Trump issues new threat against Iran as reports say new Supreme Leader is 'misfunctioning'

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As the U.S. and Israel face ongoing tensions with the Islamic Republic of Iran, Israeli President Isaac Herzog issued a video message to Iranians for Nowruz, which the Associated Press indicates is "the Persian New Year."

"To the people of Iran, from the president's residence in Jerusalem, I send you all my best wishes from the people of Israel to the people of Iran for a happy Nowruz," he said in the video.

“It is clear to us in Israel and around the world: the Iranian people are proud and strong. Your dignity and longing for freedom is a source of inspiration pointing to what is most noble in humanity. You, the people of Iran, deserve better. You deserve a different future. Let us remember better days are possible. We will yet celebrate Nowruz together again as in the days of Cyrus the Great, spreading the light of cooperation, friendship, and peace," Herzog said.

The Israel Defense Forces said in a post on X that it struck targets in Syria due to Druze civilians being attacked.

"In response to yesterday’s events in which Druze civilians were attacked, the IDF struck a command center and weapons in military compounds belonging to the Syrian regime in southern Syria," the IDF noted in the post.

"The IDF will not tolerate harm towards the Druze population in Syria and will continue to operate to defend them. The IDF continues to monitor developments in southern Syria and will operate in accordance with directives from the political echelon," the post states.

A 26-year-old Israeli citizen suspected of perpetrating "security offenses on behalf of" the Islamic Republic of Iran has been arrested, according to a joint statement from the Israel Security Agency and the Israel Police obtained by Fox News.

"As part of a joint operation by the Israel Security Agency, Lahav 433 of the Israel Police, and the Military Police Criminal Investigation Division, Raz Cohen, 26 years old from Jerusalem, an Israeli citizen who served in the reserves in the Iron Dome array, was recently arrested on suspicion of committing security offenses involving contact with Iranian intelligence elements and carrying out security-related tasks under their direction," the statement, translated from Hebrew, noted.

"The ISA and police investigation revealed that over several months, the suspect maintained contact with Iranian intelligence operatives and was instructed by them to carry out various security-related missions, including transferring sensitive security information to which he was exposed during his role," the statement explains. "The investigation also found that the suspect was aware that the contact was being managed by Iranian elements and that he received payment in exchange for carrying out the tasks."

The announcement comes nearly three weeks after Israel and the U.S. launched the war against Iran.

Fox News' Yonat Friling contributed to this report

U.S. gas prices have soared more than 30% this month, heading toward $4 a gallon amid supply disruptions from the ongoing war in the Middle East.

National average retail gas prices have jumped about 90 cents a gallon, which is above 30%, since the U.S.-Israeli strikes against Iran late last month. The average gas price in the U.S. on Thursday was $3.88 a gallon, according to the American Automobile Association.

Analysts said gas prices are expected to move even higher, as crude prices continue to rise. U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude futures have jumped nearly $30, or 43%, from $67.02 a barrel to $96.14 over the same period.

"It now looks like gasoline will hit $4/gal next week and could head toward $4.10/gal and beyond," GasBuddy analyst Patrick De Haan said on X.

The $4 per gallon mark was last reached in August 2022.

President Donald Trump had promised to lower energy prices and boost domestic oil and gas production, but that effort has been strained since the war began.

The conflict in Iran has halted supplies from one of the world's top oil-producing regions, as Iran’s blockade on shipping in the Strait of Hormuz has disrupted exports from producers in the Middle East and slashed production in the region.

Reuters contributed to this report.

The Bank of England warned it may have to raise interest rates as rising energy prices linked to the conflict involving the U.S., Israel, and Iran push up inflation.

“Monetary policy cannot reverse this shock to world energy supply,” Bank Governor Andrew Bailey said in a statement on Thursday, according to Politico. “Monetary policy must, however, respond to the risk of a more persistent effect on U.K. consumer price inflation.”

Bailey’s comments came after the Monetary Policy Committee voted unanimously to leave the bank rate unchanged at 3.75%.

A rate cut had been expected before the conflict in the Middle East began late last month.

The Bank said prices would rise more quickly because of the “new shock to the economy” and now anticipates inflation to be close to 3.5% in March.

