Senior Iranian leaders Larijani, Soleimani, Khatib killed in strikes, Israel says

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The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said Wednesday it had struck numerous sites in Tehran.

The military said it hit command centers, ballistic missile sites and additional infrastructure connected to the Iranian regime.

As part of the strikes, the IDF said it also targeted the headquarters of the IRGC Security Unit, which it said was responsible for repressing protests and riots in Iran.

The military also said it struck a maintenance center of the General Logistics and Support Department of Internal Security Forces, as well as a command center belonging to the ballistic missile array.

Several Iranian air defense systems were also targeted, Israel said.

An Israeli airstrike flattened an apartment building in Bachoura, in central Beirut, early Wednesday, according to The Associated Press.

No injuries were immediately reported, the outlet said.

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said earlier Wednesday it had initiated a series of strikes targeting Hezbollah infrastructure in southern Lebanon after urging residents to evacuate.

Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., criticized media coverage leading up to and during the war with Iran and defended President Donald Trump’s leadership throughout the conflict.

Graham called the conflict a “nightmare” for the media, which he said is reluctant to praise Trump’s actions, specifically his efforts to prevent Iran from getting a nuclear weapon.

“He saved the world from a nuclear-armed Ayatollah,” Graham said during an interview on "Hannity." “Nobody will say this in the mainstream media because it justifies what President Trump did.”

Graham then urged the president to stay the course, saying the war could soon be over.

“Mr. President: finish the job. We're very, very close, and if we do this right, peace breaks out. Saudi Arabia will recognize Israel when Iran is defanged. Our goal is to take this terrorist regime and defang it so we can have real peace in the Middle East. We're so close to that moment.”

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said early Wednesday that Iran had launched additional missiles toward Israel.

The IDF said its defense systems were working to intercept the threat.

No casualties were immediately reported, according to Magen David Adom (MDA).

EMTs and paramedics were searching the scene of a reported strike, the agency said.

The new round of missiles comes after strikes killed two people hours earlier in Ramat Gan, near Tel Aviv, according to Israeli emergency responders.

The IDF also said it had launched a wave of strikes targeting Hezbollah infrastructure in southern Lebanon.

The military said it initiated the strikes after residents of the city of Tyre were evacuated.

It said the strikes were in response to missiles fired toward Israeli territory.

As tensions continue to escalate in the Middle East for the third week, people are looking to evacuate the region — not only tourists, but also golden visa holders. 

The United Arab Emirates (UAE) Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced in an X post that the government has "implement[ed] evacuation plans and facilitate[d] the return of around 500 UAE golden visa holders and residents stranded abroad." 

The post said the actions are "part of ongoing efforts to ensure the safety and well-being of all who live in the UAE, at all times and wherever they may be." 

The UAE closed its airspace Tuesday after threats from incoming missile and drone ​threats from Iran opening operations shortly after, Reuters reported. 

Golden visas have been booming across the globe, attracting some of America’s wealthiest seeking tax havens, safety and warmer weather. 

This is an excerpt of an article by Fox News Digital’s Ashley J. DiMella.

A projectile struck the premises of Iran’s Bushehr nuclear power plant Tuesday evening, but no damage or injuries were reported, according to the United Nations’ nuclear watchdog.

“The IAEA has been informed by Iran that a projectile hit the premises of the Bushehr NPP on Tuesday evening. No damage to the plant or injuries to staff reported,” the International Atomic Energy Agency said in a post on X.

IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi also “reiterates call for maximum restraint during the conflict to prevent risk of a nuclear accident,” the agency said.

U.S. forces have conducted more than 6,000 combat flights over Iran as part of ongoing operations targeting the country’s military capabilities, according to CENTCOM Commander Adm. Brad Cooper.

In a video update posted by the Department of War, Cooper outlined the scope of Operation Epic Fury as video showed fighter jets and unclassified video of explosions.

