Trump admin pitches 15-point Iran peace proposal as Pakistan offers to hold talks
Iran has rejected a 15-point peace agreement put forward by President Donald Trump's administration that would have ended the war this week. Meanwhile, the U.S. and Israel have in turn rejected a counterproposal from Tehran.
Israeli ambassador sounds missile siren at UN Security Council: 'You have 15 seconds'
Israel's Ambassador to the U.N., Danny Danon, sounded sirens to members of U.N. Security Council on Tuesday and activated a 15-second timer to illustrate the reality in which Israeli citizens live under rocket fire.
Immediately afterwards, Ambassador Danon said: "When you hear this siren you have fifteen seconds to seek shelter…to decide which child to take first, whether to return for the others. Sometimes even that is not enough to reach a safe place."
The alarm that sounded in the chamber immediately attracted the attention of those present, and some ambassadors paced in their seats during the countdown.
Danon added: "We do not want to live under constant threat. We want a different future. A stable Middle East. A peaceful Middle East. Israel will not return to solutions that guarantee the next war. This time we will remove the threat from the root.”
Nearly 300 US servicemembers wounded in Operation Epic Fury, vast majority already back on duty
The U.S. has seen nearly 300 servicemembers injured since the beginning of Operation Epic Fury, U.S. Central Command Spokesperson U.S. Navy Capt. Tim Hawkins confirmed to Fox News Digital on Wednesday.
"Since the start of Operation Epic Fury, approximately 290 U.S. service members have been wounded. The vast majority of these injuries have been minor, and more than 255 troops have already returned to duty," Hawkins said.
As of Wednesday, 13 U.S. servicemembers have been killed in the war against Iran.
Fox News' Liz Friden contributed to this report.
Elements of 82nd Airborne deploying to Middle East: Pentagon
The Pentagon is deploying elements of the 82nd Airborne division to the Middle East along with the 1st Brigade Combat Team, a War Department official confirmed to Fox News on Wednesday.
"We can confirm elements of the 82nd Airborne Division HQs, some division enablers and the 1st BCT will be deploying to the CENTCOM [Area of Responsibility]. Due to operations security we have nothing additional to provide at this time," the official said.
The deployment comes roughly a day after the Pentagon sent the 82nd Airborne Division's command element to the Middle East on Tuesday.
Fox News' Jennifer Griffin Contributed to this report.
NYT columnist tells liberal readers Trump's war with Iran is 'going better than you think'
New York Times columnist Bret Stephens went against the grain of his liberal media colleagues Tuesday, telling readers that President Donald Trump's war against Iran is "going better than you think" in a piece on Tuesday.
Stephens recalled high gas prices the country faced in 2012, noting at the time that "the price of Brent crude closed the month around $123 a barrel," which he noted would be $175 a barrel today, and that the current price is "hovering around $100."
"That ought to provide some perspective on the panic over the war in the Middle East," Stephens wrote. "To hear the critics’ version of events, an unprovoked and unnecessary attack on Iran, launched at Israel’s behest, is already a foreign-policy fiasco that has put the global economy at risk without any clear objective or endgame."
He singled out Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn., who on Sunday told NBC's Kristen Welker, "We’ve never seen this level of incompetence in war-making in this country’s history."
"Really?" Stephens reacted. The Times columnist listed several conflicts beginning with 1991's Operation Desert Storm, which destroyed dozens of US aircraft in a six-week span, while the current war with Iran has led to just four destroyed within four weeks. He mentioned how 23 soldiers died and 325 were wounded during the 1989 invasion of Panama, while 13 died and 230 were wounded (he noted most had "swiftly returned to duty") in the current war.
This is an excerpt from an article by Fox News' Joseph Wulfsohn.
Jack Keane warns ceasefire with Iran would 'play right into their hands' as Trump signals progress
Retired Gen. Jack Keane cautioned against any ceasefire with Iran, saying the U.S. must maintain military pressure to force Tehran to abandon its nuclear ambitions.
"If we go to ceasefire, that's playing right into their hands," the retired four-star Army general and Fox News senior strategic analyst warned Tuesday on "Hannity."
"We want to keep the pressure on them to make a deal that makes some sense, and that is the path."
Keane's remarks come as President Donald Trump signals progress in negotiations with Iran while strikes continue across the region. On Monday, the president announced a five-day postponement of U.S. military strikes on Iranian power plants and energy infrastructure.
