Nathan Bomshteyn

We strongly condemn the Israeli police’s prevention of the Latin Patriarch, Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballi, and the Custos of the Holy Land, Father Francesco Ielpo, from entering the Church of the Holy Sepulchre to celebrate Mass on Palm Sunday. Freedom of access to the holy sites of Judaism, Islam, and Christianity is the foundation of interfaith harmony and the basis for their coexistence in the Holy Land. We hope that security protocols will be established to allow for the celebration of services during Holy Week, a time of such special significance for Christians around the world.

According to the Wall Street Journal, citing multiple U.S. officials, Iran has targeted the joint U.S.-UK base at Diego Garcia in the Indian Ocean with two intermediate-range ballistic missiles (IRBM). According to the report, one missile failed in flight whilst the other was engaged by a U.S. destroyer utilizing an SM-3 interceptor, but a successful interception was not confirmed. None of the missiles hit the base. This is notable as Iranian long-range precision fires have not previously been publicly assessed as having the range to hit such a target as Diego Garcia, as the base is some 4,000 kilometers from Iran proper.