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The billionaire sultan who rules Malaysia’s Johor state was sworn in as the nation’s new king Wednesday under a unique rotating monarchy system.

Sultan Ibrahim Iskandar, 65, took his oath of office at the palace and signed the instrument of the proclamation of office in a ceremony witnessed by other royal families, Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim and Cabinet members. A coronation ceremony will be held later.

One of the richest men in the country, Sultan Ibrahim has an extensive business empire ranging from real estate to telecoms and power plants. The candid monarch has close ties with Anwar and his rule could bolster Anwar’s unity government, which faces a strong Islamic opposition.

MALAYSIA'S PRIME MINISTER CLAIMS OVER 200,000 REFUGEES HAVE FLED TO HIS COUNTRY FROM BURMA

Nine ethnic Malay state rulers have taken turns as king for five-year terms under the world’s only such system since Malaysia gained independence from Britain in 1957. Malaysia has 13 states but only nine have royal families, some that trace their roots to centuries-old Malay kingdoms that were independent states until they were brought together by the British.

Sultan Ibrahim's election to the national throne by his fellow rulers in October was widely expected based on an established rotation order. Sultan Nazrin Shah, the ruler of Perak state and next in line to the throne, was reelected as deputy king.

Known as the Yang Di-Pertuan Agong, or He Who is Made Lord, the king plays a largely ceremonial role, as administrative power is vested in the prime minister and Parliament. The monarch is the nominal head of the government and armed forces, and is highly regarded as the protector of Islam and Malay tradition. All laws, Cabinet appointments and the dissolution of Parliament for general elections require his assent. The king has the power to proclaim an emergency and pardon criminals.

Sultan Ibrahim succeeded Sultan Abdullah Sultan Ahmad Shah of Pahang state, who presided over a tumultuous period that included COVID-19 lockdowns and political instability.

The political influence of the king has grown in recent years. Sultan Abdullah intervened in the past to decide who became prime minister, including naming Anwar as prime minister after 2022 general elections led to a hung parliament.

Sultan Ibrahim has indicated he will maintain a hands-on approach. He said in an interview with the Singapore Straits Times published last month that he would not want to waste five years on the throne as a "puppet king" but will focus on fighting graft and deepening unity in the country. The sultan and other rulers have also warned against attempts by the opposition to oust Anwar’s government, calling instead for political stability.

Sultan Ibrahim, whose mother is English, is also vocal about welfare issues and takes annual road trips on his motorbike to meet the people in his state.

He has also made no secret of his wealth. Earlier Wednesday, the sultan flew from Johor to Kuala Lumpur on his private jet, a gold -and-blue Boeing 737. Apart from a fleet of jets, he has an extensive collection of cars and motorcycles, as well as properties abroad. Sultan Ibrahim is also the only ruler with a private army — a condition agreed upon for the state to join modern-day Malaysia.

MALAYSIA TO INTRODUCE NEW TAXES, SLASH SUBSIDIES IN ECONOMIC REFORM PUSH

Sultan Ibrahim's high corporate profile — including a stake in the multibillion-dollar Forest City development project in Johor with China’s beleaguered developer Country Garden — has raised eyebrows amid concerns of a possible conflict of interest. He told the Singapore Straits Times that he plans to revive a high-speed rail link project with Singapore and bolster the troubled Forest City project.

But the sultan has defended his business dealings. In 2015, he quipped that he has to "earn a living, like ordinary Malaysians" as he cannot rely on his $5,700 monthly state allowance.

His wife Raja Zarith Sofiah, who is from another royal family, is an Oxford graduate and a prolific writer who has authored several children’s books. They have five sons and a daughter.

The leaders of five European Union countries urged their neighbors and allies Wednesday to ramp up military support for Ukraine, while the bloc’s defense ministers debated ways to help meet the war-ravaged country’s ammunition shortfall.

In their appeal, the leaders of the Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Germany and the Netherlands warned that Europe's security is tied to the fighting that started almost two years ago with Russia's invasion of its neighbor.

"Our ability to continue to support and sustain Ukraine’s defense, both during the winter and in the longer term, is decisive," they wrote in the Financial Times newspaper. "In fact, it is a matter of our common European security."

EUROPEAN UNION LEADERS FOCUS ON SECURING AGREEMENT WITH HUNGARY OVER WAR SUPPORT PACKAGE FOR UKRAINE

With neither Russian nor Ukrainian troops demonstrating an advantage in the drawn-out conflict, fears are growing that public support for Ukraine’s war effort is waning. EU and NATO leaders, who are among Ukraine’s main backers, have shifted from praising the country's battlefield gains to celebrating its ability to survive against a more powerful enemy.

The prospect of Donald Trump returning to the White House after the U.S. presidential election in November is also driving leaders and military officers to demand that Europe must do more to defend itself. During his last term, Trump undermined confidence among NATO allies that the U.S. would back them in a security crisis.

In the Financial Times, the five leaders said it was vital to speed up arms deliveries up given that the war was unlikely to end soon.

"Russia doesn’t wait for anybody, and we need to act now. If Ukraine loses, the long-term consequences and costs will be much higher for all of us," they wrote. "We Europeans have a special responsibility. Therefore, we must act. Europe’s future depends on it."

According to EU estimates, Ukraine was firing around 4,000 to 7,000 artillery shells each day last summer, while Russia was launching more than 20,000 shells a day in its neighbor’s territory. Russia’s arms industry far outweighs Ukraine’s, and Kyiv has relied on Western help to match Moscow’s firepower.

Yet the 27-nation EU's plans to produce 1 million artillery rounds for Ukraine have fallen short, with only about a third of the target met. Senior EU officials have said they now expect the European defense industry to be capable of producing around 1 million shells annually by the end of this year.

But the shells will not arrive quickly. NATO’s procurement agency said last week that delivery of ammunition orders can take anywhere from 24 to 36 months. Even the five leaders conceded that deliveries could take a year.

"What is urgent today is to provide the ammunition and weapon systems, including howitzers, tanks, UAVs and air defense, that Ukraine so urgently needs on the ground. Now," they wrote.

EU defense ministers meeting in Brussels on Wednesday discussed ways to further boost production.

While not targeted by the five leaders, France has been accused of failing to provide sufficient support given its size and military weight. Still, on Jan. 18, France announced more planned deliveries of its Caesar artillery system to Ukraine.

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French President Emmanuel Macron is due to travel to Ukraine in coming weeks.

Asked Tuesday about doubts over future U.S. support for Ukraine, Macron said, "I am convinced that the next few months are decisive." He stressed that he thinks Ukraine is mainly a European issue.

"Ukraine is on European soil. It is a European country. And if we want a peaceful and stable Europe, we need to be credible in terms of our own security and defense vis-à-vis all our neighbors," the French leader said during a trip to Sweden.

EU leaders are set to gather over dinner later Wednesday to discuss their support for Ukraine. They have a Thursday summit scheduled on overcoming Hungary’s veto of a long-term financial aid package worth $54 billion to help prop-up the Ukrainian economy.

Political infighting also is holding up additional U.S. support for Ukraine.

