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The newspaper for the rogue regime of Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei praised the man who allegedly murdered an American and Israeli Wednesday night in Washington, D.C., calling him "our dear brother."

Elias Rodriguez, a 31-year-old Chicago man, allegedly told police and witnesses he gunned down Sarah Milgrim, a 26-year-old American from Kansas, and her 30-year-old Israeli boyfriend, Yaron Lischinsky, "for Palestine...for Gaza."

"Our dear brother Elias Rodriguez, who killed two Israelis in the U.S., has founded the Washington Basij," the newspaper wrote Saturday. The Basij is an Iranian para-military organization that is assigned to crush all dissent against Khamenei’s ironclad rule. 

The fiercely anti-American editor of Kayhan, Hossein Shariatmadari, asked : "Any news of our dear brother Elias Rodriguez, who sent two Zionist wild animals in Washington to hell with a bullet?"

The Iranian media’s glorification of the murders stunned even longtime regime watchers.

"Iran openly calls for terror attacks against Israel on U.S. soil. Kayhan, the mouthpiece of Supreme Leader Khamenei, praises the attack on Israeli embassy staff in Washington DC — one of whom was an American citizen — calling the killer the founder of the "Washington Basij," Iran’s brutal militia, Israel’s Foreign Ministry spokesman, Oren Marmorstein, wrote on X. "Unfathomable."

WITNESS RECOUNTS CHILLING MOMENT DC JEWISH MUSEUM SHOOTER CONFESSED, 'I DID THIS FOR GAZA'

The timing of the Khamenei-controlled newspaper's editorial coincided with a report from Israel Hayom that the Trump administration is weighing the acceptance of an interim nuclear agreement with Iran. A senior U.S. official told the Israeli paper that the partial deal would mean Iran would abandon pursuit of nuclear weapons in exchange for limited sanctions relief. 

However, the clerical regime has repeatedly insisted it would never abandon the right to enrich uranium, which could enable Tehran to build an atomic bomb. Iran’s regime has been designated a leading state-sponsor of terrorism since the mid-1980s by the U.S. government. 

POLICE RAID DC SHOOTING SUSPECT ELIAS RODRIGUEZ'S CHICAGO APARTMENT

Vatan-e-Emrooz, a newspaper controlled by the U.S.-designated terrorist organization Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, also glorified the assassinations of the pair, who were staff employees at the Israeli embassy. 

"These repulsive newspaper articles are a reminder that the Iranian regime is the leading state-sponsor of antisemitism," Jason Brodsky, policy director of United Against Nuclear Iran (UANI), told Fox News Digital. "Kayhan in the past has published articles praising Hitler, so the praising of the murder of two Israeli embassy employees, including a Jewish American, should sadly come as no surprise."

Brodsky said the media statements show that the regime cannot be trusted, and that the Trump administration should be wary when it holds talks to trade sanctions relief for a pledge not to pursue nuclear weapons.

"The true face of the Islamic Republic is represented by these articles, not its smiling diplomats at the negotiating tables of Oman and Rome," he said.

WHITE HOUSE DECRIES 'EVIL OF ANTISEMITISM,' VOWS JUSTICE AFTER FATAL SHOOTING OF ISRAELI EMBASSY STAFFERS

Iranian-born Israeli Beni Sabti, an expert on Iran and a research fellow for the Institute for National Security Studies, told Fox News Digital the threat of terror from his homeland is directed at the U.S.

"It's very important that Americans understand that the terror is also or mostly against them," he said.

Sabti added that Vatan-e-Emrooz message of support of the murders means "the shooting was revenge by that guy and also in the Islamic tradition that Elias is the prophet Eliyahoo, who killed many infidels, so it's a kind of phrase that Elias is a man of God when he killed those employees of the embassy."

A British government minister says she’s "not squeamish" about the idea of chemical castration for male sex offenders, and wants to make it mandatory. 

The UK is considering a range of options from a new report, which aims to cut the country’s prison population by 10,000 inmates to help alleviate chronic overcrowding.

"Problematic sexual arousal and preoccupation can be reduced via chemical suppressants and other medications, which can be prescribed for individuals who have committed a sexual offense under certain circumstances," the new report states.

Prisons in the south-west of England have been involved in a pilot program of chemical castrations since 2002, and Justice Minister Shabana Mahmood from the ruling Labour Party told lawmakers in parliament on Thursday that the program would expand to 20 more prisons in two other regions of England. 

UK LAWMAKERS VOTE AGAINST INQUIRY INTO 'RAPE GANG SCANDAL' AS MUSK KEEPS UP PRESSURE

Prisoners would be given two drugs as part of the treatment: one limits sexual thoughts, while the other reduces testosterone and "problematic sexual arousal." Inmates would also have ongoing counseling to treat their psychological issues, such as a desire for sexual power and control. One recent study found that reoffending rates were up to 60% lower for prisoners who had received the treatment. 

"For some, offending relates to power, but for another subset of offenders, the combination of chemical suppressants and psychological interventions can, we believe, have a big and positive impact," Minister Mahmood told parliament. 

Initially, the option for chemical castration treatment would be only voluntary, and medical ethicists say it could be a problem to force doctors to treat an inmate who doesn’t want to have it done. In Britain, there is a strict tradition of informed medical consent where a patient can refuse medical treatment, and a doctor can’t ordinarily be forced to carry it out. 

LOUISIANA BILL TO CASTRATE SEX OFFENDERS MOVING TOWARD GOVERNOR’S DESK FOR SIGNATURE

Sex offenders make up a significant percentage of the prison population in England, and at the end of March, more than 20% of inmates were incarcerated on sex crimes charges. The new report cautions that chemical castration "should never be used as a risk management tool or standalone rehabilitative offer, and it is only appropriate for a limited number of sex offenders".

Chemical castration is already being used in some other European prisons to treat sex offenders. Authorities in Sweden have been carrying out limited clinical trials on volunteers at a Stockholm prison, while in Germany and Denmark it is more widely used but still on a voluntary basis. In Poland, courts can pass a sentence of mandatory chemical castration for some categories of sex-offense prisoners. 

Thursday’s report, written by a former government minister from the Conservative Party, also made four dozen recommendations to try and ease prison overcrowding. 

These include giving fewer people jail sentences under 12 months and encouraging other types of punishment instead, such as community service or fines; developing new policies for early release with good behavior for inmates, and tagging all offenders who committed crimes of abuse against women and girls. 

UK PM STARMER HITS BACK AGAINST MUSK ATTACKS ON CHILD GROOMING GANGS

The opposition Conservative Party has criticized the new report, saying that by scrapping shorter prison sentences the government "is effectively decriminalizing crimes like burglary, theft and assault." 

"This is a gift to criminals, who will be free to offend with impunity," the party’s justice spokesman Robert Jenrick told reporters. 

However, the report has been broadly welcomed by the Howard League for Penal Reform, the world’s oldest prison charity.

"The government is taking an important step forward by accepting most of the recommendations from this important review," says Chief Executive Andrea Coomber, but she cautioned that "the prisons crisis will not be solved by half-measures." 

Senior police officers have cautioned that if there will be fewer prisoners behind bars, they need more resources to manage the risk that offenders pose outside of jail. 

Denmark and eight other countries blasted the European Court of Human Rights for imposing limits on deporting criminal migrants on Sunday.

