Houthi Leader’s Security Chief Killed In US Airstrike In Yemen – Report
The chief of the Houthi leader’s security detail was reportedly killed during a US strike on Houthi targets in Yemen according to Israel media, citing a Saudi report on Monday (17th).
Overnight, US Central Command (CENTCOM) continued to carry out strikes on the Iran-backed terror group.
The Houthis claimed 53 people have been killed as a result of the strikes, which began on Saturday (15th).
Speaking with ABC on Monday (17th), White House national security adviser Mike Waltz said the US strikes “took out” several Houthi leaders.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said on Sunday (16th), that the United States would conduct “unrelenting” strikes against the Houthis in Yemen until the terrorist group ceases their military actions targeting US assets and global shipping.
On Sunday (16th), the Hoiuthis claimed they struck the USS Harry S. Truman aircraft carrier in addition to other US naval ships, deployed in the area of the Red Sea. The US said it downed 11 Houthi drones, following the Iran-backed group’s claim it had attempted to attack the aircraft carrier.
A US official told Reuters the strikes could last “days, possibly weeks.”
Security Forces Foil Ramadan Terror Plot In Jerusalem, Arab Israeli Suspect Arrested
A northern Israel man was charged on Sunday (16th) with planning a shooting attack targeting police officers and Jewish civilians in Jerusalem’s Old City during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan.
The Haifa;s District Attorney’s Office filed an indictment against Odae Mobarsham, a resident of the Arab town of Jadeidi Makr in Western Galilee, accusing him of planning the attack as an “expression of solidarity with the Palestinian cause.” Prosecutors say Mobarsham intended to carry out the attack at Damascus Gate using an illegally obtained firearm.
According to a joint statement from police and the Shin Bet security agency, Mobarsham was arrested last month by officers from the Crime Fighting Unit (YALP) and Special Patrol Unit (YASAM). Investigators determined that he had acquired a firearm, trained with it and attempted to recruit others to join him in the attack. The weapon was later found in the possession of his brother, who has also been charged for assisting in hiding it.
A senior Shin Bet official described the arrest as a “significant counterterrorism success” emphasizing that had the attack been carried out during Ramadan, it could have led to a “dangerous escalation” in Jerusalem at a time of heightened security tensions.
“The Shin Bet and Israeli police view any involvement of Israeli citizens in activities that threaten national security with the utmost severity,” the statement said. “We will continue working with law enforcement agencies to ensure that those involved are brought to justice.”
The arrest comes amid a particularly sensitive period as Ramadan – a time of heightened religious fervor – coincides with ongoing security concerns following over a year of war and instability. While Israel has recorded a decline in attacks in recent weeks, officials remain on high alert due to increased weapons smuggling into Palestinian territories, economic strains in the West Bank and the recent release of convicted terrorists as part of the hostage deal with Hamas.
Earlier this month, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and the Security Cabinet approved a limited entry permit for Palestinian worshipers from the West Bank to pray at the Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem on Fridays during Ramadan. The Prime MInister’s Office said that the restrictions are in line with those enforced in previous years.
Houthi Missile Falls Inside Egypt, IDF Checks Whether It Was Fired At Israel
A missile fired by the Houthi terrorist organization fell in the city of Sharm al-Sheikh in Egypt’s Sinai Peninsula, Army Radio reported Sunday morning (16th).
The IDF is investigating whether the missile was aimed at Israel.
This comes after the United States struck Houthi targets in Yemen on Saturday evening (15th) in what a US official described to news media as a message to Iran at a time when the administration is proposing to open negotiations on its nuclear program.
US President Donald Trump wrote on his Truth Social account that “today I have ordered the United States military to launch decisive and powerful military action against the Houthi terrorists in Yemen. They have waged an unrelenting campaign of piracy, violence, and terrorism against American, and other ships, aircraft and drones.” Trump also said that his predecessor, former president Joe Biden was “pathetically weak” in his handling of the Houthi threat.
“Funded by Iran, the Houthi thugs have fired missiles at US aircraft and targeted our troops and allies. These relentless assaults have cost the US and world economy many billions of dollars, while, at the same time, putting innocent lives at risk,” the president stressed.
“The Houthi attack on American vessels will not be tolerated,” Trump wrote. “We will use overwhelming lethal force until we have achieved our objective. The Houthis have choked off shipping in one of the most important waterways of the world, grinding vast swaths of global commerce to a halt, and attacking the core principle of freedom of navigation upon which international trade and commerce depends.”
Syria Claims Hezbollah Kidnapped, Executed Three Syrian Soldiers, Responds With Shelling – Report
The Syrian Defense Department told Syrian state media late on Sunday (16th) that it had taken measures to counter a “dangerous escalation” by Hezbollah.
The ministry later confirmed to SANA that Hezbollah had “ambushed and kidnapped three members of the Syrian Arab Army on the Syrian-Lebanese border near the Zeita Dam, west of Homs, before taking them to Lebanese territory and executing them on the spot.”
SANA quoted the ministry as saying: “We will take all necessary measures after this dangerous escalation by Hezbollah militias.”
Following the announcement, Lebanese media reported that the Syrian army had begun shelling Lebanon’s Bekaa valley, a Hezbollah stronghold.
During the shelling, Hezbollah denied any responsibility for the kidnapping and murder of the soldiers, telling pro-Hezbollah media, “We reiterate what we had previously announced yesterday: Hezbollah has no connections to any events taking place within Syrian territory.”
Hezbollah aligned media reported that one person had been killed in the clashes.
Lebanese media reported following the clashes that “The Lebanese Army handed over, via the Lebanese Red Cross, the bodies of three Syrian fighters at a border crossing with Syria.
