Live Updates: Trump touts US action as CENTCOM says troops are working to destroy Iranian Navy

Israel said Saturday that its air force struck “key Iranian regime military infrastructure” in Iran.

According to the Israeli Defense Forces, more than 80 jets struck targets in Tehran and central Iran.

“These strikes degrade the Iranian regime’s ability to fire at Israeli civilians,” the IDF said.

The IDF said it struck Imam Hossein Military University, which it described as an Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps training and assembly compound.

The military also said it targeted ballistic missile storage facilities, underground missile command infrastructure and launch sites aimed at Israel.

President Donald Trump on Friday said the U.S. is “doing very well” in Iran, nearly a week after the military coordinated with Israel on airstrikes in Tehran that left its supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, dead.

“Somebody said, ‘How would you score it from zero to 10?’ I said, ‘I’d give it a 12 to a 15.’ Their army is gone. Their navy is gone. Their communications are gone. Their leaders are gone,” Trump said. “Two sets of their leaders.”

The president made the remarks after Fox News senior White House correspondent Peter Doocy asked at the end of a White House college sports roundtable what was motivating Trump to hold the roundtable “because there is a lot of other stuff going on in the world.”

“That’s right,” Trump agreed, adding that Iran’s air force has been “wiped out entirely. Think of it. They have 32 ships. All 32 are at the bottom of the ocean. Other than that, they’re doing very well.”

“Our military is doing phenomenally,” he said. “The situation with a very bad and very sick group of leaders who were killing a lot of people. A lot of our people were being killed or were being maimed. … And we had a choice. We could take it and go on like that for years or do something about it. And we did something about it.”

Trump added that “people are very impressed with our military, and they admire our military with what happened in Venezuela, what’s happening now, what’s happened with the B-2 bombers before this, where they took out the nuclear capability or potential of Iran.

“I think we’re, right now, we’re a country that’s more respected than we’ve ever been respected before.”

This post is an excerpt from an article by Brie Stimson

Saudi Arabia’s Defense Ministry said Saturday that it intercepted two ballistic missiles launched toward Prince Sultan Air Base.

The ministry also said it intercepted and destroyed four drones heading toward the Shaybah field and had intercepted additional drones in that direction earlier in the day.

Another drone was intercepted east of the capital, Riyadh.

Chaos erupted in Washington Square Park in Manhattan as a vigil mourning the death of Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei descended into violence Friday.

Video from the event showed a man attempting to pull down a poster of the dictator, who was killed last week in an Israeli airstrike, when a man wearing a SpongeBob sweatshirt punched him in the face, sending him to the ground.

Others began fighting, prompting New York City Police Department (NYPD) intervention.

As the brawl unfolded, the crowd could be heard shouting profanity.

Multiple people were captured on video being detained by police.

The vigil featured a makeshift memorial table covered with Palestinian keffiyeh scarves, candles and photos of Khamenei, with an observer describing the scene as the “People’s Republic of New York.”

This post is an excerpt from an article by Alexandra Koch

American forces have struck more than 3,000 targets and have delivered major blows to Iran’s navy since attacks against the Islamic Republic began last week, officials said Friday.

U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) said U.S. forces have damaged or destroyed 43 naval ship.

Targets included anti-ship missile sites, Iranian military communication capabilities, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) is a major branch of Iran’s armed forces, joint headquarters and other sites.

In addition, U.S. forces have used B-2 stealth bombers, drones, fighter jets and dozens of other assets and “and special capabilities we can’t list here!” CENTCOM said. 

The State Department approved a possible $151.8 million Foreign Military Sale to Israel for 12,000 BLU-110A/B 1,000-pound bomb bodies, according to a congressional notification released Friday.

The sale was authorized under an emergency determination by the Secretary of State, waiving the usual congressional review requirements under the Arms Export Control Act.

Officials said the transfer will help Israel meet “current and future threats,” strengthen homeland defense and deter regional adversaries.

The approval comes as President Donald Trump met Friday with major U.S. defense contractors at the White House to discuss expanding weapons production as the conflict with Iran continues.

Trump said after the meeting that defense industry leaders agreed to quadruple production of “Exquisite Class” weaponry used in current military operations.

Lockheed Martin later confirmed on X that it had agreed to quadruple critical munitions production, saying the effort began months ago with the Trump administration and Secretary of War Pete Hegseth.

President Donald Trump said Friday that he will travel to Dover Air Force Base to honor the U.S. service members killed during Operation Epic Fury.

“I will be going to Dover Air Force Base tomorrow, with the First Lady and Members of my Cabinet, to pay our Highest Respect to our Great Warriors, who are returning home for the last time,” Trump wrote on Truth Social.

