leader and lawyer Nava Rozolyo will also compete in the party’s primaries.

Tehran says US and Israel undermining diplomatic process

Diplomatic efforts with the United States cannot advance under repeated ceasefire violations, Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei says, following overnight strikes.

“Following overnight events, we need to re-assess [the diplomatic path with Washington]… any diplomatic process requires a minimum stable environment,” he says after the US military carried out strikes in Iran following the downing of an Apache helicopter.

Baghaei accuses Washington of undermining diplomacy through contradictory messages, shifting positions and repeated ceasefire violations, and says Israel is also damaging the process through repeated ceasefire breaches in Lebanon.

Israel says it is acting against the ongoing threat posed by the Hezbollah terror group in south Lebanon, and argues that the terms of the ceasefire allow it to do so.

After Trump raised doubts, Likud says Netanyahu will seek reelection

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s ruling Likud party says he will run in the upcoming elections, after a comment by US President Donald Trump appeared to call into question whether the Israeli premier would seek reelection.

“Prime Minister Netanyahu will run in the upcoming elections — and with God’s help, he will win,” the party says in a statement.

Earlier, Trump told ABC News that he did not know whether Netanyahu planned to run in the upcoming elections, which must take place by October 27.

“I don’t know, he’s had an amazing career,” Trump said, according to a post on X by ABC News correspondent Jonathan Karl. “Does he want to continue? Because, you know he’s a wartime prime minister. We will very shortly win the war one way or the other, and you know he’s a wartime prime minister.”

Likud held elections in November for its municipal branches and powerful Central Committee for the first time in almost 14 years. With no challenger to Netanyahu’s leadership, party members were instead asked merely to approve his continued tenure as party chairman.

A poll released yesterday by the Israel Democracy Institute found that 61 percent of Israelis overall, and 57% of Jewish Israelis, don’t think Netanyahu should run.

Rothman says coalition had ‘wonderful’ term of office, silences objections of bereaved daughter and sister

Religious Zionism MK Simcha Rothman tells a Knesset panel that the coalition has had a “wonderful” term of office, sparking anger from Merav Svirsky, whose parents Orit and Rafi were killed on October 7 and whose brother Itay was murdered while being held hostage in Gaza.

Rothman is asked by Yesh Atid MK Meirav Cohen whether he thinks the government had a successful term.

“Very much. Wonderful,” responds Rothman at the meeting of the Constitution Committee.

“There are those who are paying the price for your conduct,” Svirsky tells Rothman. “We are here precisely for this, so that you can see the price of your conduct in front of your eyes.”

“I request that you stop talking,” Rothman says repeatedly to Svirsky, before calling for a break in proceedings.

“How many hostages does it take for it to be a wonderful term?” one of the attendees shouts at Rothman.

According to the Haaretz daily, Svirsky was removed from the discussion during the break.

רוטמן התגאה שהייתה "קדנציה מוצלחת ונפלאה" לקואליציה – ועורר סערה בדיון: "ניתוק!" | תיעוד@DaphnaLiel pic.twitter.com/r6MJyRndas

— החדשות – N12 (@N12News) June 10, 2026

Suspect due in court over Belfast stabbing that sparked anti-immigrant riots

A 30-year-old man from Sudan is due in a Belfast court on an attempted murder charge over a vicious stabbing attack that left a victim seriously injured and triggered anti-immigrant violence in several parts of Northern Ireland.

Masked men set several homes they believed to house immigrants on fire, burned trash bins and a Belfast bus and pelted police with objects. Firefighters rescued several people from burning homes.

Politicians from both parts of Northern Ireland’s power-sharing government condemned the violence. First Minister Michelle O’Neill of Irish nationalist party Sinn Fein said it was “thuggery.”

“Groups of masked men burning families out of their homes is nothing less than disgusting cowardice,” she said.

Deputy First Minister Emma Little-Pengelly, of the pro-British Democratic Unionist Party, said that “taking frustration at the evil actions of a person out on those who had no part in it is utterly wrong.”

Yesterday’s attack, caught in graphic video footage that quickly spread on social media, was seized on by anti-immigration activists. The victim, a man in his 40s, was hospitalized with serious injuries to his eyes, face and back after he was attacked in north Belfast.

