President Donald Trump on Wednesday said the U.S. is prepared to strike Iran again at any time, hours after U.S. forces intercepted several retaliatory Iranian attacks that Trump downplayed as a “love tap.”
“It was a very heavy attack last night, and we’re prepared to do another one anytime we want,” Trump said.
Trump said the U.S. “blew up much more than their radars,” touting America’s advanced defense systems.
“We have technology that's incredible. Nobody has technology like we have. So, we hit them hard last night, very hard. They gave a little love tap, but we hit them very hard,” Trump said.
“We took out all of the new equipment that they tried to build along the Strait of Hormuz, some defensive, some offensive.”
President Donald Trump on Wednesday said the upcoming November midterm elections will not affect his commitment to the war with Iran.
“I’m not affected by the election,” he said. “I’m not running.”
While the war has disrupted global energy markets and driven up gas prices, Trump said his party understands that preventing Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon is a major priority.
“But I think my party respects the fact that we're not allowing Iran to have a nuclear weapon. And frankly, other presidents should have done that, but they didn't have whatever it takes to do it,” he said.
The economic fallout from the conflict could weigh on voters heading into the midterm elections.
U.S. officials have previously warned that Tehran’s leadership is well aware of the U.S. election timeline and may be seeking to keep the U.S. entangled in the conflict through brief ceasefires before resuming attacks ahead of November.
Iran-backed Iraqi terrorist groups on Wednesday reportedly issued a major threat against U.S. forces scheduled to withdraw from the country by the end of the month, warning that any American troops who remain after the deadline will be killed.
“If even one soldier remains in Iraq after that date, we will not allow them to return safely and will send back their body,” Akram al-Kaabi, secretary-general of Harakat Hezbollah al-Nujaba, said, according to Iran International, citing Iran’s semi-official ISNA news agency.
Al-Kaabi said that the terrorist group is fully prepared to engage in battle, adding that President Donald Trump will not win the war in the Middle East, according to the report.
U.S. troops are scheduled to leave Iraq by Sept. 30, bringing an end to a 23-year U.S. military mission after Trump said he no longer believes American forces are needed in the country.
{{#rendered}}Russia has reportedly been secretly helping Iran develop an advanced supersonic cruise missile possibly capable of threatening U.S. aircraft carriers and other warships in the Middle East.
The new class of weapon is being developed under a covert program codenamed C430L that began in 2023, according to a Financial Times investigation.
The weapon uses a ramjet propulsion system, an engine that allows cruise missiles to sustain speeds several times faster than sound, according to the report. Such speeds would significantly reduce the time available for defense systems to detect and engage the missile, the outlet said.
Iran has already built and flight-tested the ramjet propulsion system, but there is no evidence that a Russian-assisted supersonic cruise missile has been deployed, according to the report, FT said.
In a statement to Fox News, the White House on Wednesday assured that no outside assistance could save Iran, which it said was “completely” destroyed by Operation Epic Fury.
“Iran was completely decimated militarily by Operation Epic Fury, and now, the regime is being strangled economically by Operation Economic Fury and one of the most successful blockades in history. Nothing provided by any other country could save Iran from their dismal reality,” the statement said.
U.S. Ambassador to NATO Matthew Whitaker on Wednesday said that he and President Donald Trump strongly believe Washington’s recent naval blockades and sanctions “have bankrupted Iran.”
“They are not going to be able to continue the course that they were on,” Whitaker said on FOX Business.
It is now “very clear what the path forward is for Iran,” he said, urging Tehran to pursue denuclearization, stop attacking and reach a deal with Washington.
He added that a country of more than 90 million people has the potential to become an “excellent society,” but has chosen a path over the last 47 years that “has not turned out well for their people.”
An opposition group on Wednesday said Iran has issued death sentences to at least 11 prisoners tied to the January uprisings in Isfahan, warning that more deaths may have occurred amid a severe meningitis outbreak at the prison.
