HEADLINES Hormuz Strikes Spark US Iran Clashes Israel Cites Plot to Assassinate Trump Yashar Overtakes Likud in Poll The time is now 4:02 AM in New York, I'm Noa Levi and this is the latest Israel Today: Ongoing War Report. In Regional Impacts, the night passed without military action by either the US or Iran, but tensions remained high across the Middle East following the escalation in recent days. A senior US official said that diplomacy is continuing despite intermittent strikes in Iran. Friday marked the third day of the latest round, which began with an attack on tankers in the Strait of Hormuz, followed by US strikes in Iran and Iranian missile and drone attacks targeting US bases in the Gulf. Meanwhile, former Iranian supreme leader Ali Khamenei was laid to rest four months after he was assassinated; his funeral procession passed through several Shiite holy cities, and his son Mojtaba Khamenei was not seen during the proceedings, though other senior officials attended. Israel shared intelligence with the US about a new Iranian plot to assassinate US President Donald Trump, the Wall Street Journal reported, with the Israeli Embassy in Washington declining to comment and Iran’s mission to the UN not immediately responding. The White House referred the Journal’s remarks to earlier statements on the matter. Separately, the IDF said some reserve units will be cut by as much as 50% as emergency mobilization and nonessential activities are scaled back following a new operational assessment. In US Policy Concerning Israel, Israel is willing to join the United States in striking Iran should President Donald Trump request it, Jerusalem sources told the New York Post, signaling readiness to act again if needed and noting that “we’ve proved that we stand with the US.” Israeli officials also told The Jerusalem Post that the IDF is not planning to be drawn into the US-Iran exchanges at this time, though the military remains prepared for any eventuality, and the current assumption is that Iran does not intend to drag Israel into the conflict. US Central Command said renewed strikes came in response to Iran’s attempts to impose heavy costs for targeting and attacking commercial shipping in an international waterway. On Wednesday, Trump said he felt the Memorandum of Understanding with Iran was nullified following overnight strikes in the Strait of Hormuz. In Israeli Domestic Politics, Gadi Eisenkot’s Yashar party overtook Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s Likud for the first time in a Maariv poll, placing first with 22 seats, up two from the prior poll and 10 more than after the April merger of Bennett and Lapid. Likud held 21 seats, while Bennett and Lapid’s Together party dropped to 18. The new party led by Chili Tropper and Yoaz Hendel drew 2.9% of the vote and did not cross the electoral threshold, but drew support from Religious Zionist Party voters, pushing that party down to four seats and reducing the Netanyahu bloc to 49 seats. The Arab parties remained at 11 seats. When asked which party they would vote for today, respondents gave Yashar 22 seats, Likud 21, Yisrael Beytenu and the Democrats 10 each, Otzma Yehudit, Shas, and United Torah Judaism eight each, Hadash-Ta’al six, Ra’am five, and Religious Zionist Party four. Separately, with an eye toward upcoming elections, Netanyahu is seeking to overhaul the Likud slate, aiming for up to 11 reserved slots, including four in the top 10, a move that could sideline veteran lawmakers. In Antisemitism and Anti-Jewish Hate, a Pennsylvania man was arrested after reportedly making antisemitic threats toward Governor Josh Shapiro at the office of State Representative Leanne Kruger. Richard John Franklin, 65, allegedly used antisemitic slurs and threatened to burn the governor’s mansion; state troopers later met him at his home, and he provided inconsistent accounts before admitting to the slur and describing his threatening remarks as “sympathetic” and “positive” given that the governor and his family had previously survived an arson attack. He was charged with terrorist threats, ethnic intimidation, harassment, and disorderly conduct and was taken to Delaware County Prison. In a separate discussion within this section, a Church of England motion is described as pursuing peace and justice for Palestinians, but Christian supporters of Israel warn that Kairos Palestine documents accuse Israel of genocide and ethnic cleansing while sidelining Jewish believers in Jesus, Israeli Christians, and other Anglican voices; they argue that a process meant to deepen understanding should not narrow the truth. In Israeli Economy and Business, Natural Intelligence Marketing won the Dun’s 100 Women Tech Leadership Impact Award at the WO.men CEO Summit in Tel Aviv, with Shila Zabro Weiss of Dun’s 100 noting NI’s model demonstrates that gender diversity is a driver of business growth rather than a standalone initiative. NI reports that women make up 43% of the company’s management and 52% of its workforce, well above the national average of 34% in the first three quarters of 2025, and that three of the eight executive leaders are women: Noa Talmon, Smadar Levi, and Hila Gil. Separately, Skapion, an Israeli defense tech company developing a native counter-swarm system, announced a $36 million seed round co-led by UP.Partners and Khosla Ventures, with participation from Fusion VC, Stratos Ventures, TBD VC and q Fund. The company aims to detect and neutralize drone swarms, operating in environments with limited communications and alongside maneuvering forces, fixed installations, and critical infrastructure. In Uplifting News, scientists identify a nearby super-Earth named GJ 3378 b as a promising candidate in the search for alien life, according to a study in The Astrophysical Journal. The exoplanet, first discovered in 2024, lies about 25 light-years away and sits within the habitable zone where liquid water could exist. Its mass is now estimated at about 2.3 times that of Earth, down from earlier estimates, and its temperature is near 0 degrees Celsius while receiving roughly 91% of Earth’s solar energy. NASA plans to launch the Habitable Worlds Observatory in the 2040s to image Earth-like planets around other sun-like stars. 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-902104 https://www.ynetnews.com/article/s1wetfa7ge https://www.jpost.com/middle-east/iran-news/article-902107 https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/politics-and-diplomacy/article-902098 https://www.ynetnews.com/article/hkxp5z0mfx https://www.jpost.com/diaspora/antisemitism/article-902101 https://t.me/ILtoday/19532 https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/article-902099 https://www.jpost.com/defense-and-tech/article-902100 https://www.jpost.com/science/space/article-902102
