GROUND WAR EXPANDS: Divison 91 Soldiers Are Now In Southern Lebanon to Shield Northern Galilee

The operation follows weeks of heightened fighting tied to the broader regional war involving Israel, Iran, and Iranian-backed groups across the Middle East. According to the military, the goal of the advance is to remove immediate threats near the border and create what it called an “additional layer of security” for Israeli communities in the north. The IDF’s 91st Division launched a significant ground operation in southern Lebanon on Monday, pushing farther into Hezbollah-controlled territory in what officials described as a major escalation along the northern front.

The operation follows weeks of heightened fighting tied to the broader regional war involving Israel, Iran, and Iranian-backed groups across the Middle East. According to the military, the goal of the advance is to remove immediate threats near the border and create what it called an “additional layer of security” for Israeli communities in the north. The IDF said the ground push was preceded by artillery barrages and airstrikes targeting Hezbollah positions throughout southern Lebanon. These strikes were intended to weaken militant infrastructure before troops moved forward.

Despite the scale of the operation, the military emphasized that it does not currently constitute a full invasion similar to the campaign carried out in 2024. Israeli forces are not advancing all the way to the Litani River, a key geographic benchmark often associated with larger ground offensives in Lebanon. Instead, the operation appears focused on clearing Hezbollah positions closer to the Israeli border while maintaining defensive operations inside Israel itself. Troops are continuing security missions in the Galilee to protect nearby communities, the military said. These efforts are intended to prevent cross-border infiltration or rocket attacks while the ground maneuver unfolds. (Read More)

IDF has destroyed 85-90% of Hezbollah's pre-2023 rocket arsenal

Eighty-five percent to 90% of Hezbollah’s pre-2023 rocket arsenal has been destroyed, the IDF reported Sunday. Before the war, Hezbollah had more than 150,000 rockets, it said. By the November 2024 ceasefire, 70% to 80% of the rocket arsenal had been destroyed, the IDF said. Later in 2025, about 30,000 rockets remained, the IDF said. The IDF’s update on Sunday suggests that over the course of 2025, and more intensely since Hezbollahentered the war on March 2, the military has gradually reduced that total to between 10,000 and 23,000 rockets.

Despite the overall improved situation in Hezbollah’s general threat potential, the Lebanese terrorist group has surprised the IDF in terms of its actual potential by launching about 100 rockets or drones per day against Israel, including nearly 200 on March 11. The IDF has succeeded somewhat in disarming Hezbollah by disrupting what could have been even worse rocket fire. For example, when Hezbollah fired 200 rockets on March 11, its original plan was to fire about 600, the IDF said.

Nevertheless, the IDF was surprised by the 200-rocket attack, which caused more physical damage than expected in the North and left local residents concerned about whether they were safe enough to remain in their communities for a potentially extended conflict with Hezbollah. The IDF had vowed to provide sufficient security so that local residents would not need to evacuate as they did under attack by a more powerful version of Hezbollah in October 2023. (Read More)

Seizing Iran’s uranium could take ‘largest special forces operation in history’ – WSJ

Upward of 1,000 personnel could be required on-site to secure Isfahan facility, amid Iranian missile and drone fire, to dig through rubble for near-weapons grade nuclear material.

A military operation to seize Iran’s stockpile of enriched uranium would require “the largest special forces operation in history,” The Wall Street Journal reported on Sunday, citing US and Israeli security experts. When American and Israeli fighter jets bombed three of the Islamic Republic’s key nuclear sites last June, the regime was believed to have had some 440 kilograms of 60 percent-enriched uranium — a short step away from weapons-grade material, enough for an estimated ten nuclear bombs.

Another almost 200 kilograms, at 20% enriched, were also believed to be in the regime’s possession. Weapons-grade uranium is 90%-enriched. International Atomic Energy Agency chief Rafael Grossi said last week that around half of the 60%-enriched uranium was stored in a tunnel complex at the Isfahan nuclear site. A report earlier this month said the US believes there is a “very narrow access point” through which the material could potentially be retrieved.

Seizing the uranium amid the war would require a major operation, which former NATO commander James Stavridis told the Journal could be “the largest special operations forces in history.” The daily, citing former military officials, reported that upward of 1,000 military personnel would have to be present on-site. Combat troops would need to secure perimeters while engineers dug through tons of debris while checking for mines and booby traps, the newspaper reported. To deliver the equipment to the site and move the recovered material out of the country, a local airfield would be required, and if none was available, a makeshift airfield would have to be set up as part of the operation, the report said. (Read More)

'Secret base’ on the Temple Mount sparks Palestinian anger

Right-wing activist Baruch Marzel sparked a viral stir on the social network X after posting a sarcastic message that drew more than 100,000 views. Marzel shared an AI-generated image depicting the Dome of the Rock with Israeli Air Force fighter jets parked beneath it, appearing as though a subterranean military base existed under the site. He added a tongue-in-cheek caption: “Note: Don’t share the photo of the secret Israeli Air Force base in Jerusalem, so it won’t be attacked."

The post quickly spread online and prompted a sharp response from the Palestinian Authority’s Jerusalem district, which issued a formal condemnation. In its statement, the body claimed the image constituted “dangerous incitement" intended to prepare the ground for an Israeli attack on the Al-Aqsa compound. Palestinian officials argued that the post should not be viewed as a joke but rather as part of a broader ideological campaign, citing statements by other rabbis who have spoken about bombing the mosque or depicting its future destruction as the result of Iranian missile strikes.

Beyond the criticism of Marzel, the Al-Quds district also attacked Israeli policy ahead of the Ramadan, rejecting Israeli claims that potential limits on Muslim worshippers entering the Temple Mount would be based solely on temporary security considerations. According to the statement, such measures are part of what it described as a deliberate political and ideological move aimed at altering the existing religious, historical, and legal status of the site. (Source)

Iranians weigh whether to flee country amid the war

KAPIKOY BORDER CROSSING, Turkey (AP) — After bombs exploded near her home in the eastern Iranian city of Golestan, hairdresser Merve Pourkaz decided to leave. Pourkaz, 32, said she traveled nearly 1,500 kilometers (932 miles) to an alpine border crossing in the hopes of reaching the safety of the nearby Turkish city of Van. “If they let me, I will stay in Van until the war ends,” she told The Associated Press recently while waiting at the crossing. “If the war doesn’t end, maybe I’ll go back and die.”

