Knesset approves law restoring Chief Rabbinate’s monopoly over kosher certification

The Times of Israel is liveblogging Wednesday’s events as they unfold.

Likud judge resigns to protest party’s support for law barring arrest of Haredi draft dodgers

Emanuel Weiser, a judge on Likud’s internal court, announces he is quitting the party after decrying it for supporting a law shielding ultra-Orthodox draft dodgers from arrest.

“I hope, and will act, so that in the coming elections Likud is weakened and forced to ally with right-wing parties that have a moral backbone, who will not surrender to Haredi extortion,” Weiser writes in his resignation letter, according to a copy published by Hebrew media outlets.

Bahrain activates air raid sirens as Kuwait confronts ‘hostile’ Iranian drones

Bahrain has sounded an air raid siren, the interior ministry says, after the United States carried out strikes against Iran and reimposed its naval blockade.

“The siren has been sounded,” the interior ministry says on X. “Citizens and residents are urged to remain calm and head to the nearest safe place.”

At the same time, Kuwait reports that its military is confronting “hostile” Iranian attack drones.

Top US commander in Mideast says Iran has attacked 7 commercial ships in past week

The head of US Central Command says that Iran intentionally attacked seven commercial ships over the past seven days resulting in “nearly a dozen” civilian crew members being killed, injured or going missing.

“Iranian forces have also launched dozens of missiles and drones toward neighboring Gulf countries,” Admiral Brad Cooper says in a statement posted on social media.

“US forces are holding Iran accountable for unwarranted aggression that continues to endanger innocent lives,” he adds.

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Knesset passes law restoring Chief Rabbinate’s monopoly over kosher certification

The Knesset votes 46-41 to give final approval to legislation restoring the Chief Rabbinate’s exclusive control over kosher certification, one of a series of laws that the ultra-Orthodox parties demanded be passed in exchange for support on key coalition bills.

The law, which was championed by the Shas party, will reverse reforms from the previous coalition that allowed private Orthodox organizations to issue kosher certificates in their own name, provided they meet the state’s standards.

US official says no meeting scheduled between Trump and Netanyahu, as PM said seeking to visit DC next week

A US official says no meeting between US President Donald Trump and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has been scheduled, amid Hebrew media reports saying the premier is planning to visit Washington, DC, early next week.

Kuwait says fire sparked by Iranian attack brought under control, no injuries

A fire has been brought under control at a site targeted in Iranian hostile attacks, Kuwaiti state news agency KUNA reports citing the fire service.

It says six teams, backed by the army and National Guard, responded, with no injuries reported and damage limited to material losses.

Trump threatens ‘to knock out’ all Iranian bridges ‘unless they negotiate,’ says he’s ‘saving energy targets for last’

US President Donald Trump says he will authorize the bombing of Iran’s bridges and power bridges next week if Iran doesn’t come to the table and negotiate with the US.

“We’re going to hit them very hard tonight. We’re going to hit them very hard tomorrow night. We’re going to hit them very hard the night after, and then next week it gets really bad for them because next week comes the power plants. Next week comes the bridges. We’re going to knock out all their power plants. We’re going to knock out all their bridges unless they get to the table and negotiate,” Trump says in an interview with Fox News.

“I’ll save the energy targets for last, but ultimately we’ll hit energy targets,” he adds.

Trump has threatened numerous times to bomb Iranian energy sites only to hold off in the end, apparently due to concerns that doing so would result in Iran becoming a failed state — a scenario the US is looking to avoid.

Listing Trump’s war aims as preventing Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon, keeping the Strait of Hormuz open and to degrade Iran’s military capabilities, the Fox interviewer asks if they can be accomplished through an air campaign alone.

Trump claims his war aims have actually already been achieved even though he has not secured Iran’s stockpiles of enriched uranium and traffic through Hormuz is only at 10% of prewar levels.

“It’s open if people want to go through it,” Trump says.

As for Iran’s stockpile of highly enriched uranium, Trump again downplays the importance of securing it, saying the US is surveilling Iran’s nuclear sites.

Asked whether the US is capable of striking the nuclear site deep underground at Pickaxe Mountain, Trump responds, “Nobody knows about Pickaxe,” before insisting the US is watching that site too and could act if needed.

Trump gives a similar answer regarding the Taleghan facility outside Tehran, which satellite imagery suggests Iran has started repairing since it was struck during the war. “We can hit that one very easily,” the president claims.

Asked if he’s negotiating with the right people in Iran, Trump says he doesn’t want to negotiate anymore because Iran purportedly reneged on a deal over the weekend.

But seconds later, he says his aides have been talking to Iranian negotiators in just the past hour.

Asked what message the US passed along to Iran, Trump says, “You better make a deal. You’re not going to have anybody left. We’re being very careful with the civilian population, but you better make a deal [or] you’re not going to have anything left.”

Iran news agency says air defenses have been activated near Bushehr nuclear plant

Iran’s semi-official Mehr news agency says that air defenses around the Bushehr nuclear power plant in southern Iran have been activated.

Mehr news agency says there has been no official comment so far.