As Threats Fly, Expert Warns Time Running Out to Stop a Nuclear Iran; Israel Explores Gaza Ceasefire

JERUSALEM, Israel – Threats are flying throughout the Middle East and from Iran's capital as Israel continues to try to negotiate another ceasefire deal with Hamas.

Iran has toughened its already belligerent rhetoric and is threatening U.S. forces in the region.

The aerospace division commander of Iran's Revolutionary Guard Corps, Gen. Amir Hajizadeh, declared Monday, "The Americans have at least 10 bases and 50,000 forces near Iran. This means they are sitting in a glass room. Someone sitting in a glass room would not throw rocks at others."

President Donald Trump threatened to bomb Iran if the regime didn't agree to a deal to give up their nuclear weapons program.

Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei responded, warning, "If they do (bomb), they will definitely receive a firm reciprocal blow." 

He also called for the destruction of Israel.

"It's a religious, moral, and human duty for everyone to work toward removing this wicked, criminal entity (Israel) from the region," he said.

Despite all the tough talk, the White House is hoping that Iran will come around. President Trump mused, "I can't imagine them doing anything else but making a deal. I would prefer a deal to the other alternative, which I think everybody in this plane knows what that is. And that's not going to be pretty. And I do not prefer that."

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Ben Cohen, a senior analyst and rapid response director at the Foundation for the Defense of Democracies, explained that Iran has so much uranium ready for use in nuclear bombs that Israel and the U.S. can't just sit by.

"You've got a situation now where Iran has got about 275 kilograms of weapons-grade enriched uranium," Cohen told CBN News. "That is very risky. And so, yes, of course, every day that goes by without some kind of diplomatic resolution whereby Iran effectively surrenders its nuclear facilities and its nuclear program – every day that doesn't happen, we get closer to a military strike."

Monday, Trump announced details of an upcoming trip to the Middle East. "It could be next month, maybe a little later. And we're going to Qatar also. And, also, we're going to possibly a couple of other countries. The U.A.E. is very important. ... And Saudi Arabia, the three of them. And possibly other places also but in the Middle East, those seem to be the three."

In Lebanon, Israel claims it struck a "key Hezbollah stronghold" in Beirut overnight, targeting a Hezbollah terrorist who directed Hamas operatives and assisted them in planning a "significant and imminent" terror attack against Israelis.

A New Ceasefire Deal with Hamas?

Meanwhile, Israel is attempting to work out another new ceasefire deal with Hamas, with the terror group continuing to offer the release of small numbers of hostages to drag out the process over months. Hamas is offering to free five living hostages, while Israel demands that 11 be released. Israel says that until they are freed, the military will continue to pound Hamas positions in Gaza.

The Israel Defense Forces cautioned civilians in the southern Gaza town of Rafah to flee again before the IDF hits Hamas targets there. One war-weary, displaced civilian, Hanadi Dahoud, complained, "We are dying. There is no food, no drink, no electricity, no medicine. People are displaced. Where do we go?"

The IDF said Monday it had destroyed a more than half-mile Hamas tunnel route and located a workshop for producing rockets and launchers.

Another Shocking Case of Antisemitism

In Oregon, a nurse has been fired for antisemitic comments she made on social media.

Camesha Hart, 51, told Jews who might be reading her Instagram account, "I would refuse to treat you. I don't take care of animals, dogs, rats, vermin of any kind."  

In other comments, she supported Hamas and backed their cold-blooded murders of hostages Shiri Bibas and her small children, Ariel and Kfir.

Oregon Health & Science University Hospital in Portland fired Hart after the group Physicians Against Antisemitism publicized her anti-Jewish, pro-Hamas comments.