Welcome to The Times of Israel's Daily Briefing, your 20-minute audio update on what's happening in Israel, the Middle East and the Jewish world.

Editor David Horovitz joins host Amanda Borschel-Dan for today's episode.

US President Donald Trump on Tuesday denied that Israel dragged the US into war with Iran, insisting that if anything, the opposite could be true and that he felt Iran was going to attack first. These remarks come as politicians and media influencers on both sides of the US aisle condemn "Israel's war" and point their fingers at the Jewish state.

In the first half of the program, we take a deep dive into Iran's greater existential threat to the Mideast -- and the world at large. Which nations appear to start internalizing that the extremist Islamist nation may actually do what it threatens it will?

In the second half, we talk about the opportunity afforded at this time for Iranians to rise up and change their regime. It would be, posits Horovitz, more possible to see some form of "total victory" against the terror regime, as opposed to wiping out Hezbollah in Lebanon and Hamas in Gaza.

Check out The Times of Israel's ongoing liveblog for more updates.

For further reading:

Trump says he may have forced Israel’s hand into war with Iranian ‘lunatics’

Isolationist US right-wing commentators decry Iran war; Trump says he doesn’t care

US officials say diplomatic path was at dead end when Trump approved Iran strikes

Iran and its proxies pose ongoing threat to US after Khamenei killing, US intel warns

Hoping to pressure end to war, Iran aims fire at Arab neighbors. It hasn’t worked, yet

Israel okays plan to slowly reopen airspace from Wednesday night for repatriation flights

Subscribe to The Times of Israel Daily Briefing on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts. This episode was produced by Gabriella Jacobs and edited by Ari Schlacht.

IMAGE: A boy waves an Iranian flag in front of a police facility struck during the US–Israeli military campaign in Tehran, Iran, March 4, 2026. (AP Photo/Vahid Salemi)

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Welcome to The Times of Israel's Daily Briefing, your 20-minute audio update on what's happening in Israel, the Middle East and the Jewish world.

US bureau chief Jacob Magid joins host Jessica Steinberg for today's episode.

As the US tells American citizens to evacuate the Middle East in a warning posted on X, Magid discusses the mixed messaging about the war with Iran from Trump administration officials across a range of statements and press conferences on Monday.

US President Donald Trump spoke about the need to rid the Iranian regime of its nuclear capabilities, to destroy its missiles and navy, and then bring about regime change, reports Magid, as well as mentioning possible negotiations with the successors to leader Ali Khamenei, who was killed Saturday in a strike.

Trump's stated goals were followed by comments made by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Vice President JD Vance, each of whom offered their own takes on the goals of the war, says Magid.

During Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's interview with Fox News, the premier laughed off the idea of Washington being dragged into the war, reports Magid, insisting that Trump believed the US needed to strike Iran to address the threat posed by the regime.

Check out The Times of Israel's ongoing liveblog for more updates.

For further reading:

‘Depart now’: US tells its citizens to urgently leave almost all Mideast countries, including Israel

As war widens, Trump says US has yet to launch largest strikes on Iran

Rubio cites planned Israeli attack as a key reason US launched strikes against Iran

Netanyahu: Iran’s nuclear program would have been ‘immune within months’ absent war

Subscribe to The Times of Israel Daily Briefing on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts. This episode was produced by Ari Schlacht.

Image: President Donald Trump speaks at the Port of Corpus Christi in Corpus Christi, Texas, Friday, Feb. 27, 2026. (AP Photo/Michael Gonzalez)

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Welcome to The Times of Israel's Daily Briefing, your 20-minute audio update on what's happening in Israel, the Middle East and the Jewish world.

Diplomatic correspondent Lazar Berman joins host Amanda Borschel-Dan for today's episode.

Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, 86, was killed Saturday in a joint US-Israeli strike on his Tehran compound at the outset of a long-planned military operation against the Islamic Republic. Berman weighs in on how, after Khamenei's almost 37 years in power, the regime may choose a new leader -- or whether the people could rise up and create a new paradigm.

We speak about the widespread nature of Iran's retaliatory strikes, including on many of its neighboring Arab states. As opposed to the June 2025 12-day war, Iran seems bent on punishing US allies in the region. We hear how these nations, including Jordan, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Saudi Arabia, are responding so far.

International opinion on the US-Israel "preemptive strike" is mixed. Berman explores how nations are walking a fine diplomatic line in their public support -- or condemnation -- of the new war.

Check out The Times of Israel's ongoing liveblog for more updates.

For further reading:

Khamenei set Iran’s direction for decades. Now the public he suppressed has hope

After Khamenei killed, Iran set for largely opaque supreme succession

End of an era as Iran confirms Khamenei is dead; Trump: Justice for Iranians and beyond

Woman killed, dozens injured as Iranian missile strikes Tel Aviv residential block

Strait of Hormuz: Key oil route in middle of Iran crisis

Subscribe to The Times of Israel Daily Briefing on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts. Gabriella Jacobs produced this episode and Ari Schlacht edited.

IMAGE: Government supporters mourn during a gathering after state TV officially announced the death of Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, shown in the poster, in Tehran, Iran, March 1, 2026. (AP Photo/Vahid Salemi)

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Welcome to The Times of Israel's Daily Briefing, your 20-minute audio update on what's happening in Israel, the Middle East and the Jewish world.

Military correspondent Emanuel Fabian joins host Amanda Borschel-Dan for today's episode.

Israel and the US launched a major joint strike on Iran on Saturday, with waves of attacks on sites across the Islamic Republic. US and Israeli officials confirmed that this coordinated strike has been months in the making.

