Israel Today: Ongoing War Report - Update from 2026-06-18 at 09:01

HEADLINES
Khomeini Hails Victory as Iran Cracks Down
Amnesty Warns Iran Drones Are War Crimes
Israel Braces Under Washington Pressure on Ops

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

In Iranian Retaliation, Hassan Khomeini, grandson of Ruhollah Mostafavi Musavi Khomeini, hailed the Memorandum of Understanding as a major victory for Tehran and said the greater jihad would begin, according to a speech aired by state media earlier this week. He urged that to maintain victory Iranians must stay away from pointless disputes born of ego and self-centeredness. The regime has struggled to suppress domestic dissent, most visibly during January demonstrations over worsening economic conditions. Human rights organizations say tens of thousands of protesters were killed and tens of thousands more detained, and the crackdown included a nationwide internet shutdown that blocked independent observers from documenting repression. The war with Israel and the United States has also highlighted apparent divisions within the regime’s senior leadership, with criticism from parliamentary hardliners who oppose the MoU fueling street demonstrations.

In Regional Impacts, Amnesty International warned that Iran’s drone strikes on civilian sites in Saudi Arabia and Bahrain may constitute war crimes, citing new evidence of deaths and injuries beyond restricted reporting. At least 28 people were killed and hundreds injured in these attacks, which investigators say likely involved Shahed drones traveling long distances at low altitude to evade defenses. Amnesty detailed two March attacks—one near the MT Stena Imperative oil tanker in Bahrain’s dry dock—where a worker was killed and others wounded, underscoring concerns about civilian harm amid limited access for investigators. Separately, a different analysis suggests that President Trump’s decision to pursue an Iran deal was driven by economics and fear of midterm defeat rather than ideology, with warnings that keeping the Strait of Hormuz closed could trigger a global recession. Economists and White House aides reportedly warned that continued conflict or higher fuel costs could jeopardize Republican control of Congress, shaping concessions in pursuit of a deal, even as Trump publicly emphasized preventing a nuclear Iran.

In US Policy Concerning Israel, reports indicate that following President Trump’s reversal on Iran, Israel is preparing for a period of months in which pressure from Washington to limit military operations will be applied. Prime Minister Netanyahu is said to be adopting a line of “say yes where possible, and no as much as necessary,” underscoring a cautious approach as officials stress the need to act with prudence and safeguard security. Israeli officials emphasize that enemies remain near the borders, and there is no known demand from the United States for the withdrawal of troops from southern Lebanon at this time. The current expectation is that any such withdrawal demand would come only if a full nuclear agreement with Iran is reached, a scenario Jerusalem assesses as unlikely in the near term. CNN has also reported Netanyahu aiming to influence the final terms of any agreement with Washington, reflecting the tightrope Israel walks amid shifting leverage with the United States.

In Israeli Domestic Politics, the High Court of Justice on Thursday pressed the Knesset to consider a third vote for attorney Michael Rabello’s appointment as state comptroller after the first two votes were disputed. Justices noted an undesirable cloud and potential irregularities in the voting process, including a new rule permitting filming. The court proposed a clean, proper redo and said it would wait for the Knesset’s response by Sunday. Rabello is a longtime personal attorney to Prime Minister Netanyahu, and petitions sought to cancel his election and order another vote due to alleged procedural flaws. Separately, former prime minister Naftali Bennett announced an AI advisory committee aimed at shaping a long-term national policy on artificial intelligence to bolster Israel’s tech edge and position the country as a global and regional leader in AI. The committee will develop policy recommendations in innovation, education, regulation, and security and assess opportunities and challenges AI presents for the economy, society, and national security, as Bennett’s Together Party pivots in the lead-up to elections expected no later than October 27.

In Antisemitism and Anti-Jewish Hate, Germany’s independent antisemitism monitoring network, RIAS, reported a record 8,725 antisemitic incidents in 2025, including 178 physical attacks and 257 threats, with nearly 43% of threats occurring online. The surge included far-right antisemitic activity, and incidents ranged from anti-Jewish insults outside a prayer room in Kehl to a rabbi being shoved in a supermarket in Hesse, culminating in a deadly attack at Berlin’s Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe. In the United States, an 8th-grade Jewish student in Colorado was described as being strangled with a laptop charging cord and subjected to repeated antisemitic bullying, according to a federal civil rights complaint filed by the ADL with the Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights. The complaint details incidents including a game dubbed “Jew touch tag” and other hostile actions that prompted a police response and a Juvenile Court referral for third-degree assault.

In Uplifting News, thousands of soccer fans are visiting Mexico City’s cathedral to pray to a baby Jesus dressed in a Mexican soccer kit, seeking World Cup victory. The tradition, dating back to 1970, has drawn international visitors who pose for photos and ask for a miraculous result for their teams. A new parish priest briefly banned the practice, but the cathedral ultimately displayed the baby Jesus in the El Tri shirt, with Canon Manuel Corral noting that the faithful requested the tradition. The display reflects a long-standing custom, rooted in the city’s religious and cultural landscape, as supporters hope for a favorable World Cup outcome.

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-899818
https://www.jpost.com/middle-east/iran-news/article-899842
https://www.jpost.com/middle-east/iran-news/article-899825
https://www.israelhayom.com/2026/06/18/netanyahu-braces-for-trump-pressure-on-israels-military-moves/
https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/article-899843
https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/politics-and-diplomacy/article-899832
https://www.jpost.com/diaspora/antisemitism/article-899838
https://www.jpost.com/diaspora/antisemitism/article-899834
https://www.jpost.com/omg/article-899683