Denmark, which is set to take over the presidency of the European Union in July, published a letter demanding more leeway to expel immigrants who commit crimes. Leaders of Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Italy, and Poland signed the letter with Denmark.

"Many have come here via legal pathways. They have learned our languages, believe in democracy, contribute to our societies and have decided to integrate themselves into our culture. Others have come and chosen not to integrate, isolating themselves in parallel societies and distancing themselves from our fundamental values of equality, democracy and freedom," the letter read. "In particular, some have not contributed positively to the societies welcoming them and have chosen to commit crimes."

"It is beyond our comprehension how some people can come to our countries and get a share in our freedom and our vast range of opportunities, and, indeed, decide to commit crimes," the letter continues.

BRITISH POLICE ARREST SEVERAL IRANIAN MEN OVER ALLEGED PLOT TO ATTACK TARGET IN LONDON

The letter goes on to argue that the court's interpretation of the European Convention on Human Rights has "limited our ability to make political decisions in our own democracies," citing examples where the court has blocked the deportation of illegal immigrants.

TRUMP INKS TRADE DEAL WITH UK, PREVIEWS CHINA TRADE NEGOTIATIONS DURING 16TH WEEK IN OFFICE

Denmark and the signatories request that the court make more room for European countries to deport illegal immigrants who commit violent or drug-related crimes, as well as allow for European governments to track illegal immigrants more closely.

"We need to be able to take effective steps to counter hostile states that are trying to use our values and rights against us. For example, by instrumentalizing migrants at our borders," the letter adds.

The letter comes two weeks after British Prime Minister Keir Starmer announced plans to tighten immigration rules amid pressure from voters upset over high levels of immigration.

U.K. voters are becoming increasingly frustrated by high immigration numbers, which many argue have strained public services and intensified ethnic tensions in some parts of the country.

Under the new plans, skilled visas will be restricted to people in graduate jobs, while visas for lower-skilled roles will only be issued in areas critical to the country's industrial strategy, and businesses must increase the training of British workers. Companies in the care sector will also no longer be able to apply for visas for workers recruited abroad.

"Every area of the immigration system, including work, family and study, will be tightened up so we have more control," Starmer said in excerpts of a speech he plans to deliver on Monday. "Enforcement will be tougher than ever and migration numbers will fall. We will create a system that is controlled, selective and fair."

Fox News' Landon Mion contributed to this report.

In the midst of Australia's devastating floods, one moo-ving tale of survival has emerged from the waves: a cow, swept away by raging waters, was found alive on Old Bar Beach, approximately 11 miles from its home in Taree, New South Wales.

Layla Philipson discovered the bovine in the sand and shared photos on the Taree Community Noticeboard on Facebook, leading to the cow's reunion with its owner.

"Alive cow Oldbar beach between Wallabi and meridian," read her post.

The incident occurred against the backdrop of severe flooding across New South Wales. 

MAN FOUND DEAD IN KANGAROO, WALLABY ENCLOSURE REPORTEDLY HAD 'HISTORY' OF PLAYING ROUGH WITH ANIMAL

A slow-moving low-pressure system has unleashed record-breaking rainfall, with some areas receiving over 27 inches of rain.

The deluge has resulted in five confirmed deaths, left approximately 50,000 people isolated, and damaged an estimated 10,000 properties.

The Manning River, which flows through Taree, reached levels not seen in nearly a century, contributing to the displacement of livestock and residents alike. 

EXPERTS GIVE UP HOPE FOR 157 FALSE KILLER WHALES STRANDED ON REMOTE AUSTRALIAN BEACH

According to The Independent, emergency services have conducted over 700 rescues, and efforts continue to provide aid to affected communities.

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While this cow's story brings a bit of levity, the situation remains dire.

Authorities urge residents to remain vigilant, as floodwaters persist and further weather challenges loom.

North Korea has detained shipyard officials responsible for a recent failed launch of a new warship that left a 5,000-ton North Korean naval destroyer damaged, according to state media.

Law enforcement officials arrested the chief engineer of the Chongjin Shipyard, among others, the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) reported on Sunday.

Supreme Leader Kim Jong Un was reportedly distraught after he witnessed the failed launch that mangled the warship, saying the accident damaged the country's dignity and promising to punish those responsible.

SATELLITE IMAGES REVEAL NORTH KOREA'S MANGLED NAVAL DESTROYER AFTER FAILED LAUNCH

The accident happened on Wednesday at the northeastern port of Chongjin, likely in front of a large crowd and thus increasing the public humiliation as Kim sought to show off his military's force.

Kim has reportedly blamed military officials, scientists and shipyard operators for a "serious accident and criminal act caused by absolute carelessness, irresponsibility and unscientific empiricism."

Satellite imagery shows the warship covered in blue tarps and lying on its side with the stern swung out into the harbor. The bow remained on the launch slipway.

KIM JONG UN LEFT FUMING AFTER NORTH KOREA'S NEW DESTROYER DAMAGED IN FAILED LAUNCH 

A flatcar guiding the ship had failed to move during the launch, throwing the warship off balance and crushing parts of its bottom before the stern eventually slid down the launch slipway into the water.

Kim has ordered the ship to be restored before a ruling party meeting in June.

The rehabilitation plan was moving forward, KCNA reported.

North Korea's armed forces "will thoroughly contain and control all sorts of military threats from the enemy countries," amid U.S. military buildup in the region, according to KCNA, citing the policy chief at the defense ministry.

Under Kim's rule, North Korea has focused on building an arsenal of military weapons in what it views as a response to Western aggression.

Reuters contributed to this report.

Nearly a third of the 260 miners stuck underground following an accident at a Sibanye-Stillwater SSWJ.J gold mine in South Africa were brought to the surface on Friday, the company said, as a senior union official confirmed there had been no injuries.

The miners were stuck underground after the hoist system used to access a shaft at the Kloof gold mine - one of Sibanye's deepest, situated about 37 miles west of Johannesburg - was damaged in an accident on Thursday.

WHITE HOUSE SHUTS DOWN REPORTER'S 'RIDICULOUS' CHALLENGE OF WHITE SOUTH AFRICAN FARMER DEATHS

Sibanye said 79 of the employees had been brought to the surface by 1:30 p.m. local time in the first phase of an operation to extract the miners.

"The remaining 181 employees ... have been provided with food and will be hoisted to surface as soon as safety to hoist is confirmed," Sibanye said in a statement.

A company spokesperson told Reuters late Friday afternoon that the process was expected to be completed "soon."

"Fortunately there were no fatalities or injuries," National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) Health and Safety Chairperson Duncan Luvuno told journalists at the site. "But for ... 24 hours people were not eating or drinking anything. This is not adequate. Some have chronic diseases."

Journalists were barred by security guards from getting near to the mine shaft, but a Reuters reporter saw some of the miners, looking tired but in good health, walk to the perimeter of the company grounds and board buses.

Relatives of those still in the mine, however, expressed shock and worry that their loved ones remained underground.

"I haven't slept a wink," said Mamodise Mokone, whose husband was among the miners. "I just want to tell the management or whoever is in charge: I just want my husband out alive."

Sibanye earlier said all the workers were safe after what it called a "shaft incident" in the Kloof 7 shaft and were gathered at an assembly point as efforts were launched to bring them out of the mine.

Johannesburg-based Sibanye is among only a few South African miners squeezing profits from some of the world's deepest and costliest gold mines. Sibanye is digging for gold at depths of roughly two miles at the Kloof 7 shaft.

