'One big failure': An IDF official on the Iran war -- so far
The Times of Israel Daily Briefing
The Times of Israel
4.5 • 1.1K Ratings
🗓️ 4 May 2026
⏱️ 33 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.
Military correspondent Emanuel Fabian joins host Amanda Borschel-Dan for today's episode.
US President Donald Trump on Sunday rejected Iran’s latest proposal to end the war with the US and Israel, calling it unacceptable. Meanwhile, Trump said the United States would on Monday morning begin an effort to “guide” stranded ships out of the Strait of Hormuz, which he is branding "Operation Freedom." Fabian fills us in on an IDF briefing he attended on Friday, which assessed the Iran war's achievements so far.
Amid constant tit-for-tat explosive conflict between Hezbollah and the IDF, the ceasefire doesn't exist in southern Lebanon, states Fabian. We delve into the Iranian-backed terror group's use of relatively cheap drones that are guided by fiber optic cables, making them effectively immune to electronic jamming.
US President Donald Trump’s plan for the Gaza Strip, which was initially embraced by Israel and Hamas, calls for Israeli troops to withdraw from the enclave and reconstruction to start as Hamas lays down its weapons. As Hamas is not showing any signs of disarming, how is the IDF preparing?
Religious Zionist rabbis from a range of institutions representing the community expressed their concern over a plan to allow women to serve with men in the Israel Defense Forces Armored Corps, with at least some vowing to instruct the students not to serve in tanks as long as that remains a possibility. Fabian delves into the recent conscription data of fighters from the haredi community versus female fighters.
Check out The Times of Israel's ongoing liveblog for more updates.
For further reading:
Trump: Latest Iran terms unacceptable; US on Monday to start guiding ships out of Hormuz
IDF official says Iran war will be ‘one big failure’ if enriched uranium not removed
Hezbollah fires rockets at troops in Lebanon, no injuries; IDF strikes terror sites
Ministers set to discuss renewing Gaza war as Hamas refuses to disarm — report
Religious Zionist rabbis say students will not enlist in Armored Corps with women
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Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | Welcome to the Times of Israel's daily briefing. |
| 0:06.5 | Today is Monday, May 4th. |
| 0:08.2 | I'm Amanda Borsel, Dan, in Jerusalem, joined by our military correspondent, Emmanuel Fabian. |
| 0:13.3 | Many, thank you so much for joining me today. |
| 0:15.1 | Hi, Amanda. Good morning. |
| 0:16.2 | Good morning. |
| 0:17.1 | And all eyes are once again on the Strait of Hormuz, |
| 0:20.5 | as the U.S. President Donald Trump |
| 0:22.1 | has announced that the U.S. will begin Operation Freedom, escorting vessels out of the |
| 0:27.5 | strait. We will see if this will lead to any kind of uptick in the conflict later on during |
| 0:34.0 | the day. But in the meantime, we'll hear what Manny heard on Friday at an IDF briefing. |
| 0:39.2 | We're also going to talk about Lebanon, the Lebanon front, and what is happening in the day, |
| 0:43.8 | the day there. We'll turn to Gaza, and to end with, we'll speak about women in the military. |
| 0:49.4 | All of this and more when we're back. |
| 1:01.0 | Thank you. and more when we're back. Israel wins wars, but keeps losing the story. |
| 1:04.9 | How can that be changed? |
| 1:06.7 | Scott Galloway, NYU professor, best-selling author, and one of the most influential voices |
| 1:12.0 | in the world believes storytelling isn't just a skill. |
| 1:16.1 | It's a survival strategy. |
| 1:17.9 | And right now, the Jewish people aren't winning that fight. |
| 1:21.2 | In a special episode of unpacking Israeli history recorded live in London, Galloway joins |
| 1:26.4 | Noam Weissman to explore how October 7th |
... |
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