KOENIG

The United States announced on Tuesday that it was conducting an aerial military exercise in the Middle East amid ongoing tensions with Iran.

The US Ninth Air Force — also known as Air Forces Central (AFCENT) — the air component in United States Central Command (CENTCOM) — will be conducting a “multi-day readiness exercise to demonstrate the ability to deploy, disperse, and sustain combat airpower across the US Central Command area of responsibility,” AFCENT said.

The drill came a day after CENTCOM announced that the USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier and accompanying warships had arrived in the Middle East.

Amid rising tensions between Tehran and Washington, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian held a phone call on Tuesday with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, according to Iran's presidential office. The two leaders discussed what Tehran described as "recent events" as well as regional and international developments.

The IDF found the remains of the last Israeli hostage from the October 7 invasion, St.-Sgt.-Maj. Ran Gvili, on Monday at around 2:00 p.m. at al-Batesh cemetery in the Shejaia-Daraj-Tuffah part of northern Gaza. His funeral will be held on Wednesday in his hometown of Meitar.

Israel’s Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar has arrived in Kazakhstan on an official visit, leading a broad economic delegation that includes dozens of Israeli business figures and representatives of public institutions. 

The trip comes as ties between Jerusalem and Astana deepen, following Kazakhstan’s announcement that it is joining the Abraham Accords, making it the first country in Central Asia to do so.

At Sa’ar’s initiative, the group is holding a series of meetings with Kazakh government officials, economic authorities and senior figures from local industry, aimed at turning diplomatic momentum into practical commercial cooperation.

Between the 1950s and the 1979 Islamic Revolution, Iran represented one of the most permissive and valuable intelligence environments for Israel’s Mossad.

While rumors that the Mossad helped the CIA establish Iran’s SAVAK (secret police) security apparatus appear to be exaggerated, the relations between the intelligence agencies were at phenomenal levels.

As unprecedented crimes against humanity surface, eyewitnesses report that the wounded stay home and fear being transported alive to morgues instead of hospitals

Disturbing reports have surfaced as Iranian internet access is gradually restored following days of total communication blackouts. An increasingly horrifying picture of atrocities virtually unparalleled in the 21st century is being revealed, further intensifying public fear, anger, and revulsion.

According to sources, numerous injured protesters were not taken to hospitals but to forensic morgues while they were still alive and transported by truck to a hangar facility in Kahrizak. Among them, several were still breathing.

Israeli intelligence helped the U.S. establish that Iran’s regime carried out mass executions of protesters, contradicting assurances that President Donald Trump said he had received from Iran’s leadership. Trump has said that one of the reasons he delayed a strike on Iran was a commitment to halt the execution of more than 800 detainees who had taken part in protests.

The assurance was conveyed, among other channels, in a direct message from Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian.

Tehran denied that any such message was sent and claimed that there were no plans to execute 800 people. However, intelligence in the hands of the U.S. administration includes unequivocal evidence that such executions were carried out, using different methods.

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — Yemen’s Iranian-backed Houthi rebels threatened new attacks on ships traveling through the Red Sea corridor, likely seeking to back Iran as it worried Monday about an approaching US aircraft carrier after US President Donald Trump threatened military action over its crackdown on nationwide protests.

A short video by the Houthis included previously published images of a ship on fire, with the caption: “Soon.” The rebels did not elaborate, but their campaign in the Red Sea saw over 100 ships attacked as part of a campaign the Houthis said pressured Israel over its war against Hamas in the Gaza Strip. The rebels also fired ballistic missiles and drones at Israel, most of which were intercepted by air defenses, though one person was killed and some buildings were damaged in the attacks. The Houthis halted their fire after a ceasefire in the conflict, though they’ve repeatedly warned they could resume fire if needed.

Official city reports for 24-hour snowfall on Sunday include 11.4 inches at New York City's Central Park; 11.3 inches at Baltimore; 11.2 inches at Pittsburgh; 9.3 inches at Philadelphia; and 6.9 inches at Washington, D.C. (National Airport). 

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu met on Saturday with a United States delegation, including Special Envoy to the Middle East Steve Witkoff and the architect of the White House’s Gaza initiative, Jared Kushner, to discuss the implementation of Trump’s 20-point plan to end the Gaza Conflict.

