Coverage for this event has ended.<\/p>\n
4 hours ago<\/p>\n
Pinned<\/p>\n
China urges US, Iran to resume talks as Beijing offers ‘constructive role<\/p>\n
China<\/a> is urging the U.S. and Iran to resume negotiations as Iranian officials and media increasingly look to Beijing as a potential diplomatic bridge between Tehran and Washington, according to Iran International.<\/p>\n Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi told Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi during talks in Beijing on Wednesday that China was prepared to play a “constructive role” in resolving international disputes.<\/p>\n Wang also called on Washington and Tehran to rebuild their negotiating mechanism and hold substantive consultations on unresolved issues.<\/p>\n Araghchi said after the meeting that decisions made in consultation with China would “decide future strategic balance in the region, with immeasurable knock-on effects.”<\/p>\n The discussions come ahead of Chinese President Xi Jinping’s planned meeting with President Donald Trump in Washington next week. China has not publicly offered to mediate directly between the U.S. and Iran, according to Iran International.\u00a0<\/p>\n Posted by Brittany Miller<\/p>\n 4 hours agoTrump to put Iran nuclear threat at center of UN address, Waltz says<\/p>\n President Donald Trump plans to use his upcoming U.N. General Assembly address to make the case that Iran must be prevented from obtaining a nuclear weapon, U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. Mike Waltz<\/a> said Friday.<\/p>\n The president will also discuss the administration’s efforts in Gaza, including its 20-point peace plan, Waltz told reporters.<\/p>\n Trump’s U.N. visit will include a meeting with leaders from six Gulf Arab countries as Washington weighs its next steps in the war with Iran.<\/p>\n Waltz said Trump is also scheduled to hold meetings with British Prime Minister Andy Burnham and Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi.<\/p>\n The president is set to address the General Assembly next week as world leaders gather in New York.<\/p>\n Posted by Brittany Miller<\/p>\n 4 hours agoJewish students gather near Mamdani residence amid debate over rally’s message: report<\/p>\n Hundreds of Jewish middle and high school students gathered near New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani<\/a>‘s Gracie Mansion residence Friday for an event organizers said was intended to demonstrate solidarity against antisemitism, The Times of Israel reported.<\/p>\n Students from SAR Academy and the Ramaz School joined prayers, songs and speeches during the Upper East Side gathering, which organizers said was not intended as a protest against the mayor.<\/p>\n Rabbi Chaim Steinmetz of Congregation Kehilath Jeshurun addressed the students during the event, which concluded with the singing of the Israeli and U.S. national anthems.<\/p>\n The gathering also prompted disagreement within the Jewish community, with several hundred opponents signing a petition arguing its location could cause the event to be viewed as a political statement against Mamdani rather than a response to antisemitism.<\/p>\n Mamdani said ahead of the event that he welcomed the students and supported their ability to gather outside Gracie Mansion. He was not seen at Friday’s event.<\/p>\n Posted by Brittany Miller<\/p>\n 5 hours agoIranian police detain officers after video shows alleged abuse of teenager: report<\/p>\n Iranian<\/a> police said officers have been detained after video circulated online showing a teenager being beaten and subjected to sexual humiliation by police in the northwestern city of Tabriz, Iran International reported.<\/p>\n Police in East Azerbaijan province confirmed the confrontation occurred June 4 after the teenager was detained following a street fight, according to the report.<\/p>\n Authorities said the officers responsible for what they described as “improper treatment” were in custody and had faced internal disciplinary action. Police said those measures would not prevent judicial proceedings against them.<\/p>\n The video shows several uniformed officers surrounding the teenager while he is struck and humiliated as other officers watch, laugh and make insulting remarks, according to Iran International.