According to the International Atomic Energy Agency, Iran has, for the second time, exceeded the limit on how much heavy water it may possess under the terms of the nuclear deal. Jenna Lifhits writes:

The Obama administration . . . has praised Iran for “acknowledging” it exceeded that threshold. . . . When asked, [the State Department spokesman Mark] Toner would not call the incident a “formal violation” of the nuclear deal. . . .

Iran is expected to export five metric tons of heavy water in coming days, though it is unknown to whom. In this case, the country was roughly one-tenth of a metric ton over the 130-metric-ton limit.

An Energy Department official told the Weekly Standard they did not “expect the U.S. government to purchase any Iranian heavy water directly in the near future,” but would not rule out future purchases. . . . The U.S. agreed to buy 32 tons of Iranian heavy water for $8.6 million dollars in April, ensuring that the country was in compliance with the nuclear deal.

Officials delayed responding to congressional requests for details about that purchase for weeks, deepening congressional criticism that the United States was subsidizing Iran’s heavy-water production.

On Tuesday, a Hizballah drone attack injured three people in northern Israel. The next day, another attack, targeting an IDF base, injured eighteen people, six of them seriously, in Arab al-Amshe, also in the north. This second attack involved the simultaneous use of drones carrying explosives and guided antitank missiles. In both cases, the defensive systems that performed so successfully last weekend failed to stop the drones and missiles. Ron Ben-Yishai has a straightforward explanation as to why: the Lebanon-backed terrorist group is getting better at evading Israel defenses. He explains the three basis systems used to pilot these unmanned aircraft, and their practical effects:

These systems allow drones to act similarly to fighter jets, using “dead zones”—areas not visible to radar or other optical detection—to approach targets. They fly low initially, then ascend just before crashing and detonating on the target. The terrain of southern Lebanon is particularly conducive to such attacks.

But this requires skills that the terror group has honed over months of fighting against Israel. The latest attacks involved a large drone capable of carrying over 50 kg (110 lbs.) of explosives. The terrorists have likely analyzed Israel’s alert and interception systems, recognizing that shooting down their drones requires early detection to allow sufficient time for launching interceptors.

The IDF tries to detect any incoming drones on its radar, as it had done prior to the war. Despite Hizballah’s learning curve, the IDF’s technological edge offers an advantage. However, the military must recognize that any measure it takes is quickly observed and analyzed, and even the most effective defenses can be incomplete. The terrain near the Lebanon-Israel border continues to pose a challenge, necessitating technological solutions and significant financial investment.