——————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————

UAE dismantles Iran-linked terror cell as Tehran’s attacks spread tensions across Middle East

Last UpdateMarch 20, 2026, 6:21 PM EDT

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.

Covered by: Greg Norman-DiamondEmma BusseyPaul SteinhauserLiz FridenCharles CreitzAlexandra Kochand Jasmine Baehr

Stream FOX News Live 24/7 Sign Up Now

Preview Pass Has Expired

To continue watching, please sign in with an active TV provider, or sign up for FOX One to stream FOX News live 24×7.Sign In with TV Provider

Sign Up Now

Don’t have a TV subscription?Sign Up 

WHAT TO KNOW

  • Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahuannounced that Iran can no longer enrich uranium or manufacture ballistic missiles as it feels the impact of Operation Roaring Lion and Operation Epic Fury. The development comes as both the U.S. and Israeli military campaigns are on Day 21 on Friday, March 20.
  • U.S. gas prices have soared more than 30% this month, approaching a national average of $4 a gallon amid supply disruptions tied to the ongoing war in the Middle East. The conflict involving Iran has disrupted oil flows from a key global producing region, with shipping through the Strait of Hormuz significantly constrained, limiting exports and driving up global energy prices.
  • U.S. Central Command on Thursday released before and after images of the Karaj Surface-to-Surface Missile Plant. On March 11, 2026, U.S. forces struck the facility with precision munitions, decimating the site. Prior to Operation Epic Fury, the Iranian regime used the Karaj Surface-to-Surface Missile Plant “to assemble ballistic missiles that threatened Americans, neighboring countries, and commercial shipping,” CENTCOM said.

22PostsNewestOldest

3 hours ago

PINNED

Trump says US ‘very close’ to meeting objectives in Iran war, signals potential ‘winding down’

Trump says US ‘very close’ to meeting objectives in Iran war, signals potential 'winding down'

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio (L) looks on as U.S. President Donald Trump stops to speak to reporters while departing the White House on March 20, 2026 in Washington, DC. President Trump is traveling to Florida to spend the weekend at his Mar-a-Lago resort. (Heather Diehl/Getty Images)

President Donald Trump said Friday the United States is “getting very close” to achieving its military objectives against Iran, signaling a potential winding down of Operation Epic Furyafter nearly three weeks.

“We are getting very close to meeting our objectives as we consider winding down our great Military efforts in the Middle East,” Trump wrote in a Truth Social post.

He outlined five core goals of the campaign, including “completely degrading Iranian Missile Capability,” “destroying Iran’s Defense Industrial Base,” and “eliminating their Navy and Air Force.”

Trump also outlined that the U.S. would “never” allow Iran to obtain nuclear weapons and would remain ready to respond “quickly and powerfully” if needed.

The president said protecting regional allies including Israel, Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) remains a top priority.

On the Strait of Hormuz, Trump suggested the U.S. should not take the lead in securing the critical waterway.

“The Hormuz Strait will have to be guarded and policed, as necessary, by other Nations who use it — The United States does not!” he wrote, adding the U.S. would assist if asked but “it shouldn’t be necessary once Iran’s threat is eradicated.”

Posted by Jasmine Baehr

3 hours ago

Fetterman amplifies Trump remarks after Iran executes 19-year-old wrestler: ‘Co-sign this’

Sen. John Fetterman, D-Pa., on Friday amplified remarks from President Donald Trump condemning Iran’s regime following the execution of 19-year-old wrestler Saleh Mohammadi.

“Co-sign this,” Fetterman wrote in a social media post, sharing a screenshot of a report on Trump’s reaction to the executions.

“What else to describe a regime that tortures and publicly hangs teenagers for wanting democracy for their country?” he added.

Mohammadi, a champion wrestler, was executed in a public hanging. Iran International reported he was killed alongside two other men after being accused of killing police officers during nationwide protests earlier this year.

Trump addressed the executions earlier Friday during a press gaggle.

“We’ve been hitting them awfully hard. I mean, I don’t know if you can possibly get hit harder, but these are thugs and animals and horrible people,” Trump said.

“But you can’t hit anybody harder than we’ve hit them. But I’m not surprised. They executed three young people for protesting,” he added.

Fox News Digital’s Jackson Thompson contributed to this reporting.

Posted by Jasmine Baehr

4 hours ago

Trump says Strait of Hormuz will ‘open itself’

President Donald Trump on Friday said the Strait of Hormuz will “open itself,” despite NATO’s unwillingness to assist the U.S. in securing the key waterway.

