Russia hammered civilian areas of Ukraine with hundreds of drones and dozens of missiles in an attack that stretched for hours from daytime into the night, killing at least 16 people and injuring more than 80 others as terrified residents cowered in their homes, officials said Thursday.

Russia launched nearly 700 drones and dozens of ballistic and cruise missiles, primarily targeting civilians, in its biggest aerial barrage in almost two weeks, authorities said.

Tetiana Sokol, a 54-year-old resident of Kyiv, said two missiles hit near her home and she took cover with her dog in the hallway as flashes lit up the night and windows shattered from the blast wave.

"On the third attack everything broke, everything flew, we were shocked, we didn’t know where to run. I grabbed whatever came to hand and ran away with the dog," she told The Associated Press. "I still can’t find the cats in the house, they climbed out somewhere, I don’t even know. No windows, nothing, the dog is still walking around in stress."

RUSSIAN WINTER STRIKE LEAVES NEARLY 800K HOMES WITHOUT POWER AND HEAT IN UKRAINE’S DNIPRO REGION

Moscow's forces have hit civilian areas almost daily since its all-out invasion of its neighbor more than four years ago, with the regular assaults occasionally punctuated by massive attacks. More than 15,000 Ukrainian civilians have died in the strikes, the United Nations says.

Zelenskyy on a mission to improve air defenses

The latest bombardment came in the wake of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's 48-hour trip this week to Germany, Norway and Italy in an urgent search for more air defense systems that can stop Russian missiles.

Ukraine has developed a significant domestic arms industry, especially in the production of drones and missiles, but it can’t yet match the sophistication of U.S. Patriot air defense systems. Ukraine’s top diplomatic priority is securing allies’ help to buy and build more and better air defenses, Zelenskyy said this week.

Cash-strapped Ukraine also needs the speedy disbursement of a promised loan from the European Union of 90 billion euros ($106 billion) that has been blocked by Hungary.

Ukraine fears the Iran war is burning through stockpiles of the advanced American-made systems it needs, and has argued against a U.S. temporary waiver on Russian oil sanctions that Kyiv says is helping finance the Kremlin's war effort.

US ACCUSES RUSSIA OF 'DANGEROUS AND INEXPLICABLE ESCALATION' IN UKRAINE WAR DURING PEACE NEGOTIATIONS

"Another night has proven that Russia does not deserve any easing of global policy or lifting of sanctions," Zelenskyy said on X.

He thanked Germany, Norway and Italy for new agreements this week on supporting Ukraine's air defense. Officials are also working with the Netherlands on additional supplies, he said.

At the same time, he noted that some partner countries haven't followed through on pledges of military support.

"I have instructed the Commander of the Air Force to contact those partners who earlier committed to providing missiles for Patriot and other systems," Zelenskyy said.

Other areas of Ukraine and Russia were also hit

The bombardment was the biggest in weeks. Last month, Russia fired 948 drones and 34 missiles in the space of 24 hours in the largest assault of the war on civilian areas.

At least four people were killed overnight in Kyiv, including a 12-year-old, with more than 50 others injured, according to authorities. Officials said the attack damaged 17 apartment buildings, 10 private homes, as well as a hotel, office center, car dealership, gas station and a shopping mall in the capital.

RUSSIAN DRONE ATTACK ON PASSENGER TRAIN IS AN ‘ACT OF TERRORISM,’ ZELENSKYY SAYS

Nine people were killed and 23 injured in the southern port city of Odesa, three women were killed and around three dozen injured in the central Dnipro region, and one person was killed in Zaporizhzhia in the south.

"Such attacks cannot be normalized. These are war crimes that must be stopped and their perpetrators held to account," Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha said on X.

Ukraine’s air force said air defenses shot down or disabled 667 out of 703 incoming targets, including 636 Shahed-type drones and other uncrewed aerial vehicles.

It said 20 strike drones and 12 missiles hit 26 locations.

Meanwhile, in Russia, Krasnodar regional Gov. Veniamin Kondratyev reported that a 14-year-old girl and a woman were killed in Ukrainian strikes in the Black Sea port of Tuapse.

He said that attacks damaged six apartment buildings, 24 private houses and three schools. Drone fragments also fell near the port of Tuapse.

Russia’s Defense Ministry said that its air defenses downed 207 Ukrainian drones overnight.

Péter Magyar has gone from political outsider to Hungary’s most powerful politician almost overnight.

The 44-year-old lawyer and former insider in former Prime Minister Viktor Orbán’s ruling party swept to victory in Hungary’s 2026 election, ending Orbán’s 16-year rule and stunning Europe.

"Thank you to every Hungarian at home and around the world!" he wrote on X. "It is an immense honor that you have empowered us to form a government with the most votes ever received, and to work for the next four years for a free, European, functioning, and humane Hungary."

Here are the key things to know about the man now set to lead Hungary.

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

Magyar was born in 1981 in Budapest, Hungary, into a family of lawyers. He was just nine years old when communism collapsed in Hungary and the country held its first democratic elections.

As a child, he idolized Orbán, who at the time was a young anti-Communist activist demanding that Soviet troops leave Hungary. Magyar has said he kept a photo of Orbán on his bedroom wall, Reuters reported.

That early admiration makes his rise all the more remarkable: the boy who once saw Orbán as a hero ultimately became the politician who ended his rule.

Before becoming Orbán’s biggest challenger, Magyar was part of the same Hungarian political establishment.

He spent years inside Orbán’s conservative Fidesz movement and worked in positions connected to the Hungarian state. Because of that background, analysts say Magyar understands the system from the inside.

"He’s an insider," said Helena Ivanov, an associate research fellow at the Henry Jackson Society (HJS), a London-based foreign policy think tank. "He knows and understands the inside out of the Hungarian political system."

That insider status, she added, was "exceptionally important" to his success.

VIKTOR ORBÁN CONCEDES DEFEAT AS OPPOSITION LEADER HEADS FOR POTENTIAL SUPERMAJORITY WIN

Like many members of Hungary’s political elite, Magyar trained as a lawyer.

After studying law, he entered public service. When his then-wife took a position in Brussels, Magyar joined Hungary’s diplomatic corps and worked on European Union legislation.

After returning to Hungary, he held senior positions at a state-owned bank and later ran Hungary’s student loan agency.

