Israel launches new wave of strikes across Iran, warns it will target every successor of Khamenei

As Americans are stranded in the Middle East amid the U.S. and Israel war with Iran, government and private agencies are working around the clock to conduct evacuations.

In addition to the U.S. Department of State's 24/7 task force aimed at evacuating Americans, private security firm Global Guardian is also working around the clock to complete the same mission.

As of Friday, Global Guardian has evacuated more than 4,000 people from the Middle East, according to its CEO and President, Dale Robert Buckner.

While operations and logistics teams sit in an office building in northern Virginia, the firm has personnel in more than 140 countries, allowing Global Guardian access to nearly every corner of the world for emergency response or evacuations.

"We provide medical evac services, we provide kidnap, ransom, extortion negotiation payment if someone is kidnapped or extorted," Buckner said. "We're providing about 300 missions a month of executive protection travel, in about 84 countries a month."

This is an excerpt of an article by Fox News'  Chelsea Torres.

Oil prices passed $100 per barrel on Sunday as the U.S.-Israeli war against Iran disrupts production and shipping in the Middle East.

This is the first time in nearly four years that oil prices reached this mark.

The price for a barrel of Brent crude, the international standard, rose to more than $107 after trading resumed on the Chicago Mercantile Exchange, a 16.5% jump from its Friday closing price of $92.69.

West Texas Intermediate, produced in the U.S., was up to about $106.22 a barrel, a 16.9% increase from when it closed on Friday at $90.90.

This comes after Brent climbed 28% and WTI rose 36% last week prior to the latest upticks.

Oil prices have jumped as the war impacts areas crucial to the production and shipping of oil and gas from the Persian Gulf.

About 15 million barrels of crude oil, which makes up about 20% of the oil around the world, are typically moved daily through the Strait of Hormuz, according to independent research firm Rystad Energy.

Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., on Sunday called on Israel to be cautious when striking Iranian targets, stressing that he wants to "liberate the Iranian people" without hurting their chance "to start a new and better life when this regime collapses."

"Our allies in Israel have shown amazing capability when it comes to collapsing the murderous regime in Iran. America is most appreciative," Graham wrote on X. "However, there will be a day soon that the Iranian people will be in charge of their own fate, not the murderous ayatollah’s regime. "

"In that regard, please be cautious about what targets you select," he continued. "Our goal is to liberate the Iranian people in a fashion that does not cripple their chance to start a new and better life when this regime collapses. The oil economy of Iran will be essential to that endeavor."

Maryam Rajavi, president of the Paris-based National Council of Resistance of Iran, blasted the move to install Mojtaba Khamenei as Iran’s new supreme leader, calling it an attempt to turn the country’s clerical system into a hereditary monarchy.

“Tonight, the absolute clerical rule (Velayat-e Faqih) has effectively turned itself into a hereditary monarchy by placing Mojtaba Khamenei on the throne,” Rajavi wrote. “But it cannot save the shipwrecked vessel of religious fascism.”

Rajavi argued that the leadership change will not restore legitimacy to Iran’s ruling system, comparing it to the monarchy overthrown in 1979 and accusing the regime of once again denying the Iranian people their sovereignty.

“For more than three decades, Mojtaba Khamenei, alongside his father, has been among the principal architects of repression, the export of fundamentalism and terrorism, and the plundering of the Iranian people’s wealth,” she said. “In practice, he has long functioned as his father’s de facto successor.”

Rajavi said the new leader bears responsibility for massacres and the suppression of popular uprisings, as well as controlling Iran’s resources and economy and the systematic looting of national wealth. The latter, Rajavi said, resulted in the regime imposing the harshest oppression and exploitation on the majority of Iranians, especially women.

“Outraged Iranian people, who have risen up in successive uprisings to overthrow this regime, will not retreat in the face of the clerical mafia ruling Iran,” Rajavi wrote. “The destiny of Iran will be written by its people.” 

The U.S. Embassy has ordered the departure of non-essential personnel from its missions in Saudi Arabia, while essential and emergency staff will remain in place, according to an official source in the region.

The source told Fox News the Saudi government was informed that non-essential personnel are required to leave the three U.S. missions in the Kingdom — Jeddah, Riyadh and Dhahran.

