55 mins ago<\/p>\n
Pinned<\/p>\n
US hitting Iran \u2018surgically and unapologetically,\u2019 CENTCOM says<\/p>\n
U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) said Monday that American forces are striking Iran \u201csurgically, overwhelmingly, and unapologetically\u201d as part of Operation Epic Fury, releasing video that it said shows Iranian offensive missile equipment<\/a> being destroyed.<\/p>\n \u201cAs the Secretary of War stated this morning, U.S. forces are hitting Iran surgically, overwhelmingly, and unapologetically,\u201d CENTCOM said in a post on X. \u201cOperation Epic Fury is laser-focused on destroying Iranian offensive missiles.\u201d<\/p>\n Along with the post, CENTCOM shared video showing what appeared to be a truck carrying missiles being destroyed, along with additional clips of offensive missile equipment targeted from above.<\/p>\n 32 mins agoIran starts \u2018indiscriminate\u2019 strikes across Gulf of Oman, hits shadow tanker tied to regime<\/p>\n Iran is conducting “indiscriminate” targeting of vessels across the Gulf of Oman and the wider Persian Gulf following the launch of U.S.-Israeli strikes under Operation Epic Fury, according to a maritime intelligence firm.<\/p>\n Windward AI<\/a> noted the sanctioned Palau-flagged tanker Skylight was hit as the conflict across the Middle East entered its second day, with the tanker also holding Iranian nationals among the crew and ties to the regime.<\/p>\n “Analysis of vessel affiliations, targeting patterns, and cargo data points to a strategy of indiscriminate area denial \u2014 not precision targeting \u2014 aimed at demonstrating Iran’s capability to disrupt the Strait and deter commercial shipping,” the firm said Monday.<\/p>\n Iran has been retaliating with missiles and drones<\/a> targeting U.S. and allied positions across the region, including in Qatar, Kuwait and the United Arab Emirates.<\/p>\n Learn more about the threat to maritime vessels<\/a> across the Gulf of Oman.<\/p>\n This is an excerpt from a story by Fox News Digital\u2019s Emma Bussey.<\/p>\n 41 mins agoLongtime Trump critic credits him for restoring ‘credibility of US deterrence’ as Iran strikes unfol<\/p>\n One of President Donald Trump’s<\/a> most outspoken critics in the legacy media is praising his administration’s strike on Iran.<\/p>\n Washington Post columnist George Will penned a piece<\/a> on Sunday titled, “At last, the credibility of U.S. deterrence is being restored.”<\/p>\n “The perhaps 30,000 protesters who perished in Iran\u2019s streets in early January did not die in vain,” Will wrote.<\/p>\n Will, a former Republican who voted for Joe Biden<\/a> and Kamala Harris in the most recent presidential elections, marveled at how “Precision munitions, directed by spectacular intelligence, enabled a decapitation strategy” as the U.S. and Israel carried out Operation Epic Fury on Saturday, which resulted in the elimination of the Iranian regime’s top leaders including Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.<\/p>\n See what else Will said<\/a> about Trump\u2019s actions against Iran.<\/p>\n This is an excerpt from a story by Fox News Digital\u2019s Joseph A. Wulfsohn.<\/p>\n 1 hour agoTrump formally notifies Congress of Iran military strikes<\/p>\n The White House on Monday formally notified Congress that President Donald Trump<\/a> ordered precision military strikes against Iran on February 28, citing threats to U.S. forces, regional allies and international shipping as justification under his constitutional authority as commander in chief.<\/p>\n \u201cI write to apprise you of military action taken on February 28, 2026, against the Government of the Islamic Republic of Iran,\u201d the president wrote in the letter to Senate President pro tempore Charles Grassley, invoking the War Powers Resolution.<\/p>\n Trump said the strikes targeted \u201cnumerous targets within Iran<\/a> including ballistic missile sites, maritime mining capabilities, air defenses, and command and control capabilities,\u201d adding that the action was taken to \u201cprotect United States forces in the region, protect the United States homeland\u201d and ensure \u201cthe free flow of maritime commerce through the Strait of Hormuz\u201d in collective self-defense of regional allies, including Israel.<\/p>\n The president argued that diplomacy had failed to curb Iran\u2019s actions, writing, \u201cDespite my Administration’s repeated efforts to achieve a diplomatic solution to Iran’s malign behavior, the threat to the United States and its allies and partners became untenable.\u201d<\/p>\n He added that no U.S. ground forces were used and that the mission was designed \u201cto minimize civilian casualties, deter future attacks, and neutralize Iran’s malign activities.\u201d<\/p>\n While expressing hope for peace, Trump warned that operations could continue if necessary.<\/p>\n \u201cAlthough the United States desires a quick and enduring peace, it is not possible at this time to know the full scope and duration of military operations that may be necessary,\u201d he wrote. \u201cAs such, United States forces remain postured to take further action, as necessary and appropriate, to address further threats and attacks upon the United States or its allies and partners, and ensure the Government of the Islamic Republic of Iran ceases being a threat to the United States, its allies, and the international community.\u201d<\/p>\n 1 hour agoWaltz says Iran was weeks away from nuclear weapon<\/p>\n U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Mike Waltz said Iran was hiding<\/a> highly enriched uranium and could have converted it into a nuclear weapon within \u201cweeks, a month at the most,\u201d arguing that Iran was dangerously close to weapons capability before U.S. strikes.<\/p>\n Waltz made the remarks during an appearance on \u201cThe Ingraham Angle,\u201d where he discussed what he described as the imminent threat posed by Tehran.<\/p>\n \u201cThey kept their highly enriched uranium and were hiding it,\u201d Waltz said. \u201cAnd it is within weeks, a month at the most, that you can take 60% to 90% to have a bomb.\u201d<\/p>\n He added that Iran was also expanding its missile capabilities. \u201cWe also know that they are developing a long range ICBM essentially, in addition to quadrupling the amount of missiles shorter range and medium range missiles that they can build per month to overwhelm our air defenses.\u201d<\/p>\n When pressed on whether he believed Iran was weeks away from nuclear weapons capability, Waltz pointed to the administration\u2019s recent military action.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat I’m saying is Operation Midnight Hammer\u2026 obliterated their enrichment capability,\u201d he said. \u201cBut we also knew they hid a lot of their highly enriched uranium.\u201d<\/p>\n 2 hours agoRadical US mosques honor Iran’s Supreme Leader’s ‘martyrdom’ with memorial services, eulogy: ‘Our le<\/p>\n Two United States-based mosques that have faced scrutiny for their ties to Iran held formal events to “honor” Ayatollah Khamenei after U.S. military forces took out the Islamic leader of Iran<\/a> this weekend, including one mosque in Northern Virginia that referred to Khamenei as “our leader.”<\/p>\n Located in Manassas, Virginia, and Dearborn Heights, Michigan, the mosques both publicly advertised events eulogizing the slain leader. In a flyer for the “Potluck Iftar” honoring Khamenei, which is a ceremony where Muslims break their Ramadan fast, the Manassass Mosque, which has faced questions over alleged ties to Iran, referred to Khamenei as “our leader.” Meanwhile, at the Islamic House of Wisdom (IHW) in Dearborn Heights, which has also faced scrutiny over its ties to Iran, the center’s Imam Mohammad Ali Elahi called the U.S. military offensive “evil” and argued that it was based on false-pretenses.<\/p>\n “You promised that America First, and now we ended up to have Netanyahu first,” the Michigan-based Imam told his congregants after the attacks this weekend. “Now we realize that all their talk about nuclear [unintelligible] was a joke, it didn’t even exist. From the beginning talking about regime change, we want to change, because we don’t like it. So, starting an illegal \u2013 illegal war \u2013 and then go and bomb the house of the leader of the country. Where is justification for this? Where is their reason for this, at all?”<\/p>\n The Michigan-based Islamic worship center and its Imam also touted talking points from Iranian state media and officials that have not yet been confirmed, claiming hundreds of young girls were killed by a missile strike on a school in Iran.<\/p>\n Find out more about why the two mosques are being scrutinized<\/a>.