Two of the prisoners facing execution are women, including one who is the mother of two teenagers, according to the Secretariat of the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI). The group said the surge in capital punishment in Isfahan was ordered by the Iranian judiciary to suppress future social unrest and public dissent.
The lethal meningitis outbreak has also spread “disastrously to most of the prison's wards” at Dastgerd Prison, according to the group, which blamed a severe lack of medical intervention and transparency from Iranian officials.
On Aug. 20, 2026, prisoner Ali Hashemi, 18, suffered cardiac arrest and died following an injection at the prison clinic, according to the group. Prison officials have refused to provide an explanation for his death.
“The regime's henchmen are trying to keep the number of infections and deaths secret,” the group said.
{{#rendered}}Pro-Iranian militias in Iraq are resisting calls to disarm ahead of the scheduled U.S. troop withdrawal from Iraq by the end of September.
Nearly 100,000 fighters across more than a dozen factions are potentially pushing back, even as the groups are set to lose their primary justification for maintaining independent weapons arsenals amid the presence of U.S. forces, according to The Jerusalem Post.
Rather than surrendering their weapons, the militias have reportedly found an institutional loophole.
By moving their arsenals under the Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF), a state-sanctioned and government-funded paramilitary organization, the factions can technically hand their weapons over to the state without giving up their autonomy, the outlet said.
In fear of conflict, the Iraqi government is reportedly taking a passive, “wait-and-see” approach instead of enforcing complete disarmament.
President Donald Trump on Wednesday warned of catastrophic consequences if Iran had obtained a nuclear weapon, claiming Tehran’s “sick” regime would have targeted American cities.
“If they had a nuclear weapon, Israel would be gone, the Middle East would be gone, and they would be hitting cities in the United States. Absolutely. Because they're crazy,” Trump said during an interview with Lt. Dan.
“You want to see a problem? Let them have a nuclear weapon. You'll have half the world destroyed. They are sick.”
Trump noted that Tehran was only “two weeks away from having a nuclear weapon” if his administration had not sent B-2 bombers a year ago to destroy its nuclear facilities.
President Donald Trump on Wednesday signaled support for the Iranian people to rise up against Tehran’s regime, saying the government is growing weaker by the day.
Trump made the remarks after Fox News’ Peter Doocy asked whether he would send the CIA to arm Iranians and help them “rise up and fight.”
“I wouldn't want to say that to you, Peter! I'd love to tell you that, but it wouldn't be appropriate to say. But I mean, I understand their plight, they're being SHOT!” Trump said, adding that possibly 65,000 protesters have been killed.
Trump said it is only a matter of time before the regime is unable to withstand a larger uprising by the Iranian people.
“The regime is getting weaker and weaker by the day, and at some point they’re not going to be able to shoot so easily, because I think the people aren’t going to take it,” he said.
However, Trump acknowledged the risks of rising up against the regime, pointing to the deadly repression protesters face from the government.
{{#rendered}}Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Wednesday accused Cuban officials of exploiting their own people amid the island’s ongoing power crisis, arguing that Cuba received free oil from Venezuela but instead sold it and pocketed the proceeds.
The allegations come as Cuba has experienced rolling blackouts for several years amid a failing electrical grid, leaving residents struggling with frequent power outages.
“Cuba was getting free oil from Maduro. Maduro was literally stealing the oil of the people of Venezuela and giving it for free to Cuba. Cuba would take that oil — and they weren’t using it to benefit the Cuban people — they were selling the majority of that oil for cash. Ad that cash was going into their pockets,” Rubio said.
“That’s no longer happening. That’s the number one thing that’s happened here, is they’re no longer stealing the oil of Venezuela and getting it for free.”
Rubio also rejected claims that U.S. sanctions and blockades have contributed to Cuba’s energy crisis, saying, “Cuba is a failed state right now, and it’s not because of us. People say it’s because of us, it’s not.”
