Iran demanded "compensation" from five Middle Eastern countries it has been bombing since early March in a letter to the UN.

The post Iran Demands Arab Countries It Bombed Pay ‘Compensation’ appeared first on Breitbart.

British comic legend John Cleese has blasted Black Lives Matter and the wider liberal elites for their collective silence in the wake of the Easter massacre of Christians in Nigeria who were targeted by Islamic terrorists.

The post John Cleese Blasts Black Lives Matter, Liberal Silence amid Easter Massacre of Nigerian Christians by Islamist Terrorists appeared first on Breitbart.

8 ex-employees of cement implicated, including former CEO Bruno Lafont, who is handed 6-year prison sentence over payments to Islamic State from 2013 to 2014

The post French company Lafarge found guilty of paying $6.54 million to jihadists in Syria appeared first on The Times of Israel.

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.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The State Department said it authorized the departure of some staff at its embassy in Nigeria over the "deteriorating security situation" in the African country. 

The development comes weeks after the U.S. military reportedly sent MQ-9 Reaper drones to Nigeria amid fears of a renewed insurgency by the terrorist group Boko Haram. The day before the authorization was issued, gunmen attacked two villages about 155 miles from Abuja, where the U.S. embassy is located, killing 20 people, residents told The Associated Press. 

"On April 8, 2026, the U.S. Department of State authorized the voluntary departure of non-emergency U.S. government employees and family members from U.S. Embassy Abuja due to the deteriorating security situation," the U.S. Embassy and Consulate in Nigeria said. "The U.S. Embassy in Abuja will remain open but will have limited ability to provide emergency services to U.S. citizens in Nigeria." 

"The U.S. Consulate General in Lagos will continue to provide routine and emergency services to U.S. citizens in Nigeria," it added. "The Department of State Travel Advisory for Nigeria remains at Level 3, recommending travelers reconsider travel to Nigeria due to crime, terrorism, civil unrest, kidnapping, armed gangs, and inconsistent availability of health care services."

GUNMEN ON BIKES STORM NIGERIA VILLAGE ON PALM SUNDAY, KILLING AT LEAST 20

The embassy also said, "U.S. citizens in Abuja should consider departing if you do not need to remain for emergency or essential purposes." 

The recent attacks occurred in the early hours of Tuesday in Bagna and Erena, located in the Shiroro area of Niger state. 

"They came on motorbikes and began shooting. It was a surprise attack, because it was in the early hours of the morning," Jibrin Isah, who lives in Erena, told the AP.

100 US TROOPS LAND IN NIGERIA AS ISLAMIC MILITANTS THREATEN WEST AFRICA REGIONAL SECURITY

Residents said at least 20 people were killed, with more missing. However, local police said only three people were killed. 

The State Department said in a travel advisory issued Wednesday that there is "risk of terrorist violence, including terrorist attacks and other activity in Nigeria," adding, "Terrorists collaborate with local gangs to expand their reach" and "They may attack with little or no warning." 

The MQ-9 drones reportedly were deployed to Nigeria in late March after 200 U.S. troops arrived in February to provide training and intelligence. Nigeria, Africa’s most populous country, is battling a complex security crisis, especially in the north of the country.

A spokesperson for AFRICOM, the U.S. Africa Command, had told the AP that U.S. troops "are working alongside their Nigerian counterparts to provide intelligence support, advisory assistance, and targeted training in support of the Nigerian Armed Forces."  

Among the most prominent Islamic militant groups active in Nigeria are Boko Haram and its breakaway faction, which is affiliated with the Islamic State and is known as Islamic State West Africa Province, or ISWAP.

There is also the ISIS-linked Lakurawa, as well as other "bandit" groups that specialize in kidnapping for ransom and illegal mining. 

President Donald Trump has spoken out against violence targeting Christians in Nigeria, telling Fox News Radio last year, "I’m really angry about it" and "What’s happening in Nigeria is a disgrace."

Secretary of War Pete Hegseth also met with Nigerian national security advisor Nuhu Ribadu last November amid threats from Trump to cut off aid to Nigeria if the country "continues to allow the killing of Christians." Nigerian officials have pushed back on the accusation.

Fox News Digital's Anders Hagstrom and The Associated Press contributed to this report.   

The lack of a two-week pause in the fighting between Israel and Hezbollah appears to be a dealbreaker for Iran’s regime as the ceasefire takes effect.

While the Trump administration maintains the deal does not include the Tehran-backed terrorist movement Hezbollah, Iran is threatening to use that exclusion as a pressure point against the U.S., potentially collapsing the entire ceasefire.

On Wednesday, Iran’s Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi wrote on X that "The Iran–U.S. Ceasefire terms are clear and explicit: the U.S. must choose—ceasefire or continued war via Israel. It cannot have both. The world sees the massacres in Lebanon. The ball is in the U.S. court, and the world is watching whether it will act on its commitments."

IRAN REVEALS 10-POINT PLAN FOR PEACE WITH THE US – HERE'S WHAT'S IN IT

His comments were later echoed by Iran’s parliamentary speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, citing Israeli attacks in Lebanon. Earlier in the day, Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz ​Sharif, a key intermediary in ceasefire talks between the U.S. and Iran over Operation Epic Fury, said the ​two-week ceasefire would include Lebanon.

Hezbollah reneged on a U.S. negotiated November 2024 ceasefire by entering the war against Israel on March 2025 to aid Iran. Many experts say long-term regional security depends on Lebanon’s government and army disarming the terror group.

Edy Cohen, an Israeli security expert on Hezbollah, who was born in Lebanon, told Fox News Digital that "Hezbollah will never disarm itself. From its perspective, it protects two million Shiites. The only way to defeat Hezbollah is to first define it as a terrorist organization. Not to allow its political wing to exist and also to order the Lebanese army to gather in the areas under its control area by area."

He added that "Dismantling Hezbollah must be carried out in stages. The Lebanese government must first take possession of the heavy weapons. Not to allow it to concentrate except in Dahiya [a Beirut suburb that is a Hezbollah and Shiite stronghold]. Leave it in one place and control all the roads leading to it. Little by little, it can be dismantled. Israel cannot and should not disarm Hezbollah. It can only assist with bombing from above."

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

On Wednesday, the IDF said it hit over 100 targets in 10 minutes, including, "Hezbollah headquarters, military arrays, and command-and-control centers: Intelligence command centers and central headquarters used by Hezbollah terrorists for directing and planning terror attacks against IDF soldiers and Israeli civilians." Reuters, quoting the country's health ministry, said some 91 people were killed in Beirut, with a total of at least 182 killed nationwide on Wednesday.

The IDF added, "The large-scale strike was based on precise IDF intelligence and was planned meticulously over weeks. Most of the infrastructure that was struck was located within the heart of the civilian population, as part of Hezbollah's cynical exploitation of Lebanese civilians as human shields in order to safeguard its operations. Prior to the strikes, steps were taken to mitigate harm to uninvolved individuals as much as possible."

Since the war started and before Wednesday’s attacks, Israeli airstrikes have killed more than 1,530 people in Lebanon, according to the Associated Press. The Long War Journal notes "that neither the Lebanese Health Ministry nor Hezbollah has provided an official count of the group’s fallen fighters."

Guila Fakhoury, whose father, Amer, was kidnapped by Hezbollah in 2019, told Fox News Digital that "Iran and the IRGC are occupying Lebanon through their proxy Hezbollah." 

Fakhoury, who was born in Lebanon, said, "The majority of Lebanese people believe the actions of Hezbollah caused Israel to occupy southern Lebanon and don’t want Iran and Hezbollah. Hezbollah is threatening the entire government."

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

As the president and co-founder of the Amer Foundation, an organization dedicated to help families of illegal detainees and educate on Middle East policy and geopolitics, she said is seeing some positive steps being taken including Lebanese President Joseph Aoun calling for negotiations with Israel.

She said the "only solution is to have peace with Israel. I think there a lot of Shiites who are against Hezbollah… The majority of the Lebanese people just want peace. We hope the Trump administration will push the Lebanese government and Israel’s government to start peace talks."

Last week, Iran’s regime defied Lebanon’s expulsion order for its ambassador by saying he would stay, further increasing tensions in a country in the crosshairs of the latest fighting between the Iranian-backed Hezbollah and Israel.

Lebanon had declared Ambassador Mohammad Reza Shibani "persona non grata" to weaken Iran’s diplomatic presence and have a chargé d'affaires at its embassy instead. But the deadline to leave the country was Sunday and an Iranian spokesperson said the ambassador’s mission in Beirut continues.

Fox News Digital reached out to Lebanon’s government and the Embassy in Washington D.C. for a comment.

The Associated Press and Reuters contributed to this report.

A gunfight with police outside the Israeli consulate in Istanbul, Turkey, left one attacker dead, two others injured and two police officers sustaining minor injuries.

The armed attackers had ties to an activist group that "exploits religion," according to Interior Minister Mustafa Ciftci on X.

"The identities of the terrorists have been identified," he wrote in a post translated by X. "It has been determined that the individuals, who arrived in Istanbul by a rental vehicle from Izmit, include one with ties to an organization that exploits religion; and it has also been established that one of the two terrorists, who are brothers, has a drug record."

3 BROTHERS OF IRAQI DESCENT ARRESTED IN OSLO FOR 'TERROR BOMBING' OF US EMBASSY

U.S. Ambassador to Turkey Tom Barrack condemned the attack and praised Turkish authorities.

"The United States condemns in the strongest terms today’s attack on the Israeli Consulate in Istanbul," Barrack wrote on X. "Attacks on diplomatic missions are attacks on the international order — and an assault on the principles that bind nations together. We commend Türkiye and Turkish security forces for their swift and decisive response."

BELGIUM DEPLOYS MILITARY TO PROTECT JEWISH SITES AFTER ANTISEMITIC SYNAGOGUE EXPLOSION

Police officers pulled out guns and took cover as shots rang out for at least 10 minutes near a permanent security checkpoint near the Israeli Consulate in Istanbul. One person was seen covered in blood amid the glass towers in the heart of the city's main financial district.

