Israel Today: Ongoing War Report - Update from 2026-03-18 at 10:02

HEADLINESKhatib Killed; South Pars HitCluster Missiles Strike Offshore Gas FieldGlobal Flights Grounded Amid Middle East WarThe time is now 10:02 AM in New York, I'm Noa Levi and this is the latest Israel Today: Ongoing War Report.In Operation Lion's Roar, Iran’s intelligence chief Esmaeil Khatib, an ally of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei who served as Minister of Intelligence, has been killed in an Israeli airstrike in Tehran. Fires rage at the world's largest natural gas field South Pars, Iran, struck by Israeli-American forces, with multiple phases of processing capacity critically hit and taken offline.In Direct Israel-Iran Clashes, Qatar on Wednesday blamed Israel for an attack on an offshore natural gas field it shares with Iran, with the Iranian side of the field burning. An IDF spokesman described the Iranian regime’s tactic of targeting as many civilians as possible as a war crime. One of the missiles identified is a cluster missile, and there were several points of hits reported. Red alert sirens sounded in central Israel as the Iranian regime continued to fire missiles at Israel.In Regional Impacts, מד"א reported that, in the wake of the latest fire toward Israel, there have been no reported injuries at this stage, with teams surveying reported strike sites and updates to follow. E5 Defense Ministers held a call to discuss the situation around the ongoing conflict in the Middle East and surrounding the Strait of Hormuz. Global air travel remains disrupted as Middle East war-related closures hit hubs in Dubai, Doha, and Abu Dhabi, leaving tens of thousands stranded, with multiple airlines canceling flights to Tel Aviv, Dubai, Riyadh and other destinations. Flares and explosions were heard in central Israel and Jerusalem, and alarms were activated.In US Policy Concerning Israel, the Trump administration is ramping up attacks on news organizations over coverage of the Iran war, with officials arguing the reporting is unfavorable and critics worrying about a chilling effect on journalism. A press secretary defended the President’s Iran policy as unchanged for many years, while a separate briefing cited criticism of a CNN report on risks to oil shipments through the Strait of Hormuz.In Israeli Economy and Business, analysts argue that the dollar isn’t the problem and that the systems businesses rely on are strained by real-time geopolitical shocks, as currency volatility and rapid geopolitical developments ripple through pricing, payments, supply chains and financial reporting. A dramatic report from a Saudi-backed channel says Iranian gas flows to Iraq have been halted completely.In Uplifting News, Standing Together activists placed the first protective shelters in unrecognized Negev Bedouin villages, part of a campaign that raised more than 500,000 shekels from thousands of small donations in June 2025. Ten shelters have been purchased, with three placed in Bir al-Hamam, Abu Tarash, and Al-Ruways. A January 2025 State Comptroller report found that one-third of Israeli citizens live without standard protective shelters, with Bedouin communities among the most exposed to rocket fire. Standing Together is a grassroots movement uniting Jewish and Palestinian citizens for peace and is the largest Arab-Jewish movement in the country.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://worldisraelnews.com/irans-intelligence-chief-killed-in-israeli-airstrike/https://t.me/beholdisraelchannel/73108https://t.me/JewishNews24/51466https://t.me/JewishNews24/51467https://t.me/hnaftali/22363https://t.me/StandWithUsBreakingNews/7712https://www.maariv.co.il/breaking-news/article-1298038https://t.me/DefenderDome/19398https://www.jpost.com/international/article-890389https://www.maariv.co.il/breaking-news/article-1298035https://t.me/newssil/195822https://t.me/beholdisraelchannel/73106https://t.me/newssil/195821https://www.jpost.com/middle-east/iran-news/article-890394https://t.me/JewishNews24/51465https://www.jpost.com/opinion/article-890231https://www.maariv.co.il/breaking-news/article-1298039https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/defense-news/article-890390