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Iranian president admits: 'Disasters keep raining down on us, Israel's missiles are better'

omrif — Thu, 18 Dec 2025 17:30:37 +0000

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian has recently delivered a series of unusually blunt remarks that point to growing despair at the top of the Iranian leadership over the country's situation. Speaking to academics, Pezeshkian sounded exasperated, saying, "I don't know what to do, please don't curse me," and openly acknowledged Israel's advantage over Iran in missile capabilities.

Iran has endured a punishing year marked by drought, an energy crisis and soaring inflation. But if Iranians were hoping their president might offer solutions, Pezeshkian suggested they should not bother. In a string of remarkably candid public speeches in recent weeks, he said the country was facing insurmountable problems and that he had run out of ideas for how to solve them.

A beggar girl in Tehran. Photo: social media

"If anyone can do something, please go ahead and do it," Pezeshkian told students and academics in early December. "I can't do anything. Don't curse me."

In meetings with officials, he admitted the government was "stuck, badly stuck," adding: "From the first day we came in, disasters have been coming down on us, and it hasn't stopped."

He went further, saying Iran's woes were the result of corruption, internal factional infighting and decades of government spending that he described as "what crazy people do," rather than the fault of the US or Israel.

Referring to the fighting during Operation With a Lion, Pezeshkian said that although Iran had launched missiles, Israel's arsenal had proven superior both in quantity and in capability.

Israeli strikes in Tehran. Photo: social media

"It's true that we had missiles, but theirs were more numerous, more powerful, more accurate and easier to deploy," he said. He added, without elaborating, that in the end it was "the people" who thwarted Israel.

At the same time, Pezeshkian rejected calls for Iran to scale back its missile program, describing it as essential to national defense. "They tell us not to have missiles, while they arm Israel to the teeth so it can come here whenever it wants, destroy everything and leave," he said. "I won't accept that."

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How Hezbollah's 'September 11' was thwarted

adin — Thu, 18 Dec 2025 15:43:41 +0000

A bearded figure sat facing an interrogator from Unit 504 of the Military Intelligence, responding to questions with patience and considerable detail. Several days of interrogations passed during which he attempted to stall, outwit authorities, and conceal information – but once "the dam burst," he revealed everything.

With an Israeli flag hanging on the wall behind him, the detainee detailed trips to Iran, voyages across Africa, clandestine meetings with Hezbollah's chief military commander Fuad Shukr, and directives flowing directly from the organization's leader Hassan Nasrallah.

Throughout the year he remained in captivity, Imad Amhaz, known as "The Captain," systematically laid out the complete picture behind one of Hezbollah's most secretive and organized operations – a strategic, creative, and ambitious project dubbed "The Clandestine Maritime File." Only now can the existence of this underground initiative be disclosed for the first time, along with fresh details about the commando mission to abduct Amhaz from the heart of Lebanon – a bold and extraordinary operation that remained submerged in the depths of memory due to the torrent of wartime events.

This narrative, which could easily become a Hollywood film, might begin on the night of November 2, 2024, when a handful of Shayetet 13 commandos silently raided the Lebanese coastal town of Batroun, located 87 miles from the Israeli border, and removed Amhaz while he slept in his bed without firing a single shot. Alternatively, the story could open with a close-up of Colonel A., head of Naval Intelligence, standing on the dock at the Shayetet base in Atlit, welcoming the fighters returning home from the successful operation, merely patting their shoulders and verifying everyone's health and safety. The account might also start with a scene unfolding in the basements of Dahieh, starring Secretary-General Nasrallah, Chief of Staff Shukr, and "The Captain," where the three architects weave a hair-raising conspiracy.

A poster of former Hezbollah Secretary General Hassan Nasrallah (Photo: Reuters)

However, the story begins with A., a quiet, slender 23-year-old woman who, had you passed her on the street, you would never imagine was primarily responsible for one of the war's most astonishing operations.

A. started her path as an "Arabist" (an Arab world specialist) in Unit 8200, subsequently transferring to serve as an analyst in Naval Intelligence. Today, she serves as a permanent staff member with the rank of Sergeant First Class, whose role is to track anyone who could pose a threat to Israeli Navy vessels. "We have, in Naval Intelligence, operational methods and capabilities that allow us to search for almost anyone in the fringes," she stated.

At the end of 2021, A. began monitoring a mid-level Hezbollah operative named Imad Amhaz, whose organizational nickname was "Jarich." Amhaz, 39, a Shiite native of the Bekaa Valley, joined Hezbollah in 2004. In 2007, he completed a several-month military course in Iran, and upon his return to Lebanon, joined Unit 7900 as a radar operator – Hezbollah's coastal missile unit that has deeply troubled Naval Intelligence personnel since the Second Lebanon War and the deadly strike on the INS Hanit.

The interrogator asked Amhaz: Who knew about the project?

The operative responded: "Who was aware of this was the team itself, Nur al-Din, the operator, Male,k who was the head of the bureau of Fuad Shukr (Hezbollah's Chief of Staff who was eliminated in July 2024), Fuad Shukr himself, and Abu Musa, who came after Fuad Shukr but didn't stay for long. All were killed except Nur al-Din. I don't know if he was also killed while I wasn't (in Lebanon)."

Q: Did you meet with senior officials? For example, with Fuad Shukr?