Policymakers said they would “assess how events unfold.” They also discussed whether a rate increase could be needed, but Bailey suggested markets were “getting ahead” of themselves in assuming several increases this year.

Airlines are hiking plane ticket prices ahead of a busy summer travel season as jet fuel costs rise due to the ongoing war in the Middle East.

Flights also have to take longer routes around war zones, and higher fuel costs cut into their already razor-thin profit margins.

As jet fuel prices soar, the airlines are passing those price hikes on to their customers through higher fares and fees, according to the Los Angeles Times.

"Whenever there's a surge in oil prices, the airlines end up passing that to the consumers immediately," Diego Bufquin, director of hospitality management and entrepreneurship at Tulane University, told the newspaper. "It doesn't take a long time."

Jet fuel prices make up about a third of airlines' operating costs, meaning they "cannot afford to wait to upcharge their customers," Bufquin said.

Higher U.S. gasoline prices caused by the war against Iran could erase the larger tax refunds many Americans are expected to receive this year, a new analysis found.

Economists from the Stanford Institute for Economic Policy Research estimate that the average U.S. household will spend an additional $740 on gas this year due to the rise in global oil prices triggered by the U.S.-Israeli war on Iran, according to CBS News. This would consume nearly all of the additional money people are set to collect in tax refunds this year.

The nonpartisan Tax Foundation estimates that the average individual tax refund will be $748 higher this year because of new cuts provided under President Donald Trump's spending bill signed last summer.

Earlier this month, overall tax refunds were averaging $3,676, which is an 11% jump from the same time last year, according to IRS data. 

Damage to Qatar’s Ras Laffan Industrial City after Iranian missile strikes will take five years to repair, QatarEnergy said in a statement Thursday.

The missiles had struck the world’s largest liquefied natural gas (LNG) export hub, causing extensive damage and fires.

The attacks also forced a temporary halt in operations at the facility, which supplies roughly 20% of the world’s LNG.

Providing an update, H.E. Minister Saad Sherida Al-Kaabi said the impact on production and revenue would be significant.

“The missile attacks reduced Qatar’s LNG export capacity by 17% and caused an estimated loss of $20 billion in annual revenue,” he said on X.

He added that recovery would be a long-term effort, warning that “extensive damage to our production facilities will take up to five years to repair and will compel us to declare long-term force majeure.”

A subsequent attack on Ras Laffan early Thursday also sparked a fire, which Qatari authorities said they were working to contain.

European Union leaders released a statement on the Iran conflict Thursday following a summit in Brussels with representatives from all 27 member nations.

While calling for de-escalation and “maximum restraint,” the European Council said it “strongly condemns Iran’s indiscriminate military strikes against countries in the region and expresses its solidarity with those affected.”

“It calls on Iran and its proxies to immediately cease these attacks and respect the sovereignty and territorial integrity of countries in the region, in line with UN Security Council Resolution 2817 (UNSCR 2817), which should be fully implemented,” the statement added.

EU leaders also called for “a moratorium on strikes against energy and water facilities.”

A Hezbollah rocket struck a home in Kiryat Shmona, Israel, injuring four people, while a fragment from an Iranian missile hit the Haifa oil refinery, causing damage but no casualties, The Times of Israel reported Thursday.

According to Magen David Adom ambulance (MDA), a man in his 60s was seriously wounded by abdominal shrapnel, a 68-year-old woman suffered moderate head injuries, and two men in their 20s were hurt.

Kiryat Shmona Mayor Avichai Stern said it was “a matter of time” before such an incident happened, warning that limited reaction times make it difficult for elderly and disabled residents to reach shelters.

Israel faced 14 missile salvos through the day targeting central, northern and southern regions, as well as Jerusalem.

Hezbollah also continued rocket and drone attacks in the north, while Iranian ballistic missiles also targeted the area.

Fragments from an intercepted missile struck the Bazan oil refinery in Haifa, causing power outages in the Krayot suburbs, according to the IDF.

Energy Minister Eli Cohen said no significant infrastructure damage was reported.

Separate footage shared on X also showed a burning missile fragment landing on a Haifa street shortly after midnight, with no injuries reported.

The Trump administration has approved about $7 billion in weapons for the United Arab Emirates, the Wall Street Journal reported on Thursday.