His background gave him experience in both Brussels and the Hungarian bureaucracy, helping him position himself as a bridge between Hungary and the European Union.

Magyar married Judit Varga in 2006. Varga later became one of Orbán’s most prominent ministers and served as Hungary’s justice minister.

For years, that marriage placed Magyar close to the center of power in Hungary. 

The couple had three sons, but their marriage eventually broke down. They divorced in 2023, shortly before Magyar launched his political rebellion.

Magyar’s political transformation began after a scandal that rocked Hungary in 2024.

Varga resigned after public outrage over a pardon linked to a child sexual abuse case. The scandal opened a rare crack in Orbán’s government.

Magyar publicly broke with Fidesz, accusing the government of corruption and propaganda.

For Ivanov, that moment was decisive.

"The key breakdown was the fact that Orbán’s government participated in a cover-up … and that ultimately led him to start his own political campaign," she said.

Until 2024, most Hungarians had barely heard of Magyar. 

Then he gave a high-profile interview and launched a new political movement. Within months, he transformed himself into the face of Hungary’s opposition.

His Tisza party won 30% in the 2024 European elections, before defeating Fidesz nationally less than two years later.

Ivanov said his rapid rise came down to strategy.

"He was able to capture the hearts and minds of the Hungarian people by focusing … on the internal issues that were their key grievances," she said.

Magyar is not a traditional liberal politician.

Like Orbán, he opposes illegal immigration, supports Hungary’s border fence and rejects European Union migrant quotas.

"When it comes to immigration, I’m not really that sure that we’re going to see much of a change," Ivanov told Fox News Digital. "Magyar so far has made it clear that the fence originally built by Orbán will stay in place. He has said that he is not going to support the EU migration pact."

"So that’s one thing where we may possibly see some continuity, or at least some overlap, between Magyar and Orbán," she added. "But … bringing the country back to a stable democracy is one of the key priorities that Magyar has."

But unlike Orbán, he has pledged to rebuild ties with the European Union and unlock frozen EU funds.

VP VANCE TO MEET WITH VIKTOR ORBÁN IN HUNGARY DAYS AHEAD OF FOREIGN NATION'S ELECTIONS

Ivanov said the shift could be significant, especially after years of deteriorating relations with Brussels.

"He has promised to rebuild the relationship between the European Union and Hungary," she said.

Still, she cautioned that tensions may remain, particularly over Russia and Ukraine policy.

Magyar describes himself as religious and often emphasizes family life.

He has said he enjoys cooking and playing soccer with his sons.

That image has helped him appeal to conservative voters who were disillusioned with Orbán but not ready to support a left-wing alternative.

Magyar built his victory through a grassroots campaign. He focused on corruption, cost of living and frustration after 16 years under one leader.

Because Orbán’s allies controlled much of Hungary’s media, he relied heavily on social media, rural outreach and direct voter engagement.

Ivanov said that approach was not just strategic, but necessary.

"The control that Orbán had over the media meant Magyar had to directly engage with the people," she said.

Ivanov noted that Magyar did not appear on state television for 18 months. His first appearance came only after his victory, during what she described as "a very heated conversation" in which he accused Hungarian state media of carrying out "North Korean-style propaganda" under Orbán.

Now, after years as an insider and barely two years as an opposition figure, Magyar is preparing to take power.

Magyar has already signaled that he intends to move quickly against officials tied to the old system. 

In a post on X on Wednesday, he said he had arrived at the presidential palace to meet Hungarian President Tamás Sulyok.

"Tamás Sulyok is unworthy of representing the unity of the Hungarian nation," Magyar wrote. "He is unfit to serve as the guardian of legality. He is not fit to serve as a moral authority or a role model."

"Following the formation of the new government, Tamás Sulyok must leave office immediately."

Ivanov called the result "a huge victory for democracy," but said that reversing years of institutional control "is not going to be an easy process … likely a years-long process."

Reuters contributed to this report.

Iran is set to execute its first female protester tied to the January 2026 uprising in Tehran, according to multiple human rights organizations. 

Bita Hemmati was named in a collective death sentencing alongside three other defendants, including her husband, Mohammadreza Majid-Asl, 34, according to the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI) and the Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA).

The couple’s reported neighbors, Behrouz Zamaninejad and Kourosh Zamaninejad, were also sentenced to death, while a relative, Amir Hemmati, received five years in prison.

The verdicts mark some of the most recent capital punishment decisions amid the government’s broader crackdown on suppressing unrest. Possibly thousands of protesters have reportedly been killed since demonstrations erupted this year.

TRUMP DETAILS SWEEPING 'ALL OR NOTHING' BLOCKADE OF STRAIT OF HORMUZ AFTER FAILED IRAN TALKS

"Mohammadreza Majidi-Asl and Bita Hemmati are a couple living in Tehran, and Amir Hemmati is a relative of the two," a source told HRANA. "Kourosh Zamaninejad and Behrouz Zamaninejad were living in the same residential building, and their arrests took place simultaneously."

No execution date has yet been given.

The Tehran Revolutionary Court reportedly accused the defendants of multiple offenses, including national security disruption in connection with the "hostile government of the United States," according to HRANA.

On Jan. 8 and 9, the defendants allegedly used explosives and weapons, threw objects such as concrete blocks and incendiary materials from rooftops, injured security forces, and engaged in "propaganda against the regime" in an effort to undermine security, according to federal authorities.

IRAN THREATENS TO HALT RED SEA TRAFFIC IN RESPONSE TO US MILITARY BLOCKADE OF PORTS

Alongside the capital punishment verdicts, the court also issued five years of discretionary imprisonment and ordered the seizure of their personal assets. 

Officials added that the fifth associate, Amir Hemmati, was specifically convicted of "assembly and collusion against national security" and "propaganda against the regime," the groups said.

Human rights activists further raised concerns that the defendants’ confessions may have been coerced, citing allegations of torture and interrogation.

The organizations, which are urging a halt to the executions, also claimed a lack of specific evidence linking the accused to the alleged crimes, and argued that Tehran is seeking to intimidate the public in order to prevent future civilian unrest. 

Widespread protests first erupted in late December 2025 in Tehran amid an economic crisis marked by a collapsing currency and soaring inflation. Tensions then quickly escalated into broader anti-government unrest that spread across multiple cities.

Washington officially joined the conflict with the launch of Operation Epic Fury on Feb. 28, 2026, when it conducted massive joint airstrikes with Israel that killed Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei. 

