Mossad Director Dadi Barnea declared Tuesday that Israel’s operations against Iran will end "only once the extremist regime in Iran is replaced." 

Barnea made the remark during a Holocaust commemoration event, according to The Wall Street Journal. 

"We meticulously planned so that our operations would continue and manifest themselves even in the period following the strikes in Tehran," Barnea reportedly said. "Our commitment will be fulfilled only once the extremist regime in Iran is replaced." 

"Forty days of intense combat have led to highly significant achievements, foremost among them a blow to the enemy's central objective -- the destruction of the State of Israel," Barnea added, according to Ynetnews. "However, our mission has not yet been completed."

LIVE UPDATES: FRESH IRAN TALKS COULD BEGIN THIS WEEK AS US CONTINUES BLOCKADE ON PORTS

Israel began its Operation Roaring Lion against Iran on Feb. 28, the same day the U.S. military launched Operation Epic Fury. 

The joint U.S.-Israel effort has decimated Iran’s military and missile infrastructure and resulted in the death of former Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Hosseini Khamenei. 

CHINA SLAMS US MILITARY BLOCKADE OF STRAIT OF HORMUZ AS A 'DANGEROUS AND IRRESPONSIBLE MOVE'

Iran's new Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei is severely disfigured after sustaining leg and face injuries during initial airstrikes on Tehran in February, Reuters reported earlier this week.

Khamenei is recovering after incurring the injuries in the Feb. 28 airstrikes that killed his father. 

Fox News Digital’s Robert McGreevy contributed to this report.  

Tensions between Israel and Turkey are escalating sharply, with a war of words between Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan reaching new heights and placing President Donald Trump in an increasingly delicate position between the two sides as tension escalates. 

The latest flare-up underscores a broader geopolitical clash about Iran, Gaza and regional influence, even as Washington attempts to maintain cooperation with both sides.

Turkey’s Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan accused Israel of deliberately seeking a new adversary following its confrontation with Iran, saying the Israeli government is attempting to portray Ankara as its next enemy.

"After Iran, Israel cannot live without an enemy," Fidan said in a televised interview with the state-run Anadolu news agency. "We see that not only Netanyahu’s administration but also some figures in the opposition — though not all — are seeking to declare Turkey the new enemy," he said.

TURKEY’S NATO ROLE UNDER SCRUTINY AMID NEW REPORT ON HAMAS, MUSLIM BROTHERHOOD TIES

The rhetoric reflects a sharp deterioration in relations that have been strained since Hamas’s Oct. 7, 2023, attack and the war in Gaza, but have now escalated into direct confrontation between the two leaders.

Netanyahu, in remarks posted on X Saturday, accused Erdogan of siding with Iran and its proxies, writing that Israel "will continue to fight Iran’s terror regime… unlike Erdogan who accommodates them and massacred his own Kurdish citizens."

Erdogan has intensified his criticism of Israel’s military campaign, accusing its leadership of war crimes and backing international legal action against Israeli officials.

In one of the most incendiary exchanges, Turkey’s Foreign Ministry issued a statement claiming, "Netanyahu, who has been described as the Hitler of our time due to the crimes he has committed, is a well-known figure with a clear track record. An arrest warrant has been issued against Netanyahu by the International Criminal Court on charges of war crimes and crimes against humanity. Under Netanyahu’s administration, Israel is facing proceedings before the International Court of Justice on charges of genocide."

The escalation has not been limited to rhetoric. Erdogan previously has suggested Turkey could take more assertive military action in the region, referencing past interventions, remarks that have raised alarms in Israel.

Israeli officials have responded forcefully. 

Defense Minister Israel Katz has dismissed Erdogan’s threats as bluster, while officials warn that Turkey’s regional posture, particularly its engagement in Syria, is being closely monitored.

For both leaders, analysts say, the escalation also serves domestic goals. For Trump, the situation presents a growing challenge.

The administration relies on Israel as a central partner in confronting Iran, while also depending on Turkey, a NATO ally, for regional diplomacy and mediation efforts tied to ceasefire negotiations and broader Middle East strategy.

That balancing act has become increasingly difficult as tensions between Jerusalem and Ankara intensify.

ISRAEL UNMASKS IRAN-DIRECTED HAMAS CASH NETWORK IN TURKEY AS ANKARA PUSHES FOR GAZA ROLE

Gönül Tol, senior fellow at the Middle East Institute and author of "Erdogan’s War: A Strongman’s Struggle at Home and in Syria," told Fox News Digital, "The Trump administration has played a role in making sure the two countries do not clash in Syria. How Turkey and Israel are managing their differences in Syria, where stakes are high for Erdogan, is telling. But this doesn't mean the two will try to undermine each other's interests from the eastern Mediterranean to Levant to Horn of Africa."

"I think for both leaders, Netanyahu and Erdogan, escalating rhetoric serves a domestic purpose," Gönül added, "Anti-Israeli and pro-Palestinian sentiment in Turkey is very strong. At a time when Erdogan is struggling to resolve the country's growing economic problems, responding to Netanyahu's statements harshly scores points domestically and burnishes his strong leader image. But I do not think this rhetoric will turn into direct military clashes between the countries. Despite their military presence and clashing interests, Turkey and Israel have a quiet understanding where each accepts the other's sphere of influence in the country and try to deconflict."

In a policy webinar hosted by the Jerusalem Institute for Strategy and Security, Turkish academic Hüseyin Bağcı argued Turkey's ties with Washington limit the likelihood of direct conflict.

"The Turkish state is not interested in fighting with Israel because the Turkish government has very good relations with the United States of America," he said. "You cannot be good with America and then be in conflict with Israel."

TRUMP FACES MIDDLE EAST TEST AS NETANYAHU BALKS AT ERDOGAN’S GAZA TROOP HOPES

From the Israeli perspective, however, concerns center on actions rather than rhetoric.

Retired Israeli strategist Gabi Siboni said Turkey's behavior in Syria is shaping threat perceptions. 

"I don’t know what Erdogan thinks. I know what he does, and I see what we see in our area," Siboni said in the webinar, adding, "There are true security concerns when we’re talking about what is happening in Syria. … Israel is not going to accept any type of military entrenchment of foreign actors."

Bağcı maintained that the tensions are largely political. 

"There is no structural conflict between Israel and Turkey," he said. "The rhetoric is political … but the geography and the interests remain."

The tensions are also being fueled by renewed friction over Gaza-bound aid flotillas, a long-standing flashpoint in Israel–Turkey relations.

A new Turkish-linked flotilla departed from Barcelona Monday, raising concerns in Israel about a repeat of past confrontations. The issue carries deep historical weight: in 2010, Israeli commandos boarded the Gaza flotilla raid, in which 10 were killed, triggering a years-long diplomatic rupture between the two countries.

Recent reports that Turkish prosecutors are seeking prison sentences for Israeli officials, including Benjamin Netanyahu, over flotilla-related incidents have further escalated tensions, reinforcing how unresolved grievances continue to inflame the current crisis.

While the confrontation remains largely rhetorical for now, the sharp escalation in language, and the competing interests driving it, highlight the fragility of the regional landscape and the limits of Washington’s ability to keep both sides aligned.

Fox News Digital reached out to the Turkish Embassy in Washington, the Israeli Prime Minister’s Office, and the White House but did not receive a response in time for publication.

AUSCHWITZ: Some 130 police leaders from across the globe converged on Kraków, Poland this week for a first-of-its-kind initiative amid rampant antisemitism. 

The event is aligned with the March of the Living, which brings thousands of participants to Germany and Poland each year to provide a first-hand look at the Nazi death camps and to teach the lessons of the Holocaust through engagement with survivors.

Paul Goldenberg, a law enforcement veteran of 37-years, deputy director of the Rutgers Miller Center on Policing and Community Resilience, which organized the initiative alongside the University of Virginia’s Center for Public Safety and Justice, spoke of the importance of the trip.

"Being here is a testament to who these officers are and to the oath they have taken to protect all communities, regardless of identity," he told Fox News Digital. "It is a commitment not only to ourselves, but to the people we serve. These are very challenging times, and the police, in all their forms, can play a significant role in sustaining democratic values.

UK COUNTERTERRORISM POLICE PROBE ANTISEMITIC ARSON ATTACK AS IRAN-LINKED GROUP CLAIMS RESPONSIBILITY

"This initiative is about learning, professional development and remembrance. It is also about reminding ourselves who we are, why we hold these positions and what we must do to ensure people are kept safe — no matter who they are or where they are," he said.

The three-day program included a walking tour of Kazimierz, the Jewish Quarter in Kraków, a guided tour of Auschwitz on Monday; a press conference and testimonies by a Holocaust survivor and survivors of antisemitic shootings, culminating on Tuesday's participation in the March of the Living and a tour of Auschwitz-Birkenau.

Goldenberg said the Holocaust was unique in that it was a state-directed campaign in which police forces played a role, and that a central lesson is how the Nazis’ dehumanization of Jews and other targeted groups enabled the system to function. He added that the goal of the initiative is for participants to return to their departments with a deeper understanding that will help them better train officers, support victims of hate crimes and appreciate the importance and critical nature of their responsibilities.

He pointed to the urgency of the situation, noting that armed military units are now guarding synagogues in Western countries and that both the United States and Canada have deployed specialized police forces to protect Jewish institutions.

NETANYAHU SOUNDS ALARM ON ANTISEMITISM AT HOLOCAUST REMEMBRANCE DAY GATHERING

"What is striking is that these are not foreign entities — they are integral parts of the societies in which they exist. A synagogue in Belgium is Belgian. A synagogue in London belongs to London. A synagogue in New York City is part of the fabric of that city," he told Fox News Digital.

"From a policing perspective, what is deeply concerning is the erosion of safety and security for vulnerable communities. It is a deeply alarming scenario — one that, in some respects, echoes patterns seen in the 1930s," he added.

The theme of this year's March is combating antisemitism, which has surged to unprecedented levels since the Hamas-led Oct. 7, 2023, massacre in Israel.

SIGN UP FOR ANTISEMITISM EXPOSED NEWSLETTER

Abbie Talmoud, director for Jewish Community Affairs at the Embassy of Israel to the United States, survived a terror attack outside the Capital Jewish Museum in Washington, D.C., in May 2025, in which two Israeli embassy staff members, Yaron Lischinsky and Sarah Lynn Milgrim, were killed.

Speaking to Fox News Digital in Auschwitz, Talmoud said that amid rising antisemitism, feeling safe in the United States "is really difficult" and would require "systematic change," adding that she has stopped attending some events where she does not feel adequate security precautions are in place.

"There needs to be an understanding that the way we don’t allow racism for other races and ethnicities, we can’t allow antisemitism. It needs to come from the top — the school system, parents, governments," Talmoud said.

Catherine Szkop, director of public affairs at the Embassy of Israel to the United States, who focuses on interfaith relations and engagement, carpooled with Talmoud, Lischinsky and Milgrim to the event that evening and also survived.

"I have a family history tied to the Holocaust. In the Book of Names, I looked up ‘Szkop’ and saw a page taller than me filled with that name, along with dates and locations of those who were murdered. I realized my own name could have appeared there, with ‘murdered in Washington, D.C.’ written next to it," she told Fox News Digital at Auschwitz.

Szkop said she has never been this vigilant or fearful of potential attacks.

RABBI ATTACKED ON NYC STREET ON INTERNATIONAL HOLOCAUST REMEMBRANCE DAY

"I wear headphones less; it makes me more aware of my surroundings. It’s a mix of fear and wanting some peace of mind after what happened. I don’t let it stop me from living, but it’s made me a little more afraid," she said.

Jeanne Hengemuhle, superintendent of the New Jersey State Police, told Fox News Digital in Kraków that her agency, which includes 3,500 sworn members and 1,500 civilian staff, works closely with community leaders across the state to address hate-related concerns before they escalate into crises, emphasizing that early engagement, information-sharing and collaboration are key to preventing issues before they arise.

"We are law enforcement, but we are also part of the communities we serve, and we must recognize that role as the first line of defense," she said.

Hengemuhle said that, as human beings, there is a responsibility to do everything possible to combat hate, which requires understanding and educating one another, as well as drawing on different policing and professional backgrounds.

"This is my first year, and I am very humbled to have been invited to take part in the march and learn more. To me, it is about coming together and learning from what happened in the past so we do not allow it to happen again in the future," she said.

"The Holocaust did not happen overnight," she continued. "There were small, incremental changes that ultimately led to what took place. I think it is important that, by coming together and having these discussions, we ask whether we are seeing the kinds of early indicators that could lead us down a dangerous path — and how we intervene before it goes too far."

JEWISH SUMMER CAMPS RAMPING UP SECURITY MEASURES AMID RISING ANTISEMITISM — AND PARENTS ARE FOOTING THE BILL

To this end, senior police officials and associations from Europe and North America signed a landmark memorandum of understanding (MOU) in Berlin earlier this month, formally launching a new transnational initiative titled "Not on Our Watch – The Democratic Policing Initiative."