Many analysts pointed to Israel’s victory over Hezbollah during the 2024 invasion of Lebanon as a key factor in the eventual collapse of the Assad regime in Syria.
Hezbollah was a key pillar of the Assad regime, and Syrian interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa al-Julani has vowed to prevent the return of both Iranian and Hezbollah influence.
The Syrian Army has clashed with Hezbollah several times since the overthrow of the Assad regime in December.
Most of the fighting has been concentrated near the border-town of Al Qusayr, which served as a key smuggling point for Iranian arms shipments to Hezbollah.
Defense Minister Israel Katz Confirms Iron Beam Defense Laser To Be Operational Within Several Months
The Iron Beam laser air-defense system produced by Rafael will be operational before the end of 2025 Defense Minister Israel Katz said Sunday (16th).
Last October, then Defense Ministry director-general Eyal Zamir said Iron Beam would be operational within one year, which would be in about seven months.
In August 2023, Rafael chairman Yuval Steinitz said the laser would be ready within one year or thereabouts.
Last October, the Defense Ministry signed a landmark deal worth about NIS 2 billion (more than $500 million) to expand serial production of Iron Beam with lead developers Rafael Advanced Defense Systems and Elbit Systems, signaling that the final stages before deployment were really approaching.
Iron Beam is a ground-based, high power laser air-defense system designed to counter short to mid-range aerial threats, including rockets, mortars, unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVS), and cruise missiles.
The system is expected to integrate into Israel’s multilayered defense array as a complementary capability to the Iron Dome system.
This integration will significantly enhance Israel’s capabilities against current and future threats while offering substantially lower operational costs, with some estimates as low as $2-$3 per laser shot, compared with $40,000-$50,000 for an Iron Dome interceptor.
At later stages, the IDF hopes to deploy laser defenses also on IAF jets, but this could take much longer, with vague estimates of an additional five to ten years.
Katz made his comments about Iron Beam while touring Rafael’s facilities. He complimented the defense-technology giant for its contributions of Iron Dome and David’s Sling to Israel’s air-defense shield.
While the laser is said to be effective against drones as well, the Defense Ministry and the IDF are working on about a dozen other potential solutions to defend against the drone threat, which can differentiate it from rockets and missiles.
Katz threatened Israel’s enemies that if they raised their “hand” – i.e., to attack, metaphorically speaking against Israel, the IDF would have “many tools to strike them back with a decisive blow, [and] this hand will be cut off.”
150 Syrian Druze Notables Visit Israel – Ohad Merlin
A delegation of over 150 Druze clerics and dignitaries visited holy sites in Israel on Friday (14th) and Saturday (15th), marking the first time since 1974 that such a delegation crossed the border. Their visit included Nebi Shu’ayb (the Tomb of Jethro) near Karnei Hittim in the Galilee, as well as warm reception ceremonies with their Israeli brethren.
Druze Member of Knesset, Hamed Amar Described the visit: “It was a warm welcome. The Druze are all connected everywhere, they are like one big family. Many of those who crossed the border have immediate families on the Israeli side. They were welcomed warmly and lovingly; it was a very moving meeting.” Amar recalled that the demilitarization agreement with Syria following the Yom Kippur war had halted such visits, separating families on both sides of the border.
“This was first and foremost a religious, social, and communal visit, nothing to do with politics,” Amar stressed. “We just renewed a measure that existed in the past, as the holiest place for the Druze is located near Tiberias.”
“It was like a holiday for us. We haven’t met them for so long, and some of us have never met them at all,” adding that he did not experience any suspicion despite the long years. “Just as Jews see themselves committed to all Jews around the globe, – So are we Druze committed to our brethren.”
Amar is not optimistic about the current regime in Syria. “The ones who seized power in Syria are ISIS, nothing less,” he stressed. “Whitewashing this is wrong and misleading; they are an extremist ISIS regime. I hope and believe that the Druze will know how to protect and defend themselves from them, and if necessary, Israel should lend a hand.”
“We must not tolerate an Oct.7-like situation nor allow ISIS to settle on our borders. This is an issue of national security for Israel, and it must not be allowed.” (Jerusalem Post)
Iran’s Mullahs Can Never Change, Never Be “Friends” – Dr. Majid RafiZadeh
For more than four decades, Western politicians have extended diplomatic overtures, economic incentives and concessions to Tehran in the hope that engagement could moderate its policies . Yet, every attempt at diplomacy has failed.
Like it or not, the nature of the Iranian regime is inseparable from its ideological foundations. The Islamic Republic of Iran is not a normal state, or even a conventional dictatorship. It is an ideological entity that derives its very identity from opposition to the U.S., Israel and the West.
These are not just foreign policy stances but central tenets of the regime’s existence. The regime refers to the U.S. as the “Great Satan” and Israel as the “Little Satan,” righteously positioning itself as the force of divine justice against these supposed embodiments of evil. For the Iranian mullahs, hostility toward America and Israel is the fundamental pillar of their legitimacy. If the regime were to abandon its enmity toward the U.S. and Israel, it would lose the entire justification upon which it has built its power.
In pursuit of a nuclear deal, the Obama administration lifted sanctions, provided billions of dollars in sanctions relief, and even delivered pallets of cash to the ruling mullahs. The result? The Iranian regime did not just fail to moderate its behavior, it escalated its hostility, using the funds it received from the U.S. to do it.
One of the greatest illusions in Western diplomacy is the belief that Iran can be persuaded to abandon its nuclear program through negotiations. The Islamic Republic views nuclear weapons as the ultimate guarantor of its survival. The regime will agree to talks only when it needs to buy time. If the West wants to truly confront the threat posed by the Iranian regime, it must stop pursuing fruitless negotiations and instead adopt a strategy of strength. (Gatestone Institute)
