The U.S. military shot down an unmanned Iranian drone Tuesday after it "aggressively approached a U.S. Navy aircraft carrier with unclear intent," a U.S. Central Command spokesman told Fox News.
"USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN 72) was transiting the Arabian Sea approximately 500 miles from Iran’s southern coast when an Iranian Shahed-139 drone unnecessarily maneuvered toward the ship," the spokesman added.
This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.
Fresh satellite images have captured roofs being built over damaged buildings at Iranian nuclear sites that were attacked by the U.S. and Israel last year.
The photos from Planet Labs PBC show new coverings over two structures at the Isfahan and Natanz facilities following the June 2025 strikes.
The roofs are likely part of Iran’s efforts "to assess whether key assets — such as limited stocks of highly enriched uranium — survived the strikes," Andrea Stricker, who studies Iran for the Washington-based Foundation for Defense of Democracies, told The Associated Press.
"They want to be able to get at any recovered assets they can get to without Israel or the United States seeing what survived," she added.
A FULL BREAKDOWN OF OPERATION MIDNIGHT HAMMER, THE ‘LARGEST B-2 OPERATIONAL STRIKE IN US HISTORY’
Those coverings block satellites from seeing what’s happening on the ground — right now the only way for inspectors from the International Atomic Energy Agency to monitor the sites, as Iran has prevented access.
The Natanz site, which is about 135 miles south of Iran’s capital of Tehran, is a mix of above- and below-ground laboratories that did the majority of Iran’s uranium enrichment.
The facility outside the city of Isfahan was mainly known for producing the uranium gas that is fed into centrifuges to be spun and purified.
TRUMP SAYS IRAN ALREADY HAS US TERMS AS MILITARY STRIKE CLOCK TICKS
Last year, Israel targeted the sites first, followed by U.S. strikes using bunker-busting bombs and Tomahawk cruise missiles.
The Israel Defense Forces said in June 2025 that a strike on the Isfahan site had "dismantled a facility for producing metallic uranium, infrastructure for reconverting enriched uranium, laboratories, and additional infrastructure."
The U.S. strikes "significantly degraded Iran’s nuclear program," the White House’s National Security Strategy published in November said.
Iran has not allowed IAEA inspectors to visit the sites since the attacks.
The new satellite images come as President Donald Trump has repeatedly warned that a "massive Armada" is heading toward the Middle East, ratcheting up pressure on the Iranian regime to reach a nuclear deal. Secretary of War Pete Hegseth said during a Cabinet meeting Thursday that the U.S. military is "prepared to deliver whatever the president expects" regarding Iran. Meanwhile, Iranian military officials have vowed that any U.S. attack would be met with an immediate and decisive response.
The Trump administration has also escalated sanctions on Iranian officials in response to the deadly crackdown on anti-regime protesters.
Fox News Digital’s Morgan Phillips and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
As President Donald Trump pressures Iran to strike a nuclear deal, the Islamic Republic's foreign minister warned that the nation's military is ready to retaliate against any possible "aggression."
"Our brave Armed Forces are prepared — with their fingers on the trigger — to immediately and powerfully respond to ANY aggression against our beloved land, air, and sea. The valuable lessons learned from the 12-Day War have enabled us to respond even more strongly, rapidly, and profoundly," Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi warned in a Wednesday post on X.
He claimed that Iran is open to a deal and has never attempted to obtain nuclear weapons.
TRUMP PRESSURES IRAN TO ‘COME TO THE TABLE’ AS ‘MASSIVE’ US ARMADA DRAWS NEAR
"At the same time, Iran has always welcomed a mutually beneficial, fair and equitable NUCLEAR DEAL — on equal footing, and free from coercion, threats, and intimidation — which ensures Iran's rights to PEACEFUL nuclear technology, and guarantees NO NUCLEAR WEAPONS. Such weapons have no place in our security calculations, and we have NEVER sought to acquire them," Araghchi alleged.
In a Wednesday Truth Social post, Trump warned Iran that "time is running out" as U.S. warships move to the Middle East.
"A massive Armada is heading to Iran. It is moving quickly, with great power, enthusiasm, and purpose. It is a larger fleet, headed by the great Aircraft Carrier Abraham Lincoln, than that sent to Venezuela. Like with Venezuela, it is, ready, willing, and able to rapidly fulfill its mission, with speed and violence, if necessary. Hopefully Iran will quickly 'Come to the Table' and negotiate a fair and equitable deal — NO NUCLEAR WEAPONS — one that is good for all parties. Time is running out, it is truly of the essence!" the president warned.
"As I told Iran once before, MAKE A DEAL! They didn’t, and there was ‘Operation Midnight Hammer,’ a major destruction of Iran. The next attack will be far worse! Don’t make that happen again. Thank you for your attention to this matter!" he added.
Iran's mission to the United Nations responded in a post on X.
TRUMP THREATENS TO END IRAQ SUPPORT OVER AL-MALIKI COMEBACK BID TIED TO IRAN INFLUENCE
"Last time the U.S. blundered into wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, it squandered over $7 trillion and lost more than 7,000 American lives. Iran stands ready for dialogue based on mutual respect and interests — BUT IF PUSHED, IT WILL DEFEND ITSELF AND RESPOND LIKE NEVER BEFORE!" the mission of the Islamic Republic of Iran to the UN asserted in the post.
Talks between the U.K. and the U.S. over the future of the Chagos Islands in the Indian Ocean have reportedly reopened after President Donald Trump’s comments cast doubt over an agreement that would see Britain hand sovereignty of the strategically vital archipelago to Mauritius.
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer confirmed Wednesday that the U.K. had reopened discussions after the president had panned the deal and branded it an "act of great stupidity," GB News reported.
"Shockingly, our ‘brilliant’ NATO Ally, the United Kingdom, is currently planning to give away the Island of Diego Garcia, the site of a vital U.S. Military Base, to Mauritius, and to do so FOR NO REASON WHATSOEVER," Trump had posted on Truth Social. "There is no doubt that China and Russia have noticed this act of total weakness."
