LIVE DEVELOPMENTS — updated Tuesday, August 18, 2026  

Trump Threatens To Bomb Oman If It ‘Gets In The Way’ Of Iran Negotiations

TRUSTED ANALYSIS

Day 1,047 — Tuesday, August 18

After the Memorandum of Understanding with Iran expired on Monday, U.S. President Donald Trump said the Islamic Republic should “put up the white flag of surrender.” 

In a phone conversation with Fox News’ Try Yingst, the president reiterated that the number one goal for his administration is preventing the Islamic Republic from obtaining nuclear weapons. 

“The number one Goal is, and always will be, that Iran cannot have, in any way, shape, or form, a Nuclear Weapon,” Trump wrote on his Truth Social account shortly before the phone call with Yingst. 

Despite upcoming elections in the United States, the president said he feels no pressure to alter his current course of continued economic sanctions and a blockade on the Strait of Hormuz for Iranian traffic. 

“I have no time schedule,” President Trump told Yingst during the call. “I’m not in a hurry.” 

“Midterms have nothing to do with my thinking,” he added. 

While Hormuz remains a highly contested issue in the negotiations, President Trump issued an odd warning to Oman, which has been negotiating with Iran over the strait for the past several weeks. 

“If Oman gets in the way, we’ll bomb the [expletive] out of them,” Trump was reported by Yingst as saying. 

“I don’t think they [Oman] behaved very well, but we’d handle them very easily, just like we do others,” the president told reporters in the Oval Office hours later. 

all israel news 

Day 1,047 — Tuesday, August 18

U.S. special envoy Jared Kushner delivered a stark ultimatum to Hamas on Monday, warning that the terrorist group must honor its commitments to disarm in Gaza or face an Israeli military operation to “finish the job.“

Speaking exclusively to Fox News chief foreign correspondent Trey Yingst, Kushner also detailed high-stakes diplomatic meetings in Egypt and Israel over the last 48 hours aimed at advancing President Donald Trump’s Gaza peace roadmap as fighting and disagreements between Israel and Hamas persists.

“Time will tell whether [Hamas disarmament is] going to be implemented,” he added, before stating that Washington feels it could be “very close to knowing, and we’re making a lot of progress towards trying to get to the next steps.“

“If they don’t follow through now on their commitment, everyone will see that they’re not genuine about peace, and then Israel will have a lot more support from the U.S. and others to go and finish the job in the appropriate way,” Kushner also told Yingst of the militant group.

The warning from Trump’s son-in-law followed the rare face-to-face meeting — only Kushner’s second known meeting with the group.

“They said all the right things, but obviously, it’s very, very hard to trust, you know, a terrorist organization that committed these terrible atrocities,” Kushner continued. “But we had a very cordial meeting, and they said all the right things, and so we’re going to give them a chance to perform. 

“It’s going to have to be based on actions and steps, and I hope it will be true.“

fox news 

Day 1,046 — Monday, August 17

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu refered to Britain as an “Islamic republic” during a lengthy podcast interview with Army Radio.

Discussing Winston Churchill’s son Randolph Churchill and grandson Winston Spencer Churchill, who like the World War II-era UK prime minister were journalists, Netanyahu says the pair “came here and covered the Six Day War in a very positive way for us.”

“Try to find that now in Britain, which you could call the Islamic republic of Britain,” Netanyahu chuckles.

He then responds “yes” when the interviewer asks “if all of Europe isn’t already like that, no?” apparently referring to Muslim communities in countries there and many European governments’ increasingly critical postures toward Israel in recent years.

“The first nuclear Islamic republic will be the Islamic republic of Britain,” Netanyahu further stated. “We’re making sure there won’t be another one in Iran.”

Times of Israel 

Day 1,046 — Monday, August 17

Jewish men were permitted to bring prayer books onto the Temple Mount on Sunday, National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir confirmed to The Jerusalem Post, after right-wing journalist Arnon Segal shared a photo of Jewish men praying and reading from prayer books, claiming the photo was taken from the Temple Mount.

“Still no blanket permit, but an initial experiment aimed at ensuring the Middle East doesn’t lose its mind over this,” Segal claimed in his post. “History.”

“The Israel Police operates on the Temple Mount in accordance with the directives of the political echelon, the established rules governing the site, and operational assessments, with the aim of safeguarding public safety, security, and public order,” Israel Police said in response to the Post’s request for comment.

Under the longstanding status quo, Jews and Christians are permitted to visit the Temple Mount but are generally prohibited from praying there, while Muslims are permitted to worship.

In January, Israel Police began relaxing some restrictions on Jewish prayer at the site, according to the Jewish Telegraphic Agency. Jewish visitors may now enter with a single printed prayer page prepared in advance, although prayer books remain prohibited.

Times Of Israel

Day 1,046 — Monday, August 17

Hengli Group, a Chinese company that employs over 300,000 people and earns over $100 billion per year, is a primary importer of Iranian crude oil, The Wall Street Journal reported on Saturday, citing industry analysts, shipping brokers, and the US Treasury.

Hengli is one of the largest companies in a network of “teapot” refineries in China that purchase sanctioned oil, according to the officials cited by WSJ.

Since 2023, Hengli has received at least five million barrels of Iranian oil from multiple ships sanctioned by the United States, the US Treasury and shipping brokers claimed.

Hengli Group, a Chinese company that employs over 300,000 people and earns over $100 billion per year, is a primary importer of Iranian crude oil, The Wall Street Journal reported on Saturday, citing industry analysts, shipping brokers, and the US Treasury.

Hengli is one of the largest companies in a network of “teapot” refineries in China that purchase sanctioned oil, according to the officials cited by WSJ.

Since 2023, Hengli has received at least five million barrels of Iranian oil from multiple ships sanctioned by the United States, the US Treasury and shipping brokers claimed.

Iran has been evading US sanctions and the blockade using a system of ship-to-ship transfers in which sanctioned ships laden with Iranian oil offload their cargo onto another ship in the water before it is sent to China, the WSJ reported in May.