<\/p>\n This is an excerpt from a story by Fox News Digital\u2019s Alec Schemmel.<\/p>\n 2 hours agoNetanyahu defends strike, warns Iran nearing point of \u2018immunity\u2019<\/p>\n Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu<\/a> said military action had to be taken now, arguing Iran was rebuilding underground nuclear and missile sites that would soon become immune to attack and able to threaten the U.S. and its allies.<\/p>\n Speaking about the escalating conflict with Iran<\/a>, Netanyahu said Israeli and U.S. strikes were intended to prevent Iran from reaching what he described as a \u201cpoint of immunity,\u201d where its weapons programs could no longer be effectively targeted.<\/p>\n \u201cThe reason that we have to act now is because they were, after we hit their nuclear sites and their ballistic missiles program, you’d think they learned a lesson, but they didn’t because they’re unreformable,\u201d the prime minister said. \u201cThey’re totally fanatic about this, about the goal of destroying America. So they started building new sites, new places, underground bunkers that would make their ballistic missile program and their atomic bomb program immune within months.<\/p>\n \u201cIf no action was taken now, no action could be taken in the future, and then they could target America, they could blackmail America,\u201d Netanyahu continued. \u201cThey could threaten us and threaten everyone in between. So action had to be taken. And you needed a resolute president like Donald J. Trump to take that action.\u201d<\/p>\n 2 hours agoCENTCOM: Operation Epic Fury marks largest US firepower in generation<\/p>\n U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) highlighted what it called the largest regional concentration of American military firepower in a generation, releasing images of aircraft and missile launches tied to Operation Epic Fury<\/a> against the Iranian regime.<\/p>\n The post comes as U.S. forces continue sustained operations across the region, targeting Iran\u2019s missile infrastructure and naval capabilities amid escalating combat operations.<\/p>\n \u201cOperation Epic Fury involves the largest regional concentration of American military firepower in a generation,\u201d CENTCOM posted on X.<\/p>\n The images show fighter jets on aircraft carriers, missiles being launched and helicopters deployed on active missions.<\/p>\n 2 hours agoTrump presses NATO partners on support as Hegseth blasts hesitation<\/p>\n Secretary of War Pete Hegseth<\/a> warned that some traditional U.S. allies are “hemming and hawing about the use of force” as Washington presses forward with its campaign against Iran, raising fresh questions about NATO cohesion at a moment of escalation.<\/p>\n Spain has refused U.S. permission to use certain bases for strikes on Iran, calling for de-escalation and adherence to international law. Turkey has criticized the operation and warned of broader regional destabilization, while President Recep Tayyip Erdo\u011fan said he was “saddened” by Ayatollah Ali Khamenei\u2019s death and denied that Turkish territory was used in the campaign.<\/p>\n In a statement released on Saturday, French President Emmanuel Macron said that, “The outbreak of war between the United States, Israel and Iran carries grave consequences for international peace and security.” He added, “The ongoing escalation is dangerous for all. It must stop.”<\/p>\n During Monday’s media briefing, Hegseth drew a sharp contrast between Israel and what he described as hesitant allies. “Israel has clear missions as well, for which we are grateful. Capable partners, as we’ve said since the beginning. Capable partners are good partners, unlike so many of our traditional allies, who wring their hands and clutch their pearls, hemming and hawing about the use of force.”<\/p>\n Find out more about Trump\u2019s push<\/a> to get NATO support.<\/p>\n This is an excerpt from a story by Fox News Digital\u2019s Efrat Lachter.<\/p>\n 3 hours agoIranian-American says strike could mark \u2018beginning of the very end\u2019 for regime<\/p>\n Iranian-American Dr. Sheila Nazarian said recent U.S. and Israeli strikes against Iran<\/a> mark what she called the \u201cbeginning of the very end\u201d for the country\u2019s ruling regime, describing widespread jubilation among Iranians opposed to the government.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s a game changer we\u2019ve been waiting for all this time,\u201d Nazarian said. \u201cWe are so elated of the fact that now we have the beginning of the very end of the regime because at least we are going to see more and more decimation of this regime which can only equal the playing field so that the Iranian people could come back to the streets and bring the country back from this hated regime.\u201d<\/p>\n Nazarian, who said she left Iran as a first-generation immigrant with vivid memories of the regime\u2019s \u201cbrutality\u201d and \u201ciron fist,\u201d argued that the majority of Iranians want change but acknowledged that a significant minority continues to support the government.<\/p>\n \u201cSo about 90% of the people want regime change, but there’s about 10%, at a minimum, that support this regime, and that amounts to nine million people,\u201d she said. \u201cSo it’s the equivalent of having nine million extremists in your country, and it is a big problem.\u201d<\/p>\n She also pointed to what she described as severe repression of women under the regime, saying, \u201cWomen cannot be comfortable in their own skin. They’re constantly watching their back \u2014 who’s going to attack them\u2026so this is true oppression.\u201d<\/p>\n 3 hours agoIran attempts to ‘overwhelm’ Israel\u2019s missile shield in Tel Aviv<\/p>\n A large Iranian missile barrage targeted Tel Aviv<\/a> and other Israeli cities Monday, with explosions lighting up the skyline as air defense systems worked to intercept incoming fire in what appeared to be an effort to ‘overwhelm’ Israel\u2019s layered defenses.<\/p>\n Fox News chief foreign correspondent Trey Yingst, reporting live from Tel Aviv, described multiple interceptions over Israel\u2019s second-largest city as the attack unfolded.<\/p>\n \u201cYou can see this incoming fire right now. There are multiple interceptions that are taking place over Israel’s second largest city of Tel Aviv,\u201d Yingst said. \u201cSome of these missiles appear to have made past Israel’s missile defense system, the Iron Dome.\u201d<\/p>\n Yingst explained that Israel relies on a tiered missile defense network that includes Iron Dome, David\u2019s Sling and the Arrow II and III systems, and noted that additional U.S.-provided Patriot and THAAD systems were deployed ahead of the conflict.<\/p>\n \u201cThis is not a perfect layered defense,\u201d Yingst said. \u201cIt is difficult to shoot down some of these hypersonic missiles.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhen the Iranians save their missiles<\/a> and launch all at the same time, it’s an effort to overwhelm the air defense systems in this country,\u201d he added. \u201cIt is challenging to shoot down this incoming fire when the Iranians launch the missiles in the way that they are launching them right now.\u201d<\/p>\n 3 hours agoIDF says Israeli airstrikes hit Iranian communications center in Tehran<\/p>\n The Israel Defense Forces<\/a> (IDF) said the Israeli Air Force carried out additional precision strikes in Tehran targeting what it described as Iranian regime infrastructure, including a communications center allegedly used by the Revolutionary Guards to coordinate military and propaganda operations.<\/p>\n According to the IDF, the Israeli Air Force struck<\/a> and dismantled the communications center, which was also used by the Iranian regime to advance military activities while disguised as civilian activity and assets.<\/p>\n The center was also involved in propaganda activities, the IDF said.<\/p>\n \u201cThe activities taking place at the center were carried out and directed by the Iranian Revolutionary Guards Corps,\u201d the IDF said. \u201cOver the years, the Iranian Broadcasting Authority called for the destruction of the State of Israel and for the use of nuclear weapons. In addition, it led directly to the repression of the Iranian population and the spreading of lies to the public.\u201d<\/p>\n 3 hours agoFirebrand anti-American cleric Alireza Arafi seen as contender to replace Iran\u2019s Khamenei<\/p>\n The Islamic Republic\u2019s<\/a> opaque and fractured governing system following the killing of its supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, selected radical cleric Ayatollah Alireza Arafi to its interim leadership council on Saturday.