The Kloof mine, which accounts for 14% of Sibanye's total gold output, also operates two other shafts. The company mines platinum-group metals in South Africa and the United States as well.

Mining accidents are not uncommon in South Africa, where many abandoned mines have been taken over by informal diggers.

Earlier this year, at least 78 bodies were pulled from an illegal gold mine after police cut off food and water supplies for months in an attempt to crack down on illegal mining activity.

Germany may reinstate compulsory military service if a revamped volunteer system fails to meet recruitment goals, the defense minister said in comments published Saturday.

In an interview with the Frankfurter Allgemeine Sonntagszeitung, Boris Pistorius laid out a timeline for Germany’s new military service model, which aims to bolster the understrength army. The initial program will rely on voluntary enlistment, but Pistorius warned that could change.

PUTIN CONSCRIPTS 160K MEN AS RUSSIA EYES UKRAINE OFFENSIVE

"If the time comes when we have more capacity available than voluntary registrations, then a decision may be made to make recruitment mandatory. That is the roadmap," he said.

He said the government of Chancellor Friedrich Merz is moving quickly on a new military service bill and hopes it will come into force as early as January 2026.

The debate over reinstating conscription in Germany has been intensifying as concerns rise about national defense readiness and evolving security threats in Europe.

Germany suspended its draft in 2011, but has struggled to meet troop targets as defense demands grow following Russia’s 2022 full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Pistorius also said the military service plan would include efforts to reactivate more reservists.

A major power outage struck southeastern France on Saturday morning, threatening to jeopardize the Cannes Film Festival’s closing celebrations, including the much-anticipated Palme d’Or ceremony.

Police said they have opened an investigation into possible arson.

Power was restored hours before the ceremony, around 3 p.m. local time, as music began blasting again from beachfront speakers. The end of the blackout was greeted with loud cheers from locals.

CAUSE OF MASSIVE EUROPEAN POWER OUTAGE UNCLEAR AS FULL SERVICE RETURNS

Earlier, about 160,000 households in the Alpes-Maritimes department lost electricity after a high-voltage line fell Saturday morning, electricity network operator RTE said on X. The outage came hours after a fire at an electrical substation near Cannes overnight had already weakened the grid.

"We are looking into the likelihood of a fire being started deliberately," said a police spokesperson for the French national gendarmerie.

In a statement, Laurent Hottiaux, the prefect of the Alpes-Maritimes department, condemned "serious acts of damage to electrical infrastructure[s]."

PUERTO RICO HIT WITH MASSIVE ISLAND-WIDE BLACKOUT AHEAD OF EASTER WEEKEND

"All resources are mobilized to identify, track down, arrest and bring to justice the perpetrators of these acts," said Hottiaux.

Cannes Film Festival organizers confirmed the outage affected the early activities of Saturday and said the Palais des Festivals — the Croisette's main venue — had switched to an independent power supply.

"All scheduled events and screenings, including the Closing Ceremony, will proceed as planned and under normal conditions," the statement said. "At this stage, the cause of the outage has not yet been identified. Restoration efforts are underway."

Traffic lights in parts of Cannes and the surrounding city of Antibes stopped working after 10 a.m., leading to traffic jams and confusion in city centers. Most shops along the Croisette remained closed, and local food kiosks were only accepting cash. Train service in Cannes was also disrupted.

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Screenings at the Cineum, one of the festival’s satellite venues, were briefly suspended, the festival added.

The Palme d’Or — the festival’s most prestigious prize — was set to be awarded Saturday night, with top contenders including Joachim Trier’s family drama "Sentimental Value," Jafar Panahi’s revenge thriller "It Was Just an Accident," Kleber Mendonça Filho’s political thriller "The Secret Agent," and Óliver Laxe’s desert road trip "Sirât."

Satellite imagery captured what remained of a mangled 5,000-ton North Korean naval destroyer damaged during its launch ceremony this week, leaving the country's dictator distraught. 

A photo captured by Maxar Technologies of the northeastern port of Chongjin, shows the ship apparently twisted and lying on its side, partly lodged on a launch slip and partly submerged in water. 

The secretive communist nation covered the would-be warship with a blue tarp.

KIM JONG-UN LEFT FUMING AFTER NORTH KOREA'S NEW DESTROYER DAMAGED IN FAILED LAUNCH

Mexar Technologies also snapped a satellite photo of the ship before the launch, looking pristine as it prepared for its first voyage. 

But that voyage was put on hold after a flatcar guiding the ship failed to move during the launch, throwing the warship off balance and crushing parts of its bottom before its stern eventually slid down the launch slipway into the water, state media reported.

North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un was reportedly fuming over the botched launch, which was intended to show the nation's military might but instead became an embarrassment on the world stage. 

State media also reported on Kim's fury. 

KIM JONG UN SUPERVISES NORTH KOREA'S AIR DRILLS, PUSHES FOR ENHANCED WAR PREPARATION

He reportedly blamed military officials, scientists and shipyard operators for a "serious accident and criminal act caused by absolute carelessness, irresponsibility and unscientific empiricism." 

The extent of the damage to the destroyer is unclear, though Kim demanded that repairs be completed before the communist Working Party's meeting in June.

The dictator, known for his brutality as much as his secrecy, ominously warned that during that meeting, mistakes caused by the "irresponsibility of the relevant officials" would be investigated. 

Under Kim's rule, North Korea has been focused on building an arsenal of military weapons in what it regards as a response to western aggression. 

In March, Kim personally oversaw tests of AI-powered suicide drones, unmanned exploding drones that can be used to launch an attack without putting the attackers' lives in danger. He reportedly called for an increase in production of those drones. 

He also recently claimed the country was in the process of building a nuclear submarine. 

In its first real showing of military force since the Korean War in the 1950s, an estimated 15,000 troops were sent to Russia to fight alongside the fellow communist nation in its war against Ukraine. 

South Korea claimed in late April that 600 of those troops had been killed. 

When Johan Helberg said he wanted a waterfront view, he didn't expect the waterfront to come to him complete with a 443-foot cargo ship.

Helberg awoke on Thursday to discover the massive bow of the NCL Salten resting a stone's throw from his home in Byneset, Norway, near Trondheim. 

The vessel had run aground in the early hours, narrowly missing Helberg's house by approximately 16 feet.

NO DISTRESS CALLS MADE FROM MEXICAN NAVY TALL SHIP THAT CRASHED INTO BROOKLYN BRIDGE, MEXICO NAVY CHIEF SAYS

Remarkably, Helberg said he slept through the entire incident. He was only alerted to his unexpected visitor when a concerned neighbor rang his doorbell. 

"I went to the window and was quite astonished to see a big ship," Helberg told The Guardian newspaper. "I had to bend my neck to see the top of it. It was so unreal."

Authorities have determined that the ship's watch officer, a Ukrainian national in his 30s, fell asleep while on duty, leading to the vessel veering off course.

AT LEAST 2 DEAD AFTER MEXICAN NAVY SAILING SHIP COLLIDES WITH BROOKLYN BRIDGE IN DRAMATIC NYC CRASH

The officer has been charged with negligent navigation. No injuries or oil spills were reported, but the incident did cause minor damage to a heating pump's wire on Helberg's property.

And this isn't NCL Salten's first grounding. The ship previously ran aground in 2023, but managed to free itself without assistance.

