KOENIG

As tensions rise between Israel and Iran, Gulf states are accelerating their emergency preparedness in anticipation of a potential regional spillover, particularly involving the threat of chemical or nuclear weapons. 

On Thursday, Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Secretary General Jassem al-Budaiwi outlined the latest measures in an interview with the Saudi daily Al-Sharq al-Awsat.

"The coordination among member states has reached advanced levels to prepare for various emergency scenarios, including those involving chemical, biological, radiological, or nuclear weapons," al-Budaiwi said.

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) confirmed on Thursday morning that it carried out a major overnight air operation targeting Iranian military and nuclear infrastructure, including a direct strike on the inactive nuclear reactor in Arak.

According to an official IDF statement, 40 Israeli Air Force fighter jets launched a series of coordinated airstrikes across Tehran, Arak, Natanz, and other key locations throughout Iran. The aircraft deployed over 100 munitions, targeting dozens of military installations under precise guidance from the IDF Intelligence Directorate.

One of the most high-profile targets was the inactive heavy-water nuclear reactor in the Arak region. Though the facility never became fully operational—its construction halted in 1997 under international pressure—the reactor was originally designed to produce weapons-grade plutonium, a key material used in nuclear warheads.

Join us for a powerful evening of truth, urgency, and biblical insight as we welcome leading prophecy experts: Brandon Holthaus will be hosting this Prophecy Q&A with Bill Koenig, Tom Hughes, and Billy Crone.

These men will tackle current events in the news and explain how they align with Bible prophecy—helping you make sense of the times and stand firm in truth. This is a night you don’t want to miss. Seating is limited!

No registration required | Livestream available

US President Donald Trump appears to scoff at Vladimir Putin’s offer to mediate in the Israel-Iran conflict, saying the Russian president should end his own war in Ukraine first.

“He actually offered to help mediate, I said, ‘Do me a favor, mediate your own. Let’s mediate Russia first, okay?'” Trump told reporters at the White House. “I said ‘Vladimir, let’s mediate Russia first, you can worry about this later.'”

The Israeli Air Force struck a centrifuge production site in Tehran overnight Tuesday that the military said was used by the Iranian regime to expand and accelerate its uranium enrichment.

More than 50 fighter jets had carried out a series of strikes against targets in the Iranian capital region, the Israel Defense Forces said.

“The Iranian regime is enriching uranium for the purpose of developing nuclear weapons,” the IDF stressed in its Wednesday morning operational update. “Nuclear power for civilian use does not require enrichment at these levels.”

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth told lawmakers Wednesday that the Pentagon was providing possible options to President Donald Trump as he decides next steps on Iran but would not say whether the military was planning to assist with Israeli strikes, an action that could risk dragging America into a wider war in the Middle East.

In questioning before the Senate Armed Services Committee, Hegseth said “maximum force protection” was being provided for U.S. troops in the Middle East and that it is Trump’s decision whether to provide Israel a ”bunker buster” bomb to strike at the core of Iran’s nuclear program, which would require U.S. pilots flying a B-2 stealth bomber. He would not indicate what the U.S. may do next.

Shalom, friends! In this video, I bring you an urgent and powerful update on the war between Israel and Iran, filmed right here in Jerusalem. Despite the ongoing tensions in the Middle East, hope is rising, and life is beginning to return to normal across Israel.

 I’ll share how your prayers are making a difference, how the people of Israel are standing strong, and how we believe — with faith and resilience — Israel is winning this war, both in the physical and spiritual realms.

Join me for exclusive footage, firsthand insight, and a message of encouragement from the heart of the Holy Land. This is the side of the story that many media outlets won’t show you.

 Keep praying for Israel. This battle is not only on the ground — it’s spiritual. And your prayers matter.

Don’t forget to SUBSCRIBE, LIKE, and SHARE this video with your community. Let the truth from Israel be heard!

The IDF says most of the ballistic missiles launched at Israel from Iran a short while ago were intercepted by air defenses.

According to IDF assessments, fewer than 10 missiles were launched.

The Home Front Command says civilians in areas where sirens sounded can leave shelters.

Israel announced that it had gained aerial superiority over western Iran, including Tehran, 48 hours after the start of “Operation Rising Lion,” something Russia hasn’t been able to do in three-and-a-half years of war in Ukraine.