Ukraine and Russia exchanged hundreds of prisoners of war in an exchange conducted just days after the crash of a Russian transport plane carrying dozens of captured Ukrainian troops.

The Wednesday exchange saw Russia turn over 207 Ukrainian troops, while Ukraine released 195 Russians, according to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. The exchange is the first to occur since last week's crash. Moscow accused Ukraine of shooting down last week's transport, which it says was headed to make another prisoner swap.

"Our people are back. 207 of them. We return them home no matter what. We remember each Ukrainian in captivity. Both warriors and civilians. We must bring all of them back. We are working on it. The Ukrainian team has done another excellent job. Budanov, Yermak, Usov, Maliuk, and Klymenko. Well done!" Zelenskyy wrote on X.

Russian President Vladimir Putin on Friday claimed that a Ukrainian missile shot down the military transport plane carrying 65 Ukrainian prisoners of war and nine Russians last week.

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"Knowing (the POWs were aboard), they attacked this plane. I don’t know whether they did it on purpose or by mistake, through thoughtlessness," Putin claimed.

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Ukraine has neither confirmed nor denied that its forces shot down a Russian military transport plane that day. Russia's claim that the crash killed Ukranian POWs could not be verified, according to the AP.

Ukrainian officials did confirm earlier this week that a prisoner exchange had been scheduled to happen Wednesday but said at the time that it had been called off. The officials added that Moscow had not requested for any airspace to be kept safe for a certain length of time, as it had for previous prisoner swaps.

Russia and Ukraine have agreed to numerous prisoner swaps over the past two years of conflict, but it was not clear until today's exchange that that pattern would continue following last week's disaster.

Fox News' Chris Pandolfo contributed to this report.

European Union leaders at a summit on Thursday will focus on the one member state blocking a $54 billion war support package for Ukraine: Hungary, the country in the bloc with the closest ties to Russia.

Almost two years after Russian President Vladimir Putin launched the invasion of Ukraine, the war has ground to a virtual stalemate and Ukraine desperately needs financial assistance.

"Securing agreement is vital for our credibility, and not least for our commitment to provide steadfast support to Ukraine," EU Council president Charles Michel said in his invitation letter to leaders of the 27-member bloc.

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The aid requires unanimous support. But Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban vetoed it at a previous summit in December and continues to oppose it.

"In December, we still had a little time. But from March onwards, Ukraine will start running into difficulties according to international financial institutions," a senior EU diplomat warned ahead of the meeting in Brussels. The official spoke on condition of anonymity in accordance with EU practices.

For most EU countries, helping Ukraine is crucial to protect the bloc from Russia's threats and maintain its credibility on the global stage.

"Ukraine is on European soil. It is a European country. And if we want a peaceful and stable Europe, we need to be credible in terms of our own security and defense vis-à-vis all our neighbors," French president Emmanuel Macron said.

Orban has repeatedly angered EU leaders since Russia's full-scale invasion in 2022. He criticized EU sanctions on Russia as being largely ineffective and counter-productive. He pushed for peace talks between Moscow and Kyiv, though he hasn’t detailed what that might mean for Ukraine’s territorial integrity.

At the previous EU summit, however, Orban did not prevent the EU from starting membership negotiations with Ukraine.

Concerned about democratic backsliding by Orban’s government, the EU has frozen Hungary’s access to tens of billions of euros in funds. Hungary, with its own economic concerns, has responded by vetoing some EU political decisions.

Instead of unlocking the new aid for Ukraine, Orban has proposed to split it into annual tranches and introduce a review mechanism. But that idea has not been well received because it would allow Orban to block the money later.

If the stalemate remains, it will not mean that Ukraine will suddenly be deprived of EU assistance. The EU diplomat said leaders will make sure it won't impact Ukraine in the short term.

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The 26 other countries could decide, on a voluntary basis, to decouple the aid from the EU budget. But it’s not their favorite option since it would require approval from several national parliaments, creating more uncertainty.

A more likely scenario would see EU leaders extending by one year the $19.5 billion in financial assistance they provided in 2023 to Ukraine from another program, and top it up with additional loans. That could be adopted with a qualified majority, meaning Hungary could not stop it.

In total, EU support to Ukraine since the war began amounts to some $92 billion, according to EU figures. That includes more than $43 billion to support Ukraine’s economy, around $29.2 billion in military assistance measures and over $18.4 billion to help EU member states support Ukrainians fleeing the war.

Thailand’s Constitutional Court ruled Wednesday that the progressive Move Forward party must cease advocating amending the law on royal defamation — a decision that leaves the party vulnerable to being dissolved.

The court's nine judges deemed it unconstitutional to advocate a change in Article 112 in the country’s Criminal Code — also known as lese-majeste law — which protects the royal institution from criticism by imposing severe penalties on those found to violate it, including up to 15 years in jail per offense.

Critics say the law is often wielded as a tool to quash political dissent. Student-led pro-democracy protests beginning in 2020 openly criticized the monarchy, previously a taboo subject, leading to vigorous prosecutions under the law.

THAILAND POLITICIAN PITA LIMJAROENRAT DID NOT VIOLATE ELECTION LAW, COURT RULES

Since those protests, more than 260 people have been charged with the offense, according to Thai Lawyers for Human Rights.

The Move Forward party came in first in the 2023 general election, campaigning heavily on making an effort to amend Article 112, along with other democratic reforms. The win suggested Thai voters were ready for change after nearly a decade of military-controlled government.

But the military-installed Senate effectively blocked the party from power when they refused to approve then-party leader Pita Limjaroenrat as prime minister. Senators said they opposed Pita because of his intention to seek reforms to the monarchy.

In July, Teerayut Suwankesorn, a lawyer associated with royalist politics, petitioned the court to block Pita and the Move Forward party from seeking to change the law. He argued the election campaign proposal to amend the law on royal defamation violated a constitutional clause against seeking to overthrow the system of constitutional monarchy.

"The court unanimously voted that the act of the two accused exercised the rights and freedom to try to overthrow Democratic System under His patronage … and order to cease all opinions including speech, writing, publishing, advertising to amend 112," read the court's ruling.

Both the party and its critics say the decision paves the way for follow-up legal action that could see the party dissolved.

Move Forward supporters believe the conservative royalist establishment seeks to eliminate the party as a political force through rulings by courts and state agencies such as the Election Commission, which are staunch defenders of the status quo.

But agitation for a more liberal atmosphere surrounding discussion of the subject has grown since the death of King Bhumibol Adulyadej in 2016.

Speaking at a news conference Wednesday after the court’s ruling, Pita was asked if it marked an end to efforts to reform the harsh lese majeste law.

"It’s an opportunity lost, that we can use the parliament to find different views and an opportunity to find the consensus building for such an important and critical and fragile issue, that parliament would be the best place to do it, and we lost that opportunity today," he responded.

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"What’s my message to the voters?" he said. "We’ve tried our best and we have a very true intention of finding the proportionality of law between the protection of the monarchy and the proportionality of freedom of speech in the modern Thailand, so we’ve tried our best."