Amhaz answered: "The first time we returned from the file, he asked to meet with us... This file is related to the maritime domain ... These can be defensive or offensive operations... As long as you have a ship, money, and people, you can operate against anything. Israel is the main target."

Q: Does Hezbollah operate against other targets as well?

Amhaz confirmed: "The organization sees the US as an enemy, for example."

To all appearances, Imad Amhaz was just another Hezbollah operative among dozens who appeared on A.'s radar. Yet something about him was unusual. Despite being a devoted operative who was educated in the Hezbollah youth movement, Amhaz was not a devout Shiite. He spent much of his time at the gym, his body decorated with muscles and tattoos. One of these was a portrait of his wife, who was herself tattooed. "She had tattoos of roses," A. said. "During his interrogation, he shared that he and his wife had many fights, and at one point, they separated. After that, he had to hide the tattoo with her portrait until they eventually reunited. He is not the perfect partner – one who likes to play the field and loves to live the bachelor life, even when he is not single. He cultivates his muscles, a true hedonist. In short, he was not the conservative operative. During this period, I tracked several figures, but Amhaz was always at the back of my mind. Each time I returned to him to see what was new. I tried to understand why he was exposed, what his value was as a Hezbollah operative."

Q: It sounds as though you knew him well.

"Yes. I knew his daily routine, his weaknesses, his character – everything."

Q: And what can you say about his character?

"That he is a good soldier. When he is given an order, he says 'yes' and executes it."

Staff Sgt. A. (right), Rear Adm. A., and Lt. Col. D. (Photo: Yehoshua Yosef)

To identify a big fish

I met A. in the office of the Head of the Naval Intelligence Department, Rear Adm. A., who has held the most senior position in Naval Intelligence for the past year. Several floors below us is the unit's "Pit" (underground command center), from which the operation to abduct Amhaz was managed. Joining the conversation was Lt. Col. D., who began her military career as a combat soldier in the Snapir Unit (naval port security unit), fell in love with the sea, and rose through the ranks to become head of the Targeting and Direction Branch in the Naval Intelligence Department.

The branch's production floor is filled with analysts like A., all of whom are Arabic speakers who serve as intelligence detectives. "Fishermen," as the veteran seaman Rear Adm. A. phrased it. "It is like casting a line and seeing which fish is caught on the hook. The point is to identify, amid the blur of people on the other side, who could be a 'big fish' and then focus on him. This is exactly what happened with Amhaz."

From the moment she began to take an interest in Amhaz and to focus more and more of her intelligence resources on him, A. discovered that he held mysterious meetings with senior Hezbollah officials. One of them was Ali Abed al-Hassan Nour al-Din. Nour al-Din is married to the daughter of Fuad Shukr, who, until his assassination in July 2024, served as the Hezbollah Chief of Staff and the right-hand man of Hassan Nasrallah. As such, Nour al-Din managed several of Hezbollah's secret projects, those directed personally by Shukr and Nasrallah. And now, for some reason, it turned out that he was meeting secretly with the muscular and tattooed Amhaz. "They sat at the same table and passed messages," Lt. Col. D. said. Later, during his interrogation in Israel, Amhaz would reveal that he also met Fuad Shukr himself. "This was a great excitement for him," D. said. "The connection to senior officials gave him pride and motivation."

During the interrogation, the goals of these secret meetings were also fully clarified. It turned out that several months before A. began to focus on him, Amhaz was chosen to be the central axis in an ambitious Hezbollah venture – the kind of secret projects that Nour al-Din managed for Shukr and Nasrallah. Amhaz, the organization's leadership decided, would become the captain of the "Secret Naval File."

"A very, very secret strategic project, an event that could have changed the situation against us and also against other countries," Rear Adm. A. said. "This is the big fish we caught on our hook."

"The big surprise"

The "Secret Naval File" germinated sometime in 2016. From fragments of information that reached Israeli intelligence over the years, it became clear that the goal was generally to create a Hezbollah "terror ship" – an infrastructure that would allow the organization to independently operate a large civilian merchant vessel that could roam the seas without suspicion, enter civilian ports, and carry out attacks that would change the balance of terror against Israel and its allies. "To take a civilian vessel under cover and place offensive capabilities on it as far as the imagination can go," Rear Adm. A. said. "Think about September 11 – you take a civilian platform and use it to carry out a strategic terror act. This was the goal."

The project, which, due to its importance, was directed personally by Hassan Nasrallah and Fuad Shukr and whose management passed to Nour al-Din after their elimination, was, as stated, highly compartmentalized and included only a small handful of secret partners. "Nasrallah and Shukr treated this as their big surprise," A. said. "Because of this, everything was managed in a very centralized manner, without intermediate ranks."

After several years of delays due to budget difficulties and internal organizational problems, in 2021, by order of Nasrallah, the project gained momentum. One of the first steps was to choose the captain of the future terror ship, someone who could manage the project from a maritime perspective. The Captain.

Amhaz was the one chosen for the role. Beyond his mysterious meetings with Nour al-Din, he began sailing between European and African countries and gained experience as a worker on cargo ships, all under the guise of an innocent civilian. "He simply boarded ships as a civilian and sailed with them with the aim of gaining maritime experience," D. said. "The ambition was to log enough sea time, rise through the ranks, and eventually become a civilian captain who could lead a civilian merchant ship himself. Alongside the practical hours, he also studied theory, and he progressed. This path gave him both operational experience and civilian cover so that once he became a certified captain of a civilian ship, he would not be suspected. In fact, he was operating under cover."