The State Department isn't required to announce to the public under rules governing U.S. arms exports, the Wall Street Journal reported.

The announced sale is addition to the more than $16.5 billion to three Middle East countries, Reuters reported.

The unannounced deals include the sale of Patriot PAC-3 Missiles worth about $5.6 billion and CH-47 Chinook helicopters costing about $1.32 billion to the UAE, the Journal said.

According to U.S. officials, the administration also moved forward with $23 billion in other weapons sales to the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait and Jordan in order to boost those countries militarily against Iran.

The Justice Department has seized four domains as part of an ongoing effort to disrupt hacking and transnational repression schemes conducted by the Islamic Republic of Iran’s Ministry of Intelligence and Security (MOIS).

The seized domains were identified as: Justicehomeland.org, Handala-Hack.to, Karmabelow80.org, and Handala-Redwanted.to, the Justice Department said.

They were used by Iran attempted psychological operations where it claimed credit for hacking activity, posting sensitive data stolen during hacks, and calling for the killing of journalists, regime dissidents, and Israelis.

In one incident, MOIS used the Handala-hack.to domain to claim credit for a March 2026 destructive malware attack against a U.S.-based multinational medical technologies firm.

“Terrorist propaganda online can incite real-world violence — thanks to our National Security Division and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Maryland, this network of Iranian-backed sites will no longer broadcast anti-American hate,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. “Our cyber assets will remain ever-vigilant to root out and deactivate networks that pose a threat to American citizens.”

Sirens blared in Jerusalem early Friday amid incoming missile strikes.

Sirens were also activated in Haifa, Fox News Chief Foreign Correspondent Trey Yingst said.

The Israel Defense Forces have not said where the strikes originated from. Israeli forces have been trading strikes with Iran and Hezbollah in neighboring Lebanon since late February.

A Thai worker and four Palestinian women were killed Wednesday amid faced multiple barrages of ballistic missiles from Iran, according to rep[orts.

The Thai worker was killed in Israel while the Palestinian woman were killed in the West Bank, the Times of Israel reported.

The 30-year-old man, identified later as Thai agriculture worker Chaiwat Waewnil, sustained critical injuries from shrapnel and died a short while later, the Magen David Adom ambulance service said.

The four women were the first West Bank Palestinians killed by Iran in the current war, the news outlet reported.

Iran’s supreme leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, has been linked to two luxury apartments overlooking the Israeli Embassy in London, a location that security experts said could provide "permanent surveillance," according to multiple reports.

The multimillion-dollar Kensington properties sit next to the high-profile embassy compound and were identified by UK media, drawing on findings from a yearlong probe into Khamenei’s potential overseas assets.

The Times of London reported on March 5 that the one building "sits next to the Israeli Embassy on Palace Green," placing the residences in exceptional proximity to one of Israel’s most sensitive diplomatic sites.

The revelations stem from a Bloomberg investigation that alleged that the Khamenei portfolio could span multiple countries and include high-value real estate in London, totaling around $138M as well as assets in Europe and the Gulf.

The two London apartments were reportedly acquired in 2014 and 2016 via intermediaries and occupy upper floors of the building, offering a direct vantage point toward the rear of the Israeli embassy compound, UK media reported.

A terrorism specialist quoted in reports said the positioning effectively means "Iran owns the view into the back of the Israeli Embassy from less than 50 meters away," describing the situation as a potential "serious security breach."

This post contains an excerpt from an article by Emma Bussey.

French President Emmanuel Macron on Thursday called for an immediate de-escalation in the Middle East, urging a halt to U.S.–Israeli strikes on critical infrastructure as fighting intensifies across the region.

"France calls for the immediate implementation of a moratorium on strikes targeting civilian infrastructure, whether related to water or to energy," Macron wrote on X, reinforcing France’s push for diplomacy even as the United States and Israel emphasize military pressure against Iran and its proxies. "Freedom and security of navigation must be restored." 

President Donald Trump recently struck a mixed tone on France’s role, saying he had spoken with Macron and was cautiously optimistic Paris ultimately would help secure the Strait of Hormuz, a critical global shipping route for oil and energy supplies.

