Iran loses grip on Strait of Hormuz as oil exports hit highest level since war began

Ret. Lt. Gen. Keith Kellogg commented on President Donald Trump's handling of Iran during an appearance on "Kudlow" on Tuesday.

Kellogg argued that Iran is showing more signs of weakness than ever as oil exports through the Strait of Hormuz return to nearly pre-war levels and the U.S. maintains its blockade on Iranian ports.

A leading American evangelical leader has condemned remarks made by a Palestinian official claiming the Bible as a "Palestinian book."

Palestinian Ambassador to the U.K. Husam Zomlot made the comments earlier this month at the University of Bradford as the revisionist argument takes shape asserting Jesus was a Palestinian.

Zomlot’s claims that the Bible is a "Palestinian book" and that, by extension, all Christians are Palestinian has drawn sharp criticism from those who say the remarks advance a contested historical narrative about the land.

"The Palestinians aren’t the ‘people of the Book.’ When the ‘Book’ was written, the term Palestinian had not yet been coined," Pastor John Hagee, founder and chairman of Christians United for Israel (CUFI), told Fox News Digital."

The Palestinian ambassador’s attempt to claim the Jewish mantle of religion and history as his own is the clearest indication that his own narrative lacks both," he said, adding: "Such attacks are contemptible, but their danger is decided by who will listen and who will challenge such bigotry."

Hagee argued that describing Jesus as Palestinian because Bethlehem is today in the Palestinian-controlled West Bank would be anachronistic, comparing it to calling television personality Dr. Phil Cherokee simply because he was born in Oklahoma.

"History also disproves what the ambassador is saying. The Romans intentionally adopted the name ‘Palestine’ as a replacement for ‘Judea’ in an effort to erase the Jews from the land, roughly a century after Christ was crucified," he added.

This is an excerpt from an article by Fox News' Amelei Botbol.

Iranian security forces have stepped up their presence in Tehran and other cities, with motorcycle patrols, checkpoints and forces positioned across major urban areas as authorities brace for possible unrest, multiple sources inside Iran told Fox News Digital.

The security buildup comes as university students have returned to the streets in Tehran, protesting compulsory hijab rules, rising education costs and political repression, videos published on Iran International show.

Sources inside Iran confirmed to Fox News Digital that motorcycle units have been operating across Tehran and other cities during events surrounding Iran’s annual "Sacred Defense Week," while members of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, Basij and law enforcement have been positioned at major squares and other locations.

The sources also said security personnel have stopped pedestrians, searched some individuals and examined mobile phones, including material authorities consider "anti-regime."

The accounts follow a report from the National Council of Resistance of Iran’s (NCRI's) Committee on Security and Counterterrorism alleging that Iranian authorities ordered a "100%" state of readiness for the Army, IRGC, Basij and law enforcement and canceled leave through Sept. 27. The NCRI also claimed 51,000 personnel had been deployed across Greater Tehran, including 30,000 IRGC and Basij members and 21,000 law enforcement personnel. The reported preparations are taking place as signs of public unrest have begun resurfacing on university campuses. Fox News Digital has not independently confirmed those claims.

One source in Tehran told Fox News Digital that the heightened security presence extends beyond what is visible on the streets. 

This is an excerpt from an article by Fox News' Efrat Lachter.

The U.S. military is scheduled to end its mission in Iraq on Wednesday, bringing to a close a military operation that has lasted more than two decades — despite an ongoing war in Iran sparked earlier this year.

The Iraq mission began with the 2003 invasion that toppled Saddam Hussein and later evolved into a campaign to help Iraqi forces defeat the Islamic State group after the terrorist organization's rapid rise across Iraq and Syria.

In recent years, however, the remaining U.S. military presence has increasingly served as both a counterweight to Iran's influence and a frequent target of Iran-backed militias.

The Iraq agreement was reached before the U.S. and Iran entered direct conflict earlier this year and under a different administration and military leadership — leaving the final phase of the withdrawal to unfold in a dramatically different security environment than the one envisioned when the timeline was negotiated.

The deadline stems from an agreement reached by Washington and Baghdad in 2024 under President Joe Biden to wind down the U.S.-led coalition's military mission after Iraqi officials concluded their security forces were increasingly capable of handling the fight against ISIS.

It follows the U.S. military's 2021 departure from Afghanistan, also under the Biden administration, which ended another two-decade American war and left no U.S. troops in the country. The withdrawal, however, was chaotic, widely viewed as 'botched' and resulted in the deaths of 13 U.S. service members and dozens of civilians.

This is an excerpt from an article by Fox News' Morgan Phillips.

The U.S. has officially ended Operation Inherent Resolve and is in the process of withdrawing U.S. military forces from Iraq, the Pentagon confirmed Wednesday.

Chief Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell says the withdrawal of U.S. and coalition forces will take place from Erbil Air Base, ending a 12-year campaign that saw the defeat of ISIS.

"We expect the Iraqi Security Forces, including the Peshmerga and other security forces in the Iraqi Kurdistan Region, to lead the continuing effort to secure Iraq and keep ISIS remnants suppressed. The Department of War will continue to provide targeted training and intelligence support to our Iraqi partners," Parnell said in a statement.

"The primary responsibility for addressing Iraq's remaining security challenges, including ISIS remnants and Iran-aligned militias that undermine Iraqi sovereignty and regional stability, now rests with the Government of Iraq. The United States remains committed to counterterrorism and will continue to work with Iraq and our partners to ensure ISIS can never reconstitute from Iraqi territory," he added.