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A guide published by Britain's Home Office reminds asylum seekers not to rape women or sexually harass people, while noting that women are allowed to "earn their own money" and "make their own decisions about their lives."

The nine-page document is among the resources provided to asylum seekers seeking refuge, though it appears to target mostly men.

The guidance is meant to foster an understanding of expected behaviors for those arriving from other countries. Aside from earning a living, women are allowed to attend school, choose who they marry, travel freely and generally make their own decisions.

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"Women do not need permission from a husband, father, brother, or any other man to do any of these things," the guide states.

Sections of the booklet cover gender equality, domestic abuse, sex and consent, respect in public, getting help and living in the U.K.

The section on domestic abuse warns of arrest and prison time for committing physical or emotional abuse against a partner.

"We expect everyone who comes to the U.K. to abide by our laws," a Home Office spokesperson told GB News. "If they do not, they will face consequences, including the refusal of their asylum claim and removal from the U.K."

SOUTH AFRICA’S ILLEGAL MIGRATION BACKLASH MIRRORS POLITICAL BATTLES ACROSS THE WEST

"Returns of failed asylum seekers have reached their highest level since 2010 under this government," the spokesperson added.

The booklet notes that asylum seekers are expected to "treat your partner and family with respect," "let them make their own choices," and "never physically or verbally abuse or control them."

In public, one must not direct sexual comments at people, even if they think it's appropriate, follow someone or block their path to refrain from whistling or making kissing noises at someone, it states.

A section on consent adds that both people must consent to sex without threat or pressure and that anyone can change their mind at any time.

"If you have sex with someone without their consent, this is called rape. Rape is a serious crime in the U.K. You could go to prison, lose your support and accommodation, and it will affect your asylum claim," the document states.

Anyone under the age of 16 is considered a child and cannot legally consent to sex, according to the guidance.

Support hotline numbers for victims of sexual and domestic abuse are provided at the end of each section and at the back of the booklet.

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Nearly 70,000 illegal immigrants and foreign criminals have been returned or deported from the United Kingdom since the Labour Party came to power in July 2024, the BBC reported.

"Instead of trying to train these mainly young, male illegal immigrants to behave in a civilized way towards women, they should be deported," Shadow Home Secretary Chris Philp said.

Five Americans died Wednesday in a helicopter crash in northern Kenya, according to the U.S. State Department.

Seven people were on board when the accident occurred around 9 a.m. in a mountainous region near Kirish in Samburu County, the Kenya Civil Aviation Authority said.

One of the deceased reportedly includes Telemundo executive José Suárez, who oversaw multiple stations in Florida as president and general manager. 

He was identified in a message to employees by NBCUniversal News Group Chairman Cesar Conde, according to NBC News.

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Lady Lori Helicopters, the company that operated the aircraft, said it was "deeply saddened" by the incident and extended its condolences to all those affected.

"Our deepest sympathies are with the guests, crew, their families and loved ones, and all those affected by this tragic accident," Lady Lori said in a post on social media.

MISSOURI SKYDIVING PLANE CRASH THAT KILLED ALL 12 ABOARD IS A 'DEVASTATING LOSS,' COMPANY SAYS

According to the operator, the aircraft was on a charter flight from Suyian Conservancy, a 44,000-acre private wildlife refuge, to Ololokwe when it crashed near Mount Ololokwe. 

Officials said the aircraft was a Eurocopter EC130 B4, and Lady Lori said it was registered as 5Y-GYM.

The cause of the accident has not yet been determined and is subject to investigation by the relevant authorities, the operator said.

The U.S. Embassy is in contact with local authorities and is providing consular assistance.

"The Trump Administration has no higher priority than the safety and security of Americans," the State Department said. "We extend our deepest condolences to the families and loved ones on their loss."

A new report warns that Cuba’s relationships with Russia, China and Iran could provide America’s adversaries with a strategic foothold just 90 miles from Florida, arguing that the island’s deepening economic crisis does not necessarily make it less dangerous to the United States.

The America First Policy Institute report, The Dictatorship Next Door: Cuba and the Fight for the Western Hemisphere, argues that Washington has too often viewed Cuba primarily as a human rights, migration or economic problem while overlooking the national security implications of Havana’s relationships with U.S. adversaries. The report says those partnerships create opportunities for intelligence collection, military cooperation, cyber operations and political influence close to the U.S. homeland.

"Cuba is a massive national security threat to the U.S.," report author Melissa Ford Maldonado, director of AFPI’s Western Hemisphere Initiative, told Fox News Digital in an interview ahead of the report’s release.

RUBIO WARNS CUBA HAS INFILTRATED US WITH SPIES, CALLS COMMUNIST REGIME AN 'ESPIONAGE SUPERPOWER'

"They are a hostile communist regime that is only 90 miles from Florida," Ford Maldonado said, arguing that Cuba has a decades-long history of working against American interests and supporting U.S. adversaries.

The report’s most concrete current concern centers on China and suspected intelligence facilities on the island.

A June 18, 2026, analysis by the Center for Strategic and International Studies found continued activity at Cuban sites capable of supporting signals intelligence collection. CSIS said it had previously identified four such sites, several with possible links to China.

Ford Maldonado said she believes the broader evidence of Chinese intelligence activity on Cuba is compelling.

"There is a lot of credible evidence that there are Chinese bases and that there is spying going on in Cuba," she said, claiming that China has taken advantage of Cuba’s geographic position to monitor U.S. activity.

CUBA BUILT COVERT NETWORK INSIDE AMERICA THROUGH SPIES, ACTIVISTS AND UNIVERSITIES, STATE DEPT ALLEGES

Russia’s relationship with Havana is older and more extensive.

Ford Maldonado described Moscow and Havana as increasingly "intimate, reliable partners," pointing to diplomatic and military cooperation as well as Cuban nationals joining Russian forces fighting in Ukraine.

The number of Cubans fighting for Russia is contested. A U.S. State Department cable obtained by Reuters on Oct. 5, 2025 estimated that 1,000 to 5,000 Cubans were fighting in Ukraine alongside Russian forces. Reuters reported that Ukrainian officials had also raised concerns with U.S. lawmakers about Russia’s recruitment of Cuban nationals.

Cuba has denied sending troops to Ukraine. In an Oct. 11 statement reported by Reuters, the Cuban Foreign Ministry said Cuba was not participating in the conflict with military personnel and said it had prosecuted Cubans for mercenary activity. Havana said 40 defendants had faced criminal proceedings between 2023 and 2025, with 26 convicted.

Ukraine nevertheless closed its embassy in Havana in October 2025 and downgraded relations, with Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha accusing Cuban authorities of failing to act against what Kyiv described as large-scale Russian recruitment of Cuban citizens, according to The Kyiv Independent.

The public evidence regarding Iran is considerably less developed — something Ford Maldonado acknowledged when pressed by Fox News Digital. "Iran was a little bit trickier," she said.

"There wasn’t that much substance that I could find to include it in the report," Ford Maldonado said, adding that she believes Iran has used Cuba primarily as a platform for influence operations.

"The evidence was not as substantive as we saw with China and Russia and Venezuela," she said.

The Trump administration has nevertheless grouped Iran with Russia and China in its own assessment of Cuba.

US SANCTIONS FIVE CUBAN ENTITIES, CASTRO FAMILY MEMBER IN LATEST PRESSURE CAMPAIGN, RUBIO SAYS

In a Jan. 29, 2026, executive order, President Donald Trump declared Cuba’s policies an "unusual and extraordinary threat" to U.S. national security and said Havana aligns itself with Russia, China, Iran and Iranian proxies – Hezbollah and Hamas. The order also accused Cuba of hosting foreign military and intelligence capabilities and specifically alleged deep intelligence and defense cooperation with China and Russian signals-intelligence activity.

AFPI’s report calls for a substantially tougher U.S. response.

"We are not advocating for new American bases," she clarified. Instead, she said Washington could pursue expanded access agreements, overflight rights, cooperative security locations and stronger regional partnerships.

"The objective is just permanent and persistent... American capability," Ford Maldonado said.

The call for even greater pressure, however, comes as ordinary Cubans are enduring a severe humanitarian crisis.

Power outages were exceeding 20 hours a day in most provinces, Reuters reported Aug. 13, 2026, crippling food production, transportation and tourism and pushing Cuba’s electrical system toward technical collapse. Reuters described the situation as one of the most severe economic and political crises in Cuba’s modern history and said it had been exacerbated by the Trump administration’s oil restrictions and hardened sanctions.

A July 7 investigation by Human Rights Watch (HRW) described severe shortages of food and medicine, prolonged blackouts, water shortages and deteriorating living conditions.

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

HRW attributed Cuba’s crisis to multiple factors, including longstanding structural inefficiencies in its highly state-controlled economy, decades of U.S. restrictions on trade and financing, the collapse of tourism during the COVID-19 pandemic and subsequent tightening of U.S. sanctions. HRW said the 2026 restrictions on oil supplies further deepened the energy crisis.

Critics of the Trump administration’s maximum-pressure strategy argue that further squeezing an already collapsing economy risks worsening civilian suffering and triggering additional instability and migration.

On June 8, U.N.-appointed independent human rights experts called for the sanctions to be lifted, arguing that they were putting Cubans’ access to essential goods and services at risk.

Asked about that broader criticism, Ford Maldonado said the blame belongs with Havana rather than Washington.

"Maximum pressure isn’t harming the Cuban people, it’s harming their regime," she said, arguing that the Cuban government and Cuban people should be treated as distinct.