He added: "The UK giving away extremely important land is an act of GREAT STUPIDITY, and is another in a very long line of National Security reasons why Greenland has to be acquired."
TRUMP WARNS US CAN NO LONGER THINK ‘PURELY OF PEACE’ AS HE PUSHES FOR GREENLAND CONTROL
The Chagos Islands were separated from Mauritius during Britain’s decolonization process, a move the International Court of Justice ruled unlawful in 2019.
The U.K. later agreed to transfer sovereignty while leasing Diego Garcia back for at least 99 years at a cost of at least $160 million annually.
Diego Garcia is a hub for long-range bombers, logistics and power projection across the Middle East, the Indo-Pacific and Africa.
Around 2,500 military and civilian personnel, mostly American, are stationed there. The base serves as a critical operation point for the U.S. and plays a central role in intelligence gathering and securing military communications.
Speaking aboard a flight to China, Starmer said he had "discussed Chagos with Donald Trump a number of times," but declined to confirm whether the issue had been raised during a phone call between the two leaders on Sunday, The Financial Times reported.
TRUMP’S ‘SMALL ASK’ FOR GREENLAND WOULD BE THE REAL ESTATE DEAL OF A LIFETIME
Starmer also said the matter "has been raised with the White House at the tail end of last week, over the weekend and into the early part of this week."
Starmer also added that when the Trump administration took office, the U.K. paused the agreement for three months to allow the U.S. time to assess the deal at the agency level.
"Once they’d done that, they were very clear in the pronouncements about the fact that they supported the deal, and there were announcements made," he said.
A Downing Street spokesperson also confirmed London was working to "allay any concerns" in Washington, according to GB News.
"We will continue to engage with the U.S. on this important matter and the importance of the deal to secure U.S. and U.K. interests and allay any concerns, as we’ve done throughout the process," the spokesperson said.
Trump’s comments on the Chagos deal had been welcomed by Reform UK leader Nigel Farage, who wrote on X: "Thank goodness Trump has vetoed the surrender of the Chagos islands."
Fox News Digital has reached out to the White House and Downing Street for comment.
A Filipino mayor escaped unharmed after an apparent rocket-propelled grenade (RPG) attack on his convoy in broad daylight Sunday in the southern province of Maguindanao del Sur, authorities said.
The Philippine News Agency (PNA), the country’s state-run news outlet, reported that Mayor Akmad Ampatuan was inside a bulletproof vehicle when the attack occurred at around 6:30 a.m.
Video of the incident shows two men stepping out of a white van, one holding what appears to be an RPG and another carrying a gun.
One of the men then lowers the launcher and aims it down the street.
GUNFIRE, ARSON AND VANDALISM: TRACKING POLITICAL VIOLENCE IN AMERICA
He fires the weapon before jumping back into the vehicle, moments before a black SUV turns onto the road and is struck by the blast.
PNA reported that the mayor’s backup vehicle, a pickup, was also hit by gunfire during the attack.
Police and military forces later killed three suspected attackers in a pursuit.
MEXICAN MAYOR WHO TOOK HARD LINE AGAINST DRUG GANGS SHOT AND KILLED AT DAY OF THE DEAD EVENT
The motive for the attack was not immediately known.
"The mayor is safe," Anwar Kuit Emblawa, the mayor’s executive assistant, told the PNA.
Two members of Ampatuan’s security detail were injured, though their wounds were not life-threatening.
The outlet said the mayor has survived two previous assassination attempts in the past five years.
The USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier has entered CENTCOM waters in the Indian Ocean amid increasing threats from Iran, a senior U.S. official told Fox News on Monday.
Reports say Iran's Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has gone underground, suggesting the country may be preparing for military action. A leading U.S. drone expert told Fox on Sunday that Iran's drone swarms would pose a credible and serious threat to the Lincoln and its strike group.
The top U.S. official said the Lincoln was not yet ready for any possible future strikes against Iran.
Cameron Chell, CEO and co-founder of Draganfly, told Fox that Iran has created "an effective asymmetric threat against highly sophisticated military systems" with its fleet of unmanned drones, pairing "low-cost warheads with inexpensive delivery platforms."
IRAN'S LEADER THREATENS 'EVEN BIGGER BLOW' AGAINST US, TRUMP SAYS HE'S IN ‘NO RUSH’ TO TALK
Chell said Iran can launch large numbers of relatively unsophisticated drones directly at naval vessels, creating saturation attacks that could overwhelm traditional defenses.
"If hundreds are launched in a short period of time, some are almost certain to get through," Chell said.
"Modern defense systems were not originally designed to counter that kind of saturation attack. For U.S. surface vessels operating near Iran, warships are prime targets," he added.
U.S. officials say Washington is reinforcing its military posture in response to growing instability inside Iran, boosting its presence by air, land and sea, while closely monitoring developments in Syria.
A squadron of F-15 fighter jets has deployed to the region, and C-17 aircraft carrying heavy equipment have arrived.
Chell noted that U.S. and allied militaries are rapidly developing defenses but uncertainty over new capabilities on the USS Abraham Lincoln carrier groups for managing multiple Iranian drones flying in formation remains. He emphasized that Iran’s drone fleet is a concern.
"These drones give Iran a very credible way to threaten surface vessels," he said. "U.S. assets in the region are large, slow-moving and easily identifiable on radar, which makes them targetable."
"Iran’s strength lies instead in these low-cost, high-volume drone systems — particularly one-way strike drones designed to fly into a target and detonate," he said.
Fox News' Jennifer Griffin and Emma Bussey contributed to this report.
U.S. military assets headed to the Middle East could face a serious threat from Iranian drone swarms as reports emerge that Iran’s supreme leader has gone underground, according to a leading military drone expert.
Cameron Chell, CEO and co-founder of Draganfly, warned that Iran’s growing reliance on low-cost unmanned systems poses a credible danger to high-value U.S. naval assets, including the USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier strike group.
"Iran’s drone capabilities are worth well into the tens of millions of dollars," Chell told Fox News Digital.
"By pairing low-cost warheads with inexpensive delivery platforms, essentially remotely piloted aircraft, Iran has developed an effective asymmetric threat against highly sophisticated military systems."