Ukraine’s allies pledged a massive new military aid package Wednesday, including 120,000 drones from the U.K., as Russia launched hundreds of drones and ballistic missiles in fresh overnight strikes.

The commitments came as Kyiv warned of escalating Russian bombardments and urgently pressed for more air defenses.

Russia launched 324 drones and three ballistic missiles at Ukraine overnight Wednesday, Ukrainian officials said, part of a broader surge in aerial assaults, according to Reuters.

Russian strikes hit more than a half a dozen areas of Ukraine behind the front line on Tuesday and Wednesday, The Associated Press reported.

‘ONLY TRUMP CAN STOP RUSSIA’: MILLIONS FACE FREEZING WINTER, UKRAINE ENERGY EXECUTIVE WARNS

Between November and March alone, Moscow fired roughly 27,000 Shahed-type drones, nearly 600 cruise missiles and 462 ballistic missiles, according to Ukrainian Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov.

"Every day we need air defense missiles—every day Russia continues its strikes," Zelenskyy said in a post on Telegram.

The latest attacks struck multiple regions behind the front lines, killing an 8-year-old boy in the central Cherkasy region and injuring a woman in southern Zaporizhzhia, according to Ukrainian officials.

RUSSIAN ATTACK ON KHARKIV WIPES OUT YOUNG FAMILY, LEAVING PREGNANT MOTHER AS SOLE SURVIVOR

The war, which began with Russia’s full-scale invasion in February 2022, has now stretched beyond three years.

Defense leaders from about 50 countries met virtually Wednesday to coordinate military aid and boost weapons production and especially air defense systems.

The session was led by German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius and British Defense Secretary John Healey, with NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte also present. The United States was represented by Under Secretary of Defense for Policy Elbridge Colby.

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

Several countries also announced new contributions to Ukraine. Germany and Ukraine agreed on a 4 billion-euro ($4.7 billion) defense package, while Norway pledged 9 billion euros (about $10.6 billion) in assistance.

The Netherlands said it will spend 248 million euros ($293 million) to produce drones for Ukraine. The United Kingdom pledged 120,000 drones.

Russia pushed back on the expanded support, warning that European efforts to boost drone production for Ukraine risk deepening their involvement in the conflict.

The Russian Defense Ministry said the decisions by European countries to supply drones to Ukraine was leading to an escalation of the military-political situation and a "creeping transformation" into Ukraine’s strategic support base, TASS reported.

UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer faces a "crimes against humanity" complaint at the United Nations over the treatment of the Chagossian people, as tensions rise after an Iranian missile attempt targeting Diego Garcia in the Indian Ocean.

Starmer, who is named in the filling, has been reported specifically over the removal of four people who returned to the island, in a complaint filed by the Attorney General for the Chagossian Government.

James Tumbridge's filing also comes as the exiled leadership stressed the importance of strong ties with the United States, telling Fox News Digital that Washington is a "brother in arms for global security."

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

On March 20, Iran launched two ballistic missiles toward Diego Garcia from more than 2,300 miles away, missing the target but underscoring the base’s strategic importance.

Chagossian leaders have since backed continued U.S. presence, with First Minister Misley Mandarin saying they want to "uphold the 1966 agreement and consider the U.S. as a brother in arms for global security."

The 1966 agreement allowed the U.S. to use Diego Garcia for defense purposes, initially for 50 years.

"The desire of the Chagossian Government is to have a positive relationship with the U.S., and an ongoing presence on Diego Garcia of the U.S. military," Tumbridge also told Fox News Digital.

TRUMP PROVEN RIGHT ON IRAN'S LONG-RANGE MISSILE CAPABILITY AS REGIME TARGETS US-UK BASE, EXPERTS SAY

Meanwhile, Tumbridge’s U.N. submission claims U.K. actions risk the "forced depopulation" of the Chagos Islands.

Expulsions began in 1968, when about 2,000 residents were removed, culminating in 1973, and in February the U.K. issued new removal orders to four Chagossians who had returned to the islands.

The filing calls the situation "forced displacement" that could constitute "a crime against humanity by forced depopulation of a territory."

It warns the British Government of a "fresh crime now" that could complete a decades-long erasure of the Indigenous population, stating, "The removal of these four persons would result in the total physical erasure of the Chagossian people," potentially "amounting to ethnic cleansing."

FARAGE SLAMS BRITISH PRIME MINISTER FOR ‘EXTRAORDINARY’ LACK OF SUPPORT FOR TRUMP'S IRAN STRIKES

"The BIOT commissioner accepted that the Chagossians were wronged in the past," Tumbridge said Wednesday.

"How can the U.K. prime minister, who claims to value the rule of law and human rights, not want to right that wrong and let the people return to their islands?" he added.

The filing also comes as the U.K. considers transferring sovereignty of the Chagos Islands to Mauritius.

This followed a 2019 International Court of Justice opinion, while preserving the Diego Garcia base under a 99-year lease.

President Donald Trump criticized the proposed handover, and the U.K. has since paused legislation to formalize the deal, with ministers saying it has become "impossible to agree at a political level."

The legislation was expected to be included in the King’s Speech outlining the next parliamentary session’s agenda.

Fox News Digital has reached out to 10 Downing Street for comment.

A 14-year-old boy is dead after allegedly killing at least nine people and wounding 13 more at a Turkish middle school Wednesday, according to media and official reports.

The boy reportedly carried out the violent attack, the second of its kind in as many days in Turkey, with guns belonging to his father, a former police officer, according to regional governor Mukerrem Unluer.

"A student came to school with guns that we believe belonged to his father in his backpack. He entered two classrooms and opened fire randomly, causing injuries and deaths," Unluer told reporters at the scene, per multiple media reports.

Eight of the deaths were students, while the other was of a teacher, Turkey's Interior Minister Mustafa Ciftci told reporters, per Reuters.

TRUMP SQUEEZED BETWEEN ISRAEL AND TURKEY AS NETANYAHU, ERDOGAN ESCALATE FEUD

Ciftci was also adamant that this was a "sole incident" and not a terror attack.

The shooting took place at Ayser Çalık Middle School in Turkey's Kahramanmaras region, roughly 140 miles west of the high school where another student killed himself after injuring 16 others in a shooting one day earlier.

