Israel Today: Ongoing War Report - Update from 2026-07-13 at 12:02

HEADLINES
Mossad planned to replace Khamenei with Ahmadinejad
Centcom tests first one-way sea drones
Iceland opens its first Jewish cultural center

The time is now 12:01 PM in New York, I'm Noa Levi and this is the latest Israel Today: Ongoing War Report.

In Direct Israel-Iran Clashes, information, including from The Jerusalem Post’s Western sources and confirmation by former head of Military Intelligence Tamir Hayman, indicates that Mossad sought to replace former supreme leader Ali Khamenei with Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. The New York Times had earlier speculative reports on the idea, which Hayman later confirmed to PBS, creating space for the Post to receive confirmation, though Israeli journalists often cannot publish all they know. Hayman told PBS that there was a sequence of special operations, very, very unique, that was supposed to happen, and Ahmadinejad was a part of that sequence. The rest of the operations were not fully disclosed to the public, except for the Kurdish invasion. When asked why the plan failed, Hayman said the centerpiece of the sequence should have been set off with the Kurdish invasion, and that Erdogan, who viewed the Kurds as a strategic threat to Turkey, reportedly convinced Trump that it was a bad idea to pursue it.

In US Military Role, Iran war gives US opportunity to test new combat systems on modern battlefield. CENTCOM said it used “one-way attack sea drones for the first time” in a new round of strikes against Iranian targets, part of the past week’s increased strikes after Iran attacked several oil tankers on July 6-7. The exact drone type was not disclosed, but the move highlights how new marine drone technology is entering the battlefield. The campaign has settled into a pattern of夜 strikes with Iranian responses, with Qatar seeking to help de-escalate. This follows a ceasefire in April and a Memorandum of Understanding in June. The broader point is that the United States is deploying new capabilities, including at sea, to confront the Iranian threat.

In Regional Impacts, Al-Sharaa dismantles Assad’s 'shadow empire' in Syria, but Captagon networks survive. Syria’s new government is turning its campaign against the Assad-era Captagon trade into a public test of statehood, launching official anti-drug channels, tip lines and emotional videos as it tries to reassure neighboring countries still battling cross-border smuggling, but Captagon networks persist.

In Israeli Domestic Politics, IDF chief Zamir clashes with Netanyahu, Katz over bill exempting haredi draft dodgers from arrests. Zamir warned in a sharply worded letter that implementing such a law would harm recruitment and create serious security risks for the IDF, delegitimize the idea of the IDF as the nation’s army, and force the military to decide which yeshiva students deserve exemptions, potentially inflaming anger within the ranks and undermining readiness. Separately, the High Court of Justice questioned whether there is a need to continue hearing a petition challenging tax benefits for donations to yeshivot attended by draft-eligible students who have not regularized their military status, after the state accepted the petitioners’ central legal argument and began implementing it. The petition, filed by Israel Hofsheet, argues the tax benefits amount to indirect public funding and should not continue; a decision on whether to proceed will be issued later. The case centers on Section 46 of the Income Tax Ordinance, which allows donors to claim tax credits on contributions to recognized public institutions, with the court noting a June 2024 ruling that the state lacked authority to fund yeshivas for students required to enlist.

In Antisemitism and Anti-Jewish Hate, 'Talk about the good I'm doing': Clavicular leaves interview after asked about antisemitic incident. Braden Eric Peters, known online as Clavicular, left Channel 13’s Bar Shem-Ur interview midway after being pressed about recent antisemitic incidents, including being kicked out of a club in January alongside white supremacist Nick Fuentes for singing Ye’s “Heil Hitler.” He told the interviewer that people are talking about the good he is doing, and that starting with a negative frame doesn’t make sense, adding that he and his team came to Tel Aviv to show it’s a fun city and to address misconceptions about Israel.

In Uplifting News, Chabad couple turns a small dream into Iceland's historic first Jewish cultural center - interview. When Rabbi Avraham Feldman and his wife Mushky Feldman first visited Iceland in 2017 and 2018, there was no established Jewish community. They found a diverse, welcoming environment and focused on connecting with people personally to understand what was missing. The couple says the community grew from roughly 50-100 known Jewish locals to a visible presence, and their work helped establish Iceland’s historic first Jewish cultural center, providing a Jewish home for locals and visitors 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-902387
https://www.jpost.com/defense-and-tech/article-902383
https://www.ynetnews.com/article/h1wtuozezl
https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/article-902382
https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/article-902376
https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/article-902355
https://www.jpost.com/diaspora/article-902384