When I read the news on YWN in the last few days, my heart breaks for the Yidden who have lost their lives because of this war. But my heart also fills with pride when I see images of Israeli warplanes pounding our enemies and recognizing the yad Hashem in everything that is happening. Iran is not Hamas or Hezbollah. Iran is a large and powerful country that has threatened many times to wipe out Israel and kill all the Jews. The fact that Hashem has given us the ability to inflict great damage on this enemy is a tremendous gift from Hashem. I am incredibly proud of our ability to defend ourselves. My great uncles and aunts, who died horrible deaths in the Holocaust, did not have the ability to defend themselves. We do, and we should thank Hashem profusely for this gift.

U.S. regulators will begin offering faster reviews to new medicines that administration officials deem as promoting “the health interests of Americans,” under a new initiative announced Tuesday. Food and Drug Administration Commissioner Marty Makary said the agency will aim to review select drugs in one to two months. FDA’s long-standing accelerated approval program generally issues decisions in six months for drugs that treat life-threatening diseases. Regular drug reviews take about 10 months. Since arriving at the FDA in April, Makary has repeatedly told FDA staff they need to “challenge assumptions” and rethink procedures.

Rechov Sorotzkin in Yerushalayim sees a flurry of activity after shrapnel from an intercepted Iranian missile fell in the neighborhood heavily populated with American bochurim and young couples. No injuries have been reported.

FBI Director Kash Patel has revealed that he has handed over documents to Senator Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, which contain serious claims of Chinese Communist Party involvement in the 2020 U.S. election.
“The FBI has located documents which detail alarming allegations related to the 2020 U.S. election, including allegations of interference by the CCP,” Patel shared Monday on X. “I have immediately declassified the material and turned the documents over to Chairman Grassley for further review.”

During a shiur on Monday night, Rav Yitzchok Zilberstein delivered guidance steeped in Torah, sensitivity, and heart. Speaking in the Beis Knesses HaMerkazi of Ramat Elchanan in Bnei Brak, the Rosh Yeshiva addressed pressing halachic questions that have arisen in recent days amid ongoing rocket attacks.

Lebanon’s president and prime minister said Monday that their country must stay out of the conflict between Israel and Iran because any engagement would be detrimental to the small nation engulfed in an economic crisis and struggling to recover from the latest Israel-Hezbollah war. Their remarks amounted to a message to the Lebanese Hezbollah terror group — an ally of both Iran and the Palestinian terror Hamas group in Gaza — to stay out of the fray. Lebanese President Joseph Aoun and Prime Minister Nawaf Salam spoke during a Cabinet meeting Monday that also discussed the Iran-Israel conflict and the spike in regional tensions over the past four days.

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The IDF announced on Tuesday that it has finalized operational plans to launch a strike on Iran’s heavily fortified Fordow nuclear facility, pending a green light from Israel’s leadership.
Up until now, military officials have avoided giving direct answers about whether a strike on Fordow was imminent. They have, however, issued explicit denials in response to recent false reports suggesting that Fordow had already been attacked.
The Fordow site is considered Iran’s most critical nuclear installation and remains untouched by Israeli forces. Its location beneath a mountain makes it particularly difficult to penetrate.