<\/p>\n Ben Sabti, an Iran expert at the Institute of National Security Studies in Israel, said, “His name was brought up in the last two or three years. He is not a kind of politician but is part of exporting the revolution from the propaganda side.” A foundational pillar of the birth of the 1979 Islamic Republic was to export its violent Shiite ideology and foster radical Islamist revolutions across the globe.<\/p>\n “He’s been marinating in Khomeinist ideology his entire career. Khomeinism is a threat to U.S. interests,” Jason Brodsky, policy director of United Against Nuclear Iran, told Fox News Digital.<\/p>\n The founder of the Islamic Republic of Iran in 1979, Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini’s “Death to America” pledge is a core feature of Khomeinism, according to experts.<\/p>\n Find out more about Ayatollah Alireza Arafi<\/a>.<\/p>\n This is an excerpt from a story by Fox News Digital\u2019s Benjamin Weinthal.<\/p>\n 3 hours agoTrump says Iran would have had nuclear weapon under Obama deal<\/p>\n President Donald Trump claimed that if he had not terminated the Obama-era Iran nuclear deal, Iran would have acquired a nuclear weapon by now, arguing that the 2015 agreement would have allowed Iran to advance its nuclear ambitions.<\/p>\n \u201cIf I didn\u2019t terminate Obama\u2019s horrendous Iran Nuclear Deal<\/a> (JCPOA), Iran would have had a Nuclear Weapon three years ago,\u201d Trump wrote on Truth Social. \u201cThat was the most dangerous transaction we have ever entered into, and had it been allowed to stand, the World would be an entirely different place right now.<\/p>\n \u201cYou can blame Barack Hussein Obama, and Sleepy Joe Biden,\u201d Trump added. \u201cTHANK YOU PRESIDENT TRUMP!\u201d<\/p>\n 4 hours agoJohnson says preemptive strike stopped \u2018staggering\u2019 US casualties<\/p>\n House Speaker Mike Johnson said the U.S. strike on Iran was a defensive operation designed to prevent \u201cstaggering losses\u201d to American troops and assets, arguing that waiting for Iran to strike first<\/a> would have resulted in devastating casualties.<\/p>\n Johnson spoke to reporters at the Capitol on Monday, where he emphasized that the most critical point of the operation was that it was defensive in nature.<\/p>\n \u201cIsrael was determined to act in their own defense here, with or without American support,\u201d he said. \u201cIsrael faced <\/a>what they deemed to be an existential threat. Iran was building missiles at a radical, and at a rapid clip, to the point where our allies in the region could not keep up, as you know, Iran, has, long vowed to take out Israel, wipe it off the map.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cBecause Israel was determined to act with or without the US, our commander in chief and the administration and the officials\u2026had to evaluate the threats to the US, to our troops, to our installations, to our assets in the region and beyond,\u201d Johnson continued. \u201cIf Iran had begun to fire all of their missile arsenal \u2013 short and mid-range missiles \u2013 at our personnel and our assets and our installations, we would have suffered staggering losses, and if we had waited to respond before acting first, then those losses would have been far greater than if we had done what we did. That was their decision.\u201d<\/p>\n Johnson said he guarantees that if the U.S. had not acted, the Trump administration would have been hauled in by Congress and asked why they waited if they had \u201cexistential intelligence, knowing that that would happen.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI am convinced that they did the right thing,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n Johnson also said he is convinced that the objective was not regime change in Iran.<\/p>\n \u201cThe objective was not regime change,\u201d he said. \u201cThe objective was to take out those missiles, the short and mid-range missiles, and their ability to produce them. We did that.\u201d<\/p>\n 4 hours agoIDF says Palestinian Islamic Jihad commander killed in Beirut strike<\/p>\n The Israel Defense Forces<\/a> said it carried out overnight strikes in Beirut that killed Abu Hamza Rami, the Palestinian Islamic Jihad commander for Lebanon, describing him as a key figure responsible for orchestrating attacks against Israeli troops and civilians.<\/p>\n According to the IDF, Rami held his position for years and was responsible for carrying out hundreds of terrorist attacks <\/a>against the Israeli military and Israeli citizens.<\/p>\n Rami recently advanced multiple terrorist attacks on behalf of an organization in Lebanon, IDF added, including Nukhba terrorists, recruiting terrorists and procuring weapons for the organization.<\/p>\n Rami was also in charge of the movement of terrorists along the Syria-Lebanon border during Operation \u201cNorthern Arrows,\u201d the IDF said, and their activities against IDF troops in southern Lebanon.<\/p>\n “His elimination constitutes a severe degradation of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad\u2019s ability to carry out terror operations against the State of Israel and its citizens,\u201d the IDF said. \u201cThe IDF will continue to operate to thwart any threat posed to the State of Israel.\u201d<\/p>\n 4 hours agoIDF orders evacuation near Hezbollah sites in Beirut<\/p>\n The Israel Defense Forces<\/a> (IDF) issued an urgent evacuation warning to residents in parts of Beirut\u2019s Dahieh neighborhood, saying those near what it described as Hezbollah facilities must immediately leave the area.<\/p>\n The warning comes as Israeli strikes continue in Lebanon following cross-border attacks<\/a> by the Iran-backed group.<\/p>\n IDF spokesperson Col. Avichay Adraee issued the urgent warning on X, along with a map showing the area of concern.<\/p>\n \u201cTo all those located in the buildings marked in red as shown on the map, and in the adjacent buildings in the Haret Hreik area \u2014 you are in close proximity to Hezbollah facilities,\u201d Adraee wrote. \u201cFor your safety and the safety of your families, you must evacuate these buildings immediately and remain at a distance of at least 300 meters.\u201d<\/p>\n 4 hours agoSix US troops killed as major combat operations continue<\/p>\n U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) said Monday that six American service members have been killed in action amid ongoing combat operations in the region, according to a post on X.<\/p>\n \u201cAs of 4 pm ET, March 2, six U.S. service members have been killed in action,\u201d CENTCOM said. \u201cU.S. forces recently recovered the remains of two previously unaccounted for service members from a facility that was struck during Iran’s initial attacks in the region.<\/p>\n \u201cMajor combat operations<\/a> continue,\u201d the post continued. \u201cThe identities of the fallen are being withheld until 24 hours after next of kin notification.\u201d<\/p>\n 5 hours agoUS Embassy personnel leave Jordan compound amid security threat<\/p>\n The U.S. Embassy in Jordan said all personnel temporarily departed the embassy compound Monday \u201cout of an abundance of caution\u201d following a reported security threat.<\/p>\n The move comes as tensions across the region escalate following U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran<\/a> and subsequent retaliatory missile and drone attacks targeting military bases and civilian infrastructure in multiple countries, including key American installations.<\/p>\n Security alerts and travel advisories have been issued throughout the Middle East amid warnings of potential spillover.<\/p>\n The departure underscores growing concern that diplomatic facilities and U.S. interests in the region could face heightened risks as the conflict intensifies.<\/p>\n 5 hours agoIran claims Strait of Hormuz closed despite US destroying 11 ships<\/p>\n Iran claimed it had closed the strategic Strait of Hormuz and warned that any vessel attempting to transit the vital oil chokepoint would be set ablaze, despite U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) saying Monday it had destroyed 11 Iranian naval ships<\/a> near the waterway amid ongoing conflict.<\/p>\n Iran\u2019s warning followed three days of U.S.-Israeli strikes on Tehran, escalating tensions around the narrow waterway that serves as a critical artery for global energy shipments. The Strait of Hormuz handles roughly a fifth of the world\u2019s oil supply, and any sustained disruption could send shockwaves through international markets.