In the Hezbollah attack shortly past midnight, a suspected drone or anti-tank missile struck the tank of Lt. Col. Dor Gedalia Ben Simhon, commander of the 401st Armored Brigade’s 52nd Battalion, killing all four crew members, the IDF said.
Archiv: Bodentruppen / Armeen / ground troops / armies
Security Update: Drone Strikes Hit South Lebanon, Israeli Force Briefly Advances into Hadatha
(11:08 AM)
NNA – Earlier on Wednesday, Israeli enemy drones carried out three airstrikes targeting the towns of Mansouri and Aazziyeh, resulting in a number of injuries.
A separate drone strike targeted Braachit in southern Lebanon.
Meanwhile, an Israeli force comprising several military vehicles, including a D9 armored bulldozer and two Merkava tanks, advanced toward Hadatha before later withdrawing and repositioning near the town’s football field.
We can strengthen our chances of this deal holding by cutting all military/intel assistance to Israel, they took every opportunity to tank this deal & will likely do so again unless we take action.
We should also quietly get our troops out of the bases in the Gulf that can be reached by Iran. This ensures Iranian hardliners can’t strike us to drag us back into the fight.
Take away every factor that we can control that could force us back into the war on Israel or Iran’s terms.
Set all conditions that we can control in our favor.
UN observes heavy Israeli troop and air movements near border
UN spokesperson Stephane Dujarric said peacekeepers in southern Lebanon continue to observe extensive Israeli military activity, including “high-density armoured movements, large-scale engineering and demolition works and sustained logistical traffic” in areas near the border.
Dujarric said the UN peacekeeping mission, Unifil, also recorded intensive air activity involving fighter aircraft and drones.
Exclusive: Israel sent troops to Azerbaijan during Iran war as part of secret network across region, sources say
The secret deployment to Azerbaijan, reported by CNN for the first time, was one of several military positions Israel maintained across the Middle East that gave its military unprecedented reach, highlighting the role Iran’s neighbors played — some with permission, some likely without — in facilitating operations against Tehran and becoming entangled in the conflict.
The locations in Azerbaijan were among numerous covert military sites and bases in multiple countries, the sources told CNN, including in Iraq, the United Arab Emirates, and Somaliland. The forces, initially planned as potential rescue teams in the event of an emergency, expanded in scope to become military and intelligence gathering positions.
Rashida Tlaib calls out Brian Mast for describing Lebanese civilians killed by Israel as terrorists
US Representative Rashida Tlaib rejected Republican representative Brian Mast’s claim that Lebanese civilians killed by Israel are “terrorists”.
The exchange occurred on Wednesday night during a US House of Representatives session following Tlaib‘s resolution to withdraw US troops from Lebanon, which Mast called “reckless and unserious”.
“Eleven children killed, injured every 24 hours in Lebanon. Are those children Hezbollah? Are those children terrorists?” Tlaib shot at Mast who continued to dismiss Tlaib and her call to protect civilians in Lebanon.
Track AIPAC, an American online project that tracks US political donations by organisations that are part of the Israel lobby, including Aipac, reported that Mast received $881,227 from pro-Israel PACs as of April 2026.
House blocks Rep. Rashida Tlaib‘s war powers resolution on Lebanon
The resolution, introduced by Democratic Rep. Rashida Tlaib of Michigan, directs the president to remove U.S. armed forces „from Lebanon“ within seven days of the measure‘s adoption. It failed in a 92 to 324 vote, with two voting present.
„Currently, there are no U.S. servicemembers involved in combat operations or hostilities in Lebanon,“ House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, Democratic Whip Katherine Clark and Democratic Caucus Chair Pete Aguilar said in a statement before the vote.
Strack-Zimmermann schließt Einsatz von Bodentruppen nicht aus
(August 20, 2025)
Die FDP-Europaabgeordnete Marie-Agnes Strack-Zimmermann hat den Einsatz von deutschen Bodentruppen zur Friedenssicherung in der Ukraine nicht kategorisch ausgeschlossen. „Die Frage wird sein, wenn es erforderlich ist, die Ukraine zu sichern: Reicht es, das mit Aufrüstung zu machen? Bedarf es anderer Schutztruppen?“, sagte sie im gemeinsamen Morgenmagazin von ARD und ZDF.
Iraq officials confirm second alleged Israeli base in desert
– U.S. reportedly knew of at least one Israeli base since June 2025 but likely withheld information from Iraq.
– Iraq was compelled to shut down its radar to protect U.S. aircraft during both the 12-day war and the 2026 conflict.
– The concealment of Israeli operations intensified scrutiny over Iraq’s sovereignty and coalition transparency.
– Iraqi political figures called for full transparency and stronger oversight mechanisms to prevent foreign intrusion.
The secret Israeli bases scandal roiling Iraqi politics
In a deeply embarrassing development for Baghdad, Israel established two forward-operating bases (FOBs) for supporting air campaigns against Iran on federal Iraqi territory in a flagrant violation of Iraq’s already fragile sovereignty.
The Wall Street Journal reported the first base’s existence, in the barren Nukhaib desert southwest of the Shia shrine cities of Najaf and Karbala, on 9 May. The New York Times further revealed Sunday that Israel also set up a second base somewhere else in the country’s western desert regions that it operated for over a year and even used during the June 2025 12-day war.
Bundeswehreinsatz gegen den „Islamischen Staat“ wird fortgesetzt
(January 29, 2026)
Vor allem an der Grenze zur irakischen Region Anbar, aber auch in den zwischen Bagdad und Erbil umstrittenen Regionen in Nordirak sei der IS bestrebt, sich Rückzugsräume zu schaffen und erneut territorial Fuß zu fassen. Dabei stelle sich die Terrororganisation in ihren Befehls- und Kampfstrukturen zunehmend dezentral auf. So gelinge es ihr dem hohen Verfolgungsdruck teils auszuweichen.
