Nation / PlaceIL
Israel
State fighting Iran and Hezbollah on multiple fronts amid a contested Lebanon ceasefire.
On 15 and 16 August, Israeli strikes in southern Lebanon killed at least 11 people after a Hezbollah drone attack wounded three Israeli soldiers, keeping Israel's Lebanon campaign active.
Last refreshed: 1 October 2026 · Appears in 3 active topics
Key Question
Israel's defence minister called Iran's new leader 'a dead man'; will he act?
Timeline for Israel
#18 30 Sept
Mentioned in: Hegseth plans a four-star drone command
Drones: Industry & Defence#14 15 Sept
Mentioned in: UK, US and Dutch expose Iranian spyware
Cybersecurity: Threats and Defences#18 14 Sept
Mentioned in: Ondas buys fuze maker GATE for US$205m
Drones: Industry & Defence#178 13 Sept
Mentioned in: Iraq shuts three Iranian crossings and the flights
Iran Conflict 2026#178 13 Sept
Mentioned in: Iraq reopens Iranian border crossings in stages
Iran Conflict 2026Background
Israel conducts military operations against Iran and Hezbollah in southern Lebanon. On 9 June, Israel said a pause in direct strikes with Iran did not cover its Lebanon operations. The separation keeps the northern front distinct from Israel's direct confrontation with Iran.
Israel's military decisions also shape regional diplomacy. On 8 June, Israeli forces struck Iran's Mahshahr Petrochemical Complex and missile sites after President Trump asked Benjamin Netanyahu not to retaliate. In Lebanon, Israeli demands for Hezbollah disarmament and its continuing military presence have framed negotiations over withdrawal and ceasefire terms.
Key Issues
Lebanon front
Israel keeps Lebanon front open
On 15 and 16 August, Israeli strikes killed at least 11 people in southern Lebanon, including three children. Israel said it targeted two senior Hezbollah commanders after a Hezbollah drone attack wounded three Israeli soldiers.
On 2 July, Israeli jets hit about ten Hezbollah sites after a gunman badly wounded an Israeli reservist in Bint Jbeil. Across 2 July and 15-16 August, attacks on Israeli personnel prompted renewed Israeli strike waves across the border.
Common Questions
Israel keeps Lebanon front open
Is Israel still fighting in Lebanon?
Yes. The front reignited on 2 July 2026 when troops of the IDF's 679th Armoured Brigade clashed with a Hezbollah gunman at Bint Jbeil in South Lebanon, drawing tank shelling and airstrikes and wounding an Israeli soldier.Source: Lowdown Iran Conflict 2026
Does Israel want to remove Iran's government?
Yes. Netanyahu has said permanent incapacitation of Iran's military and nuclear capacity is the goal, and on 1 July 2026 Defence Minister Katz called Iran's new Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei 'a dead man', prompting an Iranian warning of an 'immediate and powerful response'.Source: Lowdown Iran Conflict 2026
Is Israel withdrawing from Lebanon under the MOU?
No. Israel reads the MOU's 'terminate its war in Lebanon' clause as imposing no withdrawal obligation. Defence Minister Katz stated the IDF would remain in Lebanon for an unlimited period; IDF strikes continued on 18-19 June, killing 86 people over two days.Source: event
How far has Israel advanced into Lebanon?
Why did Trump stop Israel bombing Beirut?
On 1 June 2026 Trump phoned Netanyahu in an expletive-laden call and halted planned Israeli strikes on Beirut. A partial Lebanon ceasefire followed, with Hezbollah pledging to stop attacking Israel. It was the first documented Israeli military reversal under US pressure in 95 days of war.Source: Lowdown Iran Conflict 2026
Did Israel have secret bases in Iraq before the Iran war?
Yes. The New York Times and WSJ reported on 18 May 2026 that Israel operated two covert military bases in Iraq's western desert since late 2024, 14 months before the February strike. Iraq publicly denied authorising them.Source: New York Times / Wall Street Journal
Is Israel still a member of FIFA during the war?
As of April 2026, the Israel Football Association remains a FIFA member. The Palestine Football Association filed an appeal at the Court of Arbitration for Sport on around 20 April 2026, challenging FIFA's decision not to suspend the IFA. At the 76th FIFA Congress in Vancouver on 30 April, Infantino staged a joint photo of Israeli and Palestinian FA representatives.Source: Lowdown FIFA 2026 World Cup
Did Israel destroy Iran's nuclear programme in 2026?
A Haaretz assessment published 18 May 2026 (citing a former senior Israeli military intelligence official) judged that the strikes did not destroy Iran's underground enrichment infrastructure or missile production lines, and warned Tehran may now conclude only nuclear weapons can deter future attacks.Source: Haaretz / Lowdown Iran Conflict 2026
What is the Yellow Line dispute between Israel and the US over Lebanon?
Israel demanded IDF presence in a buffer zone up to the Litani River and refused to concede it as a condition of the Lebanon ceasefire. Trump extended the Ceasefire by three weeks in late April following ambassador-level talks; Netanyahu reportedly learned of the announcement from the press.Source: Lowdown iran-conflict-2026
What is Israel's position on ending the Iran war?
Netanyahu has emphasised the need for a defined military success and resisted premature Ceasefire terms. Israeli war aims — including holding territory south of the Litani in Lebanon and neutralising Iran's nuclear capacity — have consistently diverged from Washington's more negotiation-oriented posture.Source: Lowdown iran-conflict-2026
How depleted are Israel's Arrow-3 missile interceptors?
Arrow-3 stocks reached approximately 81% depletion by early April 2026, creating a multi-year dependency on US replenishment.Source: Lowdown iran-conflict-2026
What is Operation Epic Fury and what are Israel's war aims?
Operation Epic Fury is the joint US-Israel military campaign launched 28 February 2026, striking Iran's nuclear infrastructure and IRGC command. Israel's stated aim is permanent neutralisation of Iran's military and nuclear capacity; it has also conducted a ground offensive in Lebanon.Source: Wall Street Journal
What does the Israel-Iran war mean for Russia and Ukraine?
Israel struck the Russia-Iran arms corridor at Bandar Anzali, temporarily interdicting weapons flows to Russia. Meanwhile the war drove Urals crude to $123 per barrel, generating a revenue windfall for Moscow that partially offset Ukraine's Baltic port strike campaign.
How the World Sees Them
Iran
Tehran holds Israel responsible for the 28 February strikes and frames any deal as requiring a halt to Israeli Lebanon operations as a precondition. The Majlis vote to lock out the IAEA is partly driven by the assessment that Israeli strikes did not destroy nuclear capacity.
Iraq
Baghdad publicly denies authorising Israeli bases; privately protested to Washington in March 2026. Iraq absorbed the sovereignty violation silently for six weeks before the NYT disclosure.
Russia
Israel's strikes on the Iran-Russia arms corridor at Bandar Anzali briefly interrupted drone and weapons flows to Moscow, creating an indirect stake in the war's outcome for the Ukraine theatre.
Lebanon
Over one million people displaced; 1,000+ killed by late March. The Yellow Line buffer-zone dispute continues to link Lebanon ceasefire terms to the broader Iran clock.
United States
Washington is operationally coordinated with Israel (joint target lists, Arrow-3 replenishment) but politically diverges on war aims. Trump has extended the Lebanon ceasefire over Netanyahu's objections and seeks a negotiated Iran exit Israel does not.
European Union
European governments have distanced themselves from Israeli operations citing civilian casualties in Lebanon and Iran. The explicit goal of removing Iran's leadership ruptured relations with most Western capitals.