Iran’s leaders, who once dismissed President Donald Trump’s harsh rhetoric, now treat his warnings as genuine threats after a series of decisive U.S. actions—direct strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities in June, the abrupt capture of Venezuela’s Nicolás Maduro, and public statements promising immediate retaliation if Iranian forces kill protesters—have lent credibility to his words; faced with the prospect of U.S.‑Israeli military escalation and mounting domestic unrest, Tehran appears to be tempering its crackdown, deliberating between a brutal suppression that could trigger American intervention, a retaliatory strike against Israel that might invite overwhelming Israeli force, or a restrained approach that risks further protest spread, while senior officials reportedly draft contingency plans to flee the country. Click here to read more.

President Donald Trump warned on Truth Social that the United States is “locked and loaded” and ready to intervene militarily if Iranian authorities kill any more protestors, urging Tehran to stop the violence; Iranian officials, including an adviser to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, dismissed the threat as dangerous interference, while opposition figures such as Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi and Israel’s National Security Minister Itamar Ben‑Gvir voiced support for the demonstrators, amid reports of multiple deaths and arrests during the ongoing protests. Click here to read more.

Israel has asked the Trump administration to keep President Recep Tayyip Erdogan out of the upcoming Board of Peace that will oversee the International Stabilization Force and Gaza reconstruction, fearing Turkish troops and humanitarian involvement would give Ankara undue influence in the Strip; while senior U.S. officials remain divided over Turkey’s role—some argue the country, along with Egypt and Qatar, is a guarantor of the Hamas agreement—President Trump defended Erdogan as a close friend and praised Turkey’s contributions, even as Israel pushes to limit Ankara’s presence in future peace‑building efforts. Click here to read more.

Israel, Greece and Cyprus reconfirmed a strategic partnership at a Jerusalem summit, pledging deeper cooperation on security, energy and connectivity; leaders announced plans to advance the India‑Middle East‑Europe Economic Corridor and the Great Sea Connector, linking maritime routes, pipelines and power grids across the region, while also discussing a possible joint rapid‑response force to counter Turkish aggression and other regional threats. Click here to read more.

Hungarian EU affairs minister and antisemitism envoy János Bóka told The Jerusalem Post that safeguarding Jewish communities is essential to preserving Europe’s Judeo‑Christian heritage, emphasizing Hungary’s “zero‑tolerance” stance, strict migration policies and strong societal support that have kept antisemitic incidents low compared with Western Europe; he warned that radical‑Islamist and left‑wing anti‑Zionist narratives are fueling a new wave of antisemitism across the continent, calling for coordinated EU action, tighter monitoring of NGOs and online platforms, and deeper cooperation with Israel to protect Jewish life and culture. Click here to read more.

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced sanctions on two International Criminal Court judges—Gocha Lordkipanidze of Georgia and Erdenebalsuren Damdin of Mongolia—citing Executive Order 14203 for targeting Israeli nationals without Israel’s consent, while the ICC condemned the move as an attack on judicial independence; the United States also froze any U.S. assets of the judges and barred their families from entry, and separately imposed sanctions on 29 vessels and related firms tied to Iran’s shadow fleet. Click here to read more.

Israel’s cyber chief Maj. Gen. Aviad Dagan warned that both Israel and the United States face far larger, largely unseen cyber threats that could target critical national infrastructure, emphasizing that past successes should not breed complacency; he highlighted ongoing joint cyber‑warfare drills with U.S. Cyber Command, cited past Iranian attempts to sabotage Israeli water and hospital systems, and noted reciprocal Israeli cyber actions against Iranian ports and fuel infrastructure, underscoring the need for continual preparedness. Click here to read more.

Israel’s leadership is weighing a direct military strike against Iran if Tehran is proven to have orchestrated the Bondi Beach massacre that killed 15 Jews, with a senior U.S. official indicating Washington would back an Israeli counter‑strike on Iranian territory; analysts argue that Israel’s recent success in degrading Iran’s air defenses, nuclear facilities and missile capabilities in a June operation may lower the perceived risk of retaliation, potentially allowing a kinetic response that could deter future terror plots and simultaneously pressure Iran’s ballistic‑missile program, though critics warn such escalation could reignite a broader conflict. Click here to read more.

International troops authorized by the UN Security Council could begin deploying next month to demilitarize Gaza under the Trump peace plan, with an International Stabilization Force (ISF) tasked with destroying militant infrastructure and supporting newly trained Palestinian police while avoiding direct combat with Hamas; the force’s size, composition and rules of engagement are still being negotiated, and countries such as Indonesia have pledged troops for humanitarian tasks, while the U.S. ambassadorship notes the mandate may permit the use of force to achieve demilitarization. Click here to read more.

Israel and Egypt are on the brink of sealing a $35 billion gas export pact that will channel Leviathan field supplies to Cairo through 2040, a deal that U.S. officials say could also pave the way for a rare high‑level meeting between Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and President Abdel Fattah al‑Sisi; while Israeli leaders have delayed signing over security and pricing concerns, both sides now claim the agreement will boost Israel’s economy and reinforce Egypt’s energy security, with final approval expected within days. Click here to read more.