The dignified transfer will be held for the six American service members killed March 1 in a drone attack in Port Shuaiba, Kuwait, while supporting Operation Epic Fury.

“GOD BLESS THEM ALL!” Trump added.

Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell pushed back Friday on claims that Operation Epic Fury has destabilized the Middle East, arguing instead that the campaign has strengthened unity among U.S. partners in the region.

“Operation Epic Fury has not plunged the region into chaos, as some in the Fake News have reported,” Parnell wrote on X. “In fact, it has forged unprecedented unity among our key Gulf partners.”

Parnell added that the conflict has instead exposed Iran as “a reckless aggressor.”

“Far from destabilizing the Arabian Peninsula, this decisive action has exposed Iran’s true nature as a reckless aggressor, willing to target sovereign nations in a desperate bid for retaliation,” he wrote.

Azerbaijan officials said Iranian agents and and their accomplices planned to blowup a pipeline and launch attacks at the Israeli Embassy in Baku.

The country’s state security service said the suspects wanted to destroy the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan pipeline, which carries the country’s crude to global markets, and also planned to attacked a synagogue and a Jewish leader, The Associated Press reported.

Four Azerbaijani citizens were charged with involvement in the plot and given 6.5-year prison sentences and three others were arrested.

The suspects brought explosives into the country and hid them in secret caches, the report states.

The planned attacks were thwarted.

On Friday, Iran launched drones at Azerbaijan, which wounded four civilians and damaged an airport building.

A spokesperson for Iran’s Revolutionary Guards challenged President Donald Trump to deploy U.S. naval vessels to escort oil tankers through the Strait of Hormuz, Iranian state media reported on Friday.

Iran has said the strait is closed to U.S. and Israeli-linked ships.

“Iran strongly welcomes the escort of oil tankers and that U.S. forces will be there for the crossing of the Strait of Hormuz,” Guards spokesperson Alimohammad Naini said, Reuters reported. “And we are, by the way, awaiting their presence.”

On Tuesday, Trump said the Navy could begin escorting oil tankers through the Strait of Hormuz, a vital waterway, if necessary.

“We recommend that, before making any decision, the Americans remember the fire on the American supertanker Bridgeton in 1987 and the oil tankers that were recently targeted,” Naini said.

In 1987, the supertanker SS Bridgeton struck an Iranian mine while traveling as part of a convoy in the Persian Gulf and under escort by U.S. warships.

As of Friday, U.S. forces have damaged or destroyed 43 Iranian ships, according to U.S. Central Command.

A Pakistani man convicted on Friday of plotting to assassinate President Donald Trump and other politicians told an FBI agent he thought Iran “was responsible” for the assassination attempt on Trump in Butler, Pennsylvania.

Asif Merchant, 47, told the FBI agent, Jacqueline Smith, that the incident “was the same thing he was sent here to do,” Smith testified during Merchant’s trial.

Merchant told jurors the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) sent him on a “mission” to kill U.S. politicians, including by telling him to attend a Republican rally. Merchant was arrested July 12, 2024, one day prior to the shooting in Butler, where Thomas Crooks fired several shots into a rally crowd, killing one and grazing Trump’s ear. 

The FBI has said repeatedly that it found no evidence that Crooks had co-conspirators or that any foreign actors were involved in the incident.

Merchant, who was convicted by a jury of murder-for-hire and attempt to commit terrorism, testified that Trump was not his only target, telling jurors then-President Joe Biden and former presidential candidate Nikki Haley were also on his list. He claimed that he only took part in the plot because Iran’s IRGC warned it would target his family.

“I had no other options,” Merchant said. “My family was threatened.”

This post is an excerpt of an article by Ashley Oliver.

Israel launched a wave of strikes toward Iran on Friday morning, it said.

The Israel air force said it began an “extensive wave” of strikes targeting unspecified infrastructure in Tehran.

Hours earlier, Israeli forces targeted Hezbollah terrorists in neighboring Lebanon in a series of attacks.

U.S. forces have used modern anti-drone systems to take down Iranian drones as part of a multi-layered defense.

The War Department no longer relies on million-dollar missiles to take down the drones, instead shooting down drones costing hundreds of thousands of dollars with $10,000 weaponry, according to U.S. Central Command Cmdr. Navy Adm. Brad Cooper.

Cooper said U.S. captured an original Iranian drone design and sent the part to the U.S. where they “pulled the guts out.”

We “put a little ‘Made in America’ on it, brought it back here and we’re shooting it back at the Iranians,” he said.

In addition, U.S. naval ships are equipped with a laser that blind drone sensors, causing them to crash. Fox News has been told that the lasers have not been used during the conflict against Iran.

More than 27,000 U.S. citizens have returned to the United States from the Middle East since the launch of a U.S.-Israeli joint military campaign against Iran, the State Department said Friday.

