Israel Today: Ongoing War Report - Update from 2026-06-30 at 07:02

HEADLINES
- IRGC Deputy Dies in Kerman Crash
- Israel Deploys Magos Drone-Detection Radars Lebanon Border
- Unknown Drone Over Germany's Arrow 3 Battery

The time is now 7:01 AM in New York, I'm Noa Levi and this is the latest Israel Today: Ongoing War Report.

In Regional Impacts, the political deputy of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Navy, Mohammad Akbarzadeh, was killed when his car overturned in Kerman Province in southeastern Iran. Police and emergency teams arrived at the scene, and he was evacuated to a medical center where he died of his injuries. Authorities have launched an investigation into the accident. Akbarzadeh had earlier been sanctioned by the European Union for supporting measures that restrict freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz, a sanction tied to broader tensions in the region. On the same day, the IRGC said four of its members were killed and several others wounded in what it described as terrorist shootings in western Iran.

Separately, Kurdish rebels have been clashing with Iranian security forces along the western and northwestern border. Shafaq News reported four Iranian security personnel killed and several injured in two separate armed attacks on Tuesday. Tasnim, close to the IRGC, cited two IRGC members killed and two others injured in an armed attack in Paveh, while another incident in Baneh left two police officers dead and three others injured, including a three-year-old girl. Officials described Paveh as a flashpoint, with fighting also affecting Marivan and Mahabad.

In the Conflict with Iran and its Regional Proxies, Israel will deploy hundreds of Magos Systems drone-detection radars along the Lebanon border to improve detection and identification of Hezbollah’s drone activity, including fiber-optic drones. The roughly 21 million shekel deal will equip ground forces with early warning capabilities and follows a new Magos solution developed over the past two years. The system has undergone rigorous testing with customers around the world and demonstrated strong performance against drone threats.

A mysterious drone was spotted over Germany’s Arrow 3 missile-defense battery at Holzdorf Air Base on December 1, 2025. The drone was not intercepted, and operator identity remains unknown. German officials have floated Russia as aPossible suspect in a bid to gather intelligence on the Arrow 3 system Germany purchased from Israel Aerospace Industries in two deals worth about $6.5 billion. Germany is pursuing laser-based defenses and plans a 60-kilowatt laser demonstrator to defend mobile facilities against drone swarms, a path that could create opportunities for Rafael Advanced Defense Systems and Elbit Systems if laser defenses prove cost-effective. The episode underscores the growing emphasis on laser-based defense technologies in Europe.

Anduril Industries is expanding its presence in Israel, with a delegation led by CEO Brian Schimpf visiting this week to discuss potential sales to Israel’s Ministry of Defense, especially in command and control systems. Israeli officials say the company seeks large orders and would hire locally, with MAFT coordinating discussions. A permanent Israeli representative is expected to manage ongoing engagement with the Israeli MOD.

In Antisemitism and Anti-Jewish Hate, Israeli Ambassador to the United Nations Danny Danon addressed the UN Security Council with images of UNRWA staff and journalists killed by Israel who were later revealed to have been terrorists, challenging critics of Israel. He posed the question, “Terrorist or journalist? UNRWA employee or Nukhba commander?” Danon charged that the United Nations condemns Israel based on Hamas propaganda and urged closer scrutiny of Hamas, Hezbollah, and Iran. The Committee to Protect Journalists is conducting a full review of its database of journalists killed during the Israel-Hamas War amid obituaries identifying certain individuals as journalists who were in fact combatants.

In Uplifting News, a landmark program has seen a cohort of students with Down syndrome, cerebral palsy, and autism graduate from Herzog Academic College as paid teaching assistants. The program, run in partnership with the Shekel Association and Israel’s Ministry of Welfare, trains participants to work as teaching assistants in preschools and schools. The graduates studied at Herzog College’s Migdal Oz campus alongside students training to become early childhood and special education teachers. The program is one of only two in Israel offering this type of vocational training on an active academic campus, placing participants in mainstream higher education and paving the way for paid work next year while continuing to receive support.

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-900931
https://www.jpost.com/middle-east/article-900920
https://www.jpost.com/middle-east/iran-news/article-900918
https://www.jpost.com/defense-and-tech/article-900916
https://www.jpost.com/diaspora/antisemitism/article-900923
https://www.jpost.com/defense-and-tech/article-900935
https://www.jpost.com/defense-and-tech/article-900917
https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/article-900929