Israel Today: Ongoing War Report - Update from 2026-07-16 at 13:02

HEADLINES
US yet to order Minab strike review
Dubai blasts after Iran claims US strike
Houthis threaten Saudi oil facilities

The time is now 1:01 PM in New York, I'm Noa Levi and this is the latest Israel Today: Ongoing War Report.

In US Military Role, US military leadership has held off on ordering an intelligence review to determine the events surrounding the US-attributed strike that hit a school in the Minab area of Iran during Operation Epic Fury. The first two stages of a battle damage assessment were completed within a week and addressed basic questions such as whether the strike hit its intended target. Initial assessments supported reports that it had been a US strike. However, a fuller review by analysts from the Defense Intelligence Agency that would synthesize satellite imagery and other intelligence sources has not been ordered as of early July. An independent investigation was launched in March, with interviews conducted with service members involved in the strike, and its findings have not yet been released.

In Regional Impacts, witnesses said blasts were heard in downtown Dubai on Thursday, and Iranian state media and IRGC outlets claimed explosions in Abu Dhabi and other parts of the UAE. The IRGC-run Fars News Agency reported US missiles hitting locations near Bandar Abbas and near Qeshm Island, though Mehr News Agency, citing Hormozgan Governorate, said there were no injuries or damage in Bandar Abbas. CENTCOM released a video showing a US Air Force F-35A being refueled mid‑air over the region but did not clarify whether the aircraft was conducting operations against Iran. Separately, Lebanon and Syria announced they would begin revising decades-old trade agreements in coming months as part of a broader reset in ties since Assad’s ouster in 2024, with an eye toward a larger bilateral relationship. At their peak, trade between the two neighbors neared $800 million; last year it was around $250 million, according to Lebanon’s economy minister.

In the Conflict with Iran and its Regional Proxies, Yemen’s Houthi leader Abdul Malik al-Houthi warned that all Saudi oil facilities and other vital infrastructure would be targets if Riyadh escalates its involvement in the Yemen conflict. The warning came after the Houthis fired missiles at Saudi Arabia and accused the kingdom of bombing an airport under their control, signaling a rupture in a four‑year truce. The Houthis have previously targeted energy infrastructure in Saudi Arabia, including attacks in 2019 on two major oil facilities that temporarily knocked out more than half of the kingdom’s crude output, and in 2022 they struck Saudi energy facilities again, including an Aramco distribution site in Jeddah that caught fire.

In US Policy Concerning Israel, the House approved Representative Claudia Tenney’s amendment to a resolution urging the United States to defend Jewish religious freedom and equal access at the Temple Mount. Tenney argued it is unconscionable that Jews do not enjoy the same access rights to visit and pray at their holiest site as other religions, and urged the US Commission on International Religious Freedom to work to ensure religious freedom and equal access for all with respect to the Temple Mount. Amendment No. 28 would adjust USCIRF funding by about $1 million to emphasize this issue, and it was approved by voice vote. In a separate development, Israel was described as facing pressure from both major parties in Washington over policy toward Israel. A Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs president told The Jerusalem Post that the Democratic Party has moved left and that internal disagreements reflect broader debates about US support for Israel.

In Israeli Domestic Politics, the Knesset plenum passed into law a controversial overhaul of Israel’s broadcasting sector, with 53 votes in favor and 48 against. The measure aims to grant the government substantial control over broadcasting and has drawn warnings that it could harm press freedom and tilt the media landscape. Critics have argued the reform could advantage outlets aligned with the government, while supporters say it addresses a monopoly in Israel’s private media market. Separately, the Ministerial Committee for Shin Bet Affairs approved extended personal protection for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s wife, Sara, and their sons, Yair and Avner. The committee decided that Netanyahu should receive lifelong protection, Sara should be protected for as long as her husband lives, and Yair and Avner for at least five more years, with the arrangement to be in place regardless of the October 27 Knesset election.

In Antisemitism and Anti-Jewish Hate, Australian antisemitism “has passed the point of no return,” former president of the Australian Jewish Association Dr. David Adler told The Jerusalem Post after emigrating to Israel. Adler described a rise in antisemitism and anti-Israel activism, noting October 7 as a precipitating event, with October 8 demonstrations by some Muslim leaders and October 9 riots outside the Opera House. He criticized authorities for not taking action and arresting those involved in the incidents.

In Uplifting News, at the Jerusalem Film Festival there was cautious optimism about post-October 7 Israeli cinema. Industry figures praised the country’s talent and discussed Avi Nesher’s upcoming film Our Loves, with producer Danny Cohen saying the project has Oscar campaign potential and could be Israel’s submission for Best International Feature. The film depicts several people in southern Israel who believed they were having the worst day of their lives on October 6, 2023, and follows their experiences as events later unfold, illustrating the film’s anticipated international resonance.

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/international/article-902707
https://www.jpost.com/middle-east/article-902784
https://www.jpost.com/middle-east/article-902774
https://www.jpost.com/middle-east/article-902781
https://www.jpost.com/american-politics/article-902780
https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/article-902776
https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/politics-and-diplomacy/article-902758
https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/article-902757
https://www.jpost.com/diaspora/antisemitism/article-902765
https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/culture/article-902771