The figures comprised the number of Americans that have returned to the U.S. since Feb. 28, said Dylan Johnson, the assistant secretary of state for Global Public Affairs.

The U.S. has made effort to move American citizens out of the region amid retaliatory attacks by Iran on multiple Middles Eastern countries, including tourists hubs in Dubai. .

When War Secretary Pete Hegseth was asked recently whether U.S. forces would ever move to secure enriched uranium reportedly stored at Iran’s Isfahan nuclear complex, he declined to say, citing operational security.

The exchange highlighted a question the U.S. and Israel’s air campaign alone cannot answer: even if U.S. strikes degrade Iran’s nuclear infrastructure, who would physically secure the enriched uranium, and how?

Iran is believed to possess a significant stockpile of uranium enriched to 60%, near weapons-grade. That material could theoretically be used in multiple nuclear devices if further refined. 

Moving from 60% to weapons-grade 90% enrichment requires additional processing, and weaponization would involve further technical steps. But analysts say the more immediate issue is physical control of the material itself.

“If the U.S. wants to secure Iran’s nuclear materials, it’s going to require a massive ground operation,” Kelsey Davenport, director of nonproliferation policy at the Arms Control Association, told Fox News Digital.

Davenport said the highly enriched uranium believed to be stored at Isfahan appears to be deeply buried and contained in relatively mobile canisters. Securing it would likely require locating the full stockpile, accessing underground facilities and safely extracting or downblending the material.

This post is an excerpt from an article by Morgan Phillips.

Amid the ongoing conflict with Iran, analysts say the Trump administration should pressure Lebanon to fulfill its commitments to disarm the Iran-backed terrorist group as it drags the country into another war with Israel.  

David Schenker, a former U.S. assistant secretary of state for Near Eastern Affairs who oversaw Lebanon’s policy during the first Trump administration and now directs the Program on Arab Politics at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy, said: “The U.S. should make clear to Lebanon that it is time for the state to honor its ceasefire commitment to disarm Hezbollah,” he told Fox News Digital. Schenker warned if Beirut “doesn’t pursue disarmament, it will remain a failed state.”

The warning comes as the IDF attacked multiple Hezbollah targets Friday in response to the terror group’s launching of rockets and drones toward Israel on March 2, its first attack since a November 2024 ceasefire ended the previous round of fighting. 

Since the first day of the renewed fighting, the IDF has carried out over 200 strikes across Lebanon targeting Hezbollah’s military, media and financial infrastructure, as well as operatives from the group and affiliated networks, according to a March 5 analysis by the Foundation for Defense of Democracies’ Long War Journal. Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz also threatened Hezbollah Secretary-General Naim Qassem.

The renewed fighting has exposed deep tensions inside Lebanon’s government, which in recent days called on Hezbollah to disarm and ordered security agencies to prevent attacks on Israel from Lebanese territory. 

This is an excerpt from an article by Efrat Lachter.

The USS Gerald R. Ford is now operating in the Middle East as the conflict with Iran continues amid back-and-forth airstrikes.

The Pentagon on Friday posted photos showing the aircraft carrier and USS Bainbridge sailing through the Suez Canal, the waterway that connects the Red Sea and the Mediterranean Sea.

Another carrier is expected to deploy from the United States, USNI News reported. The USS George H.W. Bush finished its training exercise on Thursday, the Navy announced.

The warship, its escorts and air wing wrapped up a unit training exercise that all carrier strike groups must do before becoming certified for national tasking, the news outlet reported.

Energy Secretary Chris Wright said the U.S. Navy could begin escorting commercial vessels through the Strait of Hormuz “as soon as reasonable,” reinforcing President Donald Trump’s public statements that the United States is prepared to protect energy shipments through the strategic waterway.

But a U.S. official told Fox News Digital that American forces are not currently escorting ships through the Strait and declined to speculate on future operations, making clear that no convoy mission has yet been launched.

“As soon as it’s reasonable to do it, we’ll escort ships through the straits and get the energy moving again,” Wright said on Fox and Friends Friday.

The renewed signaling comes as commercial traffic through the strait has thinned sharply following attacks on tankers and soaring war-risk insurance costs, raising pressure on global energy markets and Gulf producers that rely on the narrow corridor for oil and liquefied natural gas exports.

Only nine oil tankers, cargo and container ships have crossed the strait since Monday, according to MarineTraffic data analyzed by Agence France-Presse, after three vessels were attacked over the weekend. 

At least three tankers and a vessel carrying gas have transited the chokepoint since the strikes, according to Agence France-Presse. 

This is an except from an article by Morgan Phillips.

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt slammed the 53 House Democrats who voted against a nonbinding resolution reaffirming the U.S. stance that Iran is the “largest state sponsor of terrorism.”

