Episode Details

HEADLINES
Iran threatens regional blackout if US attacks
US restrikes hit Iran's Kharg Island
Iran strikes Jubail petrochemical complex

The time is now 10:02 AM in New York, I'm Noa Levi and this is the latest Israel Today: Ongoing War Report.

In Iranian Retaliation, a senior Iranian source told Reuters that if the United States attacks Iran’s power plants, the entire region will fall into darkness, and Iran would retaliate by targeting energy infrastructure across the Middle East, with the possibility that if the situation gets out of control, Iran’s allies, the Houthis, would also close the Bab el-Mandeb Strait. The threats were relayed to the Trump Administration yesterday through Pakistan and Qatar.

In US Military Role, the US military conducted strikes against military targets on Iran's Kharg Island, described by a US official as restrikes on what had been hit previously, in the early morning hours EST. Explosions were heard after the airstrikes hit Kharg Island, and the island remains a focal point in Iran’s oil production, with about 90% of Iran’s oil exports processed and shipped from there. The Wall Street Journal reported that roughly 50 sites were targeted, with no attacks on the island’s oil infrastructure. A previous attack was carried out earlier in the war, and Trump said that attack “totally obliterated every military target in Iran’s crown jewel.”

In Regional Impacts, Iran has attacked Saudi Arabia’s Jubail petrochemical complex, the heart of the kingdom’s downstream energy sector and home to major joint ventures between Aramco, SABIC, and Western majors, according to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. The IRGC said the strikes were in response to what it described as crimes against Iran’s Asaluyeh petrochemical plants. It was not immediately clear which facilities were hit in Saudi Arabia. Video verified by Reuters showed smoke and flames near Jubail. The IRGC said it had targeted with medium-range missiles and several suicide drones the Sadara complex, a joint venture between Aramco and Dow, as well as other Jubail facilities, including one belonging to ExxonMobil, and it also said it hit a petrochemical facility in nearby Juaymah, described as owned by Chevron Phillips.

In Israeli Economy and Business, marking 15 years since the first Iron Dome intercept on April 7, 2011, Israel’s Iron Dome has logged more than 10,000 combat intercepts with success rates exceeding 90%. The system has become a global brand and a central pillar of Israel’s defense doctrine, reshaping how the country defends its civilians and countering rocket threats. Prof. Yuval Steinitz, chairman of Rafael Advanced Defense Systems, called Iron Dome a first‑order strategic asset and emphasized its impact on Israel’s national security, with a mention of development team member Hilla Haddad Chmelnik.

In Uplifting News, Chinese construction workers in Israel have reportedly chosen not to evacuate amid ongoing conflict, prioritizing wages over immediate departure. There are an estimated 50,000 to 60,000 Chinese workers in Israel’s construction sector, with the Chinese Embassy organizing evacuations via the Taba Port in Egypt. One worker said life is continuing and that people should not worry, while another video quote captured the sentiment, “I’d rather be bombed to death than die in poverty.” Separately, NASA’s Artemis II mission has produced imagery described as Our Humanity’s Moon, highlighting the mission’s broad view of humanity’s presence in space, including a photo of Earth from the far side of the Moon captured during the mission.

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.