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."

Cuba’s government released more than 2,000 prisoners as the island faces mounting economic pressure linked to U.S. sanctions and worsening fuel shortages.

The Cuban Embassy in Washington said authorities granted pardons to 2,010 inmates under provisions of the country’s constitution, citing factors such as good behavior, time already served and health conditions.

"This humanitarian and sovereign gesture was based on a careful analysis of the nature of the offenses committed by the inmates, their good conduct while in prison, [and] the fact that they had served a significant portion of their sentences," the embassy said in a statement posted on X.

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Officials said those released include young people, women, older adults, as well as foreign nationals and Cuban citizens who live abroad but were imprisoned on the island.

The government said it excluded prisoners convicted of serious crimes, including murder, sexual assault, violent robbery, drug offenses and corruption of minors, as well as repeat offenders.

CUBA'S ENTIRE ELECTRICAL GRID COLLAPSES, LEAVING WHOLE ISLAND WITHOUT POWER

The move marks the second prisoner release this year and comes during Holy Week, which Cuban officials described as a customary period for such actions.

The release comes as Cuba grapples with a deepening economic and energy crisis driven in part by a renewed pressure campaign from the Trump administration aimed at cutting off the island’s access to foreign oil. The restrictions have contributed to widespread fuel shortages, blackouts and growing unrest across the country.

WATCH: Cuban power blackout sparks protests as Trump hints at US intervention

President Donald Trump has threatened tariffs on any country that sends oil to Cuba and has pressured nations such as Mexico to halt shipments as part of a broader effort to squeeze the island’s energy supply.

The U.S. also allowed a tanker to deliver fuel to Cuba earlier this week after months of severe shortages, with the White House framing the move as a humanitarian exception rather than a shift in policy.

Trump has also escalated his rhetoric, recently saying "Cuba’s next" while discussing U.S. actions abroad, though he later sought to downplay the remark.

The deepening crisis has also sparked protests and clashes across the island.

Cuba has been under communist rule since Fidel Castro’s 1959 revolution, and is now led by President Miguel Díaz-Canel, who succeeded Raúl Castro in 2018.

King Charles III and Queen Camilla will visit the United States next month to mark the 250th anniversary of American independence.

Buckingham Palace said the king and queen have accepted an invitation from President Donald Trump, describing how the trip will highlight historic ties and the modern bilateral relationship between the two nations, with full details of the itinerary to be announced closer to the visit. 

Trump confirmed the visit in a statement Tuesday, saying he and first lady Melania Trump are pleased to receive the pair for a "historic state visit from April 27-30, which will include a banquet at the White House on April 28."

RARE, HISTORIC US DOCUMENTS TRAVELING COUNTRY ON 'FREEDOM PLANE' AHEAD OF AMERICA'S 250TH ANNIVERSARY

"This momentous occasion will be even more special this year, as we commemorate the 250th Anniversary of our Great Country," Trump wrote on Truth Social. "I look forward to spending time with the King, whom I greatly respect. It will be TERRIFIC!"

The visit will be Charles’ first state visit to the U.S. as king. 

Queen Elizabeth II previously carried out four state visits to the U.S. in 1957, 1976, 1991 and 2007, according to Buckingham Palace.

Charles, as Prince of Wales, visited the United States 19 times, including a 2005 tour with Camilla.

Following the U.S. leg, the king will travel to Bermuda for his first visit to a British Overseas Territory as monarch. It will mark the first visit by a reigning king to Bermuda, where Charles last visited in 1970, while Queen Elizabeth II most recently traveled to the island in 2009.

KING CHARLES TO ADDRESS 'INCREASING PRESSURES OF CONFLICT' IN SPEECH AS TRUMP CRITICIZES BRITISH PM ON IRAN

Trump has made two state visits to the United Kingdom — first in June 2019, when he was received by Queen Elizabeth II at Buckingham Palace, and again in September 2025, an unprecedented second state visit where he was hosted by King Charles III at Windsor Castle.

Russia launched nearly 400 drones and dozens of missiles across Ukraine overnight Monday, triggering NATO to scramble fighter jets in neighboring countries, according to reports.

The massive aerial assault killed at least four people and injured more than two dozen, with strikes hitting multiple regions including Kyiv, Zaporizhzhia and Kharkiv, The Associated Press reported, citing Ukrainian officials.