Defense Minister Israel Katz said that Israel is prepared to respond with “great force” if Iran attacks the country during the upcoming Jewish holiday of Rosh Hashanah, which begins in just over a week.
Katz made the comments Wednesday, just hours after Iran reportedly launched retaliatory attacks against U.S.-linked targets in the Middle East, most of which were intercepted, according to U.S. officials.
Iran is “striking throughout the region except us,” Katz said, according to The Times of Israel. “But there is a possibility that they will attack us. We are prepared for that defensively.”
He added that Israel’s planes are ready for takeoff if a response is needed.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Iran seeks money for two primary purposes: “to sponsor terrorism and ultimately to have a nuclear weapon.”
Rubio made the comments during an interview with Fox News' Brian Kilmeade on Wednesday, arguing that the Iranian regime diverts money away from its own economy and people to fund Hezbollah, Hamas and other terrorist organizations.
“Here’s the bottom line – their economy’s a disaster. It was a disaster before all of this, right, because they – if you think about it, Iran – every penny they get, be it through sanctions relief or whatever – every penny they get, they don’t spend it on the Iranian people,” Rubio said.
“They don’t spend that money on their country. They use that money to fund Hizballah and Hamas and terrorist organizations and militias in Iraq to threaten us and threaten the world. If they spent a fraction, just half the money that they’re spending on these militias – if they spent it on their own people, the Iranian people would be better off.”
Rubio said the Trump administration is not only seeking to punish the Iranian regime but also prevent them from “having access to money that will then be used to sponsor terrorism.”
{{#rendered}}Video released by Reuters showed the aftermath of an alleged U.S. strike that Iranian state media said hit a home where a wedding ceremony was being held.
Iran claimed the strike on Kuhestak, a small town on the country's southern coast, killed four people, including two women and two children, ages 4 and 16, according to The Associated Press. Iranian media said 68 others were wounded.
The AP initially said Iranian state media initially claimed at least five people had been killed but later updated the reported death toll to at least four.
The video of the damage, shot on Wednesday, showed multiple severely damaged buildings and debris strewn all over the ground.
The video also showed a downed telecommunications tower that was reportedly destroyed during the strike. The tower was about 450 feet away from the building said to be the wedding venue, according to Reuters.
U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) previously said in an update on the latest waves of attacks against Iran that "communications sites" were among the sites targeted.
CENTCOM spokesman, Navy Cmdr. Tim Hawkins, said in an updated statement Wednesday that the U.S. military is "looking into" the strikes in Kuhestak.
"We're aware of the reports, which originated from Iranian state media, and we are looking into them. The U.S. military never targets civilians, unlike the IRGC." Hawkins said in a statement provided to Fox News Digital.
Reuters and The Associated Press contributed to this post.
Iran's currency has dropped to a record low of 2.2 million rials per U.S. dollar, Reuters reported, citing two websites tracking currency rates.
The rial has dropped about 10% in the past week. So far this year, the currency has lost about half its value amid U.S. and Israeli attacks and tightening U.S. sanctions.
In 1979, the year of the Iranian revolution, 70 rials equalled one U.S. dollar, according to the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis.
Reuters contributed to this post.
During an appearance on "Fox & Friends" Wednesday morning, Retired General Jack Keane praised Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent's "unprecedented" plan to completely isolate Iran economically.
"What Secretary Bessent is doing is unprecedented. He's attempting to isolate from Iran all of their revenue sources, cause true economic peril to them on a scale we've never seen," Keane said.
Keane said the goal of Operation Economic Outcast, announced by Bessent in late August, is not to bring Iran to the negotiating table.
"I love the objective he's trying to achieve here. It's economic collapse of the nation," he said.
Keane argued that that the Iranians did not abide by the Memorandum of Understanding, which stipulated that upon its signing, Iran was to restore pre-war levels of traffic in the Strait of Hormuz and other vital regional shipping lanes.
