Last UpdateMay 25, 2026, 10:01 PM EDT
The U.S. military carried out strikes on missile sites and IRGC boats in southern Iran as Netanyahu intensified attacks on Hezbollah amid escalating violence in Lebanon.
Covered by: Alex Nitzberg, Emma Bussey and Danielle Wallace
WHAT TO KNOW
- President Donald Trump ripped Sen. Thom Tillis, Sen. Bill Cassidy and Rep. Thomas Massie in a Truth Social post defending his Iran negotiations, calling the lawmakers “weak and ineffective people” and “losers.”
- Secretary of State Marco Rubio told reporters in India that the U.S. has presented a “pretty solid” proposal to Iran involving reopening the straits and entering “a very real, significant, time limited negotiation” on nuclear issues, adding Washington awaits Tehran’s response.
- Trump said any agreement with Iran would be “the exact opposite” of the Obama administration’s nuclear deal, insisting there would either be a “great and meaningful” deal or no deal at all.
- Hundreds of British sailors are reportedly awaiting deployment to the Strait of Hormuz for a potential mine-clearing mission, with the United Kingdom preparing drones and naval support vessels.
- President Masoud Pezeshkian invoked one of Iran’s strongest wartime symbols on May 24, signaling Tehran’s resolve to hold its ground against the U.S. and Israel
- Israel warned that Hezbollah’s continued attacks on the Middle East region have made the situation unsustainable.
- International internet access looked set to be restored to Iranian citizens after President Masoud Pezeshkian issued an order Monday to reopen it.
- The U.S. military carried out defensive strikes in southern Iran targeting missile launch sites and IRGC boats, CENTCOM said.
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11 hours ago
PINNED
US launches self-defense strikes in southern Iran, CENTCOM says
Bandar / Iranian Army / Handout / Anadolu via Getty Images
The U.S. military carried out “self-defense strikes” in southern Iran on Monday, targeting missile launch sites and Iranian boats, according to U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM).
“U.S. forces conducted self-defense strikes in southern Iran today to protect our troops from threats posed by Iranian forces,” Capt. Tim Hawkins, a CENTCOM spokesperson, said.
“Targets included missile launch sites and Iranian boats attempting to emplace mines. U.S. Central Command continues to defend our forces while using restraint during the ongoing ceasefire,” Hawkins said.
According to a senior U.S. official, two Iranian boats were spotted laying mines in the Strait of Hormuz, while forces also responded after a missile site had targeted U.S. warplanes.
The U.S. military eliminated both IRGC vessels and also struck the SAM, or surface-to-air missile, site in Bandar Abbas.
“These were defensive strikes,” the official told Fox News. The strikes do not indicate the ceasefire with Iran is over, two additional sources said.
This came after explosions were heard Monday in various regions across the Strait of Hormuz, with one explosion heard in Iran’s Bandar Abbas in the country’s south.
Other explosions were reported close to Sirik and Jask near the strategic waterway. The official confirmed Monday that the U.S. strikes were “over for now.”
Fox News’ National Security Correspondent, Jennifer Griffin contributed to this report.
Posted by Emma Bussey
9 hours ago
Oil prices drop amid hopes for Iran-US deal, possible Strait of Hormuz reopening
Hormuz / AP Photo
Oil prices dropped in early Asian trading Tuesday after reports that United States and Iran talks could ease tensions in the Middle East and eventually reopen the Strait of Hormuz.
Reuters reported that U.S. crude futures fell more than 6% after Japan’s Nikkei newspaper reported that Washington and Tehran are considering a plan to reopen the shipping route roughly 30 days after they reach an agreement to end the war.
U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude futures were down $5.90, or 6.1%, at $90.73 a barrel as of 10:05 p.m. GMT. The benchmark contract had already fallen 6.5% in the previous trading session, the outlet said.
Posted by Emma Bussey
10 hours ago
Rubio says Trump will give diplomacy ‘every chance to succeed’ in Iran talks
Marco Rubio / Andrew Harnik / Getty Images
Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Monday that President Donald Trump would give diplomacy as much time as needed in Washingtons negotiations with Tehran.