Fabian updates us that strikes targeted Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and President Masoud Pezeshkian, alongside other top regime and military commanders. We hear what we currently know about the strikes' results, even as Iran has retaliated with some 40 ballistic missiles so far.

Schools have been canceled for the near future and medical centers around Israel have switched to emergency mode, moving critical patients and operations to underground complexes or protected spaces.

Finally, Borschel-Dan asks Fabian what he knows about a projected timeline for the war, based on what he is hearing from the IDF.

Check out The Times of Israel's ongoing liveblog for more updates.

For further reading:

US and Israel launch major joint assault on Iran; Trump indicates goal is to topple regime

Full text of Trump’s declaration of ‘major combat operations’ against Iran

Subscribe to The Times of Israel Daily Briefing on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts. This episode was produced by Adina Karpuj.

IMAGE: Smoke rises on the skyline after an explosion in Tehran, Iran, February 28, 2026.(AP Photo)

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Welcome to The Reel Schmooze with ToI film reviewer Jordan Hoffman and host Amanda Borschel-Dan, where we bring you all the entertainment news and film reviews a Jew can use.

In today's Oscar-themed episode, movie maven Hoffman begins with a rant against the cynical social media uproar over a misstepped statement made at the Berlin Festival.

We then hear about the 2025 hit "Blue Moon," which portrays a pivotal night in the life of master lyricist Lorenz Hart. The film is up for two Academy Awards, but one of our team would not give it the time of day again.

Next, we turn to a 14-minute animated film called "Papillion," which captivated the pair. It is a painterly immersive dive into the life of Alfred Nakache, who competed in the 1936 Berlin Olympics in Nazi Germany, only to end up in Auschwitz that is one of five films competing for best short animation.

Check out the "oy," the "meh" and "not bad" marks given to these films in this week's The Reel Schmooze.

The Reel Schmooze is produced by Ari Schlacht and can be found wherever you get your podcasts.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Welcome to The Times of Israel's Lazar Focus. Each Friday, join host diplomatic correspondent Lazar Berman for a deep dive into what's behind the news that spins the globe.

There is a religious community in Israel dedicated to spreading peace throughout the country and beyond. Days after October 7, this community opened its doors for hundreds of Israelis from diverse backgrounds, stressing the importance of maintaining peaceful dialogue between ethnic and religious groups.

That community is Muslim.

The Ahmadiyya number only around 2,000 in Israel, but are part of a global community of some 20 million.

In today's Lazar Focus, Imam Imad Al Masri, a Jordanian cleric living in Haifa, explains the origins of his sect and makes an impassioned case for the Ahmadiyya vision for spreading peace around the world.

As he marks the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, he discusses the community's outreach in Palestinian areas, including in the Gaza Strip under Hamas rule and during the recent war there. Al Masri recounts the reaction of the Ahmadiyya community to the October 7, 2023, attacks and how they dealt with initial suspicions from their Jewish neighbors.

As Israel maintains a shaky ceasefire in Gaza and prepares for a possible war with Iran, the Ahmadiyya present an unwavering call for peace that many find refreshing and uplifting.

Lazar Focus can be found on all podcast platforms. This episode was produced by Gabriella Jacobs and video edited by Ari Schlacht.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Welcome to The Times of Israel's Daily Briefing, your 20-minute audio update on what's happening in Israel, the Middle East and the Jewish world.

Editor David Horovitz joins host Amanda Borschel-Dan for today's episode.

Negotiators resumed US-Iran nuclear talks in Geneva on Thursday, hours after senior American officials made the case that Iran poses a major threat to the United States and is actively working toward a nuclear bomb. Horovitz updates us on US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Vice President JD Vance's statements and describes the intense US military buildup in the Mideast. He then assesses the Israeli public's willingness to join in on any eventual strike against Iran and how Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu could leverage the crisis in this election year.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi made a two-day visit to Israel on Wednesday and Thursday, where he pledged to work in lockstep with the Jewish state to confront Islamist terrorism. In what Horovitz describes as a regrettably rare sentiment from world leaders, the Indian premier told the Knesset that his nation stands “firmly” with Israel. We learn what else happened behind the scenes.

In an effort to circumvent a Supreme Court order to expand egalitarian prayer access at the Western Wall, lawmakers voted 56-47 Wednesday afternoon in favor of the preliminary reading of a bill giving the Chief Rabbinate full control over prayer at all parts of the holy site -- not just the Orthodox prayer plaza. It has drawn harsh condemnation from progressive Jewish groups, which condemned the controversial legislation as “patronizing and antisemitic.” Horovitz weighs in.

Check out The Times of Israel's ongoing liveblog for more updates.

For further reading:

Facing Trump, Hamas bet on survival and is being vindicated; Iran’s regime has the same game plan

As talks resume, Rubio, Vance accuse Iran of trying to restart its nuclear program

Iranian FM arrives in Geneva for talks as US demands any nuclear deal last indefinitely

F-22 jets deploy at Israeli Air Force base as US builds up forces for Iran strike

In the Knesset, Modi says India stands firmly with Israel ‘in this moment and beyond’

MKs approve preliminary bill cementing Orthodox control over entire Western Wall

Subscribe to The Times of Israel Daily Briefing on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts. This episode was produced by Podwaves.

IMAGE: A Valar Atomics microreactor is seen on a C-17 aircraft, without nuclear fuel, at March Air Reserve Base, California, February 15, 2026. (AP Photo/Matthew Daly)

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.