Essential and emergency personnel will continue operations as normal. The Chargé d’Affaires has discretion to determine which staff depart and which remain.

Fox News’ Jennifer Griffin contributed to this report.

President Donald Trump defended potential short-term spikes in oil prices amid escalating tensions with Iran, arguing that economic impacts would be temporary and outweighed by long-term security gains.

In a post on social media, Trump said the cost of higher energy prices is “a very small price to pay” if it leads to the destruction of Iran’s nuclear threat and greater safety for the U.S. and the world.

“Short term oil prices, which will drop rapidly when the destruction of the Iran nuclear threat is over, is a very small price to pay for U.S.A., and World, Safety and Peace,” the president wrote on Truth Social. “ONLY FOOLS WOULD THINK DIFFERENTLY!”

United States Ambassador to the United Nations Mike Waltz argued to Kristen Welker on Sunday that President Donald Trump has not started a war with Iran, but that he is merely finishing it.

Waltz was asked during NBC’s "Meet the Press" whether the US is indeed at war with Iran, suggesting the conflict actually began in 1979 under then-President Jimmy Carter.

Waltz had formerly been a national security advisor to the Trump administration, but was removed from the role on May 1, 2025, after reportedly coordinating with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu behind the president's back on possible military options for Iran while Trump was still pursuing peaceful negotiation, followed by the SignalGate controversy.

Welker shared clips of Trump referring to his current military actions in Iran as a "war" and reiterated her question, noting, "As you know, words matter. Does that front administration, do you, describe this as a war against Iran?"

Find out what Waltz said during the interview.

This is an excerpt from a story by Fox News Digital’s Alexander Hall.

The New York City Police Department announced the death of an officer who suffered a fatal medical episode while deployed to Kuwait in support of Operation Epic Fury.

Sorffly Davius, who also served as a major in the U.S. Army National Guard’s 42nd Infantry Division, joined the NYPD in 2014 and was assigned to the 79th Precinct.

“The NYPD mourns the loss of Police Officer Sorffly Davius, who passed away yesterday as a result of a medical episode while deployed to Kuwait in support of Operation Epic Fury,” the NYPD wrote on X. “Officer Davius served in the 42nd Infantry Division in the U.S. Army National Guard and rose to the rank of Major.

“In 2014, he began his service with the NYPD, where he was assigned to the 79th Precinct,” the department continued. “Today, and always, we keep his family in our thoughts and prayers. May we never forget Officer Davius’ sacrifice, and may his memory be a blessing.”

Fresh satellite images give a rare aerial view of the damage across Iran after U.S.-Israeli strikes and what Tehran’s retaliation left behind across the region.

Planet Labs satellite imagery captured burning ships and damaged facilities at the Konarak base in southern Iran, as well as significant destruction at Iran’s naval headquarters in Bandar Abbas on the Persian Gulf, reflecting the scale of the strikes on military infrastructure.

Imagery from Vantor shows damage to facilities and vessels located in Iran's Bushehr port in the Persian Gulf.

In addition to naval assets, satellite photos show a bunker at Bushehr air base hit by a strike, leaving a large crater and destroying several nearby small buildings.

See what other damage was done to Iranian facilities.

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

Iran’s Assembly of Experts has elected Mojtaba Khamenei, the son of the late Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, as the country’s new supreme leader, according to reports.

Iran International cited sources who claimed the decision was made "under pressure" from the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).

Mojtaba Khamenei, 56, is the second-eldest son of Ali Khamenei and was born in Mashhad in 1969.

Find out more about Mojtaba Khamenei.

This is a story by Fox News Digital’s Emma Bussey.

The Iran-backed Houthi terrorist movement has yet to enter the conflict on Iran's side but in recent days has been ratcheting up its rhetoric in support of Tehran, with its leader, Abdul Malik al-Houthi, declaring that it was prepared to enter the war against the U.S. and Israel if necessary.

"Regarding military escalation and action, our fingers are on the trigger, ready to respond at any moment should developments warrant it," al-Houthi said on Thursday.

"The reason why the Houthis have not intervened is they are last line of resistance for the axis. Especially after other axis members were degraded," Nadwa Al-Dawsari, an expert on Yemen and an associate fellow at the Middle East Institute, told Fox News Digital.

