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Tuesday, October 01, 2024

10/01 Links Pt1: A Headless Superpower In a Time of War; Iranians Kill One Palestinian in Missile Assault on Israel; Six killed in Jaffa terror shooting

From Ian:

Seth Mandel: A Headless Superpower In a Time of War
The only time we see Harris acknowledge her current status as the incumbent is when her debilitating fear of social interaction kicks in. This week she had to make a choice: preside over a photo-op FEMA meeting about the devastation Hurricane Helene is visiting upon the American Southeast, or actually visit North Carolina or Georgia. She chose the bloodless and rather weird FEMA option, which didn’t involve possibly unscripted interactions with the public.

The combination of Harris’s social anxiety and her self-seriousness has made her distant when she is reading from a teleprompter and unintelligible when she isn’t, so she relies on preloaded canned lines. The result is that the rest of the world is moving too fast for her to be anything but a spectator.

Which means national-security imperatives are being handled by Cabinet secretaries who will soon be out of a job, like Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin. The latter, you might remember, disappeared without explanation for a couple weeks at the beginning of the year to get treatment at Walter Reed without telling the president. The Pentagon appeared to be running on autopilot and yet Biden didn’t fire Austin, making them both look absurd.

Here’s what’s happening in the Middle East today: Iran fired 180 ballistic missiles at Israel while the IDF sent ground troops into South Lebanon to dismantle the terror infrastructure Hezbollah built to launch an attack similar to the one launched by Hamas on Oct. 7. Israel is being attacked by Iran or its proxies now from five separate countries.

Today alone, just before that missile barrage, a shooter killed six Israelis in Jaffa and injured about ten others. A couple rounds of rockets were fired from Lebanon at Israeli population centers. Iran-backed Houthis in Yemen attacked two ships in the Red Sea, one with missiles and the other with drone boats.

It has been quite the afternoon in the Middle East so far. Yet it wasn’t unusual. Every day seems to bring this amount of news from the conflict in one form or another. And that’s without zooming out to the ongoing land war in Europe thanks to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, or China’s militaristic stunts in which Beijing’s coast guard ships have been swarming and ramming Philippine boats and most recently a Vietnamese fishing craft.

It’s not a good time for the American superpower to be rudderless, but here we undeniably are. Let’s hope the damage can at least be contained until we have a president.
Caroline Glick: Israel, ignoring Biden’s gripes, does the job the UN won’t: Beat back Hezbollah
For 10 months, Hezbollah launched up to 20 projectiles at Israel every day. They killed scores of Israelis, including 10 children killed by a missile while playing soccer on a Saturday afternoon.

Hezbollah’s missiles destroyed hundreds of homes, devastating farms and livestock. They have torched forests and nature preserves, causing environmental devastation. And they targeted and hit sensitive military installations along the border.

Over the summer, Hezbollah escalated its assaults. The number of projectiles increased, reaching 50 to 120 per day. The range expanded to the lower Galilee and the Gulf of Haifa.

Clearly, Iran had decided to transform Lebanon into the new center of gravity in its multifront war against Israel after Israel successfully decimated most of Hamas’ military power and seized control over the international border between Gaza and Egypt, preventing Hamas from rebuilding its forces.

Instead of waiting to be invaded again, Israel chose to win the war.

And for the past two weeks, it has been doing just that.

Instead of discussing another cease-fire that will leave Hezbollah intact on the border and in control of Lebanon, Israel has begun to destroy the most powerful terror army in the world — an army controlled by Iran with tentacles that extend throughout Europe, North America, South America and Asia.

If Israel wins, not only will it secure its own borders and citizenry, it will secure the stability of the region and protect the entire world from the scourge of Iranian-backed Islamic terrorism.

If Israel falters, if it wobbles under US pressure and accepts a premature cease-fire, it will remain in mortal danger.

The region will be destabilized and the infrastructure of American power in the Middle East will crumble as every Arab state rushes to make deals with Iran — and with its allies, China and Russia.

It’s obvious why Israel needs to win. Its survival and the lives of its 10 million citizens are on the line.

