Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei accused French President Emmanuel Macron of hypocrisy on Sunday over his response to protests in France.
“Back in January, you prescribed ‘peaceful assembly without fear of punishment’ for those attacking our law enforcement centers and public institutions at the behest of foreign malign actors,” Baghaei said.
“You quickly declare that destruction and attacks on state institutions will not be tolerated and perpetrators will be swiftly punished,” he added.
Baghaei went on to say that Tehran had not forgotten how, before the “aggression against Iran,” Macron had sent a message to President Donald Trump saying, “We can do great things on Iran.”
“It soon became clear that your version of ‘great things’ meant aligning with a campaign of aggression and atrocities that eventually engulfed the region and the world,” Baghaei added.
Baghaei also warned that Macron’s policies could ultimately backfire and quoted French writer Jean de La Fontaine: “A trick crafted too skillfully may turn against its designer; and betrayal often returns to its master.”
His X post also featured footage of protests and an image of Macron’s message to Trump.
A senior Iranian security official warned Sunday that Tehran has prepared a more devastating military response if the United States and Israel launch renewed strikes, threatening to abandon the rules of previous conflicts.
“The ramblings and repeated threats of these days from American and Zionist officials do not change the reality of the field,” Mohsen Rezaei, secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, said on X.
“Iran's armed forces have prepared a more devastating plan than the 12- and 40-day wars for a new adventure,”Rezaei said before adding that Iran's “new operational plan will not proceed with rules that they know.”
Rezaee's remarks came as Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi told Iranian media outlets Sunday that an offer to the United States to reopen the Strait of Hormuz within seven days remains on the table, Reuters reported.
President Donald Trump also warned on Truth Social Sunday that Washington could “soon finish the job” against Iran unless Tehran changes course.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu thanked President Donald Trump for his endorsement in the Oct. 27 Knesset elections.
"President Trump, my friend Donald – thank you for your extraordinary endorsement. Israel has never had a greater friend in the White House. Together we will never let Iran's regime get nuclear weapons. Thank you for your clarity, courage and unwavering support."
Trump is supporting Netanyahu and his Likud Party, urging Israel voters to pick the man he called a "great warrior" and U.S. "partner for peace" amid the multi-front war on Iran and its nuclear weapons aspirations.
"I have watched Bibi under the most trying of times," Trump wrote Sunday morning in a full-throated endorsement of the Likud leader. "Normal men or women in such situations would have wilted under the pressure — But Bibi did not wilt, he actually got stronger, and maintains that same Strength today."
{{#rendered}}Energy Secretary Chris Wright defended the Trump administration’s decision to confront Iran, arguing that protecting the world from a nuclear-armed Iranian regime outweighed the energy price surge triggered by the conflict.
“Gasoline prices did come down; they never got remotely close to $5 a gallon,” Wright told CNN’s "State of the Union" on Sunday.
"No, of course I’m not comfortable, but I’m happy they’re coming down.
“They’ve gone down the last few weeks, as have diesel prices, and will continue to come down, that’s what President Trump works on every day.”
Wright defended the decision to confront Iran.
“The Iranian government killed 30,000 to 40,000 of their own citizens in January of this year before the conflict,” Wright said. “Are you comfortable with a nuclear-armed Iranian regime that’s in power right now? I don’t think anyone is comfortable with that.”
Wright also said the administration is pursuing additional diesel supplies to ease prices, including a temporary waiver allowing Russia to export diesel.
President Donald Trump endorsed Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for reelection Sunday, calling him a “Great Warrior Prime Minister” and praising his leadership during the Iran war.
Trump said Iran has been “systematically destroyed, both militarily and financially” and says the U.S. could “soon finish the job” unless Tehran rapidly changes course.
“If Israel has the wrong leader, which would be anyone other than Bibi, America will have to do this work ourselves,” Trump wrote on Truth Social.
“BIBI NETANYAHU WILL NEVER LET YOU DOWN!” he concluded.
Egypt’s foreign minister Badr Abdelatty said Sunday that he discussed regional developments and the importance of de-escalation during a phone call with his Saudi counterpart.
The conversation came as Saudi Arabia faces renewed attacks from Iran-aligned Houthis in Yemen and Egypt weighs additional support for the kingdom.
The ministers also discussed efforts to protect regional security and stability as the Iran war continues to threaten energy markets and shipping routes.
Reuters contributed to this report.
{{#rendered}}Energy Secretary Chris Wright defended the Trump administration’s decision to waive sanctions on Russian diesel exports, calling the move a “carrot” aimed at ending global wars and lowering global energy prices.