Pita had been suspended from the legislature pending the court’s ruling on whether he violated the election law by owning shares in a media company. He was the executor of his father’s estate which included stock in a company that is the inactive operator of a defunct independent television station. Thailand’s Constitutional Court ruled Jan. 24 that Pita did not violate the law and can retain his seat in Parliament.

Pita has stepped down as party leader after his suspension so that a party colleague could become leader of the parliamentary opposition.

Earlier Wednesday, the Bangkok South Criminal Court convicted a prominent political activist of defaming the country’s monarchy and sentenced her to a two-year suspended jail term under Article 112.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has allegedly sectioned off a plot of land just 18 miles from the border of a NATO member state, according to an independent Russian outlet. 

"It is not known for certain what exactly this site is for, but judging by satellite images, it appeared in the last couple of years," Dossier Centre journalist Ilya Rozhdestvenskiy said in a video of the stunning compound. 

"It is possible that an air defense system is being displayed here…" Rozhdestvenskiy noted. "This is not the first time that marks on the ground - from the supports of military equipment deployed in combat positions from the air - have protected the president."

The compound in Karelia, a territory that borders Finland, includes a one-square kilometer (just shy of 250 acres) plot of land, surrounded by an additional three-square kilometers (around 750 acres) of fenced-in forest – an area equivalent to twice the area of Monaco, according to Radio Svoboda. 

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Putin shares the deluxe compound with his 40-year-old gymnast lover Alina Kabaeva, a winner of bronze and gold medals in consecutive Olympics for Rhythmic Gymnastics in 2000 and 2004, respectively. She later won election to the Duma as a member of the United Russia Party. 

The journalist describes a barn on the property as a "reception house," and the residence includes a brewery, tearoom and a "pool or fountain." The compound also hosts a bathhouse, a fishery and farm, a marbled beef farm and private access to a waterfall and lake. 

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He also claims the compound as a "separate underground entrance, a helipad and a pier for yachts" on the adjacent Lake Ladoga, allowing Putin to "enjoy nature in complete solitude."

Historian and journalist Mikhail Solomatin in 2011 posted a story on his blog about how a group of people, in the presence of a lawyer, confiscated the land on Lake Ladoga as part of a "recreation center" construction, insisting the land must be given away, Russian weekly newspaper Sobesednik reported. 

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A fisherman who visited the site shortly after found a security detail that stopped him and demanded documents and conducted an interrogation about the purpose of his trip. Locals living in the area moved away in exchange for cash payments. 

The land around the property remains fenced in and monitored by CCTV cameras and motion sensors mounted on a fence and overlooking stretches of barbed wire. 

Putin can even just go two miles down the road to dine at a restaurant and relax in a spa owned by his trusted oligarch and former Chelsea F.C. owner Roman Abramovich, who has a compound neighboring the Russian president’s own. 

Yuri Kovalchuk, a close Putin ally rumored to be his "personal banker," owns a hotel nearby the compound as well. His businesses largely attend to Putin’s leisure activities, overseeing his real estate properties, according to East2West. 

A suspect who fled the U.S. after allegedly killing his girlfriend and leaving her body in a parking garage at Boston’s Logan Airport last year has been arrested in Kenya, the Massachusetts State Police say. 

Kevin Kangethe, 41, was taken into custody at a nightclub in Nairobi on Monday after Kenyan authorities received a tip, according to The Associated Press. Kangethe is now expected to be extradited back to the U.S. to face justice. 

"I’m extremely grateful to the U.S. Department of State’s Diplomatic Security Service, the FBI, Kenyan law enforcement agencies, the Kenyan government and the Massachusetts State Police for bringing the person accused of Margaret Mbitu’s brutal murder into custody," Suffolk District Attorney Kevin Hayden said following the arrest. 

"We had been keeping tabs on him while the international coordination of the arrest warrant and apprehension plan was being completed," added Massachusetts State Police spokesperson David Procopio. 

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Mbitu, a resident of Whitman, Massachusetts, was first the subject of a missing person investigation before she was found dead on Nov. 1 at Logan Airport. 

"Kangethe fled to Kenya shortly after killing the 31-year-old Whitman resident, with whom he had been in a relationship, according to the investigation by State Police detectives," Massachusetts State Police said in a statement. "Ms. Mbitu's body was located in a parked car in the Central Parking garage at Logan International Airport on the evening of November 1, 2023." 

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"The subsequent investigation identified Kangethe, who lived in Lowell, as Ms. Mbitu's assailant and determined that he had boarded a flight to Kenya," police added. "State Police Detectives obtained a warrant charging Kangethe with Ms. Mbitu’s homicide and began working with the State Department DSS, Interpol, and Kenyan authorities to locate him in Kenya." 

State Police also said Kangethe is expected to appear in a court hearing in Kenya "within the next few days" and "the process to extradite him to Boston for prosecution has begun." 

The U.S. Embassy also commended the efforts of Kenyan law enforcement in arresting the fugitive. 

The Associated Press contributed to this report. 

Haruyuki Takahashi, a former Tokyo Olympics organizing committee member, appeared in a court on Wednesday and said he was not guilty of taking bribes connected to the Tokyo Games.

A former executive with the powerful Japanese advertising company Dents u, Takahashi is charged with accepting around $1.4 million in exchange for awarding Olympic contracts for the Tokyo Games held in 2021.

Wearing a gray suit and blue tie, Takahashi sat silently while one of his defense lawyers read from a document for about two hours before a panel of three judges at Tokyo District Court.

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His lawyers argued that the money Takahashi received was not bribes but legitimate consulting income as a sports marketing expert.

The defense also argued the Tokyo organizing committee had no power to make marketing decisions on sponsors or licensing, which was the realm of Dentsu, the powerful Japanese advertising company that headed Tokyo Olympic marketing.

The defense acknowledged Takahashi held power with Dentsu, where he previously worked. It also acknowledged Takahashi had close relations with International Olympic Committee officials and others in the sports world.

The next trial date was set for Feb. 22.

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The indictment says Takahashi received bribes from business suit retailer Aoki Holdings, publisher Kadokawa and others. Sun Arrow, one of the companies implicated, produced the stuffed toy version of the Olympic mascot, Miraitowa, and Paralympic version, Someity.

About a dozen people have already been convicted in related bribery cases, but all have received suspended sentences.

The myriad corruption investigations around the Tokyo Olympics are the latest to soil recent Games. French investigators have this year's Paris Olympics under scrutiny over how contracts are awarded.

Though the Olympics are funded partly by private money, they also rely heavily on taxpayer funding. In the case of Tokyo, at least 50% was public money. Tokyo says it officially spent $13 billion on the Tokyo Games, but a government audit says it might be twice that much.

A South Korean opposition leader who was stabbed in an attack and underwent surgery earlier this month accused the country's conservative president on Wednesday of promoting divisive politics and worsening an already toxic discourse in the nation.

Lee Jae-myung also urged voters to support his liberal Democratic Party in the April parliamentary elections in order to keep what he described as President Yoon Suk Yeol’s "prosecutorial dictatorship" in check.

With Yoon, "our society has become even more extremely polarized," said Lee, speaking at his first news conference since the Jan. 2 attack. Instead of "leading the way in promoting national unity," Yoon is "obsessed with choosing sides and waging an outdated ideological war."

