World News
Iran preparing imminent missile attack on Israel, US says
Iran is preparing to "imminently" launch a ballistic missile attack against Israel, a senior White House official told Fox News on Tuesday morning, following weeks of Israeli strikes against Tehran’s proxies in the region.
"The United States has indications that Iran is preparing to imminently launch a ballistic missile attack against Israel," the official said. "We are actively supporting defensive preparations to defend Israel against this attack. A direct military attack from Iran against Israel will carry severe consequences for Iran."
Another U.S. official told Fox News that Iran could launch its attack as soon as Tuesday afternoon, saying that the U.S. has seen additional movement of missiles in Iran to prepare for the now "imminent" attack.
The official added that Iran's attack could look like the one it launched in April against Israel, which had more than 300 ballistic missiles, cruise missiles and drones.
While the U.S. official did not know what the exact scope or size will be, the official said that Iran has been at a state of readiness to launch an attack on Israel within 12 to 24 hours since early August following the July 31st assassination of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran.
Iran already launched an unprecedented direct attack on Israel in April, though the regime’s proxies, Hamas in Gaza and Hezbollah in Lebanon, have traded attacks with Israel since the Israel-Hamas war began on Oct. 7.
On Tuesday, Israel was beginning a limited ground invasion into southern Lebanon against Hezbollah targets. Hezbollah, the most powerful armed group in the Middle East, has been reeling from weeks of targeted strikes that killed its leader, Hassan Nasrallah, and several of his top commanders.
Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei called Nasrallah "the flag-bearer of resistance" in the region.
"The blood of the martyr shall not go unavenged," Khamenei said after Nasrallah was killed late last week in Beirut, Lebanon, by an Israeli airstrike, according to Reuters.
Three U.S. Navy destroyers are positioned in the Mediterranean Sea, an aircraft carrier in the Gulf of Oman and fighter jets arrayed throughout the region to assist Israel in the event of an attack from Iran. All are capable of shooting down incoming missiles.
Meanwhile, the U.S. State Department announced Tuesday that sanctions are being imposed on two Israelis and a "violent extremist group" in the West Bank as Iran threatens to strike the Jewish State.
Fox News’ Nicolas Rojas and Greg Norman, along with The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Archaeologists discover 5,000-year-old ancient community in Morocco
A farming society dating back thousands of years was discovered in Morocco, in an archaeological site that spent many years unexplored.
The archaeological site of Oued Beht in Morocco was first uncovered in the 1930s, according to a study published on July 31, 2024, in the journal "Antiquity."
After the site was first discovered, it spent many years mostly untouched.
MOM, SON DIG UP ANCIENT OBJECT OFTEN FOUND NEAR BURIAL GROUNDS WHILE GARDENING
In 2021, new fieldwork commenced, conducted by the British-Italian-Moroccan Oued Beht Archaeological Project (OBAP). The findings presented strong evidence that the area was once used for farming.
Carbon dating of charcoal and seeds that were removed during excavations, mostly from deep pits, dated the site back to 3400 B.C. to 2900 B.C., per the study.
The site is "currently the earliest and largest agricultural complex in Africa beyond the Nile corridor," the study noted.
ARCHAEOLOGISTS FIND SEVERAL ROCK CARVINGS OF ANCIENT BOARD GAME DATING BACK 4,000 YEARS
Before this fieldwork, little was known about the people who lived in this area during the time period.
"For over 30 years I have been convinced that Mediterranean archaeology has been missing something fundamental in later prehistoric North Africa," Cyprian Broodbank, of the University of Cambridge and a leader in the research, said, per Morocco World News. "Now, at last, we know that was right, and we can begin to think in new ways that acknowledge the dynamic contribution of Africans to the emergence and interactions of early Mediterranean societies."
Out of the archaeological site came pottery, chipped stone, axes and microlithics (stone tools), according to the published study. Additionally, there were several "bell-shaped" pits discovered in the excavation as well as the remains of sheep, cattle and pigs.
There are strong commonalities with this particular site and ones aged similarly in Iberia, with numerous finds of African ivory and ostrich eggshells being uncovered, per the study, which has been an indication of the Iberians' connection to Africa.
"For more than a century, the last great unknown of later Mediterranean prehistory has been the role played by the societies of Mediterranean's southern Africa shores west of Egypt," the authors said of their recent findings, according to a press release, per Newsweek. "Our discoveries prove that this gap has been due not to any lack of major prehistoric activity, but to the relative lack of investigation and publishing. Oued Beht now affirms the central role of the Maghreb in the emergence of both Mediterranean and wider African societies."
Thailand school bus bursts into flames outside Bangkok, 23 feared dead, officials say
Nearly two dozen students and teachers in Thailand are feared dead after a school bus was engulfed in flames on Tuesday while traveling for a field trip on Tuesday, officials said.
The bus was traveling from central Uthai Thani province to Ayutthaya and Nonthaburi provinces when the fire occurred on the outskirts of the capital Bangkok, Transport Minister Suriya Juangroongruangkit told reporters at the scene.
Images captured at the scene show the flames engulfing the scorched bus as plumes of black smoke billowed into the air.
"Teachers told us that the fire ignited very quickly," acting police chief Kittirat Phanphet told reporters. "From speaking to witnesses, we believe the explosion was caused by a spark from the tire that lit the gas cylinder that was powering the vehicle."
LOS ANGELES BUS HIJACKED AFTER ON-BOARD FATAL SHOOTING, SPARKING WILD POLICE CHASE
He added that some students escaped through windows as the fire burned.
Piyalak Thinkaew, a rescuer of the Ruamkatanyu Foundation, told reporters that 23 passengers – three teachers and 20 students – onboard the bus were missing and feared dead. It was earlier believed that 25 were feared dead, but Thinkaew said that two more survivors had been found.
The students on the bus were reported to be in elementary and junior high school.
THAILAND LEGALIZES SAME-SEX MARRIAGE, ALLOWS COUPLES TO WED STARTING IN JANUARY
Juangroongruangkit said 16 students and three teachers were hospitalized and receiving treatment. Their conditions were unclear.
Phanphet said that an investigation is underway.
Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra offered her condolences in a post on social media platform X, saying the government would take care of medical expenses and compensate the victims’ families.
"As a mother, I would like to express my deepest condolences to the families," she wrote.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Hezbollah terrorists engaged in sex slavery, rape, mass murder of Syrians
JERUSALEM—Photos of Syrians celebrating the assassination of Hezbollah terrorist leader Hassan Nasrallah last week put the spotlight on the brutal activities of the terror group's role in sex slavery, mass starvation and kidnappings in the Syrian civil war which led to the deaths of over half a million Syrians.
Walid Phares, a leading expert on Hezbollah and Lebanon, told Fox News Digital that Hezbollah has "committed ethnic cleansing" in Syria. He said Hezbollah "was behind the uprooting of millions of Syrians, of all communities, mainly Sunni. They have perpetrated rape. They have perpetrated mass sexual abuse, including keeping sexual slaves."
Israel’s targeted assassination of Nasrallah last weekend has prompted greater interest in the inner workings of the Shiite terrorist organization that is widely considered the de facto ruler over Lebanon.