<\/p>\n The footage sparked widespread anger on Iranian social media, with users raising concerns about the treatment of detainees outside public view.<\/p>\n Posted by Brittany Miller<\/p>\n 5 hours agoTurkey pulls operating license for Iranian lender Bank Mellat: report<\/p>\n Turkish regulators have withdrawn Bank Mellat’s authority to operate its Istanbul branch, ending the Iranian lender’s decades-long presence in the country, Reuters reported Friday.<\/p>\n The decision was published in Turkey<\/a>‘s Official Gazette and applies to the Istanbul branch of the Tehran-based bank.<\/p>\n According to Reuters, regulators invoked a section of Turkish banking law designed to protect depositors and safeguard the stability of the country’s financial system.<\/p>\n Authorities did not identify a specific problem at Bank Mellat or link the decision to U.S. sanctions.<\/p>\n Bank Mellat had operated in Turkey for 44 years. The closure comes amid broader U.S. efforts to restrict financial networks accused of supporting Tehran.<\/p>\n Posted by Brittany Miller<\/p>\n 6 hours agoTrump signs Russia, Iran sanctions bill into law<\/p>\n President Donald Trump signed legislation Friday expanding U.S. sanctions authorities against Russia<\/a> while extending existing sanctions on Iran.<\/p>\n The Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act authorizes sanctions targeting Russian officials, oligarchs, banks and other entities, while allowing the president to impose tariffs of up to 100% on major importers of Russian oil and natural gas.<\/p>\n The legislation also extends the Iran Sanctions Act of 1996 for five years, maintaining U.S. sanctions authorities targeting Tehran.<\/p>\n Sen. Darline Graham, R-S.C., who attended the White House signing, said the law gives Trump additional tools to pressure Russia while maintaining economic pressure on Iran.<\/p>\n \u201cThe Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act of 2026 is now the law of the land. I am grateful to President Trump for swiftly signing this important legislation. He and his team worked diligently with Congress to get this across the finish line. It will give President Trump additional tools to aid his noble effort to bring the Russia-Ukraine war to a close and allows him to keep up the strong economic pressure on the Iranian regime,\u201d Graham said.<\/p>\n Posted by Brittany Miller<\/p>\n 6 hours agoHouthis claim hundreds of Saudi strikes in Yemen as fighting intensifies<\/p>\n Saudi Arabia<\/a> has sharply increased its military activity in Yemen as fighting with the Iran-backed Houthis intensifies, according to claims from the group.<\/p>\n The Houthis said Friday that Saudi forces carried out 26 strikes on Houthi-controlled areas over the previous 24 hours.<\/p>\n The group claimed the latest attacks brought the number of Saudi strikes over the past week to 300. The figures have not been independently verified.<\/p>\n The reported escalation comes as Houthi forces advance toward Yemen’s Red Sea coast, prompting Saudi-backed government forces to fight to regain territory.<\/p>\n The renewed clashes are unfolding near the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, the strategic waterway connecting the Red Sea with the Gulf of Aden.<\/p>\n Posted by Brittany Miller<\/p>\n 7 hours agoWar secretary blasts media coverage of Iran conflict, vows to ‘complete the mission’<\/p>\n The Department of War’s Rapid Response account shared remarks Friday attributed to the war secretary criticizing media coverage of the conflict with Iran<\/a> and vowing that U.S. forces would complete their mission.<\/p>\n “The only media that does fake propaganda better than Iran is our Trump-deranged media…” the war secretary said, according to the department’s post on X.<\/p>\n “We have a DERANGED MEDIA that HATES OUR PRESIDENT more than they love our country. We will do our job NO MATTER WHAT. We will complete the mission. IRAN WILL NEVER HAVE A NUCLEAR WEAPON.”<\/p>\n The remarks come as the Trump administration continues to identify preventing Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon as a central objective of U.S. military operations. The war secretary previously told Congress that denying Iran the capability to develop a nuclear weapon was the primary mission of the conflict.