Police say the suspect is a Sudanese man who entered Northern Ireland from the neighboring Republic of Ireland in 2023, applied for asylum and was given a 5-year permit to remain.

The Police Service of Northern Ireland says there is no information to suggest the attack is terrorism-related and they are not seeking other suspects.

China urges against Middle East escalation after Iran, US trade fire

China says it is “deeply concerned” over the conflict in the Middle East and urges against escalation after Washington carried out strikes on Iran over the downing of a US helicopter.

“Various relevant parties should maintain calm and exercise restraint, stop intensifying the conflict and escalating the situation, take concrete measures to ease and cool down tensions,” Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Lin Jian tells a news briefing.

Report: Explosion heard near Qeshm Island in Strait of Hormuz; cause unclear

An explosion was heard near Qeshm Island, Iran’s Mehr media reports, with the cause of the apparent blast unclear.

The outlet notes that the explosion could be from an activity or incident in the Strait of Hormuz.

Arab parties Hadash, Ta’al, Balad set to announce joint list without Ra’am

Arab-majority parties Hadash, Ta’al and Balad are expected to announce a joint list for the upcoming elections without Mansour Abbas’s Ra’am party, according to Hebrew media reports, following months of deadlocked negotiations over the Islamist party’s insistence that any union remain merely technical.

A source with knowledge of the matter tells The Times of Israel that representatives of the National Committee of Arab Local Council Heads met yesterday in Sakhnin with leaders of all four parties to try and bridge the gaps, but the meeting failed to produce a breakthrough.

Ra’am has repeatedly “created obstacles and introduced new conditions into the negotiations,” the source says, accusing the party of making progress “impossible.”

At the same time, the source says that the parties still hope to sign a vote-sharing agreement with Ra’am if they ultimately run separately, to maximize the use of surplus votes.

It is unclear if the door will be left open for a potential alliance to still be reached ahead of the elections.

In January, the four parties signed an agreement committing to work together to revive the joint ticket ahead of this year’s elections, which can be held no later than October 27, following immense pressure from Arab communities that are dealing with neglect and deadly crime.

Little progress has been made since then due to Abbas’s insistence that the bloc be formed as merely a technical alliance, which would split back into separate parties immediately following elections to preserve Ra’am’s ability to join a governing coalition, which the other Arab parties are opposed to.

Polls show a joint slate of the four parties winning 12-15 seats, with a smaller number of seats if they were to run separately.

National service program for over-50s receives President’s Award for Volunteerism

A program that sends people around retirement age to live in communities close to the Gaza border receives the President’s Award for Volunteerism in a ceremony at the President’s Residence in Jerusalem.

They are presented with the award by President Isaac Herzog.

Volunteers with Shnat Sherut 50 Plus, or Service Year 50 Plus, move south for a year to offer their skills and experience.

“The President’s Award is first and foremost a tribute to our volunteers,” says Guy Gardi, CEO of Elul, a pluralistic Beit Midrash focused on Jewish renewal.

“These remarkable individuals chose not to stand on the sidelines during one of the most challenging periods in Israel’s history,” Gardi says. “They chose instead to move into affected communities, share daily life with residents, and contribute their skills, experience, and humanity to rebuilding the social fabric of Israeli society.”

Read more: Kickin’ it old school: Retirees rediscover youth with national service year for over-50s

Cargo vessel guards exchange fire with armed craft off Yemen coast, maritime agency says

A cargo vessel reported being approached by a small craft carrying six armed people about 88 nautical miles southwest of Yemen’s Balhaf, the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations says.

There was an exchange of fire between the small craft and the cargo vessel’s armed security team, and the small craft then turned away, UKMTO adds.

IDF warns 3rd south Lebanon village to evacuate ahead of strikes on Hezbollah

The IDF warns another village in southern Lebanon to evacuate ahead of strikes on Hezbollah, following an evacuation warning for the villages of Ghassaniyeh and Houmine al-Faouqa a short while ago.

Residents of Ansariyeh are instructed to evacuate north of the Zahrani River.

“In light of the Hezbollah terror organization’s violation of the ceasefire agreement, the IDF is compelled to act against it with force,” warns army spokesman Col. Avichay Adraee.

IDF issues evacuation warnings to 2 south Lebanon villages ahead of strikes on Hezbollah

The IDF warns two villages in southern Lebanon to evacuate ahead of strikes on Hezbollah.