Footage obtained by Reuters showed an apparent attacker, in a dark top and carrying a backpack, moving among parked white police and security buses and firing with an automatic rifle and a handgun.

Two bodies lay on nearby streets and parking areas, near grassy areas.

PROTESTERS STORM US CONSULATE IN PAKISTAN, AT LEAST 9 DEAD

Two police officers were lightly wounded in the attack, Istanbul Governor Davut Gul told reporters at the scene.

He said there had been no Israeli diplomatic staff at the consulate for 2-1/2 years, since the Hamas-Israel war began in 2023, leading to a deep chill in Turkish-Israeli diplomatic ties.

The Israeli Foreign Ministry confirmed there were no staff at the consulate at the time of the shootings.

NEW TERROR GROUP WITH REPORTED IRAN TIES CLAIMS 4 ATTACKS ACROSS EUROPE

The incident occurred next to a major motorway just after midday, immediately outside the tower where the Israeli Consulate is located. The gunfire echoed inside nearby bank headquarters, where thousands of workers were breaking for lunch.

Turkey, a fierce critic of Israel's military operations in Gaza, had recalled its ambassador from Israel in November 2023 and diplomatic relations have been effectively frozen since then.

At the same time that year, Israeli diplomats left Turkey due to security concerns after pro-Palestinian protests erupted across the country and in front of the consulate. Since then, a heavily armed police presence has been maintained in the area near the consulate.

Reuters and The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Israel announced that Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps' intelligence chief Brig. Gen. Majid Khademi and Quds Force special operations commander Asghar Bagheri were both killed.

In a statement posted on X, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) confirmed Khademi's killing, accusing him of helping advance terrorist attacks abroad and overseeing surveillance of Iranian civilians as part of the regime’s crackdown on domestic protests.

"Khademi wasn’t just any figure, he was effectively No. 2 within the IRGC, one of the few senior commanders who managed to survive multiple waves of Israeli and American targeting over the past year — until now," a senior Israeli official told Fox News. "He kept moving, relocating, but ultimately he was hunted down and eliminated.

"He oversaw an intelligence apparatus that repeatedly failed to detect or prevent major Israeli and U.S. operations, including a series of strategic surprises that exposed deep vulnerabilities inside Iran’s security system."

IRAN'S INTERNET BLACKOUT HIDING STRIKE DAMAGE AND SUPPRESSING DISSENT, ISRAELI OFFICIALS SAY

Notably, Khademi was "deeply involved in attempts to penetrate U.S. systems, including efforts to breach the Pentagon," and "coordinated extensively with Russia," according to the official.

"His removal marks a significant blow to Iran’s intelligence leadership at a time when the regime is already under sustained pressure," the official added.

Bagheri was also killed at the same time as the strike that took out Khademi, the official noted.

TRUMP DECLARES 'I GOT HIM BEFORE HE GOT ME' AFTER IRAN'S SUPREME LEADER KILLED IN STRIKE

"Bagheri was directly involved in recruiting agents across the Middle East and orchestrating attacks against American targets in Iraq and Syria — including operations that led to U.S. casualties," the senior official told Fox News.

The IDF confirmed the killing of Bagheri on X later Monday morning.

"In recent years, Bagheri advanced numerous attacks against both Israel and worldwide," the IDF wrote. "In addition, Bagheri personally commanded operations targeting IDF soldiers on the Syrian-Israel border."

Khademi spent decades in intelligence and counter-espionage roles while rising through Iran’s security apparatus.

Before his appointment, Khademi headed the Guard's Intelligence Protection Organization, charged with internal surveillance and counter-intelligence, and held senior roles in Iran’s defense ministry.

The IRGC intelligence arm is one of Iran’s most powerful security bodies, with a central role in domestic surveillance to counter foreign influence, and often operating in parallel with the civilian intelligence ministry.

Fox News' Trey Yingst and Reuters contributed to this report.

British prosecutors 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.

Hamza Iqbal, 20, Rehan Khan, 19, and a 17-year-old boy are accused of arson with intent to damage property while recklessly endangering life, according to the Metropolitan Police. 

Officials said two of the suspects are British citizens, while one holds dual British and Pakistani citizenship.

GUILTY VERDICTS IN ISIS PLOT POLICE SAY COULD HAVE BEEN 'THE DEADLIEST TERRORIST ATTACK IN UK HISTORY'

All three were arrested Wednesday at separate locations across London.

They did not enter pleas and remained in custody after a roughly 45-minute hearing Saturday afternoon at Westminster Magistrates’ Court, according to The Standard.

Prosecutors said a fourth suspect was also arrested and taken into custody at the courthouse where the three charged men were appearing, according to Reuters.

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

U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer previously condemned the attack as a "horrifying" antisemitic act.

"An attack on our Jewish community is an attack on us all. We will fight the poison that is antisemitism," Starmer wrote on X March 23.

A report from the SITE Intelligence Group says an Iran-backed network calling itself the Islamic Movement of the People of the Right Hand has claimed responsibility, according to Reuters.

UK ARRESTS 2 OVER 'ANTISEMITIC ARSON ATTACK' AS POLICE INVESTIGATE POSSIBLE IRAN LINK

Despite the claim, officials have not formally classified the case as terrorism. However, counterterrorism police are leading the investigation, Metropolitan Police said.

Police in the United Kingdom previously arrested two other men, ages 45 and 47, in the days after the attack. They were later released on bail, according to the Metropolitan Police.

"I want to reiterate that the support we had from the local community since this attack took place has been incredible, and we will continue to work closely with local policing colleagues to do everything we can to keep the public safe," Commander Helen Flanagan, head of Counter Terrorism Policing London, said in a statement.

The Metropolitan Police did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital's request for comment.

Fox News Digital's Efrat Lachter and Greg Norman and Reuters contributed to this report.

As Jewish families across the United States celebrate Passover, an intensifying threat environment is shaping how communities approach the holiday and beyond. Tensions tied to the war with Iran, attacks against Jews and Jewish institutions have led to concerns over the community’s safety and security.

From Miami to New York, officials are responding to what they describe as a sustained and evolving threat landscape. At a pre-Passover security strategy briefing at the NYPD, Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch told Jewish community leaders, "It is clear that we will be in a heightened state of alert for the foreseeable future," a warning that comes as policymakers and security experts point to a widening gap between the level of threat facing Jewish communities and the federal resources available to protect them.

Despite security fears, funding for houses of worship in the United States remains below what experts say is needed to meet the current threat, even as antisemitic incidents continue to rise.

NYC BOOSTS PATROLS AMID ‘HEIGHTENED THREAT ENVIRONMENT,' AFTER GUNMAN RAMS TRUCK INTO MICHIGAN SYNAGOGUE

According to data from the Federal Bureau of Investigation, anti-Jewish hate crimes have consistently accounted for the largest share of religion-based crime incidents in the United States in recent years.

The gap between risk and resources has become a central concern for those working directly with affected communities. Scott Feltman, Preventative Security Analyst and Executive Vice President at One Israel Fund, said no religious group should have to choose between remaining open and ensuring safety.

"No one should feel unsafe walking into a synagogue, church, mosque or temple in New Jersey or anywhere in America," Rep. Josh Gottheimer, D-N., told Fox News Digital, who in recent weeks has been advocating for an increase in federal Nonprofit Security Grant Program (NSGP) funding to $1 billion in fiscal year 2027, a proposal currently under consideration in Congress.

Recent attacks underscore the urgency. In Michigan, a man rammed a vehicle into a synagogue in West Bloomfield and opened fire while more than 100 preschool children were inside. In California, two Jewish men speaking Hebrew were reportedly assaulted in a restaurant while the attacker shouted antisemitic slurs.

Jesse Arm, Manhattan Institute vice president for external affairs, told Fox News Digital, "What the latest attempted massacre made clear — when an Islamist from Dearborn via Lebanon tried to ram an explosive-laden truck into a synagogue preschool in my hometown of West Bloomfield, Michigan — is that security works. The presence of trained, armed guards helped save the lives of 140 American children and their caretakers.

SIGN UP FOR ANTISEMITISM EXPOSED NEWSLETTER

"But the broader lesson for the Jewish community is that safety cannot be outsourced entirely to the federal government or to any administration. It requires a cultural shift: normalizing lawful firearm ownership and training, hardening facilities at every level, and investing in the day schools, camps and identity-forming institutions that build communities confident and rooted enough to defend themselves." 

Arm had praise for the administration in its fight against antisemitism: "President Trump has been a godsend for American Jewry. His administration has been unambiguous in its commitment to Jewish safety — naming antisemitism as a serious national security threat, taking a hard line on campus radicalism and prioritizing the kind of border security and counter-jihadist vigilance that the previous administration routinely soft-pedaled. American Jews should recognize that and be immensely grateful for it."
 

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

The federal Nonprofit Security Grant Program, administered by FEMA, currently allows at-risk institutions to apply for up to $200,000 per location. In practice, however, many organizations receive less than that amount, often after delays that can stretch one to three years, and demand for the program has exceeded available funding in recent years, with applications far outpacing the number of grants awarded, according to federal data.

Security experts add that the delay between identifying a threat and receiving funding can leave institutions without the protections recommended by security professionals during periods of heightened risk.

To address those gaps, experts recommend layered security measures including trained personnel, reinforced entry points, surveillance systems, controlled access and emergency response training, which they estimate require between $400,000 and $500,000 in funding per location, roughly double the current federal cap. Security experts say both the funding level and the timeline for distribution have become central concerns as incidents continue to rise.

Steven Ingber, CEO of the Jewish Federation of Detroit, said much of the financial burden for security continues to fall on the Jewish community itself rather than being fully addressed through government support.

As that debate continues, officials are urging institutions to remain vigilant and maintain close coordination with local law enforcement, particularly during periods of increased tension tied to global events.

Fox News Digital reached out to FEMA for comment but did not receive a response.

The Islamic Republic of Iran is on track to exceed the record number of executions it carried out against opponents in 2025, with 657 executions in the first three months of the year, according to the Iran Human Rights Society.  

Hiding behind the war with the U.S. and Israel, critics say the regime appears desperate to eliminate opposition, particularly following anti-regime demonstrations that shook the nation's rulers and resulted in tens of thousands being murdered by the country's security forces and militias.