"One has brutalized and repressed the other for 67 years now," Ford Maldonado said. "So maximum pressure is what’s necessary from the United States and from the rest of the world in order to be able to help the Cuban people."

Fox News Digital reached out to the Russian, Chinese and Iranian embassies but did not receive a response in time for publication.

Reuters and The Associated Press contributed to this report.

The Trump administration has sanctioned two top International Criminal Court officials, escalating its campaign to dismantle a body that has investigated alleged U.S. war crimes in Afghanistan and issued arrest warrants for senior Israeli officials over the war in Gaza.

In announcing the sanctions against ICC President Tomoko Akane of Japan and the ICC's senior trial lawyer, Abdoulaye Seye of Senegal, Secretary of State Marco Rubio called the court "corrupt and fatally politicized."

"These individuals have directly engaged in efforts by the ICC to investigate, arrest, detain, or prosecute officials whose government has not consented to ICC jurisdiction," Rubio said in a statement, adding that the ICC "has maliciously abused its authority and exceeded its mandate."

The sanctions against Akane and Seye freeze assets they hold in U.S. jurisdictions and largely cut them off from transactions with Americans or the U.S. financial system.

SEN MIKE LEE: TRUMP PROVES AMERICA CAN STAND UP TO A POWER-MAD FOREIGN COURT

"Our whole of government campaign to dismantle the threat posed by the ICC to national sovereignty will be sweeping and we expect more countries to join our campaign by ending their funding and participation in this politicized and unaccountable court," Rubio said. "The ICC’s ability to target American nationals and those of other non-States Parties must end."

An executive order signed by President Donald Trump in February 2025 created the sanctions' framework.

The Trump administration argues that the ICC lacks the power to investigate soldiers, military commanders and political leaders from countries that are not parties to the court, including the U.S. and Israel.

NETANYAHU FIRES BACK AT NYC MAYOR MAMDANI'S VOW TO ENFORCE 'BOGUS ARREST WARRANT'

The ICC said the Trump administration's latest sanctions "undermine the rule of law," adding that they amount to "a flagrant attack against the independence of an impartial judicial institution."

The ICC maintains that it can exercise jurisdiction over nationals of non-member states when they are accused of qualifying crimes committed on the territory of a state that has accepted the Court’s jurisdiction.

Qualifying crimes under the Rome Statute include genocide, crimes against humanity, war crimes and the crime of aggression.

Afghanistan and Palestine are both members of the court, which the ICC says allows it to investigate alleged crimes committed on their territories, including alleged war crimes by U.S. personnel in Afghanistan and alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity by Israeli officials in Gaza.

In September 2024, the ICC also issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Yoav Gallant, the minister of defense at the time.

Liberia announced Tuesday that it will accept up to 1,200 third-country deportees from the U.S. over the next year under an agreement between the two countries.

The agreement marks one of the largest arrangements of its kind under the Trump administration’s immigration enforcement crackdown. Liberia's President Joseph Boakai was one of five West African leaders who traveled to the White House last year to meet with U.S. President Donald Trump.

As part of the arrangement, the first group of 20 deportees are expected to arrive on Thursday, Liberia’s Information Minister Jerolinmek Piah told reporters.

The 1,200 deportees who will be sent to the country within the next 12 months will include Africans as well as nationals from North America, South America and the Caribbean, Piah said.

TRUMP ADMIN SCORES COURT WIN TO END DEPORTATION PROTECTIONS FOR ETHIOPIAN MIGRANTS

Piah said the deportees would be received "as guests," adding that they could leave when they wanted and apply for asylum in Liberia.

He also said Liberia will receive support from the U.S. to manage the program and strengthen its migration system. But he said the deal was not part of a quid pro quo with the U.S. government and that the African nation was not demanding compensation in exchange for taking in the deportees.

"Liberia’s gesture is entirely humanitarian and in keeping with the country’s longstanding traditions," he said. "The government of Liberia intends to provide the transferred persons with the necessary support to seek protection in Liberia and to be safe during their stay here."

Liberia's government referenced its historical ties to the United States, including its roots in a 19th-century settlement established for free and formerly enslaved Black Americans and its history as a country with "a long history of accepting people seeking refuge from political and other crises."

Liberia’s Justice Minister Natu Oswald Tweh said that the country has screened the migrants ahead of their arrival.

"Most of them are people who had immigration violations and offenses," he said.

The Liberian government said the arriving deportees are not criminals and are not being prosecuted under U.S. or Liberian law.

Since Trump returned to the White House in January of last year, his administration has reached several deals with African countries to accept third-country deportees, including in some cases migrants who have legal protections barring their return to their countries of origin because of risks of torture, persecution or other abuses. It was not immediately clear whether any members of the group being sent to Liberia have such protections.

TRUMP SCORES MAJOR IMMIGRATION VICTORY AS JUDGE CLEARS WAY TO END TPS PROTECTIONS FOR THOUSANDS OF SOMALIS

Under several agreements that have not always been publicly disclosed in full, the administration has deported thousands of people to nearly two dozen countries that are not their own, with about 10 of them in Africa, according to immigration advocates.

The administration has defended the third-country deals as lawful, saying federal immigration law permits the government to remove migrants to willing third countries. The Supreme Court last year stayed a lower-court order that had imposed additional procedural requirements on third-country removals while litigation continued.

The U.S.-Liberia agreement says Liberia will not return a transferred person to their home country while a protection claim is pending and that both governments intend to act consistently with their obligations under refugee and anti-torture law.

Rights groups say some migrants have been sent to countries they have never visited or where they could face safety risks, potentially increasing pressure on them to return to their countries of origin.

Other African countries that have taken in third-country deportees include the Democratic Republic of Congo, Central African Republic, Equatorial Guinea, Cameroon, Ghana and Sierra Leone.

Reuters and The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Iran is rebuilding the upper ranks of its military and security establishment after months of wartime losses by turning largely to familiar veterans — figures whose careers in some cases stretch back to the 1979 Islamic Revolution, the Iran-Iraq War and previous domestic crackdowns.

The appointments follow the deaths of several senior Iranian commanders in U.S.-Israeli strikes since the war began Feb. 28, The National reported Aug. 11.

For Washington, the stakes go beyond who fills the vacancies. The reshuffle puts veteran hardliners atop institutions that shape Iran’s military operations, national-security policy and internal security at a time of renewed confrontation with the United States.

The appointments do not prove that Tehran has run out of younger commanders or that loyalty was the sole criterion, but the reliance on figures whose careers stretch back decades is raising a broader question for U.S. policymakers: whether wartime losses have left Iran increasingly dependent on a smaller circle of trusted ideologues — potentially narrowing the room for compromise even as Washington tries to pressure Tehran back toward a deal.

IRAN’S REVOLUTIONARY GUARD SIDELINES PRESIDENT AS MILITARY GRIP EXPANDS

Former American prisoner Morad Tahbaz, who was detained in Iran in 2018 and freed in a U.S.-Iran prisoner exchange in September 2023, told Fox News Digital that he views the latest appointments as evidence of Tehran's continued dependence on longtime loyalists.

"They keep rotating the same old people, most of whom are fairly inept but are loyal to the Khamenei father and son," Tahbaz told Fox News Digital.

The reshuffle spans Iran's conventional military, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, its naval arm, the Basij paramilitary force and the country's highest national-security council.

Iran's state-run IRNA reported Aug. 10 that Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei appointed Ali Abdollahi chief of staff of the Armed Forces, Kioumars Heydari his deputy, Ahmad Vahidi commander of the IRGC, Mostafa Izadi deputy IRGC commander, Ali Ozmaei commander of the IRGC Navy and Hossein Taeb head of the Basij.

The previous day, former IRGC commander Mohsen Rezaei, 71, was named secretary of the Supreme National Security Council and Khamenei's representative on the powerful body. Reuters reported Aug. 10 that the SNSC coordinates Iran's security and foreign policy and that Rezaei replaced Mohammad Baqer Zolqadr, who had been appointed secretary in late March following the death of his predecessor, Ali Larijani.

The appointments do not establish that Iran has run out of younger or less familiar commanders. But the reliance on longtime military and security figures has fueled assessments that wartime losses have narrowed the regime's pool of officials it regards as sufficiently experienced and politically trustworthy.

Erfan Fard wrote for the Middle East Forum on Aug. 15 that Khamenei was not promoting a new generation but turning to veterans of the revolution, the Iran-Iraq War, intelligence operations and domestic repression, arguing that an architecture based on "institutional memory, loyalty, and coercive power" was taking shape.

The Foundation for Defense of Democracies argued in an Aug. 12 policy brief that the reshuffle looked "less like renewal than a game of musical chairs among regime veterans."

The appointments also formalized the position of Ahmad Vahidi, a veteran hardliner who had already emerged near the center of wartime decision-making. Vahidi was a major player in shaping Tehran's wartime policy and had risen through the IRGC's early intelligence and external-operations apparatus before later serving as defense and interior minister. As interior minister, Vahidi oversaw police units involved in the crackdown on the 2022 protests.

IRNA confirmed Aug. 10 that Khamenei promoted Vahidi to major general and formally appointed him commander-in-chief of the IRGC.

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One of the most closely watched appointments is Hossein Taeb, the cleric and veteran security official tapped to lead the Basij, the IRGC's volunteer paramilitary force that has repeatedly been used against domestic dissent.

The National reported that the Basij has been used to suppress internal dissent, while The Times reported Aug. 12 that the force is embedded in neighborhoods, universities, workplaces, factories, ministries and mosques and has played a central role in suppressing successive uprisings.

