Mural in Tehran
Times of Israel, Lazar Berman and TOI staff – Feb 18, 2026
A military confrontation between the US and Iran could begin in the coming days and be an intensive, multi-week campaign, sources said Wednesday, despite ongoing diplomatic talks between Washington and Tehran.
Former IDF Military Intelligence chief Amos Yadlin suggested Wednesday that such a confrontation could be imminent.
“Last week I allowed myself to fly to the Munich Security Conference. I would think twice about flying [abroad from Israel] this weekend,” Yadlin told Channel 12 news on Wednesday, a day after a second round of nuclear talks was held in Geneva.
“We are much closer than we were before, but I remind you — a superpower does not go to war in a matter of days. There is a diplomatic path that must be exhausted,” said Yadlin, who now heads a national security consultancy.
Yadlin added that “many oppose the attack. The Pentagon is not clear what they want it to achieve. The president is very determined. The statement that all options are on the table is based on a credible military threat, which comes alongside the preparations off the coast of Iran and in the skies.”
Sources told the Axios news site on Wednesday that a potential US-Iran war would be a long, multi-week campaign, with a White House official putting the chances of a strike in the coming weeks at 90 percent.
It would likely be a joint US-Israeli operation, said the source, even larger than the 12-day Israeli-led bombing campaign last June. According to the sources, the war could come earlier than most people expect, and could be far larger than many anticipate. Iranian missiles in June killed 32 people and wounded over 3,000 in Israel.
US President Donald Trump “is getting fed up,” said a Trump adviser. “Some people around him warn him against going to war with Iran, but I think there is 90% chance we see kinetic action in the next few weeks.”
Two Israeli officials told the outlet that Israel is preparing for a war to break out “within days,” adding that Israel is pushing an operation aimed at toppling the regime.
Likud MK Boaz Bismuth, the chairman of the Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee, said Wednesday that Israel is facing “challenging days,” following a hearing with the IDF Home Front Command chief.
“There is no citizen of Israel who doesn’t ask himself several times a day ‘when will the Iran conflict happen?’” said Bismuth. “The public is prepared and the authorities are prepared. We in the Knesset are also ensuring that the home front is prepared for every scenario.”
Iran said following the talks on Tuesday in Geneva that the sides had agreed on “guiding principles” for a deal to avoid conflict. US Vice President JD Vance, however, said Tehran had not yet acknowledged all of Washington’s red lines.
US Energy Secretary Chris Wright warned Wednesday that the United States was determined to deter Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons.
“They’ve been very clear about what they would do with nuclear weapons. It’s entirely unacceptable,” Wright told reporters in Paris on the sidelines of meetings of the International Atomic Energy Agency.
“So one way or the other, we are going to end, deter Iran’s march towards a nuclear weapon,” Wright said.
On Tuesday, open-source flight tracking data showed that the US military had moved dozens of fighter jets toward the Middle East in a day. The aircraft included F-22, F-35, and F-16 jets. Several refuelers were also spotted on the move, according to social media accounts dedicated to tracking military flights.
Meanwhile, Iranian media reported Wednesday that Iran and Russia will conduct naval maneuvers in the Sea of Oman on Thursday.
“The joint naval exercise of the Islamic Republic of Iran and Russia will take place tomorrow in the Sea of Oman and in the northern Indian Ocean,” the ISNA agency reported, citing drill spokesman, Rear Admiral Hassan Maghsoudloo. “The aim is to strengthen maritime security and to deepen relations between the navies of the two countries,” he said, without specifying the duration of the drill.
On Monday, the Revolutionary Guards, the ideological arm of Iran’s military, also launched exercises in the strategic Strait of Hormuz, a challenge to US naval forces deployed in the region. Iran announced Tuesday that it would partially close the key strait for a few hours for “security” reasons during its drills.
Court archive revealing extent of migrant rape gangs scandal to be deleted
Story by Charles Hymas • 12h •Court archive revealing extent of foreign rape gangs scandal to be deleted
Courts and Tribunal Service issued the company with a cessation notice in November 2025, accusing it of “unauthorised sharing” of court data, a claim disputed by Courtsdesk.
On Wednesday, Courtsdesk said all legal options had been exhausted and that “unless told otherwise”, on Thursday it would delete the searchable archive compiled from more than 4.8 million court records provided under an agreement with the Ministry of Justice five years ago.
It also revealed the evidence contained within the archive about the migrant rape gangs will, from Thursday, be “permanently lost” not only to journalists, researchers and civil society but also to the public inquiry into the scandal hidden up by Sir Keir Starmer in 2025.