“It’s a simple military maneuver,” Trump told reporters. “It’s relatively safe, but you need a lot of help … you need ships, you need volume. NATO could help us, but they so far haven’t had the courage to do so, and others could help us.”

The president added that “it’ll open itself at a certain point.”

“We’ve defeated the enemy and they are an enemy,” he said. “There is a sick group of people. The leadership is gone. The Navy is gone. The Air Force is gone. The anti-aircraft equipment that they have, the radar they have — it’s all gone. … We’re doing a good job, but it would be nice if the countries [that use the strait], including China, … would get involved.”

Posted by Alexandra Koch

6 hours ago

Netherlands boosts security for Iranian dissidents after critic shot

Netherlands boosts security for Iranian dissidents after critic shot

Dutch Justice Minister David van Weel confirmed an Iranian man was shot Friday. (John Beckmann/DeFodi Images/DeFodi via Getty Images)

The Netherlands is increasing security for Iranian activists after Dutch Justice Minister David van Weel said an Iranian man, “who is known to be critical of the authorities in Tehran” was shot, according to a report from Reuters.

It is unclear what led to the shooting, and if it was politically motivated. 

Posted by Alexandra Koch

6 hours ago

Israeli forces respond to reported debris fall near Temple Mount in Old City of Jerusalem

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) Home Front Command rescue and salvage teams are working to clear debris at a fall site in the Old City of Jerusalem near the Temple Mount.

Debris from the missile injured at least one person, according to a report from The Jerusalem Post.

The update comes hours after Iran threatened to target tourist sites worldwide and launched missiles toward Israel.

The Home Front Command asked the public to continue to heed the life-saving instructions and act accordingly

Posted by Alexandra Koch

7 hours ago

Iran conflict won’t trigger Biden-style refugee replay, expert predicts

Iran conflict won’t trigger Biden-style refugee replay, expert predicts

Afghan people climb atop a plane at Kabul airport in Kabul on Aug. 16, 2021, amid a mass exodus following the end of Afghanistan’s 20-year war. (Wakil Khosar/Getty Images)

Iran’s instability is unlikely to trigger a Syrian- or Afghanistan-style refugee crisis, a top immigration expert told Fox News Digital, even as questions mount over what comes next for the Iranian people once the fighting subsides.

With Ayatollah Ali Khamenei killed in an airstrike, several top officials dead and competing factions vying for control, questions are mounting over whether Iran’s turmoil could trigger a refugee crisis.

However, given the geography and environment in Iran, a mass refugee exodus appears unlikely, according to Andrew “Art” Arthur – a nationally-recognized national security and immigration expert at the Center for Immigration Studies.

“It’s actually an interesting question, and there are a couple of things to keep in mind,” Arthur said in a recent interview.

“One is Iran is about twice the size of Texas. It’s, I think, roughly the size as Alaska. It is a huge country, and I think there are 93 million people there, but it’s still a big country and most of it is untouched by the conflict, so it’s not like individuals couldn’t relocate in-country and be perfectly safe.”

Unlike Afghanistan, he added, the U.S. and the West don’t have a previous footprint on the ground and don’t have people inside the country offering assistance.

“[W]e don’t have the ability to do something like President Biden did where we load up C-130s with everybody we can get our hands on and fly them to the United States. So, that’s a huge distinction.”

Posted by Charles Creitz

8 hours ago

Jerusalem’s Old City impacted by Iranian missile fragments, IDF says

Jerusalem's Old City impacted by Iranian missile fragments, IDF says

The IDF said Friday that, “The Old City in Jerusalem, right near the Temple Mount, was impacted by Iranian missile fragments.” (IDF)

The Israel Defense Forces said Friday that the Old City in Jerusalem, “right near the Temple Mount, was impacted by Iranian missile fragments.”

“The Iranian regime once again proves they fire indiscriminately — whether at civilian areas or holy sites — all with the intention of destroying the State of Israel,” it said.

The IDF shared an image on X of a plume of smoke rising into the air.

It later said, “Home Front Command Search and Rescue forces, both regular and reserve, are currently operating at the impact site in the Old City of Jerusalem, adjacent to the Temple Mount, where debris fell.”

Fox News’ Yonat Friling contributed to this report.

Posted by Greg Norman-Diamond

9 hours ago

Most Americans expect Trump to send boots on the ground in Iran — but majority oppose it: Poll

Nearly two-thirds of Americans think that President Donald Trump will send U.S. ground troops into the fighting against Iran, a new national poll indicates.

A Reuters/Ipsos survey, conducted Tuesday through Thursday (March 17–19), also indicates that a majority of Americans, 55%, say they don’t support sending ground troops into the operation against Iran.