IRAN OFFICIAL ADMITS COUNTRY’S ROLE IN TERROR BOMBING THAT KILLED 241 US MILITARY MEMBERS: REPORT
The Iranian-backed Hezbollah terrorist entity is mainly known in America for bombing the U.S. Embassy in Beirut, which killed 63 people in 1983, and the Marine barracks bombing in Beirut also in 1983, resulting in the murders of 241 U.S. military personnel.
A new investigative video series by the Center for Peace Communications (CPC) shines a rare light on the U.S.-designated terrorist movement Hezbollah’s role in sexual slavery, rape and mass murder. The shocking expose about Hezbollah’s enslavement of a Syrian woman aired days after Israel reportedly launched devastating explosions of pagers held by thousands of Hezbollah terrorists across Lebanon in September.
CPC President Joseph Braude told Fox News Digital "Hezbollah’s war on Israel obscures its larger war to subjugate much of the region — as a tyrant in Lebanon, an occupier in Syria, a mafia of sex and drug trafficking, and the nerve center of Iran’s Arab empire. Millions of Arabs whose lives have been shattered by the militia want a different future. Hezbollah does not want the world to hear their voices."
CPC's previous series, called "Whispered in Gaza," which was viewed over 20 million times, led to a Fatwa being issued against Hamas by Iraqi and Pakistani clerics. It was used by Gaza anti-Hamas activists during the July 2023 street protests against the terror organization's rule.
He added "'Hezbollah’s Hostages,' an eight-part series produced by the Center for Peace Communications and presented by The Free Press, features the actual recorded testimony of Lebanese and Syrian civilians in Hezbollah’s grip. To protect their identities and honor their lives, each recorded interview is accompanied visually by creative images and animation."
One video depicts the kidnapping and sexual enslavement of Alya, a married 20-year-old woman from the northern Syrian city of Raqqa. She reveals how Yusuf, a member of Hezbollah, "stalked" her for months and eventually took her hostage.
Hezbollah took the side of the Syrian dictator Bashar Assad after civilians launched a protest movement in 2011 to secure democracy in the highly repressive nation.
Hezbollah terrorists aided Assad in his scorched-earth campaign to wipe out opposition to his regime, resulting in the killing of over 500,000 people. Syria is now a fragmented and war-ravaged country.
HEZBOLLAH BIGGER CHALLENGE THAN HAMAS TO ISRAEL: ‘CROWN JEWEL IN THE IRANIAN EMPIRE OF TERROR’
Hezbollah’s ally, the Sunni terrorist movement Hamas, engaged in rapes and sustained sexual assaults of Israeli women and men after the jihadi terrorist organization invaded Israel on Oct. 7.
Hezbollah joined Hamas’ war against Israel on Oct. 8 when it launched rockets into northern Israel. Hamas slaughtered nearly 1,200 people on Oct. 7, including over 30 Americans.
The fundamental corruption and mafia-style criminality of Hezbollah’s global organization has been examined by Matthew Levitt, the director of the Reinhard Program on Counterterrorism and Intelligence at The Washington Institute.
He published a 2018 report on "Hezbollah's Corruption Crisis Runs Deep." Levitt noted that "some prominent figures in Hezbollah are involved in horrific criminal enterprises, including trafficking in sex and human beings." He cited the example of Hezbollah official Ali Hussein Zeaiter, who according to media reports, was linked to "a large prostitution network, mainly employing Syrian women."
Hezbollah’s criminal enterprise and terrorism continue to impact Americans.
HOW LEBANON'S HEZBOLLAH GROUP BECAME A CRITICAL PLAYER IN THE ISRAEL-HAMAS WAR
Zoya Fakhoury, executive director of the Amer Foundation, told Fox News Digital that "Hezbollah is a proxy group of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps that has the blood of thousands of innocent individuals, including American citizens, on their hands. The death of Hassan Nasrallah is a significant step towards accountability for many individuals but particularly for my family. My father, Amer Fakhoury, was a former U.S. hostage unlawfully detained under direct orders from Hassan Nasrallah."
She continued, "He was used a political pawn by Hezbollah and died because of the torture he faced in Lebanon. We hope to see the Lebanese government take this opportunity of the dismantling of Hezbollah to free Lebanon from the occupation of the Islamic Republic and work towards a path of peace."
In August, Fox News Digital reported the new book by Fakhoury’s four daughters covering a first-hand account of his detainment and the harrowing rescue operation to bring him back home to the United States in their book, "Silenced in Beirut: American Businessman Amer Fakhour’s Six-Month Ordeal as a Hostage In Lebanon."
Walid Phares, a leading expert on Hezbollah and Lebanon, told Fox News Digital that Hezbollah has "committed ethnic cleansing" in Syria. He said Hezbollah "was behind the uprooting of millions of Syrians, of all communities, mainly Sunni. They have perpetrated rape. They have perpetrated mass sexual abuse, including keeping sexual slaves."
Phares, who has advised U.S. presidential candidates on Mideast foreign policy, said the Hezbollah jihadis defend their hostage taking of women as under Islamist Sharia law that they can take women from the "enemy camp."
ISRAEL DEGRADES IRAN-BACKED HEZBOLLAH TERRORISTS IN SPECTACULAR PAGER EXPLOSION OPERATION: EXPERTS
He said there is no doubt that if Hezbollah captured Israeli women, they would treat them the same way as the enslaved Syrian women. Phares added that if Hezbollah captured a kibbutz, village or town in Israel, one "can expect that they will kill the males and the capture the women. Some would be raped and killed and other Israeli women would be kept by Hezbollah."
Hezbollah is not different from the Islamic state in applying jihadi ideology, said Phares. Hezbollah "is a global threat. Look at how they treat their own women and how they separate them and organize them in the service of jihadists."
Braude said that "'Hezbollah’s Hostages' debuted on Sept. 16, one day before pagers exploded across Lebanon. A new episode debuts every Monday through Nov. 4. In forthcoming episodes, we will probe the Hezbollah stronghold of Dahiyeh, just outside Beirut, with help from Shi’ite civilians who live there."
He added "Dahiyeh is the shadow capital of Lebanon — home of Hezbollah’s intelligence apparatus, politburo, and prisons — as well as the central node to all Iran’s proxies in the region, from the Houthis of Yemen to Iraq’s militias to Palestinian Islamic Jihad and Hamas. Yet the same landscape is also home to some of Hezbollah’s many opponents – and in later episodes, we meet them too: Shiite veterans of the countrywide 2019 street protests, who dared to demand a different future; civic activists striving to end the war on Israel, liberate young minds, and restore the rule of law in Lebanon."
Fox News' Ashley Carnahan contributed to this report.
Israeli ministers frustrated over US, IDF leak on Lebanon operation: Report
Ministers in Israel’s Political-Security Cabinet in the early hours of Tuesday morning local time agreed on an operational strategy for Israel’s "limited" invasion into Lebanon, but tensions were high after officials were reportedly frustrated that the news of the operation had been leaked hours before they even met.
An unnamed U.S. security official confirmed to Fox News and other outlets Monday morning that a "limited" invasion into Lebanon was imminent. And when questioned by reporters on it later, President Biden appeared to confirm the claims and said, "I'm more aware than you might know."
But when asked if he was comfortable with the operational plans, he said, "I'm comfortable with them stopping. We should have a cease-fire now."