Efforts to refloat the ship during high tide on Thursday were unsuccessful. 

The Norwegian Coastal Administration is conducting geotechnical assessments before making another attempt. Shipping company NCL has stated it is cooperating with the investigation.

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As for Helberg, he remains in good spirits despite the unexpected intrusion. 

"It's a very bulky new neighbor, but it will soon go away," he quipped.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Multiple people were wounded, some suffering life-threatening injuries, after a woman allegedly stabbed travelers with a knife on Friday at Hamburg Central Station in Germany.

The 39-year-old woman, who has not yet been publicly identified, was arrested shortly after the attack without incident, Hamburg Police announced on X.

SUSPECT ARRESTED AFTER STABBING AT BERLIN'S HOLOCAUST MEMORIAL NEAR US EMBASSY

Officials believe the woman acted alone, but the motive is unknown.

"Investigations into the background are in full swing," police said.

NYC SUBWAY CONDUCTOR MAKES TRAGIC DISCOVERY ON TRAIN: DEAD WOMAN

The attack happened in the late afternoon inside the station on the platform between tracks 13 and 14, according to a report from the Associated Press. 

Hamburg’s fire service said six people suffered life-threatening injuries, three people were seriously injured, and three others had slight injuries, German news agency Deutsche Presse-Agentur reported.

However, police later said the number was not firm, only confirming "several" people had life-threatening injuries, according to the AP.

State-owned railway company Deutsche Bahn posted to X saying they were "deeply saddened" by the act of violence.

Tracks 11 to 14 at the main station were closed, and delays and diversions were announced for long-distance trains.

GERMAN CHRISTMAS MARKET ATTACK VICTIM DIES AT HOSPITAL WEEKS LATER, INCREASING DEATH TOLL TO 6

"We are fully supporting the authorities in their investigations on site," Deutsche Bahn wrote in a post.

Police confirmed a "major" operation is currently underway.

NYC MAN CHARGED WITH ATTEMPTED MURDER AFTER ALLEGEDLY SHOVING COMMUTER IN PATH OF SUBWAY

More than 550,000 travelers pass through Hamburg's main station each day, making it the most frequented passenger railway station in Germany, according to its website.

The station, which opened in 1906, is just a short walk from the city center and features 75 shops and restaurants.

In February, one person was seriously injured in a stabbing at Berlin's Holocaust memorial near the U.S. embassy.

On Wednesday, Elias Rodriguez, of Chicago, was charged with killing two Israeli Embassy staffers during a shooting at an event hosted by the American Jewish Committee in Washington, D.C.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

The U.S. and Iran resumed nuclear negotiations on Friday in Rome as differences over demands have spilled over into the public sphere, making the red lines for both parties increasingly clear. 

Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei this week criticized Washington’s position that has called for an apparent ban on all uranium enrichment in Iran and suggested a deal may not be possible.

The White House did not answer Fox News Digital’s questions about whether it is in fact calling for a ban on uranium enrichment for civil needs like nuclear energy, but on Friday Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei told reporters that "This round of talks is especially sensitive."

IRAN'S KHAMENEI SAYS AMERICANS SHOULD AVOID TALKING 'NONSENSE' IN NUKE TALKS

According to Iranian media outlets, Tehran's Foreign Minister Abbas AraqchiI left the negotiations and said, "I hope that in the next one or two meetings we can reach solutions that will allow the negotiations to progress. 

"With Oman's solutions to remove obstacles, there is a possibility of progress," though he did not expand on what the hiccups were or what Oman's solutions may have been.

Araqchi, who was set to negotiate largely indirectly with Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff through Omani mediators, made Tehran’s position on Washington’s apparent demands clear in a post to X early on Friday. 

"Figuring out the path to a deal is not rocket science," he said. "Zero nuclear weapons = we DO have a deal. Zero enrichment = we do NOT have a deal. 

"Time to decide," he added.

IRAN FOREIGN MINISTER VOWS NUCLEAR ENRICHMENT WILL CONTINUE 'WITH OR WITHOUT A DEAL'

Iran has claimed it has no intention of building a nuclear weapon. But steps Tehran has taken, like bolstering its missile program, which could give it the technology to launch a nuclear warhead, and stockpiling enough near-weapons-grade enriched uranium to possess five nuclear weapons, have experts worried, including the U.N.’s International Atomic Energy Agency. 

While uranium enrichment for nuclear energy is a power source many countries, including the U.S., rely on for their energy needs, Iran's nuclear energy amounts to less than 1% of its energy consumption. 

Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on Tuesday that the U.S. is attempting to form a deal that would enable Iran to have a civil nuclear energy program that does not include enriched uranium, though he admitted that this "will not be easy".

"Washington's insistence on zero enrichment, I think, is the only sober, sane, non-proliferation approach you can take [with] the Islamic Republic of Iran, which has not stopped enriching uranium at various levels since April 2006 when this entire crisis really was kicked off," Behnam Ben Taleblu, Iran expert and senior fellow with the Foundation for Defense of Democracies told Fox News Digital.

"Iran has more to lose by pushing away from the table," he continued. "Iran is engaging in 2025 for a very different reason than 2013 and 2015. It's trying to blunt maximum pressure. It's trying to prevent an Israeli military attack, and it's trying to prevent European snap-back [sanctions]. 

"This is why Iran is engaging today, and the Trump administration needs to be cognizant that, because of that, it does have the leverage in these negotiations and can demand more," Ben Taleblu urged. 

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu did not hold back in his criticism of U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer, French President Emmanuel Macron and Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney. 

The Israeli leader’s condemnation comes after the U.K., France and Canada issued a joint statement demanding that Israel end its military campaign in Gaza.

In a video statement released on Thursday, Netanyahu said Hamas does not want a Palestinian state; rather, the terror group wants the destruction of the state of Israel. He questioned how this "simple truth evades the leaders of France, Britain, Canada and others." Netanyahu went on to accuse the U.K., France and Canada of giving Hamas "the ultimate prize" in their insistence on the establishment of a Palestinian state.

ISRAEL FIRES BACK AT UK OVER SUSPENDED TRADE TALKS, REJECTS ‘EXTERNAL PRESSURE’

"Well, for 18 years we had a de facto Palestinian state. It’s called Gaza. And what did we get? Peace? No. We got the most savage slaughter of Jews since the Holocaust," Netanyahu said in the video statement.

Hamas issued a statement thanking the U.K., France and Canada for "rejecting the policy of siege and starvation pursued by the occupation government against our people in the Gaza Strip, and the Zionist plans aimed at genocide and displacement," according to the Jerusalem Post.

The terror organization also urged Arab and Islamic countries, the European Union and others "to take urgent action and adopt firm positions and concrete measures to halt the barbaric Zionist aggression," among other things.

ISRAELI AMBASSADOR LASHES OUT AT UN OFFICIAL, CONDEMNS UK, FRANCE, CANADA STATEMENT ON AID

"I say to President Macron, Prime Minister Carney and Prime Minister Starmer: When mass murderers, rapists, baby killers and kidnappers thank you, you're on the wrong side of justice," Netanyahu said in a video statement on Thursday. "You're on the wrong side of humanity and you're on the wrong side of history."

Netanyahu went on to say that while Starmer, Macron and Carney may think they are "advancing peace," they’re actually "emboldening Hamas to continue fighting forever."