What is hard to understand is why the Biden administration refuses to back that existential victory.
Seth Frantzman: Israel and its Western allies should now strike back against Iran
Iran must be deterred from more attacks. It is time for Israel and Israel’s partners and allies to strike back. The strikes on Iran should not just be a quiet operation because a quiet small precision strike will leave Iran feeling it has still won because it can pretend the incident didn’t happen. What this means is that a “cyberattack” or some kind of small explosion somewhere, is not enough. Iran needs to feel a setback to its ballistic missile program or to its energy facilities or some other kind of strategic infrastructure.

The Iranian people, most of whom oppose the regime, should see the response. This will threaten the regime more than any attack on a regime S-300 battery or on some regime bunker in a mountain somewhere. When Iranians see that their regime is a paper tiger they will be emboldened. This means a response to the attack should involve something that doesn’t harm Iranian civilians but which civilians can see. Israel retaliated against Houthi missile attacks by striking a port in Yemen. Israel has retaliated against Hezbollah by eliminating Hezbollah commanders in Beirut. Israel was also blamed for exploding pagers that harmed thousands of Hezbollah activists. This is how Lebanon sees that Hezbollah is a menace and also a weak organization that cannot protect its own.

The Iranian regime is a menace to the region. Its use of long range missiles has threatened the Gulf and many western allies. Iran even got China to broker reconciliation with Saudi Arabia over the last two years. Iran is on the march in the region with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps precisely because most countries are afraid of Iran and don’t think the west or others will protect them. For instance, anyone sitting in a Gulf country today can see videos of the ballistic missile attack on Israel and imagine such an attack on the gleaming towers of the Gulf. They know Iran can lay waste peaceful cities. They also see that Iran is conducting a joint military drill with Oman, according to a report at Iranian state media on October 1. They know that Iran’s president is flying to Qatar. They see how Iran is on the march. For this reason the region needs to see a response to the Iranian attack on Israel. They need to see that Iran can no longer get away with attacks on every country in the Middle East.

Iran’s ballistic missile program is now a major threat to the region and the world. Iran is working with Russia to export military technology and drones to Moscow. Iran is threatening the Gulf and the US. Iran’s missiles could one day carry nuclear weapons. Iran has shown its strength and likely hides more surprises in its missile facilities at home. It is time for Iran to receive a response.


Iranians Kill One Palestinian in Missile Assault on Israel
The only known casualty from Iran’s major ballistic missile attack on Israel was a Palestinian civilian, the New York Times reported.

Sameh al-Asali, a native of Gaza, was killed by "falling shrapnel" in a West Bank village near Jericho.

Israel Defence Forces said Iran fired nearly 200 ballistic missiles toward the Jewish state in its latest attack, most of which were successfully intercepted by Israeli forces with the help of U.S. naval destroyers, National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan said in a press briefing Tuesday.

Iran’s attack was in retaliation for an Israeli airstrike last week that killed Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah in Lebanon and for the July killing of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran, Fox News reported.

Sullivan celebrated the success of Israel’s defense, saying the collaboration between America and the Jewish state was responsible for defeating the Iranian attack.

"This attack appears to have been defeated and ineffective. This was first and foremost the result of the professionalism of the IDF but in no small part because of the skilled work of the U.S. military and meticulous joint planning in anticipation of the attack," Sullivan said.

Israel has already promised that the Iranian attack "will have consequences."

"We are on high alert both defensively and offensively. We will defend the citizens of the state of Israel," Israel Defense Forces spokesman Daniel Hagari said.
Trump on Biden’s handling of Iran missile attack: ‘No one is in charge’
Former President Donald Trump accused the Biden administration of negligence ahead of Iran’s ballistic-missile attack on Tuesday.

In a statement issued shortly before Iran fired more than 180 missiles at the Jewish state, Trump said that U.S. President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris were “nonexistent” and “completely absent,” respectively.

“The world is on fire and spiraling out of control. We have no leadership, no one running the country,” Trump stated. “No one is in charge, and it’s not even clear who is more confused: Biden or Kamala. Neither has any idea what is even going on.

“When I was president, Iran was in total check,” he added. “They were starved for cash, fully contained and desperate to make a deal. Kamala flooded them with American cash and, ever since, they’ve been exporting terror all over and unraveling the Middle East.”

Biden and Harris monitored the attack from the White House situation room, where the president ordered the U.S. military to assist Israel in shooting down Iranian missiles, the White House press pool reported.

