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JOHANNESBURG: As the Iran-backed Houthis step up their threat to Red Sea shipping, analysts say the U.S. could consider a major change in strategy.

Houthi attacks on ships passing through a vital chokepoint may lead Washington to cement relations with more reliable partners along Africa’s coastline.

Somaliland is a pro-U.S. outpost, having broken away from war-torn Somalia in 1991, and is offering the U.S. the use of one of the longest runways in Africa, an air base and a deep sea port on the Red Sea.

IRAN AND HOUTHI TERROR PROXY FACING RED SEA THREAT FROM PRO-US AFRICAN NATION

The Houthis have vowed to close the Bab-el-Mandeb Strait, a narrow waterway through which Saudi Arabia exports up to 7 million barrels of oil a day, now that access to the Strait of Hormuz is severely restricted. In the past month in the Red Sea, the Houthis have reportedly attacked Saudi-flagged ships, are said to have sunk an Indian commercial cargo vessel and, on Aug. 13, an Egyptian cargo ship was hit, with at least four of its crew killed.

The U.S. already has a large military base on the Red Sea in Djibouti, but this is claimed to be increasingly problematic. "China is significantly expanding its military and commercial presence in Djibouti," Edmund Fitton-Brown previously told Fox News Digital.

Fitton-Brown, the former British ambassador to the Houthis’ home country, Yemen, and a senior fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, (FDD), added, "There is a sense that Djibouti is not a reliable ally for the U.S. So Somaliland’s time has probably come."

Major General Ken Ekman, who retired last year from being the Department of War’s West Africa Coordination Element Lead, said, in essence, the Houthis could force the U.S. into recognizing Somaliland as an independent state. "The Houthis could compel a different U.S. strategy in Africa."

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Ekman said the Houthis are building up a second front in this Middle East conflict. "It distracts the U.S. and stretches our assets," he added.

"The Houthis have a strategy of their own. They are testing U.S. military ability, and are likely to pull the trigger in a major way when Iranian influence in the Strait of Hormuz wanes in leverage."

He said that recently the U.S. Africa Command, AFRICOM, has concentrated on looking at land-based threats. "To date, our Africa strategy is driven by counterterrorism missions against Islamist al Qaeda and ISIS-linked groups based in Africa."

He continued, "These groups pose a limited and not immediate threat to the U.S. homeland. Overall, Red Sea basing to date has focused more on crisis response in East Africa, countering and competing against Russia and China."

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Ekman added, "orienting a Horn of Africa strategy against the Houthis would place a premium on freedom of navigation. Somaliland is proximate and overcomes some of the limitations imposed by other regional hosts like Djibouti and Middle East partners."

Limitations and an apparent sense of frustration with Somalia, Somaliland’s neighbor and rival, have been expressed in a warning from U.S. Air Force Gen. Dagvin Anderson, commander of U.S. Africa Command (AFRICOM).

In a recent interview with a Somali journalist, he was asked whether the U.S. was pulling out of the nation and turning its back on it.

Anderson said the U.S. has not turned its back on Somalia, having been committed to the country for several years, he noted the success of its counterterrorism group known as DANAB, which he said is "one of the most capable forces on the continent." He noted that "it was up to Somalia to sustain that force… to build it and continue to make it effective going into the future and use it as it was designed to counterterrorism."

Referring to the Somali government’s apparent lack of ability to deal decisively with Islamist al-Shabab terrorists, Anderson seemingly hinted at pulling some or even all military support. "If Somalia steps up and the government steps up and takes the lead on this, we will continue to be there because there is mutual interest."

He continued, "But if we can’t see that in, the political instability and political infighting continues, then it’s going to be very hard for us to continue to stay engaged."

Bill Roggio, editor of the Long War Journal, said Washington is fed up with Mogadishu, but currently not enough for the U.S. to change allegiance to Somaliland.

He told Fox News Digital, "The U.S. has expressed displeasure with the Somali government's rampant corruption and internal infighting with local and regional governments, and with various clans. However, full recognition of Somaliland independence would create a major rift between the U.S. and Somalia."

Roggio didn’t rule out the U.S. operating a second Red Sea base in Somaliland, saying "U.S. forces situated at Camp Lemonnier in Djibouti are far better situated geographically to deter the Houthis from shutting down the Bab el Mandeb Strait than a potential base in Somaliland. That being said, redundancy (back up plan) is a good thing in military operations."

"The United States needs reliable partners on Africa's coastline," Bashir Goth, Somaliland Representative to the United States, told Fox News Digital.

Goth said, "Somaliland is that partner and our defense officials have been in active dialogue with AFRICOM on Red Sea security. Somaliland has the geography, the stability and the will to work closely with Washington — and will continue to do so."

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Officially, the U.S. still stands with Somalia, in preference to Somaliland.

A State Department spokesperson told Fox News Digital, "The United States works with Somali and international partners to address terrorist threats in Somalia when necessary and appropriate to protect U.S. national security interests."

In the Red Sea, Saudi Arabia and 13 other nations established a new maritime defense coalition to combat the Houthi threat. Publicly, at least, the U.S. is not part of this coalition.

Responding to questioning on this issue, a State Department spokesperson told Fox News Digital, "The United States stands firmly with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia against Houthi terrorism. We are in close consultation with our Saudi allies and remain committed to their security."

The U.S. does appear though to be stepping up interaction with Somaliland. AFRICOM Commander Anderson again visited Somaliland this past week, with an official statement saying he "traveled to the port city of Berbera to assess the security environment and review the port’s operational capacity."

In the same week, the U.S. reportedly hosted a delegation of Somalilanders led by the state’s defense minister at AFRICOM HQ in Stuttgart, Germany, where Red Sea security was reportedly again discussed.

AFRICOM and the Department of War did not respond to Fox News Digital requests for information about the visits.

North Korea launched another ballistic missile Tuesday, marking its second reported ballistic missile launch in less than a week.

Japan’s prime minister’s office announced the latest launch Tuesday. Details about the missile’s trajectory, range and where it landed were not immediately available.

The U.S. military said it was monitoring the launch and consulting with allies and partners in the region.

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"We are aware of the recent missile launch and are consulting closely with our allies and partners. Based on current assessments, these events do not pose an immediate threat to U.S. personnel or territory, or to our allies," U.S. Pacific Command said in a statement. "The United States remains committed to the defense of the U.S. homeland and our allies in the region."

The latest launch comes less than a week after North Korea test-fired a short-range ballistic missile from its eastern Wonsan area on Aug. 5.

That missile landed in waters off North Korea’s east coast and did not reach Japanese territory, Japanese Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi said following the launch.

Koizumi said North Korea’s repeated missile launches pose a threat to Japan and the region, and Tokyo lodged a protest with Pyongyang through their embassies in Beijing.

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South Korea’s military bolstered its surveillance posture and coordinated with the U.S. and Japan following the Aug. 5 launch, according to South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff.

South Korea’s presidential national security council called that launch "a provocation" that violated U.N. Security Council resolutions and urged North Korea to stop its missile activity.

The launches come ahead of annual joint military exercises between the U.S. and South Korea, which are typically held during the second half of August.

"This annual exercise aims to build understanding between Combined Forces Command, United States Forces Korea, the United Nations Command, and ROK Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS), ROK government agency, ensuring their ability to fortify the combined defense posture and enhance Alliance response capabilities against a spectrum of security threats," United States Forces Korea has said of the Ulchi Freedom Shield exercises.

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"It will feature live, virtual, constructive and field-based training, engaging personnel from the various military services," it added.

U.S. and South Korean officials have said the training is defensive in nature, while North Korea has characterized the exercises as preparation for an invasion and has often responded to military drills with missile tests.

The Aug. 5 test was North Korea’s first ballistic missile launch since late June, when it tested a tactical ballistic missile carrying what state media described as a "special mission" warhead along with other weapons.

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un said following those tests that his military needed to bolster its "deadly and destructive offensive posture."

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

Five years after the Taliban reclaimed reclaimed Afghanistan, 2.4 million girls remain locked out of secondary school, wiping away decades of progress and leaving a generation of young women without access to the classroom.

Afghanistan is now the only country in the world that formally prohibits girls and women from receiving an education beyond the primary level, according to UNESCO, which issued a new call Tuesday for the "immediate and unconditional" restoration of their right to education.

The United Nations agency warned that the consequences of the Taliban's policies now reach far beyond the classroom, with women barred from most paid jobs and public-facing professions and facing restrictions on their ability to travel without a male guardian.

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"Women have been erased from public life, and as a new generation of girls grows without an education, their future becomes increasingly dark," UNESCO said in a statement.

The Taliban swept back into power on Aug. 15, 2021, as U.S. and NATO forces withdrew from Afghanistan after two decades of war.

The Taliban soon barred girls from secondary schools and later expanded the restrictions to universities, employment and other areas of public life.

Despite years of pressure from the United Nations, humanitarian groups, human rights advocates and several Islamic countries, the Taliban has refused to lift the education restrictions and has maintained that the issue is a domestic matter, according to The Associated Press.

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The impact has been a dramatic reversal of the educational gains made by Afghan girls during the previous two decades.

While girls had severely limited access to schooling in 2001, nearly 1 million were enrolled in secondary education by 2021, according to UNESCO.

Five years later, an estimated 2.4 million girls are excluded from secondary education.

"Five years is not a temporary interruption in a child's education," Hoda Jaberian, UNESCO's program coordinator for education in emergencies, said during a video news conference Tuesday, according to The AP. "It is clearly almost an entire secondary school cycle."