<\/p>\n Times Now reported that Brigadier General Sardar Ebrahim Jabbari, an adviser to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps commander, announced the closure and warned that Iranian forces would ignite any hostile vessel attempting to pass through the strait. Jabbari was quoted as saying Iran would not allow \u201ca single drop of oil\u201d to leave the region.<\/p>\n The outlet said the declaration came as the conflict intensified. It also comes after CENTCOM announced it had destroyed 11 Iranian naval ships operating near the Strait of Hormuz, underscoring the growing confrontation around one of the world\u2019s most strategically important maritime chokepoints.<\/p>\n According to a senior U.S. military official, the Strait is not physically closed to navigation.<\/p>\n Iran is not patrolling the Strait or enforcing their \u201cclosure\u201d in any way, though commercial vessels are cautiously avoiding the waterway.<\/p>\n The official also said Iran does not really want to mine the Strait because they want to keep their allies happy. Eighty-percent of Iran\u2019s oil goes to China.<\/p>\n This is not the first time Iran has announced it is closing the Strait, and at this point, the official noted, it appears to be fearmongering to increase pressure.<\/p>\n 5 hours agoIran internet blackout passes 60 hours, leaving citizens cut off, watchdog says<\/p>\n Internet monitoring group NetBlocks said Iran\u2019s nationwide internet blackout has surpassed 60 hours, leaving millions cut off from vital information and unable to communicate with loved ones abroad as conflict in the region<\/a> intensifies.<\/p>\n In an update posted on X, the organization said the disruption has now stretched past the 60-hour mark, with connectivity across the country remaining largely offline.<\/p>\n \u201cThe incident leaves the people cut off from the world without access to sources of information vital for safety and situational awareness, and out of touch with loved ones abroad as the conflict escalates,\u201d the post read.<\/p>\n 5 hours agoFrom hostage crisis to assassination plots: Iran\u2019s near half-century war on Americans<\/p>\n After radical students overthrew Iran’s shah in 1979 and took hostages in the U.S. embassy, the Middle Eastern nation became a strident and blood-soaked adversary of what its new Islamic fundamentalist dictatorship has long called the “Great Satan.”<\/p>\n Since then, Tehran has sponsored terrorism around the globe, including targeting the U.S. in multiple, high-profile instances. Former Reagan Justice Department chief of staff Mark Levin<\/a> said Sunday there are at least 44 examples of Iran targeting Americans either directly or indirectly.<\/p>\n “The Iranian-Nazi regime<\/a>\u2026 [has] murdered more than 1,000 Americans [and] relentlessly pursued nuclear weapons to use against us \u2014 they are genocidal warmongers,” said Levin, an author, attorney and Fox News Channel host.<\/p>\n The stage for Iran’s transformation from ally to enemy of the U.S. was set in the 1960s, when Shah Mohammed Reza Pahlavi began clashing with influential Islamic cleric Ruhollah Khomeini. The monarch infuriated the theocrat by liberalizing the national constitution to allow faiths other than Islam to be sworn into office on holy books of their choice.<\/p>\n Find out more about Iran\u2019s near half-century war on Americans<\/a>.<\/p>\n This is an excerpt from a story by Fox News Digital\u2019s Charles Creitz.<\/p>\n 5 hours agoRubio says Trump did not need Congress\u2019 approval for Iran strikes<\/p>\n Secretary of State Marco Rubio said President Donald Trump<\/a> did not need congressional approval to launch strikes on Iran, arguing the administration complied with federal notification requirements and that no president has accepted the War Powers Act as binding.<\/p>\n Speaking with reporters at the Capitol, Rubio was asked<\/a> whether the president needed Congress to weigh in before ordering the strikes.<\/p>\n \u201cNo,\u201d Rubio said. \u201cWe notified Congress. We notified the Gang of Eight. We notified the congressional leadership. There\u2019s no law that requires us to do that. The law says we have to notify them 48 hours after beginning hostilities. We\u2019ve done that. But there\u2019s no law that requires the president to have done anything with regards to this. No presidential administration has ever accepted the War Powers Act as constitutional.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019ve complied with the law 100%, and we\u2019re going to continue to comply with it,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n 6 hours agoRubio warns next phase of strikes will be \u2018more punishing\u2019 for Iran<\/p>\n Secretary of State Marco Rubio<\/a> warned that \u201cthe hardest hits are yet to come\u201d for Iran, signaling an intensifying next phase of U.S. military operations and saying the campaign will continue until Tehran\u2019s missile and naval capabilities are destroyed.<\/p>\n Speaking from the Capitol, Rubio said Iran has already suffered significant damage but indicated that more forceful strikes are ahead.<\/p>\n \u201cThey’re suffering a tremendous amount of damage,\u201d he said. \u201cI’m not going to give away the details of our tactical efforts, but the hardest hits are yet to come from the U.S. military. The next phase will be even more punishing on Iran<\/a> than it is right now.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI don’t know how long it will take,\u201d Rubio added, noting that the U.S. has clear objectives. \u201cWe will do this as long as it takes to achieve those objectives and we will achieve those objectives. The world will be a safer place when we’re done with this operation.\u201d<\/p>\n 6 hours agoRubio: Iran would have \u2018held the world hostage\u2019 within a year<\/p>\n Secretary of State Marco Rubio<\/a> warned that Iran could have \u201cheld the whole world hostage\u201d within a year if military action had not been taken, arguing that Tehran was rapidly approaching a point where its expanding missile and drone arsenal would have made it untouchable.<\/p>\n \u201cNo matter what, ultimately this operation needed to happen<\/a>,\u201d Rubio said. \u201cThis operation needed to happen because Iran, in about a year or a year and a half, would cross the line of immunity, meaning they would have so many short range missiles, so many drones that no one could do anything about it because they could hold the whole world hostage.<\/p>\n \u201cLook at the damage they’re doing now. And this is a weakened Iran\u2026imagine a year from now,\u201d he added. \u201cSo that had to happen. Obviously, we were aware of Israeli intentions and understood what that would mean for us, and we had to be prepared to act as a result of it. But this had to happen no matter what.\u201d<\/p>\n 6 hours agoMelania Trump makes history at UN Security Council meeting<\/p>\n Melania Trump made history Monday as the first first lady to preside over the United Nations Security Council in New York.<\/p>\n Trump was slated to lead the council <\/a>as members considered issues including education, technology, peace and security.<\/p>\n The first lady is expected to emphasize the importance of education and knowledge in promoting lasting peace, a source close to her previously told Fox News Digital.<\/p>\n “The first lady is reinventing her role and this marks just another groundbreaking achievement for her,” the source told Fox News Digital. “It is the first time in history a first lady will address the security council, keeping to her mission of empowering the next generation with education and technology.”<\/p>\n The appearance was announced last week, before the U.S. and Israel launched an offensive against Iran.<\/p>\n Fox News Digital\u2019s Brooke Singman contributed to this report.<\/p>\n 6 hours agoCENTCOM: Iranian ships gone from Gulf of Oman<\/p>\n U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) released a video showing American forces destroying an Iranian naval facility<\/a> in the Gulf of Oman, declaring that Tehran\u2019s fleet in the strategic waterway has dropped from 11 ships to zero in just two days.<\/p>\n \u201cTwo days ago, the Iranian regime had 11 ships in the Gulf of Oman, today they have ZERO,\u201d CENTCOM said on X. \u201cThe Iranian regime has harassed and attacked international shipping in the Gulf of Oman for decades. Those days are over.<\/p>\n \u201cFreedom of maritime navigation has underpinned American and global economic prosperity for more than 80 years. U.S. forces will continue to defend it,\u201d CENTCOM added.<\/p>\n 7 hours agoIsrael kills Hezbollah intel chief as Lebanon bans group\u2019s military arm<\/p>\n Israel said Monday it killed the head of Hezbollah\u2019s intelligence arm in an overnight strike on Beirut, as Lebanon\u2019s government moved to ban the Iran-backed group\u2019s military activities following a barrage of rockets and drones fired at Israel, according to reports.