Shooting deaths are rare in Turkey, with just over 2.6 per 100,000 residents every year, compared to the U.S.'s 14.5. Applicants must be at least 21 years old and go through a rigorous medical clearance and background check process.

Firearm acquisition is, however, considerably more expedient for professionals with certain careers, such as law enforcement.

Despite the difficulties, Turkey has now been rocked by two mass shootings in two days. In response, the government has urged citizens not to spread misinformation and to protect the peace.

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

"Managing the process with sound judgment, protecting societal peace, and particularly ensuring the psychological security of our children are of utmost importance," the country's Ministry of Communications also posted on X.

"It is essential for our media organizations to act with the utmost sense of responsibility in their broadcasting policies," the post continued, adding that "such incidents create a highly fertile ground for disinformation."

Four chief inspectors and four inspector generals have been assigned to an investigation into the incident, the Turkish Ministry of the Interior wrote on X.

Iran is moving tens of millions of barrels of oil through covert offshore networks to bypass the new U.S. blockade on its ports, maritime intelligence firm Windward AI says.

The blockade, which took effect April 13, came amid a two-week ceasefire and failed peace talks between the U.S. and Iran, and as President Donald Trump insisted the waterway must remain open, through which roughly 20% of the world’s oil passes.

"Iranian oil distribution continues through indirect routing and offshore transfer networks," Windward told Fox News Digital.

"As of April 13, at least 11 tankers carrying approximately 20 million barrels of Iranian oil are positioned offshore Malaysia within a ship-to-ship transfer hub," the firm determined.

TRUMP DETAILS SWEEPING 'ALL OR NOTHING' BLOCKADE OF STRAIT OF HORMUZ AFTER FAILED IRAN TALKS

"These vessels are likely awaiting counterpart vessels for offloading or preparing for onward movement."

Windward also clarified that the concentration highlights Iran’s "continued use of offshore storage and transfer mechanisms."

This allows Iranian oil flows to "persist outside direct transit through the Strait."

"Dark activity remains a central enabler of ongoing operations, supporting both post-transit port calls and broader evasion strategies," Windward added.

"At the same time, Iranian oil flows are increasingly routed through offshore hubs, reducing reliance on direct Hormuz transit."

U.S. forces began implementing the blockade at 10 a.m. ET April 13 after Trump vowed to block "any and all ships from trying to enter or leave" the strait, following weeks of pressure on Tehran.

IRAN THREATENS TO HALT RED SEA TRAFFIC IN RESPONSE TO US MILITARY BLOCKADE OF PORTS

As previously reported by Fox News Digital, the U.S. military confirmed Wednesday it stopped nine oil tankers from attempting to breach the blockade.

"During the first 48 hours of the U.S. blockade on ships entering and exiting Iranian ports, no vessels have made it past U.S. forces," U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) said.

"Additionally, nine vessels have complied with direction from U.S. forces to turn around and return toward an Iranian port or coastal area," CENTCOM wrote on X.

Fox News was also told all nine vessels were oil tankers. None of the vessels ordered to turn around needed to be boarded by U.S. forces, a senior U.S. defense official said.

On the first "full day" of the blockade, April 14, however, under active U.S. enforcement, Windward noted vessel behavior indicating "a fragmented and uneven response to the blockade."

"Initial movements show a combination of continued transit, route deviation and potential evasion," the firm said.

MORNING GLORY: THE US-IRAN NEGOTIATIONS IN ISLAMABAD BECAME REYKJAVÍK 2.0

"Sanctioned and falsely flagged vessels remain active, with some proceeding through the Strait while others delay, reverse course or adjust routing patterns.

"Iranian oil flows continue through indirect distribution networks, with significant volumes accumulating offshore rather than transiting directly through Hormuz."

CENTCOM said the blockade would apply only to maritime traffic entering and exiting Iranian ports.

It stressed that U.S. forces would not "impede freedom of navigation" for vessels transiting the strait to and from other destinations.

The blockade on the key trade route would be enforced "impartially" against any vessels entering or departing Iranian ports, including those in the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman.

So far, sanctioned and falsely flagged vessels continue to operate under evolving enforcement conditions.

Rich Starry, a U.S.-sanctioned handy-size tanker signaling laden status, resumed outbound transit after previously turning around.

Windward said that its routing did not follow the Larak Island corridor and instead aligned with the alternative outbound path proposed by Iran.

At the same time, Murlikishan, a U.S.-sanctioned chemical tanker, was also observed journeying inbound, Windward clarified.

Hezbollah, an Iran-backed terrorist group, saw its command structure across Lebanon come under what Israeli officials described as one of the most devastating blows of the war April 8.

Nearly simultaneously, explosions tore through Beirut, Lebanon, the Beqaa Valley and southern Lebanon as roughly 50 Israeli aircraft struck more than 100 Hezbollah targets.

The targets were not rocket launchers or weapons depots, according to Israel Defense Forces (IDF), but the nerve centers of the organization: command rooms, intelligence headquarters and offices where Hezbollah commanders planned the next stage of the fight.

The strike marked a new phase in the war between Israel and Hezbollah, which erupted March 2 after Hezbollah entered the conflict in support of Iran — one day after U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran and the killing of Iran's Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Since then, Hezbollah has fired rockets, drones and anti-tank missiles into northern Israel, while Israel has responded with widening airstrikes and a ground offensive inside southern Lebanon.

BROTHER OF MICHIGAN SYNAGOGUE ATTACKER WAS HEZBOLLAH TERRORIST, ISRAEL ALLEGES

"Within only a minute, the IDF eliminated 250 Hezbollah terrorists in three areas simultaneously," the Israeli military said in a statement, adding that the assessment is still ongoing. 

IDF spokesman Lt. Col. Nadav Shoshani told Fox News Digital the strike was the result of weeks of intelligence work.

Israeli intelligence agencies tracked Hezbollah operatives as they moved between apartments, offices and safe houses across Lebanon.

"The timing had to do with the preparations," Shoshani said. "There was weeks of amazing intelligence."

Asked whether the operation showed Israel still has deep penetration inside Hezbollah despite months of war, Shoshani pointed to the scale of the attack.

"The fact that we were able to find 250 terrorists hiding in different locations in Lebanon, many of them in locations for recent weeks, eliminating them in real time, I think the capabilities speak for themselves," he said.

