Israel Today: Ongoing War Report - Update from 2026-03-02 at 16:05

HEADLINESIsrael hits Tehran Parliament BuildingLebanon on edge as evacuations surgeTrump outlines four Iran war aimsThe time is now 4:04 PM in New York, I'm Noa Levi and this is the latest Israel Today: Ongoing War Report.In Operation Lion's Roar, Netanyahu's 2015 Congress speech: A blueprint for action, not a failure - analysis. Exactly 11 years ago, on March 3, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu addressed a joint session of Congress to oppose the nuclear agreement with Iran. The speech did not stop the deal; the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action was signed. But today, as Israel and the United States strike Iran's nuclear infrastructure, the speech is read as a blueprint for action rather than a failure. Its central claim was that the deal would not prevent Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons, and that, when restrictions expire, the risk would rise. Had President Trump not withdrawn from the agreement in 2018, most of the sunset clauses would now be expiring.In Direct Israel-Iran Clashes, Reports from Iran’s state-run Fars News Agency that the Iranian Parliament Building in Tehran has been targeted within the last few minutes by strikes from the Israeli Air Force. Reports from Iran’s state-run Fars News Agency say the Iranian Parliament Building in Tehran has been targeted within the last few minutes by strikes from the Israeli Air Force.In US Military Role, Bombing Iran, Trump has 'epic fury' but endgame undefined. US President Donald Trump says he attacked Iran to eliminate a threat. How he sees the war ending is much less clear. Trump at first said he was eliminating a nuclear threat. After Saturday's first strikes killed the supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, he called on Iranians to rise up. But Trump soon said his war launched alongside Israel was not about regime change after all. In the end, the mission of the military operation launched by Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu may best be summed up by the name the Pentagon gave to it -- "Epic Fury." Trump has threatened four weeks or more of war against the country of 90 million people, where hundreds have been reported dead, warning of even more devastating strikes. Facing criticism over the lack of clarity, Trump and his top aides on Monday laid out four objectives for the war -- all of them military in nature. They include destroying Iran's navy and military capacities, ending the clerical state's support for regional militants and preventing it from developing a nuclear bomb. Matthew Kroenig, a vice president at the Atlantic Council, said that Trump had already achieved much of what he wanted, including eliminating parts of its capabilities.In Regional Impacts, A Purim party in a shelter: Minnie Mouse and songs amid ballistic missiles. Imagine your children being awakened after the bath-story-bedtime routine, not by street noise but by sirens announcing missiles approaching. No Purim party is complete without Spider-Man, and at the party in a building’s bomb shelter in Jerusalem there were two. Outside, rockets were intercepted, and inside the shelter the sounds of children and parents singing holiday songs filled the space. The tenants had turned the shelter into a makeshift gathering spot with a children’s corner, art supplies, and shared games, maintaining a sense of normalcy as the war raged nearby. Meanwhile, an urgent Arabic-language warning from the Israeli Defense Forces circulated to residents in Lebanon, urging them to move north beyond the line marked on the map for safety and warning that Hezbollah activity could put lives at risk.In Regional Impacts, דובר צה"ל בערבית פרסם אזהרה דחופה לתושבי לבנון: "עליכם להתפנות מיד." Reports from Israel’s Channel of Defense: the IDF in Arabic issued a urgent notice to residents across multiple Lebanese villages, warning of imminent danger and urging immediate evacuation to safer areas, citing Hezbollah activity and the risk to civilian lives.In the Conflict with Iran and its Regional Proxies, צה״ל פרסם הוראת פינוי לכפרים רבים בדרום לבנון. The Israeli military published evacuation orders for many villages in southern Lebanon. Hezbollah this morning chose to enter the war by launching rockets and drones FROM SOUTHERN LEBANON. Those Hezbollah installations in Southern Lebanon had reportedly already been cleared by the Lebanese Armed Forces as part of the ceasefire agreement. Lebanon said this had been done. Lebanon lied. שגריר ישראל בארה"ב יחיאל לייטר: מספר 2 בהנהגת חיזבאללה נפצע קשה בנסיון חיסול ישראלי בלבנון. גורמי הביטחון בשלב הזה לא מתייחסים. The Israeli ambassador to the United States, Iehiel (Yehuda) Leiter, says the number two figure in Hezbollah leadership was seriously wounded in an Israeli attempt in Lebanon; security officials were not commenting at the moment.In US Policy Concerning Israel, מזכיר המדינה רוביו: "אחת ממטרות המבצע - להרוס את היכולות הבליסטיות שלהם ללא יכולת שיקום. נשמח לראות חילופי משטר, ושהאומה האיראנית תוביל לזה, אבל מטרת המבצע למנוע מהם נשק בליסטי." Secretary of State Rovio says one of the mission goals is to destroy Iran’s ballistic capabilities without a path to rebuild. He added that they would welcome changes in leadership led by the Iranian people, but the aim remains to prevent Iran from possessing ballistic weapons.Thank you for tuning in to this Israel Today: Ongoing War Report update.I'm Noa Levi. Stay safe and informed.Keep in mind that this AI-generated report may contain occasional inaccuracies, so consult multiple sources for a comprehensive view. Find the code and more details in the podcast description.SOURCEShttps://www.jpost.com/israel-news/article-888580https://t.me/DefenderDome/18592https://www.al-monitor.com/originals/2026/03/bombing-iran-trump-has-epic-fury-endgame-undefinedhttps://www.jpost.com/israel-news/article-888579https://www.maariv.co.il/breaking-news/article-1291219https://t.me/newssil/193792https://t.me/ILtoday/17354https://t.me/newssil/193790https://t.me/newssil/193791