Trump says US 'may have to' strike Iran's Pickaxe Mountain nuclear site in future
President Donald Trump has confirmed that the United States is evaluating Iran's heavily fortified Pickaxe Mountain nuclear complex as a potential target for future military action, stating, "We may have to go there... We'll knock it out fast" in a Thursday interview. Trump ruled out the use of nuclear weapons or the deployment of U.S. ground troops, but left the door open for conventional air strikes. The comments follow recent reports that the Pentagon has drawn up options involving massive conventional ordnance against Iranian infrastructure, even as Trump expressed optimism that ongoing back-and-forth tensions and negotiations could bring a swift end to the conflict.
Trump rejects nuclear strikes on Iran as Pentagon reportedly considers 'Mother of All Bombs'
President Donald Trump said Thursday he would not use nuclear weapons against Iran amid reports that the Department of War was developing new strike plans that could include using a bomb known as the “Mother of All Bombs” against Iranian nuclear sites and energy infrastructure.
Speaking to Newsmax about the GBU-43/B Massive Ordnance Air Blast bomb, or MOAB, Trump said, “The mother of all bombs is not nuclear.”
“This is just an extremely large bomb. It’s like a tiny nuclear bomb, but the mother of all bombs is one big bomb, but it’s not nuclear.”
“I wouldn’t use nuclear. We don’t have to,” Trump said.
The reports earlier Thursday, cited multiple U.S. officials who were said to have also suggested the strikes could be carried out before or after the Nov. 3 midterm elections.
Israeli ambassador to US pledges accountability following attack on journalist
Yechiel Leiter, Israeli Ambassador to the US, is pledging accountability following an incident earlier today in which a Washington Post journalist was kicked and beaten in the West Bank.
He stated if Israel "has not yet reached a passing grade on bringing Jewish vigilantes to justice, then we've got to do a better job."
Photojournalist Heidi Levine says that she was attacked by "Jewish terrorists" during a clash at an olive grove, although the prime minister's office is still working to sort out the details.
The US State Department responded to the incident, writing "We condemn criminal violence by any party in the West Bank and support appropriate investigations as well as legal accountability for those responsible. The Department has reached out to the Washington Post to offer consular assistance."
Iran rejects Saudi claim that it is behind Houthi attacks
Esmail Baghaei, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman, vehemently denied Saudi claims that it had encouraged Houthi rebels to attack Saudi Arabia, according to Iran International. Baghaei asserted that the Houthis plan military strategy independently.
During October, attacks by the Yemeni rebel group have killed 19 and injured 364 people in Saudi Arabia, including an attack on King Khalid Airport in Riyadh, which killed 17.
Baghaei argued Iran had no involvement in the strikes, and asserted that Tehran's official position is to oppose further escalation in the conflict.
Additionally, he blamed the United States and Britain for a lengthy air and sea blockade of Yemen, claiming that foreign military invention had not brought resolution to the conflict.
Centcom commander gives update on degrading Iran's military, strangling its economy
Admiral Brad Cooper, Commander of US Central Command, updated the American public on progress on the military engagement with Iran in a recent X post:
"We sank Iran's navy, we destroyed its weapons factories, and we curtailed the IRGC's ability to launch ballistic missiles and drones."
He cited key successes on defending against Iranian attacks, clearing mines in the Strait of Hormuz, and protecting commercial shipping.
Cooper emphasized that US efforts have brought the Iranian economy to a complete standstill:
"With the exception of the humanitarian assistance we've allowed in, Iran has no exports and no imports by sea. The sum total of these actions has imposed devastating costs on Iran's security apparatus."
Cooper further paid tribute to the sacrifices of the 50,000 American service members currently deployed overseas.
Iranian Army spokesperson says Strait of Hormuz will reopen 'if America leaves the region'
Iranian Army spokesperson Mohammad Akraminia said Friday that "if America leaves the region, the Strait of Hormuz will reopen and collective security will be established with the participation of the region's countries, and the global economy will improve.
"If it doesn't leave, we'll expel it," he added in a post on X.
Akraminia also was quoted by Iran's Mehr News Agency as saying that “Despite Trump’s repeated allegations, Iran’s current air defense capabilities far surpass pre-war and wartime levels.”
Trump declared that Iran is no longer “the bully of the Middle East” as he touted U.S. military strikes against Tehran during a midterm campaign rally in Montana on Wednesday.