In March, the regime was met with condemnations, including from President Donald Trump, over the execution of 19-year-old wrestler Saleh Mohammadi.

MOJTABA KHAMENEI REGIME EXECUTES CHAMPION WRESTLER AS IRAN INTENSIFIES BRUTAL CRACKDOWN DURING WAR

On Iran's latest killing spree, a State Department spokesperson told Fox News Digital, "This latest barbaric act is more evidence of why the regime can never be allowed the advanced capabilities that we are destroying."

The United Nations special rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Islamic Republic of Iran, Mai Sato, said that since the start of the war at least six executions have taken place as of March 30 and noted on her X account that an additional two executions took place on March 31.

Sato described the regime’s known victims as protesters, an accused spy for Israel, and individuals charged with "armed rebellion" against the regime. Sato said that "due to the internet blackout, it is unclear who else has been executed or are at risk of execution." She said, "What is clear is that the death penalty is being used as a tool for suppressing political opposition in wartime conditions."

IRAN'S INTERNET BLACKOUT HIDING STRIKE DAMAGE AND SUPPRESSING DISSENT, ISRAELI OFFICIALS SAY

The secretariat of the NCRI provided a written statement to Fox News Digital describing the recent executions of four members of the Iranian dissident organization People’s Mohahedin Organization of Iran (PMOE/MEK). The NCRI said members Mohammad Taghavi and Akbar Daneshvarkar were transferred from Ghezel Hesar prison on March 29 and executed the following morning. Four additional members of the group, Babak Alipour, Vahid Bani Amerian, Abolhassan Montazer and Pouya Ghobadi, were transferred as well. On March 31, the regime executed Alipour and Ghobadi.

Ali Safavi, a member of the NCRI’s Foreign Affairs Committee, called for "urgent action" to save the lives of Amerian and Montazer.

Maryam Rajavi, the president-elect of the NCRI, posted on X that the execution conducted on March 31 "reflects the clerical regime’s fear and desperation." She called on the United Nations and its member states to engage in "practical and effective measures, including the closure of embassies and the expulsion of the regime’s terrorist diplomats and agents."

Before the Islamic Republic killed thousands of its own people during January protests, the United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights stated that the Islamic Republic carried out "at least" 1,500 executions in 2025. According to the high commissioner, "the scale and pace of executions suggest a systematic use of capital punishment as a tool of State intimidation, with disproportionate impact on ethnic minorities and migrants."

Amnesty International has raised similar concerns, and additionally noted that five "young protesters" now "face the imminent risk of execution," having been transferred from Ghezal Hesar "to an unidentified location" as of March 31.

Dr. Gal Rosen is an Israeli paramedic who has saved lives under the threat of missile attacks.

Racing from emergency to emergency, heart pounding, but calm under fire — "don't think, just act."

He said he lost his mother when he was a child at the hands of a murderous terrorist. He saved lives as an army paramedic, but he continues to do it now as a civilian — defiantly choosing to live in Israel and work at Tel Aviv's Magen David Adom (MDA) while under threat and emergencies from multiple-front wars.

He saves lives in the "dark" of war. He sees lives go, sometimes after making difficult split-second decisions.

ARIZONA DEPUTIES SAVE CHOKING 2-WEEK-OLD BABY IN ROADSIDE RESCUE AFTER PARENTS' EMERGENCY CALL

"We need to choose sometimes," he says, speaking to Fox News Digital during a rare moment off between emergencies. "And this is hard."

But, today, he is sharing a story of "light": a stark contrast from the stories he usually refuses to share with his family to spare them the horrifying realities of war — even if they live those themselves.

Last Thursday, Rosen delivered a healthy baby boy into the world and, in sudden threat of a missile attack and blaring sirens, carried that son away from the mother in the ambulance as he and the father raced to reach a bomb shelter.

This was his fifth emergency delivery of a newborn as a paramedic. It was his first under the threat of a missile attack and blaring sirens.

"It was so surrealistic situation, in my opinion, never happened to me, something like this," he said, able to smile about the gravity of it all one week later, after finally finding sleep and time to reflect.

"This is an amazing thing to share at home," Rosen said. "Most of my stories are not like this, most of our stories I share are really hard things for my family to hear. This is why, usually, I'm not sharing with my family stories from my work: 'Sorry, I'm not doing it.'

"Car accidents or about the CPRs or about really difficult situations that I had to deal with."

Just two days after bringing one life into the world, he saw five go.

"I had, like last Saturday, five cases of death in the shift," he said. "I don't want to get home and tell about it in my family, right? But this story is amazing.

UNSUNG HEROES OF 2025: FIRST RESPONDERS AND EVERYDAY AMERICANS WHO SAVED LIVES ACROSS US

"I went to my grandma," he continued, "and said, 'You have to hear it.'

"She was so proud of me and also my family and my father and my friends and my partner. Of course, this is a really nice story to tell to everyone."

The call came around 6:30 a.m. local Tel Aviv time on a Thursday morning: a woman was in labor, getting an assist on emergency delivery over the phone as if it was a movie.

But this was real life, a new life and war.

By the time the MDA paramedic team arrived, the baby was still inside and the husband was helping his wife through the final moments of delivery. Dr. Rosen stepped in for the last few minutes and helped safely deliver the boy.

Then came the alert.

Within moments, a warning sounded that a missile attack on Tel Aviv was expected in about 10 minutes. The paramedic suddenly had to balance the urgency of a wartime emergency with the delicate, critical first steps of childbirth.

He quickly placed the newborn on the mother’s chest for skin-to-skin contact, a key step for bonding and early development. He had the father cut the umbilical cord and helped the mother nurse the baby for the first time.

NYPD OFFICERS SAVE CHOKING 2-YEAR-OLD BOY, BODYCAM VIDEO SHOWS

"I tried to do something as close as possible to reality for them," he said, wanting to preserve the intimacy of a normal birth even though they were far from a hospital delivery room.

With the help of the father and her team, he then moved the family into the building’s shelter. There, in the middle of blaring alarms and the sounds of missile interceptions overhead, relatives from the apartment building — a grandmother, an aunt and others — came downstairs and saw the baby for the first time.

"It was the first time they met the baby, while there were alarms," he said. 

"Adrenaline" and former army paramedic instinct took over.

"I put the helmet, I put the vest and everything, I took the baby, and we stopped by the side and I ran with the baby to a public shelter," he recalled. "So, me and the father, we're running together, I'm taking the baby with me, running to a shelter and just a random building and there was no shelter there.

"'OK, this is not good.' We need to go out.

"And we're going out. There is still alarms; I know that we have like maybe 20 seconds left, going to another building, and then we're getting into a public shelter. There is 50 people there in the shelter and they closed the door. We were still there standing in the shelter, so I gave the father the baby.

"I didn't want the idea for the father also — you know, in the future — to think about the situation that a stranger held his baby while there is a missile attack."

In the shelter, with the postpartum mother still in the ambulance under the Iron Dome, the unmistakable sound of war came with a shock.

"We also heard the interception with the Iron Dome," Rosen said.

The sound, he said, was impossible to ignore: "a boom," followed by a shock wave you could feel.

The air was vibrating.

The grateful father and mother, identified by MDA as Nikola and Violet, said the experience was frightening but that the emergency team helped keep them calm.

ICE AGENT SAVES LIFE OF 'UNRESPONSIVE' 1-YEAR-OLD BOY IN JFK AIRPORT AS PANIC ENSUES IN TSA SECURITY LINE

"It wasn’t a simple experience," they wrote in a joint statement, preferring to keep privacy but permitting Dr. Rosen to share the war story out of praise and thankfulness.

"The labor started at home, and just minutes after the MDA team delivered the baby, the siren caught us, and we went down to a shelter. The team functioned amazingly, calmed us, and treated us in the best possible way. This isn’t the ideal experience, but we’re happy everything ended safely, and we’re grateful to the team who helped us so much."

In that cramped shelter of about 50 huddling Israelis, surrounded by strangers and the threat of falling missiles, the room broke into applause. People congratulated the father and shouted "Mazal tov."

Mother was still in the ambulance with members of the MDA team, still at risk postpartum, as the Iron Dome was busting missiles overhead.

"And after 10 minutes that we sat there, we went out, and we walked in the street with a baby, 30 minutes old, crossing the intersection together, going to the ambulance," Rosen said. "They put a helmet on her and a vest on the mother, and one of my teammates stayed with her, because she couldn't come to the shelter. It was too much time, too risky for her.

"And, you know, in these moments, I didn't think so much. So I just act.

"I realized that it would be better to protect the son; it would better to go to find a shelter. And we didn't think about the idea that maybe we'll be in alarms, because we were in the situation, we were at the moment, we're with the family, with the delivery, with everything, and you can't imagine something like this — even though it's Israel, and now we can actually imagine everything.

"Still, it was really, really, really exciting — excitement and happiness – and a good thing because most of our days right now are dark."

Despite losing his mother to a murderous terrorist and living under the threat of multiple-front wars and shrieking Iron Dome sirens and missile attacks, Rosen would choose no other life.

MISSILES ABOVE, NEWBORNS BELOW: ISRAELI HOSPITALS SHIFT CRITICAL CARE UNDERGROUND

"My mother was murdered in a terror attack when I was a kid, when I was a child, and to choose to still be here with my family, to live here: This is our home and to choose, going to a different path, not hate.

"I will save lives, and I will do my best to help other families going through these situations, and I will do my best to make sure there are no other families that will need to suffer from a loss.

"So I think this is the mentality of Israelis in general. But still, see, this is one of the only places in the world that people are getting rescued by a flight to come back to Israel.

"In a war," he deadpanned.

But, with everything happening under the stress of war, Rosen kept the calm, precision and resolve of an army paramedic, knowing the best medicine for a baby born under stress is skin-to-skin and mother's milk.

"I learned in med school, I learned these two things are the most important: Put the baby on the skin, give them the bond, help her to nurse," he said. "It also can help the mother a lot when she nursing the baby. It's also helping with postpartum bleeding. And a lot of things.

"So this situation, it's hard to do when we are in this missile attack."