Shortly after the attack, Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform that the Iranian missile attack was “preventable” and that it would not have happened if he were president.

He also posted a campaign ad accusing Biden and Harris of “weakness” in foreign affairs with America’s adversaries.

“Hamas saw Harris’s anti-Israel statements and will use it as a green light to keep murdering Israelis,” the ad’s narrator says. “And Iran thinks Harris is so incompetent, new intel shows they’re trying to help Harris win the election.”


Iran's calculated inaction: Why Tehran stands by as Hezbollah falters
With Hizballah on the ropes, Tehran risks losing one of its most important strategic assets. Yet it has so far refrained from retaliating against Israel either directly or through a massive, coordinated strike from its other proxy forces. It still hasn’t even carried out its dramatic threats to avenge the killing of Ismail Haniyeh on Iranian soil. Farhad Rezaei explains:

First, the regime is facing several crises at home, with the most pressing being a severe economic crisis that has persisted since the United States withdrew from the nuclear agreement in 2018. . . . Sustaining a war effort against Israel would require a strong economy, and given the depth of Iran’s current economic crisis, the regime would struggle to afford such a conflict.

The ongoing crisis has ignited widespread riots across the country, with the most recent unrest in 2022–2023 resulting in the deaths of over 630 Iranians at the hands of the regime’s security forces.

That unrest, Rezaie observes, is indicative of the Islamic Republic’s crisis of legitimacy and the rapidly diminishing faith in the regime:

A regime facing such a deep legitimacy crisis at home would struggle to engage in a direct conflict with Israel, as sustaining public support during a war would be highly challenging. . . . In fact, during past incidents, such as the alleged Israeli attack on Iran’s major gas pipelines in March 2024, which severely disrupted vital services, regime leaders were deeply concerned that additional Israeli strikes could further destabilize the country and cripple the already fragile economy.

The regime also understands that engaging in a direct war against Israel would likely drag the United States into the conflict—a war in which Iran would ultimately be the loser.

In 2000, the late Hassan Nasrallah famously likened Israel, which Hizballah had just driven out of Lebanon, to “a spider’s web” that looks elaborate but can easily be swatted away. While the October 7 attacks appeared to support that characterization, it is now Iran that is beginning to look like a spider’s web. That at least is the optimistic interpretation. The alternative is that Iran is just waiting until it can finish building some nuclear bombs.
Biden-Harris Admin Abruptly Bails on High Holidays Call With Jewish Community as Iran Bombs Israel
The Biden-Harris White House abruptly canceled a private phone call between President Joe Biden and Jewish community leaders on Tuesday, just 90 minutes before the call was set to take place.

Biden was scheduled to speak Tuesday afternoon with American Jewish leaders ahead of the Rosh Hashanah holiday, which marks the Jewish new year. The holiday begins at sundown on Tuesday evening. Shelley Greenspan, the White House’s liaison to the Jewish community, had invited leaders to participate in "a special Jewish High Holidays call with President Joe Biden as he offers his greetings for the new year," according to a copy of the invitation, and sent a reminder for the call late Tuesday morning, well after reports indicated Iran was set to unleash a massive missile attack on Israel.

The event was canceled 45 minutes later.

"I’m writing to let you know the president’s schedule has shifted and we need to reschedule today’s call for another day," Greenspan wrote, according to a copy of the follow-up note. "I apologize for the inconvenience and will be back in touch as soon as possible with the rescheduled time."

The cancellation comes as the world turns its focus to Israel and the White House’s response to a major Iranian escalation in the region.

The Biden-Harris administration has been sending mixed messages on Israel in recent days, promising to defend the Jewish state while also pressuring it to scale back military operations in Lebanon against Hezbollah forces.

On Monday, senior administration officials leaked key details of Israel’s battle plans along the Lebanon border as part of a diplomatic pressure tactic to end the country’s siege on Iran-backed Hezbollah forces. The leak frustrated the Jewish state, according to an Israeli official.

"We didn't like it. The leaks were a dangerous move. They endangered the fighting forces," the official told Kann 11 reporter Amichai Stein on Tuesday. "This was done even though the U.S. supported the operation, but it is clear to us that the U.S. is worried—and therefore, they outed the operation to try and limit it."