UNESCO warned that denying education to girls while restricting women's ability to work could deepen Afghanistan's already severe economic problems.

Nearly half of Afghanistan's population lives below the poverty line, according to UNESCO, which said preventing women from studying and working further limits their ability to support their families and contribute to the country's economy.

The agency also warned that excluding girls from school can damage their mental and physical well-being and increase the risk of early marriage.

The effects could also reach Afghan boys.

UNESCO said the Taliban's ban on female teachers teaching boys is worsening teacher shortages and undermining the quality of education across Afghanistan.

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With formal secondary and higher education closed to women and girls, UNESCO says it has turned to community-based education, literacy and skills development programs and psychosocial support to keep them learning.

Nearly 70,000 people have participated in UNESCO's programs, with women accounting for 73% of the learners, according to the agency.

Some literacy and skills classes take place in community spaces and in the homes of facilitators with the knowledge of authorities, according to The AP. More than 1,000 literacy facilitators are involved, most of whom have been trained by UNESCO and its partners.

UNESCO said a recent study found evidence that its literacy and skills programs have helped increase household incomes and improve livelihoods.

The agency acknowledged, however, that such efforts cannot replace formal schooling.

"Afghanistan's girls and women have the right to learn, to work, to move freely, and to shape their own futures," UNESCO said, adding that "the world must not look away until their human rights are restored."

UNESCO said it would continue working with local communities and partners to maintain alternative opportunities for Afghan women and girls while pressing for the education ban to be lifted.

"UNESCO continues to call for the immediate and unconditional restoration of girls and women's right to secondary and higher education," Jaberian said Tuesday. "It is not negotiable. It's a basic human right and we reiterate that there is no substitute for this."

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

More than 3,000 are reported missing in Colombia on Tuesday following a massive 7.4-magnitude earthquake, prompting a desperate search for survivors and a pledge from the Trump administration of $15.5 million in relief.

Videos and photos emerged from Colombia showing first responders combing through rubble and debris, looking for any signs of life. Mayors and governors from Cali, Pereira, Chocó and Manizalez said Tuesday at least 179 people had died in those four areas, while the federal government, which last updated its estimates in the hours after earthquake hit Monday, has said at least 111 died, according to The Associated Press.

"We are united in prayer with the Colombian people and stand ready to support President Abelardo De la Espriella and his government as they assess the needs on the ground," the State Department said on X.

It added that "the Trump Administration is committing $15.5 million in funding for emergency shelter, food, protection, and earthquake assessments."

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Around 1,600 buildings across Colombia have been reported damaged or collapsed, and more than 3,000 people are missing, the AP reported.

President Abelardo De la Espriella, who was inaugurated just days earlier, traveled to Chocó’s capital, Quibdó, on Monday night and announced he was mobilizing "the entire military and police apparatus" to respond, deploying engineers, rescue workers and search dogs.

"Chocó will never again be the ‘land of the forgotten,’" he said.

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The U.S. Geological Survey said the earthquake was centered in San José del Palmar, a town located within the western Chocó region, which borders the Pacific Ocean.

In a post on X, De la Espriella, added that, "The National Government stands with the people of Chocó."

"Immediate economic resources and humanitarian aid have already been allocated to support the more than 1,400 affected families and individuals," he added. "The injured and those requiring priority medical attention are being transferred to Medellín with all available hospital capacity."

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

A Syrian court sentenced ousted Syrian President Bashar Assad along with his younger brother to death in absentia on Tuesday for crimes against humanity and war crimes during Syria’s 14-year conflict that left about half a million people dead.

The sentences at the Fourth Criminal Court in Damascus are the first against Assad or members of his inner circle since the Assad family's five decades in power came to an end 20 months ago.

"Bashar Assad used state agencies to commit war crimes and crimes against humanity," said Judge Fakhareddine al-Aryan during a court session that was aired live on state TV.

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Also sentenced to death in the same case was Assad’s maternal cousin Atef Najib, who was convicted of overseeing a crackdown in the southern province of Daraa that led to the uprising and later the civil war.

Amid tight security, Najib stood inside a cage wearing a prisoner’s uniform as the judge read the sentence. A crowd of people gathered outside the courthouse in central Damascus to hear the verdict.

Assad and his brother Maher fled to Russia after the government's fall in December 2024 and received political asylum. Syria's new rulers have asked Russia to hand the Assads over.

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Najib, who was sanctioned by the U.S. Department of the Treasury in April 2011, was later detained and is one of the highest-ranking officials to be put on trial.

Najib is a former Syrian army brigadier general who was head of the Political Security Branch in southern Syria’s Daraa province under Assad in 2011.

During his tenure, more than a dozen teenagers who scrawled anti-government graffiti on a school wall in Daraa were arrested and tortured. The case became a catalyst for mass protests against the repressive policies of Assad’s security forces.

The protests were met by a brutal government crackdown and spiraled into a 14-year civil war that ended with Assad’s ouster in a lightning rebel offensive.

Maher Assad was a former commander of the Syrian military’s 4th Armored Division — which Syrian opposition activists have accused of killings, torture, extortion and drug trafficking, in addition to running its own detention centers.

Israel’s ambassador to the United Nations said new data showing sharply lower child malnutrition in Gaza undermines wartime accusations that Israel deliberately starved Gazans, calling those claims a "blood libel" fueled by Hamas figures.

The remarks by Ambassador Danny Danon follow a newly published U.N.-backed survey showing acute malnutrition among young children in the Gaza Strip has dropped to levels comparable to or below those recorded prior to the outbreak of the Israel-Hamas war.

"During the war in Gaza, Israel was accused by many countries and by many U.N. officials that we deliberately starved the population in Gaza. That was a blood libel," Danon told Fox News Digital. "When we actually answered those claims and asked our colleagues where they got the data, the answer was that they relied on Hamas reports."

Danon argued that the latest U.N.-backed figures undermine previous starvation claims and said earlier numbers attributed to Hamas were fabricated.

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"For the future, we shouldn't count on a terrorist organization. We are a reliable country, we share data, we share concerns regarding humanitarian issues, and we should not collaborate with terrorists," he said.

The Gaza SMART nutrition survey — coordinated by the UNICEF-led Nutrition Cluster and presented by the State of Palestine Nutrition Cluster on July 22, 2026 — evaluated 1,335 children under age 5, covering regions home to approximately 83% of Gaza's population.

About 17% of the population could not be surveyed due to security and operational constraints.

The survey found acute malnutrition rates between 0.2% and 0.8% using weight-for-height (WHZ) measurements (estimated globally at 0.5%) and 1.3% using mid-upper-arm circumference (MUAC).

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Evaluators concluded there was "no widespread acute malnutrition at population level," noting that rates are significantly lower than those in neighboring countries, though lingering challenges like stunting, poor diet diversity and illness remain.

Danon pointed directly to past statements made by senior international officials, including U.N. Undersecretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs Tom Fletcher.

During a 2025 BBC interview about border access, Fletcher said 14,000 babies were at risk of dying within 48 hours without immediate nutritional aid. The figure was later clarified as referring to an 11-month projection involving children at risk of severe malnutrition.

"That was false and did not happen. Using starvation and babies to spread blood libels against Israel is outrageous," Danon said of Fletcher's comments.

"We care about babies in Gaza more than those making these allegations against us."

The ambassador emphasized that Israel kept records of food supplies moving into the enclave throughout the conflict.

"In terms of the food coming into Gaza, that was very easy for us to prove because we control the checkpoints and count the number of trucks coming in," Danon explained.

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"We know what they carry. Thus, we know there is no lack of food entering Gaza, and we always ensure sufficient supplies are brought in. Looking at recent reports, the situation is much better than expected, and we are glad for that. We do not want to see famine anywhere in the world, and certainly not in our backyard."

Danon also accused Hamas of hijacking aid distribution networks for financial gain.

"We know for a fact that Hamas took the aid and sold it in the market, taking advantage of the situation with inflated prices," he said. "That is why we are trying to work with NGOs that are not infiltrated by Hamas. We want NGOs to be able to deliver aid and food without Hamas gaining control over it."

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Israel withdrew its military and civilian presence from the Gaza Strip in 2005.

The war broke out following Hamas’ Oct. 7, 2023, terrorist attack on southern Israel and continued for two years until a ceasefire agreement took effect on Oct. 10, 2025.

Now, the region continues to face military strikes as talks over a proposed 15-point U.S. peace and disarmament plan appear stalled.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has rejected the proposal, saying Israeli forces will not withdraw until Hamas is fully disarmed.

"Unfortunately, Hamas took over and turned it into a terror state," Danon said.

"Our vision remains unchanged: we have no desire to control Gaza. However, for progress to occur, Hamas must disarm and not move weapons from one warehouse to another."

"Regarding the food situation, we see improvement on the ground," Danon concluded. "The prices in the markets in Gaza have gone down dramatically, which serves as the clearest indicator that there is no food shortage."

Iranian Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei formally appointed six senior military commanders Monday, cementing a wartime reshuffle as Tehran rebuilds a command structure impacted by months of U.S. and Israeli strikes.

The appointments, announced by Khamenei’s office and promoted on social media, fill posts across Iran’s armed forces, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and the Basij paramilitary force, with a counterterrorism expert warning the timing and language of the decrees signal Tehran is preparing for "prolonged confrontation" and not a settlement with Washington.