But all is well that ended well and — in the case of Nikola and Violet's newborn — began as well as could be under the circumstances.

"I was so excited I couldn't sleep for — like the delivery. It was something like 17 hours into my shift," he recalled. "So I worked 16 hours. It was after 17 hours shift.

"Now and after 17 hours shift, I went back home, I tried to sleep, I couldn't sleep, and then I had to go to another shift. So I was awake for at least 24 hours."

One week later, the adrenaline and excitement have not worn off. And the baby boy, mother, father and MDA paramedic team live on to tell an all-timer.

JOHANNESBURG — A Holy Week attack in a predominantly Christian town in Nigeria that left a reported 28 dead has led to widespread fears that more of Christ’s followers could be targeted over the coming Easter weekend.

On Palm Sunday last weekend, multiple gunmen reportedly shouted a Muslim declaration as they randomly opened fire in the predominantly Christian town of Angwan Rukuba in the Jos District of Nigeria’s Plateau State.

"The terrorists stormed the area in a commando style and started shooting, sporadically chanting, 'Allahu Akbar' (God is great in Arabic)," a field worker told the aid agency Voice of the Martyrs from the scene. "The area is (a majority) Christian community."

AFTER TRUMP STRIKES ISLAMIST TERRORISTS, US GENERAL TRAVELS TO NIGERIA WITH MILITANTS 'ON THE RUN'

Henrietta Blyth, CEO of Open Doors UK & Ireland, told Fox News Digital this Easter there are fears of more attacks against Christians in Nigeria.

"Tragic events like this are all too common in Plateau State and large areas of northern Nigeria," Blyth said. 

"And too often they can occur on Christian holy days like this. Indeed, people in the region will remember the devastating 2023 Christmas Eve attacks in Benue state that killed over 140 people."

U.S. Principal Adviser for Global Religious Freedom Mark Walker called on Nigerian authorities to increase security to protect Christians. He posted on X, "We call on the Nigerian government to significantly ramp up security for Christians ahead of and during Easter. We recognize and appreciate the steps the government of Nigeria has taken to improve security, however, the targeted killing of Christians, especially on Christian holidays, is unacceptable. We urge the Nigerian leadership to engage and to do so now."

Nigeria is ranked the seventh-worst country in the world for Christian persecution by Open Doors. The organization claims it accounts for 72% of the total number of Christian killings worldwide in 2025.

A local human rights lawyer who asked to conceal his name due to security fears, was nearby when the Palm Sunday attack happened. He told Fox News Digital, "A group of people came, around 20, some on motorcycles, and started shooting."

He added the area is essentially a Christian one "and for anybody to go and openly shoot at people, then it must be that that person had Christians in mind."

CHRISTIANS TARGETED IN SYSTEMATIC KIDNAPPING CAMPAIGN IN NIGERIA BY JIHADI HERDSMEN, EXPERTS SAY

Another local Christian resident, who also asked to withhold his name, told Fox News Digital, "I can assure you that the majority position among Christians in Nigeria is that what we are experiencing in Nigeria is Islamic expansionism, and it must be stopped, using whatever means is necessary."

The human rights lawyer said there are reports of videos circulating that are threatening more attacks against Christians, adding, "Here in Jos in Nigeria, we say that there is no Christian holiday or event left on the Christian calendar that has escaped an attack by radical Islamists or terrorists in Nigeria, whether it is Christmas, Easter or Good Friday, Palm Sunday or Sunday services or whatever. We are trapped."

In a statement to Fox News Digital, Todd Nettleton of the Voice of the Martyrs’ group said that, in countries like Nigeria, "Easter is often a season of peril. Holy days on the Christian calendar, including Christmas and Easter, are often times when those who hate the Gospel target our brothers and sisters in violent attacks."

Open Doors’ Blythe said, "The fear of being brutally attacked will hang over millions of Christians across Nigeria and sub-Saharan Africa, as they prepare for Easter, a festival that should be the most joyful moment in the Christian calendar. We will be praying that Christians around the world will be safe and free to celebrate and worship jubilantly this Eastertide."

Fox News Digital reached out to the Nigerian government for comment but received no response.

President Donald Trump suggested Wednesday that Iran may be seeking a ceasefire, but analysts say real power lies with hardline figures inside the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, including newly prominent Commander Ahmad Vahidi.

Trump did not name the Iranian figure he was referring to, but his comment likely pointed to President Masoud Pezeshkian, writing: "Iran’s New Regime President, much less Radicalized and far more intelligent than his predecessors, has just asked the United States of America for a CEASEFIRE! We will consider when Hormuz Strait is open, free, and clear. Until then, we are blasting Iran into oblivion or, as they say, back to the Stone Ages!!!"

Experts caution, however, that Iran’s president does not control decisions of war and peace.  

"He clearly does not have the authority to turn on or turn off a major military conflict with the United States," Behnam Ben Taleblu, a senior fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, told Fox News Digital.

TRUMP’S IRAN STRATEGY SHOWCASES ‘DOCTRINE OF UNPREDICTABILITY’ AMID STRIKE THREATS AND SUDDEN PAUSE

Instead, analysts say real power lies with senior figures tied to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, including Vahidi, Parliamentary speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, and security official Mohammad Zolghadr, all of whom operate within overlapping centers of influence.

Attention is turning to the new terror chief seen as an extremist pulling strings, Vahidi — a longtime Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps commander whose reemergence highlights a broader shift underway inside Iran’s leadership.

Beni Sabti, an Iran expert at the Israeli Institute for National Security Studies, warned that even when Iran signals interest in a "ceasefire," it may not reflect a Western understanding of the term. 

He pointed to the concept of "hudna," describing it as "a ceasefire with deception — they stop when they are weak, rebuild their strength, and then attack again, whether against Israel or the United States." 

Sabti added that such pauses can become "a cycle of violence that does not end," driven by ideological motivations, and should not be interpreted as a genuine end to hostilities.

At the center of that uncertainty is Vahidi, the new Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) commander. 

"He is a very violent man and belongs to a generation that fought in guerrilla warfare," Sabti told Fox News Digital.

Sabti described Vahidi as part of an early cadre of Iranian operatives who built ties with militant groups in Lebanon before and after the 1979 revolution, relationships that later became central to Iran’s regional strategy. Some accounts suggest Vahidi trained in camps linked to Palestinian and Lebanese factions in southern Lebanon, helping lay the groundwork for Iran’s long-standing alliance with Lebanon-based terror group Hezbollah. 

DESTROY THE REGIME’S POWER WITHOUT OCCUPYING IRAN: A SMARTER WAR PLAN

Vahidi rose through the ranks of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and went on to serve as commander of its elite Quds Force in the 1990s, a unit responsible for overseas operations.

He has been linked to some of the deadliest attacks attributed to Iranian-backed networks abroad, including the 1992 bombing of the Israeli Embassy in Argentina and the 1994 bombing of the AMIA Jewish community center in Buenos Aires.

Sabti said Vahidi was also accused of maintaining connections with al Qaeda figures following the Sept. 11 attacks, reflecting what he described as Iran’s willingness to cooperate with groups targeting Western and Israeli interests.

Despite later holding positions that appeared political or bureaucratic, Sabti said Vahidi never truly stepped away from the Revolutionary Guards, Iran’s powerful military and intelligence arm, meaning his role remained closely tied to the regime’s security and operational apparatus.

"He always remained part of the Revolutionary Guards — even wearing uniform," he said. "That’s common in Iran. Even when they move into politics, they stay within the force."

Sabti also pointed to Vahidi’s alleged role in suppressing Kurdish uprisings in northwestern Iran in the aftermath of the 1979 Islamic Revolution, underscoring his longstanding involvement in internal security operations. 

HEGSETH REVEALS COVERT VISIT TO TROOPS FIGHTING IN OPERATION EPIC FURY

Vahidi’s renewed prominence comes as Iran’s internal structure appears increasingly fragmented, with authority concentrated in overlapping and sometimes competing networks.

"It’s not clear how coordinated either the military or political actions of the government of the Islamic Republic is today," Ben Taleblu said.

He described Iran as "a system of men, not a system of laws," where personal ties and informal influence often outweigh formal titles.

That dynamic has intensified as the war continues. 

"We are seeing the IRGC ascendancy… across a host of Iranian political and security institutions," he said.

"This IRGC ascendancy will mean a more crass Islamic Republic, but it comes at a time when this regime is militarily less capable than ever before," he added.

Sabti said Vahidi may now be more influential than other prominent figures in Tehran, including parliamentary speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf and Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei’s son, Mojtaba Khamenei.

"In my view, he is more dominant right now, even if they are coordinated. This is not a time for internal competition," Sabti said.

He warned that Vahidi’s rise could further harden Iran’s posture.

"He brings even more radicalization into the system and may not want to stop the war, because it serves the interests of the Revolutionary Guards to continue," Sabti said.

"They could become masters of the region if the United States folds — and that is very much in his interest."

Trump’s suggestion that Iran is seeking a ceasefire has raised hopes of a potential diplomatic opening, but experts caution that such signals may not reflect a unified position inside Iran. 

"The question is what was shared with President Trump genuine, or is it wheeling and dealing of just one ambitious person?" Ben Taleblu said.

"Pezeshkian clearly does not have the authority to turn on or turn off a major military conflict with the United States," Ben Taleblu said.

That leaves open the possibility that any outreach could be tactical, fragmented, or even contradictory.

Fox News Digital reached out to the White House for comment but did not receive a response in time for publication.

FIRST ON FOX: A new report is raising concerns about Turkey’s role in the Middle East, arguing that under President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, the country has moved away from its traditional Western alignment and toward deeper engagement with Islamist movements, including the Muslim Brotherhood.

The Foundation for Defense of Democracies report, led by senior fellow Sinan Ciddi and titled "Islamist Domination of Turkey: A Forward Base for Muslim Brotherhood-Aligned Jihadism," argues that Turkey has ties to Hamas — the U.S.-designated terrorist group responsible for the Oct. 7 massacre — as well as to the Muslim Brotherhood — an Islamist movement whose affiliates have recently been designated as terrorist organizations by the United States — placing Turkey’s policies under renewed scrutiny as it prepares to host a NATO summit.

