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

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

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

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

NEW SATELLITE IMAGES SHOW FIRES, NAVAL BASE DAMAGE ACROSS IRAN AFTER US-ISRAELI STRIKES

The moves come after the U.S. sank the Iranian warship IRIS Dena off Sri Lanka’s coast on Wednesday.  

Secretary of War Pete Hegseth said it was "the first sinking of an enemy ship by a torpedo since World War II." 

The Indian navy said Thursday that it had initiated search and rescue operations after receiving a distress signal from the Dena, deploying two aircraft along with a sailing training vessel. By the time the response was launched, the Sri Lankan navy had already started its own rescue efforts, it said.

The Sri Lankan navy rescued 32 sailors and recovered 87 bodies after the attack, according to The Associated Press. 

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi said Thursday that the U.S. will "bitterly regret" striking and sinking that ship. 

"The U.S. has perpetrated an atrocity at sea, 2,000 miles away from Iran's shores," Araqchi wrote on X. "Frigate Dena, a guest of India's Navy carrying almost 130 sailors, was struck in international waters without warning."

US 'WINNING DECISIVELY' AGAINST IRAN, WILL ACHIEVE 'COMPLETE CONTROL' OF AIRSPACE WITHIN DAYS, HEGSETH SAYS

"Mark my words: The U.S. will come to bitterly regret precedent it has set," he added. 

Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Dan Caine told reporters at the Pentagon on Wednesday that the Iranian vessel was "effectively neutralized" in a Navy "fast attack" using a single Mark 48 torpedo.

He added that the U.S. Navy achieved "immediate effect, sending the warship to the bottom of the sea." 

Fox News’ Stephen Sorace, Landon Mion and The Associated Press contributed to this report. 

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

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

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

IRAN SMUGGLED $1B TO HEZBOLLAH THIS YEAR DESPITE US SANCTIONS, TREASURY OFFICIAL SAYS

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

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

IRAN COULD ‘ACTIVATE’ HEZBOLLAH IF US TARGETS REGIME, TRUMP’S INNER CIRCLE TO DECIDE: EXPERT

Schenker says the move reflects frustration in Beirut rather than a fundamental policy shift. "The Government of Lebanon’s latest cabinet vote on Hezbollah disarmament is nothing new," Schenker said. "It is a reiteration of the cabinet decision last August mandating the disarmament of Hezbollah. The language is perhaps more strident, but the message is the same."

"It is a reflection of the Government’s frustration and desperation over Hezbollah dragging Lebanon into yet another war with Israel," he added. "It also reflects the Lebanese Armed Forces’ failure to date to take its mission of disarmament seriously."

Hezbollah’s latest attacks appear to have caught Lebanese officials off guard. Reports suggest the group had previously assured officials it would not intervene in a broader regional conflict tied to Iran.

Schenker said the episode underscores a longstanding reality in Lebanon’s political system. "The government of Lebanon has never tried to control Hezbollah," he said. "The few months that the LAF devoted to disarmament in south Lebanon was performed with Hezbollah’s consent and coordinated with the militia."

Still, public frustration inside Lebanon may be shifting the political environment. "Given the population’s growing anger toward Hezbollah now, the political environment should be more conducive for the LAF to confront Hezbollah," Schenker said.

ON MADURO’S ‘TERROR ISLAND,’ HEZBOLLAH OPERATIVES MOVE IN AS TOURISTS DRIFT OUT

"The fear of ‘civil war’—i.e., Hezbollah perpetrating violence against the Government—remains," he added. "But increasingly, Lebanese prefer taking that risk and possibly gaining sovereignty than being in a state of perpetual war with Israel."

In a clip posted on X by the Center for Peace Communications, Lebanese people angrily responded to Hezbollah's actions with one man telling Jusoor News: "If Hezbollah leader Naim Qassem wants to commit suicide, let him go do it in Tehran, not Lebanon."

According to David Daoud, senior fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, Hezbollah’s decision to attack Israel despite the ceasefire reflects the group’s willingness to escalate the conflict even as Lebanon’s government seeks to avoid another war.

The crisis has also drawn international attention. French President Emmanuel Macron called for urgent steps to prevent Lebanon from sliding deeper into war.

"Everything must be done to prevent this country, so close to France, from once again being drawn into war," Macron wrote in a statement posted on X on March 5 after speaking with Donald Trump, Benjamin Netanyahu and Lebanese leaders.

Macron said Hezbollah "must immediately cease its fire toward Israel," while urging Israel to avoid expanding military operations inside Lebanon.

For now, analysts say the outcome may depend on whether Lebanon’s government is willing to confront Hezbollah directly or continue to tolerate Iran's terror proxy that has long operated outside the control of the government's control.

Long border crossings, SUV convoys and six-figure jet charters have become the new escape route out of the Middle East as Operation Epic Fury intensifies, with private flights now accounting for nearly a third of all departures from Oman’s main airport.

FlightRadar24, a real-time flight tracking platform, reported that while Oman continues to be a "vital" hub for evacuation and repatriation flights, private flights accounted for 31% of operations Wednesday at Muscat International Airport.

As of Thursday afternoon, the platform reported more than 30% of all movements at the airport were private flights.

Semafor reported earlier this week that airports in Oman and Saudi Arabia were drawing ultra-wealthy travelers looking to leave the countries.

LIV GOLFERS DEAL WITH 'TERRIFYING' EXPERIENCE IN MIDDLE EAST AS CONFLICT BROKE OUT IN IRAN

People familiar with the matter told the outlet that private security companies have been booking fleets of SUVs to take people on the 10-hour drive from Dubai to Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, where private flights are available. 

The clientele evacuating the region are a mix of senior executives at global finance firms and wealthy travelers in the region for business or vacation, according to Semafor.

LIV golfer Jon Rahm, a two-time major winner, was just one of the wealthy who arranged flights amid the turmoil.

MIDDLE EAST CRUISE NIGHTMARE DEEPENS AS IRAN AIRSTRIKES LEAVE PASSENGERS STRANDED

Rahm arranged a charter flight through his partnership with VistaJet, a private aviation company, to fly the seven stranded LIV golfers and a caddie from Oman to Hong Kong after their flights were canceled.

After a more than four-hour drive to Oman, the crew flew to Hong Kong.

A spokesperson for Air Charter Service, a company that acts as a global broker for private jets and freight transport, told FOX Business the company has arranged more than 10 evacuation flights, with more scheduled, mainly out of Oman with passengers looking to flee Dubai.

AMERICAN STUCK IN MIDDLE EAST ESCAPES IN RACE TO REACH CRITICALLY ILL HUSBAND IN CALIFORNIA

"We evacuated some of our own staff who were just visiting the region, and we arranged transport via the Hatta crossing into Oman from the UAE to get them to Muscat from where they flew out of the region," the spokesperson said. "The border crossing time at Hatta took around 3–4 hours, as of Sunday, but I suspect this has increased now, as more people look at this option."

Light flight jet trips from Muscat, Oman, to Istanbul, Turkey, are reportedly going for more than $93,000, according to Forbes, which said the price was about double the usual rate. 

The outlet added the same route on heavy jets can cost up to $140,000.

AMERICANS IN MORE THAN A DOZEN MIDDLE EAST NATIONS URGED TO FLEE

The U.S. and Israel launched attacks on Iran Saturday, triggering retaliatory attacks targeting countries in the region that host U.S. interests. 

Mora Namdar, Assistant Secretary of State for Consular Affairs, advised U.S. citizens to leave Bahrain, Egypt, Iran, Iraq, Israel, the West Bank and Gaza, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Syria, the United Arab Emirates and Yemen.

The limited number of available aircraft has pushed up prices, as citizens and travelers attempt to flee.

Fox News Digital's Ryan Morik and Ashley Carnahan contributed to this report.

In less than a week, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney has gone from supporting U.S. actions against Iran to raising the issue that the U.S. and Israel "acted without engaging the United Nations or consulting with allies, including Canada" to on Wednesday not ruling out Canadian military participation in the conflict.