<\/p>\n Posted by Brittany Miller<\/p>\n 7 hours agoIran military training drive draws more than 600,000 sign-ups: report<\/p>\n More than 600,000 Iranians have signed up for a government-backed military training initiative amid the country’s war with the U.S., The Associated Press reported Friday.<\/p>\n The registration figure was announced as Iran<\/a> staged a massive government-organized demonstration in Tehran aimed at projecting national unity and readiness during the conflict.<\/p>\n Participants in the training initiative, called “Janfaday-e Iran,” are expected to receive limited instruction, including training with assault rifles, according to the AP.<\/p>\n Gen. Hassan Hassanzadeh, who leads the Revolutionary Guard in Tehran, told Iranian state television that officials expect participation in the program to eventually surpass 1 million people.<\/p>\n The volunteers would supplement Iran’s existing security forces, including the Revolutionary Guard and Basij militia.<\/p>\n The Associated Press contributed to this report.<\/p>\n Posted by Brittany Miller<\/p>\n 8 hours agoTrump says Iran war will ‘end soon,’ predicts gas prices will fall<\/p>\n President Donald Trump<\/a> said Friday that the war with Iran will end soon and predicted gas prices will fall once the conflict concludes.<\/p>\n “People don’t want to have Iran have a nuclear weapon, and you know what they want. And the war is going to end soon. And when it ends, your gas prices are going to drop to a level that they were before, maybe even lower,” Trump said during an Oval Office event on healthcare.<\/p>\n Trump said he believed military action was necessary to prevent Tehran from obtaining a nuclear weapon, pointing to the use of B-2 bombers against Iran’s nuclear facilities.<\/p>\n “I had no choice,” Trump said. “I said to my people, I’m going to have to do an excursion down to Iran, the Islamic Republic of Iran, because they’re going to have a nuclear if we don’t hit them with a B-2 bombers, they right now would have a nuclear weapon.”<\/p>\n Trump has made similar predictions about the war and energy prices in recent days, saying Wednesday that gasoline prices would fall quickly when the conflict ends.<\/p>\n Posted by Brittany Miller<\/p>\n 9 hours agoIran war’s energy shock puts new pressure on global economy: report<\/p>\n The economic fallout from the Iran<\/a> war is rippling through global markets as elevated energy costs complicate efforts to contain inflation, Reuters reported Friday.<\/p>\n Central banks around the world are responding to renewed inflationary pressure by raising borrowing costs, according to Reuters.<\/p>\n In the U.S., the yield on benchmark government bonds climbed above 5% as markets weighed the prospect of interest rates remaining higher.<\/p>\n Crude oil remained above $100 a barrel Friday despite pulling back from earlier gains, while Wall Street stocks were mixed.<\/p>\n The effects are also reaching fuel-dependent industries, with record diesel prices increasing costs for farmers, trucking companies and other businesses, Reuters reported.<\/p>\n Posted by Brittany Miller<\/p>\n 9 hours agoFormer CENTCOM commander says Iran may be preparing Pickaxe Mountain for future nuclear activity<\/p>\n Retired Gen. Joseph Votel, a former commander of U.S. Central Command, said Friday that new activity at Iran’s Pickaxe Mountain<\/a> could indicate Tehran is preparing the deeply buried site for future nuclear work.<\/p>\n “Well, this is this is further evidence here that that Iran is trying to, if not, you know, rebuild the program right now, at least prepare the facilities so they can continue to pursue this approach well into the future,” Votel said on “America Reports.”<\/p>\n Votel noted that Pickaxe Mountain, near Iran’s Natanz nuclear complex, provides Tehran the ability to build facilities deeper underground. New satellite imagery shows Iran has added soil over tunnel entrances at the site, increasing protection against potential airstrikes.<\/p>\n President Donald Trump warned Iran last week over activity at the site, saying the U.S. could “hit them very hard” if necessary.<\/p>\n Votel said U.S. intelligence and military officials are likely closely monitoring the activity as the war continues.