Intro

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.

Overnight, the Israeli military says, it pushed deeper into southern Lebanon as part of its “enhanced forward defense posture” after Hezbollah began attacking Israel a week ago. While there are Israeli boots on the ground, Berman clarifies that the IDF is not -- yet -- taking part in a ground maneuver.

We turn to Iran and the question of a potential schism between the US and Israel over Israel's targeting of Iranian oil sites. How long can the US continue the conflict in light of the ripple effects on the global economy?

The Times of Israel's US bureau chief Jacob Magid conducted a telephone interview with US President Donald Trump yesterday. We hear the main headlines today, and Magid will fill us in on the rest of the conversation on the podcast tomorrow.

And finally, we speak about the choice of Mojtaba Khamenei to succeed his father, Ali Khamenei, as supreme leader. Berman discusses who he is and how the move is a direct rebuke to US President Donald Trump, who had declared the son “unacceptable.” We also delve into the apparent differences of opinion among the leadership as Iran’s President Masoud Pezeshkian apologized Saturday for attacks on regional countries, even as its missiles and drones flew toward Gulf Arab states

Check out The Times of Israel's ongoing liveblog for more updates.

For further reading:

Two IDF soldiers killed in Hezbollah attack in southern Lebanon

Black clouds over Tehran rain down oil drops after Israel strikes oil facilities

Trump to Times of Israel: It’ll be a ‘mutual’ decision with Netanyahu regarding when Iran war ends

Trump: Next Iranian supreme leader ‘not going to last long’ without US approval

More hardline than his father, Mojtaba Khamenei’s appointment signals defiance and revenge

Pezeshkian apologizes for attacks on Gulf neighbors even as Iran forces step up strikes

Subscribe to The Times of Israel Daily Briefing on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts. Gabriella Jacobs produced this episode and Ari Schlacht edited.

IMAGE: A thick plume of smoke from a U.S.-Israeli strike on an oil storage facility late Saturday lingers in the cloudy sky over Tehran, Iran, March 8, 2026. (AP Photo/Vahid Salemi)

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