In exchange, the U.S. began lifting the naval blockade while still keeping ships in the region. On June 25, just over a week after the MOU was signed, Iran launched a drone strike against a ship in the Strait of Hormuz.
"I think there's a realization that even if you do negotiate with this regime and they make a deal, which they did in the MOU, both presidents signed it, they're not going to comply with it," Keane said.
{{#rendered}}The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) Center reported that an oil tanker was struck on Monday in the Strait of Hormuz, killing two people on board.
The UKMTO did not offer specifics about the "security incident." It comes around the same time as an attack reported on Sidr, a Saudi oil tanker.
The UKMTO noted that the report of the strike came in at 12:20am local time on Tuesday. The Sidr was hit at around 11:40pm on Monday, according to the Saudi Arabian government.
Saudi Arabia also said that two Filipino sailors were killed in the strike, which it blamed on Iran. Iran has not taken responsibility for the attack.
In a post on Truth Social, President Donald Trump said that since the U.S. controls the Strait of Hormuz, a claim disputed by Iran, the waterway should be renamed after him.
"Now that we have it under U.S.A. control, should we change the name Hormuz Strait to TRUMP STRAIT??? Like America itself, it would be 'hotter' than ever before!" Trump wrote late Wednesday morning.
The remark comes after Trump just days ago ordered Lake Ontario to be called “Lake America” in U.S. federal references. He previously renamed the Gulf of Mexico the “Gulf of America” in January 2025.
Kuwait's foreign ministry condemned the attack Monday on a Saudi oil vessel, which led to the deaths of two Filipino sailors.
Saudi Arabia blamed Iran for the attack on Sidr, the oil tanker. The Iranian military has not taken responsibility for the strike.
"The Ministry of Foreign Affairs expresses the State of Kuwait's condemnation and strong denunciation of the heinous Iranian aggression that targeted the Saudi tanker (Sedr) while it was passing through the Strait of Hormuz, and the resulting fatalities among the tanker's crew," Kuwait's foreign ministry said Wednesday.
"The Ministry emphasizes the necessity of an immediate halt to all escalatory actions, and adherence to the rules of international law that guarantee freedom of navigation," the foreign ministry said, adding that it stands in full solidarity with Saudi Arabia.
{{#rendered}}U.S. Central Command posted a photograph Wednesday of two U.S. Air Force F-16 fighter jets flying over the Middle East.
"Two U.S. Air Force F-16 fighter jets patrol the skies over the Middle East. U.S. forces remain vigilant and ready," CENTCOM wrote on X accompanying the photo.
On Tuesday, CENTCOM announced it had completed a wave of strikes on Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) targets throughout Iran.
CENTCOM added Tuesday that more than 50,000 U.S. service members are currently operating across the Middle East "and remain vigilant, lethal, and prepared to continue executing operations directed by the Commander in Chief."
Chinese President Xi Jinping said countries should reject "external interference" in the Middle East during a state visit in Egypt, according to the Jerusalem Post, citing Chinese state media.
Xi touched down in Cairo on Tuesday evening and received a warm welcome from Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi.
On Wednesday, Xi said Middle Eastern nations should be "masters of their own destiny" and explore a new "security architecture" for the region, Reuters reported, as quoted from China's state news agency Xinhua.
He added that Beijing and Cairo should jointly oppose "unilateralism and acts of bullying,” according to The Associated Press, adding that the two nations should “work together for a more just and equitable global governance system."
Xi also said China is prepared to help safeguard shipping routes in the region, a notable statement as the Iran war has repeatedly disrupted traffic through the Strait of Hormuz and the Bab al-Mandeb.
The Associated Press and Reuters contributed to this post.
Two Filipino sailors aboard a Saudi oil tanker were killed Monday after the vessel was attacked by Iranian forces while transiting the Strait of Hormuz, Reuters reported, citing an announcement from Saudi Arabia's foreign ministry.
