BN Israel’s Yair Pinto and Mati report on the Israel-Iran and regional war. IRAN: Day 20 of Operation “Roaring Lion” opens with what the report describes as a shocking first: the IDF says it struck Iranian naval vessels in the Caspian Sea, a zone Israel had not attacked before. The report says several Iranian warships were badly damaged, while Israel also continues destroying Iran’s military industry and expanding pressure on the Revolutionary Guards.
TEHRAN / REGIME: The report says Israel eliminated Iranian Intelligence Minister Ismail Khatib and also struck the new commander of the Imam Hussein Brigade. It also describes a growing leadership vacuum in Tehran after the elimination of Ali Larijani, while Mojtaba Khamenei is portrayed as wounded and isolated. Yair and Mati examine whether this is becoming the beginning of the end for the Revolutionary Guards as reports emerge of armed Iranian citizens attacking Basij forces.
HORMUZ / ENERGY WAR: The United States is reportedly considering sending thousands of additional troops to the Middle East to help ensure freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz, take control of Kharg Island, and remove enriched uranium from Iranian territory. President Trump also warned that if Iran attacks Qatar again, the United States will strike South Pars “without hesitation,” as the war increasingly shifts toward energy infrastructure and the regional economy.
GULF STATES: Iran attacked gas facilities in Qatar and Saudi Arabia, with a direct hit reported in Ras Laffan and additional drone and missile activity over Saudi territory. The report says Qatar is furious after being targeted despite serving as a mediator, while Iran is signaling that if it cannot maintain its own gas position, it is prepared to threaten the wider region’s energy security.
NORTH: The Lebanon front is also heating up. The report says Hezbollah launched missiles as far as southern Israel in a highly unusual escalation and is also trying to carry out attacks in Gulf states, showing that Tehran’s proxy network remains active even as pressure mounts inside Iran itself.