Israel Today: Ongoing War Report - Update from 2026-09-04 at 18:01

HEADLINES
- Trump warns Pickaxe Mountain strike near Natanz
- IDF clears Ali al-Taher ridge tunnels
- Michal Shir exits Yesh Atid

The time is now 6:01 PM in New York, I'm Noa Levi and this is the latest Israel Today: Ongoing War Report.

In US Military Role, President Donald Trump said the United States may hit Iran's Pickaxe Mountain very soon. Pickaxe Mountain sits near Iran's Natanz uranium enrichment facility and is a heavily fortified site that hosts two deeply buried tunnel complexes. Trump credited the US Space Force and space-based intelligence for tracking movement around Pickaxe Mountain and warned that if anything goes bad, the United States will hit them hard, describing the action as a military conflict rather than a war and calling it "small potatoes" for the United States. He also said Iran had placed mines in the Strait of Hormuz, which the United States removed with minesweepers, and that pipelines are being built all over the Middle East as alternatives to the Strait. In a separate line of remarks, Trump described the Iran war as "small potatoes" for the United States as part of his effort to minimize the clash ahead of midterm elections, saying some do not call it a war but a military conflict because it’s small potatoes for us. He noted the six-month confrontation has seen 18 US troops killed and thousands of Iranians dead, and that Tehran has disrupted shipping in the Strait of Hormuz, while the United States has conducted intermittent strikes and is not fighting at the moment.

In the Conflict with Iran and its Regional Proxies, the IDF struck Hezbollah targets in Lebanon after Israeli soldiers intercepted a drone. The army said the drone was shot down after approaching the soldiers, who were in the IDF security zone in southern Lebanon, and described the attack as a "blatant violation" of the ceasefire. The strikes followed Defense Minister Israel Katz’s announcement that the IDF had cleared Lebanon's Ali al-Taher ridge tunnels of Hezbollah terrorists, with the mission described as completed and several terrorists embedded in the tunnels killed while others fled. On Thursday, Iran warned the United States it would respond forcefully to any Israeli attack on the Ali al-Taher ridge complex, and Katz warned that any Iranian attack on Israel would escalate.

In US Policy Concerning Israel, the United States is said to be drafting a postwar plan to create an alliance against Iran and to expand the Abraham Accords. Trump reportedly told confidants he is working on "something much bigger" in the Middle East after the war with Iran, but plans to implement the initiative after the United States and Israeli elections.

In Israeli Domestic Politics, Yesh Atid’s Michal Shir announced she will not seek reelection and will step aside, expressing support for Yair Lapid and the party. Shir posted the decision on X/Twitter, joining a growing list of exits from the party. Her departure follows MK Karin Elharrar’s decision to leave, and other members including Debbie Biton and Tatiana Mazarsky have said they will not run in the next election. A Maariv poll projected that B’Yachad, the alliance Yesh Atid merged with, would hold about 15 seats, making it the third-largest, while the broader exodus continues alongside campaigns and realignments among other Knesset members.

In Uplifting News, a pair of reflections mark resilience and memory. As the United States approaches the 25th anniversary of September 11, 2001, this week’s haftarah from Isaiah offers a perspective on destruction, rebuilding, and memory, with the prophet urging restoration and steadfast resolve for Zion and Jerusalem. The message emphasizes that recovery involves choosing what we stand for after tragedy. Separately, the piece on Israel after Oct. 7 draws on Moses’s teachings about survival and responsibility, reminding readers that enduring suffering is only the beginning and that a wounded people must decide what they stand for, with the ancient call Atem nitzavim hayom—“you are still standing today”—serving as a reminder of resilience and purpose.

Thank you for tuning in to this Israel Today: Ongoing War Report update.
I'm Noa Levi. Stay safe and informed.
Keep in mind that this AI-generated report may contain occasional inaccuracies, so consult multiple sources for a comprehensive view. Find the code and more details in the podcast description.

SOURCES
https://www.jpost.com/middle-east/iran-news/article-907610
https://www.al-monitor.com/originals/2026/09/trump-says-iran-war-small-potatoes-us
https://www.al-monitor.com/originals/2026/09/trump-says-us-may-hit-irans-pickaxe-mountain-soon
https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/defense-news/article-907612
https://www.timesofisrael.com/us-said-drafting-postwar-plan-to-create-alliance-against-iran-expand-abraham-accords/
https://www.jpost.com/israel-election-2026/article-907609
https://www.jpost.com/judaism/torah-portion/article-907466
https://www.jpost.com/judaism/torah-portion/article-907460