<\/p>\n The Times of Israel reported that the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) confirmed the strike in the Lebanese capital killed Hussein Makled, whom the military described as \u201cthe head of Hezbollah\u2019s intelligence headquarters.\u201d<\/p>\n The IDF reportedly said Makled was responsible for \u201cforming the intelligence picture using various intelligence collection tools\u201d to provide Hezbollah with assessments on IDF troops and the State of Israel.<\/p>\n The outlet also reported that Hezbollah said its rocket and drone attacks were carried out in retaliation for the killing of Iranian supreme leader<\/a> Ali Khamenei during the opening phase of the joint Israeli-U.S. assault on Iran, and that a separate overnight strike in southern Beirut killed Adham al-Othman, 41, identified by Palestinian Islamic Jihad as a commander in its al-Quds Brigades.<\/p>\n Lebanon\u2019s cabinet, led by Prime Minister Nawaf Salam, announced it would move to prohibit Hezbollah\u2019s military and security activities, asserting that decisions of war and peace rest solely with the Lebanese state.<\/p>\n The government said it had directed security and military agencies to take steps to prevent any further rocket or drone launches from Lebanese territory and to enforce the decision.<\/p>\n The move represents Beirut\u2019s latest attempt to rein in Hezbollah and consolidate state authority following the November 2024 ceasefire with Israel.<\/p>\n 7 hours agoState Department shares emergency contacts for Americans abroad<\/p>\n The State Department<\/a> is again urging Americans in the Middle East to enroll in emergency alert programs and keep key contact information accessible, stressing the importance of widely sharing those resources as regional tensions continue to escalate.<\/p>\n Officials are encouraging U.S. citizens abroad to enroll in the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program at step.state.gov to receive the latest updates from the nearest U.S. Embassy and to follow @travelgov on social media or the WhatsApp channel \u201cU.S. Department of State – Security Updates for U.S. Citizens.\u201d<\/p>\n Americans in need of emergency assistance can call +1-202-501-4444 from overseas or +1-888-407-4747 from within the U.S. and Canada, according to the department.<\/p>\n 7 hours agoWhite House shares photos of Trump during Iran strikes<\/p>\n White House images released Monday show President Donald Trump<\/a> and top aides gathered as Operation Epic Fury unfolded in Iran over the weekend, underscoring the administration\u2019s sweeping objectives to dismantle the regime\u2019s military and nuclear capabilities.<\/p>\n One image shows Trump seated at a desk with two phones in front of him, while another captures White House chief of staff Susie Wiles and Secretary of State Marco Rubio<\/a> monitoring developments. Press secretary Karoline Leavitt appears in a separate photo, as Gen. Dan Caine and Secretary of War Pete Hegseth sit side by side, watching events in Iran closely.<\/p>\n In a detailed statement Monday, Leavitt reiterated Trump\u2019s objectives for the operation, which include destroying Iran\u2019s missile program<\/a>, crippling its navy, dismantling its terrorist proxy network and ensuring the regime can never obtain a nuclear weapon.<\/p>\n Leavitt also said the Iranian regime rejected months of negotiations led by Trump\u2019s team and remained committed to rebuilding its nuclear program despite prior strikes under Operation Midnight Hammer, arguing that decisive military action was required to end what she described as decades of deadly threats against Americans.<\/p>\n 8 hours agoIsraeli minister outlines Iran goals, says Iranian people now have chance to \u2018regain their freedom’<\/p>\n An Israeli official tells Fox News Digital that the U.S.-Israeli mission<\/a> in Iran has two main goals that may provide an opportunity to change the course of the future of the Middle East as their military forces continue to pummel the\u00a0Iranian regime.<\/p>\n Israeli Minister of Diaspora Affairs Amichai Chikli said in an interview on Monday that the first of the two goals is to remove existential threats such as Iran\u2019s ballistic missiles that were rapidly being repaired following last year\u2019s\u00a0Operation Midnight Hammer, which targeted key Iranian nuclear sites.<\/p>\n Chikli said these missiles are “capable of sending these missiles into the heart of our cities, into hospitals,” and must be destroyed.<\/p>\n Of Iran\u2019s nuclear program, he added that there are “still components that need to be removed.”<\/p>\n The second goal of the mission is to create conditions to change the regime in Iran, Chikli said.<\/p>\n “We are well aware of the fact that not the IDF and not the U.S. Army is going to replace the regime in Iran,” he said. “It\u2019s up to the Iranian people who have now the biggest opportunity in the last 40-plus years since the beginning of the revolution to do something in order to create a different reality in Iran and regain their freedom.”<\/p>\n President\u00a0Donald Trump\u00a0on Saturday encouraged the Iranian people to take over their government once the U.S. and Israel finished combat operations in Iran, telling them to “seize control of [their] destiny.”<\/p>\n “The hour of your freedom is at hand. Stay sheltered. Don’t leave your home. It’s very dangerous outside. Bombs will be dropping everywhere. When we are finished, take over your government. It will be yours to take,” Trump said. “This will be, probably, your only chance for generations.”<\/p>\n This is an excerpt from an article by Fox News’ Stephen Sorace.<\/p>\n Posted by Anders Hagstrom<\/p>\n 8 hours agoIDF video shows Israeli fighter pilot evading Iranian missile<\/p>\n Israeli Defense Forces<\/a> released footage of an Israeli pilot evading an Iranian missile over Tehran on Monday.<\/p>\n “There’s another launch, diverting us–rising above the clouds,” the pilot can be heard saying, according to a translation provided by X.<\/p>\n The Israeli military has conducted thousands of sorties over Iran in the days since the U.S. and Israel launched Operation Epic Fury.<\/p>\n Posted by Anders Hagstrom<\/p>\n 8 hours agoTrump says US sank 10 Iranian navy vessels in opening salvo of ‘Epic Fury’<\/p>\n President Donald Trump<\/a> Monday said the United States and Israel\u2019s\u00a0joint military operation\u00a0against Iran was “our last, best chance to strike” to “eliminate the intolerable threats” posed by Tehran.<\/p>\n The United States and Israel launched the operation against Iran Saturday known as\u00a0Operation Epic Fury.\u00a0The attacks left major Iranian leaders dead, including its supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.<\/p>\n The U.S. will continue the operation with “ferocious, unyielding resolve,” Trump said, adding that the U.S. already has sunk 10 of Iran’s naval vessels in addition to eliminating 49 of its top leaders.<\/p>\n The operation is expected to carry on for days, as the U.S. military continues to target military targets and ballistic missile sites that pose an “imminent threat.”<\/p>\n Trump warned against Iran retaliation, saying that if Iran were to “hit very hard,” it would be met with “a force that has never been seen before.”<\/p>\n During a Medal of Honor ceremony at the White House Monday, the president touted his success in combating the threats posed by Iran \u2014during both his second administration, and his first.”<\/p>\n I was very proud to have knocked out the Iran nuclear deal by President Barack Hussein Obama,” Trump said. “That was a horrible, horrible, dangerous document. They would have had nuclear weapons three years ago.”\u00a0<\/p>\n This is an excerpt from an article by Fox News’ Brooke Singman.<\/p>\n Posted by Anders Hagstrom<\/p>\n 8 hours agoDHS memo warns of lone wolf attacks after Iran bombings<\/p>\n A Department of Homeland Security<\/a> memo sent out over the weekend warned of potential cyber attacks and lone wolf physical attacks as a result of the U.S. Israel bombing in Iran, Fox News has learned.<\/p>\n The memo had no specific knowledge of individual attacks but warned of lower level cyber attacks or other violence.<\/p>\n Memos of this kind are a common occurrence among homeland security groups following significant military actions like Operation Epic Fury.<\/p>\n Fox News’ David Spunt and Jake Gibson contributed to this report.