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Dear A.,

Protests continued across Iran, though details are limited due to the regime’s internet blackout, which has now eclipsed 150 hours. Reports of rapidly rising death counts and horrific images of body bags and murdered civilians are being leaked out of the country via Starlink and other methods.


One doctor working in a hospital in Tehran
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said that, "[Security forces] are deliberately shooting at the head and the eyes. They want to damage the head and the eyes so they can no longer see, the same thing they did in [the 2022 protests]."


The doctor continued, "It’s like in the war movies where you see the injured soldiers getting treated on the open field. We don’t have blood, we don’t have enough medical supplies. It’s like a war zone."


The regime was reportedly set to publicly execute 26-year-old protestor Erfan Soltani, with the State Department’s Farsi-language X account posting, "Erfan is the first protester to be sentenced to death, but he won't be the last."


Iranian Chief Justice Gholam-Hossein Mohseni-Eje'i
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indicated that the regime will fast-track the executions of those found guilty of protesting: "If we want to do a job, we should do it now. If we want to do something, we have to do it quickly. If it becomes late, two months, three months later, it doesn’t have the same effect. If we want to do something, we have to do that fast."


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Iranian musician Meraj Tehrani, who escaped the country and is now in Turkey, describes the horrors he saw firsthand as the regime continues its crackdown on the protesters.




Later today, President Trump said he’d been told that Iran would not go through with the execution and that all the killing would be stopped. His statement came as speculation increased about a U.S. military intervention in Iran.


Reports from across Israel, the Middle East, and Europe indicate increased preparations for a possible kinetic action in Iran, and an anticipated response from the regime. At this time, Israel has not changed its Homefront Command guidance.


As the White House considers potential action against the regime, some American personnel have been
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advised to leave the United States' Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar.


Continue to
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follow AIPAC on social media for the latest updates.

Jake Braunstein

Senior Director, Policy Communications

House Passes Funding Bill Including Full Security Assistance to Israel

In an overwhelming show of bipartisan support for the U.S.-Israel relationship, the House of Representatives today passed the Fiscal Year 2026 National Security, Department of State, and Related Programs Appropriations Act, which includes critical pro-Israel provisions, including $3.3 billion in security assistance for our ally.


In addition to the $3.3 billion in security assistance, the bill also includes:
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A complete ban on funding to UNRWA, the Hamas-affiliated U.N. agency in Gaza, whose members participated in the October 7th massacre.


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A prohibition on funds to the International Criminal Court (ICC), the International Court of Justice (ICJ), and the U.N. Commission of Inquiry (COI) against Israel, a clear demonstration of American opposition to these international organizations that abuse their platforms to demonize the Jewish state and also threaten American troops.


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$37.5 million for the Nita Lowey Middle East Partnership for Peace Act funding (MEPPA), a program designed to foster economic cooperation and people-to-people peacebuilding in the region.


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$3 million for U.S.-Israel international development cooperation.
AIPAC appreciates the efforts of many Republican and Democratic members who worked to include key pro-Israel provisions in the bill.

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You can read AIPAC's full press release here.

U.S. unveils phase two of peace plan for Gaza; Hamas continues to target Israel

Today, White House envoy Steve Witkoff announced the launch of phase two of President Trump's 20-point peace plan for Gaza.


Witkoff
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said , "Phase Two establishes a transitional technocratic Palestinian administration in Gaza, the National Committee for the Administration of Gaza (NCAG), and begins the full demilitarization and reconstruction of Gaza, primarily the disarmament of all unauthorized personnel [Hamas and other terrorists].


He added that the U.S. expects "Hamas to comply fully with its obligations, including the immediate return of the final deceased hostage. Failure to do so will bring serious consequences."

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You can read Witkoff's full statement here.


However, the terrorists show no sign of disarming and turning over power. Yesterday, Hamas sent
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six terrorists across the Yellow Line in Rafah, all of whom were killed after an exchange of fire with IDF troops.


In both southern and northern Gaza, the IDF located and destroyed rockets and rocket launches aimed at Israel rocket launcher aimed directly at Israel.


Also yesterday, Hamas
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terrorists fired at an IDF tank operating in southern Gaza. All of the terrorists involved were eliminated.

The United States must increase the pressure on Hamas and its sponsors in Qatar, Turkey and Iran to fully comply with the agreement and release the last hostage.


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Hezbollah warns Lebanon against disarming group; Lebanon FM says Israel has right to strike terror group if it still has weapons

A senior Hezbollah official has
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warned the Lebanese government that continued efforts to disarm the terror group could trigger chaos and possibly a civil war.


Lebanon pledged to disarm the Iran-backed terror group under the November 2024 ceasefire with Israel, but thus far has failed to do so.


Meanwhile, Lebanese Foreign Minister Youssef Rajji
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acknowledged in an interview this week that Israel has the right to strike Hezbollah if the group still has weapons.


He said, "The ceasefire agreement stipulates that the Lebanese government will disarm Hezbollah. As long as Hezbollah still holds weapons, Israel, unfortunately, has the right to continue its attacks against them."

The United States must continue to increase the pressure on Lebanon to compel it to fulfill its stated commitment to fully disarm Hezbollah.

Other notable headlines
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Bret Stephens' op-ed: The Ayatollahs’ Antisemitism Has Undone Iran


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Israel severs ties with 7 U.N. agencies, citing anti-Israel bias


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WSJ
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op-ed: Iran Cracks Down. Where Are the Western Protests?



The mission of AIPAC is to encourage and persuade the U.S. government to enact specific policies that create a strong, enduring and mutually beneficial relationship with our ally Israel.


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