Trump defends war with Iran, says ‘we cannot let lunatics have a nuclear weapon’
President Donald Trump on Friday defended Operation Epic Fury against Iran, telling an audience in Florida that “we cannot let lunatics have a nuclear weapon.” He added that Tehran’s military capabilities have been significantly degraded.
Coverage for this event has ended.
Trump says Iran sending over 'exact wording' of potential new deal
President Donald Trump told reporters on Saturday he discussed a potential deal with Iran and will review the "exact wording" aboard Air Force One en route to Miami International Airport.
"They told me about the concept of the deal. They're going to give me the exact wording now," Trump said. "... We're doing very well with regard to Iran. Again, they want to make a deal. They are decimated."
"... If we left right now, it would take them 20 years to rebuild," he continued. "But we're not leaving right now. We're going to do it so nobody has to go back in two years or five years."
Trump added the regime is "having a hard time figuring out who their leader is," and said there is a possibility the U.S. could restart military strikes on targets.
He later posted on Truth Social, noting he "can’t imagine that [the deal] would be acceptable in that they have not yet paid a big enough price for what they have done to Humanity, and the World, over the last 47 years."
Israel warns residents in southern Lebanon to evacuate as IDF targets Hezbollah
The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) issued a warning early Sunday to residents in southern Lebanon, saying it plans to carry out military operations against Hezbollah.
The IDF said Hezbollah had violated its ceasefire agreement with Israel and warned that its operatives and facilities could be targeted.
“In light of the Hezbollah terror organization’s violations of the ceasefire agreement, the IDF is forced to act against it with force and does not intend to harm you,” IDF spokesman Col. Avichay Adraee said in a statement.
The Israeli military advised residents to evacuate their homes and move at least 1,000 meters (3,300 feet) to open areas.
Former special ops soldier says Trump strategy leaves Iran in the dark: ‘Uncertainty is power'
Fox News contributor and former U.S. Army special operations soldier Brett Velicovich warned the Iranian regime is trying to survive long enough to rearm during an appearance Saturday night on "Life, Liberty & Levin," describing leaders as "disingenuous" in negotiations by demanding financial relief before demonstrating accountability on its nuclear program.
Speaking with host Mark Levin, Velicovich credited President Donald Trump with showing decisive leadership by keeping all options on the table and maintaining strategic uncertainty.
"Iran doesn't know whether our next step is funding ... local Iranians or tighter economic pressure or expanding maritime enforcement or precision military action, and that uncertainty is power," Velicovich said.
When asked by Levin about the potential for moving toward "containment" rather than total defeat of the regime, Velicovich said the U.S. should not back down.
"Sanctions relief before nuclear compliance is really just surrender disguised as diplomacy," Velicovich said.
He also highlighted the success of the current blockade, noting Iranian oil exports have plummeted by over 80%, leaving tens of millions of barrels stranded on tankers.
By starving the regime of cash, the U.S. is cutting off the funds Iran uses for terror proxies, missiles and repression of its people, which Velicovich argued can sometimes be even more devastating than military airstrikes.
GOP lawmaker warns Iran not to underestimate Trump ‘he means what he says’
During an appearance Saturday on "Fox Report," Rep. Buddy Carter, R-Ga., said Iran is under intense economic strain and cautioned that if the regime doubts President Donald Trump’s resolve, “they need to think again.”
"I think that Iran is at a place where they need to come to the table and they need to negotiate,” Carter said. “They're losing $500 million every day as a result of the blockade of their ports. They can't afford to do that very long. They need to realize that, and they need to come to the table and negotiate [to] get the best deal that they can get."
He added if the regime thinks Trump “is kidding, they need to think again.”
“This is a man who says what he means, and means what he says,” Carter said.
Attributing high gas prices to Democratic policies, he offered an optimistic outlook for American consumers, predicting that prices at the pump will fall as soon as the war with Iran is resolved.
He noted that prices previously fell to below $80 a barrel during a temporary period when waterways were open.
US blockade puts unprecedented squeeze on Iran, regime may only last a few months: expert
The combined military and economic pressure currently placed on Iran by the U.S. is pushing the regime to a breaking point not seen since the 1980s, according to a top sanctions expert.
In a recent interview on "Fox Report," Miad Maleki, a former senior sanctions strategist and senior fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, said U.S. sanctions and military blockades are working.
U.S. Central Command reported 48 ships attempting to evade the blockade have been redirected over the last 20 days.
