Israel Today: Ongoing War Report - Update from 2026-05-26 at 07:02

HEADLINES
IRGC Downs MQ-9 as US Strikes
Khamenei Vows No US Bases Israel Doomed
Hezbollah Attacks Six Times as IDF Advances

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 Direct Israel-Iran Clashes, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps says it downed an MQ-9 Reaper after identifying a hostile aircraft entering Iran’s airspace in the Gulf region on Tuesday. It also says it fired at an F-35 fighter jet, forcing it to leave Iranian airspace, and struck an RQ-4 intelligence drone. The IRGC added that it reserves the legitimate and definite right to retaliate against any ceasefire violations by the United States, state media reported. The United States said it conducted self-defense strikes in southern Iran overnight against targets including boats attempting to lay mines and missile launch sites, with CENTCOM noting it defended our forces while exercising restraint during the ceasefire. This is a developing story.

In Iranian Retaliation, Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei posted on his official X account on Tuesday that the nations and lands of the region will no longer host US bases and that America will no longer have a safe haven for mischief and the establishment of bases in the region. He also described Israel as the “shaky Zionist regime and cancerous tumor,” saying Israel is nearing its demise, citing a prescient statement by himself and his father made about a decade ago. Khamenei praised Hezbollah’s operations in Lebanon as part of his broader message.

In Regional Impacts, the Israel Defense Forces overnight on Monday struck more than 100 Hezbollah sites and terrorist operatives in Lebanon’s Beqaa Valley and across the country’s south, including a weapons storage facility in the Beqaa Valley. A separate item in a Jerusalem Post roundup notes concerns highlighted by Liberman about explosive drones reaching Israeli cities and mentions a Hamas financier on trial.

In the Conflict with Iran and its Regional Proxies, Hezbollah said it has carried out six attacks against Israeli forces since early morning, all targeting IDF positions in the village of Zotar al-Sharqiya north of Litani. The report also says Israeli ground forces are advancing in the Zotar al-Sharqiya area after significant airstrikes in the region the day before.

In Israeli Domestic Politics, the committee vetting IDF Major-General Roman Gofman’s appointment as the next Mossad chief again cleared him to take the post, submitting a supplementary opinion to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu after a High Court order to review the case. A majority on the committee said the additional material did not raise concerns and, in fact, strengthened support, while former Supreme Court president Asher Grunis dissented, arguing further examination was needed. Netanyahu rejected the minority view, saying Gofman had been put through unnecessary hardship and urging the High Court not to delay his entry into office when outgoing Mossad chief David Barnea’s term ends on June 2. The petitions against the appointment center on the Ori Elmakayes affair and questions surrounding an alleged IDF-linked influence operation during Gofman’s time commanding the 210th Division. In other news, Dr. Tzvika Mor, father of released hostage Eitan Mor and a leader in the Tikva Forum, is reported to be joining Bezalel Smotrich’s Religious Zionist Party with a high position, though Smotrich has not confirmed and a press conference is expected. Separately, PMO chief of staff Tzachi Braverman is to be summoned for a pre-indictment hearing on suspicions of fraud, breach of trust and obstruction of justice, linked to a covert investigation into the leak of highly classified intelligence to the German daily Bild; Braverman’s lawyers called the decision wrong, arguing the case rests on a disputed witness. An indictment was filed today against Yitzhak Prizon, 64, accused of inciting violence against Yair Golan and reportedly writing that Golan is a Hamas supporter and “needs a bullet in the head.”

In Antisemitism and Anti-Jewish Hate, effigies of US President Donald Trump, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, and what appeared to be National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir were paraded through Montreal on Sunday at an anti-Israel rally, according to videos published on social media by Montreal for Palestine. The display drew outrage from Canadian politicians and Jewish community groups; Montreal city councillor Leslie Roberts said he asked police to investigate the incident, and Mount Royal MP Anthony Housefather condemned the act as unacceptable. Deputy Opposition Leader Melissa Lantsman attributed the uproar to radicalism and called for accountability for such imagery.

In Israeli Economy and Business, the dollar’s rate is listed at 2.86, with reports noting the currency’s movement against the shekel and a fresh low for the pair.

In Uplifting News, Ethiopian Jewish activist Dr. Shmuel Legesse described his life’s mission as strengthening Jewish unity, defending Israel’s legitimacy, and giving voice to the Ethiopian Jewish experience. He said his purpose began in his homeland of Ethiopia, where his father blessed him and told him he would one day speak to the world for his people. After moving to the United States and engaging with the broader Jewish community, Legesse studied the teachings of Rabbi Jonathan Sacks. He spent about 24 years in the US before returning to Israel with his wife and four children shortly before October 7, saying Hamas’s attacks reinforced the need for internal unity and a more confident Jewish voice abroad.

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
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