I - On Defense Podcast

For review: 1.  International Atomic Energy Agency Chief in Iran. International Atomic Energy Agency chief Rafael Grossi traveled to Tehran on Wednesday, to negotiate with the country’s top nuclear and political officials, according to Iran’s official IRNA news agency. 2. Israeli Official (unnamed) denies Washington Post report concerning efforts to secure ceasefire in Lebanon as a "gift&quot...

For review: 1.  Israel's New Submarine.  The Israeli Navy announced on Tuesday the name of its sixth submarines, dubbed “the Dragon”, in a ceremony in Germany with the naval vessel expected to be delivered to Israel later in 2025. 2. Israeli President Isaac Hertzog presents gift to US President Biden, on what is most likely, the last official visit by a Senior Israeli Official before his term...

For review: 1. US & UK strike Houthi targets in in Yemen. The Houthi-run Al Masirah television network reported three American and British raids that targeted the capital Sanaa’s southern Al Sabeen district. 2. US Strikes Iranian-backed Groups in Syria. US CENTCOM forces attacked nine targets in two locations in Syria in response to several attacks on US personnel in Syria over the last 24 hou...

For review: 1. Newly appointed Israeli Defense Minister (Israel Katz) conducts first phone call with American counterpart- US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin. 2. From US Formal Request: Qatar Directs Hamas to Leave Doha. Qatar told Hamas that it must close its diplomatic office in Doha roughly ten days ago following a request by the US, senior Biden administration officials tell The Times of Israel...

For review: 1. IDF conducts airstrikes north of the Litani River, targeting rocket launch sites. 2. Squadron of F-15 Strike Eagles Arrive in US CENTCOM AOR. 3. Israel to Procure 25 x F-15IA Warplanes from US. The Israel Ministry of Defense has signed what it called a “landmark transaction” to acquire 25 more F-15 fighter aircraft in a deal worth $5.2 billion. The warplanes will be delivered beginn...

For review: 1. Lebanon Army conducts probe concerning Israeli Navy’s Shayetet 13 commando unit raid. A Lebanese judicial official said that the probe had found that operatives from the Israeli Navy’s Shayetet 13 commando unit entered Lebanese waters in a speedboat equipped with radar-jamming devices that evaded detection by Lebanon’s and UNIFIL’s naval radars during the raid in Batroun, south of T...

For review: 1. IDF Strikes Hezbollah targets in Syria. In a rare acknowledgment, the IDF confirmed launching airstrikes in Syria on Monday, targeting what it said were infrastructure and assets of Hezbollah’s intelligence division. 2. Hamas Rejects Egyptian Offer for Short-term Ceasefire. The Egyptian proposal envisioned a 12-day ceasefire during which Hamas would agree to release four hostages an...

For review: 1. US CENTCOM Release: - US Forces assigned to CENTCOM strike ISIS camps in Syria resulting in 35 operatives killed. - B-52 Stratofortress Bombers arrive in CENTCOM AOR from Minot Air Force Base, North Dakota from the 5th Bomb Wing. 2.  Israeli Commando Raid in Northern Lebanon. According Al-Akhbar report, operatives from the Navy’s Shayetet 13 commando unit captured suspected Hezbolla...

For review: 1.  US Sends B-52s to CENTCOM AOR. US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin is sending additional bomber aircraft and Navy warships to the Middle East to bolster presence in the region, as an aircraft carrier and its warships are preparing to leave. 2. US and Israeli Officials continue discussions on ceasefire plans in Lebanon. A US official told The Times of Israel that US special envoy Amos...

For review: 1. Iran Threatens "Painful" Response to Israel. Unnamed Source to CNN: Iran will deliver a “definitive and painful” response to Israel’s recent attack on its territory, likely before the US presidential election on 05 November. 2.  IDF Chief Warns Iran "Not to Pursue Further Attacks."  Speaking to aircrews at the Ramon Air Base in southern Israel, Lieutenant General...

For review: 1. Israel: Escalation Dominance Against Iran. Israel’s attacks on Saturday crippled Iran’s ability to produce long-range ballistic missiles and rendered crucial energy facilities vulnerable to future attacks by destroying air defense batteries protecting them. 2.  Israeli PM: Stop the Iran Nuclear Program. Israel is determined to stop Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons, the Prime Mini...

For review: 1. Israel Strikes Military Targets in Iran. After reports of explosions near Tehran began to emerge around 2:15 a.m. local time, the Israel Defense Forces released a statement confirming that it was attacking Iran in response to “months of continuous attacks from the regime in Iran against the State of Israel.” 2. Israeli & Egyptian Spy Chiefs Meet to Re-start Hostage Talks. Mossad...

