News 0404 IL
- RoutineIL17:57UTC14:57EST10:57
Hezbollah Drones Hit North as Israel Strikes Tyre; Smotrich Calls for West Bank Annexation (May 15, 1457 UTC, 1757 Israel) (Evening Edition)
Hezbollah launched explosive drones at northern Israel and rockets at IDF troops in southern Lebanon, while the IDF struck Hezbollah infrastructure in Tyre and destroyed a rocket launcher used in an overnight barrage on Kiryat Shmona. Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich called for the full annexation of the West Bank and the elimination of the Area A/B/C division. Iran’s foreign minister expressed distrust of the US at a BRICS meeting in India, and the UAE announced the acceleration of a second oil pipeline to bypass the Strait of Hormuz by 2027.
- PriorityIL19:01UTC16:01EST12:01
Israeli Strikes Kill 12 in Lebanon as Trump Arrives in Beijing for Summit with Xi (May 13, 1601 UTC, 1901 Israel) (Evening Edition)
Israeli airstrikes on vehicles in southern Lebanon killed at least 12 people, including a woman and her two children, according to Lebanon’s Health Ministry. The IDF said it struck Hezbollah weapons depots, rocket launchers, and infrastructure. Hezbollah claimed an ambush and a loitering-glider hit on an Israeli tank. UNIFIL accused Hezbollah of drone attacks that damaged its headquarters. President Trump arrived in Beijing for a two-day summit with Xi Jinping, with Iran, trade, and Taiwan on the agenda. Iran warned it will block US weapons transiting the Strait of Hormuz. Reports revealed that Mossad and Shin Bet chiefs secretly visited the UAE during the Iran war to coordinate.
- RoutineIL18:58UTC15:58EST11:58
Trump Closer to Resuming Iran War as IDF Raids Beyond Litani and Kuwait Foils IRGC Infiltration (May 12, 1558 UTC, 1858 Israel) (Evening Edition)
US President Donald Trump is seriously considering resuming major combat operations against Iran, frustrated by stalled negotiations and Tehran’s continued uranium enrichment. In Lebanon, the IDF completed a weeklong raid north of the Litani River, while Hezbollah launched multiple drone and glider attacks on Israeli forces. Kuwait announced it had stopped an armed IRGC team from infiltrating Bubiyan Island. The Knesset passed a law establishing a special tribunal with death penalty powers for October 7 detainees. Israel confirmed it sent Iron Dome batteries to the UAE.
- PriorityIL09:09UTC06:09EST02:09
Trump ‘Seriously Considering’ Resuming Iran Combat as UAE’s Secret Strikes Revealed (May 12, 0609 UTC, 0909 Israel) (Morning Edition)
US President Donald Trump is seriously considering resuming combat operations against Iran after rejecting Tehran’s latest ceasefire proposal as “unacceptable,” while reports reveal the UAE secretly struck an Iranian oil refinery during the war. In Lebanon, an Israeli airstrike killed six civilians in Kafr Dounine, and Hezbollah claimed a guided-missile hit on an IDF Merkava tank. The Knesset passed a law establishing a special tribunal and allowing the death penalty for October 7 perpetrators, and EU foreign ministers approved sanctions on violent Israeli settlers and Hamas leaders after Hungary lifted its veto.
- PriorityIL09:22UTC06:22EST02:22
Trump Rejects Iran Ceasefire Response as ‘Unacceptable’; IDF Reservist Killed in Hezbollah Drone Strike (May 11, 0622 UTC, 0922 Israel) (Morning Edition)
US President Donald Trump rejected Iran’s latest ceasefire response as ‘totally unacceptable,’ while an IDF reservist was killed by a Hezbollah explosive drone near the Lebanon border. Prime Minister Netanyahu said the war with Iran is ‘not over’ until enriched uranium is removed, and the UK and France are hosting a multinational defense ministers’ meeting on securing the Strait of Hormuz.
- PriorityIL18:26UTC15:26EST11:26
IDF Strikes Over 85 Hezbollah Sites, 12 Reported Killed; Hezbollah Drones Wound 3 Troops (May 9, 1526 UTC, 1826 Israel) (Evening Edition)
The IDF struck over 85 Hezbollah targets in southern Lebanon, killing at least 12, while Hezbollah explosive drones wounded three Israeli reservists near the border. Bahrain arrested 41 people over alleged IRGC links, and Iran demanded IRGC-linked officials be allowed to attend the World Cup. The US and Iran remain locked in a Hormuz standoff, with Russia reportedly sending drone parts to Iran via the Caspian Sea.