Pourkaz is one of the 3.2 million people in Iran who the UN refugee agency estimates have been displaced since the US-Israel war with Iran started. While some are seeking shelter in safer parts of Iran or one of its neighboring countries, others are returning from abroad, heading toward the fighting to protect their families and homes.

So far, relatively few people have chosen to leave: The UN estimates that only about 1,300 Iranians have fled via Turkey each day since the war started, and on some days, more people return to Iran than depart. But Iran’s neighbors and Europe are growing increasingly concerned about a possible migration crisis should the war drag on and are making contingency plans. As Pourkaz was entering Turkey, Leila Rabetnezhadfard was headed the other way.

Rabetnezhadfard, 45, was in Istanbul preparing to marry a German university professor when the fighting started. She postponed the ceremony and left for home in Shiraz, in southern Iran. “How can I feel safe in Istanbul when my family is living in Iran during the war?” said Rabetnezhadfard, explaining that bringing her family to Istanbul wasn’t an option because her apartment is small, her brother needs medical care, and life there is expensive. (Read More)

Iranians try to contact loved ones abroad through border with Turkey - report

Amid nationwide internet disruptions and communications blocks in Iran, some Iranians have been traveling to the border with Turkey in an effort to get online and reach loved ones, BBC News reported on Sunday. According to the report, one man has been selling a service that helps Iranians outside Tehran stay in touch with relatives and friends inside the country. To make the system work, the man uses two phones, one connected to the Iranian network and another to the Turkish network, because international calls into Tehran are blocked, according to the BBC.

Customers outside Iran call the seller’s Turkish phone via WhatsApp, and he then connects them to people inside the country using the Iranian mobile network, the report added. Amid the war with Iran, marked by the Israeli and US operations Roaring Lion and Epic Fury, internet restrictions that began during earlier protests have made it extremely difficult for Iranians to contact people abroad through normal channels.

Even so, many Iranians have clung to any opportunity they can find to communicate. “I’m paying a huge amount of money to be able to connect to the internet to talk to him right now,” Ava, from Tehran, told the BBC. She had been due to marry her fiancé, who lives in Canada, this week, but then the war began. Services designed to bypass internet and phone restrictions are often expensive and unreliable. Even when a connection is made, calls usually last only two or three minutes before cutting out, at a cost of about £28 ($38), according to BBC Persian. (Read More)

Iran said to arrest 20 people for allegedly cooperating with Israel

The Islamic Republic, which frequently accuses people of spying without evidence, has reportedly arrested hundreds of alleged collaborators in recent days.

TEHRAN — Iranian authorities have arrested at least 20 people in the country’s northwest on suspicion of cooperating with Israel, local media reported on Sunday, more than two weeks into the US-Israeli war with Iran. The arrests took place during raids on networks linked to Israel in the West Azerbaijan province, the semi-official Fars news agency said, quoting provincial prosecutor Hossein Majidi. “Twenty people were arrested and detained” after they were found to be “sending details of military, law enforcement and security locations to the Zionist enemy,” it added.

Iran frequently arrests people and accuses them of spying without providing evidence. In addition, on Sunday, the official IRNA news agency reported the arrest of a person it said was sending information to the London-based opposition-linked TV channel Iran International. The report, which quoted the police commander of the northern Qazvin province, said the individual was using a Starlink terminal, a technology that is banned in Iran.

Iran has been digitally sealed off from the rest of the world by a complete internet blackout since the start of the war. To get around those restrictions, some Iranians have turned to Starlink terminals from the US company SpaceX, which connect to the internet via satellites. In January, Iran banned cooperation with Iran International, saying it was “affiliated with the Zionist regime.”

Iranian authorities have carried out sweeping raids across the country in recent days, arresting hundreds of people suspected of cooperating with Israel and the United States, local media reported. Last week, its intelligence ministry claimed it had arrested 30 spies, internal mercenaries, and operational agents of Israel and the US in the span of a few days. (Ed note: Guilty or not, you just know that more people will die under The Islamic Republic regime.)     (Source)

THE WOMEN OF ISRAEL!

When the hospital became a battlefield, these women kept life moving forward

For two years, Soroka Medical Center has treated thousands while under attack. Three women doctors share what it means to work, parent, and endure on the frontlines of medicine and war.

For most of the past year, the war has arrived at Soroka Medical Center by ambulance. Civilians and soldiers wounded across southern Israel are rushed through its emergency entrance, even as the hospital continues to treat thousands of patients whose lives have little to do with the battlefield. Then, last year, the war struck the hospital itself. An Iranian missile hit the Soroka complex, damaging several buildings and forcing staff to reorganize their work overnight. This International Women’s Day, three doctors at Soroka reflected on what the past months have looked like from inside the hospital’s walls.

Their experiences move between the emergency room and the battlefield, between operating rooms and bomb shelters, and between the professional demands of medicine and the personal realities of family life during war. Their stories offer a glimpse of what it means to stand at the intersection of medicine, conflict and resilience, and of the women who continue to do so every day.

Dr. Ofira Azulay: "You put everything you’re feeling aside, and you just work.”

On the morning of October 7, Dr. Ofira Azulay was not in the emergency room where she normally spends her days. She was in Tel Aviv with her family for the Simchat Torah holiday when the sirens began. “Very quickly the hospital understood that something unusual was happening,” she recalls. “They declared a mass casualty event at the highest level and asked the staff to come in.”

Azulay and her husband, an orthopedic surgeon at Soroka Medical Center in Beersheba, were with their four children, including a one-year-old. The decision to leave, she recalls, was not simple. “We had four kids with us, a baby, the sirens, the uncertainty. But we both felt we couldn’t stay where we were. We knew we had to get to the hospital.” (Read More)

IDF pummels terror sites as Hezbollah chief threatens long campaign

The Israeli military said it had eliminated key commanders of the Shi’ite terrorist organization, including Iranian officers operating in Lebanon.

Israeli forces have killed more than 380 Hezbollah operatives, including key commanders from the Shi’ite group and other terrorist organizations operating in Lebanon, since the start of “Operation Roaring Lion” on Feb. 28, the IDF said on Saturday. The terrorists were killed in a series of targeted strikes from the air, sea and land over the past week, the statement read. The prominent terrorists slain were from Hezbollah, Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Quds Force and Imam Hossein Division, and Palestinian Islamic Jihad, as well as “the senior command of Iranian regime representatives in Lebanon,” the Israel Defense Forces said.