Lebanese President Joseph Aoun condemned Wednesday's strikes.

"The scale of the killing and destruction in Lebanon today is nothing short of horrific," said United Nations Human Rights Chief Volker Türk. "Such carnage, within hours of agreeing to a ceasefire with Iran, defies belief."

Hezbollah said the day after the attack that it fired rockets at Israel, "This response will continue until the Israeli-American aggression against our country and our people ceases," the group said in a statement.

IDF UNCOVERS HEZBOLLAH WEAPONS STASH INSIDE HOSPITAL IN LEBANON

The strike drew a comparison to the "beeper" operation in September 2024, when thousands of pagers and walkie-talkies used by Hezbollah operatives exploded almost simultaneously across Lebanon and Syria in an operation widely attributed to Israel.

The blasts killed more than 40 people and wounded roughly 4,000, according to Lebanese authorities, while Hezbollah later acknowledged that about 1,500 fighters were taken out of action. The operation shattered Hezbollah's communications network and became the benchmark in Israel for a strike that fundamentally changed the battlefield.

"The beeper had more of an effective injuries that was the purpose of it," Shoshani said. "But both targeted hundreds of terrorists, and within 60 seconds."

Like the beeper operation, he said, the April 8 strike was intended not just to kill operatives but to throw Hezbollah into disarray.

"It was important to the aspect of creating disarray, of breaking their chain of command, breaking their command and patrol capabilities, and kind of tilting the organization out of balance," he said.

A former Israeli intelligence official, speaking on background, said the strike may not have reached the level of the beeper operation, but appeared to hit an unusually broad layer of Hezbollah's middle ranks. 

Hezbollah remains in shock from the blow, according to the former official, even if that has not yet been reflected in a drop in its rocket fire.

But he cautioned against judging the operation only by the number of people killed.

The real measure, he said, is whether the strike changes the course of the war and leaves Hezbollah less able to operate.

The IDF said many of those killed belonged to Hezbollah's Radwan Force — Hezbollah's most capable and best-trained combat unit, intelligence apparatus, missile units and aerial Unit 127. 

The Israeli military said most of the targets were embedded inside civilian areas.

"Most of the infrastructure that was struck was located within the heart of the civilian population," the IDF said.

HEZBOLLAH, IRAN UNLEASH COORDINATED CLUSTER BOMB STRIKES ON ISRAEL IN MAJOR ESCALATION

Shoshani said Israel warned civilians to evacuate before the strikes, but Hezbollah moved its operatives into new civilian locations.

"When we gave the warnings for areas, civilians moved out, then Hezbollah saw that they moved out and started hiding behind civilians in new locations," he said.

Despite the blow, Israeli officials say Hezbollah remains a major threat. Shoshani said the group, which before the war possessed between 150,000 and 200,000 rockets and missiles, still has the ability to fire into Israel.

"They still are a real threat for our civilians," he said.

The strike comes as Israel and Lebanon opened their first direct talks in more than three decades at the U.S. State Department in Washington. 

Lebanese President Joseph Aoun has signaled willingness to discuss normalization and the eventual disarmament of Hezbollah, while Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has insisted there will be no ceasefire until Hezbollah is dismantled and pushed back from the border.

Within hours of the diplomatic opening, Israeli warplanes again struck Lebanon and Hezbollah fired rockets into northern Israel.

Reuters contributed to this report.

AUSCHWITZ: A Holocaust survivor from Canada has warned about growing antisemitism in his country, calling on the nation's leaders to take action against perpetrators.

Nate Leipciger spoke at the annual March of the Living at Auschwitz in Poland on Tuesday as thousands gathered to commemorate those killed in the Holocaust against a backdrop of growing antisemitism in the world. 

The 98-year-old said he was recently targeted in Toronto when mezuzahs (sacred parchment scrolls) were forcibly removed from apartment doors in his building. 

The violence increased in March when his synagogue was also targeted in a drive-by shooting. "The front doors and lobby were destroyed. It is terrible that we have lost our sense of security," Leipciger told Fox News Digital. 

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

"Once you lose that, you no longer know when or where the next attack might occur. It is deeply troubling to live in a free, democratic country — where everyone is meant to have equal rights — and to be persecuted in this way," he added.

Born in Poland in 1928, Leipciger was deported to Auschwitz in 1943. He survived multiple camps and a death march before being liberated in 1945, later immigrating to Canada in 1948.

The only way to prevent history from repeating itself, he said, is to advocate for the truth and confront deception and lies.

"The running is over. For centuries, we ran. We have to stand up for our right to live as Jews in any country, including Israel, as free citizens enjoying the fruits of Western culture, of which we are part," he added.

Since the Hamas-led Oct. 7, 2023, massacre, Canada has seen a sharp rise in antisemitism, with B’nai Brith Canada reporting 6,219 incidents in 2024 — more than double the number recorded in 2022.

While figures for 2025 have yet to be released, Public Safety Canada noted that from April to June 2025, "Among hate crimes targeting religion… the majority were directed at the Jewish community (69%)."

CANADA’S CARNEY UNDER PRESSURE TO ACT AFTER SYNAGOGUES SHOT AT IN LATEST ANTISEMITIC INCIDENTS

Canadian Jewish communities are "extremely concerned" about a surge in antisemitism, a reality conveyed by Israeli officials both privately and publicly to Prime Minister Mark Carney’s government.

"We are aware of extreme concern among Jewish communities in Canada about their safety and well-being, both as individuals and as communities, including their institutions," Israeli Ambassador to Ottawa Ido Moed told Fox News Digital. "Israel views the recent attacks against synagogues as very serious and considers Canada among the high-risk countries in terms of shooting incidents."

Moed said Israel has offered to expand cooperation with Canada across areas including education and security coordination, and has initiated roundtable discussions on policy, regulation and best practices.

U.S. Special Envoy to Monitor and Combat Antisemitism Yehuda Kaploun told Fox News Digital at Auschwitz that leadership accountability is critical to confronting antisemitism.

"It is incumbent upon law enforcement in various countries to designate terrorist organizations, as we have done with certain aspects of the Muslim Brotherhood and Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. The world should do so collectively, and America is leading the way in that battle," Kaploun said.

Earlier this month, shots were fired at a Jewish-owned restaurant in Toronto during Passover. In March, Israel’s minister of Diaspora affairs and combating antisemitism, Amichai Chikli, sent a letter urging Ottawa to increase efforts to protect Jewish communities after three synagogues in the Toronto area were hit by gunfire within just one week.