"Strategically, the announcements made were issued in English, on X, while Iranian and Omani negotiators finalize the coordinates of a proposed shipping route through Hormuz, which is deliberate sequencing," Dr. Omar Mohammed, director of the Antisemitism Research Initiative at George Washington University’s Program on Extremism, told Fox News Digital.

"Tehran is establishing its command structure as a fact on the ground before it signs anything."

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Mohammed also pointed to language in the appointment announcements blaming the deaths of predecessors on what Iran called the "Zionist-American enemy."

"That phrase, in formal state documents, codifies the United States as a co-belligerent," Mohammed said.

Khamenei appointed Ali Abdollahi as chief of staff of the armed forces and Kioumars Heydari as his deputy. He also formally named Ahmad Vahidi commander-in-chief of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, promoting him to the rank of major general.

Mostafa Izadi was named deputy IRGC commander, Ali Azmaei as commander of the IRGC Navy and Hossein Taeb as commander of the Basij. 

Mohammed said Vahidi was also instructed to maintain readiness for "powerful offensive operations against the enemy," by the Supreme Leader, while Abdollahi was tasked with completing the integration of the General Staff into the Khatam al-Anbiya wartime joint command.

"States exiting a conflict dismantle their wartime command arrangements, but Iran is now institutionalizing its own," Mohammed said. "The decrees here describe a leadership planning for a prolonged confrontation, not a settlement."

Several of the newly appointed commanders have previously faced U.S. or European sanctions or allegations tied to terrorism and violent crackdowns.

Vahidi is the subject of an Interpol Red Notice requested by Argentina over his alleged involvement in the 1994 bombing of the AMIA Jewish community center in Buenos Aires, which killed 85 people.

Taeb, a former chief of the IRGC Intelligence Organization and former Basij commander, is on the U.S. Treasury Department’s sanctions list.

The United States first designated him in 2010 over serious human rights abuses following Iran’s disputed 2009 presidential election.

Heydari was also sanctioned by the United States in 2022 after the Treasury Department said he had publicly acknowledged his forces’ involvement in the violent response to Iran’s November 2019 protests, in which hundreds of protesters were killed. 

The European Union has also sanctioned him.

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The reshuffle comes as Iran continues rebuilding its political and military leadership after a series of U.S. and Israeli strikes killed senior figures across the regime.

Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who had served as supreme leader since 1989, was killed in a Feb. 28 strike at the start of the war. Mojtaba Khamenei, was selected as Iran’s new supreme leader in March.

Ali Larijani, then secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council and a major figure in the country’s security and foreign policy establishment, and Gholamreza Soleimani, commander of the Basij, were killed in strikes on March 17.

The latest appointments come amid continuing questions about Mojtaba Khamenei’s health and public absence.

President Masoud Pezeshkian claimed Monday that he had held a nearly seven-hour meeting with Khamenei, only the second meeting the president has publicly disclosed since the new supreme leader took office, Iran International reported.

Khamenei has not appeared publicly since being selected in March and is believed to have been wounded in the Feb. 28 strike that killed his father.

Pezeshkian said the two discussed economic conditions, sanctions and other domestic challenges and that Khamenei emphasized the need for "unity and cohesion."

The military rebuild, however, has not extended fully into Iran’s sensitive intelligence apparatus, according to Mohammed.

"The IRGC Intelligence Organization and its counterintelligence arm have no announced chiefs, and Iran has no permanent defense or intelligence ministers," the expert said.

"The appointments require assigning responsibility for the counterintelligence failures that enabled the February decapitation.

"Whoever wins that argument — the supreme leader’s circle or the Guard’s institutional leadership — is the actor actually in control."

President Donald Trump is signaling, at least for now, he is prepared to let mounting economic pressure on Iran do more of the work rather than immediately expand military action against Tehran.

"We are only semi-negotiating with them. We are just watching Iran with its huge inflation and the fact they have no money," Trump told Axios’ Barak Ravid in a phone interview Sunday. Axios reported Aug. 9 that Trump described the U.S. approach as "low-keying it" and said Iran was in severe economic distress and struggling to pay its troops.

Trump has argued that the U.S. naval blockade on the Strait of Hormuz has compounded Iran’s financial crisis. His comments come after weeks in which the administration repeatedly raised the possibility of renewed large-scale military action. 

But as the administration increasingly points to Iran’s financial distress as leverage, a more complicated question is emerging: How much of Iran’s economic crisis is the result of U.S. sanctions, the war and blockade — and how much stems from decades of corruption, economic mismanagement and spending decisions by the Islamic Republic itself?

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Trump reinforced the message on Truth Social Sunday, writing that Iran had shown "51 years of bad behaviour" while sharing a graphic depicting the Iranian rial’s steep decline. The graphic was titled "Iran has NO MONEY" and described the currency as "trash."

The economic pressure is increasingly visible in the daily lives of ordinary Iranians. An investigation published by the Iranian newspaper Jahan-e Sanat last week described supermarket workers encountering customers who allegedly shoplifted basic groceries including bread, cheese and meat, or ate packaged food inside stores because they could no longer afford it. The accounts offered a stark glimpse of the strain on Iranian households as prices rise and purchasing power erodes.

Washington, meanwhile, has intensified its campaign against Tehran’s revenue streams. Under what the Treasury Department calls Economic Fury, the administration has targeted Iran’s oil trade, shadow banking networks, weapons procurement operations, cryptocurrency holdings and sanctions-evasion infrastructure. Treasury said June 10 that the campaign had prevented "tens of billions of dollars" in revenue from being accessible to the Iranian regime and its proxies. On July 29, Treasury said OFAC had sanctioned more than 100 vessels linked to Iran’s shadow fleet since the beginning of 2026.

A Treasury spokesperson told Fox News Digital on background that "Economic Fury has left the regime desperate for cash."

"Iran’s economy is in freefall, inflation has skyrocketed, and as President Trump said on Sunday, the regime’s ability to pay its troops has been decimated," the spokesperson said.

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A U.S. official told Fox News Digital on background that the administration still views economic pressure as one part of a broader strategy.

"President Trump has always been clear that he will never allow Iran to have a nuclear weapon. While he has been consistent in saying he prefers a diplomatic solution, he continues to retain all options if Iran continues to engage in terrorism and refuses to make a deal," the official said.

"The United States is strangling what’s left of Iran’s economy with one of the most successful naval blockades in history – and Iran would be wise to make a deal. Otherwise, they know what will happen."

Miad Maleki, a senior fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies and former Treasury Department sanctions official, said the pressure has accelerated Iran’s economic decline, but argued that Tehran’s own policies created many of the underlying vulnerabilities.

"Sanctions and the war have accelerated Iran's economic decline, but both are consequences of the regime's own troublemaking; its nuclear brinkmanship, missile and drone attacks on tankers, and support for terror proxies, not causes imposed on an innocent bystander," Maleki told Fox News Digital.

"It's a government's basic responsibility to provide for and serve its nation — this regime has instead served a failed revolutionary ideology that has produced nothing but suffering for ordinary Iranians," he added.

Maleki said the deeper story can be seen over decades, arguing that even when sanctions eased and oil revenues increased, Iran continued directing significant resources toward its security establishment and the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.

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According to Central Bank of Iran national accounts data provided by Maleki to Fox News Digital, Iran’s military share of total government spending rose from 16% in 1993 to 52% by 2006, while education spending fell from 27% to 15%. Spending on health and social affairs also declined as a share of government expenditures, he said.

Maleki pointed to the 2020 budget as another example of the disparity. The IRGC received approximately $6.96 billion, compared with $2.73 billion for Iran’s larger conventional military, known as the Artesh — roughly 2.5 times as much, according to an analysis published by the United States Institute of Peace’s Iran Primer based on figures from Iran’s parliamentary research center.

"The issue is not simply that Iran spends heavily on defense," Maleki said. "It is that an oil-dependent economy repeatedly directed enormous resources toward the military and the IRGC while basic public services and ordinary households were under increasing pressure."

And the official budget captures only part of that spending. Maleki, citing both his experience at the Treasury Department and outside research, said the IRGC benefits from significant commercial and off-budget resources. A 2017 American Enterprise Institute study estimated that the IRGC’s so-called "gray budget" could add another 50% to 100% to its military outlays.

"Ultimately, the responsibility lies not with external pressure but with structural corruption, chronic economic mismanagement, and spending priorities fundamentally detached from ordinary Iranians' needs and the country's genuine economic potential," Maleki said.

That influence extends far beyond military spending. The IRGC has also built a sprawling economic apparatus that gives it control over major sources of revenue and, critics argue, leaves it particularly well positioned to profit from the opaque channels sanctions create.

Its economic arm, Khatam al-Anbiya Construction Headquarters, became a major force in the Iranian economy after the Iran-Iraq War and expanded across construction, energy and infrastructure. The Treasury Department designated Khatam al-Anbiya in October 2007, describing it as an IRGC engineering arm used to generate income and fund the organization’s operations.

Treasury acknowledged that Iran is increasingly turning to opaque financial channels to circumvent U.S. pressure, but argued that those networks are themselves becoming targets of the campaign.

"The regime is increasingly having to invent new ways to try to evade U.S. sanctions through shadow banking networks, including through exploiting crypto," the Treasury spokesperson said. "Treasury continues to monitor and aggressively dismantle these networks to ensure Iran cannot sustain its campaign of terror and regional destabilization."

On Aug. 7, Treasury announced separate actions against cryptocurrency exchanges it said were being used to finance the IRGC and against international currency networks that it said were moving hundreds of millions of dollars for Iran.