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Lee was attacked during an event in the southeastern city of Busan. The attacker, a man police say they believe acted alone, approached him allegedly for an autograph and stabbed him in the neck, then left him bleeding and slumped on the floor.

Lee underwent surgery and spent eight days in hospital before his release. The suspect, who was arrested, later told investigators that he wanted to kill Lee to prevent him from becoming president.

At the news conference, Lee, who narrowly lost to Yoon in the 2022 presidential race, also claimed that his rival’s allegedly reckless policies were letting a decaying job market and tensions with nuclear-armed North Korea get out of hand.

Lee is seen as one of the early favorites for the 2027 presidential election but has struggled with a prolonged prosecutorial investigation over corruption allegations stemming from his days as mayor of the city of Seongnam, a job he held for a decade until 2018. He has denied legal wrongdoing and accused Yoon, a prosecutor-turned-president, of pursuing a political vendetta.

Lee in his remarks Wednesday described the attack against him as "an assassination attempt" in broad daylight, and an event previously "unthinkable in South Korea, reputed as the safest country in the world."

In another attack last week, Bae Hyunjin, a lawmaker from Yoon’s People Power Party, was treated for lacerations after being repeatedly struck in the head by a rock-wielding 14-year-old boy.

South Korean politics are deeply divided along ideological and generational lines, as well as regional loyalties, with political bickering intensifying ahead of the April vote. The elections are widely seen as a referendum on Yoon, who has already been struggling with low approval ratings and an opposition-controlled National Assembly that has limited the implementation of his agenda.

Since taking office, Yoon has turned from the dovish approach of his liberal predecessor, Moon Jae-in, who had pursued inter-Korean rapprochement, and instead moved to expand the South’s combined military exercises with the United States and Japan to cope with the North’s evolving threats.

Yoon has also sought stronger assurances from Washington that the U.S. would act swiftly and decisively to protect its ally in the event of a North Korean nuclear attack.

Also on Wednesday, Lee reiterated his standing criticism of Yoon’s hardened approach, saying it is contributing to the heightened North-South tensions. He called for renewed South Korean efforts to resume communication with the North — most urgently the revival of a disconnected military hotline between the two to prevent accidental cross-border clashes.

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Lee also berated North Korean leader Kim Jong Un for his recent declaration of abandoning the North’s longstanding objective of reconciliation with South Korea and defining the South constitutionally as the North's most hostile foreign enemy.

Kim’s threats are pushing the Koreas dangerously close to a possible military clash, Lee said adding that preventing an escalation was now the priority.

During a government meeting on Wednesday, Yoon warned of the possibility that North Korea could conduct various provocations ahead of the April elections in attempting to influence the outcome.

Experts say North Korea likely prefers that the opposition to maintain majority in the National Assembly in the South, thereby improving the opposition's prospects for the presidential election. The North's reasoning, they say, is that a liberal government in Seoul would be more willing to make concessions to Pyongyang.

Iranian officials warned that Tehran would decisively respond to any U.S. attacks, as President Biden vowed unspecified action following the deaths of three American soldiers in Jordan.

"We hear threats coming from American officials, we tell them that they have already tested us, and we now know one another, no threat will be left unanswered," Iranian Revolutionary Guards' chief Hossein Salami said on Wednesday, Reuters reported, citing the semi-official Tasnim news agency.

"We are not after war, but we have no fear of war," Salami, who answers only to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, said at an event Wednesday, according to the state-run IRNA news agency. 

Another warning came from Amir Saeid Iravani, Iran's ambassador to the United Nations in New York. 

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"The Islamic Republic would decisively respond to any attack on the country, its interests and nationals under any pretexts," Iravani said, according to the IRNA. He described any possible Iranian retaliation as a "strong response," without elaborating. He gave a briefing to Iranian journalists late Tuesday, according to IRNA. 

Iravani also denied that Iran and the U.S. had exchanged any messages over the last few days, either through intermediaries or directly. The pan-Arab satellite channel Al Jazeera, which is based in and funded by Qatar, reported earlier that such communication had taken place. Qatar often serves as an intermediary between Washington and Tehran.

Such messages have not been exchanged," Iravani said.

On Saturday, a general in charge of Iran's air defenses described them as being at their "highest defensive readiness." That raises concerns for commercial aviation traveling through and over Iran as well. After a 2020 U.S. drone strike in Baghdad killed Qassem Soleimani, the commander of the elite Quds Force of Iran's Revolutionary Guards, Iranian air defenses mistakenly shot down a Ukrainian passenger plane, killing all 176 people on board. 

In response to the 2020 U.S. strike, Iranian Revolutionary Guards also targeted the Ain al-Asad U.S. base in Iraq.

Speaking to reporters as he left the White House on a campaign trip to Florida Tuesday, Biden vowed to reporters he decided how to respond after three U.S. service members were killed and more than 40 others were injured in a drone strike by Iranian-backed militants on a post in Jordan near the Syrian border crucial to the anti-ISIS mission in the region. 

The president did not elaborate. Meanwhile, attacks by the Iranian-backed Houthi rebels continue in the Red Sea, most recently targeting a U.S. warship. The missile launched Tuesday night targeted the USS Gravely, an Arleigh Burke-class guided missile destroyer, the U.S. military’s Central Command said in a statement.

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"There were no injuries or damage reported," the statement said.

A Houthi military spokesman, Brig. Gen. Yahya Saree, claimed the attack in a statement Wednesday morning, calling it "a victory for the oppression of the Palestinian people and a response to the American-British aggression against our country." Saree claimed the Houthis fired "several" missiles, something not acknowledged by the U.S. Navy. Houthi claims have been exaggerated in the past, and their missiles sometimes crash on land and fail to reach their targets. 

The Houthis claimed without evidence on Monday to have targeted the USS Lewis B. Puller, a floating landing base used by the Navy SEALs and others. The U.S. said there had been no attack. Since November, the rebels have repeatedly targeted ships in the Red Sea over Israel’s offensive against Hamas in Gaza. But they have frequently targeted vessels with tenuous or no clear links to Israel, imperiling shipping in a key route for global trade between Asia, the Mideast and Europe.

The Houthis hit a commercial vessel with a missile on Friday, sparking a fire that burned for hours.

Five members of the Iranian Revolutionary Guards have been killed following Israeli strikes in Syria since late December, according to Reuters. 

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The Tasnim news agency reported Monday that another Israeli strike hit an "Iranian military advisory center" in Syria, killing two. Iran's envoy to Syria denied the details on the target and said those killed were not Iranians, according to Reuters.

The Associated Press contributed to this report. 

The lower house of Russia's parliament on Wednesday approved a bill that would allow authorities to confiscate money, valuables and other assets from people convicted of spreading "deliberately false information" about the country's military.

After its swift passage in the State Duma, the bill is now expected to quickly sail through the upper house of parliament and receive Russian President Vladimir Putin's signature.

Duma speaker Vyacheslav Volodin said the measure would strengthen the punishment for the "traitors who sling mud at our country and our troops" and "strip those scoundrels of honorary titles, confiscate their assets, money and other valuables."