“We continue to remain centered on our military objectives. These are well-defined and include eliminating Iran’s ballistic missiles, drones, and naval threats,” Cooper said.

“To date, our Air Force, Navy, and Marine Corps aviators have collectively flown more than 6,000 combat flights, demonstrating the unmatched capability of America’s Joint Force as we maintain air superiority over Iranian skies.”

“And to the entire Operation Epic Fury team, keep pushing, remain steady, fight to win, Thanks so much and God speed.”

The Department of War said in the post that U.S. forces are “executing President Trump’s orders with speed and precision,” adding that “Operation Epic Fury has decimated Iran’s military.”

Global airlines warned Tuesday that soaring jet fuel prices tied to the U.S.-Israeli war against Iran are driving up costs, threatening ticket price hikes and forcing some carriers to scale back flights.

Delta Air Lines CEO Ed Bastian said the spike in fuel prices raised the airline’s costs by as much as $400 million in March alone and that airlines are moving quickly to pass those higher costs on through fare increases, according to Reuters.

American Airlines also said it expects fuel prices to add roughly $400 million to its first-quarter expenses.

For airlines, jet fuel is one of the biggest operating costs, so sustained increases could further squeeze margins, push up ticket prices and add fresh strain to a travel season already complicated by the DHS shutdown.

In the U.S., the Argus U.S. Jet Fuel Index — a daily benchmark averaging prices in Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles and New York — climbed to $3.93 a gallon on Tuesday, after hovering mostly in the low-to-mid $2 range for weeks.

Jet fuel can be especially vulnerable to disruptions because inventories are typically thinner and storage requires specialized tanks. Unlike gasoline or diesel, there is little spot buying in jet fuel markets, which can amplify price swings when supply tightens.

Former FBI Deputy Director Dan Bongino pushed back on Joe Kent’s resignation and criticism of the Iran war, arguing his stance is not supported by intelligence.

Speaking on Fox News’ “The Ingraham Angle,” Bongino acknowledged Kent’s military service but sharply disputed his conclusions.

“Joe’s decorated history of service is beyond reproach, and a sacrifice with his family is just unspeakable,” Bongino said. “That doesn’t mean that this current opinion is any more fact-based, because it’s not.”

Kent, the former head of the National Counterterrorism Center, resigned and argued in a letter that Iran posed “no imminent threat” to the United States.

Bongino rejected that claim, citing intelligence and publicly known threats tied to Iran.

“I’ve had access to just about everything,” he said. “And how you could come to the conclusion that the Israelis did it, and there was no imminent threat here? Really?”

He pointed to Iran’s missile and nuclear capabilities as evidence.

“What about the anti-ship ballistic missiles, the drone program, 440 kilograms of 60 percent enriched nuclear material, their constant death to America chants,” Bongino said. “That’s called evidence. In some limited circles, we call that, you know, a clue.”

The European Union's foreign policy chief said Tuesday that the bloc is consulting with Gulf countries to potentially "bring forward proposals for Iran, Israel and the U.S." to get out of their war in a situation where "everybody saves face." 

Kaja Kallas, the EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, made the remark to Reuters, adding that "it would be in the interest of everybody if this war stops." 

"We have been consulting with regional countries like ‌the Gulf ⁠countries, Jordan, Egypt, [about] whether we could also bring forward proposals for Iran, Israel and the U.S. to get out of this situation so that everybody saves face," Kallas was quoted as saying.  

"The problem with wars is that it's easier to start than to stop them, and it always gets out of hand," she also reportedly said, noting that the EU is willing to assist "diplomatically to bring the parties together to really stop this war." 

Kallas also pushed back after President Donald Trump said over the weekend that, "Many Countries, especially those who are affected by Iran’s attempted closure of the Hormuz Strait, will be sending War Ships, in conjunction with the United States of America, to keep the Strait open and safe." 

"Nobody is ready to put their people in harm's way ‌in ⁠the Strait of Hormuz," Kallas told Reuters on Tuesday. "We have to find diplomatic ways to keep this open ⁠so that we don't have a food crisis, fertilizers crisis, energy ⁠crisis as well." 