The IDF mentioned some of the most senior commanders by name: Zid Ali Jomaa, commander of Hezbollah’s firepower management; Ali Reza Bi-Azhar, head of the intelligence branch of the Lebanon Corps within the Quds Force; Ahmad Rasouli, intelligence commander in the Quds Force’s Palestine Corps; and Ali Maglas Tabaja, commander of the Imam Hussein Division.

In total, seven Hezbollah commanders, five Lebanon Corps commanders, three Imam Hussein Division commanders and one Islamic Jihad commander were killed. The IDF did not specify how many additional Iranian representatives were killed. “The eliminations and strikes in Lebanon significantly degrade the command-and-control and firepower abilities of the Hezbollah terrorist organization, and it minimizes the threats to the State of Israel and its civilians,” the army stated. (Read More)

WATCH: IDF's Lebanon raids kill Hezbollah terrorists, seizing weapons, dismantling infrastructure

The IDF's 7th Armored Brigade, operating under the 36th Division, conducted targeted raids against Hezbollah terrorists and terror infrastructure over the past week, the military announced on Saturday. As part of the raids, the brigade's combat team killed dozens of terrorists and dismantled dozens of terror infrastructure sites, including a weapons depot, command center, and observation posts belonging to Hezbollah terrorists, according to the military. The IDF's Northern Command is also continuing with preparations to deploy additional soldiers to the Israel-Lebanon border in the coming week, following a directive by IDF Chief of Staff Lt.-Gen. Eyal Zamir, who ordered forces to intensify a targeted campaign against members of Hezbollah’s Radwan Force following increased militant movement toward the border over the past week.

Soldiers from the Golani Brigade have also been deployed to the border, awaiting operational orders following a situational assessment, the military stated. The IDF's deployment aims to provide "an additional layer of protection for the residents of northern Israel," the military said. The military shared a recording of 7th Brigade chief Col. "S", saying that "We will strike the enemy with determination in order to push the threat away from our communities and to ensure the future of Israel. The residents are relying on us."

"Once again, we have been called up. After months of continuous combat in Gaza, we have been called to advance and operate against the enemy seeking to harm the residents of the North," he stated. The IDF on Saturday expanded its ground operations against Hezbollah in southern Lebanon, as well as launching artillery fire into the area, according to military officials. Military officials said the artillery barrage was intended to support expanded ground activity against Hezbollah units operating in southern Lebanon. Additional Israeli ground forces have been deployed in the area as part of the effort. Also on Saturday, the IDF completed an additional wave of strikes on Hezbollah infrastructure across Lebanon. (Read More)

Strait of Hormuz open to everyone but US, Israel, Iranian FM Araghchi says

The Strait of Hormuz is only closed to US and Israeli ships, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said in an interview with MS NOW on Saturday. Other ships are free to pass, although many prefer not to due to “security concerns,” which Araghchi claimed have nothing to do with Iran. He added that currently there are “many tankers and ships that are passing through the Strait of Hormuz.”

This comes after US President Donald Trump announced on Truth Social that the US, along with several other countries affected by “Iran’s attempted closure of the Hormuz Strait,” would be sending warships to keep the Strait “open and safe.” In the post, Trump listed China, France, Japan, South Korea, and the UK as examples of countries affected by the closure, expressing hope that they would send ships to the area.

Araghchi also responded to claims made by US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth that Iran’s new Supreme Leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, was wounded and likely disfigured, saying that “there is no problem with the supreme leader.” “He sent his message yesterday and will perform his duties - he is performing his duties according to the constitution and will continue to do that,” Araghchi added. Araghchi also emphasized that the Islamic Republic was well-established and not reliant on any one person, and that any loss of individuals could be weathered by the system. “Everything is under control,” Araghchi said. (Read More)

US may hit Iran's Kharg Island again, Trump tells NBC News

US President Donald Trump said on Saturday that the United States may carry out more strikes on Iran's Kharg Island oil export hub, saying that while Tehran appears ready to make a deal to end the conflict, "the terms aren’t good enough yet." He said the US strikes had "totally demolished" most of Kharg Island, telling NBC News that "we may hit it a few more times just for fun." Trump also questioned whether Iranian Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei is still alive.

"I don't know if he's even alive. So far, nobody's been able to show him," Trump told NBC. "I'm hearing he's not alive, and if he is, he should do something very smart for his country, and that's surrender," he added, while calling the news of Khamenei's death a "rumor." Trump also said that he is not ready to make a deal with Iran because "the terms aren't good enough yet." 

Trump said on Saturday that "the only power [Iran has] it's a power that can be closed off relatively quickly, is the power of dropping a mine or shooting a relatively short-range missile. But when we get finished with the shoreline, they're not going to have that power either." (Ed note: "Shoreline." Isn't that where the sea-going Marines come in to take out the missile launchers?) (Read More)

Trump: CENTCOM ‘totally obliterated’ military targets on Kharg Island

The Israeli defense minister said that the war has entered its decisive stage, between Iran’s attempt to survive and its forced surrender.

U.S. forces executed successful strikes against military targets on Kharg Island, the Iranian territory in the Persian Gulf that hosts a port for the export of up to 90% of the Islamic Republic’s oil products, and storage for up to 30 million barrels of oil, President Donald Trump said overnight Friday.

“Moments ago, at my direction, the United States Central Command executed one of the most powerful bombing raids in the History of the Middle East, and totally obliterated every MILITARY target in Iran’s crown jewel, Kharg Island,” the president wrote on Truth Social.

“For reasons of decency,” he continued, “I have chosen NOT to wipe out the Oil Infrastructure on the Island. However, should Iran, or anyone else, do anything to interfere with the Free and Safe Passage of Ships through the Strait of Hormuz, I will immediately reconsider this decision.”

He added that Iran’s military “would be wise to lay down their arms, and save what’s left of their country, which isn’t much!” U.S. Central Command posted footage on X of the strikes on Kharg Island, saying that more than 90 targets were destroyed. These consisted of naval mine storage facilities, missile storage bunkers and other military sites, according to CENTCOM. (Read More)

Trump vows to open Strait of Hormuz ‘one way or the other’ as Iran threatens area’s ports

US leader says other countries must participate in effort to prevent attacks on shipping; US embassy in Iraq and UAE oil facility targeted by Iran and allies.