For Tahbaz, Taeb's return is personal. Tahbaz was detained in 2018, while Taeb was leading the IRGC Intelligence Organization.

"Ta’eb is extremely close to Mojtaba Khamenei but was very unceremoniously fired from his former position as head of the IRGC Intelligence Organization," Tahbaz told Fox News Digital. "He was personally responsible for my and my colleagues' arrests and detentions. He lives and breathes conspiracy theories."

The Times reported Aug. 12 that Taeb and Mojtaba Khamenei's relationship dates back more than four decades and that both served in the Habib Battalion during the Iran-Iraq War. The newspaper also reported that IRGC intelligence arrested environmentalists and dual nationals during Taeb's tenure.

Taeb previously commanded the Basij before moving into IRGC intelligence. The Times reported that months after the disputed 2009 election, the Guards' intelligence division was elevated into an independent organization with Taeb as its first chief.

Taeb's earlier leadership of the Basij also drew U.S. sanctions. In a Sept. 29, 2010 Treasury Department fact sheet, the U.S. government said that while Taeb commanded the Basij during the June 2009 election, forces under his command participated in "beatings, murder, and arbitrary arrests and detentions of peaceful protestors."

According to IRNA, Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf congratulated Taeb on his appointment as head of the Basij Organization, saying his tenure could mark a new chapter for the volunteer force. Ghalibaf said the Basij now needs a more comprehensive and forward-looking approach and argued that Taeb’s appointment by the supreme leader could help advance what he described as one of Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini’s longstanding goals: building a 20-million-strong Basij force.

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Few appointments better illustrate the return of Iran's old guard than Mohsen Rezaei, who was named secretary of the Supreme National Security Council.

Reuters reported Aug. 10 that Rezaei joined the IRGC shortly after the 1979 revolution, became its commander in 1981 at age 27 and led the force for 16 years, including through most of the 1980-88 Iran-Iraq War.

He later served as secretary of Iran's Expediency Discernment Council for more than two decades and as vice president for economic affairs from 2021 to 2023 under President Ebrahim Raisi. Now, at 71, he is secretary of the SNSC and Khamenei's representative on the body.

Beni Sabti, an Iran expert at Israel's Institute for National Security Studies, argued that bringing back longtime figures such as Rezaei reflects weakness rather than renewal.

"This is, again, another evidence that they don't have anyone else," Sabti told Fox News Digital. "So they have to bring him out again from the desk and put him somewhere. These are the guys that they have."

Rezaei and Vahidi were also among six people for whom INTERPOL authorized Red Notices requested by Argentina in 2007 in connection with the investigation into the 1994 bombing of the AMIA Jewish community center in Buenos Aires.

INTERPOL said in November 2007 that its General Assembly upheld the publication of notices for six individuals, including Ahmad Vahidi and Mohsen Rezaei, after Iran challenged Argentina's requests.

Sabti argued that Rezaei's re-emergence is particularly telling because Tehran's decision-making circle has become less ideologically diverse.

"Today, there is only one opinion, and this is the main problem," Sabti said. "This is why you think that there is unity and the system is stronger. No, it's not stronger. Actually, it's weaker also because of that."

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Ali Abdollahi was elevated to chief of staff of Iran's Armed Forces, putting him at the top of the country's military command structure. IRNA confirmed the appointment Aug. 10.

Abdollahi had previously commanded the Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters, Iran's joint operational command responsible for coordinating its armed forces in wartime, according to Iran International on Aug. 10.

His appointment also comes amid an effort to integrate the Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters more closely with the Armed Forces General Staff. Le Monde reported Aug. 11 that Abdollahi's task includes completing that integration in an effort to further centralize command and coordination.

Fard argued in his Aug. 15 Middle East Forum analysis that Abdollahi's elevation exemplifies Tehran's reliance on longstanding revolutionary-security figures rather than a generational break.

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Former Army Ground Forces commander Kioumars Heydari was appointed deputy chief of staff of the Armed Forces, bringing a senior officer from Iran's conventional military into the new command structure.

The National reported that Heydari formerly commanded the Army Ground Forces and has held senior positions in Iran's regular army, known as the Artesh. IRNA independently confirmed his appointment.

His inclusion also demonstrates that the reshuffle is not limited to the IRGC.

Fard argued in the Middle East Forum that Heydari's previous public rhetoric surrounding protest suppression indicates that Tehran has increasingly integrated the regular army into its domestic-security posture.

Mostafa Izadi: Another veteran rises inside the IRGC

Mostafa Izadi was appointed Vahidi's deputy, putting another longtime commander near the top of the IRGC hierarchy.

IRNA confirmed Izadi's appointment Aug. 10, while The National described him Aug. 11 as a veteran commander who has held a number of senior positions in Iran's military and security establishment.

Iran International reported that Izadi previously commanded the Cyber and New Threats Headquarters within the Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters.

IRAN HARDLINER BEHIND US DEAL WARNS TEHRAN WON’T HONOR AGREEMENT IF TRUMP FAILS TO DELIVER

Rear Adm. Ali Ozmaei was appointed commander of the IRGC Navy, putting him in charge of a force central to Iran's military posture in the Persian Gulf and Strait of Hormuz.

The National reported Aug. 11 that Ozmaei replaced Alireza Tangsiri, who was killed in an Israeli airstrike in March, and that the IRGC Navy is responsible for Iran's military operations in the Gulf and around the Strait of Hormuz.

Iranian state media also highlighted Ozmaei's longstanding maritime experience. IRNA reported Aug. 11 that Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf praised Ozmaei's years in maritime defense and his familiarity with the current conflict and the Strait of Hormuz. 

The appointment came one day before Rezaei said the Strait of Hormuz would remain closed unless the United States changed its behavior and accepted Iran's conditions. Reuters reported that Rezaei said Washington would have to end the war and unfreeze Iranian funds overseas, with other conditions relayed through mediators.

Taken together, the seven personnel changes show Tehran moving to fill and reshuffle critical military and security posts after significant wartime losses. What remains an assessment rather than an established fact is whether the identities of those chosen reveal a deeper shortage of trusted successors.

Sabti said the return of veteran figures reflected what he sees as a shrinking bench of trusted officials and a less diverse decision-making circle.

Tahbaz offered a less academic version of that assessment.

"They keep rotating the same old people," he said.

South Korean President Lee Jae Myung urged his nation to boost its independent military capabilities Tuesday after President Donald Trump ordered a cut to join U.S.-South Korean military exercises.

Lee made the statement during a meeting with his cabinet on Tuesday, a day after the annual joint Ulchi Freedom Shield exercises began. Trump announced on social media this weekend that he ordered War Secretary Pete Hegseth to "substantially reduce" U.S. involvement in the drills.

Trump's statement expressed concern that the drills presented an overly hostile tone toward North Korea, whose leader, Kim Jong Un, Trump spoke of with warm words.

TRUMP ORDERS MAJOR CUT TO US-SOUTH KOREA DRILLS AS NORTH KOREA RAMPS UP MISSILE TESTS

Lee emphasized in his cabinet meeting that Ulchi Freedom Shield is a purely defensive exercise.

"A strong alliance makes the foundation of security stronger, and strengthening our own capabilities increases our value and necessity as an ally," Lee said.

He stated that South Korea's top priority is maintaining peace with North Korea, but said the country must be prepared for a "worst-case scenario."

Lee specifically mentioned boosting South Korea's nuclear-powered submarine program, among others.

NORTH KOREA LAUNCHES ANOTHER BALLISTIC MISSILE AS US, SOUTH KOREA PREPARE FOR MILITARY DRILLS

Trump's statement on Monday, posted to Truth Social, was openly critical of Lee's administration with respect to North Korea.

"Based on my very good relationship with Kim Jong Un, of North Korea, I am not happy with the fact that the United States has, long ago, agreed to participate in Joint Military Exercises with South Korea," Trump wrote.

"These exercises are not only costly, with much of these costs paid for by the United States of America (as usual!), but send a signal that is totally inappropriate and hostile, to a Country that, as long as Donald J. Trump has been President, has been unthreatening and respectful."

Lee's administration noted the kind words for North Korea in his statement on Tuesday, with Lee's national security advisor, Wi Sung-lac, remarking that he hopes Trump's relationship with Kim could lead to lasting change.

IRAN DEAL CLOCK HITS ZERO AS TRUMP DEMANDS ‘WHITE FLAG’ WITH NEW PRESSURE CAMPAIGN LOOMING

"We hope the friendly relationship between the U.S. and North Korean leaders will lead to meaningful North Korea-U.S. dialogue," Wi said at a Tuesday briefing.

Trump also took the opportunity to highlight Lee's apparent refusal to assist the U.S. in the conflict with Iran.

"While somewhat unrelated (?), I recently asked the President of South Korea if they would like to join us in the Denuclearization of the Islamic Republic of Iran, and they said, ‘No thanks!’" Trump wrote.

Reuters contributed to this report.

Residents of Ceuta, Spain's North African enclave bordering Morocco, are saying that the government is not doing enough to prevent another mass immigration event like the July 30 influx of approximately 70,000 migrants into the city, conservative Spanish journalist Javier Negre told Fox News Digital.

"The local citizens, they are really sad. And no matter if they are left or right, What they say is like, it's really complicated to live right now in Ceuta," Negre told Fox News Digital in an interview.

Negre said citizens have cited incidents in which migrants committed crimes, including robbery and attempted rape, adding "they live in the street and the people are really scared."