“This is not just long standing bipartisan policy of the United States, but nearly every single country on the planet, especially Western countries, have agreed with this basic premise. And now in 2026, you have Democrats on Capitol Hill who have been so debilitated by their derangement in their hatred for the man in the Oval Office right now that they cannot even condemn the world’s leading state sponsor of terror,” Leavitt said during an appearance on Fox News’ “America Reports.”

She added that the Democrats who voted against the resolution had “lost their minds.”

The resolution, put forward by Rep. Brian Mast, R-Fla., passed by a 372-53 vote on Thursday, with all those voting no being Democrats. Two Democrats also voted present. 

Among those who voted against the measure were all the members of the “Squad,” such as Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., Rep. Ayanna Pressley, D-Mass., and Rep. Rashida Tlaib, D-Mich. 

Fox News Digital’s Greg Norman-Diamond contributed to this report.

President Donald Trump met with defense industry leaders Friday, who all agreed to increase production of weaponry used in strikes against Iran and operations in Venezuela.

Trump said the CEOs of BAE Systems, Boeing, Honeywell Aerospace, L3Harris Missile Solutions, Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman, and Raytheon were all present.

“They have agreed to quadruple Production of the ‘Exquisite Class’ Weaponry in that we want to reach, as rapidly as possible, the highest levels of quantity,” he wrote on Truth Social. “Expansion began three months prior to the meeting, and Plants and Production of many of these Weapons are already under way.”

“We have a virtually unlimited supply of Medium and Upper Medium Grade Munitions, which we are using, as an example, in Iran, and recently used in Venezuela,” he added. “Regardless, however, we have also increased Orders at these levels.”

The CEOs will meet with Trump again in two months, he said.

The United Kingdom‘s Ministry of Defence (sic) on Friday confirmed that American military bombers had arrived for potential operations against Iran.

A U.S. Air Force B-1B “Lancer” Long-Range Heavy Bomber was seen arriving at RAF Fairford base in Gloucestershire, England.

Previous news reports said that air bases at Diego Garcia in the Indian Ocean and RAF Fairford were being readied for the arrival of B-2 Spirit stealth bombers.

The planes were used to strike Iranian ballistic missile facilities as part of the launch of Operation Epic Fury.

The U.S. was cleared to use British bases for limited strikes on Iran’s missile capabilities after British Prime Minister Keir Starmer approved the plan.

U.K. Defense Secretary John Healey stated that Britain had “stepped up alongside the Americans.”

Iran has kept the Strait of Hormuz open, but not to ships linked to the United States and Israel, according to news reports.

A senior military spokesman told Iranian state TV that the waterway is open for all other shipping, Reuters reported.

Just about 21 miles wide at its narrowest, the waterway between Iran and Oman is a global energy choke point. Ships traversing the strait carry roughly 20 million barrels a day and about one-fifth of global liquefied natural gas, making it a top-value target when conflict in the region erupts.

The ongoing conflict between the U.S. and Israel against Tehran is forcing shippers to rethink whether it’s safe to transit the key waterway.

Fox News Digital’s Amanda Macias contributed to this post.

Iran has launched missiles toward Israel as the back-and-forth airstrikes continue, the Israeli Air Forces said Friday.

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) announced that missiles were launched toward the Jewish state from Iran.

“Defense systems are operating to intercept the threat,” the air force said in a post on X. “In recent minutes, the Home Front Command issued a preliminary directive directly to mobile phones in the relevant areas.”

Israel has launched attacks Iran and against Hezbollah, an Iranian proxy, in neighboring Lebanon to its north.

On Friday, the IDF said it had dismantled former Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei’s underground bunker in Tehran.

The United Arab Emirates on Friday said it has destroyed 93% of the nearly 1,400 Iranian projectiles launched at the country since the beginning of the regional conflict.

The country continues to be the main target of the Islamic Republic, its embassy in the United States said in a post on X.

“We in the UAE, alongside our GCC partners, stand on the side of peaceful coexistence, and we strive for a Middle East where regional economic integration creates opportunities – not destruction – for all,” UAE Minister of State Lana Nusseibeh said in a statement.

UAE air defenses intercepted 9 ballistic missiles, 109 drones on Friday, the UAE Ministry of Defence (sic) announced.

UAE Ambassador to the U.S. Al Otaiba said the country has “demonstrated who we are and what we stand for. Our nation has been resolute and resilient.”

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said on Friday that U.S. forces were “absolutely decimating” the Iranian regime. She revealed during an appearance on Fox News’ “America Reports” that American service members sunk 30 Iranian ships, leaving Tehran’s Navy “combat ineffective.”

Leavitt also noted that Iran’s retaliatory ballistic missile strikes against the U.S. and its allies decreased by 90% since the start of Operation Epic Fury because of the damage done to their ballistic missile weaponry and arsenal capacity.