Maleki said the coordination between the War and Treasury departments has significantly degraded Iran's military and weakened the regime both politically and economically.
He noted the U.S. has a level of leverage not seen since 1979, with the regime facing pressure comparable only to the Iran-Iraq war in the 1980s.
While the Iranian dictatorship has historically ignored public opinion, Maleki warned the regime is running out of time, facing imminent oil storage issues and gasoline shortages.
To suppress domestic uprisings, the Iranian government has shut down the internet for nearly two months, costing the economy roughly $50 million daily. In addition, the U.S. blockade is draining an estimated $435 million per day in lost imports and exports.
"They might be able to continue in a matter of days and weeks, but I don't think they can continue to stay in this kind of situation more than a month or two," Maleki said.
Comer praises president’s 'guts' on Iran, calls out Democrats on war funding hypocrisy
House Oversight Committee chair Rep. James Comer, R-Ky., is applauding President Donald Trump’s handling of the ongoing war with Iran, praising his "courage" while emphasizing the urgent need for Democrats to back military funding as the conflict stretches on.
While speaking on Fox News’ “The Big Weekend Show,” Comer noted that while leaders from both parties over the last two decades have recognized the threat posed by Tehran, Trump is the “first president that had the guts to do it.”
Comer said that the ultimate goal is preventing Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon, while acknowledging the situation is difficult because "Iran has a history of not keeping their word.”
With military stockpiles in need of replenishment, Comer said the White House must secure bipartisan support.
"It's hard for me to believe that Democrats will be so vocal in supporting Ukraine but then opposed to doing anything to combat Iran from having a nuclear weapon," Comer said.
He urged the administration to sit down with "level-headed Democrats" to secure a funding agreement.
When asked whether the U.S. should implement an "unfriendly blockade" to choke off Iranian oil, Comer warned against escalating the situation in a way that would require U.S. troops.
"Boots on the grounds is dangerous and it's expensive," Comer said.
He added the move would make congressional support "a little shaky.”
UK prime minister weighs ban on pro-Palestinian protests amid rise in antisemitic terror
U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer is considering banning certain protests following a string of violent antisemitic attacks, including a recent terror-related stabbing of two Jewish men in North London.
Britain raised its national terror threat level to "severe" on Thursday after Essa Suleiman, 45, a British national born in Somalia, allegedly stabbed the two men Wednesday, warning that another terrorist attack is considered "highly likely" in the next six months, Fox News Digital previously reported.
The government's independent reviewer of terrorism legislation, Jonathan Hall, and Chief Rabbi Sir Ephraim Mirvis have both demanded a temporary halt to pro-Palestinian marches, arguing the protests contribute to a "tone of Jew hatred" in the country.
Starmer told BBC Radio 4 that he is looking at addressing the "cumulative" negative impact the marches are having on the Jewish community, noting that there are instances where protests should be stopped.
He explicitly condemned the protest chant "globalize the intifada," calling it "very dangerous" to the Jewish community and suggesting people using it should face prosecution.
Since the Oct. 7, 2023, terror attack by Hamas in southern Israel, the phrase "globalize the intifada" has been referred to as a call for antisemitic violence.
The potential crackdown has sparked political debate across the U.K., with Conservatives and Reform U.K. demanding a stricter government response, and the Green Party and Jeremy Corbyn's "Your Party" warning against infringing on civil liberties, according to the BBC.
Police forces have the ability to restrict protests, but total bans require the approval of the home secretary and are rarely used, the outlet reported. However, last month, the U.K. government approved a police request to ban the Al Quds Day march in London, marking the first outright protest ban since 2012.
CENTCOM commander visits troops aboard USS Tripoli in Arabian Sea
U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) Commander Adm. Brad Cooper paid a visit to U.S. sailors and Marines deployed aboard the USS Tripoli (LHA 7) in the Arabian Sea Saturday morning.
In a show of leadership and support for American forces in the region, Cooper spoke directly with service members and formally recognized the ship's top performers.
During his time on the amphibious assault ship, the CENTCOM commander also took a tour of key operational spaces, including a walkthrough of the vessel's Combat Information Center.
UAE-owned oil tanker reportedly hijacked off Yemen coast
Fox News correspondent Lucas Tomlinson reported on Saturday a UAE-owned oil tanker has been hijacked off the Yemen coast.
Armed bandits allegedly took the ship into Somali waters, according to Tomlinson.