TRUMP HAS THREE STRIKE OPTIONS THAT WOULD AID THE PROTESTERS AND DEVASTATE IRAN
Chell said Iran can launch large numbers of relatively unsophisticated drones directly at naval vessels, creating saturation attacks that could overwhelm traditional defenses.
"If hundreds are launched in a short period of time, some are almost certain to get through," Chell said.
"Modern defense systems were not originally designed to counter that kind of saturation attack. For U.S. surface vessels operating near Iran, warships are prime targets."
The warning comes as a senior U.S. official confirmed to Fox News Digital that the USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier strike group had not yet crossed into U.S. Central Command’s area of responsibility in the Indian Ocean.
"It is close, but technically not in CENTCOM yet," the source said. This would indicate the carrier strike group is not yet in a position to strike Iran.
U.S. officials say Washington is reinforcing its military posture in response to growing instability inside Iran, boosting its presence by air, land and sea, while closely monitoring developments in Syria.
IRAN SHUTS DOWN AIRSPACE, FOREIGN OFFICIALS WARN AGAINST TRAVEL TO ISRAEL
A squadron of F-15 fighter jets has deployed to the region, and C-17 aircraft carrying heavy equipment have arrived.
Once the aircraft carrier strike group enters the CENTCOM area of operations, which should be soon, it will still take several days before the strike is fully on station.
Chell noted that U.S. and allied militaries are rapidly developing defenses but uncertainty over new capabilities on the USS Abraham Lincoln carrier groups for managing multiple Iranian drones flying in formation remains. He emphasized that Iran’s drone fleet is a concern.
"These drones give Iran a very credible way to threaten surface vessels," he said. "U.S. assets in the region are large, slow-moving and easily identifiable on radar, which makes them targetable."
"Iran’s strength lies instead in these low-cost, high-volume drone systems—particularly one-way strike drones designed to fly into a target and detonate."
Chell explained that Iran gained an early advantage in what are known as Category One and Category Two drone systems—low-cost platforms that can be produced in large numbers and used effectively in asymmetric warfare.
"Category Three systems are a completely different matter," he said. "In that area, Iran is decades behind the United States."
The U.S. military buildup coincides with widespread unrest inside Iran. Protests erupted Dec. 28 amid mounting public discontent.
The Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA) said the casualty figures had reached 5,459 as of Sunday, with 17,031 cases under investigation.
Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, has been reported to have moved into a fortified underground shelter in Tehran after senior officials assessed an increased risk of a potential U.S. strike, according to reports.
President Donald Trump also addressed the deployment on Jan. 21, telling reporters, "We have a big flotilla going in that direction, and we’ll see what happens. We have a big force going towards Iran. I’d rather not see anything happen, but we’re watching them very closely."
FIRST ON FOX: In Nigeria, Fox News Digital has been told terrorists are ‘on the run’ following U.S. strikes last month aimed at stopping the killing of Christians in Africa’s most populous country, this as a senior official from U.S. Africa Command visited Nigeria this week.
According to the recently released persecution watchdog Open Doors World Watch List, three out of every four Christians killed for their religion worldwide have been murdered in Nigeria. It is said to average out that one Christian is killed there every two and a half hours.
Thursday in Davos, Switzerland, President Trump confirmed, "In Nigeria we’re annihilating terrorists who are killing Christians. We’ve hit them very hard. They’ve killed thousands and thousands of Christians."
CHRISTIANS TARGETED IN SYSTEMATIC KIDNAPPING CAMPAIGN IN NIGERIA BY JIHADI HERDSMEN, EXPERTS SAY
This past week, the second-highest-ranking officer at U.S. Africa Command, a former U.S. Special Forces leader who served in Iraq, Syria, and Afghanistan, Lt. Gen. John Brennan, U.S. Army, was as a key member of a U.S. delegation to Nigeria. Speaking exclusively to Fox News Digital from Abuja, the capital of Nigeria, Brennan detailed U.S. moves on the ground to combat Islamic State and other jihadi terror groups.
Brennan gave Fox News Digital insight into the U.S. military’s role now in Nigeria: "We are continuing to provide them (the Nigerians) intelligence support, airborne ISR, (intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance), things that will make them more accurate. And they had some success in Sokoto post-strike because of the activity that the strike generated across the network."
The general continued, "A lot of terrorists decided to flee the area, and it allowed the Nigerians the opportunity to arrest them." But he added, "We're all about enabling Nigerians to solve Nigerian problems. We want to ensure that they remain a security anchor for all of West Africa and they do too. And so it's in our mutual interest that we work together."
"They have a terrorist problem, Brennan said. "So we're trying to help create effects that will stop them and their borders from getting incurred by terrorist organizations," he concluded.
US LAUNCHES WAVE OF STRIKES IN SOMALIA TARGETING ISIS, AL-SHABAB TERROR THREATS
"I definitely have a good reason to believe that the target was hit," Illia Djadi, persecution analyst for sub-Saharan Africa at Open Doors, told Fox News Digital. He added, "and (when) I say target, I mean these armed men, people or groups, their camps have been hit, and eventually afflicting damage to them. They are on the run now. Fleeing in different directions. Some sources say some have fled, maybe to neighboring Niger and others south and in different locations across Nigeria."
Djadi continued, "All these years, they have been acting and attacking with relative total impunity. But this has changed now. They are scared now. They are hit, and they realize they can be hit again. So this is the symbolism."
He said, "The bombing resonated even beyond Nigeria's borders," Djadi added, "even across Nigeria’s neighbors, like Niger, Mali and other countries. People are watching because of what happened, (thinking) if this can happen to Nigeria, it can happen to countries like Mali, Niger or elsewhere. They are watching. They are taking note of that."
NIGERIA NAMED EPICENTER OF GLOBAL KILLINGS OF CHRISTIANS OVER FAITH IN 2025, REPORT SAYS
On Thursday, in a plenary session with Brennan present, U.S. and Nigerian officials met to discuss cooperation following President Trump’s designation of Nigeria as a country of Particular Concern.
