Israel Today: Ongoing War Report - Update from 2026-07-17 at 15:02

HEADLINES
- IRGC claims down US drone in Ramshir
- US sends refueling planes to Israel
- Hezbollah fortress revealed in southern Lebanon

The time is now 3:01 PM in New York, I'm Noa Levi and this is the latest Israel Today: Ongoing War Report.

In Iranian Retaliation, the IRGC is now claiming that they shot down a US RQ-11 small-UAS in the Ramshir area of Khuzestan Province, Iran. It’s unclear whether the aircraft was a US system, given Iraq’s known use of the platform for short-range reconnaissance and the distance from the closest alleged US military presence on Bubiyan Island, Kuwait, at the time of writing. Barring a publicly declared deployment of US forces to Southern Iraq, US forces remain sequestered far to the north in Iraqi Kurdistan.

In US Military Role, the Trump administration has told Israel it is sending dozens more refueling planes to Israel ahead of a potential expansion of military operations against Iran, with the United States preferring the refueling planes operate from Ben-Gurion Airport because it is less exposed to Iranian attacks than other regional bases. Reports note that the United States has about 30 planes currently at Ben-Gurion. The administration is weighing several options, including strikes on Iranian infrastructure such as power plants, nuclear facilities to hinder enrichment, and targets like the Pickaxe Mountain site, though no final decision has been made. Separately, US forces destroyed at least seven bridges in southern Iran around Bandar Abbas in a wave of strikes, a hub cited as a center of IRGC operations. CENTCOM described the latest action as part of ongoing operations, and it rejected Iranian claims of an attack on a US special operations center or the capture or killing of US troops at al-Tanf in Syria, noting that no US troops have recently been killed or captured. CENTCOM also said a surveillance tower along Iran’s Gulf of Oman coastline was destroyed, stating the strike degrades the IRGC’s ability to coordinate attacks on civilian mariners.

In Regional Impacts, Iraq: drones attacked an American base in the Sulaymaniyah area of the Iraqi Kurdistan region, reportedly hitting an ammunition depot.

In the Conflict with Iran and its Regional Proxies, Reuters reports that after Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia this week, Pakistan warned Iran that any attack on Saudi Arabia would be treated as an attack on Pakistan. In parallel, Kuwait, which faces daily attacks from Iran, is engaging with Pakistan on a mutual defense pact modeled on existing ties between Pakistan and Saudi Arabia, framed as military protection in exchange for energy cooperation. Separately, Inside Hezbollah’s underground fortress built to conquer northern Israel, Israeli forces found living quarters, an operating room, Iranian anti-tank missiles and anti-helicopter mines within a vast southern Lebanon complex built for prolonged combat.

In Israeli Domestic Politics, Shin Bet chief David Zini has reportedly asked the attorney general to authorize summoning Channel 12 journalists for questioning as part of an investigation into an alleged leak about the timing of this year’s opening strikes in the US-Israel war with Iran. Haaretz reports the investigation contends that thousands were privy to the operational plans, with a security source noting that as many as 4,500 people shared the secret. The report adds that Zini had previously discouraged pursuing the leak, while Channel 12 reported that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had instructed actions related to the disclosure, though details were not fully specified.

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://t.me/DefenderDome/22238
https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/article-902850
https://t.me/DefenderDome/22237
https://www.jpost.com/middle-east/iran-news/article-902845
https://t.me/abualiexpress/126728
https://t.me/abualiexpress/126732
https://t.me/abualiexpress/126726
https://www.ynetnews.com/magazine/article/skitbyuefe
https://www.timesofisrael.com/shin-bet-chief-reportedly-seeks-okay-to-question-channel-12-journalists-over-iran-leak/