Sidr, the oil tanker, was hit just before midnight local time on Monday, according to Bahri, the state-backed company that owns the ship.
"Bahri remains in continuous contact with the vessel and is coordinating closely with the relevant authorities and maritime industry stakeholders, while continuing to closely monitor developments," the company said in a statement.
In July, another Bahri vessel, the Wedyan supertanker, was struck while passing near the Omani coast.
The Houthis, a Yemen-based terrorist organization aligned with Iran, also attacked two other vessels owned by Bahri in Masa and Amzan.
Reuters contributed to this post.
{{#rendered}}A residential complex in Kuwait City, the capital city of the Persian Gulf country, caught fire after an Iranian drone attack, according to the Kuwait Fire Force.
Fire crews were able to put out the blaze which was caused by a "a hostile drone as part of the criminal Iranian aggression," said Brigadier General Mohammed Al-Gharib, a spokesman for the Kuwait Fire Force.
Al-Gharib said firefighters from the Al-Hilali and Al-Madina fire stations immediately dealt with the fire. No one was injured, he added.
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said Wednesday that the U.S. government's wide-ranging sanctions on Iran will ultimately "asphyxiate the regime."
"The currency is collapsing. Inflation is over 100%. They're not able to pay their troops," Bessent said during an appearance on "Fox & Friends."
"We had the six weeks of successful kinetic strikes. Then we have imposed the blockade, which is quarantining and isolating the country, and now we are applying sanctions like they've never been seen before that are going to asphyxiate the regime," he said.
Bessent added that new authorities under the Treasury Department will explore putting sanctions on airlines, maritime operators and digital assets with ties to the regime.
Bessent also warned other nations to stop providing support to Iran, a message that came a day after President Vladimir Putin said the Russian people would stand with Tehran.
"We are telling friends and foes: do not deal with this evil regime. We know who you are, you know who you are, and if we have to, we will put you out of business," Bessent said, echoing warnings he has issued since unveiling Operation Economic Outcast in late August.
"My message to everyone is stay away. We all want this conflict to end, and the fastest way for the conflict to end is for no one to provide any support to this regime," he continued.
President Donald Trump nominated Hung Cao, the acting secretary of the Navy, to permanently lead the military branch, calling him a "true WARRIOR."
"We need Patriots like Hung leading our Navy and Marine Corps, and I can think of no one better than him to make sure our Great Navy and Marine Corps remain the FIERCEST and BEST Force the World has ever seen," Trump wrote Tuesday evening on Truth Social.
"The Senate needs to confirm this Warfighter, ASAP, so he can continue the fantastic work he has been doing over the past 4 months," Trump added.
Cao's appointment comes as the U.S. Navy continues to enforce a strict blockade of Iran's ports.
Cao has served as acting Navy secretary since April, when War Secretary Pete Hegseth fired John C. Phelan, a GOP donor who is friends with Trump's family.
Cao thanked Trump for nominating him to a permanent post, saying it's the "honor of a lifetime to lead the great warriors of the Navy and Marine Corps team."
"I’m grateful for your leadership and support as we continue to get after shipbuilding and ensure the defense of the homeland," Cao said in a Tuesday night post on X.
Cao served in the U.S. Navy from 1989 to 2021, when he retired at the rank of captain.
In 2024, Cao was the Republican nominee for Senate in Virginia. He was defeated by Sen. Tim Kaine.
{{#rendered}}Outgoing Army Secretary Dan Driscoll made his first public statement late Tuesday about submitting his resignation after 18 months on the job.
Despite reported tensions with War Secretary Pete Hegseth, Driscoll said, "We could not have made the progress we did without the support of Secretary Hegseth."
"As a third-generation Army veteran, it has been the honor of a lifetime to serve as the Secretary of the Army under President Trump and Secretary Hegseth," Driscoll wrote from the Secretary of the Army X account. "Tomorrow is my last full day in the role."