“The discussion was constructive and positive, with both sides aligned on next steps and the importance of continued cooperation on all matters critical to the region,” Witkoff posted to X on Saturday. Also joining the discussion were White House advisor Josh Gruenbaum and Senior Advisor Aryeh Lightstone.

The U.S. delegation reportedly intended to pressure Jerusalem into opening the Gaza Strip’s Rafah Crossing to Egypt, despite Hamas’s failure to retrieve the body of Israel Police Master Sgt. Ran Gvili, who died fighting terrorists on Oct. 7, 2023. His remains are the last held by the terror group.

Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has been transferred to an underground bunker in Iran after senior officials in the country’s security forces assessed that concerns are growing over a possible American strike, Iran International reported Saturday. 

Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei ordered Iran's Supreme National Security Council to suppress the protests on January 9 by using "any means necessary," The New York Times reported on Sunday, citing two officials familiar with the matter.

Syrian and Israeli officials are expected to meet soon under U.S. mediation, perhaps in Paris, to finalize a security agreement between Damascus and Jerusalem, a source close to Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa told i24NEWS on Saturday.

According to the Syrian source, the talks will also focus on various potential joint strategic and economic projects in the buffer zones between the two countries.

“There is very optimistic talk suggesting the possibility of even opening an Israeli embassy in Damascus before the end of this year, given the significant progress in the prospect of Syria joining the Abraham Accords,” the source said.

US President Donald Trump’s envoys Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff met with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Saturday night.

The meeting reportedly focused on both the Gaza issue and Iran.

Senior US officials said ahead of the rendezvous that Witkoff and Kushner arrived in Israel to review key issues with the prime minister in relation to Gaza.

One of them said that “the administration is working closely with Netanyahu and his team to recover the body of Ran Gvili, and we are in close coordination on this matter.”

The U.S. military continued bolster its forces in the Middle East throughout the weekend, with assessments that their deployment will be completed in the coming days ahead of a possible strike on Iran.

U.S. President Donald Trump warned on Friday aboard the Air Force One that “We have a lot of ships going that direction just in case … and we’ll see what happens. We have a big force going toward Iran; I’d rather not see anything happen, but we’re watching them very closely.”

He reiterated that his threats prevented the execution of 837 people whom Iranian authorities arrested during the nationwide protests that shook the Islamic Republic earlier in January.

(photo: Kremlin)

US negotiators led by Steve Witkoff met with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow for marathon overnight talks on ending Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine that lasted well into Friday morning.

Kremlin diplomatic adviser Yuri Ushakov told reporters that their discussions had been "useful in every respect," as Moscow insisted that its territorial demands must be answered to reach a peace deal.

Ushakov, who participated in Putin’s meeting with envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, added that, until these are achieved, "Russia would continue to consistently pursue the objectives ... on the battlefield, where the Russian armed forces hold the strategic initiative."

Let us dispense with the polite fiction that Turkey and Qatar are “honest brokers.” Qatar has for years served as Hamas’s chief financial lifeline, hosting senior terror leaders in luxury hotels while funneling billions of dollars into the terror group’s coffers.

Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Wednesday during a meeting with Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas in the Kremlin that he will accept President Donald Trump’s invitation to join the Board of Peace (BoP) and meet the $1 billion requirement.

Trump’s 20-point plan to end the Gaza conflict calls for the establishment of a transitional administration to govern the Gaza Strip, of which the Board of Peace is to be a critical part.

A $1 billion fee is required for member countries to secure a permanent seat. Russia said it would pay using frozen assets in the United States, which would require U.S. action to unblock.

In what is likely to be the biggest winter storms in years for such a broad area of the U.S., heavy snow is forecast from the eastern slopes of the Rockies to the coastal Northeast. Travel shutdowns are anticipated.

A high-impact winter storm will spread snow and ice across more than two dozen states from Texas through the Carolinas and Maine from Friday through the weekend. The amount and extent of snow and ice could cut power and disrupt travel for days, increasing the risk to lives and property.

U.S. President Donald Trump on Thursday launched his Board of Peace at a ceremony on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, attended by representatives of at least 18 nations.

Leaders and representatives from Argentina, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bahrain, Bulgaria, Hungary, Indonesia, Jordan, Kosovo, Mongolia, Morocco, Pakistan, Paraguay, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, the United Arab Emirates and Uzbekistan were among those on stage as Trump spoke during the signing ceremony, The Guardian reported.