Similarly, during a U.S. State Department briefing later in the day, spokesman Matthew Miller told reporters, "They have been informing us about a number of operations."
"They have, at this time, told us that those are limited operations focused on Hezbollah infrastructure near the border. But we're in continuous conversations with them about it," he added.
It is unclear if Miller was speaking about future operations or ongoing operations as reports surfaced earlier on Monday suggesting that Israeli special forces had been engaging in cross-border raids for months.
Fox News Digital could not confirm which Israeli ministers were frustrated and specifically who in the U.S. their ire was directed at.
But it wasn’t only U.S. officials the Israeli ministers were reportedly frustrated with, according to local media outlet YNET News.
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) were also a source of exasperation after a spokesperson for the IDF reportedly referenced the operation ahead of the minister’s debate, though local reporting appeared to have been updated following requests by IDF spokesman Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari, who called on outlets not to report on "rumors."
ISRAEL'S GROUND INVASION INTO LEBANON IMMINENT AS CABINET APPROVES NEXT PHASE OF THE WAR
"In recent hours there have been many reports and rumors about IDF activity on the Lebanese border. We ask that no reports be circulated about the activities of the forces," Hagari said on X ahead of the ministerial meeting.
"Stick to the official reports only and do not spread irresponsible rumors," he added.
However, following the meeting, the IDF released a statement confirming that the IDF had begun "limited, localized, and targeted ground raids based on precise intelligence against Hezbollah terrorist targets and infrastructure in southern Lebanon."
"These targets are located in villages close to the border and pose an immediate threat to Israeli communities in northern Israel," the IDF added.
Sources told Fox News earlier on Monday that the operation was set to be "limited" in scope and would be quicker than the 2006 operation Israel conducted in Lebanon, which lasted 34 days and saw some 1,191 deaths and 4,409 injured, a third of which were women and children. Israel also reported that 43 civilians were killed and 997 were injured.
Axios previously reported that Israel did not give the U.S. advance notice on the exploding beepers operation, reporting, Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant called Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin as the pagers started to explode in Lebanon. Following the assassination of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah on Friday, Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin told reporters, "The United States was not involved in Israel’s operation," noting there was "no advance warning" from the Israelis.
The State Department did not immediately return Fox News Digital’s request for comment.
Israel launches limited ground operations in Lebanon as war against Hezbollah, terrorist groups continue
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) began a limited, localized ground operation targeting Iran-backed terrorist group Hezbollah on Monday evening, marking a new chapter in the Israel-Hamas war.
The developments came in the wake of the IDF's successful attacks against Hezbollah, killing several of the organization's key figures over the weekend.
Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah was one of the most notable fatalities. The Israeli military also confirmed that Nabil Kaouk, the deputy head of Hezbollah’s Central Council, was eliminated by IDF forces.
Shortly before Monday's operation, the IDF imposed a closed military zone on northern Israeli border communities including Metula, Misgav Am, and Kfar Giladi.
BIDEN SAYS HE WILL TALK TO NETANYAHU AS ISRAEL PUMMELS SUNNI TERROR TARGETS IN BEIRUT
The incursion began after the Israeli military launched airstrikes on central Beirut on Sunday, marking the first time in the year-long war that the central part of the Lebanese capital was targeted.
The IDF previously aimed towards south Beirut, which is a stronghold for Hezbollah. On Sunday, it targeted Sunni terrorist group Al-Jamāʻah al-islāmīyah.
On Monday afternoon, President Biden expressed disapproval over the IDF's imminent ground operations.
"I’m more aware [of Israel's plan] than you might know, and I’m comfortable with them stopping," Biden told reporters before the incursion started.
"We should have a ceasefire now."
Earlier on Monday, the IDF issued an ominous warning to Hezbollah in an X post.
"A surface-to-air missile launcher storage facility that Hezbollah had positioned approx. 1.5 km from Beirut’s international airport was dismantled in a precise IDF strike," the Israeli military announced. "This infrastructure poses a threat to both the Lebanese and international airspace."
"The IDF will continue to degrade Hezbollah's military capabilities in Lebanon."
Russian fighter jet intercepted near Alaska by NORAD forces after ‘unsafe, unprofessional’ interaction
In a video released Monday by the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD), a tense moment was depicted after a Russian fighter jet flew dangerously close to a NORAD aircraft over the Alaska Air Defense Identification Zone (ADIZ).
According to a statement sent to Fox News Digital by NORAD, the "unprofessional air maneuver directed at our NORAD F-16" occurred while it "was conducting a routine professional intercept of a Russian Tu-95 aircraft" on Sept. 23.
NORAD, in a recent statement, noted that an "ADIZ begins where sovereign airspace ends and is a defined stretch of international airspace that requires the ready identification of all aircraft in the interest of national security."
RUSSIAN AIRCRAFT DETECTED, MONITORED FLYING THROUGH AIR ZONE CLOSE TO U.S.: NORAD
The video shows the moment when the F-16 was approaching the Russian Tu-95 aircraft before a Russian Su-35 whipped directly in front of the NORAD fighter jet, apparently taking it by surprise.
Commander of the North American Defense Command and the U.S. Northern Command, Gen. Gregory Guillot, condemned the dangerous behavior and said, "NORAD aircraft flew a safe and disciplined intercept of Russian Military Aircraft in the Alaska ADIZ. The conduct of one Russian Su-35 was unsafe, unprofessional, and endangered all – not what you’d see in a professional air force."
BIDEN PLEDGES $8 BILLION TO UKRAINE FOLLOWING PUTIN'S PROPOSED CHANGES TO NUCLEAR RULES
NORAD, which comprises U.S. and Canadian forces under a joint command, had previously announced the presence of four Russian aircraft over the Alaska Air Defense Identification Zone (ADIZ) on Sept. 23, 2024.
Though the initial release did not include footage or details of the dangerous incident, it noted that none of the Russian aircraft entered American or Canadian sovereign airspace.
"This Russian activity in the Alaska ADIZ occurs regularly and is not seen as a threat," stated the release.
Flooding, landslides kill nearly 200 in Nepal
The number of people killed in Nepal by flooding and landslides triggered by heavy rainfall over the weekend reached 193 while recovery and rescue work stepped up on Monday.
Many of the deaths were in the capital, Kathmandu, which got heavy rainfall, and much of southern part of the city was flooded. Police said in a statement that 31 people were still reported missing and 96 people were injured across the Himalayan nation.
A landslide killed three dozen people on a blocked highway about 10 miles from Kathmandu. The landslide buried at least three buses and other vehicles where people were sleeping because the highway was blocked.
Kathmandu had remained cut off all weekend as the three highways out of the city were blocked by landslides. Workers were able to temporarily open up the key Prithvi highway, removing rocks, mud and trees that had been washed from the mountains.
The home minister announced temporary shelters would be built for people who lost their homes and monetary help would be available for the families of those killed and to the people who were injured by the flooding and landslides.
Prime Minister Khadga Prasad Oli was returning home Monday from attending the U.N. General Assembly meeting and has called an emergency meeting, his office said.
Improved weather has allowed rescue and recovery work to be stepped up.
Residents in the southern part of Kathmandu, which was inundated on Saturday, were cleaning up houses as water levels began to recede. At least 34 people were killed in Kathmandu, which was the hardest hit by flooding.