"We need in Spain, we need in Europe, governments that try to avoid the illegal immigration right now because it's not fair for the citizens that pay taxes to have social security, to have healthcare and these illegal migrants, they collapse the hospitals, they collapsed the universities, the schools, and it's not fair for the Spanish people," Negre said.

STATE DEPARTMENT RAISES TRAVEL WARNING FOR PART OF SPAIN AS MIGRANT SURGE SPARKS MILITARY DEPLOYMENT

The residents who reportedly spoke to Negre seemingly echoed comments from Juan Jesús Vivas, Ceuta's mayor-president. Speaking during an extraordinary session of the European Parliament's Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs, Vivas said the migrant rush put public safety and public health at risk and threatened to collapse the city's immigration infrastructure.

"Furthermore, the morale of Ceuta's residents is severely affected. Our population feels sad, helpless, uneasy, fearful and worried — and with good reason. It is inevitable to wonder whether this will happen again, and if that next time will be the definitive plunge into the abyss, causing us to cease being what we are: Spain and Europe," Vivas said.

Following a circulation of social media messages in Morocco calling for migrants to again rush the Spanish enclave on Aug. 15, both Spain and Morocco beefed up security on their respective sides of the border, in addition to the maritime barriers Spain put up after the initial incident saw migrants swim ashore.

But, Negre said Moroccan officials told him that the increased measures are not enough.

"I know that today the Spanish government and the Moroccan government, they say that they are going to put more police, but it's not enough," Negre said.

"We need more police," he continued. "We need to have more border security because people don't understand why they're paying taxes, why they're giving a lot of money to the state if they can't block the frontier to these illegal migrants that they are not escaping from a war or a difficult situation," Negre told Fox News Digital.

Negre criticized Spain's government, led by left-wing Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez and his party, Vox. The journalist pointed to Spanish media reports arguing that Sánchez's frosty relationship with Morocco may have contributed to the migration incident.

"Pedro Sánchez, who is involved in a lot of scandals of corruption, he went to Algeria, and there are some rumors that maybe the king of Morocco try to promote this illegal invasion to tell the Spanish government, 'hey, take it easy,'" Negre explained.

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Sánchez traveled to Algeria on July 20, 10 days before the migration incident, in an effort to restore diplomatic ties after a freeze in the countries' relationship over Morocco's claim to the Western Sahara.

Western Sahara, a desolate region in northwest Africa, has long been the focus of hostile relations between Algeria and Morocco. In 2020, the U.S. officially recognized Morocco's claim of sovereignty over the region.

While Spain does not officially recognize that claim, Sánchez did endorse Morocco's autonomy plan for the region, which proposes limited self-governance under Moroccan sovereignty to be the "most serious, realistic, and credible basis" for resolving a long-standing dispute between Morocco and Algeria over the territory.

Sánchez revealed his decision in a March 2022 letter to Morocco's King Mohammed VI, a letter he sent less than a year after another migrant influx from Morocco into Ceuta. During that May 2021 incident, Moroccan border guards appeared to stand down while 10,000 people flooded into Ceuta from the African nation.

'YOU'RE DESTROYING YOUR COUNTRIES': IS EUROPE FINALLY HEEDING TRUMP'S WARNING ON ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION?

While Moroccan officials denied they instructed border guards to stand down, the European Parliament passed a resolution condemning Morocco for the incident, citing statements from Morocco's Ministry of Foreign Affairs acknowledging that the incident was retaliation for Spain treating the leader of a Western Saharan rebel group at a Spanish hospital.

Negre also took aim at European leadership writ large, contrasting the European Parliament with President Donald Trump.

"Europe is going really bad with illegal immigration, with the open frontiers, completely opposite as the politics of President Trump with border security and deporting all the illegal migrants," he told Fox News Digital, while praising Trump's proposed legislation to require voter identification, the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility Act, known as the SAVE Act.

Fox News Digital contacted the governments of Spain, Ceuta, Morocco and Algeria for further comment.

The mysterious wounds found on one of the world's oldest orcas have triggered an investigation in Spain and raised questions about whether someone took aim at the famed killer whale amid years of tense encounters between orcas and boats.

Toñi, the oldest known Iberian orca, surfaced in the Strait of Gibraltar with multiple fresh marks across her dorsal fin and back that conservationists believe were caused by shotgun pellets. The injuries were not visible in photographs taken just weeks earlier.

The orca, known as Toñi, was spotted this week with marks Spanish officials described as compatible with possible pellet shots, according to Spain's Ministry for the Ecological Transition and the Demographic Challenge (MITECO).

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The ministry said it learned of Toñi's injuries on Aug. 11, after receiving information from marine conservation group WeWhale, which operates in the area with government authorization.

Officials opened preliminary investigative proceedings the next day to determine what happened and potentially identify those responsible.

While Spanish authorities have stopped short of concluding that Toñi was shot, conservation groups WeWhale and Iberian Orca Guardians said their teams believe the appearance, number and distribution of the wounds point to a shotgun discharge.

The groups said the injuries appeared suddenly. They had photographed and observed Toñi only weeks earlier, when the wounds were not present.

WeWhale said its team counted roughly 10 apparent pellet impacts on the left side of her dorsal fin. At least two or three projectiles appear to have passed straight through the fin, while others may still be lodged inside, according to the group.

EL-SAYED IN THE HOT SEAT AFTER 'SICKENING' ANIMAL CONTROL RECORD GOES VIRAL ON SOCIAL MEDIA

At an estimated 60 years old, Toñi could face added risks from the injuries. WeWhale said the fin has a rich blood supply and helps the animal regulate its body temperature, meaning the wounds could lead to tissue damage, swelling or infection. If pellets remain lodged inside, the group warned that an infection could, in the worst case, become life-threatening.

For now, however, there are encouraging signs. WeWhale said Toñi appears to be swimming and hunting normally, and its team will continue watching her closely.

"We know Toñi. We were with her a few weeks ago and these wounds were not there," Janek Andre, founder and president of WeWhale and the Iberian Orca Guardians Foundation, said in a statement.

Andre said the groups are now seeing "multiple impact wounds" across the animal's dorsal fin and back that they believe are consistent with a shotgun blast.

DEADLIEST ANIMAL IN EVERY US STATE REVEALED, FROM MOOSE AND BEARS TO DOGS

"If someone has deliberately fired a shotgun at her, this is not only an act of extreme cruelty against an individual animal," Andre said. "It is an attack on one of the last remaining members of a critically endangered population."

Toñi, also known as "La Abuela," or "the grandmother," is the oldest known member of the Iberian orca population, according to the conservation groups. Her population in the Strait of Gibraltar and Gulf of Cádiz is classified as vulnerable under Spain's Catalog of Endangered Species.

The stakes for anyone found responsible could be steep. Spanish law prohibits killing, capturing, pursuing or disturbing protected species, and violations of regulations protecting the orcas can carry penalties of up to 2 million euros, equivalent to about $2.3 million, along with potential criminal liability, according to MITECO.

The ministry's General Directorate of Biodiversity, Forests and Desertification is investigating the incident.

The investigation comes amid years of documented interactions between Iberian orcas and boats off the Iberian Peninsula.

Since 2020, orcas in the region have repeatedly interacted with vessels in Atlantic waters, prompting Spanish authorities to issue guidance aimed at protecting boaters, vessels and the animals. Officials advise sailors not to use deterrent measures that could kill, injure or disturb the cetaceans.

WeWhale said the apparent shooting should not be viewed as an acceptable response to those encounters.

"There has been enormous public discussion about Iberian orcas and their interactions with vessels," Andre said. "Whatever someone's opinion about those interactions may be, shooting at these animals can never be an acceptable response."

The conservation groups said they are preserving their original photographs and observational records and will continue monitoring Toñi's physical condition and behavior as the government investigation moves forward.

Authorities have not announced a suspect or identified anyone who may be responsible for the injuries.

U.S. special envoy Jared Kushner delivered a stark ultimatum to Hamas on Monday, warning that the terrorist group must honor its commitments to disarm in Gaza or face an Israeli military operation to "finish the job."

Speaking exclusively to Fox News chief foreign correspondent Trey Yingst, Kushner also detailed high-stakes diplomatic meetings in Egypt and Israel over the last 48 hours aimed at advancing President Donald Trump’s Gaza peace roadmap as fighting and disagreements between Israel and Hamas persists.

Israel has carried out air strikes and seized more territory in Gaza despite an October ceasefire, while Hamas has refused to give up its weapons, Reuters also reported Monday.

Kushner met first with Hamas in Cairo, together with the National Committee, the new technocratic Palestinian government that will take over control. 

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

Kushner told Yingst that the group reaffirmed its commitment to Trump’s 20-point peace plan and to the "15-point roadmap that we've been working on with them for the last four months, where they commit to giving up their weapons."

"Time will tell whether that's going to be implemented," he added, before stating that Washington feels it could be "very close to knowing, and we're making a lot of progress towards trying to get to the next steps."

"If they don't follow through now on their commitment, everyone will see that they're not genuine about peace, and then Israel will have a lot more support from the U.S. and others to go and finish the job in the appropriate way," Kushner also told Yingst of the militant group.

The warning from Trump’s son-in-law followed the rare face-to-face meeting — only Kushner's second known meeting with the group.

"They said all the right things, but obviously, it's very, very hard to trust, you know, a terrorist organization that committed these terrible atrocities," Kushner continued. "But we had a very cordial meeting, and they said all the right things, and so we're going to give them a chance to perform. 