The official slogan of the Houthi movement (Ansar Allah) reads, "Allah is Greater. Death to America. Death to Israel. Curse on the Jews. Victory to Islam."

Find out more about Iran’s last line of resistance.

This is an excerpt from a story by Fox News Digital’s Benjamin Weinthal.

When War Secretary Pete Hegseth was asked recently whether U.S. forces would ever move to secure enriched uranium reportedly stored at Iran’s Isfahan nuclear complex, he declined to say, citing operational security.

The exchange highlighted a question the U.S. and Israel's air campaign alone cannot answer: even if U.S. strikes degrade Iran’s nuclear infrastructure, who would physically secure the enriched uranium, and how?

Iran is believed to possess a significant stockpile of uranium enriched to 60%, near weapons-grade. That material could theoretically be used in multiple nuclear devices if further refined. 

Moving from 60% to weapons-grade 90% enrichment requires additional processing, and weaponization would involve further technical steps. But analysts say the more immediate issue is physical control of the material itself.

Find out more about how the U.S. could secure Iran’s enriched uranium.

This is an excerpt from a story by Fox News Digital’s Morgan Phillips.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his wife expressed deep sorrow over the deaths of two Combat Engineering soldiers, honoring their sacrifice and reaffirming Israel’s commitment to defending its northern border against Hezbollah.

The two soldiers were killed during ongoing operations as Israeli forces continue battling Hezbollah along the northern border.

“My wife and I, together with all the citizens of Israel, share in the heavy grief of, and send our condolences to, the families of two Combat Engineering fighters, Sergeant First Class Maher Khatar and another soldier whose name has not yet been cleared for publication, who fell in battle in southern Lebanon,” Netanyahu said. “Maher, of blessed memory, a brave fighter from the Druze community, served as an example and inspiration to the youth of Majdal Shams who enlist in the ranks of the IDF, a growing trend in recent years that serves as an expression of the eternal covenant between us.

“Maher and the other fallen soldier fought heroically to protect our communities and our citizens against the Hezbollah terrorist organization,” he continued. “We bow our heads at their falling and remain committed to the defense of our northern border against any threat. May their memory be blessed and cherished forever.”

U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) said Sunday that a U.S. service member died from injuries sustained during Iran’s initial wave of attacks across the Middle East, marking the seventh American killed in action during Operation Epic Fury.

“Last night, a U.S. service member passed away from injuries received during the Iranian regime’s initial attacks across the Middle East,” CENTCOM said on X. “The service member was seriously wounded at the scene of an attack on U.S. troops in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia on March 1.”

“This is the seventh service member killed in action during Operation Epic Fury,” CENTCOM added. “Major combat operations continue. The identity of the fallen warrior will be withheld until 24 hours after next of kin notification.”

Israel’s top military commander warned that Hezbollah will pay a growing price as fighting intensifies, signaling the war is far from over.

Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir said Israeli forces struck Iranian Quds Force commanders in Beirut overnight, declaring that “there is no safe place for the Iranian axis of evil anywhere in the Middle East — not in Beirut and not anywhere else.”

He acknowledged that northern Israeli communities came under significant fire and offered condolences to the families of those killed. He also urged civilians to remain vigilant and follow Home Front Command directives as rocket attacks continue.

Zamir said Israel must show patience and determination during what he described as a prolonged state of emergency, praising the resilience of the home front.

“Hezbollah is an extremist arm of the Iranian octopus - it is paying and will continue to pay a heavy price,” he said. “This war will determine our future and security for many years.”

The new battleground in the Gulf isn’t just on the water — it’s in the insurance market, where war-risk coverage can determine which oil tankers sail and which stay put.

With the conflict driving gasoline prices higher, the White House is weighing steps to keep oil flowing through the Strait of Hormuz and to keep prices from climbing further.

The Strait of Hormuz, a narrow passage between Iran and Oman, carries roughly 20 million barrels of oil a day and about one-fifth of global supply of liquefied natural gas. When conflict flares in the region, even the threat of disruption can rattle markets because so much of the world’s energy moves through that single corridor.

And with so much at stake, the White House is turning to an unlikely tool: insurance.

President Donald Trump said the U.S. could use a government-backed insurance program to lower war-risk premiums for vessels in the region. Under a backstop, the government would absorb part of any major losses, easing pressure on private insurers and shipowners.

