News Digest — 5/26/26
‘Preemptive Self-Defense:’ U.S, Strikes Targets Inside Iran
American military forces executed a series of preemptive, defensive airstrikes in southern Iran on Monday (25th), US Central Command (CENTCOM) confirmed.
“US forces conducted self-defense strikes in southern Iran today to protect our troops from threats posed by Iranian forces,” CENTCOM spokesperson Capt. Tim Hawkins told Fox News.
He added, “targets included missile launch sites and Iranian boats attempting to emplace mines. US Central Command continues to defend our forces while using restraint during the ongoing ceasefire.”
The American confirmation followed a wave of reports across state-controlled Iranian media networks. Tehran’s press outlets initially reported that a pair of naval vessels belonging to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) had been targeted and bombed by American fighter jets during an active deployment in the strategic waters of the Persian Gulf.
According to those Iranian accounts, the targeted tactical engagement resulted in the deaths of four IRGC Navy operatives.
Other reports on Monday night (25th) indicated a series of explosions in the port city of Badar Abbas.
The incident comes despite the ceasefire announced by the US in Iran amid the ongoing contacts between the sides on a deal to end Iran’s nuclear aspirations.
US President Donald Trump confirmed on Monday (25th) that any final agreement with Iran will require the Atomic Energy Commission to physically witness and verify the total destruction of the regime’s enriched uranium.
In a post on Truth Social, the president mapped out the strict logistical boundaries for dismantling Tehran’s nuclear inventory.
“The enriched Uranium (Nuclear Dust) will either be immediately turned over to the United States to be brought home and destroyed or preferably, in connection and coordination with the Islamic Republic of Iran, destroyed in place or, at another acceptable location, with the Atomic Energy Commission, or its equivalent, being witness to this process and event. Thank you for your attention to this matter,” Trump wrote.
Trump announced on Saturday (23rd) that the final details of an impending agreement with Iran would be announced “shortly.”
Later, the New York Times reported that the core framework of a potential agreement between Washington and Tehran hinges on a major concession regarding the Islamic Republic’s nuclear capabilities.
According to two US officials quoted in the report, the emerging deal requires Iran to completely forfeit its dangerous stockpile of highly enriched uranium, which Iran has committed to.
On Sunday (24th), US officials stated that the formal completion of the memorandum of understanding between Washington and Iran could be delayed by several days.
Netanyahu Orders IDF To ‘Intensify Blows’ Against Hezbollah Amid Surge In Drone Attacks
Israel will escalate strikes against Hezbollah in Lebanon, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Monday evening (25th), as a US official said the terror group had ignored warnings to halt firing at Israel in a conflict that could threaten US-Iran negotiations.
The prime minister’s remarks were followed by confirmation from the IDF that it had launched a fresh wave of strikes against Hezbollah targets in eastern and southern Lebanon.
Lebanese security forces said people had begun fleeing the southern suburbs of Beirut, a known Hezbollah stronghold, for fear of a renewed Israeli assault on the capital.
In Israel, local leaders in communities along the northern border announced that schools would be shut on Tuesday (26th) and until further notice, with most studies shifted to distance learning. The decisions were taken independently and without instruction to do so from the IDF Home Front Command.
A senior US official indicated on Monday (25th), amid a surge in drone attacks targeting Israel, that Washington could soon greenlight a larger Israeli operation against Hezbollah in Lebanon.
Israel and Iran-backed Hezbollah have continued to trade blows despite an April 16 truce aimed at halting the deadliest spillover of the US-Israeli war on Iran. However, Israel has avoided targeting the terror group in Beirut and other locations beyond southern Lebanon, facing pressure from Washington amid the talks with Iran. Tehran has demanded a halt to Israeli attacks in Lebanon as a condition in talks with the US aimed at ending the broader war.
The IDF has struggled to counter the daily threat of Hezbollah drone attacks on troops in Lebanon and on communities in northern Israel.