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The new law would apply to people who are convicted of publicly inciting "extremist activities," calling for actions that would hurt the security of the state or "discrediting" the armed forces. Discrediting the Russian military became a criminal offense under a law adopted as part of a sweeping government crackdown on dissent after Moscow sent troops into Ukraine in February 2022.

"Everyone who tries to destroy Russia, who betrays it, must suffer the deserved punishment and pay compensation for the damage inflicted on the country, at the cost of their property," Volodin said before Wednesday's vote.

The proposed law does not appear to include real estate among the assets subject to seizure, unlike the draconian Soviet-era legislation that authorized the seizure of housing.

RUSSIAN TROOPS COULD DISAPPEAR AS KREMLIN TOUTS 'INVISIBILITY CLOAK'

"We don't want to revive the Soviet-style confiscation. We don't need that," Pavel Krasheninnikov, head of the Duma legal affairs committee, told reporters.

Russian officials have used the existing law against "discrediting" the military, which covers offenses such as "justifying terrorism" and spreading "fake news" about the armed forces, to silence Putin's critics. Multiple activists, bloggers and ordinary Russians have received long prison terms.

The Iraq-based terrorist group believed to be responsible for the fatal attack on U.S. troops in Jordan announced that it is suspending military activity in the region.

The group, Kata’ib Hezbollah, says it is halting operations under pressure from its backers in Iran and the Iraqi government, according to the New York Times. President Biden has nevertheless vowed to respond to the Sunday attack, which left three U.S. soldiers dead and roughly 30 more injured.

Kata'ib Hezbollah, which translates to "Brigades of the Party of God," is responsible for a large majority of the more than 160 attacks against U.S. forces operating in Iraq and Syria since mid-October.

"We announce the suspension of military and security operations against the occupation forces — in order to prevent embarrassment to the Iraqi government," the group's leader, Abu Hussein al-Hamidawi, said in a statement late Tuesday.

US WITHDRAWAL FROM SYRIA WOULD PUT 'WHOLE REGION AT RISK,' ALLOW IRAN TO 'SOW' MORE DISCORD, EXPERT WARNS

YEMEN’S HOUTHIS FIRE MISSILE TOWARD USS CARNEY, CENTCOM SAYS

Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani had called for a halt to attacks on the U.S. in late 2023, but he went ignored. Following the death of American troops, however, he interceded to the Iranian government directly, according to the Times.

"Kata’ib Hezbollah’s decision came as a result of the action taken by the prime minister internally and externally, to prevent escalation, and to ensure the smooth completion of negotiations on completing the process of the international coalition’s withdrawal from Iraq," an Iraqi government spokesman said in a statement.

"We hope that all parties will listen to the government’s call in order to reduce tension and ensure that there are no hot spots of tension in the region, and in Iraq in particular," the spokesman added.

KIRBY CLASHES WITH AL JAZEERA REPORTER OVER BIDEN'S MIDDLE EAST ACTIONS: ‘LET ME STOP YOU RIGHT THERE’

Biden says he has decided on what action he will take to respond to the strike in Jordan, but the White House has not offered details about the nature or timeline of the response.

Meanwhile, Iran has said it will respond in kind to any attack from the U.S.

Almost every day, Chinese warships sail in waters around Taiwan and warplanes fly toward the island before turning back. What if they suddenly attacked?

Taiwan's military conducted a two-day exercise at sea, on land and in the air this week to practice defending against such a surprise attack. As journalists looked on from fast escort boats, a mine layer released at least a half dozen dummy mines from a chute in its stern.

Maj. Gen. Sun Li-fang, the chief defense ministry spokesperson, told reporters at Zuoying Naval Base in southern Taiwan that China's recent actions threaten to spark a conflict that could have devastating effects on the entire region, where billions of dollars in trade pass the 100 mile-wide waterway separating Taiwan from China.

CHINA SENDS SEVERAL WARPLANES, NAVY SHIPS TOWARD TAIWAN AFTER US-CHINA TALKS

"Any unilateral irrational action could very easily escalate tensions and sabotage stability in the Taiwan Strait region," Sun said. "So the Chinese Communists should immediately cease these sorts of undermining actions."

China claims the self-governing island of 23 million people as its own territory and says it must come under Beijing's control. The long-running divide is a flashpoint in U.S.-China relations. As relations between the rivals have deteriorated in recent years, fears have grown that America could get pulled into a war if hostilities break out.

Later in the day, journalists witnessed a simulated attack by China at a military base in the eastern county of Taitung.

Troops in red helmets representing the People's Liberation Army parachuted in, while Taiwanese army drones buzzed overhead. Taiwanese troops soon rolled onto the training course, fighting back with M60 Patton tanks, a model first introduced to the U.S. Army in 1959 but significantly upgraded by Taiwan. Taiwan is gradually replacing some of them with M1 Abrams tanks and the HIMARS rocket system that has been so effective Ukraine.

Taiwan’s defense ministry, in a daily report, said that seven Chinese warplanes and four naval vessels were detected around the island in the 24-hour period ending at 6 a.m. on Wednesday. It also reported a Chinese balloon off its northern coast.

A Chinese government spokesperson criticized Taiwan’s government for "creating political hype" about recent balloon sightings. Chen Binhua from the Taiwan Affairs Office said that balloons are common around the world, usually belong to private companies and are mostly used for purposes such as weather monitoring.

"They have been around for a long time and are nothing new," he said Wednesday according to a transcript of a regular briefing in Beijing.

The annual exercise comes less than three weeks after voters elected Lai Ching-te as their next president, giving a third straight four-year term to the independence-leaning Democratic Progressive Party, which is opposed by China.

The drills are aimed in part at boosting public confidence in the island’s ability to defend itself, particularly during next month's Lunar New Year holiday.

"I wish to assure all our people that our forces remain at their posts during the Lunar New Year to guard the nation to allow the people of Taiwan to rest assured that they will have a peaceful holiday," Maj. Gen. Tan Yung, the head of the Taitung Defense Command, told reporters. Along with live firing exercises, such simulations are an important facet of training, Tan said.

Taiwan also uses such drills, and the press tours that often accompany them, to burnish the image of the armed forces, which has difficulty recruiting and relies heavily on conscripts.

Capt. Huang Chin-ya, of several dozen soldiers who took part in the drill, seemed to touch on both issues in her remarks.

"By this exercise, I proudly believe that citizens can realize there are always soldiers protecting our beautiful homeland," she said.

While its military is dwarfed by China’s, Taiwan has been buying high-tech weaponry from the United States, revitalized its domestic arms industry and extended the length of mandatory military service from four months to one year.

In another sign of the tensions across the Taiwan Strait, the island’s government protested Tuesday after China’s aviation authority announced changes to a southbound route for passenger flights that is expected to bring planes closer to Taiwan’s shores.

US LAWMAKERS EXPRESS BIPARTISAN SUPPORT FOR TAIWAN DURING CONGRESSIONAL VISIT

Taiwan first objected to the flight path when it was opened in 2015, citing air safety and sovereignty concerns, and China agreed to move the route seven miles closer to its side. But China’s Civil Aviation Administration said it would cancel the "offset measure" starting Thursday.