Six killed in Jaffa terror shooting
Seven people were killed in a terrorist shooting and stabbing attack on Jerusalem Boulevard in Tel Aviv-Jaffa on Tuesday night, ABC News reported, citing Ichilov Hospital in Tel Aviv.

Earlier, Hebrew media reported that eight victims died in the attack.

Three victims are in serious condition and additional people sustained wounds to “varying degrees,” Israel’s Magen David Adom medical emergency response group said in a statement on the incident.

United Hatzalah first responder Rom Ella said, “We were informed that there were injured people near the train station on Jerusalem Boulevard. Passersby told us that there were also injured people on nearby streets, and additional medics were there and continued to other scenes. Some of the injured people we treated were unconscious.”

Two Palestinian terrorists, residents of Hebron in Judea who reportedly crossed Israel’s pre-1967 lines in the Jerusalem area, were killed at the scene by police officers, municipal security guards and armed civilians.

Police officers continued to secure the scene as ballistic missiles fired by Iran rained down on Tel Aviv, the Kan News public broadcaster noted.

The victims were evacuated to Wolfson Medical Center in the nearby city of Holon and Sourasky Tel Aviv Medical Center (Ichilov Hospital).

A police officer on the scene said the terrorist attack involved at least two gunmen who exited a train car and opened fire at people waiting at one of the light-rail stations on Jaffa’s Jerusalem Boulevard.


Swedish police probe possible gunfire outside Israeli embassy in Stockholm
Swedish authorities are probing an “unusual incident” after gunfire was heard in the vicinity of the Israeli embassy in Stockholm, the Israeli Foreign Ministry confirmed in a statement on Tuesday night.

According to the local TV4 Nyheterna outlet, a “large police operation” was underway outside the embassy in the Swedish capital’s upscale Östermalm district after a loud bang was reported in the area.

“All employees are safe, and none of them were injured,” the Foreign Ministry in Jerusalem said in a statement acknowledging the incident.

A firearm and an empty shell casing were found outside the embassy, according to TV4 Nyheterna. Some reports said that a window had been broken.

The incident was reported some 30 minutes before Iran launched 180 ballistic missiles at the Jewish state in its second-ever direct attack; the first one was back in April.

Ahead of the assault, Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz summoned an emergency meeting with all Israeli ambassadors on “how to act with heads of state in the various capitals in view of the recent attacks.”

Iran is behind a series of terrorist attacks carried out by criminal gangs targeting Israeli embassies in Europe, including Sweden, over the past months, the Mossad intelligence agency revealed earlier this year.
Iran fires 180-plus ballistic missiles at Israel
Iran fired a barrage of ballistic missiles at Israel, forcing the entire civilian population of the Jewish state to be ordered into bomb shelters, the Israel Defense Forces said on Tuesday night.

The Islamic Republic fired more than 180 missiles, according to updated reports in Israeli media. No drones were launched during the assault.

“Missiles were launched from Iran towards the State of Israel. You are instructed to remain alert and precisely follow the Home Front Command’s instructions,” the IDF said around 7.30 p.m.

The military wrote on X that “all Israeli civilians” were sheltering from the attack.

At 8:26 p.m., the IDF’s Home Front Command sent out phone alerts saying that at this stage, everyone could leave their protected spaces.

A few minutes later, Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari, the IDF spokesman, announced there were no further threats from Iran at the present time.

“We are on heightened alert on defense and offensive, we will protect the citizens of Israel. This [missile] fire will have consequences. We have plans, and we will act in the time and place that we choose,” he vowed.

Hagari asked Israelis to remain vigilant.

Israeli security officials said the country’s Air Force could retaliate “powerfully” in the region as early as Tuesday night.

The Security Cabinet, which is responsible for defense-related decisions and composed of senior ministers, met in the government bunker in Jerusalem for the first time since the start of the war as the Iranian missile attack concluded, the Kan News public broadcaster said.

“The air-defense system is fully operational, detecting and intercepting threats wherever necessary, even at this moment,” Hagari said. “However, the defense is not hermetic.”

American forces are ready to provide “additional defensive support” to Israel after helping shoot down some of the missiles fired by Iran on Tuesday night, a U.S. defense official told the AFP news agency.