"He’s been all over the place," Nader Hashemi, a Canadian-born associate professor of Middle East politics at Georgetown University, told Fox News Digital. "It doesn’t look very good for him or for the government of Canada."

"My own reading is that he’s influenced by public opinion and his understanding of Canada’s national interests and where they lie, and specifically the relationship with the United States at its core. His first statement was very supportive of the American-Israeli attack and then he walked it back two days later when he got a lot of pushback because there was no reference to Canada’s support for international law, rules-based order and the United Nations."

TRUMP PRESSES NATO PARTNERS ON SUPPORT AS HEGSETH BLASTS HESITATION

When asked whether Canada would join the U.S. military against Iran during his visit to Australia on Wednesday, Carney told reporters that "one can never categorically rule out participation" and that Canada "will stand by our allies, when makes sense."

However, former NATO commander and retired Canadian major-general David Fraser told CTV News Channel that it’s "unlikely" that Canada would be drawn into the U.S.-Israeli war against Iran unless a member state, such as Turkey, called for assistance under Article 5 of the North Atlantic Treaty.

Carney’s latest comments signal the Canadian prime minister’s desire to ensure that "it doesn’t create a deeper rupture with the United States than already exists," said Hashemi.

Melissa Lantsman, deputy leader of the Canadian Conservative Party, summarized the prime minister’s changing position on the U.S.-Israeli attacks on Iran with a post on X: "We support it, we’re upset about it, we think it’s bad, but also, we might join in."

Her colleague, Michael Chong, the Conservative shadow minister for foreign affairs, told Canadian broadcaster CTV that "supporting the airstrikes and at the same time calling for a secession of those strikes" is "an inherent contradiction."

NATO CHIEF PRAISES TRUMP’S IRAN STRIKES, SAYS KEY ALLIES ‘ALL FOR ONE, ONE FOR ALL’

Carney has also had pushback from the political left.

After the airstrikes against Iran began, Alexandre Boulerice, foreign affairs critic for the New Democratic Party of Canada, said in a statement that his party "strongly condemns the American and Israeli bombings of Iran" and "deplores the Carney government’s decision to blindly support this dangerous venture by Israel and Donald Trump's administration. We want Canada to be a voice for diplomacy, peace and international law."

During his Australian tour this week, the prime minister said that "hegemons are increasingly acting without constraint or respect for international norms or laws while others bear the consequences."

He also said Canada supports "efforts to prevent Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon and to prevent its regime from further threatening international peace and security," but noted that Canada "take[s] this position with regret because the current conflict is another example of the failure of the international order."

Carney said that "Canada calls for a rapid de-escalation of hostilities and is prepared to assist in achieving this goal."

At a security and defense conference in Ottawa, also this week, Foreign Affairs Minister Anita Anand said that Canada calls "on all sides to respect the rules of international engagement" and that "international law binds all parties" in the Middle East conflict.

The results of an Angus Reid Institute poll, involving 1,619 respondents and released on Tuesday, showed that 49% of Canadians opposed the U.S.-Israeli airstrikes against Iran, while 34% were supportive.

Sri Lanka began offloading 208 crew members from a second Iranian vessel a day after 87 people were killed and several others were still missing following a U.S. submarine strike on an Iranian warship in the same region.

"After detailed discussions with all parties, Sri Lanka has decided to assist the Iranian vessel," Sri Lankan President Anura Kumara Dissanayake told reporters at a press briefing in Colombo, Reuters reported.

Among the crew members being offloaded the ship, which is near the port of Colombo, were 53 officials, 84 cadets, 48 senior sailors and 23 sailors, Dissanayake said.

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The Iranian ship, the IRIS Dena, was sunk Wednesday off Sri Lanka's coast in the Indian Ocean. Officials there have dispatched two freezers to store 87 bodies recovered at sea. 

Gen. Dan Caine, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said the ship was "effectively neutralized" in a Navy "fast attack" using a single Mark 48 torpedo. He added that the U.S. Navy achieved "immediate effect, sending the warship to the bottom of the sea."

TRUMP OVERSEES US STRIKES ON IRAN FROM MAR-A-LAGO, SPEAKS WITH NETANYAHU: WH

Iran contends the ship was sunk in international waters without warning. 

"The U.S. will bitterly regret the precedent it has set," Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi said in a post on X.

Iran has asked Sri Lanka to assist with the repatriation of the bodies. 

Sri Lankan officials said the Dena was on its way home after taking part in a naval exercise organized by India in the Bay of Bengal from Feb. 18 to 25.

Search and rescue operations would continue for an estimated 10 people who remain unaccounted for, they said.

The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) released audio on Thursday of a civilian in Tehran describing what it's like on the ground as Operation Epic Fury rocks Iran.

"To us here, the war did not start four days ago. It started when we heard the initial news of a piling up of the forces in the region and preparations for war. Now, with the war going on, we hear constant explosions and there is no respite from this," the unidentified civilian said.

The civilian said that the frequency of explosions has made people so nervous that even everyday noises can cause panic attacks.

"Any moment you can expect a loud noise. This has made us so nervous that any loud noise, including the noise of a car passing by, gives us a panic attack," the civilian said.

Even with the noise of the explosions, what the civilian, who said he was born and raised in Tehran, noticed was that the city has become a ghost town as people have either fled the war or limited movements in order to stay safe from aerial attacks.

US 'WINNING DECISIVELY' AGAINST IRAN, WILL ACHIEVE 'COMPLETE CONTROL' OF AIRSPACE WITHIN DAYS, HEGSETH SAYS

"As a person who was born and lived his whole life in this city, I have never seen the city so quiet," the civilian said. "Some of the people of my city have left, many others stayed in, trying to limit movements to avoid getting caught in the aerial attacks on the city that never seem to come to an end. You don't see people around. My city was a very big city and busy. I'm not used to seeing my city so calm and quiet."

The U.S. and Israel have carried out air and sea attacks on Iran since the operation began on Saturday. The operation has killed at least 1,230 people in Iran, according to The Associated Press. Additionally, six U.S. service members in Kuwait were killed in the hostilities.

IRAN’S DRONE SWARM ATTACKS UNLEASH ‘EXPONENTIAL COSTS’ ON US, PROLONGING WAR: 'ASYMMETRIC CAPABILITY'

The ICRC has expressed concerns about the situation in Iran, with the organization's president saying on day one of Operation Epic Fury that it could lead to "devastating consequences for civilians."

"The military escalation in the Middle East is igniting a dangerous chain reaction across the region, with potentially devastating consequences for civilians," ICRC President Mirjana Spoljaric said.

In a statement issued a few days later, Spoljaric warned that "the scale of major military operations flaring across the Middle East risks embroiling the region – and beyond – into another large-scale armed conflict that will overwhelm any humanitarian response."

"Without urgent steps to de-escalate the situation and respect the rules of war, further civilian lives will be lost," Spoljaric added. "Civilians are already suffering the consequences of war."

According to the civilian, Iranians on the ground are worried about the future and wonder how the war will play out. Another fear among the people is the possibility of supplies running out.

"The supplies are available in the shops that are open and work. But what if the situation gets worse or continues as it is now? Will the supplies being stocked be of any help, or they will be meaningless in the face of what can happen?" the civilian wondered. "It is especially more worrying for people like me, who have to take care of people with medical complications that require special care. We are now under a lot of stress, worried to see what can come next." 

Fox News Digital reached out to ICRC for comment.

FIRST ON FOX: As U.S. and Israeli military pressure on Iran intensifies, and President Donald Trump signals support for Kurdish forces, Kurdish opposition groups along the country’s western frontier tell Fox News Digital they are watching closely for an opportunity to strike back against the Islamic Republic, which they have fought for decades.

Kako Aliyar, a member of the leadership committee of the Kurdish opposition party Komala, told Fox News Digital from an undisclosed location in Iraq that the Kurdish movements are ready to act if conditions allow. 