The agreement brings together the German Police Union (GdP), the European Federation of Police Unions (EU.Pol), the International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP), the National Sheriffs’ Association (NSA), the International Association of Campus Law Enforcement Administrators (IACLEA), the Small & Rural Law Enforcement Executives Association (SRLEEA) and the International Police Delegation, in collaboration with leading academic institutions.

The MOU formalizes a shared commitment among participating organizations to strengthen early threat detection and intelligence-sharing across borders, including establishing coordinated operational responses to emerging extremist threats, among other things.

Jim Skinner, sheriff of Collin County, Texas, and incoming vice president of the National Sheriffs’ Association, told Fox News Digital in Kraków that as a law enforcement leader, his responsibility is to serve everyone equally, noting that while there is significant partisanship and political division in the United States, law enforcement must serve and protect all communities equally.

"We all have an obligation to dig deep and make sure hate doesn’t happen on our watch, and to recognize that we have a fundamental responsibility to think critically about how to keep our communities safe," he said.

Skinner noted that North Texas is home to a large and vibrant Jewish community, which he said he is fortunate to serve. He added that he traveled to Israel shortly after the Oct. 7 attack with two other sheriffs and visited Kibbutz Be’eri, an experience he said he will never forget.

"I came away with important, practical lessons for my organization, but also with a deeper understanding of a world filled with hate. It reinforced for me that the authority entrusted to me by the people who elected me must be used wisely in how I approach my job each day — to ensure that something like that does not happen to the citizens where I live, and that if it ever did, we would have a proper and effective response," he said.

"I think about the march," he continued, "it honors Holocaust victims and serves as a reminder of the consequences of hate and the importance of standing against violence and intolerance. That’s the message I want everyone I have influence over to understand."

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced Monday that Ukraine had captured a Russian position using an entirely unmanned robot ground force.

"For the first time in the history of this war, Ukrainian warriors captured an enemy position using exclusively unmanned platforms," he said during a speech to weapons manufacturers on Ukraine's Arms Makers' Day.

"The future is here, on the battlefield, and Ukraine is creating it," he said in a video posted to X by a Ukrainian journalist.

The offensive, which took place in an unspecified location, was operated through drones and a grid-based robotic system (GRS) platform, an unmanned defense system.

ZELENSKYY OFFERS CUTTING-EDGE DRONE DEFENSE TO GULF ALLIES AS UKRAINE SEEKS MISSILE SUPPORT

Zelenskyy claimed that such autonomous systems have participated in over 22,000 frontline missions in just three months.

Machines used included the TerMIT, a multifunctional ground robotic system designed to lay mines, and provide fire support; the Zmiy, a next-generation armored robotic platform developed for cargo transport; and the Protector, a heavy unmanned ground system.

Zelenskyy also touted his country's use of drones, an integral cog in Ukraine's war plan.

SEN WICKER: ENDING CHINA’S DRONE DOMINANCE WITH A MADE-IN-AMERICA REVIVAL

"Our missiles, our unmanned systems, our interceptors, attack and naval drones, reconnaissance systems, artillery, our ammunition, armored vehicles, robotic platforms, and much more. All that today is truly proudly called – the weapons of Ukraine," the president added.

"They defend our skies, our cities and villages, save lives, and prove that 'Made in Ukraine' is synonymous with effectiveness and strength," he concluded.

Experts and commentators pointed to the growing use of unmanned technology as a turning point in the way wars are fought.

"So, if this starts happening at scale - which is the logical conclusion - would this change the nature, rather than the character, of war folks?" Dr. Patrick Bury, a senior professor of warfare and counter-terrorism at the University of Bath, wrote on X.

"I’m not sure the world is fully ready for when ground invasions can be accomplished by Black Mirror robot dogs," wrote Mike Benz, a former Deputy Assistant Secretary at the U.S. State Department. "'Boots on the ground' will no longer carry the political risk of sending 'our boys' out to fight. The temptation for robot-only ground invasions could be… enormous," he finished.

Benz reference to robot dogs highlights Ukraine's previous use of autonomous dog-like drones in their ongoing war with Russia.

China slammed the ongoing U.S. military blockade of the Strait of Hormuz Tuesday as a "dangerous and irresponsible move." 

The remarks from Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun came after the U.S. began enforcing a blockade on Iranian ports in key waterway at 10 a.m. ET on Monday. President Donald Trump ordered the blockade after peace talks with Tehran collapsed this weekend. 

"With the temporary ceasefire agreement still in place, the United States ramped up military deployment and resorted to a targeted blockade. This will only aggravate confrontation, escalate tension, undermine the already fragile ceasefire and further jeopardize safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz," Guo said. "It is a dangerous and irresponsible move." 

"China believes that only a complete ceasefire can fundamentally create conditions for easing the situation. We urge relevant parties to honor the ceasefire agreement, stick to the direction of peace talks and take concrete actions to deescalate the situation so that normal traffic via the Strait will be able to resume as soon as possible," he added.

LIVE UPDATES: FRESH IRAN TALKS COULD BEGIN THIS WEEK AS US CONTINUES BLOCKADE ON PORTS

The White House did not immediately respond Tuesday to a request for comment from Fox News Digital. 

The Strait of Hormuz, a narrow waterway between Iran, Oman and the United Arab Emirates, is one of the world’s most critical energy choke points. It carries roughly 20 million barrels of oil a day, along with about one-fifth of global liquefied natural gas. 

TRUMP ORDERS A BLOCKADE IN THE STRAIT OF HORMUZ AS TENSIONS WITH IRAN SOAR

U.S. Central Command announced plans to enforce the blockade earlier Monday in a notice to seafarers. 

"Any vessel entering or departing the blockaded area without authorization is subject to interception, diversion, and capture," the note said.

Iran has condemned the blockade as "piracy" and vowed to respond with force, potentially ending the fragile ceasefire with the U.S. 

Fox News Digital’s Anders Hagstrom and Amanda Macias contributed to this report. 

A former student injured at least 16 people Tuesday after opening fire with a shotgun inside a high school in Turkey before turning the weapon on himself, officials said. 

The 18-year-old who targeted the vocational high school in Siverek, located in southeastern Turkey, took his own life with the shotgun after he was "cornered by police," Gov. Hasan Sildak said. 

Video taken at the scene showed students sprinting out of a building as law enforcement and first responders arrived. 

The attack left 10 students, four teachers, a school canteen employee and a police officer hurt, according to Sildak, who added that five of the teachers and students were transferred to a hospital in the provincial capital because their conditions were more serious.

OKLAHOMA PRINCIPAL SHOT IN LEG IS PRAISED FOR TACKLING SCHOOL SHOOTER: 'HE IS A HERO'

The motive for the shooting was unclear. The attacker did not have a criminal record, Sildak said.  

The school had been declared safe and no permanent police officer was assigned to protect it, he added, calling the shooting an "isolated incident." 

Sildak told NTV that the attacker started firing indiscriminately, beginning in the school yard before entering the building, Reuters reported.

TEXAS STUDENT, 15, DIES AFTER SHOOTING TEACHER AT HIGH SCHOOL, AUTHORITIES SAY

One student told the state-run Anadolu Agency that he and a friend jumped out of their classroom window to flee the gunman. 

"He suddenly entered the classroom and fired. He fired four or five times. Two people were hit. He then went into the next classroom," Anadolu quoted Omer Furkan Sayar as saying. "We first threw ourselves to the ground and then two of us jumped out of the window." 

"He didn't say anything, he entered and started to shoot directly," Sayar added.

"The individual was cornered inside the building through police intervention and died after shooting himself," Sildak told reporters, adding that a "comprehensive" investigation into the shooting would be carried out. 

The Associated Press contributed to this report. 

North Korea’s Kim Jong Un observed launches of two cruise missiles and three anti-ship missiles from his prized new warship, the 5,000-ton-class destroyer Choe Hyon, state media claimed Tuesday. 

The cruise missiles flew for more than two hours and the anti-ship missiles for more than 30 minutes along pre-set trajectories over the country’s western seas before accurately striking their targets on Sunday, according to North Korea’s official newspaper Rodong Sinmun. 

One image released by the Korean Central News Agency showed Kim standing next to North Korean officials while watching a projectile fly away from the ship.  

Kim has hailed the development of the Choe Hyon, which was first unveiled in April 2025, as a major step toward expanding the operational reach and preemptive strike capabilities of his military.

NORTH KOREA FIRES MISSILES TOWARD SEA AFTER RIDICULING SOUTH'S HOPES FOR BETTER TIES

State media claim the warship is designed to carry a range of systems, including anti-air and anti-ship weapons as well as nuclear-capable ballistic and cruise missiles. South Korean officials and experts say the vessel was likely built with Russian assistance amid deepening military ties, but some experts question whether it’s ready for active service, The Associated Press reported. 

After Sunday’s tests, Kim said his government remained focused on the "limitless expansion" of its nuclear forces and issued unspecified new tasks to sharpen the country’s nuclear attack and rapid-response capabilities. He also reviewed plans for the weapons systems for his third and fourth destroyers currently being built, Rodong Sinmun claimed. 

NORTH KOREA RELAUNCHES WARSHIP THAT SUFFERED EMBARRASSING FAILURE DURING INITIAL LAUNCH

North Korea unveiled a second destroyer of the same class in May last year – the Kang Kon -- but it was damaged during a botched launch at the northern port of Chongjin. It later was relaunched in June following repairs. 

State media says a third destroyer under construction at the Nampo shipyard on the country’s western coast is expected to be completed by the ruling Workers’ Party’s founding anniversary in October, according to the AP.

North Korea also conducted a series of tests last week that state media said involved various new weapons systems, including ballistic missiles armed with cluster-bomb warheads, while its senior officials issued statements ridiculing South Korean hopes for warmer relations. 

The Associated Press contributed to this report. 

France’s President Emmanuel Macron is facing renewed criticism for his lack of support for President Donald Trump’s war against Iran and demands to include Lebanon in the current ceasefire as historic talks between Israel and Lebanon are set to begin Tuesday.

The historic meeting brokered by President Trump between Lebanon, a former French mandate, and Israel will take place at the ambassador level as hopes for an agreement evolve ­— most noticeably without French involvement. Secretary of State Marco Rubio is expected to host both nations' ambassadors.

The Jerusalem Post reported that Israel’s government requested that France be excluded from the talks. An Israeli official told the paper that "France’s conduct over the past year – including initiatives aimed at limiting Israel’s ability to fight in Iran, and a complete lack of willingness to take concrete steps to help Lebanon disarm Hezbollah – has led Israel to view France as an unfair mediator."

IRAN'S TERROR PROXIES FROM IRAQ-TO-LEBANON SAY READY TO RESPOND TO US-ISRAEL ATTACKS

On Monday, Hezbollah chief Naim ​Qassem on Monday ‌called on the Lebanese government to ​cancel the ​Tuesday meeting in Washington, while ⁠describing the talks as pointless. In ​a televised ​speech, Qassem said the ‌armed ⁠group will continue to confront Israeli attacks on ​Lebanon.

Hezbollah violated a ceasefire to enter the war on its patron, Iran’s side, in March when it launched rockets into Israel after the U.S.-Israel joint attack on the Islamic Republic began, still Macron has demanded Israel stop attacking Hezbollah's terror infrastructure in Lebanon.

Israeli Brig. General (Res.) Yosef Kuperwasser told Fox News Digital that Macron was "working against the best interests of the Lebanese state and government. This is a very problematic direction." He accused Macron of "taking the side of Hezbollah and normalizing Hezbollah because he is focused on "narrow interests."

IRAN THREATENS TO END CEASEFIRE OVER HEZBOLLAH'S EXCLUSION FROM TRUCE DEAL

The former head of research for the Israel Defense Forces’ Military Intelligence Directorate, Kuperwasser, added that the "Americans want us to engage with the Lebanese along with the military [in Lebanon]. Our expectations are very similar. We want to see Lebanon do something about Hezbollah, something real, not just issue statements and pledges. We believe we have helped them by weakening Hezbollah militarily since they decided to launch missiles on March 2. If there is a breakthrough, Lebanon has a lot to gain," but said it has to "disarm Hezbollah."

The Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs did not immediately respond to a Fox News Digital request for comment.

Macron has faced accusations over the years that he has normalized Hezbollah. His government, in contrast to Germany, the U.S., Canada, the Netherlands, Japan, Austria and many other Western and non-Westen countries, refuses to designate Hezbollah’s entire organization a terrorist entity. France has classified Hezbollah’s "military wing" a terrorist organization but declined to ban its "political wing." Hezbollah considers itself a unified movement without branches.