The ships receiving the oil are often part of Iran’s “shadow fleet,” a fleet of old, rusting tankers that obscure their owners and may switch their flags to those of countries with little shipping oversight to conceal their identities. Ships will often turn off their tracking device and may paint over identity numbers.

Jerusalem Post

Day 1,045 — Sunday, August 16

The Israel Defense Forces killed overnight Friday a commander of Hezbollah’s elite Radwan Force in the Ansar area in southwestern Lebanon, the military said.

The strike came in response to an attack earlier in the day on Israeli troops operating in the Security Zone in Southern Lebanon in accordance with the ceasefire agreement, the IDF said.

An IDF officer and two enlisted men were “severely injured” as a result of an explosive drone hit in Southern Lebanon, the military said later on Saturday.

The three were evacuated to a hospital and their families have been notified.

The military identified Ali Samir al-Haj Hassan as a battalion commander in the Radwan Force. Several other terrorists were killed in the IDF strike as well, the army continued.

The Israeli military addressed reports that the commander’s family members were harmed in the attack as well.

Hassan was targeted inside a military headquarters used to command Hezbollah’s operations in the area, the IDF said. “The strike was specifically directed at Hassan, who was a lawful target under international law,” the army emphasized.

“The terrorist used his family as human shields, hiding alongside them inside the military headquarters,” it added.

The Prime Minister’s Office said that the attack on the three soldiers was ordered from this headquarters, and that only later did the IDF learn that Hezbollah “deliberately” placed civilians inside it.

Lebanese media reported that Israeli strikes in the areas of Ali al-Taher Ridge, Ansar, and Nabatieh al-Fawqa killed nine people, among them women and children, according to Ynet.

Lebanon’s Prime Minister Nawaf Salam on Saturday slammed Israel’s retaliation, saying on X in Arabic that it “undermines efforts to stabilize the situation in the south.”

He further stated that the responsibility for dealing with terrorist infrastructure, “if it exists,” on the Lebanese side lies with the Lebanese state.

Meanwhile, U.S Ambassador to Lebanon Michel Issa told reporters in Arabic that while no date for further Israeli-Lebanese negotiations has been set, “they will continue,” LBCI, the Lebanese Broadcasting Corporation International, reported.

Asked whether Washington supports Israel’s latest round of strikes, Issa replied, “I don’t know. You know more than I do.” Israeli operations in Southern Lebanon will stop when Hezbollah lays down its weapons, he continued. “Everything will stop,” he added.

Issa spoke with reporters after meeting with Lebanese Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri in Beirut.

U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee lashed out at Hezbollah, calling it “pure evil.”

Hezbollah wounds Israeli troops, then “rounds up children” in a military compound knowing that Israel will retaliate because Iran’s proxy group “want[s] them to be in harm’s way,” he said.

He equated Hezbollah’s conduct with that of Hamas.

JNS

Day 1,044 — Saturday, August 15

An Iranian official fired back Friday after President Donald Trump said he may eventually declare the Strait of Hormuz “territory of the United States,” insisting Tehran will continue enforcing its blockade of the strategic waterway.

“The Strait of Hormuz cannot be seized by tweet, nor by aircraft carrier, nor by issuing an order, nor by an election speech,” Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister for Legal and International Affairs Kazem Gharibabadi wrote on X. “Iran neither fears threats nor cowers before displays of power.”

Gharibabadi then claimed the U.S. has suffered “strategic and heavy defeats” and asserted that “the Strait of Hormuz has been Iranian, is Iranian, and will remain Iranian.”

“This strait will only be closed and opened under Iran’s command,” he continued, adding that Tehran would maintain the blockade until the U.S. accepts what he characterized as the “reality of defeat.”

Trump said during remarks in Nassau County, New York, earlier Friday that after Iran is defeated, “pretty soon I’ll be declaring the Hormuz Strait a territory of the United States,” while touting the U.S. blockade and saying no ships pass through unless Washington allows it.

The Islamic Republic of Iran’s Foreign Ministry has previously publicly identified Gharibabadi’s X account among its official government accounts.

fox news 

Day 1,044 — Saturday, August 15

Israeli Consul General in New York, Ofir Akunis spoke at an event for young Jewish community leaders in New York and addressed the sharp rise in antisemitic hate crimes in New York City since Mayor Zohran Mamdani took office.

“The mayor is busy inciting against and promoting a boycott of the Jewish state. His method is the ‘well-known’ antisemitic one: ‘No matter what – blame the Jews.’ This is exactly the same method that was used a century ago by the Third Reich,” Akunis said.

He stated: “Data released by the New York Police Department points to a sharp increase in antisemitic hate crimes since he took office. This is further proof of his failure to protect the city’s Jewish community. Mamdani continues to incite and fuel his supporters to attack the State of Israel and its Prime Minister. This must stop before it is too late!”

His comments follow the release of the NYPD’s hate crime statistics for the month of July, which show that antisemitic hate crimes in New York City rose sharply in July, accounting for nearly 70% of all confirmed hate crimes reported during the month.

The NYPD recorded 33 confirmed hate crimes in July, including 23 targeting Jews, up 53.3% from the 15 anti-Jewish incidents recorded in July 2025. Muslims were the targets of five confirmed hate crimes, compared with two during the same month last year.

So far this year, the department has recorded 360 confirmed hate crimes, a 9.4% increase from the 329 reported during the same period in 2025. Of those incidents, 205 targeted Jews, 56.9% of the total, while 26 targeted Muslims. Anti-Jewish hate crimes have increased 8.5% year over year, while anti-Muslim incidents have risen 62.5%.

arutz sheva

Day 1,043 — Friday, August 14

Defense Minister Israel Katz has instructed the military to prepare a plan to transfer all civilian law-enforcement responsibilities in Judea and Samaria to the Israel Police, his office said on Friday.

Katz issued the directive following a meeting on Thursday with IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir, the heads of the IDF’s Operations Directorate and Military Intelligence and other senior commanders.

Under the proposed plan, which is to be drawn up in coordination with the Israel Police and other relevant authorities, civilian law enforcement in Judea and Samaria would be transferred from the IDF to the police, as is the case elsewhere in Israel.