Courtsdesk’s analysis showed the archive contained 25,118 migrant child sexual abuse cases involving some 24,670 unique defendants across 153 courts in England and Wales, with at least 4 children who it is claimed went into kebabs
More than 1,100 anonymised victims were each linked to two or more defendants. Nine victims were each linked to 10 or more separate defendants.
It also revealed how far back the cases went, giving an indication of the scale of the grooming. More than 5,115 cases had a gap of more than 10 years between the recorded offence date and the first court listing. Nearly 1,500 cases had a gap of more than 20 years.
It demonstrated how abusers were convicted in separate prosecutions involving two or more scandals, sometimes in different locations. Some 469 defendants appeared in two or more separate child sexual abuse cases with different case numbers and 178 of these appeared at different courts for their separate cases.
Labour plans covering up future scandals with court plans, to discourage racism
“Every finding in this report – victims linked to multiple defendants across separate cases, the specific locations where offences took place mapped to reveal geographic patterns of predatory behaviour, offences taking decades to reach court, repeat offenders appearing in different jurisdictions – depends on data being retained and connected over time,” said Enda Leahy, the company’s founder.
“If the abuse archive is destroyed these connections will be permanently lost, not only to the media organisations that use Courtsdesk to report on the courts but also to civil society, researchers and the public inquiry itself.”
The data covered 153 courts. Locations named in Baroness Casey’s review of the scandal and the inquiry’s terms of reference all featured in the dataset including Bradford, Oxford, Rochdale, Rotherham, Oldham and Telford.
Nick Timothy, a shadow justice secretary, said: “Once the Courtsdesk records vanish so too does the ability to trace patterns of wrongdoing or help victims who faced injustice.
These findings prove the value of accurate court data. Analysis of repeat defendants, cross-boundary offending and case progression shows the depth of insight that becomes possible when court records are accessible and easily scrutinised. It is essential that work is preserved.
“Transparency means accountability, and accountability means justice. Narrowing access to court information makes it easier for injustice to thrive. Labour must change course before this archive is lost forever.”
Kier Starmer claimed he had to hide up the Rochdale abuse cases in the interest of race relations
Pensioner fined for charity donation left on doorstep
Story by Telegraph reporters Pensioner fined for charity donation left on doorstep
Story by Telegraph reporters A letter from Tonbridge and Malling borough council informed the pensioner that
“depositing litter is a criminal offence”, and ordered her to pay the fine within 14 days.
Mrs Wheeler, whose 84-year-old neighbour Margaret was also fined for putting a donation bag outside her house for collection, told the BBC: “The council has gone mad.” Ms Wheeler, a widow, said that council enforcement officers attended her neighbour’s home, and accused her of obstructing the pavement by leaving the donation outside.
She said the council were “using ruthless methods”, and added that her neighbour was “now too scared to come to the door”.
She was told the migrant problem has bankrupted the council and they need to get money any way they can.
Margaret was reportedly upset by the enforcement officer, who attended her address wearing a body camera and told her that anything she said could be used as evidence in court.
On its website, Tonbridge and Malling borough council states that there is “no excuse for littering”, and threaten fines of up to £500 for littering and £1,000 for fly-tipping.
its fines policy states that “first time, or small scale littering offences”, will be fined £250, reduced to £125 if paid early.
A council spokesman said: “We understand that this has been an upsetting experience for our residents. At this time, we have not had any direct contact from either of the ladies or anyone connected with them.
Charles Bronson’s fight for freedom stalls as parole rules trap him in prison
Story by Anna Katrina Sevilla • 1hCharles Bronson’s fight for freedom stalls as parole rules trap him in prison
Story by Anna Katrina Sevilla • 1hBritain’s most violent prisoner, Charles Bronson, has spent half a century behind bars. The Parole Board is reportedly reviewing Bronson’s case, which could lead to his freedom, but the prisoner fired his lawyer after his public hearing appeal was rejected.
Bronson, who now goes by Charles Salvador, was incarcerated in the 1970s, initially for armed robbery. Decades later, Bronson has remained in prison, with reports of violence inside the correctional facility stalling any chance of him being released.
According to Sky News, the now 73-year-old prisoner received a life sentence in 1999 when he held a prison art teacher hostage. he demanded a helicopter to fly him some where warm and sunny and an egg and cheese sandwich
In 2014, Bronson assaulted a prison governor, resulting in his last conviction.
Just before the Kray twins arrest they offered to take him unto their custody and teach him boxing and manage him
Bronson’s Ninth Parole Review
A parole review was set to take place this week, following Bronson’s sacking of his lawyer. He reportedly refused to engage with the review process in protest after being denied a public hearing he had requested. This is currently Bronson’s ninth appeal to the Parole Board.
