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Dear A.,
The Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) today
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fired on three commercial vessels transiting the Strait of Hormuz and later seized two of them, violating the ceasefire agreement with the U.S.
The attacks came a day after President Trump extended the ceasefire to allow Tehran additional time to present a “unified proposal” at the negotiating table.
A U.S. source
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said that the ceasefire extension is not an open-ended one: "Trump is willing to give another three to five days of ceasefire to allow the Iranians to get their s**t together. It is not going to be open-ended."
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Meanwhile, U.S. forces today seized another sanctioned tanker carrying Iranian oil near the Strait of Hormuz (video above).
"We will pursue global maritime enforcement efforts to disrupt illicit networks and interdict sanctioned vessels providing material support to Iran — anywhere they operate," the Pentagon
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said .
In addition to this seizure, CENTCOM
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announced yesterday that since the blockade started, U.S. forces have redirected 28 vessels, either forcing them to turn around or return to port.
At the same time, the Treasury Department's Office of Foreign Assets Control today sanctioned 14 individuals, entities, and aircraft based in Iran, Turkey, and the UAE for their involvement in procuring and transporting weapons, including Shahed-series one-way attack drones (UAVs), for the Iranian regime.
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent
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said , "The Iranian regime must be held accountable for its extortion of global energy markets and indiscriminate targeting of civilians with missiles and drones."
"As part of Economic Fury, Treasury will continue to follow the money and target the Iranian regime’s recklessness and those who enable it," he added.
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You can read Treasury's full press release here.
Below are more key news updates from the past 24 hours. Continue to follow our
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social media channels to stay informed in real-time.
Jake Braunstein
Senior Director, Policy Communications
Contact Senators Following their Votes on Arms Sales to Israel
Last week, the Senate defeated two resolutions to block arms sales to Israel. The votes were
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40-59 and
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36-63 .
It’s critical that senators hear from pro-Israel constituents, expressing appreciation for those who voted to stand with Israel and disappointment to those who voted to block arms to our ally fighting a multi-front war.
TAKE 45 SECONDS: Thank those who voted NO on Sanders' dangerous resolutions and express your disappointment in those who voted YES.
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Must read op-ed: Hasan Piker is 'political poison for Democrats'
Democratic strategist Ethan Wolf
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writes in The Washington Post why aligning with Hasan Piker, the antisemitic far-left streamer, is "political poison for Democrats" and "a mistake Democrats cannot afford to make."
A few key excerpts:
"Dabbling with extremism isn’t merely wrong; it’s an unforced error...Democrats have been here before. The party’s most successful leaders understood that expanding the tent and policing its boundaries are necessary complements, not contradictions."
"The internet personality has described Orthodox Jews as 'inbred,' said 'America deserved 9/11,' asserted 'Hamas a thousand times better' than Israel and called the collapse of the Soviet Union 'one of the greatest catastrophes of the 20th century.' In a podcast interview with a former Obama speechwriter last week, he called the Republican Party the 'biggest terrorist internationally.' Other Democrats have openly rejected his views. Democratic Rep. Ritchie Torres (New York) called Piker 'the poster child for the post-October 7th outbreak of antisemitism in America.'"
"Democrats who want the party to engage with Piker portray this as an acceptable risk. They suggest that there are more disaffected voters in Piker’s audience than would be lost in the center of the political spectrum. But that theory has been tried and tested. It has failed."
"Consider how the GOP is already punishing Democratic candidates for fraternizing with Piker. After the streamer appeared at a campaign rally in Michigan with U.S. Senate hopeful Abdul El-Sayed in early April, Republicans circulated a photo of the two men fist-bumping alongside the caption 'America deserved 9/11.'"
"...successful parties do not get to campaign against the electorate they wish they had; they have to persuade the one that exists. The voters Democrats need most are those in the middle who worry the party has drifted too far left. Mixing Piker into the coalition merely confirms that fear."
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Click here to read the full article (behind The Washington Post paywall), and
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here to share this on Instagram .
Hezbollah launches attack on Israeli troops
Hezbollah today
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launched a drone attack on Israeli troops stationed in southern Lebanon in its most recent violation of the ceasefire. The UAV was intercepted, and no troops were injured.
As part of its ongoing operations to enforce the ceasefire agreement and counter Hezbollah attacks, the IDF today eliminated terrorists in the Saluki area of southern Lebanon, after they approached troops at close range.
Additionally, the IDF continues to
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locate and dismantle Hezbollah terrorist infrastructure and weapons caches, which include RPG launchers, grenades, drones, and other explosive devices.
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IDF eliminates terrorist who participated in October 7 attack
The IDF yesterday
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eliminated Hamas terrorist Khamis Muhammad Khamis Qassas, who infiltrated Kibbutz Nir Oz during the October 7 attack, and has since directed additional terror attacks against IDF soldiers and Israeli civilians.
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Yarden Bibas' heartfelt message
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"Here you go, Shiri… We moved to the Golan like we wanted, and we’re continuing, or at least trying, to travel the way we loved. But it doesn’t feel the way I wish it did. I miss you so much, every day, every minute, every second. And I feel so alone and lost without you. I died that day too… but only you stopped breathing. That’s what’s hardest for me, the fact that I’m here, and you’re not here with me. Every morning I truly try to find a reason to get up and keep breathing, and if I’m honest, I don’t always find one. At night, when I feel lost and alone, I look up at the sky and search for those three stars… I can’t claim them, but to me, they are my stars. Shiri, Ariel, and Kfir — I love you
more than anything in the world. Always."
Other notable headlines
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U.S. Blocks Iraq’s Dollar Shipments to Squeeze Its Iran-Backed Militias
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Houthis signal return, warn of broader regional escalation
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Lebanese state not seeking confrontation with Hezbollah but won't be intimidated, PM says
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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