Police and soldiers were assisting with rescue efforts, while heavy equipment was used to clear the landslides from the roads. The government announced it was closing schools and colleges across Nepal for the next three days.
The monsoon season began in June and usually ends by mid-September.
Meanwhile, in northern Bangladesh, about 60,000 people were affected by flooding in low-lying areas because of rains and rising water from upstream India.
People have taken shelter on roads and flood protection embankments in Lalmonirhat and Kurigram districts, the English-language Daily Star reported.
The River Teesta that crosses the border was overflowing at some points and the Dharala and Dudhkumar rivers in the Rangpur region were rising but remained below danger levels, the Dhaka-based Flood Forecasting and Warning Center said Monday. Waters could start receding in a day or two, it said.
Bangladesh is a low-lying delta nation crisscrossed by about 230 rivers, including more than 50 that cross borders.
Death toll rises to 18 in South Africa mass shootings, police say
One more person has died from mass shootings at two houses on the same street in a South African village over the weekend, bringing the death toll to 18, officials said Monday.
Police are still searching for the assailants who opened fire Saturday on people who had reportedly gathered for a family event in Lusikisiki village in Eastern Cape province.
The shootings, which took place in two separate houses on the same street, fueled outrage over a recent spate of mass shootings in the country.
MISSING NORTH CAROLINA STUDENT BROOK CHEUVRONT, 20, FOUND DEAD IN SOUTH AFRICA
The motive for the killings remains unknown and police said on Monday that the investigation is continuing, and no arrests have been made.
South African President Cyril Ramaphosa condemned the killings and promised that the government would deploy all needed resources in the investigation.
He said Monday that 38 people had been killed in previous mass shootings in the past two years and 25 suspects have been arrested.
"I feel deeply for all the families and members of the broader community affected by this attack, and on behalf of all of us as South Africans, I offer you our deepest sympathies," he said.
"While we are united in our grief, we are also united in our outrage and condemnation of this excessive criminal assault which will not go unpunished," he said.
The shootings follow a mass killing in KwaZulu-Natal province in April 2023. Ten members of the same family, including seven women and a 13-year-old boy, were killed at their home.
Sixteen people were fatally shot in a bar in the Johannesburg township of Soweto in 2022, the worst mass shooting in South Africa in decades before the latest killings in Lusikisiki.
South Africa has one of the highest homicide rates in the world. It recorded 12,734 homicides in the first six months of this year, according to police.
Israel's ground invasion into Lebanon imminent as cabinet approves next phase of the war
The international community is bracing for Israel's imminent invasion into southern Lebanon, as troops from the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) are expected to step foot into the country on Tuesday morning.
A senior U.S. official confirmed the invasion plans to Fox News on Monday. It is believed that the ground campaign will be smaller in scale than the 2006 operation Israel conducted in its war with Hezbollah, and is also expected to last a shorter period of time.
The ministers of Israel's political security cabinet approved the next phase of the operation in Lebanon, according to the Jerusalem Post, but it is unclear when the incursion will begin. Israel launched strikes into Lebanon on Monday night into Tuesday morning, but the ground invasion had not begun as of 1:30 a.m. local time.
Following the confirmation of an imminent Israeli invasion on Monday afternoon, the Pentagon told reporters that it is sending a "few thousand" more troops to the Middle East to augment U.S. forces already there on heightened alert – just one day after President Biden said he would not deploy more troops to the region.
PENTAGON SENDS MORE TROOPS TO THE MIDDLE EAST AMID CONFLICT
Pentagon Deputy Press Secretary Sabrina Singh told reporters the increased presence will come from new troop deployments as well as by extending the deployment of fighter jet squadrons previously set to be replaced.
The fighter jet squadrons of F-15 Strike Eagles, F-16, A-10 and F-22 fighter jets will now remain in the Middle East, though the Pentagon did not detail for how long.
Singh said the increased force presence is not in support of a potential evacuation.
"They are there for the protection of U.S. forces, and they are there, should they be needed, for the defense of Israel," she added.
Israel’s top commander on Monday once again hinted that Jerusalem was readying its troops for a campaign in southern Lebanon.
"In order to ensure the return of Israel’s northern communities, we will employ all of our capabilities, and this includes you," Defense Minister Yoav Gallant told soldiers in the Israel Defense Force positioned on the border with Lebanon.
Gallant told the troops that the Friday killing of Hezbollah’s top leader Hassan Nasrallah, who led the terrorist organization for more than 30 years, was "an important step, but it is not the final one."
"We trust you to accomplish every mission at hand," Gallant added.
The world first braced for an Israeli invasion into Lebanon last week when Israeli security officials moved reservist forces to the north and advised troops there to be "prepared."
Though no official order for a ground invasion has been given by Jerusalem, Israel has over the last week carried out a significant aerial campaign against Hezbollah strongholds in southern Lebanon, as well as targeted strikes in Beirut.
Biden on Monday responded to questions by reporters regarding the "limited" invasion and said, "I'm more aware than you might know."
When asked if he was comfortable with the operational plans, he said, "I'm comfortable with them stopping. We should have a ceasefire now."
Special forces have also allegedly been carrying out small raids in southern Lebanon over the "past months" using tunnels constructed by Hezbollah but seized by Israel during Operation Northern Shield, which began in 2018.
The tunnels, which were made with the backing of Iran and assistance from North Korea, connect southern Lebanon to northern Israel.
BIDEN SAYS HE WILL TALK TO NETANYAHU AS ISRAEL PUMMELS SUNNI TERROR TARGETS IN BEIRUT
According to a report by the Wall Street Journal on Monday, unnamed sources said these "targeted" raids have been carried out in order to collect intelligence on Hezbollah as well as to damage the group’s ability to attack Israel.
Israeli officials have said the intended goal of these increased attacks against the terrorist group, is to ensure the safe return of some 60,000 residents who have fled the northern border out of concern that an Oct. 7-style attack could be repeated.
As fighting in the area has increased and the ambiguity surrounding what Hezbollah and Iran’s response could be to the killing of Nasrallah, it remains unclear when Jerusalem believes these residents will be able to actually return to their homes.
"Our goal is to ensure the [safe] return of Israel’s northern communities to their homes," Gallant told Israeli troops on Monday, according to a statement provided to Fox News Digital by the Israeli Ministry of Defense. "We are prepared to make every effort necessary to accomplish this mission.
"We will use all the means that may be required – your forces, other forces, from the air, from the sea, and on land," he added. "Good luck."
Israel will launch 'limited' ground invasion in Lebanon 'imminently' US official says
Israel will launch a "limited" ground invasion into southern Lebanon in the imminent future, a senior U.S. official told Fox News on Monday.
While set details on the invasion remain unclear, the official confirmed this campaign will be smaller in scale than the 2006 operation Israel conducted in its war with Hezbollah, and it is expected to last a shorter period of time.
The news comes as Israel’s top commander on Monday once again hinted that Jerusalem is readying its troops for such a campaign in southern Lebanon.
"In order to ensure the return of Israel’s northern communities, we will employ all of our capabilities, and this includes you," Defense Minister Yoav Gallant told soldiers in the Israel Defense Force positioned on the border with Lebanon.
Gallant told the troops that the Friday killing of Hezbollah’s top leader Hassan Nasrallah, who led the terrorist organization for more than 30 years, was "an important step, but it is not the final one."