The US-Israel war with Iran entered its third week on Saturday as a missile struck a helipad inside the US Embassy compound in Baghdad and debris from an intercepted Iranian drone hit an oil facility in the United Arab Emirates, further increasing global anxiety about oil supplies. Iran has targeted countries across the region and said it would choke off the Strait of Hormuz, a major artery for the world’s oil supply.

In response, US President Donald Trump claimed that “many countries” would send warships to the strait to defend shipping. In a post on Truth Social, Trump then said that “hopefully” China, France, Japan, South Korea, Britain and others would send vessels. It was unclear whether other nations were already confirmed to be sending ships beyond those. He also claimed that “we have already destroyed 100 percent of Iran’s military capability.”

Meanwhile, he warned, the US “will be bombing the hell out of the shoreline” and “one way or the other, we will soon get the Hormuz Strait open, safe and free.” Later on Saturday Trump said that “countries of the world that receive oil through the Hormuz Strait must take care of that passage, and we will help — a lot! The US will also coordinate with those countries so that everything goes quickly, smoothly, and well. (Read More)

Israel is preparing for largest-scale ground offensive in Lebanon since 2006 war - Axios

According to the report, Israel plans to seize the entire area south of the Litani River and dismantle Hezbollah's military infrastructure, in what officials say would "be like Gaza."

Israel is planning a large-scale invasion of southern Lebanon in order to dismantle Hezbollah's assets south of the Litani River, Axios reported on Friday, citing Israeli and US officials. According to the report, Israeli officials are planning an operation in which the military would seize the entire area south of the Litani River and dismantle Hezbollah's military infrastructure, which would be the largest one performed in Lebanon since the 2006 war.

"We are going to do what we did in Gaza," a senior Israeli official told Axios. According to the report, the offensive was planned after Hezbollah's attack against Israel, where more than 200 rockets were fired against the country in coordination with Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). "Before this attack, we were ready for a ceasefire in Lebanon, but after it, there is no way back from a massive operation," the report explained, citing senior Israeli officials.

"The goal is to take over territory, push Hezbollah's forces north and away from the border, and dismantle its military positions and weapons depots in the villages," the official said. The Axios report contradicts statements that the IDF told The Jerusalem Post on Thursday, with the military not in favor of launching a full invasion of Lebanon, despite the Hezbollah attack. (Read More)

Lebanon Proposes Ceasefire as Israel-Hezbollah War Displaces Hundreds of Thousands

The Lebanese government pushed for a ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah this week, citing the vast number of civilians displaced from southern Lebanon by the fighting. Israel has thus far been cool to the proposal, expressing little confidence in the Lebanese government’s will or ability to disarm Hezbollah by force. Lebanese President Joseph Aoun presented a four-point proposal on Tuesday that would include a “complete truce,” logistical support for the Lebanese Army to disarm Hezbollah, and “direct negotiations under international auspices” to get Israeli forces out of Lebanon. Direct negotiations with Israel have previously been a forbidden subject for Lebanese leaders.

Aoun denounced Hezbollah’s attack on Israel as “a trap, and an almost overt ambush for Lebanon, and the Lebanese state, and the Lebanese people.” He said Hezbollah and its paymasters in Tehran were trying to “buy the fall of the Lebanese state” without concern for the price, which included “destroying dozens of our villages and the fall of tens of thousands of our people for the sake of the Iranian regime’s calculations.” Aoun said over 700,000 Lebanese citizens have been displaced by the fighting, including 200,000 children, creating a massive humanitarian crisis. “Some of them are on the roads. They have no shelter and not even the most basic necessities of life,” he said.

The president’s criticism of Hezbollah was unusually sharp, as the Iran-backed terrorist group is also a potent political force in Lebanon. He slammed Hezbollah as an “armed faction” that gave “no weight to Lebanon’s interests, or to the lives of its people. Aoun also voiced his support for countries like Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) that have been “treacherously and reprehensibly targeted by the Iranian regime.” (Ed note: The Lebanese government and military has neither the will or power to rein in the forces of Hezbollah, thus Israel will have to do it for them.) (Read More)

Israel Air Force drops leaflets with QR codes over Beirut

Lebanese army claims that an Israeli aircraft dropped leaflets over Beirut containing QR codes for WhatsApp and Facebook, which allegedly lead to an Israeli intelligence unit responsible for recruiting agents.

The Lebanese army announced that an Israeli aircraft dropped leaflets over Beirut containing QR codes that, according to them, lead to electronic contact channels of an Israeli intelligence unit responsible for recruiting agents. The statement said that the codes lead to communication platforms such as WhatsApp and Facebook, and that the intent is to contact civilians to recruit them for intelligence activities.

The Lebanese army warned civilians against scanning the codes or clicking on the links included in the leaflets. The statement added that this action could, according to them, pose legal and security risks for civilians. It also claimed there is a possibility of harm to mobile phones, including device intrusion and access to personal information. (Ed note: Not mentioned by Hezbollah was the fact that they would not be receiving any replacement pagers at this time.) (Source)

Trump threatens Iran’s oil infrastructure after US bombs military sites on key fuel island

US President Donald Trump has said the US “obliterated” military targets on Iran’s key Kharg Island oil shipping hub, and threatened the US would “wipe out” oil infrastructure there should the Islamic Republic impede maritime traffic in the Strait of Hormuz. Trump also said the US would start escorting vessels through the strait — the world’s most vital waterway for oil shipments — to protect them from Iranian attacks. Washington was also set to reinforce its presence in the Middle East with Marine forces specializing in amphibious landings.

Meanwhile, the US offered a reward of up to $10 million for information about senior Iranian military and intelligence officials, including Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei, the son and successor of Ali Khamenei, who was killed at the start of the US-Israeli bombing campaign on February 28. The start of the bombing campaign followed a massive US military buildup in the region, and repeated threats by Trump to strike Iran, first over its brutal crackdown on anti-regime protesters in January and more recently over its nuclear program.

