Israel Today: Ongoing War Report - Update from 2026-06-17 at 02:02

HEADLINES
- US intercepts Iranian drones near Hormuz
- Israel refuses Lebanon withdrawal as operation continues
- Israelis deserve straight answers on Iran deal

The time is now 2:01 AM in New York, I'm Noa Levi and this is the latest Israel Today: Ongoing War Report.

In Iranian Retaliation, Iran has fired multiple drones toward commercial ships in the Strait of Hormuz since the signing of the US-Iran memorandum of understanding on Sunday, a source told The Jerusalem Post. The source added that all of the drones had been intercepted by the US military before they posed a threat to commercial or US military ships and personnel. The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps is launching the drones, a US official told NBC, and the US military continues to coordinate with shipping companies to support ships transiting the Strait of Hormuz. In a separate development, President Donald Trump claimed in posts on Truth Social that a peace deal with Iran has been completed and that the Strait would be opened to commercial traffic on Friday after the agreement is signed, with the blockade removed.

In the Conflict with Iran and its Regional Proxies, Al Jazeera and other Arab outlets quoted yesterday the remarks by minister Smotrich on Channel 14 regarding demands that Israel withdraw from Lebanon before signing the memoranda on Friday: Israel will not bow to external dictates. The operation in Lebanon will continue without concessions, and there will be no withdrawal from Lebanon before Friday or after Friday.

In US Policy Concerning Israel, an editorial argues that Israelis deserve straight answers on the US-Iran deal, not a campaign speech, saying Netanyahu’s address to the nation left Israelis without clarity on what the agreement means for them and focusing on political messaging rather than the implications of the deal. Asaf Rosenzweig quotes Pence’s deputy from former Trump days, saying he does not trust the Iranians and that the memo raises concerns of appeasement, noting the president has gained leverage in the war. A separate voice echoed that sentiment, with another Rosenzweig report noting an American official described the memo as a political document and telling CNN that people should not read too much into the memo’s wording; what matters most, the official said, are the understandings that exist, and the language was crafted to allow Iran to phrase things for its internal politics.

In Uplifting News, a new AI tool called Ask Jewish Lives lets users chat with nine Jewish historical figures, including Sigmund Freud, Albert Einstein, Emma Goldman, Baruch Spinoza, Theodor Herzl, Henrietta Szold, the Talmud sage Akiva, Louis D. Brandeis, and the prophet Elijah. Jewish Lives says the site is designed to enrich reader exploration of the Jewish experience and has created lesson plans to help educators use the feature in high school and university classrooms. The answers are drawn from the biographies behind the Yale University Press “Jewish Lives” series, with guardrails in place to prevent hallucinations, making it a useful research tool for students and readers alike.

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/middle-east/iran-news/article-899643
https://t.me/abualiexpress/124759
https://www.jpost.com/opinion/article-899623
https://t.me/newssil/204351
https://t.me/newssil/204350
https://www.jpost.com/business-and-innovation/article-899629