“Of course, the overall mission in this operation is to ensure that Iran can never again possess a nuclear weapon. That was the real imminent threat that was posed by Iran to the United States and our personnel in the region, and President Trump and the United States military are focused on tackling this threat every single day,” Leavitt said.

On Friday, President Donald Trump took to Truth Social to demand an “unconditional surrender” from Iran.

“President Trump means when he says unconditional surrender is when he, as commander in chief of the United States military and the leader of the free world, determines that Iran can no longer pose a threat to the United States of America and to our troops and our personnel in the Middle East,” Leavitt explained.

“When the president determines that Iran no longer poses that threat, that’s when that unconditional surrender will take place. As for the next leader of Iran, the president has said, of course, it’s in the best interest of the United States to have a leader that is no longer chanting ‘Death to America,’ that is no longer conspiring behind our backs and lying to the American people and to our government about perforating a new nuclear weapon, which Iran has been doing for decades,” Leavitt added.

The United States has asked Ukraine to share its expertise in countering Iranian-made drones, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Thursday.

In a post on X, Zelenksyy said he gave instructions to “provide the necessary means and ensure the presence of Ukrainian specialists” who can help protect the US in the war against Iran.

“Ukraine helps partners who help ensure our security and protect the lives of our people. Glory to Ukraine!” he wrote.

Iran has been using so-called “Shahed” drones, the same kind used by Russian forces against Ukraine during its four-year war with its neighbor.

Ukraine has been using its own drones to initiate attacks in Russian territory as well. 

The U.S. Embassy in Jerusalem announced on Friday that it would be offering bus services to Taba, Egypt, for U.S. citizens who need assistance leaving Israel. The buses are set to depart on March 7 and March 8 and will leave from Tel Aviv and Jerusalem. Those interested in the service need to fill out a form, which is available online.

“Once we have assigned you to a bus you will receive details about the time of departure and rally point,” the embassy said.

The State Department has been operating a 24/7 hotline for U.S. citizens who need government assistance leaving the Middle East as Operation Epic Fury continues. Americans who want help are urged to call +1-202-501-4444.

State Department Assistant Secretary Dylan Johnson said on Friday that nearly 24,000 Americans had returned to the U.S. since the start of Operation Epic Fury. Not all of the U.S. citizens included in the department’s numbers flew back on government-chartered flights. Additionally, the number does not include Americans who have either relocated to other countries or are in transit on their way back to the U.S.

“The Department continues to proactively call American citizens to offer charter flight or ground transport travel assistance,” Johonson said. “Several flights have safely returned hundreds of Americans to the United States with additional flights scheduled to take place over the coming days, as security conditions allow. Commercial flight availability across the region continues to improve with commercial options available in most of the region.”

American citizens in Oman, Kuwait, Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and Israel who need assistance getting back to the U.S. are asked to fill out the department’s Crisis Intake Form. The form allows U.S. citizens to receive information about charter flights and ground transportation options.

“Through the State Department’s 24/7 Task Force, we have directly assisted nearly 13,000 Americans abroad, offering security guidance and travel assistance,” Johnson added.

U.S. citizens in the Middle East who are in need of assistance are encouraged to call +1-202-501-4444.

President Donald Trump is expected attend the dignified transfer of the six American service members who were killed in Kuwait while supporting Operation Epic Fury. Fox News has just learned from a White House official that the dignified transfer will take place at Dover Air Base on Saturday.

Secretary of War Pete Hegseth on Friday released a statement mourning the loss of the “six extraordinary American heroes,” vowing “their deaths will not be in vain.” Major Jeffrey R. O’Brien, Capt. Cody A. Khork, Chief Warrant Officer 3 Robert M. Marzan, Sgt. First Class Nicole M. Amor, Sgt. First Class Noah L. Tietjens and Sgt. Declan J. Coady were killed on March 1 while supporting Operation Epic Fury in Port Shuaiba, Kuwait, during an unmanned aircraft system attack.

Secretary of War Pete Hegseth shared a message remembering the six U.S. service members who were killed supporting Operation Epic Fury, vowing “their deaths will not be in vain.”

“Our nation mourns the loss of six extraordinary American heroes. These brave warriors gave everything in service to our country, supporting Operation Epic Fury,” Hegseth wrote on X on Friday.

He identified the fallen service members as Major Jeffrey R. O’Brien, Capt. Cody A. Khork, Chief Warrant Officer 3 Robert M. Marzan, Sgt. First Class Nicole M. Amor, Sgt. First Class Noah L. Tietjens and Sgt. Declan J. Coady.