At the meeting, Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs Allison Hooker told those present, "Today we are here to determine how we can work together to deter violence against Christian communities, prioritizing counterterrorism and insecurity, investigating attacks, holding perpetrators accountable and reducing the number of killings, forced displacements and abductions of Christians."
The meeting took place in Abuja. Just over 80 miles away, four days earlier, the abduction of Christians continued, with over 160 worshipers kidnapped from three churches in northern Kaduna state, it is believed, during Sunday services.
In an interview with The New York Times earlier this month, President Trump said more strikes could be made against Nigeria, "If they continue to kill Christians, it will be a many-time strike."
This week, when asked if further strikes are possible, a U.S. defense official told Fox News Digital, "That's a question for the White House. But I can tell you our Nigerian partners are asking for more of our help. And so we're going to give it to them."
There are some American boots on the ground, but their numbers are not significant, Brennan said, adding, "a lot of assessment (is) going on. So we have a small team that the Nigerians invited in, and we're working with them to assess their needs, and to create opportunities that we can both capitalize on together."
ANOTHER CHRISTIAN COMMUNITY AT RISK IN AFRICA AS EXTREMISTS AND WAR TAKE THEIR TOLL
Some military equipment is being shipped in from the U.S., Brennan said, but "it's nothing out of the ordinary. It's things they (the Nigerians) had already purchased, as far as ammunition, things that make to help them be more accurate in their operations against ISIS, West Africa Province and Boko Haram."
Rabiu Ibrahim, Nigeria’s special assistant to the minister of information and national orientation, told Fox News Digital, "Nigeria’s primary and unwavering stance is that terrorism, in all its forms, is a global scourge that requires a collective, yet sovereignly respectful, response. The U.S. military actions in our region are viewed through this lens. We acknowledge that any action which genuinely degrades the capability of terrorist groups threatening the stability of the Sahel and our own national security is a tactical component in a much larger strategic picture."
Ibrahim added, "We have noted, through our own intelligence and battlefield evidence, that such external kinetic actions can disrupt command structures, degrade logistics and create atmospherics of uncertainty among the remnants of groups like ISWAP and Boko Haram." "Our cooperation with the United States is robust, multifaceted and transcends mere rhetoric," Ibrahim continued, saying it is focused on key areas, including "capacity building and training: Nigerian units, particularly in intelligence, aviation and special operations, have received advanced training that directly enhances their operational effectiveness in theater."
Ibrahim said Nigeria also benefits from the U.S. through intelligence sharing and material and technical support, including night-vision capabilities, claiming "it is not a patron-client relationship, but a partnership where Nigerian leadership on the ground is augmented by specific, requested external support."
The French navy intercepted a Russian oil tanker in the Mediterranean suspected of operating as part of Moscow’s shadow fleet, a network of falsely-flagged vessels used to export oil and avoid Western sanctions, according to reports.
President Emmanuel Macron said Thursday that French forces had boarded and searched the tanker, which is subject to international sanctions.
The ship was reportedly sailing from Murmansk, in northern Russia, under the Comoros flag.
Writing on X, Macron said the operation took place on the high seas in the Mediterranean with the support of several allied countries.
‘GHOST SHIPS’ FERRYING ILLICIT OIL HAVE SAILED INTO TRUMP’S CROSSHAIRS
The French president added that the vessel had been diverted for further checks.
The tanker, identified as the Grinch, was intercepted between the southern coast of Spain and the northern coast of Morocco in the western Mediterranean, French maritime police said.
The Associated Press reported the interception.
France and the U.K. gathered and shared intelligence on the vessel, according to French military officials who spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity.
TRUMP ADMINISTRATION FILES SEIZURE WARRANTS TARGETING SHIPS TIED TO VENEZUELAN OIL TRADE: REPORT
The interception is the latest in a growing number of Russian-linked vessels stopped by U.S. and European authorities in recent months as Western powers intensify efforts to disrupt Russia’s oil exports.
As previously reported by Fox News Digital, in early January, U.S. forces seized another sanctioned tanker in the Atlantic Ocean.
U.S. European Command (EUCOM) announced the seizure of the Russian-flagged Marinera oil tanker in the North Atlantic Sea.
France’s Mediterranean Maritime Prefecture said the team that boarded the Grinch Thursday had inspected the vessel and decided documents raised doubts about the regularity of the vessel’s flag.
US MILITARY SEIZES ANOTHER FUGITIVE OIL TANKER LINKED TO VENEZUELA
The tanker is being escorted by the French navy to an anchorage for additional verification.
The European Union has imposed 19 rounds of sanctions on Russia since its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
Despite those measures, Russia has continued to export millions of barrels of oil, mainly to China and India and often at discounted prices.
What has become known as a "shadow fleet" consists of hundreds of old and poorly regulated tankers that change names, ownership structures and flags to avoid detection and sanctions.
Maritime data firm Lloyd’s List Intelligence estimates the global shadow fleet at about 1,400 tankers, many of which are subject to U.S., British or European sanctions, Reuters reported.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy criticized European countries for not doing more to stop the transport of Russian oil using sanctioned vessels and which he says helps fund the war in Ukraine.
"Why can [U.S. President Donald Trump] stop tankers of the ‘shadow fleet’ and seize their oil, while Europe can’t?" Zelensky asked at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, Thursday.
"Russian oil is transported right along the European coast. This oil funds the war against Ukraine. This oil helps destabilize Europe."
U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) said on Wednesday it has begun moving ISIS detainees from northeastern Syria to Iraqi-controlled facilities as part of a broader effort to prevent the terror group's resurgence and maintain long-term security in the region.
CENTCOM said U.S. forces transported 150 ISIS fighters who were being held at a detention facility in Hasakah, Syria, to a secure location in Iraq, with up to 7,000 detainees potentially slated for transfer.
"We are closely coordinating with regional partners, including the Iraqi government, and we sincerely appreciate their role in ensuring the enduring defeat of ISIS," said Adm. Brad Cooper, CENTCOM commander. "Facilitating the orderly and secure transfer of ISIS detainees is critical to preventing a breakout that would pose a direct threat to the United States and regional security."