FREED AMERICAN REVEALS BRUTAL IRAN PRISON ORDEAL, WARNS HOSTAGES FACE GREATER DANGER

Morad Tahbaz, an Iranian-American conservationist who spent nearly six years imprisoned in Iran’s Evin Prison before being released with four other Americans in September 2023, said sanctions have effectively created what he described as a lucrative "franchise" for those controlling the channels through which money and goods move.

"They have created a huge franchise for themselves because of these sanctions," Tahbaz told Fox News Digital. "Money can't flow freely to the Iranian government's treasury because of the sanctions. So what happens, everything is like a black market, gray market, illegal smuggling from the oil to everything else coming in and out."

"And of course, the people who are hurt most by all of this are the people of Iran," he added. "They're unfortunately, very unfortunately, taking the brunt of all of these in their daily lives."

Tahbaz said the entrenchment of the IRGC-linked economy may itself complicate efforts to end the confrontation because those profiting from restricted financial channels have an incentive to preserve them.

"They don't want to see the sanctions go away, because they will lose their franchise, if you will," he said. "They will lose their power, their control over the money and everything that goes along with it."

Tahbaz said the economic interests created by the sanctions also help explain some of the internal tensions within Iran. 

"This is the battle going on inside Iran when you hear there is tension within factions," he said. "And I think to see a solution to this war, if you will, we have to look to what's happening in Iran," he said. 

Treasury said it maintains standing authorizations intended to limit sanctions’ effects on ordinary Iranians, including certain humanitarian trade involving agricultural products, medicine and medical devices; noncommercial personal remittances; and communications-related software, hardware and services. OFAC also considers additional requests on a case-by-case basis, the spokesperson said. The authorizations are contained in OFAC regulations and General License 8A.

A harrowing video showed the collapse of a building after a powerful 7.4 earthquake struck western Colombia on Monday, bringing down buildings across several cities, killing at least 73 as the death toll rapidly rose and others were left trapped in the rubble.

The video shows the building crumbling during the earthquake with onlookers screaming in horror before it ultimately gives way.

Colombia's geological service pegged the magnitude at 7.4 and said the quake struck at a depth of 96 km (60 miles). The U.S. tsunami warning system said there was no tsunami threat.

"The Trump Administration is closely monitoring the large earthquake that struck Colombia and stands ready to support the people of Colombia and President @ABDELAESPRIELLA’s Administration," Secretary of State Marco Rubio wrote on X.

EXCLUSIVE: FRANKLIN GRAHAM VISITS EMERGENCY HOSPITAL TREATING VENEZUELA EARTHQUAKE VICTIMS

"American citizens in Colombia should enroll at http://STEP.State.gov and follow @USEmbassyBogota’s social media accounts for the latest information."

The highest reported death toll was in Pereira, a city in Colombia's coffee-growing region, where Mayor Mauricio Salazar said 18 people had died. In nearby Manizales, Mayor Jorge Eduardo Rojas said three people were killed.

One person died in Buenaventura, Colombia's main Pacific port, when a building collapsed, trapping several people, Mayor Ligia del Carmen Cordoba said.

MULTIPLE DEATHS REPORTED, DOZENS OF BUILDINGS DAMAGED FOLLOWING MAGNITUDE 7.4 EARTHQUAKE IN WESTERN COLOMBIA

People remained trapped in Cali, one of Colombia's largest cities, after more than two dozen structures collapsed, Mayor Alejandro Eder said. He added that the city had asked authorities in Bogota and Medellin to send disaster teams to support rescue efforts.

WATCH: COLOMBIA EARTHQUAKE VICTIMS FLEE IN TERROR AS DEBRIS FALLS FROM BUILDING:

"At this point, two people have already been rescued alive, one elderly woman and one young girl. There are more people trapped," Eder told Blu Radio. "We have at least 12 critical points and 25 collapsed structures that we are responding to."

The quake's epicenter was near San Jose del Palmar, in Choco, a sparsely populated province on Colombia's Pacific coast. Choco Governor Nubia Carolina Cordoba-Curi said there were injuries and significant damage in Quibdo, the provincial capital, and warned residents about aftershocks.

Colombia's civil aviation authority said flights were suspended at airports in Pereira, Manizales, Quibdo, Armenia, Cartago and Buenaventura while inspectors checked for structural damage.

The country's disaster agency said the quake, which occurred at 7:34 local time (8:34 ET), was felt in nine departments and all 32 departmental capitals, triggering evacuations and reports of damage.

Reuters witnesses in the Venezuelan border state of Tachira and the central-western city of Barquisimeto reported the quake had been felt there. Venezuela was hit by devastating twin earthquakes in June, which killed more than 6,000 people, mostly on the coast near the capital, Caracas.

Reuters contributed to this report.

A dangerous new front is emerging in the Russia-Ukraine war as attackers and alleged intelligence operatives increasingly target executives and engineers developing the cutting-edge drone technology that is reshaping the battlefield, industry experts warned Sunday.

The attacks include an Aug. 4 car bombing near Yekaterinburg that critically injured Vladimir Tkachuk, head of Russian drone manufacturer Uraldronzavod, and killed his driver, according to Russian state news agency TASS, The Associated Press reported.

His company produces the "Upyr," or "Ghoul," a first-person-view attack drone used by Russian forces in Ukraine.

'A NEW KIND OF WAR': INSIDE UKRAINE'S HIDDEN FACTORIES MASS-PRODUCING COMBAT DRONES

Days earlier, Andrei Cherezov, head of another Russian drone company, was shot three times in Tula overnight July 28-29 in an apparent assassination attempt, according to Ukrainian outlet Pravda. Authorities have not publicly attributed either attack to Ukraine.

Draganfly CEO Cameron Chell told Fox News Digital that the rise in attacks comes as Russia and Ukraine race for an edge in drone warfare, making the relatively small number of people responsible for developing new technology increasingly important targets.

"When you can't take out all the distributed infrastructure, drone manufacturing leadership becomes the primary target," Chell said.

"These strikes in Russia and Ukraine and Germany on founders, leaders, engineers of defense and, in particular, drone-type companies are down to drones and these companies having such an impact themselves."

UKRAINE’S BATTLEFIELD IS TRANSFORMING THE FUTURE OF NATO

"Because drone technology evolves rapidly — often with significant iterations occurring every 10 to 30 days — targeting a key engineer, founder, or product lead creates immediate operational disruptions on the battlefield."

"Taking out a particular engineer or taking out a particular leader can set a very important weapons program back quite some time and disrupt shipments to the front line," Chell added.

German authorities have also arrested two suspected operatives accused of spying on a Bavarian drone manufacturer for Russian intelligence, while reports this month said the alleged operation included preparations to target company executive Stefan Thumann, according to Germany’s Die Zeit.

The case follows a reported 2024 plot disrupted by U.S. and German intelligence to target Rheinmetall CEO Armin Papperger.

ZELENSKYY ANNOUNCES 'THE FUTURE IS HERE' AFTER WAR'S FIRST ALL-ROBOT CAPTURE

Chell said as Ukraine and Russia push toward artificial intelligence and autonomous weapons systems, engineers developing those technologies are more strategically important.

"What we see in the Ukraine-Russia conflict is nobody in the loop — total autonomy is the direction things are going because it moves with more speed and precision," Chell said.

"AI and total autonomy are the big innovations for the next 18 months, so a potential reason we could see more targeted activity against leaders is because Ukrainians have that technology advantage."

"Targeting small drone companies is a relatively easy operation compared to targeting individuals in state-run weapons programs," he said.

"It is a fairly inexpensive, low-risk tactic for intelligence agencies that yields an immediate impact on the battlefield, and that's why we've seen this tactic."

"It is a very interesting turn or tactic that's being played by both sides here."

Chell highlighted how Russia and Ukraine approach such plots differently.

"I wouldn't suggest one side has an advantage over the other in terms of tactics, but psychologically, it has a deeper effect on the Russian side," Chell said.

UKRAINE UNLEASHES MORE THAN 400 DRONES NEAR MOSCOW IN ONE OF WAR'S BIGGEST ATTACKS

"The volume of drone advantage will remain with the Russians for the foreseeable future, but the innovation of drones, tactics, and technology lies with the Ukrainians right now."

"Ukraine faces an existential threat, so they are ready for anything. Their tactics tend to be much more blunt — a direct shooter in a hallway or a car bomb," he added.

"The Russian tactics tend to be much more state-organized, using old Cold War tactics: low-level contacts, extensive intelligence and surveillance ahead of time, and inserting into other countries like Germany," he said.

"The Russians have a long-standing, well-established intelligence infrastructure dating back to World War II and the Cold War."

TRUMP IS PROVING THAT THE WAY TO BETTER OUR MILITARY IS TO SECURE OUR SUPPLY CHAINS

As the drone manufacturing industry takes greater precautions, Chell maintained that threats against companies and individuals in the defense supply chain are receiving increased scrutiny.

"We are very cognizant of it, and we're in contact with the proper authorities to make sure we're taking precautions on both a cyber and physical level to ensure we're at less risk," he said.

"We certainly don't take anything for granted."

"There are training and programs in place to ensure executives have a level of safety, primarily around awareness, cybersecurity, and physical location protection," Chell added before stating that the attacks and attempted assassinations have "heightened the conversation around it."

"We as an industry are taking it with a measured amount more seriously," he said.

Israel has taken delivery of its most advanced and expensive submarine from Germany, expanding its fleet amid escalating regional threats, according to reports.

