Israel Today: Ongoing War Report - Update from 2026-07-21 at 18:03

HEADLINES
US escalates Iran campaign, Pickaxe Mountain looms
Saudi UAE signal unity amid Gulf tensions
Israel centrists reshape 2026 election

The time is now 6:02 PM in New York, I'm Noa Levi and this is the latest Israel Today: Ongoing War Report.

In Direct Israel-Iran Clashes, Israeli officials believe US President Donald Trump is preparing to significantly escalate the American military campaign against Iran, with a view toward targeting Iranian strategic infrastructure and senior regime officials. They say such an expanded campaign would likely prompt Tehran to retaliate directly against Israel. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu held a six-hour security consultation Monday night with several ministers and senior defense officials, briefly stepping out to speak with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio. US Central Command has entered its 11th consecutive day of strikes against Iran, with a source familiar with the operation telling The Jerusalem Post that CENTCOM has struck roughly 1,000 targets across Iran over the past 10 days. During a meeting with Lebanese President Joseph Aoun, Trump said Tehran was desperate to hold talks and warned that it had not seen anything yet, adding that the US will be hitting the Pickaxe Mountain area near Natanz.

In Iranian Retaliation, Iran warns that war could widen if the United States strikes nuclear sites, threatening US and allied interests across the region after Trump said Washington could soon strike the secretive Pickaxe Mountain complex near Natanz.

In US Military Role, Bloomberg reports that newly sworn-in British Prime Minister Andy Burnham approved the use of British bases for attacks by the United States against Iran, a move framed as defensive rather than an active war, with Starmer having led a Friday meeting on the policy toward the conflict. The report notes that Burnham’s decision follows a policy laid out by his predecessor Keir Starmer. The coverage also cites Trump’s warning that the Pickaxe Mountain nuclear site could become a target if diplomacy fails. In separate testimony, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said the United States’ war in Iran has cost about $37.5 billion so far, up roughly $8 billion since the last public estimate, with costs including certain aspects and anticipated expenses through September 30. Hegseth warned that military training would need to be curtailed without urgent funding, a point raised as midterm politics color the discussion.

In Regional Impacts, Saudi and United Arab Emirates ministers used social media to signal unity after months of tension, posting messages affirming close historical ties and “wise leadership.” The posts by Saudi Minister of Media Salman Al-Dosary and Abdulla bin Mohammed Alhamed, Chairman of the UAE National Media Authority, were issued at 7 p.m. Riyadh time and underscored that Emirati-Saudi relations reflect a shared history and a joint destiny, with calls for media to reflect those ties and avoid undermining them. The two Gulf powers have seen diverging interests on oil quotas and geopolitics in recent years, including opposing sides in the war in Yemen.

In US Policy Concerning Israel, a commentary argues that Israeli officials should stop demonizing JD Vance, saying doing so only confirms warnings about growing isolation as Washington shifts away from automatic sympathy for Israel. The piece reflects on a broader realignment in US-Israel dynamics and notes how public debates and media portrayal, including demonstrations and commentary, shape that relationship.

In Israeli Domestic Politics, the main electoral battle is shaping up to be for centrist voters, with far-right and left camps already solidified. The Jewish People Policy Institute’s Israeli Society Index found that 53% of Israelis are completely certain whom they will vote for, 29% are fairly certain, 14% are undecided, and 4% plan not to vote. Certainty is highest at the extremes: 71% on the Left and 58% on the Right, while centrists show more fluidity (44% completely certain and 22% undecided). About 66% of Jewish respondents identify with the Right. President Isaac Herzog said Shin Bet warned him of internal and external threats to Israel’s 2026 elections and urged thoughtful, responsible behavior online and offline, calling on authorities to act firmly against threats and stressing that elections are not a civil war.

In Antisemitism and Anti-Jewish Hate, On This Day commemorates July 21, 1937, when the Grand Mufti of Jerusalem met the German Consul in Mandate Palestine to seek German support, marking the start of a deeper collaboration that would position him as a leading anti-Jewish advocate. The Mufti later boasted of asking Hitler for a free hand to eradicate Jews, with Hitler reportedly replying, “The Jews are yours.” He also met Adolf Eichmann, supported the Nazi war effort, recruited Muslims for Waffen-SS units, and pushed for the Final Solution to extend into the Middle East. In a separate note, prosecutors are investigating attempted murder after a 65-year-old man was kicked in the head and seriously wounded in Bavaria in what authorities describe as an Islamist, anti-Israel attack.

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/article-903231
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https://www.al-monitor.com/originals/2026/07/us-war-iran-has-cost-375-billion-so-far-pentagon-says
https://www.al-monitor.com/originals/2026/07/saudi-uae-ministers-use-social-media-signal-unity-after-months-tension
https://www.jpost.com/american-politics/article-903237
https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/politics-and-diplomacy/article-903227
https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/politics-and-diplomacy/article-903229
https://t.me/beholdisraelchannel/78373
https://www.ynetnews.com/article/syabkdtvze