HEADLINES
Iran halts talks; threatens Hormuz, Bab el-Mandeb
Hezbollah drone explodes; IDF kills commander
Mossad chief pick approved by High Court

The time is now 12:01 PM in New York, I'm Noa Levi and this is the latest Israel Today: Ongoing War Report.

In Iranian Retaliation, Iran has halted talks with the United States over Israel's military activity in Lebanon, according to Tasnim News Agency, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps affiliated outlet. Iran also threatened to block the Strait of Hormuz completely, as well as the Bab el-Mandeb Strait at the southern entrance to the Red Sea, saying there would be no talks until its demands on stopping Israel's operations in Gaza and Lebanon are met. The straits border Yemen and have previously seen sieges and attacks by the Iran-backed Houthis. Iranian officials and negotiators emphasized the immediate cessation of the Zionist regime's aggressive operations in Gaza and Lebanon and the regime's complete withdrawal from Lebanon, with no talks until Iran and the resistance's views on this matter are met.

In the Conflict with Iran and its Regional Proxies, a Hezbollah drone exploded at an IDF site near Rosh Hanikra, with the IDF saying the impact of an explosive drone had been identified in the area near the Israel-Lebanon border. No injuries were reported, and the situation remains developing. Separately, in what the Israeli military described as parallel northern tensions, the IDF said it killed a commander of Hezbollah's missile-artillery unit in an airstrike coordinated by the Golani Brigade in the Nabatieh region; the officer had long led the unit and oversaw hundreds of rocket and unmanned aerial vehicle launches toward Israeli civilians and IDF forces, including near the Bufor area. The report also notes Iran told the United States that if Israel attacks Dahia, the entire Middle East would be on the brink of explosion.

In Israeli Domestic Politics, ultra-Orthodox protesters disrupted traffic across Israel on Monday, blocking major routes including Highway 4, Highway 1, and the Chords Bridge in Jerusalem, and they blocked train tracks near Ben-Gurion Airport. The protests, aimed at denouncing attempts to draft Haredim and increasing enforcement against draft dodgers, included rioting outside the home of the National Traffic Police commander, with police dispersing protesters using flash grenades; two demonstrators were arrested as traffic was redirected to keep routes open, and a soldier on a bus in Jerusalem was attacked and rescued by officers. In a separate development, the High Court approved the appointment of Major-General Roman Gofman as Mossad chief, clearing the way for him to take over from David Barnea the following day after petitions challenging his appointment were rejected by a majority. Justices Ofer Grosskopf and Alex Stein formed the majority, while Justice Dafna Barak-Erez dissented, saying significant questions remained. The court noted that, based on the materials before it, including classified information, Gofman’s past did not disqualify him from serving as Mossad chief. In another domestic remark, Avigdor Liberman accused draft resisters of blocking and assaulting, saying on X that they “have all the data to be fighters” as protests and near-capacity disruptions continued to ripple through the country.

In Israeli Economy and Business, France has barred Israel’s official participation in the EUROSATORY defense exhibition in Paris, preventing the Israeli government from attending or opening a national pavilion. Israeli defense industries will be restricted to displaying air defense products only, with offensive systems explicitly excluded. The policy is described by the Israeli Defense Ministry as discriminatory and selective relative to other participants, and the ministry decried the decision as a politically and commercially motivated move. Despite the ban on the government and offensive weapons, many Israeli companies are expected to operate private desks to present defensive products.

In Uplifting News, the Leviev Foundation announced a new educational initiative of fifty million dollars to be invested over five years in scholarships and educational grants for Jewish children from underserved and immigrant communities. Chagit Leviev Sofiev unveiled the program at the Jerusalem Post New York Conference Opening Gala, stressing that Jewish identity should never be a luxury. The foundation has a long history of supporting Jewish education, mentorship, and community partnerships to strengthen identity and opportunity for young people.

Thank you for tuning in to this Israel Today: Ongoing War Report update.
I'm Noa Levi. Stay safe and informed.
Keep in mind that this AI-generated report may contain occasional inaccuracies, so consult multiple sources for a comprehensive view. Find the code and more details in the podcast description.

SOURCES
https://www.jpost.com/middle-east/iran-news/article-898007
https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/defense-news/article-898018
https://www.maariv.co.il/breaking-news/article-1328119
https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/article-898013
https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/article-898006
https://www.maariv.co.il/breaking-news/article-1328118
https://www.jpost.com/middle-east/article-898015
https://www.jpost.com/diaspora/article-898017