Why one succeeded while the other failed was the subject of a report by The Wall Street Journal on Monday. The most obvious reason is that the Israel Air Force is more capable than the Russian Air Force.

On October 7, 2023, the brutal Hamas attack on Israel prompted Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to declare, “We will reshape the Middle East.”

Since then, Israel has launched a multifaceted campaign to dismantle Iran’s network of terrorist proxies in Lebanon, Gaza, and Yemen.

Last week, this effort culminated in “Operation Rising Lion,” a pre-emptive strike targeting Iran’s leadership, military installations, and nuclear sites.

This audacious operation has sparked intense debate about its geopolitical ramifications, but Israel is confident it can win this war, destroy Iran’s nuclear ambitions, and change the Middle East for the better.

The Israeli Air Force bombed the offices of Iran’s state broadcaster IRIB in Tehran a short while ago.

Footage shows the moment of the attack.

The Israeli strike interrupts the state TV broadcast, with the anchor seen fleeing the studio.

The Israeli Air Force has destroyed more than 120 missile launchers since the start of “Operation Rising Lion,” comprising a third of the Iranian regime’s total missile launchers, the military said on Monday.

During attacks on Sunday night involving 50 fighter jets and other aircraft, more than 20 missiles were destroyed simultaneously, minutes before they were fired at Israel. In one of the strikes, a launch squad was eliminated and the surface-to-surface missiles destroyed.

At Iran's urging, Russian President Vladimir Putin contacted US President Donald Trump to address the intensifying conflict between Israel and Iran, delivering a grave warning to Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei that his regime's survival is at stake, Israel Hayom has learned.

Russia has started taking an active role in the diplomatic efforts surrounding the conflict between Iran and Israel. According to information obtained by Israel Hayom, Putin initiated a phone call with his American counterpart, President Trump, at Iran's request.

Following the conversation, in which Trump likely made it clear that he would not restrain Israel, Putin sent a warning to Iran's Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, stating that his regime is in danger. Putin informed Khamenei of the call's outcomes and advised him to move quickly toward negotiations. Additionally, Putin ordered the evacuation of Russian embassy personnel from Tehran.

President Donald Trump spoke for an hour Saturday morning with Russian President Vladimir Putin, Trump announced, amid increasingly volatile situations in the Middle East — and Putin’s war in Ukraine.

Trump, in a post on Truth Social Saturday afternoon, said the two leaders discussed the escalating situation in the Middle East — which comes after Israel issued a “preemptive” strike on Iranian military leaders and nuclear infrastructure, and Iran retaliated — as well as the need for a nuclear agreement between the U.S. and Iran.

Trump said in his post that “much less time was spent” discussing Russia’s war with Ukraine, adding that those conversations “will be for next week.”

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday visited the scene of a deadly Iranian missile on Bat Yam overnight Saturday, vowing that Iran would face severe consequences for its actions.

Standing alongside members of the Israeli military’s Home Front Command and emergency responders, Netanyahu expressed condolences on behalf of the nation. “Our hearts are with the families,” he said.

Six people were killed when an apartment building in the city just south of Tel Aviv, sustained a direct hit. A 4-year-old girl and a 10-year-old boy are among the dead.

The Israel Air Force is now capable of operating without obstruction as far as Tehran, following what was described as the destruction of a majority of Iran's air defense systems, security officials said on Saturday morning.

The reported elimination of Syria’s military capabilities, including those of Hezbollah, has further expanded Israel’s operational range and shortened flight paths to Iran.

Until approximately two years ago, the IAF faced severe limitations in operating over Lebanon and Syria. IDF Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir's statement on Saturday, saying "The road to Tehran has been paved" reflects the IDF’s present air dominance and signals a strategic shift. According to military officials, the pace of air operations is expected to accelerate.

Take note of what was required from Israeli cabinet ministers who approved the attack during the night. Around 8 p.m. on Thursday, a meeting was held during which a vote on the attack against Iran took place.