Iran has responded with missile and drone strikes across the region, as well as by threatening shipping in the Strait of Hormuz, bringing traffic to a virtual standstill in that Persian Gulf waterway that had previously carried roughly a fifth of the world’s traded oil. The strait’s closure, and other disruptions to energy infrastructure in the region, have triggered oil price hikes, which the Trump administration seeks to counter. (Read More)

Trump says US ‘obliterated’ military targets in strike on key Iranian oil hub: 'Powerful bombing raids'

President Donald Trump said Friday that the U.S. had carried out a bombing raid on Iran’s Kharg Island, a strategically vital island in the Persian Gulf that serves as the country’s largest oil terminal and a crucial hub for its crude exports. "Moments ago, at my direction, the United States Central Command executed one of the most powerful bombing raids in the history of the Middle East, and totally obliterated every MILITARY target in Iran’s crown jewel, Kharg Island," Trump wrote on Truth Social.

The island, located roughly 35 miles off Iran’s Bushehr province in the country’s southwest, is about the size of New York City’s Central Park but carries huge importance for Iran’s economy. It has a loading capacity of about 7 million barrels per day, and roughly 90% of Iran’s crude oil exports pass through it. Most of those exports are shipped to China and India, underscoring the island’s importance not only to Iran’s energy trade but also to broader global oil markets. 

That makes Kharg Island one of Iran’s most sensitive and strategically important pieces of infrastructure. Any military action there could have consequences well beyond Iran, raising the risk of disruptions to crude flows, shipping traffic and energy prices across the region. Trump said the U.S. had deliberately avoided targeting the island’s oil infrastructure, while warning that could change if Iran moved to disrupt shipping through the Strait of Hormuz.

"Our Weapons are the most powerful and sophisticated that the World has ever known but, for reasons of decency, I have chosen NOT to wipe out the Oil Infrastructure on the Island. However, should Iran, or anyone else, do anything to interfere with the Free and Safe Passage of Ships through the Strait of Hormuz, I will immediately reconsider this decision," Trump added.The latest revelation comes as the widening conflict in the Middle East rattles global energy markets and raises fresh fears about the security of the Strait of Hormuz, the world’s most important oil choke point. (Read More)

Katz threatens to take territory in Lebanon if attacks persist; evacuation warnings expand

Demanding end to Hezbollah’s rocket and drone fire, defense minister says army readying to expand operations; Lebanese told to leave homes south of Zahrani River.

Defense Minister Israel Katz said Thursday he has warned Lebanon that if it does not stop the Hezbollah terror group’s continuing rocket and drone attacks, Israel will “take the territory and do it ourselves.” Meanwhile, Israel expanded its evacuation warnings in south Lebanon, telling more communities further away from the border to leave or risk being targeted as the military escalates its operations against the terror group.

“Hezbollah launched heavy barrages toward the State of Israel yesterday. The IDF responded forcefully in the Dahiyeh and against Hezbollah targets across Lebanon,” Katz said during an assessment with senior Israel Defense Forces officers, referring to Beirut’s southern suburb, a Hezbollah stronghold.

“I warned the president of Lebanon that if the Lebanese government does not know how to control the territory and prevent Hezbollah from threatening the northern communities and firing at Israel, we will take the territory and do it ourselves,” he said. Katz also said that he and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had “instructed the IDF to prepare for an expansion of IDF activity in Lebanon to restore calm and security to the northern communities.”

On Wednesday, Hezbollah launched some 200 rockets and around 20 drones at Israel over a period of several hours, marking its heaviest fire since it began its attacks on Israel in support of its sponsor Iran, amid the US-Israeli war against the regime in Tehran. The vast majority of the rockets were intercepted or struck open areas. There were two impacts in residential areas, causing damage and lightly injuring two people. Nearly all of the drones were intercepted, aside from one that crashed near a border community without exploding, according to the military. (Ed note: Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, and the IDF Chief of Staff Lt.-Gen. Eyal Zamir have told everyone, including the government of Lebanon and its military, that if they can't stop Hezbollah, Israel will do it. Danny Danon has delivered the same message to the UN. Get ready!)   (Read More)

The Defense Minister's dire warning to Lebanese leaders

Defense Minister in situational assessment: "The destruction of the bridge over the Litani is just the beginning. Lebanon failed to dismantle Hezbollah and will pay an increasing price."

Defense Minister Israel Katz delivered a stern and unprecedented warning to the Lebanese government during a special security assessment on Friday morning, stating that Lebanon would be held responsible for Hezbollah's actions and would pay a rising price for failing to disarm the terror group. The assessment, conducted at the "pit" in the IDF headquarters in Tel Aviv, was attended by Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir and senior security officials. The meeting took place just hours after the Israeli Air Force destroyed a key bridge on the Litani River, which had served as a major route for transferring weapons and Hezbollah operatives to southern Lebanon.

In his remarks, Katz emphasized that Israel would hold the Lebanese government directly responsible for the ongoing terror activities coming from its territory. "This is just the beginning," he declared. "The Lebanese government and the state of Lebanon will pay an increasing price in terms of lost territory and damage to national infrastructure used by Hezbollah militants." He pointed out that Israel would no longer tolerate a situation in which the Lebanese government continues to shirk its international obligations. "The Lebanese government has deceived the international community and failed to meet its commitment to disarm Hezbollah. It will continue to pay escalating costs until this fundamental obligation is fulfilled."

Katz made it clear that the destruction of Lebanese national infrastructure was a direct response to rocket fire targeting Israel. He stressed that the current campaign in Lebanon was intertwined with the broader struggle against Iran. "The Prime Minister, the IDF, and I are committed to defending the citizens of the north and all Israelis - we will do everything to fulfill this commitment both in Iran and in Lebanon." (Source)

Why Iran’s vital Kharg Island oil hub is still untouched by US-Israel bombers

While some argue for destroying the terminal through which 90% of Iran’s oil exports flow, others caution of a global market ‘tailspin’ 

Kharg Island – through which 90% of Iran’s oil exports flow – is arguably the country’s most sensitive economic target but the export terminal has so far remained untouched throughout the US-Israel bombing campaign. Experts say bombing or capturing the site with US forces would be likely to cause a sustained increase to already surging oil prices, as it would amount to taking the entirety of Iran’s daily crude exports offline.

“We may see the $120 a barrel price we saw on Monday heading to the $150 if Kharg were attacked,” said Neil Quilliam, with the Chatham House thinktank. “It’s too vital for global energy markets”. Although the US has struck 5,000 targets in and around Iran, it has so far refrained from bombing the country’s oil infrastructure – though oil prices remain nearly $20 per barrel higher because the fear of Iranian retaliation has in effect closed the strait of Hormuz to tanker traffic.