Haifa port (Photo: Moshe Shai)

What kind of attacks did the leadership plan to carry out using the terror ship that Amhaz would sail? One can only imagine – the hijacking of a passenger ship, an attack on the Karish gas field, a raid by dozens of armed operatives through Israel's Haifa or Ashdod ports. "In the interrogation, we insisted with Amhaz, saying to him, 'Come on, tell us what you planned,'" D. said. "But then we realized the goal was still only to build the capability, this muscle. He said, 'Whatever the organization decides, we will know how to do.' For them, everything was on the table – from hitting strategic points to striking the soft underbelly of Israel."

As part of his training as a civilian captain, Amhaz was absent from his home in the village of Qmatiye for many long months, where he lived with his wife and children. "In the process, he received a salary from Hezbollah, and while he was absent from home, the one who took care of his family was Nour al-Din," A. said.

In 2024, he returned to Lebanon, and in September, he began studying for a captain's degree at the Maritime Sciences and Technology Institute, a civilian institution located north of Beirut in the town of Batroun, a Christian-majority area where Hezbollah has only a minimal presence. Amhaz also rented a vacation cabin in Batroun, even though his home was about an hour's drive away. "He could finish the school day and drive home, yet he chose to rent an apartment in Batroun and sleep there," Lt. Col. D. said. "This is part of his hedonism, perhaps also part of his desire to concentrate on his studies." And Amhaz concentrated very much on his studies. "A diligent student," D. said. "Even in the interrogation, you see that he is an educated person, not a peasant who just came to fight."

In December 2024, after three years of preparation and several more weeks of study in Batroun, Amhaz was supposed to receive his coveted captain's diploma. He never received it. "The moment Amhaz moved to live in the coastal town of Batroun, I realized there was an opportunity here," A. said. "I understood that he could be plucked."

Setting out

Part of the role of analysts like A. in the Targeting and Direction Branch is not only to research the enemy on the other side of the border but also to direct operations toward them. When A. realized that she had indeed caught a big fish on her hook, she began to pull. "A. is the one who brought the initiative, the tug on the sleeve to set out on an abduction operation," her commander, Lt. Col. D., said. "She came and said, 'Someone is interesting here, let's bring him.' And from the moment this idea was thrown into the air, we, as commanders, said, 'There is a cool idea here, let's examine it.'"

The idea, which A. first raised during September 2024, progressed through the chain of approvals at a dizzying speed. "Everyone understood that there was someone privy to the secret, who was part of a strategic capability that Hezbollah is building," D. said. "Beyond that, the timing was good. We were already in Operation Northern Arrows (the military offensive against Hezbollah) and amidst an escalation in the campaign against Lebanon, and it was possible to dare more and challenge the boundaries and carry out operations of this type."

Naturally, the unit chosen to carry out the abduction was Shayetet 13, the elite commando unit of the Navy, which was practically born for operations of this kind. In the Shayetet, they took the mission with both hands, drew on all the intelligence A. had to provide about Amhaz and his daily routine, and within a few short weeks, they prepared a detailed raid plan. "The Shayetet enlisted immediately; they were very enthusiastic," D. said.

Although this was a dangerous move intended to take place deep in enemy territory, within a short time, the operation to abduct "The Captain" had received all required approvals, including that of the prime minister. "It was necessary to convince the appointed levels that the risk level for the force justified this operation," Rear Adm. A. said, who was present at some of these dramatic meetings. "These are places where you feel the weight of responsibility."

When A. received the news that "her" operation was moving forward, she found it hard to believe. "I was in shock, they were so on board," she smiled with embarrassment.

Shayetet 13 combat soldiers (Photo: Oren Cohen)

The operation was carried out on the night between November 1 and 2. Around 1:00 a.m., a small force of Shayetet soldiers positioned themselves at the entrance to Amhaz's vacation cabin in Batroun. The operation was accompanied by Naval Intelligence personnel from within the Navy's Pit in the Kirya (IDF headquarters in Tel Aviv). "It is as if you are part of the force," A. recalled. "We are not physically with them, but we understand exactly what is happening on the ground. Many times, the executing force looks to intelligence for guidance, asking whether the target is at the objective and whether everything is working according to the plan. When you answer 'yes, he is there,' it is a moment with a lot of responsibility, but also a moment of a dream coming true."

According to reports in the Lebanese media, the abduction operation was carried out by a force of about 25 combat soldiers and lasted only four minutes. In a short video recorded by a security camera in the area of the operation, Shayetet personnel can be seen in their combat gear leading Amhaz down one of the streets, his head covered by a shirt.

In an urgent military inquiry conducted in Lebanon in the days following the abduction, it was claimed that the Lebanese Navy did not identify the Israeli infiltration into Batroun and that German naval forces, who are supposed to secure the maritime arena in the area under the UNIFIL mandate, did not report any suspicious movement during the night. "The army cannot identify small boats that slip under the radar," the Lebanese Chief of Staff Joseph Aoun, today the President of the State, was quoted as saying in a local newspaper.

By the time the inquiry was published, Amhaz was already deep in Israeli territory, having vomited several times on the way from Batroun and shown signs of anxiety. "I held my breath until the moment the commandos returned to the country's territory," A. said. "It was a sense of relief. I have been on this thing for two years, and here – we finally reached that moment."