On "a scale of 0 to 10," Trump said Macron had been "an eight." 

"Not perfect, but it’s France," he said at a press briefing in the White House Monday. Trump went on to say he believes Macron "is going to help" regarding securing the Strait of Hormuz, but added, "I don’t do a hard sell on them, because my attitude is we don’t need anybody. We’re the strongest nation in the world."

"I’m almost doing it . . . because I want to find out how they react," Trump said, suggesting the U.S. is also testing its allies.

In a future crisis, he warned, "I’ve been saying for years that if we ever did need them, they won’t be there. Not all of them, but they won’t be there."

This post contains an expert from an article by Efrat Lachter.

U.S. forces decimated an Iranian factory used to produce missiles, officials said Thursday.

Prior to Operation Epic Fury, U.S. forces targeted the Karaj Surface-to-Surface Missile Plant to assemble ballistic missiles, which " threatened Americans, neighboring countries, and commercial shipping," U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) said.

CENTCOM released one image of the plant from March 1 showing the building untouched.

A March 11 image showed the area destroyed after U.S. forces struck with precise munitions, CENTCOM said.

Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard was not aware that former National Counterterrorism Center Director Joe Kent was under FBI investigation for allegedly leaking classified information prior to his resignation, a senior intelligence official told Fox News Digital Thursday. 

Kent stepped down Tuesday after publicly breaking with President Donald Trump over the war in Iran, writing in his resignation letter that Tehran posed "no imminent threat" to the United States.

Two sources briefed on the matter told Fox News that the FBI investigation into Kent had been underway for weeks before his departure.

FBI leak investigations are often tightly held in the early stages to avoid tipping off the subject. But the fact that the probe into Kent had been underway for weeks before his resignation — and that the director of national intelligence was not aware of it — raises questions about why the nation’s top intelligence official was not informed.

The lack of awareness also raises questions about how decisions regarding Kent’s access to sensitive information were managed in the weeks leading up to his resignation, as administration officials have said he had been cut out of planning meetings related to the current Iran mission, known as Operation Epic Fury, as well as the president’s daily briefings.

One senior administration official described Kent as a "known leaker" and said Gabbard had been asked to fire Kent and had not done so. 

This post is an excerpt from an article by Morgan Phillips.

Belgium may join a growing international coalition of nations aimed at ensuring the safe passage of commercial ships through the Strait of Hormuz.

On Thursday, the leaders of United Kingdom, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Japan and Canada issued a statement condemning the closure of the vital waterway.

"We express our deep concern about the escalating conflict. We call on Iran to cease immediately its threats, laying of mines, drone and missile attacks and other attempts to block the Strait to commercial shipping," the statement said.

Belgium's participation is slated to be discussed among lawmakers Friday, the Belga News Agency reported.

“This is not our war, but doing nothing is probably unsustainable. We cannot simply stand by and let it happen,” Foreign minister Maxime Prévot said.

He noted that Belgium could be significantly affected by the conflict, through rising energy prices and potential shortages of key supplies such as fertilizers, the news outlet reported.

The countries said they were prepared to cooperate on measures to ensure free and secure navigation through the strait.

"We express our readiness to contribute to appropriate efforts to ensure safe passage through the Strait. We welcome the commitment of nations who are engaging in preparatory planning," the joint statement said.

The International Energy Agency (IEA) on Thursday released data days after its member countries agree to make 400 million barrels of oil available to the market.

In total, all 30 have contributed 426 million barrels, with the United States leading the way with 172 million barrels. Japan came in second with nearly 80 million barrels, followed by Canada with 23.6 million.

"The war in the Middle East is creating the largest supply disruption in the history of the global oil market," the IEA said. "The IEA emergency collective action, by far the largest ever, provides a significant and welcome buffer."

The most important factor in ensuring a return to stable flows is the resumption of regular transit of shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, which has been disrupted by Iran.

A pair of dogs belonging to Mike Huckabee, the U.S. ambassador to Israel, knew what to do during incoming airstrikes.

Amb. Huckabee posted a video on X showing the four-legged canines running for shelter at a command center as sirens blared loudly.

"Wonder what it’s like to be a dog at command center as missiles come?" the ambassador wrote on X. "My dogs Gumbo & Bandit know what to do & head to shelter as soon as they hear the sirens. They get there before ⁦@janethuckabee⁩ & me!"