China also said that planes would be allowed to join the flight path from two coastal cities across from Taiwan. Previously, planes were allowed to use the flight path to reach those cities, but could not join it from them, which entails flying toward Taiwan.

Taiwan's Civil Aviation Administration strongly protested the move, which it said "blatantly contradicts a consensus reached between both sides ... in 2015," according to Taiwanese media.

A Chinese government spokesperson called the changes routine and said they were meant to ease air traffic and ensure flight safety in a crowded flight corridor.

JERUSALEM — The shocking revelation that some employees of the U.N. agency UNRWA were part of the Oct. 7 massacre and transported Hamas terrorists in U.N. vehicles is just the most recent example of the heavily U.S.-subsidized agency's relationship with Hamas. 

"UNRWA is a horror show that is decades in the making co-produced by the United States taxpayer," Richard Goldberg a senior advisor at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies(FDD,) said during testimony to a subcommittee of the House Foreign Relations Committee on Tuesday.

Fox News Digital has been digging over the years into the scandal-plagued history of UNRWA, an acronym for the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East.  

According to a dossier that Israel’s government submitted to the Biden administration in late January, 12 UNRWA employees allegedly aided Hamas in different capacities Oct. 7. 

Seven U.N. staffers crossed into Israel Oct. 7 while others were accused of "participating in a terror activity" or coordinating vehicle movements. The Biden administration has given UNRWA $1 billion of taxpayer money since 2021.

AUSTRIA SUSPENDS PAYMENTS TO UNRWA AMID ISRAELI ALLEGATIONS UN WORKERS HELPED, CELEBRATED HAMAS

Just weeks before Israel claimed UNRWA employees took part in the Oct. 7 massacre in southern Israel, Fox News Digital reported a Telegram channel used by more than 3,000 teachers for UNRWA in Gaza was found replete with posts celebrating Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack on Israel, praising the terrorists who raped and murdered civilians as "heroes." 

The Telegram channel is intended for UNRWA teachers and contains files with staff names, ID numbers, schedules and curriculum materials. In one post highlighted in the U.N. Watch report, UNRWA teacher Waseem Ula shared a video glorifying the Hamas attacks and posted a photo of a suicide bomb vest wired with explosives. The caption said, "Wait, sons of Judaism." 

TRUMP ADMIN CUT FUNDING TO UN AGENCY NOW ACCUSED OF PARTICIPATING IN HAMAS ATTACK ‘FOR REASON’: REP. MCCAUL

Fox News Digital reported on an August video titled "Askar—UNRWA: Cradle of Killers" purportedly showing Palestinian children inciting hatred against Jews and Israel at the Askar refugee camp near the West Bank city of Nablus.

In 2019, Fox News Digital reported that UNRWA schoolbooks were tainted with "systematic hatred" of Israel. UNRWA has faced years of criticism for allowing school text books to be filled with antisemitic chapters in its schools while also glorifying terrorists. 

Two years earlier, in 2017, a Hamas terrorism tunnel was found beneath two UNRWA schools in Gaza. 

Stéphane Dujarric, spokesman for U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres, told Fox News Digital by email, "As for donors, 15 donors announced funding suspension to UNRWA since 26 January (as of 29 Jan), namely: Australia, Austria, Canada, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Italy, Iceland, Romania Japan, Latvia, Lithuania, Netherlands, U.K. and the USA."

UN CALLS ON COUNTRIES TO RESUME UNRWA FUNDING DESPITE REPORT EMPLOYEES PARTICIPATED IN OCT. 7 MASSACRE

When asked if the secretary-general will urge UNRWA’s Commissioner Philippe Lazzarini to resign, Dujarric said, "Regarding Mr. Lazzarini, he continues to work with the full confidence of the secretary-general as he deals simultaneously with the allegations against UNRWA staff, on which he took swift and proactive action and continue[s] to lead the humanitarian response to what is unfolding in Gaza."

When pressed if UNRWA is no longer tenable as an organization and beyond reform, Dujarric referred Fox News Digital to his Monday press briefing. 

"The contracts of the staff members directly involved have been terminated," he said. "An investigation by the U.N.'s Office of Internal Oversight Services (OIOS) was immediately activated.

"The secretary-general is personally horrified by the accusations against employees of UNRWA, but his message to donors, especially those who have suspended their contributions, is to at least guarantee the continuity of UNRWA’s operations, as we have tens of thousands of dedicated staff working throughout the region."

During a briefing Tuesday, Dujarric claimed "UNRWA does not work with Hamas. We have operational contacts with de facto authorities like we do in every other place in the world where they are de facto authorities."

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken described evidence that 12 UNRWA employees participated in the Oct. 7 massacre "highly credible."

Despite calls for a wholesale revision of UNRWA, Blinken noted that UNRWA plays an "indispensable" role in furnishing aid to civilians in the Gaza Strip and that "no one else can play the role that UNRWA has been playing, certainly not in the near term."

BIDEN ADMIN CUTS FUNDING TO CONTROVERSIAL UN AGENCY AMID ALLEGATIONS MEMBERS ASSISTED IN HAMAS MASSACRE

"This is the time to put stringent controls over UNRWA in the areas of education and [the] inspection of weapons," UNRWA critic David Bedein, director of the Center for Near East Policy Research and an expert on UNRWA's curriculum.

Bedein told Fox News Digital that the Palestinian Fatah party and the terrorist organizations Palestinian Islamic Jihad and Hamas "are controlling the workers’ unions" for UNRWA teachers. 

"You can stop that," Bedein said.

Fox News Digital reported in 2012 that Palestinians voted UNRWA elected candidates linked to Hamas to 25 out of 27 seats on a union board that represents 10,000 UNRWA workers.

Bedein said there must be a plan to overhaul UNRWA. First, "Cancellation of the new UNRWA curriculum, based on Jihad, martyrdom and ‘right of return by force of arms,’  which have no place in U.N. education, whose theme is ‘Peace Begins Here."

He insisted "UNRWA dismiss employees affiliated with Hamas, Islamic Jihad or Fatah in accordance with laws of donor nations that forbid aid to any agency that employs members of a terrorist organization."

Bedein notes that the "current UNRWA policy is that any Arab refugee resettlement would interfere with the ‘right of return’ to pre-1948 Arab localities." 

The refugee classification by UNRWA impedes the Israel-Palestinian peace process because it provides endless refugee status to generations of Palestinians who were not born in Israel.

According to Israel, the Palestinian demand to return all refugees is an impossible proposal because it would create a non-Jewish state.

Bedein argued that it was time to implement standards "to advance resettlement of fourth- and fifth-generation refugees from the 1948 war who have spent seven decades relegated to refugee status," while calling for an audit of all donor funds from the 68 nations who support the agency.

The FDD's Richard Goldberg concluded his congressional testimony by telling the committee that, "October 7th is the logical conclusion of UNRWA. It is of course what they have been training generations to do with the resources we've provided going to these terrorist organizations to carry out that mission."