President Donald Trump said he is skeptical about negotiations, noting the blockade will remain in place until Iran makes nuclear concessions and reopens the Strait of Hormuz.
Former Defense Sec Esper warns of depleted US munitions stockpiles
Former Defense Secretary Mark Esper issued a stark warning Saturday on "Fox News Live” about the country's military readiness, saying he believes the U.S. defense industrial base is "not in the shape it needs to be” if America finds itself in an extended conflict with China.
Esper noted that his primary concern is not the current tensions with Iran, but the massive expenditure of high-end THAAD, Patriot, JASM and LRASM missiles.
He said the critical weapons have been heavily depleted by ongoing conflicts and efforts to supply allies like Ukraine and Israel, leaving the U.S. overextended across multiple global hotspots.
The vulnerability is compounded by concerns over America's standing in the hypersonic arms race, with the U.S. experiencing developmental hurdles while Russia and China are already in possession of the weapons, according to Esper.
The new U.S. "Dark Eagle" hypersonic missile has suffered from launch failures and production quality issues, and the Pentagon's testing office indicated it may not have enough data to fully evaluate its combat effectiveness until early 2027.
To accelerate progress, Esper suggested that current conflicts in the Middle East could serve as a "testing ground" for developing weapon systems.
The U.S. stockpile concerns come as the military manages widespread global commitments, from stationing Patriot missiles in Poland, to promising defensive weapons to Taiwan — prompting the Pentagon’s $1.5 trillion budget request.
GOP defense chiefs warn troop pullback from Germany risks emboldening Putin
Two top Republican lawmakers are sounding the alarm over a recent Pentagon decision to withdraw roughly 5,000 U.S. troops from Germany, warning the move could send the "wrong signal" to Russian President Vladimir Putin and undermine transatlantic security.
Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman Roger Wicker, R-Miss., and House Armed Services Committee Chairman Mike Rogers, R-Ala., issued a joint statement Friday expressing concern over the plan to pull a U.S. brigade out of Germany and cancel the planned deployment of a long-range fires battalion.
The GOP chairmen argued that "prematurely reducing America’s forward presence in Europe" before NATO allies can fully build up their own military capabilities "risks undermining deterrence and sending the wrong signal to Vladimir Putin."
While acknowledging that European allies are moving toward spending 5% of their GDP on defense, the lawmakers cautioned that translating those funds into actual deterrence capability will take time.
They also praised Germany for stepping up following President Donald Trump's calls for greater burden-sharing, noting that Berlin has significantly increased defense spending and provided U.S. forces with seamless access during Operation Epic Fury.
Rather than pulling the troops out of Europe completely, Wicker and Rogers proposed shifting the 5,000 service members further east.
"Allies there have made substantial investments to host U.S. troops, reducing costs for the U.S. taxpayer while strengthening NATO’s front line to help deter a far more costly conflict from ever beginning," the lawmakers wrote in the statement.
The chairmen also criticized the Pentagon for a lack of transparency, arguing that major changes to the U.S. force posture require a deliberate review process and close coordination with Congress.
They said they are expecting the Defense Department to engage with congressional oversight committees in the coming days to explain the implications of the withdrawal on U.S. deterrence.
Pompeo says US has to ‘finish the job’ with Iran as China, Russia are watching
Former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo told “Fox News Live” on Saturday that the Trump administration has to “finish the job here” with Iran as China and Russia are watching.
"Make no mistake about it, we have to finish the job here. The Chinese are watching. The Russians are watching. Everyone sees that the West is now being challenged by the theocracy in Iran, and we have to win this,” Pompeo said.
"You have to start with the proposition that there's no such thing as an Iranian leader who's a moderate. These are all radicals,” Pompeo said. “And so sometimes there's this ‘Well, the moderates will find a solution.’ Don't buy that storyline. They're going to stay at this until they have to make a really difficult choice.”
“The ayatollah described it before when he did it as drinking from the poison chalice. There will come a point where they will realize that the game is over and they will have to accede to our demands,” Pompeo also said.
“President Trump is going to gain us decades of security if we stay the course, whether we have to go strike them again, I think that's going to be up to President Trump,” Pompeo added.
Trump has said repeatedly that the Iranian regime cannot have a nuclear weapon.
Spirit Airlines was in ‘dire straits’ before US war with Iran, Duffy says
Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy said Saturday that now-shuttered Spirit Airlines was in “dire straits long before the war with Iran,” arguing that the conflict was not the catalyst for its demise.
