Iran International television reported that Mojtaba Khamenei, son of the ailing Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, is poised to assume leadership of Iran after his father’s death—and potentially even during his lifetime. The report claims that Iran’s Assembly of Experts, a powerful body responsible for selecting the Supreme Leader, held a highly secretive meeting on September 26 to deliberate on Mojtaba’s succession. According to sources, the meeting was convened at Khamenei’s personal request, with roughly 60 council members summoned without warning. While the decision to support Mojtaba’s appointment was ultimately unanimous, insiders allege it was reached under duress.

Iran sent “written assurances” to the Biden administration last month that it wouldn’t try to kill then-presidential candidate Donald Trump, the Wall Street Journal reported on Friday. According to Biden administration officials, the “secret exchange” between Iran and US was meant to cool tensions between Tehran and Washington. Of course, the more likely explanation is the “Trump Effect” – Iran, which has repeatedly attempted to assassinate Trump and some of his officials from his first administration, began fearing the consequences it would face if Trump won the presidential election. Iran’s message was delivered on October 14 but was not previously reported, the report said.

The Palestinian Islamic Jihad terror group has released a fourth video of hostage Sasha Trufanov, marking another instance of what Israeli officials condemn as psychological warfare. The nearly two-minute clip, whose recording date remains unclear, features Trufanov appealing for his release, in a statement almost certainly scripted by his captors in Gaza. In the video, Trufanov says that he is 28 years old, though he recently turned 29, marking his second birthday in captivity. Addressing Shas Party leader Aryeh Deri, Trufanov urges him to persuade the Israeli government to negotiate for the release of hostages, invoking the Jewish obligation to free captives.

Conflicting reports have emerged regarding Iran’s vow to carry out a severe retaliatory attack against Israel for its attack on the Islamic Republic on October 26. Iranian sources told Sky News Arabia that Iran has postponed Operation True Promise 3 in order to “negotiate” with President-elect Donald Trump, who reportedly is formulating a plan to topple the Iranian regime. However, Israel’s Walla reported that General Hossein Salami, the commander-in-chief of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), warned Israel on Thursday to “wait for revenge.” Speaking at a military exercise in Tehran, Salami claimed that “all the armies of the world are rushing to help Israel but it won’t help her,” and warned that a war of historic proportions may develop.

President-elect Donald Trump says he will nominate anti-vaccine activist Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to lead the Department of Health and Human Services, putting him in charge of a massive agency that oversees everything from drug, vaccine and food safety to medical research and the social safety net programs Medicare and Medicaid. “For too long, Americans have been crushed by the industrial food complex and drug companies who have engaged in deception, misinformation, and disinformation when it comes to Public Health,” Trump said in a post on his Truth Social site announcing the appointment.

Ben & Jerry’s has filed yet another lawsuit against its parent company, Unilever, accusing it of blocking the ice cream brand’s attempts to publicly support Palestinians in Gaza. The lawsuit, filed in the United States, claims Unilever threatened to dismantle Ben & Jerry’s board and take legal action against its members if they continued pushing their controversial political views, according to Reuters. This legal move is the latest in a string of confrontations between Ben & Jerry’s and Unilever, reflecting an ongoing internal struggle fueled by Ben & Jerry’s insistence on prioritizing activism over business stability.

Governor Kathy Hochul announced on Thursday the revival of a modified congestion pricing plan for Manhattan, proposing a $9 daily toll for most vehicles entering below 60th Street. The updated proposal, which comes months after Hochul paused the original $15 toll plan. “I’m proud to announce we have found a path to support the MTA, reduce congestion, and save our commuters money,” Hochul said. “Under this plan, the MTA will implement congestion pricing with a $9 toll starting in January. That’s a 40% reduction from the original $15 toll, saving daily commuters nearly $1,500 annually.” Hochul had initially paused the congestion pricing rollout, citing the economic strain it would place on middle- and working-class commuters.

Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer told President-elect Donald Trump and Jared Kushner this week that Israel is “rushing” to advance a ceasefire deal in Lebanon, The Washington Post reported on Wednesday, citing three current and former Israeli officials briefed on the meeting. According to the report, the aim is to “deliver an early foreign policy win to Trump.” As YWN reported on Tuesday, Dermer, one of Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu’s closest confidants, met with Trump and Kushner on Sunday to clarify the president-elect’s stance on Middle East issues before flying to Washington to meet with Biden administration officials.

President Joe Biden raised the issue of American hostages held in Gaza during an Oval Office meeting with President-elect Donald Trump earlier today, according to U.S. National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan. In a press briefing, Sullivan said that the Biden administration has sent a clear “signal” to the Trump transition team, expressing its willingness to collaborate on efforts to secure the release of the hostages. Sullivan noted that families of the American hostages, with whom he met yesterday, strongly advocated for such bipartisan cooperation. “My answer to them was an emphatic yes,” Sullivan said, stressing that the Biden administration is committed to using every day left in its term to bring the hostages home. When asked if Israel has remained responsive to U.S.

President-elect Donald Trump’s nominee for U.S. ambassador to Israel, Mike Huckabee, has hinted that annexation of the West Bank, which he refers to as “Judea and Samaria,” could be a possibility during Trump’s upcoming term. In an interview with Army Radio, Huckabee underscored his support for Israel’s sovereignty over the territory, rejecting the term “West Bank” in favor of its Biblical name. “There is no such thing as the West Bank — it’s Judea and Samaria,” Huckabee stated. “I have been a frequent visitor to Judea and Samaria and believe it is part of sovereign Israel,” he added, reiterating his long-standing belief that the area belongs to Israel.