Residents of Ghassaniyeh and Houmine al-Faouqa are instructed to evacuate at least a kilometer away.

“In light of the Hezbollah terror organization’s violation of the ceasefire agreement, the IDF is compelled to act against it with force,” warns army spokesman Col. Avichay Adraee.

Gaza strike killed top Hamas moneyman and his deputy, IDF and Shin Bet announce

A strike in the northern Gaza Strip earlier this week killed a top Hamas moneyman and his deputy, the IDF and Shin Bet announce.

The Sunday strike killed Khader Jamasi, the head of a “funds transfer network,” along with his deputy, Muhammad Harazin, who the military says served as “key money transfer operatives for the Hamas terror organization in the Gaza Strip.”

The IDF says that during the war, the pair “managed financial transfers to Hamas’s military wing in the Strip worth tens of millions of dollars, using a network of dozens of money exchangers in the Gaza Strip.”

“Through these funds, the Hamas terror organization continued to pay salaries to its terrorists to support the continued advancement and execution of terror attack plans against IDF troops and Israeli citizens,” the military says.

In recent months, the IDF has struck and killed several Hamas financial operatives in both the Gaza Strip and Lebanon.

Trump meets former hostage Rom Braslavski at White House for 1st time

US President Donald Trump met with former hostage Rom Braslavski at the White House, photos show.

According to Israel Hayom, the meeting was Braslavski’s first with Trump — he was unable to join the delegation of former hostages and their relatives that met the US president in November 2025 as he was experiencing mental health difficulties. At the time it was reported that Braslavski was suffering from PTSD and was concerned that the journey could be difficult.

In the photos, Braslavski can be seen wearing a t-shirt with the slogan “thank you very much, Trump” in Hebrew.

“Mr. President Donald Trump – you are the man who got me out from the hell of 738 days of captivity,” he writes on Instagram. “You are my hero, may God bless you, may God bless America.”

Braslavski was kidnapped on October 7, 2023, while working as a security guard at the Nova festival. He was freed in October 2025 after two years in captivity and has publicly spoken about the sexual assault and torture he suffered while held in Gaza.

Chicago police open probe into large burning cross at park

A large, burning cross was discovered at a Chicago park, and police say they are investigating how it ended up there and the motive behind it.

Video taken by a motorist shows the wooden cross engulfed in bright orange flames as it leans against a tree in Grant Park, a popular area near Lake Michigan. The Chicago Fire Department confirms the flaming object was a cross, and says officials put out the fire.

Chicago Police say there were no reports of injuries and that they are investigating the motive and circumstances around the “object on fire.”

Keinika Carlton, 43, was driving home from running errands with her daughter and mother-in-law when they saw the cross on fire. She says she felt a combination of shock, sadness, disgust, as well as curiosity.

“Is this a racial thing? Is this a religious thing?” she says. “As Black women, of course, our first thought is racial, because burning crosses are known to be used as a tactic, an act of violence toward Black Americans in the South.”

Carlton estimates the cross was at least 6 feet (1.83 meters) tall. The experience was new to all of them, including Carlton’s mother-in-law, who grew up in Kentucky.

Carlton says as they slowed down to shoot a video of the flames, she saw around her other cars slowing down and people walking nearby, staring at the cross burning.

While the motive behind the burning cross is not immediately clear, cross burnings in the US have historically been seen as “symbols of hate” that are “inextricably intertwined with the history of the Ku Klux Klan,” according to a 2003 US Supreme Court decision. The justices ruled that the First Amendment allows bans on cross burnings only when they are intended to intimidate because the action “is a particularly virulent form of intimidation.”

https://x.com/Suzierizzo1/status/2064530482868432908?s=20

IDF says it struck Hezbollah infrastructure in Tyre, other areas of south Lebanon in past day

The IDF says it struck Hezbollah infrastructure in Tyre and other areas of southern Lebanon in the past day.

In Tyre, six Hezbollah sites used by the terror group to advance attacks on Israeli civilians and IDF troops were struck, including a facility from which explosive first-person view drones were launched from, the military says.

Elsewhere in southern Lebanon, the IDF says it struck armed rocket launchers, along with Hezbollah operatives in areas where the IDF is operating.