Völkerrechtliche Grundlage für den Fähigkeitsaufbau der regulären irakischer Streit- und Sicherheitskräfte ist laut Bundesregierung die Zustimmung der irakischen Regierung sowie mehrere Resolutionen des UN-Sicherheitsrates, nach denen vom IS eine Bedrohung für den Weltfrieden und die internationale Sicherheit ausgeht.
Israel‘s secret base in Iraq: what happened in the western desert and why Baghdad couldn‘t respond
(May 16, 2026)
The physical record is not seriously in dispute, and it begins with a shepherd. On March 4, a local herder in the remote desert southwest of Najaf and Karbala reported unusual helicopter activity to military authorities in Najaf. Iraqi forces were dispatched. They came under fire from the air. One soldier was killed, and two were wounded. Baghdad submitted a protest note to the Global Coalition without naming who had fired, and the incident was quietly classified —until the Wall Street Journal named the party responsible on May 9.
In Iraqi Desert, Two Israeli Outposts Were Kept Secret for Months
The presence of an Israeli outpost in Iraq was previously reported by The Wall Street Journal. Iraqi officials told The Times there was another undisclosed second base also in Iraq’s western desert.
The base Mr. al-Shammari came across predated the current war between the United States, Israel and Iran, the regional security officials said, and was used during the 12-day war against Tehran in June 2025.
Israeli forces began preparing to build the makeshift base as far back as late 2024, one of the regional officials said — identifying remote sites from which to operate in future conflicts.
Iraqi farmer killed to hide evidence of two Israeli bases in country: Report
The presence of two secret Israeli bases in Iraq may have led to the death of a shepherd who discovered them, according to an investigation by The New York Times (NYT).
The Wall Street Journal reported last week that Israel set up a covert outpost in Iraq’s western desert during the conflict with Iran. The site was reportedly used to support air operations and housed special forces units.
Israel built and defended a secret Iran war base in Iraq
An Iraqi government spokesman declined to comment further on the incident or whether it knew of the Israeli base.
Israel Built and Defended a Secret Iran War Base in Iraq
Israel set up a clandestine military outpost in the Iraqi desert to support its air campaign against Iran and launched airstrikes against Iraqi troops who almost discovered it early in the war, people familiar with the matter including U.S. officials said.
Hegseth orders withdrawal of 5,000 US troops from Germany
The drawdown, which comes after the country’s leader sparred with President Donald Trump over the Iran war, leaves about 33,000 troops there.
Anordnung von Hegseth: USA ziehen 5.000 Soldaten aus Deutschland ab
US-Verteidigungsminister Pete Hegseth hat den Abzug von etwa 5.000 US-Soldaten aus Deutschland angeordnet. Man gehe davon aus, dass der Abzug innerhalb der nächsten sechs bis zwölf Monate abgeschlossen sein werde, teilte ein Sprecher des Pentagons mit.
Trump threatens to pull some US troops from Germany, Italy and Spain amid spat over Iran war
“The United States is studying and reviewing the possible reduction of Troops in Germany, with a determination to be made over the next short period of time,” Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform Wednesday night.
On Thursday, he expanded his threat to Italy and Spain. “I mean, they haven’t been exactly on board,” Trump answered, when asked about the possibility of cuts to troop levels in the two countries. “Yeah, probably will,” Trump added, “Why shouldn’t I? Italy has not been of any help. Spain has been horrible. Absolutely.”
Latest on Middle East as Iran attacks at least 3 ships in Strait of Hormuz amid ceasefire
Iran launched attacks on commercial vessels in the Strait of Hormuz on Wednesday while calling the U.S. military‘s blockade of Iranian ports a breach of the ongoing ceasefire. CBS News‘ Natalie Brand and Charlie D‘Agata have more.
Ex-US general explains why reopening Strait of Hormuz is harder than blocking Iran’s ports
Clark also said that Iran is aware of the strategic value of the Strait of Hormuz in negotiations: “More useful than a nuclear weapon. And they’ve used it,” he said. “And they don’t believe we have an answer for it.”
He added, “They know we don’t want to commit ground troops. They know we don’t want to take losses. We don’t want to get our ships close enough to be hit by their missiles … so this is a real tough military problem. That’s unfortunate because that’s driving their stance in the negotiations.”
Exclusive: Trump weighs pulling some US troops from Europe amid NATO strains, official says
No decision has been made, and the White House has not directed the Pentagon to draw up concrete plans for a troop reduction on the continent, said the official, who requested anonymity to discuss internal deliberations.
Hegseth ousts US Army chief of staff and two other generals amid Iran war
George found out in a phone call from Hegseth on Thursday while he was in a meeting, a second US official said. He later spoke to his staff in person about the announcement, and his staff was “very stoic” when receiving the news, the official said.
As the Army chief, George has worked closely with Army Secretary Dan Driscoll — a senior official close to the White House whom Hegseth has perceived as a threat and at times had a contentious relationship with.
A U.S. Ground Invasion of Iran Would Face 1 Million Troops, 4,000 Tanks, and Mountains That Favor the Defenders
As is often the case in large-scale military operations, logistics are crucial to success. Preparing, staging, and deploying a large, mechanized ground force is a massive and difficult undertaking, and in this case, the favorable points of entry are most likely Turkish territory or the ocean. It seems unlikely the United States could stage an invasion force in Iraq.
To say the prospective operation is “high-risk” might be an understatement. Any concentration of U.S. forces would immediately offer a target for Iran’s remaining precision-guided ballistic missiles.