Netanyahu said Israel would begin intensifying its operations in Lebanon again, after incidents on Monday (25th) in which an unmanned aerial vehicle crashed into a home in the northern border community of Metula, and an explosive drone damaged a school bus stop in the border town of Shomera. A soldier was also killed by a suicide drone on Sunday (24th), the latest in a line of service men recently killed in such attacks.
“Hezbollah has ignored repeated requests to stop firing at Israel, including a recent ultimatum,” the senior US official told The Times of Israel. “Israel will never be expected to passively absorb attacks on its forces and civilians. This is not the Biden administration.”
The official noted that over the past eight days, Hezbollah had fired over 1,000 drones and more than 700 rockets at Israel, in an apparent bid to derail talks between Jerusalem and Beirut, several rounds of which have been held in Washington.
Israel Must Strike Beirut Buildings In Response To Hezbollah Drones IDF Chief Tells Cabinet
IDF Chief of Staff LTG. Eyal Zamir said that Israel should attack Beirut in response to Hezbollah’s drone attacks on Israeli troops in southern Lebanon during a security meeting on Monday (25th), sources confirmed to The Jerusalem Post.
Zamir arrived at the meeting after visiting Israel’s Northern Command on Sunday (24th), where he concluded a situational assessment and approved operational plans for continued fighting against Hezbollah.
Later he visited the 401st Brigade and was present at the brigade’s headquarters when Sgt.Nehoray Leizer was killed by an explosive drone.
“We must put an end to the threat of Hezbollah’s explosive drones,” Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich said in a Monday (25th) statement. “For every explosive drone, ten buildings in Beirut should fall. A strategic threat is not answered by defense alone, but by changing the rules and the equation,” he added, pointing out the recent two billion NIS defense budget he had approved to address the ongoing drone threat.
National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir echoed Smotrich’s sentiment in a Monday (25th) post to X,
“It is forbidden to normalize the reality of explosive drones; it is time for the prime minister to bang on Trump’s table and inform him that we are returning to war in Lebanon,” Ben Gvit wrote. “We need to cut off electricity in Lebanon, conquer Dahiyeh, and return to intense war.”
Meanwhile , a Hezbollah drone launched from Lebanon struck the roof of a home in Metula on Monday (25th), causing damage to the building but no injuries. However a fire was started at the impact site.
Later on Monday (25th) the region experienced several drone intrusions within approximately one hour. As a result there were two reported shrapnel falls in Shomera.
The IDF announced shortly afterward that a number of “suspicious aerial targets” entered Israeli airspace. Contact was subsequently lost with the targets, but no wounded were reported. The military also confirmed that several explosive drones entered Israeli territory near the Lebanese border, one of which fell in Shomera.
An explosive drone was discovered in an open area near Rosh Hanikra in Israel’s North later on Monday evening (25th). A fire broke out in the area, and local firefighters were dispatched to put it out.
Meanwhile, IDF Chief of Staff LTG. Eyal Zamir and Finance Minister minister Bezalel Smotrich threatened to attack Beirut in response to the damage caused by the drone attacks.
Leader of the Blue and White party, MK Benny Gantz addressed the threat of Hezbollah’s explosive drones, claiming that “the best defense against Hezbollah is an attack” during a party meeting, Ynet reported on Monday (25th).
According to him, “If explosive drones continue to crash in Israel, no plane should take off in Beirut.”
Slovenia Votes In Strongly Pro-Israel Jansa As New PM After Years Of Hostility Towards Jewish State
Slovenia has voted in a strongly pro-Israel prime minister, marking a striking political shift after Slovenia’s recent hostility towards the Jewish state.
Janez Jansa was re-elected on Friday, May 22nd. This is his fourth time in the role having previously served from 2004-2008, 2012-2013, and 2020-2022. Jansa leads the right-wing Slovenian Democratic Party.
Under Jansa’s predecessor, Robert Golob, Slovenia became one of the most hostile countries toward Israel, alongside Ireland and Spain. In May, 2024, Slovenia announced its recognition of a Palestinian state, and in July 2025, Itamar Ben Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich were also sanctioned under his government.
Slovenia then imposed a travel ban on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. It also imposed an arms embargo on Israel and boycotted the 2026 Eurovision Song Contest in Vienna due to Israel’s participation.