This is an excerpt from an article by Fox News Digital’s Greg Norman.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel eliminated two senior figures tied to Iran’s leadership as strikes continue across the region.

The claim appears to align with earlier reports that Israeli strikes killed senior Iranian-linked operatives, though Netanyahu did not identify them in the video.

In a video message posted online, Netanyahu said Israeli forces are continuing to target operatives across Iran.

“I’m here with Israel’s Defense Minister, our Chief of Staff, the head of the Mossad, the Chief of Air Force, our senior commanders. In the past 24 hours, we knocked out two of the terrorist chieftains, the top terrorist chieftains of this tyranny,” Netanyahu said.

“Our aircraft are hitting the terror operatives on the grounds, in the crossroads, in the city squares. This is meant to enable the brave people of Iran to celebrate the Festival of Fire,” he continued.

“So celebrate and Happy Nowruz. We’re watching from above.”

U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) said U.S. forces struck Iranian missile sites along the country’s coastline near the Strait of Hormuz using powerful deep-penetrating munitions.

“Hours ago, U.S. forces successfully employed multiple 5,000-pound deep penetrator munitions on hardened Iranian missile sites,” CENTCOM said in a post on X.

The military said the targeted sites housed anti-ship cruise missiles that posed a threat to global shipping through the critical waterway.

“The Iranian anti-ship cruise missiles in these sites posed a risk to international shipping in the strait,” the command said.

Deep penetrator weapons, often referred to as “bunker busters," are designed to cut through hardened or underground targets before detonating.

The strikes come as the Strait of Hormuz remains a focal point of the conflict, with growing concerns over threats to oil tankers.

Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., is calling for increased U.S. support for the United Arab Emirates (UAE), arguing the Gulf ally is bearing the brunt of Iran’s attacks while helping counter Tehran.

“You really learn a lot about the capabilities and will of your allies in difficult times like these,” Graham wrote on X.

Graham said efforts to confront Iran’s nuclear ambitions should be viewed as a shared global concern.

“To those who suggest that confronting the Iranian regime and denying them a nuclear weapon … is not their conflict — you’ve missed a lot since 1979,” he wrote.

The senator also backed the Trump administration’s military action, claiming Iran was close to developing nuclear weapons.

“Iran was weeks away from achieving this, not years away,” Graham wrote.

He added that “through Operation Midnight Hammer, President Trump stopped Iran from having enough weapons grade uranium to make at least 10 nuclear bombs.”

Graham stressed the UAE’s role in the conflict, noting it has faced sustained attacks while hosting U.S. forces.

“The brunt of the Iranian attack during this war has been on the UAE because they host American military bases and thousands of U.S. military personnel,” he wrote.

He urged the U.S. to prioritize the country’s defense needs.

“When it comes time to making sure that those in the crosshairs of Iran have what they need to defend themselves, I believe the UAE should be at the top of the list,” Graham wrote. “Give the UAE what they need to defend their skies and our military personnel."

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said it is better to operate “shoulder to shoulder with our American friends” as Israel continues strikes against Iran and its leadership.

“Crossing names off the list is good — doing it shoulder to shoulder with our American friends is even better,” Netanyahu wrote in a post on X.

The post included video of Netanyahu walking alongside U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee, where the two discussed ongoing operations.

In the video, Huckabee said, “Mr. Prime Minister, I wanted you to know the President asked me to come and make sure you were okay.”

Netanyahu responded, “I’m alive,” adding that he had “raised two names on the punch card today.”

Later in the exchange, Netanyahu praised U.S. involvement in the conflict.

“What the president, the U.S. forces are doing is incredible,” Netanyahu said. “We’re very proud to stand shoulder to shoulder with them.”

"[We are] getting rid of these lunatics who would like to develop nuclear weapons and the means to deliver them to every American city after wiping out Israel." Netanyahu added, “They ain’t going to do that. We’re wiping them out.”

