Following the US military's complete withdrawal from Iraq on September 30, 2026, the Israeli security establishment has formally removed operational restraints that previously limited strikes on Iraqi territory due to the presence of American forces.

President Donald Trump characterized the exit as ending an extended engagement while praising the transition under Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi.

Regional and Middle Eastern media outlets report that Washington notified Israeli officials that the U.S. will no longer restrict or regulate Israeli military aircraft operating within Iraqi skies.

This policy shift grants the Israeli Air Force full operational freedom to target assets across Iraq, a move driven by the consolidation of power by Iran-backed Shiite militias and the removal of the US-led coalition's air defense umbrella.

The strategic landscape has shifted significantly as the US ended its 12-year Operation Inherent Resolve mission, which had focused on defeating ISIS as an organized military threat. With US troops departing Erbil Air Base and removing Patriot and C-RAM air defense systems, Iraqi Kurdistan faces a major security vacuum.

Simultaneously, militias such as Kataib Hezbollah and Harakat al-Nujaba have refused to disband, maintaining control over strategic corridors from Tehran to Lebanon and prompting Israel to prepare for a "deep conceptual shift" in regional engagement.

Israel’s security establishment has eliminated the diplomatic and operational caution required when US soldiers were present, allowing for unrestricted strikes against Iranian-linked targets in Iraq.

Israel now has a "free hand" to directly target pro-Iranian militia infrastructure, weapons depots, and transit routes across Iraq without needing prior U.S. operational coordination or permission.

While the US has handed full security responsibility to Iraqi security forces and the Kurdish Peshmerga, the Combined Joint Task Force has relocated its headquarters to Jordan to continue counter-ISIS operations in Syria.

The US exit has been celebrated by Iran and its allies as a victory, with Iran-aligned groups strengthening their grip on Iraqi politics and security despite Baghdad's pressure to dismantle them by mid-2027.

In response to the changing dynamics, the US has deployed additional Patriot air defense batteries to Saudi Arabia and Qatar, while Israel works to woo UAE and other Sunni factions to build a joint air defense array to intercept threats originating from Iraq.

The Trump administration committed to transferring additional air defense systems to regional partners to buffer against potential retaliation from Iraqi militias or Iran.

Following the U.S. withdrawal, Iranian-aligned armed groups—including Kataib Hezbollah—declared a conditional pause on operations against former U.S. targets, while explicitly reserving the right to engage "hostile foreign aircraft" entering Iraqi airspace. With Israel gaining unrestricted access to target these factions, the region faces heightened potential for direct clashes between the IAF and Iraqi armed groups.

Shivon Zilis, the mother of four of Elon Musk’s children and a senior executive at his company Neuralink, publicly announced their abrupt breakup on X on Friday. She said the relationship ended "with no warning" just one week after they were still exchanging "I love you" messages, noting: "It’s hard to go from in love to let go in a week with no warning, but that’s just how it is sometimes."

The 40-year-old and former biotechology executive posted in response to an automated account flagging that Musk had unfollowed her on X, which she described as the final confirmation of the split.

Zilis revealed a screenshot of a September 24 text exchange where she wrote, "It was really wonderful to see you for breakfast. Love you very much 💕,"and Musk replied, "Love you too." He added he hadn’t realized he could bring a plus-one to a White House state dinner for Chinese President Xi Jinping or he would have invited her.

Despite the suddenness, Zilis expressed no bitterness. She wrote, "I’ve loved him more than life itself... there is a lot of loss, but luckily we created four beautiful little loves of my life." She described their home as Musk’s "safe space" and "counterbalancing place of safety" away from his "militant existence."

"I do hope and pray he and I can be great friends and coparents," she wrote, and ended with, "God speed, Elon, the world is lucky to have you."

Three days after the White House state dinner for Xi Jinping, where Musk attended without Zilis, she cryptically posted "New day, new life" on X without context.

Their relationship began around 2016 when Zilis, then working at OpenAI, had a "one-off" encounter with Musk. It evolved romantically after she decided to have children as a single mother and Musk agreed to act as a platonic sperm donor.

They share four children via IVF: twins Strider and Azure (born Nov 2021), Arcadia (age 2), and Seldon (born Feb 2025).

Zilis worked at Tesla (2017–2019), advised OpenAI (2016–2023), and now serves as Director of Operations and Special Projects at Neuralink.

David Ellison, the son of billionaire Oracle co-founder and billionaire tech titan Larry Ellison, announced that the combined Paramount and Warner Bros. Discovery entity will be named Skydance, reverting to the moniker of his original production company founded in 2006. This announcement came just after a federal judge cleared the final antitrust hurdle for the $110 billion merger.

The 43-year-old entrepreneur said that the new name provides the conglomerate with a distinct corporate identity while preserving the legacy and operational independence of the Paramount and Warner Bros. studio brands.

Ellison said the merger as a "creative-first home for bold, quality storytelling," emphasizing that the combination equips iconic studios with a "more powerful engine" rather than rewriting their history. The conglomerate will encompass major assets including HBO, CNN, TBS, Food Network, DC Comics, Harry Potter, and Lord of the Rings franchises.

The acquisition faced significant legal opposition from a coalition of 12 state attorneys general in the U.S., led by California, who filed an antitrust lawsuit in July 2026 to block the deal. The lawsuit was resolved via a five-year settlement agreement approved by U.S. District Judge Araceli Martínez-Olguín on September 30, 2026.

Key terms of the settlement require the merged company to: release at least 30 films in U.S. theaters annually for the first two years, increasing to 32 thereafter; commit an additional $1.5 billion to domestic film production over five years; establish a five-member editorial independence board to oversee CBS News and CNN within 180 days of closing; and refrain from selling or closing the Melrose Avenue (Paramount) or Burbank (Warner Bros.) studio lots.

Upon the deal’s expected close on Tuesday, October 6, 2026, the new entity will trade under the ticker symbol SKYD on the New York Stock Exchange. Ellison will retain his role as Chairman and CEO, focusing on long-term strategy and creative vision, while Ynon Kreiz, the outgoing CEO of Mattel, will serve as Co-CEO overseeing operations and integration.