UAE dismantles Iran-linked terror cell as Tehran's attacks spread tensions across Middle East
United Arab Emirates authorities have brought down a "terrorist network" funded and operated by Hezbollah and Iran and arrested its members, a report said. The development comes as Iran continued to launch large-scale missile and drone attacks across the Gulf, with the UAE among the most heavily targeted countries since the conflict began.
IDF confirms eliminating Iranian Revolutionary Guards Corp spokesperson: 'Main propagandist'
The Israel Defense Forces announced Friday that Ali Mohammad Naini, the spokesperson and head of the public relations array of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), was killed overnight in an airstrike.
“Throughout the years, Naini served in several propaganda and public relations roles. For the past two years, he served as the IRGC's main propagandist as part of the Iranian terror regime,” the IDF said.
“In his role, Naini disseminated the regime's terrorist propaganda to its proxies across the Middle East in order to influence and advance terror attacks against the State of Israel from the different fronts,” it added.
Israel’s military said the strike was carried out by the Israeli Air Force, acting on IDF intelligence.
“Naini’s elimination joins a series of eliminations of dozens of senior figures of the Iranian regime during the operation,” the IDF added. “The IDF will continue to operate with determination against the commanders and senior officials of the Iranian terror regime.”
Fox News’ Yonat Friling contributed to this report.
Trump rips NATO 'cowards' for lack of help to reopen Strait of Hormuz amid Iran war, oil price surge
President Donald Trump ripped NATO for acting like “cowards” Friday, slamming their lack of help in reopening the Strait of Hormuz during the war with Iran.
“Without the U.S.A., NATO IS A PAPER TIGER! They didn’t want to join the fight to stop a Nuclear Powered Iran,” Trump wrote on Truth Social.
“Now that fight is Militarily WON, with very little danger for them, they complain about the high oil prices they are forced to pay, but don’t want to help open the Strait of Hormuz, a simple military maneuver that is the single reason for the high oil prices,” Trump added. “So easy for them to do, with so little risk. COWARDS, and we will REMEMBER!”
The Strait of Hormuz, a key maritime passage connecting the Persian Gulf to the Gulf of Oman, is vital for the global energy supply and has been threatened by Iran during the war.
Iranian man, 2nd person arrested after allegedly trying to enter UK nuclear missile base: report
Two people were arrested after unsuccessfully attempting to enter HM Naval Base Clyde in Scotland on Thursday, authorities confirmed to Fox News Digital. One suspect was an Iranian man, while the other was a woman of unknown nationality, The Telegraph reported.
“Around 5pm on Thursday, 19 March, 2026, we were made aware of two people attempting to enter HM Naval Base Clyde," Police Scotland said in a statement to Fox News Digital. “A 34-year-old man and 31-year-old woman have been arrested in connection and enquiries are ongoing.”
The Telegraph reported that the man was Iranian, while the woman's nationality was not immediately known. Citing the Times, the Telegraph said the suspects were turned away from the base because they lacked the correct passes and were later arrested nearby for allegedly "acting suspiciously in the vicinity."
A Royal Navy spokesperson said in a statement to Fox News Digital, "Police Scotland have arrested two people who unsuccessfully attempted to enter HM Naval Base Clyde on Thursday 19 March. As the matter is subject to an ongoing investigation, we will not comment further.”
HM Naval Base Clyde --- commonly known as Faslane --- is considered the primary base for the United Kingdom's missile fleet. The Royal Navy says the base is home "to the core of the Submarine Service, including the nation's nuclear deterrent, and the new generation of hunter-killer submarines."
The U.K. Parliament says the Royal Navy currently operates a fleet of nine submarines, with the entire fleet based at HM Naval Base Clyde.
"Five of those are conventionally-armed nuclear-powered attack submarines of the Astute class. A further four are ballistic missiles submarines (SSBN) of the Vanguard class that comprise the UK’s submarine-based nuclear deterrent," it added.
Kuwait oil refinery targeted by drone attacks, sparking fire
The Kuwait Petroleum Corporation said Friday that the Mina Al-Ahmadi refinery was "targeted by drone attacks early today, causing a fire in several units and prompting the precautionary shutdown of parts of the facility."
"No injuries have been reported, and emergency teams are actively working to contain the situation in line with established safety standards," it added.
The refinery can process around 730,000 barrels per day.
The Kuwait Petroleum Corporation said the refinery also was attacked by drones on Thursday.
UAE intercepts 4 ballistic missiles, 26 UAVs from Iran
The United Arab Emirates said Friday that its air defense systems "engaged 4 ballistic missiles and 26 UAVs launched from Iran."
"Since the onset of the blatant Iranian aggression, UAE air defenses have engaged 338 ballistic missiles, 15 cruise missiles and 1,740 UAVs," its defense ministry wrote on X.