ISRAEL'S NETANYAHU DEMANDS WESTERN GOVERNMENTS ACT TO BATTLE ANTISEMITISM: 'HEED OUR WARNINGS'

Richard Marceau, senior vice president of strategic initiatives and general counsel at the Center for Israel and Jewish Affairs, noted that Jewish Canadians are 25 times more likely than any other group to be victims of hate crimes.

"What we have seen in Canada is an all-level systemic failure to address Jew-hatred," he told Fox News Digital.

"Confronting this crisis is essential not only to protect the Jewish community, but to safeguard the future of the Canadian way of life," he continued. "All levels of government must do more to protect Canadians, including ensuring robust and consistent enforcement of existing laws, improving transparency in prosecutorial decisions, strengthening support – including financially – for community security, and addressing the drivers of radicalization in Canada."

SanJaya Wijayakoon, an RCMP superintendent in Vancouver who joined a global law enforcement delegation on the March of the Living, said engagement with the Jewish community is central to policing.

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"A big part of our work is to build contacts and maintain strong relationships through which we can receive information, provide advice and guidance on ensuring safety, and, if something crosses the line into criminality, investigate it fully," he said.

"I think as the years pass, fewer and fewer people within the police understand what happened in 1945 in Europe. Being in this program and on this march allows us to return and speak to our people about what I learned and observed, and they can apply it in their day-to-day work," he added.

Sylvan Adams, president of the World Jewish Congress Israel Region, pointed to the recent synagogue shootings in Toronto and criticized the government's response as insufficient.

"I would like to see the prime minister properly define the problem and stop pussyfooting around, pretending radical Islam does not exist," Adams said.

"We are under attack. Foreign actors are operating in Western countries in three areas: they are sending radical imams into mosques, they are investing massive amounts of money in educational systems and they are targeting us on social media. I find the response by Western leaders, with the exception of President Trump, to be entirely lacking," he said.

"Everyone in the West needs to wake up. They are trying to take away our freedom. It starts with the Jews but never ends with the Jews," he added.

Police in London are on the hunt Wednesday for two masked suspects behind an attempted arson attack on a synagogue that is being treated as an "antisemitic hate crime." 

The United Kingdom’s Metropolitan Police said the individuals, who were wearing "dark clothing and balaclavas," approached the synagogue in the Finchley neighborhood shortly after midnight Wednesday and "threw two bottles, suspected to contain petrol, and a brick at the building." 

"We are aware of the significant concern that this incident will cause in the community, particularly in the wake of the arson attack in Golders Green last month," Detective Chief Superintendent Luke Williams said. "We are working with the affected synagogue and continuing to meet with community leaders." 

"I would like to reassure the community that we take incidents of this nature extremely seriously and detectives are working urgently to identify the suspects," he added. 

UK PROSECUTORS CHARGE 3 IN ARSON ATTACK ON JEWISH AMBULANCES IN LONDON

Police said neither bottle ignited and no damage or injuries were reported. 

British prosecutors earlier this month charged three suspects — ages 17, 19 and 20 — in an alleged arson attack targeting Jewish community ambulances in north London. 

The March 23 incident unfolded at around 1:45 a.m. in the Golders Green neighborhood, where four ambulances operated by a volunteer emergency service serving the Jewish community were deliberately set ablaze in a synagogue parking lot.

EVANGELICAL LEADERS RALLY FOR TRUMP AND ISRAEL AS OPERATION EPIC FURY RESHAPES THE REGION

In the latest incident, the Metropolitan Police said no arrests have been made as of Wednesday afternoon local time. 

"If you have any CCTV, dash cam footage or information that could help officers please contact the police," Williams said.

"Residents can expect to see a heightened police presence in the area over the coming days. We have brought in additional officers and would urge anyone with concerns to speak to them," he added. 

Fox News Digital’s Sophia Compton contributed to this report. 

An Iranian general warned Wednesday that Tehran could shut down traffic in the Red Sea and other regional shipping lanes if the U.S. military’s blockade of Iranian ports continues. 

The remarks from Maj. Gen. Ali Abdollahi Aliabadi of the Khatam-al Anbiya Central Headquarters, which is Iran’s top military command, were aired by Iranian state television, according to the Middle East Eye. 

Aliabadi said if the U.S. blockade continues, it "creates insecurity for Iran's commercial vessels and oil tankers" and constitutes "a prelude" to violating the ongoing U.S.-Iran ceasefire, the news outlet reported. 

"The powerful armed forces of the Islamic Republic will not allow any exports or imports to continue in the Persian Gulf, the Sea of Oman, and the Red Sea," Aliabadi reportedly added.

LIVE UPDATES: US MILITARY MAINTAINING BLOCKADE ON IRANIAN PORTS AS PEACE TALKS ARE SET TO BEGIN

The White House, when asked by Fox News Digital for comment, provided a statement from press secretary Karoline Leavitt in which she said "President Trump, Vice President Vance and the negotiating team have made the U.S. redlines very clear."

"The Iranians’ desperation for a deal will only increase with President Trump’s highly effective Naval blockade now in effect, which is sending oil tankers towards the big, beautiful Gulf of America," Leavitt said.

U.S. Central Command released a statement Wednesday saying the U.S. stopped nine vessels attempting to break the blockade on Iranian ports. Fox News is told all nine were oil tankers.

A senior U.S. defense official also confirmed to Fox News on Wednesday a report from Reuters that a U.S. destroyer interdicted two oil tankers that were trying to leave Iran on Tuesday. 

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A U.S. official told Reuters that the ships left Chabahar port in the Gulf of Oman before being contacted by the U.S. warship through radio communication.  

"During the first 48 hours of the U.S. blockade on ships entering and exiting Iranian ports, no vessels have made it past U.S. forces," U.S. Central Command said Wednesday.

"Additionally, 9 vessels have complied with direction from U.S. forces to turn around and return toward an Iranian port or coastal area," it added. 

Fox News’ Liz Friden contributed to this report. 

Russia's foreign minister Sergey Lavrov said that Iran has an "inalienable" right to enrich uranium for civilian purposes during a state visit to China on Wednesday, according to the Times of Israel.

