Breaking news, history, and security updates from Israel and the Middle East.
President Donald Trump said Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu would not be arrested while visiting the United States, rejecting reported calls by New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani to consider detaining the Israeli leader over an International Criminal Court warrant.
Fighting between the United States and Iran is expanding across the Middle East, raising fears of a wider war and prolonged disruption in the Strait of Hormuz. Brent crude has climbed back above $90 per barrel as Iran threatens regional shipping and U.S. allies.
At least three U.S. service members have died following Iranian attacks and drone-related operations in Jordan and northern Iraq.
The Israeli military released footage showing airstrikes, demolitions, and bulldozer activity at the Bint Jbeil Stadium area in southern Lebanon.
Iran’s supreme leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, denounced the United States as the “Great Satan,” suspended Tehran’s participation in a ceasefire memorandum, and threatened an intensified response as military tensions spread across the Middle East.
The IDF announced the elimination of Anas Mahmoud Ahmed Hamdan, a Hamas company commander in the Khan Yunis Brigade who oversaw the terror group's propaganda operations. According to the IDF, Hamdan played a direct role in holding Israeli hostages in Gaza and was responsible for filming and managing propaganda during hostage release ceremonies. He was also involved in the captivity of Israeli civilian Avera Mengistu before the current war.
Israeli security sources are raising new questions about the health, leadership, and influence of Iran's Supreme Leader, Mojtaba Khamenei. According to the assessments, his prolonged absence from public view, delayed responses to major developments, and silence amid growing political infighting have fueled speculation that senior Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) commanders may be exercising greater control over the regime.
Israel’s government approved a 1.075 billion shekel infrastructure plan to build access and security roads serving dozens of communities in Judea and Samaria that were approved during the war.
Iran has reportedly instructed Hezbollah and other members of its terror network to prepare for a broader regional conflict as fighting with the United States intensifies. The escalation has included American strikes on Iranian infrastructure and Iranian attacks targeting U.S.-allied countries across the Middle East.
Three men in their 20s from central Israel were arrested aboard a Lufthansa flight at Ben Gurion Airport after allegedly refusing to follow crew instructions, preventing the aircraft from departing for Frankfurt. Police say the suspects resisted arrest, assaulted officers, and one allegedly made a shocking remark wishing for another October 7 attack against police officers.
U.S. Central Command announced the completion of its seventh consecutive night of military operations against Iran, targeting surveillance systems, military logistics infrastructure, underground weapons storage facilities, and maritime capabilities. The campaign was carried out under the direction of President Donald Trump as U.S. forces continue enforcing a naval blockade against Iranian ports.
Israel's Knesset has passed a media reform law that gives the government greater authority over media regulation, despite fierce opposition criticism and immediate legal challenges. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu attended the parliamentary debate but did not participate in the final vote. Meanwhile, reports indicate Israel is preparing for the possibility of an escalation involving the United States and Iran in the coming week.
U.S. forces carried out additional strikes on Iranian military targets near the Strait of Hormuz as Tehran threatened retaliation across the Middle East. Iran has also reportedly instructed the Houthis to prepare attacks and a possible blockade at the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, raising fears of a wider conflict affecting global oil and shipping routes.
Syrian authorities announced they intercepted a truck loaded with rockets and advanced weapons that was allegedly headed to Hezbollah in Lebanon. The seizure took place near the Iraqi border as Damascus continues tightening security against weapons smuggling following the fall of the Assad regime.
Lebanese political sources say Hezbollah has prepared a military escalation plan that would shift attacks toward civilian communities in northern Israel. According to the report, the operation depends entirely on authorization from Tehran, which is reportedly using Hezbollah as leverage in its broader negotiations with the United States.
The IDF announced that two Hamas Nukhba commanders were eliminated in a precise airstrike in northern Gaza after they were identified as posing an immediate threat to Israeli forces and were involved in planning terror attacks against Israeli civilians and troops.
The IDF announced the elimination of Hussam al-Shafie, a Hamas terrorist who participated in the October 7 attack on Kibbutz Nirim and the abduction of Colonel Asaf Hamami, Staff Sergeant Tomer Ahimas, and Sergeant Kiril Brodski. Israeli forces say he also continued advancing terrorist attacks throughout the war and posed an ongoing threat to IDF troops in southern Gaza.
The IDF eliminated Mohammed Marwan Mohammed Salem, Hamas’ military security chief for the Central Jabaliya Battalion, along with three additional Hamas terrorists who had been planning attacks in recent months.
Former Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has denied reports linking him to Israel's Mossad after a New York Times investigation alleged he was recruited as a long-term intelligence asset. While Iranian officials and state-linked media insist the claims are false and have released footage showing him in public, other reports continue to claim he is under house arrest following the alleged exposure of contacts with Israel.
As tensions with Iran continue, the biggest factor may no longer be the battlefield itself. The United States faces mounting political pressure from rising gasoline prices and the approaching midterm elections, while Iran is grappling with soaring inflation, skyrocketing food costs, and persistent energy shortages. The question is no longer just who has the stronger military—but which side's domestic pressures become unbearable first.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is expected to visit Washington on July 18 to attend a memorial event for the late Senator Lindsey Graham. While Netanyahu hopes to meet President Donald Trump during the trip, Israeli officials say no meeting has been confirmed amid reported policy differences over the regional security situation and negotiations with Iran.
Fighting between the United States and Iran entered its fifth consecutive day as American forces struck military targets across Iran while Tehran pledged to keep the Strait of Hormuz closed until what it called 'U.S. aggression' comes to an end. Iran also threatened broader disruption to global energy exports as regional air defenses intercepted retaliatory missile and drone attacks.
U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) carried out a coordinated wave of precision strikes against Iranian military targets on the morning of July 15, beginning at approximately 6:00 a.m.
Israeli security forces arrested 14 suspects and seized approximately 175 kilograms of dual-use materials in a major operation targeting a suspected smuggling network that allegedly supplied terror groups in Judea and Samaria with materials used to manufacture explosive devices.
Reports claim former Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad maintained secret contacts with Israeli intelligence over several years, including meetings with Mossad Director David Barnea outside Iran. He was allegedly considered as a possible figure in a post-regime Iran and is now believed to be under the control of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) after his alleged contacts were uncovered.
A newspaper owned by Tehran's municipal authorities published an infographic identifying 13 foreign leaders as targets for "revenge" following Iran's recent conflict. The image depicts several officials in prison uniforms, while U.S. President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu are shown with gun crosshairs on their foreheads, accompanied by the message, "Revenge is inevitable."
Israel’s Knesset has reportedly scheduled a general election for October 27, setting up a decisive political battle over Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s leadership, Israel’s security strategy, judicial reform, military service, and the future of Gaza.
Israel is mourning the loss of Senator Lindsey Graham, a longtime friend of the Jewish state and one of Israel's strongest allies in the U.S. Senate.
The United States and Iran exchanged military strikes for a third consecutive night after President Donald Trump declared the ceasefire over following Iranian attacks on commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz. The Trump administration has given Tehran until Saturday to publicly guarantee safe passage through the vital waterway and halt attacks on commercial vessels or face further consequences.
According to a Kan 11 News report, Israel's political leadership has instructed the IDF to temporarily suspend sensitive military operations in southern Lebanon at the request of the United States. The move is intended to avoid widening the current confrontation involving Iran while diplomatic negotiations between Israel and Lebanon continue.
Iranian state media claims that vessels may use only routes approved by Tehran, but Iran does not control the Strait of Hormuz. U.S. forces have helped more than 800 commercial ships safely transit the international waterway since early May.