The police would establish a dedicated force to handle civilian matters and receive the necessary authority and funding, according to Katz’s office.

The IDF would continue to combat Palestinian terrorism and focus on defending Israeli communities and borders.

“It is not the IDF’s role, nor does it have the capacity, to deal with the enforcement of civilian matters in Judea and Samaria, given the welcome expected increase in the number of residents in Judea and Samaria following the decisions to establish 104 new communities and formalize the agricultural farms, on the one hand, and the growing security threats and challenges that the IDF is facing and is expected to face on the central front, on the other,” Katz said.

“The IDF’s role is to fight Palestinian terrorism, focus on defending the borders and communities against threats, deal with the borders and the territory itself, and address security threats to the communities and the State of Israel—not to chase teenagers on the hilltops. All responsibility for handling and enforcing matters relating to the communities, residents and civilian issues will be transferred to the Israel Police, which will be required to prepare accordingly.”

Katz described the move as “a significant step toward strengthening governance and enforcing law and order throughout Judea and Samaria,” while freeing the military to concentrate on its primary missions.

“The Israeli government and the IDF will delegate to the police all the powers necessary to carry out these missions,” he said.

The announcement came a day after Israeli security forces dismantled two unauthorized outposts near the Palestinian villages of Qusra and Jalud in Samaria.

Israeli forces overnight Thursday cleared Israelis from an unauthorized outpost and sheep pen next to Qusra and dismantled a second unauthorized outpost near Jalud. Both had been established in Area B, where the Palestinian Authority exercises administrative control and Israel retains security responsibility. One Israeli was detained during the operation.

The IDF had previously received reports of Israelis entering Palestinian homes and areas near the villages. The military described the activity as “illegal, obscene and unacceptable” and declared the area a closed military zone, barring anyone who was not a local resident.

The military said it “strongly condemns” such incidents and that those involved would be dealt with in cooperation with the security forces.

Yisrael Gantz, chairman of the Yesha Council, an umbrella organization representing Israeli communities in Judea and Samaria, also condemned the actions.

He described the incidents as “serious and not our way,” saying, “There is no place to privately decide on establishing a hilltop in the yard of a house. There is no justification for violence against uninvolved parties or against security forces.”

U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee also issued a condemnation, saying Israeli security forces had arrived at the scene at the request of the United States. “The actions of those who attacked this family’s home are criminal,” Huckabee said, describing the incident as “a shocking act of terrorism designed to intimidate and harass this family.”

In a subsequent post, Huckabee adopted a more conciliatory tone, stressing that a small minority carried out the actions and should not be attributed to Israeli residents of Judea and Samaria as a whole.

“‘Settlers’ are not the problem in Judea/Samaria. ‘Unsettlers’ are,” the ambassador wrote on X. “Very small minority who do great damage to Palestinian families & to Israel.”

He added, “Real settlers like Ysrael Ganz, Governor of Judea/Samaria condemn the actions of the few,” Huckabee wrote, using an alternate spelling of Gantz’s name. “Let’s hope the media gives attention to this & balances their stories.”

jns

Day 1,043 — Friday, August 14

US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said on Thursday that the United States is going to apply measures that have “never been seen” on Iran.

“Watch this space for more announcements coming next week because we are going to apply measures like have never been seen in the history of economic isolation on a country,” Bessent said in an interview on on Newsmax’s “Rob Schmitt Tonight” program.

“It will be a combination of economic isolation like the world has never seen before, and the continued blockade in the Strait of Hormuz that will keep anything from going in or out of the Iranian ports,” Bessent said.

jerusalem post

Day 1,042 — Thursday, August 13

The co-chair of the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) group is receiving sharp backlash for saying on Friday that the Hamas-led Oct. 7 massacre in Israel was mostly “inevitable.”

During an interview with The New Yorker’s David Remnick, DSA co-chair Megan Romer was questioned about democratic socialist Darializa Avila Chevalier, who attended an anti-Israel, pro-Hamas rally the day after the Oct. 7 terrorist attack in 2023, and was pressed on whether she would have attended if she were in her position.

“You would have gone to that rally, had you been able?” Remnick asked.

“That’s a good question. I probably would have,” Romer replied. “Yeah, yeah. I don’t live in New York City, so I wouldn’t have —”

Remnick pressed further, asking, “One day after the slaughter of 1,200 people and taking of over 200 hostages, you would have come and rallied behind Hamas?”

“I think that Oct. 7 was largely inevitable,” she replied. “If you put people in an open-air concentration camp and you deprive them of rights, of dignity, of food, of the ability to live in safety, you have to expect that they are going to not take that for that long. And that is not defending any harm of civilians or of non-combatants —”

When Remnick accused her remark of being an expression of support for the violence, she pushed back and said “I’m saying that I think it was inevitable.”

Pro-Israel groups condemned her comments.

“I agree with DSA Co-chair Megan Romer that the October 7 attacks were in many ways inevitable — but not for the libelous reasons she cited,” Zionist Organization of America National President Morton A. Klein told Fox News Digital.

“When Gazans elected Hamas – a terror organization whose charter calls for murdering every Jew and destroying Israel, October 7 was the result,” he added. “When Qatar and Iran gave arms and hundreds of millions of dollars to Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad, gave sanctuary to Hamas leaders, and helped terror groups plan attacks on Israel, October 7 was the result.”

“When UNRWA (UN Relief and Works Agency) teaches children to hate and murder Jews, employs Hamas terrorists as teachers and principals, stores weapons for Hamas, and provides communications centers for Hamas, October 7 is the result. When Israel, under pressure from the Biden administration, issued thousands of work permits to enter Israel to Hamas terrorists and scouts, October 7 was the result,” he continued.

He warned that there may be even more October 7th-style violence in the future.