“This is a carrot to try to end a war,” Wright told ABC's "This Week" on Sunday. “It’s not an economic lifeline for Russia.”
"What the president move was done was for diesel fuel, which is what the world is short right now. And Russia exports today, zero diesel. This is an incentive to Russia that if they can reduce the conflict with Ukraine, they can get an energy ceasefire or reduce the conflicts such that they have diesel to export, will allow it to flow to world markets. This is a carrot to try to end a war. It's not an economic lifeline for Russia."
The comments came as Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov prepares to travel to Iran on Monday for talks amid the broader Middle East conflict.
“What the president move was done was for diesel fuel, which is what the world is short right now,” Wright said. “And Russia exports today, zero diesel. This is an incentive to Russia that if they can reduce the conflict with Ukraine, they can get an energy ceasefire or reduce the conflicts such that they have diesel to export, will allow it to flow to world markets.”
Wright said the policy is designed to pressure Moscow to reduce its war effort while increasing fuel supplies for Americans and the rest of the world.
“This is a carrot for Russia to reduce the war effort and drive down energy prices for Americans and the rest of the world at the same time,” he said.
Wright added that gasoline and diesel prices peaked several weeks ago but have fallen only slightly.
Reuters contributed to this report.
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said the Iran war is fueling an “energy shock” that has pushed gas prices higher, but predicted prices will fall once the conflict ends.
“Gas prices will come down by the new year” depending on “what happens with the Iran conflict,” Bessent said during an NBC "Meet the Press" interview Sunday.
“We have an energy shock,” Bessent said. “We will get to the other side of the Iran conflict and those prices will come down.”
Bessent said the energy markets could ultimately be better supplied than before the war, as the administration faces pressure over inflation and rising fuel costs.
“The wage increases are going to be persistent,” he said. “We will get to the other side of the Iran conflict. And I believe that the energy markets are going to be better supplied than they were.”
Republican Senate candidate Mike Rogers said the Trump administration should bring the Iran conflict to an end, arguing that the war is driving up diesel prices and hurting Michigan farmers during the critical harvest season.
“It’s time to wrap up the Iran conflict,” Rogers said. “We’ve have got to get this thing settled. Our initial objectives have been met. Let’s wrap it up. Let’s get these prices back down. Let’s get people putting a little more money in their wallets.”
Rogers said he would have supported legislation keeping sanctions on Russia , expressing skepticism about the administration’s plan to lower diesel prices.
“I do worry about the optics of it, but I understand what his motives are,” Rogers said, referring to President Donald Trump. “His motive is to try to get prices back down on diesel.”
“September and October are the two biggest harvest months for Michigan,” Rogers said, adding that high diesel costs make it harder for farmers to bring crops out of the fields and leave families struggling at the grocery store.
{{#rendered}}Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov is expected to visit Tehran on Monday, according to Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson, as Moscow and Tehran coordinate amid the ongoing Iran war.
The visit comes as Iran faces pressure over its nuclear program, attacks on regional shipping and its efforts to control the Strait of Hormuz.
Iranian and Russian officials are expected to discuss the conflict, regional security and diplomatic efforts aimed at ending hostilities.
President Donald Trump, seeking to make peace in Ukraine and the Middle East, recently moved to lift sanctions on Russia, perhaps as leverage for peace.
Reuters contributed to this report.
Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Va., discussed growing concerns about the Iran conflict on "Fox News Sunday."
Kaine also denounced President Donald Trump's waving of sanctions against Russia, pushed the Democrats' 2026 midterm narratives.
President Donald Trump defended his decision to launch military action against Iran despite concerns that the war could drive up oil and gas prices.
Trump told Fox News correspondent Molly Line in an exclusive back-stage rally interview Saturday that rural voters should understand that Iran is “the No. 1 state sponsor of terror.”
“I think when you explain and I've seen it, Molly, when you explain to them that Iran is the number one state sponsor of terror, they're very, very tough and very evil, and they've killed many Americans, but they've killed many people,” Trump said.
Trump acknowledged that oil prices could have risen higher after the strikes.
“I thought oil would be much higher when I did it, and I knew that's not good politically,” Trump said. “But I also, you know, I don't view things politically.”
Trump said the economy had been performing well before he ordered the operation.
“But the stock market was the best for oil in case of the best. They're also better now,” Trump said. “Everything was going good and I said, I have to do the excursion.”
{{#rendered}}Oil prices surged nearly 4% as escalating Middle East tensions fueled fears of tighter global supply and pushed Saudi Arabia’s stock market higher.