Ciddi told Fox News Digital the shift reflects a broader transformation in how Turkey defines threats.

"What we have is Turkey has completely rewritten the rules of how you interpret what a jihadist terrorist entity may be," Ciddi said. "Erdoğan has reinvented what is interpreted as a terrorist entity … groups such as Hamas or al-Nusra fall into line with his pan-Islamist view of the world."

EXPERT WARNS RADICAL ISLAMIST NETWORKS COULD SHIFT WEST AFTER IRAN REGIME SHAKEUP

A central focus of the report is Turkey’s relationship with Hamas, which the United States designates as a terrorist organization, and yet Hamas expanded its presence in Turkey after 2011, establishing offices and networks inside the country.

"From 2011 onward … Hamas used this opportunity inside of Turkey with a friendly government to establish offices, engage in recruitment (and) fundraising," Ciddi said.

U.S. authorities have taken action against some of those networks. The Treasury Department has designated Hamas-linked individuals and entities operating in Turkey, a point Ciddi said underscores longstanding concerns.

"The United States Treasury has been tracking and designating Hamas-affiliated NGOs and individuals inside of Turkey," he said.

The report also alleges that some Hamas operatives have been able to travel using Turkish-issued documents and that senior figures have been publicly received by Erdoğan.

Beyond Hamas, the report describes Turkey as a hub for Muslim Brotherhood figures from across the region, including Egypt and Yemen, many of whom relocated there following crackdowns in their home countries.

Across parts of the Arab world, the Muslim Brotherhood has been banned or restricted for years. 

Egypt outlawed the movement in 2013, accusing it of inciting unrest and undermining state institutions. Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates later designated it a terrorist organization, describing it as a threat to national stability, while Bahrain adopted a similar stance. 

Jordan dissolved its local chapter this year following arrests authorities said were linked to illicit weapons activity.

Some European countries also have taken steps targeting networks linked to the movement. 

Austria, for example, has pursued legal action against individuals and organizations it says are connected to Brotherhood-linked activity as part of its counter-extremism policies.

Officials in these countries have argued that the Brotherhood operates through a mix of religious outreach, political activism, charitable organizations and media platforms to influence public opinion and challenge state authority.

ISRAEL SHUTS DOOR ON TURKEY IN GAZA AS TRUMP PRAISES ERDOGAN, PLAYS DOWN CLASH

The report also examines Turkey’s role in Syria, where the country backed opposition forces during the civil war, supporting a range of armed factions, including groups that later formed the Syrian National Army.

"The Syrian National Army … was a hodgepodge collection of militias that Turkey directly armed, paid and organized," he said.

The report links Turkish support to groups such as al-Nusra and Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, raising questions among analysts about whether such ties could expose Turkish officials to potential sanctions under U.S. law.

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

Despite these concerns, other analysts say Turkey’s relationship with the United States continues to act as a constraint on its behavior, while the relationship between Donald Trump and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has been characterized by renewed trust, with Trump praising Erdoğan's role in Gaza diplomacy.

As Trump celebrated the Gaza ceasefire agreement in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt in October 2025, he singled out one leader for extraordinary praise — Erdoğan, whose leadership he credited for helping deliver the Gaza ceasefire.

"A guy who’s been a friend of mine for a long time. I don’t know why I like the tough people better than the soft, easy ones," Trump said about Erdoğan at the Sharm el-Sheikh summit in October 2025. "This gentleman from a place called Turkey is one of the most powerful in the world … He’s a tough cookie — but he’s my friend."

Hişyar Özsoy, a Turkish politician and academic, described the relationship between Erdoğan and Trump as "transactional," noting Washington often relies on Turkey for regional coordination.

In a policy webinar hosted by the Jerusalem Institute for Strategy and Security, Turkish academic Hüseyin Bağcı emphasized that Ankara remains closely tied to Washington.

"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."

Bağcı also suggested Turkey has at times limited Islamist actors domestically.

"Today do you hear anything about" the Muslim Brotherhood, he said. "No … because the president said stop." 

Turkey, a NATO member since 1952, remains a key partner for the United States, providing logistical access, military capabilities and diplomatic reach.

But Ciddi argued Turkey's current trajectory increasingly diverges from alliance priorities.

"There is an established track record … where Turkey significantly undermines the transatlantic alliance’s core security concerns," he said.

He pointed to U.S. sanctions on Turkish entities accused of supplying dual-use goods to Russia, as well as Ankara’s broader strategy of maintaining ties with competing powers.

As far as Turkey’s positioning itself amid tensions with Iran, Ciddi said Turkey is likely to favor a weakened Iranian regime rather than a complete collapse that could produce a more pro-Western government. 

"A weakened Iranian regime is Erdoğan’s safest bet," he said.

Bağcı offered a similar assessment of the rivalry.

"Iran is not an enemy of Turkey, but not necessarily its best friend. Turkey and Iran are two regional competitors," he said.

The report recommends potential U.S. policy responses, including sanctions and increased scrutiny of Turkey’s financial system, steps that could reshape relations between Washington and Ankara.

Fox News Digital reached out multiple times to the Turkish government and to the State Department for comment but did not receive a response in time for publication.

JERUSALEM: Israel’s Parliament, the Knesset, on Monday passed a law mandating the death penalty for Palestinian terrorists convicted of deadly acts of terrorism, sparking anger from European countries and an Israeli opposition leader.

Lawmakers voted 62-47 in favor of far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir’s legislation to prescribe the death penalty by hanging. Ben Gvir and his party, Otzma Yehudit, proposed the measure.

Otzma Yehudit lawmaker Tzvika Foghel, who chairs the National Security Committee and advanced the bill through the committee under his leadership, told Fox News Digital that Israelis are fed up with policies of containment and compromise.

NETANYAHU URGES COURT TO REVOKE PALESTINIANS' ISRAELI CITIZENSHIP AFTER CONVICTIONS FOR VIOLENT CRIMES

"For too many years, we have tried to please the entire world, even when we were being murdered in our streets. Since October 7, we have shifted to an offensive approach so that we can dictate the reality in the future," he said.

Foghel said the death penalty for terrorists is part of a broader shift in Israel, driven by the recognition that no other country faces a reality in confronting radical Islamic terrorism in Gaza, Lebanon, Judea and Samaria (the West Bank), as well as in Yemen and Iran.

"The death penalty for terrorists who burned, raped, mutilated and abused children and parents is the same punishment we established for the Nazis," he said.

Kaja Kallas, the European Union’s High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, said, "The EU has a principled position against the death penalty in all cases and in all circumstances. Israel had long upheld a de facto moratorium on both executions and capital punishment sentencing, thereby leading by example in the region despite a complex security environment."

She added, "The approval of the Death Penalty Bill by the Israeli Parliament marks a grave regression from that practice and from Israel’s own commitments. We are deeply concerned about the de facto discriminatory character of the Bill."

ANALYSTS SAY GAZA 'CIVILIAN' DEATHS INCLUDE HAMAS, OTHER TERROR MEMBERS WORKING AS MEDICS, MEDIA WORKERS

Israel has applied the death penalty only once in the state’s history for the Nazi mass murderer Adolf Eichmann in 1962. The death penalty exists on the books in Israel, but Israeli courts have limited latitude to apply execution to cases beyond penalties for Nazi war criminals.

Former Prime Minister and current leader of the centrist Yesh Atid party, Yair Lapid said the legislation is fundamentally flawed because it does not apply to Hamas terrorists involved in the Oct. 7, 2023 massacre that killed 1,200 people.

"This law is not a show of force; it is a sign of panic. This law is more extreme than anything in the United States, and they know it will get struck down by the law. It isn’t a law for justice or for deterrence, it is a law for public relations," he added.

Likud lawmaker Dan Illouz, a supporter of the legislation, told Fox News Digital that the events of Oct. 7 underscored, in his view, the need to prevent terrorists from viewing the kidnapping of civilians as a viable means of securing the release of imprisoned militants.

"The death penalty shatters that equation. It serves as the ultimate deterrent, ensuring that terrorists know their actions lead only to their own demise, not a negotiated release. We are a life-loving nation, but to protect life, we must deal decisively with those who seek to destroy it," he said.

"Prime Minister Netanyahu's vote in favor was crucial. It projects an unmistakable message of strength and moral clarity from the very top of Israel's leadership. By personally casting his vote, the Prime Minister showed our enemies, and the entire world, that our government is completely united and unyielding in our resolve to eradicate terrorism and defend our citizens," he added.

MICHIGAN SYNAGOGUE ATTACKER WAS INSPIRED BY HEZBOLLAH, SOUGHT TO KILL AS MANY JEWISH PEOPLE AS POSSIBLE: FEDS

The Israeli Channel 12 political commentator, Amit Segal, wrote that he supports "executing terrorists who attempt to murder civilians — especially the monsters of October 7," but was critical of Ben Gvir’s legislation.

He wrote in his newsletter, "The law defines terrorism as acts ‘to negate the existence of the state,’ a definition that could apply to groups such as extremist Haredi factions and violent members of the ‘Hilltop Youth’ (which Ben-Gvir supports.)

Segal said that "while Ben-Gvir’s law is essentially a campaign stunt, a more responsible law is making its way through the system. Proposed by MKs Simcha Rotman and Yulia Malinovsky, the law establishes the practical mechanisms — procedural and evidentiary — to secure convictions of Nukhba terrorists, after which the death penalty could be imposed."

Another Likud lawmaker, Amit Halevi, told Fox News Digital that the central element of the legislation is the distinction between criminal offenses and crimes against the state or against humanity.

"A terrorist commits his crimes as part of an ideology aimed at killing, oppressing and controlling all Jews. These terrorists, if they could, would kill every one of us. They are ideological murderers, in a different category from ordinary criminals, and that is a critical point of the bill," he said.

Halevi added that further efforts are needed to clearly delineate crimes against the state, including what falls within that category and what does not.

"Generally speaking, this legislation is a step in the right direction. Much of the criticism I hear relates to ordinary criminals. People do not understand the enemy — who he is and what this war is about," he said.

