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Israel Today: Ongoing War Report - September 17, 2026, 03 PM Eastern · Israel Today: Ongoing War Report

• 0:08
  Speaker 1: You're listening to Israel Today ongoing war report. I'm Noah Levi.
• 0:11
  Speaker 1: We begin with developments involving Iran. US officials, speaking to
• 0:16
  Speaker 1: CBS News, report that Iran has shot down at least
• 0:19
  Speaker 1: two US military drones in recent days. The exact variants
• 0:23
  Speaker 1: and locations remain unclear, but the monetary loss for older
• 0:26
  Speaker 1: models could reach tens of millions of dollars per drone.
• 0:30
  Speaker 1: This follows earlier claims by Iranian state media and the IRGC. Separately,
• 0:35
  Speaker 1: satellite imagery reveals Iran is rapidly rebuilding and increasing blast
• 0:39
  Speaker 1: protection at its Talgan-2 nuclear facility. This site, which has
• 0:43
  Speaker 1: been attacked by Israel at least twice since 2024, is
• 0:47
  Speaker 1: believed to have hosted nuclear bomb experiments years ago, according
• 0:51
  Speaker 1: to the Times of Israel. Turning to US policy, the
• 0:54
  Speaker 1: State Department has approved the possible sale of F-35 fighter
• 0:57
  Speaker 1: jets and related equipment to Saudi Arabia, valued at around $ 24. 3
• 1:03
  Speaker 1: billion for 48 jets. The State Department maintains this sale
• 1:07
  Speaker 1: will support US foreign policy and national security objectives without
• 1:12
  Speaker 1: altering the regional military balance, though US intelligence sources cited
• 1:16
  Speaker 1: by UNET warn of potential Chinese access to sensitive technology
• 1:21
  Speaker 1: from the deal. In related news, President Donald Trump told
• 1:24
  Speaker 1: Axios he faces a big decision on whether to significantly
• 1:28
  Speaker 1: escalate military action against Iran, stating, Do I want to
• 1:32
  Speaker 1: go in and annihilate them or do I not? He
• 1:34
  Speaker 1: also discussed his upcoming meeting with Gulf leaders and noted
• 1:38
  Speaker 1: the US naval blockade in the Strait of Hormuz. The
• 1:41
  Speaker 1: US Treasury's Office of Foreign Asset Control, OFAC, has also
• 1:46
  Speaker 1: added several Iranians and Iranian businesses to its sanctions list.
• 1:50
  Speaker 1: Regional tensions remain high as fighting has intensified across multiple
• 1:54
  Speaker 1: fronts in Yemen. particularly near the strategic Bab al-Mandeb Strait.
• 1:58
  Speaker 1: Houthi forces have made significant territorial gains along the Red
• 2:02
  Speaker 1: Sea coast, bringing them closer to controlling this crucial global
• 2:05
  Speaker 1: shipping chokepoint, according to Salina updates. The conflict's regional stakes
• 2:10
  Speaker 1: have risen, with Pakistan's defence minister noting that the Mecca
• 2:14
  Speaker 1: Joint Defence Agreement could be implemented, following Saudi Arabia's interception
• 2:18
  Speaker 1: of a Houthi drone targeting Mecca, a claim the Houthis deny. Meanwhile,
• 2:23
  Speaker 1: in southern Lebanon, Israeli forces have continued operations against Hezbollah.
• 2:28
  Speaker 1: Reports indicate air strikes, artillery attacks and demolition operations across
• 2:33
  Speaker 1: the region, with particularly intense activity in al-Mansoury. Domestically, Israel
• 2:38
  Speaker 1: is preparing for elections for the 26th Knesset on October 27.
• 2:41
  Speaker 1: Several new, smaller parties are competing for votes, including Brigadier General, Reserve,
• 2:48
  Speaker 1: Ofa Winters, People of Israel Party, which emphasises right-wing security
• 2:52
  Speaker 1: and military service reform, and the Reservists' Economic Party. Meanwhile,
• 2:57
  Speaker 1: controversy surrounds an AI-generated campaign video released by the Religious
• 3:01
  Speaker 1: Zionist Party, which the Israel Bar Association calls dangerous incitement,
• 3:07
  Speaker 1: for depicting Supreme Court justices and the Attorney General being
• 3:10
  Speaker 1: violently removed from a protest. In a separate development related
• 3:14
  Speaker 1: to accountability for the October 7 attacks, the IDF has
• 3:18
  Speaker 1: formally dismissed Lieutenant Colonel, Aleph. A former intelligence officer for
• 3:23
  Speaker 1: the Gaza division, after months of legal battle over his
• 3:26
  Speaker 1: alleged derision of prior warnings. This comes as the military
• 3:30
  Speaker 1: seeks to address failures leading up to the Hamas onslaught.
• 3:33
  Speaker 1: And finally, an uplifting story from the Israeli Navy. Officer
• 3:38
  Speaker 1: O has completed an unusual career path, serving 18 months
• 3:42
  Speaker 1: as a regular combat fighter before being selected for the
• 3:45
  Speaker 1: naval officer cadet's course. His commanders highlighted his exceptional maturity
• 3:49
  Speaker 1: and readiness, to step up during the intense operational period
• 3:53
  Speaker 1: following October 7th, calling him a standout individual. For continuing
• 3:58
  Speaker 1: coverage of antisemitism around the world, listen to Antisemitism Watch
• 4:02
  Speaker 1: from Clockwork Media. Find it at clockworkmedia.org slash watch. I'm
• 4:07
  Speaker 1: Noah Levi, thank you for listening to Israel Today ongoing
• 4:10
  Speaker 1: war report. Stay safe and informed. Follow Israel Today, ongoing
• 4:14
  Speaker 1: war report in your podcast app so you don't miss
• 4:17
  Speaker 1: the next update. Keep in mind that this AI-generated report
• 4:21
  Speaker 1: may contain occasional inaccuracies, so consult multiple sources for a
• 4:25
  Speaker 1: comprehensive view.