The French politician François-Xavier Bellamy, who is a member of the European Parliament for the Republicans Party, said last week on French television that "France must stop normalizing Hezbollah." Macron sparked outrage in 2020 when he reportedly held a private conversation with a top elected Hezbollah official, according to the Paris-based daily Le Figaro.

Edy Cohen, an Israeli security expert on Hezbollah, who was born in Lebanon, told Fox News Digital, "France is forced not to come out against Hezbollah in order to legitimize its involvement in Lebanon."

A French diplomat told the Times of Israel that "what we are hoping for is not a ticket to the meeting, but that Israel stops its offensive on Lebanon."

When asked if France would pressure Lebanon to recognize Israel as a state, Pascal Confavreux, a spokesman for France’s Foreign Ministry, told "Fox News Sunday" that, "Iran has to stop terrorizing Israel through Hezbollah because Hezbollah chose to bring Lebanon into a war which is not Lebanon’s war… Lebanon has to be included in the ceasefire, something that we are pushing diplomatically," He continued that we are in favor of direct talks between Lebanon and Israel.

It is not known if France asked for a seat at the talks. Fox News Digital sent multiple press queries to France’s embassies in Washington D.C. and Tel Aviv.

IDF UNCOVERS HEZBOLLAH WEAPONS STASH INSIDE HOSPITAL IN LEBANON

On Saturday, Macron again pushed his desire for a ceasefire and wrote on X that he had discussions with Iran’s President Massoud Pezeshkian on Saturday: "I stressed the importance of full respect for the ceasefire, including in Lebanon. France extends its full support to the actions of the Lebanese authorities, who alone are legitimate to exercise the sovereignty of the State and decide the destiny of Lebanon."

Walid Phares, an expert on Lebanon and the region, told Fox News Digital that while the talks are important, problems exist. "It is at ambassadors’ level, which means it is not destined to reach a top level of decision-making."

He added, "Strangely, the Lebanese president and prime minister declined to invite the Lebanese foreign minister to the Washington talks, provoking a representation by Israel, also at ambassadorial level, showing that Hezbollah still has a strong influence on the Lebanese government. The militia is being rejected by the population on the ground and fears a meeting in D.C. would ostracize Hezbollah further."

Sethrida Geagea, a member of parliament from the Lebanese Forces party, posted on X ahead of the Israel-Lebanon talks an open letter to Nabih Berri, the powerful speaker of the Lebanese Parliament and leader of the Shiite Amal Movement. She issued indirect criticism of Hezbollah and its terrorist army within the state. Geagea appealed to Berri to unify the Lebanese to be "protected by a single army."

Without naming Hezbollah, her letter stated that young Shiites have been plunged into war that has nothing to do with them and the conflict is really about an Iranian decision to retaliate for the joint U.S.-Israel war that assassinated the Islamic Republic’s Supreme Leader, Ali Khamenei, on February 28.

The State Department did not immediately respond to a Fox News Digital press query.

Reuters contributed to this report.

Western democracies, including the UK, France, Canada and Australia, are facing backlash after allowing Iran and other authoritarian regimes to secure seats on influential United Nations (U.N.) bodies, with the United States standing alone in opposition.

The controversy stems from decisions by the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC), a 54-member body that plays a central role in shaping U.N. policy and staffing key committees.

Critics warn the outcome could allow governments accused of human rights abuses to influence global policy and control which civil society groups are granted access to the United Nations.

TERROR SPONSOR IRAN GETS UN LEADERSHIP OVERSEEING CHARTER PRINCIPLES

ECOSOC nominated the Islamic Republic of Iran to the U.N.’s Committee for Program and Coordination Wednesday, a body that helps shape policy on human rights, women’s rights, disarmament and counterterrorism.

The nomination is widely expected to be finalized, as the United Nations General Assembly typically approves such recommendations without a vote.

At the same session, ECOSOC elected China, Cuba, Nicaragua, Saudi Arabia and Sudan to the Committee on Non-Governmental Organizations, which oversees accreditation and access for thousands of NGOs operating within the U.N. system.

The United States was the only member state to formally break from consensus.

MIKE WALTZ TURNS TABLES ON IRANIAN ENVOY AT HEATED UN MEETING

In remarks delivered April 8, U.S. Representative to ECOSOC Ambassador Dan Negrea said the U.S. "disassociates from consensus" on both decisions, calling several of the countries involved unfit for such roles.

"The regime threatens its neighbors and has, for decades, infringed on the Iranian people’s ability to exercise their basic human rights," Negrea said, adding that "we believe Iran is unfit to serve" on the committee.

The decision drew sharp criticism from UN Watch, a Geneva-based watchdog group.

Hillel Neuer told Fox News Digital: "By their cynical actions at the UN, major Western states have betrayed their own human rights principles, severely undermining the rules-based international order that they claim to support."

"We note that the EU states clearly had another option. They did take action in recent years to stop Russia from getting elected to similar bodies, and so we deeply regret that they failed to do the same now to stop the election of serial violators such as Iran, China, China, Cuba, Nicaragua, Saudi Arabia and Sudan."

"We salute the United States for their moral clarity and leadership in objecting to the election of the Islamic Republic of Iran and other brutal regimes."

Neuer warned the composition of the NGO committee could allow authoritarian governments to influence which organizations are accredited, potentially sidelining independent human rights groups.

"This means dictatorships will have a majority on the committee in order to deny United Nations accreditation to independent organizations that call out their human rights violations, and to accredit more fake front groups created by the regimes," he said.

Israel’s mission to the United Nations also pointed to political tensions surrounding the vote, saying Iran attempted to challenge Israel’s candidacy during the same ECOSOC session.

AMBASSADOR MIKE WALTZ LAYS OUT ‘AMERICA FIRST’ VISION FOR US LEADERSHIP AT THE UN

Israel was elected to several U.N. bodies, according to the Permanent Mission of Israel to the United Nations, including the Commission on the Status of Women and the NGO Committee, despite opposition.

"Iran also tried to turn the elections at the UN into an arena for incitement against Israel and failed," Israeli Ambassador Danny Danon said. "Those who oppress women and trample on human rights in their own country will not teach us what women's rights are."

Ahead of the vote, around 70 civil society groups warned that countries with poor human rights records could secure seats on key oversight bodies, but the elections proceeded without a formal vote, a process known as approval "by acclamation."

Critics argue that this procedure allows controversial candidates to secure influential roles with limited transparency or accountability.

The developments are likely to intensify scrutiny over how U.N. bodies are staffed and whether political considerations are outweighing human rights concerns.

Fox News Digital reached out to the UK, France, Canada, Australia and U.S. mission for comment but did not receive responses in time for publication.

The Iranian mission to the United Nations declined to comment.

The United States began enforcing a naval blockade targeting Iranian maritime traffic Monday, sharply escalating tensions in the Gulf just hours after high-level talks in Pakistan between Washington and Tehran collapsed without a deal.

The move, announced by President Donald Trump, came after negotiations in Islamabad ended without a breakthrough, despite what participants described as rare direct engagement between the two sides.

But Lt. Gen. (ret.) Mohammed Saeed, former chief of general staff of the Pakistan Army, said in an exclusive interview with Fox News Digital that the talks came far closer to success than their outcome suggests — and argued that diplomacy is still within reach.

"Both sides are saying they were very close … even inches away from a solution," he said based on his own knowledge and reports. Saeed retired in 2023 but remained part of the core team handling operational planning, internal security coordination, and sensitive periods of political tension. 

JD VANCE RETURNS TO WASHINGTON AFTER 16 HOURS OF IRAN PEACE TALKS COLLAPSE IN PAKISTAN

"They talked to each other in a very friendly manner. There was, from both sides, an expression of accommodation and understanding from each other. So, what you can briefly say is that the engagement has sufficient potential to resume."

Speaking at the White House Monday, Trump defended the blockade, saying, "Right now, there’s no fighting. Right now, we have a blockade … Iran is doing absolutely no business, and we’re going to keep it that way very easily."

He added that Iran’s military capabilities had been significantly degraded, saying its "Navy has gone, their air force is gone, their anti-aircraft is gone, their radar is gone and their leaders are gone."

Vice President JD Vance, who led the U.S. delegation, pressed Iran to accept a strict "zero enrichment" policy and remove its stockpile of highly enriched uranium. 

"The simple fact is that we need to see an affirmative commitment that they will not seek a nuclear weapon, and they will not seek the tools that would enable them to quickly achieve a nuclear weapon," Vance said at a press conference in Islamabad.

Iranian leaders rejected those demands, insisting that any agreement must include the immediate release of billions of dollars in frozen assets.

Now, with the blockade in place, Saeed suggested the move may be designed less as a military endgame and more as leverage.

"This blockade could be … a maneuver to build further pressure on Iran to negotiate," he said.

TRUMP WARNS CHINA OF 'STAGGERING' 50% TARIFF IF CAUGHT SUPPLYING MILITARY AID TO IRAN

The escalation has raised concerns globally, particularly for countries dependent on Gulf energy flows, including Pakistan.

"Everyone in the world must be worried about what kind of economic negative spin-offs such a blockade would have," Saeed said.

Saeed, who until recently sat at the center of Pakistan’s military leadership, framed the Islamabad talks as a critical reopening of dialogue after decades of hostility.

"It is the first time in 47 years … that there was engagement at the highest level," he said, calling it "a great moment for diplomacy" and a demonstration of Pakistan’s ability to maintain credibility with both Washington and Tehran.

He pointed in particular to Pakistan’s army chief, Asim Munir, a figure who has drawn unusual attention in Washington. 

Trump has publicly praised Munir, at one point calling him his "favorite field marshal," elevating his profile as a key intermediary in regional diplomacy.

Munir, who rose through Pakistan’s intelligence ranks before becoming army chief, previously served as director general of military intelligence and later led the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI). His career has been defined by deep involvement in regional security and intelligence coordination, including longstanding engagement with Iran.

‘GATE OF TEARS’ AT RISK: IRAN THREATENS MAJOR NEW GLOBAL CHOKEPOINT IF US MOVES ON HORMUZ

Those ties could prove critical in the current crisis, according to Saeed. 

"What people do not know is that when he was director general of military intelligence … he was interacting with Iranians at multiple levels continuously," Saeed said, describing years of direct engagement with Iran’s military, intelligence and political leadership, including former Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps commander Qassem Soleimani, who was killed in a U.S. strike during Trump’s first term.

"He has had interaction with them for a long time … visiting Iran frequently and interacting on multiple issues," Saeed said, adding that many current Iranian officials would already be familiar with Munir from earlier roles.

That continuity, he argued, gives Pakistan a rare advantage at a moment when formal diplomatic channels are strained.

"What one can say is that he continues to be one figure internationally who has a personal interaction … in the intelligence community in Iran in the military hierarchy and also on the side of the political leadership," Saeed said.

"So that’s a huge advantage he has on the other side."

TRUMP VOICES FRUSTRATION WITH NATO, SAYS IRANIAN NAVY ‘DESTROYED’ AS US PREPS FOR BLOCKADE

For Pakistan, that personal access — combined with its simultaneous relationship with Washington — has become central to its effort to position itself as a credible intermediary, even as the region edges closer to confrontation.

At the same time, Pakistan’s role as a mediator has drawn scrutiny, particularly given its longstanding position on Israel and recent inflammatory remarks by senior officials.

When asked whether Pakistan can be seen as a neutral broker while not recognizing Israel — an actor directly involved in strikes on Iran — Saeed downplayed the issue, saying Israel was not part of the diplomatic track.

"Pakistan’s position with regard to relations with Israel has been consistent since our independence," he said, adding that Islamabad’s mediation efforts were focused solely on Washington and Tehran.

"Neither of their representatives was on the table … Pakistan was mediating between the U.S. and Iran," he said.

Despite the current escalation, Saeed maintained that diplomatic channels remain open.

"There is a lot of space … for resuming the process," he said, suggesting talks could restart in Islamabad or elsewhere if both sides shift course.

"On Pakistan's side, from my personal knowledge of the field marshal, they are relentless. They would not give up. They must not have given up. They must be continuously in touch with both sides. And they would try their best to convince both sides that the blockade is not going to be in their interest, in the interest of the region and in the interest of the international community."

JOHANNESBURG: A strategically important air base and port have been offered to the U.S. as a blockade of the Strait of Hormuz begins and Iran-backed threats target the key Red Sea choke point of the Bab el-Mandeb Strait.

Top U.S. military officials, including the commander of U.S. Africa Command (AFRICOM), Gen. Dagvin Anderson, recently visited facilities being offered in Somaliland. Somaliland is a pro-U.S. outpost, having broken away from war-torn Somalia in 1991.