"We trust you to accomplish every mission at hand," Gallant added.
The world first braced for an Israeli invasion into Lebanon last week when Israeli security officials moved reservist forces to the north and advised troops there to be "prepared."
Though no official order for a ground invasion has been given by Jerusalem, Israel has over the last week carried out a significant aerial campaign against Hezbollah strongholds in southern Lebanon, as well as targeted strikes in Beirut.
President Biden on Monday responded to questions by reporters regarding the "limited" invasion and said, "I'm more aware than you might know."
When asked if he was comfortable with the operational plans, he said, "I'm comfortable with them stopping. We should have a ceasefire now."
Special forces have also allegedly been carrying out small raids in southern Lebanon over the "past months" using tunnels constructed by Hezbollah but seized by Israel during Operation Northern Shield, which began in 2018.
The tunnels, which were made with the backing of Iran and assistance from North Korea, connect southern Lebanon to northern Israel.
BIDEN SAYS HE WILL TALK TO NETANYAHU AS ISRAEL PUMMELS SUNNI TERROR TARGETS IN BEIRUT
According to a report by the Wall Street Journal on Monday, unnamed sources said these "targeted" raids have been carried out in order to collect intelligence on Hezbollah as well as to damage the group’s ability to attack Israel.
Israeli officials have said the intended goal of these increased attacks against the terrorist group, is to ensure the safe return of some 60,000 residents who have fled the northern border out of concern that an Oct. 7-style attack could be repeated.
As fighting in the area has increased and the ambiguity surrounding what Hezbollah and Iran’s response could be to the killing of Nasrallah, it remains unclear when Jerusalem believes these residents will be able to actually return to their homes.
"Our goal is to ensure the [safe] return of Israel’s northern communities to their homes," Gallant told Israeli troops on Monday, according to a statement provided to Fox News Digital by the Israeli Ministry of Defense. "We are prepared to make every effort necessary to accomplish this mission.
"We will use all the means that may be required – your forces, other forces, from the air, from the sea, and on land," he added. "Good luck."
Israel will launch 'limited' ground invasion in Lebanon 'imminently' US official says
Israel will launch a "limited" ground invasion into southern Lebanon in the "imminent" future, a senior U.S. official told Fox News on Monday.
While set details on the invasion remain unclear, the official confirmed this campaign will be smaller in scale than the 2006 operation Israel conducted in its war with Hezbollah, and it is expected to last a shorter period of time.
The news comes as Israel’s top commander on Monday once again hinted that Jerusalem is readying its troops for such a campaign in southern Lebanon.
"In order to ensure the return of Israel’s northern communities, we will employ all of our capabilities, and this includes you," Defense Minister Yoav Gallant told soldiers in the Israel Defense Force positioned on the border with Lebanon.
Gallant told the troops that the Friday killing of Hezbollah’s top leader Hassan Nasrallah, who led the terrorist organization for more than 30 years, was "an important step, but it is not the final one."
"We trust you to accomplish every mission at hand," Gallant added.
The world first braced for an Israeli invasion into Lebanon last week when Israeli security officials moved reservist forces to the north and advised troops there to be "prepared."
Though no official order for a ground invasion has been given by Jerusalem, Israel has over the last week carried out a significant aerial campaign against Hezbollah strongholds in southern Lebanon, as well as targeted strikes in Beirut.
Special forces have also allegedly been carrying out small raids in southern Lebanon over the "past months" using tunnels constructed by Hezbollah but seized by Israel during Operation Northern Shield, which began in 2018.
The tunnels, which were made with the backing of Iran and assistance from North Korea, connect southern Lebanon to northern Israel.
BIDEN SAYS HE WILL TALK TO NETANYAHU AS ISRAEL PUMMELS SUNNI TERROR TARGETS IN BEIRUT
According to a report by the Wall Street Journal on Monday, unnamed sources said these "targeted" raids have been carried out in order to collect intelligence on Hezbollah as well as to damage the group’s ability to attack Israel.
Israeli officials have said the intended goal of these increased attacks against the terrorist group, is to ensure the safe return of some 60,000 residents who have fled the northern border out of concern that an Oct. 7-style attack could be repeated.
As fighting in the area has increased and the ambiguity surrounding what Hezbollah and Iran’s response could be to the killing of Nasrallah, it remains unclear when Jerusalem believes these residents will be able to actually return to their homes.
"Our goal is to ensure the [safe] return of Israel’s northern communities to their homes," Gallant told Israeli troops on Monday, according to a statement provided to Fox News Digital by the Israeli Ministry of Defense. "We are prepared to make every effort necessary to accomplish this mission.
"We will use all the means that may be required – your forces, other forces, from the air, from the sea, and on land," he added. "Good luck."
Hezbollah says it will choose Nasrallah's successor 'at the earliest opportunity'
Hezbollah’s second-in-command following the death of leader Hassan Nasrallah signaled Monday that the terrorist group is set to reveal its new leader soon, saying it will choose his successor "at the earliest opportunity."
Naim Qassem made the remark during the first televised speech from a Hezbollah official after Nasrallah was killed by an Israeli airstrike in Lebanon’s capital of Beirut on Friday, according to Reuters.
"We will choose a secretary-general for the party at the earliest opportunity... and we will fill the leadership and positions on a permanent basis," Qassem said while speaking in front of a trio of wooden panels from an undisclosed location.
Qassem reportedly added that Hezbollah is continuing to fire rockets at Israel and that "What we are doing is the bare minimum... We know that the battle may be long."
ISRAELI MILITARY SAYS HEZBOLLAH LEADER HASSAN NASRALLAH KILLED IN BEIRUT STRIKE
"Israel was not able to reach our military capabilities, and what its media says about hitting most of the medium and long-range capabilities is a dream they have not achieved and will never achieve," Qassem was quoted by Reuters as saying regarding the terrorist group’s rockets.
He added that Hezbollah is ready to fight back against any Israeli ground operation in Lebanon.
"We will face any possibility and we are ready if the Israelis decide to enter by land and the resistance forces are ready for a ground engagement," Qassem reportedly said.
The Israeli Defense Forces confirmed that Nasrallah died in a strike against the group’s headquarters in Lebanon on Friday.
"The IDF announces that yesterday (Friday), September 27th, 2024, Hassan Nasrallah, the leader of the Hezbollah terrorist organization and one of its founders, was eliminated by the IDF, together with Ali Karki, the Commander of Hezbollah’s Southern Front, and additional Hezbollah commanders," the IDF said in a statement.
"Following precise intelligence from the IDF and Israeli security establishment, IAF fighter jets conducted a targeted strike on the Central Headquarters of the Hezbollah terrorist organization, which was located underground embedded under a residential building in the area of Dahieh in Beirut," the statement added. "The strike was conducted while Hezbollah’s senior chain of command were operating from the headquarters and advancing terrorist activities against the citizens of the State of Israel."
Fox News’ Peter Aitken contributed to this report.
European leaders weigh in on 'legitimate' issue of illegal immigration: 'Must be stopped'
UNITED NATIONS, New York – European officials attending the United Nations' High-level Week told Fox News Digital about the need to clamp down on illegal or "irregular" immigration, touting success with stringent policies as members of the bloc continue seeking deals to secure the continent.