Poland and Romania both scrambled fighter jets as Russian strikes approached NATO airspace, East2West reported, with Warsaw placing air defenses on the "highest state of readiness," Poland’s operational command said.

"Due to the activity of long-range Russian air forces conducting strikes on Ukrainian territory, Polish and allied air forces have begun operating in our airspace," Poland’s operational command said, according to East2West.

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

Hours earlier, two F-16 fighter jets were scrambled in fellow NATO state Romania as Russian drones attacked Ukraine near the River Danube, the outlet reported. The Danube forms part of the border between Ukraine and Romania.

Ukrainian military leaders said Russian forces have intensified attacks along the roughly 750-mile front line, with hundreds of assaults reported in recent days.

The Institute for the Study of War said the escalation suggests Moscow’s long-anticipated spring-summer offensive is now underway, according to The Associated Press.

RUSSIA KILLS 12 UKRAINIAN MINERS IN DEADLY BUS ATTACK HOURS AFTER PEACE TALKS POSTPONED

Ukraine’s air force said Russia launched nearly 400 drones. Ukrainian officials later said most were intercepted or disrupted, although some were able to hit their targets, according to East2West.

Russia also launched 23 cruise missiles and seven ballistic missiles at Ukraine during the night, hitting at least 10 locations across the country, according to the Ukrainian air force.

Ukrainian civilians have endured relentless barrages since Russia launched a full-scale invasion of its neighbor more than four years ago. U.S.-brokered talks between Moscow and Kyiv over the past year have brought no respite, with Russia rejecting Ukraine’s ceasefire offer.

The latest strikes came after Ukraine hit Russia’s largest Baltic port, Primorsk, in a pinpoint attack a day earlier, leaving the key export hub in flames, East2West reported.

Meanwhile, Russian President Vladimir Putin’s ambassador to London, Andrey Kelin, threatened "dire" consequences over what he said was Ukraine’s use of Storm Shadow missiles, which this month hit and damaged a microelectronics plant in Russia’s Bryansk region.

"The British, without whose participation the use of Storm Shadow missiles is simply impossible, decided to remind everyone of both Ukraine and themselves," he said. "However, any action has consequences. And for everyone involved in the tragedy in Bryansk, the consequences will be dire."

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

A British nuclear-powered submarine has been deployed to the Arabian Sea amid rising tensions in the region and came ahead of Iran’s failed ballistic missile attempt targeting Diego Garcia, a key U.S.-U.K. military base in the Indian Ocean, according to reports.

HMS Anson — a Royal Navy Astute-class submarine armed with Tomahawk Block IV cruise missiles and Spearfish heavyweight torpedoes — traveled about 5,500 miles from HMAS Stirling, near Perth, Australia, to the region earlier in March.

The submarine is reportedly operating in the northern Arabian Sea, positioning Britain to respond quickly if the conflict escalates.

HMS Anson periodically surfaces to maintain communications with the U.K.’s Permanent Joint Headquarters in London, GB News reported.

TRUMP SAYS US ‘OBLITERATED’ TARGETS IN STRIKE ON KEY IRANIAN OIL HUB

The outlet reported that Anson is typically based at Faslane in Scotland, where an Iranian man has been charged with attempting to gain entry.

The deployment was said to have come shortly after the U.K. government authorized the United States to use British military bases for defensive operations targeting Iranian missile capabilities that have threatened shipping in the Strait of Hormuz.

In a statement, Downing Street said the aim of those operations was to "degrade the missile sites and capabilities" used in attacks on ships, while emphasizing that Britain does not want to be drawn into a wider regional conflict.

Tensions intensified Sunday after Iran launched two ballistic missiles toward Diego Garcia, according to multiple reports. Neither missile reached its target; one reportedly failed in flight, while the other was intercepted.

KING CHARLES TO ADDRESS 'INCREASING PRESSURES OF CONFLICT' IN SPEECH AS TRUMP CRITICIZES BRITISH PM ON IRAN

The attempted strike has raised concerns about Iran’s missile range, as Diego Garcia is roughly 2,485 miles from Iran.

Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi had warned Britain against supporting U.S. or Israeli military action, saying such involvement could further escalate the conflict.

Araghchi told U.K. Home Secretary Yvette Cooper that Iran views Britain’s decision to allow U.S. forces to use its bases as "participation in aggression," according to his account of the call, the BBC reported.