Bab-el-Mandeb, which is Arabic for "gate of tears," has become the main route for oil to ship out of the Middle East to Asia since the Strait of Hormuz was effectively closed. Bloomberg News reported that Saudi Arabia has switched to shipping potentially up to 7 million barrels of oil a day from its port at Yanbu on the Red Sea through the strait. It’s reported that up to 14% of the world’s shipping passes through the 16-mile-wide strait.

IS TRUMP CONSIDERING BOLD AFRICA PLAY TO PUSH BACK ON CHINA, RUSSIA AND ISLAMIC TERRORISTS?

Enter the controversial offer to the U.S. of an air and naval base at Berbera in Somaliland. The official Republic of Somaliland site on X extolled Berbera’s virtues last month, boasting that it has "a deep water port along the artery connecting the Red Sea to the Indian Ocean", and "one of Africa’s longest runways, originally developed as a NASA emergency landing site."

"Berbera obviously has huge strategic potential," for sea and air operations, Edmund Fitton-Brown, a former U.K. ambassador to Yemen and a senior fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies (FDD), told Fox News Digital.

The U.S. does have another Red Sea base in Djibouti, but Fitton-Brown told Fox News Digital the government there is increasingly uncomfortable with some administration’s policies: "Djibouti becomes an increasingly reluctant, unwilling ally to the U.S. in helping enforce sanctions on the Houthis. Somaliland, which is almost equally well-placed to address issues on the western and southwestern coasts of Yemen, can help the U.S., Israel and the UAE combat the Houthis."

The controversy comes over the question of U.S. recognition of Somaliland.

President Donald Trump, in the Oval Office last August, told reporters, "We’re looking into that right now," when asked about the recognition of Somaliland and the possible resettlement of Gazans there, adding, "We’re working on that right now, Somaliland."

But this past week, a State Department spokesperson told Fox News Digital, "The United States continues to recognize the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Federal Republic of Somalia, which includes the territory of Somaliland."

Last year Israel became the first country to recognize Somaliland.

TRUMP SEEKS WARSHIPS FROM OTHER COUNTRIES TO HELP SECURE STRAIT OF HORMUZ

Iran is pushing the Houthis to take action in the Red Sea. "Insecurity in other straits, including the Bab al-Mandab Strait and the Red Sea, is one of the options of the Resistance Front, and the situation will become much more complicated than it is today for the Americans," the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC)-linked Tasmin news agency warned on March 21.

Baraa Shaiban, an expert on the Houthis at the Royal United Services Institute (RUSI), says the recognition of Somaliland is problematic, as it "will upset the U.S. relationship with the Arab countries like Saudi Arabia and Egypt, many of which are U.S. allies. It would be unwise for the United States to upset its allies in the region just to gain access to Somaliland ports."

A spokesperson for AFRICOM told Fox News Digital, "The U.S. is not seeking to establish new basing, as such actions do not align with the America First security framework articulated by the President and Secretary of War."

While publicly both the use of bases and recognition of Somaliland are no-go areas, analysts say that with Somaliland offering the use of its bases without immediate recognition by the administration, the issue is perhaps privately not off the table.

And that could be why a recent video shared with Fox News Digital shows AFRICOM's Gen. Anderson and a large group of senior military officials in Somaliland. Anderson met with Somaliland's president, and appeared to inspect the port in Berbera in November, just five months ago.

That’s not the only reported visit. Somaliland’s top diplomatic representative in Washington, Bashir Goth, said at a recent Foreign Policy Research Institute debate, "The war in the Middle East has elevated Somaliland’s strategic importance. U.S. military interest has been very strong. Every month, there has been a delegation from AFRICOM to Hargeisa," the capital of Somaliland.

Fox News Digital reached out to the Republic of Somaliland, but they declined to comment.

China said Sunday it would resume some ties it had suspended with Taiwan, such as direct flights and imports of Taiwanese aquaculture products, following a visit by the Beijing-friendly opposition leader of the self-ruled island.

The Taiwan Work Office under China’s Communist Party issued a statement saying it would explore setting up a longstanding communication mechanism between the Communist Party and Taiwan’s Kuomintang Party. It said it will facilitate the import of Taiwan’s aquaculture products that it had previously banned.

Cheng Li-wun, the head of the Kuomintang, and China’s President Xi Jinping held a high-profile meeting Friday during which they called for peace, without offering specifics. China claims the island as part of its territory and hasn't ruled out the use of force to annex it.

Taiwan's Mainland Affairs Council, which oversees the relationship with China, said the measures that were announced, such as promoting a communication mechanism, were "political transactions" between the two parties that circumvented the government of Taiwan.

TAIWAN OPPOSITION LEADER MEETS XI IN BEIJING AS TAIWAN DEFENSE FIGHT INTENSIFIES

"The government’s position is clear: to ensure the interests of the nation and its people, all Cross-Strait affairs involving public power must be negotiated by both governments on an equal and dignified basis to be effective and truly protect the rights and well-being of the people," the Mainland Affairs Council said in response to the Chinese announcement.

Relations between China and Taiwan, which remain split since 1949, have been tense since the election of pro-independence President Tsai Ing-wen from the Democratic Progressive Party in 2016. Beijing cut off most of its official dialogue with Taiwan's government, and has started sending warships and fighter jets closer toward the island on a daily basis.

BIPARTISAN HOUSE CHINA PANEL SLAMS BEIJING’S TAIWAN DRILLS AS ‘DELIBERATE ESCALATION’

In the statement, China said it plans to resume direct flights between Taiwan and mainland cities like Xi'an or Urumqi, although it remained unclear how the measures will be implemented without the approval of the Taiwanese government.

China banned its citizens from individual trips to Taiwan in 2019. Taiwan's rules now require Chinese visitors to hold a valid resident visa from another country, like the U.S. or the European Union, to apply for a visitor visa.

US INTEL SOFTENS ON CHINA THREAT, SAYS NO TAIWAN INVASION PLANNED BY 2027 DESPITE MILITARY BUILDUP

China also said it would work toward construction of a bridge that would connect the mainland to Matsu and Kinmen, Taiwanese islands that are closer geographically to China. The project is a longstanding proposal that Beijing has previously announced.

China banned the import of Taiwanese pineapples in 2021, and since then has extended it to other fruits and products including the grouper fish, squid and tuna.

After the initial ban on grouper, Taiwan’s Ministry of Agriculture said it approached China about making adjustments to ensure it met import requirements. China replied with a limited list of individual companies that were allowed to sell to China, but without explanation.

Iran could retaliate against a U.S. naval blockade of the Strait of Hormuz by directing its Houthi allies to disrupt another critical global shipping route, a senior Middle East analyst warned Sunday.

The Bab al-Mandeb — a narrow chokepoint linking the Red Sea to the Gulf of Aden — carries roughly 12% of global oil shipments and serves as a vital trade corridor between Asia and Europe, making it a strategic target for escalation that could further strain global energy markets.

"If the U.S. proceeds with its plan to blockade the strait, Iran’s escalation strategy could dictate that it ensures Gulf countries can’t export, either," Mona Yacoubian, director and senior adviser at the Middle East Program, told Fox News Digital.

TRUMP VOWS US WILL STRIKE IRAN’S POWER PLANTS, BRIDGES IF STRAIT OF HORMUZ IS NOT REOPENED

"This could translate to further attacks on Gulf energy infrastructure or even deploying the Houthis to blockade the Bab al-Mandeb," Yacoubian added.

Yacoubian’s remarks came after Ali Akbar Velayati, a senior adviser on international affairs to Iran's Supreme Leader, signaled Tehran’s view of the Bab al-Mandeb in light of potential U.S. action to block the Strait of Hormuz.

"Today, the unified command of the Resistance front views Bab al-Mandeb as it does Hormuz," he said in a post on X.

WHY THE STRAIT OF HORMUZ MATTERS AS TRUMP ISSUES FRESH ULTIMATUM TO IRAN

"If the White House dares to repeat its foolish mistakes, it will soon realize that the flow of global energy and trade can be disrupted with a single move."

U.S. Central Command released a statement Sunday saying the naval blockade would begin Monday and be "enforced against vessels of all nations entering or departing Iranian ports and coastal areas, including all Iranian ports on the Arabian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman."

President Donald Trump also said the U.S. Navy would block "any and all ships trying to enter or leave the Strait of Hormuz" in a post on Truth Social.

In March, the U.S. warned ships at the Red Sea chokepoint of Houthi attacks

"The Houthis continue to pose a threat to U.S. assets, including commercial vessels, in this region," a maritime advisory said of the Iran-backed armed group that controls much of northern Yemen.

TRUMP GIVES IRAN 48-HOUR ULTIMATUM TO REOPEN STRAIT OF HORMUZ OR FACE STRIKES ON POWER PLANTS

"Potential hostile actions include one-way unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) attacks; unmanned surface vehicle (USV) attacks; unmanned underwater vehicle (UUV) attacks; ballistic and cruise missile attacks; small arms fire from small boats; explosive boat attacks; and illegal boardings, detentions, and/or seizures," it said.

"U.S.-flagged commercial vessels operating in these areas are strongly advised to turn off their AIS transponders," the advisory stated.

Yacoubian also determined in a Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) report that Iran was threatening to expand the conflict further to the Red Sea and the Bab al-Mandeb compounding global market disruptions.

"It could leverage the Houthis, its Yemeni proxy, to once again wage attacks on the strategic waterway, depriving Saudi Arabia of its key workaround for oil shipments given the blockage of the Strait of Hormuz," she added.

The Houthis joined Iran’s war against the U.S. and Israel on March 28 when the organization launched two ballistic missiles at southern Israel. Both were intercepted.

A prolonged delay in the burial of Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, signals a deepening crisis inside the Islamic Republic, according to a prominent Iranian strategist.

Dr. Ramesh Sepehrrad’s remarks came as peace talks between the United States and Iran stalled and internal tensions raised questions about the regime’s stability.

Fortieth-day mourning ceremonies for Khamenei began in Iran on April 9, with authorities withholding information about his burial more than 40 days after his killing. A three-day state funeral scheduled for early March 2026 had already been postponed.

IRAN'S CEASEFIRE PUSH MAY BE A 'CYCLE OF DECEPTION,' ANALYSTS WARN AS SHADOWY FIGURE GAINS POWER

"Forty-four days have passed, and the regime does not have the confidence to publicly bury Mojtaba’s dead father," Sepehrrad of the Organization of Iranian American Communities (OIAC) told Fox News Digital.

"That is an indicator of the fear within this regime from top to bottom," Sepehrrad added, before describing how, usually, "a religious regime believes that their dead must be buried in 24 hours."

Khamenei was killed Feb. 28 in a strike targeting a regime compound in central Tehran, with a separate strike affecting his son, Mojtaba Khamenei, 56, who succeeded him.

Mojtaba is said to be still recovering from severe facial and leg injuries, three people close to his inner circle told Reuters on April 11.

Khamenei’s face was disfigured in the attack on the supreme leader’s compound in central Tehran, and he suffered a significant injury to one or both legs, three sources told the outlet.

"The 56-year-old is nonetheless recovering from his wounds and remains mentally sharp, according to the people, who requested anonymity to discuss sensitive matters."

IRAN MODERATES PUSHING TRUMP DEAL RISK BEING ‘ELIMINATED’ AS REGIME FRACTURES DEEPEN

He is taking part in meetings with senior officials via audio conferencing and is engaged in decision-making on major issues, including the war and negotiations with Washington, two of the sources say, according to reports.

The report came as Iran navigated diplomatic efforts with the U.S. in Islamabad aimed at easing tensions amid a two-week ceasefire, which ultimately failed to produce a breakthrough.

"Mojtaba input in the broad red lines of negotiations, even if he is not the public face," Sepehrrad claimed. "At the end of the day, for more than 10 years, he served as his father’s right-hand man and as a conduit to the IRGC."

"Mojtaba may be less rhetorical, less publicly ideological, and more operational because his primary focus is survival of the regime."

Iran also confirmed Sunday it had no plans for further peace talks after the marathon summit, where Pakistan mediated.

"No plan has yet been announced for the time, place, or next round of negotiations," Iranian state news agency Nour reported Saturday, citing the country’s Supreme National Security Council, with no statement from the new Supreme Leader.

IRAN'S SUPREME LEADER MOJTABA KHAMENEI 'MISFUNCTIONING,' NOT CONTROLLING REGIME: SOURCES

"Mojtaba is less the supreme leader in the traditional sense and more the coordinator of a security-led system," Sepehrrad explained before describing him as "more like a security-backed coordinator."

"This regime does not communicate with one unified voice. It communicates by function," Sepehrrad said.

"One channel negotiates, another threatens, another punishes, and another tries to maintain ideological continuity. It is now a mafia," the strategist claimed.

"The key point is not harmony but division of labor. What holds them together is regime survival, not trust."

"What we are seeing now is deeper: a leader who lacks organic authority and therefore governs through the institution that controls force," Sepehrrad said.

