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Dear A.,
Today, Secretary of War Pete Hegseth and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Dan Caine
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provided an update on efforts to ensure freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz and the situation in Iran.
Caine said, "Over the past seven weeks, Iran's repeatedly threatened and attacked commercial shipping in the Strait to effectively cut off commercial traffic and damage the global economy. By obstructing one of the world's most critical maritime checkpoints, a vital transit route for approximately one-fifth of the global oil consumption, Iran is weaponizing the global supply chain."
Hegseth added that the mission is a defensive one and will be temporary, saying that while the U.S. is currently "stabilizing the situation so commerce can flow again, but we expect the world to step up at the appropriate time, and soon we will hand responsibility back."
He also said that despite Iran's recent attack on ships transiting the Strait and the UAE, the ceasefire remains in effect.
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You can watch the full update below.
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While the U.S. Navy assists merchant vessels through the Strait of Hormuz, CENTCOM continues to
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enforce its blockade on Iranian ships attempting to enter or exit the waterway. As of today, more than 50 vessels have been directed to turn around or return to port.
With the blockade in effect, the U.S. is also increasing the economic pressure on Iran. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, in an interview yesterday,
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said that "China has been buying 90 percent of [Iran's] energy, so they are funding the largest state sponsor of terrorism." This follows sanctions issued by Treasury targeting a Chinese oil refinery that has purchased billions of dollars-worth of Iranian oil.
Meanwhile, Iran today is once again attacking the UAE. The country's Ministry of Defense
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confirmed that its air defense systems have intercepted ballistic missiles, cruise missiles, and attack drones launched by the Iranian regime.
Below are more key news updates and
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a new AIPAC podcast episode on the importance of the U.S.-Israel MOU. Continue to follow our
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social media channels to stay informed in real-time.
Jake Braunstein
Senior Director, Policy Communications
MUST LISTEN
Breaking Down the MOU: Facts, Myths, and Misconceptions
AIPAC Podcast
Deryn Sousa, Dave Gillette, and Deb Saxon
American security assistance to Israel is in the news. As members of Congress consider funding the 9th year of a 10-year MOU originally signed by President Obama, broader questions about the next MOU are shaping the discussion here in Washington and across the country. In this episode, AIPAC spokeswoman Deryn Sousa sits down with senior lobbyists Dave Gillette and Deb Saxon to discuss the MOU's decades-long history, how the money is spent (spoiler: almost all of it is spent here in America), and discuss why this funding matters to America.
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IDF continues dismantling Hezbollah infrastructure in southern Lebanon
The IDF continues its operations to dismantle Hezbollah infrastructure in southern Lebanon. Yesterday, the IDF
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destroyed one of the terror group's tunnels and weapons caches, which included three tons of explosives, more than 40 Claymore mines, and anti-tank guided missile systems (video below).
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Meanwhile, Hezbollah continues to launch attacks against IDF troops. Earlier today, the terror group launched an
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attack drone , an anti-tank guided missile, and several
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mortars at Israeli troops in southern Lebanon.
No soldiers were injured in the attacks, and the IDF
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struck and destroyed the anti-tank missile launch site in response.
Additionally, the IDF
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eliminated two terrorists who were operating near Israeli forces in southern Lebanon. Watch the first-person view of the strike below.
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Rabbi Samuel Stern op-ed on Graham Platner: ‘From “Punch a Nazi” to nominate one’
In a new
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op-ed for The Times of Israel, Rabbi Samuel Stern warns about the dangers of Graham Platner’s political ascendance, and urges pro-Israel voters to reject him as a “normal” candidate.
"Less than a decade ago, 'Punch a Nazi' was the moral shorthand of progressive politics. This week, the Democratic Party effectively nominated one for the United States Senate."
"Graham Platner says he is not a Nazi. He simply chose... to put a Totenkopf on his chest, the death’s-head insignia of the SS unit that ran the camps. He has said he did not know what it meant. CNN’s KFile, his own deleted Reddit posts, and a former acquaintance who recalled him calling it “my Totenkopf” tell another story."
"Chris Van Hollen has appeared on television to defend him. The party has decided that Susan Collins’s seat is worth more than its discomfort with a candidate who praised Hamas’s tactics on Reddit in 2014, calls Israel a “terrorist state,” accuses the Jewish state of genocide, and told an audience that the real number of Israelis murdered on October 7 was not 1,200 but “600 military members.” Rounding down the dead is not a policy disagreement; it is a category of speech we should know on sight."
"Vote and give accordingly. Susan Collins has earned a serious second look from Jewish Mainers. So has every Democrat in a contested primary willing to say plainly that Platner is not normal."
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You can read Rabbi Stern's full op-ed here.
U.N. Ambassador Waltz: Hamas "will never again rule Gaza"
While the world's eyes are fixed on Iran, U.S., Israeli, and Board of Peace officials have quietly been advancing the post-war plans for Gaza.
Today, Board of Peace envoy Nickolay Mladenov met in Jerusalem with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee.
He
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said that at today's meeting, "We all reaffirmed our commitment to the full implementation of President Trump’s 20-Point Comprehensive Plan. Working with all sides to turn commitment into concrete actions."
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Mladenov, Ambassador Huckabee, and Prime Minister Netanyahu discuss the 20-point plan for Gaza in Jerusalem.
Speaking to Jewish Insider, U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. Mike Waltz
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said that the administration is moving forward with its plans for Gaza, despite Hamas' continuous refusal to disarm, vowing that the terror group "will never again rule Gaza."
"I wouldn’t expect a terrorist organization like them to just roll over and hand over everybody, but once we’ve cut off any other path for them, then I think they have no other choice," Waltz added.
Primaries today in Indiana and Ohio
22 AIPAC-endorsed candidates are on the ballot today in Indiana and Ohio, seeking to join the more than 50 AIPAC-endorsed candidates who have already won their primary races this cycle.
Two weeks from today are the primaries in Kentucky, where AIPAC-endorsed former Navy SEAL Ed Gallrein will look to unseat one of the most anti-Israel members of Congress, Rep. Thomas Massie.
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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