"Kurds have been waiting for a moment to do something," Aliyar said. "We believe that those moments are not far from us."

But Aliyar said Kurdish forces cannot yet move against the regime because Iran still retains the ability to launch missile and drone attacks, which opposition fighters would struggle to defend against.

IF KHAMENEI FALLS, WHO TAKES IRAN? STRIKES WILL EXPOSE POWER VACUUM — AND THE IRGC’S GRIP

Aliyar said Iranian forces continue to target Kurdish opposition bases across the border in Iraq’s Kurdistan region.

Trump signaled support for Kurdish fighters launching an offensive against Iran, saying in a telephone interview with Reuters Thursday that he would back such a move. 

"I think it's wonderful that they want to do that — I'd be all for it," Trump said. 

Asked whether the United States would provide air cover for a Kurdish offensive, Trump declined to elaborate. 

"I can't tell you that," he said.

Aliyar said Kurdish groups remain under pressure from Iran and continue to face attacks on their bases across the border in Iraq’s Kurdistan region. 

"Our camps, the Kurdish political parties, are still under attack by the Iranian regime, and we can’t go into detail," he said. 

Still, he indicated that if the opportunity arises, Kurdish fighters would attempt to return to Iranian territory. 

"If we get an opportunity to go back to our own country, we will use it," he said.

The comments come as Iranian Kurdish opposition groups attempt to present a united front against Iran.  

In February, several factions formed the Coalition of Political Forces of Iranian Kurdistan, bringing together parties including Komala, the Democratic Party of Iranian Kurdistan (PDKI), PJAK and the Kurdistan Freedom Party.

Aliyar said the coalition is still organizing itself but carries an important political message.

"Politically, it’s a huge message for the Kurdish people inside the country and the international community that Kurds are united," he said. "We are working together, and we are trying to reach our goals together."

Kurdish groups have long fought the Iranian government. Armed clashes between Kurdish militants and Iranian forces date back to the years following the 1979 Islamic Revolution, when Kurdish factions sought autonomy and were violently suppressed by Tehran.

Today, many Kurdish opposition groups operate from neighboring Iraqi Kurdistan, where they maintain political offices and limited military forces.

NETANYAHU INSISTS US AND ISRAEL'S STRIKES ON IRAN WON'T LEAD TO 'ENDLESS WAR'

Aliyar suggested Kurdish forces would only be able to move if Iran’s military capabilities are significantly degraded. 

"I believe those missile and drone abilities have to be more weakened or totally removed because we are not able to defend ourselves against them," he said.

Iran’s ability to launch missiles and drones remains one of the regime’s strongest deterrents against internal or external challengers. 

"They can still launch missiles and they can still kill people," Aliyar said.

If those capabilities were reduced, he believes Kurdish forces could attempt to exploit the moment. 

"I think everyone has the capacity to do so because Kurdish political parties have huge legitimacy among the people," he said. "People support them, people support us."

However, Aliyar cautioned that no one can predict how events will unfold. 

"When a war starts, you are trying to find a way to use it in your best way, but you cannot predict what happens tomorrow," he said.

Kurds in Iran represent one of the country’s largest ethnic minorities and have historically maintained organized opposition movements. 

Kurdish parties developed armed wings and political networks decades ago, giving them a level of organizational structure that many other Iranian opposition movements lack.

Jino Victoria Doabi, an international political analyst focused on Iran and Kurdistan, told Fox News Digital that "Kurds inside Iran have their own history and tradition of struggle and resistance with political parties and armed forces."

Doabi said that Kurdish forces are unlikely to move without clear backing from Washington.

TRUMP TELLS IRANIANS THE 'HOUR OF YOUR FREEDOM IS AT HAND' AS US-ISRAEL LAUNCH STRIKES AGAINST

 IRAN

"For that to happen, they need assurance from America, both politically but also security-wise," Doabi said.

"Kurds have learned that they cannot just do it for the good cause anymore, because that's going to cause civilians a lot of pain and destruction and killings."

Discussions about the idea of Kurdish involvement may have been underway long before the recent escalation, according to Doabi. 

"I don't think this has happened overnight," she said. "I think this has been discussed for a long time."

Despite the growing attention on Kurdish groups, Aliyar emphasized that Iraqi Kurdish authorities are not directly involved in any potential campaign. 

"Iraqi Kurds are not part of it," he said. "I am not Iraqi, so I cannot comment on that."

Analysts say Kurdish insurgents alone are unlikely to topple the Iranian regime. But if internal unrest spreads and Kurdish forces coordinate with broader opposition movements, Iran’s western frontier could become a serious pressure point for Iran. 

For Aliyar and other Kurdish leaders, however, the goal remains clear after decades of opposition to the Islamic Republic.

"We have had this desire for 47 years," he said. "If we get an opportunity, we will use it."

The sinking of the Iranian warship IRIS Dena by a single Mk 48 torpedo has put renewed focus on the U.S. Navy’s primary undersea weapon, a heavyweight torpedo that first entered operational service in 1972 and has been steadily upgraded for modern naval warfare.

The strike on the IRIS Dena marked the first time since World War II that a U.S. submarine used a torpedo to sink an enemy ship.

"In the Indian Ocean, an American submarine sunk an Iranian warship that thought it was safe in international waters. Instead, it was sunk by a torpedo. Quiet Death," War Secretary Pete Hegseth said at a press conference on Wednesday.

The Navy says the Mk 48 has long served as its principal undersea weapon, designed to "defeat all threat surface ships and submarines in all ocean environments."

IRAN CONTINUES FIRING MISSILES, DRONES AT NEIGHBORING STATES, WITH MULTIPLE INTERCEPTIONS REPORTED

The Mk 48 is a submarine-launched torpedo that uses information from the launching submarine and its own sensors to find and strike submarines or surface ships.

Physically, the weapon is built for destructive power. According to Navy specifications, the torpedo measures 21 inches in diameter, weighs about 3,744 pounds and carries a 650-pound high-explosive warhead.

According to the Department of the Navy's fiscal year 2025 budget estimates, a single Mk 48 torpedo costs approximately $4.2 million.

AMERICA STRIKES IRAN AGAIN — HAS WASHINGTON PLANNED FOR WHAT COMES NEXT?

Lockheed Martin, one of the Mk 48 torpedo program’s primary contractors, says it can be guided in real time by wire from the launching submarine, allowing operators to update targeting information and adjust its course after launch. 

If the wire connection is lost, the torpedo can switch to autonomous homing, relying on digital guidance systems and onboard signal processing to continue its pursuit independently.

Over time, the torpedo has evolved through hardware variants known as "Mods," each integrating upgraded sensors, guidance and control systems, and propulsion improvements. 

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The current fleet includes the Mod 7 configuration, developed in partnership with the Royal Australian Navy, while Mod 8 is in development and Mod 9 is being pursued as a rapid prototyping effort, according to the Department of War’s Fiscal Year 2024 Annual Report by the Director of Operational Test and Evaluation.

In addition to hardware upgrades, the Mk 48 undergoes recurring software updates known as Advanced Processor Builds, or APBs, which modify tactics, classification algorithms and operator interfaces to improve performance in increasingly complex undersea environments.

Iran launched a new wave of attacks on Thursday, with explosions reported in the region and Tehran threatening that the U.S. would "bitterly regret" sinking an Iranian warship.

Iran's strikes on Thursday targeted Israel, American bases and countries in the region. Israel announced multiple incoming missile attacks as air raid sirens blared in Tel Aviv and Jerusalem.

Azerbaijan's Ministry of Defense on Thursday said that Iran used unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) in an attack on Nakhchivan International Airport and other civilian infrastructure. The ministry said that the details of the attack and the capabilities of the UAVs were being investigated.