“And now, when Hamas is refusing to really disarm, and is vowing to commit more and more October 7ths, we must enable Israel to ensure its safety by retaining a buffer zone in Gaza and insisting on Hamas’ disarmament prior to any other peace plan steps,” he said. “Or else another October 7 will be the result. Regarding Romer’s lies, the parties ‘imprisoning’ Gaza are Hamas, PIJ and other terror groups. By contrast, Israel facilitated tons of food, water, medical and other supplies into Gaza — while Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad launched 30,000 rockets at Israeli civilians.”

fox news 

Day 1,042 — Thursday, August 13

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan on Wednesday vowed to “resolutely” work toward a “sovereign and geographically contiguous” Palestinian state with eastern Jerusalem as its capital, Turkish state-run news channel TRT reported.

Speaking at a joint news conference in Ankara with Palestinian Authority chief Mahmoud Abbas, Erdoğan accused Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of seeking to “remove Palestine from the common agenda of humanity by profiting from chaos and new conflicts in the region.”

“They will not succeed,” he added.

Erdoğan said Ankara “strongly opposes” what he denounced as provocations aimed at changes to the status quo at the Al-Aqsa Mosque and other Jerusalem holy sites, and accused the Jewish state of “unlawful actions” in Judea and Samaria.

The Turkish leader also called for establishing conditions for Gaza’s reconstruction and vowed to continue efforts “to support the Palestinian people and defend their rights.”

Abbas arrived in Ankara on Tuesday afternoon for a two-day visit, Ramallah’s official Wafa agency reported.

Abbas was met at the airport by Turkish Trade Minister Ömer Bolat and the P.A.’s envoy to Ankara, Nasri Abu Jaish, according to the report.

Wafa said the P.A. delegation includes PLO Executive Committee member Ziad Abu Amr; Fatah Central Committee member Maj. Gen. Majed Faraj, who also heads Ramallah’s General Intelligence Service; and Abbas advisers Majdi al-Khaldi and Mahmoud al-Habbash.

Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich condemned Abbas’s visit, describing the P.A. leader as “an enemy at the head of a terror authority that encourages and funds terror against the State of Israel.”

Smotrich called on Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to prevent Abbas from returning to Israel and Judea and Samaria, adding that the Palestinian Authority “must be dismantled.”

Israel’s Foreign Ministry on Tuesday accused Erdoğan of military aggression “that knows no borders,” saying Ankara occupies roughly 36% of Cyprus, 5% of Syria and 2,000 square kilometers of Iraq, with thousands of Turkish troops stationed across the three countries.

The ministry made the comparison amid Turkish criticism of Israel, writing on X, “Turkey has the audacity to criticize Israel. But what are the facts on the ground?”

Israel, by contrast, “temporarily controls merely 0.1% of Syria,” the ministry said, describing it as “a buffer zone to protect its citizens from proven security threats.”

jns

Day 1,041 — Wednesday, August 12

Israel’s United Nations envoy told the U.N. Security Council on Tuesday the facts regarding violence in Judea and Samaria contradict the “rising settler violence” narrative.

The council held a briefing on Judea and Samaria, as requested by European members Denmark, France, Greece, Latvia and the United Kingdom, collectively known as the “E5.”

The briefing was purportedly to condemn the alleged rise of violence by Jewish residents in the region, which the United Nations refers to as “settlers.”

“This May, there were 348 Palestinian terrorist attacks in Judea and Samaria. Eight pipe bomb attacks, 282 stone-throwing incidents, 32 fire bomb attacks, 24 arson incidents and two serious car ramming attacks,” said Danny Danon, Israel’s U.N. ambassador, noting that the high figure was higher than even the 325 recorded attacks in April. Over 400 more attacks were stopped by Israeli security forces preemptively, Danon said.

“How many of you have condemned these terrorist attacks against Jews? None of these numbers were reported by the briefers, and none of these attacks were mentioned by any of you,” he continued. “This is the bias we are confronting today.”

Meanwhile, Danon said Israel is cracking down on attacks by Jews against Palestinians, with 354 investigations opened, 20 indictments filed and 35 residents arrested through the first quarter of this year.

“This has led to a decrease in extremist violence,” said Danon. “That is why calling it ‘settler violence’ is a provocation. It denies our connection to the land of Israel. It distracts from constant terrorist attacks against Israelis and it collectively labels entire innocent communities for the crimes of the marginal extremist minority.

He drew attention to the flow of Iranian weapons and funding into Judea and Samaria, and the Palestinian Authority’s dishonesty about its so-called pay-for-slay program, which rewards terrorists on a sliding scale based on the severity of their crimes.

“The Palestinian Authority is supposed to help us to mitigate this problem,” said Danon, while the U.S. State Department told Congress that the Palestinian Authority continues to administer the program, even as Ramallah said it was converted into a broader social welfare initiative.

Washington’s representative on Tuesday said that the United States “appreciates the Israeli government’s condemnation of, and the increased actions to counter, violence in” Judea and Samaria.

“Israel has taken specific steps, such as increasing law enforcement actions, to boosting the IDF presence and to allocating significant financial resources to counter the violence,” said Jennifer Locetta, U.S. alternative representative for special political affairs.

She doubled down on Danon’s pay-for-slay criticism, telling the council that Washington “will not accept compensation for terrorism under the guise of ‘welfare’ or through any other attempts to evade detection under a different name.”

But, Locetta took a veiled shot at Israel’s approval this week of the advancement of plans to build housing units in areas between northern Jerusalem and the P.A. cities of Ramallah and el-Bireh.

“The United States reiterates its opposition to annexation,” in the area, she said.

jns

Day 1,041 — Wednesday, August 12

A credible Iranian assassination threat led the U.S. Secret Service to use an elaborate deception to get President Trump safely out of Turkey after the NATO Summit last month.

Trump was taken to an alternate military aircraft while the White House made it appear that he was flying on Air Force One, according to a new report from The Washington Post.

The operation involved a ruse where journalists and some White House staff believed they were on the same plane as Trump. But after boarding Air Force One, Trump was secretly transferred to a smaller Air Force C-32A via an airport catering truck.

The Post said it had reviewed material related to the operation and had confirmed it through a U.S. official with inside knowledge, as well as another person who knew about the president’s travel.