Israel’s air force did strike two oil refineries and two depots on Saturday, plunging Tehran into what some residents described as an “apocalyptic” darkness as thick black smoke descended over the capital. But there have been no attacks since. Kharg, a five-mile-long coral island in the Persian Gulf 27 miles from the mainland, is where pipelines from Iran’s oilfields in the centre and the west of the country terminate. Established by a US oil conglomerate, Amoco, it was seized by Iran during the 1979 revolution.

While most of Iran’s coastline is silty and too shallow for very large crude tankers used by the oil industry, Kharg is sufficiently close to deep waters. Satellite imagery reveals vast loading jetties emerging from its eastern shore. Typically, between 1.3m and 1.6m barrels of oil a day pass through Kharg, though Iran increased volumes to 3m a day in mid-February, according to the investment bank JP Morgan, in anticipation of a US-led attack. A further 18m barrels are stored on Kharg as a backup, the bank added.  (Ed note: This very important small island will be very big soon.)  (Read More)

Kharg Island: Iran’s ‘Achilles' heel’

Donald Trump accused Tehran of “making us look a bunch of fools” and said he would “go in and take” an island from Iran. But this threat wasn’t made in 2026. Trump said it in 1988. In an interview with The Guardian’s Polly Toynbee nearly 40 years ago, the now US president raged against the Iranians, saying: “One bullet shot at one of our men or ships and I’d do a number on Kharg Island.” Situated northwest of the Strait of Hormuz, the strategically important shipping route in the Gulf, Kharg Island has long been seen as Tehran’s Achilles’ heel. Grabbing it today could “let Trump beat Iran without sending a single soldier”, said The Telegraph. 

 
What is Kharg Island?

Roughly 15 nautical miles from the Iranian mainland, this small coral outcrop is widely regarded by Iranians as the “Forbidden Island”. It is just five miles long and three miles wide. Beyond its “imposing steel fences and military watchtowers” is a “pristine landscape” where “millennia of diverse human history quietly coexist”, said Al Jazeera. It is also home to the “beating heart of Iran’s modern energy empire”.It has history with the US. When Iranian militants kidnapped 52 US diplomats in 1979, advisers to President Jimmy Carter suggested seizing Kharg but the plan was rejected as being too inflammatory. In 2016, 10 US marines were held after straying into Iranian waters near the island. 

 
Why is it important?

It processes 90% of the nation’s total oil exports, handling approximately 950 million barrels a year. So if the US captured the island, it could cause a huge problem for Iran’s economy for years to come. “Seizing” Kharg Island would “cut off Iran’s oil lifeline, which is crucial for the regime”, Petras Katinas, from the Royal United Services Institute, told The Telegraph. It could be used as a bargaining chip as oil exports make up nearly 40% of the Iranian government’s budget, so this would “give the US leverage during negotiations”, regardless of “which regime is in power after the military operation ends”.The move “would be reminiscent” of the US intervention in Venezuela, when it “effectively took control of the country’s oil sector”, oil analyst Tamas Varga told CNBC. 

So why hasn’t Trump seized it?

Taking the island would make American and Israeli troops vulnerable to attacks by Iranian forces. In the longer term, it would damage any future regime’s chances of managing the economy, something Washington might be keen to avoid. Neil Quilliam, from the Chatham House think tank, told The Independentit is “unlikely” Trump would take over the territory. Previous US presidents have “steered away from Kharg understanding its strategic importance to global oil markets”. But if Trump did control Kharg Island, he could “pressurise the existing regime into compliance”, or “all-out collapse”, forcing any new government to “toe Washington’s line” if it wanted to “regain sovereignty over oil exports”, said The Telegraph. (Source)

‘Take the Oil’: Seizing the Kharg Island Terminal is the Ultimate Checkmate to Iran

Should Trump Take Kharg, Rather than Destroy It, He Can Ensure the Regime Can Never Again Pay the Salaries of Its Bureaucrats and Soldiers  

America Should Seize the Kharg Oil Terminal—Not Bomb Iran  

When protests erupted in Tehran’s bazaar, President Donald Trump warned Iran on TruthSocial, “If Iran shots [sic] and violently kills peaceful protesters, which is their custom, the United States of America will come to their rescue. We are locked and loaded and ready to go.” Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei has now called Trump’s bluff. Reports filtering out of Iran suggest Iranian security forces have conducted a massacre of protestors far larger than what the Chinese Communists did at Tiananmen Square. Either Trump stands down, at which point he essentially mirrors President Barack Obama, voiding his own red lines in the wake of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s chemical weapons use, or he attacks Iran.  

The Kharg Island Play  

Fortunately, Trump has a way out if he only looks at past plans. In 1979, after radical students loyal to Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini took 52 American diplomats hostage, President Jimmy Carter tasked Adm. James “Ace” Lyons to come up with a plan to compel their release. Lyons proposed blockading Iranian ports and seizing Kharg Island. His logic was simple: The Revolutionary regime could not afford a cessation of its oil exports.  

Carter’s aides ultimately rejected the plan; they feared a blockade sliding into direct conflict, something Carter himself had ruled out in the emergency National Security Council meeting that occurred just after the hostage seizure. Carter’s fear and self-deterrence kneecapped his administration and empowered Khomeini to extort the United States. Only when Ronald Reagan took office did Khomeini release the hostages, fearing what might come next. 

Iran’s Geography Problem  

Lyons died in 2018, but his plan remains as relevant 46 years later. Iran’s vulnerability is its geography. The Persian Gulf is extremely narrow and shallow. At its deepest point, it is only 298 feet deep. In comparison, Lake Michigan’s deepest point is almost 1,000 feet deep. The Persian Gulf’s average depth is even less—just 160 feet deep, but much shallower as it slopes up to Iran’s rocky shore. In practice, this means that ordinary tankers, let alone the supertankers that today carry most crude, cannot get anywhere near the Iranian coast. To resolve this problem, the Iranians pipe most oil they produce to the Kharg Oil Terminal, built during the Shah’s time, on Kharg Island, about 15 miles off the coast of Iran. Today, Kharg is responsible for about 90 percent of Iran’s oil exports.  

What Will Iran Do In Response?  

...Will Khamenei take the loss of Kharg sitting down? First, there is a limit to what Khamenei can do when he’s hiding in an underground bunker isolated from even his top aides. Second, any Iranian military attempt to confront U.S. forces will not only divert forces from attacking Iranians in the streets but will also end with those Revolutionary Guardsmen losing in epic fashion.  