"The right to enrich uranium for civilian purposes is an inalienable right of the Islamic Republic of Iran," Lavrov said during a Tuesday press conference following a bilateral meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping, according to the Times of Israel.

Access to said uranium has been a hard line for U.S. President Donald Trump in ongoing peace negotiations with Iran.

"There will be no enrichment of Uranium," Trump wrote in an April 8 post on Truth Social, adding that the U.S. would be working with Iran to dig up all remaining nuclear materials in the country to ensure the Islamic Republic would not have access to any uranium.

STOP CALLING THIS BRINKMANSHIP. TRUMP'S HORMUZ MOVE IS THE REAL PRESSURE

Vice President JD Vance, who led the U.S. delegation during Saturday negotiations with Iranian officials in Islamabad, Pakistan, doubled down on that red line.

"The enriched uranium that the Iranians currently possess, we have said that we want that to come our of their country, and we would like to take possession of it," Vance told Fox News' Brett Baier on Monday.

"The president doesn't want to leave the next president or the president after that to be worrying about this program so we would like to get that material out of the country completely so that the United States has control over it.

PAKISTANI GENERAL SAYS IRAN DIPLOMACY STILL ALIVE, DESPITE US BLOCKADE, FAILED TALKS

Despite the U.S. hard line, Russia's top diplomat appeared to openly defy the U.S. demand, speaking in strong terms against what he viewed as American global control.

"Neither China nor Russia, nor the majority of countries throughout the world, can accept this approach," Lavrov said in remarks posted to a Russian state website.

The peace talks in Iran stalled, according to Vance, because of their refusal to completely give up their nuclear program. Nuclear experts praised the decision.

"The U.S. team was wise to walk away once it became clear the Iranians would not agree to Washington’s core nuclear demands. Tehran maintaining enriched uranium stocks and uranium enrichment capabilities provides it with a pathway to nuclear weapons, plain and simple," Andrea Stricker, deputy director of the Foundation for Defense of Democracies’ nonproliferation program, told Fox News Digital.

Fox News Digital contacted the U.S. State Department and the Russian Foreign Ministry for comment but did not hear back immediately.

Fox News Digital's Benjamin Weinthal contributed to this report.

The U.S. military said Wednesday it has stopped nine ships from trying to break a blockade on Iranian ports.

"During the first 48 hours of the U.S. blockade on ships entering and exiting Iranian ports, no vessels have made it past U.S. forces. Additionally, 9 vessels have complied with direction from U.S. forces to turn around and return toward an Iranian port or coastal area," U.S. Central Command wrote on X.

A senior U.S. defense official also confirmed to Fox News on Wednesday a report from Reuters that a U.S. destroyer interdicted two oil tankers that were trying to leave Iran on Tuesday. 

A U.S. official told Reuters that the ships left Chabahar port in the Gulf of Oman before being contacted by the U.S. warship through radio communication. The official added that the tankers were among the six vessels that U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) said Tuesday obeyed orders from American forces to turn around and head back to an Iranian port in the Gulf of Oman. 

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"More than 10,000 U.S. Sailors, Marines, and Airmen along with over a dozen warships and dozens of aircraft are executing the mission to blockade ships entering and departing Iranian ports," CENTCOM said in an earlier update. "During the first 24 hours, no ships made it past the U.S. blockade and 6 merchant vessels complied with direction from U.S. forces to turn around to re-enter an Iranian port on the Gulf of Oman." 

"The blockade is being enforced impartially against vessels of all nations entering or departing Iranian ports and coastal areas, including all Iranian ports on the Arabian Gulf and Gulf of Oman," it added. "U.S. forces are supporting freedom of navigation for vessels transiting the Strait of Hormuz to and from non-Iranian ports."

CENTCOM did not immediately respond Wednesday to a request for comment from Fox News Digital regarding the reported interdiction of the oil tankers. 

"U.S. Navy guided-missile destroyers are among the assets executing a blockade mission impacting Iranian ports. The blockade is being enforced impartially against vessels of all nations entering or leaving coastal areas or ports in Iran," CENTCOM also said Tuesday. "A typical destroyer has a crew of more than 300 Sailors that are highly trained in conducting offensive and defensive maritime operations." 

PRESIDENT TRUMP'S NEGOTIATING TEAM PRAISED BY NUCLEAR EXPERTS FOR WALKING AWAY FROM PAKISTAN TALKS

CENTCOM Commander Adm. Brad Cooper added in a statement that "a blockade of Iranian ports has been fully implemented as U.S. forces maintain maritime superiority in the Middle East."

Cooper said an estimated 90% of Iran’s economy is supported by international trade by sea. 

"In less than 36 hours since the blockade was implemented, U.S. forces have completely halted economic trade going into and out of Iran by sea," he also said. 

Fox News' Liz Friden contributed to this report.

With a second round of talks likely to place between the U.S. and Iran’s regime this week over its illicit nuclear weapons programs, leading experts on Tehran’s program say the Trump administration was right to walk away.

After nearly a day of talks, Vice President JD Vance’s team pulled the plug on the negotiations taking place in Pakistan, something welcomed by experts in the field.

 "The U.S. team was wise to walk away once it became clear the Iranians would not agree to Washington’s core nuclear demands. Tehran maintaining enriched uranium stocks and uranium enrichment capabilities provides it with a pathway to nuclear weapons, plain and simple," Andrea Stricker, deputy director of the Foundation for Defense of Democracies’ nonproliferation program, told Fox News Digital.

A core dispute between the U.S. and Iran is over Tehran’s desire to enrich uranium — the material used to build nuclear weapons.

WITKOFF WARNS IRAN IS ‘A WEEK AWAY’ FROM 'BOMB-MAKING MATERIAL' AS TRUMP WEIGHS ACTION

In 2018, President Trump withdrew from President Obama’s nuclear weapons deal with Iran because his administration argued that the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, the formal name of the deal, permitted Iran to build an atomic bomb.

When asked what a good nuclear agreement would look like, Stricker said, "A good deal requires the regime to not only turn over its nuclear fuel, dismantle key facilities, and commit to a permanent ban on enrichment, but to cooperate with an IAEA investigation that fully and completely accounts for and dismantles Iran’s nuclear weapons-relevant facilities, equipment, documentation, centrifuges and related production capabilities."