Brent crude settled at $109.86 per barrel, up $3.94, or 3.7%, its highest level since May 19. Saudi Arabia’s benchmark index rose 0.8%, led by a 2.1% gain in oil giant Saudi Aramco.
The rally came as Iran continued to threaten the stability of the Strait of Hormuz, with Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi saying Tehran’s proposal to reopen the key shipping route within seven days remains on the table.
Qatar’s stock market fell 2% to its lowest close since April 2020, while Egypt’s blue-chip index dropped 2.6% as regional tensions deepened and Iran-aligned Houthis intensified attacks on Saudi Arabia.
Reuters contributed to this report.
Saudi Arabia’s Civil Defense said Sunday that a potential danger in the southern Najran region had passed.
The warning came as Iran-aligned Houthis continue attacks on Saudi Arabia following the collapse of a truce in Yemen. Egypt’s parliament is set to continue discussions Monday on whether to authorize support for Saudi Arabia amid the escalating Houthi threat.
Egypt has said it is prepared to help defend Saudi Arabia’s security, territory and resources if requested.
Reuters contributed to this report.
Saudi Arabia’s Civil Defense issued an alert warning of potential danger in the southern Najran region Sunday as Iran-aligned Houthis continue attacks on the kingdom.
Egypt’s parliament will continue discussions Monday on whether to authorize support for Saudi Arabia amid the escalating Houthi threat, according to lawmakers and local media.
The developments come as Saudi Arabia battles renewed Houthi attacks following the collapse of a truce in Yemen. Egypt has said it is prepared to help defend Saudi Arabia’s security, territory and resources if requested.
Reuters contributed to this report.
{{#rendered}}Vice President JD Vance said Saturday that if President Donald Trump did not step up against the Iranian threats in the Strait of Hormuz, oil prices would be much higher than they are even now.
"I recognize that gas prices are too high right now," Vance said at a CBS town hall. "And I think it's important to be honest about why they are so elevated. And there are a few different things going on.
"So the first thing that's going on, obviously, is what's happening in the Middle East, particularly the fact that the Iranians are shooting at every commercial ship that they can. It's a global energy market. So that's pushing up the price of fuel everywhere.
"There are also a lot of things that we've done already to lower fuel prices and frankly, to keep them from going even higher. We've never had a situation like this where you have effectively largest state sponsor of terrorism that's trying to completely choke off world energy supply. The fact is that if we just like left and we let the Iranians control shipping out of the Strait of Hormuz, what that would mean is, is you would pay a lot more for gasoline."
Also, leftist green energy plans continue to be unwound by the Trump administration, and it will take time to undo that damage, according to Vance.
"There are also other things that we, frankly, should have been doing years ago, and we are now doing quite affirmatively," Vance continued. "So a couple of days ago, I was in Texas and we announced that we're going to use what's called the Defense Production Act to massively increase the amount of refining capacity that we have in the United States of America.
"That's actually the biggest reason why gas prices are so high is because when Joe Biden was president, we had about 20% of American refining capacity that went offline.
"We're slowly bringing that online, but it does take a little bit of time. And because we shut down so much refining capacity, we were more susceptible to this shock that we've seen in the Middle Eastern energy prices. So there's a lot that we we, we are doing. It's just we also are working against an Iranian regime that's shooting at commercial shipping."
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu described his goals with the United States in the last two years of President Donald Trump's time in office on Fox News' "Life, Liberty & Levin."
Netanyahu, who is facing Oct. 27 elections, is urging lasting peace and security in the Middle East against radical Islamic terror groups backed by Iran.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu outlined his vision for the future of Iran’s Islamic regime on Fox News' "Life, Liberty & Levin."
{{#rendered}}Iran’s parliament approved Mehrdad Akhlaqi Ketabchi as defense minister Sunday, ending months of interim leadership as Tehran warns the Trump administration against resuming military strikes.
“If the American enemy makes another miscalculation, the response of the valiant Iranian people and the fighters of Islam will be surprising and extensive,” Akhlaqi said.
He added that Iran had taken steps to counter a possible U.S. attack involving the GBU-43/B Massive Ordnance Air Blast Bomb, known as the “mother of all bombs.”
“The U.S. president should focus on ensuring his forces are withdrawn safely from our region,” Akhlaqi said. “If he drops a single bomb, he will have to see how many of his troops end up being carried out of the region in a horizontal position.”