Speaking at Palam Air Force Station in New Delhi, India, Rubio downplayed the pace of talks, saying delays were largely due to the time Iran was taking to reply.
“We’re still a work in progress,” Rubio said. “As I said, we thought we might have some news last night, maybe today. I wouldn’t read too much into it. It takes a little while to get back.”
Rubio said negotiators had put forward a strong proposal and was optimistic.
“We have what I think is a pretty solid thing on the table in terms of their ability to open up the straits, get the straits opened,” he said.
He also stressed the urgency of reaching a deal over Iran’s nuclear ambitions.
“There’s a very real, significant time limit on negotiations on the nuclear matter, and hopefully we can pull it off,” Rubio said.
“It has a lot of support in the Gulf. There’s a lot of support globally,” he added.
“We’re going to give diplomacy every chance to succeed before we explore the alternatives,” Rubio said. “We’d prefer to have a good agreement.”
Posted by Emma Bussey
11 hours ago
Iran moves World Cup training base from Arizona to Mexico amid security concerns
Iran Soccer / Fatemeh Bahrami / Anadolu
Iran has relocated its World Cup training base from the United States to Mexico amid security concerns, FIFA confirmed Monday.
Iran had originally chosen a complex in Tucson, Arizona, for its national team’s de facto headquarters during the tournament, Reutersreported.
The country looked to change its plans after the U.S. and Israel carried out joint strikes on Iran on Feb. 28.
FIFA published the final list of team base camp locations Monday, with Iran now at Centro Xoloitzcuintle in Tijuana.
There are not yet any plans to change the location of Iran’s group-stage matches, the outlet said.
As part of Group G, Iran is set to play its first two matches in Los Angeles against New Zealand on June 15 and Belgium on June 21, with a June 26 matchup against Egypt in Seattle.
Posted by Emma Bussey
12 hours ago
Residents flee Beirut suburbs as Netanyahu signals escalation in attacks
Southern Lebanon / Ariel Schalit / AP Photo
Residents in southern Lebanon started to leave Beirut’s suburbs Monday after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu signaled an escalation of attacks against Lebanon according to reports.
According to The Times of Israel, a correspondent reported that people were fleeing the region, while Lebanese security sources told Reuters that evacuations were underway.
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) also updated its defensive guidelines to a partial activity level, with restrictions on gatherings and services.
Netanyahu did not clarify in his video message about the military action whether Israel will resume broader strikes on the Lebanese capital, but said he had “ordered an even greater acceleration of our operations.”
Posted by Emma Bussey
12 hours ago
Iran’s ‘nuclear dust’ to be surrendered or destroyed under new deal: Trump
Trump
President Donald Trump said Monday that Iran’sstockpile of enriched uranium would either be handed over to the United States for destruction or eliminated under international supervision as part of a potential nuclear agreement with Tehran.
“The Enriched Uranium (Nuclear Dust!) will either be immediately turned over to the United States to be brought home and destroyed or, preferably, in conjunction and coordination with the Islamic Republic of Iran, destroyed in place or, at another acceptable location, with the Atomic Energy Commission, or its equivalent, being witness to this process and event,” the president said in a post on Truth Social.
The question of nuclear enrichment has been a sticking point in critical talks between the U.S. and Iran over a potential deal.
Posted by Emma Bussey
12 hours ago
Explosions heard in Iran’s Bandar Abbas, coastal areas near Strait of Hormuz: reports
Bandar Abbas / Planet Labs PBC / Handout via REUTERS
Bandar Abbas and multiple coastal areas near the Strait of Hormuz were rocked by explosions on Monday, according to reports.
Reuters said Iranian state media reported three explosions in the southern port city of Bandar Abbas.
Similar explosion sounds were also heard near the coastal towns of Sirik and Jask, both located close to the Strait of Hormuz.
The outlet also reported an explosion in Bandar Abbas, adding that the cause of the blasts remained unknown.
