Israel Today: Ongoing War Report - Update from 2026-07-18 at 21:01

HEADLINES
- Iranian strike kills two at Jordan base
- Eighth straight US strike on Iran escalates
- 2600-year Ashurbanipal stele unearthed in Nineveh

The time is now 9:01 PM in New York, I'm Noa Levi and this is the latest Israel Today: Ongoing War Report.

In Iranian Retaliation, new reporting indicates multiple US manned and unmanned aircraft were damaged in Iran's attack on Muwaffaq Salti Air Base in Jordan, which killed two US service members and wounded several others. Hundreds of US personnel and dozens of aircraft have been temporarily stationed at the base for strikes on Iran, underscoring an increasing focus on US air assets as the conflict escalates.

In US Military Role, the United States launched a new wave of strikes against Iran on Saturday night, marking the eighth consecutive night of attacks. The strikes are designed to further degrade Iran’s ability to threaten commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz and swiftly punish Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps forces who launched attacks against American service members in Jordan last night. Iranian media reported a strike near the city of Hajiabad. Earlier, CENTCOM said two US service members were killed in Jordan, another missing in action, and four were injured during Iranian strikes on Friday in Jordan; the four injured were evacuated to Jordanian hospitals and have since been discharged, while others evaluated for minor injuries returned to duty. CENTCOM withheld the identities of those killed until 24 hours after next of kin were identified. The strikes began at 6 p.m. ET, at President Donald Trump's direction. Mehr news agency cited reports of a US attack near Sirik in southern Iran, saying no casualties or damage were reported. The broader context includes the collapse of an interim ceasefire deal signed a month ago, raising the possibility of a return to broader conflict.

In Israeli Domestic Politics, critics across the political spectrum are using Israel as a focal point in domestic debate. One item notes Ro Khanna, a Democratic congressman, and media figure Tucker Carlson have both engaged in Israel-focused critique, with Khanna’s visit to Judea and Samaria without prior IDF coordination leading to detentions by area residents and sparking a confrontation with the IDF. The other item reports on the Nascent Sanhedrin urging Israeli authorities to recognize Orthodox converts from Latin America and reopen aliyah channels long blocked by a 1927 takanah enacted by the Syrian Jewish community in Buenos Aires and later adopted by other communities; the decree barred converts from joining established Jewish communities to prevent intermarriage concerns, and the Sanhedrin argues for reconsideration of that policy.

In Uplifting News, archaeologists have uncovered a rare 2,600-year-old stele from the reign of the Assyrian king Ashurbanipal at the Bab Shamash site in Iraq’s Nineveh province. The fragment, standing about two meters tall and 1.55 meters wide, features a large high-relief of Ashurbanipal on the front, with two smaller reliefs and cuneiform inscriptions on the back detailing the king's architectural works across Nineveh and the wider empire. It was unearthed by a joint Iraqi-American archaeological mission and has been moved to the Nineveh Antiquities Inspectorate headquarters for initial restoration before deeper study. The stele’s discovery echoes the era of Ashurbanipal, renowned for the Library of Ashurbanipal, a vast collection of texts that stood as a major repository until the Library of Alexandria.

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/22279
https://www.jpost.com/middle-east/iran-news/article-902889
https://www.al-monitor.com/originals/2026/07/us-renews-strikes-iran-after-two-military-personnel-killed-iranian-attack
https://t.me/DefenderDome/22278
https://www.jpost.com/opinion/article-902491
https://www.jpost.com/aliyah/article-902708
https://www.jpost.com/archaeology/article-902841