In response to a Fox News Digital request for comment on Netanyahu’s statement, Starmer’s office pointed to the prime minister’s post on X condemning the murders of two Israeli Embassy staffers in Washington, D.C.

TWO ISRAELI DIPLOMATS SHOT, KILLED DURING EVENT AT CAPITAL JEWISH MUSEUM IN WASHINGTON, DC

"I thoroughly condemn the antisemitic attack outside the Capital Jewish Museum in Washington DC. Antisemitism is an evil we must stamp out wherever it appears. My thoughts are with their colleagues, family and loved ones, and, as always, I stand in solidarity with the Jewish community."

Netanyahu also spoke about the murdered embassy employees, saying the two "weren’t the victims of a random crime. The terrorist who cruelly gunned them down did so for one reason and one reason alone – he wanted to kill Jews."

Yaron Lischinsky and Sarah Milgrim were murdered on Wednesday night outside an event at D.C.’s Capital Jewish Museum. The two met at the embassy, fell in love, and were supposed to travel to Israel next week, where Lischinsky planned to propose.

Prime Minister Mark Carney's office did not immediately respond to a Fox News request for comment. Fox News Digital is attempting to make contact with President Emmanuel Macron's office.

A major prisoner swap between Russia and Ukraine is underway, a senior Ukrainian official said Friday.

The swap is not yet finished, the official told the Associated Press, despite President Donald Trump declaring Friday that Russia and Ukraine completed a "major prisoners swap." 

The announcements come after Russian and Ukrainian officials took part in direct talks in Turkey last Friday for the first time since the early days of the war, agreeing to release around 1,000 prisoners of war. 

"A major prisoners swap was just completed between Russia and Ukraine. It will go into effect shortly," Trump wrote on Truth Social. "Congratulations to both sides on this negotiation. This could lead to something big???" 

WILL VANCE REMARK ABOUT US BAILING ON UKRAINE ENCOURAGE PUTIN TO SINK NASCENT PEACE TALKS? 

On Thursday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy wrote on X that "I held a meeting on the preparation for an exchange" and "The agreement to release 1,000 of our people from Russian captivity was perhaps the only tangible result of the meeting in Turkey." 

Trump had a phone call with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Monday. Following the conversation, Trump said "I believe it went very well." 

"Russia and Ukraine will immediately start negotiations toward a Ceasefire and, more importantly, an END to the War. The conditions for that will be negotiated between the two parties, as it can only be, because they know details of a negotiation that nobody else would be aware of," Trump said. "The tone and spirit of the conversation were excellent. If it wasn’t, I would say so now, rather than later." 

PUTIN VISITS KURSK REGION FOR FIRST TIME SINCE BOOTING UKRAINIAN FORCES FROM TERRITORY 

Putin, in a statement after the call, also noted that "a ceasefire with Ukraine is possible" but noted that "Russia and Ukraine must find compromises that suit both sides." 

The Kremlin then said Thursday that both sides had no direct peace talks scheduled. 

"There is no concrete agreement about the next meetings," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said, according to the Associated Press. "They are yet to be agreed upon." 

Fox News Digital’s Morgan Phillips contributed to this report. 

President Donald Trump secured $2 trillion worth of deals with Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the UAE during his trip to the Middle East last week in what some have argued is a move to counter China’s influence in the region. 

While China has increasingly bolstered its commercial ties with top Middle Eastern nations who have remained steadfast in their refusal to pick sides amid growing geopolitical tension between Washington and Beijing, Trump may have taken steps to give the U.S. an edge over its chief competitor. 

But concern has mounted after Trump reversed a Biden-era policy – which banned the sale of AI-capable chips to the UAE and Saudi Arabia – that highly coveted U.S. technologies could potentially fall into the hands of Chinese companies, and in extension, the Chinese Communist Party (CCP).

TRUMP SIGNS 'STRATEGIC ECONOMIC PARTNERSHIP' WITH SAUDI ARABIA

China hawks on both sides of the aisle noted their concern after Trump entered into an agreement with the UAE to build the largest artificial intelligence hub outside the United States, coupled with the tens of billions of dollars’ worth of deals U.S. companies like Nvidia, ChatGPT, Google, Amazon and Qualcomm entered into with state-backed Saudi AI ventures, including direct chip sales.

"This deal could very well be dangerous because we have no clarity on how the Saudis and Emiratis will prevent the Chinese Communist Party, the Chinese government, the Chinese manufacturing establishment from getting their hands on these chips," Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer said on the Senate floor last week. 

"Inevitably, when foreign countries end up with American-made chips, the CCP, the Chinese Communist Party, sooner or later gets ahold of these American chips and their secrets in them," he said. "That’s why we’ve had such strong restrictions against exporting these chips to other counties."

Similarly, following the announced deals, Republican chair of the House Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party, Rep. John Moolenaar, R-Mich., took to X to say, "The CCP is actively seeking indirect access to our top tech. Deals like this require scrutiny and verifiable guardrails. 

"We raised concerns about G42 last year for this very reason—and we need safeguards in place before more agreements move forward," he added in reference to an Emirati AI development holding company.

TRUMP WRAPS MOMENTOUS MIDDLE EAST TRIP WITH ECONOMIC DEALS, SYRIA SANCTIONS RELIEF AND WARNING TO IRAN

By the end of Trump’s trip, the House Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party had introduced new legislation "to stop advanced U.S. AI chips from falling into the hands of adversaries like the Chinese Communist Party (CCP)."

"The ambition is understandable – drawing the Gulf states deeper into the U.S. tech ecosystem is a logical way to counterbalance China’s growing influence," Craig Singleton, China Program Senior Director and Senior Fellow with the Foundation for Defense of Democracies told Fox News Digital. "But the devil is in the details. 

"Without rigorous safeguards and clear conditions on technology transfer, there’s a real risk of leakage — whether it’s advanced chips, know-how, or access to AI platforms," he warned. "If these deals lack meaningful restrictions, they could end up strengthening the very actors they’re meant to contain."

The Commerce Department did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s questions on AI security.

While questions remain about the future of AI security, some reports suggested that the expanded U.S. agreements could help cement the U.S. as the global leader in the emerging technology and help shape its landscape.

But China has interests outside of AI in the region that pertain to security, economic and energy sectors – all of which the U.S. has a vested interest in deterring. 

Trump was the first president in nearly 20 years to visit the UAE, which security experts have told Fox News Digital will go a long way to further not only geopolitical goodwill amid major unrest stemming from the wars in Gaza and Ukraine, but it could even further bolster economic and security opportunities between Washington and Abu Dahbi.

"Trump showing up and re-committing American military and economic power to support the UAE’s stability, security, and success in a dangerous neighborhood can pay real dividends going forward," John Hannah, former national security advisor to Dick Cheney and current Randi & Charles Wax senior fellow at the Jewish Institute for National Security of America (JINSA), told Fox News Digital. 

 "Since at least the time of President Obama’s nuclear deal with Iran, there’s been a slow, but noticeable drift in UAE strategy away from its deep reliance on the United States toward more of a hedging policy of playing all sides of the global great game, including an increasingly close relationship with China," he added.

Hannah explained that a period of American weariness of the Middle East enabled China to effectively expand its geopolitical interests in the vital region.

The expert pointed out that not only does the UAE host U.S. troops on its soil, but its trade value with the U.S. – even prior to the $1.4 trillion deal it reached earlier this year – was worth some $35 billion annually.