"The Ministry of Defense of the Republic of Azerbaijan strongly condemns the attacks carried out by the armed forces of the Islamic Republic of Iran against civilian infrastructure on the territory of Azerbaijan in the absence of any military necessity. The Islamic Republic of Iran bears the entire responsibility for the incident," the ministry's statement read.

ISRAEL HAMMERS IRANIAN INTERNAL SECURITY COMMAND CENTERS TO OPEN DOOR TO UPRISING

Iran has not acknowledged targeting Azerbaijan, despite the country's ministry of defense pointing the finger at Tehran.

Qatar evacuated residents near the U.S. Embassy in Doha on Thursday, with its Ministry of Defense confirming that the country was "subjected to a missile attack" and that its air defense systems were able to intercept it. The ministry urged the public to remain calm and avoid unofficial information.

Abu Dhabi announced that its authorities were responding to an incident involving falling debris in ICAD 2, which is part of the Industrial City of Abu Dhabi. Six people, identified by Abu Dhabi as Pakistani and Nepali nationals, suffered minor to moderate injuries.

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Iran has carried out retaliatory strikes since the launch of Operation Epic Fury, with the latest wave coming one day after the U.S. sunk an Iranian warship, killing at least 87 Iranian sailors. Sri Lankan navy spokesman Commander Buddhika Sampath said 32 people were rescued from the wreck and were admitted to a hospital.

Secretary of War Pete Hegseth defended the move during a news briefing at the Pentagon.

"An American submarine sunk an Iranian warship that thought it was safe in international waters. Instead, it was sunk by a torpedo — Quiet Death. The first sinking of an enemy ship by a torpedo since World War II. Like in that war, back when we were still the War Department, we are fighting to win," Hegseth said.

ISRAEL'S MILITARY RELEASES VIDEO SHOWING OBLITERATION OF IRAN'S MISSILE LAUNCHERS, DEFENSE SYSTEMS

Iranian leaders condemned the attack, with Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi accusing the U.S. Navy of committing "an atrocity at sea." Meanwhile, Ayatollah Abdollah Javadi Amoli appeared on state television and called for the shedding of Israeli and "Trump's blood."

"Fight the oppressive America, his blood is on my shoulders," he said in a rare call for violence from an ayatollah, one of the highest ranks within the clergy of Shiite Islam.

The U.S. and Israel launched the war on Saturday with strikes targeting Iran's leadership, including Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who was killed. Iran's missile arsenal and nuclear facilities were also hit.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

The Israel Defense Forces on Thursday released a video it said shows the moment an Israeli F-35I "Adir" stealth fighter jet shot down an Iranian air force Yak-130 over Tehran, marking the first time the advanced aircraft has downed a manned fighter in combat.

"Completed. Target down. The target is down," the pilot can be heard saying in the footage set to "Star Wars" theme music.

Israel’s military said Wednesday that the shoot down over the Iranian capital was a key milestone for its F-35 fleet.

Maj. Gen. Tomer Bar, commander of the Israeli air force, commended the pilots who carried out the mission as part of Operation Roaring Lion.

US 'WINNING DECISIVELY' AGAINST IRAN, WILL ACHIEVE 'COMPLETE CONTROL' OF AIRSPACE WITHIN DAYS, HEGSETH SAYS

"The historic shoot down over the Tehran skies is a testament to the strength of the Israeli Air Force and to your personal determination," Bar said. "The war continues – return home safely. Get some rest. The next mission is already waiting for you."

The F-35I is Israel’s customized version of the U.S.-made F-35 Lightning II, a fifth-generation stealth fighter that anchors the country’s air fleet. 

Israel became the first country to select the aircraft through the U.S. government’s Foreign Military Sales process in 2010 and received its first jet in June 2016.

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The Israeli air force gave the aircraft the Hebrew name "Adir," meaning "Mighty One."

The Yak-130, by contrast, is a Russian-made, two-seat combat training aircraft designed by the Yakovlev Design Bureau and manufactured by United Aircraft Corporation. 

It first flew in 1996 and remains in active production.

Iran received its first Yak-130 aircraft in September 2023, according to Press TV, Iran’s state-run English-language broadcaster, as part of a broader effort to modernize its air force.

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In November 2023, Brig. Gen. Mahdi Farahi, Iran’s deputy defense minister, told Tasnim, a semi-official Iranian news agency, that plans had been finalized for Sukhoi Su-35 fighter jets, Mil Mi-28 attack helicopters and additional Yak-130 trainers to join the country’s armed forces.

Iran previously acquired MiG-29 fighter jets from Russia in the 1990s.

A massive joint air campaign by the United States and Israel is dismantling Iran’s missile network in what officials and analysts describe as one of the most coordinated allied operations in modern warfare.

Secretary of War Pete Hegseth said the campaign is rapidly establishing dominance over Iranian skies. 

"Starting last night and to be completed in a few days … the two most powerful air forces in the world will have complete control of Iranian skies," Hegseth said Wednesday. "Uncontested airspace." 

"We will fly all day, all night … flying over Tehran, flying over Iran, flying over their capital… Iranian leaders are looking up and seeing only U.S. and Israeli air power every minute of every day until we decide it’s over."

NETANYAHU INSISTS US AND ISRAEL'S STRIKES ON IRAN WON'T LEAD TO 'ENDLESS WAR'

Israel Defense Forces spokesperson Brig. Gen. Effie Defrin told Fox News Digital in an exclusive interview Tuesday that "the cooperation between us and the American military is amazing. We have mutual planning and mutual executing for the plans in Iran and beyond."

John Spencer, executive director of the Urban Warfare Institute, told Fox News Digital Israel effectively matched the U.S. military’s opening airpower surge. 

"Israel matched the United States in the number of aircraft in the air," Spencer said. "For Israel, that represents roughly 80% of its air force capability."

He added that the level of coordination between Washington and Jerusalem represents a new model for allied warfare. 

"This isn’t separate work," Spencer said. "This is combined work. Integrated, synchronized operations combining powers." 

"In the past we’ve had coalitions of dozens of countries," Spencer said. "But having a partner that is both willing and capable of bringing immense capabilities like this is very rare."

The Israeli campaign, known as Operation Roaring Lion, began with roughly 200 fighter jets launching the largest coordinated air operation in the history of the Israeli Air Force. 

Within the first 24 hours of the campaign, Israeli fighter jets already had opened a corridor allowing sustained operations over Tehran, according to the Israeli military.

Israeli aircraft struck missile launch sites and air defense systems across western and central Iran in an opening wave targeting hundreds of sites simultaneously using intelligence gathered by Israel’s Intelligence Directorate and the CIA.

In the joint operation, Israeli aircraft dropped hundreds of munitions on approximately 500 targets, including missile launchers, command centers and air defense batteries.

The opening strike achieved a level of surprise rarely seen in modern warfare, according to Israeli intelligence chief Maj. Gen. Shlomi Binder. 

"In 40 seconds, we eliminated more than 40 of the most important people in Iran," Binder said, referring to senior regime and military officials, including Iran Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei. "We are sending a clear message to our enemies — there is no place where we will not find them."

IRAN'S SENIOR CLERICS ‘EXPOSED’ AFTER BUILDING STRIKE IN QOM, SUCCESSION CHOICE LOOMS

Spencer said the strategy behind the opening strike represents a dramatic shift in modern warfare. 

"What Israel did in this opening campaign just wasn’t imaginable in the history of war. It never happened," he said. "To start off by cutting off the brain… usually you target the military first. Here they targeted the political and military leadership and had the ability to wipe them out in a matter of hours."

Spencer, a veteran of the 2003 Iraq War, said the operation reflects advances in intelligence and strike capabilities. 

"I was part of the invasion in 2003," he said. "Something like this was unthinkable even 20 years ago."

An IDF spokesperson announced Wednesday what he described as a historic milestone: an Israeli Air Force F-35 fighter jet shot down an Iranian aircraft, marking the first time anywhere in the world that an F-35 has downed a manned aircraft and the first time in 40 years that an Israeli aircraft has shot down an enemy aircraft in combat.