Akhlaqi replaces Majid Ebn al-Reza, who served in an interim capacity after former Defense Minister Aziz Nasirzadeh was killed in U.S.-Israeli strikes in February.
Akhlaqi, a longtime veteran of Iran’s defense industry and aerospace and missile sectors, is under U.S. and European Union sanctions.
In a program presented to lawmakers, Akhlaqi pledged to rebuild Iran’s military-industrial infrastructure, accelerate defense technology development and expand cooperation with private-sector companies.
The U.S. has reporedly developed strike plans that could include using the massive bomb against Iranian energy infrastructure and nuclear sites if President Donald Trump orders renewed combat operations.
Reuters contributed to this report.
A tugboat sailing near the United Arab Emirates was struck by two unknown projectiles Sunday, leaving one person with minor injuries and damaging the vessel, according to the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations agency.
The incident occurred northeast of Khor Fakkan as the tug traveled southbound.
The vessel remained operational and continued on its route, UKMTO said.
The incident adds to growing maritime security concerns in the region as the Iran war threatens shipping through the Gulf and nearby waters.
Reuters contributed to this report.
With President Donald Trump pausing U.S. strikes in the region, Saudi Arabia is intensifying its campaign against Iran-aligned Houthis in Yemen — and Egypt says it is ready to provide Riyadh with military support.
“Egypt will provide Saudi Arabia with all necessary and possible forms of support to defend its security and stability, protect its resources, territorial integrity and Islamic holy sites,” the Egyptian presidency said.
The Houthis have renewed attacks on Saudi Arabia following the collapse of a truce, targeting Riyadh’s international airport and Saudi Aramco, the kingdom’s state oil giant.
Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi convened the National Defense Council and sought parliamentary authorization to support Saudi Arabia if requested.
Egypt previously joined the Saudi-led coalition that intervened in Yemen’s civil war in 2015. The move comes as the Iran-backed Houthis expand attacks against the world’s largest oil exporter while the Trump administration’s war strikes remain on pause.
Reuters contributed to this report.
{{#rendered}}Iran's parliament approved Mehrdad Akhlaqi Ketabchi as its minister of defense, according to state media reports Sunday.
President Donald Trump says Iran's peace negotiators are begging to remain alive as he laments having removed more than two layers of past leaders, which is making peace talks difficult with a regime scrambling for form.
Iran ended months of interim leadership at the ministry and placing a former head of the country's Aerospace Industries Organization in charge of its defense production and procurement apparatus.
Reuters contributed to this report.
Iran’s proposal to reopen the Strait of Hormuz within seven days remains on the table, Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Sunday, as Tehran and Washington remain at odds over conditions for ending the eight-month war.
Iran presented the plan in September after an interim ceasefire collapsed.
"Our situation is clear and based on the seven-days proposal presented to the U.S.,” Araghchi said in Baghdad.
"They shared comments which we are reviewing, but our proposal is still on the table and if there is any honesty on the U.S. part, which there isn't, the way to reopening the Strait of Hormuz is obvious."
The battle over control of the Strait of Hormuz remains the sticking point for Iran, while President Donald Trump has maintained the Strait remains open for all but Iran.
The "vast majority" of Iran's attempted attacks on shipping in the Strait of Hormuz are "unsuccessful" as the key waterway remains open for transit, U.S. Central Command spokesperson and U.S. Navy Capt. Tim Hawkins told Fox News Digital this week.
Hawkins spoke after CENTCOM said the GFS Pride, a Singapore-flagged, Cyprus-owned container ship was hit by an Iranian projectile in the Strait of Hormuz Wednesday and sunk while being towed ashore due to a fire on board the ship.
"The U.S. military has assisted in providing coordinated protection for thousands of ships that have safely transited," Hawkins said. "That translates to about 97% of the ships that have sought to transit the Strait of Hormuz have done so successfully without being hit by an Iranian projectile.
"But let's be clear here. What the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps of Iran is doing is unjustified, and it's also unsuccessful because they are not achieving their objective of closing the Strait of Hormuz."
Araghchi said the waterway could reopen within six days if Washington accepts Iran’s conditions, with peace talks resuming the following day.
The United States has insisted that negotiations address Iran’s nuclear program from the outset.
Vice President JD Vance previously said Tehran must make a “meaningful” reduction in its uranium enrichment capacity.
Iran says talks should initially focus on reopening the strait, a key global shipping route that carried roughly one-fifth of the world’s oil and liquefied natural gas trade before the war.
Fox News Digital's Greg Norman-Diamond and Reuters contributed to this report.
Live Coverage begins here