The White House did not directly address the report, but issued a statement highlighting that it uses every tool at its disposal to address threats to the president. The Secret Service declined to comment.

cbn israel

Day 1,047 — Tuesday, August 18

After the Memorandum of Understanding with Iran expired on Monday, U.S. President Donald Trump said the Islamic Republic should “put up the white flag of surrender.” 

In a phone conversation with Fox News’ Try Yingst, the president reiterated that the number one goal for his administration is preventing the Islamic Republic from obtaining nuclear weapons. 

“The number one Goal is, and always will be, that Iran cannot have, in any way, shape, or form, a Nuclear Weapon,” Trump wrote on his Truth Social account shortly before the phone call with Yingst. 

Despite upcoming elections in the United States, the president said he feels no pressure to alter his current course of continued economic sanctions and a blockade on the Strait of Hormuz for Iranian traffic. 

“I have no time schedule,” President Trump told Yingst during the call. “I’m not in a hurry.” 

“Midterms have nothing to do with my thinking,” he added. 

While Hormuz remains a highly contested issue in the negotiations, President Trump issued an odd warning to Oman, which has been negotiating with Iran over the strait for the past several weeks. 

“If Oman gets in the way, we’ll bomb the [expletive] out of them,” Trump was reported by Yingst as saying. 

“I don’t think they [Oman] behaved very well, but we’d handle them very easily, just like we do others,” the president told reporters in the Oval Office hours later. 

all israel news 

Day 1,047 — Tuesday, August 18

U.S. special envoy Jared Kushner delivered a stark ultimatum to Hamas on Monday, warning that the terrorist group must honor its commitments to disarm in Gaza or face an Israeli military operation to “finish the job.“

Speaking exclusively to Fox News chief foreign correspondent Trey Yingst, Kushner also detailed high-stakes diplomatic meetings in Egypt and Israel over the last 48 hours aimed at advancing President Donald Trump’s Gaza peace roadmap as fighting and disagreements between Israel and Hamas persists.

“Time will tell whether [Hamas disarmament is] going to be implemented,” he added, before stating that Washington feels it could be “very close to knowing, and we’re making a lot of progress towards trying to get to the next steps.“

“If they don’t follow through now on their commitment, everyone will see that they’re not genuine about peace, and then Israel will have a lot more support from the U.S. and others to go and finish the job in the appropriate way,” Kushner also told Yingst of the militant group.

The warning from Trump’s son-in-law followed the rare face-to-face meeting — only Kushner’s second known meeting with the group.

“They said all the right things, but obviously, it’s very, very hard to trust, you know, a terrorist organization that committed these terrible atrocities,” Kushner continued. “But we had a very cordial meeting, and they said all the right things, and so we’re going to give them a chance to perform. 

“It’s going to have to be based on actions and steps, and I hope it will be true.“

fox news 

Day 1,046 — Monday, August 17

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu refered to Britain as an “Islamic republic” during a lengthy podcast interview with Army Radio.

Discussing Winston Churchill’s son Randolph Churchill and grandson Winston Spencer Churchill, who like the World War II-era UK prime minister were journalists, Netanyahu says the pair “came here and covered the Six Day War in a very positive way for us.”

“Try to find that now in Britain, which you could call the Islamic republic of Britain,” Netanyahu chuckles.

He then responds “yes” when the interviewer asks “if all of Europe isn’t already like that, no?” apparently referring to Muslim communities in countries there and many European governments’ increasingly critical postures toward Israel in recent years.

“The first nuclear Islamic republic will be the Islamic republic of Britain,” Netanyahu further stated. “We’re making sure there won’t be another one in Iran.”

Times of Israel 

Day 1,046 — Monday, August 17

Jewish men were permitted to bring prayer books onto the Temple Mount on Sunday, National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir confirmed to The Jerusalem Post, after right-wing journalist Arnon Segal shared a photo of Jewish men praying and reading from prayer books, claiming the photo was taken from the Temple Mount.

“Still no blanket permit, but an initial experiment aimed at ensuring the Middle East doesn’t lose its mind over this,” Segal claimed in his post. “History.”

“The Israel Police operates on the Temple Mount in accordance with the directives of the political echelon, the established rules governing the site, and operational assessments, with the aim of safeguarding public safety, security, and public order,” Israel Police said in response to the Post’s request for comment.

Under the longstanding status quo, Jews and Christians are permitted to visit the Temple Mount but are generally prohibited from praying there, while Muslims are permitted to worship.

In January, Israel Police began relaxing some restrictions on Jewish prayer at the site, according to the Jewish Telegraphic Agency. Jewish visitors may now enter with a single printed prayer page prepared in advance, although prayer books remain prohibited.

Times Of Israel

Day 1,046 — Monday, August 17

Hengli Group, a Chinese company that employs over 300,000 people and earns over $100 billion per year, is a primary importer of Iranian crude oil, The Wall Street Journal reported on Saturday, citing industry analysts, shipping brokers, and the US Treasury.

Hengli is one of the largest companies in a network of “teapot” refineries in China that purchase sanctioned oil, according to the officials cited by WSJ.

Since 2023, Hengli has received at least five million barrels of Iranian oil from multiple ships sanctioned by the United States, the US Treasury and shipping brokers claimed.

Hengli Group, a Chinese company that employs over 300,000 people and earns over $100 billion per year, is a primary importer of Iranian crude oil, The Wall Street Journal reported on Saturday, citing industry analysts, shipping brokers, and the US Treasury.

Hengli is one of the largest companies in a network of “teapot” refineries in China that purchase sanctioned oil, according to the officials cited by WSJ.

Since 2023, Hengli has received at least five million barrels of Iranian oil from multiple ships sanctioned by the United States, the US Treasury and shipping brokers claimed.

Iran has been evading US sanctions and the blockade using a system of ship-to-ship transfers in which sanctioned ships laden with Iranian oil offload their cargo onto another ship in the water before it is sent to China, the WSJ reported in May.

The ships receiving the oil are often part of Iran’s “shadow fleet,” a fleet of old, rusting tankers that obscure their owners and may switch their flags to those of countries with little shipping oversight to conceal their identities. Ships will often turn off their tracking device and may paint over identity numbers.