IRAN’S DRONE SWARMS CHALLENGE US AIR DEFENSES AS TROOPS IN MIDDLE EAST FACE RISING THREATS

He also criticized what he described as the U.K.’s "negative and biased" approach and demanded that it cease cooperation with the United States.

The U.K. did not allow the U.S. to use its bases for initial offensive strikes against Iran but later granted permission for defensive operations in response to Iranian missile threats.

Downing Street said: "We didn’t participate in the initial strikes, and we’re not getting drawn into the wider war."

Tehran has said it would exercise what it calls its right to self-defense if threatened.

Meanwhile, the U.K. Ministry of Defence said Sunday that Royal Air Force assets, including Typhoon jets, remain engaged in defensive operations in the region.

The ministry added that British forces have helped counter Iranian drone threats while coordinating closely with allies.

Fox News Digital has reached out to the U.K. Ministry of Defence for comment.

The American flag flew again over the U.S. Embassy in Venezuela on Saturday, marking the first time it has been raised in the South American country in seven years.

The embassy compound in Caracas is still undergoing renovations, and officials have not announced when the building will fully reopen, The Associated Press reported.

The flag’s return comes months after former Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro was captured by U.S. forces in January. 

FROM PALACE TO PRISON: VENEZUELAN STRONGMAN MADURO LOCKED IN TROUBLED BROOKLYN JAIL

The U.S. Embassy highlighted the moment in a social media post, calling it the start of a new chapter in relations between Washington and Caracas.

"A new era for U.S.-Venezuela relations has begun," the U.S. Embassy wrote on X.

Some residents expressed hope that the flag signals improved ties with the international community.

Caracas resident Alessandro Di Benedetto said the atmosphere among onlookers was optimistic, according to The Associated Press.

TRUMP BACKS MADURO LOYALIST OVER VENEZUELA OPPOSITION LEADER IN POST-CAPTURE TRANSITION

"I found several people here surprised and happy because today they raised the U.S. flag at the embassy," he said. "This is positive; this is another step."

The embassy had been closed since March 12, 2019, when the U.S. and Venezuela cut diplomatic relations, according to the website for the U.S. Department of State.

Maduro was captured during a U.S. military operation in Caracas on Jan. 3 and flown to New York, where he is currently being held in a federal jail.

TRUMP TOUTS US HAS "TREMENDOUS" AMOUNT OF VENEZUELAN OIL, VOWS TO "TAKE CARE" OF CUBA AFTER IRAN FOCUS

He faces multiple charges, including narco-terrorism conspiracy, cocaine importation conspiracy, possession of machine guns and destructive devices, and conspiracy to possess those weapons.

Maduro’s wife, Cilia Flores, is also facing federal charges related to drug trafficking and weapons offenses.

Both pleaded not guilty during a federal court appearance in New York on Jan. 5.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Protesters attacked a Communist Party headquarters in Cuba overnight, ransacking the building and attempting to set it on fire, and video appeared to capture gunfire and a man on the ground outside, according to footage obtained by Fox News Digital.

Cuban state media later denied that anyone had been struck by police gunfire and announced five arrests.

Dramatic footage shows a large crowd gathered outside the building in the city of Morón as a fire burns in the street and protesters throw burning objects at the building.

Protesters can be heard chanting "Libertad, libertad!" — Spanish for "Freedom, freedom!" — moments before gunfire rings out in the video.

RUSSIAN ‘DARK FLEET’ TANKER BELIEVED TO BE DELIVERING OIL TO CUBA, DETECTED OFF US COAST AMID TRUMP BAN

A young man appears to collapse as others nearby scream in Spanish. 

"They shot him! They’re shooting! They said they wouldn’t shoot, but they shot him."

The video then shows people carrying the injured man away.

In another video obtained by Fox News Digital, large crowds can march through Morón’s unlit streets before unrest spread to the Communist Party headquarters.

Morón is located on Cuba's northern coast about 250 miles east of the capital of Havana near the tourist resort of Cayo Coco.

"The image circulating shows the scene of the protest, but it's important for the public to know the truth: no one was injured by gunfire," state media outlet Vanguardia de Cuba said on X.

"Media manipulation seeks to sow fear and confusion among our people. Let's not fall for provocations."

TRUMP DECLARES NATIONAL EMERGENCY OVER CUBA, THREATENS TARIFFS ON NATIONS THAT SUPPLY OIL TO COMMUNIST REGIME

State media said police had detained five people and that a "drunken" participant fell and was being treated for injuries at a hospital.

