Sam Halpern

Sam is a breaking news desk manager at The Jerusalem Post where he has worked since June 2023. He is a James Madison University alumnus where he graduated cum-laude with a degree in English and minors in Creative Writing and Environmental Studies.

An F-35C Lightning II, attached to Marine Fighter Attack Squadron (VMFA) 314, is staged for flight operations on the flight deck of the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN 72) in support of Operation Epic Fury on March 2, 2026 at sea.

Pentagon seeks $200 billion for Iran war, dwarfing amount US has already spent - report

US President Donald Trump speaks to members of the media onboard Air Force One on March 15, 2026 while en route to Joint Base Andrews, Maryland from West Palm Beach Florida.

Trump calls on US allies to ‘get a grip’ and help reopen Strait of Hormuz

Flags of Hezbollah and Hamas.

Who are the most senior Hamas, Hezbollah figures left alive? - explainer


Lebanon orders official media to stop calling Hezbollah 'resistance' - report

Further, the phrases “resistance” and “Islamic Resistance” are being removed from statements issued by Hezbollah itself, from broadcasts from the National News Agency.

Mourners wave Hezbollah flags during the funeral of top Hezbollah chief Haytham Ali Tabatabai and other members killed in an Israeli strike in Beirut's southern suburbs on November 24, 2025.

Trump weighing US boots on the ground to seize Iran’s Kharg Island oil depot - report

The potential capture of the oil depot would require, in a first for the ongoing US Operation Epic Fury, American troops to step foot on Iranian soil.

A picture taken on March 12, 2017, shows an oil facility in the Khark Island, on the shore of the Gulf.

Macron offers to host Israel-Lebanon ceasefire talks in Paris to avoid descent 'into chaos'

“Everything must be done to prevent Lebanon from descending into chaos,” Macron wrote on X/Twitter.

Illustrative image of French President Emmanuel Macron.

IDF strikes Hezbollah terrorists carrying rockets into south Lebanon weapons depot

The IDF warned that Hezbollah was making military use of ambulances and medical facilities, accusing the terror group of exploiting protected civilian infrastructure for operational purposes. 

A fireball errupts from the site of an Israeli airstrike that targeted a building in the southern Lebanese village of Abbasiyyeh on March 13, 2026.

FBI warns Iran may launch drone attacks on US West Coast in response to war - report

"We recently acquired information that as of early February 2026, Iran allegedly aspired to conduct a surprise attack using unmanned aerial vehicles," the alert read.

Iranian-made Shahed-136 'Kamikaze' drone flies over the sky of Kermanshah, Iran on March 7, 2024.

'Don't mess with Iran': Two Jewish men beaten in San Jose after speaking Hebrew

Footage of the incident, shot by local witnesses, shows the pair of victims attacked by three other individuals outside the Augustine restaurant.

San Jose, California. December 18, 2022.

Iraq shoots down drones near Bagdad airport, Qatar intercepts missile

"Four drones were shot down near Baghdad International Airport, without causing any material or human damage," Maan told the Iraqi News Agency.

A United Arab Emirates plane stands on the tarmac at Dubai International Airport, in Dubai on November 6, 2025.

US intel report: Large-scale military assault unlikely to topple Iran regime - The Washington Post

The National Intelligence Council report was completed a week before the start of the war, which broke out last Saturday.

A man waves a giant Iranian flag during a rally marking the 47th anniversary of the 1979 Islamic revolution in Tehran on February 11, 2026.

Iranian officers abandon posts, conscripted troops amid US and Israeli strikes - report

The soldiers who spoke with the outlet reported that since the killing of former supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on Saturday, confusion has erupted within the Iranian military.

Flags of Israel and Iran painted on a cracked concrete wall with soldier shadow.

Five IDF soldiers badly wounded by anti-tank fire near Lebanon border

The military added that, in the same incident, three other Givati soldiers were lightly wounded.

 IDF soldiers seen operating in northern Israel, near the Lebanese border, September 18, 2024