US LAUNCHES WAVE OF STRIKES IN SOMALIA TARGETING ISIS, AL-SHABAB TERROR THREATS
The announcement comes one day after Tom Barrack, U.S. ambassador to Turkey and special envoy for Syria, said Damascus is prepared to assume security responsibilities, including control of ISIS detention facilities and camps.
The State Department said in a 2025 report to Congress that roughly 8,400 ISIS-affiliated detainees from more than 70 countries are being held in detention facilities run by the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), the largest of which is the al-Hol camp.
Barrack helped broker a fragile four-day ceasefire agreement Tuesday between the new interim Syrian government, led by Ahmed al-Sharaa, and the Kurdish-led SDF, after escalating clashes threatened to spiral further.
The U.S. official said the Trump administration does not seek a long-term military presence in Syria, emphasizing the need instead for a continued focus on defeating remaining ISIS elements.
"The deal integrates SDF fighters into the national military (as individuals, which remains among the most contentious issues), hand over key infrastructure (oil fields, dams, border crossings), and cede control of ISIS prisons and camps to Damascus," Barrack wrote on X.
"This creates a unique window for the Kurds: integration into the new Syrian state offers full citizenship rights (including for those previously stateless), recognition as an integral part of Syria, constitutional protections for Kurdish language and culture (e.g., teaching in Kurdish, celebrating Nawruz as a national holiday), and participation in governance—far beyond the semi-autonomy the SDF held amid civil war chaos," he added.
ISIS SOLDIERS BEHEAD CHRISTIANS IN MOZAMBIQUE, BURNING CHURCH AND HOMES: ‘SILENT GENOCIDE’
Syria’s Ministry of Interior said Monday that security forces had recaptured 81 of the 120 ISIS prisoners who escaped from the al-Shaddadi prison in the Hasakah countryside and were continuing efforts to track down the remaining escapees.
The interim government and the SDF have since traded blame over responsibility for the escape, which occurred amid heightened tensions over security arrangements in the region.
The Department of War announced Tuesday U.S. military forces apprehended another sanctioned tanker vessel in the Carribean as part of its mission to crush illicit activity in the Western Hemisphere.
U.S. Southern Command confirmed Motor Vessel Sagitta was apprehended earlier in the day without incident.
Video showed the vessel moving through the ocean with people on board the deck of the ship.
"The apprehension of another tanker operating in defiance of President Trump’s established quarantine of sanctioned vessels in the Caribbean demonstrates our resolve to ensure that the only oil leaving Venezuela will be oil that is coordinated properly and lawfully," officials wrote in a statement on social media.
"As the joint force operates in the Western Hemisphere, we reaffirm that the security of the American people is paramount, demonstrating our commitment to safety and stability."
The apprehension was part of #OpSouthernSpear, in partnership with the U.S. Coast Guard, Department of Homeland Security and the Justice Department.
The U.S. has now seized seven oil tankers since ramping up its campaign against illicit oil trade by Venezuela.
The vessels intercepted have either been under U.S. sanctions or part of a "shadow fleet" of unregulated ships that disguise their origins to move oil from major sanctioned producers, including Iran, Russia and Venezuela.
Officials previously said the only oil leaving Venezuela will be oil that is coordinated properly and lawfully.
Fox News Digital's Anders Hagstrom contributed to this report.
A U.S. Navy veteran, who was reportedly sailing in international waters until Russian authorities forced him to dock his yacht with a firearm onboard, has been sentenced to five years in prison for smuggling weapons, court officials announced Monday.
The court system of Krasnodar Krai identified the man as Charles Wayne Zimmerman, 58, whom U.S. officials had reported missing before Monday's announcement. A website set up in support of Zimmerman described him as a U.S. Navy veteran, a father of two and an electrician, The Associated Press (AP) reported.
According to local authorities, Zimmerman docked his yacht in the Russian port city of Sochi on June 19, 2025, after departing from North Carolina in July 2024 and sailing through several European countries. During border control in Sochi, Zimmerman allegedly failed to declare a firearm onboard. Authorities said an inspection later uncovered the weapons and ammunition, which they claimed had been purchased by Zimmerman prior to entering Russia.
At the subsequent court hearing, "the defendant pleaded guilty in full," the court system in Krasnodar Krai said. Records show Zimmerman was convicted in October and that the Sochi court’s verdict was upheld two months later by the Krasnodar Regional Court, the AP reported.
RUSSIA UPS JAIL SENTENCE OF U.S. CITIZEN TO 10 YEARS FOR BEATING PRISON STAFF
Zimmerman’s sister, Robin Stultz, claimed that her brother was wrongfully detained in Russia, saying that Russian authorities forced him to pilot his vessel to Sochi from international waters, according to the AP.
He was "sailing in international waters when he was intercepted by the Russian Navy and forced to motor 22 hours to Sochi," Stultz added in a statement to CBS News.
Zimmerman reportedly disclosed his weapons but was charged anyway, Stultz said, claiming that his arrest was a strategic move by Russia to use him as leverage in a potential U.S. exchange.
VENEZUELA ARRESTS MORE AMERICANS AS TRUMP RAMPS UP PRESSURE ON MADURO: REPORT
"He was sailing from the U.S. to New Zealand, so of course, he had a firearm on board," she told the AP in a statement. "You can’t just call 911 if something goes wrong out at sea. He voluntarily disclosed it to them and they charged him with arms smuggling. This is an obvious set-up to get another American they can trade. He needs to be declared wrongfully detained."
His sister added that she "wouldn't trust any 'confession' the Russians claim he's given," and alleged that Russian authorities had denied her brother access to U.S. diplomatic representatives since his arrest.
Washington has accused Moscow of imprisoning U.S. nationals to use them as bargaining chips for Russian spies held abroad. Since the start of the Ukraine war in 2022, dozens of Westerners, including Americans, have been detained in Russia, with many later released in prisoner exchanges.
Russian authorities reported that Zimmerman decided to sail to Sochi on his own after reportedly meeting a Russian woman online. While he reportedly did not know it was illegal to store weapons on his yacht when docking, authorities said that "ignorance of the law does not exempt from liability."