"It's going to have to be based on actions and steps, and I hope it will be true."

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

The U.S.-led "Board of Peace" proposal centers on a phased ceasefire, demilitarization of Gaza, Israeli troop withdrawal, Palestinian technocratic governance and international reconstruction efforts.

On Monday, Kushner also traveled to Jerusalem and Tel Aviv to meet with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for further talks whereby the central sticking point remains the roadmap execution timeline.

Israel demands full demilitarization before withdrawing further or allowing reconstruction, while Hamas insists withdrawal and disarmament must happen in parallel.

Netanyahu, facing political pressure ahead of Israel's upcoming elections, appears cautious about phased compromises.

NETANYAHU REJECTS BOARD OF PEACE'S GAZA PLAN: NO 'WITHDRAWAL UNTIL HAMAS IS GENUINELY DISARMED'

Despite the friction, Kushner expressed optimism following a four-hour session with Israeli officials.

"I think today we had a very, very good meeting," Kushner said. "I think there were some valid concerns that they raised that we were able to address, and we were able to go through some of the misunderstandings and misinformation that's been out about it as well."

Kushner emphasized that Washington’s support for reconstruction remains tied to demilitarization.

"We will not allow Gaza to be rebuilt until demilitarization occurs," Kushner warned. "We're also not going to restrict Israel's right to defend itself if there are any imminent threats. And so we had to clarify what that means."

Outlining a clear timeline, Kushner highlighted the urgency of Hamas laying down its weapons. 

"We could be seeing progress, you know, in as much as in as little as 30 days," Kushner said. "Hopefully, on starting to take some of the weapons out, and hopefully, you know, filling in some of the tunnels as well in the next 60 to 90 days as well."

TRUMP REVEALS THE LINE IRAN HAS TO CROSS FOR US TO RESTART OFFENSIVE MILITARY CAMPAIGN

"For Israel, we think this is a win-win situation because if Hamas actually gives over the weapons and the tunnels willingly over the next 60 to 90 days, that obviously would be the elimination of a huge security threat for Israel, almost an unthinkable achievement," he added.

The conflict — triggered by Hamas' Oct. 7, 2023, terrorist attack that killed nearly 1,200 people in southern Israel and saw more than 240 taken hostage — has dragged on for nearly three years.

"Israel has a strong desire to live in peace," Kushner told Yingst.

"They've been through three years of war. It's been very, very hard for the country, very hard for the people. I think there's a lot of emotion in Israel and in the region."

"As I travel around the region, I do think people are tired of war. I think they're ready for something new," he continued. "But it's just sometimes hard. You know, who's going to take the first step, and how do you build trust when there's so little trust that's now been eroded?"

IS ISRAEL REALLY ISOLATED? POLLS AND DIPLOMACY POINT IN OPPOSITE DIRECTIONS

Kushner also voiced confidence in President Trump’s ability to broker a lasting deal.

"We see a lot of positive indications, and President Trump has pulled off miracles before in the Middle East," Kushner said. "He's very committed to continuing to do things that nobody thinks are possible."

A rift between the right-wing Italian government and Spain's leftist rulers continues to grow over immigration and border security.

It has been over a week since Italy’s conservative government, led by Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, enacted stricter border controls at air and seaports for any non-EU citizen traveling from Spain. The two countries do not share a land border.

Two days later, Spain’s left-wing government, led by Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez, enacted reciprocal measures on any non-EU citizens traveling from Italy. Even EU citizens need to show their ID to move on, causing travel delays during a month when most Europeans travel, including over 2 million between Italy and Spain.

At issue is border security. More specifically, the five-mile border between Morocco and the Spanish exclave of Ceuta. The Associated Press reported that roughly 72,000 people reportedly attempted to illegally cross the border to Ceuta during the late July surge, before Spain and Morocco could reinforce the border to prevent what the EU calls "irregular migration."

SPAIN STOCKS AFRICAN ENCLAVE CEUTA WITH BOOSTED SECURITY AS MOROCCO MONITORS CALLS FOR SECOND BORDER RUSH

Emma Schubart of the Henry Jackson Society told Fox News Digital that Italy’s border checks and Spain’s reciprocal measures "highlight the Meloni–Sánchez divide: enforcement-first versus a regularization program that drew 1.2 million applications."

On July 31, Meloni’s government, in what she called an "extraordinary measure," decided to "temporarily suspend the free movement regime (under the Schengen agreement) in maritime and air connections with Spain, reintroducing border controls," while also offering "to support every European initiative to assist Spanish institutions as needed to restore full control of the Union's external borders." The implementation involved random checks for non-EU travelers.

Even some countries of Europe’s left are taking notice. Meloni teamed up with Denmark’s left-leaning Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen to lead a group of 22 European Union leaders, including Hungary’s new prime minister, Péter Magyar, in a letter calling for an "extraordinary" meeting of EU interior ministers to define a "coordinated European response." The letter placed blame on Spain, noting that "the recent ruling of the Spanish Supreme Court has been used to trigger this attack and abuse (of) our migration and asylum system." They added that the EU "cannot allow mass crossings, the instrumentalization of migration or other hybrid threats to create the perception that illegal entry into the European Union is possible."

EU ADMITS IT ‘DIDN’T HAVE CONTROL’ ON MIGRATION AS BLOC RUSHES CRACKDOWN AHEAD OF NEW RULES

Spain’s Supreme Court issued a July 8 ruling regarding the immediate return of migrants intercepted at sea while attempting to enter Ceuta or Melilla.

Spain’s Sánchez called the letter "politically motivated," saying the situation in Ceuta was "under control" and that his government had acted in "full compliance with EU law." On his account, Sánchez posted, "Solidarity and empathy are optional. Respect for European treaties and data is not… It is the time to continue building a strong and united EU," while noting EU Frontex data that there were 470,600 "irregular entries" via Italy since 2021, compared to Spain’s 234,760.

The Spanish Foreign Ministry said, "Entering Spain irregularly through Ceuta or Melilla does not grant the right to remain in the country, to travel to mainland Spain, or to move freely within Europe."

Meloni responded on X that Ceuta "once again demonstrated how urgent it is for Europe to respond to illegal immigration.… Defending the external borders of the (European) Union is not the interest of a single Nation. It is a shared responsibility of Europe."

As soon as the Italian border controls went into effect, Spain responded, with Sánchez's administration calling the controls "unjust" and "discriminatory towards the Spanish population." The Spanish warned of "proportionate measures" to defend their interests, reciprocating with their own border controls on Italian travel on Aug. 8.

The Palazzo Chigi, the office of the Italian prime minister, said, "Italy does not accept ultimatums or impositions from abroad regarding national security and border control. Under no circumstances do we intend to review our decision… at least until 15 August… Another wave of migration is expected in Ceuta on that date, as the Spanish authorities themselves have announced."

Morocco stepped in this past Saturday, Aug. 15, ahead of that attempted rush on the border, with officials saying more than 111 were arrested trying to reach Ceuta via mountain roads in an attempt to avoid checkpoints. Morocco’s Le360 news agency said that the number was closer to 300.

After the arrests, Italian foreign ministry officials told the AGI news agency they were "closely monitoring what is happening in Morocco and reaffirm the necessity of the measures adopted," with a spokesman telling ANSA, "The checks at the border with Spain remain necessary in light of the latest developments in Morocco."

NATO ALLY POLAND WARNS RUSSIA, BELARUS PUSHING ILLEGAL MIGRANTS TOWARD ALLIANCE — AND THE US

Lorenzo Vidino, director of the program on extremism at George Washington University, told Fox News Digital that this "tit for tat" between the two countries could continue "for the foreseeable future." Vidino said EU immigration policies are "complicated" because "there is one policy, but enforcement is by the country," so politics plays a role. "Country A thinks Country B is not enforcing things correctly, so Country A closes the border to create de facto border controls." He said a contributing factor to Italy’s decision may be the large Moroccan population in Italy, especially in northern Italy, which could be a draw for illegal immigrants from Morocco.

Vidino added that these types of internal EU border controls are nothing new. "France also reintroduces these ‘routine checks’ from time to time." Austria continues sporadic checks on land crossings from Slovenia and Hungary and traffic at crossings into Germany can also be miles long due to continued controls there.

And it’s not only outside governments upset with Madrid’s response. Ceuta’s center-right mayor-president, Juan Jesús Vivas, held a press conference Friday, two weeks after the initial incursion, in the city’s Palacio de la Asamblea. He called the situation "unsustainable," saying "Ceuta cannot endure much longer like this." Despite Spanish authorities saying only 5,000 migrants remained in the city, Vivas says that number is closer to 9,000, adding, "Each passing day worsens the situation."

Vivas said he felt "misunderstood and powerless in the face of the lack of legal tools" from Madrid, adding the government is moving too slowly. "I cannot understand that if a part of our territory is invaded… there is no legal mechanism that allows for an expeditious and immediate action for the return of these people who entered this territory illegally and irregularly."

Maldita.es, an independent Spanish fact-checking platform, reports health officials have confirmed cases of scabies, impetigo and an outbreak of gastroenteritis among the migrants. Other news outlets report at least two cases of tuberculosis, but health officials say those affected were treated in Morocco before they crossed the border, and are not contagious. The National Institute of Health Management, the Spanish body responsible for managing healthcare in Ceuta, told reporters that, as of Aug. 11, there were "no confirmed cases of tuberculosis" originating in Ceuta.

