Day 808 - Eyeing Iran, Israel rattles sabers ahead of PM's trip to US
The Times of Israel Daily Briefing
The Times of Israel
4.5 • 1.1K Ratings
🗓️ 22 December 2025
⏱️ 23 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
Welcome to The Times of Israel's Daily Briefing, your 20-minute audio update on what's happening in Israel, the Middle East and the Jewish world.
Diplomatic correspondent Lazar Berman joins host Amanda Borschel-Dan for today's episode.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will meet in Jerusalem this afternoon with the Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis and Cypriot President Nikos Christodoulides. He will hold a bilateral meeting with each leader, then will host a trilateral summit, followed by statements to the press. We learn about the summit's goals.
Israel has warned the Trump administration that Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps may be using an ongoing military exercise focusing on missiles as cover to launch an attack on Israel, according to a Sunday report, amid fears that Jerusalem and Tehran are readying for another confrontation. At the same time, IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir warned Sunday that the military will strike Israel’s enemies “wherever required, on near and distant fronts alike,” apparently hinting that Israel may again need to attack in Iran. Berman weighs in as the drums of war appear to approach.
Berman sat with US Senator Lindsey Graham for a one-on-one interview yesterday in Tel Aviv. We learn how the senator believes Hamas must be given a deadline for relinquishing its weapons, after which Israel will have a green light to return to combat operations across the Gaza Strip. As phase two of the Trump peace plan's ceasefire appears stalled, will the IDF need to move in again?
Check out The Times of Israel's ongoing liveblog for more updates.
For further reading:
Israel warns US that Iran may use missile launch drill as cover to strike – report
Army chief, hinting at potential new Iran war, says IDF will strike ‘wherever required’
Leading GOP senator: Hamas must be given deadline to disarm or face renewed war
Subscribe to The Times of Israel Daily Briefing on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts. This episode was produced by Podwaves.
IMAGE: Demonstrators walk on an image of the Israeli flag with blood dripping Star of David as one of them carries a replica of a missile during an annual rally in front of the former US Embassy in Tehran, celebrating the anniversary of the 1979 takeover of the embassy, Iran, November 4, 2025. (AP Photo/Vahid Salemi)
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Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | Welcome to the Times of Israel's daily briefing. |
| 0:06.4 | Today is Monday, December 22nd, Day 808 of the war. |
| 0:11.8 | I'm Amanda Borchelle Dan here with our diplomatic correspondent, Laser Bearman. |
| 0:15.8 | Laser, thanks so much for joining me today. |
| 0:17.9 | Good to be here on this last day of Hanukkah. |
| 0:20.4 | Oh, you're so right. Yes. |
| 0:22.4 | Last day of Hanukkah, beginning of a Hebrew calendar month. And so welcome, welcome, Laser, as always. |
| 0:28.6 | Thank you. Glad to be here. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is set today to take part in a trilateral summit in Jerusalem with the Greek prime minister and Cypriot |
| 0:39.3 | president. So, Laser will fill us in on what that's all about. And there are a flurry of rumors |
| 0:45.0 | surrounding a renewed Israel-Iran conflict, so we'll hear what's behind them. Yesterday, |
| 0:51.6 | Laser had a one-on-one interview with Lindsay Graham in Tel Aviv, and we'll |
| 0:56.3 | learn all about that, and we'll also hear if there is any momentum to take the Gaza ceasefire |
| 1:02.4 | forward. All of this and more, when we're back. |
| 1:18.5 | This episode is brought to you by the Jewish Communal Fund, the largest and most active Jewish donor-advised fund in the country. |
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