Israel Today: Ongoing War Report - Update from 2026-06-25 at 04:01

HEADLINES
Africa Dress Rehearsal Shaped Iran Deal Trajectory
Senate Rejects Trump War Powers Limit
Shin Bet Overhaul Removes Oct 7 Memorial

The time is now 4:01 AM in New York, I'm Noa Levi and this is the latest Israel Today: Ongoing War Report.

In Operation Lion's Roar, Former Mossad chief Yossi Cohen has revealed for the first time that Africa was the geographic area where spies from his agency carried out their dress rehearsal for the raid on Iran's secret nuclear archives in January 2018. The operation, the report notes, changed the course of history by spurring then‑President Donald Trump to pull out of the 2015 Iran nuclear deal shortly after the operation's results were revealed in spring 2018. The move is described as contributing to a sequence that many view as leading to two wars with Iran in June 2025 and early 2026, and ultimately to a new deal between a second‑term Trump and Iran signed on June 17. In the 2023 book Target Tehran, and in Cohen's 2025 The Sword of Freedom, more details are published, but one critical detail had been left out until now: where the dress rehearsal took place, a detail seen as crucial for the operation’s perceived breach capabilities.

In the Conflict with Iran and its Regional Proxies, Chief Sergeant First Class (Reserve) Basil Sweid, 32, from Peki’in, died during an operational activity in southern Lebanon when a vehicle overturned near Rab El Thalathine on Wednesday night around 10:50 p.m. An additional soldier was moderately wounded and evacuated for treatment. The military described the incident as developing and continuing to monitor the situation.

In US Policy Concerning Israel, the Senate rejected a measure aiming to limit President Donald Trump’s war powers, voting 50‑47‑1 against the proposal a day after a separate resolution calling for the removal of United States forces from Iran passed. The split reflected a shift from the prior day’s stance, with some GOP lawmakers backing the earlier measure and then diverging on the subsequent one. The dynamics included Republican senators Susan Collins and Lisa Murkowski voting in favor on the earlier effort, while Rand Paul and Bill Cassidy changed their votes on the later measure, with Paul voting present and Cassidy voting against it. President Trump had pressed Congress over limits on his negotiating authority with Iran, and the administration has stated that the United States is no longer involved in attacks on Iran since the MoU and ceasefire.

Also in US Policy Concerning Israel, President Trump clashed with GOP senators over Iran at a closed‑door luncheon on Capitol Hill. The exchange turned confrontational as several Republican lawmakers backed a measure to curb his authority to resume military action against Iran without new congressional approval. Senator Bill Cassidy acknowledged that he raised his voice in response to the president, saying the conversation had “gone swimmingly” in public remarks, while Cassidy later said he had “lost my temper” and had matched Trump’s tone.

In Israeli Domestic Politics, Zini’s Shin Bet overhaul includes the removal of the Oct. 7 memorial and the closing of the agency’s LGBTQ forum. The agency said the memorial was removed after Memorial Day to avoid partial depiction of the October 7 failure, while reports of the forum’s shutdown drew criticism over internal policy direction and priorities.

In Israeli Economy and Business, Switzerland is moving to strengthen its long‑range air defense capabilities by resuming Patriot payments and launching negotiations with Israeli, French, and South Korean manufacturers for a second system. The Swiss government says the US has shifted Patriot deliveries toward Ukraine, creating delays and cost pressures, and that the deteriorating geopolitical environment underscores the need for enhanced defense. Switzerland had contracted Patriot missiles in 2022 with delivery expected around 2026–2028, but the timeline has been stretched by at least five years as a result of the war in Ukraine.

In Uplifting News, Israel is preparing to send an aid delegation to Venezuela following twin earthquakes that struck near Caracas, with a magnitude 7.2 quake followed by a 7.5 aftershock. The Foreign Ministry said it is conducting a situation assessment and examining options for assistance, with the death toll and damage expected to rise as access to affected areas improves. The same day, Israel and other countries signaled readiness to help, and US and Israeli officials said aid delegations were being organized. Separately, Damascus-based tours of historic Jewish sites—led by American Rabbi David Saperstein—highlight renewed interest in Syrian Jewish history and diaspora ties, including visits to the Jobar and Al-Franj synagogues and the city’s Jewish cemetery, with discussions on preserving sites and documenting Jewish history in Syria. The day’s mournful note was the passing of Holocaust survivor and Yom Kippur War hero Colonel Simcha Applebaum, who died at 99. Applebaum, a deputy commander in the 188th Brigade, helped found Kibbutz Netzer Sereni and survived the Holocaust before contributing to the state’s revival. The earthquake damage prompted foreign ministries to consider an Israeli aid mission to Venezuela, even as casualty estimates rose into the thousands, underscoring the immense human toll and the international response underway.

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
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https://www.jpost.com/diaspora/article-900457
https://www.jpost.com/american-politics/article-900445
https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/article-900452
https://worldisraelnews.com/mad-as-a-hornet-trump-clashed-with-gop-senators-over-iran/
https://www.ynetnews.com/article/hkgrkiqfml
https://www.ynetnews.com/article/sk4wgsqfze
https://t.me/StandWithUsBreakingNews/8320