“Our forces remain postured to provide additional defensive support and to protect U.S. forces operating in the region,” the official stated.
Israel vows to inflict ‘consequences’ after Iran launches 180 ballistic missiles
Israel threatened “consequences” for Iran, after it shot about 180 ballistic missiles at Israel on Tuesday night. Two Israelis were wounded by shrapnel, according to Magen David Adom, and one Palestinian man was reportedly killed by missile shrapnel that fell in the West Bank.

IDF Spokesperson Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari said that the military is “on heightened alert on defensive and offensive. We will protect the citizens of Israel. This [missile] fire will have consequences. We have plans and we will act in the time and place that we choose … We’re at maximal readiness.”

Hagari said that the attack was “wider” than when Iran launched 400 missiles and drones at Israel in April, but that Israel’s “defensive response was set up as required.”

Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said that if Israel strikes back, Tehran’s response will be “more crushing and ruinous.” The attack came after Iran vowed to avenge the deaths of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh, who was killed in Tehran in July , and for Israel’s assassination of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah. Israel has not claimed responsibility for Haniyeh’s death.

Iran informed intermediaries that told the U.S. in advance that it planned to only use ballistic missiles, which take less than 15 minutes to reach Israel, rather than the drones and cruise missiles that it used in April, which took over six hours.

President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris met with their national security advisors and “reviewed the status of U.S. preparations to help Israel defend against these attacks and protect U.S. personnel in the region,” according to a White House statement released after the missiles were launched. Biden instructed the military to assist Israel, and he and Harris monitored the attack and received regular updates, according to the White House.

Jordan said that it took part in deflecting the Iranian attack. Amman’s Public Security Directorate said that “the Royal Jordanian Air Force and air defense systems responded to a number of missiles and drones that entered Jordanian airspace.”

On Tuesday afternoon, the IDF Home Front Command issued new instructions to residents of central Israel – where most Israelis reside – allowing schools to continue classes and workplaces to open as long as they have shelters big enough for everyone, limiting outdoor gatherings to 30 people and closing beaches.


The Israel Guys: BREAKING: Iran ATTACKS Israel With Barrage of 200 Ballistic Missiles (exclusive footage)
In an unprecedented attack, Iran launched 181 ballistic missiles at Israel tonight. Israeli officials are calling this the largest rocket attack since Israel’s founding. Our team was on the front lines as the missiles flew directly over our heads in Samaria, and shrapnel fell all around us on the ground.
Watch this breaking news episode for first-hand, exclusive footage.


Iran In Our Sights | Israel Undiplomatic w/ Mark Regev & Ruthie Blum
Join us for a special Rosh Hashanah episode of Israel Undiplomatic with the audacious Ruthie Blum and the very measured Mark Regev! We’ll be celebrating Israel’s recent wins and analyzing what we should look for in the coming days as Israel pushes back against Hezbollah in Lebanon.

Chapters
0:00 Israel sets sights on Iran
4:00 Iran-Israel peace?
8:00 Trying to understand the naysayers
11:00 USA chimes in
15:00 Lebanon incursion debated
32:00 Looking forward - Shanah tovah!


Why Iran and Hezbollah Won't Ever Stop Attacking Israel | The Quad Interviews
Join us for an exclusive inside look at what makes the Iranian axis tick! Fleur Hassan-Nahoum sits down with expert Middle East analyst and writer, Jonathan Spyer, for analysis and perspective you won’t hear anywhere else. Taped shortly before Iran fired over 400 missiles at Israel, Spyer explains why Iran and Hezbollah won't stand down even as they suffer major losses.

We’ll discuss Hezbollah’s original attack on October 8; what motivates Iran; how Gulf countries and Jordan perceive Iranian aims; and looking for the light at the end of this war.

Chapters
00:00 Why did Hezbollah attack?
12:00 Iran’s goals and aims
15:00 The Gulf perspective
20:00 Jordan’s role
24:00 Looking forward


Numerous pro-Israel lawmakers back military response to Iranian strike on Israel
Many pro-Israel lawmakers on both sides of the aisle said, during and in the aftermath of Iran’s ballistic missile attack on Israel on Tuesday night, that the U.S. should support or even participate in a significant Israeli retaliatory attack.

The administration urged a limited Israeli response to Iran’s last direct attack on Israel in April, but appears likely to face stronger momentum in support of a larger Israeli retaliation after today’s Iranian strikes.