צה"ל ממשיך לתקוף תשתיות טרור בדרום לבנון: משגרים מוכנים לשיגור ותשתית ששימשה לשיגור רחפנים לעבר כוחותינו

לאורך היממה האחרונה, צה"ל תקף תשתיות של ארגון הטרור חיזבאללה בצור ובמספר מרחבים בדרום לבנון.

בצור, הותקפו שש תשתיות ששימשו את ארגון הטרור חיזבאללה לקידום מתווי טרור נגד… pic.twitter.com/6c0SfdbAZl

— צבא ההגנה לישראל (@idfonline) June 10, 2026

Iran: Gulf nations have ‘legal and moral responsibility’ to prevent US, Israeli strikes

Iran’s foreign ministry warns that its neighbors in the Gulf have a “legal and moral responsibility” to prevent American and Israeli strikes, as Tehran and Washington traded attacks.

In a statement, Iran’s foreign ministry “reiterated the legal and moral responsibility of all countries in the region (especially those located along the southern shores of the Persian Gulf) to prevent the US military and Israel from using their territory or facilities to plan, organize, execute, or support hostile actions against Iran.”

The statement comes hours after the US military carried out strikes in Iran following the downing of a US Apache helicopter, which US President Donald Trump accused Iran of shooting down.

US Central Command described the “self-defense strikes against Iran” as “a proportional response to unjustified Iranian aggression. CENTCOM later announced it had completed the strikes, saying they hit Iranian air defense, ground control stations and surveillance radar sites near the Strait of Hormuz.

In response, Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said it attacked the US Fifth Fleet in Bahrain with drones, warning of “a more severe response” if what it describes as US “aggression” continues. It later announced additional attacks on US bases in Kuwait and Jordan.

Vance: Iran deal could be next week, or months from now

US Vice President JD Vance repeats the claim that Washington is “very close” to a deal that would address Iran’s nuclear program “for the long term.”

“I think we’re going to know a lot before the [November] midterm elections,” he tells CBS News. “Look, I think that the deal could happen in the next week, but the deal could also happen months from now.”

Vance makes the comments in an interview that is set to be aired in full on Sunday.

“Right now, I feel that we are in a position to get a deal that is good for the United States economically and that really does deal with the Iranian nuclear program, not just now, not just while Donald Trump is president, but for the long term, to where my kids can say when they’re adults, ‘Iran is not going to have a nuclear weapon,'” Vance says.

“That’s the goal of the policy. And I think we’re very close to achieving that goal. But we still got some wood to chop. We’re going to keep doing it,” he says.

Jordan says it intercepted five Iranian missiles, reports no injuries or damage

Jordanian armed forces say they intercepted and shot down five missiles launched from Iran toward al-Azraq area in Jordan.

The military adds that debris from the interception operation fell on Jordanian territory but caused no injuries or material damage.

Kuwait says air defenses engaging ‘hostile targets’ as Iran attacks regional countries

Kuwait’s military says its air defenses are engaging “hostile aerial targets,” as the United States and Iran trade attacks after the downing of an American helicopter.

“The General Staff of the Army announces that Kuwaiti air defense systems are currently engaging hostile aerial targets in accordance with established operational procedures,” the Kuwaiti army posts on X, without specifying their origin.

Iran’s Revolutionary Guards say they fired missiles at US base in Jordan housing F-35s

Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps says it targeted four sites at the US al-Azraq base in Jordan using long-range missiles.

The IRGC says the targets included F-35 fighter jet hangars and a command-and-control center, and warns it’s ready to deliver a “crushing and decisive” response to any further US attack.

Anti-Israel candidate who long had a Nazi tattoo wins Democratic Senate primary in Maine

Graham Platner has been declared the winner of the Maine Democratic primary and will now face off in the general election against longtime US Senator Susan Collins.

The race pits Collins, a veteran lawmaker and the only Republican senator from New England, against an anti-Israel progressive with no experience in high office. Platner, a brash political newcomer who has energized crowds, has faced a series of controversies that the GOP will focus on, including long having a Nazi Totenkopf tattoo on his chest and allegations of abuse.

An oyster farmer and former chair of the planning board in the small town of Sullivan, Platner has drawn hundreds of people to rallies around the state.