In Deutschland sind die Geldhähne für linke bis linksradikale Organisationen weit aufgedreht. Das bringt der BRD nun Kritik aus dem Ausland ein: Der tschechische Abgeordnete Libor Vondráček (Vorsitzender der liberal-libertären Partei Svobodní, „Die Freien“) hat heute einen Brief an Bundestagspräsidentin Julia Klöckner veröffentlicht, in dem er hinterfragt, ob die steuergeldfinanzierte Rosa-Luxemburg-Stiftung linksradikale Strukturen in Tschechien fördert, die mit einem aktuellen Terroranschlag in Verbindung stehen.

Hintergrund des Briefs ist ein Anschlag auf eine Produktionshalle der Rüstungsfirma LPP Holding am 20. März in Pardubice: Sie wurde durch Brandstiftung weitgehend zerstört. Eine propalästinensische Untergrundgruppe namens „The Earthquake Faction“ bekannte sich per E-Mail und begründete die Tat mit der angeblichen Zusammenarbeit des Unternehmens mit israelischen Waffenschmieden.

Kurz darauf wurden erste Festnahmen publik: darunter Youssef M., ein Ägypter mit tschechischer Staatsbürgerschaft, und Anežka B., Tschechin. Beide gelten als pro-palästinensische Linksradikale und LGBT-Aktivisten. Vondráček erörtert in seinem Schreiben: Das Milieu, aus dem diese beiden wegen Terrorismus angeklagten Personalien stammen, ist mit Einrichtungen verbandelt, die von der linken Rosa-Luxemburg-Stiftung in Deutschland gefördert werden. Diese Stiftung erhält Steuergelder – womit das Geld der Deutschen indirekt dazu beitragen könnte, dass Menschen im Ausland radikalisiert werden und schließlich in ihrem Fanatismus Terroranschläge begehen.

Freundlicher Gruß an “unsere Demokratie”: “Der politische Export von Radikalismus und die Destabilisierung von Nachbarstaaten stehen im Widerspruch zu den Prinzipien des gegenseitigen Respekts zwischen souveränen Demokratien”, schreibt Vondráček. Er fordert von Klöckner, die Auslandsaktivitäten der Stiftung zu untersuchen, Kontrollmechanismen für die Verteilung von Steuergeld zu hinterfragen und vollständige Transparenz über Finanzströme zwischen deutschen staatlichen Stiftungen und Organisationen herzustellen, die auf dem Gebiet der Tschechischen Republik und anderer Nachbarländer tätig sind.

Nachfolgend lesen Sie den offenen Brief von Libor Vondráček:

Betreff: Terroranschlag in der Tschechischen Republik und das Risiko einer Verbindung der Tatverdächtigen zur aus dem deutschen Bundeshaushalt geförderten Rosa-Luxemburg-Stiftung

Sehr geehrte Frau Präsidentin,

als Abgeordneter des Parlaments der Tschechischen Republik wende ich mich an Sie mit der dringenden Bitte um Ihre Aufmerksamkeit und Unterstützung bei der Überprüfung der Finanzierungsmechanismen deutscher politischer Stiftungen, deren öffentliche Mittel zur Verbreitung radikaler Ideologien beitragen, welche die innere Stabilität und Sicherheit der Nachbarländer gefährden.

Die Bundesregierung Deutschlands stellt der Rosa-Luxemburg-Stiftung jährlich zweistellige Millionenbeträge zur Verfügung. Im Jahr 2024 betrug diese Unterstützung über 71 Millionen Euro. Diese Stiftung ist seit langem auch in der Tschechischen Republik tätig, wo sie finanzielle Unterstützung für Einrichtungen leistet, die eine extrem linke, antikapitalistische und radikal internationalistische Agenda verfolgen, die in direktem Widerspruch zu den Prinzipien der liberalen Demokratie, der Souveränität von Nationalstaaten und der Sicherheit unserer BürgerInnen steht.

Zu den EmpfängernInnen dieser Mittel gehörte in der Vergangenheit auch die gemeinnützige Organisation Druhá : směna, z. ú. (Identifikationsnummer 21039992), die Teil der radikalen linken Szene ist. Die Rosa-Luxemburg-Stiftung war wahrscheinlich auch an ihrer Gründung beteiligt. Zu den weiteren EmpfängernInnen von Mitteln dieser Stiftung gehörten beispielsweise die radikal linken gemeinnützigen Organisationen Sdruženy, z. s. oder Socialistická solidarita.

Mit großer Besorgnis verfolge ich die aktuellen Ermittlungen zu dem Brandanschlag auf eine Produktionshalle eines Rüstungsunternehmens in Pardubice, den die tschechischen Behörden als terroristischen Akt einstufen. Wegen des Anschlags sind Personen (u. a. Youssef M. und Anežka B.) angeklagt, die öffentlich mit radikal linkem und pro-palästinensischem Aktivismus in Verbindung gebracht werden – einem Milieu, das ideologisch den von der Rosa-Luxemburg-Stiftung unterstützten Einrichtungen nahesteht. Einschließlich der gemeinnützigen Organisation Druhá : směna, z. ú. Auch wenn über die Schuld erst ein Gericht entscheiden wird, darf die Tatsache nicht übersehen werden, dass deutsche öffentliche Mittel langfristig zum Aufbau eines ideologischen Nährbodens für Radikalisierung auf dem Gebiet der Tschechischen Republik beitragen, aus dem auch die Verdächtigen für dieses schwere Gewaltverbrechen hervorgegangen sind.

Ich halte es für inakzeptabel, dass Gelder der deutschen SteuerzahlerInnen – wenn auch indirekt – zur Fanatisierung junger Menschen beitragen, die im Extremfall zu Gewalt gegen das Privateigentum und die Sicherheit der BürgerInnen eines souveränen Mitgliedstaates der Europäischen Union ausarten kann.

Daher bitte ich Sie, sehr geehrte Frau Präsidentin, als höchste Repräsentantin des deutschen Parlaments dringend, folgende Schritte im Bundestag zu unterstützen oder zu initiieren:

•  Eine Interpellation der Bundesregierung zu den bestehenden Kontrollmechanismen und der Aufsicht über die Auslandsaktivitäten der Rosa-Luxemburg-Stiftung und anderer politischer Stiftungen,
•  Eine Verschärfung der Regeln für die Gewährung öffentlicher Zuschüsse, damit diese Mittel nicht bei Einrichtungen landen, die Radikalismus und hasserfüllte Ideologien propagieren oder Gewalt rechtfertigen,
•  Die Durchsetzung vollständiger Transparenz der Finanzströme zwischen deutschen staatlichen Stiftungen und Organisationen, die auf dem Gebiet der Tschechischen Republik und anderer Nachbarländer tätig sind.

Ich bin davon überzeugt, dass der Schutz der demokratischen Ordnung, der inneren Sicherheit und der guten nachbarschaftlichen Beziehungen zwischen unseren Ländern in unser beider Interesse liegt. Der politische Export von Radikalismus und die Destabilisierung von Nachbarstaaten stehen im Widerspruch zu den Prinzipien des gegenseitigen Respekts zwischen souveränen Demokratien. Ich freue mich auf Ihr aktives Engagement in dieser Angelegenheit und bin bereit, alle weiteren Informationen oder Unterlagen zur Verfügung zu stellen, die nützlich sein könnten.

Libor Vondráček
Parteivorsitzender Svobodní (Die Freien)
Abgeordneter des Parlaments der Tschechischen Republik

[Quelle: svobodni.cz]

The Iranian regime-backed Houthi movement launched two missiles at Israel Saturday, creating a third front for the Jewish state in its current war against the Islamic Republic and its other terror proxy, Hezbollah, in Lebanon.

The Houthis said they "targeted sensitive Israeli military sites" with a "barrage of ballistic missiles." The IDF, according to YNET, said it intercepted both a cruise and ballistic missile fired by the Houthis Saturday morning.

Nadwa Al-Dawsari, an expert on Yemen and an associate fellow at the Middle East Institute, told Fox News Digital, "This is now fundamentally about the survival of the Iranian regime. The intervention of the Houthis and other Axis members is determined by the IRGC-run Axis of Resistance Operations Room. 

"The Houthis have already demonstrated their ability to withstand intense U.S. and Israeli airstrikes. For both Iran and the Houthis, ‘winning’ is defined by survival, not decisive victory.

IRAN CONTINUES FIRING MISSILES, DRONES AT NEIGHBORING STATES, WITH MULTIPLE INTERCEPTIONS REPORTED

"The strategy is to prolong the conflict and raise the cost. The Houthis are uniquely positioned to do that, given their ability to disrupt critical maritime routes and open additional pressure fronts. If escalation continues, they will likely resume Red Sea attacks and could expand pressure toward KSA [Kingdom of Saudi Arabia]."

The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the Houthis were engaged in a war before the Biden administration reportedly forced the Saudi government to stop its military strikes on the Houthis. Biden had also delisted the Houthis as a foreign terrorist organization only for the Trump administration to swiftly reimpose the terror designation on the Houthis in the early days of his second term.

Salman Al-Ansari, a Saudi geopolitical analyst, told Fox News Digital, "The Houthis appear to be acting under heavy pressure from Tehran. Iran wanted them involved two weeks ago, and this attack looks more symbolic than strategic. It is part of Tehran’s effort to improve its position in negotiations with the U.S. by showing that it still has cards to play beyond Hormuz.

"The Houthis do not control the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, but they can still disrupt shipping in the Red Sea. At the same time, they seem to view Iran as a dead horse and are cautious about betting too heavily on it."

THE FUTURE OF WAR? US-ISRAEL BLITZ ON IRAN UNVEILS NEXT-GEN ALLIED COMBAT

The Houthis are fanatically anti-American and anti-Israel. The official slogan of the Houthi movement (Ansar Allah) is, "Allah is Greater. Death to America. Death to Israel. Curse on the Jews. Victory to Islam." 

The Houthis control most of northwest Yemen. They expelled the internationally recognized government from the capital, Sanaa, in 2015.

The Houthis joined Hamas in its war against Israel in mid-October 2023, after the terrorist movement in Gaza invaded Israel and murdered over 1,200 people, including more than 40 Americans. A Houthi drone killed an Israeli civilian in Tel Aviv in 2024.