"With a country as influential and resource-rich as the UAE, correcting that unhelpful perception and putting the strategic relationship back on a much more positive dynamic is an important goal," Hannah said. 

Fox News Digital could not immediately reach the UAE foreign ministry for comment. 

North Korean dictator Kim Jung Un was left fuming this week when he attended the botched launch of a new 5,000-ton naval destroyer.

The launch, at the northeastern port of Chongjin, was intended to tout the communist nation’s military advancement but ended in embarrassment for Kim after the ship slid off a ramp and became stuck, state media reported.

The flatcar failed to move alongside the ship, throwing it off balance and crushing parts of the ship’s bottom, North Korean news agency KCNA reported. Its stern slid down the launch slipway while its bow section failed to leave the ramp.

KIM JONG UN SUPERVISES NORTH KOREA'S AIR DRILLS, PUSHES FOR ENHANCED WAR PREPARATION

The total extent of the damage was unclear and it isn’t known if there were any injuries.

North Korea did not release photos from the scene, although satellite imagery released by South Korea on Thursday indicated that the ship was lying on its side in the water after the failed launch.

According to KCNA, Kim, who was present at the ceremony on Wednesday, blamed military officials, scientists and shipyard operators for a "serious accident and criminal act caused by absolute carelessness, irresponsibility and unscientific empiricism." 

Kim warned that the errors caused by the "irresponsibility of the relevant officials" would need to be investigated at a ruling Workers’ Party meeting slated for late June.

He said that restoring the destroyer before the meeting was directly related to the prestige of the state and the restoration should be completed unconditionally.

Moon Keun-sik, a navy expert who teaches at Seoul’s Hanyang University, said that despite the embarrassment, Kim still wanted to publicly report on the mishap. 

"It's a shameful thing, but the reason why North Korea disclosed the incident is it wants to show it's speeding up the modernization of its navy forces and expresses its confidence that it can eventually build," he told The Associated Press. 

Moon suspected that the incident likely happened because North Korean workers aren't yet familiar with such a large warship and had been rushed to put it in the water.

It was the second naval destroyer the secretive nation launched in a month after Kim attended the successful launch of another 5,000-ton destroyer from Nampo, a port on the west coast of North Korea. Kim later watched missiles fired from the ship, with experts saying that it appeared to have been built with Russian technology.

Experts said that both ships are likely designed to carry weapons systems including nuclear-capable ballistic and cruise missiles.

600 NORTH KOREAN TROOPS KILLED WHILE FIGHTING UKRAINE, SOUTH KOREA SAYS

A report by the North Korea-focused 38 North website assessed last week that the destroyer in Chongjin was being prepared to be launched sideways from the quay, a method that has rarely been used in North Korea. The report said the destroyer launched in Nampo, in contrast, used a floating dry dock.

Kim has framed the arms buildup as a response to perceived threats from the United States and South Korea, which have been expanding joint military exercises in response to the North’s advancing nuclear program.

In March, Kim oversaw tests of newly developed AI-powered suicide drones and called for their increased production. He was seen walking with aides on what appeared to be an unmanned surveillance aircraft that resembles the U.S. RQ-4 Global Hawk high-altitude surveillance aircraft parked on the tarmac in the background.

Other images showed a fixed-wing drone zeroing in on a tank-shaped target then exploding in flames.

Kim has said that unmanned control and AI capability must be the top priorities in modern arms development.

Kim was also seen walking to a large aircraft with four engines and a radar dome mounted on the fuselage. Analysts have previously reported that North Korea was converting the Russian-made Il-76 cargo aircraft for an early-warning role to help augment the North's existing land-based radar systems, which are sometimes limited by the peninsula's mountainous terrain, London's International Institute for Strategic Studies said in a report in September.

North Korea also revealed this year that it has a nuclear-powered submarine under construction, a weapons system that could pose a major security threat to South Korea and the U.S.

Meanwhile, North Korea has sent between 11,000 and 15,000 military personnel to fight alongside Russia in the war against Ukraine in its first involvement in a large-scale conflict since the 1950-53 Korean War. 

The South Korean military assessed that around 4,700 of them have been killed or wounded.

The Associated Press and Reuters contributed to this report.

Wednesday's attack that killed two employees of the Israeli embassy in Washington, D.C. is part of a long history of assaults against Israeli targets around the world. 

The victims, who were a soon-to-be-engaged couple, were identified as Yaron Lischinsky and Sarah Milgrim. Their murders happened outside the Capital Jewish Museum, after which the suspected shooter yelled, "Free, free Palestine!" and security officers apprehended him.

The shooting comes as tensions over Israel’s operations in the Gaza Strip have drastically escalated this week amid growing humanitarian concerns, though it is not the first time since the war broke out following the deadly Oct. 7, 2023, attack on Israel that its D.C. embassy has been a target.

Since 1969, there have been at least 31 terror attacks targeting Israeli embassies and diplomatic staff across the globe. Here is a breakdown of some of the biggest incidents tracked by the Israeli government.

WHO IS THE ANTI-ISRAEL SUSPECT IN THE KILLING OF TWO ISRAELI EMBASSY STAFFERS?

FEBRUARY 2024

FEBRUARY 2012 

JULY 2004

FEBRUARY 1999

JULY 1994

MARCH 1992

JUNE 1982

NOVEMBER 1979

DECEMBER 1972

MAY 1971

MAY 1970

SEPTEMBER 1969

RED CROSS FIGHTING TO REACH HOSTAGES, ALLEVIATE 'CATASTROPHIC' SITUATION IN GAZA

FEBRUARY 2024

In February last year, an active-duty member of the U.S. Air Force, Aaron Bushnell, set himself on fire outside the embassy in an apparent act of protest.

The 25-year-old died, but no embassy staff were injured in the incident.

FEBRUARY 2012

On Feb. 13, 2012, Delhi, India was the site of the last known attack on Israeli embassy personnel when a diplomatic vehicle was bombed, and one woman was seriously injured. 

JULY 2004

Dual suicide bombings outside the Israeli and American embassies in Tashkent, Uzbekistan on July 30, 2004, killed the Israeli ambassador's personal bodyguard and four local policemen.

WITNESS RECOUNTS CHILLING MOMENT DC JEWISH MUSEUM SHOOTER CONFESSED, 'I DID THIS FOR GAZA'

FEBRUARY 1999

Roughly 100 rioters broke into the offices of the Israeli Consulate General in Berlin, Germany, on February 17, 1999, brandishing clubs, hammers, and iron bars before they took a woman hostage. Three of the perpetrators were killed during the attack.

JULY 1994

A bomb detonated outside the Israeli Embassy in London on July 26, 1994, injuring several embassy staff.

MARCH 1992

In one of the largest ever attacks on an Israeli embassy, a bombing attack in Buenos Aires, Argentina on March 17, 1992, injured some 300 people and killed 29 others, including nine Israeli embassy employees, as well as elderly residents of a nearby nursing home, and schoolchildren on a passing bus.

Just 10 days earlier, on March 7 in Ankara, Turkey, the security chief for the Israeli embassy, Ehud Sadan, was killed in a car bombing. Hezbollah and the Islamic Revenge Organization claimed responsibility.

AT LEAST 82 KILLED IN ISRAELI STRIKES ON GAZA AS CRITICAL AID FAILS TO REACH PALESTINIANS

JUNE 1982

On June 4, 1982, Israeli Ambassador to the UK, Shlomo Argov, was seriously wounded after he was shot in the head when leaving a diplomatic event in the center of London. Three perpetrators were apprehended and sentenced to up to 35 years in prison. 