"They don't have a Navy; they don't have an air force; their army is decimated; their leaders are gone," Trump said. "I should have probably left the leaders because I don't know who we're negotiating with. They had their first-string leaders are all gone. Their second-string leaders are all gone. Half of their third-string leaders are gone. And now their main thing that they ask in negotiation is, 'Will you please allow us to live?'
"This is all they do. They don't want us to go after them."
Fox News Digital's Eric Mack contributed to this post.
Israel's military eliminates Hamas military wing commander
The Israel Defense Forces said Friday that it killed Maher Walid Omar al-Husseini, a “Nukhba cell commander in Hamas’ military wing who infiltrated the Re’im Base in Israel during the October 7 Massacre.”
“Recently, he advanced attacks against Israeli civilians and IDF troops and attempted to restore Hamas’ capabilities, in systematic violation of the ceasefire,” the IDF said.
“The terrorist was eliminated in order to remove the threat he posed,” it added.
Saudi Arabia intercepts multiple missiles and drones fired toward Riyadh, Yanbu and Red Sea
Turki al-Maliki, a spokesperson for the Saudi-led coalition, announced Friday that multiple projectiles have been intercepted after being launched toward Saudi Arabia and the Red Sea.
In a series of posts on X, Al-Maliki said Saudi Arabia "intercepted and destroyed 3 drones in the southern region and Riyadh region," as well as two cruise missiles over the Red Sea and a ballistic missile launched in the direction of the city of Yanbu.
The announcements come as Iran-backed Houthis in Yemen have been launching attacks on Saudi Arabia in recent weeks.
Iran's president claims Tehran not seeking nuclear weapon, 'will not submit to coercion'
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian claimed Friday that Tehran is not seeking to develop nuclear weapons.
“We have always been ready for dialogue. They think they can force us to surrender, but we will not submit to coercion,” Pezeshkian said during a meeting with Georgia's prime minister on the sidelines of the Leaders’ Summit on Biodiversity in Armenia, according to Iran International.
The outlet also cited Pezeshkian as saying that U.S. sanctions and military action against Iran is unjustifiable.
President Donald Trump repeatedly has insisted that Iran cannot obtain a nuclear weapon.
12 ships were attacked this week around Strait of Hormuz, UKMTO says
The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations Centre (UKMTO) said Friday that 12 ships have reported being attacked around the Strait of Hormuz this week.
The agency said 10 of the attacks unfolded in the Strait of Hormuz, while there was one in the Arabian Gulf and another in the Gulf of Oman.
"Of the 12, 6 continued or reached port, 1 was lost, 2 were disabled or not under command and 3 have damage or outcome unconfirmed," it said.
Since July 6, a total of 55 of the 74 reported strike incidents happened along the southern route through the Strait of Hormuz near the coastline of Oman, UKMTO added.
Israel's military eliminates Hamas, Palestinian Islamic Jihad terrorists
The Israel Defense Forces announced Friday that it has killed two terrorists who posed threats to Israeli citizens and its troops.
The IDF said among those eliminated was Mohammed Mohammed Abd al-Khalek Hala, a Hamas commander "who infiltrated Israel during the October 7 Massacre.
"In his role, Mohammed Abd al-Khalek Hala acted as a commander in Hamas' weapons production headquarters," the IDF said.
The IDF also noted that it killed Ahmad Jabrin Tawfiq Dalhan from the Palestinian Islamic Jihad group.
"Recently, the terrorists advanced attacks against IDF troops and Israeli civilians. They were eliminated to remove the threat they posed," it added.
Iran has struck Gulf nation infrastructure over 100 times since February: report
Iranian missile and precision drone strikes have hit over 80 targets in nations around the Persian Gulf at least 135 times since the start of the war in February, according to a new Reuters investigation.
The strikes, according to Reuters, have "systematically" disabled critical infrastructure and led to economic damage across the region.
Countries Reuters confirmed as targets included the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Oman, Iraq and Bahrain.
US Navy Captain Tim Hawkins, a CENTCOM spokesman told Reuters that the U.S. has repeatedly condemned Iran “for indiscriminately targeting more than a dozen neighboring countries and hundreds of commercial ships as well as risking millions of innocent lives over the past seven months.”
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