IDF ramps up Hezbollah strikes as Iran supports proxy group
The Times of Israel Daily Briefing
The Times of Israel
4.5 • 1.1K Ratings
🗓️ 22 February 2026
⏱️ 22 minutes
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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.
Military correspondent Emanuel Fabian joins host Jessica Steinberg for today's episode.
As Iranian officers briefed Hezbollah operatives in Lebanon, Fabian discusses assessments regarding the Iranian proxy in Lebanon attacking Israel if the US strikes Iran and Iran strikes Israel, and the concurrent uptick in IDF attacks against Hezbollah in recent weeks.
Fabian reports that the world's largest aircraft carrier, the USS Gerald Ford, is about to reach the region, offering another stage of readiness for a possible US strike against Iran.
After dozens of settler activists entered the closed military zone of the Gaza border on Thursday night, Fabian notes that the political action diverted the army’s attention away from defending against potential attacks.
Check out The Times of Israel's ongoing liveblog for more updates.
For further reading:
Report: IRGC running Hezbollah, preparing it for war with Israel if US strikes Iran
Israeli strikes in Lebanon kill at least 12, including senior Hezbollah official
Israeli officials believe US, Iran at unbridgeable impasse as they near open conflict
Dozens of settler activists, including far-right MK, illegally cross into Gaza
Subscribe to The Times of Israel Daily Briefing on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts. This episode was produced by Ari Schlacht.
IMAGE: Hezbollah supporters chant slogans during a ceremony marking the first anniversary of the assassination of Hezbollah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, who was killed in Israeli airstrikes, at Nasrallah's grave in Beirut, Lebanon, Saturday, Sept. 27, 2025. (AP Photo/Bilal Hussein)
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Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | Hi, welcome for Times of Visual's Daily Briefing. |
| 0:06.3 | It's Sunday, February 22nd, and I'm Jessica Steinberg. |
| 0:09.3 | I'm speaking today with military correspondent Emmanuel Fabian. |
| 0:13.2 | Hey, Manny, good morning. |
| 0:14.4 | How are you? |
| 0:15.2 | Hi, good morning. |
| 0:16.2 | Good morning, Shavua Tov. |
| 0:18.2 | We have reports that Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps have taken charge of Hezbollah |
| 0:24.6 | in advance of a possible strike or back and forth with Iran. |
| 0:31.1 | We'll discuss the latest regarding that terror group in Lebanon updates on the situation with Iran |
| 0:37.3 | where we seem to stand right now. |
| 0:39.6 | And what's been happening in Gaza at the end of last week. So stay with us. |
| 0:51.9 | Are we entering a new global order? |
| 0:54.6 | Alliances around the world are shifting and things we used to take for granted, like |
| 0:58.5 | Israel's geopolitical role in the Middle East, the future of the U.S. Israel relationship, and |
| 1:03.5 | America's role in the world are now all up for grabs. |
| 1:07.3 | If you want to understand what's really going on and what this all means, I'd like to invite you to join me, Dan Cynor, on the Call Me Back podcast. |
| 1:16.0 | Our goal is to give you the facts, context, and insights you need to make sense of a changing world, a new Middle East, and of course, how Israel fits into it all. |
| 1:25.1 | Twice a week, I speak with the most informed and thoughtful voices on these |
| 1:29.5 | issues. People like Sam Harris, Scott Galloway, Tau Becker, Rachel Goldberg-Pollin, Mark Dubowitz, |
| 1:36.6 | Ron Dermmer, and Neil Ferguson, to name a few. We're committed to reporting and analysis |
| 1:42.0 | over outrage bait, to viewpoint diversity over partisanship, |
... |
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