Israel Today: Ongoing War Report - Update from 2026-04-06 at 16:02

HEADLINES
Russia Tehran reveal 55 Israel energy targets
Mashhad power plant explosion rocks Iran
Rescue of US airman fuels invasion talk

The time is now 4:01 PM in New York, I'm Noa Levi and this is the latest Israel Today: Ongoing War Report.

In Operation Lion's Roar, Russian intelligence has provided Iran with a detailed list of 55 critical energy infrastructure targets within Israel, according to information obtained by The Jerusalem Post from a source close to Ukrainian intelligence. The report highlights deepening military and intelligence cooperation between Moscow and Tehran and suggests the information could enable Iran to launch precision missile strikes against Israel’s energy grid. The targets are categorized into three levels: Level 1 critical production facilities whose destruction would cripple the national energy system, with the Orot Rabin power station named as a primary target; Level 2 major urban and industrial energy hubs located primarily in central Israel that serve large population centers; and Level 3 local infrastructure, including regional substations that support industrial zones and smaller power plants. The Russian assessment in the report points to vulnerabilities in Israel’s power grid and underscores the potential risk if such data were acted upon.

In Direct Israel-Iran Clashes, Iranian media report an explosion at a power plant in Mashhad in northeastern Iran.

In Iranian Retaliation, US President Donald Trump said Iranians should rise up against their government if a ceasefire were declared, but acknowledged it would be too dangerous for them to do so. “Well they should do it but, again, the consequences are great,” he said, adding that protesters “will be shot immediately.” Trump, who has threatened to bomb Iran’s power plants and bridges, also said Iranians “would be willing to suffer that in order to have freedom.”

In US Military Role, analysis on the rescue of a shot-down US airman from inside Iran notes the operation spanned three areas to reach the missing pilot, the weapons officer, and the accompanying team before moving them to safety by C-130 aircraft. The piece asks whether the success could bolster a decision by President Trump to approve a ground invasion of the Straits of Hormuz or Kharg Island, but suggests such an outcome remains unlikely despite the demonstrated reach. In a separate report, President Trump said Iran could be taken out in one night and described the rescue mission as involving 155 aircraft, with some missions flying low under fire as they recovered the pilots after they were shot down over Iran.

In Regional Impacts, reports from Lebanon indicate an apartment in the Dahiyah area of Beirut was attacked without warning. Separately, diplomats described mounting pressure on Hamas to agree to Gaza disarmament by the end of the week, with Board of Peace representatives to meet Hamas in Cairo to finalize a deal; a senior official warned that “whoever does not cross the river will drown in the sea.”

In Israeli Domestic Politics, a Spanish poll finds that US President Donald Trump is viewed as the most significant threat to world peace by 81% of respondents, followed by Vladimir Putin at 79.2% and Benjamin Netanyahu at 71.2%; Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei ranked next at 62.9%. The survey also notes that those aligned with right-wing and far-right parties tended to view Putin as a greater threat than Trump. In a separate development, opposition leader Yair Lapid criticized Netanyahu’s war conduct, saying Israel’s war objectives have not been met and questioning the strategy, even as he acknowledged military performance was sound; he asked what the war is ultimately achieving and urged clarity on the government’s path forward.

In Antisemitism and Anti-Jewish Hate, four teenagers of British-Pakistani origin were charged with arson related to an attack on four Hatzola ambulances outside a London synagogue. An expert cautioned that the suspects may have radicalized beyond Islamism rather than subscribing to a specific ideology, while a Shiite group claimed responsibility for the attack via its Telegram channel, highlighting the complexities of radicalization and the broad spectrum of influences at play.

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-892256
https://www.maariv.co.il/breaking-news/article-1305962
https://www.al-monitor.com/originals/2026/04/trump-says-iranians-should-rise-against-government-if-ceasefire-declared
https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/defense-news/article-892264
https://www.jpost.com/middle-east/iran-news/article-892262
https://www.maariv.co.il/breaking-news/article-1305969
https://www.ynetnews.com/article/bj9dcubhbl
https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/defense-news/article-892255
https://www.jpost.com/international/article-892248
https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/article-892260
https://www.jpost.com/diaspora/antisemitism/article-892263