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Israel Today: Ongoing War Report - Update from 2026-02-03 at 11:02
Published 3 weeks, 6 days ago
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HEADLINES
Iran Crypto Boom Triggers Sanctions Probe
EU Struggles to Unwind IRGC Designation
Netanyahu Meets US Envoy Eyes Iran Talks
The time is now 11:01 AM in New York, I'm Noa Levi and this is the latest Israel Today: Ongoing War Report.
In the conflict with Iran and its Regional Proxies, US investigators are examining whether cryptocurrency platforms helped Iranian officials evade sanctions as crypto activity in the Islamic Republic boomed last year. Iran’s crypto transaction volumes were estimated at about eight to ten billion dollars in the past year, with TRM Labs placing the figure around ten billion and noting higher activity than in 2024. The US Treasury has pursued measures against shadow banking networks tied to Iran that allegedly used crypto to skirt sanctions, though officials have not named specific platforms. The Treasury’s focus underscores growing concern that digital currencies could enable state-linked players to move money abroad, obtain hard currency, or procure goods. On a separate front in Europe, experts warn that designating the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps as a terrorist organization will not be easy to unwind, given Tehran’s long-standing, covert footholds across the continent. Enforcement will hinge on how rigorously individual member states apply financial restrictions and legal rules, and observers warn that consistency in implementation remains a challenge as authorities consider the path forward.
In the Disputed Territories (Gaza, Judea and Samaria, East Jerusalem), Pahlavi calls for another day of action, mortars found in UNRWA blankets. An item in the Jerusalem Post’s must-listen news roundup, hosted by Shifra Jacobs, highlights this line of reporting, signaling continued tension and potential operational pressures in the area.
In US Policy Concerning Israel, Benjamin Netanyahu and US envoy Steve Witkoff met in Israel as the United States seeks to revive talks with Iran. Witkoff arrived to confer with Netanyahu and other Israeli officials as US officials prepare for Istanbul talks planned later in the week aimed at de-escalation. A regional official told Reuters that invited participants to the foreign ministers-level discussions could include Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Egypt, Oman, and the United Arab Emirates, though the exact format remained unclear. The week’s meetings are viewed in Israel as a chance to gauge red lines and the scope of possible diplomacy, with the understanding that fresh moves could shape whether Washington and its partners pursue engagement with Tehran.
In Israeli Domestic Politics, a people without a plan is a people without a land: Zionism, goal-setting go hand in hand - opinion. The piece argues that Zionist leadership treated goal-setting as a moral imperative, with Theodor Herzl outlining a destination in The Jewish State and Altneuland, and with early structures like the Zionist Congress built to advance that aim. It notes that the movement’s evolution depended on clear strategic aims and the ability to mobilize political and organizational power, while contemporary leaders faced the task of translating vision into tangible sovereignty. Also in this section, Israel’s Supreme Court chief steps aside in hearing over October 7 state probe. Supreme Court President Isaac Amit transferred authority to his deputy to determine the panel for petitions seeking a state commission of inquiry into the Hamas attack’s failures. Amit said it would be inappropriate for him to continue deciding in these proceedings, and the matter will now proceed under the deputy’s leadership, with the expanded bench to be considered separately.
In Israeli Economy and Business, Israeli supermarket chains limit customers’ milk purchases amid halt to dairy supply. Faced with a farmer-led protest against a dairy market reform, chains have begun restricting purchases of milk, cottage cheese, white cheese, and c
Iran Crypto Boom Triggers Sanctions Probe
EU Struggles to Unwind IRGC Designation
Netanyahu Meets US Envoy Eyes Iran Talks
The time is now 11:01 AM in New York, I'm Noa Levi and this is the latest Israel Today: Ongoing War Report.
In the conflict with Iran and its Regional Proxies, US investigators are examining whether cryptocurrency platforms helped Iranian officials evade sanctions as crypto activity in the Islamic Republic boomed last year. Iran’s crypto transaction volumes were estimated at about eight to ten billion dollars in the past year, with TRM Labs placing the figure around ten billion and noting higher activity than in 2024. The US Treasury has pursued measures against shadow banking networks tied to Iran that allegedly used crypto to skirt sanctions, though officials have not named specific platforms. The Treasury’s focus underscores growing concern that digital currencies could enable state-linked players to move money abroad, obtain hard currency, or procure goods. On a separate front in Europe, experts warn that designating the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps as a terrorist organization will not be easy to unwind, given Tehran’s long-standing, covert footholds across the continent. Enforcement will hinge on how rigorously individual member states apply financial restrictions and legal rules, and observers warn that consistency in implementation remains a challenge as authorities consider the path forward.
In the Disputed Territories (Gaza, Judea and Samaria, East Jerusalem), Pahlavi calls for another day of action, mortars found in UNRWA blankets. An item in the Jerusalem Post’s must-listen news roundup, hosted by Shifra Jacobs, highlights this line of reporting, signaling continued tension and potential operational pressures in the area.
In US Policy Concerning Israel, Benjamin Netanyahu and US envoy Steve Witkoff met in Israel as the United States seeks to revive talks with Iran. Witkoff arrived to confer with Netanyahu and other Israeli officials as US officials prepare for Istanbul talks planned later in the week aimed at de-escalation. A regional official told Reuters that invited participants to the foreign ministers-level discussions could include Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Egypt, Oman, and the United Arab Emirates, though the exact format remained unclear. The week’s meetings are viewed in Israel as a chance to gauge red lines and the scope of possible diplomacy, with the understanding that fresh moves could shape whether Washington and its partners pursue engagement with Tehran.
In Israeli Domestic Politics, a people without a plan is a people without a land: Zionism, goal-setting go hand in hand - opinion. The piece argues that Zionist leadership treated goal-setting as a moral imperative, with Theodor Herzl outlining a destination in The Jewish State and Altneuland, and with early structures like the Zionist Congress built to advance that aim. It notes that the movement’s evolution depended on clear strategic aims and the ability to mobilize political and organizational power, while contemporary leaders faced the task of translating vision into tangible sovereignty. Also in this section, Israel’s Supreme Court chief steps aside in hearing over October 7 state probe. Supreme Court President Isaac Amit transferred authority to his deputy to determine the panel for petitions seeking a state commission of inquiry into the Hamas attack’s failures. Amit said it would be inappropriate for him to continue deciding in these proceedings, and the matter will now proceed under the deputy’s leadership, with the expanded bench to be considered separately.
In Israeli Economy and Business, Israeli supermarket chains limit customers’ milk purchases amid halt to dairy supply. Faced with a farmer-led protest against a dairy market reform, chains have begun restricting purchases of milk, cottage cheese, white cheese, and c