UNRWA did not respond to multiple Fox News Digital questions.

Fox News' Lawrence Richard and Bradford Betz contributed to this report.

A U.S. Air Force F-16 Fighting Falcon assigned to the 8th Fighter Wing crashed into the Yellow Sea on Wednesday morning after experiencing an in-flight emergency.

According to the 8th Fighter Wing’s public affairs office, the plane crashed at about 8:40 a.m. on Wednesday.

The 8th Fighter Wing is based out of Kunsan Air Base in the Republic of Korea.

The pilot of the jet was able to eject safely and was recovered at about 9:30 a.m.

US F-16 CRASHES INTO YELLOW SEA FOLLOWING IN-FLIGHT EMERGENCY; PILOT RESCUED AFTER EJECTING SAFELY

Officials said the pilot is conscious and was taken to a medical facility to be assessed.

Both the U.S. and Republic of Korea mission partners worked together to locate and recover the pilot.

"We are very thankful to the Republic of Korea rescue forces and all of our teammates who made the swift recovery of our pilot possible," Col. Matthew C. Gaetke, 8th FW commander said. "Now we will shift our focus to search and recovery of the aircraft."

Further information about the cause of the crash will not become available until the conclusion of safety and accident investigations, officials said.

The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) has confirmed that it has been flooding tunnels in Gaza with large volumes of water in its effort to attack the terrorist infrastructure of Hamas.

The IDF says that its forces along with the Israeli Ministry of Defense have been using various tools to flood the subterranean network of tunnels Hamas has been using in the Gaza Strip in order to drive out terrorists hiding there. The flooding had been considered an open secret for weeks but the IDF finally confirmed the strategy on Tuesday. 

"These capabilities consist of installing pumps and pipes, the materialization of engineering developments and the ability to locate tunnel shafts suitable for the deployment of these tools," the IDF said in a statement.

BIDEN ADMIN CHANGES ITS TUNE ON THE MIDDLE EAST MONTHS AFTER DECLARING IT 'QUIETER' THAN IT'S BEEN IN DECADES

"The capability was developed in a professional capacity, including analysis of the soil characteristics and the water systems in the area to ensure that damage is not done to the area's groundwater. The pumping of water was only carried out in tunnel routes and locations that were suitable, matching the method of operation to each case."

The IDF said this strategy represents a significant engineering and technological breakthrough in combating the threat of Hamas’ underground terror infrastructure and is the result of a collaborative effort between various bodies in Israel’s security establishment.

The IDF did not go into further detail about the flooding of the tunnels. 

However, the Wall Street Journal reported last month that Israel had constructed five large seawater pumps completed in November about one mile north of the Al-Shati refugee camp. Each pump is capable of drawing water from the Mediterranean Sea and can move thousands of cubic meters of water per hour, which would flood the tunnels within weeks, the report said.

ISRAEL TO BAN REBUILDING OF ISRAELI SETTLEMENTS IN GAZA FOLLOWING CONCERNS FROM BIDEN ADMIN

According to that report, Israel had identified about 800 tunnels beneath Gaza that Hamas had been using to move fighters, store weapons and plan terror attacks on Israel. However, Israeli officials believe the tunnel network is much larger.

A report sent by IDF troops earlier this month said it was likely Hamas "used more than 6,000 tons of concrete and 1,800 tons of metal to build hundreds of miles of underground infrastructure." 

It is unclear how many tunnels have been flooded by Israeli forces and how many Hamas terrorists have been caught or killed as part of the operations. 

Israel is seeking to eradicate the Palestinian terror group after it took some 240 people captive during the Oct. 7 attack on Israel and brought them back to the Gaza Strip. Hamas released 105 hostages in a November truce.

Israel says that about 1,200 people were killed in the Oct. 7 surprise attack. A U.N. report last week estimated that about 16,000 people had been killed as a result of Israel’s bombardment of Gaza.

The IDF said the flooding of tunnels forms part of a range of tools deployed by the IDF to neutralize the threat of Hamas.

Other efforts include air strikes, underground combat operations and special operations with technological assets, the IDF said.

The Israeli military blew up a tunnel underneath a cemetery in Gaza after discovering that Hamas terrorists were using the tunnel for its activities, the IDF said Monday.

Fox News’ Chris Pandolfino contributed to this report. 

A proposal to renovate one of the three iconic pyramids in Giza is getting some pushback from critics, one of whom likened such a venture to "straightening the Tower of Pisa." 

The project concerns the Pyramid of Menkaure, the smallest of the Giza pyramids, built more than 4,000 years ago. The aim is to restore the pyramid to how it may have looked when it was originally built.  

Built around 2,500 B.C., the Pyramid of Menkaure stood more than 200 feet tall but has since been whittled down by erosion and vandalism. Roughly one-third of the structure was clad with granite blocks. 

Set to coincide with the opening of the Grand Egyptian Museum, Mostafa Waziri, head of Egypt’s Supreme Council of Antiquities, described the restoration plan as "a gift from Egypt to the world." 

AMELIA EARHART PLANE CRASH: AIR FORCE VET IS ‘CERTAIN’ IMAGES ARE HISTORY'S MOST FASCINATING WRECK

Waziri shared a video last Friday of the project already underway. Workers can be seen setting blocks of granite at the base of the pyramid. 

The video prompted a flurry of divided opinions. 

Critics, such as Egyptologist Monica Hanna, have argued that the structure should be preserved as is, rather than trying to create its original appearance, per AFP. 

"When are we going to stop the absurdity in the management of Egyptian heritage?" she said, comparing such ventures to "straightening the Tower of Pisa" in Italy. 

The backlash has prompted the Egyptian Ministry of Antiquities to form a committee of experts to evaluate the project. A verdict is expected in the coming days, per reporting from The Telegraph. 

The renovation proposal is part of a larger "project of the century" initiative to develop the Giza Pyramids area. This includes opening the Grand Egyptian Museum and upgrading local infrastructure – efforts aimed at boosting Egypt’s tourism industry to help the country’s beleaguered economy.

For the second time in as many weeks, the State Department is citing increased crime on a Caribbean island nation and warning American citizens to "reconsider travel" to Jamaica. 

The warning, issued on Jan. 23, is listed as Level 3, one level below the "do not travel" advisory. 

"Violent crimes, such as home invasions, armed robberies, sexual assaults, and homicides, are common. Sexual assaults occur frequently, including at all-inclusive resorts," the advisory issued by the U.S. Embassy in Jamaica states. 

"Local police often do not respond effectively to serious criminal incidents," it continues. "When arrests are made, cases are infrequently prosecuted to a conclusive sentence. Families of U.S. citizens killed in accidents or homicides frequently wait a year or more for final death certificates to be issued by Jamaican authorities."

GANGS IN HAITI HAVE ATTACKED A COMMUNITY FOR DAYS AND RESIDENTS FEAR THE VIOLENCE COULD SPREAD

Jamaica experienced 65 murders since the new year, according to data released by the Jamaica Constabulary Force. The number of killings is short of the 81 reported in the same time frame in 2023. 