Jansa’s success – securing 51 votes in the 90 seat parliament – therefore marks a significant change in Slovenia’s political landscape.
Jansa is a long-time supporter of Israel. He condemned Golob’s recognition of Palestine as a state, calling it “illegal.” He has repeatedly supported Israel’s right to defend itself, making statements such as “Israel has the unequivocal right to defend itself against Hamas’ attacks. We stand with Israel.” He has strongly condemned each and every one of Iran’s attacks on Israel and its civilian population.
In October 2024, he said, “We regret that the rockets falling on Israel were also paid for with the help of money ($2 billion) that the Iranian regime laundered in the largest Slovenian State Bank, NLB, during the reign of the Tanja Fajom party.”
He also repeatedly called out antisemitism and terror support within the Slovenian Left and wider society.
Following the antisemitic terror attack against the Jewish community in Sydney during a 2025 Hanukkah celebration, Jansa said. “Antisemitism has no place anywhere in the world. Our hearts are with the families of the victims, the global Chabad family, and with the Jewish community in Australia and all over the world.”
Jansa recently wished “Chag Pesach Sameach” to the Jewish community in Slovenia and around the world at Passover.
Yossi Dagan, head of the Samaria Regional Council, is a friend of Jansa, and the two recorded a joint video in recent weeks where the new Slovenian leader said, “I send greetings to the residents of Judea and Samaria.”
Jansa has previously said he would move his country’s embassy to Jerusalem from Tel Aviv.
While not yet clear, it has been hypothesized that Slovenia may withdraw its recognition of Plestinian Independence.
Israel Fears U.S.-Iran Deal May End The War Without Ending The Threat – Ron Ben Yishai
The flood of reports and leaks in recent days surrounding the U.S.-Iran negotiations have been filled with contradictions, disinformation, political interests and very few hard facts. More than anything, it reflects how many hands are stirring the pot.
According to reports in the United States and the region, Washington and Tehran are moving toward an initial understanding through Pakistani and Qatari mediation. This is not yet a comprehensive agreement that would end the confrontation in all its dimensions. It is a document of principles, a memorandum of understanding, meant to serve as the basis for a more detailed round of negotiations expected to last 30 to 60 days.
One source familiar with the Iranian arena put the Israeli fear bluntly: once the United States enters a prolonged negotiating process with Iran, Tehran gains time, leverage and room to maneuver.
Israeli officials fear that if the issue is pushed down the road, a future U.S. administration, or a less pro-Israel political climate in Congress and among American voters, could leave Israel with far less freedom to act.
In that scenario, Israel could face heavy diplomatic pressure, restrictions of weapons and spare parts, and a clear American warning not to act independently against a renewed Iranian threat.
Diplomats may try to find a vague formula that Iran can accept without giving it everything it wants. That kind of ambiguity is precisely what worries Israel and Gulf states: even if Iran does not receive formal control over Hormuz, it may retain the practical ability to threaten, disrupt or block the strait whenever it chooses.
The sequencing of the emerging memorandum is troubling to Israel. If the war ends first and the uranium issue is deferred to a later round, Iran keeps its most important bargaining chip while gaining relief from military pressure.
Another major Israeli concern is what does not appear to be central to the current framework: Iran’s ballistic missile and drone programs.
The emerging memorandum, as described in foreign reports, focuses on ending the war, resolving the Hormuz crisis and opening a window to broader negotiations. But Israel’s threat perception is not limited to uranium enrichment. Iran’s missile and drone arsenal is a direct strategic threat to Israel, Gulf states and American forces in the region.
American officials may argue that those issues can be handled later. From Israel’s perspective, the danger is not that diplomacy exists. The danger is diplomacy that stops the fighting without resolving the threat.
That is why Jerusalem is watching the emerging memorandum with deep concern. Israeli officials fear it will not guarantee the dismantling of Iran’s nuclear project, will not limit the missile and drone programs, and will not stop the activity of Iran’s proxies, especially Hezbollah and the Houthis.