The remarks come as Israel and the United States continue coordinated military operations targeting Iran’s leadership and military capabilities.

President Donald Trump was already urging the Federal Reserve to cut interest rates. But his war with Iran may have made that much harder, pushing oil prices higher and fueling inflation concerns at the worst possible time.

That could affect not just this week’s Fed rate-cut decision, but the path ahead if the conflict drags on and energy prices remain high. When policymakers wrap up their two-day meeting Wednesday, they are widely expected to leave rates unchanged.

For Americans already squeezed by rising costs, that means borrowing could stay expensive.

Mortgage rates have moved higher since the conflict began, with the benchmark 30-year fixed rate climbing to 6.26% as of March 16 after dipping below 6% in late February, according to Mortgage Bankers Association data.

At the same time, the labor market is showing new cracks. Employers shed 92,000 jobs in February, defying expectations for growth and further complicating the Fed’s next move.

That leaves the central bank boxed in: inflation remains sticky even as the job market weakens. It also adds to the pressure on Trump, who made lowering costs for Americans a central campaign promise.

Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard is backing President Donald Trump’s decision to strike Iran, saying he acted after determining the regime posed an “imminent threat” — as a top intelligence official resigned over that very claim.

“Donald Trump was overwhelmingly elected by the American people to be our President and Commander in Chief,” Gabbard wrote on X.

“As our Commander in Chief, he is responsible for determining what is and is not an imminent threat, and whether or not to take action he deems necessary to protect the safety and security of our troops, the American people and our country,” she said.

Gabbard said her office’s role is to provide intelligence to inform those decisions.

“The Office of the Director of National Intelligence is responsible for helping coordinate and integrate all intelligence to provide the President and Commander in Chief with the best information available to inform his decisions,” she wrote.

“After carefully reviewing all the information before him, President Trump concluded that the terrorist Islamist regime in Iran posed an imminent threat and he took action based on that conclusion,” Gabbard added.

Her comments come after former National Counterterrorism Center Director Joe Kent resigned earlier on Tuesday, citing opposition to the war.

“I cannot in good conscience support the ongoing war in Iran,” Kent wrote in his resignation letter. "Iran posed no imminent threat to our nation."

As the U.S.–Iran war enters a new phase, the range of options now being discussed stretches from hitting Iran’s economic and oil lifeline at Kharg Island to the far more dangerous prospect of a ground invasion, or a narrower operation focused on Iran’s nuclear material.

The urgency comes as recent U.S. strikes have degraded parts of Iran’s military infrastructure without collapsing the regime, raising pressure on the Trump administration to decide what comes next.

Each option carries significant risks: disrupting Kharg Island could shock global oil markets, a ground invasion could draw the U.S. into a prolonged regional war, and operations targeting nuclear material could trigger escalation while still failing to eliminate the threat. 

What happens next could determine not only the trajectory of the conflict with Iran, but also the stability of global energy supply and the future of Tehran’s nuclear program.

Recent U.S. strikes already hit military targets on Kharg Island, a small island in the Persian Gulf that serves as Iran’s main oil export terminal that has emerged as a central pressure point in the conflict, while sparing its oil infrastructure, underscoring just how consequential the next move could be.

Kharg Island is the centerpiece of Iran’s oil export system. The island handles about 90% of Iran’s oil exports, and Iran recently has been exporting roughly 1.1 million barrels to 1.5 million barrels of oil per day, mostly to China.

Recent U.S. strikes on Kharg targeted military installations while leaving key oil facilities intact — a sign that Washington is trying to preserve a major pressure point without immediately detonating global oil markets.

Abdullah Aljunaid, a Bahraini analyst, told Fox News Digital that after Iran’s military capabilities were weakened, the U.S. focus could shift to economic pressure on Iran.

"The Iranian military capacity and offensive abilities have been totally degraded, so we need to probably do something else," Aljunaid said.

