Prime Minister Scott Morrison slams Iran's aggression in the Strait of Hormuz, says "This destabilizing behavior is a threat to Australia’s interests in the region." Australia's contribution "will be limited in scope and it will be time-bound," he stresses.

“We have made proposals either for a softening of sanctions or a compensation mechanism to enable the Iranian people to live better,” French president says without giving more details. “We shall see what the response from the Iranians is in the hours ahead. And we shall see how the Americans are ready to move forward.”

Even some Trump allies concede that the president’s attempt to paint himself as more pro-Israel than Democrats is more likely to resonate with evangelical voters, who polls show are more supportive of Trump’s brand of pro-Israel policies than American Jews are.

IDF aircraft strike a Hamas naval base in the Gaza Strip early Thursday morning after a rocket was fired into southern Israel from the territory. Several targets at the base in Gaza City were hit, IDF says. The rocket, the fifth in a week, lands in an open field.

Wide segments of American Jewry remain silent as the Democratic Party radicals gain influence. Should this trend continue and bipartisanship break down, this would undermine one of the pillars of Israeli security.