Earlier Tuesday, Trump said Iran indicated a willingness to negotiate, emphasizing that Tehran "will never have a nuclear weapon" and claiming Iranian officials have agreed to that condition.
Keane, however, remains skeptical that the regime will comply.
"We're dealing with a regime that's pathological liars and cheaters, and they have done everything they can to deceive us in the past," he said.
"Just prior to going into this conflict, one of the reasons why we went into it is because the Iranians were lying to us and not wanting to be forthcoming in terms of a deal."
This is an excerpt from an article by Fox News' Taylor Penley.
IDF airstrikes hit Iran's 'Underwater Research Center' as Tehran's forces face pummeling
Israeli Defense Forces carried out airstrikes on multiple targets in the Iranian city of Isfahan on Tuesday, including manufacturing and research facilities.
"As part of the strikes, the IDF, guided by Israeli Navy Intelligence, targeted the Iranian terror regime’s Underwater Research Center in Isfahan," the IDF said in a statement.
"The center is the only facility in Iran responsible for the design and development of submarines and support systems for the Iranian Navy. In addition, the regime produced various models of unmanned vessels at the site," the IDF said.
Israel has vowed to continue strikes against Iranian military targets alongside the U.S., even as President Donald Trump has opened the door toward a diplomatic end to hostilities.
Trump admin offers 15-point Iran ceasefire plan
President Donald Trump's administration presented Iran with a 15-point peace proposal late Tuesday as diplomatic efforts to end the war with Tehran kicked off.
The U.S. presented the agreement through Pakistani officials, who have offered to serve as intermediaries to help end the conflict.
Iran's state media continues to deny that high-level talks are taking place.
The proposal comes as the Trump administration also prepares to deploy two Marine units that will add about 5,000 Marines and thousands of sailors to the region.
The moves are being framed as Trump maneuvering to give himself “max flexibility” on what he will do next, according to the Associated Press.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Gulf state's UN Security Council resolution could approve military force to re-open Strait of Hormuz
A U.N. Security Council resolution calling for countries to use “all necessary means” to keep the Strait of Hormuz open is facing some opposition for raising the possibility of U.N.-backed military action against Iran on Wednesday.
The resolution, put forward by Bahrain, comes as fuel prices have skyrocketed across the globe as Tehran throttles the key trade passage.
If passed, the resolution would authorize countries or naval partnerships to use military action to secure passage and “to repress, neutralize and deter attempts to close, obstruct or otherwise interfere with international navigation through the Strait of Hormuz.”
It also demands that Iran “immediately cease all attacks against merchant and commercial vessels” and stop impeding freedom of navigation in and around the vital waterway,
The Associated Press contributed to thsi report.
US officials issue 'worldwide caution' advisory for travelers amid global conflict
The U.S. State Department has issued a "worldwide caution" security alert, advising travelers to exercise increased caution, especially those in the Middle East.
"Americans abroad should follow the guidance in security alerts issued by the nearest U.S. embassy or consulate," said the alert, issued on Sunday.
"Periodic airspace closures may cause travel disruptions. U.S. diplomatic facilities, including outside the Middle East, have been targeted," it continued.
"Groups supportive of Iran may target other U.S. interests overseas or locations associated with the United States and/or Americans throughout the world," the alert also said.
More than 70,000 Americans have left the Middle East and returned to the U.S. since Feb. 28, according to a State Department press release issued March 19.
Over 41,000 American citizens have received security guidance and travel assistance, with the U.S. government conducting 60 evacuation flights from the Middle East.
This is an excerpt from an article by Fox News' Ashley DiMella.
Iran's IRGC consolidates power, pushes ‘unrealistic’ cease-fire demands: report
Iran has raised the stakes ahead of potential cease-fire talks with a list of demands, according to The Wall Street Journal.
The outlet also reported that the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) has consolidated power within the broken regime and is pushing the additional demands.
These include the closure of all American bases in the Gulf and reparations for attacks on Iran.
Other demands include allowing Iran to collect fees from tankers in the Strait of Hormuz, as well as guarantees that the war wouldn’t restart.
The IRGC has also asked for an end to Israel’s strikes on Hezbollah and the lifting of all sanctions on Iran.
The final demand was permission to keep its missile program with no negotiations to limit it.
A U.S. official called the IRGC's demands “ridiculous and unrealistic,” the outlet said.
The official also said the first messages of the new diplomatic round came from Middle Eastern intermediaries last week, and that the U.S. and Iran are not in direct contact.
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