Since the start of the operation, Israeli aircraft have carried out more than 1,600 sorties and deployed more than 5,000 munitions, according to figures released Wednesday.

The strikes have destroyed roughly 300 missile launchers and targeted more than 600 Iranian military infrastructure sites, according to the IDF.

ISRAEL STRIKES IRANIAN LEADERSHIP MEETING CHOOSING KHAMENEI SUCCESSOR

Israeli intelligence assessments before the operation indicated Iran was accelerating its ballistic missile production with plans to reach 8,000 missiles by 2027. At the start of the campaign, Israel estimated Iran possessed roughly 3,000 missiles.

The strikes already have prevented the production of at least 1,500 ballistic missiles while destroying hundreds already in Iran’s arsenal, according to the IDF. 

Israeli officials say the missile program represented a direct threat not only to Israel but also to American forces and allies in the region. 

"The possession of missiles by a regime that openly declares its intent to destroy the State of Israel constitutes an existential threat," the IDF said.

Six U.S. service members have been killed, and several others injured, during Operation Epic Fury.

In Israel, 13 civilians had been killed as of Wednesday night and more than 1,000 injured in Iranian missile and drone attacks launched in response to the operation, according to Israeli emergency services. The United Arab Emirates has reported three deaths and 68 injuries since the war started

Precise casualty figures in Iran remain difficult to verify. Media reports say dozens of senior Iranian commanders were killed in the opening phase of the campaign, along with additional military personnel and civilians following strikes on military facilities and infrastructure.

As the conflict expands beyond Iran, Israeli forces have struck more than 160 Hezbollah targets in southern Lebanon in recent days. To sustain the multifront campaign, Israel has mobilized approximately 110,000 reservists.

"Wars are contests of will," Spencer said. "Iran’s strategy is to break the will of the United States and Israel to continue the operation. The question is whether they can endure the pressure long enough to make that happen."

A large-scale blackout struck western Cuba on Wednesday, leaving millions without power in the latest outage to hit the island as it grapples with dwindling oil supplies due to sanctions imposed by President Donald Trump.

The U.S. Embassy in Cuba said that at approximately 12:41 p.m., there was a "disconnection of the national electrical grid resulting in a complete power outage" stretching from Camagüey to Pinar del Río, including the greater Havana metropolitan area.

"Cuba’s national electrical grid is increasingly unstable and prolonged scheduled and unscheduled power outages are a daily occurrence across the country to include Havana," the embassy said. 

"Outages affect water supply, lighting, refrigeration, and communications. Take precautions by conserving fuel, water, food, and mobile phone charge, and be prepared for significant disruption."

TRUMP ULTIMATUM TO CUBA: 'MAKE A DEAL, BEFORE IT IS TOO LATE' OR FACE CONSEQUENCES

The incident was reportedly caused by an unexpected shutdown of the Antonio Guiteras thermoelectric plant, located roughly 62 miles east of Havana.

Local reports indicate the island may need at least three days to restore operations, according to the Associated Press.

Vicente de la O Levy, the minister of Energy and Mines of Cuba, added that "We are working on the restoration of the SEN amid a complex energy situation." 

At least one power plant, Felton 1, remains online, he said.

CUBA’S PRESIDENT DEFIANT, SAYS NO NEGOTIATIONS SCHEDULED AS TRUMP MOVES TO CHOKE OFF OIL LIFELINE

Reuters reported that, because Cuba is accustomed to frequent power outages caused by state-imposed energy rationing, some traffic lights and businesses remained operational thanks to solar panels or backup generators. Many residents have also installed solar panels on their homes and vehicles to maintain electricity amid soaring fuel prices, the outlet said.

Cuba has endured a string of widespread blackouts in recent years due to long-standing issues with its aging power infrastructure and chronic fuel shortages.

However, the situation worsened in January after a U.S. military operation captured Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and halted Venezuelan oil exports, effectively choking off Cuba's key source of fuel.

Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel stated in January that, despite the U.S. severing Havana’s energy lifeline, his administration would not negotiate with Washington to establish a new agreement.

Reuters contributed to this report.

American stealth bombers are expected to land at U.K. military bases within days to join the U.S.-Israel campaign against Iran, according to reports.

Citing unnamed senior Western officials, The Telegraph reported Wednesday that air bases at Diego Garcia in the Indian Ocean and RAF Fairford in Gloucestershire are being readied for the arrival of B-2 Spirit stealth bombers — the $2 billion strategic bomber is also known as the world's most expensive aircraft.

The bombers are understood to be landing at the U.K. bases "in a matter of days" as Washington intensifies operations in the region, the outlet reported.

As previously reported by Fox News Digital, the U.S. military used stealth B-2 bombers to strike Iranian ballistic missile facilities Feb. 28 as part of the launch of Operation Epic Fury.

TOP ISRAELI MILITARY OFFICIAL REVEALS OPERATION AGAINST IRAN INVOLVED 'STRATEGIC AND OPERATIONAL DECEPTION'

U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) confirmed that B-2 stealth bombers, which were equipped with 2,000-pound bombs, struck Iranian "hardened" ballistic missile sites.

The U.S. was cleared to use British bases for limited strikes on Iran’s missile capabilities on Feb. 29 after Prime Minister Keir Starmer signed off on the plan, and while U.K. Defense Secretary John Healey stated Britain had "stepped up alongside the Americans."

Starmer said the authorization was granted to protect U.K. and U.S. allies as the conflict escalated. He had previously said he would not allow American forces to use U.K. bases for offensive operations in the region.

Tensions have since been heightened in the U.K. by security incidents in Cyprus. RAF Akrotiri, a key British military base on the island, was struck by a suspected drone on March 2, causing minor damage.

IRAN’S DRONE SWARM ATTACKS UNLEASH ‘EXPONENTIAL COSTS’ ON US, PROLONGING WAR: 'ASYMMETRIC CAPABILITY'

The unmanned aircraft was reported to resemble an Iranian-made Shahed drone, similar to models used by Russia in Ukraine and by Tehran’s regional proxies.

The Ministry of Defense said force-protection measures were at the "highest level" and that the base had taken steps to defend personnel. About 4,000 service members and their families are based at RAF Akrotiri.

The U.S. State Department raised its travel advisory for Cyprus to Level 3, urging Americans to reconsider travel because of the threat of armed conflict and limited consular assistance in parts of the country.

Non-emergency embassy staff and family members were authorized to leave. Officials said the advisory change reflected adjustments in embassy operations rather than a direct change in underlying risk.

EX-CENTCOM CHIEF DETAILS 'EXQUISITE INTELLIGENCE' BEHIND IRAN STRIKES, SAYS NEXT STEPS HINGE ON 'MISSILE MATH'

Trump had called Britain "uncooperative" and slammed Starmer as "not Winston Churchill" after Starmer initially rebuffed a U.S. request to use U.K. bases to attack Iran, according to The Associated Press.

Trump has also condemned Britain’s agreement to hand over the Chagos Islands, home to the Diego Garcia base, to Mauritius.

An Iranian refugee held at gunpoint at school before fleeing Iran during the 1979 revolution is calling for hope, democracy and prayers for his homeland as the U.S. joins Israel in targeting Iran’s ruling clerical regime.

David Nasser, now an American pastor, spoke to Fox News Digital six days after Operation Epic Fury was launched in Iran, which reignited haunting memories for him and of the time when he was 9 years old.

"As a child, my family and I were forced to escape Iran and run for our lives," Nasser, President and CEO of David Nasser Outreach recalled.

EXILED IRANIAN CROWN PRINCE SAYS US STRIKES MARK 'BEGINNING OF THE VERY END' FOR REGIME

"We found safe harbor as refugees granted political asylum here in the United States," Nasser said, describing how his father had been a high-ranking officer in Iran’s military, meaning "his family became targets as the government collapsed."