Aljunaid pointed to key strategic sites, including Bushehr — a coastal city in southern Iran on the Persian Gulf that hosts the country’s only operational nuclear power plant and a key port — and Kharg Island, Iran’s main oil export hub.

"We need to take certain strategic assets — geography — like Bushehr and Kharg, out of the equation," he said. "Those two, especially Kharg, represent the jewel of the crown, and without that, Iran’s economic ability to finance itself is going to be dead."

He added that control over key maritime choke points could further shift the balance.

"If the U.S. decided to take Bushehr at the mouth of the Strait of Hormuz, then I believe we can really see a different equation, forcing the Iranians to come to the negotiating table on our terms — the U.S. terms, and probably the rest of the world."

This is an excerpt of an article by Fox News Digital's Efrat Lachter.

As the war with Iran enters its 19th day, the fallout is spreading beyond the battlefield and into global energy markets.

Tit-for-tat strikes in Iran and across the Middle East have helped push crude above $100 a barrel for the first time since 2022, rattling global markets and renewing concerns about tighter energy supplies.

As oil prices rise, gasoline and diesel are climbing quickly, with diesel outpacing gasoline because of its tight link to freight and industrial demand.

That gives diesel outsized importance across the economy. It fuels the trucks, trains and equipment that transport food, consumer goods and raw materials, meaning sustained increases can ripple through supply chains and lift costs faster than gasoline alone.

AAA said that as of March 17, the national average for regular gasoline stood at $3.79 a gallon, up 88 cents from a month earlier. Diesel averaged $5.04 a gallon, a jump of $1.39 over the same stretch.

For now, the takeaway is straightforward: even limited escalation in the Middle East can quickly drive up fuel costs for businesses and households far beyond the region.

President Donald Trump on Tuesday said the war with Iran is “proceeding very, very strongly” and suggested U.S. military action may need to go further to ensure lasting results.

Speaking during the Friends of Ireland Luncheon at the White House, Trump said, “the war is proceeding very, very strongly. We’re doing very, very well.”

He added that Iran was “two weeks away, in my opinion, two weeks away from having a new nuclear weapon.”

Trump pointed to recent strikes as a major success.

“We’ve had a very big day today,” he said. “We knocked out things that nobody thought were possible to knock out.”

The president also claimed the damage inflicted on Iran’s capabilities could take years to reverse.

“They could leave today and it would take ten years to rebuild,” Trump said.

He also indicated the U.S. may continue operations.

“The damage has been done, but I think we have to make it a little bit more permanent,” Trump said.

Trump also said the U.S. is “way ahead of schedule” in the conflict.

“We’re way ahead of schedule… I’m trying to save a lot of money by being ahead of schedule,” he said.

Framing the strikes as necessary, Trump described the operation as targeting a major threat.

“We have to put out this… this cancer. It’s a cancer,” he said. “We had to take that operation.”

Trump also said earlier Tuesday that “I think NATO’s making a very foolish mistake,” adding the U.S. “don’t need them,” but they “should have been there.”

The Israeli military said Tuesday it has “eliminated” senior Iranian leadership figures, including Ali Larijani and Basij commander Gholamreza Soleimani, in ongoing strikes against the regime.

“The IDF has eliminated the leadership of the Iranian terror regime, again,” an Israeli military spokesperson said in a video posted on X.

The IDF described Larijani as “the de facto leader of the regime,” saying that “since the elimination of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, Larijani served as the regime’s head and directed the regime terror attacks across the region.”

“For years, Larijani was one of the regime’s most veteran and senior figures,” the spokesperson said, adding that he “personally directed decades of terror, including against his own people, leading the violent suppression of any Iranian protesters.”

The IDF said it also killed Gholamreza Soleimani, commander of Iran’s Basij force.

“The Basij Unit is a force used to violently suppress protesters, silence civilians across Iran, and a core pillar in the regime’s ability to conduct their terror operations,” the spokesperson said.