Find out more about the tool Trump is eyeing to address rising oil prices.

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

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) announced a precision overnight naval strike in Beirut killed five senior commanders in the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps’ (IRGC) Quds Force, targeting operatives accused of coordinating Iranian and Hezbollah activities in Lebanon.

The Israeli military said the strike targeted members of the Quds Force’s Lebanon Corps and Palestine Corps during a meeting at a hotel in the Lebanese capital. The IDF described the operation as intelligence-driven and aimed at disrupting Iranian-linked activity in the region.

According to the IDF, the Lebanon Corps functions as a key liaison between Iran and the Hezbollah terrorist organization, coordinating operations among various groups in Lebanon. The military alleged the commanders were planning attacks while operating from within a civilian location.

The IDF identified three of those killed as Majid Hassini, who reportedly oversaw the transfer of funds and weapons production for Iran-backed groups; Ali Reza Bi-Azar, described as head of the Lebanon Corps’ intelligence branch; and Ahmad Rasouli, an intelligence officer for the Palestine Corps.

Hossein Ahmadlou, an intelligence operative focused on Israel, and Abu Mohammad Ali, Hezbollah’s representative to the Palestine Corps, were also killed. The IDF characterized the strike as a "significant blow" to Iranian influence in Lebanon following the recent killing of Lebanon Corps commander Daoud Ali Zadeh.

President Donald Trump on Sunday said that the Iran will need to get his approval for its next supreme leader or else the new leader "is not going to last long."

Trump made the comments to ABC News, saying he wants to make sure that the U.S. won’t have to fight another war with Iran in the future.

"He’s going to have to get approval from us," Trump told the outlet. "If he doesn’t get approval from us, he’s not going to last long. We want to make sure that we don’t have to go back every 10 years, when you don’t have a president like me that’s not going to do it."

Israel issued its own warning to Iran on Sunday, saying it "will not hesitate to target" anyone who participates in the session to select a successor to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who was killed in a joint attack launched by the U.S. and Israel on Feb. 28.

On Sunday, the Israel Defense Forces confirmed that it eliminated Abu al-Qassem Baba’iyan in Tehran. Baba’iyan was the new Head of the Military Office of the Supreme Leader and the chief of staff of the Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters.

Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz praised the IDF for the elimination of Baba’iyan in a brief statement.

"Keep hunting them all down,” Katz said.

President Donald Trump and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer held a phone call on Sunday afternoon about the conflict with Iran a day after Trump accused the British leader on social media of joining the war in Iran after the U.S. has "already won."

The prime minister’s office described what the two leaders spoke about during the call.

"The leaders began by discussing the latest situation in the Middle East and the military cooperation between the U.K. and U.S. through the use of RAF bases in support of the collective self-defense of partners in the region,” it said.

Starmer also shared condolences with Trump and the American people following the deaths of six U.S. soldiers, his office said.

"They looked forward to speaking again soon,” it said.

The call comes after Trump slammed Starmer on Saturday over not providing military support sooner.

"The United Kingdom, our once Great Ally, maybe the Greatest of them all, is finally giving serious thought to sending two aircraft carriers to the Middle East," Trump wrote on Truth Social. "That’s OK, Prime Minister Starmer, we don’t need them any longer — But we will remember. We don’t need people that join Wars after we’ve already won!"

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi told NBC News that Iran has a “strategic partnership” with Russia, though stopped short of details as he was pressed on whether Russia was providing the regime with intelligence on the location of U.S. forces in the Middle East.

Araghchi said military cooperation between Russia and Iran was not “something new” and was “not a secret,” adding that it “will continue into the future.”

“Is Russia helping you locate U.S. Forces? I just want to be very clear here,” NBC “Meet the Press” host Kristen Welker asked.

“I don't have exact military information,” the foreign minister replied. “As far as I know, we have a very good partnership with Russia.”

Welker responded: “So they are helping you, they are providing intelligence.”

“Well, they are helping us in many different directions,” Araghchi said. “I don't have any detailed information.”

Araghchi further rejected calls for a ceasefire, accusing Israel and the U.S. of breaking the ceasefire reached to end last year’s 12-day war.