"There are a lot of agreements with the countries in North Africa for reducing illegal immigration," Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani explained. "We are in favor of legal immigration, but the agreement with this is the key for reducing the illegal immigration."
"We are fighting against crime because the human traffickers are the same trafficking drugs and weapons," he added. "For this, we need to fight against crime. To beat the crime, it is also a very important instrument for reducing illegal immigration."
Europe experiences a significant level of migration from North Africa and parts of the Middle East, which culminated in a refugee crisis between 2015 and 2016 that saw countries such as Germany struggle to handle the level of incoming immigration.
Last year saw another spike, with the European Union Agency for Asylum determining that October 2023 saw its biggest spike in seven years and comparing it to the levels seen during the previous refugee crisis.
To combat this, countries have enacted localized immigration policies while the European Union worked out deals with countries such as Tunisia, Libya, Syria and Afghanistan. The Russian invasion of Ukraine added to this pressure by displacing roughly 4.4 million people who sought refuge in neighboring countries.
Germany and Italy received the most applications for asylum seekers – about 930,000 asylum seekers await a first instance decision by the end of May 2024. Italy’s right-wing government introduced a raft of immigration reforms to deal with the influx, including an 18-month detention period and new centers to house asylum seekers.
The island of Lampedusa, Italy’s southernmost island, receives thousands of migrants every month from Tunisia. New processing centers struggle to keep up with the demand, with one worker last year calling the situation "complex."
No one understands the complexity of the immigration issue better than Hungary, which remains locked in a legal dispute over its own policies: The European Court of Justice in June ordered Hungary to pay a fine of up to 200 million euros for breaking the bloc’s asylum rules, and an additional 1 million euros per day.
Hungary also this month started exploring legal options to force the EU executive commission to pay costs spent on helping enforce the Schengen (or free-movement) zone of the European Union.
Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto argued that his country's approach has faced backlash since the ruling Fidesz party took power 14 years ago, arguing that Brussels ultimately seeks migration in comparison to the various countries that make up the bloc.
"We totally differ with Brussels, and we don’t have the intention to satisfy Brussels, to be honest," Szijjarto said. "We don’t have the intention to satisfy the liberal mainstream. We have only one intention: To satisfy the Hungarian people."
HUNGARIAN FM RECALLS STRONG TRUMP ADMIN ‘EXPERIENCE,' CLAIMS ‘OUR HOPE IS ALL’ ON FORMER PRESIDENT
"I do believe that Brussels and some of the member states of the European Union and some European politicians, even in the recent past, have a very clear responsibility when it comes to the migratory crisis, because Brussels has been carrying out a pro-migration policy, and it is absolutely intractable if you look at how they speak about this whole phenomenon," Szijjarto said.
"They say that migration must be managed – no, migration must be stopped, and as long as you manage migration, it means you support migration, you encourage migration, you encourage people to leave their homes," Szijjarto continued. "This is something that we cannot support and cannot stand."
"Our position is very good: Migration must be stopped," he added. "Another way to put it: All people in the world, all human beings, must be given the right to have a safe and secure life where he or she has been living, and this means that instead of encouraging people to hit the road, the circumstances of everyone should be ensured to be able to live where he or she was born."
The challenge remains how to limit that migration when the whole bloc allows free movement between members. Germany attempted to deal with this issue recently by instituting its own hard borders, which some experts have warned could lead to a "chain reaction" across the continent, according to German outlet DW.
Czech Foreign Minister Jan Lipavsky acknowledged that the issue is a "difficult question" due to the balance of free movement within the union against the need for stronger external borders, saying that it puts "a lot of pressure on us."
"I think it’s a clear show that Europe has lost its ability to project geopolitical power, especially into Africa and the Middle East, because we are basically not able to do any kind of measures to stop this irregular migration," Lipavsky said.
"When somebody who really has no right for asylum is in Europe, there are no true mechanisms, for example, for our populations," he added. "So they will need to put more effort into that, definitely."
Lipavsky praised Germany’s decision to pursue stronger migration policies, saying that "it’s major for Europe" that the country "moved a little bit" toward the more strict policies of countries like the Czech Republic.
EL SALVADOR'S BUKELE SLAMS CENSORSHIP AS HE TOUTS HIS COUNTRY'S TURNAROUND: ‘WE HAVE FREED MILLIONS’
Leaders have keenly pursued solutions to the immigrant crisis as the issue remains a key driver in elections: Earlier this year, right-wing parties made surprise gains in the European Parliament, with many succeeding in getting a few members added to the governing body.
Lithuanian Foreign Minister Gabrielius Landsbergis admitted that while he believes the surge in right-wing support is more a system shock than a symptom of a growing movement, the results indicate "a lot of anxiety in the population" when it comes to certain "legitimate" issues, including migration.
"The problem is guarding… external European borders," Landsbergis said. "When we face the instrumentalized migration, where Lukashenko started bringing thousands of migrants from the Middle East and Northern Africa to our borders, basically pushing people into the European Union as a tool – to put political pressure on us because he doesn’t like our policies and other things – we adhere to the rules."
Lithuania, along with Poland and Latvia, combated the weaponized influx of migrants from Belarus in 2021 by building a roughly 370-mile-long steel wall with barbed-wire that is "electronically controlled."
Landsbergis claimed the border is "probably one of the better controlled borders within external borders of EU," which includes border guards and increased resources after the "whole country… shifted the gear."
"This is a problem, and we have… a responsibility to deal with the problem," he said. "The easiest thing to do is to let the people in – mostly, they would like to reach the Netherlands, they like to reach Sweden, they like to reach Germany… and you say, OK, it’s impossible for me to go to the border. We didn’t do that."
"We’re guarding the border, adhering to the rules, and I think we’re quite successful that the pressure from the border on Lithuania is minimal now."
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Israeli strike kills Hamas commander in Lebanon, 3 Palestinian militant leaders killed in separate strike
A Hamas commander who worked alongside Hezbollah and led the terrorist group’s activities in Lebanon has been taken out in an airstrike, Israeli officials say.
Fateh Sherif, the head of the Lebanon branch of Hamas, was killed overnight, according to a joint statement Monday from the Israel Defense Forces and Israel’s domestic security agency Shin Bet.
"Sherif was responsible for coordinating Hamas' terror activities in Lebanon with Hezbollah operatives. He was also responsible for Hamas’ efforts in Lebanon to recruit operatives and acquire weapons," officials said. "He led the Hamas terrorist organization's force build-up efforts in Lebanon and operated to advance Hamas' interests in Lebanon, both politically and militarily."
The officials added that Sherif was "an accredited UNRWA member, and was the head of the UNRWA Teachers Union in Lebanon." Some members of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency are accused of participating in Hamas' Oct. 7 attack on Israel, which began the war in Gaza.
The strike targeted Sherif inside his house in the southern Lebanon city of Tyre, Reuters is reporting, citing Hamas.
It unfolded as another terrorist group, the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine, said three of its leaders were killed in an airstrike that hit the upper floor of an apartment building in Beirut, according to Reuters.
The Israeli officials said Monday that they will "continue to operate against anyone who poses a threat to the civilians of the State of Israel."