“At his hands, any Iranian who spoke up against the regime was violently arrested, tortured, or murdered,” the spokesperson added.

The IDF said the strikes are part of a broader campaign targeting Iran’s leadership and military capabilities.

“We eliminated a leader who targeted his own people,” the spokesperson said. “We will continue eliminating any threat to our civilians.”

Iran’s ballistic missiles will remain a threat for at least “a few weeks more,” a senior Israeli official told Fox News on Tuesday.

“There are launchers that are still out there, acting,” the official said, adding that “we are destroying more” with each day that passes.

“So, it will take a few weeks more,” the official said. “They still have the capability to launch missiles.”

“We are hunting them,” the official added.

The official also provided an update on Israel’s increased activity against Hezbollah in southern Lebanon.

“They used to have thousands of Radwan operatives, now they have only a few hundred in southern Lebanon,” the official said.

A United Kingdom ground-based counter drone unit took out the "largest number of drones in a single night" since the war with Iran began, the country’s Defense Ministry said Tuesday.

The ministry did not immediately provide additional details.

It said U.K. Space Command continues to support the U.K.’s and its allies’ response in the conflict, monitoring Iranian missile activity and providing warnings to its armed forces in the region.

President Donald Trump on Tuesday said it was a “good thing” that National Counterterrorism Center Director Joe Kent resigned after claiming Iran posed “no imminent threat.”

Trump was holding a bilateral meeting with the Taoiseach of Ireland in the Oval Office at the White House when a reporter asked about Kent’s resignation.

“I always thought he was a nice guy, but I always thought he was weak on security, very weak on security,” Trump said. “I didn't know him well, but I thought he seemed like a pretty nice guy. But when I read a statement, I realized that it's a good thing that he's out because he said that Iran was not a threat. Iran was a threat. Every country realized what a threat Iran was. The question is whether or not they wanted to do something about it.”

Kent announced his resignation earlier Tuesday, writing that while he supported the president’s values and foreign policies Trump enacted in his first term, he does not support wars in the Middle East.

“I cannot in good conscience support the ongoing war in Iran. Iran posed no imminent threat to our nation, and it is clear that we started this war due to pressure from Israel and its powerful American lobby,” Kent wrote.

President Donald Trump on Tuesday called out NATO for making a “very foolish mistake” by not helping the U.S. with the Iran operation, though he added “we don’t need them.”

Trump made the comments when answering questions from reporters during a meeting with the Taoiseach of Ireland in the Oval Office at the White House.

“I think NATO's making a very foolish mistake,” Trump said when a reporter asked about getting America's allies to assist the U.S. in escorting oil tankers through the Strait of Hormuz. “And I've long said that, you know, I wonder whether or not NATO would ever be there for us.”

Trump added: “So this is a this was a great test because we don't need them, but they should have been there.”

Trump had been pressing U.S. allies to help safeguard the vital waterway, which is the world’s most important oil choke point.

Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., said he has spoken to President Donald Trump about our European allies’ “unwillingness” to help the U.S. reopen the Strait of Hormuz, adding that he’s “never heard [the president] so angry in my life.”

“I share that anger given what’s at stake,” Graham wrote in a post on X.

“The arrogance of our allies to suggest that Iran with a nuclear weapon is of little concern and that military action to stop the ayatollah from acquiring a nuclear bomb is our problem not theirs is beyond offensive,” the senator continued. “The European approach to containing the ayatollah’s nuclear ambitions have proven to be a miserable failure.”

Graham noted that the repercussions of not helping the U.S. keep the vital waterway functioning “are going to be wide and deep for Europe and America.”

He added that Europe’s balk “makes me second guess the value of these alliances.”

Trump posted on his Truth Social platform Tuesday that the U.S. has been informed by “most of our NATO ‘Allies’” that they don’t want to get involved in military operations in the Middle East, even though nearly all of them “agreed with what we are doing.”