On the Iranian side, negotiations, the analyst said, also did involve "diplomats," but a wider circle of security-linked figures shaping Tehran’s posture, reflecting the increasing dominance of hardline institutions.

US-SANCTIONED MOJTABA KHAMENEI NAMED IRAN’S NEXT SUPREME LEADER AFTER FATHER’S DEATH: REPORTS

"This was a brittle coalition of security men," Sepehrrad said, before describing how Mojtaba is "at the top, but is heavily reliant on the Guards, Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, SNSC chief Mohammad Bagher Zolghadr, IRGC commander Ahmad Vahidi, Judiciary chief Mohseni-Ejei, and law enforcement chief Ahmad-Reza Radan."

"Several of the most important surviving figures are not primarily diplomats," Sepehrrad said before suggesting that that should "change how we should read everything coming out of Tehran."

"That is a different system from the one many Western analysts still think they are dealing with," Sepehrrad explained. "Dual track — tactical flexibility in talks and a harsher repression at home."

"While the regime negotiates to buy time, reduce pressure on its forces, and prevent broader external escalation, internally, it is likely to intensify arrests, executions, intimidation, and internet controls now," the strategist warned.

"The regime fears internal unrest more than diplomacy," Sepehrrad said.

Pope Leo XIV starts a four-nation visit to Africa Monday, visiting the fastest-growing continent for the Catholic Church as he embarks on his fourth foreign trip since becoming pontiff in 2025.

While the trip does not include the continent’s most populous nation of Nigeria — where thousands of the faithful have been killed for their religious beliefs — it begins in the Muslim-majority country of Algeria.

The Vatican has called the trip "A pilgrim in Africa." The main themes Leo is expected to address include peace, migration, the environment, young people and the family, according to the Holy See. He will make 25 speeches in four of Africa’s main languages — French, English, Portuguese and Spanish.

POPE LEO XIV CALLS OUT CHRISTIAN PERSECUTION AMID LATEST MASSACRE OF CIVILIANS IN AFRICAN NATION

Analysts and clerics are keen to stress the overall importance of this visit to the continent. "I believe the Holy Father is walking with the African church in the context of the global church," Rev. Daniel Male, secretary of the Union of Augustinian Friars of Africa, told the Religion News Service. He added, "He is affirming the African churches’ growth and vibrancy and is also making a statement that the church has a preferential option for the poor and those at the margins."

The Catholic OSV News added the visit "highlights peace efforts, the works of mercy, and the Catholic Church’s vibrant presence on the continent."

The National Catholic Register stated that in 1910 Africa was home to less than 1 million Catholics. The latest figures available for 2024 estimate there are now 288 million.

Commenting on his absence from Nigeria, Frans Cronje, African-based analyst at the Yorktown Foundation for Freedom, told Fox News Digital, "Given Nigeria's role as the epicenter of the terror threat faced by Africa's Christians, it will be disappointing to many of them to learn that the pope has left that country off his Africa agenda. The country has become ground zero for the global Islamist terror threat."

POPE LEO XIV CONDEMNS BRUTAL MACHETE ATTACK THAT KILLED 49 CHRISTIANS DURING PRAYER IN CONGO

The pontiff must be invited to a country by the host government. Analysts say the government of Nigeria may feel a papal visit may be too sensitive at this time. But the Nigerian government did not respond to requests for comment on this issue by Fox News Digital.

AFRICA’S CHRISTIAN CRISIS: HOW 2025’S DEADLY ATTACKS FINALLY DREW GLOBAL ATTENTION AFTER TRUMP’S INTERVENTION

Details of the trip include:

The Vatican’s yearbook for 2025, the Annuario Pontificio, states Catholics number 8,740 out of a population of 46–48 million. The pope is believed to be coming to Algeria to visit the ancient city of Hippo, now called Annaba. The city was home to St. Augustine, the "doctor of the church." Pope Leo is the first pontiff to belong to the Augustinian Order.

He is also expected to emphasize interfaith dialogue with Islam when he visits the Great Mosque of Algiers. This is one of the biggest in the world, capable of accommodating up to 120,000 people.

The 2026 Open Doors World Watch List placed Algeria in the 20th position for Christian persecution. It said 47 churches of the Protestant Church of Algeria (EPA) have been closed by the authorities.

The Associated Press reported that Algerian authorities rejected a Vatican request for Leo to visit Médéa to pray at the Tibhirine monastery, the place where seven French Trappist monks were kidnapped and killed May 21, 1996, by Islamic extremists during the country’s civil war.

The Catholic EWTN organization reports that Catholics make up between 30% and 35% of the population of some 30 million.

The pope will preside over five public Masses and addresses in three cities. He will also meet with vulnerable children at the Ngul Zamba Orphanage in the capital city of Yaoundé.

In the latest government census, some 56% of Angola’s population identified as being Catholic.

The most significant part of the pope’s visit to Angola is expected to be when he goes to the town of Muxima, where he will pray at a shrine to the Virgin Mary, known locally as "Mama Muxima," or "mother of the heart." This is said to be the spiritual home for many Angolans, drawing over 2 million pilgrims every year.

The Vatican has stated that approximately 80% of the population of Equatorial Guinea are Catholic. Leo will hold several Masses and addresses, and will visit a new psychiatric hospital and a prison. The Jean Pierre Olie Psychiatric Hospital in Sampaka, Malabo, was only inaugurated in December and is the country’s first modern specialized mental health facility. It collaborates with France’s Hospital Saint-Anne in Paris.

In a potentially controversial move, the pope will also visit a prison in Bata notorious for reports of inmate torture and abuse.

The Vatican did not respond to Fox News Digital questions by press time.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán conceded defeat Sunday in the country’s parliamentary election, calling the result "clear" and "painful" as partial vote counts showed a decisive win for opposition leader Péter Magyar.

Magyar said Orbán phoned him to concede, according to a post on social media.

With roughly 53% of votes counted, projections showed Magyar’s Tisza party on track for a landslide victory that could give it a two-thirds parliamentary supermajority.

The result could mark a dramatic political shift in Hungary, where Orbán has led the country for more than a decade.

HUNGARIANS VOTE IN RECORD NUMBERS AS TRUMP-ALLY VIKTOR ORBÁN FACES BIGGEST ELECTORAL THREAT SINCE 2010

Orbán, a close ally of President Donald Trump, had received strong backing from the White House in the final days of the campaign.

RUBIO SEALS CIVIL NUCLEAR COOPERATION AGREEMENT WITH HUNGARY

Days before the election, Trump reiterated his support for Orbán in a post on Truth Social.

"My Administration stands ready to use the full economic might of the United States to strengthen Hungary’s Economy, as we have done for our great allies in the past, if Prime Minister Viktor Orbán and the Hungarian People ever need it," Trump said. "We are excited to invest in the future prosperity that will be generated by Orbán’s continued leadership!"

Trailing in opinion polls ahead of the vote, Orbán faced his most serious electoral challenge since 2010, with surveys showing Magyar’s Tisza party holding a significant lead.

TRUMP HAILS VANCE AND RUBIO AS ‘EXTRAORDINARY’ DUO: HAMMER AND VELVET GLOVE

Orbán, who has led Hungary for 16 years, has drawn scrutiny from the European Union over his positions on migration, Russia’s war against Ukraine and his government’s policies, while maintaining strong support among many rural and older voters.

His strained relationship with the European Union stems in part from his stance on Russia’s war against Ukraine, his firm support of Israel and his hardline position on migration, which has led to financial penalties from the bloc.

During Orbán’s time in power, Hungary’s economy has grown relatively quickly for an EU country, though inflation has remained elevated and business sentiment has been negative in recent years.

Before the vote, Orbán had expressed confidence in his campaign, calling it "a great national moment on our side" and telling reporters, "I’m here to win."

Magyar, meanwhile, framed the election as a turning point for the country’s future, warning that Hungary’s direction in recent years had drifted from its Western alliances.

"I think this really will be a referendum on our country’s place in the world," Magyar said.

Fox News Digital's Eric Mack and Simon Constable contributed to this report.

The U.S. and Europe are watching closely as Hungarians turned out in record numbers to vote Sunday in a high-stakes election that sets up Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, supported by President Donald Trump, against his former political ally, Péter Magyar.

Trailing in the opinion polls, Orbán received a major boost earlier this week when Vice President JD Vance visited the country, making clear what the administration’s position was on the importance of having a pro-U.S. candidate in the heart of Europe, as so many of its continental allies have proven lackluster, most notably for a lack of help in the war against Iran.

In his remarks, Vance made clear why he was there. "The reason why we're doing it is because we thought there was so much garbage happening against Viktor in this election that we had to show that there are actually a lot of people and a lot of friends across the world who recognize that Viktor and his government are doing a good job, and they're important partners for peace," he said at the Mathias Corvinus Collegium, a private university in Budapest, the capital of Hungary. "That's why we're here, but ultimately the Hungarian people are going to be sovereigns because that's how it should be."

TRUMP CALLS INTO VANCE-ORBAN HUNGARY EVENT: 'MY KIND OF PEOPLE'

Following Vance’s return to the U.S., Trump weighed in on Truth Social Friday: "My Administration stands ready to use the full economic might of the United States to strengthen Hungary’s Economy, as we have done for our great allies in the past, if Prime Minister Viktor Orbán and the Hungarian People ever need it. We are excited to invest in the future prosperity that will be generated by Orbán’s continued leadership!"

Beloved by many older and more rural Hungarians and reviled by detractors, Orbán has emerged as the country’s most consequential leader since its transition to democracy at the end of the Cold War. Still, the election campaign has become intense.

Orbán’s strained relationship with the European Union comes from his positioning on Russia’s war against Ukraine, his country’s firm support of Israel and his hard stance on not accepting migrants, which led to EU financial sanctions for his refusal to open the country's border to foreigners.

During the 16-year Orbán government, the Hungarian economy has grown relatively quickly for an EU country. The country’s GDP per capita (what the average person earns annually) rose to nearly $17,000 last year, up from approximately $12,000 in 2014, according to Trading Economics data. However, it’s not all good. Inflation has recently been relatively high at an annual rate of 4.9%, and business sentiment has been consistently negative since August 2022.

TRUMP SAYS HUNGARY'S BORDER STANCE KEEPS CRIME DOWN, SAYS EUROPE 'FLOODING' WITH MIGRANTS

The polls shows Magyar’s Tisza party with 50% of the vote and Orbán’s Fidesz party behind at 39% as of April 9, according to Politico. Magyar now poses the largest electoral threat to Orbán since 2010.

"The polls are going well for the opposition," Daniel Wood, portfolio manager at William Blair Investment Management, told Fox News Digital. "If the opposition wins, there’s a chance that the EU unlocks the frozen funds, which are around 7% of the GDP."  

Speaking to reporters outside a polling station Sunday, Orbán, 62, said the campaign had been "a great national moment on our side" and thanked activists and supporters for their work. "I’m here to win," the Associated Press reported.

In an interview earlier in the week, Magyar complained the EU’s longest-serving leader has led the country on a "180-degree turn" in recent years, endangering its Western orientation while cozying up to Moscow. Yet despite that drift, "Hungarians still see that Hungary’s peace and development are guaranteed by membership of the European Union and NATO," Magyar said. "I think this really will be a referendum on our country’s place in the world," he told the Associated Press.

Results are expected later Sunday afternoon.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Israeli forces say they discovered a Hezbollah weapons stash inside a hospital in Lebanon this weekend.

The Israel Defense Forces carried out the operation in Lebanon's Bint Jbeil municipality. Images shared with Fox News show weapons, ammunition and explosives that Israel says were found within a hospital in the area.

The IDF says it eliminated "approximately 20 terrorists" inside the hospital compound after Hezbollah was detected conducting surveillance and firing upon IDF troops from a window of the hospital.

"The Hezbollah terrorist organization systematically and repeatedly used the hospital compound and its immediate surroundings for military purposes, constituting a serious violation of international law," the IDF said in a statement.

VANCE WARNS IRAN WILL 'FIND OUT' TRUMP IS 'NOT ONE TO MESS AROUND' IF CEASEFIRE DEAL FALLS APART

"The IDF operates in accordance with international law, and clarified prior to the operation to the relevant Lebanese authorities that all military activity within hospitals in Lebanon must cease, and disseminated these warnings through various channels. Despite this, Hezbollah continued to use the hospital for military activity," the IDF said in a statement.

Israel has continued operations against Hezbollah in Lebanon amid a ceasefire between the U.S. and Iran this week.

GEN JACK KEANE 'SKEPTICAL' THAT IRAN CEASEFIRE WILL HOLD, WARNS TEHRAN WILL 'DELAY AND OBFUSCATE'

The operation comes after U.S. talks with Iranian officials failed to make progress this weekend in Pakistan.

