After six weeks of relentless Hezbollah attacks, residents of northern Israeli city feel bewildered and betrayed by the government’s seemingly sudden decision to stop fighting
President says US will remove Iran’s enriched uranium ‘at leisurely pace,’ but Iran denies it; also claims Iran will stop backing Hamas, Hezbollah; US and Iranian officials say significant gaps remain
https://www.ynetnews.com/article/bkb1ik11azl
Two days after the ceasefire in Lebanon took effect, it is already clear that its terms are less favorable than those agreed following Operation Northern Arrows at the end of 2024. Now, the main concern in the IDF is improvised explosive devices planted before the ceasefire in areas under Israeli control.
https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/423124
Updated US intelligence assessments indicate that Iran still holds a significant arsenal, amounting to roughly half of the capabilities it had before the outbreak of the conflict with the United States and Israel.
According to the data cited by The New York Times, Iran currently possesses 60% of its missile launchers and 40% of its UAV (drone) capabilities.
Tensions between the United States and Iran have once again reached a peak following a decision by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps to once again close the Strait of Hormuz-less than a day after announcing its reopening following the ceasefire in Lebanon.
On Saturday, the IDF said that since the ceasefire came into effect, IDF soldiers south of the "yellow line" in southern Lebanon have identified in several incidents in which terrorists violated the ceasefire understandings by approaching from north of the yellow line toward IDF soldiers, posing an immediate threat.
Following their identification, and in order to remove the threat, the Israeli Air Force, together with ground forces, conducted precise strikes against the terrorists.
Artillery fire was carried out in support of the ground troops operating in the area, and terrorist infrastructure sites used to facilitate attacks were struck in response to the threats.
Earlier on Saturday, IDF soldiers identified a terrorist cell that violated the ceasefire understandings and approached IDF soldiers operating south of the ''yellow line" in southern Lebanon, a defense line dedicated to preventing an imminent threat to Israel’s northern communities.
https://www.ynetnews.com/article/rjxpoi11a11x
Despite U.S. claims of crippling Iran’s navy, the Revolutionary Guards’ fast-boat fleet continues to enforce a blockade in the Strait of Hormuz, using guerrilla tactics and hidden bases to disrupt global oil shipping routes; they have been a nuisance in the Persian Gulf for decades
https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/defense-news/article-893414
Trump’s public remarks appeared to exceed the text of the US-backed truce, prompting Israeli officials to seek clarification while clashes on the ground continued.
Israel was surprised by US President Donald Trump’s announcement that the IDF is “prohibited” from continuing strikes against Hezbollah in Lebanon, according to a Saturday Axios report.
The report noted that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was “personally stunned and alarmed” by the post, and that Israeli officials sought clarification from the White House.
This comes after Trump posted on Truth Social that Israel was prohibited from “bombing Lebanon any longer,” and that the US will work with Lebanon separately and “deal with the Hezbollah situation in an appropriate manner.”
FBI Director Kash Patel has threatened to sue The Atlantic after the magazine reported that his colleagues have grown alarmed by what it described as episodes of excessive drinking and unexplained absences.
The magazine published a story on Friday titled “The FBI Director Is MIA,” citing conversations with more than two dozen people, including current and former FBI officials, members of Congress, hospitality-industry workers and others.
“Speaking on the condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive information and private conversations, they described Patel’s tenure as a management failure and his personal behavior as a national-security vulnerability,” reporter Sarah Fitzpatrick wrote.
The report stated that Patel has been known “to drink to the point of obvious intoxication” in front of White House and other Trump administration staff and that on multiple occasions within the past year, “members of his security detail had difficulty waking Patel because he was seemingly intoxicated.”
Army says it acted in accordance with deal, which allows Israel to strike in ‘self-defense’; Hezbollah official says terror group ‘not concerned’ by Israel-Lebanon talks
Russian President Vladimir Putin, always paranoid about enemies, may be feeling cornered this spring. His army is at a standstill in Ukraine, despite suffering enormous casualties. He appears powerless to help Iran, one of his few allies. And his best friend in Europe, Hungary’s Viktor Orban, just got dumped.
Here’s Rumer’s stark warning: “Having invaded Ukraine under the false pretext of needing to secure its western flank, Russia is poised to emerge from the war less secure, more resentful, and more threatening to Europe than before the war. Its threat perceptions will cast a long shadow over Europe.”
Putin is a risk taker, as his invasion of Ukraine showed. What if he decides that his window of opportunity to challenge NATO and impose a new order is closing? In the most ominous passage of his report, Rumer writes: “If Putin is truly intent on imposing his vision of European security on the continent, he may decide that time is not on his side, as Europe is racing to rearm, and launch an attack against a Baltic neighbor to demonstrate that NATO’s Article 5 is essentially a dead letter.”
What would Trump do if Putin struck a European country? For me, that’s the scariest question. Trump spends so much time bad-mouthing NATO that Europeans already doubt the credibility of American security guarantees. His latest anti-NATO tirades have focused on its refusal to aid the United States and Israel in the Iran war. Before Rutte visited Washington this month, Trump called NATO a “paper tiger” that “Putin’s not afraid of.”
https://thehill.com/policy/international/5837564-iran-strict-control-strait-of-hormuz-us-blockade/
The Iranian regime said early Saturday that it is resuming “strict” control over the Strait of Hormuz amid the U.S.’s naval blockade in the critical trading corridor and as the fragile two-week ceasefire nears its end.
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) announced that the strait would return to its “previous state” and will be “under the strict management and control” of their military forces.
The IRGC confirmed Saturday that it fired at two vessels in the waterway that “tried to bypass Iran’s authority.” This comes a day after Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi declared that the strait was “completely open for the remaining period of ceasefire” for all commercial ships.
Tehran warns it will continue to block strait as long as Trump blockades Iran-linked shipping; US president says blockade ‘in full force’ until regime reaches a deal, including on its nuclear program