"Incoming, incoming, incoming," was heard through a speaker as the dogs quickly reacted and ran toward a safe room.

The United States issued a general license Thursday to for the sale of Russian crude oil loaded on tankers, according to the U.S. Treasury Department.

The license expires on April 11, replaces and supersedes a similar 30-day sanctions waiver issued on March 12 to sell the oil on the global market, Reuters reported.

The waiver excludes transactions involving North Korea, Cuba and Crimea, which is controlled by Moscow.

The Iranian blockade in the Strait of Hormuz has fueled concerns about energy and oil supplies.

"Go to Asia. Go to Europe. They're not just worried about the price level but they're also worried about the availability of energy," Mohamed El-Erian, chair of Gramercy Funds Management, told "America Reports."

Several Asian countries have already taken measures to limit consumption, El-Erian said, because they're worried about the price and volume.

"So we benefit in relative terms because of our energy independence but we're still going to feel the impact on the price," he said.

Commercial traffic through the strait is down 95% since the start of the conflict with Iran.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Thursday said criticism that Israel dragged the United States into its conflict with Iran is "fake news."

"Does anyone really think that someone can tell President Trump what to do?" Netanyahu told reporters during a news conference. "Come on. President Trump always makes his decisions on what he thinks is good for America."

"And may I add, I think what is also good for future generations in this case, those interests are absolutely clear," he added.

Trump, like Israel, has cited Iran nuclear ambitions and its history of state-sponsored terrorism across the world for why U.S. forces have conducted joint attacks against Tehran with Israel.

"There's always a danger in acting," Netanyahu said, "but in conditions of existential threats, there's a much greater danger in not acting."

Netanyahu also gave an update in Israeli military operations, saying continuous attacks on Iran have decimated its navy and air capabilities, as well as its ability to produce munitions.

"We have David's sword in out hand which is sharp as ever and our other hand is outstretched of peace," he said. "Whoever wants to make peace with us, we will shake his hand. Anyone else, we'll cut off his hand, whoever is against us."

Iran on Thursday executed three people it said were convicted of killing police officers and carrying out operations in favor of the United States and Israel during unrest earlier this year.

“Three individuals convicted in the Dey (January) unrest, on charges of murder and operational actions in favor of the Zionist regime and the United States, were hanged this morning,” the Iranian judiciary’s Mizan Online website said regarding Thursday’s executions, The Times of Israel reported.

The website said the three had killed two law enforcement personnel, adding that their execution was carried out after they were found guilty of the capital offense of “moharebeh,” or “waging war against God.”

France is sending its foreign minister to Lebanon for talks about the fighting between Israel and Hezbollah.

"This visit demonstrates France’s support and solidarity with the Lebanese people, who have been drawn into a war they did not choose," the office of Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot said.

Barrot will visit with staff at the French embassy and will oversee efforts to protect the French community in Lebanon, nearly 21,000 residents, and in the region.

"Finally, one week after the delivery of nearly 60 tons of humanitarian aid for displaced populations, the visit will enable the Minister to support the Quai d’Orsay’s partners on the ground and to announce a new humanitarian aid package to assist the Lebanese people," the ministry said.

U.S. Central Command responded to reports that an American F-35 jet made an emergency landing in the Middle East on Thursday.

"We are aware of reports that a U.S. F-35 aircraft conducted an emergency landing at a regional U.S airbase after flying a combat mission over Iran. The aircraft landed safely, and the pilot is in stable condition. This incident is under investigation," CENTCOM spokesman Navy Capt. Tim Hawkins told Fox News.

CENTCOM did not respond to reports that it is believed the plane was struck by Iranian fire.

Fox News' Krista Garvin contributed to this report.

Joe Kent's eyebrow-raising resignation as director of the National Counterterrorism Center Tuesday has given way to news that Kent is under FBI investigation — and has been for weeks — for allegedly leaking classified information.

It's a stunning turn of events for someone in such a high-profile job. And Kent's incendiary letter and subsequent statements have exposed an apparent fracture in President Donald Trump's national security team — pitting officials who favor a more aggressive military posture against those aligned with a more isolationist approach.