The handover of the INS Drakon is expected to significantly bolster Israel's underwater strike and reconnaissance capabilities, The Algemeiner reported. The warship had been scheduled to be delivered in 2025.

A statement following the submarine's naming ceremony in Kiel in 2024 said the INS Drakon is of the Dolphin AIP class and "equipped with unique systems, including groundbreaking technologies that expand the range of the IDF's capabilities across various arenas." 

Built specifically for the Israeli Navy by Germany's ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems (TKMS), the submarine is said to provide a vital sea-based layer of "deterrence and retribution," amid the war with Iran, defense analysts say.

Dr. Ehud Eilam, an Israeli national security expert and former researcher for Israel’s Ministry of Defense, told Fox News Digital that maintaining a continuous undersea presence is paramount for the nation's national survival.

TRUMP ADMIN PITCHES 15-POINT IRAN PEACE PROPOSAL AS PAKISTAN OFFERS TO HOLD TALKS

"Some of them would have to be at sea, on high alert, around the clock, if Iran suddenly attacked Israel in such a way that would cripple the IDF, including its strategic capabilities," Eilam said.

"In such a drastic scenario, Israel’s submarine/s that would be at sea could respond," he added.

"Israel’s other submarines might be in Haifa harbor at the time. They might be attacked and unable to operate. This demonstrates how important it is to always have submarines at sea."

TKMS reportedly handed over the INS Drakon—the sixth Dolphin-class vessel and third modified Dolphin II-class submarine in Israel's fleet—at its shipyard in Kiel, Germany, in late July.

US MOVES AIRBORNE TROOPS, MARINES AS IRAN REJECTS CEASEFIRE, RAISING GROUND WAR POTENTIAL

Measuring more than 70 meters (230 feet) in length with a displacement exceeding 2,000 tons, the vessel is reported to be the largest submarine constructed in Germany since World War II, carrying an estimated price tag of $634 million, according to The Algemeiner.

According to Israeli outlet Ynet , Israel's Dolphin-class fleet also provides the nation with a critical sea-based second-strike capability in its defense program.

"Everything is going according to plan with the new program for Israel," TKMS CEO Oliver Burkhard told Ynet Global.

"That also applies to the handover of the last boat of the previous series, including the homecoming in Israel," he said of the expansive submarine program.

The INS Drakon’s arrival comes as Israel projects increasing military power across distant operational theaters, Eilam said.

TRUMP IS PROVING THAT THE WAY TO BETTER OUR MILITARY IS TO SECURE OUR SUPPLY CHAINS

"Israel has been acquiring submarines for several purposes. One of them is for deterrence and retribution, such as if Iran manages to develop nuclear weapons," Eilam said before adding that "Israel has to be ready."

While submarines on active deployment carry out intelligence and reconnaissance missions across the Mediterranean Sea, their primary objective remains readiness for "doomsday scenarios," Eilam noted.

"Israel’s new submarine is bigger than others, which suggests Israel wants to have more options, such as increasing the range of the submarine's missiles so they can reach every target in Iran, even if the Israeli submarine is in the Mediterranean Sea," Eilam said.

"That way the submarine does not have to get closer to Iran, which requires crossing the Suez Canal, and this could be very risky, if not impossible in some situations," he added. "The other alternative is to bypass all of Africa, which would take a long time."

The new submarine was named INS Drakon (Dragon) — a mythical sea creature symbolizing strength, uniqueness and power — was chosen because it contains the Hebrew letters ד׳, ק׳, ר׳ (Dakar), thus commemorating the legacy of the submarine INS Dakar and its crew, the Ministry of Defense said.

Fox News Digital has reached out to the Israeli Navy, the Ministry of Defense, TKMS and the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) for comment.

Israel is rejecting a 15-point Gaza proposal put forward by the Board of Peace, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Sunday, declaring that Israeli forces will not withdraw from the enclave until Hamas fully gives up its weapons.

"Israel rejects the 15-point Gaza document proposed by the Board of Peace," Netanyahu said at Sunday's Cabinet meeting. "The IDF will not carry out any withdrawal until Hamas is genuinely disarmed."

Israel remains in discussions with the United States over the disarmament of Hamas but insisted any agreement would have to result in the terror group surrendering its entire arsenal, according to Netanyahu.

"It needs to be genuine disarmament, not fictitious disarmament," Netanyahu said.

HAMAS SAYS IT WILL DISSOLVE GAZA GOVERNMENT, BUT ISRAEL WARNS GROUP STILL SEEKS HEZBOLLAH-STYLE CONTROL

"When I say Hamas is disarmed, that means the heavy weapons, the less heavy weapons, all the weapons," he added.

Hamas remains committed to a Gaza roadmap agreed with mediators and representatives of the Board of Peace in Cairo 10 days ago, senior Hamas official Basem Naim told Reuters.

Hamas expects mediators and the United States to "press Netanyahu and his government to adhere to the roadmap," he added.

HILLARY CLINTON BREAKS WITH DEMOCRATIC CRITICS BY BACKING TRUMP’S GAZA PLAN AS THE 'ONLY GAME IN TOWN'

Trump had teased a disarmament of the Hamas terrorist group in Gaza as a landmark step toward peace, but there remained skeptics, including Israel's Netanyahu, whose Sunday comments put him at odds with the latest Board of Peace proposal as the Trump administration seeks to move forward with a broader plan for Gaza following the ceasefire reached last year.

Trump said last month that there had been a breakthrough in efforts to advance the peace process and that Hamas had agreed to lay down its weapons. Hamas controlled Gaza for nearly two decades before carrying out the Oct. 7, 2023, terrorist attack on Israel that triggered the war.

Israel has continued carrying out strikes in Gaza since the ceasefire took effect last October, while the future disarmament of Hamas and the withdrawal of Israeli forces remain central issues in negotiations over the territory.

Netanyahu made clear Sunday that Israel would resist provisions in U.S.-backed proposals that his government considers unacceptable.

NETANYAHU REJECTS REPORTS OF A RIFT WITH PRESIDENT TRUMP, SAYS THE TWO REMAIN ALIGNED ON IRAN

He also reiterated his opposition to the establishment of a Palestinian state in either Gaza or the West Bank.

"As long as I am prime minister, there will be no Palestinian state, not in Gaza and not in Judea and Samaria," Netanyahu said. "Neither ‘Fatahstan’ nor ‘Hamastan.’"

The Israeli leader’s rejection of the 15-point proposal underscores the hurdles facing efforts to turn the ceasefire into a lasting settlement, particularly over the sequence of Hamas’ disarmament and an Israeli military withdrawal.

EXCLUSIVE: ISRAELI PRESIDENT HERZOG BLASTS MAMDANI, PRAISES TRUMP, SOUNDS ALARM ON IRAN

Netanyahu indicated Israel would continue working with Washington but said the government would hold firm on its security demands, particularly its insistence that Hamas be fully stripped of its weapons before Israeli troops leave their positions in Gaza.

Netanyahu also used his remarks Sunday to address Israeli operations elsewhere in the region, saying the military had recently acted "forcefully" in Lebanon and carried out what he described as "very important activity."

On Iran, Netanyahu said Tehran has refrained from striking Israel because "it knows what a powerful blow we will deal it if it does," while praising Trump and the U.S.-Israel alliance over efforts to prevent Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons.

"I greatly appreciate President Trump," Netanyahu said." He is the greatest of our friends in the White House. I greatly appreciate the historical partnership with the U.S. against Iran's attempts to acquire nuclear weapons.

"And I wish to emphasize once again: With or without an agreement, as long as I am prime minister, Iran will not have a nuclear weapon. Because the existence of our precious country, the country of all of us, the existence of Israel, is not up for negotiation."

Reuters contributed to this report.

Victims held for six months in captivity at the hands of jihadi kidnappers in Nigeria detailed on Friday the harrowing conditions they were kept in after being liberated in what Nigerian officials are calling the largest rescue operation in the country's history.

Nigerian forces rescued at least 308 victims from captivity in the past week, with the bulk of the victims coming from two distinct groups. 163 of the victims were taken from the Woro community in Nigeria's Kwara State in a Feb. 3 raid that saw their jihadi kidnappers kill an additional 160 people in the Woro village.

The victims told the Associated Press that they believed they had been taken as punishment for refusing to accept and acquiesce to the religious preachings of the jihadis.

One woman, Hauwa Saliu, told the outlet that her captors constantly asked the victims if they had accepted jihad yet.

NIGERIAN PASTOR HIGHLIGHTED BY TRUMP SAYS HE’S NEXT AFTER MILITIA KILLS HIS RELATIVES

"We prayed to God to help us go back home, but it never really crossed our minds that we were going to go back home," she told the outlet.

Another victim, Amira Saliu, described the conditions in which the women and children were being kept, explaining that they were held in a forest near a river, and forced to put out fires and hide when they heard helicopters nearby.

FREED HOSTAGE ROM BRASLAVSKI DETAILS ABUSE, STARVATION DURING 738 DAYS IN GAZA CAPTIVITY

Saliu, a nurse, also explained how she had to help 10 women give birth with no medical equipment or sanitary gloves.

"I had no choice but to use my bare hands," she told the outlet.

Mary Ishaya, 44, told the outlet that the captives often went days without food and had to bury other captives who had died.

"I still cannot find the right words to describe what has happened to us. We saw death and suffering," she said.

The governor of Kwara State, AbdulRahman AbdulRasaq, told reporters during a news conference that 46 victims were being treated at a hospital.

