About this episode
HEADLINESIsrael-US strikes cripple Iran's missilesHouthis ready to join war if neededNew York City buffer zones shield synagoguesThe time is now 2:01 AM in New York, I'm Noa Levi and this is the latest Israel Today: Ongoing War Report.In Operation Lion's Roar, Secretary Rubio says this has been an incredibly successful operation and notes it may not receive broad coverage because, unlike Iran, the strikes have focused on military targets, with the results expected to bear fruit for the world. Israel and American air forces carried out overnight extensive airstrikes on Iranian regime targets.In Direct Israel-Iran Clashes, Israeli defense briefings describe a campaign aimed at degrading Iran’s missile capability. Officials say Iran’s launchers have suffered heavy losses and that roughly 470 launchers were reduced to fewer than 180 operable units, with many damaged or destroyed and others immobilized. Israeli residents have entered shelters about ten times since Thursday as Iran has stepped up attempts to strike population centers with cluster missiles. Defense Minister Israel Katz has made destroying the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps’ missile array a top priority, with daily intelligence and air-force briefings assessing strike progress. The Israeli Defense Forces say Iran’s manufacturing capacity has been crippled, hindering new launcher production and eroding Iran’s ability to sustain a high-rate launch. In parallel, the IDF reports a wide-scale wave of strikes targeting infrastructure in Tehran, following earlier operations, with additional strikes reported in Isfahan and other locations. There are also reports of targeted eliminations across Iran during the night, including activity described from Urmia in the northwest.In Iranian Retaliation, Iran-linked channels report that the Islamic Republic has warned hoteliers in the region not to accommodate American military personnel, saying such hotels will be considered military targets. The dispatch notes that hoteliers in the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain were told not to host American personnel, and it cites Abbas Araghchi urging Gulf states to avoid providing rooms to American soldiers to protect guests.In the Conflict with Iran and its Regional Proxies, Yemen’s Houthis say they are ready to join the war if needed, raising the risk to shipping lanes. A Houthi leader tells Reuters that if a new front opens, the Bab al-Mandab Strait off Yemen could be a prime target, potentially disrupting a chokepoint that controls traffic toward the Suez Canal as Iran’s allies in Lebanon and Iraq engage in the broader regional conflict.In US Policy Concerning Israel, the State Department notes a telefonic engagement between Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Iraqi Kurdish leader Masrour Barzani. Rubio expressed gratitude for the Kurdistan Regional Government’s role in enabling Iraqi oil, including from Kurdistan, to