"He met a girl online who lives in Kazan and decided to join her in Russia on his yacht," the Krasnodar Krai court system said. "Before setting out, he didn't bother to research Russian laws and assumed that the weapons he kept on board for self-defense should simply remain on board at all times."
A video released by the regional court shows a docked yacht, a single black hunting rifle in a case and two boxes of Remington rifle-caliber cartridges.
On Sept. 6, 2024, the U.S. Coast Guard’s East region issued a missing person alert for then-57-year-old Charles Zimmerman, who had departed North Carolina aboard his 35-foot green-and-white-hulled vessel, named the Trude Zena. He was reportedly heading to New Zealand, with planned stops in the Mediterranean Sea.
U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) announced Saturday a leader affiliated with al Qaeda who had direct ties to an ISIS terrorist responsible for killing two U.S. service members and an American interpreter Dec. 13 was killed in a U.S. strike in northwest Syria Friday.
CENTCOM officials said Bilal Hasan al-Jasim was an experienced terrorist leader who plotted attacks and was "directly connected" with the ISIS gunman who killed and injured American and Syrian personnel last month in Palmyra, Syria.
"The death of a terrorist operative linked to the deaths of three Americans demonstrates our resolve in pursuing terrorists who attack our forces," said CENTCOM commander Adm. Brad Cooper. "There is no safe place for those who conduct, plot or inspire attacks on American citizens and our warfighters. We will find you."
CENTCOM launched large-scale strikes in Syria in response to the Dec. 13 attack.
Operation Hawkeye Strike resulted in U.S. and partner forces hitting more than 100 ISIS infrastructure and weapons site targets with over 200 precision munitions.
More than 300 ISIS operatives were captured and more than 20 were killed across Syria within the past year, according to CENTCOM.
U.S. special envoy for Syria Tom Barrack met with Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa, Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani and members of their team in Damascus Jan. 10 to discuss recent developments in Aleppo and the broader path forward for Syria’s historic transition.
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In a statement on X, Barrack said President Donald Trump agreed to lift sanctions to "give Syria a chance" to move forward.
"The United States Government welcomes Syria’s historic transition and extends its support to the Syrian government under President Ahmed al-Sharaa as it works to stabilize the country, rebuild national institutions, and fulfill the aspirations of all Syrians for peace, security, and prosperity," Barrack wrote in the post.
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He added that the Syrian government has reaffirmed its commitment to the March 2025 integration agreement with the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) but called developments in Aleppo that "appear to challenge the terms of this agreement" deeply concerning.
"We urge all parties to exercise maximum restraint, immediately cease hostilities, and return to dialogue in accordance with the March 10 and April 1, 2025 agreements between the Syrian government and the SDF," Barrack wrote.
"Violence risks undermining the progress achieved since the fall of the Assad regime and invites external interference that serves no party’s interests. … The objective remains a sovereign, unified Syria — at peace with itself and its neighbors — where equality, justice, and opportunity are extended to all its people."
U.S. troops have pulled out of Ain al-Asad Airbase in Iraq, Fox News has learned.
The withdrawal from the base, part of an ongoing effort to consolidate troops in the region that was announced last fall, was completed by Friday, U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) sources told Fox News.
"We're able to consolidate because of the significant progress made there. ISIS in Iraq doesn't pose a threat beyond Iraq's capacity to handle on their own," a U.S. official told Fox News. The official added that it speaks to "our success in rooting out the ISIS threat in Iraq and Iraqi forces' willingness and progress in standing on their own."
The official added that U.S. forces are consolidating outside of federal Iraqi territory, meaning they’re concentrating forces elsewhere to focus on engaging remnants of ISIS in Syria.
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The move comes as CENTCOM is calling for cooperation and teamwork among Syrian partners in coordination with American forces to combat ISIS.
"We welcome ongoing efforts by all parties in Syria to prevent escalation and pursue resolution through dialogue. We also urge Syrian government forces to cease any offensive actions in areas between Aleppo and al-Tabqa. Aggressively pursuing ISIS and relentlessly applying military pressure requires teamwork among Syrian partners and coordination with U.S. and coalition forces. A Syria at peace with itself and its neighbors is essential to peace and stability across the region," Adm. Brad Cooper, CENTCOM commander, said in a statement posted on X.
The statement appeared to be a call for additional coordination in countering ISIS rather than a warning to Damascus.
On Jan. 10, CENTCOM announced that the U.S., alongside partner forces, conducted large-scale strikes against ISIS targets in Syria.
According to CENTCOM, the strikes were part of Operation Hawkeye Strike, which was announced on Dec. 19, 2025, at the direction of President Donald Trump. The operation was launched "in direct response to the deadly ISIS attack on U.S. and Syrian forces in Palmyra, Syria," CENTCOM said in a statement.
DEADLY STRIKE ON US TROOPS TESTS TRUMP’S COUNTER-ISIS PLAN — AND HIS TRUST IN SYRIA’S NEW LEADER
The Jan. 10 strikes came as U.S. special envoy for Syria Tom Barrack said he met in Damascus with Syria’s new leadership to discuss the country’s future.
"Today, on behalf of President Donald J. Trump and Secretary of State Marco Rubio, I met with Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa, Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani, and members of their team in Damascus," Barrack wrote on X.
Barrack said the talks focused on "recent developments in Aleppo and the broader path forward for Syria’s historic transition," adding that the United States "welcomes Syria’s historic transition and extends its support to the Syrian government under President Ahmed al-Sharaa."
US ANNOUNCES MORE MILITARY ACTIONS AGAINST ISIS: 'WE WILL NOT RELENT'
War Secretary Pete Hegseth announced the launch of Operation Hawkeye Strike in December, saying it was in response to an attack on U.S. forces in Syria Dec. 13.
Hegseth said the actions were "not the beginning of a war" but rather "a declaration of vengeance."
"Earlier today, U.S. forces commenced OPERATION HAWKEYE STRIKE in Syria to eliminate ISIS fighters, infrastructure, and weapons sites in direct response to the attack on U.S. forces that occurred on December 13th in Palmyra, Syria," Hegseth wrote on X.
