In State of the Union, Trump renews pledge to strike Iran if needed
The Times of Israel Daily Briefing
The Times of Israel
4.5 • 1.1K Ratings
🗓️ 25 February 2026
⏱️ 24 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
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.
In the foreign policy portion of his lengthy State of the Union address, US President Donald Trump repeated his oft-mentioned talking points about Iran, Magid reports, noting the president's terminology about never hesitating to confront threats against the US.
Trump has said he is "aware of" last week's killing of Palestinian-American 19-year-old Nasrallah Abu Siam in an armed settler attack in the West Bank, and Magid reviews why the US administration has not commented or gotten involved in this latest incident of Jewish settler violence.
As the US Embassy in Israel announces first-time pop-up locations for consular services in the Jewish settlements of Efrat and Beitar Illit, Magid discusses the decision to hold the project in these new locations.
With a formal communication channel established between the Board of Peace and the Palestinian Authority, Magid discusses how the PA is seeking legitimacy and aims to be as involved as possible in the Gaza reconstruction.
Magid also reports on conversations with Arab and European diplomats involved in the Board of Peace, and their comments about the enormous amount of pressure required to be applied on Hamas and Israel for the disarmament of Hamas to succeed.
Check out The Times of Israel's ongoing liveblog for more updates.
For further reading:
Trump: US ‘wiped out’ Iran’s nuclear program ‘but they want to start all over again’
US avoids condemning settler killing of Palestinian-American in armed West Bank attack
In first, US embassy to provide consular services at pop-ups in West Bank settlements
US approves formal communication channel between PA and Board of Peace — officials
Waving off the skeptics, US feeling bullish after Board of Peace inaugural confab
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 exits the House Chamber after delivering the State of the Union address to a joint session of Congress in the House chamber at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, Tuesday, Feb. 24, 2026. (Kenny Holston/The New York Times via AP, Pool)
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Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | Hi, welcome to the Times of Israel's Daily Briefing. It is Wednesday, February 25th, and I'm Jessica Steinberg. I'm speaking today with U.S. Bureau Chief Jacob Magid. Hey, Jacob, how are you? |
| 0:14.5 | Hi, Jessica. Good to be with you. It is very good to be back with you. I know that I'm interrupting your coverage of the State of the Union |
| 0:22.3 | address, which was delivered by U.S. President Trump last night, Tuesday night. And it was the longest |
| 0:30.4 | ever by some reports. And among other subjects in that very long State of the Union address, |
| 0:35.6 | he spoke about Iran, Israel's hostages that were |
| 0:40.0 | brought home, and New York City Mayor Zoran Mamdani. We'll dive into some about the president |
| 0:45.8 | said specifically on Iran. I will also talk about what's been happening with Jewish |
| 0:51.1 | settler violence and the Board of Peace. So stay with us. |
| 1:00.9 | Are you an American living in Israel? A new immigrant, a long-time resident, or a U.S. citizen abroad. |
| 1:08.2 | This is something you should hear. The Israeli tax authority has launched a new |
| 1:13.2 | voluntary disclosure procedure, a limited time opportunity to come forward, report past income or |
| 1:19.1 | assets, and under the right conditions, obtain full criminal immunity. Why does this matter now? |
| 1:25.2 | Because the tax authority sees more than ever before. They receive data directly from banks and from the land registry. If you own an apartment you don't live in, they already know. If it was rented out without reporting, that could be a real risk. Or maybe you're a beneficiary of a U.S. trust and never realized it may require reporting |
| 1:45.3 | in Israel. Or a new immigrant who assumed the 10-year exemption covered income earned from a U.S. |
| 1:51.8 | company while working here. These are exactly the kinds of situations this procedure was designed for. |
| 1:58.6 | At Nimrod Yarran and Co, our team of attorneys and CPAs includes former senior |
| 2:03.3 | officials from the Israeli Tax Authority and the state attorney's office. We understand how the |
| 2:08.5 | system works, because we've been on the inside. Don't wait for the tax authority to contact you. |
| 2:14.8 | Search Nimrod-Yar-Ran-. And take control of your tax matters, clearly, |
| 2:20.0 | responsibly, and with peace of mind. Okay. So, Jacob, let's start with the State of the Union |
| 2:28.5 | address. When did the subject of Iran come in? At what point in the more than an hour-long address? |
| 2:37.4 | Well over an hour long and well towards the end of the address. |
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