“Our service members bear a responsibility and a duty most civilians will never come close to understanding,” Hegseth wrote. “They know that the day might come when they are asked to risk their life in defense of their country. As Secretary of War, I stand with an unbreakable spirit to honor their memory and the resolve they embodied.”

“To their families, loved ones, and fellow warfighters: We lift you up in prayer and pledge our unwavering support,” Hegseth continued. “Their deaths will not be in vain. We will honor them with action. We will hunt down the Iranians radicals responsible, dismantle their military capabilities, and ensure that justice is swift and absolute. We stand stronger than ever, ready to avenge these fallen heroes and crush the threats in Iran that dare to challenge us. America does not yield; we advance, we prevail, and this we’ll defend.”

“God bless our warfighters, their families, and the United States of America,” he added.

The Department of War initially identified Khork, Tietjens, Amor and Coady as four of the six U.S. servicemembers killed on March 1 in Port Shuaiba, Kuwait, during an unmanned aircraft system attack. The Pentagon later confirmed O’Brien and Marzan died in that incident.

U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) Commander Adm. Brad Cooper said on Friday that Iran “has attacked 12 different countries and continues to deliberately target civilians throughout the Middle East.”

“Last night, Iranian forces fired seven attack drones at civilian, residential neighborhoods in Bahrain. This is unacceptable and will not go unanswered,” Cooper said. “We will continue working with regional partners to address this threat to innocent people across the region.”

Since the start of Operation Epic Fury, Iran has launched retaliatory strikes targeting Israel, American bases and several countries in the region. The attacks have prompted international condemnations.

President Donald Trump is meeting Friday with top U.S. defense industry executives as his administration looks to accelerate weapons production while military operations against Iran continue.

The White House emphasized the session was scheduled weeks ago and was not convened in response to immediate battlefield shortages. Officials described the meeting as part of a broader effort to strengthen the U.S. defense industrial base and speed production of American-made weapons.

Companies attending are Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman, RTX Corporation, Boeing, Honeywell and L3Harris Technologies. 

The meeting comes as U.S. forces remain engaged in Operation Epic Fury, a campaign targeting Iranian military assets following coordinated U.S.-Israeli strikes. Administration officials have maintained that U.S. readiness remains strong, even as the pace of missile defense operations has drawn scrutiny on Capitol Hill.

This is an excerpt of an article by Morgan Phillips.

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) released an illustrated video of former Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei’s underground bunker. Earlier on Friday, the IDF said it struck the compound, leaving it “dismantled.”

The underground compound was in the “heart of Tehran” and included several entry points and internal rooms where senior Iranian regime leadership could gather, the IDF said. The illustrated video shows entry points spread out across the city.

A senior Israeli official told Fox News that the fortified compound was directly under where Khamenei and other regime leaders were situated on Saturday morning. The official said that Khamenei spent millions of dollars and a number of years building the bunker, which he did not use on the morning of the strike.

Khamenei’s decision not to go to the bunker was partially thanks to an Israeli-American deception plan that included messaging, signals and public statements by President Donald Trump that suggested nothing immediate was coming, the official said.

President Donald Trump said on Friday that the U.S. was “quietly, but seamlessly” moving thousands of people out of the Middle East as Operation Epic Fury continued for a seventh day.

“We are moving thousands of people out of various Countries throughout the Middle East. It is being done quietly, but seamlessly,” Trump wrote Friday. “The State Department, under Secretary Marco Rubio, is doing a great job!”

The State Department, under Secretary Marco Rubio, is doing a great job!” Trump wrote on Truth Social.

The State Department has urged Americans in need of assistance getting out of the Middle East to call its 24/7 hotline at +1-202-501-4444.

Russia is providing the Iranians with information to help attack U.S. forces and targets in the Middle East, The Washington Post first reported on Friday, citing three officials familiar with the intelligence.

The development marks the first sign a major U.S. adversary is participating in the conflict. Russia’s reported involvement — even if indirect — signals the war now features one of America’s leading nuclear-armed rivals with sophisticated intelligence capabilities.

Well-placed sources with knowledge would not steer Fox News away from the Post’s report.

“The Iranian regime is being absolutely crushed. Their ballistic missile retaliation is decreasing every day, their navy is being wiped out, their production capacity is being demolished, and proxies are hardly putting up a fight,” White House principal deputy press secretary Anna Kelly said in a statement to Fox News. “Operation Epic Fury is meeting or surpassing all of its goals, and the United States will continue to dominate.”

The reporting suggests the Russians are hoping to use a page from the U.S. playbook and attempt to tie the U.S. down in the Mideast, depleting U.S. weapons stockpiles by helping give the Iranians intelligence that helps with their targeting of U.S. forces. This is the strategy the U.S. used after Russia invaded Ukraine, while avoiding putting U.S. boots on the ground in Ukraine.The Russians now appear to be doing the same with the Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).

