Israel Today: Ongoing War Report - Update from 2026-03-19 at 08:02

HEADLINES- US Seeks $200B for Iran War- Mossad Says Iran Uses Mosques as Posts- Iran to Levy Hormuz Transit FeesThe time is now 8:02 AM in New York, I'm Noa Levi and this is the latest Israel Today: Ongoing War Report.In Operation Lion's Roar, footage shows an Israeli strike on an Iranian Air Force MI-17 helicopter in western Iran this week, and another strike reported in the Mehrabad Airport area in Tehran.In Direct Israel-Iran Clashes, the Mossad has criticized Iran’s use of mosques as military posts, calling the practice shameful and in conflict with Islam, and urging Iranians to help reveal the regime’s actions while asking the public to continue sending footage of operations inside Iran.In US Military Role, the Pentagon has asked the White House to authorize more than $200 billion to fund the war against the Iranian regime, a sum described by sources as far exceeding what has been spent to date and aimed at ramping up armament production, with some lawmakers likely to oppose; separately, the US military released footage showing the destruction of Iranian navy ships.In Regional Impacts, Iran is weighing a bill to levy transit fees on ships passing through the Strait of Hormuz, a move tied to monetizing Tehran’s leverage over the waterway, while an adviser warned of a postwar regime that would allow maritime restrictions; energy markets surged after attacks on LNG facilities and other energy sites, and drones struck refineries in Saudi Arabia and Kuwait, contributing to a volatility in oil and gas prices.In the Conflict with Iran and its Regional Proxies, alerts were sounded in Kiryat Shmona after rocket fire from Lebanon, as tensions linked to Iran and its proxies persist; a Hebrew-language report within this topic notes Iran’s efforts to move weapons from Russia and unprecedented Israeli air defense activity amid heightened alerts, with reports of a casualty in the Herzliya area attributed to Iranian actions, and President Trump criticizing attacks and denying coordination with the United States.In US Policy Concerning Israel, a report describes unusually strong White House support for Israel, characterizing it as outsized by some accounts, while President Trump criticized an Iranian refinery strike attributed to Israel and denied coordination with the White House.In Israeli Domestic Politics, a domestic political figure commented that there has never been an attack there, reflecting ongoing debate about security dynamics at home.In Antisemitism and Anti-Jewish Hate, the UF College Republicans are suing the university after the chapter was disbanded following Nazi salutes.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://t.me/ILtoday/17943https://t.me/beholdisraelchannel/73190https://www.jpost.com/middle-east/iran-news/article-890506https://www.jpost.com/international/article-890516https://t.me/beholdisraelchannel/73195https://www.jpost.com/middle-east/iran-news/article-890513https://www.al-monitor.com/originals/2026/03/war-middle-east-latest-developments-14https://www.maariv.co.il/breaking-news/article-1298443https://www.maariv.co.il/breaking-news/article-1298455https://www.maariv.co.il/breaking-news/article-1298456https://worldisraelnews.com/trump-blasts-israel-over-iran-refinery-strike-denies-us-coordination/https://www.maariv.co.il/breaking-news/article-1298460https://worldisraelnews.com/u-of-florida-college-republicans-caught-making-nazi-salutes-sue-school-for-disbanding-chapter/