In Israel, reactions to the recent Memorandum of Understanding between President Donald Trump and Iran, announced on Sunday, have ranged from cautious anticipation to outright criticism.

Tehran’s Supreme National Security Council confirmed the agreement with Washington, which marks a significant step toward ending the longstanding conflict. According to a statement from the council, all military activities on various fronts, including Lebanon, are set to halt “immediately and permanently.”

While this framework sets the stage for peace, detailed negotiations toward a final agreement will only commence once both parties have fulfilled their initial commitments. These discussions are anticipated to extend over the next 60 days.

TRUMP SECURES PEACE ACCORD WITH IRAN, ANNOUNCES REOPENING OF STRAIT OF HORMUZ: ‘LET THE OIL FLOW!’

President Donald Trump was seen alongside Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as he addressed the Knesset in Jerusalem on October 13, 2025. (Photo by Saul Loeb/AFP)

While Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has yet to comment, on Monday, Defense Minister Israel Katz, held back from directly criticizing the deal but said that the IDF would not withdraw from southern Lebanon, warning that if Iran attacks Israel in response to the fighting against Hezbollah, “we will strike it with full force.”

He said, “The IDF will remain in the security zones in Lebanon, Syria, and Gaza, without any time limit, to protect the border and Israeli communities against jihadist elements.”

Katz described the security zones as “among the IDF’s greatest achievements” in the multi-front war since the Hamas-led Oct. 7, 2023 massacre, adding that Israel therefore opposes an IDF withdrawal from Lebanon despite all the pressures that will still come.

Katz said he and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had conveyed these positions to U.S. President Donald Trump and other senior American officials, including U.S. Secretary of War Pete Hegseth.

“We will not compromise on Israel’s security interests and the protection of our citizens,” he concluded.

President Donald Trump monitors U.S. military operations in Iran following an Israeli strike in Tehran on Feb. 28, 2026. (@WhiteHouse/X)

Yossi Kuperwasser, head of the Jerusalem Institute for Strategy and Security and former chief of the research division in the Israel Defense Forces’ Military Intelligence Directorate, told News Media that the details of the agreement remain sketchy.

“There was a debate within the Iranian leadership over whether to accept the deal,” he said. “It appears that the information we are hearing is coming from those who opposed it. Maybe they are right, maybe they are wrong, but it raises major concerns in Israel. If this is the deal, it is a disaster. If one listens to President Trump, the deal is probably something different.”

Kuperwasser defined a “good deal” as one in which Iran gives up all components of its nuclear program, grants access to enriched uranium and establishes a robust monitoring system capable of reaching anywhere at any time, including military facilities likely being used for atomic purposes. He added that such an agreement should also prohibit production of missiles capable of carrying nuclear warheads.

A fireball rises from the site of an Israeli airstrike targeting an area in Beirut’s southern suburbs overnight on March 10 to 11, 2026. (Fadel itani / AFP via Getty Images)

“Lebanon’s fate is a matter to be discussed between Washington, Jerusalem, and Beirut,” Kuperwasser said. “Iran is not a party to those talks and should not be according to the Lebanese government. If Lebanon is to be part of a deal with Iran, it means Tehran has a say in Lebanese matters.”

Kuperwasser noted that Israel has lived under the shadow of Iran’s nuclear program since 1998, while noting that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is uniquely positioned to assess the issue given his decades of involvement. He said it remains unclear whether Netanyahu is satisfied with the outcome or what his final assessment will be.

Former Israeli Prime Minister Yair Lapid, now leader of the opposition, referred News Media to his comments on X.

“The emerging agreement achieves none of Israel’s war goals. The regime survives, the missile program exists, and Iran can rebuild its nuclear program. This is a complete failure by Netanyahu, and in the process, he is turning us into a client state that takes orders about its national security,” he wrote.

A motorist rides past a banner featuring images of Iran’s slain Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and his son Mojtaba Khamenei along a street in Tehran on April 15, 2026. (AFP/Getty Images)

On March 19, Prime Minister Netanyahu outlined three war objectives for the U.S.-Israel joint operation against Iran: “One, removing the nuclear threat. Second, removing the ballistic missile threat and removing both of these threats before they’re buried deep underground and become immune from aerial attack. And third, this means creating the conditions for the Iranian people to grasp their freedom, to control their destiny,” the premier stated at the time.

Dr Meir Javedanfar, Iran lecturer at Reichman University, told News Media that Israel’s most immediate concern regarding the deal is the clause dealing with Lebanon.

“There is genuine concern that this could tie Israel’s hands,” he said. “An additional concern is that Hezbollah could use this clause to regroup and strengthen its armed forces and positions along the border with Israel.”

Javedanfar said it is too early to assess whether the deal would leave Israel in a significantly stronger position than the 2015 Obama-era nuclear agreement, citing the fate of Iran’s stockpile of 60% enriched uranium and its atomic infrastructure.

“Will Iran be allowed to continue enriching uranium on its soil? If yes, at what percentage? And how will the international community oversee Iran’s nuclear program? What kind of inspection program will they have? How intrusive will they be?” he added.