"This is indeed, indeed a very sad situation. We've not yet come to terms with it. We're still assessing the situation. As you can see, it's just kids ... children and women that are here today," he said. "It's truly a shame that this has happened."

COULD THIS AFRICAN NATION BECOME TRUMP'S NEXT TERROR TARGET AS JIHADISTS CLOSE IN ON POWER?

The incident highlights the ongoing tensions between Nigeria's militant Islamic insurgency in the north and the country's large Christian population, who make up roughly 45% of Nigeria's citizens.

On Christmas Day, President Donald Trump, in coordination with Nigeria's government, authorized precision missile strikes on Islamic State-affiliated groups in northern Nigeria, citing the need to protect the country's Christians.

The U.S. followed up in May, launching coordinated joint military action that reportedly resulted in the death of senior Islamic State leader Abu Bakr al-Mainuk.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

The estimated 72,000 Moroccan migrants who flooded into the Spanish city of Ceuta within 24 hours is shining the spotlight on Europe’s massive problem of illegal and legal migration and the threat of growing Islamic terrorism.

Mideast and European commentators who closely follow Islamic extremism across the continent say Europe’s political class needs to tackle the origins of radical Islamism to prevent terrorism.

According to a July Europol (formerly known as the European Union Agency for Law Enforcement Cooperation) report, Spain recorded the highest number of arrests (117) for "jihadist terrorism-related offenses" within the European Union during 2025.

CEUTA MIGRANT SURGE EXPOSES SPAIN-MOROCCO TENSIONS AS ISLAMIST GROUPS REPORTEDLY SEEK TO EXPLOIT BORDER CRISIS

Some Spanish outlets claimed that the Spanish Civil Guard and police identified "about a dozen" individuals previously deported from Spain for suspected terror-related offenses among those who entered Ceuta last week. However, Euro News reported that Spain’s interior ministry said it has not confirmed those reports. 

Quoting the ministry, it stated that "The Spanish public and the people of Ceuta can be confident that the arrivals on 30 July do not pose a threat to public security." The report also cited the interior ministry as saying that so far this year 82 people had been arrested for offenses related to jihadist terrorism.

Lorenzo Vidino, Director of the Program on Extremism at The George Washington University, and expert on Islamism in Europe and North America, told Fox News Digital, "This is Europe. This is the way it has been for the last 15 years, with some ebbs and flows." He said about the new Europol report that "It is more in line with the last 10 years. Europe has sadly learned to live with this reality."

British political commentator and Mideast expert, Tom Gross, told Fox News Digital: "Europe’s ruling classes need to be honest. It is not racist to point out the obvious: that most terrorism in Western Europe today is being fueled by radical Islamic mosques and teachers."

GERMAN OFFICIALS WANT TO KNOW WHY BERLIN ATTACK SUSPECT WAS FREE DESPITE ALLEGED ISIS SUPPORT

He added, "Leaders in Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Egypt acknowledge this. Why can’t Western leaders?"

Gross said, "Politicians such as new British Prime Minister Andy Burnham, London Mayor Sadiq Khan and Spanish PM Pedro Sanchez, need to stop fueling the propaganda of radical Muslims by implying that there has been some kind of genocide against Muslims in Gaza, when there has been nothing of the sort."

He continued, "If they really want to help push back radical Islam, European leaders should be assisting, not criticizing, those in Washington and elsewhere calling for the downfall of Iran’s Islamic dictatorship."

In April, the U.K. raised its national terror threat level to "severe" following an antisemitic attack in London when a Somali immigrant stabbed two men. A "Severe" warning, according to authorities means another terrorist attack is considered "highly likely" in the next six months.

A spokesperson for London’s Mayor Khan told Fox News Digital that "The Mayor has invested £16 million (approxmiately $21.5 million) – more than any other Mayor – to support grassroots community groups to stand up to hate and intolerance. This includes £6 million (approximately $8 million) through his Shared Endeavour Fund to give Londoners the tools and skills to tackle extremism."

GERMAN OFFICIALS WARN ISLAMIST, FAR-LEFT RHETORIC DRIVING SPIKE IN ANTISEMITIC ATTACKS

Late last month, the alleged Islamist State terrorist, the 21-year-old German-Lebanese man, Abdul Ballout, drove a van into the Berlin Pride Parade event, murdering one woman and injuring nearly 30 people. The German authorities had released Ballout despite his recent conviction related to supporting the Islamic State.

German Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt told public broadcaster ZDF during an interview that in light of the 21-year-old suspect's conviction and record of backing the Islamic State, it did not make sense that the man was roaming free.

"You can assume that it certainly would have made sense to put this person in custody," he noted.

Khan’s spokesperson also cited an X Post from the Mayor following the Berlin Pride attack: "My thoughts are with everyone affected by the horrific attack in Berlin and their families. This appalling act of violence has no place in our society. London stands in solidarity with Berlin’s LGBTQ+ community. This is why Pride matters. Those who seek to spread hatred and division will never win."

SCATHING REPORT CALLS ON US TO LABEL ISLAMIST GROUP INFILTRATING ALL ASPECTS OF AMERICAN LIFE AS TERRORIST ORG

A new report by Germany’s federal intelligence that documents threats to the constitutional order estimates that there are roughly about 28,000 members of Germany’s Islamist scene. Approximately 9,110 are currently assessed to have an "orientation to violence. "The type of violence is defined as jihadi violence."

Germany’s federal interior ministry, which publishes the annual domestic intelligence threat report, notes that crimes attributed to "religious ideology" have climbed from 134 in 2022 to 998 last year. Radical Islamist crimes are reportedly understood to make up the main portion of the "religious ideology" category.

Germany’s neighbor, France, experienced another stabbing just days after the attack in Germany. A suspect reportedly stabbed three women in Paris and declared as people captured him after the attack, "it is Allah who commanded me."

Vidino said, "The incident in Paris it seems one of the cases" regarding the how an attack is classified: "Is it terrorism? Is it a crazy guy? Often times, Europeans play down the ideological motive and cite mental health. Some countries tend to do it more than others. Most Europeans go for downplaying of the ideological component."

AMERICAN ‘JIHAD’ FUELED BY 'RISKY SOURCE' INSIDE US BORDERS, WARNS NATIONAL SECURITY EXPERT

Austria’s intelligence agency announced in May on its website that it arrested a group of suspected Islamist terrorists, which included five males aged between 14 and 45 and one 16-year-old female. "The individuals concerned are suspected of having committed offenses related to Islamist extremism and terrorism in Austria, for example through membership of a terrorist organization, incitement to terrorist offenses, dissemination of IS [Islamic State] propaganda, and approval of terrorist offenses," wrote the Austrian agency.

In June, Swedish authorities arrested a teenage boy who pledged allegiance to the Islamist State and idolized suicide bombers, according to Swedish media. He issued death threats to students at school and showed pictures of beheaded people.

Nervana Mahmoud, a British-Egyptian medical doctor who has written extensively about Islamist terrorism and indoctrination, told Fox News Digital that "The current challenge facing Europe is, in many ways, a battle over Islamist extremism and its place within Western societies. To address the threat at its source, European governments need to focus on preventing radicalization and disrupting foreign funding and ideological networks that fuel extremist movements. Without tackling these root causes, the risk of future terrorist attacks will remain."

SENATE CLEARS WAY FOR TRUMP'S TOP SPY AS KEY ANTI-TERROR PROGRAM REMAINS IN LIMBO

Mahmoud said, "The United States should learn from Europe’s experience rather than simply criticize it. It has an opportunity to strengthen prevention efforts early by fostering a shared American identity within immigrant communities, disrupting foreign funding that may promote extremist influence through universities and think tanks, and working with Muslim Americans who reject Islamism and uphold democratic values. Long-term success will require not only strong security measures but also sustained efforts to prevent radicalization before it takes hold."

The United Kingdom’s judicial system recorded a series of convictions of Islamist terrorists in July. Abdullah Bin Yasir was imprisoned for two and a half years after admitting he had bomb-making guides linked to an Islamic State-aligned entity. The construction of bomb material was designed to carry out a terrorist attack.

Late last month, in Wigston, Britain, the authorities arrested a 27-year-old man for supporting the Islamic State.

According to the Crown Prosecution Service, the 31-year-old Mohammad Bashir "pleaded guilty to preparing an act of terrorism" against a British defense target.

A spokesperson for the British Home Office told Fox News Digital, "The United Kingdom has one of the most robust counter-terrorism systems in the world. We remain committed to ensuring our Police and Security Services have the tools and powers they need to prevent the spread of violent ideologies and keep the country safe."

UK PINS STRING OF ANTISEMITIC ATTACKS ON IRAN-LINKED GROUP, BANS IRGC

The spokesperson added, "This includes a wide range of terrorist offenses and specialized powers designed to risk, support prosecution, and strengthen management of terrorist offenders. Islamist terrorism remains the primary domestic threat to the United Kingdom, accounting for roughly three quarters of the Security Service’s casework."

Northern continental Europe is also facing a serious Jihadi terrorist threat. According to a late May Danish Security and Intelligence Service statement, the "CTA [Center for Terror Analysis in Denmark] assesses that the terrorist threat from militant Islamists remains at the level of significant."

Vidino said there has been a silver lining since the outbreak of the Islamic State terrorist attacks in Europe. "I would say I do think most European law enforcement agencies and security forces have gotten better over the years. When the big ISIS radicalization took place, small countries were completely unprepared to deal with it." He cited Switzerland, Austria and the Scandinavian countries.

