The commander of U.S. Central Command told Congress on Tuesday that the United States is prepared to respond militarily against Iran if nuclear negotiations were to fail.
Speaking to the House Armed Services Committee, Gen. Michael Kurilla briefed lawmakers on U.S. military force posture in the Middle East.
“President Trump has made it clear that if Iran doesn’t permanently give up its nuclear enrichment, military force by the United States may be necessary,” said Rep. Mike Rogers (R-Ala.), the committee chair.
“If the president directed, is CENTCOM prepared to respond with overwhelming force to prevent a nuclear-armed Iran?” the congressman asked the general.

Billionaire entrepreneur Elon Musk issued a rare public mea culpa Wednesday, admitting that his social media attacks on President Donald Trump last week had crossed the line. “I regret some of my posts about President Donald Trump last week. They went too far,” Musk wrote on his platform X, just days after igniting a firestorm by suggesting that Trump was named in the sealed Jeffrey Epstein files and had suppressed their release. Musk also endorsed calls for Trump’s impeachment, urging his removal in favor of Vice President J.D. Vance — a post that has since been deleted.

Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard issued a stark warning on Tuesday, emphasizing the growing risk of a nuclear conflict in a video message shared with the public.
Her remarks followed a recent visit to Hiroshima, where she met with survivors still living with the long-term consequences of the atomic bombing that occurred eight decades ago during World War II.
“As we stand here today, closer to the brink of nuclear annihilation than ever before, political elite and warmongers are carelessly fomenting fear and tensions between nuclear powers,” she said in the clip.
Gabbard expressed concern that leaders may be emboldened in their aggressive posture toward nuclear-armed adversaries due to their own perceived immunity.

JERUSALEM  (VINnews)-Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar on Tuesday slammed Britain’s decision to impose sanctions on two

Dramatic conversations are taking place in the halls of the Knesset and l’havdil in the homes of Gedolei Yisrael on Wednesday, after the opposition parties announced earlier in the day that they are advancing the bill to dissolve the Knesset, with the hope that the Chareidi parties will help them bring down the government. As YWN has reported, HaRav Landau and HaRav Hirsch have instructed the UTJ members to vote for the dissolution of the government due to the lack of a bill to regulate the status of lomdei Torah. The bill being advanced by Yuli Edelstein, the head of the Knesset’s Defense and Foreign Affairs Committee, calls for draconian financial sanctions against bnei yeshivos and was not approved by the Chareidi MKs.

Yamam special forces and IDF and Shin Bet forces eliminated the terrorist Raed Basharat, the head of the terrorist organization in the Palestinian town of Tamun, overnight Tuesday, Israel Police announced on Wednesday morning. “He was involved in planning and carrying out attacks against security forces and Israeli civilians,” the police statement said. “During the operation, two additional terrorists were arrested in their hideout.” (YWN Israel Desk—Jerusalem)

The Trump administration on Tuesday slammed the “extremely unhelpful” sanctions imposed on Israeli ministers Itamar Ben Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich by the UK, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and Norway. “They should focus on the real culprit, which is Hamas,” State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce said. “We remain concerned about any step that would further isolate Israel from the international community,” she continued. “If our allies want to help, they should focus on supporting special envoy Witkoff’s negotiations and backing the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation when it comes to food and aid.” Secretary of State Marco Rubio also issued a statement slamming the move.

Brig. Gen. Shay Tayeb, a senior official in the IDF’s Personnel Directorate, declared on Wednesday morning in a discussion in the Knesset’s Subcommittee on Human Resources in the IDF that beginning on June 30, approximately 54,000 conscription orders will be sent to bnei yeshivos. “During the month of July, 54,000 summons for initial conscription will be issued, spread over the coming year until June 2026, in addition to the 24,000 orders that have already been sent,” Tayeb said. Tayeb also revealed that IDF policy has been changed in order to significantly shorten the process of declaring draft dodgers and enable the military police to carry out increased enforcement measures.