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) urged the Biden administration to impose the “severe consequences” it “has repeatedly threatened Iran with” for its “campaign of terror against Israel and the United States.”

“It is not enough to issue statements. It is not enough to intercept missiles and drones moments before they reach civilians in Israel or U.S. personnel in the Red Sea. It is time for America to act like the friend of Israel we claim to be. It is time to replenish Israel’s supply of critical munitions,” McConnell said in a statement. “It is time for the world’s leading architects of terror, and their proxies, to face severe consequences.”

Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) said that “this is a moment of choosing for the free world regarding Iran,” describing the attack as a “breaking point” in the long-simmering conflict between Israel and the U.S. and Iran.

He said the U.S. should “coordinate an overwhelming response with Israel, starting with Iran’s ability to refine oil,” urging “hard” strikes on Iran’s refineries.

Graham added later that the U.S. needs to take “decisive action, not just statements.”

“The only thing the Iranian regime understands is strength. Now is the time to show unified resolve against Iran, the largest state sponsor of terrorism,” he said.

Rep. Jared Moskowitz (D-FL) said, “Iran has made a mistake, it has put its nuclear facilities on the board as fair game.” He added after the attack, “Iran cannot be allowed to fire Ballistic [Missiles] at any American Ally without significant repercussions.”

Rep. Josh Gottheimer (D-NJ) said that “no nation can sit idly by while under direct attack and Israel has every right to defend herself and her citizens. There must be consequences for Iran’s actions.”

He also urged international cooperation to “further curb Iran’s destabilizing and reckless conduct that continues to spread havoc, create violence, and cause instability in the region.”

Rep. Mike Lawler (R-NY) said that the administration and the U.S. “must consider all options available in response to this attack” and that “We should not take any option off the table, and Iran must be made to pay for this.”

Lawler said that the U.S., Israel and their allies should undertake a response “within the borders of Iran,” adding on social media “POTUS must be ready to strike back.”

Sen. John Fetterman (D-PA) said, “Any move Iran makes against Israel, my voice and vote follows Israel to ensure they have whatever resources they need — whether that’s military, financial, or intelligence — to prevail over terror.”


State Department denies receiving forewarning of Iranian attack on Israel
The U.S. State Department denied on Tuesday that it received forewarning from Iran about the Islamic Republic’s ballistic missile attack on Israel earlier that day.

Reuters reported after the attack that a “senior Iranian official” said that Iran alerted Washington “shortly before the attacks” via “diplomatic channels.”

Matthew Miller, the State Department spokesman, said at a press briefing on Tuesday that the report wasn’t true.

“That is absolutely false,” Miller said. “We had no kind of warning from the government of Iran that they were going to launch such an attack.”

“This is not the first time that Iran has said things about supposed interactions with the U.S. government—messages it has sent to the US government that have not been true,” Miller added. “They have done that a number of times over the last few months.”

Iran’s foreign minister claimed after Iran’s ballistic missile attack in April that he had given the United States a 72-hour advanced warning ahead of that ballistic missile and drone attack on Israel. The White House denied receiving such a warning.

Miller said that Washington’s warning that an Iranian ballistic missile attack on Israel was “imminent” in the hours before Iran launched the missiles was based on other information and not from direct or indirect conversations with Iran.

He added that the United States has the ability to send messages to Iran—despite the absence of an Iranian embassy in Washington—and warned it against launching this attack.

“Without speaking to any messages in particular, we have made clear the position of the United States that Iran should not launch this attack—that it would be a mistake for Iran to launch this attack,” Miller said.


US naval destroyers helped shoot down Iranian missiles
U.S. National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan said that the U.S. military assisted Israel in shooting down ballistic missiles during Iran’s attack on the Jewish state on Tuesday.

Speaking at the White House press briefing, Sullivan said that the United States is still working with Israel to assess the damage from the Iranian barrage.

“Today, Iran launched nearly 200 ballistic missiles towards targets in Israel,” Sullivan said. “U.S. naval destroyers joined Israeli air-defense units in firing interceptors to shoot down inbound missiles.”

He added that the White House is not aware of any deaths in Israel from the missile attack but is monitoring the “reported death of a Palestinian civilian in Jericho in the West Bank.”

Sullivan took only five questions, saying that he needed to return to his desk to respond to the ongoing crisis.