Over the past week, several small groups of residents across Havana have banged pots in protest against extended blackouts.

Cuba has faced rolling blackouts, food shortages and renewed protests tied to the island’s worsening energy and economic crisis.

A recent nationwide blackout was triggered by a failure at the Antonio Guiteras Thermoelectric Power Plant, the island’s largest power station, cutting electricity across much of the country, according to Reuters.

The crisis has been compounded by fuel shortages after the Trump administration moved to curtail oil shipments to the island, particularly from Venezuela, one of Cuba’s main suppliers.

Cuban officials say U.S. sanctions have worsened the country’s economic difficulties, while repeated power plant failures and an aging electrical grid have left millions facing prolonged blackouts that have fueled growing public frustration and protests.

"What initially began peacefully, and after an exchange with local authorities, turned into acts of vandalism against the headquarters of the Municipal Party Committee," the state-run Invasor newspaper reported, according to Reuters.

"A smaller group of people stoned the entrance of the building and started a fire in the street with furniture from the reception area."

Vandals also targeted several other state-run establishments in the area, including a pharmacy and a government market, the report said.

On Friday, Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel said he was holding talks with the U.S. government, marking the first time the Caribbean country has confirmed widespread speculation about discussions with the Trump administration.

Díaz-Canel said that no petroleum shipments have arrived in Cuba in the past three months and blamed a U.S. energy blockade for that. He said the island is running on a mixture of natural gas, solar power and thermoelectric plants.

Fox News’ Efrat Lachter, Reuters and The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Kharg Island, which handles the bulk of Iran’s crude exports and was once floated by President Donald Trump as a potential target could spark broader regional instability and attacks on energy infrastructure if struck by the U.S., a leading energy security expert has warned.

Reports indicate the Trump administration is weighing options that could include a direct attack on Kharg Island.

Discussing the possibility of boots on the ground amid Operation Epic Fury on "The Claman Countdown," retired Army Brig. Gen. Mark Kimmitt also told Liz Claman striking Kharg could be in the "offing."

"I don't think a significant number of boots on the ground, other than the chance of an assault on Kharg Island, is in the offing," he said March 9.

TRUMP IS REALIGNING WORLD ENERGY MARKETS, AND THE IRAN STRIKES ARE ACTUALLY HELPING

Trump’s interest in the island dates back to a 1988 interview in which he reportedly suggested targeting Kharg in response to Iranian aggression, according to reports.

"I’d be harsh on Iran. They’ve been beating us psychologically, making us look like a bunch of fools," Trump said. "One bullet shot at one of our men or ships, and I’d do a number on Kharg Island. I’d go in and take it."

Sara Vakhshouri, a global energy analyst, said striking Kharg aligns squarely with Washington’s "energy dominance" doctrine and spoke as U.S. and Israeli military action in Iran rattles energy markets and disrupts oil flows through the Strait of Hormuz.

"Kharg currently acts as a strategic restraint point in the conflict," Vakhshouri, founder and president of SVB Energy International, told Fox News Digital.

"Interrupting Iran’s main export terminal would likely trigger a major oil price spike, market instability and regional retaliation against energy infrastructure."

TRUMP SAYS IT’S AN ‘HONOR’ TO KEEP STRAIT OF HORMUZ OPEN FOR CHINA AND OTHER COUNTRIES

Kharg’s significance is not only tactical but strategic, she added, arguing that it fits squarely within Trump’s long-touted doctrine.

The policy, central to Trump’s first term, prioritized maximizing U.S. oil and gas production, expanding exports and leveraging U.S. energy strength as a geopolitical tool.

"But when we talk about Kharg, the most important factor is that it fits within the U.S. energy dominance concept," Vakhshouri said, suggesting that holding the island in reserve as a pressure point — rather than immediately striking it — may be a more strategic option.

Kharg sits in the northern Persian Gulf, roughly 15 miles off Iran’s mainland. Tankers leaving the terminal pass through the Strait of Hormuz, the narrow choke point that handles about one-fifth of global oil trade.

KEANE WARNS IRAN STRIKE BECOMING ‘REGIONAL WAR,' SAYS THREE GULF STATES PREPARING FOR COMBAT

Around 90% to 95% of Iran’s crude and petroleum exports pass through Kharg, making it the regime’s primary oil revenue hub.