...After Operation Praying Mantis, regional Arabs told a joke: “Why does the Iranian Navy have glass-bottom boats?” The answer: “So they can see their air force.” The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, of course, could target Kharg with ballistic missiles, but that would sign their death warrant. Not only would Trump respond in kind, but such action would end Iranian oil exports for months to come, again leaving salaries unpaid.  

...Khamenei’s arrogance and his misreading of Trump already led to the loss of the Islamic Republic’s nuclear program, raising questions even among supporters about what their multibillion-dollar sacrifice was for. To cap that off with a loss of Iran’s oil revenue would likely be too much for even Khamenei’s most ardent supporters to survive. Ace Lyons will be laughing from his grave.  (Ed note: This article was first posted on our Newsstand on Wed Feb 11, 2026.).  (Read More)

Hezbollah fires 200 rockets at north, Iran launches missiles in ‘integrated operation’

Lebanese terror group Hezbollah blasted some 200 rockets and 20 drones at northern Israel for hours on Wednesday evening, repeatedly sending hundreds of thousands of Israelis to shelters. Two people were lightly injured in northern Israel. A house was destroyed by a direct missile hit in Moshav Haniel, in central Israel. An elderly woman and her Filipino caregiver were in the safe room of the home, and emerged unscathed.

The onslaught marked the largest Hezbollah attack on Israel since hostilities intensified last week, as the terror group began attacks to support its sponsor, Iran, which is under intense attack from a joint US-Israel air campaign that began on February 28. Israeli strikes, meanwhile, continued in Beirut and beyond, with Lebanese sources reporting casualties in multiple areas.

An opening salvo of 100 rockets was launched from Lebanon around 8 p.m. just as a missile from Iran targeted the central region of the country, in what Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said was a coordinated attack. More Iranian missiles targeted the north and south of the country. The Iranian missiles were successfully intercepted by air defenses, which also worked to thwart the Hezbollah attacks. However, several impacts were reported, causing fires, and two people were lightly injured.

The Magen David Adom ambulance service said the two, a 35-year-old woman and a man in his 50s, were hit by “flying objects” following impacts. They were taken to a hospital. According to rescue services, a rocket that struck a home in the northern town of Bi’ina injured one of the two victims. Four others were treated for acute anxiety at the scene. As the Israel Defense Forces instructed residents of the north to stay close to shelters, Hezbollah continued firing rockets and drones, with sirens set off across the Galilee and in Haifa as well as in communities up to 50 kilometers from the border with Lebanon. (Read More)

Taking the Ground: The New Order to Expand IDF Operations in the North

Defense Minister Israel Katz has warned the Lebanese President that Israel will seize territory in southern Lebanon to stop Hezbollah’s attacks if the Lebanese government fails to act.
In a major escalation of rhetoric and military planning, Defense Minister Israel Katz announced on Thursday that the IDF has been officially instructed to prepare for a significant expansion of its operations within Lebanon. Following a high level situational assessment with the military's top brass, including the Deputy Chief of Staff and the Commander of the Air Force, Katz revealed that he had issued a direct and severe warning to the President of Lebanon. The Minister made it clear that the Israeli government will no longer tolerate the inability of the Lebanese state to restrain Hezbollah. If the national government in Beirut cannot prevent the terrorist group from launching rockets at northern Israeli communities, Israel intends to enter the territory and establish security through direct military control. 

The core of the new Israeli policy centers on the accountability of the Lebanese state. Minister Katz was blunt in his assessment of the situation, stating that he had informed the Lebanese leadership of the consequences of their inaction. "I warned the President of Lebanon that if the Lebanese government does not know how to control the territory and prevent Hezbollah from threatening the northern settlements and firing toward Israel, we will take the territory and do it ourselves," Katz declared. This statement suggests that a ground operation aimed at creating a buffer zone is now a primary consideration for the political echelon. The Minister emphasized that the priority is the "return of quiet and security" to the residents of northern Israel, many of whom have been displaced for months.

The directive to expand activity follows a night of heavy rocket fire from Lebanon, which was met with powerful IAF strikes in the Dahiyeh district of Beirut and across southern Lebanon. During the meeting with senior commanders, including Home Front Command head Major General Rafi Milo and IAF chief Major General Tomer Bar, Katz and Prime Minister Netanyahu finalized the instructions for the next phase of the campaign. "The Prime Minister and I have instructed the IDF to prepare for the expansion of IDF activity in Lebanon," Katz confirmed. This preparation involves coordinating the logistics for an increased troop presence and ensuring that the Air Force is ready to provide the necessary cover for any potential ground movements. (Read More)

Hezbollah launches over 100 rockets at Israel’s North in joint attack with Iran, five injured

In response to Hezbollah's rocket barrage, the IDF resumed strikes on Dahiyeh, Beirut, and is considering attacking Lebanon's civilian infrastructure, a source told the 'Post.'

Five people were injured when a rocket hit a residence in the Upper Galilee in northern Israel, including four suffering from anxiety, United Hatzalah announced on Wednesday evening. Firefighters cut off the electricity to the residence to prevent a fire, United Hatzalah added. This came after sirens sounded across the country after Hezbollah and Iran launched a joint attack on Israel on Wednesday night. Hezbollah terrorists launched over 100 rockets against northern Israel in a single barrage on Wednesday night, a security source confirmed.

IDF Arabic-langugage spokesperson Col (res.) Avichay Adraee warned residents of Dahiyeh, a southern suburb of Beirut known to be a Hezbollah terror stronghold, to evacuate the area due to IDF strikes on Wednesday night. Adraee issued a similar warning earlier on Wednesday afternoon, but the latest comes after Hezbollah terrorists launched a barrage of over 100 rockets towards northern Israel, with at least one direct hit recorded.

Additionally, United Hatzalah stated that it had received reports of rockets and shrapnel hitting several sites in northern Israel. There were also reports of rocket fallout starting a fire in a forest in the region. (Ed note: Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and the IDF will not allow Hezbollah to pound the north part of Israel. This battle is going to get very intense. Watch out Beirut!)  (Read More)

IDF Chief Zamir orders reinforcements to the North for potential broader invasion against Hezbollah

The IDF is ramping up operations in southern Lebanon, moving key forces and expanding attacks on Hezbollah strongholds, as direct confrontations on the ground escalate.