He said that Washington and Jerusalem have had “initial discussions” about the attacks at the military level and between the White House and the Prime Minister’s Office. He added that Washington and Jerusalem would have further “consultations” on Tuesday afternoon and evening about what the U.S. and Israeli response to the attack should be.


IDF reveals raids into Lebanon to foil Hezbollah’s Oct. 7-style invasion plan
The Israel Defense Forces revealed on Tuesday that it had carried out dozens of secret ground operations into Southern Lebanon over the past year to reduce Hezbollah’s war-making capability, destroying the terror group’s tunnels and hidden weapons caches.

The raids were part of an effort to prepare for the larger ground operation, which got underway this morning. The goal was to cripple Hezbollah’s ability to invade Israel.

IDF spokesman Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari told press that IDF forces discovered more details of Hezbollah’s plan to invade northern Israel, which was to be spearheaded by the group’s Radwan Force.

Israel killed Ibrahim Aqil, the head of the terror group’s special operations unit, on Sept. 20.

Holding up a map, Hagari said: “We found this map inside one of the compounds that our fighters raided. It is a map that Hezbollah planned to give to its terrorists during a broad infiltration into the territory of the State of Israel as part of the ‘Plan to occupy the Galilee.’ “

“As you can see, it has a legend marking Israeli settlements, IDF posts, access roads and attack targets that Hezbollah planned to conquer. This map was supposed to be used by thousands of Hezbollah terrorists on the day of the order to raid the territory of the State of Israel, as Hamas did on Oct. 7,” he said.

Hagari also detailed three IDF raids into Southern Lebanon, including the villages of Meiss El Jabal, Kfarkela and Ayta ash Shab.

In Ayta ash Shab, soldiers found dozens of underground shafts and tunnels to a depth of 20 to 25 meters (65 to 83 feet), rocket launchers and more than 10 ammunition stores.

In Meiss El Jabal, soldiers entered the houses of the village, where they found an ammunition depot for an entire company of Radwan terrorists in a 12-meter-deep shaft just 30 meters (98 feet) from the border with Israel.

Weapons stores were meant for future use in the planned invasion of Northern Israel, Hagari said. Terrorist infrastructure was destroyed by a combination of ground demolitions and air attacks.


The Israel Guys: BREAKING: Israel Invades Southern Lebanon
Iran’s days as a global sponsor of terrorism are nearing an end as Israel smashes its proxy forces. Israel has had ground troops in Lebanon for some time, but today it's official, the Israeli ground invasion to eradicate Hezbollah has begun.

The big question now is: how will Iran respond? They are threatening an imminent attack, but at the same time, they are facing a determined Israel that has been showing no mercy to its enemies. Just yesterday, in an extraordinary video message spoken directly to the people of Iran, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu signaled that the days of Iran’s terror leadership are numbered.

Joshua discusses all of this and more on today’s show.




Ben Shapiro: EPIC: Israel TAKES OUT Hezbollah Leader, Totally REWRITES Middle East
In a stunning display of military skill, Israel takes out Hezbollah leader Hasan Nasrallah; the White House scrambles to respond; and Kamala plays pretend at the border.


Commentary Podcast: Joe, Take the Win!
Why is the administration remaining churlish and full of ceasefire talk relating to Israel and Hezbollah and Hamas? Why are there no papers on the Resolute desk? Why is Kamala Harris visiting a Washington office rather than a flood site? Why should Jimmy Carter be celebrated for being 100 when his record as president was terrible and his behavior toward Israel appalling? Why isn't Pete Rose in the Hall of Fame?




“This Isn’t Going Away” | Iranian Ballistic Attack On Israel Imminent
Israeli troops have initiated an incursion into Lebanon, crossing the border to conduct "targeted ground raids" against Hezbollah in several villages.

Middle East expert Andrew Fox joins Talk’s Ian Collins to discuss this further.


“Iran WILL Punish Israel!” Israel Invades Lebanon After Nesrallah Killed
Israel’s retaliation to the ongoing attacks from Hezbollah were obviously expected, but the scale of the destruction of their rocket-firing foe has fuelled the ongoing debate on proportional response. Israel’s pager attack took everyone by surprise, and over the last 48 hours, almost the entire command structure of Hezbollah have been killed; including Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah. Now, Israel is apparently planning a ‘limited incursion’ into southern Lebanon, and the collateral suffering of the civilian population doesn’t seem likely to dissuade them.