Schubart said the EU should look to the U.S. "The U.S. experience is clear, over 8.7 million Southwest border encounters under weakened enforcement produced record surges and secondary pressures. Without consistent external controls, Schengen’s internal free movement erodes."

The 60-day window for the United States and Iran to reach a final agreement expired Monday with no deal announced, as President Donald Trump hardened his rhetoric toward Tehran and his administration prepared what Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent has described as an unprecedented new phase of economic pressure.

"They should put up the white flag of surrender," Trump told Fox News chief foreign correspondent Trey Yingst in a phone interview Monday. Trump said he was in no rush to reach a deal and also confirmed a direct back channel with officials from Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.

The June memorandum of understanding committed Washington and Tehran to negotiate a final deal within a maximum of 60 days, extendable by mutual consent. Reuters reported Monday that the interim agreement quickly unraveled over a dispute involving control of the Strait of Hormuz. Trump declared the pact "over" on July 7 and Tehran later said it was suspended.

The deadline now puts a central question at the heart of Trump’s Iran strategy: whether the United States can turn military and maritime pressure into political concessions by squeezing Tehran financially rather than escalating again on the battlefield. Before the war, roughly one-fifth of the world’s oil and liquefied natural gas moved through the Strait of Hormuz, making the standoff a threat not only to Tehran but to global energy supplies and U.S. fuel prices.

TRUMP SAYS IRAN DEAL ‘LARGELY NEGOTIATED’ AS 84-DAY WAR NEARS POSSIBLE END

"Watch this space for more announcements coming next week because we are going to apply measures like have never been seen in the history of economic isolation of a country," Bessent told Newsmax on Aug. 13.

In comments provided to Fox News Digital on background, a Treasury spokesperson said, "Economic Fury has left the regime desperate for cash," arguing that the campaign has constrained Tehran’s ability to generate and move revenue and pushed it further toward shadow-banking networks and cryptocurrency to evade sanctions.

Average Iranian oil loadings had fallen from 1.8 million barrels per day before the war to less than 500,000 barrels per day over the previous month, The Associated Press reported Aug. 11, citing Treasury figures. AP also cited an IMF projection that Iran’s economy would contract 5.4%.

IRAN’S DEEPEST WEAKNESS IS GETTING EXPOSED THROUGH AMERICA’S MAXIMUM PRESSURE CAMPAIGN

Miad Maleki, a former Treasury sanctions analyst and senior fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, told Fox News Digital that the pressure is real.

"The numbers are brutal," Maleki said, citing inflation, the collapsing rial and reduced oil traffic. He described the current campaign as "a maximum pressure campaign on a steroid."

Reuters reported Monday, citing Iran’s Statistical Centre, that consumer prices in July were 87.9% higher than a year earlier and food prices were up 128%. President Masoud Pezeshkian acknowledged last week that Iran was selling less oil and collecting less tax revenue from struggling businesses.

Maleki argued that what distinguishes the current campaign from previous rounds of sanctions is the combination of financial restrictions and a physical blockade. "What really started, I would say, as Economic Fury, has now turned into maximum pressure on steroids," he said, arguing that Tehran is being squeezed not only in its ability to export oil but also in its ability to bring critical goods into the country.

He pointed in particular to Iran’s gasoline deficit and weakening government revenues as vulnerabilities that could become increasingly difficult for the regime to manage. In November 2019, a sharp increase in government-set gasoline prices triggered nationwide demonstrations that rapidly broadened into anti-government protests. Reuters reported at the time that Iranian officials said roughly 200,000 people participated in the unrest, while thousands were arrested.

"The regime is very scared of another 2019," Maleki said, arguing that Tehran has been reluctant to significantly raise retail fuel prices because of the potential political consequences.

But history also illustrates the limitation of Washington’s strategy: economic pain can bring Iranians into the streets without necessarily forcing the regime itself to concede.

IRAN’S REVOLUTIONARY GUARD SIDELINES PRESIDENT AS MILITARY GRIP EXPANDS

The larger question, Maleki said, is who ultimately absorbs the pain.

Iran’s economic system, he argued, includes powerful foundations and elite networks tied to the IRGC and the supreme leader that were built long before today’s sanctions architecture.

"That elite network has spent about three decades insulating themselves from exactly this kind of pain," Maleki said. "And historically, the regime always burns the population clock before really having to absorb any of that pressure themselves."

Maleki said pressure can force "tactical concessions," but broader concessions depend on whether the financial pain reaches IRGC-linked foundations, oligarchs and regime elites rather than remaining concentrated among ordinary Iranians.

Washington is already near "the ceiling on sanctions with Iran," he argued, meaning the next phase may depend less on new legal tools than on enforcing existing restrictions against foreign enablers, including Chinese refineries, Hong Kong shell traders, exchange houses, shadow-fleet tankers and cryptocurrency channels.

So far, the pressure has not produced a final deal. Reuters reported Monday that a senior Iranian official threatened military escalation within weeks if Washington does not fully implement the interim agreement.

"The worst is still ahead for the Iranian regime," Maleki said, arguing that payment-cycle delays mean the full fiscal impact of reduced oil exports may not be felt until the fall.

The Associated Press and Reuters contributed to this report.

A prominent Russian state economist was fired after publicly warning that Moscow is losing an economic "war of attrition" with the West and could eventually face a social crisis, as the European Union prepares a major expansion of sanctions targeting Russia’s military-industrial base.

The episode goes beyond an internal Kremlin personnel shake-up. For Washington and its European allies, the central question is whether years of economic pressure are beginning to constrain Moscow’s ability to sustain the war — or whether Russia can continue absorbing the costs while replenishing the resources needed to fight.

Andrei Klepach, chief economist at state development bank VEB.RF, was dismissed after remarks in which he said Russia was falling behind technologically and economically and suffering mounting costs from the war in Ukraine, two sources familiar with the matter told Reuters on Aug. 17.

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VEB confirmed to Reuters that Klepach was no longer its chief economist but did not give a reason for his departure. Klepach, who had held the position since 2014 after spending a decade at Russia’s Economy Ministry, also confirmed his dismissal.

"We are falling behind. We are losing both the technological and economic competition in the world," Klepach said in a May speech to the Nikitsky Club, a forum of economists, academics and government officials. The remarks were delivered in May but did not draw attention in Russian media until last week.

"And we are losing it not only to China and the United States, in some ways we are losing it to Ukraine too," he said, attributing Ukraine’s resilience in part to continued financial backing from the West.

"We will not win the competition in this war of attrition," Klepach said. "We have the illusion that everything there [in Ukraine] will collapse. It has not collapsed and will not collapse. Our costs are mounting."

Klepach acknowledged that Russia had proved resilient to Western sanctions but warned that Ukrainian attacks on energy and logistics infrastructure were creating additional economic pressure. Reuters noted that Russia’s central bank said in July that economic growth could fall as low as zero this year, while repeated Ukrainian strikes on Russian refineries and other facilities have caused supply disruptions and added to inflation risks.

BRINGING THE WAR TO PUTIN’S FRONT DOOR: IS UKRAINE’S ENERGY STRIKE STRATEGY WORKING?

"Economically we will not collapse, but our lag will continue to grow, with all the resulting consequences," Klepach said, predicting that Russia could face a social crisis "precisely when nobody is particularly expecting it."

A European intelligence source told Fox News Digital that Russia’s deeper economic problems should not be confused with immediate financial pressure on President Vladimir Putin. The source said higher oil prices had helped Moscow cover more of its budget deficit and could give the Kremlin additional time before economic constraints begin forcing difficult choices over the war. "It doesn’t solve the fundamental economic problems in Russia, but from a budgetary point of view, Putin is OK actually," the source said. "He’s not under pressure."

The source argued that this could delay expectations that deteriorating economic and budget conditions would eventually pressure Putin to end the war, potentially allowing Moscow to continue fighting "another spring" or "another season." The assessment adds a counterpoint to Klepach’s warning: Russia may be losing ground economically over the longer term while still retaining enough near-term revenue to sustain its war effort.

The warning comes as the European Union prepares to intensify its economic pressure on Moscow.

EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas told Germany’s Die Welt that she plans to propose what she called the "most far-reaching sanctions listings since the start of the war." Kallas said existing EU sanctions had deprived Russia’s war machine of more than $1.16 trillion, a figure presented by Kallas and reported by Reuters on Aug. 17.

EU diplomatic sources told Reuters that the bloc’s diplomatic service is expected to propose sanctions against approximately 1,600 additional Russian individuals and entities, with a particular focus on the country’s military-industrial complex.

'PURE HELL' IN MOSCOW AS UKRAINIAN DRONES STRIKE MAJOR REFINERY SUPPLYING CAPITAL'S FUEL MARKET

The measures are expected to include asset freezes along with travel and transaction bans. Officials plan to present the list to EU governments in early September and aim for adoption in October.

Inside Russia, authorities also moved Monday against one of the country’s remaining prominent liberal opposition figures.

Lev Shlosberg, deputy chairman of the Yabloko party, was sentenced to 11 years and one month in a penal colony, independent Russian outlet Mediazona reported. Shlosberg was accused of "discrediting Russia’s armed forces and spreading false information" about them.

Shlosberg, who described the war during his trial as a catastrophe for Russia, maintained his innocence and said the case against him was political. He also repeated his call for a ceasefire. The sentencing came a week after Russia’s Supreme Court barred Yabloko from participating in next month’s parliamentary election.

Meanwhile, attacks continued through the weekend and into Monday.