<\/p>\n Posted by Anders Hagstrom<\/p>\n 9 hours agoUS sent B-1 bombers on mission ‘deep inside Iran’: CENTCOM<\/p>\n The U.S. military deployed B-1 bombers on a mission “deep inside Iran” to attack the nation’s ballistic missile capabilities, U.S. Central Command<\/a> said Monday.<\/p>\n CENTCOM said the mission took place late Sunday night, providing footage of two B-1 bombers being serviced and taking off from an unknown air base.<\/p>\n “Last night, U.S. B-1 bombers, struck deep inside Iran to degrade Iranian ballistic missile capabilities,” CENTCOM wrote on X.<\/p>\n “As the President stated, ‘we’re going to destroy their missiles and raze their missile industry to the ground,'” it added.<\/p>\n Posted by Anders Hagstrom<\/p>\n 9 hours agoTrump says US mission in Iran is ‘ahead of schedule,’ vows to ‘easily prevail’ over regime<\/p>\n President Donald Trump on Monday declared that the joint U.S.-Israeli operation<\/a> to “crush the threat” in Iran is “ahead of schedule.”<\/p>\n Trump provided an update on “Operation Epic Fury” during a Medal of Honor ceremony at the White House, vowing that the U.S. will “easily prevail” over the “terrorist regime.”<\/p>\n “We have the strongest and most powerful, by far, military in the world, and we will easily prevail. We’re already substantially ahead of our time projections, but whatever the time is, it’s okay. Whatever it takes.”<\/p>\n This is an excerpt from an article by Fox News Stephen Sorace.<\/p>\n Posted by Anders Hagstrom<\/p>\n 9 hours agoTrump says Operation Epic Fury was ‘our last, best chance to strike’ against Iran regime<\/p>\n President Donald Trump said Operation Epic Fury was America’s “last, best chance to strike” against the Iranian regime and its nuclear ambitions.<\/p>\n Trump made the statement at the White House on Monday, saying the U.S. objectives are clear: Eliminating Iran’s ballistic missile<\/a> capabilities, cripple the nation’s fleet, and ensure the nation can never obtain a nuclear weapon.<\/p>\n “This was our last, best chance to strike what we’re doing right now and eliminate the intolerable threats posed by this sick and sinister regime. And they are indeed sick and sinister,” Trump said.<\/p>\n “Our objectives are clear. First, we’re destroying Iran’s missile capabilities, and you see that happening on an hourly basis and their capacity to produce brand new ones and pretty good ones they make. Second, we’re annihilating their navy. We’ve knocked out already ten ships. They’re at the bottom of the sea. Third, we’re ensuring that the world’s number one sponsor of terror can never obtain a nuclear weapon,” he added.<\/p>\n Posted by Anders Hagstrom<\/p>\n 10 hours agoIran posed ‘colossal’ threat to US, Trump says as US continues ‘large-scale’ military operation<\/p>\n President Donald Trump<\/a> says Operation Epic Fury will continue with “large-scale” military operations against Iran to eliminate the “clear, colossal” threat that a nuclear-armed Iran could pose.<\/p>\n Trump made the comments before a Medal of Honor ceremony at the White House on Monday, saying Iran ignored warnings not to rebuild their nuclear program, forcing his hand.<\/p>\n He said a nuclear armed Iran would have been an “intolerable threat” to both the U.S. and the region.<\/p>\n The U.S. will continue the operation with “ferocious, unyielding resolve,” Trump said, adding that the U.S. has already sunk 10 of Iran’s naval vessels in addition to eliminating 49 of its top leaders.<\/p>\n Posted by Anders Hagstrom<\/p>\n 10 hours agoQatar shoots down 2 Iranian fighter jets, 12 missiles and drones, defense ministry says<\/p>\n Qatar’s Ministry of Defense says the country shot down two Iranian warplanes as well as seven ballistic missiles and five drones fired from Iran on Monday.<\/p>\n The ministry said all of the targets were shot down before reaching their destinations.<\/p>\n “The ministry further emphasizes that Qatar Armed Forces possess full capabilities and resources to safeguard the state’s sovereignty and lands, and to respond firmly to any external threat,” the ministry said in a statement.<\/p>\n “The ministry also urges citizens, residents, and visitors to remain calm, adhere to official instructions issued by the security authorities, avoid rumors, and rely solely on information released through official channels,” it added.<\/p>\n Qatar is one<\/a> of several regional partners that have assisted the U.S. and Israel in their offensive against Iran, fending off Iran’s counter attacks across the region.<\/p>\n Posted by Anders Hagstrom<\/p>\n 10 hours agoFBI remains on high alert amid Iran threat, senior official says<\/p>\n The FBI remains on high alert<\/a> to respond to potential domestic threats amid the ongoing U.S. war with Iran, a senior FBI official told Fox News on Monday.<\/p>\n The Joint Terrorism Task Force is also still on high alert, and all resources are ready if requested or needed from law enforcement partners, the official said.<\/p>\n The statement comes after FBI Director Kash Patel said that FBI personnel are are “fully engaged on the situation overseas.”<\/p>\n “Last night I instructed our Counterterrorism and intelligence teams to be on high alert and mobilize all assisting security assets needed. Our JTTFs throughout the country are working 24\/7, as always, to address and disrupt any potential threats to the homeland.\u00a0While the military handles force protection overseas, the FBI remains at the forefront of deterring attacks here at home – and will continue to have our team work around the clock to protect Americans,” Patel wrote Saturday on X.<\/p>\n Fox News’ Jake Gibson and David Spunt contributed to this report.<\/p>\n Posted by Anders Hagstrom<\/p>\n 10 hours agoUK’s Starmer backs up initial refusal to ‘get involved’ with US attack on Iran<\/p>\n U.K. Prime Minister Kier Starmer<\/a> defended his decision not to involve British forces in the initial U.S.-Israel attacks on Iran on Monday.<\/p>\n Starmer went on to acknowledge that Iran’s counterattacks have forced the U.K.’s involvement, threatening the roughly 300,000 British citizens who are in the region.<\/p>\n “President trump has expressed his disagreement with our decision not to get involved with the initial strikes, but it is my duty to judge what is in Britain\u2019s national interest. That is what ive done and I stand by it,” he said on Monday.<\/p>\n Nevertheless, he later clarified that the U.K. can no longer stand apart from the conflict.<\/p>\n “There are an estimated 300,000 British citizens in the region, residents, families on holiday and those in transit. Iran has hit airports and hotels where British citizens are staying. It is deeply concerning the whole house and the whole country,” he told Parliament.<\/p>\n “Our armed forces are also being put at risk by Iran’s actions. On Saturday, Iran hit a military base in Bahrain with missiles and drones.\u00a0There were 300 British personnel on the base, some within a few 100 yards of the strike,” he added.<\/p>\n President Donald Trump had earlier criticized Starmer for taking “far too long” to approve the U.S. to use its air bases in support of Operation Epic Fury<\/a> on Saturday.<\/p>\n Posted by Anders Hagstrom<\/p>\n 11 hours agoTrump to address Iran war soon<\/p>\n President Donald Trump<\/a> is expected to address the war against Iran in a statement from the White House on Monday.<\/p>\n Trump will make the comments during a Medal of Honor ceremony, three days after the U.S. launched Operation Epic Fury against Iran.<\/p>\n Posted by Anders Hagstrom<\/p>\n 11 hours agoGas prices could jump as Middle East tensions threaten global oil supply<\/p>\n Americans could soon see higher gas prices as escalating tensions in the Middle East<\/a> threaten a critical global oil chokepoint, raising fears of supply disruptions that could quickly reverberate across\u00a0U.S. energy markets.<\/p>\n After joint\u00a0U.S.\u2013Israeli strikes, dubbed Operation Epic Fury, targeted Iranian sites over the weekend and killed Iran\u2019s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, concerns quickly shifted to how Tehran might respond and whether oil infrastructure or tanker traffic could become collateral damage.<\/p>\n Any disruption to global crude supplies could translate into higher costs for American drivers<\/a> at the pump.<\/p>\n “Every time we’ve had flare-ups in the Middle East like we’re seeing right now \u2014 and we’ve seen this kind of situation periodically over the last 50 years \u2014 it has caused significant disruption to energy markets,” economist Stephen Moore told Fox News Digital.\u00a0<\/p>\n “I would expect we could see anywhere from 25 to 50 cents a gallon increase in gas prices in the short term,” he said.<\/p>\n Market data already shows prices moving higher.