"Our Soldiers, Civilians, and their Families are our Nation's very best, and they have inspired me every day. I am sincerely thankful for their service and sacrifice," he continued.
"I had the privilege of working with them to modernize and accelerate how the Army mans, trains, and equips the most lethal fighting force on the face of the earth. We could not have made the progress we did without the support of Secretary Hegseth," Driscoll wrote. "I am forever grateful to President Trump for the opportunity to once again serve my country."
His resignation comes more than six months into the Iran war and was announced at a time of resumed fighting in the conflict.
The White House said Monday that Driscoll "has been highly effective in advancing President Trump’s agenda to Make America Strong Again at the Department of the Army by providing outstanding leadership during historic military operations, restoring an emphasis on readiness and lethality, assisting with negotiations between Russia and Ukraine, and more."
White House spokeswoman Anna Kelly added in a statement to The Associated Press, “The United States Army is more powerful than ever thanks to his work alongside the Commander-in-Chief and Secretary of War."
A source familiar with the matter told Fox News that Driscoll had raised concerns with the administration about the Army’s transformation and readiness, including his belief that Hegseth had hindered those efforts.
Tensions reportedly intensified as Hegseth removed several senior Army leaders, including Army Chief of Staff Gen. Randy George.
Driscoll, a close ally of Vice President JD Vance , attended Yale Law School with Vance after both served in the military. As Army secretary, Driscoll has worked with Silicon Valley companies to expand the Army’s drone capabilities.
Fox News Digital's Sophia Compton, Fox News' Jennifer Griffin and Liz Friden and The Associated Press contributed to this post.
Iranian state media is reporting that a U.S. strike struck a home where a wedding ceremony was being held in Kuhestak in southern Iran.
Ahmad Nafisi, Hormozgan Province’s deputy governor, told Iranian state TV in a phone call that the strike killed five people, including a child, and wounded at least 68 others, according to The Associated Press.
“Make no mistake: these crimes will not go unpunished,” Ebrahim Azizi, chairperson of the Iranian parliament’s National Security and Foreign Policy Committee, said on X. "Nothing will protect them from the crushing will of Iran’s Armed Forces."
"Iran will respond to these savage crimes with firmness," Esmaeil Baghaei, spokesman for Iran's foreign ministry, also wrote on X.
U.S. Central Command spokesman Capt. Tim Hawkins said in a statement obtained by the AP that CENTCOM is aware of the reports of civilian casualties, adding that they “originated from Iranian state media.”
“The U.S. military never targets civilians, unlike the IRGC,” Hawkins said, referring to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.
The Associated Press contributed to this post.
President Donald Trump said Tuesday he likes where the U.S. stands in the Iran war, claiming America is exerting "total control of the Hormuz Strait" and that Iran's economy is "totally collapsing."
Iran denies that the Strait of Hormuz is under total American control and has routinely struck oil tankers attempting to transit through the waterway.
Iran's economy was already under significant strain before the latest U.S. sanctions campaign, with the International Monetary Fund projecting consumer inflation of nearly 69% this year.
Trump has also denied reports that the latest string of military strikes were meant to bring Iran to the negotiating table.
"I couldn’t care less if they sign a worthless, to them, agreement," Trump wrote on Truth Social. "They are just playing out the inevitable. When are the Iranian people going to rise up and fight?"
{{#rendered}}All American personnel are accounted for after Iran’s retaliatory attacks, and the U.S. intercepted “the majority of” missiles fired by Tehran, a senior U.S. official told Fox News.
Most of the missiles and drones Iran launched were headed toward Jordan before being shot down, the U.S. official said. The official added that there has been no major damage to any U.S. bases in the Middle East.
Asked who authorized continued Iranian attacks on commercial ships, the official said Iran’s command-and-control structure is not centralized and it remains unclear who within the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps is alive or dead.
Fox News' Liz Friden contributed to this post.
Coverage for this event has ended.