Iran Says It Has Technology to Build Supersonic Cruise Missile: Iran said on Wednesday, August 9, it has the technology to build a supersonic cruise missile, Iranian state media reported, an announcement likely to heighten Western concerns about Tehran’s missile capabilities.
The announcement comes days after reports on the arrival of over 3,000 US sailors and Marines aboard two US warships in the Red Sea to deter Iran from seizing and harassing merchant ships traveling through the Gulf’s Strait of Hormuz.
“The supersonic cruise missile will open a new chapter in Iran’s defense program, as it is extremely difficult to intercept a cruise missile flying at supersonic speeds,” Iranian media reported. “The new cruise missile is currently undergoing its tests.”
Despite US and European opposition, Iran has said it will further develop its “defensive” missile program. However, Western military analysts say Iran sometimes exaggerates its missile capabilities.
Iran, which has one of the biggest missile programs in the Middle East, says its weapons are capable of reaching the bases of arch-foes Israel and the United States in the region. (JPost /VFI News)
“God, we ask that You prevent Iran from developing even more powerful weapons and that it will not be able to use any of its existing ones against Israel and the US. We trust that war will not occur and that the Middle East will be a safe haven for its residents.”
The articles included in this publication do not necessarily reflect the views or opinions of Vision for Israel. We try to provide accurate reporting on news pertinent to Israel, the Middle East, the diaspora, and Jewish issues around the world—and we hope that you find it both informative and useful for intercessory prayer.
Israel Foils Hamas Plot to Kidnap IDF Soldier, Carry Out Terror Attacks: The Shin Bet on Monday, August 14, announced that it had arrested a Hamas terror cell that had planned to kidnap an IDF soldier and to perpetrate a mix of shooting and bombing attacks against the IDF in the Binyamin region of Judea and Samaria.
The actual arrests took place last month and were coordinated with the IDF and Israel Police, which included nine Palestinians affiliated with Hamas from the village of Biddu in the Binyamin Regional Council.
One of the distinct aspects of the terror cell was how meticulously it used surveillance of IDF patrols to gather intelligence in order to best carry out the kidnapping and the other planned attacks.
According to the Shin Bet, the Hamas terror cell studied manufacturing explosives and went as far as to establish its own explosives laboratory. As part of the investigation, the Shin Bet seized the laboratory and explosive materials, including raw materials for producing fireworks, pipes for pipe bombs, and items such as Carlo guns.
The resourceful cell mapped out escape routes and prepared an ideal location for keeping a kidnapped soldier hidden from security forces, said the Shin Bet. The agency noted that just two years ago, it had thwarted a similar Hamas cell including relatives of many of the members of the current cell. (JPost / VFI News)
“Have no fear of sudden disaster or of the ruin that overtakes the wicked, for the Lord will be at your side and will keep your foot from being snared.” – Proverbs 3:25-26
IDF Soldier Collapses, Dies during Training Amid Heat Wave: A soldier collapsed and died on Monday morning, August 14, during a training exercise in a forest near the central city of Elad, the military said. The IDF said it was investigating the cause of death, though first responders indicated the soldier was apparently suffering from heatstroke or dehydration.
The soldier, named 20-year-old Pvt. Hillel Nehemiah Ofen was declared dead at the scene. Ofen, from the Judea and Samaria settlement of Karmei Tzur, was posthumously promoted to the rank of corporal. He had recently completed his basic training and had served in the elite Yahalom combat engineering unit.
The incident occurred between 4 a.m. and 5 a.m. during a crawling exercise as part of Yahalom’s advanced training. One of Ofen’s commanders spotted the soldier lying on the ground and began to give him preliminary treatment while calling paramedics.
Medical forces from the Air Force’s search-and-rescue Unit 669 were also called to the scene. The military said it was unaware of any underlying conditions the soldier suffered from.
The IDF generally avoids outdoor training during extreme heat. According to the military, there had been a halt of exercises due to the heat wave until 10 p.m. on Sunday. After temperatures fell at around midnight, the Combat Engineering Corps conducted a new assessment and allowed outdoor training to continue. (TOI/VFI News)
“God, we offer our sincerest condolences to Ofen’s family and we pray that You comfort them during this heart-wrenching time. We pray that You would give our leaders wisdom for the well-being of our soldiers so that no one will experience such harrowing death anymore.”
Israel Rescues More than 200 Citizens and Jews from Ethiopia Conflict Region: Israel extracted some 200 citizens and local Jews from conflict zones in Ethiopia Thursday, August 10, the Foreign Ministry and Prime Minister’s Office announced, amid fighting in the African country’s northern Amhara region.
According to a joint statement, Israel rescued 174 Israelis and Ethiopians eligible to immigrate from the city of Gondar in Amhara, home to thousands of Ethiopians waiting for permission to move to Israel. Another 30 Israelis were rescued from Amhara’s capital city of Bahir Dar.
Four flights brought the evacuees to Addis Ababa, from where those immigrating to Israel will travel on to the Jewish state. The flights were organized by the Prime Minister’s Office in collaboration with The Jewish Agency.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that “Israel looks after its citizens wherever they are,” while thanking those involved for a “quick, silent and most importantly, successful” operation.
Foreign Minister Eli Cohen also hailed the rescue. “The State of Israel will not stand by and will not leave a single Israeli behind. This is the result of successful cooperation and close coordination with the Prime Minister’s Office, the NSA, and the Jewish Agency,” he said. Cohen also said the Israelis will stay in the Ethiopian capital until deciding to return home or remain in the country. (TOI / VFI News)
“God, we thank You for helping our leaders ensure the safe rescue of the Israeli and Jewish people amid the Ethiopian conflicts. We are also extremely grateful for the swift and harmonious cooperation between the two countries that enabled so many innocent citizens to reach safety. ”
Iran Could Burn Up in 30 Years, and Not from a Nuclear Meltdown: The Iranian people are burning up, and not because of a nuclear meltdown. The culprit? Climate change – and the situation is unlikely to change anytime soon.