Fox News’ Jennifer Griffin and Patrick Ward contributed to this post.

The State Department announced more U.S. government chartered flights were headed to the Middle East as Americans scramble to leave amid Operation Epic Fury, including a plane bearing the New England Patriots’ logo.

State Department Assistant Secretary of State for Global Public Affairs Dylan Johnson posted a photo of the plane with the football team’s logo and said the flight “landed safely this morning in Washington.”

While Patriots owner Robert Kraft is a friend and supporter of President Donald Trump, the football franchise reportedly did not pay for or arrange the flight.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Actor and producer Sam Asghari told “FOX & Friends” on Friday that the people of Iran stand with America as it carries out Operation Epic Fury.

“It’s been 47 years that the Iranian people have been fighting this fight against the regime, and they wanted nothing to do with this government… And the people of Iran are in love with America, and they love America, just like I do, just like we do. And I’m happy that this situation is happening to make it clear to this world that we stand with America, we stand with a free world, and we want nothing to do with what’s happening there with the government,” Asghari said.

Asghari was 12 years old when his family fled Iran for the U.S. He said that coming to America was a “golden opportunity.”

“I often say that the most patriotic Americans are immigrants that come from countries that are oppressed because they understand what it’s like to live under tyranny with no opportunities,” he added.

Israel Police international spokesperson Lt. Dean Elsdunne explained the country’s decision to close several holy sites in a video released on Friday. The closures come amid heightened tensions in the Middle East and as Muslims celebrate Ramadan.

“Since the start of Roaring Lion, the Israel Police has been working to neutralize and secure fallen projectile scenes across the country,” Elsdunne said. “We’ve seen that nothing is off limits for the Iranian regime targeting our civilians, including zero regard for Muslim life, let alone the sanctity of the holy sites in Jerusalem or places of worship.”

The holy sites in the Old City of Jerusalem that have been temporarily closed under Israel’s Homefront Command’s directive include the western wall and the Temple Mount. Elsdunne said in the video that the “precautions already proved to be necessary,” noting that an Iranian warhead had landed near the holy sites a few days prior.

Elsdunne said that “the responsibility of these closures… lies solely with those launching missiles at our holy city for Muslims, Christians and Jews alike.”

An Iranian ship offloaded more than 200 members of its crew to Sri Lanka on Friday after suffering an engine failure at sea, just days after a U.S. submarine sank an Iranian warship in an Indian Ocean torpedo attack. 

The IRIS Bushehr, described in previous Iranian media reports as a navy logistics ship, is being brought first to the port of Colombo, according to Sri Lanka navy spokesman Cmdr. Buddhika Sampath. Sailors are being taken to a naval base in Welisara following medical exams and immigration procedures. 

“We have to understand that this is not an ordinary situation,” Sri Lankan President Anura Kumara Dissanayake said Thursday. “It’s a request by a ship belonging to one party to enter into our port. We have to consider that according to the international treaties and conventions.” 

Dissanayake added that authorities decided to take control of the IRIS Bushehr following discussions with Iranian officials and the ship’s captain, after one of its engines failed. He said some crew members would remain on board to help the Sri Lankan navy later navigate the vessel to Trincomalee on the island’s northeast coast, about 165 miles from Colombo.

This is an excerpt from an article by Greg Norman-Diamond.

President Donald Trump said in a new Truth Social Post on Friday that there will be no deal with Iran “except UNCONDITIONAL SURRENDER!”

“After that, and the selection of a GREAT & ACCEPTABLE Leader(s), we, and many of our wonderful and very brave allies and partners, will work tirelessly to bring Iran back from the brink of destruction, making it economically bigger, better, and stronger than ever before,” Trump wrote. “IRAN WILL HAVE A GREAT FUTURE. “MAKE IRAN GREAT AGAIN (MIGA!).” Thank you for your attention to this matter!”

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said on Friday that the U.S. had “more than enough” equipment to “finish Operation Epic Fury.” The statement comes ahead of President Donald Trump’s meeting with defense contractors, which Leavitt said was “scheduled weeks ago.”

“The US military has more than enough munitions, ammo, and weapons stockpiles to continue demolishing the Iranian regime and finish Operation Epic Fury, no matter how long it lasts,” Leavitt told Fox News.

“Nevertheless, President Trump has always been intensely focused on strengthening our military, which is why this meeting with defense contractors was scheduled weeks ago. The president will continue to call on these US companies to more speedily build American-made weapons, which are the absolute best in the world.”

The United Arab Emirates (UAE) Defense Ministry said the country’s air defenses detected and destroyed nine ballistic missiles. Additionally, the ministry said that 112 drones were detected, 109 of which were intercepted, while three fell in its territory. The UAE did not detail where the drones fell or whether there was any damage.