IDF Chief of Staff Lt.-Gen. Eyal Zamir on Wednesday ordered significant reinforcements to the North, indicating that Ground Forces involvement in Lebanon might escalate. He instructed the IDF to reinforce Northern Command and redeploy the Golani Brigade from operations in Gaza to the North, the IDF said. Despite ramping up operations on the northern border, Home Front Command Chief Maj.-Gen. Shai Klepper told citizens on Wednesday evening that there would be no changes to the civilian security guidelines, adding that the guidelines would be re-evaluated over the weekend.

"I know that with the renewal of fighting on the northern front, feelings of discomfort and uncertainty have resurfaced," Klepper said. "At the same time, I want to say that the IDF is beyond the border, defending the residents of the north and operating to directly and significantly weaken Hezbollah." The Golani Brigade is the IDF’s foremost large-scale offensive invasion force. It is usually not brought into a new sector just to carry out guard duty.

The IDF has already sent the 36th and 91st Divisions deeper into southern Lebanon than the original plans dictated. So far, the 146th and 210th Divisions have not advanced as deeply, but they also have expanded operations in southern Lebanon beyond the five outposts that Israel has maintained near the border since the November 2024 ceasefire with Hezbollah. In the coming days, the IDF is expected to approach 1,000 attacks in Lebanon, including dozens of major airstrikes in the Beirut neighborhood of Dahiyeh, Hezbollah’s stronghold. (Read More)

Danon to UNSC: 'Either Lebanon restrains Hezbollah or Israel uses full force'

Israeli Ambassador to the UN, Danny Danon, tells the Security Council: "Hezbollah is not attacking Israel to protect Lebanon or to protect Lebanese citizens. It is acting to serve the Iranian regime's agenda."

The UN Security Council convened today (Wednesday) to discuss the situation in Lebanon, following Hezbollah's continued attacks on Israel and Israeli activity in southern Lebanon. Israeli Ambassador to the UN, Danny Danon, said in the session that since March 2, Hezbollah has launched more than 880 rockets and missiles, over 60 drones and more than 15 anti-tank missiles at Israel.

During the discussion, the ambassador presented a map of Hezbollah's infrastructure south of the Litani, including launch sites, weapons depots and underground bunkers, and made it clear that this is a direct violation of Security Council Resolution 1701. Danon stated: "Lebanon now faces only two options: either the Lebanese government takes real action and restrains Hezbollah, or Israel uses its force to dismantle this terrorist organization. There is no other option."

He also said that since the ceasefire came into effect, Israel has submitted 929 enforcement requests to the Lebanese army to dismantle Hezbollah infrastructure in southern Lebanon, but some of the sites remained active and were being reused for launching missiles at Israel. Ambassador Danon added: "We warned Lebanon 929 times. The terrorist infrastructure remained in the area, and the missiles were again fired at Israeli citizens." (Source)

North Korea Elbows into Iran Conflict, Pledging Support for ‘Supreme Leader’

North Korea on Wednesday announced its support for Iran’s new Supreme Leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, and denounced what it called “illegal” attacks on Iran by the United States and Israel.

North Korea’s state-run Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) quoted a spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs who said Pyongyang “respected” the appointment of Khamenei to succeed his father, Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who was killed at the beginning of Operation Epic Fury last week. “Regarding the recent official announcement that the Iranian Assembly of Experts has elected a new leader of the Islamic Revolution, we respect the right and choice of the Iranian people to elect their Supreme Leader,” the foreign ministry said, according to KCNA.

“We express grave concern and strongly condemn the aggression of the United States and Israel, which, by launching an unlawful military attack against Iran, are undermining the foundations of regional peace and security and increasing instability in the international landscape,” the statement added. The North Korean spokesperson said the U.S. and Israeli effort to destroy the “political system and territorial integrity of a country” should be “condemned and rejected by the entire world.”

Daejeon University professor Song Seong-jong, formerly with South Korea’s ministry of defense, told the UK Guardian on Monday that the Iran war has probably reinforced North Korean dictator Kim Jong-un’s conviction that nuclear weapons are an indispensable shield against U.S. military action. “Kim must have thought Iran was attacked like that because it didn’t have nuclear weapons,” Song said.

Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) senior adviser Sydney Seiler said Trump’s “willingness to use military force and threats for negotiating leverage” would make Kim “nervous and less likely to hastily seek talks,” although there were not any signs that North Korea was willing to bargain its nukes away before Operation Epic Fury, or before Donald Trump returned to office, for that matter.  (Off the shelf, North Korea can provide a ICBM carrying a nuclear payload, and if it is an solid-fuel rocket, can have a range up to 9300 miles. Enough to reach the US.)  (Read More)

IDF strikes Iranian explosives experiments nuclear facility at Parchin-Taleghan 2

The IDF on Thursday said it had struck Iran's advanced explosives experiments nuclear facility at Parchin-Taleghan 2. On February 2, multiple satellite photo providers put out pictures of the latest Iranian efforts to conceal the status of their nuclear program rebuilding efforts at Natanz, Isfahan, and Parchin-Taleghan 2. Parchin-Taleghan 2 had previously served as an AMAD-era nuclear weapons group site relating to explosives testing and is just south of Tehran.

On March 8, despite doubts about recent Israeli military claims of having destroyed a secret nuclear site, which was critical and potentially dangerous for future Islamic regime plans to develop a nuclear weapon, The Jerusalem Post exclusively confirmed with Israeli sources the severity of the site. On March 3, IDF Chief Spokesman Brig, Gen. Efi Deffrin revealed in a press conference that the air force had destroyed a secret Iranian nuclear weapons development site.

Naming the site as Min Zadai, on the northeast outskirts of Tehran, Deffrin said that the site was related to weapons group developments. He said that IDF intelligence followed nuclear scientists who tried to travel there clandestinely. From following these scientists, he said that the IDF was able to learn about the dangerous nature of these activities, for helping Tehran potentially start to rehabilitate aspects of weapons development for a nuclear bomb. Most of the global media attention focuses on uranium enrichment since that is the hardest issue to conquer and can take many years to master.

But without a number of weapons components being developed, enriched uranium can not be delivered as a weapon. Prior to the Israel-Iran War of June 2025, Natanz was Iran's largest site for enriching uranium, containing the vast majority of its centrifuges, situated around 220 kilometers (135 miles) south of the capital. It was a mix of above and below-ground facilities. (Read More)