The board, which will initially focus on solidifying the ceasefire with Hamas terrorists in the Gaza Strip, “can do pretty much whatever we want to do” once it is “completely formed,” said Trump in remarks.

U.S. President Donald Trump said Wednesday evening that he has developed “a framework for a future agreement” regarding Greenland and the wider Arctic region, following a meeting with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte.

In a post on his social platform Truth, Trump described the discussions as “very fruitful” and suggested the proposed plan would benefit both the United States and NATO allies.

He added that the tariffs scheduled to take effect on February 1 will now be postponed, pending the outcome of negotiations.

Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Wednesday he would meet on Thursday with US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, who have been tasked with finding a solution to Russia's nearly four-year-old war with Ukraine.

Putin, quoted by Russian news agencies, said during a meeting of Russia's Security Council that he would discuss the possible use of frozen Russian assets with the US envoys in connection with recovery work in regions affected by the war.

"This possibility is also under discussion with representatives of the US administration," Russian news agencies quoted him as saying.

US President Donald Trump said that America is seeking talks to discuss the acquisition of Greenland, and ruled out the use of military force to take the country during his remarks at the Davos WEF on Wednesday.

“It’s the United States alone that can protect this giant mass of land, this giant piece of ice, develop it and improve it and make it so that it’s good for Europe and safe for Europe and good for us,” Trump said.

"That's what they agreed to. They've got to do it. And we're going to know ... over the next two or three days - certainly over the next three weeks - whether or not they're going to do it," Trump said in a question and answer session following his speech at the World Economic Forum in Davos.

"If they don't do it, they'll be blown away very quickly. They'll be blown away."

IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir on Wednesday said the military was prepared to act against any enemy posing a threat to the country amid ongoing tensions with Iran.

During a visit to the Nevatim Airbase in southern Israel, Zamir told Israeli Air Force pilots and air personnel that the military “will know how to strike powerfully in any arena against any enemy that threatens the security of the State of Israel,” according to remarks provided by the military.

The base is home to the IAF’s F-35I stealth fighters. This week, three new F-35s joined the IAF’s arsenal, bringing its total to 48.

Israeli police have allowed Jewish visitors to bring printed prayer texts onto the Temple Mount for the first time, marking a notable shift at the highly sensitive Jerusalem holy site. Until now, while discreet forms of Jewish prayer had increasingly been tolerated, bringing any religious items or printed texts onto the site—such as prayer books, tallit, or tefillin—remained strictly prohibited.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has been invited to US President Donald Trump’s Board of Peace, which would give Israel a seat at the table on a supervisory but largely symbolic body meant to oversee Gaza’s postwar development.

Netanyahu’s office confirmed to The Times of Israel that he or a representative of his choice was invited to the board. If he accepts, Israel will join a growing list of countries that have confirmed receiving invitations. They are from Europe, Asia, Australia, the Americas and the Middle East and span Israel’s allies and adversaries.

At least one country, France, signaled its intention to decline Trump’s invitation.

If the Islamic Republic attacks Israel, Jerusalem “will act with might that Iran has not seen before,” Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Monday.

“We are closely following what is happening in Iran,” Netanyahu told the Knesset, speaking at a 40-signature debate, which the opposition can call once a month and which the prime minister is obliged to attend.

“We are all looking with a sense of wonder at the heroic struggle of Iran’s citizens to achieve liberty, welfare and justice. We see the atrocities of the massacre ordered by the rulers of Iran,” the premier continued.

According to Netanyahu, “No one can predict what tomorrow will bring in Iran, but one thing is clear: no matter what happens—Iran will not return to being what it was.”

Israel on Tuesday began demolishing the East Jerusalem headquarters of UNRWA, the UN agency for Palestinian refugees and their descendants, with Israeli forces entering the compound with bulldozers and other demolition equipment in the early morning and destroying buildings in what UNRWA called an “unprecedented attack.”

The move to demolish UNRWA’s headquarters comes after years of legislative measures against the agency, which Israel accuses of collusion with Hamas and participation in terror activities.

The Knesset passed a pair of laws in late October 2024 banning UNRWA from operating within Israeli territory. Despite the ban, UNRWA operations, including schools, healthcare and other social services, are still hobbling along in East Jerusalem.