ISRAELI MILITARY SAYS HEZBOLLAH LEADER HASSAN NASRALLAH KILLED IN BEIRUT STRIKE
Over the weekend, Israel’s military said it killed Nabil Qaouk, the deputy head of Hezbollah’s Central Council – just days after an IDF strike killed Hezbollah's leader, Hassan Nasrallah.
On Monday, the deputy leader of Hezbollah, Naim Qassem, announced that the terrorist group is ready to fight back against any Israeli ground operation in Lebanon.
"We will face any possibility and we are ready if the Israelis decide to enter by land and the resistance forces are ready for a ground engagement," Reuters quoted him as saying.
Fox News’ Yael Rotem-Kuriel and Anders Hagstrom contributed to this report.
Biden says he will talk to Netanyahu as Israel pummels Sunni terror targets in Beirut
President Biden said on Sunday that he intended to talk to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu imminently, shortly before the Israel-Hamas war intensified in Lebanon.
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) launched an airstrike on the Lebanese capital of Beirut on Sunday evening, marking the first time the Israeli military implemented an airstrike on the central part of the city amid the yearlong Israel-Hamas war.
Speaking from Dover Air Force Base earlier that afternoon, Biden confirmed to reporters that he planned to speak with Netanyahu. The conversation took place hours before the airstrike began.
"Yes, I will be talking to him," the Democrat said. "And I'll tell you what I say to him when I talk to him."
ISRAELI MILITARY SAYS HEZBOLLAH LEADER HASSAN NASRALLAH KILLED IN BEIRUT STRIKE
When asked about avoiding an "all-out war" in the Middle East, Biden said the U.S. has "to avoid it."
"We really have to avoid it," Biden said. "We have already taken precautions relative to our embassies and personnel who want to leave."
"And, but, we're not there yet, but we're working like hell with the French and many others to avoid [more] war."
The Associated Press first reported the airstrike on Sunday evening, citing witnesses in central Beirut. The airstrike came the same weekend that the IDF systematically targeted Hezbollah, a Lebanese terrorist group that supports Hamas.
The IDF had only targeted south Beirut, a Hezbollah stronghold, before Sunday's strikes. Dozens of people in Lebanon were killed by the IDF over the weekend, including Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah.
The Israeli military also confirmed that Nabil Kaouk, the deputy head of Hezbollah’s Central Council, was eliminated by IDF forces.
Fox News Digital reached out to the White House for further comment.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Lithuanian FM warns Russia can do 'so much damage to its neighbors'
Lithuanian Foreign Affairs Minister Gabrielius Landsbergis shared with Fox News Digital his perspective as someone on the border of the Ukraine invasion, including concerns Russia can do "so much damage" even as its power wanes.
"In 2014, before the first war in Ukraine, people in the U.S. and … Western leaders would say ‘Russia is going down, it’s on its way down, its regional power – it's not a global power anymore, its influence is waning,’" Landsbergis said. "But on its way down, it can do so much damage to its neighbors."
"It’s not the right assessment," he added, saying that even if Russia were declining as much as Western leaders think, the death "convulsions" of such a great power could "last for decades."
"Who knows when or how it would stop … it’s a very difficult thing to imagine, to predict," he said.
Lithuania has remained one of the most vocal nations in Eastern Europe throughout Russia’s aggression against Ukraine, even before the 2014 invasion of Crimea. Part of that has been to proudly embrace NATO’s role on the continent.
While Lithuania fell far below the 2% required expenditure on defense in 2014, by 2021 – a full year before the invasion of Ukraine started – Lithuania had met the requirement and only continued increasing its defense expenditure.
Lithuania in 2023 hit 3.2% expenditure, making it one of the highest-spending (by percent of GDP) members of NATO after only Poland, the U.S., Greece and Estonia.
Landsbergis used this – and the general increase in defense spending among NATO members over the past two years – to argue that European countries have proven their ability to "muster strength" and stand up to a power of Russia’s size.
HUNGARIAN FM RECALLS STRONG TRUMP ADMIN ‘EXPERIENCE,’ CLAIMS ‘OUR HOPE IS ALL’ ON FORMER PRESIDENT
"Even the biggest critics should have to admit that more than $100 billion, now … I mean, it’s huge. Nobody really could have predicted that Europe would be able to do that," Landsbergis said.
"The question is: Is that enough? And does that forbid such action against your neighbor like Ukraine to be repeated in the future?" he said. "This is where we see a problem that Europe needs to grow because every industry in Europe needs to step up with its spending towards defense."
When pressed on whether Europe lacks clear leadership or has stagnated in recent years, Landsbergis disagreed but acknowledged that the union has room to improve.
"The union is structured with 27 members and each with a veto, right?" Landsbergis noted. "It's difficult to have a smooth process that doesn't require a lot of debate or consensus building."
"This is the way that we are currently at this juncture. There's talk about the need for reform," he added. "I think that it … will be happening. Europe has to adapt to the new requirements of this age and time, and maybe the principles change as well."
Israeli Air Force strikes Houthi targets in Yemen with 'extensive' operation
The Israeli Air Force is conducting strikes against Iran-backed Houthi targets in Yemen on Sunday, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) confirmed.
The IDF said in a statement that its air force struck Houthi targets in Yemen approximately 1,800 kilometers from Israel.
The Israeli military described "an extensive, intelligence-based aerial operation" involving dozens of IAF aircraft, including fighter jets, midair refueling aircraft, and intelligence aircraft, striking "military targets belonging to the Houthi terrorist regime in the Ras Isa and Hudaydah areas of Yemen."
The IDF said targets included power plants and a seaport used to import oil, "which were used by the Houthi terrorist regime to transfer Iranian weapons to the region, in addition to military supplies and oil."
The operation was conducted in response to recent attacks by the Houthis against Israel, the IDF said.
"Over the past year, the Houthis have been operating under the direction and funding of Iran, and in cooperation with Iraqi militias in order to attack the State of Israel, undermine regional stability, and disrupt global freedom of navigation," the IDF said. "The IDF is determined to continue operating at any distance – near or far – against all threats to the citizens of the State of Israel."
The campaign against the Houthis in Yemen comes amid already heightened tensions in the region after Israeli strikes outside Beirut, Lebanon, killed Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah.
Houthi leader Adul Malik al-Houthi vowed revenge for Nasrallah's killing, according to Tazpit Press Service (TPS), an international Israeli news agency.
"We will move toward escalation and developing our military performance," al-Houthi reportedly said.
As the one-year anniversary of the Israel-Hamas war approaches, Houthis have continued a campaign to target ships traveling through the Red Sea as U.S.-led airstrikes earlier this month pounded their positions in Yemen. That's imperiled a waterway that typically sees $1 trillion of trade pass through it, as well as crucial shipments of aid to war-torn Sudan and Yemen, according to The Associated Press.
Iran's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who reportedly has gone into hiding in his country, has also warned of potential retaliation from Iran and its terrorist proxies in response to Nasrallah's killing.
White House national security spokesman John Kirby said on ABC's "This Week" on Sunday that Hezbollah's command structure "has been nearly decimated," after Israel destroyed thousands of the terror group's missiles and drones over the last few days. On Sunday, however, Israeli air defenses reported downing two drones coming from Lebanon.
TPS reported that the two unmanned aircraft "crossed from Lebanese territory into Israeli waters and were intercepted by a missile and an IDF (Israel Defense Forces) combat helicopter."