Russian strikes targeted port infrastructure in Ukraine’s Izmail district in the Odesa region overnight, according to Ukrainian authorities. A separate strike damaged a civilian Togo-flagged vessel and injured four people. Across the border, a Ukrainian drone attack killed a woman and struck an industrial facility in Russia’s southern Astrakhan region, the regional governor said.

Separately, ArcelorMittal said a Russian missile strike on its Kryvyi Rih steel plant over the weekend killed two employees and injured three employees and contractors, damaging major energy and blast-furnace facilities and partially halting production.

Reuters contributed to this report.

The 60-day ceasefire deadline is expiring Monday, but President Donald Trump's resolve on ending Iran's nuclear weapons aspirations is not, he told Fox News on Monday morning, where he confirmed there is a backchannel for peace talks with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.

"They should put up the white flag of surrender," Trump said in a phone interview, confirming reports of the IRGC backchannel talks that bypass mediators and Iranian political officials.

While the 60-day ceasefire expires Monday, Trump said there is still time for peace and Iran's relenting to Trump's primary demand: "The number one Goal is, and always will be, that Iran cannot have, in any way, shape, or form, a Nuclear Weapon," as he wrote on Truth Social around the time of the exclusive call with Fox News' Trey Yingst.

TRUMP SEEKS $672M TO STOP IRANIAN NUKES AS NEGOTIATORS WEIGH FATE OF URANIUM STOCKPILE

"I have no time schedule," Trump told Yingst. "I'm not in a hurry."

While Trump has long lamented reaching peace with a fractured Iranian regime that has had multiple levels of leadership killed in past strikes, he confirmed U.S. officials are communicating directly through a backchannel with IRGC officials.

"They’re good poker players, but they’re dying," Trump said.

While speculation swirls Iran is engaging in its decades-long strategy of running out the political clock on Trump, before the midterms, if not 2028, Trump rejected the suggestion that politics is guiding his military strategy as commander in chief.

TRUMP REVEALS THE LINE IRAN HAS TO CROSS FOR US TO RESTART OFFENSIVE MILITARY CAMPAIGN

"Midterms have nothing to do with my thinking," he told Yingst.

Trump also issued an extraordinary warning to Oman when asked about the Gulf nation’s role in talks involving Iran.

"If Oman gets in the way, we’ll bomb the s--- out of them," Trump said.

The president then turned to Israel, where he said he believes it would be most appropriate for him to remain on the sidelines of the country’s elections — while simultaneously leaving open the possibility that he could back a candidate.

NETANYAHU'S ISRAEL GRAPPLES WITH TRUMP-IRAN DEAL AS DETAILS REMAIN UNCLEAR

"I think it’s most appropriate for me to stay out of Israeli elections, but I may endorse somebody," Trump said.

Trump also said Israel should not be carrying out strikes in Gaza, as efforts continue to advance the next phase of a plan that would include the disarmament of Hamas.

"We have our own relationship with Hamas," Trump said. "They are giving up their guns."

Despite Israel's rejection of trusting the Hamas terrorist group, Trump suggested he could work peace both with a disarming Hamas and Israel.

NETANYAHU REJECTS BOARD OF PEACE'S GAZA PLAN: NO 'WITHDRAWAL UNTIL HAMAS IS GENUINELY DISARMED'

"They fight well with us," Trump reiterated to Yingst.

Trump also pushed back on concerns over the strain the conflict might be placing on U.S. weapons stockpiles, playing down the amount of American firepower used so far.

"What we’ve used is peanuts," Trump said. "We have a lot of mid-level weapons."

New South Wales in Australia is slated to begin a gun buyback scheme in November, the first state in the nation to kick-off the program as part of the national response to a shooting spree that killed 15 people at a Hanukkah celebration in the state capital of Sydney, Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese announced on Sunday.

Albanese and New South Wales Premier Chris Minns said the scheme would start on November 2. People who return eligible firearms under the first phase would receive fixed compensation ranging from $450 to $1,000 per firearm, depending on the type. A second phase will provide a valuation pathway for certain higher-value firearms, capped at $10,000 per firearm.

Albanese's center-left government adopted new gun-control laws in January in the aftermath of the December 14 attack at a Bondi Beach Hanukkah celebration, including the gun buyback program and tighter firearms measures. New South Wales separately passed tighter state firearms laws in December, while the federal government also strengthened laws targeting hate speech and extremism.

The pair of alleged gunmen used firearms that were obtained legally. Australia's government said there were a record 4.1 million firearms in the country last year, including more than 1.1 million in New South Wales, its most populous state.

AUSTRALIA VOWS TO STRENGTHEN HATE SPEECH LAWS, GUN CONTROL IN WAKE OF BONDI BEACH ATTACK

"We must do everything we can to make sure the antisemitic terrorist attack in Bondi doesn’t happen again. That includes meaningful nationwide gun reform," Albanese said in a statement.

The initiative is set to be Australia's largest buyback since a similar effort following the 1996 massacre in Tasmania's Port Arthur, when a gunman killed 35 people.

"Australians are quite rightly proud of our gun laws, but the fact is there are more guns in Australia today than there were at the time of dealing with the Port Arthur gun buyback ," Albanese said.

New South Wales generally limits individual firearm ownership to four guns under restrictions sparked by the Bondi Beach attack, with exemptions allowingcertain licence holders, including some primary producers, sport shooters and others with specified genuine reasons, to possess more firearms. It estimates that up to 274,000 registered firearms — about 24% of the total number of registered firearms in New South Wales — and about 50,000 license holders are affected by the new limits on gun ownership and reclassification of some types of firearms.

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"After Bondi, we promised the people of New South Wales we would introduce the toughest gun laws in the country, and that’s exactly what we did," Minns said. "The next step is getting the guns that are no longer permitted under those laws out of circulation and permanently off our streets."

"There are potentially hundreds of thousands of firearms affected by these changes," Minns added. "We want those guns handed in, compensated for and safely destroyed. This is a big undertaking, but the principle behind it is simple: fewer dangerous guns in our community means a safer New South Wales."

The attack was allegedly carried out by a father and son who police believe were inspired by the Islamic State.

The 50-year-old father, Sajid Akram, was shot and killed by police at the scene, while the surviving suspect, Naveed Akram, 24, has not yet entered pleas on a slew of charges, including 15 counts of murder. Authorities have charged him with 59 offenses in total, including committing a terrorist act and 15 counts of murder.

A man identified as Ahmed al Ahmed has been praised as a hero for tackling and disarming one of the gunmen. He suffered gunshot wounds in the incident and is still recovering.

"After the tragedy at Bondi, we committed to dealing with the motive and the method," Minister for Home Affairs Tony Burke said. "Since then, we have strengthened our hate crimes and hate speech laws, which are now the strongest in our country’s history."

"Today we continue the proud Australian tradition of sensible gun reform designed to protect our community from weapons which have no utility other than to cause harm." he added.

An official with the self-described Chagossian government-in-exile said Sunday that the war with Iran has underscored Diego Garcia’s strategic importance to U.S. forces and Middle East regional stability, with the Pentagon shifting logistics to the remote U.K.-U.S. base in the Indian Ocean after an Iranian strike on a major American installation in Bahrain.

The base, in the southern Chagos Archipelago, has reportedly supported carrier strike groups including the USS Abraham Lincoln, whose forces have conducted air operations and helped enforce the blockade of Iranian ports.

The U.S. military’s wartime logistics network now stretches across a roughly 2,200-mile maritime supply route to Diego Garcia, allowing forces to avoid coastal facilities vulnerable to Iranian attacks but requiring longer shuttle runs and slower replenishment, according to The New York Times.

"That is an inconvenience, but it shows the importance of the base," James Tumbridge, an international lawyer who serves as attorney general for the Chagossian government-in-exile, told Fox News Digital.

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"The base is integral to regional security for the U.K., U.S. and our allies. This latest news emphasizes it."

"Bahrain is a far easier target, so the U.S. change of supply arrangement makes sense," Tumbridge said, adding, "Hopefully the new British PM will not deny the U.S. this change of use."

"It shows the importance of the base and asking a third country for permission is not what the U.S. will want, and so I hope this means Trump will still oppose the handover," Tumbridge went on to say, referring to a proposed agreement that would transfer sovereignty of the Chagos Islands to Mauritius.

In 2025, the U.K. and Mauritius signed a treaty that would recognize Mauritian sovereignty over the Chagos Archipelago while allowing the U.K. to retain control of Diego Garcia for an initial 99-year period.

The British government later put implementation of the agreement on hold amid renewed U.S. concerns over the sovereignty transfer.

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Reports emerged in June that U.S. officials had drafted a proposal to bypass Britain and strike a deal to take control of Diego Garcia, one of several alternatives to then-Prime Minister Keir Starmer's plan to transfer sovereignty to Mauritius.

The first minister of the self-described Chagossian government-in-exile responded that month and said the Chagos Islands were not for sale or "for stealing either," but argued that he "can’t blame" Trump for "looking to secure the military base."

"Trump cannot buy the islands. That suggestion made by some is unhelpful to us all. Only the U.K. can sell the islands, as only the U.K. owns them," Tumbridge also said on Sunday.

"The arguments over sovereignty do not get fixed via a sale, and Mauritius cannot sell them unless the U.K. first gives them away," he added.

"It is not in the U.K.’s interest to sell them. Whether we keep them and continue our support for the U.S. base or we cede them to Mauritius is the choice — my desire is the former."

Mauritius has long claimed sovereignty over the archipelago, a position backed by a 2019 advisory opinion from the International Court of Justice and subsequent U.N. action.