"Why are we here today?" Duffy asked. "There was a proposed merger between JetBlue and Spirit, and Joe Biden and [Biden Transportation Secretary] Pete Buttigieg, along with the Biden DOJ, decided that they did not want that merger to take place."
Duffy pointed out Saturday that once the proposed Spirit-JetBlue merger fell apart in 2024, “Spirit filed for bankruptcy immediately after the denial.”
“And then last August, Spirit again filed for bankruptcy. So, Spirit was in dire straits long before the war with Iran,” Duffy said.
“Multiple times they had filed for bankruptcy. Their model wasn't working,” he continued. “They couldn't get the fiscal health. So this, this was not the impetus. The war was not the impetus for Spirit.”
The U.S. conflict with Iran has impacted the airline industry, as the war sent jet fuel and gasoline prices rising around the world.
Prices remain elevated Saturday as shipping companies are hesitant to travel through the Strait of Hormuz. The Strait carries around 20 million barrels of oil per day.
Iran hangs 2 men accused of spying for Israel: report
Iran announced the hangings of two men on Saturday, claiming they were convicted of spying for Israel.
The Iranian judiciary's news outlet, Mizanonline, identified the men as Yaghoub Karimpour and Nasser Bekrzadeh.
It claimed that Karimpour was accused of sending “sensitive information” to an officer in Israel's Mossad intelligence agency, while Bekrzadeh was alleged to have sent details about government and religious leaders as well as information about Natanz.
The central Iranian city is home to a nuclear enrichment facility that was bombed by Israel and the U.S. last year.
Israel launched Operation Roaring Lion against Iran on Feb. 28 in coordination with the United States' Operation Epic Fury.
In mid-April, Mossad Director Dadi Barnea declared that Israel’s operations against Iran will end "only once the extremist regime in Iran is replaced."
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
UAE responds to US toll warning, says Iran cannot be trusted on Strait of Hormuz
Anwar Gargash, a diplomatic advisor to the United Arab Emirates' president, warned Saturday that "no unilateral Iranian arrangements can be trusted" when it comes to the Strait of Hormuz.
Gargash made the remark after the U.S. Treasury warned shippers on Friday they could face sanctions if they pay Iran any tolls to cross the key waterway.
"In the ongoing discussion surrounding the Strait of Hormuz, the collective international will and provisions of international law emerge as the primary guarantor of freedom of navigation through this vital passage, serving the stability of the region and the global economy in the post-war phase," Gargash wrote on X.
"And, of course, no unilateral Iranian arrangements can be trusted or relied upon following its treacherous aggression against all its neighbors," he added.
Iran has launched numerous attacks on its neighbors in the Middle East since the beginning of the joint U.S.-Israel military operation on Feb. 28.
CENTCOM says 48 ships redirected so far during US blockade on Iranian ports
U.S. Central Command said Saturday that 48 ships have now been redirected over the last 20 days as part of the U.S. military's blockade of Iranian ports.
CENTCOM released an image of the USS New Orleans sailing in the Arabian Sea as part of the effort.
The U.S. blockade on Iranian ports began April 13 as part of a broader effort to pressure Iran into renegotiating limits on its nuclear program.
The blockade has unfolded in stages, starting with naval deployments and restricted maritime enforcement to limit Iran’s oil exports and economic activity.
Fox News Digital’s Emma Bussey contributed to this report.
Trump teases US will be 'taking over' Cuba 'almost immediately' on the way back from Iran
President Donald Trump appeared to joke during remarks at the Forum Club of the Palm Beaches in Florida Friday that the U.S. would be "taking over" Cuba "almost immediately," while recognizing attendees including former Rep. Dan Mica.
"And he comes from, originally, a place called Cuba, which we will be taking over almost immediately," Trump said.
"Cuba’s got problems. We’ll finish one first. I like to finish a job."
Trump then riffed on a hypothetical show of American force.
"On the way back from Iran, we’ll have one of our big — maybe the USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier — the biggest in the world," he said.
"We’ll have that come in, stop about 100 yards offshore, and they’ll say, ‘Thank you very much, we give up.’"
Germany says US troop withdrawal was 'anticipated'
German defense minister Boris Pistorius said Saturday that “It was anticipated that the U.S. might withdraw troops from Europe, including Germany,” amid President Donald Trump’s escalating feud with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz.
