Israel Today: Ongoing War Report - Update from 2026-06-25 at 23:01

HEADLINES
Iran's Khamenei Bunker Revealed IDF Strikes
Iran Seeks $40B Hormuz Revenue
US Mediated Talks Extend Without Agreement

The time is now 11:01 PM in New York, I'm Noa Levi and this is the latest Israel Today: Ongoing War Report.

In Direct Israel-Iran Clashes, former supreme leader Ali Khamenei’s underground bunker complex included a blast-resistant room and escape tunnels beneath central Tehran, Iran International reported, citing architectural plans confirmed by a security source. The documents describe Habib Ebrahimi as located next to Khamenei’s official residence, with construction beginning in 2009 under his approval and financed by the IRGC through its Khatam al-Anbiya Construction Headquarters. The plans show a main entrance large enough for cars and a depth of about 30 meters, a 27-meter tunnel connected to several escape routes, and a second tunnel said to lead to a parking garage near Enghelab Square. In early March, the IDF targeted the bunker using intelligence provided by clandestine units 8200 and 9900 to pinpoint its location.

In US Military Role, the aircraft carrying US Marine Corps Major General Kevin J. Jarrard appears to be MV-22B Osprey 168643, which departed Ceiba, Puerto Rico, at 6:50 p.m. local time. Separately, US Airmen and Soldiers assigned to Joint Task Force-Bravo loaded equipment into a CH-47F Chinook at Soto Cano Air Base in preparation for supporting earthquake relief efforts led by US Southern Command across Northern Venezuela.

In Regional Impacts, Israel and Lebanon on the third day of US-mediated talks in Washington concluded without an agreement on a partial Israeli withdrawal from southern Lebanon, but negotiators extended the session for an extra day and planned to reconvene Friday at the State Department. The aim is to adopt a framework that would include a partial withdrawal from small areas of the buffer zone, with the Lebanese Armed Forces taking over as the IDF shifts back. Proponents argue the plan would still leave a six-mile-deep buffer and that some areas cleared of Hezbollah infrastructure involved razing villages along the border. Separately, Iran is seeking a multibillion-dollar role in reopening the Strait of Hormuz, with Tehran proposing that security, safety, and environmental services in the strait generate substantial revenue. Officials cited by the Wall Street Journal say Tehran envisions more than $40 billion a year and has pitched the idea to regional partners and China, modeling after Turkey’s handling of the Dardanelles. The push comes as the United States has blocked traffic through the strait during ongoing tensions, a point underscored during a visit by US Secretary of State Marco Rubio.

In Israeli Domestic Politics, Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar will submit a resolution recognizing the Armenian Genocide for a government meeting, with plans to bring it before the Knesset for a vote. Sa’ar said recognizing the genocide is a moral and historical duty and emphasized condemned denial and distortion of the historical record. By 2026, 32 United Nations member states, including the United States, Canada, Russia, and Germany, have formally recognized the genocide, as have the Holy See and the European Parliament, with more than 200 memorials worldwide. The Armenian Genocide began in the final years of the Ottoman Empire. In Eilat, residents and visitors were unsettled by a Shin Bet warning of a possible Oct. 7-style attack, though officials and businesses said calm had returned as fears shifted toward exposed Arava border communities.

In Israeli Economy and Business, rare works by Israeli artists Reuven Rubin and Nahum Gutman head to an auction valued around 1 million shekels each, with Tiroche auction house highlighting Rubin’s Portrait of a Young Jerusalemite Woman and Gutman’s Rolling Hills of Ein Kerem among pieces from major collections. The sale will also feature works by early-20th-century artists Yehezkel Streichman, Mordecai Ardon and Menachem Shemi, alongside contemporary works by Michal Rovner, Israel Hershberg, Fatima Abu Rumi and Lea Nikel, with several pieces valued at about 1 million shekels apiece.

In Uplifting News, researchers using artificial intelligence and high-resolution imaging announced the first complete reading of a closed Herculaneum scroll burned by Mount Vesuvius nearly 2,000 years ago, accomplished without opening the fragile parchment and through a process described as virtually unwrapping the carbonized text. The Vesuvius Challenge plans to publish data, code, and models online and offers a $1 million prize for the first team to read any other scroll in full. “Today we have shown it’s possible to read every single one of the scrolls in the collection,” said a project co-founder. In Venezuela, the death toll from yesterday’s pair of major earthquakes, measuring 7.2 and 7.5 magnitude, has risen to at least 235, according to the Health Ministry.

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-900591
https://t.me/DefenderDome/21740
https://t.me/DefenderDome/21735
https://www.timesofisrael.com/israel-lebanon-talks-extended-an-extra-day-as-deal-on-idf-withdrawal-remains-elusive/
https://www.jpost.com/middle-east/iran-news/article-900589
https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/article-900588
https://www.ynetnews.com/article/h1cimbimgl
https://www.timesofisrael.com/rare-works-by-israeli-artists-rubin-gutman-head-to-auction-valued-at-300000/
https://www.jpost.com/archaeology/article-900593
https://t.me/DefenderDome/21739