"One of my most vivid memories of realizing that nothing was ever going to be the same again was at a school assembly on a military base — a soldier called out three names and mine was called first," he said.

"When I got to the front, the soldier dropped a piece of paper, took a gun out of his holster and put it to my head and quoted the Quran. He told me that he was sent to make an example out of me," Nasser added.

The principal intervened, but the message he relayed was unmistakable. Nasser recalled.

"They’re killing everybody who’s anybody. They’re trying to make an example out of people like our family, and they’re using fear," he remembered hearing at the time.

"That’s one of my first memories of the revolution, but really just being completely scared for my life."

Soon after, Nasser's family devised an escape plan. They would pretend Nasser’s mother needed emergency heart surgery in Switzerland and buy round-trip tickets to avoid raising suspicion.

"We bought round-trip airline tickets like we were going and coming back, but we weren’t coming back. We were running for our lives," he said.

KHAMENEI IS DEAD — AND IRANIANS DARE TO HOPE FOR FREEDOM AGAIN AFTER DECADES OF TYRANNY

At the airport, Nasser remembers gripping his father’s hand tightly and hearing words he will never forget.

"'If they find out we’re escaping, they’re going to kill us right here on the spot,' my father said as his hands shook, holding mine. The last time I was in Iran, I was a 9-year-old little boy running for my life," he said.

Now, watching events unfold in Iran from the safety of the U.S., Nasser said his heart remains with millions of desperate Iranians facing uncertainty.

"We see them — I see them, I hear them. My heart is beating really fast for them right now with hope and with prayers for their protection and their provision," Nasser said.

"Protection. I’m praying for protection for them. I want to be a part of the provision for them. If Iran transitions from a theocracy to a democracy, I want to help rebuild."

ISRAEL HAMMERS IRANIAN INTERNAL SECURITY COMMAND CENTERS TO OPEN DOOR TO UPRISING

"If this moment actually comes, and they go from a theocracy to a democracy, I want to be a part of the solution — for that 9-year-old little boy that I once was. I want to do this for him."

Beyond political change, Nasser, who is also teaching pastor at New Vision Baptist Church, said he takes solace in what he describes as spiritual transformation already underway, calling it "the fastest-growing church in the world right now or the underground church in Iran."

"We know there’s at minimum 4 million, at maximum 8 million Christians right now in Iran," he said.

"In Iran, if you convert from Islam to Christianity, that can be a death sentence. If they come into your home, and you’re gathering for Christian worship, they will take your home title, you will lose your home.

"They’re in prison. They’re being tortured. They’re being ridiculed. They’re being mocked.

"Above all, I came to America, and it was a land of opportunity. And I was given the gift of democracy. So, I would love to see democracy in Iran, where all the boys and girls are afforded what I was afforded when I managed to escape."

As U.S. and Israeli air forces continue to attack Iran’s leadership and facilities with devastating military strikes, there are intense discussions unfolding on who will rule the country if the regime falls.

One of the biggest questions being asked by Iran experts is whether the fragmented opposition groups can come together and unite in defeating the regime.

Lawdan Bazargan, an Iranian political and human rights activist who was imprisoned by the regime for her dissident activities in the 1980s, told Fox News Digital that there is a dangerous precedent for a total unified opposition. "Unity cannot mean everyone stands under my flag."

TRUMP SAYS IRAN WANTS TO TALK BUT WHO WILL LEAD AFTER KHAMENEI?

She said, "That model failed Iran once before. In 1979, one figure [Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini] absorbed moral authority while claiming he wasn’t seeking office and ended up consolidating absolute power. It’s also not fair to automatically position someone who has not lived in Iran for decades as the interim authority of over 90 million people. That fuels more mistrust, not less."

She also warned about the need to avoid a Venezuela situation where Nicolás Maduro was replaced by his devotee Delcy Rodríguez.

Mariam Memarsadeghi, a senior fellow at Macdonald-Laurier Institute and founder and director of the Cyrus Forum for Iran's Future, told Fox News Digital that "When it comes to helping unite opposition forces, the crown prince [Reza Pahlavi] has the most responsibility because he is leading. It is to everyone’s advantage for him to build true alliances and real cooperation."

She added,"He can start through reconciliation with prominent figures who once were in collaboration with him, before spoilers in his own ranks were propelled by regime manipulation and infiltration to turn on others. It will be tempting to think that, because he is popular, he does not need others. But there is much hard work ahead."

IRAN'S SENIOR CLERICS ‘EXPOSED’ AFTER BUILDING STRIKE IN QOM, SUCCESSION CHOICE LOOMS

Reza Farnood, a researcher, writer and activist, told Fox News Digital "In 48 years of activism and struggle, I have never experienced such broad unity and alignment. Even those who for years held firmly leftist views and were staunch opponents of the Shah and the Pahlavi family are now openly supporting the prince. Inside Iran, people are openly and courageously chanting his name."

Yet others remain skeptical of Pahlavi. Alireza Nader, an Iran expert, said: "Unfortunately, the Iranian opposition is more divided than ever. And I blame much of it on Reza Pahlavi and his team. Take the announcement of the formation of the new Kurdish Iranian coalition. Pahlavi attacked the coalition as soon as it was formed, labeling them as ‘separatists'… But then Pahlavi had to walk back his statement after he found out that President Trump had called Kurdish leaders, an important development."

Nader said, "The Kurds are very organized and capable. And they are armed. Anyone who wants to free Iran has to work with them. The regime is a deeply entrenched system in Iran. It’s an ideology and belief system that will not be uprooted with air strikes. And the regime has been preparing for this moment for decades. The individual leaders may not matter as much as the system."

FIREBRAND ANTI-AMERICAN CLERIC ALIREZA ARAFI SEEN AS CONTENDER TO REPLACE IRAN’S KHAMENEI

Yet while many voices claim Pahlavi should be the rightful successor to bring democracy to Iran, others point to the influential Mojahedin-e-Khalq (MEK), the Iranian exile organization that has attracted supporters like former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani.

The group was reportedly the first to highlight Iran’s nuclear weapons ambitions and regularly posts videos on its social media showing its active units operating against the regime. A post on X dated March 3 shows attacks against regime targets: "Resistance Units step up anti-regime activities nationwide," it said, adding that there have been 30 operations in 15 cities, including Tehran, in the last days.

IRANIAN JOURNALIST URGES TRUMP TO 'FINISH THE JOB,' SAYS IRANIANS FEAR 'WOUNDED REGIME'

Its Paris-based leader, Maryam Rajavi, says she supports a secular provisional government. Ali Safavi, an official with the Foreign Affairs Committee of the Paris-based National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI), told Fox News Digital, the organization "has consistently argued that unity must be built on principles — republicanism, popular sovereignty, human rights and the separation of religion and state — rather than on personalities or nostalgia for past systems."

The NCRI is the umbrella organization for groups that fall under the rubric of MEK.

Andrew Ghalili, the policy director for the National Union for Democracy in Iran (NUFDI), defended Pahlavi's standing: "There is no figure within the Islamic Republic who has legitimacy with the Iranian people or who would be a credible partner for the U.S."

TRUMP SAYS IRAN’S SUCCESSION BENCH WIPED OUT AS ISRAELI STRIKE HITS LEADERSHIP DELIBERATIONS

He added, "As for opposition unity, the pro-democracy opposition is more united than it gets credit for. At the Munich Security Conference in 2025, a broad coalition came together around Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi and four core principles for democratic transition. That includes monarchists, republicans, human rights advocates, ethnic minority representatives — all committed to a democratic, territorially intact Iran."

Ghalili claimed, "When people say the opposition is ‘fractured,’ they're usually lumping in groups like the MEK, which is universally reviled inside Iran and has no democratic credentials or aspirations, or separatist movements that don't reflect what Iranians, including ethnic minorities, actually want. The real pro-democracy opposition is already uniting. The world, and international media, should recognize it."