For review: 1.  IDF Confirms Death of Hezbollah Chief from 04 October Strike. Hashem Safieddine, the head of Hezbollah’s executive council, was presumed to be the successor of Hassan Nasrallah following his assassination in late September. 2. Israeli Air Force prepares for combat over Iran. Defense Minister Yoav Gallant on Wednesday told pilots and air crews at Hatzerim base that “after we strike...

For review: 1. Israeli Politicians: Drone Attack on PM Home - "Big Mistake." Israeli politicians aimed their rhetoric in Iran’s direction, vowing Tehran would “pay a price” for a drone attack by Tehran’s proxy Hezbollah that struck the Israeli PM's home. 2. Nordic Countries to Collaborate on future Infantry Fighting Vehicle. Major General Lars Lervik, Chief of Staff of the Norwegian...

For review: 1.  Hezbollah Drone Strike On Israel PM Home. A drone fired by Hezbollah from Lebanon that exploded in the central seaside town of Caesarea early on Saturday targeted Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s private home, his office said. The premier and his wife were not present and no injuries were reported. 2. Iran United Nations Mission statement concerning drone strike on Israel PM hom...

For review: 1. Top Hamas Leader Killed by IDF Tank Fire. Israel on Thursday night announced that IDF troops had killed Hamas terror chief Yahya Sinwar in Gaza.. A force from the 828th Bislamach Brigade killed Sinwar and the other two terrorists. 2. Israel PM Benjamin Netanyahu addresses Israeli citizens concerning Sinwar's death. PM Netanyahu: "I stand before you today to tell you that Y...

For review: 1. Israeli Defense Minister on Iran Strike: Targets Are Clear - It's a Matter of Time. Israel has described its general attack plans to the US but has yet to give an update on specific targets- however, “the targets could also change at the 11th hour.” 2. Iran Foreign Minister: Iran Will Respond. Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi warned UN chief Antonio Guterres that Tehran i...

For review: 1.  Israel PM & French President Discuss Lebanon Ceasefire. The two leaders spoke by phone, with PM Netanyahu telling the French President he was opposed to agreeing to a “unilateral ceasefire” in Lebanon, according to a statement released by the Prime Minister’s Office. 2. N. Korean Soldiers Supporting Russian Fight in Ukraine? South Korea's Defence Minister Kim Yong-Hyun sai...

For review: 1. 2024 Defence Media Awards held in Washington D.C.. Congratulations to all Nominees & Winners (and those not Nominated as well). 2.  Israel PM Netanyahu - UNIFIL Forces Must Leave Danger Zone. Addressing UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, PM Netanyahu said in a Hebrew-language message, “It is time for you to withdraw UNIFIL from Hezbollah strongholds and from the areas of com...

For review: 1. No Israeli response to Iran. Discussions and coordination with US continues. Among the challenges of an aggressive response is the potential for tit-for-tat strikes that will draw in other Middle Eastern countries. Tehran has threatened Western-backed Arab states that it will attack them next if an Israeli-US retaliatory action against Iran goes through their territory or airspace....

For review: 1. President Biden & PM Netanyahu Discuss Response to Iranian Missile Attack. PM Netanyahu held a phone call with US President Biden on Wednesday for the first time in nearly 50 days, as Jerusalem aims to coordinate with Washington its' response to Iran’s ballistic missile attack. 2. IDF destroys Hezbollah tunnel crossing into Israel. “Tonight we reported that we located and d...

For review: 1. US Navy identifies vessels with faulty welds in Secretary of Navy letter to HASC & SASC. The impacted ships include the aircraft carrier George Washington and the brand-new attack submarines Hyman G. Rickover and New Jersey. 2. IDF Combat Data from One Year of War. The Israel Defense Forces on Monday published new data on its operations in the Gaza Strip, the West Bank, and Leba...

For review: 1. No Contact with Hezbollah Chief After Beirut Strike - No Statement from Hezbollah. 2. IDF says response to Iranian missile attack will be "serious and significant." 3. US CENTCOM Commander in Israel to Discuss Response to Iran Attack. United States CENTCOM chief General Michael Kurilla landed in Israel this evening to meet with Israeli defense and military officials, amid...

For review: 1.  IDF Targets New Hezbollah Chief in Beirut Strike - Status Unknown. Hezbollah Leader Hashem Safieddine was meeting with other senior Hezbollah leaders in an underground bunker during the IDF strike. It remains unclear if Safieddine was harmed in the Israeli strike. 2. IDF Reveals Hamas Senior Leader Eliminated During July Airstrike. Senior Hamas official Rawhi Mushtaha, the de facto...

For review: 1.  Iran Targets Israel With More Than 180 Missiles - PM Netanyahu Reaction: "Big Mistake". At a security cabinet meeting in the aftermath of the attack, PM Netanyahu warned that Tehran had made a “big mistake tonight” and vowed that “it will pay for it.” 2. Iran celebrates missiles attack on Israel. Iran’s IRGC boasted of its ballistic missile attack on Israel and threatened...