Israel Today: Ongoing War Report - Update from 2026-03-13 at 11:02

HEADLINESTrump calls killing Iran's leadership an honorDubai tourism stalls as war bites economyZerzir strike wounds 58; schools closeThe time is now 11:02 AM in New York, I'm Noa Levi and this is the latest Israel Today: Ongoing War Report.In US Military Role, President Donald Trump said Friday he feels honored to be killing Iran's leadership, calling them "deranged scumbags." "They've been killing innocent people all over the world for 47 years, and now I, as the 47th President of the United States of America, am killing them. What a great honor it is to do so!" Trump posted on social media shortly after midnight in Washington. Iran's longtime supreme leader Ali Khamenei and numerous other top figures in Tehran have been killed since the war was launched by the United States and Israel on February 28. Trump struck out at media coverage questioning the war's progress, saying "you would incorrectly think that we are not winning." Iran's military is "being decimated, and their leaders have been wiped from the face of the earth," he said. "We have unparalleled firepower, unlimited ammunition, and plenty of time -- Watch what happens to these deranged scumbags today," Trump posted on Truth Social. Trump's defense secretary, Pete Hegseth, said the US military would bombard Iran more heavily on Friday than any other day so far in the war. "In fact, today will be yet again, the highest volume of strikes that America has put over the sky..." In Regional Impacts, For thousands of workers in Dubai's tourism sector, the Middle East war has brought business to a standstill -- leaving their income suddenly at risk. At the famous Jumeirah Beach Residence (JBR), rows of sun loungers now face an almost empty sea. Restaurant terraces sit deserted, while souvenir, watersports and perfume vendors watch for the rare passerby. Across the water, Ain Dubai -- the world's tallest Ferris wheel -- has stopped turning, and the Madame Tussauds wax museum below is drawing few visitors despite hefty discounts. "Yesterday: zero. Today: zero. Not a single customer," said Dulash, 26, a Sri Lankan worker at a jet-ski rental company. "I've never seen Dubai like this." With its artificial islands and soaring skyscrapers, the UAE's second city has become a major Middle Eastern tourism hub, welcoming nearly 19.6 million visitors last year. But in the middle of peak season, before the summer heat sets in, the barrage of Iranian missiles and drones since February 28 has sent tourists fleeing. Starved of income, the industry is hoping for a quick end to the war, triggered by US-Israeli strikes on Iran. But many workers, speaking to AFP, describe the hardships.In the Conflict with Iran and its Regional Proxies, sirens in the north followed rocket fire from Lebanon. Trump reveals how the war will end: "When I feel it." The report notes 58 people were wounded in a direct hit on Zerzir at night, and central area schools are expected to remain shuttered for the entire week, with a high-risk level indicated. The piece highlights the grim realities for residents of Zerzir after what is described as an Iranian missile strike, and notes that Hamas has returned to camps with daytime training and armed guard near border communities. The IDF says it is seeing distress in Iran and is preparing for a maneuver along Lebanon.In US Policy Concerning Israel, the United Arab Emirates says bridging can occur only when the fire stops, and that Trump will lead them to that moment. In Antisemitism and Anti-Jewish Hate, Some – but not all – US colleges that worked with Trump receive higher marks from ADL. Universities that settled with the Trump administration to preserve federal funding, including Columbia, Brown, the University of Pennsylvania and the University of Virginia, saw their campus antisemitism grades improve on the ADL’s report card, in its third year of grading how universities address antisemitism and in the context of the Trump administration’s campus antisemitism policies. A separate suit claims the Department of Government Efficiency used ChatGPT to tag Jewish-themed grants as DEI and then canceled those grants, contributing to the cancellation of National Endowment for the Humanities funding for topics including violence against women during the Holocaust and other Jewish-focused studies; the suit seeks restoration of canceled funding and cites the Tikvah Fund as NEH’s largest grant awarded while the policy changes were in effect.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.al-monitor.com/originals/2026/03/trump-says-honor-be-killing-iranian-militaryhttps://www.al-monitor.com/originals/2026/03/dubais-low-paid-workers-edge-mideast-war-hits-tourismhttps://www.maariv.co.il/breaking-news/article-1295911https://www.maariv.co.il/breaking-news/article-1295908https://www.maariv.co.il/breaking-news/article-1295904https://www.timesofisrael.com/some-but-not-all-us-colleges-that-worked-with-trump-receive-higher-marks-from-adl/https://www.timesofisrael.com/lawsuit-says-doge-used-chatgpt-to-tag-jewish-themed-grants-as-dei-then-canceled-them/