"Roughly 15 to 20 million barrels may be in storage, with around 1.5 to 3 million barrels per day exported through the terminal during the sanctions, with export capacity up to 5 million barrels per day," Vakhshouri said.

"If the export capability from Kharg were lost, this restraint could diminish, shifting the risk toward further strikes on regional energy facilities and, more importantly, prolonged disruption of oil flows and tanker traffic through the Strait of Hormuz," she warned.

"Putting a price ceiling on such a scenario would depend largely on Iran’s retaliatory actions," Vakhshouri added.

"The certain outcome, however, would be prolonged volatility and uncertainty in the market, driven by fears of further retaliation or an extended cycle of disruption."

Fox News Digital has reached out to the White House for comment.

President Donald Trump said he wants to keep the Strait of Hormuz open, saying it would be an "honor" to do so in an effort to help other nations that rely on the vital Middle East waterway.

Trump was speaking with reporters in Florida on Monday, when he was asked about the global energy choke point, which has been disrupted amid back-and-forth attacks between Iran and Israel and the United States. 

IRAN SEIZES OIL TANKERS, THREATENS 'MASSACRE' IN STRAIT OF HORMUZ HOURS BEFORE US TALKS

At about 21 miles wide at its narrowest point, the Strait of Hormuz is between Iran and Oman and carries roughly 20 million barrels a day and about one-fifth of global liquefied natural gas, making it a top-value target when conflict in the region erupts.

"We're really helping China here and other countries because they get a lot of their energy from the Straits," Trump said. "We have a good relationship with China. It's my honor to do it."

US POSITIONS AIRCRAFT CARRIERS, STRIKE PLATFORMS ACROSS MIDDLE EAST AS IRAN TALKS SHIFT TO OMAN

Trump is slated to meet with Chinese leader Xi Jinping later this month. While touting the United States' new energy partnership with Venezuela, Trump noted that China gets its oil through the strait. 

"I mean, we're doing this for the other parts of the world, including countries like China," he said. "They get a lot of their oil through the straits."

"We have a very good relationship with President XI (Jinping) and China," he added. "I'm going there in a short period of time, and we're protecting the world from what these lunatics are trying to do, and very successfully I might add."

The U.S. will also waive all oil-related sanctions on some countries in an effort to reduce energy prices amid the conflict in the Middle East, Trump said. 

King Charles III will reflect on "the increasing pressures of conflict" across the world in a "time of great challenge" during a speech planned for Monday, according to multiple reports. 

"We join together on this Commonwealth Day at a time of great challenge and great possibility," a preview of the 77-year-old’s Commonwealth Day speech says.

The king's speech continued: "Across our world, communities and nations face the increasing pressures of conflict, climate change and rapid transformation. Yet it is often in such testing moments that the enduring spirit of the Commonwealth is most clearly revealed."

The speech will come a little more than a week after the U.S. and Israel launched coordinated strikes against Iran, which British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said the United Kingdom didn’t take part in for the sake of their national interest.

"This is not Winston Churchill we are dealing with," President Donald Trump said earlier this week in a criticism of Starmer amid a perceived lack of support for the U.S. and Israel’s joint military operation against Iran.

UK DEPLOYING WARSHIP, HELICOPTERS TO CYPRUS AFTER DRONE STRIKE

"By the way, I’m not happy with the U.K. either," the president said, referring to Starmer blocking the United States’ use of U.K. bases to launch attacks on Iran.

Britain has since allowed the U.S. to use its bases in the region for defensive purposes against Iran’s retaliatory strikes. It has also mobilized fighter jets and plans to send a destroyer and possibly an aircraft carrier. 

The president referenced the Chagos Islands Tuesday, which are British territories in the Indian Ocean, saying it has taken "three, four days for us to work out where we can land there."

"It would have been much more convenient landing there as opposed to flying many extra hours, so we are very surprised," he said.

Later, the president said the United Kingdom has been "very, very uncooperative with that stupid island." 

"It’s a shame," Trump said. "That country, the U.K., and I love that country, I love it."

TRUMP TELLS STARMER AIRCRAFT CARRIERS NO LONGER NEEDED IN MIDEAST, ACCUSES HIM OF JOINING WAR US ‘ALREADY WON’

"This is not the age of Churchill," he added.