<\/p>\n Patrick De Haan, head of petroleum analysis at GasBuddy, said oil prices were up $5 per barrel, while wholesale gasoline prices had risen 11 cents per gallon.<\/p>\n He expects retail gas prices to begin climbing immediately, especially in areas where stations tend to adjust prices in sharp, periodic jumps.<\/p>\n The national average could hit $3 per gallon as soon as Monday, De Haan said, with some stations increasing prices by 10 to 30 cents this week and potentially more in markets that see larger price swings.<\/p>\n This is an excerpt from an article by Fox News’ Amanda Macias.<\/p>\n Posted by Anders Hagstrom<\/p>\n 11 hours agoIran launches 70 missiles, 59 drones at Bahrain, home of US Navy 5th Fleet HQ<\/p>\n Bahrain says its air defenses intercepted a fresh wave of Iranian ballistic missiles<\/a> and drones on Monday.<\/p>\n Bahrain, which is home to the U.S. Navy’s 5th Fleet Headquarters, says it repelled 70 missiles and 59 drones launched into its airspace from Iran.<\/p>\n The counterattack comes as the U.S. and Israel continue to batter Iranian capabilities amid Operation Epic Fury.<\/p>\n The Associated Press contributed to this report.<\/p>\n Posted by Anders Hagstrom<\/p>\n 11 hours agoTrump to Fox News: 49 leaders taken out in Iran<\/p>\n President Donald Trump<\/a> told Fox News that the U.S. and Israel killed 49 of Iran’s most senior leaders in the opening strike of Operation Epic Fury on Saturday morning.<\/p>\n Trump made the statement in an interview with Fox News’ Bret Baier on Monday, saying it was “amazing” that the U.S. had the information it had about the meeting of top Iranian leadership.<\/p>\n Trump told Baier that Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was meeting with his inner circle for breakfast on the morning of the attack, thinking they were safe because it was in broad daylight.<\/p>\n “It was 49 leaders that were taken out. That was going to take four weeks, we thought, to get rid of the Iranian leadership. And it’s always, you know, if they hide, it’s a lot longer than four weeks. And they would have been hiding,” Trump told Baier. “We were shocked when we heard what was going on. We knew exactly what was happening and where.”<\/p>\n Posted by Anders Hagstrom<\/p>\n 12 hours agoKhamenei’s wife dead after Saturday strike: Iranian media<\/p>\n Mansoureh Khojasteh, the wife of late Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei died on Monday after sustaining injuries in airstrikes on her husband’s office on Saturday, Iranian media says.<\/p>\n Iranian media said Khjasteh had been in a coma since the Saturday strikes that kicked off Operation Epic Fury.<\/a><\/p>\n Khojasteh, 78, had been married to Khamenei since 1964 and was his only wife.<\/p>\n Khamenei was among dozens of top Iranian leaders to be killed in the opening wave of the joint U.S-Israeli attack on Iran.<\/p>\n Posted by Anders Hagstrom<\/p>\n 12 hours agoMore US troops being deployed to Middle East amid Operation Epic Fury: Gen Caine<\/p>\n The U.S. is continuing to build up forces in the Middle East as Operation Epic Fury<\/a> continues, Joint Chiefs Chairman Gen. Dan Caine confirmed on Monday.<\/p>\n Caine made the statement during a press conference updating the public on the operation’s progress. He said the U.S. commander for the operation, Admiral Brad Cooper, has consistently received new assets throughout the operation against Iran.<\/a><\/p>\n “Admiral Cooper will receive additional forces even today,” Caine said during his remarks.<\/p>\n Caine declined to offer details when a reporter pressed for specifics on what sort of additional support Cooper would be receiving.<\/p>\n “I don’t want to talk specifics, because that would tip the enemy off,” Caine said. “We have more tactical aviation flowing into theater just based on the time it took to get it out there. I think we’re just about where we want to be in terms of total combat capacity and total combat power for Admiral Cooper.”<\/p>\n “One of the things, though, that as commander he’ll consistently assess the trajectory of the campaign, Caine continued, saying Cooper could make additional requests to War Secretary Pete Hegseth and President Donald Trump.<\/p>\n Posted by Anders Hagstrom<\/p>\n 12 hours agoWashington Post slammed for describing Ayatollah Khamenei as \u2018avuncular\u2019 with \u2018easy smile’<\/p>\n The Washington Post described Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah\u00a0Ali Khamenei,<\/a> who was killed on Saturday, as having a “bushy white beard and an easy smile” in its obituary of the Iranian leader this weekend.\u00a0<\/p>\n “With his bushy white beard and easy smile,\u00a0Ayatollah Khamenei\u00a0cut a more avuncular figure in public than his perpetually scowling but much more revered mentor, and he was known to be fond of Persian poetry and classic Western novels, especially Victor Hugo\u2019s ‘Les Mis\u00e9rables.’ But like the uncompromising Khomeini, he opposed moderates\u2019 efforts to promote political and social reforms domestically and to secure rapprochement with the United States,”\u00a0the Post wrote\u00a0in its obituary of supreme leader.<\/p>\n Khamenei, along with\u00a0other top leaders, was killed after an Israeli strike in Tehran as part of a massive coordinated U.S.-Israeli military offensive called “Operation Epic Fury.”<\/p>\n The piece was met with pushback on social media. The obituary noted the leader was\u00a0responsible for thousands\u00a0of murders in a lengthy article about how he rose to power in Iran.<\/p>\n Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, wrote in response to WaPo’s paragraph on Khamenei, “this is sick.”<\/p>\n Actor James Woods\u00a0wrote, “This is not satire,” as he quoted the Post’s description of Khamenei.<\/p>\n The Washington Post faced backlash in 2019 after\u00a0describing ISIS leader\u00a0Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi as an “austere religious scholar” in his obituary after his killing during Trump’s first term.<\/p>\n This is an excerpt from an article by Fox News’ Hanna Panreck.<\/p>\n Posted by Anders Hagstrom<\/p>\n 13 hours agoCaine reveals final ‘go’ order from Trump before Iran attack<\/p>\n Chairman of the Join Chiefs of Staff Gen. Dan Caine revealed President Donald Trump’s final “go” order that launched Operation Epic Fury on Saturday.<\/p>\n Caine offered the detail during a press conference at the Pentagon on Monday, saying aspects of the operation had taken months and even years of planning.<\/p>\n “The president directed, and I quote, ‘Operation Epic Fury is approved. No aborts. Good luck,’ close quote,” Caine said.<\/p>\n Caine and War Secretary Pete Hegseth delivered an update on the conflict on Monday, saying U.S. and Israeli forces have conducted “hundreds” of sorties to drop thousands of pieces of ordnance onto Iranian targets<\/a> in the 57 hours since the conflict began.<\/p>\n Posted by Anders Hagstrom<\/p>\n 13 hours agoUS cyber operations left Iran unable to ‘coordinate or respond effectively’ to US strikes: Gen Caine<\/p>\n U.S. space and cyber operations rendered Iran unable to coordinate an effective response as the U.S. launched the opening salvos of Operation Epic Fury,<\/a> Joint Chiefs Chairman Gen. Dan Caine.<\/p>\n Caine gave a detailed a detailed timeline of the buildup and execution of the operation, saying it was a coordinated effort involving aircraft launched from the mainland United States, bases in the region and the USS Gerald Ford and Abraham Lincoln strike groups.<\/p>\n Posted by Anders Hagstrom<\/p>\n 13 hours agoIranian regime ‘had every chance’ to make nuclear deal: Hegseth<\/p>\n War Secretary Pete Hegseth<\/a> said Iran’s regime had “every chance” to strike a nuclear deal with the U.S., but ultimately refused.<\/p>\n Hegseth made the statement during a press conference in the wake of the opening phase of Operation Epic Fury on Monday.<\/p>\n “The former regime had every chance to make a peaceful and sensible deal. But Tehran was not negotiating. They were stalling, buying time to reload their missile stockpiles and restart their nuclear ambitions,” Hegseth said.<\/p>\n “Their goal? Hold us hostage, threatening to strike our forces. Well, President Trump doesn’t play those games. And as Secretary Rubio said after the Maduro raid, if you don’t know, now, you know, President Trump puts America and Americans first. He doesn’t hesitate, and neither do our troops,” he added.<\/p>\n Since the operation began on Saturday morning, joint U.S.-Israeli forces have conducted “hundreds” of sorties against Iranian targets, according to the Pentagon.