On Dec. 19, American military forces employed more than 100 precision munitions to strike more than 70 targets of suspected ISIS sites at several locations across the ancient city of Palmyra in central Syria.
Trump previously vowed revenge on the terror group after the soldiers — Sgt. Edgar Brian Torres-Tovar, 25, of Des Moines, Iowa, and Sgt. William Nathaniel Howard, 29, of Marshalltown, Iowa — and interpreter Ayad Mansoor Sakat of Michigan were killed while conducting a key leader engagement, part of their mission in support of ongoing counter-ISIS/counter-terrorism operations in the region.
The gunman was killed by partner forces.
"Because of ISIS’s vicious killing of brave American Patriots in Syria, whose beautiful souls I welcomed home to American soil earlier this week in a very dignified ceremony, I am hereby announcing that the United States is inflicting very serious retaliation, just as I promised, on the murderous terrorists responsible," Trump wrote on Truth Social Dec. 19.
Fox News Digital's Jasmine Baehr and Louis Casiano, and Fox News' Lucas Tomlinson contributed to this report.
One of Iran’s most senior officials issued a direct threat against President Donald Trump Thursday while warning that U.S. military action would provoke retaliation against American forces across the Middle East, according to Iranian media reports.
The remarks came as well-placed sources confirmed to Fox News Digital at least one American aircraft carrier was being repositioned toward the Middle East amid rising tensions with Tehran.
Senior Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) General Mohsen Rezaei, a member of Iran’s Expediency Discernment Council, reportedly made his threat during a public address.
"Trump has said his hand is on the trigger. We will cut off his hand and his finger," Rezaei said, according to Iran International.
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The outlet also said that Rezaei maintained that Iran would abandon any notion of a ceasefire if attacked.
"If we move forward, there will be no talk of a ceasefire anymore," he said. "You do not pay attention to the restraint and strategic patience we have shown. Stop right now. Step back, otherwise none of your bases in the region will be safe," Rezaei added.
The threat surfaced as at least one U.S. aircraft carrier could be moving toward the Middle East, according to sources.
Officials have not disclosed whether it is USS Abraham Lincoln, currently operating in the South China Sea, or one of two carriers that departed Norfolk and San Diego earlier this week.
Military sources said transit to the region could take at least a week, with additional U.S. air, land and sea assets expected to follow to provide Trump with military options should he order strikes against Iran.
SOME US MILITARY PERSONNEL TOLD TO LEAVE MIDDLE EAST BASES, US OFFICIAL CONFIRMS
Rezaei is one of Iran’s most powerful military figures. He served as commander in chief of the IRGC from 1980 to 1997 and is currently vice president for economic affairs, secretary of Iran’s Supreme Council for Economic Coordination and a senior figure in the Principlist Resistance Front of Islamic Iran.
In 2006, Argentine authorities issued an international arrest warrant for Rezaei in connection with the 1994 AMIA Jewish community center bombing in Buenos Aires. He was sanctioned by the U.S. Treasury in January 2020 under Executive Order 13876 for advancing Iran’s destabilizing objectives.
During his tenure, the IRGC expanded repression at home and supported terrorist proxy groups abroad, including Hezbollah.
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Meanwhile, unrest inside Iran continued into its 19th day. According to the Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA), at least 2,677 arrests have been recorded with 1,693 additional cases under investigation.
Another agency also reported expanded communication blackouts, including the shutdown of landlines in some areas.
"They are continuing as before, but not at the pace before the slaughter of thousands and the arrests," Ali Safavi of the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI) told Fox News Digital, claiming as many as 50,000 detainees.
"There is still a total shutdown of the internet. Security forces are raiding residential areas and going to people’s rooftops. They started destroying satellite dishes," Safavi said before describing clashes continuing through Wednesday night into Thursday in Tehran and Kermanshah, including gunfire.
NCRI President-elect Maryam Rajavi also urged the international community to act immediately to secure the release of detainees and demanded an urgent international fact-finding mission to Iran’s prisons.
Iran issued a notice to airmen (NOTAM) alert late Wednesday, closing airspace to all flights except international flights with prior permission from the country.
The NOTAM will be in effect for just over two hours.
Flight tracking data showed multiple planes were either denied entry to Iran or rerouted around the country, according to the Flight Radar 24 website.
IRANIANS ABLE TO MAKE SOME INTERNATIONAL CALLS AS INTERNET REMAINS BLOCKED AMID PROTESTS
Minutes later, the U.S. embassies in Jerusalem, Qatar and Kuwait issued security alerts advising "increased caution," limiting non-essential travel to Al Udeid Air Base, and temporarily halting movement into facilities at Camp Arifjan, Camp Buehring, Ali Al Salem Air Base and Camp Patrio.
The U.K. Foreign Office (FCDO) also issued an advisory recommending against "all but essential travel to Israel."
"There is a heightened risk of regional tension," officials wrote in the advisory. "Escalation could lead to travel disruption and other unanticipated impacts."
A U.S. official told Reuters Wednesday the Department of War was moving personnel amid rising tensions.
"All the signals are that a U.S. attack is imminent, but that is also how this administration behaves to keep everyone on their toes. Unpredictability is part of the strategy," a Western military official told the outlet.
Hours before the NOTAM alert was issued, President Donald Trump told reporters from the Oval Office the killing of protesters in Iran had ended.
TRUMP SAYS IRAN 'STARTING TO' CROSS US RED LINES AS PROTESTERS DIE IN GOVERNMENT CRACKDOWN
"We've been told that the killing in Iran is stopping, and it's stopped and stopping, and there's no plan for executions or an execution," Trump said. "So, I've been told that on good authority. We'll find out about."
When asked about potential military action against the country, Trump said, "We're going to watch and see what the process is.
"We were given a very good, very good statement by people that are aware of what's going on."
Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei’s regime has recently come under fire, with reports claiming more than 3,000 people have been killed amid nationwide protests over economic grievances and political repression.
Trump announced Tuesday he canceled all meetings with Iranian officials until the killings stopped.
In a statement Wednesday, the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI) said Khamenei, through the Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), "has turned his weapons against our people, while young Iranians, armed with little more than determination, have risen to defend and protect unarmed and innocent civilians."