Jerusalem Post

Day 1,045 — Sunday, August 16

The Israel Defense Forces killed overnight Friday a commander of Hezbollah’s elite Radwan Force in the Ansar area in southwestern Lebanon, the military said.

The strike came in response to an attack earlier in the day on Israeli troops operating in the Security Zone in Southern Lebanon in accordance with the ceasefire agreement, the IDF said.

An IDF officer and two enlisted men were “severely injured” as a result of an explosive drone hit in Southern Lebanon, the military said later on Saturday.

The three were evacuated to a hospital and their families have been notified.

The military identified Ali Samir al-Haj Hassan as a battalion commander in the Radwan Force. Several other terrorists were killed in the IDF strike as well, the army continued.

The Israeli military addressed reports that the commander’s family members were harmed in the attack as well.

Hassan was targeted inside a military headquarters used to command Hezbollah’s operations in the area, the IDF said. “The strike was specifically directed at Hassan, who was a lawful target under international law,” the army emphasized.

“The terrorist used his family as human shields, hiding alongside them inside the military headquarters,” it added.

The Prime Minister’s Office said that the attack on the three soldiers was ordered from this headquarters, and that only later did the IDF learn that Hezbollah “deliberately” placed civilians inside it.

Lebanese media reported that Israeli strikes in the areas of Ali al-Taher Ridge, Ansar, and Nabatieh al-Fawqa killed nine people, among them women and children, according to Ynet.

Lebanon’s Prime Minister Nawaf Salam on Saturday slammed Israel’s retaliation, saying on X in Arabic that it “undermines efforts to stabilize the situation in the south.”

He further stated that the responsibility for dealing with terrorist infrastructure, “if it exists,” on the Lebanese side lies with the Lebanese state.

Meanwhile, U.S Ambassador to Lebanon Michel Issa told reporters in Arabic that while no date for further Israeli-Lebanese negotiations has been set, “they will continue,” LBCI, the Lebanese Broadcasting Corporation International, reported.

Asked whether Washington supports Israel’s latest round of strikes, Issa replied, “I don’t know. You know more than I do.” Israeli operations in Southern Lebanon will stop when Hezbollah lays down its weapons, he continued. “Everything will stop,” he added.

Issa spoke with reporters after meeting with Lebanese Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri in Beirut.

U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee lashed out at Hezbollah, calling it “pure evil.”

Hezbollah wounds Israeli troops, then “rounds up children” in a military compound knowing that Israel will retaliate because Iran’s proxy group “want[s] them to be in harm’s way,” he said.

He equated Hezbollah’s conduct with that of Hamas.

JNS

Day 1,044 — Saturday, August 15

An Iranian official fired back Friday after President Donald Trump said he may eventually declare the Strait of Hormuz “territory of the United States,” insisting Tehran will continue enforcing its blockade of the strategic waterway.

“The Strait of Hormuz cannot be seized by tweet, nor by aircraft carrier, nor by issuing an order, nor by an election speech,” Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister for Legal and International Affairs Kazem Gharibabadi wrote on X. “Iran neither fears threats nor cowers before displays of power.”

Gharibabadi then claimed the U.S. has suffered “strategic and heavy defeats” and asserted that “the Strait of Hormuz has been Iranian, is Iranian, and will remain Iranian.”

“This strait will only be closed and opened under Iran’s command,” he continued, adding that Tehran would maintain the blockade until the U.S. accepts what he characterized as the “reality of defeat.”

Trump said during remarks in Nassau County, New York, earlier Friday that after Iran is defeated, “pretty soon I’ll be declaring the Hormuz Strait a territory of the United States,” while touting the U.S. blockade and saying no ships pass through unless Washington allows it.

The Islamic Republic of Iran’s Foreign Ministry has previously publicly identified Gharibabadi’s X account among its official government accounts.

fox news 

Day 1,044 — Saturday, August 15

Israeli Consul General in New York, Ofir Akunis spoke at an event for young Jewish community leaders in New York and addressed the sharp rise in antisemitic hate crimes in New York City since Mayor Zohran Mamdani took office.

“The mayor is busy inciting against and promoting a boycott of the Jewish state. His method is the ‘well-known’ antisemitic one: ‘No matter what – blame the Jews.’ This is exactly the same method that was used a century ago by the Third Reich,” Akunis said.

He stated: “Data released by the New York Police Department points to a sharp increase in antisemitic hate crimes since he took office. This is further proof of his failure to protect the city’s Jewish community. Mamdani continues to incite and fuel his supporters to attack the State of Israel and its Prime Minister. This must stop before it is too late!”

His comments follow the release of the NYPD’s hate crime statistics for the month of July, which show that antisemitic hate crimes in New York City rose sharply in July, accounting for nearly 70% of all confirmed hate crimes reported during the month.

The NYPD recorded 33 confirmed hate crimes in July, including 23 targeting Jews, up 53.3% from the 15 anti-Jewish incidents recorded in July 2025. Muslims were the targets of five confirmed hate crimes, compared with two during the same month last year.

So far this year, the department has recorded 360 confirmed hate crimes, a 9.4% increase from the 329 reported during the same period in 2025. Of those incidents, 205 targeted Jews, 56.9% of the total, while 26 targeted Muslims. Anti-Jewish hate crimes have increased 8.5% year over year, while anti-Muslim incidents have risen 62.5%.

arutz sheva

Day 1,043 — Friday, August 14

Defense Minister Israel Katz has instructed the military to prepare a plan to transfer all civilian law-enforcement responsibilities in Judea and Samaria to the Israel Police, his office said on Friday.

Katz issued the directive following a meeting on Thursday with IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir, the heads of the IDF’s Operations Directorate and Military Intelligence and other senior commanders.

Under the proposed plan, which is to be drawn up in coordination with the Israel Police and other relevant authorities, civilian law enforcement in Judea and Samaria would be transferred from the IDF to the police, as is the case elsewhere in Israel.