"They did not have legal capabilities and mindset. That has changed and it is not perfect."

Fox News Digital sent multiple press queries to the Spanish government.

Colombia entered a new political chapter as conservative President Abelardo de la Espriella was sworn into office Friday, pledging to reverse much of former President Gustavo Petro’s left-wing agenda and restore a tougher approach to security, economic policy and relations with the United States.

Known by his nickname 'El Tigre' (the tiger), his inauguration marks one of the most significant political shifts in Latin America in recent years. After four years of Socialist President Gustavo Petro’s "Total Peace" strategy, expanding coca cultivation and increasingly strained relations with Washington, De la Espriella now faces the challenge of translating campaign promises into governing reality.

He was joined at the inauguration by several conservative presidents from across the region, including Argentina's Javier Milei, Ecuador’s Daniel Noboa and Chile’s José Antonio Kast. Acting U.S. Attorney General Todd Blanche was there as part of the U.S. delegation. Spain's King Felipe VI and FIFA President Gianni Infantino were also in attendance, the Associated Press reported.

TRUMP SAYS COLOMBIA'S 'EL TIGRE' WILL BE A 'GREAT PRESIDENT' AS SOCIALIST OPPONENT LAUNCHES LEGAL CHALLENGE

"I have come to close a long chapter of national resignation and, together with the people, embark on the most profound transformation of our destiny," De La Espriella said according to Reuters while speaking at the Pichincha Battalion military base in Cali. "I send a firm message to the Colombian people: the time has come to restore order, authority, and freedom."

Reuters said that one of his first acts as president was to join The Shield of the Americas, founded by President Trump.

For the U.S., Colombia remains its closest security partner in South America, a key trading ally and one of the region’s largest recipients of U.S. security assistance. Hundreds of American companies operate in Colombia, while the country’s security conditions directly affect regional migration, organized crime and narcotics trafficking.

On foreign policy, the new president has committed to rebuilding strategic ties with the United States, restoring close cooperation with Israel and adopting a tougher stance toward the authoritarian governments of Venezuela, Cuba and Nicaragua.

Whether those commitments produce measurable improvements, however, will depend on resources that remain in short supply. Camilo Guzmán, executive director of Libertank, told Fox News Digital that the country’s financial situation will define what the administration can realistically accomplish.

"President de la Espriella inherits a house with the roof leaking and the safe empty. The order matters, because almost everything he promised requires money he does not have." Guzmán pointed to Colombia’s deteriorating fiscal position as the administration’s most immediate challenge.

"Start with the fiscal picture. It is worse than his own team seems to expect. The 2026 deficit is tracking around 6.5–6.7% of GDP, the financing gap is close to $34 billion and the implicit medium-term adjustment being left on his desk is near five points of GDP. It is also a cash problem, not only an accounting one. Before he governs, he must make payroll."

WALTZ WARNS OF CHINESE, RUSSIAN-FUELED ‘NATIONAL SECURITY THREAT’ LOOMING CLOSE TO US SHORES

The International Monetary Fund projects Colombia’s economy will grow by only about 2.3% this year while inflation remains elevated, limiting the government’s room to finance new security initiatives or major economic reforms without additional spending cuts or new revenue measures.

Security presents an equally daunting challenge. Violence has intensified across several regions as criminal organizations and guerrilla groups have expanded their territorial influence over the past several years.

Guzmán said, "Security is the second fire. The first half of 2026 closed with the highest homicide count for any first semester in a decade, extortion still rising and armed groups that have grown sharply since 2022. Security is rebuilt in years, not in quarters. Expect operations, captures and hard rhetoric in the first 100 days, visible and real, but not yet structural."

Even if the administration moves quickly on executive actions, its legislative agenda will depend on building consensus in a fragmented Congress. Although De la Espriella won the presidency, his party controls only five seats in the Senate, while Petro’s Historic Pact remains the largest individual political bloc. Passing security reforms, fiscal legislation and broader economic initiatives will require negotiations with centrist and traditional parties on virtually every major proposal.

Guzmán believes those political realities may prove just as important as the security challenges. "He won the election; he did not win Congress. The July fight over the Senate presidency was the first warning. He has a coalition that is numerically large and poorly disciplined. His agenda will be negotiated bill by bill."

REPUBLICAN REP MARÍA ELVIRA SALAZAR DECLARES, 'AFTER CUBA, NICARAGUA IS NEXT'

For that reason, analysts caution against measuring the administration’s success solely by immediate results. Instead, the first 100 days are likely to be judged by whether the new president establishes credibility, assembles an effective governing team and demonstrates that campaign promises can evolve into a coherent governing strategy.

Guzmán concluded, "The realistic expectation is this: the first 100 days will produce signals, not results. Appointments, decrees, an emergency spending cut, a tax bill, a security package. Meanwhile, expectations are enormous, and the distance between what people were promised and what is physically possible in 100 days is the main political risk he faces. He will spend those 100 days putting the house in order. He should say so out loud, and early. Credibility is the one asset he can build by day 100."

The decisions investors and policymakers will watch most closely include whether De la Espriella formally abandons Petro’s negotiations with the ELN, resumes aerial coca fumigation, expands intelligence and security cooperation with Washington, restores full diplomatic engagement with Israel and introduces a credible fiscal adjustment plan.

Those early moves, analysts say, will offer the clearest indication of whether Colombia’s new president can begin delivering on his promise to reverse the Petro era, or whether the country’s fiscal, political and security realities will force him to scale back one of the most ambitious conservative agendas in modern Colombian politics.

Reuters and the Associated Press contributed to this report.

Russian President Vladimir Putin could attack a NATO member country in the next few years in an attempt to fragment the post-World War II organization and test Article 5, new U.S. intelligence has found, according to a report.

While U.S. intelligence had previously assessed that Putin wouldn’t launch an assault on a NATO country while still involved in the war in Ukraine, the Russian president is now looking for a victory as Ukraine makes gains, and the U.S. and Europe have seen increasing signs he is testing the organization, according to a report from The Wall Street Journal.

That includes a drone that hit a Romanian apartment building in May and cruise missiles that landed in Poland late last month, a NATO country.

RUSSIA PREPARING HYBRID ATTACKS ON NATO'S EASTERN FLANK, INTELLIGENCE WARNS

Article 5 of NATO states that an attack on one country is an attack on all countries.

The assessment said it would likely be a limited attack that could range anywhere from a cyberattack to a small-scale land incursion and would likely be focused on the Baltics or Poland.

The attack could happen any time between this fall and 2029, the assessment said.

"The question mark is how the United States would respond in that case," Heather Conley, senior fellow with the American Enterprise Institute, told the Journal. "It has always been a goal [of Russia’s] to challenge the credibility of NATO and to separate the United States from its allies."

THE TWO MOST IMPORTANT AMERICAN WEAPONS SYSTEMS NATO IS EAGER TO HAVE

The assessment also comes amid claims the United States’ munitions stockpile has been depleted by arms sent to support Ukraine and due to the war in Iran.

Chief Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell, however, called those claims false.

"We have everything required to strike at the time and place of the president’s choosing," Parnell told the Journal. "Across multiple combatant commands, we have already executed successful operations while maintaining a deep, ready arsenal to defend our people and our interests. Any adversary who confuses media noise with American weakness will discover the truth the hard way."

A land incursion was deemed the least likely because it would trigger Article 5, but it’s unclear what the response would be to something like a cyberattack.

REPORT WARNS RUSSIA USING SHADOW FLEET TO PROBE NATO DRONE DEFENSES

"This has always been NATO’s challenge to respond to a sub-Article 5 attack, and it’s been very true that to this point, NATO allies have preferred not to escalate," Conley told the Journal.

Fox News Digital has reached out to NATO for comment.

Col. Martin O’Donnell, a NATO spokesman, told the Journal, "We are always thinking through and preparing for any number of scenarios. NATO is watching, and we are ready to deter and defend as necessary, which we continue to demonstrate."

A student opened fire at a high school in Thailand on Friday, killing at least six and injuring others, police reported.

The attack took place at the Debsirin Nonthaburi School in Nonthaburi province northwest of Bangkok, Royal Thai Police spokesperson Trairong Piwpan indicated to The Associated Press.

A witness told reporters that students hid inside a classroom while they heard gunshots from another building before police officers knocked on the door and cleared a way for them to leave the building.

THREE PEOPLE KILLED IN NORTH CAROLINA SHOOTING, OFFICIAL SAYS

Authorities provided conflicting numbers of casualties in connection with the attack.

Trairong told news broadcaster Channel 3 that the attacker was being hospitalized in serious condition, while 15 other individuals had been hurt, including two in critical condition — he reported that three teachers and three students had been killed.

OFF-DUTY TROOPER AND ARMED CITIZEN HAILED AS HEROES AFTER RETURNING FIRE ON IN-N-OUT GUNMAN

Thailand Health Minister Pattana Promphat indicated that 22 individuals were hurt with nine in critical condition. Some were hurt due to causes like falls, and it was unclear how many were gunshot victims.

Deputy Interior Minister Polapee Suwunchwee indicated to reporters that five teachers passed away and that the perpetrator took the lives of his two grandparents at home prior to heading to the school. He reported that the attacker died at a hospital.

FATHER WHO BOUGHT AR-15 FOR GEORGIA SCHOOL SHOOTER LEARNS FATE IN FIRST-OF-ITS-KIND CONVICTION

Trairong reported that the weapon was thought to have been taken from a member of the shooter's family.