To analyse this expanding conflict, Piers Morgan talks to the ex–Palestinian militant who defected to Israel, Mosab Hasan Yousef, Palestinian-American Middle East analyst Omar Baddar and professor at the University of Tehran, Mohammad Marandi.

00:00 - Introduction
02:00 - Yousef and Baddar react to news of Hassan Nasrallah's death
02:10 - "Nasrallah's hands are stained in blood"
04:21 - "Israel are on the warpath"
05:23 - "Nasrallah was a hero across the Middle East"
10:29 - Marandi provides his perspective on Nasrallah's assassination
17:39 - "Iran will respond, there's no doubt about it"
23:18 - Is the net closing in on Iran?
30:39 - "Nasrallah might be your hero, but I think he's a terrorist"
31:18 - Yousef and Baddar respond to Marandi
45:29 - What next?
45:48 - "Target number one will be Iran's nuclear programme"
50:55 - "A ground invasion of Lebanon would be a disaster"


Progressive Democrats largely silent on Nasrallah killing
Some progressive Senate Democrats, including several who have been critical of Israel’s war in Gaza, celebrated the news of Israel’s killing last week of Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah and other top leaders of the terror organization, while the majority of left-wing House lawmakers refrained from commenting.

Most House progressive and far-left lawmakers have either condemned Israel’s military actions in Lebanon without mentioning Hezbollah or not commented publicly on the developments. Jewish Insider reached out to over two dozen progressive lawmakers, including Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) and other proponents of cutting off some military aid to Israel, for comment on the elimination of Hezbollah’s leadership. (Ocasio-Cortez didn’t respond to the request for comment.)

Those who replied, none of whom were House lawmakers, cheered the news that Nasrallah and top Hezbollah leaders had been wiped out. In addition to Ocasio-Cortez, Reps. Mark Pocan (D-WI), Jason Crow (D-CO) and Sara Jacobs (D-CA) also did not respond to requests for comment. Nor did Sens. Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), Mazie Hirono (D-HI), Ed Markey (D-MA), Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Chris Murphy (D-CT), Alex Padilla (D-CA), Tina Smith (D-MN), Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Peter Welch (D-VT), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) and Ron Wyden (D-OR).

“Hassan Nasrallah and Hezbollah have been responsible for the deaths of hundreds of Israelis and Americans, including 241 members of our U.S. Armed Forces in 1983. I fully support Israel’s right to defend itself – and that includes targeted attacks against Hezbollah leaders and commanders as part of the effort to stop Hezbollah from launching missiles at Israel,” Sen. Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) told Jewish Insider in a statement.

The Maryland senator is one of the leading critics of Israel’s war against Hamas; he has supported limiting military aid to Israel and accused Israel of deliberately causing mass starvation in Gaza back in February.

Sen. Tim Kaine (D-VA), who said last week that he would still vote to block the transfer of several offensive weapons systems to Israel over its conduct in Gaza, told JI that he welcomed the news of Nasrallah’s demise.

“The death of Hassan Nasrallah, orchestrator of deadly attacks on Americans, Israelis and Lebanese, could open a chapter for a Lebanon governed solely by the Lebanese and free of the toxic influence of Iranian proxy terrorist group Hezbollah,” Kaine said. “The U.S. should strive to work with Lebanese and Israeli partners, including the IDF and the Lebanese Armed Forces, to limit further civilian casualties and deescalate the spiraling conflict.”

“The most urgent need is for a cease-fire and hostage-release deal in Gaza,” he added.

Kaine has said since February that he believes the Biden administration should only provide defensive weapons to Israel. He noted in his statement last Thursday that he has “urged a pause in transfer of any offensive weapons because of the serious harm they will likely cause to Palestinian civilians in Gaza and in the West Bank.”

“I also believe that the U.S. transferring more offensive weapons into the region right now will be an accelerant to ongoing hostilities, jeopardizing the prospects for a cease-fire and hostage-release deal in Gaza — the surest path to de-escalation and to a sustainable peace that would provide for the safety and security of the Israeli, Palestinian and Lebanese people, and for U.S. servicemembers deployed to the Middle East,” that statement read.




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