Top Iranian leaders Ali Larijani, Gholamreza Soleimani killed in strikes, Israel says

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.”

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