Michael Szanto, an international relations expert, told Fox News Digital, "Iran has already been badly hit by the United States and Israel, and all supply routes between Iran and Yemen will be cut off by U.S. forces. This means that Yemen will lack the supply lines to maintain a sustained offensive against Israel, though it still likely has large stockpile of missiles and drones.

"The Houthis are making a major strategic mistake by once again provoking Israel, which will try to finish off the terrorist threat in Yemen. The Houthis have proven themselves to also be a menace to the Saudis, the Emiratis, the U.S. and the world."

Saturday's attack happened hours before a spokesman for the terrorist group threatened that its "fingers were on the trigger." 

The man reportedly being floated by the Trump administration as a possible interlocutor with Iran is also one of the regime’s most hardline figures — Iranian parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf. The longtime Revolutionary Guards commander is widely described by experts as a loyal "yes man," with a record of threats against the United States and deep ties to the system’s inner circle.

That contradiction underscores the central question facing U.S. policymakers: Even if Washington is speaking to the "right people," as President Donald Trump has claimed, can someone like Ghalibaf actually deliver?

"Ghalibaf doesn’t have an independent line. His strength is that he is a ‘yes man,’" said Beni Sabti, an Iran expert at the Institute for National Security Studies. He added, "If he is told to shake hands with Special Envoy Steve Witkoff, he will do it. If he is told to escalate, he will. It is not about moderation, it is about who gives the orders."

AS AIRSTRIKES RAIN DOWN ON THE IRANIAN REGIME, CAN A FRACTURED OPPOSITION UNITE TO LEAD IF IT FALLS?

Ghalibaf, 64, is a product of Iran’s security establishment.

He rose through the ranks of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps during the Iran-Iraq War, eventually becoming commander of the IRGC air force.

"He even completed flight training abroad, which was not unusual at the time, with France reportedly assisting at one stage. Until recently, he was still conducting training flights in France," said Sabti.

He later served as Iran’s national police chief, overseeing internal security forces responsible for suppressing protests, including the 1999 student uprising, alongside Qassem Soleimani.

After transitioning into politics, Ghalibaf attempted to run for president multiple times but failed. He instead built his career through loyalty to the system, serving as Tehran’s mayor for more than a decade before becoming speaker of parliament in 2020.

"Ghalibaf went on to serve in senior national roles and is now speaker of parliament. He has consistently aligned himself with the supreme leader and follows directives rather than setting his own independent positions," Sabti said.

"His name has also been linked to multiple corruption allegations, including misuse of oil revenues and sanctions evasion networks involving his family. His sons have reportedly been involved and are under sanctions," Sabti said, adding, "There have also been public scandals involving family members traveling abroad and making luxury purchases, including widely circulated images of them arriving with numerous high-end Gucci suitcases."

IRAN’S NEW SUPREME LEADER IS ‘HIS FATHER ON STEROIDS,’ EXPERTS WARN OF HARDLINE RULE

Ghalibaf’s wartime statements reflect a hardening tone inside Iran’s leadership.

He has rejected ceasefire terms, declaring Iran would continue fighting "until the enemy truly regrets its aggression."

He has also warned that attacks on Iranian infrastructure would trigger retaliation across the region, including against energy targets.

At the same time, he has publicly denied any negotiations with the United States, calling reports of talks "fake news" and accusing Washington of manipulating markets.

In remarks aired on Iranian television on Jan. 12, 2026, he warned that U.S. forces would face catastrophic consequences if they confronted Iran. "Come, so you can see what catastrophe befalls American bases, ships and forces," he said, adding that American troops would be "burned by the fire of Iran’s defenders."

In the same remarks, broadcast and translated by MEMRI, he described the U.S. president as "delusional and arrogant," and framed Iran’s ideology as a growing global movement.

More recently, he escalated further. He warned that "the blood of American soldiers is the personal responsibility of Trump," and vowed Iran would "settle accounts with the Americans and Israelis," adding that "Trump and Netanyahu crossed our red lines and will pay the price."

He has also threatened retaliation against regional energy infrastructure, signaling a willingness to expand the conflict beyond direct military confrontation.

"He’s considered relatively moderate in the current Iranian context, but he’s not the one calling the shots. He’s not the leader himself," Danny Citrinowicz, Middle East, national security and intelligence expert, told Fox News Digital, adding that Ghalibaf may serve as a channel to Iran’s leadership, but not as the ultimate authority.

"If you want to speak to someone in Iran, he’s probably the point of contact," he said. "But he’s not deciding anything. Even if he wants to do something, he has to get approval from the IRGC and the supreme leadership."

Sabti said, "Some point to periods during Rouhani’s presidency when he appeared to align with Rouhani and describe him as somewhat moderate, but that is misleading."

TRUMP SAYS IRAN WANTS TO TALK BUT WHO WILL LEAD AFTER KHAMENEI?

Analysts say the bigger issue is not Ghalibaf himself, but the system he operates within.

Behnam Ben Taleblu, a senior fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, said: "Those who see the ascendance of someone like Ghalibaf, who is an IRGC veteran, as extending power outside his traditional civilian role have missed how personality, not profession, has been the driving force in Iranian politics for decades. Those who focus on IRGC backgrounds in the Supreme National Security Council may also overlook that recent secretaries — Shamkhani, Larijani and Ahmadian — all had IRGC backgrounds."

"The system today is more radicalized and decentralized," Citrinowicz agreed. "It’s not one person. It’s multiple actors you need to coordinate with, which makes it much harder to negotiate."

"I’m not saying it’s impossible, because this is still the Middle East, but it will be very difficult to reach an agreement with them, let alone one that reflects the same demands the U.S. was making before the war. There is no way they are going to agree to that," he added.

Citrinowicz said the regime sees themselves as prevailing. "From Iran’s perspective, they are winning, not losing. They are using their strategic capabilities and effectively threatening a choke point in the global economy, namely the Strait of Hormuz. That only reinforces the radicalization taking place inside the regime. Under those conditions, they will be the ones making demands of Trump, not the other way around."

Even if talks were to take place, he said, Ghalibaf would not be able to commit Iran without broader approval.

A new analysis of social media activity during the opening days of Operation Epic Fury suggests that much of the online backlash and anti-Israel content may not have been driven by Americans at all.

The report identified recurring narratives pushed by foreign-based accounts, including claims that the operation was a "betrayal of MAGA," "highly unpopular with the American people" and carried out "on behalf of Israel."

Sixty percent of the most viral posts on X mentioning "Iran" during the first week of the operation originated from accounts based outside the United States — despite often presenting themselves as American voices, according to research conducted by Argyle Consulting Group, a private intelligence and data analysis firm.

WITH DOGS, DANCE AND UNCOVERED HAIR, IRANIANS DEFY 'UNHOLY ALLIANCE' OF SOCIALISTS, RADICALS: ‘HYPOCRITES!’

"These aren’t just random opinions," Eran Vasker, CEO and co-founder of Argyle Consulting Group, told Fox News Digital. 

"What we’re seeing is discourse that looks American — written in English, using U.S. political language — but is actually coming from outside the country … almost impossible for a regular user to detect," Vasker said, explaining that the accounts "look very American" and mirror domestic political language and debates.

The analysis examined 100 highly X viral posts — each with more than 10,000 shares — between Feb. 28 and March 7. In total, posts containing the word "Iran" generated 98 million posts, 696.4 million interactions, and an estimated 1.5 trillion potential views, making it one of the largest online information events on record. 

Foreign accounts alone generated 155.6 million views, compared to 93.4 million from U.S.-based accounts, outpacing them by more than 60 million views in the sample.

Even more striking, every single foreign-based post in the dataset was negative toward the operation, while the only supportive content came from U.S.-based users, Argyle found. 

WHY TRUMP IS DENOUNCING THE MEDIA’S IRAN WAR COVERAGE AS TOO NEGATIVE – BOOSTED BY RHETORICAL FCC BACKING

JP Castellanos, Binary Defense director of threat intelligence and a former member of U.S. Central Command’s Active Cyber Defense Team, said much of the activity is focused on Israel and combines disruption with messaging. 

"About 42% of the attacks that we’re seeing or the claims that we’re seeing online are directed toward Israel," Castellanos said.

He also pointed to doxing campaigns and AI-generated videos "trying to basically shape the information space."

Much of the challenge, Castellanos said, is distinguishing real cyber incidents from inflated online claims by hacktivist groups seeking attention.

"A lot of times, these are just claims that they put online," he said. 

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

Researchers said the scale, consistency and geographic spread of the messaging point to a coordinated effort rather than organic global debate.

Cyber threat analysts say that an online narrative campaign is unfolding alongside broader activity by pro-Iranian and aligned groups across the digital space.

One of the most prominent groups to emerge in the current conflict, Castellanos said, is Handala, an Iran-linked hacking operation that has claimed responsibility for attacks on both U.S. and Israeli targets. 

Among the most influential voices driving engagement, seven of the top 10 accounts were based outside the United States, including accounts linked to Russia, the United Arab Emirates, the United Kingdom and South Asia.

U.S. authorities and cybersecurity firms have linked Handala to Iran’s Ministry of Intelligence and Security, describing it as part of a broader effort combining cyberattacks with psychological and information operations.

The cybersecurity researchers told Fox News Digital Handala is part of a wider network of Iran-aligned and pro-Russian hacktivist groups that have mobilized since the start of the war, blending disruptive cyber activity with narrative-shaping campaigns online.

Fox News Digital reached out to X multiple times, providing a list of the accounts in question per their request, but has not yet received a response.

Police in the United Kingdom arrested two men Wednesday who were allegedly behind what Prime Minister Keir Starmer described as an "antisemitic arson attack" as detectives are investigating a possible Iran link. 

Metropolitan Police said the men, ages 45 and 47, were detained at addresses in northwest and central London on suspicion of arson with intent to endanger life and that their properties are being searched. On Monday, "Four ambulances from Hatzola, a volunteer-led ambulance service operating in the Golders Green area of north London, were set on fire," according to police. 