“I am not surprised by their action, however, because I always considered NATO, where we spend Hundreds of Billions of Dollars per year protecting these same Countries, to be a one way street — We will protect them, but they will do nothing for us, in particular, in a time of need,” Trump’s post read.

Trump noted that U.S. forces have “fortunately” eliminated Iran’s military, including its navy, air force, anti-aircraft and radar, and the regime’s leadership at “virtually every level.”

“Because of the fact that we have had such Military Success, we no longer 'need,' or desire, the NATO Countries’ assistance — WE NEVER DID! Likewise, Japan, Australia, or South Korea. In fact, speaking as President of the United States of America, by far the Most Powerful Country Anywhere in the World, WE DO NOT NEED THE HELP OF ANYONE!” the post read.

House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., on Tuesday countered claims from the resigning director of the National Counterterrorism Center that “Iran posed no imminent threat to our nation” and that the war was started “due to pressure from Israel and its powerful American lobby.”

Johnson said that these claims National Counterterrorism Center Director Joe Kent made in his resignation announcement were “clearly wrong.”

“We all understood there was clearly an imminent threat, that Iran was very close to the enrichment of nuclear capability, and they were building missiles at a pace that no one in the region could keep up with,” Johnson said, noting that as a member of the Gang of Eight, he received all the briefings on Iran.

Johnson said that Iran was building up its ballistic missiles at a rapid pace for the purpose of firing them upon Americans.

“I don't know where Joe Kent is getting his information, but he wasn't in those briefings, clearly, because the secretary of state, the secretary of war, and everyone, the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. [Dan] Caine, they had exquisite intelligence that we understood that this was a serious moment for us.”

Johnson said the president felt he had to strike first to prevent mass casualties.

“Had the president waited,” Johnson said, “I am personally convinced that we would have mass casualties of Americans, service members and others, and our installations would have been, dramatically damaged.”

Johnson added that he was unable “tell you the classified part, but that's the summary that's made public and it's accurate.”

President Donald Trump's suggestion that Iranian oil infrastructure could be a U.S. target sent oil and gasoline prices higher on Monday, as traders weighed the risk of a deeper confrontation that could further exacerbate global energy supplies.

On Friday, Trump ordered strikes on military assets on Iran’s Kharg Island, a strategically vital island in the Persian Gulf that serves as Tehran’s largest oil terminal and a key hub for its crude exports. Over the weekend, he raised the prospect of another bombing raid targeting the island’s oil infrastructure.

Fears of a fresh strike sent oil prices higher Monday, as traders braced for the possibility that fighting could further disrupt exports from the Persian Gulf, including through the Strait of Hormuz, a critical shipping corridor for global energy supplies.

As of March 16, AAA put the national average for regular gasoline at $3.70 a gallon, up 77 cents from a month earlier, while diesel climbed to $4.97, up $1.31 over the same period.

This is an excerpt from an article by Fox News Digital’s Amanda Macias.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu posted a greeting to the Iranian people for Nowruz, the Persian New Year that celebrates the first day of spring, as the U.S. and Israel continue military strikes against the regime.

Netanyahu said in a video message that the holiday this year will hold a special meaning of freedom and a “new beginning of hope.”

“To the brave people of Iran, I wish you, as I do every year a happy holiday season, beginning with the Festival of Lights,” Netanyahu said. “It signifies the age old belief of the Iranian people that light will triumph over darkness, that good will triumph over evil. This year this holiday has special meaning. Celebrate it with your friends, your family, your loved ones. I take this opportunity to wish you a happy Nowruz - a year of freedom. A new beginning of hope to all of you, my dear friends.”

Ali Larijani, the secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, was considered one of the most veteran and senior figures within the Iranian regime leadership and was a close associate of the Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.

During the most recent wave of protests in Iran, Larijani employed violent enforcement measures and repression operations, personally overseeing the massacre against Iranians protesting the regime.

