Israel Hayom

Israel Hayom (Hebrew: "Israel Today") is Israel's most widely circulated daily newspaper, distributed for free since its founding in 2007 by Sheldon Adelson. Politically aligned with the Likud-right bloc and historically supportive of Benjamin Netanyahu, the paper is a significant shaper of Israeli public discourse on security and Iran policy.

Israel Hayom became a primary international source on 23 April 2026 when it reported that Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei had undergone three surgeries on one leg, suffered burns to face and lips requiring potential plastic surgery, and had surgery on one hand gradually regaining function. The paper additionally reported that Khamenei refused audio or video communications to avoid appearing "weak or vulnerable" and communicated exclusively through handwritten messages in sealed envelopes. The reporting was subsequently corroborated by Ynet and Asharq Al-Awsat and relayed by Indian wire services.

Israel Hayom's Iran reporting draws on Israeli intelligence community leaks and is widely understood to reflect assessments that the Israeli government wants in the public domain. Its Khamenei reporting should be read as reflecting Israeli intelligence's picture of the Supreme Leader's condition rather than independent journalism in the conventional sense. Reuters had previously confirmed Khamenei was alive on 11 April 2026.

On 3 May 2026 Israel Hayom reported that Iran had offered a complete 15-year uranium enrichment freeze in a three-stage framework: a 3.67% civilian ceiling after the freeze, zero stockpiling, and a hard red line against infrastructure dismantlement. The report was single-sourced and had not been corroborated by Reuters, AP, or AFP as of mid-May. Its significance lies less in what the offer contained and more in the paper's established role as a conduit for Israeli intelligence signals: if the 15-year freeze figure is accurate, it represents a substantive Iranian offer; if it is a planted narrative, it suggests Israeli intelligence is shaping the negotiating atmosphere. The uncorroborated status means both readings remain live.