"The antisemitic arson attack in Golders Green is horrifying," Starmer said on X in reaction to the incident. 

A video circulating online purports to show Harakat Ashab al-Yamin al-Islamiyya, an Iran-linked group that has claimed responsibility for recent attacks on Jewish sites in Belgium and the Netherlands, taking credit for the London attack, according to the Jewish Chronicle.

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

"We are aware of an online claim from a group taking responsibility for this attack," Detective Chief Superintendent Luke Williams of the Metropolitan Police previously said. "Establishing the authenticity and accuracy of this claim will be a priority… but it is not something we can confirm at this point." 

When asked about the possible Iran link on Wednesday, the Metropolitan Police told Fox News Digital that establishing any potential motivation behind the attack is part of the ongoing investigation but that it could not comment further at this time. 

Commander Helen Flanagan, head of Counterterrorism Policing London, which the Metropolitan Police said is leading the investigation, said Wednesday, "We have been working around the clock since this appalling attack took place and this has led to these arrests being made this morning."

BELGIUM DEPLOYS MILITARY TO PROTECT JEWISH SITES AFTER ANTISEMITIC SYNAGOGUE EXPLOSION

"This appears to be an important breakthrough in the investigation, but we’re also mindful that CCTV footage of the incident suggests there were at least three people involved," she added. "We fully recognize the local community will still be concerned, and our investigation very much remains active, and we will continue to work to identify and seek to arrest all of those who may have been involved." 

"We know that community concerns remain heightened, and I want to reassure the community that an enhanced, bespoke policing plan and activity, which is particularly focused around vulnerable areas right across London, will continue over coming days and weeks," Williams said Wednesday.

"This includes specialist officers and capability being deployed alongside local officers to help protect certain locations and will also involve highly visible armed police patrols to serve as a deterrent to anyone seeking to cause our communities harm," he continued. "I must stress that these are precautionary and not in response to any specific threat, and we continue to work alongside our colleagues in counterterrorism policing to support their investigation." 

Fox News Digital’s Efrat Lachter contributed to this report. 

The United States military reportedly launched airstrikes targeting the headquarters of Iraq's ​Iran-backed Shiite militia (PMF) and a residence belonging to its leader on ‌Tuesday, in an escalation of strikes against Tehran's prized militias. 

The latest strikes from the U.S. military follows a statement last week from Gen. Dan Caine, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, who said AH-64 helicopters "have been striking against Iranian-aligned militia groups to make sure that we suppress any threat in Iraq against U.S. forces or U.S. interests." 

In what appears to be an Iraqi threat against the U.S., Iraq’s Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani said in a statement on Tuesday, "In light of the unjustified attacks and grave violations of Iraqi sovereignty, including the targeting of official security headquarters, the Council decided the following: To confront and respond to military attacks carried out by military aircraft and drones targeting the headquarters and formations of the Popular Mobilization Forces Commission and other formations of our armed forces, using available means, in accordance with the right to respond and self-defense."

US WARNS IRAQ MUST ACT AGAINST IRAN-BACKED MILITIA ATTACKS ON AMERICAN ASSETS

Sudani also said Iraq’s foreign ministry planned to summon the U.S. chargé d’affaires and separately the Iranian ambassador on Wednesday. The PMF is part of Sudani's government.

An Iraqi Kurdish government official said to Fox News Digital, "So what the Iraqi government will now fight the Americans?"

When asked about the Iraqi Kurdish government official’s comment, an offiical for Iraq’s embassy in Washington, D.C., told Fox News Digital, "Absolutely not. It is against elements that target them."

According to the Times of Israel, a fresh airstrike on Wednesday hit the PMF in western Iraq. "Two missiles were fired from a fighter jet" at a base in Anbar province, a security official said. The Anbar base was also reportedly struck by U.S. forces on Tuesday.

The Iraqi embassy official said, responding to additional Fox News Digital press questions, that he lacked the current information to comment regarding the fast-moving developments in Iraq.

The PMF has launched attacks on the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad, Israel and other American assets in the region, especially in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq, following the U.S.-Israel joint attack on the Islamic Republic on Feb. 28. Over the years, the PMF has been accused of killing American military personnel in the Middle East.

DEFIANT IRAN VOWS TO FIGHT 'UNTIL COMPLETE VICTORY,' DESPITE HEAVY MILITARY LOSSES

PMF leader Falih al-Fayadh was not present when his residence was hit in the northern city of ​Mosul on Tuesday. At least 15 PMF terrorists were killed in other ⁠airstrikes that hit a headquarters of the group in Iraq's Euphrates valley ​province of Anbar, according to sources and a statement from the group.

The Kurdish government official told Fox News Digital on Tuesday: "The militias are brazenly doing Iran’s bidding. They’ve attacked U.S. forces and diplomats, Iraq’s own intelligence services, French troops, and the KRG’s Peshmerga [Kurdish Regional Government]. Energy and civilian infrastructure haven’t been spared. This does not require analysis — these groups openly claim responsibility."

The Kurdish official added: "So why does the Iraqi government continue to pay those it itself describes as terrorists and criminals? There are four principal groups: Harakat al-Nujaba, Kataeb Hezbollah, Kataeb Sayyid al-Shuhada and Asaib Ahl al-Haq. This government is unwilling to defend its own interests, let alone those of its partners. At this point, the distinction between the PMF and the state is increasingly hard to discern."

Elizabeth Tsurkov, a senior non-resident fellow at the New Lines Institute for Strategy and Policy and an expert on the PMF, told Fox News Digital there was a "sense of delusion" during the Biden administration, which tried to differentiate between the PMF and six of its pro-Iran militia members that are U.S.-designated terrorist entities.

She said the recent strikes clearly "show that the U.S. is tired of this inane distinction," Tsurkov said. She stressed the "entire PMF structure is a problem."

Tsurkov, who was held hostage by the pro-Iranian regime, Kataib Hezbollah, for two and half years in Iraq, said, "The U.S. possesses immense leverage over Iraq. The U.S. can sanction certain ministries and certain directors generals." She added that the U.S. can also sanction Iraqi banks that transfer money to Iran.

Tsurkov said the PMF are highly sensitive to U.S. strikes on their top leadership.

The PMF movement is reeling from the devastating alleged U.S. airstrikes. The dead included its operations commander, Saad al-Baiji. The statement said ​U.S. forces had targeted a command headquarters in Anbar while personnel were on ​duty. The security sources said the strikes were hit during a meeting attended by senior commanders.

TRUMP’S MIDDLE EAST ENVOY REVEALS WHAT LED TO BREAKDOWN IN IRAN TALKS BEFORE OPERATION EPIC FURY

A State Department official told Fox News Digital, "The United States strongly condemns the widespread attacks by Iran and Iran-backed militias against U.S. citizens and targets associated with the United States throughout Iraq, including U.S. diplomatic personnel and facilities."

The official continued: "As Secretary Rubio has said, the Iraqi government must take all measures to safeguard U.S. diplomatic personnel and facilities and ensure militia groups cannot use Iraqi territory to threaten the United States, our Iraqi partners, or the region. Doing so is in Iraq’s interest. Continued attacks by Iran-backed militias undermine Iraq’s stability and risk drawing Iraq into a broader regional conflict."

A spokesperson for U.S. Central Command referred Fox News Digital to the White House and to the Office of the Secretary of War for comment on the administration’s policy. Fox News Digital reached out to the White House and Pentagon for comment.

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On Monday, the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad issued a security alert warning: "Iraq Iran-aligned terrorist militias have conducted widespread attacks on U.S. citizens and targets associated with the United States throughout Iraq, including the Iraqi Kurdistan Region (IKR). U.S. citizens should leave Iraq now."

Fox News Digital reached out to the Israel Defense Forces regarding Israel's role in the ongoing strikes against Iran-backed militias.

Reuters contributed to this report.

The U.S. military has sent MQ-9 Reaper drones to Nigeria, a U.S. defense official reportedly told The Associated Press, as fears are growing of a renewed insurgency by the terrorist group Boko Haram. 

The drones were deployed after 200 U.S. troops arrived in Nigeria last month to provide training and intelligence. Nigeria, Africa’s most populous country, is battling a complex security crisis, especially in the north of the country. 

A spokesperson for AFRICOM, the U.S. Africa Command, told the AP that U.S. troops "are working alongside their Nigerian counterparts to provide intelligence support, advisory assistance, and targeted training in support of the Nigerian Armed Forces." 

Among the most prominent Islamic militant groups active in Nigeria are Boko Haram and its breakaway faction, which is affiliated with the Islamic State and is known as Islamic State West Africa Province, or ISWAP.  

NIGERIA SUICIDE BOMBINGS KILL AT LEAST 23 PEOPLE, WOUND MORE THAN 100 

There is also the ISIS-linked Lakurawa, as well as other "bandit" groups that specialize in kidnapping for ransom and illegal mining. 

The U.S. troops and the MQ-9 drones are based at Bauchi Airfield, a newly built airport in the northeast of the country, the spokesperson said to the AP. The number of drones deployed remains unclear. 

The deployment is part of a new security partnership agreed on after President Donald Trump sounded the alarm about Christians being slaughtered in Nigeria’s security crisis. 

The U.S. launched strikes against IS forces on Dec. 26 — the day after Christmas.

Earlier this month, three suspected suicide bombings killed at least 23 people and wounded 108 others in Maiduguri, the capital of Borno state in northeastern Nigeria. No group claimed responsibility, but suspicion quickly fell on Boko Haram, which in 2009 launched an insurgency in northeastern Nigeria to enforce Sharia law.

100 US TROOPS LAND IN NIGERIA AS ISLAMIC MILITANTS THREATEN WEST AFRICA REGIONAL SECURITY 

MQ-9 drones cost around $30 million apiece and have separate models for land and sea. They can also be used to carry out airstrikes, but AFRICOM says they will only be used in Nigeria for intelligence-gathering and training. 

The Office of the Director of National Intelligence says Boko Haram aims to "overthrow the current Nigerian Government and replace it with a regime based on Islamic law." 

"The U.S. State Department designated Boko Haram a Foreign Terrorist Organization in November 2013," it added. 

The Associated Press contributed to this report.