Lt. Col. D. said, "If it were possible to open champagne in the army, we would have done it."

Rear Adm. A. said, "For me, in this event, there were two moments of satisfaction. The first was when they realized the force had arrived in Israel along with Amhaz, and we knew our soldiers had returned safely. I waited for them on the beach at the Shayetet base in Atlit, and it was a great pride. Shayetet 13 is a wonderful, mission-driven unit. It is a cliché, but there is no mission they cannot meet. The second moment of satisfaction came after several days of interrogations, when we realized we had not caught a small fry. The moment he spoke about the 'Secret Naval File,' about what he knows how to do – and it took several days – we realized we had done something valuable that truly contributed to the security of the State of Israel."

Not exactly an "innocent civilian"

The interrogation of Amhaz indeed revealed new details to Naval Intelligence that they had not known about the "Secret Maritime File" and the extent of Hezbollah's seriousness in implementing the project. "At first, he completely denied any connection to Hezbollah," A. related. "But slowly, as time passed, he began to open up. He gave us a lot of information about the file and also revealed to us the meetings with Shukr."

Rear Adm. A. said, "Before that, we knew a general story, and he not only confirmed it for us but fleshed out the details for us. This gave us the understanding that there was a real, actual project here, with intentions."

The publication of details from Amhaz's interrogation, for the first time, may certainly change the narrative built in Lebanon around his abduction. His family took the trouble to demonstrate and be interviewed wherever possible to claim that Amhaz is merely a civilian seaman who was abducted through no fault of his own. "My son is a civilian maritime captain who took a course at the Institute of Marine Sciences in Batroun," his father, Fadel, said in a newspaper interview. "My son is at sea most of the time and has no connection to parties. He is not connected to politics."

The Prime Minister of Lebanon at the time, Najib Mikati, also announced the day after the operation that Lebanon would file an official complaint with the UN Security Council regarding the abduction of Amhaz, and the Lebanese Transport Minister said that Amhaz was a "captain of civilian ships."

"We are now sending a clear message," Lt. Col. D. said in response. "The Navy is not bored and does not abduct innocent civilians. This is an exceptional operative in Hezbollah who was entrusted with a secret project that was supposed to surprise Israel completely. He is as far from innocent as possible."

The Lebanese attempt to attach a civilian image to Amhaz fit well with another move that took place about a year after his abduction – the release of the Israeli Elizabeth Tsurkov from captivity in September 2025, who was kidnapped in Iraq and held there by a pro-Iranian terror organization. The official Iranian news agency Tasnim claimed then that Tsurkov was released in exchange for two Lebanese figures held by Israel, including Amhaz.

Fuad Shukr (Photo: Social media)

In the Naval Intelligence Department, they are not aware of any such thing, and in any case, Amhaz is still in Israeli hands while Tsurkov is at her home. In our conversations, we were unable to confirm that the release of Amhaz was part of the move to release Tsurkov.

Despite Amhaz being in our hands, the analyst A. and her commanders are not at rest. "For us, the operation is not over," D. said. "We are still following the 'Secret Naval File,' and Nour al-Din, who stands at the head of the file, is still with us. To our understanding, he is still promoting this project, and perhaps other secret files as well, and it is important to us that he knows the account with him is open."

Q: By the way, did you meet Amhaz after he was brought to Israel?

D. said, "A. and I were in the same corridor with him, but we only looked at him. Interrogation is less our field. The unit responsible for his interrogation is 504, and there is a clear division between us. Even if Amhaz noticed us, he has no idea who we are and what our connection to him is."

A. said, "We saw him from a distance, but we did not speak with him."

Q: And how did it feel to see "The Captain" like that, face to face, after two years in which you tracked him from afar?

"Shocking," A. said. "Absolutely shocking."

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Ben Gurion tightens security after teens sneak onto flights without tickets

adin — Thu, 18 Dec 2025 15:30:51 +0000

Following two infiltrations of teens onto flights from Ben Gurion International Airport, the Israel Airports Authority has decided to take steps to upgrade the outbound passenger process, aiming to prevent additional incidents.

Earlier this week, an Israeli teen, approximately 18 years old, managed to sneak onto an Austrian Airlines plane without a boarding pass. Only when he landed in Vienna did the Austrians discover he had no flight ticket, and he was returned to Israel. The case occurred about two months after another severe failure during which a 13-year-old boarded a flight from Ben Gurion to the US without a flight ticket. He slipped past all security circles by staying close to other passengers.

Passengers at Ben Gurion International Airport (Photo: Yossi Zeliger)

Following the incidents, conclusions were drawn, and boarding pass verification will now be conducted at the initial screening stage at Ben Gurion International Airport.

What has changed? Until now, passengers moved through various stages – from terminal entry to aircraft boarding – without needing to show flight tickets at certain points. Now, through a gradual rollout, travelers will be required to present boarding passes even at stages where this was not previously necessary.

Important to know: During the initial implementation phases, wait times may extend beyond normal, and queues at certain airport junctions may stretch longer than usual. The initiative is being deployed in learning phases, with full completion anticipated over the coming year.

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Thousands of Israelis receive text messages from Iranian Intelligence

omrif — Thu, 18 Dec 2025 08:54:53 +0000

Thousands of Israelis received a suspicious text message on their mobile phones on Thursday, apparently originating from Iran, inviting them to cooperate with Iranian intelligence agencies.