<\/p>\n “Yeah, that’s right, and it’s not just the president, but of course the intelligence community and the military as well, and our extraordinary intelligence community,” he said. “I’m sure has been focused on this and making sure we’re keeping a very, very sharp eye on this.”<\/p>\n Posted by Brittany Miller<\/p>\n 10 hours agoSanders calls for end to Iran war as gas prices clim<\/p>\n Sen. Bernie Sanders<\/a>, I-Vt., called Friday for an end to the U.S.-Iran war, criticizing President Donald Trump over rising gas prices and contrasting them with pledges Trump made as a presidential candidate.<\/p>\n Sanders highlighted Trump’s campaign promises to bring gasoline below $2 a gallon and avoid starting new wars.<\/p>\n “President Trump this week: $4.44 a gallon gas ‘is a very inexpensive price’ to pay for the Iran War he started,” Sanders wrote on X.<\/p>\n “Enough. End the war NOW!” he added.<\/p>\n Posted by Brittany Miller<\/p>\n 10 hours agoSlotkin urges Trump to confront Xi over China’s reported support for Iran<\/p>\n Sen. Elissa Slotkin, D-Mich., urged President Donald Trump<\/a> on Friday to make China’s reported support for Iran a centerpiece of his talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping next week, according to a letter obtained by Fox News.<\/p>\n Slotkin pointed to reports that Chinese companies have provided Iran with satellite imagery and supplied components supporting Tehran’s drone and missile programs.<\/p>\n “For months, we have known that Chinese companies are helping the Iranian military target and attempt to kill U.S. troops,” Slotkin wrote.<\/p>\n “Given all of this, I urge you to make this a centerpiece of your talks with President Xi next week,” she added, calling on Trump to make clear that the reported support “must stop immediately.”<\/p>\n Posted by Brittany Miller<\/p>\n 10 hours agoTrump says Iran ‘wants to make a deal’ as he weighs further military action: report<\/p>\n President Donald Trump<\/a> said Iran is seeking a deal with the U.S. as he weighs whether to take further military action against Tehran, according to NewsNation.<\/p>\n In an exclusive phone interview with NewsNation\u2019s Robert Sherman, Trump was asked about his recent comments that he was considering whether to “annihilate” Iran.<\/p>\n “We\u2019ll see what happens,”Trump told NewsNation.<\/p>\n Asked what he wants to see from Iran before making that decision, Trump said Tehran is seeking an agreement because it is \u201closing in every way\u201d financially and militarily. \u201cIf the deal\u2019s not a correct deal, then I wouldn\u2019t even think about it,\u201d he said. \u201cBut right now, they want to make a deal because they\u2019re losing in every way.\u201d<\/p>\n Trump\u2019s comments come as the U.S.-Iran war enters its seventh month and the president weighs whether to launch another significant attack against Iran.<\/p>\n Posted by Brittany Miller<\/p>\n 11 hours agoIran parliament speaker taunts US over aircraft losses, says fighters being ‘hunted down’<\/p>\n Iranian<\/a> Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf taunted the U.S. military Friday over aircraft losses during the war, arguing that American fighter jets are already being “hunted down.”<\/p>\n “The era when your F-35s and F-15s get hunted down and you have to report them damaged has already begun. What was once pure nightmare fuel is now the daily reality. Live with it,” Ghalibaf wrote on X.<\/p>\n Ghalibaf shared a graphic purporting to detail U.S. aircraft damaged or destroyed during Operation Epic Fury, including fighter jets, refueling aircraft, helicopters and drones.<\/p>\n He also shared a post highlighting recent remarks from Joint Chiefs Chairman Gen. Dan Caine about emerging threats facing U.S. forces.<\/p>\n “We have to assume from now on that our formations will be hunted by autonomous systems, jammed across the spectrum and tracked in real time,” Caine said.<\/p>\n Posted by Brittany Miller<\/p>\n 11 hours agoSaudi Aramco tells oil refiners in Europe that no crude is coming next month: report<\/p>\n Saudi Arabia\u2019s<\/a> state-owned oil company told at least two oil refining customers in Europe that they will not be given any crude next month following an attack on its East-West pipeline, according to a report from Bloomberg.