Speaking during a press conference from the Serena Hotel in Islamabad, Pakistan, Vice President JD Vance said Iran has "chosen not to accept our terms."

"The bad news is that we have not reached an agreement," Vance said. "And I think that's bad news for Iran much more than it's bad news for the United States of America."

The vice president said talks with Iranian officials lasted 21 hours, describing them as "substantive discussions," but adding the U.S. was unwilling to compromise on its "red lines."

"So we go back to the United States, having not come to an agreement. We've made very clear what our red lines are, what things we're willing to accommodate them on and what things we're not willing to accommodate them on," Vance added. "And we've made that as clear as we possibly could, and they have chosen not to accept our terms."

Fox News Digital asked Vance if he had been in contact with President Donald Trump during the talks, and the vice president said he had been "consistently."

"I don't know how many times we talked to him — a half dozen times, a dozen times over the past 21 hours," Vance said, adding that the U.S. team was also communicating with other members of the Trump administration, including Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Secretary of War Pete Hegseth.

Fox News' Preston Mizell contributed to this report.

Russia and Ukraine traded accusations of hundreds of attacks Sunday, casting doubt on a Kremlin-declared Easter ceasefire that appeared to be unraveling less than a day after it began.

Russian President Vladimir Putin announced a 32-hour ceasefire for the Orthodox Easter holiday, ordering forces to halt fighting from Saturday afternoon through the end of Sunday. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy agreed to honor the pause but warned Kyiv would respond quickly to any violations.

The holiday ceasefire, however, appeared to be short-lived.

Ukraine’s military said it had logged 2,299 ceasefire violations by early Sunday morning, including assaults, shelling and small drone activity, though it noted no use of long-range drones, missiles or guided bombs.

RUSSIA LAUNCHES RECORD MISSILE BARRAGE AGAINST UKRAINE ONE DAY BEFORE PEACE TALKS SET TO RESUME IN ABU DHABI

A Ukrainian officer told The Associated Press that Russian troops continued attacking positions despite the declared truce.

Russia’s Defense Ministry fired back, accusing Ukrainian forces of 1,971 violations, including drone strikes in the border regions of Kursk and Belgorod that allegedly injured civilians.

The head of Russia's Belgorod region, Vyacheslav Gladkov, said Sunday that the bodies of two civilians have been recovered following an alleged Ukrainian attack on Saturday.

NATO SCRAMBLES JETS AS RUSSIA FIRES NEARLY 400 DRONES TOWARD UKRAINE, SIGNALING NEW SPRING OFFENSIVE

The dueling claims highlight the deep mistrust between the two sides and underscore the difficulty of enforcing even temporary pauses in fighting.

Past ceasefire attempts have collapsed quickly, with both nations routinely blaming each other. A similar truce declared by Putin last Easter also unraveled amid accusations of violations from both sides.

Irena Bulhakova told The Associated Press at a holiday gathering outside Kyiv that she had her doubts about any ceasefires as Russia’s four-year war on Ukraine drags on.

"Every time a ceasefire is announced for a holiday, the shelling continues regardless," she said.

Reflecting on the meaning of the Orthodox Easter holiday, she added: "Good triumphs over darkness, and we hope for that very much."

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Pope Leo in a Saturday vigil for peace, called out the "delusion of omnipotence" he claimed is fueling war.

"In prayer, our limited human possibilities are joined to the infinite possibilities of God. Thoughts, words and deeds then break the demonic cycle of evil and are placed at the service of the Kingdom of God," he said in a prayer service at St. Peter’s Basilica.

He continued, "A Kingdom in which there is no sword, no drone, no vengeance, no trivialization of evil, no unjust profit, but only dignity, understanding and forgiveness. It is here that we find a bulwark against that delusion of omnipotence that surrounds us and is becoming increasingly unpredictable and aggressive."

In posts on X and during the prayer vigil, the pontiff also warned that war "divides" while hope and faith unite humanity.

TRUMP’S LAST-MINUTE DELAY: WHY HE WAS NEVER GOING TO OBLITERATE IRAN IN THE FIRST PLACE

"Enough of the idolatry of self and money. Enough of the display of power. Enough of war," he wrote. "True strength is shown in serving life."

The archbishop of Tehran, Belgian Cardinal Dominique Joseph Mathieu, was among those in the pews.

Leo’s words came on the same day Vice President JD Vance and a U.S. delegation began face-to-face talks with Iran amid an uneasy ceasefire.

MIKE PENCE WARNS JD VANCE TO AVOID OBAMA-STYLE IRAN DEAL AS NUCLEAR TALKS SET TO BEGIN IN PAKISTAN

They were some of the first American pontiff’s strongest words yet after he called President Donald Trump’s threat against Iran on Tuesday "truly unacceptable."  

"Today, as we all know, there has also been this threat against the entire people of Iran, and this is truly unacceptable," the pope said earlier this week. "There are certainly issues of international law here, but even more so a moral issue for the good of the whole entire population."

Trump had written on Truth Social "A whole civilization will die tonight, never to be brought back again. I don’t want that to happen, but it probably will... God Bless the Great People of Iran!"

Hours later, the president announced a two-week ceasefire subject to Iran agreeing to "the COMPLETE, IMMEDIATE, and SAFE OPENING of the Strait of Hormuz," the president wrote in another post.

As the high-stakes talks began on Saturday in Islamabad, Trump told reporters outside the White House: "We win regardless of what happens. Maybe they make a deal, maybe they don’t."

For more than a month, the pope limited his remarks to muted appeals for peace, but in his Easter blessing last Sunday, he urged "those with weapons lay them down. Let those who have the power to unleash wars choose peace."

Leo also invoked what he said were the final words that Pope Francis issued to the world from the same balcony one year ago, during which the late pontiff warned of a "globalization of indifference."

"What a great thirst for death, for killing we witness each day in the many conflicts raging in different parts of the world," Leo said, quoting Francis.

Fox News' Jasmine Baehr and The Associated Press contributed to this report.

A malnourished 9-year-old boy was found lying in the fetal position in his father’s utility van in eastern France this week after allegedly being locked in the vehicle two years ago.

The boy, who was unable to walk after sitting for so long, was discovered Monday after a neighbor heard the "sounds of a child" coming from the van, local prosecutor Nicolas Heitz said Saturday.

Officers in the village of Hagenbach, near the border with Switzerland and Germany, found the boy "lying in a fetal position, naked, covered by a blanket on top of a mound of trash and near excrement" after forcing the van open, Heitz said.

The boy told authorities he hadn’t showered since 2024.

WISCONSIN COUPLE ALLEGEDLY STARVED SIX CHILDREN FOR YEARS, FORCING THEM TO EAT MOLD, BUGS AND DOG FOOD

The boy’s father was charged with kidnapping. He claimed to police that he had locked his son in the van in November 2024 to "protect" him from his partner who wanted to send him to a psychiatric hospital, according to the prosecutor.

But the prosecutor said there was no medical record of the boy having psychiatric problems, and he had gotten good grades in school.

When the boy disappeared, his teachers were told he had transferred to another school.

The man’s partner, who denied knowing the boy was locked in the van, has also been charged, including for failure to help a minor in danger.

MICHIGAN WOMAN ARRESTED FOR ALLEGEDLY STARVING, TORTURING DISABLED SISTER-IN-LAW SHE LOCKED IN BASEMENT

The boys’ family and friends told police they believed the boy was in a psychiatric hospital.

The boy’s 12-year-old sister and the 10-year-old daughter of the man’s partner are under the care of social services.

The boy has been taken to a hospital.

He told authorities he thought his father had no choice but to lock him in the van and that he’d had "big difficulties" with his father’s partner.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

A man was detained Saturday at Shannon Airport in Ireland after allegedly climbing onto the wing of a U.S. military aircraft and attacking it with a hatchet, according to local reports.

Irish police, or Gardaí, said a man in his 40s entered an unauthorized area of the airport in County Clare and was arrested shortly before 11 a.m. on suspicion of criminal damage. Investigations are ongoing, Gardaí said.

The aircraft involved was a U.S. Air Force C-130 Hercules transport plane that had been parked on a remote taxiway, Irish news outlet The Journal reported.

Video circulating online appeared to show a man in dark clothing walking along the wing of the aircraft during the incident. He moved across the wing near the engines and fuselage.

JORDANIAN NATIONAL ARRESTED AFTER BOARDING FLIGHT IN ARIZONA WITH INVALID TICKET, PROMPTING EVACUATION

The breach raises renewed concerns about security at Shannon Airport, which has experienced multiple recent incidents involving unauthorized access to restricted areas.

A spokesperson for Shannon Airport said the airport temporarily shut down operations after the breach.

"The airport suspended operations at approximately 9:50 a.m., and operations resumed at 10:15 a.m.," the spokesperson said.

JORDANIAN NATIONAL ARRESTED AFTER BOARDING FLIGHT IN ARIZONA WITH INVALID TICKET, PROMPTING EVACUATION

The brief closure caused minor disruption, with two departing flights delayed and one incoming aircraft placed in a holding pattern before landing shortly after 10:20 a.m., The Journal reported.

Authorities, including airport police, Gardaí and Irish Defence Forces personnel responded, The Journal reported. Armed officers and specialist units were also deployed.

Officials carried out a search of the airport perimeter to determine how the suspect gained access to the restricted area.

BULLET DISCOVERED ON COMMERCIAL JET AT MAJOR AIRPORT SPARKS SECURITY SCARE

According to The Journal, the incident is the latest in a string of recent security breaches at Shannon Airport.

In November, three people were arrested after a van breached airport security and entered a restricted area. In May, another vehicle crashed through a perimeter fence, forcing a temporary shutdown. Weeks later, three women were arrested after allegedly accessing the airfield and damaging an aircraft.

Authorities have not said whether Saturday’s incident is linked to those prior breaches.

Shannon Airport has been the site of frequent anti-war protests for years over its use by the U.S. military, dating back to the Iraq War era.

Fox News Digital reached out to the U.S. Air Forces in Europe for comment.

Iran's new Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei is severely disfigured after sustaining leg and face injuries during joint U.S.-Israel airstrikes on Tehran in February, Reuters reported Saturday.

Khamenei is recovering after incurring the injuries in the February 28 airstrikes that killed his father, former Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Hosseini Khamenei. He has not been seen publicly since being hospitalized.

Despite the injuries, Khamenei allegedly remains "mentally sharp," Reuters reported, citing a trio of anonymous sources within his inner circle. The new supreme leader is in communication with the Iranian delegation in Pakistan for peace talks with a U.S. delegation led by Vice President JD Vance.

The Reuters report corroborates an earlier statement from Secretary of War Pete Hegseth, who told reporters March 13 that Khamenei was "likely disfigured."

IRAN POSTPONES TEHRAN FAREWELL CEREMONY FOR KHAMENEI WHERE LARGE CROWDS WERE EXPECTED TO GATHER

He then reiterated the claim at a press conference Thursday while outlining the U.S. military's achievements in Iran.

"Their top leadership was systematically eliminated, their previous Iranian supreme leader dead, the supreme national security council secretary dead, the supreme leader office advisor dead, the supreme leader military office chief dead, the defense minister no longer with us, the IRGC commander dead, the armed forces general staff commander dead, the intelligence minister dead, the IRGC navy commander no longer here, the IRGC Intel chief dead," Hegseth said.

"I skipped over a bunch, and I could go on and on and on, to include the new so-called new supreme leader, wounded and disfigured. This new regime was out of options and out of time, so they cut a deal."

NEW IRANIAN SUPREME LEADER 'LIKELY DISFIGURED,' HEGSETH SAYS

Despite his weakened condition, Khamenei vowed to put up resistance in a defiant written statement Thursday.

"Iran is not seeking war but will not forfeit its rights and considers all resistance fronts as a unified entity," the statement said.

Hegseth dismissed the statement as "weak" in his March press conference.

EXILED IRANIAN CROWN PRINCE SAYS REGIME IS 'CRUMBLING' AFTER KILLING OF KHAMENEI, OTHER LEADERS

"It was a written statement. Iran has plenty of cameras and plenty of voice recorders. Why a written statement?" Hegseth asked. "I think you know why. His father, dead. He's scared, he's injured, he's on the run and he lacks legitimacy. It's a mess for them. Who's in charge? Iran may not even know."

Sources reportedly told Reuters that Khamenei could enter the public spotlight in a month or two but only if "his health and the security situation allowed.

While many publicly question where and when we may see the supreme leader again, Iranian hardliners stress the importance of him keeping a low-profile.

"Why should he ​appear in public? To become a target for these criminals?" an Iranian militiaman asked Reuters in a text message.

With Iran increasingly isolated among its Gulf neighbors, recent reports say Tehran has been deepening its ties in the South Caucasus with the Republic of Georgia.

The former Soviet republic, which was until recently seen as an aspiring European Union and potential NATO member candidate, has slowly moved closer to Tehran.