The latest warning comes amid a spike in murders in the Bahamas since Jan. 1. Last week, the U.S. Embassy in Nassau issued a warning and travel advisory to U.S. travelers, citing 18 murders that have occurred on the island nation since the new year. 

"Murders have occurred at all hours including in broad daylight on the streets," the warning states. "Retaliatory gang violence has been the primary motive in 2024 murders."

A Level 2 advisory was issued Friday, warning visitors to exercise increased caution. 

The State Department said Jamaica's murder rate has consistently been among the highest in the Western Hemisphere going back several years. U.S. citizens visiting the island are urged to purchase traveler's insurance, including medical evaluation insurance. 

US ISSUES TRAVEL WARNING FOR BAHAMAS OVER SPIKE IN MURDERS SINCE NEW YEAR

In response to the uptick in crime, Bahamian Prime Minister Philip Brave Davis said authorities will put up roadblocks and initiate more police action, The Nassau Guardian reported. 

"We will not violate anyone’s civil liberties, but you are likely to be impacted by more roadblocks and unannounced police action," he said. "This may make you late for your appointments, or delay plans you have, but this is a small price to pay for the collective benefit of having our streets made safer, and our lives less blighted by murder and other violent crimes."

To state the obvious: a primary function of sanctions on Iranian oil is to tighten Iran’s budget so the Islamic Republic cannot fund the proxy militaries, like the group that killed US soldiers in Jordan, or Hamas and Hezbollah who attack Israel.  

"Without Iran’s export of oil, it cannot operate its budget much less successfully fund and arm its proxies, "says former Ambassador Mark Wallace, who heads the group United Against Nuclear Iran. 

"Without proxies, the Middle East is a much more stable place."

AT WAR OR NOT? US CONFLICT WITH IRAN-BACKED MILITIAS BLURS LINE

Everything from the Gaza war to almost 170 attacks on US targets in the region show it’s anything but stable. The proxies appear well funded and in the face of US sanctions, Iranian Oil revenue is booming. 

"Really, we have seen a renaissance in the Iranian oil industry since President Biden came into office. We’ve seen their (Iranian) numbers go up dramatically. They’re producing the most amount of oil they’ve had since the Iranian Revolution," says energy market analyst Phil Flynn.

In the Trump years, the US engaged in what the administration called the maximum pressure campaign and ended sanction waivers with the goal of stopping Iran exports altogether. 

"We are going to zero," said then Secretary of State Mike Pompeo in 2019. "How long we remain there, at zero, depends solely on the Islamic Republic of Iran’s senior leaders."

BIDEN NEEDS TO 'WAKE UP' ON IRAN, REGIONAL CONFLICT IS ALREADY HERE: JACK KEANE

Now, anywhere from 300-560 tankers, dubbed "the ghost armada" or "dark fleet," sail the seas obfuscating their locations and delivering sanctioned, Iranian crude primarily to China.

On China’s east coast north of Shanghai and south of Beijing an estimated 150 small semi-independent so-called "teapot" refineries operate.

Industry analysts and Iran watchers say the teapot refineries turn Iranian crude into useable petrochemicals. 

The same analysts say the Biden administration, eager to woo Iran back into the JCPOA nuclear deal, isn’t doing anything to disrupt this black market which has earned Iran upwards of $80 billion. 

"The reality is a feckless strategy of oil sanctions and enforcing those sanctions, both against the transport and shipping of that oil and its end users," says Wallace.

An analyst with the Foundation for Defense of Democracy says the failure to disrupt the revenue that funds the proxies, means the administration needs to take blame for the US service members killed in Jordan. 

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"With the deaths of three US soldiers, it is a direct result of appeasement policy towards Iran," says Richard Goldberg.

A spokesman for the United Nations insisted Tuesday that UNRWA, facing allegations that at least a dozen of its employees participated in the Oct. 7 terror attack on Israel, "does not work with Hamas." 

The remarks came from Stéphane Dujarric, spokesman for United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres, during a press briefing when a reporter asked whether Guterres is planning to ask for a broader investigation of UNRWA's employees' affiliation with Hamas. The reporter noted how it's estimated, according to one intelligence report, that up to 10% of the 13,000 UNRWA employees working in Gaza are affiliated with Hamas. "Is he asking for a more intensive examination of the vetting procedures?" the reporter asked. 

Dujarric responded by noting how Philippe Lazzarini, commissioner general of the U.N. Relief and Works Agency for Palestinian Refugees, "himself has said UNRWA would commission an independent review of its work to look at risk, to look at how it does its operations."

"So that's something they themselves want to do, while I think in any context I don't know how you examine people's thoughts. Right?" Dujarric said. "What is clear is that any action that contravenes the U.N., U.N. principles, that violates our rules is dealt with. And I think Mr. Lazzarini did it. Furthermore, I think it's also important to clarify something. Every year, UNRWA shares its list of staff with the host countries where it works. Right? So UNRWA works in Jordan, works in Lebanon, works in Syria."

UN CALLS ON COUNTRIES TO RESUME UNRWA FUNDING DESPITE REPORT EMPLOYEES PARTICIPATED IN OCT 7 MASSACRE

"For the work that it does in Gaza and the West Bank," he said, UNRWA "shares the list of staff with both the Palestinian Authority and with the Israeli government as the occupying power for those areas. And as far as I'm told by UNRWA, concerns have not been raised when the list of staff has been shared." 

"But have they shared this list with the de facto power in charge in Gaza, which would be Hamas? And then they asked Hamas for a list of their own members?" the reporter pressed back, arguing that the terror organization would be unlikely to release that information. 

"I think you can imagine the answer to the scenario which you're laying out. Our counterpart for the occupied Palestinian territory is the Palestinian Authority," Dujarric said. 

The reporter interjected, saying, "But UNRWA works with Hamas." 

WHITE HOUSE DEFENDS UNRWA AMID TERRORIST ALLEGATIONS: 'DON'T IMPUGN THE WHOLE AGENCY'

"UNRWA does not. I don't agree with the terminology. UNRWA does not work with Hamas. We have operational contacts with de facto authorities like we do in every other place in the world where they are de facto authorities," Dujarric responded, before moving onto other reporters' questions. 

The exchange comes amid Israel’s allegations that 12 UNRWA employees were involved in Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack, which led the United States and several other countries to cut off funding for the agency and reignited debate over Gaza’s biggest humanitarian aid provider. 

In Gaza, UNRWA employs thousands of staffers to provide aid across the Middle East, and has been the main supplier of food, water and shelter to civilians during the Israel-Hamas war. 

Israel, whose allegations were detailed in a document provided to the Biden administration Monday, has long railed against the agency, accusing it of tolerating or even collaborating with Hamas and of perpetuating the situation of Palestinian refugees.

The Israeli government has accused Hamas and other militant groups of siphoning off aid and using U.N. facilities for military purposes.

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UNRWA denies those allegations and says it took swift action against the employees accused of taking part in the attack. The United States and other top donors that together provided more than half of UNRWA’s budget in 2022, nevertheless suspended their funding to the agency. Guterres says 2 million Palestinians in Gaza, or 87% of the population, rely on UNRWA services that would be scaled back as soon as February if the money is not restored.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.