The police would establish a dedicated force to handle civilian matters and receive the necessary authority and funding, according to Katz’s office.

The IDF would continue to combat Palestinian terrorism and focus on defending Israeli communities and borders.

“It is not the IDF’s role, nor does it have the capacity, to deal with the enforcement of civilian matters in Judea and Samaria, given the welcome expected increase in the number of residents in Judea and Samaria following the decisions to establish 104 new communities and formalize the agricultural farms, on the one hand, and the growing security threats and challenges that the IDF is facing and is expected to face on the central front, on the other,” Katz said.

“The IDF’s role is to fight Palestinian terrorism, focus on defending the borders and communities against threats, deal with the borders and the territory itself, and address security threats to the communities and the State of Israel—not to chase teenagers on the hilltops. All responsibility for handling and enforcing matters relating to the communities, residents and civilian issues will be transferred to the Israel Police, which will be required to prepare accordingly.”

Katz described the move as “a significant step toward strengthening governance and enforcing law and order throughout Judea and Samaria,” while freeing the military to concentrate on its primary missions.

“The Israeli government and the IDF will delegate to the police all the powers necessary to carry out these missions,” he said.

The announcement came a day after Israeli security forces dismantled two unauthorized outposts near the Palestinian villages of Qusra and Jalud in Samaria.

Israeli forces overnight Thursday cleared Israelis from an unauthorized outpost and sheep pen next to Qusra and dismantled a second unauthorized outpost near Jalud. Both had been established in Area B, where the Palestinian Authority exercises administrative control and Israel retains security responsibility. One Israeli was detained during the operation.

The IDF had previously received reports of Israelis entering Palestinian homes and areas near the villages. The military described the activity as “illegal, obscene and unacceptable” and declared the area a closed military zone, barring anyone who was not a local resident.

The military said it “strongly condemns” such incidents and that those involved would be dealt with in cooperation with the security forces.

Yisrael Gantz, chairman of the Yesha Council, an umbrella organization representing Israeli communities in Judea and Samaria, also condemned the actions.

He described the incidents as “serious and not our way,” saying, “There is no place to privately decide on establishing a hilltop in the yard of a house. There is no justification for violence against uninvolved parties or against security forces.”

U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee also issued a condemnation, saying Israeli security forces had arrived at the scene at the request of the United States. “The actions of those who attacked this family’s home are criminal,” Huckabee said, describing the incident as “a shocking act of terrorism designed to intimidate and harass this family.”

In a subsequent post, Huckabee adopted a more conciliatory tone, stressing that a small minority carried out the actions and should not be attributed to Israeli residents of Judea and Samaria as a whole.

“‘Settlers’ are not the problem in Judea/Samaria. ‘Unsettlers’ are,” the ambassador wrote on X. “Very small minority who do great damage to Palestinian families & to Israel.”

He added, “Real settlers like Ysrael Ganz, Governor of Judea/Samaria condemn the actions of the few,” Huckabee wrote, using an alternate spelling of Gantz’s name. “Let’s hope the media gives attention to this & balances their stories.”

jns

Day 1,043 — Friday, August 14

US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said on Thursday that the United States is going to apply measures that have “never been seen” on Iran.

“Watch this space for more announcements coming next week because we are going to apply measures like have never been seen in the history of economic isolation on a country,” Bessent said in an interview on on Newsmax’s “Rob Schmitt Tonight” program.

“It will be a combination of economic isolation like the world has never seen before, and the continued blockade in the Strait of Hormuz that will keep anything from going in or out of the Iranian ports,” Bessent said.

jerusalem post

Day 1,042 — Thursday, August 13

The co-chair of the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) group is receiving sharp backlash for saying on Friday that the Hamas-led Oct. 7 massacre in Israel was mostly “inevitable.”

During an interview with The New Yorker’s David Remnick, DSA co-chair Megan Romer was questioned about democratic socialist Darializa Avila Chevalier, who attended an anti-Israel, pro-Hamas rally the day after the Oct. 7 terrorist attack in 2023, and was pressed on whether she would have attended if she were in her position.

“You would have gone to that rally, had you been able?” Remnick asked.

“That’s a good question. I probably would have,” Romer replied. “Yeah, yeah. I don’t live in New York City, so I wouldn’t have —”

Remnick pressed further, asking, “One day after the slaughter of 1,200 people and taking of over 200 hostages, you would have come and rallied behind Hamas?”

“I think that Oct. 7 was largely inevitable,” she replied. “If you put people in an open-air concentration camp and you deprive them of rights, of dignity, of food, of the ability to live in safety, you have to expect that they are going to not take that for that long. And that is not defending any harm of civilians or of non-combatants —”

When Remnick accused her remark of being an expression of support for the violence, she pushed back and said “I’m saying that I think it was inevitable.”

Pro-Israel groups condemned her comments.

“I agree with DSA Co-chair Megan Romer that the October 7 attacks were in many ways inevitable — but not for the libelous reasons she cited,” Zionist Organization of America National President Morton A. Klein told Fox News Digital.

“When Gazans elected Hamas – a terror organization whose charter calls for murdering every Jew and destroying Israel, October 7 was the result,” he added. “When Qatar and Iran gave arms and hundreds of millions of dollars to Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad, gave sanctuary to Hamas leaders, and helped terror groups plan attacks on Israel, October 7 was the result.”

“When UNRWA (UN Relief and Works Agency) teaches children to hate and murder Jews, employs Hamas terrorists as teachers and principals, stores weapons for Hamas, and provides communications centers for Hamas, October 7 is the result. When Israel, under pressure from the Biden administration, issued thousands of work permits to enter Israel to Hamas terrorists and scouts, October 7 was the result,” he continued.

He warned that there may be even more October 7th-style violence in the future.