"The Secretary of War has ordered the withdrawal of approximately 5,000 troops from Germany," chief Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell told Fox News Digital on Friday.
The redeployment comes amid Trump's feud with Merz and other NATO allies after tensions over their response to the conflict involving Iran. Merz, speaking Monday, criticized the U.S. approach to Iran, saying Washington was being "humiliated by the Iranian leadership" and expressing hope the conflict would end "as quickly as possible."
“It was anticipated that the U.S. might withdraw troops from Europe, including Germany,” Pistorius said Saturday, according to Politico.
He reportedly added that "if we are to remain transatlantic, we must strengthen the European pillar within NATO.”
Fox News Digital's Brittany Miller contributed to this report.
Israel’s military strikes Hezbollah 50 times in last 24 hours
An Israeli military spokesperson said Saturday that the Israel Defense Forces have carried out approximately 50 airstrikes against the Iran-backed Hezbollah terrorist group in Lebanon over the last 24 hours.
“The Israel Defense Forces continue to target terrorist infrastructure and eliminate saboteurs in southern Lebanon,” Lt. Col. Ella Waweya wrote on X.
“Among the targets that were attacked: command headquarters from which saboteurs of the terrorist organization set out, buildings used for military purposes, and additional terrorist infrastructure,” she added. “The headquarters and military buildings that were attacked were used by saboteurs of the terrorist organization Hezbollah to advance terrorist plots against the Israel Defense Forces and the State of Israel.”
IDF Arabic spokesperson Avichay Adraee also issued a warning Saturday for residents of multiple Lebanese towns and villages to evacuate.
“In light of the terrorist Hezbollah party violating the ceasefire agreement, the Defense Army is compelled to act against it forcefully. The Defense Army does not intend to harm you,” he said.
Iran pushes proposal to delay nuclear talks, ties them to US ending blockade, Hormuz reopening first
A senior Iranian official indicated Saturday that the regime is pushing for a deal that would reopen the Strait of Hormuz and lift the U.S. blockade on Iranian ports, while tabling negotiations on Tehran's nuclear program for later, Reuters reported. Iran submitted a new proposal to Pakistan on Friday, as a second round of face-to-face talks with the U.S. there has twice failed to materialize in the past few weeks.
President Donald Trump has consistently rejected the notion of lifting the U.S. military's blockade on Iranian ports without a deal ensuring the regime would not be able to obtain a nuclear weapon.
Trump told reporters at the White House on Friday, "They're asking for things that I can't agree to."
"They want to make a deal," Trump said. "I'm not satisfied with it... Iran wants to make a deal because they have no military left, essentially."
The senior Iranian official categorized the new framework's shifting of nuclear talks to a later stage as a significant step towards achieving a deal to end the war, Reuters reported. The regime's terms are that the war ends with the U.S. lifting the blockade on Iranian ports, Iran opening the Strait of Hormuz and a guarantee that the U.S. and Israel would not attack again.
Future talks would then be held on Iran limiting its nuclear program in exchange for the lifting of sanctions, with Iran also asking the U.S. to recognize its right to enrich uranium for peaceful purposes, Reuters reported. The official said this proposal had been formally presented to the U.S. through mediators.
"Under this framework, negotiations over the more complicated nuclear issue have been moved to the final stage to create a more conducive atmosphere," the Iranian official told Reuters.
Fox News Digital has reached out to the White House for comment.
Trump told reporters at the White House Friday that the U.S. has "tremendous respect" for the Pakistani mediators in Islamabad and the negotiations were continuing "telephonically," noting Iran's leadership is "very disjointed."
"They all want to make a deal, but they're all messed up," Trump said.
In remarks in Florida later Friday, Trump reiterated his stance. "You cannot give Iran a nuclear weapon," Trump said. "Because they will use it on a place called Israel very quickly, and they would use it in the Middle East, and they'd use it in Europe, and I guess we'd be next. And it's not going to happen."
Fox News Digital's Danielle Wallace contributed to this report.
Iran’s killer drones increase slaughter in Sudan amid world’s forgotten war
Iran is once again being accused of playing a deadly role in yet another conflict, this time by supplying attack drones to one of the sides in the predominantly Muslim nation of Sudan’s deadly civil war — drones that are indiscriminately killing women and children.
The war, now in its fourth year, has, according to some accounts, seen as many as 400,000 deaths since the conflict began on April 15, 2023. More than 11 million have been displaced, giving rise to the worst displacement crisis in the world.