Bazargan warned that "If the West truly wants stability and not a Venezuela-style managed authoritarian transition, it should not anoint personalities. It should push for a structured transition that guarantees free and fair elections within 12 months, with distributed authority and real safeguards against concentration of power. Iran does not need another supreme figure, even a secular one. It needs an accountable transitional framework so every Iranian feels they have a stake in their future. Without that, fragmentation will continue, and fragmentation only helps the regime survive."

Her warning was echoed by Memarsadeghi, who said, "The Iranian people will not trust in any process that leaves in power any vestige of the regime that massacred them."

A multi-million-dollar U.S. Navy torpedo detonated underneath an Iranian warship in a nighttime submarine strike off Sri Lanka’s southern coast — an attack, War Secretary Pete Hegseth said Wednesday in a Pentagon update, was the first of its kind since World War II.

The weapon, identified as a Mark 48 Advanced Capability (ADCAP) torpedo, underscored the scale of force used, and signaled to Tehran that "the gloves really are off," according to a former U.S. submarine commander.

"The Mark 48 is one of the most lethal anti-ship weapons in the U.S. inventory," Thomas Shugart, an adjunct senior fellow at the Center for a New American Security, told Fox News Digital.

The torpedo carries an 800-pound warhead and is designed not to strike a ship directly, Shugart said, but to detonate beneath it, creating a massive vapor bubble that breaks the vessel’s back and splits it in half.

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"This torpedo detonated underneath the stern of the Iranian ship and lifted it up out of the water, and so it sank in a matter of minutes," he added.

The torpedo costs approximately $4.2 million per unit, according to recent data, with Shugart likening the strike to rare submarine attacks in modern naval history.

In addition to World War II, he pointed to the 1982 Falklands War as one example of a submarine-launched torpedo sinking a major surface combatant.

"This was the second time ever that a nuclear-powered submarine has fired a torpedo and sunk a ship," Shugart said.

"The only other time that happened was a British submarine called HMS Conqueror, which similarly sank an Argentine cruiser, the General Belgrano, during the Falklands War in 1982," he added.

TRUMP SAYS US MISSION IN IRAN IS 'AHEAD OF SCHEDULE,' VOWS TO 'EASILY PREVAIL' OVER REGIME

The naval submarine operation, he said, would have involved increased surveillance, forward naval deployments and targeted actions designed to demonstrate U.S. maritime dominance.

"It definitely seems to me like a message that the gloves really are off," Shugart added.

"There are other ways that the U.S. military could have disabled that ship or even sunk it, but in a manner that I wouldn't say was more merciful, but in a manner that wasn't quite as violent and without any warning."

"An American submarine sank an Iranian warship that thought it was safe in international waters," Hegseth said at the Wednesday briefing.

FORMER TOPGUN PILOT DECLARES IRAN MILITARY 'OVER WITH' AMID US AIR SUPERIORITY, BUT WARNS OF ANOTHER DANGER

Hesgeth described the strike as "a quiet death," adding that it marked the first sinking of an enemy ship by torpedo since World War II.

"The U.S. Navy submarines are very highly mobile, very, very quiet, and our crews are extremely well-trained," Shugart explained. "This was not a challenge for a U.S. Navy submarine to fire a torpedo."

"To hunt down and sink an Iranian ship like that is not — that's not a challenging task for a U.S. nuclear-powered submarine," he said.

The targeted vessel, identified as the IRIS Dena, was the newest frigate in Iran’s naval fleet and was equipped with surface-to-air missiles, anti-ship missiles, torpedo launchers and other heavy weaponry.

According to Sri Lanka’s Foreign Affairs Minister Vijitha Herath, the country’s coast guard received a distress call at 5:08 a.m. local time Wednesday from the Iranian vessel reporting an explosion.

EX-CENTCOM CHIEF DETAILS 'EXQUISITE INTELLIGENCE' BEHIND IRAN STRIKES, SAYS NEXT STEPS HINGE ON 'MISSILE MATH'

"I'm not sure Iran has any operational submarines anymore, but if they were operational, their biggest submarines would be at least 20 or 30 years old," Shugart said.

"They would be ex-Russian diesel-electric submarines, so they're not nuclear-powered like the U.S. ones, with satellite communications and unlimited mobility."

"They can operate at high speed for as long as they want with unlimited endurance, other than the food on board. They carry the most advanced weapons, the most advanced sensors."

"This strike sent a message that if there are any Iranian warships left or any Iranian government-owned ships, they should expect no mercy," he added.

Iran postponed a planned farewell ceremony in Tehran for its late Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who was killed Saturday in U.S.-Israeli strikes as part of Operation Epic Fury.

The three-day program was scheduled to begin Wednesday at 10 p.m. local time at Imam Khomeini Prayer Hall, where large crowds were expected to gather to pay their respects, according to Tasnim, a semi-official Iranian news agency. 

Hojjatoleslam Seyed Mohsen Mahmoudi, head of the Islamic Propaganda Coordination Council of Tehran Province, said the postponement followed widespread requests to participate and the need to provide adequate infrastructure and facilities to accommodate attendees.

"It was decided to hold the ceremony at a more appropriate time," he explained.

AS IRAN’S LEADERSHIP SHIFTS AMID WAR, HEZBOLLAH MOVES TO RESET THE BALANCE: EXPERT

No additional reason for the postponement was given, and it was not immediately clear when the ceremony would be rescheduled.

Israel’s Defense Minister Israel Katz warned Iranian leadership in a post on X that any successor who tries to "destroy Israel, to threaten the United States and the free world and the countries of the region, and to suppress the Iranian people" will be an "unequivocal target for elimination."

"It does not matter what his name is or the place where he hides," Katz said.

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The funeral of Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, the founder of the Islamic Republic of Iran, drew massive crowds in the country’s capital on June 11, 1989, with an estimated 10.2 million people in attendance, roughly one-sixth of the nation’s population at the time. 

According to Guinness World Records, it drew the largest percentage of a population ever recorded at a funeral.

IRANIAN JOURNALIST URGES TRUMP TO ‘FINISH THE JOB,’ SAYS IRANIANS FEAR ‘WOUNDED REGIME’

Khamenei’s death triggers a closely watched succession process overseen by Iran’s Assembly of Experts, the clerical body responsible for appointing the supreme leader.

"The IRGC is a key stakeholder in this process, and will heavily influence its outcome," Jason Brodsky, policy director at United Against Nuclear Iran, told Fox News Digital.

A group of 74 retired U.S. generals and admirals recently voiced strong support for the joint U.S.-Israel military operation targeting Iran, calling it a necessary response to decades of threats from the Islamic Republic against the United States, its allies and regional stability.

The endorsement came in an open letter published Tuesday by the Jewish Institute for National Security of America (JINSA) and signed by dozens of former senior American military commanders. 

The letter backs the current military actions, known as Operations Epic Fury and Roaring Lion, which aim to degrade Iran’s ability to threaten U.S. forces and partners across the Middle East.

"As retired senior American military leaders, we support the joint U.S.-Israeli military action to degrade and weaken the Iranian regime’s ability to threaten the United States, our allies and partners, and the Iranian people," the letter states. "And we commend the valor of the outstanding United States Military and our Intelligence Community engaged in this operation."

ISRAEL STRIKES IRANIAN LEADERSHIP MEETING CHOOSING KHAMENEI SUCCESSOR

Among the prominent signatories are former Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Adm. Edmund P. Giambastiani Jr., who served during the height of the Iraq War; former Vice Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Jerome Johnson; former Assistant Commandant of the Marine Corps Gen. W.L. Nyland, who held the post during the early Iraq War; former Supreme Allied Commander Europe and Commander of U.S. European Command Gen. Philip M. Breedlove; and former U.S. Pacific Command chief Adm. Timothy J. Keating.

The retired commanders argue that Iran’s leadership has spent decades threatening American interests and supporting militant groups across the region.