The message, written in English, read: "Iranian intelligence agencies are ready to receive your intelligence cooperation. To cooperate, contact one of the Iranian embassies via the internet."

Israel's National Cyber Directorate said it was aware of the message and issued clear instructions to the public.

What should you do?

Ignore the message completely. Do not respond and do not attempt to contact the sender. Block the sending number, mark it as spam, and do not forward the message, in order to prevent unnecessary dissemination.

Against the backdrop of more than 30 espionage-related cases exposed by the Shin Bet security agency over the past two and a half years, Israeli security officials say Iran has been carrying out widespread "spray and pray" recruitment efforts online. These attempts target normative citizens and span a broad range of sectors across Israeli society.

Investigations and indictments show that the overwhelming majority of Israelis involved were aware they were cooperating with Iran. In many cases, the initial approach was made directly through social media platforms, with messages such as: "Hello, this is Iranian intelligence. You can help us and we will help you in return for money."

According to the indictments, Israelis who established contact with Iranian handlers often began with tasks they perceived as harmless, such as photographing streets, signs or vandalizing vehicles. Over time, however, they were directed to carry out serious security-related missions. These included photographing the streets near the homes of public figures, reaching hospitals where prominent individuals were being treated, and even attempts to obtain weapons.

Israeli security officials stress that raising public awareness of the consequences of cooperating with Iranian elements, and the severe harm such ties pose to national security, is essential. The goal, they say, is to ensure that Israelis who receive suspicious approaches online or from Iranian sources understand the gravity of their actions and the seriousness of such contact with an enemy state.

Ongoing dialogue is being held with local authorities to strengthen public awareness and resilience in light of the many cases uncovered. Several months ago, Israel's National Public Diplomacy Directorate launched a broad public campaign highlighting the dangers and consequences of establishing contact with hostile Iranian elements.

Espionage for Iran (illustrative). Photo: Netalie Ron-Raz Netalie Ron-Raz

Iranian espionage by the numbers

The Shin Bet has reported a 200% increase from 2024 to 2025 in counter espionage prevention activity carried out by its counterterrorism and counterintelligence division. This has involved dozens of cases, including warning calls, arrests and interrogations.

There has also been a rise of more than 30% in the number of arrests and investigations related to Iranian espionage between 2024 and 2025.

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The real purpose of Israel's gas deal with Egypt

omrif — Thu, 18 Dec 2025 08:40:34 +0000

The signing of the massive gas deal with Egypt goes far beyond its headline price tag of $35 billion. One of the main reasons for the agreement's delay was Egypt's problematic conduct toward Israel on political and security issues.

The understandings between Israel and Egypt on the gas deal do not include an Egyptian commitment to withdraw prohibited forces from the Sinai Peninsula. Israel Hayom has learned that accompanying understandings include dialogue on mechanisms to address Egyptian violations. The US has promised to promote handling of the issue, but there is no clear commitment to rectify the situation.

In Israel, officials believe that once gas deliveries begin and Egypt becomes energy-dependent on Israeli gas, this dependence will serve as leverage to deter Cairo from violating the peace treaty. They also argue that had Israel not supplied Egypt with gas, its southern neighbor would have turned to Qatar. According to information gathered in recent years, Egypt has introduced forces into Sinai far beyond what is permitted under the security annex of the peace treaty. It has also built tunnels deep inside Sinai for storing weapons and has suspiciously extended runways at airfields.

Gas en route to Egypt. (archive). Photo: Koko Koko

A security achievement

As far as is currently known, none of these problems has been fully resolved. The excess Egyptian forces will remain in Sinai, but Egypt has given commitments to limit their activity. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu hinted that Israel achieved several gains on the security front.

Despite the agreement, efforts to politically warm relations with Egypt have so far failed because of the war in Gaza, which has yet to end, and the tense atmosphere between the presidential palace in Cairo and the Prime Minister's Office in Jerusalem. The Americans examined the possibility of holding a summit meeting between Netanyahu and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, with US President Donald Trump participating, but the Egyptians rejected the idea.

Alongside these issues, the gas agreement enables Israel to achieve several strategic objectives. The first is Egypt's dependence on Israeli gas, which it uses both for domestic energy needs and for liquefaction and export to Europe, a vital source of foreign currency without which Egypt's economy would collapse. Egypt has gas fields of its own, but they are insufficient for these purposes. This dependence constitutes Israeli diplomatic and security leverage over its southern neighbor, though its impact is limited to major strategic issues, chiefly reducing or even eliminating concerns that Egypt might cancel its peace treaty with Israel.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu meets with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sissi (archive). Photo: Avi Ohayon/GPO GPO/Avi Ohayon

An energy powerhouse?

Israel is consolidating its status as a regional power in the energy sector. It supplies gas to Egypt and also to Jordan, which uses it for a significant portion of its energy consumption. The agreement with Israel comes at Qatar's expense. Doha had been in talks with el-Sisi on building a new gas pipeline from Qatar's giant gas fields to Egypt. Laying such a pipeline would take years, and Egypt did not have the time to wait.

The agreement opens the door to additional energy projects in cooperation with Gulf states, projects that have been on the table for a long time and are expected to advance once an agreement is reached to bring Saudi Arabia into the Abraham Accords, likely not before elections and the formation of a new government in Israel.

In the energy sphere, under the agreement Israel will build an additional gas pipeline between Ramat Hovav and Nitzana, enabling further increases in exports to Egypt. The deal is expected to restart tenders for exploration of new gas fields in the eastern Mediterranean, and the Energy Ministry is set to renew preparations for those exploration bids.