He was endorsed by Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders, who campaigned with him in the run-up to the primary. He has said he plans to focus on economic issues such as housing and healthcare, after making attacks on the pro-Israel American Jewish lobby group AIPAC a key element of his primary campaign.

Iran’s Revolutionary Guards say they targeted US Fifth Fleet in Bahrain after American strikes

Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps says it attacked the US Fifth Fleet in Bahrain with drones in response to US strikes on areas in southern Iran, adding that clashes are continuing.

In a statement, the IRGC warns of “a more severe response” if what it describes as US “aggression” continues.

“The warmongering US regime attacked several points in Jask, Sirik and Qeshm early this morning under false pretexts, damaging a telecommunications mast in Sirik and destroying two water tanks in the city,” the IRGC says in a statement quoted by Iranian media.

US has completed retaliatory strikes against Iran, CENTCOM says

The US military has completed strikes against Iranian air defense, ground control stations and surveillance radar sites near the Strait of Hormuz that were launched in retaliation for the downing of a US helicopter, US Central Command says in a statement.

“US forces remain vigilant and postured to defend against unjustified Iranian aggression,” the statement adds.

Iranian media reports fresh explosions near Strait of Hormuz, including in Bandar Abbas

Iranian media outlets report fresh attacks in areas near the Strait of Hormuz, as US forces carry out what President Donald Trump has described as retaliatory strikes over a downed helicopter.

Explosions have been heard on Qeshm Island and in the port city of Bandar Abbas on Iran’s southern coast, the Mehr and Fars news agencies post on Telegram.

‘Leave no attack unanswered’: Iranian FM issues threat after US strikes in response to downing of helicopter

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi threatens the United States after the US carried out retaliatory strikes in Iran over the downing of a military helicopter.

“Despite its defeats on the battlefield, the US opted to test our determination,” Araghchi writes on X. “Our powerful armed forces will leave no attack or threat unanswered.”

“Leave our region if you want to be safe,” he continues. “History of the Persian Gulf has many chapters on dire fates of intruding outsiders.”

US strikes reportedly hit Iranian air defenses and radars around Strait of Hormuz

The US military’s retaliatory attacks struck several Iranian air defense and radar systems around the Strait of Hormuz, Axios reports, citing a US official.

Iranian media reports explosions on Hormuz island and surrounding province

Sounds of explosions are heard in eastern parts of Iran’s Hormozgan province, Fars news agency reports as the US Central Command says its forces began launching “self-defense” strikes against Iran in response to the downing of a US Army Apache helicopter.

Iranian state media also says a projectile hit had been confirmed in Sirik, a city in Hormozgan, and that that explosions were heard on the island of Qeshm in the Strait of Hormuz, which is also part of the province.

US military strikes Iran after downing of helicopter: ‘A proportional response’

The American military says it has launched strikes on Iran in response to the downing of an army helicopter over the Strait of Hormuz.

In a statement, the US Central Command says it launched “self-defense strikes against Iran,” at the orders of US President Donald Trump, “in response to yesterday’s downing of a US Army Apache helicopter.”

“The mission is a proportional response to unjustified Iranian aggression,” CENTCOM says.

IDF says it downed Hezbollah rocket fired at troops in south Lebanon, triggering early warning in Kiryat Shmona

One rocket launched by Hezbollah at troops in southern Lebanon a short while ago was intercepted by air defenses, the military says.

The launch triggered an early warning in the Kiryat Shmona area, though no sirens sounded.

‘Does he want to continue?’ Trump muses about whether Netanyahu will run for reelection

US President Donald Trump questions whether Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will run in elections due to take place in several months, telling ABC the longtime premier is a “wartime prime minister” who Trump says has had an “amazing career.”

Trump makes the comments to ABC News correspondent Jonathan Karl during an interview about the Iran war.

“I don’t know, he’s had an amazing career,” Trump says, according to a post on X by Karl. “Does he want to continue? Because, you know he’s a wartime prime minister. We will very shortly win the war one way or the other, and you know he’s a wartime prime minister.”

Trump adds that he is a “wartime president.”

Netanyahu, Israel’s longest-serving leader, has given no indication at all that he will opt out of this year’s election and is presumed in Israel to be standing for reelection.

He is on a campaign footing even as the date of the vote, which must take place by October 27, has yet to be officially set.

Earlier today, he shared a campaign ad from his Likud party on X.