"Since its inception 47 years ago, the radical regime, whose slogan is ‘Death to America, Death to Israel,’ has committed to endangering the lives of U.S. troops, diplomats, and civilians across the Middle East and here at home," the letter says, noting that "hundreds of Americans have lost their lives at the hands of the Islamic Republic and its terrorist proxies."

According to the signatories, the current military campaign is a direct response to Iran's continued efforts to expand its military capabilities.

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"U.S.-Israel military action is a response to Iran’s unstinting efforts to make those ambitions a reality," the letter states. "Following last summer’s 12-Day War, Tehran has redoubled its missile building program to hold at risk our bases, our partners, and ultimately our homeland."

Iran’s regional proxy network also remains a central concern, the letter warns. "Its proxy forces in Yemen, Iraq, Lebanon, and elsewhere continue to threaten U.S. targets, Israel, and freedom of navigation in some of the world’s most vital waterways."

The letter further argues that Iran has continued pursuing nuclear capabilities despite previous military setbacks. 

"Since Operation Midnight Hammer against its main enrichment sites last June, Iran has attempted to rebuild elements of its destroyed nuclear infrastructure," the letter states. 

The signatories also point to Iran’s domestic repression as evidence of the regime’s nature. 

"The regime’s brutal crackdown on protestors showed the entire world just what it is willing to do to keep its people and the region under its thumb," they wrote.

ISRAEL STRIKES IRANIAN LEADERSHIP MEETING CHOOSING KHAMENEI SUCCESSOR

At the same time, the letter stresses that coordination between the United States, Israel and regional partners will be critical for the campaign’s success.

"For all these reasons, it is noteworthy that the United States is working so closely with Israel and other regional partners," the letter states. "Such cooperation is vital to degrade and eliminate the regime’s arsenals, undermine its organs of oppression, and signal unmistakably that it cannot continue threatening not only core U.S. interests, but the broader security and prosperity of the Middle East and its own population."

Secretary of War Pete Hegseth described the joint campaign as a decisive military operation aimed at dismantling Iran’s missile and air defense networks.

Speaking Wednesday, Hegseth said the Israeli and U.S. air forces were quickly establishing air superiority over Iran.

"Starting last night and to be completed in a few days … the two most powerful air forces in the world will have complete control of Iranian skies. Uncontested airspace," Hegseth said.

Critics, however, have warned the operation could have the opposite effect, increasing the risk of a wider regional war. 

French President Emmanuel Macron urged restraint following the strikes, warning that further escalation could destabilize the region, while U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres cautioned that the confrontation could spiral into a broader conflict and called for renewed diplomatic efforts.

Several Democratic lawmakers have also raised concerns about the strikes. 

Rep. Jim Himes, D-Conn., said he believed the operation amounted to "a war of choice with no strategic endgame." 

Senator Mark Warner, D-Va., said after attending a classified briefing that he had not seen evidence of an immediate Iranian threat. 

Blaise Misztal, vice president for policy at JINSA, said the letter reflects the perspective of commanders who witnessed the Iranian threat firsthand.

"For more than two decades, Iran has been targeting and killing U.S. men and women in uniform," Misztal said. "The retired senior military leaders who signed this letter have seen that threat up close and firsthand. They understand the threat that Iran poses to America, the urgent need to address it, and the tremendous capabilities that the United States and Israel have to do so, together."

While supporting continued military pressure, the signatories concluded that Iran’s long-term future ultimately lies with its citizens. 

"It will ultimately be up to the Iranian people to bring down the regime and enable a better future for Iran and the world," the letter states.

The Israeli military's latest wave of airstrikes in Iran dealt a serious blow to the country's brutal internal security apparatus, opening the door for a potential uprising.

During the strikes, Israel "dropped dozens of munitions on the Basij and internal security command centers that are subject to the Iranian terror regime," the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said in a statement on Wednesday. "The targeted command centers were used by the Iranian regime to maintain control throughout Iran and maintain the regime’s situational assessments."

Since the start of Operation Epic Fury, the U.S. has hit nearly 2,000 targets as it carries out a sweeping military campaign aimed at dismantling the regime's security apparatus and neutralizing threats. Adm. Brad Cooper of U.S. Central Command confirmed the number of targets hit in a video message.

The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and the Basij militia, Iran's volunteer paramilitary force, were behind the violent crackdown on protesters in January. The bloody crackdown saw regime actors firing on crowds and conducting mass arrests of Iranian protesters. Some had seen the protests as a sign that regime change in Iran was getting nearer, though it did not occur.

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Israeli and U.S. officials have hinted at the possibility of regime change in Iran as both countries take aim at Tehran's military and security sites.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a video message announcing the launch of Operation Epic Fury, which Israel calls Operation Rising Lion, that it was time for Iranians "to rid themselves of the yoke of tyranny." Similarly, President Donald Trump said in a message to the Iranian people on Feb. 28 that "the hour of your freedom is at hand."

"When we are finished, take over your government. It will be yours to take. This will be, probably, your only chance for generations," Trump said.

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"America is backing you with overwhelming strength and devastating force. Now is the time to seize control of your destiny, and to unleash the prosperous and glorious future that is close within your reach. This is the moment for action. Do not let it pass," the president added.

Ali Vaez, director of the Iran project at the International Crisis Group, told The Wall Street Journal that the path to regime change through foreign airstrikes and popular uprising on the ground has "a bet that rests on no clear historical model." Vaez also warned that the idea "ignores the resilience of entrenched authoritarian systems like the Islamic Republic."

The IDF said on Monday that Israel had hit headquarters, bases and regional command centers that belonged to the regime's internal security apparatus.

"These bodies were responsible for, among other things, suppressing protests against the regime through violent measures and civilian arrests," the IDF said.

It is unclear who will lead Iran after Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was killed on the first day of the operation. Since then, Israel and the U.S. have made it clear that regime leaders chosen to replace him would be targets. Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz warned on Wednesday that anyone chosen to replace Khamenei would be considered "a target for elimination" if they continued to threaten Israel, the U.S. and regional allies.

The killing of key leaders might not be enough to cause an uprising, as the regime has a monopoly on weapons in most of Iran, the WSJ reported, adding that Basij militants are still patrolling the streets.

Fox News Digital's Morgan Phillips and Efrat Lachter contributed to this report.

Israel’s military said Wednesday that one of its F-35I "Adir" stealth fighter jets shot down an Iranian Air Force Yak-130, marking the first time the advanced aircraft has downed a manned fighter in combat. 

"The historic shootdown over the Tehran skies is a testament to the strength of the Israeli Air Force and to your personal determination," said Maj. Gen. Tomer Bar, the commander of the Israeli air force. 

"The war continues – return home safely. Get some rest," he told the pilots. "The next mission is already waiting for you."

The F-35I is Israel’s customized version of the U.S.-made F-35 Lightning II, a fifth-generation stealth fighter that anchors the country’s air fleet.

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According to the F-35 program’s official website, Israel became the first country to select the aircraft through the U.S. government’s Foreign Military Sales process, signing a letter of agreement in October 2010. 

The site says the Israeli air force gave the jet the Hebrew name "Adir," meaning "Mighty One," and received its first F-35 on June 22, 2016.

The Yak-130 is a Russian-made, two-seat combat training aircraft designed by the Yakovlev Design Bureau, according to United Aircraft Corporation, the state-owned Russian aerospace company that manufactures the jet.

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It made its maiden flight in 1996 and is currently in active production.

Iran’s air force received its first Yak-130 training aircraft in September 2023, according to Press TV, Iran’s state-run English-language broadcaster.

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In November 2023, Brig. Gen. Mahdi Farahi, Iran’s deputy defense minister, told Tasnim, a semi-official Iranian news agency, that plans had been finalized for Sukhoi Su-35 fighter jets, Mil Mi-28 attack helicopters and Yak-130 trainers to join the country’s armed forces.

Tasnim reported that Iran previously acquired MiG-29 fighter jets from Russia in the 1990s.