Kent rose on the right as a combat veteran turned political insurgent — a former Green Beret and CIA officer who channeled his battlefield experience into a critique of America’s "endless wars" and the D.C. establishment that sustained them.

A vocal ally of Trump and a participant in post-2020 election challenges, Kent became a prominent voice in the populist wing of the GOP.

Now, his recent resignation — and his accusation that the war in Iran was driven by "pressure from Israel" — has triggered a swift GOP backlash, leaving Kent isolated from parts of the political movement that once embraced him.

His Tuesday resignation letter directly challenged the Trump administration’s justification for the Iran war, stating that "Iran posed no imminent threat to our nation" and arguing the conflict was driven by "pressure from Israel and its powerful American lobby."

This is an excerpt from an article by Fox News' Morgan Phillips.

Iran targeted Israel's largest oil refinery with its latest missile barrage on Thursday, Fox News has learned.

Israeli Defense Forces have yet to release information about whether or how significantly the facility was damaged. The Bazan facility lies in Haifa and supplies more than half of the country's diesel, gasoline, and kerosene.

Iran has targeted oil refineries across the Middle East as the assault by U.S. and Israeli forces intensifies.

Iran struck another major refinery in Qatar on Wednesday, leading to condemnation from President Donald Trump.

Fox News' Trey Tingst contributed to this report.

President Donald Trump downplayed his administration's request for Congress to approve an addition $200 billion to support the Iran war on Thursday.

Trump made the comments during a bilateral meeting with Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi. Reporters in the Oval Office pressed Trump on why the funds are necessary if the war is going well and soon to be over.

Trump said the funds are more about refilling U.S. ammunition supplies after the conflict, calling the spending "a small price" so the U.S. can stay "tippy top."

Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Dan Caine said the U.S. military is striking "Iranian-aligned militia groups" in Iraq as Secretary of War Pete Hegseth vowed Thursday to "honor" the sacrifice of six U.S. service members killed in a plane crash there last week. 

President Donald Trump, Hegseth and Caine on Wednesday attended the dignified transfer of the six fallen soldiers at Dover Air Force Base in Delaware. The Pentagon said last week that the U.S. forces were killed when a KC-135 refueling aircraft crashed in western Iraq during a combat mission in support of Operation Epic Fury. 

Caine said Thursday that in Iraq, AH-64 helicopters "have been striking against Iranian-aligned militia groups to make sure that we suppress any threat in Iraq against U.S. forces or U.S. interests." 

"And we remain focused on pursuit of any platform that Iran could field to harm Americans or our partners," he added.

Reflecting on the fallen U.S. service members, Hegseth said, "Yesterday at Dover Air Force Base, President Trump, the chairman, and I stood in solemn silence as heroes came home." 

"Flag-draped caskets. We honored them. We grieved with their families, and we listened. What I heard through tears, through hugs, through strength and through unbreakable resolve was the same from family after family. They said, ‘finish this. Honor their sacrifice. Do not waver. Do not stop until the job is done.’ My response, along with that of the president, was simple — of course, we will finish this. We will honor their sacrifice," Hegseth said. 

This is an excerpt from an article by Fox News' Greg Norman.

Treasury Secretary  Scott Bessent said the U.S. government will not intervene in oil futures markets even as the administration moves to offset supply disruptions tied to the Iran conflict, arguing that Washington’s response will focus on boosting physical crude availability instead.

"We’re absolutely not doing that," Bessent told FOX Business' "Mornings With Maria" on Thursday, when asked about possible Treasury intervention in the futures market. "We’re not intervening in the financial markets. We are supplying the physical markets."

In an interview with Maria Bartiromo, Bessent said the administration has prepared a coordinated supply response designed to cushion the impact of any temporary disruption around the Strait of Hormuz. He said the U.S. had already moved to "unsanction" Russian oil cargoes already on the water, estimated at about 130 million barrels, and could do the same with roughly 140 million barrels of Iranian oil in floating storage.

"In essence, by the time we unsanctioned the floating Iranian oil, we would have intervened and we would have created about 260 million excess barrels of energy," Bessent said, calling that a "physical intervention" rather than a financial one.