NOVEMBER 1979

An assassination attempt was carried out on Israeli Ambassador Ephraim Eldar in Lisbon, Portugal on November 13, 1979. While the ambassador was wounded along with his chauffeur and a local policeman, a guard at the embassy was killed.

DECEMBER 1972

On December 28, 1972, the Israeli embassy in Bangkok, Thailand, was taken over by four terrorists and six embassy personnel were taken hostage. They were released a reported 19 hours later. 

JULY 1973

Yosef Alon, Israeli air force attaché to the embassy in Washington, D.C. was shot to death outside his home on July 1, 1973.  The murder was believed to be in retaliation for Israel’s killing of the leader of a terrorist group known as Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine.

MAY 1971

The Israeli Consul-General, Efraim Elrom, was assassinated in Istanbul, Turkey, on May 28, 1971, by the Turkish Liberation Army.

Two armed Palestinians broke into the Israeli Consulate in Asuncion, Paraguay, on May 4, 1970, and opened fire. An Israeli secretary, Edna Pe'er, was killed in the attack while a local worker was also injured.

SEPTEMBER 1969

On September 8, 1969, what appeared to be a coordinated bombing campaign targeted two Israeli embassies in the Hague in the Netherlands and in Bonn, Germany, as well as Israel's El Al airline in Brussels in an attack that occurred within minutes of each other.

Though no injuries were reported during the embassy attacks, three El Al employees and a customer were injured in the Brussels bombing.

The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) has not had the opportunity for more than 590 days to visit hostages in Gaza and provide them with medical care. However, Communications Coordinator for the International Committee of the Red Cross Jacob Kurtzer tells Fox News Digital that the organization has been ready to provide hostages with medical assistance "from day one" — despite not being granted access to them.

"It’s no secret that the ICRC has not been able to visit hostages to carry out the work that’s mandated — to carry out our humanitarian work, to visit, to bring medicine," Kurtzer told Fox News Digital. "I can assure you it’s not for lack of trying, and I can assure you that every single day, our colleagues here, our colleagues at headquarters, and our colleagues at other delegations are working to try to find a way to get access."

ISRAELI AMBASSADOR LASHES OUT AT UN OFFICIAL, CONDEMNS UK, FRANCE, CANADA STATEMENT ON AID

Since its establishment over 160 years ago, the ICRC has prided itself on serving as a neutral body focused on delivering aid and medical care. However, since the war in Gaza began, the ICRC has faced criticism from some for not pushing to visit the hostages and for its volunteers taking part in Hamas-led hostage release ceremonies.

When asked by Fox News Digital about the ceremonies, Kurtzer said that ICRC workers in Gaza have "very little ability to dictate the terms and the protocols of the release operations." However, he added that the organization believes these hostage release operations "must be done in dignity and should be done privately."

"So, certainly there were things that we saw that we didn't like. We conveyed our views about those directly through what we call our bilateral and confidential dialogue," Kurtzer said. 

Despite facing mounting pressure and obstacles, the ICRC seems to be sticking to its mission. Kurtzer said that the organization is ready to "jump at" any opportunity to reach the hostages and provide them with assistance. However, Hamas has still not given them that opportunity.

ISRAEL FIRES BACK AT UK OVER SUSPENDED TRADE TALKS, REJECTS ‘EXTERNAL PRESSURE’

Kurtzer also addressed the ICRC’s position on access to Palestinian detainees held by Israel.

When discussing the lack of opportunities to visit the hostages who have been held in Gaza since Hamas’ brutal Oct. 7 massacre, Kurtzer also mentioned that the ICRC would like to have the opportunity to visit Palestinians being held by Israel. Fox News Digital then pressed Kurtzer on whether the ICRC saw the situation of hostages in Gaza and Palestinians being held in Israel as equivalent. Kurtzer later clarified the comments in a statement to Fox News Digital.

"The ICRC recognizes the distinction between hostages and detainees enshrined in international humanitarian law (IHL). Hostages are captured or held with the threat of being harmed or killed to pressure another party into doing something, as a condition for the hostage’s release or safety. Hostage-taking is a violation of IHL," he said. "We provide assistance and work to alleviate suffering on all sides of a conflict. Under IHL, the ICRC must be notified of and granted access to Palestinians in Israeli custody, and we continue to seek this access."

AT LEAST 82 KILLED IN ISRAELI STRIKES ON GAZA AS CRITICAL AID FAILS TO REACH PALESTINIANS

Beyond the hostages, ICRC is tasked with providing humanitarian assistance in Gaza, something Kurtzer said is urgently needed. He called the situation in the Strip "catastrophic."

Kurtzer recalled the relief that the recent ceasefire provided those on the ground in Gaza. 

"It provided hope. It provided hope for families on all sides. It provided hope to families of the hostages. It provided hope for people living inside Gaza," Kurtzer said. However, the resumption of military action has "contributed to a sense of despair," he said.

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP 

Since Kurtzer spoke with Fox News Digital, Israel has altered its position on humanitarian access, now allowing some aid trucks into Gaza. However, critics argue that the scale of assistance remains insufficient.

U.K. Foreign Minister David Lammy announced on Tuesday that his country was suspending trade talks with Israel over the handling of the war in Gaza. French President Emmanuel Macron also condemned Israel in a post on X. Additionally, U.N. Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator Tom Fletcher said the aid being allowed in was a "drop in the ocean."

"We really believe that the path forward is one where humanitarian assistance is allowed in and we urgently and we appeal over and over again for the parties themselves to find a better path forward because what we're seeing now is just really very, very devastating," Kurtzer told Fox News Digital.

Not even wild animals are safe from Mexico’s cartel violence.

Tigers, elephants, lions and monkeys were evacuated this week from a wildlife refuge in Culiacán, Sinaloa, a city overrun by cartel gunmen.

The animals, some of which were once kept as pets by drug lords, were moved to another facility after staff faced threats and gunfire — a total collapse of law and order.

The Associated Press reports that the Ostok Sanctuary, which housed over 700 animals, was forced to pack up and flee after months of violence and intimidation from rival factions of the Sinaloa Cartel.

WEALTHY SUBURB ROCKED BY SUSPECTED CARTEL MURDER-FOR-HIRE SHOWS DRUG LORDS' REACH ACROSS US: EXPERT

Some animals went days without food. Others began shedding fur from stress. Two big cats died.

"We’ve never seen violence this extreme," sanctuary Director Ernesto Zazueta told the AP.

This is what happens when cartels run the show and the government steps aside.

For years, Culiacán was under firm control of the Sinaloa Cartel, one of the world’s most powerful drug trafficking organizations. That "order" shattered when a son of El Chapo Guzmán kidnapped a rival cartel leader and handed him over to U.S. authorities.

MEXICO OFFERS PROTECTION TO FAMED SINGER AFTER DRUG CARTEL DEATH THREATS

Now, the cartels are fighting each other for turf. And civilians, including children and families, are paying the price.

Security analyst David Saucedo told the AP that the two warring factions are "extorting, kidnapping and robbing" to fund their war. Roads are blocked. Shootings happen almost daily. Parents check the news each morning to see if it’s safe to send their kids to school.

When night falls, the streets go dark. Bars close. Businesses shut down. The police? Mostly absent.