\u00a0<\/p>\n European customers usually receive Saudi Arabian crude every month under contract agreements and this decision applies to all European buyers, Bloomberg reported,<\/a> citing people informed of the matter.\u00a0<\/p>\n Saudi Arabia was forced to temporarily close its East-West oil pipeline last week following a drone attack launched from Iraq, which President Donald Trump said he believes Iran was behind.\u00a0<\/p>\n The pipeline runs from the Persian Gulf to the Red Sea.\u00a0<\/p>\n Posted by Greg Norman-Diamond<\/p>\n 11 hours agoUS military keeps pressure on Iranian economy as 105 ships now redirected in port blockade<\/p>\n U.S. Central Command said Friday that 105 commercial ships have been directed by American forces during the blockade on Iranian ports.\u00a0<\/a><\/p>\n CENTCOM released a new video showing a military helicopter and a fighter jet taking off from the flight deck of the USS Boxer warship stationed in the Middle East.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cBoxer and its embarked Marine Expeditionary Unit continue to enforce the U.S. blockade against Iran,\u201d CENTCOM said.\u00a0<\/p>\n Posted by Greg Norman-Diamond<\/p>\n 12 hours agoIran touts ‘sufficient cards and options’ after Trump warns Tehran not to ‘get cute’<\/p>\n An Iranian nuclear official<\/a> declared Friday that Iran has \u201csufficient cards and options\u201d available despite its nuclear program facing pressure from the U.S. during Operation Epic Fury.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cIf you are under attack, you have all the cards at your disposal to defend yourself. Therefore, we have more than one card; of course, we have sufficient cards and options,\u201d Behrouz Kamalvandi, a spokesperson for the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran, was quoted as saying by Iran\u2019s Mehr News Agency.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cBut beyond these options, we have the resolve \u2014 a strong resolve to defend our country,\u201d he reportedly added. \u201cAnd of course, regardless of how much pressure they exert on us, we will overcome this situation.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n The remarks come as President Donald Trump has insisted that Iran cannot obtain a nuclear weapon.\u00a0<\/p>\n New satellite imagery shows Iran<\/a> has added new defenses around tunnel entrances at Pickaxe Mountain, the deeply buried nuclear-linked site Trump has repeatedly threatened to strike.\u00a0<\/p>\n “We notice there\u2019s a little activity at Pickaxe,” Trump told reporters last week. “I would advise Iran not to get cute because we will have to hit them very hard.”\u00a0<\/p>\n Fox News Digital\u2019s Efrat Lachter contributed to this post.<\/p>\n Posted by Greg Norman-Diamond<\/p>\n 13 hours agoEU\u2019s top diplomat says Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia \u2018sabotage the global economy\u2019<\/p>\n European Union High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Kaja Kallas said Friday that attacks from Iran-backed Houthis<\/a> against Saudi Arabia are \u201cunacceptable\u201d and are damaging the global economy.\u00a0<\/p>\n Kallas said in a post on X that she spoke to Saudi Arabia\u2019s foreign minister \u201cabout diplomatic efforts to end the fighting in Yemen and restore freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cMaritime passage must be unimpeded and toll-free. Europe is helping protect shipping in the Red Sea from Houthi attacks,\u201d she added.\u00a0<\/p>\n Hussain Abdul-Hussain, a research fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, told Fox News Digital on Thursday<\/a> that Saudi Arabia is currently facing “the biggest threat” ever to its production of oil as the Houthis are launching cross-border attacks and seizing territory near the Red Sea\u2019s Bab el-Mandeb Strait.\u00a0<\/p>\n Posted by Greg Norman-Diamond<\/p>\n 14 hours agoUK maritime agency warns of ‘substantial’ risk to commercial ships near Yemen<\/p>\n The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations Centre (UKMTO) said in a report released Friday that commercial ships face \u201csubstantial\u201d risks if they travel through the Bab el-Mandeb Strait along the coast of Yemen, where Iran-backed Houthi rebels<\/a> have been seizing territory.\u00a0<\/p>\n The U.K. maritime agency also issued a \u201csubstantial\u201d threat assessment for the connecting Gulf of Aden, while in the risk in the Strait of Hormuz remains \u201csevere.