In a statement on Saturday, the Pentagon press secretary, Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder, said Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin "stressed that the United States is determined to prevent Iran and Iranian-backed partners and proxies from exploiting the situation or expanding the conflict."
ISRAELI FORCES SAY HEAD OF HAMAS IN SOUTHERN SYRIA KILLED IN STRIKE
"Secretary Austin made clear that should Iran, its partners, or its proxies use this moment to target American personnel or interests in the region, the United States will take every necessary measure to defend our people," Ryder added. "The United States retains the capability to deploy forces on short notice. The Department of Defense continues to maintain a significant amount of capability in the region and to dynamically adjust our force posture based on the evolving security situation."
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He said Austin "directed that the USS Abraham Lincoln Carrier Strike Group (CSG) remain in the US Centcom theater and that the USS Wasp Amphibious Ready Group/Marine Expeditionary Unit (ARG/MEU) will continue to operate in the Eastern Mediterranean." The afloat posture, Ryder said, "is complemented by DoD’s elevated fighter and attack squadron presence, including F-22, F-15E, F-16, and A-10 aircraft, and we will further reinforce our defensive air-support capabilities in the coming days."
Fox News’ Yael Rotem-Kuriel and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Iran's Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in hiding with extra security following Hezbollah leader's death: report
Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has moved into hiding and remains at a secure location within the country, sources told Reuters.
The decision came in response to Israel's strikes outside Beirut on Friday that killed the leader and founding member of the Iran-backed terrorist group Hezbollah, Hassan Nasrallah.
Two sources also told Reuters that Iran reached out to Hezbollah and other proxy forces in the region to determine what action to take in response to Nasrallah's killing.
In a statement Saturday, Khamenei said, "The fate of this region will be determined by the forces of resistance, with Hezbollah at the forefront."
ISRAELI FORCES SAY HEAD OF HAMAS IN SOUTHERN SYRIA KILLED IN STRIKE
While announcing five days of public mourning, Khamenei called Nasrallah "the flag-bearer of resistance" in the region.
"The blood of the martyr shall not go unavenged," Khamenei said, according to Reuters.
Iranian media reported on Saturday that the Israeli strikes outside Lebanon's capital also killed the Iranian Revolutionary Guards' deputy commander, Abbas Nilforoushan.
Israel has killed several other top Hezbollah commanders in Beirut, especially in the past two weeks, in addition to the attack that killed Nasrallah.
Earlier this month, thousands of explosives hidden in pagers and walkie-talkies used by Hezbollah detonated, killing at least a dozen people and injuring thousands, according to officials in Lebanon. Israel is widely believed to be behind the attack but has neither confirmed nor denied responsibility.
Reuters cited one Iranian security official as revealing that the Revolutionary Guards is carrying out a large scale operation to inspect all communications devices.
Most of the devices were made in Lebanon or imported from China and Russia, the official said, as Iran is conducting a thorough investigation centered on mid- and high-ranking members of the Revolutionary Guards.
Iran is considering the possibility of infiltration by Israeli agents, including Iranians paid by Israel, the official told Reuters.
In response to Nasrallah's death, hundreds of protesters took to the streets of Tehran, waving Hezbollah flags and chanting, "Death to Israel," and, "Death to Netanyahu the murderer," the Associated Press reported.
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian partially blamed the United States for Nasrallah's killing, given that Washington has been providing weapons to Israel.
"The Americans cannot deny their complicity with the Zionists," he said in a statement aired by state media, according to Reuters.
ISRAEL TARGETS HEZBOLLAH LEADER NASRALLAH IN STRIKE ON BEIRUT HEADQUARTERS
Hezbollah started firing rockets on Israel in support of Gaza on Oct. 8, a day after Hamas terrorists launched an unprecedented attack on Israel, killing some 1,200 people and taking another 250 as hostages.
Since then, the two sides have been engaged in escalating cross-border strikes. Iran's proxies include Hamas in Gaza, Hezbollah in Lebanon, Houthis in Yemen, as well as other forces operating in Iraq. The Houthis have been launching missiles at Israel and ships in the Gulf of Aden and the Red Sea along the Yemeni coast following the Oct. 7 attacks.
In his first public remarks since Nasrallah's killing, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel’s targeting of Nasrallah was "an essential condition to achieving the goals we set."
"He wasn’t another terrorist. He was the terrorist," Netanyahu said.
Netanyahu said Nasrallah’s killing would help bring displaced Israelis back to their homes in the north and would pressure Hamas to free Israeli hostages held in Gaza. But with the threat of retaliation high, he warned the coming days would bring "significant challenges" and warned Iran against trying to strike.
Iran’s U.N. Ambassador Amir Saeid Iravani wrote a letter to the heads of the United Nations and the Security Council on Saturday calling for an emergency council meeting over the attack that killed Nasrallah.
"Using U.S.-supplied thousand-pound bunker busters," he wrote, Israel killed Nasrallah and Nilforoushan, among others.
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He warned Israel not to attack any of its diplomatic or consular premises, or its representatives, according to the AP.
"Iran will not hesitate to exercise its inherent rights under international law to take every measure in defense of its vital national and security interests," Iravani wrote.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
IDF announces death of another senior Hezbollah official following Nasrallah death
Israel's military says it has killed yet another high level member of Hezbollah with an airstrike on Sunday.
The IDF says the strike killed Nabil Kaouk, the deputy head of Hezbollah’s Central Council, though they did not offer details on where the strike took place. The claim comes just days after an IDF strike killed Hezbollah's leader, Hassan Nasrallah.
Israel and Hezbollah have continued to fire barrages of missiles and rockets toward one another as they appear to be on the brink of all-out war.
Hezbollah began its offensive immediately after Hamas' Oct. 7 massacre in Israel, in which some 1,200 Israelis were killed or captured. Israel has responded by launching its own airstrikes and massing forces at its northern border with Lebanon.
Israel was forced to evacuate some 60,000 citizens who were living near the border with Lebanon. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has vowed that the campaign against Hezbollah will not stop until those citizens can return safely to their homes.
ISRAEL TARGETS HEZBOLLAH LEADER NASRALLAH IN STRIKE ON BEIRUT HEADQUARTERS
Meanwhile, Hezbollah says it will only cease its hostilities once Israel has agreed to a cease-fire in Gaza, a deal that has proven almost impossible in recent months.
Hundreds of thousands of people have likewise been driven from their homes in Lebanon. The government estimates that around 250,000 are in shelters, with three to four times as many staying with friends or relatives, or camping out on the streets, Environment Minister Nasser Yassin told The Associated Press.
Israel has killed a slew of top Hezbollah and Hamas commanders with airstrikes throughout the conflict.
On Friday, Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin told reporters, "The United States was not involved in Israel’s operation," noting there was "no advance warning," from the Israelis about the strike on Nasrallah.
Netanyahu cut short his trip to New York following his speech to the United Nations General Assembly where he warned Hezbollah about Israel’s right to go on the offensive.
"As long as Hezbollah chooses the path of war, Israel has no choice, and Israel has every right to remove this threat and return our citizens to their home safely and that's exactly what we're doing," he said.
The IDF later released a graphic suggesting that nearly all of Hezbollah's top commanders have been killed.
The Associated Press contributed to this report
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