The Associated Press contributed to this report

Former U.S. Marine Robert Gilman, who has been held in a Russian prison since 2022, could be close to death, advocacy groups representing his family warned Thursday.

They also say Gilman is being fed through a tube after falling into a catatonic-like state.

Hostage advocacy groups and Gilman's sister indicated the former service member may have been tortured and injected with mind-altering drugs before falling into a stupor in June, Reuters reported.

Eric Lebson, chief strategy officer of Global Reach, an advocacy group representing Gilman's family, told Fox News Digital that Gilman has been unable to eat on his own for more than six weeks.

US PILOT AND INFLUENCER RELEASED FROM CHILEAN ANTARCTIC DETENTION 2 MONTHS AFTER ALLEGED UNAUTHORIZED LANDING 

Gilman was transferred in late June from a prison hospital to the psychiatric ward of a civilian emergency hospital in Voronezh after entering what was assessed as a "dissociative stupor," Lebson said.

"For the past 46 days, he has been fed through a tube," Lebson added.

"The Russians have not been responsive," he said before adding that the Russians have also "not allowed his mother to see him, which raises our level of concern that something serious has now happened."

Lebson said the Russian hospital also barred his mother from visiting him despite a judicial order allowing her to see her son.

"She flew to Russia, and they are not allowing her to come and do what is needed to get him out of a stupor," Lebson said.

"His mother and lawyer have been prohibited from seeing him since he was moved to the civilian hospital 46 days ago."

NATIONAL GUARDSMAN ACCUSED OF SEEKING TO SEND PHOTOS OF SENSITIVE MILITARY TECHNOLOGY TO RUSSIA 

According to Lebson, the White House and the State Department have urged Moscow to release Gilman so he can receive urgent medical treatment in the United States.

"The State Department and the National Security Council have been very actively engaged in communication about the need for Robert to be released on an emergency basis," he clarified.

Another advocacy group following the case also expressed concern for Gilmam's safety.

"It doesn’t seem like he’s getting the care he needs, and we are very concerned for his life and safety," Elizabeth Richards, director of hostage advocacy and research at the Foley Foundation, which has tracked Gilman's case, told Reuters.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio raised Gilman's case with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov during a meeting in Manila July 23, according to Reuters.

Gilman is one of at least 10 Americans known to be imprisoned in Russia.

US AND QATAR SECURE RELEASE OF AMERICAN CITIZEN AMIR AMIRY FROM AFGHANISTAN DETENTION

"We are deeply concerned about Robert Gilman's health and continued detention," the State Department said in a statement.

"I am more afraid for my brother than I have been since this horrible nightmare started," Gilman's sister, Lexie Hudson, said in a statement.

"I'm worried that I may never see him again if the Russians don't release him. I'm worried that he could die."

As previously reported by Fox News Digital, Gilman, of Dracut, Massachusetts, was first arrested in January 2022 after fellow train passengers reported he was intoxicated and causing a disturbance while traveling from Sochi to Moscow to replace a damaged passport.

AMERICAN JOURNALIST AHMED SHIHAB-ELDIN ACQUITTED ON ALL CHARGES AFTER 52 DAYS DETAINED IN KUWAIT, FAMILY SAYS

He was convicted later that year of assaulting a police officer and sentenced to 3½ years in prison. Gilman later told the court he believed his drink had been spiked.

His legal troubles escalated while in custody after he was convicted in separate incidents involving altercations with prison staff and an investigator.

In December, Russian state media reported that a regional court extended Gilman's sentence, bringing his total prison term to 10 years.

Vladimir Gilman, Robert's father, previously said the family asked the State Department in March 2023 to designate his son as wrongfully detained, a status that would make securing his release a top U.S. government priority.

In a statement, a senior administration official told Fox News Digital that President Trump’s administration is "closely tracking Mr. Gilman’s case and has made repeated, concerted outreach to the Russians calling for his return to the United States."

Between 3,000 and 5,000 migrants remain in Ceuta after hordes of mostly military-aged men rushed into the Spanish enclave from Morocco late last month, Ceuta's president said Thursday.

While speaking from a video call during an extraordinary session of the European Parliament's Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs, Ceuta President Juan Jesus Vivas also revealed around 100 people died during the surge.

Authorities estimate roughly 80,000 migrants rushed into the territory within a 48-hour period in late July.

Vivas called the border crisis an "invasion" and "one of the most difficult moments in the recent history of our city."

"According to the Dictionary of the Royal Spanish Academy, an 'invasion' should be understood in its second definition as the abnormal or irregular occupation of a specific place," Vivas said, according to a Fox News Digital translation of his remarks, which he gave in Spanish.

AT LEAST 72 DEAD AMID MASS MIGRANT RUSH TO STORM SPANISH ENCLAVE OF CEUTA SPARKING BORDER CRISIS

"That is precisely what occurred on July 30 and 31, when approximately 80,000 people — equivalent to the entire population of Ceuta — stormed into our city. This characterization, moreover, aligns with the statement made by the President of the Government of Spain, who on Friday the 31st, during his visit to Ceuta, stated that we were facing an attack, a violation of Spain's territorial integrity," Vivas continued.

Echoing previous claims from Spain's leftist President Pedro Sánchez and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, Vivas acknowledged roughly 75,000 of the migrants had returned to Morocco but added "under no circumstances does it allow us to claim that our city has returned to normal."

"Ceuta has not returned to normal because between 3,000 and 5,000 people who entered during those fateful days of July 30 and 31 still remain," Vivas said. "The reception centers for adult and minor migrants are in a state of collapse, turning the influx into a major humanitarian emergency."

"Added to this are disruptions to public order and a high risk to public safety," he continued. "Furthermore, the morale of Ceuta's residents is severely affected. Our population feels sad, helpless, uneasy, fearful, and worried — and with good reason. It is inevitable to wonder whether this will happen again, and if that next time will be the definitive plunge into the abyss, causing us to cease being what we are: Spain and Europe. It has been exposed to the world that we are extraordinarily vulnerable, and that our security and integrity are in the hands of a third country, Morocco, which does not recognize our sovereignty."

He then proposed a set of actions authorities should take to return the city to normal. The proposals included expelling the remaining Moroccan migrants, provisioning more resources for the city's migrant facilities, and the implementation of a new economic model which he called on to be "More Spain and More Europe."

CEUTA MIGRANT SURGE EXPOSES SPAIN-MOROCCO TENSIONS AS ISLAMIST GROUPS REPORTEDLY SEEK TO EXPLOIT BORDER CRISIS

"We serve a society that has forged its character through courage to endure and the ability to overcome adversity. We are confident it will do so again, though I emphasize that the requested support from European authorities remains indispensable. Thank you very much," Vivas concluded.

Following the border rush between July 30-31, Sánchez called the incident "an attack, a violation of the territorial integrity of Spain."

Fox News Digital contacted the governments of Spain and Ceuta for additional comment.

U.S. Indo-Pacific Command vowed Thursday that the U.S. "remains committed to the defense of the U.S. homeland and our allies in the region" after North Korea test-fired a ballistic missile.

The launch of the short-range ballistic missile unfolded ahead of large-scale, annual exercises to be conducted by the U.S. and South Korean militaries later this month. South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff said a projectile from North Korea's eastern Wonsan area was detected around 5 p.m. local time.

"We are aware of the missile launch and are consulting closely with our allies and partners. Based on current assessments, this event does not pose an immediate threat to U.S. personnel or territory, or to our allies," U.S. Indo-Pacific Command said in a statement.

"The United States remains committed to the defense of the U.S. homeland and our allies in the region," it added.

RUSSIA DEPLOYS NORTH KOREA MISSILE UNIT TO UKRAINE; MOSCOW-PYONGYANG AXIS DEEPENS: REPORT

South Korea's military bolstered its surveillance posture and is closely coordinating with the U.S. and Japan in the wake of the event, according to South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff.

Japanese Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi said the missile landed in the waters off North Korea's east coast and that there were no reports that the weapon reached Japanese territory.

Koizumi added that North Korea's repeated missile launches pose a threat to Japan and the region and that Tokyo lodged a protest to Pyongyang through their embassies in Beijing. South Korea's presidential national security council called the North Korean launch "a provocation" that violates U.N. Security Council resolutions and urged the North to stop it.

It was North Korea's first ballistic missile launch since late June, when it tested a tactical ballistic missile with a "special mission" warhead and other weapons. After watching the testing activities, leader Kim Jong Un said at the time that the military needed to bolster its "deadly and destructive offensive posture."

CHINA, RUSSIA, IRAN AND NORTH KOREA FORM 'AXIS OF AGGRESSORS' THAT COULD OVERWHELM US, BOOK WARNS

South Korean and U.S. officials haven't yet released details about this year's Ulchi Freedom Shield joint exercise, but the drills are typically held in the latter half of August.

"This annual exercise aims to build understanding between Combined Forces Command, United States Forces Korea, the United Nations Command, and ROK Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS), ROK government agency, ensuring their ability to fortify the combined defense posture and enhance Alliance response capabilities against a spectrum of security threats," United States Forces Korea said about the exercises on its website.

"It will feature live, virtual, constructive and field-based training, engaging personnel from the various military services," it added.

U.S. and South Korean officials say the training is defensive in nature, but North Korea says the maneuvers are a practice invasion and often responds with missile tests, according to The Associated Press.

Fox News' Liz Friden and The Associated Press contributed to this report.