The Israel Defense Forces said its troops located and destroyed a Hezbollah underground command center with infrastructure about 8 meters below ground in South Lebanon. (IDF Spokesman’s Unit)

Israel’s controversial National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir on Monday insisted that the MOU does not bind the Jewish state. “Israel is not subject to the United States, and we are an independent and sovereign nation,” he tweeted, adding that Jerusalem’s duty is to its citizens, its soldiers and the Jewish people.”

He stated, “My position is clear: we are not partners to this agreement that does not ensure our security, and it does not bind us in any way,” he said, adding that while Israelis “love” the United States and “are grateful” to Trump, “the State of Israel is not a banana republic.”

On Friday, Netanyahu’s office stated that “Even though Israel is not a party to the memorandum of understanding, the Prime Minister expressed his appreciation for President Trump’s commitment that the final agreement at the conclusion of negotiations will include the removal of enriched material, the dismantling of enrichment infrastructure, limits on missile production, and the cessation of Iran’s support for its terrorist proxies in the region.” 

President Donald Trump meets with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at Mar-a-Lago on Dec. 29, 2025, to discuss Iran tensions and the Gaza peace plan. (Israel Government Press Office)

Quoting the prime minister, the statement added that “As long as I am the Prime Minister of Israel – Iran will not have nuclear weapons. President Trump and I are in full agreement on this issue. For over 30 years, I have been at the forefront of the international struggle against Iran’s nuclear program. Were it not for this struggle, Iran would have long ago possessed atomic bombs to destroy Israel. Iran is working to destroy the Jewish state, and I am dedicating my life to preventing them from doing so. As long as I am the Prime Minister of Israel, this will not happen.”

Netanyahu’s office did not immediately respond to a News Media request for comment.

<!–>

In a tragic turn of events, a well-known adventurer who went by the moniker “The Spider-Man of Yemen” has died following a daring climb that ended in disaster. Al-Qaqa Ibn Antar, a 30-year-old thrill-seeker, plunged into a volcanic crater while scaling its vertical rock faces without any safety gear, as reported by local authorities.

The accident unfolded on Friday in Yemen’s southern Dhale province at the Hardah Dam volcanic crater. As per the Civil Defense Authority, which shared a brief video capturing the incident, Antar was in the midst of his climb when he suddenly lost his grip and fell into the 120-meter (393-foot) deep crater.

The video, lasting only 10 seconds, shows Antar fearlessly navigating a steep, rocky cliff without the use of harnesses or ropes. Arabic names, painted in white, are visible across the rocky face he was climbing. In a heart-stopping moment, Antar is seen hanging on with his right hand while his left waves in the air, before tragically losing his hold and plummeting downwards.

Following the fall, a team of rescuers, including diving and water specialists, was dispatched to the scene. They managed to recover Antar’s body from a depth of approximately 30 meters (100 feet) below the water’s surface, where it had settled after the fall.

Rescue teams, including diving and water specialists, were sent to retrieve Antar’s body, which was found by divers at a depth of 30 meters (100 feet) below the water surface.

The four-hour search and rescue operation was described by the authority as “complex” due to the steep and rocky location, which made access difficult.

The Hardah Dam — known also as the Haradhat Damt — is a unique volcanic crater located near the city of Damt, in Yemen‘s southern Dahle province. A landmark of the region, the crater has steep rocky walls with a hot sulfurous lake at its base.

Antar had gained fame on social media platforms where he posted videos showing him performing high-risk ascents of some of Yemen’s most rugged terrain.

His videos often went viral. In one of them, he was seen hanging from the edge of a rocky cliff using his bare hands, his legs dangling toward a steep slope in a risky performance without safety equipment.

The Civil Defense Authority has urged those who climb and engage in adventure sports to observe safety procedures and issued a warning to use “appropriate protective gear to avert similar incidents.”

A brewing tropical disturbance in the Gulf of America has garnered more attention after meteorologists adjusted their forecasts on Monday, indicating a heightened probability of development.

The National Hurricane Center (NHC) has highlighted a potential new low-pressure area forming over South Texas. This system is expected to travel northeast across the state and then move back into the northwestern Gulf by midweek, with the likelihood of its development increasing from 10 to 30 percent.

Although this weather system isn’t anticipated to escalate into a major storm in the immediate future, current environmental conditions are now deemed conducive to its potential development.

This updated forecast comes as extensive flood watches are in place across substantial regions of Texas, Louisiana, and Mississippi, where millions are already bracing for several days of intense rainfall.

Experts caution that the risk of flooding is likely to materialize even before this tropical system has an opportunity to become more organized.

Some locations could see rainfall totals exceeding 10 inches through midweek, raising concerns about flash flooding and rapidly rising waterways. 

The developing situation marks the most significant tropical threat in the Gulf since the start of the 2026 Atlantic hurricane season.

The NHC highlighted the area in its latest Tropical Weather Outlook, noting that low pressure may develop late Tuesday across South Texas before moving toward the Gulf. 