"Iran has built a vast influence infrastructure in Georgia, which includes entities sanctioned by the U.S. government for links to extremism and viewed in Washington as fronts for the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC)," Giorgi Kandelaki, former member of the Georgian Parliament, told Fox News Digital. 

IRAN BACKLASH FORCES GULF ALLIES TOWARD WASHINGTON AS REGIONAL TENSIONS RISE

Kandelaki, co-author of a recent report with the Hudson Institute titled Georgia’s Iranian Turn: Tehran’s Rapid Expansion of Influence in a Once-Committed U.S. Ally, said that Tbilisi’s turn toward Iran is bad for Georgians but also bad for U.S. interests in the region.

"Georgia has an overwhelmingly pro-U.S. public opinion committed to Western values with it also being viewed as a traditional U.S. ally in Washington. This reality presents a terrible precedent and reversing this trajectory is in the interest of both the U.S. but also Georgian society," he added.

While Georgia has remained diplomatically neutral, the Hudson report details the budding ties between the two countries and how Iran uses Georgia as a network for intelligence infrastructure, penetrating Georgia’s religious, educational and cultural institutions to impact society.

BLOODY NYC KHAMENEI VIGIL REVEALS ANTI-US PROTEST NETWORK LINKED TO IRAN

As far back as 2007, Iran opened the Georgian branch of Al-Mustafa University, which is considered one of Iran’s main arms for the dissemination of Islamic Republic founder Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini's ideology abroad, according to United Against a Nuclear Iran.

The U.S. Treasury Department stated in 2020 that Iran’s IRGC-Quds Force uses Al-Mustafa University in Georgia as an international recruitment network for Iran and acts as a conduit for the Islamic Republic’s ideological and security interests.

"Al-Mustafa has facilitated unwitting tourists from Western countries to come to Iran, from whom IRGC-Qud's Force members sought to collect intelligence," the Treasury Department said. It also said that the university facilitated student exchanges with foreign universities to develop intelligence sources.

RUSSIA ALLEGEDLY SHARING SATELLITE INTELLIGENCE ON US BASES WITH IRAN, WORLD LEADER CLAIMS

GEORGIAN DEMONSTRATORS WATCH IRAN CLOSELY AS THEIR OWN PROTESTS GRIND ON

A report from the Foundation for Defense of Democracies estimated the university’s annual budget is $100 million and has trained tens of thousands of emissaries across the world who spread Iran’s revolutionary ideology.

Iran has utilized sympathetic Georgians to commit international crimes to advance its domestic agenda.

While no links have ever been made with the Tbilisi government, a Georgian national, Agil Aslanov, who had ties to organized crime, was reportedly recruited by the Quds Forces to assassinate a prominent Jewish leader in Azerbaijan in 2022. In another case in 2025, Georgian national Polad Omarov was indicted in federal court in New York City and sentenced to 25 years in prison for attempting to assassinate prominent Iranian activist Masih Alinejad, a vocal critic of the Islamic Republic’s use of violence against peaceful protesters.

Georgia once made significant inroads to foster political and security ties with the United States following the Rose Revolution in 2003, becoming a bedrock of regional security in the Black Sea region. After decades of Soviet rule, Georgia aligned itself with the United States, contributing to missions in Iraq and Afghanistan, and eventually signed a Strategic Partnership Charter with the United States in 2009.

Tbilisi's ties with Tehran have been expanded under the pro-Russia Georgian Dream party that took power in 2012. That bond, according to analysts, has tightened after Georgia’s pro-Western President Salome Zourabichvili finished her six-year term in office in 2024 and was replaced by Mikheil Kavelashvili, who was chosen as her successor by a newly established electoral college reportedly dominated by Georgian Dream supporters.

INSIDE IRAN’S MILITARY: MISSILES, MILITIAS AND A FORCE BUILT FOR SURVIVAL

Kavelashvili’s installment followed parliamentary elections in Oct. 2024 marred by some irregularities, according to the U.S. embassy in Tbilisi, in which the Georgian Dream declared victory. 

Leadership ties between both countries have steadily grown since the Georgian Dream's disputed 2024 parliamentary victory.

Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze visited Iran in May 2024 for the funeral of Iranian President Ibrahim Raisi, who died in a helicopter accident, and again in July to attend the inauguration of Iran’s current president, Masoud Pezeshkian, where Iranian news agencies reported both leaders praised the growing relationship between the two countries.

WHO ACTUALLY RUNS IRAN RIGHT NOW? THE KEY POWER PLAYERS AS TRUMP CLAIMS TALKS TO 'TOP' OFFICIAL

Many Georgian companies are also importing oil and petroleum products from Iran, a key economic lifeline for the regime and its regional war efforts, according to Georgian NGO Civic IDEA. In 2024, Iranian oil export revenue was approximately $43 billion, which accounts for roughly 57% of Iran’s total export revenue.

According to Civic IDEA, between 2022 and 2025, 72 companies registered in Georgia imported Iranian oil and petroleum, including eight inked to donors of the ruling Georgian Dream party, boosting Iran’s revenue stream even while heavily sanctioned by Western nations.

"Georgia has become Iran’s primary sanctions-evasion hub . . . funneling hard currency back to Tehran’s war machine and the IRGC through specific schemes in oil imports," Nicholas Chkhaidze, national security and strategic communications analyst based in Tbilisi, told Fox News Digital.

Chkhaidze said these Georgian companies that import Iranian oil pay in cash and can bypass international banking sanctions. 

"The scale is massive, as Tehran uses the revenue from these schemes to fund its regional operations," Chkhaidze claimed.

Telephone and email requests for comment sent to the government of Georgia were not returned. A spokesman for Iran's mission to the United Nations would not comment on the relations between the two countries.

KAOHSIUNG – Taiwan: For the first time in nearly a decade, the People’s Republic of China (PRC) supreme leader and the head of the communist party, Xi Jinping, held a meeting with the chairperson of Taiwan’s main opposition party. Cheng Li-wun, chairwoman of the Chinese Nationalist Party (also known as the Kuomintang, KMT), met Xi in Beijing on Friday. 

Before their closed-door meeting the pair posed for pictures. Xi said that Taiwan is historically a part of China and remains an "inalienable" and "inseparable" part of Chinese territory. He said the "rejuvenation of the Chinese nation" was a "broader trend" that will not change. China’s state-controlled media and government officials often repeat these party lines, even though, after its establishment in 1949, the communist regime has not ruled Taiwan for a single day.

The two met in their capacities as heads of their respective political parties. China refuses to speak to the democratically elected government of Taiwan, led by President Lai Ching-te of the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP). The DPP won Taiwan’s presidential elections in 2016, 2020, and 2024, although in 2024 it narrowly lost control of the parliament to an opposition coalition led by the KMT. 

TAIWAN 'WILL NOT ESCALATE, BUT WILL NOT YIELD' TO CHINESE INTIMIDATION, FOREIGN MINISTER WARNS

The meeting came as Taiwan is mired in a dispute over defense spending, with the opposition coalition blocking President Lai’s proposed $40 billion special defense budget. During a recent visit to Taipei, Sen. Jim Banks, R-Ind., said approval of the package would send a clear message that Taiwan is prepared to invest in its own defense and "peace through strength."

Hours before Cheng and Xi smiled for the cameras, Lai did not directly mention the Beijing meeting, but said on social media that any compromise with an authoritarian regime would damage Taiwan’s sovereignty. There are also concerns that if the special budget isn’t approved soon, the willingness of President Donald Trump to sell weapons to Taiwan could change should Trump decide to strike some kind of deal with Xi at a possible meeting in May.

Xi’s phrase "rejuvenation of the Chinese nation," which was repeated by Cheng, is a reference to the goal of China becoming a — if not the — major world power by 2049, the centennial of the founding of the communist PRC. 

In comments that are sure to evoke controversy in Taiwan, Cheng repeated much of Xi’s phrasing, claiming that in the more than 100 years of interactions between the KMT and the CCP, "all we ever wanted is to guide the Chinese nation out of decline and toward rejuvenation." Cheng went on to say, "The great Chinese rejuvenation involves people on both sides of the strait. It is about the reawakening and resurgence of Chinese civilization."

That’s not how many here in Taiwan see things. Rose Chou, 45, works as an administrator in one of the biggest primary schools in Kaohsiung, southern Taiwan’s largest city and a major port. Chou told Fox News Digital it was time for Taiwan to dump any connection to being China or a part of China. "Yes, I want a Republic of Taiwan. I have an 18-year-old son. And, yes, I realize we may have to fight. I’m willing to fight."

US LAWMAKERS WARN TAIWAN TO ‘MEET THE MOMENT’ AS CHINA STAGES INVASION-STYLE DRILLS

Chou readily admitted that most people she knows favor maintaining the status quo. A very small number, she said, are committed to the idea of unification — but under what terms they hope that could occur, Chou said she didn’t know. 

Under the status quo that dates from the end of the Chinese civil war in 1949, Taiwan’s official name remains the Republic of China, to nominally indicate that Taiwan is a part of China, just not "Red China." This formula previously satisfied the communist regime in Beijing, but — especially since Xi Jinping’s rise — Beijing has pushed Taiwan towards outright submission.

A meeting between the head of the KMT and the CPP hasn’t happened in almost a decade, but there is precedent. A KMT chair met Xi in 2015, and again in 2016, and separately, in 2015, then-Taiwan president Ma Ying-jeou met Xi in Singapore, during which each addressed the other as "Mister," and titles used were "Leader of Taiwan" and "Leader of Mainland China," respectively.

In a statement after the meeting, a spokesperson for the American Institute in Taiwan, the de facto U.S. embassy in Taipei, said, "The United States supports cross-Strait dialogue. We expect cross-Strait differences to be resolved by peaceful means, free from coercion, in a manner acceptable to the people on both sides of the Strait. Meaningful cross-Strait exchange should focus on dialogue between Beijing’s leadership and Taiwan’s democratically elected authorities without preconditions, while also including engagement with all other political parties in Taiwan."

Elizabeth Freund Larus, a Taiwan Fellowship Scholar in Taipei, told Fox News Digital the KMT’s traditional China approach no longer connects with much of Taiwan’s electorate. "KMT Chair Cheng’s trip is trying to replicate Ma Ying-jeou’s approach to cross-Strait relations," Larus said. "But that approach is 30-years old and no longer appeals to the Taiwanese. As a result, many people in Taiwan are critical of her China trip."

Larus said Beijing is also likely to use the visit for domestic propaganda, presenting it as proof that Taiwan embraces cultural and social affinities with mainland China while casting the government in Taipei as an outlier. "Cheng may be welcomed in Beijing," Larus said, "but her party may receive a less enthusiastic reception" in local elections later this year and in the next presidential and legislative elections in 2028.

Taipei-based political risk analyst and Tamkang University assistant professor Ross Feingold told Fox News Digital, "President Lai’s DPP has a savvy media team, which for many years has successfully shaped public opinion towards China. Following today’s meeting, Cheng and the KMT will be portrayed as traitors willing to sell out Taiwan."

He concluded by noting, "Ultimately, though, the success or failure of Cheng’s visit to China and meeting with Xi will be determined by Taiwan’s voters, despite efforts from China and the United States to influence events. For the Trump administration, though, its near-term priority in Taiwan remains legislative approval to purchase billions of dollars of American weapons and speedy implementation of Taiwan’s commitment to invest $250 billion in the United States."

Just hours before the ceasefire deal went into effect on Tuesday between the U.S. and Iran’s clerical regime to pause fighting for two weeks, the regime urged young children and adults to surround Iranian energy facilities as human shields in reaction to President Trump's threat to wipe out its energy infrastructure.

The thinking behind Iran’s regime's willingness to use children and civilians as cannon fodder, according to observers, is that an American airstrike that kills children or civilians will dramatically sway U.S. public opinion against the war and create a rally-round-the-regime effect in Tehran.

And now with high-level peace talks due to start between the U.S. and Iran in Pakistan, Tehran can be seen as the godfather of propaganda when it comes to manipulating much of the world's media — even more skilled than its terror apprentice forces in Gaza and Lebanon. Yemen and beyond.

INSIDE TEHRAN AFTER STRIKES: IRANIAN WOMAN DESCRIBES FEAR, CHECKPOINTS AND PEOPLE USED AS ‘HUMAN SHIELDS’

Lisa Daftari, an Iran expert, told Fox News Digital that the theocratic state’s exploitation of civilians for their war aim is part and parcel of their nearly half-century playbook against the West. "The Islamic Republic is the Godfather of propaganda. It has spent 47 years perfecting the art of saying one thing at the negotiating table and doing another in the field. The Trump administration should walk into these talks with maximum skepticism. This regime has never kept its word on its weapons, and there's no reason to believe this time is different."