"In this ruthless confrontation, in which thousands of innocent Iranians have been killed over the past two weeks, neutrality is not an option," NCRI president-elect Maryam Rajavi wrote in a statement on X. "At a minimum, the international community must recognize the legitimate struggle of Iran’s youth and Resistance Units against the #IRGC to bring an end to this regime.
"European governments must designate the IRGC as a terrorist organization, an action long overdue. The regime’s embassies and representative offices should be closed, and its envoys expelled."
The Iranian United Nations (UN) ambassador later sent a letter to the UN, accusing Iranian protesters of "deliberately inciting violence" and "equipping terrorist and armed groups to turn peaceful protests into political destabilization."
Danny Danon, Israel's Ambassador to the UN, shared the letter on X, calling it "beyond belief."
"This is the same regime that shoots protesters, hangs opponents, and oppresses an entire people," Danon wrote in the post. "These are nothing but crocodile tears from a murderous regime."
Fox News Digital's Emma Colton contributed to this report.
This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.
The U.S. stepped up airstrikes in Somalia in January, targeting al-Shabab and the local affiliate of the Islamic State group, ISS, according to U.S. Africa Command (AFRICOM).
In a Jan. 12 release, AFRICOM said U.S. forces, working with the Somali federal government, carried out airstrikes against al-Shabab militants.
AFRICOM said the operation was part of ongoing efforts to "degrade the group’s ability to threaten the U.S. homeland, U.S. forces and Americans overseas."
Airstrikes against ISIS—Somalia were also reported on Jan. 11 and Jan. 9 in northern Somalia, including the Golis Mountains region of Puntland, southeast of Bosaso.
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Additional airstrikes targeting al-Shabab were reported on Jan. 8, including one in the vicinity of Buur Heybo, about 154 kilometers northwest of Mogadishu.
The command said between the evening of Jan. 3–4, strikes were also conducted "in coordination with Somali authorities."
AFRICOM said in a release the strikes were part of a broader campaign conducted with Somali partners. No casualty figures were released.
The latest spate of operations comes amid a broader intensification of U.S. airstrikes in Somalia.
According to information released by AFRICOM, between Feb. 1, when the Trump administration conducted its first strike in Somalia in 2025, and June 10, the U.S. carried out 38 airstrikes against al-Shabab and the Islamic State in Somalia.
DEADLY STRIKE ON US TROOPS TESTS TRUMP’S COUNTER-ISIS PLAN — AND HIS TRUST IN SYRIA’S NEW LEADER
AFRICOM has said additional strikes have been conducted since June 10.
Independent monitoring organizations have reported a rise in strikes since President Donald Trump returned to office in 2024, according to a report by the Combating Terrorism Center.
The report cited an April 2025 statement by AFRICOM commander Gen. Michael E. Langley before the Senate Armed Services Committee, in which he referenced the potential threat posed by jihadi groups in Africa to the U.S. homeland.
"We are acutely aware that if ISIS and al Qaeda groups continue their expansion, they will pose a direct threat to the U.S. homeland," Langley said.
"Given this environment, US AFRICOM will work collaboratively with the intelligence community and inter-agency partners to keep the risk to U.S. national security interests low," Langley said in a statement.
WAR SEC. HEGSETH ISSUES STATEMENT AFTER TWO U.S. SOLDIERS KILLED IN SYRIA ARE IDENTIFIED
Al-Shabab, an al Qaeda affiliate, has waged war on Somalia’s government since 2007 and continues to control territory in south-central Somalia.
ISIS-Somalia is a smaller faction concentrated largely in Puntland’s mountainous northeast, where it is also said to compete with al-Shabab for influence.
According to the U.S.-based Africa Center for Strategic Studies, Somalia’s conflict with armed groups was the third-deadliest in Africa through 2024, killing an estimated 7,289 people.
Fox News Digital has reached out to AFRICOM for comment.
The U.S. military and its regional partners opened a new air defense operations cell in Qatar to "enhance integrated air and missile defense," U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) announced Tuesday, as tensions are escalating in Iran.
The cell was opened at Al Udeid Air Base outside of Doha – the same base that Iran targeted in a retaliatory attack last June following U.S. strikes on Tehran’s nuclear facilities.
The base is home to 10,000 American forces and is the U.S.’s largest military installation in the Middle East. Located southwest of Doha, it serves as a hub for logistical operations for the U.S. mission to fight ISIS in Iraq and Syria.
"This is a significant step forward in strengthening regional defense cooperation," Adm. Brad Cooper, commander of CENTCOM, said in a statement on Tuesday. "This cell will improve how regional forces coordinate and share air and missile defense responsibilities across the Middle East."
CENTCOM said the new Middle Eastern Air Defense – Combined Defense Operations Cell is located in the Combined Air Operations Center (CAOC) and is made up of personnel from the U.S. and its regional partners.
"The Qatar-based CAOC, established more than 20 years ago, currently includes representatives from 17 nations who coordinate the employment of military air assets across the Middle East region," CENTCOM said.
"U.S. Air Force Central service members will work alongside regional counterparts... in planning multinational exercises, conducting drills, and responding to contingencies," CENTCOM added. "The cell will also be responsible for sharing information and threat warnings."
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A U.S. defense official told Fox News Digital last year that Iran had used short-range and medium-range ballistic missiles to attack Al Udeid, but no casualties had been reported.
"Iran has officially responded to our Obliteration of their Nuclear Facilities with a very weak response, which we expected, and have very effectively countered. There have been 14 missiles fired — 13 were knocked down, and 1 was ‘set free,’ because it was headed in a nonthreatening direction," President Donald Trump wrote on Truth Social at the time.
More than 2,000 people have been killed in the ongoing anti-government demonstrations in Iran, according to an activist group. The U.S.-based Human Rights Activists News Agency said Tuesday that 1,847 of the dead were protesters and 135 were members of Iran’s security forces, The Associated Press reported. Other reports have the death toll higher.
Fox News’ Morgan Phillips, Jennifer Griffin and Liz Friden contributed to this report.