Iranian media did not immediately give details on casualties, damage or the cause of the explosions, Reuters said.
Posted by Emma Bussey
13 hours ago
Iran signals ‘mass sacrifice’ in ‘high stakes’ Saddam-era warning amid Trump deal talks
Pezeshkian / Trump
President Masoud Pezeshkian invoked one of Iran’sstrongest wartime symbols on May 24, signaling Tehran’s resolve to hold its ground against the U.S. and Israel across the region, a counterterrorism expert said.
The Iranian leader’s remarks came at a key moment in diplomacy, as President Donald Trump said a deal with Tehran to end the war is “largely negotiated” and warned the U.S. would either sign “a great and meaningful” agreement or walk away entirely.
While Iran signaled broad agreement with Washington on some points, it said a final deal is not imminent and that negotiations over the remaining details are still underway.
In an X post marking the anniversary of the 1982 recapture of Khorramshahr from Iraqi forces during the Iran-Iraq War, Pezeshkian said, “Khorramshahr today is Iran, the Persian Gulf, and the Strait of Hormuz,” adding that “resistance, self-sacrifice, and repelling aggression are rooted in the culture of this land.”
Analysts claimed Pezeshkian was deliberately invoking one of the deepest ideological touchstones of the Islamic Republic — the battle that came to symbolize national resistance, civilian sacrifice and defiance against invasion.
“This is the Iran-Iraq War reference, and the timing is the point,” said Dr. Omar Mohammed, director of the Antisemitism Research Initiative Program on Extremism at George Washington University.
This is a report excerpt.
Posted by Emma Bussey
13 hours ago
Iranian delegation in Qatar for ‘intense talks’ on agreement to end war with US, Israel: diplomat
Ghalibaf / Morteza Nikoubazl / NurPhoto via Getty Images
An Iranian delegation led by Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf arrived in Qatar on Monday for a meeting centered on details of an agreement to end the war between the United States and Iran.
“Intense talks on the details of an agreement to end the regional conflict have been ongoing in Doha since this morning and are continuing,” a diplomat told Fox News chief foreign correspondent Trey Yingst.
According to Reuters, the talks focused on the Strait of Hormuz, Iran’s enriched uranium stockpile and the possible release of frozen Iranian funds as part of a final deal.
Iran had said nuclear negotiations would only proceed after a framework agreement is reached. Disagreements remain over sanctions relief, frozen oil revenues and regional tensions involving Hezbollah and Israel’s war in Lebanon, Reuters reported.
Posted by Emma Bussey
14 hours ago
Netanyahu orders military to ‘intensify the blows’ against Hezbollah, drone attacks surge in Israel
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Monday he had ordered the military to “intensify the blows” against Hezbollah signaling an escalation in Israel’s campaign in Lebanon as cross-border drone attacks surged.
“We are at war with Hezbollah,” Netanyahu said in a video released on X.
“Just in recent weeks, our brave fighters have eliminated more than 600 terrorists. I want you to know that — more than 600 terrorists,” he said.
“But we are not taking our foot off the gas. On the contrary, I said we must press the pedal even harder. We will strike them,” the Israeli leader warned.
“Yes, they are launching drones at us — fiber drones. We have a special team working on this, and we will solve that too,” he explained before describing how Israeli citizens in the north “are showing resilience.”
“I want to commend the residents of the north — the resilience that inspires all of us,” he said.
“But what this requires from us now is to intensify the blows, to increase the force. We will strike them hard, decisively,” Netanyahu added.
The remarks came as the Israel Defense Forces(IDF), said it was striking Hezbollah sites in the Beqaa Valley and other areas across Lebanon.
In a statement on Monday, the IDF said it had struck more than 70 Hezbollah infrastructure sites using 85 munitions in several areas across Lebanon.
The IDF also said the Israeli Air Force had “eliminated Hezbollah terrorists” operating on motorcycles in the south.