The animal refuge sat near Jesús María, a stronghold of the Chapitos, a faction run by El Chapo’s sons. That made it a dangerous place to operate.

According to the UK’s Mirror, exotic animals were being caught in the crossfire. Tigers, lions, even elephants were showing signs of trauma from hearing gunfire and helicopters nearby. 

Some of the animals were once owned by cartel bosses. One tiger was found chained in a plaza during a shootout. Locals whisper that drug lords feed enemies to their pet lions — a disturbing rumor that reflects just how broken things are.

Staff say they received threats to burn down the sanctuary and kill the animals unless payments were made.

"There’s no safe place left in this city these days," rescuer Diego García told the AP.

After months of pleading for help, the sanctuary got nothing from the government. Not a single authority stepped in to protect the animals or the workers.

The last straw came when one of the sanctuary’s elephants, Bireki, injured her foot. No vet in Mexico or even the U.S. was willing to travel to cartel territory to treat her.

"We asked ourselves, ‘What are we doing here?’" Zazueta told the AP. "If we don’t leave, who will treat them?"

That led to the quiet decision to evacuate: not just the elephant, but every animal on site.

Trucks with white flags were loaded with sedated tigers, lions, jaguars and elephants. Some workers whispered calmly to the animals, trying to ease their stress. The convoy rolled out of Culiacán, past masked cartel lookouts on motorbikes, and into Mazatlán.

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

It took months of training and planning. But the animals made it. For now.

Sanctuary staff are praying that Mazatlán will be a true refuge. But they know cartel violence has spread like a disease. And the fear is that it could follow them.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Israeli strikes continued to pound the Gaza Strip Wednesday, despite a surge in international anger at Israel's widening offensive. The attacks killed at least 82 people, including several women and a week-old infant, according to the Gaza Health Ministry and area hospitals.

Israel began allowing dozens of humanitarian trucks into Gaza on Tuesday, but the aid has not yet reached Palestinians in desperate need.

Jens Laerke, the spokesperson for the U.N.'s humanitarian agency, said no trucks were picked up from the Gaza side of Kerem Shalom, the Israeli border crossing with southern Gaza.

U.N. spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric said Tuesday that although the aid had entered Gaza, workers were not able to bring it to distribution points after the Israeli military forced them to reload the supplies onto separate trucks and workers ran out of time.

The Israeli defense body that oversees humanitarian aid to Gaza said trucks entered Wednesday morning, but it was unclear if that aid would move deeper into Gaza for distribution. The U.N. agency for Palestinian refugees, UNRWA, said its staff had waited several hours to collect aid from the border crossing but were unable to do so on Tuesday.

ISRAEL BLOCKS HUMANITARIAN AID INTO GAZA AFTER HAMAS REJECTS CEASEFIRE EXTENSION PROPOSAL

A few dozen Israeli activists opposed to Israel's decision to allow aid into Gaza while Hamas still holds Israeli hostages attempted to block trucks carrying supplies Wednesday morning, but were kept back by Israeli police.

Diplomats come under fire in Jenin

A group of diplomats came under fire while visiting Jenin, a city in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, according to the Palestinian Authority. The diplomats were on an official mission to observe the humanitarian situation in Jenin when shots rang out.

An aid worker, who did not want to be named for fear of reprisal, said a delegation of about 20 regional, European and Western diplomats were standing near the entrance of the Jenin refugee camp when they heard gunshots Wednesday, she said. No one was injured, she added.

The Israeli military said the delegation "deviated from the approved route" and Israeli soldiers fired warning shots to distance them from the area. The military apologized and said they will contact all countries involved in the visit.

Footage shows a number of diplomats running for cover as rapid shots rung out. European Union foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said firing even warning shots was unacceptable and called on Israel to investigate.

The Italian government of Premier Giorgia Meloni also demanded an explanation, saying that its vice consul was among those who came under fire.

Jenin has been the site of Israel’s widespread crackdown against West Bank militants since earlier this year.

On Jan. 21 — just two days after its ceasefire deal with Hamas in Gaza — Israeli forces descended on Jenin as they have dozens of times since Hamas’ Oct. 7, 2023, attack on Israel. The fighting displaced tens of thousands of Palestinians, one of the largest West Bank displacements in years.

International pressure on Israel

On Tuesday, the United Kingdom suspended free trade talks with Israel over its intensifying assault, a step that came a day after the U.K., Canada and France promised concrete steps to prompt Israel to halt the war. Separately, the European Union was reviewing an EU pact governing trade ties with Israel over its conduct of the war in Gaza, according to its foreign policy chief.

Israel says it is prepared to stop the war once all the hostages taken by Hamas return home and Hamas is defeated, or is exiled and disarmed. Hamas says it is prepared to release the hostages in exchange for a full Israeli withdrawal from the territory and an end to the war. It rejects demands for exile and disarmament.

ISRAEL FIRES BACK AT UK OVER SUSPENDED TRADE TALKS, REJECTS ‘EXTERNAL PRESSURE’

Israel called back its senior negotiating team from ceasefire talks in the Qatari capital of Doha on Tuesday, saying it would leave lower-level officials in place instead. Qatari leaders, who are mediating negotiations, said there was a large gap between the two sides.

Meanwhile, Israeli strikes continued across Gaza. In the southern city of Khan Younis, where Israel recently ordered new evacuations pending an expected expanded offensive, 24 people were killed, 14 from the same family. A week-old infant was killed in central Gaza.

The Israeli military did not immediately comment on the strikes, but has said it is targeting Hamas infrastructure and accused Hamas militants of operating from civilian areas.

Desperate need for food

Experts have warned that many of Gaza’s 2 million residents face a high risk of famine. At one displacement camp in Gaza City, a charity group distributed thin and watery lentil soup.

Somaia Abu Amsha scooped small portions into bowls for her family, saying they have not have had bread for over 10 days and she can’t afford rice or pasta.

"We don’t want anything other than that they end the war. We don’t want charity kitchens. Even dogs wouldn’t eat this, let alone children," she said, pointing at the soup.

Pope Leo XIV on Wednesday called for aid to reach the Gaza Strip and for an end to the "heartbreaking" toll on its people during his first general audience in St. Peter’s Square.

Hospitals surrounded

Israeli troops also have surrounded two of northern Gaza’s last functioning hospitals, preventing anyone from leaving or entering the facilities, hospital staff and aid groups said this week.

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas on Wednesday urged world leaders to take immediate action to end Israel’s siege on Gaza, issuing the appeal during a visit to Beirut, where he was expected to discuss the disarmament of Palestinian factions in Lebanon’s refugee camps.

ISRAEL ENCIRCLES 2 OF NORTHERN GAZA’S LAST FUNCTIONING HOSPITALS, GROUPS SAY

"It is time to end the war of extermination against the Palestinian people. I reiterate that we will not leave, and we will remain here on the land of our homeland, Palestine," Abbas said, demanding the immediate entry of aid, the release of detainees, and a full withdrawal from Gaza.

The war in Gaza began when Hamas-led militants attacked southern Israel, killing some 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and abducting 251 others. The militants are still holding 58 captives, around a third of whom are believed to be alive, after most were returned in ceasefire agreements or other deals.

Israel’s retaliatory offensive has destroyed large swaths of Gaza and killed more than 53,000 Palestinians, mostly women and children, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry, which doesn’t differentiate between civilians and combatants in its count.