This summer, a significant portion of the global population has been exposed to extreme temperatures and while many might assume that California’s Death Valley is the hottest location on Earth, the area with the highest land surface temperature resides in Iran’s uninhabitable Lut Desert, said Dr. Amir Givati of Tel Aviv University’s Department of Environmental Studies. This remote desert region registered a peak of 70.5 degrees Celsius in 2005.
Sahar Tajbakhsh, the head of Iran’s Meteorological Organization, said that the country’s temperatures are escalating twice as fast as the global average.
A study published by Lancet Planet Health in April evaluated the effect of global warming on the Middle East and North African (MENA) region, finding that “Iran has more than 1,700 heat-related deaths per year and is the most vulnerable MENA country per capita, with an estimated 11 deaths per 100,000 people per year.”
The number is not only five times the average of the Middle East (2.1 per 100,000), but the researchers estimated that it could reach 423 deaths per 100,000 by 2060.
Iran remains the top emitter of greenhouse gases in the Middle East and given its ongoing economic crisis and its lack of commitment to investing in renewable energy, the likelihood of the situation improving remains minimal.
By 2050, it will become very difficult to live in Iran, wrote Banafsheh Keynoush in a report for the Middle East Institute (MEI) in January. “Some 70% of the population — or nearly 50 million Iranians — might be ultimately forced to leave the country to survive.” (JPost / VFI News)
“God, we pray that no person on earth will experience a heat-related death. We hope that all countries will take austere measures to protect their citizens during summertime and will be given all the means to rest adequately during the harsh weather conditions.”
Danny Danon: Our Enemies Are Preparing for the Next Conflict: MK Danny Danon (Likud) on Monday morning, August 14, said that the battle against the judicial reform and the refusal to serve have harmed the IDF’s preparedness and the entire country’s resilience.
“I think, and rightly, that the army has been cautious about making headlines and speaking about numbers and percentages – that is correct and I support this position of the Chief of Staff’s,” Danon said.
“Obviously there has been harm. We are at the height of a crisis, we can’t ignore that, and therefore there has been damage to every system. In my opinion, we need to prepare for the next conflict – our enemies on the outside are preparing for the next conflict.”
Regarding the judicial reform, Danon said, “I think that the Prime Minister has been consistent on this issue. He said from the beginning what he wanted to do, and this is the end … I hope that the opposition will give up their desire for a fight so that we can reach agreements.”
Meanwhile, despite fears of negative economic impact due to the reform, Fitch Ratings on Monday affirmed Israel’s ‘A+’ sovereign credit rating with a “stable” outlook. In maintaining Israel’s rating, Fitch said it “balances a diversified, resilient and high value-added economy and strong external finances against a high government debt/GDP ratio, elevated security risks and a record of unstable governments that has hindered policymaking.” (INN /VFI News)
Lebanon at ‘Point of No Return’: Christian Politician Attacks Hezbollah: The head of the Christian Kataeb Party warned Thursday, August 10, that Lebanon has reached “the point of no return” after Christian villagers clashed with members of Hezbollah in a village south of Beirut on Wednesday, Aug. 9.
A member of Hezbollah identified as Ahmad Ali Kassas, and a Christian resident of the village of Kahaleh identified as Fadi Bejjani were killed in clashes that erupted after a truck belonging to Hezbollah overturned in the village.
The Lebanese Army stated on Thursday that the truck was carrying ammunition and that army forces arrived at the scene after the clashes erupted to calm the situation and transport the munitions to a military center.
Hezbollah claimed that after the truck overturned, members of “militias present in the area” began throwing stones and firing at the truck, with the Hezbollah members responding with shooting.
“Lebanon is in a dangerous situation, and we cannot continue like this,” said Samy Gemayel, the head of the Kataeb Party, on Thursday.
“What if the truck had contained explosives and the incident led to a huge explosion and hundreds of people were killed? We are not prepared to coexist with an armed militia in Lebanon, and this will be followed by practical steps, opposition meetings, and decisions,” stressed Gemayel. (JPost / VFI News)
“God, we pray for the innocent people residing in Lebanon and we ask that You protect them. No one should live in fear because of terrorist organizations roaming free on the streets daily. We hope that the Lebanese people can defeat Hezbollah and establish peace in their country. ”
Former Algerian Minister Claims: Tunisia Planning to Normalize Ties with Israel: Former Algerian minister Abdelkader Bengrina claimed on Sunday, August 13, that Tunisia is planning to normalize ties with Israel.
Algeria should “keep a watchful eye” on Tunisia after several visits were made to the country by representatives of Israel that come in line with normalization efforts, said Bengrina during a press conference.
Bengrina added that the Israeli visits made to Algeria’s neighbor are expected to produce a normalization deal between “the occupation” and Tunisia in the “coming days”, and stressed that such a deal would force Algeria into a state of insecurity and instability.
Despite his comments, there are no indications that Tunisia and Israel are close to normalizing ties. Earlier this month, in fact, the Tunisian parliament announced that a committee had started looking into introducing a draft law that would criminalize acts of normalization with Israel.
Tunisia, like most Arab countries, does not have diplomatic relations with Israel. After several Arab countries normalized ties with Israel in 2020 as part of the Abraham Accords, Tunisia reiterated it is not interested in establishing diplomatic relations with Israel and that its position will not be affected by any international changes. (INN / VFI News)
“In peace I will lie down and sleep, for you alone, Lord, make me dwell in safety.” – Psalm 4:8
The suggestions, opinions, and scripture references made by VFI News writers and editors are based on the best information received.