Another reason for the delay in the agreement with Egypt was the Energy Ministry's demand that remaining reserves in existing fields be sufficient for Israeli domestic consumption and remain priced at the current low levels. According to the Energy Ministry, these demands were fully met.

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'The largest in Israel's history': Netanyahu announces gas deal with Egypt

omrif — Wed, 17 Dec 2025 20:30:33 +0000

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced Wednesday evening that Israel had finalized a natural gas export deal with Egypt, which he described as "the largest in Israel's history."

In a recorded statement, Netanyahu said the total value of the deal was estimated at about 112 billion shekels, roughly $34 billion, with 58 billion shekels, about $18 billion, expected to flow into state coffers.

Leviathan gas field. Photo: Albertos

At the same time as Netanyahu's announcement, NewMed Energy reported to the Tel Aviv Stock Exchange that it had received approval to export natural gas to Egypt. The authorization, granted by the Energy Ministry, allows the implementation of the export agreement signed in August, which is valued at approximately $35 billion.

As part of the approval, assurances were given that Israel would maintain attractive domestic natural gas prices and that gas supplies to the local market would be secured. The decision also paves the way for a final investment decision on the expansion of the Leviathan gas field, a move expected to significantly increase production capacity from the reservoir.

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Iran's 'constitutional nuclear crisis' threatens Israel

miriw — Wed, 17 Dec 2025 08:00:33 +0000

In recent years, the phrase "The Iranians are playing chess, but we are playing backgammon" has become popular in Israel. However, whoever coined this phrase did not pay attention to one detail – Iran's intentions toward Israel and its understanding of the concept of time.

In Iran, time is not a critical or valued resource; therefore, a particular project – whether paving a road or striking Israel – can take decades and never be completed, which also affects Iran's own budget and creates enormous waste (see the water and electricity shortages and inflation).

This causes Iranian intentions to implement a certain plan to become perpetual, and this is true regarding their aspiration to destroy Israel. In the 12-day war, Israel dealt a severe blow (with US assistance) to Iran's nuclear program, but it appears that the intentions to return and achieve a deterrent nuclear capability have not left the minds of Iranian decision-makers. Both before the war and after it, there are generals of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps or parliamentary representatives who promise the achievement of nuclear capability that will bring about deterrence of Israel, so that it will not attack Iran and its allies, terrorist organizations, again.

Commanders and members of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps meet with Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in Tehran, Iran August 17, 2023 (Photo: Office of the Iranian Supreme Leader/WANA/West Asia News Agency) via REUTERS

They want to change the religious ruling

A researcher at Iran's Guardian Council – the body responsible for interpreting the constitution and filtering candidates for various elections in Iran, to ensure that no law or person threatens the authority of the leader – went further when he challenged the religious prohibition of Iranian leader Ali Khamenei on the issue of producing, possessing, or using nuclear weapons. In an article in the Council's journal, cleric Alireza Jafarzadeh brought about ten quotes from the Iranian leader from the past 15 years regarding the prohibition to produce nuclear weapons, possess, and even use them – but he found, in the Iranian way, a loophole in the matter of honoring the leader's religious ruling reciprocally.

Alireza claimed in his article that the West and Israel did not honor the leader's religious ruling, which was accepted as a kind of promise to the Obama administration ahead of the 2014-2015 nuclear agreement, and which was the legal basis on the Iranian side for the agreement. Therefore, in his opinion, the time has come for the Iranian regime not to honor the religious ruling itself. Hinting to the leader, he claims that the regime and the nuclear program should be released from the shackles of the religious ruling, and allow those involved to advance the program and achieve deterrent capability – that is, nuclear weapons, according to the verse in the Quran "Prepare for them force as much as you can so that the enemy will be deterred from you." Thus, according to him, specifically achieving nuclear weapons, and not necessarily a religious ruling that ensures non-advancement toward the weapon, will prevent the next war and bring a quieter balance to the entire Middle East.

Indeed, at first glance, this statement seems similar to other Iranian threats about renewed empowerment and even rehabilitation of the nuclear program to the point of achieving the weapon, but the constitutional innovation and the loophole on which the man bases his claim are something new and dangerous that could lead to renewed discussion among Iranian decision-makers. Khamenei, the elderly Iranian leader, may find himself there in the minority against Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps members, eager to receive budgets to rehabilitate the nuclear program, alongside missile and terror programs (which already receive enormous budgets and are returning almost to the point before the war). This may even grant more power and authority to more radical forces to take control of additional power bases and dictate Iran's future miscalculation against Israel and the US.

The regime has not abandoned its intentions

Decision-makers, and particularly those managing contacts with the American administration on this issue, should pay attention to Iran's "constitutional nuclear crisis," and bring it to President Donald Trump's table. This is a clear example of the Iranian regime not abandoning its intentions of annihilation, even if the capabilities are not visible for the time being in the field. If this internal legitimization among the Iranians regarding a race to nuclear weapons and violation of their promise regarding the prohibition to achieve it succeeds, the day when they return to develop these capabilities with greater intensity will not be far off. As already stated, we have only three years to complete the mission against Iran once and for all. Therefore, we must remember their intentions and discuss them, and not wait again until the 90th minute, because time is somehow working in their favor.