Stricker acknowledged that the process could take several years, but noted that "the IAEA is well-equipped for this mission and has experience dismantling nuclear weapons programs in Iraq, Libya and South Africa. Anything less and Iran will likely cheat on its commitments and reconstitute a breakout pathway."

TRUMP REVEALS IRAN MADE 'SIGNIFICANT PROPOSAL' AFTER ULTIMATUM, BUT 'NOT GOOD ENOUGH'

Sen. Lindsey Graham said Monday he opposes a reported proposal by the U.S. for a 20-year ban on Iran’s uranium enrichment under a potential deal.

"I appreciate President Donald Trump’s resolve to end the Iranian conflict peacefully and through diplomacy. However, we have to remember who we’re dealing with in Iran: terrorists, liars, and cheaters," Graham posted on X.

"If this reporting is accurate, the idea that we would agree to a moratorium on enrichment rather than a ban on enrichment would be a mistake in my view," he said.

"Would we agree to a moratorium for al-Qaeda to enrich? No."

A regional official from the Mideast confirmed to Fox News Digital that a 20-year moratorium on enriched uranium was made by the U.S. and rejected by the Islamic Republic.

David Albright, a physicist who is the founder and president of the Institute for Science and International Security in Washington, D.C., praised the U.S. decision to end the talks in Pakistan. Writing on X account, which is closely followed by Iran watchers, he stated: "The U.S. was Right to Walk Away in Islamabad."

Albright told Fox News Digital the move by the U.S. negotiators "makes it clear that this is not negotiating for negotiating’s sake. And leaving threw Iran on the defensive, signaling it as the losing state in the war. Moreover, the Iranians would not have shifted their positions in any significant way. They usually have no flexibility. But Iran wanted to have negotiations continue in order to try to tie the hands of the U.S. and Israel, while trying to portray themselves as victors. Now, Iran has to decide whether to accept the U.S. offer or risk war resuming."

He added that a good nuclear deal for the U.S. would mean "no enrichment and no stocks of HEU [Highly Enriched Uranium] and LEU [Low Enriched Uranium]; Iran cooperating with the inspectors and verifiably ending its nuclear weapons program and providing a complete nuclear declaration, something it has never done."

Albright continued that "If Iran signals willingness to accept the U.S. position, meeting again makes sense. 

"Iran has absolutely no need to enrich. Its only civil need is for a small amount of 20% percent enriched for its small research reactor, the Tehran Research Reactor, and it has enough 20% enriched uranium in fuel or nearly made into fuel stored in Iran and in Russia under JCPOA [Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action] arrangements for 20 years."

He concluded, "To be flip, and paraphrase Abbie Hoffman, I have the right to yell theater in a crowded fire, but I don’t. Iran’s emphasis on its right to enrich is as irrelevant and beside the point."

Tensions between Donald Trump and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni escalated Tuesday after the U.S. president publicly rebuked one of his closest European allies, accusing her of lacking "courage" and failing to support Washington’s efforts against Iran.

In a phone interview with Italian daily newspaper Corriere della Sera, Trump called Meloni "unacceptable" and said he was "shocked" by her stance, according to the outlet’s English-language version.

The dispute with Trump was further fueled by Meloni’s criticism of his recent remarks targeting Pope Leo XIV, which she called "unacceptable," prompting Trump to respond that "she is the one who is unacceptable."

In a scathing rebuke of the Vatican’s call for Middle Eastern de-escalation, President Trump took to Truth Social to blast Pope Leo XIV. Labeling the Pontiff "WEAK on Crime" and "terrible for Foreign Policy," Trump warned him to "focus on being a Great Pope, not a Politician." The post, which quickly went viral, accused the first American Pope of "catering to the Radical Left" at the expense of global security. 

MORE KEY US ALLIES BLOCK MILITARY FLIGHTS AS IRAN WAR RIFT WIDENS WITH TRUMP

In the interview to Corriere della Sera Trump also reiterated criticism of Pope Leo XIV, saying the pontiff "has no idea what’s going on in Iran" and "doesn’t understand" what is at stake.

She "isn’t giving us any help, I’m shocked by her," Trump said about Meloni in the six-minute conversation.

He went further, accusing Meloni of relying on Washington while refusing to act.

"They depend on Donald Trump to keep it open," he said, referring to global energy routes through the Strait of Hormuz.

The comments mark a sharp shift in tone toward Meloni, who attended Trump’s 2025 inauguration and was praised by him as "a great leader" just weeks ago.

The White House and Meloni’s office did not immediately respond.

The public rift comes as Meloni has begun distancing herself from both Washington and Jerusalem amid mounting domestic and political pressure over the widening Middle East conflict.

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On Tuesday, Meloni confirmed in a statement that Italy had suspended the automatic renewal of a long-standing defense cooperation agreement with Israel, signaling a significant recalibration in ties.

"In light of the current situation, the government has decided to suspend the automatic renewal of the defence agreement with Israel," she said, according to Reuters.

The move follows recent tensions between Rome and Jerusalem, including Israeli warning shots fired near Italian troops serving in southern Lebanon under a U.N. mandate, as well as growing Italian criticism of Israeli military operations in the region.

Israel downplayed the impact of the decision, saying the agreement was largely symbolic and "has never contained any substantive content," Reuters reported.

In Israel, opposition leader Yair Lapid sharply criticized the government following Italy’s move.

"Italy’s decision to suspend the defense cooperation agreement with Israel is another embarrassing failure of the prime minister and the non-existent foreign minister," Lapid wrote on X.

TRUMP SAYS HE'S CONSIDERING PULLING US OUT OF NATO OVER IRAN WAR STANCE

"Meloni is not a left-wing progressive European leader," she added. "She belongs to the conservative right and understands the need to fight terrorism." 

Meloni’s shift reflects what analysts describe as a broader political repositioning, as the war’s economic fallout, particularly rising energy costs, weighs heavily on Italy’s import-dependent economy and public opinion.

Italy’s Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani defended Meloni, reaffirming Italy’s alliance with the United States while emphasizing that cooperation must be grounded in "loyalty, respect and mutual frankness."

The escalating tensions highlight growing fractures within Western alliances as the U.S.-led confrontation with Iran reverberates across Europe, forcing leaders like Meloni to balance strategic partnerships with domestic political realities.

The Israel Defense Ministry declined to comment.

Reuters contributed to this report.

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. 

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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.

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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.

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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."

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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.

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"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.

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"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.

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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.