The National Hurricane Center (NHC) said a new area of low pressure could form over South Texas before moving northeast across the state and re-emerging over the northwestern Gulf by midweek 

Forecasters said the system’s future depends on how quickly it can organize after emerging over water. 

While the confidence remains relatively low, the increase indicates growing concern that the disturbance could acquire tropical characteristics later this week.

The latest Tropical Weather Discussion from the hurricane center noted that a trough of low pressure stretching across northeastern Mexico and South Texas will remain in place through midweek.

‘New low pressure may develop late Tue across S Texas and move NE across coastal Texas through Wed,’ forecasters said.

‘This system could re-emerge over the northwestern Gulf Wed, where environmental conditions may support some development.’

Even if the disturbance never earns a name, officials warned it could still produce dangerous impacts.

The National Weather Service (NWS) has issued flood watches covering a vast area from South Texas through eastern Texas and into Louisiana and Mississippi as deep tropical moisture streams northward from the Gulf.

The Houston-Galveston office warned that repeated rounds of thunderstorms could produce between two and seven inches of rainfall through Wednesday, with isolated higher amounts possible.

The National Hurricane Center increased the odds of the disturbance developing into a storm

Rainfall rates may reach two to five inches per hour in the strongest storms.

Across southwest Louisiana and southeast Texas, forecasters warned that a stalled front interacting with an exceptionally moist air mass could generate three to six inches of rain, with isolated totals reaching 10 inches.

The New Orleans office issued flood watches through Wednesday morning, warning that widespread rainfall totals of two to four inches are expected, with locally higher amounts likely.

Meanwhile, portions of central and south-central Texas face an even more serious flood risk.

The NWS in Austin and San Antonio warned that very humid tropical air combined with a stalling front could create life-threatening flooding in some areas. 

Officials said isolated rainfall totals exceeding eight inches are possible, with rainfall rates surpassing two to three inches per hour.

Flood watches have also been posted across Deep South Texas, where forecasters expect widespread totals between three and six inches, with pockets receiving more than eight inches.

The increase in odds comes as flood watches stretch across large swaths of Texas, Louisiana and Mississippi , where millions of residents are already facing days of heavy rain

Meteorologists emphasize that the flooding threat is not necessarily tied to the formation of a tropical storm.

Instead, the same broad weather pattern that could eventually spawn a tropical cyclone is already funneling enormous amounts of moisture into the region. 

Slow-moving thunderstorms repeatedly tracking across the same locations could trigger flash flooding long before any organized center develops.

The NHC said active showers and thunderstorms are expected across the northwestern Gulf throughout the week as the disturbance evolves.

The broader Atlantic basin is also becoming increasingly active.

Four tropical waves are currently moving westward across the Atlantic and Caribbean, including one located in the eastern Atlantic near the coast of Africa. 

While none pose an immediate threat to the US, they serve as a reminder that the Atlantic hurricane season is ramping up as ocean temperatures remain favorable for development.

For now, forecasters are keeping their focus on the Gulf.

The 30 percent development probability remains relatively modest. Still, it represents a significant increase from last week’s outlook and reflects a growing signal that conditions could become more favorable in the days ahead.

Residents across Texas, Louisiana and Mississippi are being urged to closely monitor forecasts, particularly those living in flood-prone areas.

In a concerning development, Nara Organics has issued a recall of its organic baby formula, prompted by an outbreak of infant botulism affecting several states. Distributed through Target stores nationwide and available online, this product recall was announced on Saturday by federal authorities.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) reported that between April and May, three infants aged between 2 to 5 months fell ill after consuming the Nara Organics Whole Milk Organic Powdered infant formula. These cases were documented in California, Pennsylvania, and Washington. The affected infants were subsequently hospitalized and received treatment approved by the FDA specifically for infant botulism.

Infant botulism, although rare, is a serious condition that typically affects babies under one year old. This vulnerability is due to their still-developing gut microbiome. The illness occurs when infants ingest bacteria that contain spores capable of producing toxins in the digestive system.

Symptoms of this potentially dangerous condition include constipation, poor feeding, drooping eyelids, weak muscle tone, difficulties in swallowing, and breathing complications. These symptoms signify the severity and urgency of addressing such outbreaks, emphasizing the need for vigilance in infant nutrition safety.

Symptoms include constipation, poor feeding, drooping eyelids, weak muscle tone, difficulty swallowing and breathing problems, among others.

Babies who develop those symptoms need immediate medical attention. The sole treatment is BabyBIG, an IV medication made from blood plasma of people immunized against botulism.

Nara Organics Whole Milk Organic Infant Formula makes up less than 1% of all infant formula sold in the United States, and the outbreak does not create shortage concerns for parents and caregivers, the FDA said.

People who have the formula are urged to stop using it immediately, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control said in a statement. The formula is manufactured in Europe but sold only in the U.S., it added.

The CDC recommended that anyone with an opened can take a picture, record the lot number and use-by date and watch their infants for symptoms.

“Label it ‘DO NOT USE’ and keep it stored in a safe place away from other items you feed your baby for at least a month,” the CDC said. “If no symptoms appear after a month, throw the leftover formula away.”