President Donald Trump held a tense 40-minute phone conversation with Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu on Monday night, telling him that the “war in Gaza has run its course” and demanding that Israel refrain from attacking Iran, Channel 12 News reported. The report, based on unnamed sources, said that Trump demanded that Netanyahu make efforts to end the war in Gaza, emphasizing that the end of the war would help the US in its negotiations with Iran and in promoting normalization with Saudi Arabia. Regarding the US talks with Iran, Netanyahu told Trump that Iran “is deceiving you” and that the negotiations should be halted as they are futile.

A section of downtown Los Angeles will fall under a nighttime curfew beginning tonight, following five consecutive days of civil unrest sparked by federal immigration raids. The situation, which has spiraled into widespread looting, clashes with police, and over 150 arrests, prompted Mayor Karen Bass to take emergency action.
“We reached a tipping point,” Bass declared during a press briefing, as she announced the emergency declaration in the wake of 23 businesses being damaged on Monday night.

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio issued a strong rebuke on Tuesday against the move by five allied nations—Canada, the United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, and Norway—to sanction Israeli Ministers Itamar Ben Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich. Rubio urged these governments to reconsider their decision immediately.
“The United States condemns the sanctions imposed by the governments of United Kingdom, Canada, Norway, New Zealand, and Australia on two sitting members of the Israeli cabinet. These sanctions do not advance US-led efforts to achieve a ceasefire, bring all hostages home, and end the war,” Rubio said in a public statement.

In a fiery new recording, Rav Moshe Maya, the senior member of the Moetzet Chachmei HaTorah of Shas, sharply denounced the proposed draft law being promoted by Shas chairman Aryeh Deri and his associate, former minister Ariel Attias. Rav Maya stated emphatically that he cannot and will not support any legislation that includes draft quotas, conscription targets, or punitive measures against bnei yeshivah. “Nothing—nothing—will change my mind,” he declared.

Elon Musk suggested Monday that his high-profile clash with President Trump may be losing steam, with both men appearing to soften their tone after a week of bitter exchanges.
“We had a great relationship and I wish him well — very well, actually,” Trump told reporters at the White House, a moment captured on video and shared by X personality ALX.
Musk replied with a simple heart emoji, a subtle yet public gesture that hinted their once-close alliance might be on the mend after a volatile falling-out just days earlier.

Mikie Sherrill, a U.S. Representative, veteran Navy helicopter pilot, and former federal prosecutor, has secured the Democratic nomination for governor of New Jersey, emerging victorious in a six-way primary contest held Tuesday.
At 53 years old, Sherrill—who serves the 11th Congressional District and is a mother of four—entered the race as a clear frontrunner. Her early advantage in polling was largely attributed to her distinguished background, including her service in the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
The Associated Press projected Sherrill as the winner at 8:39 p.m. ET, with her pulling in 34.6% of the vote at the time.

Jack Ciattarelli has clinched the Republican nomination in New Jersey’s gubernatorial race, with the Associated Press and the Washington Post calling the primary in his favor shortly after voting ended on June 10.
Although the final certified tally won’t be available until later in June, major media outlets declared Ciattarelli the winner at 8:17 p.m., just minutes after the polls shut.
Before the official projections were even made, hundreds of supporters had already gathered at Ciattarelli’s election night event at Bell Works in Holmdel. As of 8:30 p.m., no formal announcement had been delivered, but the atmosphere was one of clear anticipation.

President Donald Trump reportedly urged Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to bring the war in Gaza to a close and made clear that any Israeli military action against Iran’s nuclear facilities is currently off the table, according to a Channel 12 report citing unnamed sources.
In what was described as a rare and direct message from Trump to Netanyahu during a phone call yesterday, the president conveyed that he expects not just a temporary ceasefire or a hostage agreement through the ongoing Witkoff-mediated negotiations, but a definitive end to the fighting in Gaza, the report says.

Pages