Heavy explosions shook Dubai early Friday as air defenses intercepted incoming fire over the city.
A missile alert sounded prior to the strike, with authorities activating air defenses to counter an Iranian barrage.
The Dubai Media Office said, “Authorities in Dubai confirm the success of all air interception operations, with no injuries reported."
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
SEE IT: US forces shown 'striking military targets deep inside Iran'
U.S. Central Command released a new video on Friday, March, 20, saying American forces "continue to degrade Iranian combat capabilities by striking military targets deep inside Iran."
The footage showed one of the latest waves of airstrikes targeting Iranian military infrastructure.
"No adversary is too determined, and no mission is too difficult for American troops who make up the world's most powerful military force," CENTCOM said in another message late Thursday.
As of Wednesday, U.S. forces have struck more than 7,800 targets in Iran, according to CENTCOM.
"Iran has funneled decades of state resources not to their people, but into missiles and drones and proxies and buried facilities," Secretary of War Pete Hegseth said at a Thursday press conference. "But we are hunting them down methodically, ruthlessly, and overwhelmingly, like no other military in the world can do. And the results speak for themselves. To date, we've struck over 7,000 targets across Iran and its military infrastructure. That is not incremental. That is overwhelming force applied with precision. And again, today will be the largest, largest strike package yet, just like yesterday was. As I've said from day one, our capabilities continue to build. Iran's continue to degrade. We're hunting and striking death and destruction from above."
Hegseth added that U.S. forces have hit hundreds of Iranian defense industrial bases directly.
Pence backs Trump’s Iran strikes, says president ‘ignored’ GOP isolationists
As he praises President Donald Trump for "taking the fight directly" to Iran, former Vice President Mike also argues that the attacks show that the president isn't listening to the isolationist wing of the Republican Party.
"It's one of the things I give President Trump great credit for," Pence said this week in an exclusive interview with Fox News Digital.
Pence's comments come nearly three weeks into the military strikes against Iran, as some loud voices in the MAGA and America First orbits have pilloried the president over the attacks.
The former vice president, who has long been a proponent of strong American deterrence around the world, highlighted that "around this administration, and to some extent in this administration, there have been some increasingly loud voices calling for America to pull back from our role as leader of the free world. Isolationist voices have taken hold in some quarters of the Republican Party."
"But fortunately, President Trump turned a deaf ear to those voices last year when he struck Iran, and this year, when he launched Operation Epic Fury," Pence emphasized. "I think it's greatly to his credit."
Pence argued that it's "reflective of where the overwhelming majority of Republicans are. Republicans understand that America is the arsenal of democracy, that we're the leader of the free world, that we have obligations to lead."
Iran can no longer enrich uranium or make ballistic missiles, Netanyahu says
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Iran can no longer enrich uranium or manufacture ballistic missiles as it feels the impact of Operation Roaring Lion and Operation Epic Fury.
“After 20 days, I can tell you — Iran today has no ability to enrich uranium, and no ability to produce ballistic missiles,” he said in Jerusalem on Thursday, according to The Times of Israel. “We are continuing to crush these capabilities. We will crush them to dust, to ashes.”
“In [Operation] Rising Lion [in June], we destroyed missiles and we destroyed a lot of the nuclear infrastructure. But what we’re destroying now are the factories that produce the components to make these missiles and to make the nuclear weapons that they’re trying to produce,” Netanyahu reportedly added. “We’re wiping out their industrial base in a way that we didn’t do before.”
Netanyahu also denied Israel pushed the United States into war with Iran.
“This canard that we dragged the United States into this is not just a canard, it’s ridiculous,” he said.
Netanyahu said President Donald Trump had told him more than a year ago: “Bibi, we’ve got to make sure that Iran doesn’t have nuclear weapons.”
“The world owes a debt of deep indebtedness, deep indebtedness to President Trump for leading this effort to safeguard our future,” Netanyahu said.
Netanyahu also waved off rising fuel prices as a “spike” that will come down and said he expects the U.S. will reopen the Strait of Hormuz.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
UAE foils Hezbollah-Iran-linked terror cell, arrests suspects amid Gulf tensions
United Arab Emirates authorities have brought down a "terrorist network" funded and operated by Hezbollah and Iran and arrested its members, according to the Jerusalem Post.
The UAE’s state news agency said the network was involved in "money laundering, financing terrorism and threatening national security."
"The network had been operating within the country under a fictitious commercial cover and sought to infiltrate the national economy and carry out external schemes threatening the country's financial stability," the state news agency said.
The development comes as Iran continued to launch large-scale missile and drone attacks across the Gulf, with the UAE among the most heavily targeted countries since the conflict began.
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