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cSince the Houthi announced a maritime blockade on Saudi shipping 6 fatalities have been reported to UKMTO,\u201d it also said. \u201cThe recent reported capture of Mokha by Houthi forces reflects increased Houthi control along sections of the Red Sea coastline.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n Posted by Greg Norman-Diamond<\/p>\n 15 hours agoMore than 100,000 people displaced in Yemen over last 2 weeks amid Houthi clashes, UN says<\/p>\n The United Nations said Friday that clashes between Saudi-backed Yemeni government forces and Iran-backed Houthi forces<\/a> have displaced more than 112,000 people in Yemen in just two weeks.<\/p>\n \u201cThe rapidly escalating hostilities along Yemen\u2019s western coast have also forced more than 3,000 people to embark on dangerous boat journeys across the Bab el-Mandeb Strait to safety in Djibouti, where host communities risk being overwhelmed,\u201d it added.\u00a0<\/p>\n The Houthis have been launching cross-border attacks against Saudi Arabia and seizing territory near the Red Sea\u2019s Bab el-Mandeb Strait in recent weeks.\u00a0<\/p>\n Three sources told Reuters in July that Iran\u2019s leadership had discussed using the Houthis<\/a> to shut the Bab el-Mandeb Strait and recently conveyed the request to the group. A source close to the Houthis said at the time that missiles and drones had been deployed near the waterway and that the group was awaiting an order to begin attacking shipping.\u00a0<\/p>\n Fox News Digital\u2019s Efrat Lachter contributed to this post.\u00a0<\/p>\n Posted by Greg Norman-Diamond<\/p>\n 16 hours agoMassive pro-regime rally floods Tehran as military volunteers vow to defend Iran<\/p>\n The Iranian government organized a massive rally in its capital of Tehran on Friday in an attempt to stress national unity during the war against the U.S.\u00a0<\/p>\n Estimates varied of the number of people volunteering to receive limited military training and defend the country in an effort described as \u201cJanfaday-e Iran,\u201d or the \u201cones who sacrifice their lives for Iran,\u201d according to The Associated Press.\u00a0<\/p>\n They marched through downtown Tehran in combat uniform, carrying flags, as onlookers cheered. The volunteers would be an additional layer of security to the paramilitary Revolutionary Guard and the Basij militia, which has played a key role in quashing anti-government protests.\u00a0<\/p>\n Iranian state media claimed 300,000 people took to the streets.\u00a0<\/p>\n The new head of the Basij, Hossein Taeb, declared in a speech as the rally began that the volunteers will be ready for \u201cfull-fledged defense\u201d and similar rallies will take place in other cities soon.\u00a0<\/p>\n The new trainees will make a \u201cnightmare\u201d for Iran’s enemies, Taeb added, as Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, military commanders and other senior officials watched the march.\u00a0<\/p>\n Some participants trampled flags of the U.S. and Israel, while others chanted \u201cDeath to America\u201d and \u201cDeath to Israel,\u201d the AP reported.\u00a0<\/p>\n The Associated Press contributed to this post.\u00a0<\/p>\n Posted by Greg Norman-Diamond<\/p>\n 17 hours agoStrait of Hormuz traffic remains around \u201890% below pre-conflict levels\u2019 as gas prices climb<\/p>\n The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations Centre (UKMTO) said in a report Friday that commercial shipping traffic in the Strait of Hormuz remains heavily reduced during Operation Epic Fury,<\/a> as gas prices are rising in the U.S.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cU.S. enforcement activity against Iranian-linked shipping has increased over the past seven days, with CENTCOM announcing multiple vessel disablement actions in the Arabian Gulf and Gulf of Oman,\u201d the UKMTO said.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cTraffic remains approximately 90% below pre-conflict levels, however [there] has been a steady flow of movement since the 24-26 Jun peak,\u201d it also said. \u201cTankers remain the predominant vessel type transiting the Strait. The southern Omani route remains the highest-risk corridor, accounting for 22 of 35 projectile strike incidents reported by UKMTO since 6 Jul 26.