The poll’s release comes as the U.S. and Israeli attacks on Iran are about to close out their third week.

Only 7% of those questioned in the survey said they’d support a large-scale strike by American ground forces, with 34% saying they’d back a more limited-in-scope incursion by U.S. special forces.

Fourteen percent of Republicans surveyed said they’d support a large ground force operation, with 63% saying they’d back inserting special forces into a ground action. Twenty-one percent of Republicans gave a thumbs-down to sending in American ground troops.

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, at a Pentagon briefing earlier this month, declined to rule out the use of U.S. ground forces.

Trump said on Thursday that he was “not putting troops anywhere,” when asked by a reporter about his war plans.

Posted by Paul Steinhauser

9 hours ago

Trump says ‘no force on earth can beat’ US Navy, rips Iran’s ‘useless’ Russian, Chinese equipment

President Donald Trump said Friday that, “Over the past few weeks, the world has seen the true strength and might of our sailors and aviators as they fought in one of the most complex and successful military operations of all time against the Iranian regime.” 

“And it’s amazing… I don’t want to get too crazy here, not a contest. It’s not even a contest. They do whatever they want,” Trump said at the White House during the Commander-in-Chief’s Trophy Presentation, where he was honoring the U.S. Naval Academy football team.  

“They had a lot of great equipment. Russian equipment, Chinese equipment, a lot of, they had plenty of money. That equipment was useless against us, useless,” Trump said about Iran. 

“No force on earth can beat the American sailors or the American military, we’re the strongest in the world by far. To those standing behind me who will soon be joining these missions, I say sail fast, stay strong and go Navy,” he added. 

Posted by Greg Norman-Diamond

9 hours ago

US military sending thousands more Marines, sailors to Middle East, US official tells Fox News

The USS Boxer amphibious ready group and attached 11th Marine expeditionary unit is deploying to the Middle East from California, a U.S. official confirmed to Fox News on Friday. 

The task force of about 4,500 sailors and Marines is currently sailing across the Pacific Ocean to the Middle East, the official said.  

It could take the USS Boxer about a month to reach the Middle East. It left San Diego Bay on Wednesday, March 18. 

The USS Boxer amphibious assault ship carries F-35B Lightning II stealth fighters, MV-22B Osprey tiltrotors, AH-1Z Viper attack helicopters, UH-1Y Venom utility helicopters and MH-60S Seahawk helicopters. 

The USS Boxer amphibious assault ship, USS Portland amphibious transport dock ship and USS Comstock dock landing ship are the three ships that make up the USS Boxer amphibious ready group and 11th Marine expeditionary unit. 

Once in the Middle East, it will overlap with the USS Tripoli Amphibious Ready Group and 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit for some time, and then will replace the 31st MEU altogether, the official added, noting this will happen in coming weeks.  

The Tripoli ARG/31st MEU is still heading to the Middle East from Japan and is expected to arrive as early as next week.  

Posted by Liz Friden

9 hours ago

Trump praises Hegseth, Caine at White House, says nobody wants job of Iran’s next leader

President Donald Trump said Friday that “nobody wants to be a leader over there” in Iran as losses continue to mount for Tehran during Operation Epic Fury.

“Their Navy’s gone, their Air Force is gone, their anti-aircraft is all gone. It’s all gone. Their radar is all gone. Their leaders are all gone,” the president said at the White House during the Commander-in-Chief’s Trophy Presentation, where he was honoring the U.S. Naval Academy football team for winning the 2025 college football series between that team, the Army and Air Force.

“Their leaders are all gone. The next set of leaders are all gone. And the next set of leaders are mostly gone,” Trump continued. “And now, nobody wants to be a leader over there anymore. We’re having a hard time. We want to talk to them and there’s nobody to talk to.”

“We have nobody to talk to. And you know what? We like it that way,” he added.

Trump praised Secretary of War Pete Hegseth for doing a “fantastic job” with the military effort and added that Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Dan Caine has been “unbelievable.”

The president said he told Hegseth — who had two sons involved in the ceremony — that he could remain in the Situation Room at the White House instead of attending. 

“I told him, I said, Dan, if you don’t mind, stay in the Situation Room and you watch all those attacks that we are hitting those guys with,” Trump also said about Caine and Iran. 

Iran’s former Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was killed in the opening wave of strikes as Operation Epic Fury was launched against Iran on Feb. 28. 

He has been replaced by his son Mojtaba Khamenei,but Israeli national security sources described Mojtaba as little more than an “empty entity” who is not at the helm of the regime.