“And now, when Hamas is refusing to really disarm, and is vowing to commit more and more October 7ths, we must enable Israel to ensure its safety by retaining a buffer zone in Gaza and insisting on Hamas’ disarmament prior to any other peace plan steps,” he said. “Or else another October 7 will be the result. Regarding Romer’s lies, the parties ‘imprisoning’ Gaza are Hamas, PIJ and other terror groups. By contrast, Israel facilitated tons of food, water, medical and other supplies into Gaza — while Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad launched 30,000 rockets at Israeli civilians.”

fox news 

Day 1,042 — Thursday, August 13

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan on Wednesday vowed to “resolutely” work toward a “sovereign and geographically contiguous” Palestinian state with eastern Jerusalem as its capital, Turkish state-run news channel TRT reported.

Speaking at a joint news conference in Ankara with Palestinian Authority chief Mahmoud Abbas, Erdoğan accused Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of seeking to “remove Palestine from the common agenda of humanity by profiting from chaos and new conflicts in the region.”

“They will not succeed,” he added.

Erdoğan said Ankara “strongly opposes” what he denounced as provocations aimed at changes to the status quo at the Al-Aqsa Mosque and other Jerusalem holy sites, and accused the Jewish state of “unlawful actions” in Judea and Samaria.

The Turkish leader also called for establishing conditions for Gaza’s reconstruction and vowed to continue efforts “to support the Palestinian people and defend their rights.”

Abbas arrived in Ankara on Tuesday afternoon for a two-day visit, Ramallah’s official Wafa agency reported.

Abbas was met at the airport by Turkish Trade Minister Ömer Bolat and the P.A.’s envoy to Ankara, Nasri Abu Jaish, according to the report.

Wafa said the P.A. delegation includes PLO Executive Committee member Ziad Abu Amr; Fatah Central Committee member Maj. Gen. Majed Faraj, who also heads Ramallah’s General Intelligence Service; and Abbas advisers Majdi al-Khaldi and Mahmoud al-Habbash.

Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich condemned Abbas’s visit, describing the P.A. leader as “an enemy at the head of a terror authority that encourages and funds terror against the State of Israel.”

Smotrich called on Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to prevent Abbas from returning to Israel and Judea and Samaria, adding that the Palestinian Authority “must be dismantled.”

Israel’s Foreign Ministry on Tuesday accused Erdoğan of military aggression “that knows no borders,” saying Ankara occupies roughly 36% of Cyprus, 5% of Syria and 2,000 square kilometers of Iraq, with thousands of Turkish troops stationed across the three countries.

The ministry made the comparison amid Turkish criticism of Israel, writing on X, “Turkey has the audacity to criticize Israel. But what are the facts on the ground?”

Israel, by contrast, “temporarily controls merely 0.1% of Syria,” the ministry said, describing it as “a buffer zone to protect its citizens from proven security threats.”

jns

Day 1,041 — Wednesday, August 12

Israel’s United Nations envoy told the U.N. Security Council on Tuesday the facts regarding violence in Judea and Samaria contradict the “rising settler violence” narrative.

The council held a briefing on Judea and Samaria, as requested by European members Denmark, France, Greece, Latvia and the United Kingdom, collectively known as the “E5.”

The briefing was purportedly to condemn the alleged rise of violence by Jewish residents in the region, which the United Nations refers to as “settlers.”

“This May, there were 348 Palestinian terrorist attacks in Judea and Samaria. Eight pipe bomb attacks, 282 stone-throwing incidents, 32 fire bomb attacks, 24 arson incidents and two serious car ramming attacks,” said Danny Danon, Israel’s U.N. ambassador, noting that the high figure was higher than even the 325 recorded attacks in April. Over 400 more attacks were stopped by Israeli security forces preemptively, Danon said.

“How many of you have condemned these terrorist attacks against Jews? None of these numbers were reported by the briefers, and none of these attacks were mentioned by any of you,” he continued. “This is the bias we are confronting today.”

Meanwhile, Danon said Israel is cracking down on attacks by Jews against Palestinians, with 354 investigations opened, 20 indictments filed and 35 residents arrested through the first quarter of this year.

“This has led to a decrease in extremist violence,” said Danon. “That is why calling it ‘settler violence’ is a provocation. It denies our connection to the land of Israel. It distracts from constant terrorist attacks against Israelis and it collectively labels entire innocent communities for the crimes of the marginal extremist minority.

He drew attention to the flow of Iranian weapons and funding into Judea and Samaria, and the Palestinian Authority’s dishonesty about its so-called pay-for-slay program, which rewards terrorists on a sliding scale based on the severity of their crimes.

“The Palestinian Authority is supposed to help us to mitigate this problem,” said Danon, while the U.S. State Department told Congress that the Palestinian Authority continues to administer the program, even as Ramallah said it was converted into a broader social welfare initiative.

Washington’s representative on Tuesday said that the United States “appreciates the Israeli government’s condemnation of, and the increased actions to counter, violence in” Judea and Samaria.

“Israel has taken specific steps, such as increasing law enforcement actions, to boosting the IDF presence and to allocating significant financial resources to counter the violence,” said Jennifer Locetta, U.S. alternative representative for special political affairs.

She doubled down on Danon’s pay-for-slay criticism, telling the council that Washington “will not accept compensation for terrorism under the guise of ‘welfare’ or through any other attempts to evade detection under a different name.”

But, Locetta took a veiled shot at Israel’s approval this week of the advancement of plans to build housing units in areas between northern Jerusalem and the P.A. cities of Ramallah and el-Bireh.

“The United States reiterates its opposition to annexation,” in the area, she said.

jns

Day 1,041 — Wednesday, August 12

A credible Iranian assassination threat led the U.S. Secret Service to use an elaborate deception to get President Trump safely out of Turkey after the NATO Summit last month.

Trump was taken to an alternate military aircraft while the White House made it appear that he was flying on Air Force One, according to a new report from The Washington Post.

The operation involved a ruse where journalists and some White House staff believed they were on the same plane as Trump. But after boarding Air Force One, Trump was secretly transferred to a smaller Air Force C-32A via an airport catering truck.

The Post said it had reviewed material related to the operation and had confirmed it through a U.S. official with inside knowledge, as well as another person who knew about the president’s travel.

The White House did not directly address the report, but issued a statement highlighting that it uses every tool at its disposal to address threats to the president. The Secret Service declined to comment.

cbn israel