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n AAA reported Friday that the national average price for a gallon of gas climbed by around three cents, to $4.47 a gallon.\u00a0<\/p>\n Posted by Greg Norman-Diamond<\/p>\n 18 hours agoSouth Korea rules out military involvement in US-Iran war: report<\/p>\n South Korean President Lee Jae Myung said Friday that his country will not deploy military assets to the Middle East in a way “that would involve or enter war,” a report said.<\/p>\n “There won’t be deployment that would involve or enter war. I can tell you that very clearly,” \u200bLee said, according to Reuters.<\/a> “We won’t deploy military assets in any form to that end.”<\/p>\n He reportedly added that \u2060it “is also clear that we must do the minimum as other countries do to protect our commercial shipping and crude shipments, and also the safety of \u200bour people.”<\/p>\n The remarks come after President Donald Trump said in mid-August <\/a>that he personally reached out to South Korea’s president to request support for U.S. operations against Iran, but that Lee had declined.<\/p>\n South Korea\u2019s presidential office then said earlier this month<\/a> that it was reviewing options, including military measures, to support freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz, Reuters reported.<\/p>\n Fox News Digital’s Emma Bussey contributed to this post.<\/p>\n Posted by Greg Norman-Diamond<\/p>\n 18 hours agoTanker is struck with \u2018unknown projectile\u2019 while leaving the Strait of Hormuz<\/p>\n The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations Centre (UKMTO) said Friday that a tanker was hit as it traveled out of the Strait of Hormuz.\u00a0<\/a><\/p>\n The UKMTO said the targeting of the ship by an \u201cunknown projectile\u201d happened on Wednesday, and although the crew has been reported safe, the damage assessment and environmental impact remains unclear.\u00a0<\/p>\n Iranian state media claimed Tehran struck a Togo-flagged oil tanker, the Trend, for what it called an \u201cillegal attempt\u201d to pass through the Strait of Hormuz, according to The Associated Press.\u00a0<\/p>\n The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps\u2019 navy warned that unauthorized passage through the strait would result in the \u201cdestruction\u201d of offending vessels, state media reportedly added.\u00a0<\/p>\n It is not clear if the UKMTO report is describing the attack that Iran claimed.\u00a0<\/p>\n The Associated Press contributed to this post.<\/p>\n Posted by Greg Norman-Diamond<\/p>\n 18 hours agoIran could escalate war with US or ‘implode’ under mounting pressure, expert says<\/p>\n Iran is under mounting military and economic pressure that could force the regime to escalate its conflict with the U.S.<\/a> or eventually implode, regional experts said Thursday.<\/p>\n \u201cBoth scenarios are possible at the same time,\u201d Middle East Institute adjunct fellow Nazee Moini said on \u201cThe Story.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThe Islamic regime is under extreme pressure for all the good reasons, militarily, economically,\u201d the expert added before stating that everything Washington has done so far has brought Iran one step closer to a state of affairs where they either have to \u201cgamble for restriction, go all out militarily and try to raise the cost of U.S. or eventually implode.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cBoth scenarios are possible at the same time,\u201d Moini added.<\/p>\n Her remarks came as President Donald Trump said Thursday that he hoped the war with Iran was nearing its end, while weighing a \u201cbig decision\u201d over whether to escalate U.S. military action to \u201cannihilate\u201d the Iranian regime or pursue a path to end the conflict.<\/p>\n Yesterday’s Fox News Digital live blog<\/a> offers additional coverage of the conflict with Iran.<\/p>\n 18 hours agoUS clears potential $24.3B F-35 fighter jet sale to Saudi Arabia<\/p>\n Washington approved the potential foreign military sale of 48 F-35 Lightning II aircraft and related equipment to Saudi Arabia,<\/a> valued at about $24.3 billion, the State Department announced Thursday.\u00a0<\/p>\n