First, they were required to sign a confidentiality agreement, meaning they were absolutely forbidden from leaking anything. Second, their phones were taken, they were brought into a closed compound, and they were not allowed to leave until explosions began to be heard in Iran. For many hours, they sat there without being allowed to meet anyone from outside, so that by mistake no one would say anything – and also for information security reasons, to ensure this information would not leak or get out.

Israel operated with a very high level of sophistication, even deploying diplomats to make specific statements, like the tweet by U.S. President Donald Trump around midnight in which he wrote that the U.S. would do everything possible to resolve the conflict with Iran through diplomatic means.

Danny Danon, the Israeli ambassador to the United Nations, posed a question to the U.N. Security Council, during an emergency session on Friday. “How long did the world expect us to wait?” the Israeli envoy asked.

The session was called in response to multiple Israeli strikes on nuclear and military sites in Tehran, including on the Natanz nuclear facility on Friday morning.

“While you continue talking, we will continue with actions,” Danon told the body.

“Israel did not act recklessly. We waited,” Danon said, calling the operation “an act of national preservation.”

The Israel Defense Forces struck an Iranian nuclear facility in Isfahan in a new wave of air strikes on Friday that also struck Iranian rocket launchers and drone infrastructure.

The IDF wrote that multiple jets destroyed parts of the Isfahan complex involved in further processing and enriching uranium towards weapons grade material.

“The attack destroyed a structure for producing metallic uranium, infrastructure for converting enriched uranium, laboratories and other infrastructure,” the IDF stated.

After the attack, Iran launched ballistic missiles towards Israel, and the IDF said that it is working to intercept the incoming barrage.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu delivered a historic and defiant speech overnight, defending the launch of Operation Rising Lion — a major preemptive military operation targeting Iran’s nuclear program. 

The Israeli leader invoked the memory of the Holocaust and warned of the unprecedented threat posed by Iran’s rapidly advancing nuclear capabilities.

Speaking as Israeli airstrikes targeted dozens of Iranian military and nuclear sites, Netanyahu stated, "Iran has produced enough enriched uranium for nine atomic bombs. If this were not stopped, Iran could produce a nuclear weapon in a very short time — it could be a year, or it could be a few months."

Israel’s attack on Iran hit a key uranium enrichment facility in the country’s center multiple times, Iranian state TV reports.

The “Natanz enrichment facility has been hit several times,” state TV reported, showing footage of heavy smoke billowing from the site.

The extent of the damage is unclear — Iranian state television only briefly showed the live picture with a reporter.

The U.S. embassy in Jerusalem issued a security alert on Thursday banning government employees from traveling outside Tel Aviv (including Herzliya, Netanya and Even Yehuda), Jerusalem and Beersheva due to “increased regional tensions.”

Transit between these three areas, including to and from Ben-Gurion International Airport, is authorized, the alert stated.

It also reminded U.S. citizens in the Jewish state of the continued need for caution and increased personal security awareness.

The embassy stated that it may further “restrict or prohibit U.S. government employees and their family members from traveling to certain areas of Israel,” including the Old City of Jerusalem, and Judea and Samaria. (The official alert refers to the area as the “West Bank.”)

U.S. officials have been told Israel is fully ready to launch an operation into Iran, multiple sources told CBS News. 

The U.S. anticipates Iran could retaliate on certain American sites in neighboring Iraq. This is part of the reason the U.S. advised some Americans to leave the region earlier Wednesday. The State Department ordered non-emergency government officials to exit Iraq due to "heightened regional tensions," and the Pentagon has authorized military family members to voluntarily leave the Middle East, a defense official told CBS News.

President Trump's Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff is still planning to meet with Iran for a sixth round of talks on the country's nuclear program in the coming days, two U.S. officials said.

US President Donald Trump's administration is discouraging governments around the world from attending a UN conference next week on a possible two-state solution between Israel and the Palestinians, according to a US cable seen by Reuters. 

The diplomatic demarche, sent on Tuesday, says countries that take "anti-Israel actions" following the conference will be viewed as acting in opposition to US foreign policy interests and could face diplomatic consequences from Washington.

The demarche, which was not previously reported, runs squarely against the diplomacy of two close allies, France and Saudi Arabia, who are co-hosting the gathering next week in New York that aims to lay out the parameters for a roadmap to a Palestinian state, while ensuring Israel's security.