Fox News confirmed Friday that Russia was providing intelligence to the Iranians to help the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps target U.S. forces in the Middle Mideast. It was first reported by Washington Post.

It appears Russia’s goal is to prolong the conflict and drain valuable U.S. munitions much like the U.S. has done by providing targeting intelligence to Ukraine after Russia’s invasion.

Israel completed an additional wave of strikes across Lebanon, eliminating hundreds of terror targets over the past week, the Israel Defense Force (IDF) said Sunday. 

Israel’s Northern Command pummeled over 600 terror targets across Lebanon with approximately 820 munitions from the air, sea and ground, the IDF said. 

The strikes killed more than 190 terrorists, including Abu Hamza Rami, a commander of the Islamic Jihad in Lebanon, according to the IDF. Five other commanders were also killed in the strikes. 

The IDF said Israel targeted rocket launchers in Lebanon on Saturday that had fired missiles toward Israel. It said an Israeli Air Force aircraft also eliminated a Hezbollah terrorist “in an area where the troops were operating in a forward defensive posture.” 

Over the course of last week, the IDF said 27 waves of strikes were conducted in the Beirut region, including five in the Dahieh area. 

The IDF said it has “assumed forward defensive positions” in recent days to establish additional defensives to protect residents of northern Israel.

Pope Leo XIV told faithful gathered at St. Peters Square for his Sunday prayer that he was "profoundly worried" the conflict with Iran was spreading throughout the Middle East.

Leo called for an end to the “noise of bombs” and the opening of dialogue “to hear the voice of the people” during his traditional noontime prayer.

He said his concerns included "episodes of violence, devastation and the widespread climate of hate and fear.” He added that the war was destabilizing “beloved” Lebanon, worrying that the conflict may escalate to involve more countries.

While the Holy See has a tradition of diplomatic neutrality, the pope and President Donald Trump have been at odds over key issues for the White House, including the war in Iran.

“If states were to be recognized as having a right to ‘preventive war,’ according to their own criteria and without a supranational legal framework, the whole world would risk being set ablaze,” the Vatican secretary of state, Cardinal Pietro Parolin, told Vatican Media this week.

Fox News’ Courtney Walsh-Annesi and The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Israel Defense Forces (IDF) on Saturday said the Israeli Air Force (IAF) completed a new wave of strikes in western and central Iran, targeting over 400 of the regime’s military infrastructure sites. 

The IDF said “numerous munitions” were used to target the Iranian sites, which included ballistic missile launchers and additional weapons production sites. 

Since Israel’s “Operation Roaring Lion” first began a week ago, the IAF has carried out about 190 strikes targeting Iran’s launchers, air defense systems, weapons storage facilities and more, according to the IDF. 

“These strikes are aimed at reducing, to the extent possible, the scope of fire directed toward the territory of the State of Israel,” the IDF said.

Israel warned Iran on Sunday that it "will not hesitate to target" anyone who participates in the session to select a successor to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who was killed in a joint attack launched by the U.S. and Israel on Feb. 28.

Col. Avichay Adraee, a spokesperson for the Israeli Defense Forces to the Arab media, posted the following warning to X on Sunday:

"After the elimination of the tyrant Khamenei, the Iranian terrorist regime is attempting to regroup and select a new leader, as it is expected that the Iranian Assembly of Experts, which has not convened for forty years, will meet soon in the city of Qom.

"I would like to emphasize that the long arm of the State of Israel will continue to pursue the Caliph and everyone who attempts to appoint him. We warn everyone planning to participate in the session to select the Caliph: We will not hesitate to target you as well."

Fox News' Yonat Friling contributed to this report.

The Israel Defense Forces said Saturday it carried out a precision strike targeting commanders from the Quds Force’s Lebanon Corps of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) operating in a Beirut hotel.

According to the IDF, the commanders were working to advance terror plots against Israel from Lebanese territory.

The military said the Quds Force’s Lebanon Corps acts as a liaison between Iran’s IRGC and the Hezbollah terror organization, supporting Hezbollah’s military buildup.

The IDF said it took steps to minimize civilian casualties before the strike, including the use of precision munitions and aerial surveillance.“

Prior to the strike, steps were taken to minimize the chance of harm to civilians,” the military said.

Israel added that it will continue targeting Iranian commanders operating in the region.