She pointed to Tehran's "record of positioning civilian infrastructure — hospitals, mosques, schools and now power plants — as military shields. They did it in Lebanon through Hezbollah. They did it in Gaza through Hamas. And they are doing it now on their own soil, with their own people, under coercion. Iranians who refuse to participate face consequences."

Daftari, who is the Editor-in-Chief of the Foreign Desk, added that, "Iran's regime has never hesitated to use its own people as a shield. The difference now is they're doing it in front of cameras, in real time, knowing exactly which images will make prime-time news around the world. This is propaganda. And the two-week ceasefire just gave them more time to manipulate the West and continue on in their narrative warfare."

Right at the beginning of "Operation Epic Fury", the world's media was full of accounts from Iran of an air strike that reportedly hit an Iranian school for girls in the town of Minab Feb. 28. The air strike reportedly killed 175 people, most of whom were children, at the Shajarah Tayyebeh elementary school, according to the regime. The school was located on the same street as buildings used by the IRGC. A Pentagon investigation was launched in March to look into the allegations that a U.S. missile struck the school.

Speaking to Fox News Digital last month, Iranian-American journalist Banafsheh Zand, who has been following the reporting, pointed to the fact that the school that has been there for more than a decade and its reported affiliation with Iran’s military. She said that while the regime claims between 168 fatalities and 180 fatalities, mostly girls between the ages of 7 and 12, along with teachers and parents from the school, there has been no independent confirmation of the reported casualty figures. 

TRUMP’S IRAN CEASEFIRE ROCKED WITHIN HOURS AMID REPORTED MISSILE, DRONE ATTACKS

"There is no confirmation on the number of people, from anyone other than regime sources," she said. "Some people in the area said it was 65 boys. Sixty-five boys? What are 65 boys doing in a girls’ school at 10:30 on a Saturday morning?"

Both Democratic and Republican U.S. administrations have classified Iran’s regime as a leading state-sponsor of terrorism.

Speaking on ‘Jesse Watters Primetime,' on Thursday, Sen. John Fetterman, D-Pa., said the American media was "essentially… carrying water for Iran."

Jonathan Ruhe, a fellow at JINSA, told Fox News Digital, "The regime wants to show the Iranian people that it is not weakened despite all the deaths in its leadership and losses in its arsenals, and to claim legitimacy by showing it is winning against the eternal American and Israeli enemies."

He said, "Like Hezbollah and Hamas, Iran uses civilians as human shields for propaganda purposes. It cares nothing for the safety and fate of its own people. It wants to portray the country as undaunted and willing to sacrifice for victory. And if civilians are killed, all the better for the regime's political goals… Iran wants to undermine U.S. domestic support for the war by framing it as America doing Israel's bidding, and by using AI-generated disinformation to depict massive destruction and casualties at U.S. bases in the Middle East."

The regime suffered a crisis of legitimacy after millions of Iranians poured into the streets in January and demanded the dissolution of the Islamic Republic.

Both the IRGC and Basij — the regime’s street fighting paramilitary troops — played a key role in the mass murder of 45,000 Iranian civilians in January, who protested the regime. President Trump said in his address to the nation that the regime killed 45,000 people. The previous death toll was estimated to be over 35,000 people.

Ruhe said, "As it did before the war, it also wants to delegitimize protesters and other internal opposition by depicting them as American and Israeli agents. It can be expected to ramp up all of these propaganda efforts during the ceasefire. The United States and our partners will be part of this intended audience, too."

Adding to its deadly propaganda mix, the regime freely uses child soldiers to achieve its goals. According to Amnesty International, "Eyewitness accounts and verified audiovisual evidence show child soldiers having been deployed at IRGC checkpoints and patrols, armed with weapons, including AK47pattern rifles."

Erika Guevara-Rosas, senior director for Research, Advocacy, Policy and Campaigns, for Amnesty stated in the report that, "The Iranian authorities are shamelessly encouraging children as young as 12 to join an IRGC run military campaign, putting them in grave danger and violating international law, which prohibits the recruitment and use of children in the military. Recruiting children under 15 into the armed forces constitutes a war crime."

Jennifer Dyer, a retired commander of U.S. Naval Intelligence, told Fox News "I’d say the remnant of the regime can’t muster enough human shields to be doing it all over the place.  The people are too resistant.  Protests continued in the country the last couple of days, and some reporting on social media indicated a crackdown by the Basij on protesters after the so-called ceasefire was announced."

In late March, a deputy of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, Mohammad Rasoul Allah Corps of Greater Tehran, Rahim Nadali, declared that the state launched a  recruitment campaign called the "Homeland-Defending Combatants for Iran" that is "open to volunteers" aged 12 and older. The drive to recruit child soldiers took place in mosques and bases of the paramilitary organization Basij. The recruitment campaign sought adolescents to join "combatants defending the homeland."

Fox News Digital reached out to Iran’s U.N. Mission in New York for a comment.

An anonymous Iranian woman has bravely stepped forward on the international stage to describe what's really happening on the ground in Tehran as President Donald Trump's two-week ceasefire with Iran tentatively began Tuesday.

In an essay published in The Australian, the anonymous author details nightly explosions, sweeping checkpoints and communications blackouts as a part of Iranian daily life since the beginning of operations launched by the United States and Israel in February.

"In effect, ordinary people have been turned into human shields within a vast militarized landscape," she wrote. "A pervasive sense of anger, paranoia and exhaustion has taken hold."

Flagrant public executions of protesters by the thousands by the Iranian regime in January moved residents to cheer on the initial days of attacks by U.S. and Israeli forces as Operation Epic Fury began on Feb. 28.

WHY TRUMP, IRAN SEEM LIGHT-YEARS APART ON ANY POSSIBLE DEAL TO END THE WAR

"They say they’ve hit the leader’s residence," the author's daughter was quoted saying. "All the children were screaming and cheering. … Even our teacher was quietly snapping their fingers and dancing."

The author described everyday Iranians celebrating the death of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei that same Saturday, and the streets of Tehran filling with cheers of "death to the dictator."

"Perhaps for the first time," the anonymous author recalled, "we allowed ourselves to believe our long-held dream was beginning to take shape."

RED CROSS SHARES AUDIO OF IRANIAN CIVILIAN EXPLAINING SITUATION ON THE GROUND IN TEHRAN: 'NO RESPITE'

But soon enough, the reality of day-to-day life under a threatened, crumbling regime and ongoing attacks took a toll. One of the harshest realities those on the ground in Iran face is the internet blackout, effectively ending communications with the outside world and leading to great uncertainty at the hands of the regime.

"So far, none of those close to us have suffered physical harm, but no night is calm," the Iranian woman wrote. "What weighs most heavily is not only the war itself, but the possibility that it may end leaving behind a regime even more authoritarian, more repressive and more violent."

According to the author, a stubborn faction of regime supporters remain, blasting propaganda on loudspeakers nightly through the streets of Tehran and reinforcing its authority to those who support the revolution.

TRUMP’S IRAN CEASEFIRE ROCKED WITHIN HOURS AMID REPORTED MISSILE, DRONE ATTACKS

"The streets are now covered with checkpoints," she wrote. "Under bridges and along main roads, movement is restricted. Long traffic lines form. Young people are stopped, their phones inspected under the pretext of routine checks."

After the announcement of the ceasefire between U.S. forces and the Iranian regime Tuesday, the author said, most of her country went to sleep that night in a "state of deep anxiety."

"What weighs most heavily is not only the war itself, but the possibility that it may end up leaving behind a regime even more authoritarian, more repressive, and more violent," the author notes.

She urged a ceasefire that is not "abandonment," but peace, destabilizing the Iranian regime.

"A ceasefire that stabilizes the current order, without addressing the demands that have brought Iranians into the streets for years, risks being experienced not as peace, but as abandonment," the author wrote.

Negotiations between Iran and the U.S. are scheduled to begin Friday in Pakistan.

"We wait, and we continue, in whatever ways possible, to insist that light will eventually overcome this darkness," she concluded.

The Australian notes the author remains anonymous for "fear of retribution."

Israeli authorities arrested a 22-year-old Haifa resident for his involvement in an Iranian-backed plot to assassinate a high-ranking Israeli official, with the intended target believed to be former Prime Minister Naftali Bennett, reports say.

Ami Gaydarov, 22, was arrested last month on suspicion that he was working with an Iranian agent to gather intelligence and build a bomb for use in a terror plot against a high-ranking Israeli official. Gaydarov was unaware of the target's identity. A gag order on his arrest was recently lifted, allowing Israeli media outlets to report on the case.

Authorities said Gaydarov first made contact with his Iranian handler in August 2025 and was paid roughly $23,000 — most of it in cryptocurrency — to carry out tasks in preparation for the assassination plot.

Gaydarov allegedly rented an apartment in the city's downtown area to serve as a laboratory for the bombs.

TOP IRANIAN OFFICIAL, COMMANDER KILLED IN STRIKE, ISRAEL DEFENSE MINISTER SAYS

"To facilitate the contacts with his handlers, Gaidarov purchased dedicated phones and rented an apartment in Haifa where he produced the explosive substance, while documenting his activities in videos and photos that were sent to his handler as proof of compliance," the Israeli police force said.

In connection with the plot, Israeli authorities have also arrested three other suspects, including Sergey Leibman and Edward Shovtiuk. The fourth suspect has not been named. Authorities said indictments for the four suspects should occur in the "coming days."

The terror plot was uncovered as part of Israel's "Operation Roaring Lion," a major military campaign launched against Iran on February 28, coinciding with the start of the war with Iran.

The arrest of the four men comes as Israeli authorities have won more than 40 indictments against more than 60 defendants working on behalf of the Iranian government. Just two months ago, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ordered that the citizenship of Israelis convicted of espionage for Iran be stripped of their citizenship.

Since the outbreak of the war with Iran, pro-Iranian attacks linked to radical groups have been on the rise. Just last week, French officials reported that a pro-Iran group was behind a failed bomb plot on a Bank of America office in Paris.

U.K. Defense Minister John Healey warned Russian President Vladimir Putin of "serious consequences" Thursday after revealing a weeks-long military operation to deter Russian meddling in the North Sea.

"To President Putin I say we see you, we see your activity over our cables and our pipelines, and you should know that any attempt to damage them will not be tolerated and will have serious consequences," he cautioned. 

The defense minister detailed an operation involving a Royal Navy frigate, a Royal Air Force patrol plane and hundreds of personnel deployed to deter a trio of Russian submarines that were detected near underwater cables in Britain’s economic exclusionary zone.

RUSSIA, CHINA VETO UN RESOLUTION AIMED AT REOPENING STRAIT OF HORMUZ, HOURS BEFORE TRUMP DEADLINE

One of the submarines, Healey announced, was a nuclear-powered Akula-class submarine, while the other two were spy submarines from Russia’s Main Directorate of Deep Sea Research, also known as GUGI. Subs from this unit were directed specifically by Putin "to conduct hybrid warfare activities against the UK" and its allies, Healey said.

At least one of those allies, Norway, was involved in the deterrent operation, Healey revealed. Norway’s Defense Minister Tore O Sandvik confirmed the cooperation in a Thursday statement. 

"Norway has participated in a coordinated military operation with our allies to send a clear message: covert activities in our waters will not be tolerated," Sandvik wrote.

The submarines left U.K. waters after a protracted period of monitoring from the U.K. and Norway, and there is no evidence of damage to any underwater infrastructure, Healey said. 

Fox News Digital has reached out to the U.K.’s Defense Department for more information. 

The Russian incursion marked the second time in less than six months that the U.K. detected Russian seacraft near its territorial waters. Healey announced a similar military operation in November after Russia deployed the spy ship Yantar to the North Sea in 2025.

TRUMP, STARMER AGREE STRAIT OF HORMUZ MUST REOPEN AS MIDDLE EAST CONFLICT ESCALATES

Healey also cited this year’s incident as an example of why the U.K. hasn’t sent troops to the Strait of Hormuz, the narrow waterway in the Persian Gulf key to global energy markets that Iran has choked off in recent weeks.

"I understand people questioning why all UK military assets and personnel have not been deployed to deal with it. But that is not in Britain’s national interest," he said, later calling Russia "the primary threat to the UK and to NATO." 

President Donald Trump has criticized NATO allies and the organization itself for not acceding to requests to help open the Strait of Hormuz. 

"NATO WASN’T THERE WHEN WE NEEDED THEM, AND THEY WON’T BE THERE IF WE NEED THEM AGAIN," he wrote in a Thursday morning Truth Social post.

The U.K., while holding a planning meeting on how to reopen the Strait of Hormuz after the Iran War is over, initially refused to let the U.S. use a British air base to launch military strikes against Iran. 

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer eventually allowed the U.S. to launch "defensive strikes" from Royal Air Force bases after Trump slammed him as "not Winston Churchill."