Posted by Emma Bussey
14 hours ago
Hezbollah attacks on Israel ‘untenable,’ terror group ignored ultimatum to stop firing: official
Hezbollah / Benoît Durand / Hans Lucas / AFP via Getty Images
Israel warned Monday that Hezbollah’s continued attacks have made the situation unsustainable, with an official telling Fox News the Iran-backed terror group has ignored demands to stop firing.
The official also warned the group was trying to derail negotiations between Lebanon and Israel.
“Hizballah has ignored repeated requests to stop firing at Israel, including a recent ultimatum,” the official said.
“Israel will never be expected to passively absorb attacks on its forces and civilians. This is not the Biden Administration,” they added.
Since April 17, Hizballah has fired more than 1,000 drones and more than 700 rockets in an effort to derail ongoing negotiations between Lebanon and Israel, the official said, describing the status quo as “untenable.”
“Hizballah is entirely responsible for the current situation.”
Citing the U.S.-brokered ceasefire agreement, the official said the deal was broken on March 2, with the militant group now “intent on denying the Lebanese people a path to peace and reconstruction.”
“The idea that the Lebanese government is negotiating directly with Israel and stands to get significant support from the United States, all while Hizballah is having its narrative of resistance challenged, is an existential threat to Hizballah,” they said.
The comments came as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Monday that Israel is at war with Lebanon’s Hezbollah and would intensify strikes against the group in Lebanon, according to Reuters.
Fox News’ Lillian Lecroy contributed to this report.
Posted by Emma Bussey
15 hours ago
Iran’s new security council chief warns ‘there will be no retreat’ in message urging national unity
Iran Flag / Majid Saeedi / Getty Images
Mohammad Bagher Zolghadr, the new secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, issued a statement to the Iranian public Monday urging unity before warning that Iran would not step back.
“There will be no retreat,” Zolghadr said in the message, according to Reuters, adding that this had been shown on the military front, in diplomacy, and by Iran’s supporters in the streets through what he called the population’s “resistance.”
He also said Iranian citizens needed “unity and cohesion” so “the Americans and Zionists would also be disappointed on that front,” Iran Internationalreported.
Zolghadr succeeded Ali Larijani in March as head of the country’s Supreme National Security Council after Larijani was killed in an airstrike.
Posted by Emma Bussey
15 hours ago
Pezeshkian orders internet reopened for Iranian citizens after nearly three-month blackout
International internet access looked set to be restored to Iranian citizens after President Masoud Pezeshkian issued an order Monday to reopen it, according to reports.
Citing Iranian state media, Reuters reported that the news came from the head of public relations at Iran’s Communications Ministry.
Most Iranians have not been able to access the worldwide web for months, with only a few citizens having access to expensive and advanced VPNs that circumvent the restrictions.
NetBlocks said Monday that it was now the “87th consecutive day of #Iran’s internet blackout, which has been in place for more than 2,064 hours.”
“The measure has eliminated any transparency around executions, adding to the inhumane conditions and daily uncertainty faced by jailed critics, dissidents and tourists,” the firm said in a post shared on X.
Posted by Emma Bussey
15 hours ago
War Secretary Pete Hegseth honors servicemembers lost to Operation Epic Fury
War Secretary Pete Hegseth during the National Memorial Day Observance at the Memorial Amphitheatre in Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington, Virginia on May 25, 2026. (Kent NISHIMURA / AFP via Getty Images)
War Secretary Pete Hegseth honored America’s fallen service members, including those who died due to Operation Epic Fury, during Memorial Day remarks at Arlington National Cemetery.
“Ladies and gentlemen, thank you for joining us to remember our fallen warriors, from the sacred names of bygone eras to the 13 souls of Epic Fury. On this sacred occasion for our nation, we take the day for memories of our very best,” he said.
“They now lie in silent rows here at Arlington, in more than 170 national cemeteries throughout our nation and across 17 countries around the world. They answered the call when it mattered the most, and they gave the last full measure of devotion so that this great republic of ours might endure,” he declared.
Posted by Alex Nitzberg
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