After Khamenei was killed in the opening strikes of the war over two weeks ago, Larijani consolidated his status as the de facto leader of the Iranian regime and led the combat efforts against the State of Israel and countries across the region.

He delivered a defiant message on state television after the U.S.-Israeli strikes killed Khamenei, warning that Iran would make its enemies “regret” their actions and promising a forceful response.

Larijani was targeted in an Israeli airstrike and killed on Tuesday in another blow to Tehran’s leadership.

Iran launched 10 ballistic missiles and 45 drones at the United Arab Emirates (UAE) on Tuesday, the UAE’s Ministry of Defense said.

UAE air defenses “engaged” the Iranian missiles and drones, the ministry said. It did not immediately provide details about any damage or casualties from the latest barrage.

Air defenses have engaged 314 ballistic missiles, 15 cruise missiles and 1,672 drones since the “blatant Iranian aggression” began, the ministry said.

“These attacks have resulted in the martyrdom of 2 members of the armed forces while performing their national duty, as well as 6 fatalities of Pakistani, Nepali, Bangladeshi and Palestinian nationalities,” the ministry said in a statement.

A total of 157 people were injured, including people of more than two dozen different nationalities, the ministry said.

The UAE affirmed it is fully prepared to respond to any threats.

The Iranian Basij, a volunteer paramilitary force, was founded by Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini in 1979 as a "twenty-million-man army" to defend the Islamic Republic, according to the federally funded United States Institute of Peace.

The force consists of three main armed branches that defend neighborhoods and handle security threats, and multiple other branches specializing as counterweights to non-governmental organizations in different parts of society, including the Student Basij, Labor Basij and Guild Basij.

The force is frequently accused of manipulating elections, acting on behalf of the Supreme Leader and conservative factions.

The Basij is instrumental in suppressing domestic dissent in Iran, having previously cracked down on the 1999 student protests and the 2009 Green Movement.

The Israeli military has called the Basij an “armed apparatus of the Iranian terror regime” that led the main repression operation during recent protests in Iran, “employing severe violence, widespread arrests and the use of force against civilian demonstrators.”

The force also acts as a tool to police morals in Iran, enforcing Islamic dress codes and social behaviors, particularly targeting women and youth.

Men, women and even children as young as 12 years old have previously volunteered in the force. In recent years, however, it is believed most members are between high school age and their mid-30s.

In 2008, the Basij was formally integrated into the IRGC Ground Forces to improve its command and control. 

The force has sometimes faced internal struggles as some local Basij members were reportedly reluctant to use violence against their own neighbors, forcing the regime to bus in members from other regions, according to the United States Institute of Peace.

The Basij was under the command of Gen. Gholamreza Soleimani, who Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz confirmed was killed in overnight strikes on Tuesday.

Killing Soleimani would likely further strain the command and control of the Basij, which would be crucial in putting down any uprising against the theocracy.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) on Tuesday shared new video of strikes on Iranian targets as the war against the regime entered day 18.

The footage shows what appears to be a compilation of multiple airstrikes on Iranian targets, which are decimated in fiery explosions.

“U.S. forces continue to hunt and destroy Iranian targets that pose threats to Americans and Iran's neighbors,” CENTCOM wrote.

Top Iranian official Ali Larijani, and Basij commander Gholamreza Soleimani were both killed overnight, according to Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz.

Larijani was targeted in an Israeli strike, a senior Israeli Official told Fox News. 

And multiple Basij figures were targeted in an effort involving the U.S. and Israel, according to a senior Israeli official.

“Over a dozen Basij officials were targeted in Iran last night in different strikes, including the head of the Basij forces Gholamreza Soleimani. This was a joint U.S. and Israeli effort,” the official noted. "A strike in Tehran targeted the Basij commander and around a dozen others, including the most senior figures in the Basij forces—people with a lot of blood on their hands."

The killings come more than two weeks into the war effort against the Islamic Republic being waged by the U.S. and Israel.

Fox News Digital's Alex Nitzberg contributed to this report