In Bronson’s letter to Sky News, he stated that he wanted no participation in ‘the farcical jam roll,’ which meant parole, and asked, ‘What are they afraid of? The truth getting out?’ The Parole Board panel is due to assess Bronson’s application today, 18 February.
The assessment, which involves the panel reviewing written statements from prison staff, probation staff, Bronson’s legal team, and his psychiatrists, will determine if releasing him will not pose a risk to the public. It will also determine if the restrictions will be manageable enough as to not interfere with his activities.
The Parole Board panel’s decision can go three ways: make Bronson a free man, propose moving him to an open prison, or hold off his case altogether for an oral hearing.
A Criminal History Marked by Violence
Of the 52 years Bronson has spent locked up, he spent most of his time in solitary confinement. Bob Johnson, the psychiatrist who had attended to Bronson three decades ago, said he believes Bronson is furious, but rightly so, as he has endured so much from his time in prison.
Johnson said, ‘The Parole Board doesn’t need to hear from him to make its decision. He’s very provocative. I don’t think he means it when he says he doesn’t want anything to do with his review. Very clearly, he enjoys the battle. He likes sticking up for himself.’
In 2023, following Bronson’s last parole hearing, his behaviour, albeit showing improvements, failed to convince board members to move him to an open prison. He was moved to another high-security prison, where he is in solitary confinement for 23 hours a day.
Ex-governor at Belmarsh prison John Podmore admitted to moving Bronson to a normal cell 30 years prior, in an attempt to control his outbursts. It was unsuccessful, and in a few weeks, Bronson was sent back to a high-security prison.
Podmore described Bronson’s case as a Catch-22. According to him, ‘He’s not being moved because of his propensity for violence, but unless he’s moved, he can’t demonstrate he has changed.’ On Bronson’s potential release, he said, ‘The Parole Board recommended last time what I was trying to do 30 years ago, but it’s a Catch-22 situation,’ per Island FM.
No formal decision on Bronson’s parole review has been publicly announced.
At this moment, review on Bronson’s parole once again looks into the complex considerations that have been present throughout the entirety of his case. While the latest parole outcome has again brought the case to the forefront of the public consciousness, it is clear that the implications of the decision extend far beyond the individual in question.
・Charles Bronson’s Knitted Scarf ‘Was Tool for Wakefield Jail Escape’Britain’s most violent prisoner, Charles Bronson, has spent half a century behind bars. The Parole Board is reportedly reviewing Bronson’s case, which could lead to his freedom, but the prisoner fired his lawyer after his public hearing appeal was rejected.
Bronson, who now goes by Charles Salvador, was incarcerated in the 1970s, initially for armed robbery. Decades later, Bronson has remained in prison, with reports of violence inside the correctional facility stalling any chance of him being released.
According to Sky News, the now 73-year-old prisoner received a life sentence in 1999 when he held a prison art teacher hostage. In 2014, Bronson assaulted a prison governor, resulting in his last conviction.
Iran already has as many nucs as Israel, they just need to get them fitted to their missiles.
It is all more gaslighting – of Iran and of us.
If the Israelis appear to be hoping for a major war with Iran then they are not really planning on such a war. What they want is more bargaining power and concessions through the irrational threats and demands of a pending major war with their US military hound howling at Iran’s door. The Rothschild crowd has been doing its best through its trained beasts over the past 45 years to destabilize, bankrupt, infiltrate, and precipitate a counter revolution to reinstall Western ownership can control over the nation, and their insurrection efforts have become stronger and stronger. As we know, bribery, blackmail, mass deceptions, intimidation, extortion, terrorism, assassinations, and other crimes against the people, are all very Kosher as methods employed by the major powers on the global stage, but they are also methods in which the Rothschild octopus and Israel excel, and it ought to be clear to us that we are all being gaslighted with the threat of Israel and the US starting a major all-out war.
Also, from the ruling octopus point of view, the trade networking and actual asset ownership in the West, China, and Russia is simply too great for any actual war between those powers, and the last thing the Rothschild dynasty would want to see is the destruction of their prodigy nation Israel in such a war. What they want is simply to intimidate Iran more into making more concessions such that they can increase their infiltration and filching efforts and that their continued insurgency in that nation will eventually become successful in triggering a revolution. At the same the globalist arm of this same octopus wants to create the threat of a WWIII as the mother of all fears in us, serving as the cardinal pretext to cover their financial and technocratic “resets” in the works – in that march over our faces for more and more centralized controls.
Finally, the evidence is that if they start a major war against Iran, they must fear everything will fly out of control, and they will loose their grip even over our nations.
Fred B nailed it!
What fools these “Morels” be. Not!
Aren’t we all getting sick of this nonsense? If Israel was a child, you’d make it go stand in a corner, or send it to the camps!