Mariam Wahba, research analyst at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies (FDD) told Fox News Digital that, "Iran has supplied the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) with drones, specifically the Mohajer-6, manufactured by Qods Aviation Industries, a U.S.-sanctioned entity, since 2013."
The State Department has hit out against the use of drones against civilians in the ongoing war in Sudan, with the SAF alleged to use Iranian drones widely against the population. An Iranian woman is also in federal custody in California after being arrested earlier this month for an alleged plot to supply Sudan with more Iranian drones.
Documented cases show both the SAF and the rebel militia they are fighting, the Rapid Support Forces, (RSF), are increasingly using drones against civilians.
Wahba said that "between Dec. 2023 and July 2024, at least seven cargo flights traveled between Iran and Sudan, likely transporting drones and component parts. On April 19, an Iranian-born U.S. resident was arrested at LAX (Los Angeles International airport) for allegedly brokering a $70 million deal to supply Mohajer-6 systems and other hardware to Sudan’s Ministry of Defense, indicating the transfers are likely ongoing."
'Killing off the country': Iran executes dozens, arrests 4,000+ in war crackdown
U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk on Tuesday accused Iran’s regime of dramatically intensifying its crackdown on dissent in the wake of the February conflict, warning that Tehran has carried out executions, mass arrests, torture and one of the world’s longest internet shutdowns while invoking national security.
In a sharply worded statement from Geneva, Türk said at least 21 people have been executed and more than 4,000 arrested on national security-related charges since Feb. 28, as the regime faces mounting scrutiny over what he described as a sweeping assault on fundamental rights.
"I am appalled that, on top of the already severe impacts of the conflict, the rights of the Iranian people continue to be stripped from them by the authorities, in harsh and brutal ways," Türk said.
Since the start of the conflict two months ago, the U.N. said nine people have been executed in connection with the January 2026 protests, 10 for alleged membership in opposition groups, and two on espionage charges. It's estimated that some 40,000 people were killed by regime forces during January's uprising.
Türk warned that Iran’s broad use of vaguely defined national security laws has enabled authorities to fast-track prosecutions, deny legal counsel, and rely on coerced confessions.
"Even where national security is invoked, human rights can only be limited where strictly necessary and proportionate," he said, calling on Tehran to halt executions, impose a moratorium on capital punishment, and immediately release those arbitrarily detained.
Pentagon orders withdrawal of 5,000 U.S. troops from Germany as Trump escalates feud with Merz
The Pentagon will withdraw 5,000 U.S. troops from Germany, a spokesperson confirmed to Fox News Digital.
The redeployment comes amid President Donald Trump’s escalating feud with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and other NATO allies after tensions over their response to the conflict involving Iran.
"The Secretary of War has ordered the withdrawal of approximately 5,000 troops from Germany," chief Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell told Fox News Digital.
"This decision follows a thorough review of the Department’s force posture in Europe and is in recognition of theater requirements and conditions on the ground.
"We expect the withdrawal to be completed over the next six to twelve months."
About 38,000 U.S. troops are stationed in Germany, where U.S. European Command is headquartered at Ramstein Air Base. The base and other American installations have long served as key logistics hubs and command centers supporting U.S. military operations in Europe and the Middle East.
Merz, speaking Monday in Marsberg, criticized the U.S. approach to Iran, saying Washington was being "humiliated by the Iranian leadership" and expressing hope the conflict would end "as quickly as possible."
Trump defends Iran war: 'We cannot let lunatics have a nuclear weapon’
President Donald Trump on Friday defended the war with Iran as necessary to prevent the regime from having a nuclear weapon.
“We cannot let lunatics have a nuclear weapon," Trump said during remarks at The Villages in Florida.
The president acknowledged he expected more severe economic fallout but said he had to do “what's right.”
“I thought the numbers would be much worse. I thought the stock market would go down much more. I thought the oil prices would go up much more," Trump said. “I said, 'But we have no choice. Whether it does or doesn't, I have to do what's right.' We can't let them have a nuclear weapon.”
Trump also claimed Iran’s military capabilities have been significantly degraded.
“They're getting decimated. They have no Navy. They have no air force, they have no anti-aircraft equipment. They have no radar. They have no leaders. Their leaders are all gone.”
Yesterday's Fox News Digital liveblog has additional coverage of the Iran conflict.
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