Fox News Digital’s Emma Bussey contributed to this report.

Posted by Greg Norman-Diamond

9 hours ago

Trump says NATO isn’t coming to US aid because it’s ‘weak’ and knows ‘we will do it for them’

Trump says NATO isn't coming to US aid because it's 'weak' and knows 'we will do it for them'

A satellite view of the Strait of Hormuz, a critical choke point for global energy supply, connecting the Persian Gulf to the Gulf of Oman. (Gallo Images/Orbital Horizon/Copernicus Sentinel Data 2025/Amanda Macias/Fox News Digital)

President Donald Trump told Fox News’ Martha MacCallum on Friday that NATO isn’t coming to the aid of the U.S. in the Strait of Hormuz because the organization is “weak” and “they know that we will do it for them.”

“Now we know – this is a small one and now we know when the big one comes they will not be there for us,” Trump said. “All we need in the strait are numbers. Presence. Iran has nothing left. Just numbers and they won’t do it.”

When asked if Japan offered to help, following their prime minister’s visit to the White House on Thursday, Trump said, “they can’t constitutionally, but if we needed them, Japan would be there for us.”

“Japan is much better than NATO,” Trump said.

Posted by Greg Norman-Diamond

10 hours ago

Trump warns if Iran had nuclear weapons, ‘they’d use them’

President Donald Trump said Friday that the United States is “not going to let” Iran have nuclear weapons, “because if they had them, they’d use them. And we’re not going to let that happen.”

“I want to begin by just saying we’re doing extremely well in Iran. The difference between them and us is they had a Navy two weeks ago. They have no Navy anymore,” Trump said at the White House. “It’s all at the bottom of the sea, 58 ships knocked down in two days. And we have the greatest Navy anywhere in the world it’s not even close. We are doing really well.”

Operation Epic Fury was launched by the Trump administration on Feb. 28. On Friday, U.S. Central Command said, “U.S. forces continue to degrade Iranian combat capabilities by striking military targets deep inside Iran.”

Posted by Greg Norman-Diamond

11 hours ago

Trump rips NATO ‘cowards’ for lack of help to reopen Strait of Hormuz amid Iran war, oil price surge

Trump rips NATO 'cowards' for lack of help to reopen Strait of Hormuz amid Iran war, oil price surge

President Donald Trump is seen at the White House on Thursday, March 19. (Evelyn Hockstein/Reuters)

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.

Posted by Greg Norman-Diamond

11 hours ago

Iranian man, 2nd person arrested after allegedly trying to enter UK nuclear missile base: report

Iranian man, 2nd person arrested after allegedly trying to enter UK nuclear missile base: report

HMS Artful, an Astute-class nuclear-powered fleet submarine, is shown at His Majesty’s Naval Base Clyde on March 04, 2025 in Faslane, Scotland. (Jeff J Mitchell/Getty Images)

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.

Posted by Greg Norman-Diamond

12 hours ago

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.

Posted by Greg Norman-Diamond

13 hours ago

UAE intercepts 4 ballistic missiles, 26 UAVs from Iran

UAE intercepts 4 ballistic missiles, 26 UAVs from Iran

A steeplejack assesses damage after a building was hit by a reported drone strike in Dubai’s Creek Harbour on March 12, 2026. (AFP via Getty Images)

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.

Posted by Greg Norman-Diamond

13 hours ago

IDF confirms eliminating Iranian Revolutionary Guards Corp spokesperson: ‘Main propagandist’

IDF confirms eliminating Iranian Revolutionary Guards Corp spokesperson: 'Main propagandist'

The Israel Defense Forces said Ali Mohammad Naini was killed overnight in an airstrike. (IDF)

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.

Posted by Greg Norman-Diamond

13 hours ago

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.

Posted by Greg Norman-Diamond

13 hours ago

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.”

Posted by Paul Steinhauser

14 hours ago

Iran can no longer enrich uranium or make ballistic missiles, Netanyahu says

Iran can no longer enrich uranium or make ballistic missiles, Netanyahu says

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu speaks during a press conference in Jerusalem, on Thursday, March 19, 2026. (Ronen Zvulun/Pool Photo via AP)

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. 

Posted by Greg Norman-Diamond

14 hours ago

UAE foils Hezbollah-Iran-linked terror cell, arrests suspects amid Gulf tensions

UAE foils Hezbollah-Iran-linked terror cell, arrests suspects amid Gulf tensions

Hezbollah terrorists. (Fadel Itani/NurPhoto via Getty Images)

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.

Posted by Emma Bussey