“Since the start of the brazen Iranian aggression, 205 ballistic missiles have been detected, with 190 ballistic missiles destroyed, while 13 of them fell in the sea, and 2 missiles fell within the country’s territory,” the ministry said, according to a Grok translation. The ministry added that 1,184 Iranian drones were detected, with 1,110 intercepted and 74 falling within the country’s territory. It said 8 cruise missiles were detected and destroyed.

The ministry said the attack resulted in three deaths of Pakistani, Nepalese and Bangladeshi nationalities and 112 minor injuries among various nationalities, including Emirati, Egyptian, Ethiopian, Filipino, Pakistani, Iranian, Indian, Bangladeshi, Sri Lankan, Azerbaijani, Yemeni, Ugandan, Eritrean, Lebanese, Afghan, Bahraini, Comorian and Turkish.

“The Ministry of Defense affirms that it is on high alert and readiness to deal with any threats, and to firmly confront everything that targets undermining the state’s security, thereby ensuring the preservation of its sovereignty, security, and stability, and protecting its interests and national capabilities,” a statement read.

President Donald Trump said Thursday that U.S. forces and Israeli partners “continue to totally demolish” Iranian forces as Operation Epic Fury continues.

Trump made the remarks at the White House during an event hosting Inter Miami CF to commemorate the club’s victory in the MLS Cup.

“The United States military, together with the wonderful Israeli partners, continues to totally demolish the enemy far ahead of schedule,” Trump said. “And it levels that people have never seen before. Actually, we’re destroying more of Iran’s missiles and drone capability every single hour, knocking them out like nobody thought was possible. As soon as they set off a missile. Within four minutes, the launcher gets hit. They don’t know what’s happening.”

Trump also spoke to the damage done to the Iranian Navy, claiming Tehran is now calling the United States asking for deal.

“Their navy is gone. 24 ships in three days. That’s a lot of ships. Their anti-aircraft. Weapons are gone. So they have no air force. They have no air defense. All of their airplanes are gone. Their communications are gone. Missiles are gone. Launches are gone. About 60% and 64%, respectively,” Trump said. “I say what’s left, but they’re tough and they want to fight and they’re calling. They’re saying, how do we make a deal? I said, you’re being a little bit late and we want to fight now more than they do. We’ve had, 47 years, depending on the way you count it. But 47 years of horror with this group.”

Amid the ongoing conflict with Iran, analysts say the Trump administration should pressure Lebanon to fulfill its commitments to disarm the Iran-backed terrorist group as it drags the country into another war with Israel.  

David Schenker, a former U.S. assistant secretary of state for Near Eastern Affairs who oversaw Lebanon’s policy during the first Trump administration and now directs the Program on Arab Politics at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy, said: “The U.S. should make clear to Lebanon that it is time for the state to honor its ceasefire commitment to disarm Hezbollah,” he told Fox News Digital. Schenker warned if Beirut “doesn’t pursue disarmament, it will remain a failed state.”

The warning comes as the IDF attacked multiple Hezbollah targets Friday in response to the terror group’s launching of rockets and drones toward Israel on March 2, its first attack since a November 2024 ceasefire ended the previous round of fighting.

This is an excerpt from an article by Efrat Lachter.

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) on Friday announced that it had dismantlled former Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei’s underground bunker in Tehran.

“The underground compound was created by the regime as a base for advancing military activities and its extremist ideologies against the State of Israel and the Western world,” the IDF said. “It spanned multiple streets in the heart of Tehran and contained numerous entrances and meeting rooms for senior members of the Iranian terrorist regime.”

The fortified compound was directly under where Khamenei and other regime leaders were situated on Saturday morning when almost 50 of them were killed in under 50 seconds during the launch of Operation Epic Fury, a senior Israeli official told Fox News.

The official said that Khamenei spent millions of dollars and a number of years building the bunker, which he did not use on the morning of the strike. Sources familiar with the intelligence say that Khamenei believed no one had the guts to strike him.

The senior Israeli official told Fox News that Khamenei’s confidence was partially thanks to an Israeli-American deception plan that included messaging, signals and public statements by President Donald Trump that suggested nothing immediate was coming. Top IDF commanders even went home on Friday night, hours before the strike, in an attempt to deceive Iranian leadership.

The Israel Defense Forces announced Friday that the Israeli Air Force dismantled six Iranian ballistic missile launchers “just minutes before they were intended to be launched toward” Israel on Thursday.

The action was guided by the Intelligence Directorate, the IDF said, adding that three advanced Iranian defense systems were also dismantled.

“The combined effort to deepen the impact on the Iranian regime’s firing and defense capabilities has been conducted systematically since the beginning of Operation Rising Lion,” the IDF said.