<\/p>\n Posted by Anders Hagstrom<\/p>\n 13 hours agoHegseth tells nation: ‘We didn’t start this war, but under President Trump, we are finishing it’<\/p>\n War Secretary Pete Hegseth addressed the nation amid Operation Epic Fury on Monday, saying the U.S. didn’t start the conflict with Iran, “but under President Trump, we are finishing it.”<\/p>\n Hegseth said Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei’s regime<\/a> was building fleets of ballistic missiles and drones in an attempt to “create a conventional shield for their nuclear blackmail ambitions.”<\/p>\n “To Iranian security forces: Choose wisely. President Trump has also been clear about your fate in either direction,” Hegseth said.<\/p>\n The War Secretary went on to dismiss accusations that the attack on Iran is another “endless war” that could bog down the U.S.<\/p>\n “This operation is a clear, devastating, decisive mission. Destroy the missile threat. Destroy the navy. No nukes,” Hegseth said. “We fight to win, and we don’t waste time or lives.”<\/p>\n Posted by Anders Hagstrom<\/p>\n 14 hours agoIsraeli strike eliminates Hezbollah’s intelligence chief in Beirut, IDF says<\/p>\n Israeli forces<\/a> eliminated the head of Hezbollah’s intelligence headquarters in a strike on Beirut, Lebanon on Monday, according to the Israeli Air Force.<\/p>\n Israel says the strike, taking place at night local time, eliminated Hassan Maglad.<\/p>\n “The IDF is now confirming that in a precise strike in Beirut tonight, the terrorist Hassan Maqlad, who served as the head of the intelligence headquarters of the terror organization Hezbollah, has been eliminated,” the IDF said in a statement.<\/p>\n Israel expanded its attacks to include Iran-backed Hezbollah on Sunday after the terrorist group launched attacks into Israel this weekend. <\/p>\n The joint U.S.-Israel strikes on Iran have eliminated Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei as well as dozens of other top Iranian officials, including the head of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps.<\/p>\n Posted by Anders Hagstrom<\/p>\n 14 hours ago4th US service member confirmed dead in Iran war<\/p>\n A fourth U.S. servicemember has been killed in action as part of Operation Epic Fury, U.S. Central Command announced Monday.<\/p>\n The servicemember, who has yet to be identified, was among those seriously wounding during Iran’s initial counterattacks<\/a> after the U.S. and Israel launched the operation on Saturday.<\/p>\n “As of 7:30 am ET, March 2, four U.S. service members have been killed in action. The fourth service member, who was seriously wounded during Iran\u2019s initial attacks, eventually succumbed to their injuries,” CENTCOM wrote on X.<\/p>\n “Major combat operations continue and our response effort is ongoing,” it added.<\/p>\n The identities of the fallen are being withheld until 24 hours after the military has notified the soldier’s next of kin.<\/p>\n Posted by Anders Hagstrom<\/p>\n 14 hours agoAmericans in Iraq urged to shelter in place until further notice<\/p>\n The U.S. Embassy in Iraq<\/a> urged Americans in the country to shelter in place on Monday, warning of Iran-backed militias active across the country, among other threats.<\/p>\n “U.S. Mission Iraq advises U.S. citizens to exercise increased caution, keep a low profile, and shelter in place until further notice. \u00a0U.S. citizens should avoid crowds, as demonstrations may turn violent with little warning. \u00a0Iran-aligned terrorist militias continue to pose a significant threat to public safety. Reports of missiles, drones, and rockets in Iraqi airspace continue,” The Embassy in Baghdad wrote on X.<\/p>\n “There are ongoing riots, protests, and other demonstrations against the United States, especially on the south bank of the July 14th Bridge in Baghdad; these riots have been violent, and there are calls for additional demonstrations throughout Iraq,” the statement continued. “U.S. citizens should avoid areas around the July 14th Bridge. Iraqi authorities have closed the International Zone in central Baghdad, with limited exceptions. Do not attempt to come to the Embassy in Baghdad or Consulate General in Erbil in light of heightened security measures.”<\/p>\n The U.S. State Department has issued a level 4 travel advisory for Iraq, stating simply that Americans should not travel there “for any reason.”<\/p>\n Posted by Anders Hagstrom<\/p>\n 14 hours agoIDF warns civilians in Beirut suburbs to evacuate<\/p>\n Israeli Defense Forces warned civilians to evacuate the suburbs of Beirut, Lebanon<\/a> on Monday amid ongoing strikes against Hezbollah.<\/p>\n “To all residents present in the Southern Suburbs area, specifically in the building designated on the attached map and the adjacent buildings in the Bourj el-Barajneh neighborhood,” the IDF wrote, according to a translation provided by X.<\/p>\n The statement warned that anyone nearby the designated building was “near facilities and interests affiliated with Hezbollah,” going on to warn that the IDF planned to “act against them forcefully in the near future.”<\/p>\n “For your safety and the safety of your family members, you must evacuate this building and those adjacent to it immediately and stay away from them by a distance of at least 300 meters,” the statement continued.<\/p>\n Israeli forces have struck Hezbollah targets in Lebanon throughout Sunday and Monday following strikes in Israel by the Iran-backed group.<\/p>\n Posted by Anders Hagstrom<\/p>\n 15 hours agoIran alleges US, Israel attacked Natanz nuclear facility<\/p>\n Iran’s ambassador to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) accused the U.S. and Israel<\/a> of hitting Iran’s Natanz nuclear enrichment facility with airstrikes on Monday.<\/p>\n Ambassador Reza Najafi leveled the accusation during a special session of the IAEA’s Board of Governors that was held at the request of Russia.<\/p>\n \u201cAgain they attacked Iran\u2019s peaceful safeguarded nuclear facilities yesterday. Their justification that Iran wants to develop nuclear weapons is simply a big lie,\u201d Najafi said.<\/p>\n IAEA chief Rafael Grossi said his office had received no indication of strikes on nuclear facilities “up to now,” adding that his office has received no response from Iranian nuclear regulatory authorities.<\/p>\n \u201cNo elevation of radiation levels above the usual background levels has been detected in countries bordering Iran,” Grossi said during the meeting.<\/p>\n Najafi went on to lash out at President Donald Trump, saying he uses “deception and disinformation to invade other countries.\u201d<\/p>\n Trump, he added, “attempts to portray himself as a man of peace and asking for Nobel Peace Prize. Even when they talk about peace, it is a lie. And if they call for diplomacy, it\u2019s about deception.”<\/p>\n Posted by Anders Hagstrom<\/p>\n 15 hours agoNYT hit for headline calling Ayatollah Khamenei ‘hard-line cleric’ who made Iran a regional power<\/p>\n The New York Times was called out on social media over its headline about the death of Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, on Saturday.<\/p>\n The New York Times’ headline\u00a0about Khamenei’s death<\/a> read, “Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Hard-Line Cleric Who Made Iran a Regional Power, Is Dead at 86.” The Times also described the supreme leader as “avuncular and magnanimous” in its obituary.\u00a0<\/p>\n “With his spectacles, Palestinian kaffiyeh, long robes and silver beard, Ayatollah Khamenei cast himself as a religious scholar as well as a writer and translator of works on Islam. He affected an avuncular and magnanimous aloofness, running the country from a perch above the jousting of daily politics,” the NYT’s obituary read.<\/p>\n The piece was met with pushback on social media from politicians and pundits.<\/p>\n Sen. Tim Sheehy, R-Montana, reacted and offered up his own version of the headline.\u00a0<\/p>\n “NYT got the headline wrong. Let me help: Radical Islamic terrorist who murdered thousands of Americans got what he deserved,” Sheehy wrote.<\/p>\n Others reacted to the New York Times’ headline by pointing out Khamenei was responsible for the murder of thousands. The Times’ obituary includes reporting\u00a0on his regime ordering\u00a0the death of protesters speaking out against the government in January, as well as in 2022.\u00a0<\/p>\n This is an excerpt from an article by Fox News’ Hanna Panreck.<\/p>\n Posted by Anders Hagstrom<\/p>\n 15 hours ago3 US warplanes shot down by Kuwaiti air defenses, pilots bail out in friendly fire incident: CENTCOM<\/p>\n Three U.S. warplanes were shot down by Kuwaiti air defenses in a friendly fire incident on Sunday, with U.S. Central Command saying all six pilots ejected safely and have been recovered.<\/p>\n