- PriorityIL20:42UTC17:42EST13:42
Trump Pauses Hormuz Escort as Iran Talks Advance; Hezbollah Drones Wound 3 IDF Soldiers
President Trump suspended Project Freedom naval escorts in the Strait of Hormuz on Wednesday, citing “great progress” toward a US-Iran agreement, while Hezbollah explosive drones wounded three Israeli soldiers in southern Lebanon and the IDF struck 25 Hezbollah targets. A Washington Post satellite analysis revealed Iranian strikes have damaged or destroyed at least 228 US military assets across 15 Middle East bases, far exceeding official US acknowledgments. A joint World Bank-UN-EU report priced Gaza reconstruction at $71 billion.
- PriorityIL20:37UTC17:37EST13:37
Iran Strikes UAE with Missiles and Drones as US Escorts Ships Through Hormuz
Iran launched cruise missiles and drones at the United Arab Emirates on Monday, striking a petroleum facility in Fujairah and triggering air defense alerts in Dubai, in a major ceasefire violation. The US said two American-flagged merchant vessels transited the Strait of Hormuz under Navy escort as part of 'Project Freedom,' while Iran claimed it fired warning shots at US destroyers and hit a warship with missiles, a claim CENTCOM denied. Israel elevated its military alertness to the maximum level and convened its expanded security cabinet for Wednesday.
- RoutineIL20:26UTC17:26EST13:26
Hezbollah Rockets Avivim as Israel Doubles Fighter Jet Fleet and Trump Reviews Iran Peace Plan
Hezbollah rockets targeted Avivim in northern Israel on Sunday, with no casualties reported, as the IDF continued operations in southern Lebanon, killing two Hezbollah gunmen and seizing weapons caches. Israel approved the purchase of two additional squadrons of F-35I and F-15IA fighter jets, doubling fleet sizes. President Trump reviewed Iran's 14-point peace proposal but expressed skepticism, while the US announced the withdrawal of 5,000 troops from Germany amid a deepening rift with Europe over the Iran war. A cargo ship was attacked near the Strait of Hormuz, and Iran's Foreign Minister discussed ending the war with his German counterpart.
- RoutineIL09:06UTC06:06EST02:06
Trump Skeptical of Iran Peace Proposal as Israel Strikes Southern Lebanon
President Trump expressed doubt that Iran's 14-point peace proposal is acceptable, warning strikes could resume, while Israeli airstrikes killed at least 13 in southern Lebanon and the IDF issued evacuation orders for 11 towns. The US fast-tracked $8.6 billion in arms sales to Middle East allies, and Spain demanded the release of a Spanish activist detained from a Gaza aid flotilla.
- PriorityIL10:52UTC07:52EST03:52
Israel Braces for Iran Fighting to Resume as Trump Briefed on Military Options
Israel is preparing for a potential resumption of hostilities with Iran, as CENTCOM commander Adm. Brad Cooper and Joint Chiefs Chairman Gen. Dan Cain briefed President Trump on new operational strike plans. The briefing came hours before the War Powers Resolution deadline, with the administration claiming hostilities have 'terminated' amid the ceasefire. Meanwhile, Iran is reportedly digging out buried missiles and weapons in anticipation of a truce collapse, and Hezbollah continues to amass explosive drones, posing a persistent threat to Israeli forces in southern Lebanon.
- PriorityIL15:29UTC12:29EST08:29
CENTCOM Readies Strike Options as Hezbollah Drone Wounds 12 IDF Soldiers
CENTCOM chief Adm. Brad Cooper is set to brief President Trump on new military options against Iran, including 'short and powerful' strikes and seizing parts of the Strait of Hormuz, as Hezbollah wounded 12 IDF soldiers in a drone attack on northern Israel. Iran's supreme leader declared a 'new chapter' for the Strait of Hormuz, while the IAEA said Iran's highly enriched uranium likely remains buried at Isfahan. The IDF issued evacuation threats to nine southern Lebanon towns and killed five Hezbollah operatives in airstrikes.