IDF Chief Zamir Observes 'Sulfur and Fire' Snap Readiness Drill on Jordan Border; Cites Oct 7 Border Surprise as Key Lesson

IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir observed a snap readiness drill on the Jordanian border on May 15, 2026, code-named 'Sulfur and Fire,' involving the 96th and 80th regional divisions plus special forces. Zamir cited the main lesson of the October 7, 2023 attack as 'the need for a high and constant level of readiness for a surprise attack on our borders.' The drill tested rapid mobilization and multi-division coordination along the Jordan River border — Israel's eastern perimeter. The choice of the Jordanian border is notable given ongoing Jordan-Israel tensions over Palestinian issues: Jordan has been sharply critical of Israeli settler actions and Ben-Gvir's Temple Mount incursions, and Jordanian officials have publicly discussed downgrading ties. The drill also comes amid Israeli awareness that the Jordanian border remains one of the few perimeters with significant irregular crossings — some linked to smuggling arms to the West Bank. The snap exercise with no advance notice to the divisions tested the 'zero warning' readiness paradigm that the Oct 7 attack demonstrated as critically lacking.