Israel Today: Ongoing War Report - Update from 2025-12-30 at 08:06 cover art

Israel Today: Ongoing War Report - Update from 2025-12-30 at 08:06

Israel Today: Ongoing War Report - Update from 2025-12-30 at 08:06

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 HEADLINESIsrael to Receive 25 F-15IA JetsYemen Rift Deepens as UAE Tensions RiseIran Protests Intensify as Regime Faces PressureThe time is now 3:00 AM in New York, I'm Noa Levi and this is the latest Israel Today: Ongoing War Report.It is 3:00 a.m. Here is the latest hourly update on events shaping the Middle East and related regional dynamics for an international audience.A major defense development dominated the day’s talks between the United States and Israel. The Pentagon confirmed a contract with Boeing to supply 25 upgraded F-15IA fighter jets for Israel, with an option for 25 more, part of a multibillion-dollar package aimed at strengthening the Israeli Air Force through the next decade and into the mid-2030s. The deal follows discussions between President Trump and Prime Minister Netanyahu, and comes as Washington reinforces its military aid to Israel amid ongoing regional tensions. In the same exchange, President Trump indicated that the administration is seriously considering sales of F-35 jets to Turkey, a move Israel has long warned could affect its qualitative military edge in the region. Trump stressed that Israel’s security concerns would factor into any broader decisions, and he noted friendship with President Erdogan while signaling that no confrontation was foreseen with Turkey over potential arms sales.In Yemen, tensions within the Saudi-led alliance deepened after an airstrike on the southern port of Mukalla targeted what authorities described as foreign military support for the UAE-backed Southern Transitional Council, a development that has raised the prospect of a broader intra-alliance rift. Rashad al-Alimi, head of Yemen’s presidential council, cancelled a defense pact with the UAE and issued a 24-hour deadline for Emirati forces to withdraw. The strike followed recent arrivals of vessels from the UAE that reportedly docked without authorization and unloaded weapons and combat vehicles for the STC. The coalition said the operation did not cause casualties, but the episode has underscored friction as the coalition seeks to maintain a unified approach against the Iran-aligned Houthis. The broader risk is heightened instability in Yemen’s south, with the potential to complicate efforts to stabilize the country and to skirt the lines of international diplomacy in the region.In Syria, authorities have pursued a controversial effort to win the loyalty of the Alawite community through the Supreme Committee for the Preservation of Civil Peace. The committee, run by former militants and security figures, has offered amnesty, jobs, and medical services to hundreds of Alawites and former security officials who supported opposing sides during the war, along with limited economic assistance to the wider coastal provinces of Latakia and Tartous. The initiative aims to restore a degree of stability and demonstrate governance that can appeal across sectarian divides. Critics warn that the process lacks transparency and accountability, and human-rights groups caution that granting amnesty for serious crimes could undermine judicial independence. Those involved say the program is calibrated to balance reconciliation with accountability, a difficult political calculation in a country long scarred by violence and sectarian fault lines.In Israel, authorities reported a fatal flood-related incident near the Meitar River. A man who had been attempting to extricate a vehicle stuck in rising water was swept away by the current, and rescuers later recovered his body. The event underscores the flood risks that have affected communities in various parts of the country, particularly during periods of heavy rainfall and unusual weather patterns.Iranian domestic politics and society remain a focal point for observers. Overnight, protests persisted in Tehran and other cities as students and merchants joined demonstrations that critics say challenge the regime. The demonstrations, spanning multiple urban centers, include calls for freedom and broader political reform. State authorities have responded with crowd-control measures, and international observers are watching for signs of whether the movement broadens beyond its current scale. The unrest in Iran continues to be a significant geopolitical factor given its regional influence and its role in regional security calculations.Across the broader region, China conducted its largest-ever series of military exercises around Taiwan, deploying bombers and warships in a show of force that led to the cancellation of dozens of domestic flights to and from Taiwan’s offshore islands. The exercise highlights the sensitivity of security dynamics in Asia and how they intersect with Middle East and global interests, including supply chains and foreign-policy signaling to allies and rivals alike.In Turkey, security forces detained 110 suspects in a wide-ranging operation against Islamic State networks, following a deadly gunfight in the northwest that killed ...
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