Israel Today: Ongoing War Report - Update from 2026-05-09 at 18:02

HEADLINES
Israel covert Iraqi base fuels looming strike
Iran vows retaliation on US bases
Satellite images show four Iranian tankers damaged

The time is now 6:01 PM in New York, I'm Noa Levi and this is the latest Israel Today: Ongoing War Report.

In Operation Lion's Roar, Israel built a secret military base in a remote part of the Iraqi desert to support an airstrike in the war against Iran, according to a Wall Street Journal report. The outpost housed Air Force special forces and served as a logistics facility, with IDF troops stationed there in case pilots were shot down over enemy territory. The report says the base was erected shortly before Operation Roaring Lion began in February, and that authorities nearly triggered strikes against Iraqi troops who had almost uncovered the site. A local shepherd on March 4 spotted unusual activity, including helicopter flights, and alerted Iraqi security forces. Baghdad condemned the incident and filed a complaint with the United Nations, while a US source told WSJ that American forces were not involved. A related account describes the covert base as deep in Iraq’s western desert that remained hidden until early March, intended to support Israeli special forces, intelligence collection and combat search-and-rescue teams operating more than 1,000 miles from Israel. As Iraqi troops moved toward the area near Nukhayb in Anbar province, Israeli aircraft struck the approaching unit, killing one Iraqi soldier and wounding two others to prevent exposure. Iraq later lodged complaints at the United Nations over sovereignty violations, and Washington denied involvement. Israeli Air Force commander Major General Tomer Bar wrote in a March letter that IAF special units were carrying out “extraordinary missions” capable of “igniting the imagination,” remarks widely interpreted as a nod to covert operations linked to the Iran war.

In Iranian Retaliation, the Revolutionary Guards announced in an official statement that from now on, for any attack on Iranian oil tankers, they will respond with an attack on American military bases.

In US Military Role, a series of developments surrounding American actions were reported. President Trump posted AI-generated images in a series of tweets purporting to show Iranian assets being destroyed or attacked by the US military. In Iraq, there were reports of a large number of American aircraft over the skies of Baghdad—the most extensive surge since the ceasefire began. Satellite imagery also surfaced showing four Iranian oil tankers damaged and sidelined by the United States in the Gulf of Jask in southern Iran, near the area of the US blockade, with some tanks leaking oil into the sea; another tanker about 7 kilometers offshore from its berth was also leaking.

In Regional Impacts, public sentiment in the Gaza Strip is shifting, with a majority of Gazans reportedly backing disarmament and viewing it as a path out of long-running turmoil and violence. The push toward disarmament is described as gaining traction as residents weigh the prospect of ending the war and beginning reconstruction of the Gaza Strip. On the ground, surveys cited by KAN indicate a notable decline in support for violent acts as a means to advance civilian interests, and growing momentum toward replacing Hamas with civilian leadership. Hamas has repeatedly refused to disarm in line with the October 2025 ceasefire, complicating any progress in the Gaza region, though reports indicate negotiations between Hamas and the Gaza Board are continuing.

In US Policy Concerning Israel, Washington is said to be still awaiting Iran’s response.

In Antisemitism and Anti-Jewish Hate, several cases were reported. Nick Daly, a 30-year-old man from Oxted, was charged with nine counts of offensive messages, eight directed at a Muslim organization and one antisemitic message to the Israeli embassy, along with a count of threatening death or harm for messages to a member of Parliament’s office. He faced additional charges after police found a weapon and cannabis at his residence. Separately, Wayne Kelly, 65, pleaded guilty to racially aggravated common assault, two counts of racially aggravated intentional harassment alarm, and two counts of racially aggravated harassment after driving by a group of Jewish men and threatening violence on a Wednesday evening near a synagogue. In another case, James Agius, 50, was charged with religiously aggravated harassment and using threatening words for abuse directed at Orthodox Jews on a London bus in Stamford Hill, with authorities treating the incident as a hate crime. Finally, the ninth arrest in a wave of attacks targeting Jewish, Israeli and Iranian dissident sites was announced in connection with the Golders Green Hatzalah ambulances arson; a 48-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of conspiracy to commit arson, bringing the total number of arrests to 31, with eight charged and one convicted in related cases stemming from the March 23 attack on four Jewish emergency service ambulances.

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/israel-news/article-895621
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https://www.jpost.com/middle-east/article-895619
https://t.me/newssil/201261
https://www.jpost.com/diaspora/antisemitism/article-895626
https://www.jpost.com/diaspora/antisemitism/article-895625
https://www.jpost.com/diaspora/antisemitism/article-895624
https://www.jpost.com/diaspora/antisemitism/article-895623