Bessent said that volume could help cover what he described as a temporary deficit of 10 million to 14 million barrels per day if shipping through the strait is interrupted, providing roughly three weeks of market stabilization. He also pointed to a 400 million-barrel coordinated Strategic Petroleum Reserve release approved last week and said the U.S. could act again unilaterally if needed.

"The largest coordinated SPR release in history, 400 million barrels, was approved last week," he said. "The U.S. could unilaterally do another SPR release to keep the price down."

This is an excerpt from an article by Fox Business' Eric Mack

Israeli forces conducted airstrikes on Iranian navy forces in the Caspian Sea this week, according to footage released Thursday.

The Israeli Defense Forces released footage of strikes hitting both vessels and port infrastructure at the navy base.

"Israeli Air Force fighter jets struck targets at [an] Iranian Navy port and base facilities where dozens of military vessels, including missile ships and guard boats, were stationed," the IDF said in a statement.

The missile ships were equipped with aerial surveillance systems and additional anti-submarine missiles, Israel said.

"This strike was conducted with close cooperation between the commander of the Israeli Air Force and the commander of the Israeli Navy from within the Israeli Air Force command center. It is one of the most significant strikes conducted by the IDF since the start of Operation Roaring Lion," the IDF said.

Senate Republicans blocked yet another bid by Senate Democrats to handcuff President Donald Trump's war authority in Iran in what could be an avalanche of similar moves to break through the GOP’s floor takeover.

Sen. Cory Booker, D-N.J., triggered one of several war powers resolutions Senate Democrats have tucked away in their bid to compel Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Secretary of War Pete Hegseth to testify publicly about Trump’s war in Iran.

Booker told Fox News Digital before the vote he was not thinking "about this in politics" or breaking through the GOP’s floor tactics, but instead to refocus on issues that Trump promised to deal with on the campaign trail.

"We need to focus on what the issues of the people are and put before them a president who promised to bring your prices down and keep us out of wars, who is now bringing us into more wars and driving up our prices as a result," Booker said. "The question is, what should Congress do as a result?"

But, as with Democratic Virginia Sen. Tim Kaine’s attempt earlier this month, Republicans rallied behind the president to block the bill.

Still, Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., and nearly every Senate Democrat tried to curtail Trump’s use of the military in the Middle East. Only Sen. John Fetterman, D-Pa., broke from Democrats to kill the resolution.

This is an excerpt from an article by Fox News' Alex Miller.

The Trump administration will not allow a refugee spillover into the United States as the Iran conflict escalates, White House Deputy Chief of Staff for Policy Stephen Miller vowed Wednesday.

"There’s not going to be a refugee problem for the United States – that is a promise and a guarantee…" Miller told "The Ingraham Angle," contrasting the situation with the Biden administration’s handling of Afghan refugees.

The Biden-era Operation Allies Welcome relied on "unvetted referrals" to allow nearly 190,000 Afghan nationals into the country from 2021 to 2022, according to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). The agency said those admitted into the U.S. included terrorists, sexual predators, pedophiles, domestic abusers and kidnappers.

"They didn't just magically end up in the United States," Miller continued. "We flew them here. Refugees come to the United States because they are flown to the U.S."

"You also have illegal immigrants too, and those come to [the] United States across the southern border, which has been shut down. So no one is getting across the border illegally, and no refugees are going to be flown to United States, so, therefore, no one can get in."

Miller also addressed reports that Russia has been feeding intelligence to Iran that could help the Islamic regime identify U.S. military assets in the Middle East, telling "The Ingraham Angle" that the Trump administration anticipated the involvement.

"We anticipated that, of course, Iran would try to reach out to anybody they thought that could help them," he said.

This is an excerpt from an article by Fox News' Taylor Penley.

Top U.S. intelligence officials began testimony at a Congressional hearing on worldwide threats facing America on Thursday.

Lawmakers will hear testimony from FBI Director Kash Patel, Director of National Intelligence Tusli Gabbard and CIA Director John Ratcliffe.

The officials are expected to clarify threats posed by China, Russia, Iran and North Korea, with a special focus on potential conflict over Taiwan, as well as the ongoing wars in Ukraine and Iran.

Gabbard told lawmakers that Iran's regime remains "intact, but significantly degraded."