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Report: Iran may have relocated missile sites east to prevent Israel strikes

ErezL — Tue, 16 Dec 2025 03:01:25 +0000

Iranian military officials acknowledged tactical failures during the recent war with Israel while insisting the country's missile capabilities remain largely intact, with a senior Western diplomat stated missile sites may now be relocated deeper into eastern Iran for protection. "If we keep. "We did not think that they would target our commanders and scientists in their own homes along with their families. We miscalculated and admit that we were wrong," Mohammad Reza Naghdi, a Revolutionary Guards deputy commander said. Despite strikes that killed dozens of senior commanders, Naghdi claimed "Israel has not destroyed even 3% of our missile launchers," the Financial Times reported.

The Revolutionary Guards recently staged a public weapons exhibition at Tehran's National Aerospace Park, displaying ballistic missiles, hypersonic systems, and attack drones. The display sought to project military strength and reassure citizens following the 12-day war with Israel and the US that exposed significant vulnerabilities. Israeli strikes killed dozens of senior commanders and nuclear scientists, while over 1,000 people died in Iran, according to the Financial Times. Tehran argues its massive missile response forced the conflict to halt.

A 35-year-old accountant named Nasrin stopped before a Sejjil ballistic missile, remembering social media images of the weapon soaring through skies during fighting, the Financial Times reported. "Thanks to these missiles, the US and Israel knelt down before us," she remarked. "Without them, Iran would have become like Gaza."

Last month's presentation formed part of a campaign to convey strength following a war inflicting severe damage on the Islamic republic – and to assure citizens the nation remains combat-ready should necessity arise, according to the Financial Times.

Brigadier General Ali Balali of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, serving as exhibition director, told attendees: "People are seeing these missiles and drones up close, and realise they're locally made weapons to defend the homeland," the Financial Times reported. "Our capabilities place us within the club of nations known for significant missile development."

During months following the 12-day conflict, wherein the US briefly participated before negotiating a ceasefire, numerous Iranians describe existing in a state of "no war, no peace," according to the Financial Times. Iran has prohibited UN inspectors from accessing its most sensitive nuclear installations, which sustained US bombing, and has reached deadlock with Washington over resuming atomic energy program talks, the Financial Times reported. European powers have additionally reimposed sanctions.

These developments have produced mounting anxiety within Iran that renewed combat may prove inevitable rather than hypothetical, according to the Financial Times. "Our missile capability must continue to grow," stated Sara, a 19-year-old psychology student at the aerospace park. "The war could resume at any moment."

Officials insist Iran's military preparedness undergoes swift restoration, the Financial Times reported. Yet the exhibition also represented an attempt to shift public narrative away from vulnerabilities exposed during combat, when Israeli forces eliminated dozens of senior commanders and nuclear scientists in a devastating opening assault. Iranian authorities reported casualties exceeding 1,000.

Commander-in-chief of the Iranian Army Amir Hatami (L) attending a meeting in the Iranian Army's War Command Room, in an unknown location (EPA)

By launching what it describes as more than 600 missiles in retaliation – the most extensive bombardment Israel has confronted in its history – Tehran argues it compelled the war to cease, the Financial Times reported.

Iranian officials contend the war should be assessed not solely by deaths but by financial costs Israel and the US incurred intercepting relatively inexpensive Iranian munitions and executing long-range aerial operations, including with expensive precision guided missiles, the Financial Times reported.

Shahed drones, utilized by Russia in its Ukraine war, received prominent display, alongside multiple other drones reverse engineered from US and Israeli models Iran captured, the Financial Times reported. Still, the Islamic republic has also sought to address its shortcomings. Domestically-manufactured radar systems failed to prevent Israeli jets and drones from striking Tehran. In recent YouTube interviews with hardline director Javad Mogouei, ministers and military commanders admitted Israeli tactics caught them unprepared.

Iranian technicians dealing with uranium enrichment (AFP PHOTO / HO / KHAMENEI.IR; Reuters)

"We were taken by surprise by the way the enemy operated," stated Mohammad Reza Naghdi, a Revolutionary Guards deputy commander during the war, according to the Financial Times. "We did not think that they would target our commanders and scientists in their own homes along with their families. We miscalculated and admit that we were wrong."

The most embarrassing moment occurred with Hamas political chief Ismail Haniyeh's assassination in Tehran in July 2024, when Iran declined to retaliate against Israel, the Financial Times reported. Officials now acknowledge this reflected not strategic restraint but an uncomfortable reality: Tehran recognized it lacked sufficient capabilities to respond effectively and required time for rebuilding.

Brigadier General Ali Mohammad Naeini, spokesperson for the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, informed Mogouei that Iran had worked to improve the accuracy and effectiveness of its missiles during subsequent months, according to the Financial Times.

"We are working around the clock to reach a new level of readiness," Naeini declared. "Without long-range ballistic missiles, this war would have lasted eight years [like the war with Iraq], not 12 days. It would have taken us a year, not hours, to go on the offensive."

A senior Western diplomat in Tehran stated missile sites may now relocate deeper into eastern Iran – farther from Israeli and American aircraft – for enhanced protection, the Financial Times reported. "If we keep the enemy's targets beyond its access, there won't be another war," Naghdi stated. "Their costs must exceed their achievements."

Western diplomats are also monitoring for indications whether the republic seeks foreign assistance to rebuild its military strength, the Financial Times reported. The critical question, as one expressed it, involves whether nations like Russia, China and Pakistan are offering support to Iran.