Trump slammed Starmer again on Saturday, accusing the prime minister of joining the war after the U.S. had "already won."

"The United Kingdom, our once Great Ally, maybe the Greatest of them all, is finally giving serious thought to sending two aircraft carriers to the Middle East," Trump wrote on Truth Social. "That’s OK, Prime Minister Starmer, we don’t need them any longer – But we will remember. We don’t need people that join Wars after we’ve already won!"

Starmer has defended his decision to stay out of the conflict, saying the U.K. was "not involved in the ​initial strikes against Iran, and we will not join offensive action now."

"But in the face of Iran's barrage of missiles and ⁠drones, we will protect our people in the region," Starmer said in an address Monday to Parliament. "President Trump has expressed his disagreement with our decision not to get involved in the ​initial strikes, but it is my duty to judge what is in Britain's national interest. That is what I’ve done, and I stand by it."

UK BLOCKS TRUMP FROM USING RAF AIR BASES FOR POTENTIAL IRAN ATTACK: REPORT

The king and other senior royals will gather at Westminster Abbey on Monday for the annual Commonwealth Day celebration, which recognizes the 56 countries voluntarily connected to the U.K., many of which were once part of the British Empire.

The preview of the speech continues: "Working together, we can ensure that the Commonwealth continues to stand as a force for good — grounded in community, committed to the kind of restorative sustainability that has a return on investment, enriched by culture, steadfast in its care for our planet, and united in friendship and in the service of its people."

Charles’ speech at the abbey will also be the largest gathering of the royal family since former Prince Andrew was arrested on Feb. 19.

Fox News' Brooke Singman contributed to this report. 

People Leo XIV on Saturday announced the appointment of the Vatican’s new ambassador, Apostolic Nuncio, to the U.S. to help manage strained relations with the Trump administration.

Italian Archbishop Gabriele Caccia, 68, a veteran Vatican diplomat who is currently ambassador to the United Nations, previously served as ambassador to the Philippines and Lebanon.

Caccia is replacing 80-year-old Cardinal Christophe Pierre, who is retiring.

"I receive this mission with both joy and a sense of trepidation," Caccia said after the appointment, according to the Vatican News. He added that his mission was "at the service of communion and peace," remembering that 2026 marks the 250th anniversary of the U.S.

WHITE HOUSE SAYS NO TO CATHOLIC BISHOPS' CALL FOR CHRISTMAS PAUSE IN IMMIGRATION ENFORCEMENT

The pope and President Donald Trump have been at odds over key issues for the White House, including immigration and the war in Iran.

Pierre's ambassadorship was also at times at odds with the more conservative U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops while representing Pope Francis’ more progressive priorities.

"Stability and peace are not built with mutual threats, nor with weapons, which sow destruction, pain and death, but only through a reasonable, authentic and responsible dialogue," the American-born pope said Sunday after the U.S. and Israel launched coordinated strikes on Iran, according to the outlet Chicago Catholic.

POPE LEO URGES DIALOGUE OVER MILITARY ACTION AFTER FAILED MADURO, TRUMP CALL

"Faced with the possibility of a tragedy of enormous proportions, I address to the parties involved a heartfelt appeal to assume the moral responsibility to stop the spiral of violence before it becomes an irreparable abyss."

In early January, Leo also delivered a major policy speech, mostly in English, after the U.S. military action in Venezuela.

"War is back in vogue, and a zeal for war is spreading," the pope warned in the speech.

Trump called it a "great honor for our country" when Leo was elected pope last May after Pope Francis’ death. When asked about Leo’s remarks earlier this year seemingly pressing him on policy, Trump told Politico he hadn’t seen the statements from the pontiff, but "I’m sure he’s a lovely man."

He also said he had met with the pope’s brother, who he called "serious MAGA."

Last fall, the pope suggested that supporting the "inhuman treatment of immigrants in the United States" is not "pro-life," leaving White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt to "reject there was inhumane treatment of illegal immigrants in the United States under this administration."

Leavitt, who is Catholic, added that the administration always tries to be as humane as possible while enforcing laws.

Archbishop Paul S. Coakley, current president of the U.S. conference, said after Caccia’s appointment, "On behalf of my brother bishops, I wish to extend our warmest welcome and our prayerful support to him as he carries out his responsibilities across the United States."

Trump won 59% of the Catholic vote in the 2024 election, according to Politico.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.