Israel Today: Ongoing War Report - Update from 2026-05-11 at 21:02

HEADLINES
Trump Reignites Iran War Drive After Talks
UAE Quietly Backed Strikes on Iran Assets
US Sanctions Target Iran Oil to China

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 US Military Role, President Donald Trump is increasingly leaning to renew military action against Iran following growing frustration inside the White House over stalled negotiations with Tehran, according to Israeli media Ch. 12 reports Monday night citing senior US officials. The reports said Trump had initially hoped to secure a diplomatic agreement but became disappointed after Iran allegedly rejected key American demands conveyed through mediators. A senior US official quoted in the report said “everyone understands where this is heading,” while another reportedly suggested the military option had returned to the forefront after what officials described as a breakdown in confidence between the two sides.

In Regional Impacts, The United Arab Emirates was behind some of the recent strikes against Iranian assets, such as the attacks on Lavan Island's refinery at the beginning of April, The Wall Street Journal reported on Sunday. According to the report, the UAE carried out the strikes secretly as a response to Iran targeting Emirati civilian and energy infrastructures. Iran later sent another barrage of drones and missiles against both the UAE and Kuwait in response to this attack, even if there was no official confirmation of who was behind it at that time. The Emirati government didn't publicly confirm its participation in the strikes against Iran, which were done before the current ceasefire started. The United States silently welcomed the UAE's initiative to participate in the strikes, according to the WSJ, with officials telling the newspaper that the Trump administration expected more active participation from the Gulf nations during the war. The UAE was among the countries hardest hit by the recent war between Israel, the US, and Iran, both economically due to the closure of airspace and the Strait of Hormuz, and physically, as many Iranian attacks targeted its infrastructure.

In US Policy Concerning Israel, the US government on Monday announced sanctions against three people and nine companies, including four based in Hong Kong and four in the United Arab Emirates, for aiding Iran's shipment of oil to China. The ninth company is based in Oman. The US Treasury move follows sanctions announced on Friday on individuals and companies aiding Iranian purchases of weapons and components used to make drones and ballistic missiles. It comes days before US President Donald Trump's planned meeting with Xi Jinping, where he is expected to press the Chinese leader to help resolve the standoff with Iran and reopen the critical Strait of Hormuz. Treasury said the new designations by the Office of Foreign Assets Control targeted individuals and entities that helped Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps sell and ship its allotment of Iranian oil to China through a series of front companies. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said the Trump administration would keep using sanctions to deprive the Iranian government and military of funding for weapons, its nuclear program, or support for proxies in the region. “Treasury will continue to cut the Iranian regime off from the financial networks.” The move comes as CNN notes Trump is seriously considering renewed war as frustration with Iran grows, with reports pointing to impatience over Iran’s continued closure of the Strait of Hormuz and divisions within Iran’s leadership hindering progress in nuclear talks. The State Department also announced a reward of up to $15 million for information that disrupts the financial operations of the IRGC.

In Israeli Domestic Politics, Rabbi Avraham Yosef, the son of former Sephardic Chief Rabbi Ovadia Yosef, condemned a growing haircut trend in Israel in which men shave off their sidelocks, or peyot, saying the practice violates Jewish law. Speaking on Kol Chai radio Sunday, Rabbi Yosef said the trend had become increasingly common among Israeli barbers and customers. “I look to the right and to the left at all the barbers of various kinds — and my heart aches,” he said. Rabbi Yosef said the responsibility does not fall solely on barbers, arguing that those requesting the haircuts also bear responsibility.

In Antisemitism and Anti-Jewish Hate, NYC anti-Israel activists protest at synagogue against Israel real estate event, New York City anti-Israel groups held a protest at a synagogue over its hosting of an Israeli real estate event on Monday, following a protest against an event organized by the same organization at the Park East Synagogue on Tuesday. Keffiyeh-clad demonstrators gathered across from the Young Israel of Midwood on Monday evening at the behest of PAL-Awda NY/NJ, waving Palestinian and Hezbollah flags. The group sought to disrupt an exposition of the Great Israeli Real Estate event being held at the Flatbush house of worship. "Brick by brick, wall by wall, Zionism will fall," masked activists chanted during the protest, according to videos posted by demonstrators. One sign called to "Abolish Israel," as there would be "no peace on stolen land." PAL-Awda's main banner featured the red inverted triangle popularized in Hamas propaganda to denote the targeting of an enemy. New York Police Department officers separated protesters and counter-protesters, with a cordon erected to prevent a march directly on the synagogue. In the United Kingdom, Dylan Ossei, a 34-year-old Hornchurch resident, was convicted of religiously aggravated assault, religiously aggravated fear of violence, and religiously aggravated harassment when he appeared in court after pleading guilty to assaulting a man while asking if he was Jewish on Saturday. Ossei had allegedly harassed, threatened, and assaulted a 53-year-old woman, a 58-year-old man, and a 26-year-old man in Enfield, with injuries not requiring medical treatment. The Metropolitan Police noted the incidents and the CPS London North chief prosecutor Lisa Ramsarran said hate crimes like this cause harm that extends beyond the immediate victims, signaling the broader impact on communities.

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/JewishNews24/54215
https://www.jpost.com/middle-east/iran-news/article-895845
https://www.jpost.com/middle-east/iran-news/article-895849
https://www.ynetnews.com/article/sjiiuge1gg
https://www.ynetnews.com/article/hka11rlejgl
https://t.me/JewishNews24/54214
https://www.jpost.com/diaspora/antisemitism/article-895848
https://www.jpost.com/diaspora/antisemitism/article-895847