For many aerospace park visitors, the conclusion proved evident: Iran's future depended not merely on protecting but strengthening its weapons program, according to the Financial Times. "If we put aside our missile programme, we will be attacked more severely next time," stated Keyvan, a 27-year-old computer engineer. "After the war, we realise more than ever how invaluable these missiles are."

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Israel moves defense headquarters to Jerusalem in major strategic shift

adin — Mon, 15 Dec 2025 16:10:56 +0000

Under a framework agreement signed Monday between the Israeli Defense Ministry and the Jerusalem Municipality, officials approved a series of significant measures aimed at transforming the capital into a comprehensive military hub in the coming years. The initiative is part of a broader development plan for the city's entrance district that has advanced in recent years.

The agreement established plans for creating a "defense establishment branch" based in a 30-story tower that will house all Israeli defense bodies. The building will include dedicated offices for Israeli defense ministers and IDF chiefs of staff, alongside accommodation for additional security agencies.

The structure will also contain a complex for the Directorate of Defense Research & Development, which project officials hope will attract young high-tech professionals to Jerusalem, thereby contributing to the city's economy.

Beyond this, the bodies agreed to relocate the recruitment office currently known to Jerusalemites on Rashi Street to an "alternative location" to conduct a "facelift" and adapt it to current and future needs. In practice, sources familiar with the matter indicate the Jerusalem office will be moved to Givat HaTahmoshet, where recruits board buses to the induction chain at Tel Hashomer Base on their recruitment day.

The Kirya base and Azrieli Towers in Tel Aviv, Israel (Photo: Yehoshua Yosef)

The current Jerusalem office is located near the headquarters of extremist groups that occasionally demonstrate outside it, and it will be interesting to see whether demonstrations will also take place at the new location.

Officials also decided to transfer military colleges to the capital and to establish housing projects for career soldiers who will serve in the ambitious tower, which will serve them and their family members. Alongside this, construction of an IDF museum will begin in the near future, adjacent to Jerusalem's botanical garden.

"The defense establishment is declaring today in the clearest way that Jerusalem is becoming home to central areas of our activity," Defense Minister Israel Katz stated. Following him, Jerusalem Mayor Moshe Lion hinted at projects on the agenda in the capital, which he called part of a "defense hub."

"This is a significant moment that will strengthen Jerusalem and position it at the forefront of national security. Jerusalem will be a pillar and central anchor for the State of Israel's defense establishment. The crown jewel is in the business district at the city entrance, where an advanced defense hub will be established that will concentrate the headquarters of all defense establishment bodies in the State of Israel," Lion said.

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The inevitable link between Oct. 7 and Australia's Hanukkah massacre

adin — Sun, 14 Dec 2025 17:23:24 +0000

The groundwork for the murderous attack that occurred in Bondi Beach, Sydney, Australia, was laid two years earlier, built upon a foundation of antisemitism that had been bubbling even before the October 7, 2023, massacre by Hamas.

This was a nightmare scenario that had been running through the minds of Australia's Jewish community and its security personnel, who noted that this was the "ultimate nightmare" – a scenario they had prepared for out of fear that the day would come when the nightmare would become reality.

For those who managed to watch the footage from the attack, extremely disturbing images show community members who came to light the first Hanukkah candle: Human rights lawyer, Arsen Ostrovsky, covered in blood, recorded himself in a moment of unimaginable fear. Masses of people are seen fleeing for their lives in terror. The similarity between these images and the images of Nova Festival attendees who recorded themselves in moments of sheer terror conveys the same sense of helplessness when live fire is opened on civilians who cannot defend themselves, but the connection between October 7 and the Sydney attack runs even deeper than that.

Arsen Ostrovsky at the event in Bondi Beach / Credit: Screenshot: X

For two years, we have covered the Australian Jewish community's concerns about the ease with which protests calling for explicit violence against Israelis and against the Jewish community have been allowed to take place. Harsh criticism was directed at Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese over the need to act with a heavy hand against a sharp rise in antisemitic incidents across the country, and against extremists at anti-Israel protests.

The Jewish community adapted itself to the changing reality before its eyes – the appearance of swastikas in the streets, repeated attempts to harm the community – private security was increased at institutions, and some community members even considered the possibility of making Aliyah due to the growing sense of insecurity since the Hamas massacre on October 7, which they felt largely stemmed from Albanese's anti-Israel government. "Our blood is cheap," Sydney Jewish residents told Israel Hayom. Sydney, which in recent years has established its status as a hub for pro-terror protests, has changed its attitude toward the Jews living there, or in simple words, the writing was on the wall.

When signs at mass pro-Palestinian protests call to "gas the Jews," "f*** the Jews," and to "globalize the Intifada," and this is allowed without interference, what prevents two armed men, inspired by October 7, from opening fire on members of that same community during a holiday celebration?

Anti-Israel incitement has snowballed over the past two years, under the guise of "morality," which prevented the warning sounded repeatedly by Israelis, Jews, and their supporters from being heard – Israel's war after October 7 is not Israel's alone. It is a war for the entire world against terror. Jews are not persecuted only in the Middle East, but also in Europe, in North America, and now – in Australia.

Too many times, it took bloodshed to wake leaders from their slumber. All decisions made from here forward will answer the question asked by the Jews from Sydney: Is Jewish blood cheap in 2025?

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