Israel Today: Ongoing War Report - Update from 2026-07-25 at 14:02

HEADLINES
Trump halts Iran strikes seeks diplomacy
Syrian bus crash kills at least 35
Houthis threaten Red Sea shipping amid strikes

The time is now 2:01 PM in New York, I'm Noa Levi and this is the latest Israel Today: Ongoing War Report.

In US Military Role, Israel hosts about 90 American air-to-air refueling aircraft, reflecting continued security cooperation in the region. The US Navy Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt leads a formation of multinational warships off Hawaii during Rim of the Pacific 2026, now in its 30th iteration and the world’s largest international maritime exercise, bringing together 30 ships, five submarines, 190 aircraft, 15 national ground forces, and roughly 30,000 personnel to strengthen interoperability across the Indo-Pacific. Axios reports that President Donald J. Trump directed the US military not to conduct strikes against Iran on Friday, ending 13 consecutive nights of attacks, with Oman pursuing talks with Iran on reopening the Strait of Hormuz. The US military remains prepared to resume or escalate operations on short notice, while the administration views a diplomatic settlement as the smarter path at this moment.

In Regional Impacts, a bus crash in Syria’s central-eastern desert region killed at least 35 people and injured about 30 on the Damascus-Deir Ezzor road. State media quoted a health ministry official on the collision between a bus carrying internal security forces personnel and a civilian bus, without specifying how many casualties were from security forces. Footage shown by state media depicted a burning vehicle and debris along the highway, and military helicopters were deployed to airlift casualties. Emergency and disaster management minister Raed Al Saleh called the crash one of the deadliest road accidents in Syria in recent years and underscored the urgent need to address the country’s neglected road infrastructure to prevent such tragedies from recurring.

In the Conflict with Iran and its Regional Proxies, Iranian-backed Houthis in Yemen are escalating attacks on Saudi Arabia, while the Saudi-led coalition has responded with strikes on missile sites, weapons depots, and threats to Red Sea shipping. The Houthis have warned they will attack Saudi ships transiting the Bab el-Mandeb Strait unless the blockade ends, a move linked to broader tensions over regional shipping routes. Al-Masirah cited Mahdi al-Mashat, the Houthi chairman of the Supreme Political Council, as authorities accused Saudi Arabia of attacks on Sana’a Airport and sites in Hodeidah, pledging retaliation. In Karbala, Iraqi Major General Anwar al-Nasrawi, head of the Directorate for the Protection of Holy Shrines, ordered the removal of photographs of Iranian leaders and figures connected to Iran-backed armed groups from public display and prohibited new posters, as two members of Iran-backed PMF were arrested after posing for photos in front of a poster of former Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.

In Israeli Domestic Politics, the Wall Street Journal reports that Israel is spending roughly $50 million on an American influence campaign comprising AI-generated text messages, conservative media, online influencers, and former Trump campaign manager Brad Parscale, with messages sent to Americans under names such as Emma or Sarah about Israel, Iran, and global security. The piece argues Israel is right to invest in defending itself on the cognitive battlefield, but critiques the failure to expose detractors and to treat an existential security challenge as something that can be outsourced to advertising agencies and algorithms. Fifty million dollars, the author contends, can buy messages; the broader point is the need to counter misinformation and influence operations.

Every Israeli abroad must realize they are an ambassador for their country, an opinion piece contends, noting that no matter where one travels, whether identified as Jewish or Israeli, each person represents the country. The author recounts experiences in Greece amid anti-Israel sentiment, stressing the importance of conduct abroad and awareness of how actions reflect on Israel and Jewish communities worldwide.

Danon calls Mamdani a clown, warns anti-Israel rhetoric is a dangerous game, an article reports, with UN ambassador Danny Danon denouncing New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s anti-Israel rhetoric and threats to arrest Netanyahu as baseless. Danon contends the remarks are a distraction from governance failures and warns that such rhetoric is a dangerous tactic that can inflame tensions.

IDF arrests over 70 terror suspects in West Bank operation following deadly shooting, an update from the West Bank security campaign notes more than 70 arrests after a Friday shooting near Gilad Farm killed two Israelis, including an IDF officer. The operation involved the Samaria Brigade, Shin Bet, Border Police, and Duvdevan, with arrests in Tell and Tulkarm and searches of more than 300 locations targeting Hamas-affiliated suspects.

In Uplifting News, Sally Reidman, founder and president of Reidman College of Complementary and Integrative Medicine, received the Sylvan Adams Nefesh B’Nefesh Bonei Zion Prize in 2023 for achievements in education. Reidman College, Israel’s largest institute of its kind, enrolls more than 4,000 students across five vocational schools—Traditional Chinese Medicine, Natural Medicine, Somatic Therapies, Holistic Psychotherapy, and Holistic Coaching—with four campuses in Tel Aviv, Jerusalem, Haifa, and Beersheba. Born in Pennsylvania in 1949 to Holocaust survivors, Reidman studied psychology at California State University, founded the college in 1987, and made aliyah, building a prominent career in education and integrative medicine.

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://t.me/newssil/207471
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https://www.al-monitor.com/originals/2026/07/syria-bus-crash-kills-least-35
https://www.jpost.com/middle-east/article-903606
https://t.me/selena_updates/67692
https://www.jpost.com/opinion/article-903402
https://www.jpost.com/opinion/article-903444
https://www.jpost.com/diaspora/article-903605
https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/defense-news/article-903604
https://www.jpost.com/aliyah/article-903515