Trump weighs deploying up to 10,000 more troops to Middle East during war with Iran: report
The Pentagon is considering sending up to 10,000 additional U.S. troops to the Middle East during Operation Epic Fury, a senior defense official said, according to The Wall Street Journal.
Israeli military strikes 'heart of Tehran' as Trump extends Strait of Hormuz deadline
The Israeli military reportedly said Friday that it completed a wide scale wave of strikes overnight "in the heart of Iran."
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said it struck dozens of military industries, launch sites and operatives from the missile array in Tehran.
Acting on IDF intelligence, the Israeli Air Force "completed a wide-scale wave of strikes targeting infrastructure belonging to the Iranian terror regime," the IDF said. It added that the strikes "further degraded production capabilities and struck dozens of weapons production sites."
Among the sites targeted were “a base used by the Iranian army to train operatives and store missile systems intended to target aircraft,” "a site for the manufacturing and development of ballistic missile components,” "a site for manufacturing batteries for weapons," and a "weapons production site" of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, the IDF said.
“Overnight, a staging and launch complex of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps was struck, along with ballistic missile launch sites, air defense systems, and observation posts belonging to both the IRGC and the Iranian military,” according to the IDF. “In addition, the IDF identified several operatives from the ballistic missile array operating from a military structure in Tehran. Minutes after the identification, the Israeli Air Force struck and eliminated the terrorists who were planning to advance launches against the State of Israel.”
The IDF also said in a post on X Friday that it hit the "Iranian Regime’s primary facility for the productions of missiles and sea mines in Yazd, Iran."
"The site was used for the planning, development, assembly, and storage of advanced missiles intended for launch from cruise platforms, submarines, and helicopters toward both mobile and stationary maritime targets," it said.
On Thursday, President Donald Trump confirmed he was placing a hold on strikes against Iran’s energy sector for another 10 days, until April 6. The pause is intended to allow time for ceasefire negotiations to take place.
Fox News’ Emma Bussey, Yael Rotem-Kuriel and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Qatar confirms meetings with Vice President JD Vance, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent
The Qatari prime minister and foreign affairs minister met in Washington, D.C., with Vice President JD Vance and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, the Middle Eastern nation confirmed Friday.
Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al-Thani discussed "the close strategic cooperation between the State of Qatar and the United States and explored ways to further strengthen it across various fields, particularly in the area of defense partnership in light of current regional developments, in a manner that serves the shared interests of the two countries," according to the state-run Qatar News Agency (QNA).
Since Operation Epic Fury began, Iran has launched missile and drone attacks impacting Qatar as part of the regime's broader retaliation against the U.S. and allied actions in the conflict.
The Qatar News Agency (QNA) said "discussions also covered developments in global energy markets, with both sides underscoring the importance of ensuring the sustainability of energy supplies and maintaining the continued flow of liquefied natural gas from the State of Qatar to global markets, thereby supporting global energy security."
“For his part, the U.S. Vice President praised the robust strategic partnership between the two countries, hailing the State of Qatar's active role in promoting regional stability and enhancing global energy security,” it added.
Cruz says Trump's move to strike Iran 'most consequential decision' of his presidency
Republican Sen. Ted Cruz says that the U.S. is "unquestionably winning the war" with Iran.
And the conservative firebrand and three-term senator from Texas tells Fox News Digital that, in his opinion, President Donald Trump's "decision to launch this military action is the most consequential decision" of his presidency.
"If you look at how our military has carried out this action, it has been an incredible success," Cruz emphasized in an interview this week.
But many Americans don't agree with the senator's reading on the nearly month-long strikes by the U.S. and Israel on Iran.
Several new national surveys released this week, including a new Fox News poll, indicate that most Americans give the military strikes a thumbs down. But the surveys point to a continued broad partisan divide between Democrats and Republicans over the ongoing fighting in the volatile Middle East.
The military attacks by the U.S. and Israel have resulted in the deaths of Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and other top officials, and the decimation of the country's military.
Trump weighs deploying 10,000 extra troops to Middle East, defense official says
The Pentagon is considering sending up to 10,000 additional ground troops to the Middle East, a senior defense official said Thursday, according to the Wall Street Journal.
While the official said it was not yet clear which units would be mobilized, the new deployment would be in addition to the 1,500 troops deployed from the 82nd Airborne.
Earlier Thursday, President Donald Trump confirmed he was placing a hold on strikes against Iran’s energy sector for another 10 days, until April 6. The pause is intended to allow time for ceasefire negotiations to take place.
Pakistan is reportedly mediating the talks between the two nations.
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