The Pentagon is asking Congress to boost the funding for the war in Iran, War Secretary Pete Hegseth announced Thursday.

Hegseth revealed the request while taking questions from reporters at the Pentagon, saying the department is requesting roughly $200 billion in additional funding. He said that number could be flexible, however.

"As far as $200 billion I think that number could move. Obviously, it takes, it takes money to kill bad guys. So we're going back to Congress and our folks there to ensure that we're properly funded for what's been done, for what we may have to do in the future, ensure that our ammunition and everything's refilled, and not just refilled, but above and beyond," Hegseth said.

A senior House Republican source told Fox News Digital that the request is "north of $200 billion," adding that the price tag "will be whatever it will be."

The U.S. and its regional allies have deployed 64 Apache helicopters in a mission to take down Iran's fleet of one-way attack drones, the Pentagon announced Thursday.

Join Chiefs Chairman Gen. Dan Caine made the announcement during a press conference alongside War Secretary Pete Hegseth.

The pair said U.S. forces have begun using "stand-in" style weapons as opposed to the long-range "standoff" weapons seen earlier in the operation.

Hegseth said this is a sign of the progress the U.S. is making in the conflict, though he declined to place a timeline on the operation.

"We are over the top," he told reporters.

War Secretary Pete Hegseth says the U.S. has carried out strikes on 7,000 targets in Iran since Operation Epic Fury began.

Hegseth said Thursday will see the largest strike package of the war so far as the U.S. continues to ramp up its attacks and Iran's capabilities "degrade."

He said the U.S. has also sunk over 120 Iranian naval vessels, saying that their surface fleet is "no longer a factor," and their 11 submarines have been eliminated as well.

War Secretary Pete Hegseth will soon deliver an update on the war with Iran on Thursday.

The Pentagon announced early Thursday morning that Hegseth and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Gen. Dan Caine, will make an announcement from the Pentagon regarding Operation Epic Fury.

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said Thursday it killed more than 20 terrorists in Lebanon in the past 24 hours.

Additionally, dozens of Hezbollah military structures were struck, the IDF said.

In one incident Wednesday, the IDF said it eliminated five terrorists after Hezbollah attempted to fire an anti-tank missile toward Israeli troops.

In a separate incident, the Israeli Air Force killed two terrorists in a missile strike.

The IDF said it also confiscated numerous weapons, including RPGs, anti-tank rockets, ammunition, a hunting rifle and other military equipment.

“The IDF will continue to operate with determination against the Hezbollah terrorist organization, which chose to join the war and operate under the sponsorship of the Iranian terror regime,” the military said in a statement.

Fox News' Michael Sinkewicz contributed to this report.

U.S. Central Command released footage of strikes against Iranian naval targets on Thursday, saying the vessels threatened shipping in the Strait of Hormuz.

"U.S. forces are destroying Iranian naval targets that threaten international shipping in and near the Strait of Hormuz," CENTCOM wrote on X.

Shipments through the critical strait have slowed to a crawl amid the U.S. and Israel's war with Iran.

President Donald Trump said Wednesday the U.S. “knew nothing” about Israel’s strike on a major Iranian gas field, but warned the U.S. would “blow up the entirety” of the site if Iran struck Qatar’s LNG gas facility again.

In a post on Truth Social, Trump said Israel had “violently lashed out” against the South Pars gas field in Iran.

“The United States knew nothing about this particular attack, and the country of Qatar was in no way, shape, or form, involved with it, nor did it have any idea that it was going to happen,” Trump said. “Unfortunately, Iran did not know this, or any of the pertinent facts pertaining to the South Pars attack, and unjustifiably and unfairly attacked a portion of Qatar’s LNG Gas facility.”

Trump said that Israel would not launch any more attacks at the gas field unless Iran struck Qatar again.

“In which instance the United States of America, with or without the help or consent of Israel, will massively blow up the entirety of the South Pars Gas Field at an amount of strength and power that Iran has never seen or witnessed before,” Trump said.

“I do not want to authorize this level of violence and destruction because of the long term implications that it will have on the future of Iran, but if Qatar’s LNG is again attacked, I will not hesitate to do so,” he added.

Fox News' Michael Sinkewicz contributed to this report.