About this episode
HEADLINESIran Threatens UAE and Bahrain CoastsUS Navy Ships Head to Middle EastIran Strikes Erbil Hotel Escalates Iraq WarThe time is now 3:02 AM in New York, I'm Noa Levi and this is the latest Israel Today: Ongoing War Report.In Iranian Retaliation, Iran’s leadership has issued firm signals in the wake of tense exchanges with the United States. Ebrahim Zolfaqari, a spokesman for the unified command of Iran’s armed forces, said the Americans are effectively “negotiating with themselves” and that there is no possibility of coexistence between the Islamic Republic and the United States. Separately, an Iranian state television commentator warned that if the United States makes a mistake, Iran’s security forces are capable and ready to seize the coasts of the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain and fundamentally change the regional landscape. Translations of that warning appeared in Hebrew and Arabic broadcasts, echoing the same sentiment, and a statement from the Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters repeated the view that the United States is negotiating with itself.In US Military Role, three US Navy ships carrying about 4,500 sailors are en route to the Middle East, according to reports cited by The Washington Post.In Regional Impacts, the Iranian regime has struck a hotel in Erbil, Iraq.In the Conflict with Iran and its Regional Proxies, the Israeli military reported striking a gas station operated by Amana, a company linked to Hezbollah, in the village of Al-Duwayr in the Nabatieh District of southern Lebanon. A warning has been issued that any attempt to allow Iran to create a linkage with Israel’s dealings with Hezbollah will never happen. Separate reporting outlines Iranian demands cited in a Wall Street Journal rundown, including immediate closure of all American bases in the Persian Gulf and Arabian Peninsula, official guarantees to avoid further attacks, end of Israeli attacks on Hezbollah in Lebanon, removal of sanctions on Iran and its officials, compensation for war damages from the United States, no restrictions on the missile program, and a decree enabling Iran to charge fees from ships passing through the Strait of Hormuz.In US Policy Concerning Israel, Iran’s leadership remains wary of US motives as talks to end the wider conflict intensify. Iranian officials told The Jerusalem Post that distrust is among the reasons Vice President JD Vance has become involved in the negotiations. Washington has sought to reassure Tehran that the talks are real negotiations, with a 15-point proposal—previously presented to Iran—on the table, including dismantling aspects of Iran’s nuclear program and related facilities, and a halt to uranium enrichment, among other steps, while awaiting a response. Separately, the US ambassador to Israel warned that nationalist crime and rising Jewish extremist violence in the West Bank threaten longstanding alliances, saying the
