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Dear A.,
President Trump
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said today that it is "highly unlikely" that he will extend his deadline of 8:00 pm ET tomorrow night for the Iranian regime to reopen the Strait of Hormuz.
"They've had plenty of time," Trump
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said . "They asked for an extension of seven days, I said give them ten days... they have until tomorrow... and after that, they're going to have no bridges, they're going to have no powerplants."
Today, the Iranian regime reportedly rejected a ceasefire proposal that would pause the fighting for 45 days, in exchange for immediately reopening the Strait.
The regime reportedly offered its own proposal, which the president said was "not good enough."
Meanwhile, more details have surfaced about the harrowing mission to rescue the American pilot who went down in Iran, including the role Israel played in assisting the U.S.
President Trump said that the pilot "was injured quite badly and stranded in an area teeming with terrorists from the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. Despite the peril, the officer followed his training and climbed into the treacherous mountain terrain. He scaled cliff faces while bleeding rather profusely, treated his own wounds, and contacted American forces to transmit his location," Trump
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said .
"This first wave of search and rescue forces successfully located the pilot of the F-15, and he was extracted from enemy territory by an HH-60W Jolly Green II helicopter as our warriors faced gunfire at very close range," he added.
The U.S. operation was
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aided by Israeli intelligence and tactical support, including a series of strikes to divert Iranian forces from the crash site, allowing U.S. forces to successfully complete the mission.
Israeli forces also sabotaged Iranian assets to disrupt Iran's race towards the pilot.
U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee
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thanked Israel "on behalf of [the] American people for [the] unprecedented assistance to U.S. Military & intelligence agencies who conducted a historic rescue mission of our air crew in Iran. U.S. Special Forces carried out [a] brilliant operation. [The] IDF & Mossad were helpful partners in the mission."
Prime Minister Netanyahu
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added that President Trump "views Israel as a steadfast, determined, and firm ally that fights shoulder-to-shoulder alongside the United States."
Below are more key updates. Continue to follow our
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social media channels to stay informed in real-time.
Jake Braunstein
Senior Director, Policy Communications
Must-read op-ed by AIPAC board member Hilary Smith Kapner
In a
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must-read op-ed today, AIPAC board member Hilary Smith Kapner calls out the outrageous attacks on AIPAC members and the double standards applied to our community’s participation in the political process.
"In recent weeks, Democratic presidential candidates have been peppered with questions about AIPAC — an American grassroots pro-Israel organization — and whether they’ll accept support from the group and its millions of Democratic members.
"While this weaponized litmus test ignores that AIPAC has never endorsed a presidential candidate, few answers from the prospective 2028 nominees have included support for pro-Israel Americans exercising their rights and a clear rejection of the effort to exclude millions of Democrats from the party."
"To 'reject AIPAC' is to alienate millions of Democrats who are a vital part of the party’s coalition, applying a double standard to pro‑Israel American citizens who believe in a secure Israel, peace between Israel and the Palestinians, and standing with a fellow democracy that champions liberal values. AIPAC members fight for an alliance that helps Americans: creating jobs, advancing health care, tackling climate change and developing new technologies that improve lives."
"Millions of AIPAC members are lifelong Democrats who marched for civil rights, rallied for former Presidents Barack Obama and Joe Biden, and turned out for the Women’s March. They are union members and veterans, students and small‑business owners, and they care deeply about reproductive rights, voting access and preserving democracy."
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Click here to read the full op-ed.
Four Israelis murdered in Haifa in Iranian ballistic missile attack
The
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bodies of four murdered Israelis were retrieved today from the rubble of an apartment building in Haifa that was struck by an Iranian ballistic missile on Sunday night.
The four victims are Vladimir Gershovitz, 73, his wife Lena Ostrovsky Gershovitz, 68, their son Dima, 42, and his wife Lucille Jane Gershovitz, 29.
May their memories be a blessing.
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Iran today fired another salvo of ballistic missiles loaded with cluster munitions at central Israel, injuring a number of civilians in Petah Tikva, bringing the total number injured in the past day to
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nearly 200 (video of one of the strikes below).
Meanwhile,
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the Houthis launched a barrage of one-way attack drones at the southern Israeli city of Eilat, all of which were intercepted.
So far, 29 Israelis have been killed and over 6,600 injured since this conflict with Iran began.
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Iran also continues to target Gulf Arab states.
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Six civilians were injured in Kuwait by the falling shrapnel of an intercepted Iranian missile attack.
In the UAE,
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12 ballistic missiles , two cruise missiles, and 19 drones were fired at the country by Iran, wounding four civilians.
The Saudi Arabian Defense Ministry says it
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intercepted and destroyed two Iranian drones, which were targeting a communications company on the country's east coast.
Iran has launched more than 3,500 drones and at least 1,400 missiles at the Gulf state since Operation Epic Fury began.
IDF eliminates key Iranian military leaders
The IDF today eliminated two key Iranian military commanders:
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Majid Khademi , the IRGC's head of intelligence, and
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Asghar Bagheri , the commander of the Quds Force's special operations unit.
Khademi was one of the IRGC's most senior commanders who worked to "advance terrorist attacks worldwide, and was responsible for monitoring Iranian civilians as part of the regime’s suppression of internal protests," the IDF
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said .
Bagheri had been involved in planning numerous attacks against Israel in recent years and also personally oversaw operations against IDF soldiers on the Israel-Syria border.
Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz
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said , "Iran’s leaders are living with the sense that they are being pursued, we will continue hunting them one by one."
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Meanwhile, the IDF continues to carry out strikes on Iran's oil and gas infrastructure, striking a petrochemical plant in Mahshahr in southwestern Iran. The strike shut down most of the facility's production capabilities, which are a
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major source of revenue for the regime.
The IDF also struck Iran's Mehrabad Airport, which was used by the "IRGC’s Quds Force and served as a central hub for arming and financing the regime’s terrorist proxies in the Middle East."
PHOTO OF THE DAY
Visualization of the elimination of the Iranian regime
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IDF uncovers more Hezbollah weapons at schools alongside UNHCR flag
As part of ground operations in southern Lebanon, the IDF uncovered a
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cache of Hezbollah weapons , including RPGs, alongside living quarters, military vests, and a flag of the U.N.'s refugee agency.
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The IDF today struck numerous Hezbollah targets across Lebanon, bringing the total number of targets hit to over
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3,500 and terrorists killed to over
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1,000 .
IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir
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said , "Every terrorist target and any target that supports terrorism in Lebanese territory will be struck."
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Footage of the IDF identifying and eliminating an armed Hezbollah terror cell.
Hamas is the obstacle to rebuilding Gaza
President Trump's Board of Peace is
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ramping up the pressure on Hamas, demanding that the terror group disarm before rebuilding in Gaza can begin.
U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. Mike Waltz
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said , "There is only one party standing in the way of a better life for civilians in Gaza - and it’s Hamas. And Hamas is on the clock."
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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