The U.K. government, however, permitted the U.S. to use Diego Garcia for limited defensive operations targeting Iranian missile capabilities in March after initially withholding approval for offensive strikes.

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"The U.S. wanted to use Chagos Diego Garcia for air strikes at the very beginning. The U.K. consulted Mauritius and refused — hence Trump finally appreciating why sovereignty transfer was a problem," Tumbridge said.

"After the attacks on Cyprus, the U.K. allowed certain so-called defense uses, and Iran did fire at Diego Garcia, but they missed."

On March 20, Reuters reported that Iran had fired two ballistic missiles toward Diego Garcia.

One missile failed in flight, while a U.S. warship fired an interceptor at the other, though it was initially unclear whether the interception succeeded. British officials later said one missile fell short and the other was intercepted.

"No serious concerns have been shared — the earlier attempt showed a lack of range and targeting ability," Tumbridge said.

"The British Government and the Commissioner for the Territory have already tried to say the last attack makes the islands unsafe. No one seriously believes that Iran would try to target the outer islands that presently only have a population of six people."

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The reported U.S. logistical strains and renewed focus on Diego Garcia came as the USS Abraham Lincoln approached nine months of continuous deployment in the region.

Speaking at Joint Base Andrews on Aug. 14, Trump said a new aircraft carrier was heading to the Middle East to replace it.

"That ship is moving," Trump said when reporters asked about the carrier.

Meanwhile, Adm. Brad Cooper, commander of U.S. Central Command, also met with service members aboard the carrier, which is expected to be relieved amid concerns raised by families over the extended deployment.

Fox News Digital has reached out to the Pentagon for comment.

The Iran-backed Houthis’ escalating attacks on shipping through the Bab el-Mandeb Strait are raising a growing strategic question: Could the waterway become the next Strait of Hormuz?

The answer is complicated by the geography — and by Yemen itself. Unlike Hormuz, where Iran can directly threaten shipping from its own coastline, Tehran’s leverage over Bab el-Mandeb depends largely on its Houthi allies. And the country overlooking the strait is fractured among competing armed and political forces, leaving the U.S. and its regional allies confronting a threat that may be difficult to solve with naval power alone.

The danger was underscored Tuesday when the Houthis attacked the Egyptian-owned cargo ship Tihamah in Bab el-Mandeb. Four crew members — three Pakistanis and one Indonesian — were killed, according to Yemeni and Pakistani officials, while two Yemeni rescuers were killed when the Houthis struck again after rescue crews arrived, Yemen’s Coast Guard said. Reuters reported that the fatalities, if confirmed, would be the first deaths in a Houthi strike on shipping since the U.S.-Iran war began Feb. 28.

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The Bab el-Mandeb Strait, is located between Yemen and the Horn of Africa, connects the Gulf of Aden and Arabian Sea to the Red Sea and, farther north, the Suez Canal and the Mediterranean. It is a crucial route for energy and commercial shipping. The Suez Canal and Egypt’s SUMED pipeline effectively form the northern end of the same Red Sea corridor.

But the southern side of that corridor borders a country that has been at war for more than a decade.

The Houthis control the capital, Sanaa, and much of northern Yemen, while the internationally recognized, Saudi-backed government and an array of allied or competing groups control areas elsewhere. The Southern Transitional Council, a separatist movement that has been backed by the United Arab Emirates, has been a major force in the south.

That fragmentation is becoming increasingly relevant to the security of the waterway.

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Amr Al Bidh, the STC’s foreign affairs chief, told Fox News Digital that naval forces can defend individual vessels but cannot by themselves remove the threat posed by Houthi-controlled territory overlooking the maritime route.

"Naval presence protects individual ships. It does not take away Houthi launch sites, it does not interdict the smuggling routes that resupply them and it does not hold terrain," Al Bidh said.

He said that "you have to be on the ground" to ultimately secure Bab el-Mandeb.

The deterioration comes amid a broader escalation in Yemen. U.N. Special Envoy Hans Grundberg told the Security Council Thursday that the country faces its most serious threat of a return to large-scale war since the U.N.-brokered 2022 truce, warning that renewed Houthi attacks on commercial vessels risk drawing Yemen deeper into the wider regional confrontation.

That truce sharply reduced major fighting after years of war following the Houthis’ seizure of Sanaa in 2014 and the Saudi-led military intervention the following year. Though the formal truce expired in October 2022, large-scale hostilities remained comparatively limited for years.

IRAN BLOCKADE ‘GOING GLOBAL’ IS A WARNING SIGNAL TO CHINA AND RUSSIA

On July 20, the Houthis declared what they called a naval blockade of Saudi Arabia, threatening vessels doing business with Saudi ports. Riyadh denies the Houthi accusation that Saudi Arabia has imposed a siege on Yemen.

A White House official, speaking on background, said the United States expects the Houthis to continue to uphold the terms of the ceasefire. The official said the Houthis "saw during Operation Rough Rider that the United States and President Trump will take necessary action to protect freedom of navigation and U.S. commercial shipping from Houthi terrorist attacks."

The official added that the United States is focused on protecting core national security interests — including freedom of navigation in the Red Sea — while "empowering our regional partners to take the lead in managing and resolving regional security challenges." The official said Washington is in continuous dialogue with Saudi Arabia and the Republic of Yemen government regarding regional stability.

United Against Nuclear Iran, citing Joint Maritime Information Center data, has put the decline in tanker transits since the July 20 blockade declaration at roughly 40%. UANI also said tankers have been observed broadcasting messages including "CHINESE OWNER" and "ARMED GUARD ON BOARD" through their tracking systems, apparently in an effort to reduce the chance of being targeted.

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China, meanwhile, has been in contact with the Houthis over safe passage for Chinese vessels, according to a July 28 Reuters report citing Chinese and regional sources. Four China-bound tankers had crossed Bab el-Mandeb following the blockade announcement as Beijing sought assurances for its shipping.

The economic stakes are rising because of what is happening hundreds of miles to the east.

Saudi Arabia has increasingly relied on its Red Sea export infrastructure as shipping through the Strait of Hormuz has been disrupted by the U.S.-Iran conflict.

That makes the Red Sea both an alternative to Hormuz — and a potential second pressure point.

Yemeni Nobel Peace Prize laureate Tawakkol Karman warned at the United Nations Thursday that Yemen’s internal collapse is increasingly threatening interests far beyond its borders.

"This is no longer a Yemeni crisis alone," Karman said. "The continued collapse of the state in Yemen threatens international navigation and trade, energy security, and global supply chains and undermines regional and international peace and security."

Karman had been invited by Denmark, which holds the Security Council presidency, to brief council members, but Denmark’s deputy U.N. ambassador said "strong opposition" prevented the briefing from taking place. Karman instead addressed reporters outside the chamber.

In a separate interview with Fox News Digital, Karman argued that restoring a functioning Yemeni state is ultimately essential to defeating armed groups and securing the country.

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"Yemeni people can do that," Karman said of defeating the Houthis and other militias. "We can be partners on saving the global and regional security."

"Without restoring Yemen, that means there is not any sustainable peace," she added.

But U.S. experts caution against treating Bab el-Mandeb as simply a second Hormuz.

"Iran doesn’t have the same direct influence on flows through the Bab al-Mandeb as it does for the Strait of Hormuz," Richard Goldberg, a senior advisor at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies and former National Security Council official, told Fox News Digital.

"The strategy would depend much more on proxies — Iraqi groups focusing fire on infrastructure and the Houthis focusing on the Red Sea," Goldberg said.

But he said there are limits to that strategy. "The Houthis act much more independently than they used to, and have not yet shown an interest to going to war against the world — just against Riyadh," Goldberg said.

He also pointed to one critical difference between the two waterways: ships that cannot safely cross Bab el-Mandeb can bypass the Red Sea entirely by sailing around Africa.

"Unlike Hormuz, shippers can go around the Red Sea if they really need to," Goldberg said. "It adds cost and time but it’s not a single point of failure like Hormuz."

The question facing U.S., Saudi Arabia and its partners is therefore how to prevent the Houthi threat from becoming more serious.

Riyadh is now trying to assemble two overlapping layers of regional security cooperation.

Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Pakistan signed the Mecca Joint Defense Agreement on Aug. 7, a mutual-defense pact that calls for high-level political and military coordination, joint exercises and deeper defense-industry cooperation. Turkey has stressed that the agreement is defensive and does not identify Iran or any other country as an enemy.

Dr. Aziz Alghashian, a Saudi foreign-policy researcher and senior non-resident fellow at Gulf International Forum, told Fox News Digital earlier this week that one immediate implication could be greater coordination against Iran-backed groups, particularly the Houthis.

Alghashian said the pact could produce a greater trilateral presence near the Saudi-Yemeni border, "especially in the maritime dimension," while allowing Riyadh to take a firmer collective approach toward Iran-backed militias even as it maintains a more diplomatic approach toward Tehran itself.

Separately, Saudi Arabia is leading an effort specifically focused on the waterways.

The Saudi Defense Ministry announced July 30 plans for a multinational maritime-defense coalition intended to protect freedom of navigation and commercial and energy routes through Bab el-Mandeb, the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden. Fourteen countries, including Turkey, Pakistan, Egypt, Sudan and Djibouti, initially backed the initiative.

Turkey’s Defense Ministry confirmed Thursday that Ankara is participating in meetings in Jeddah aimed at establishing the coalition.

A State Department spokesperson separately told Fox News Digital that protecting commercial shipping through both the Red Sea and the Strait of Hormuz remains a "top priority" for the Trump administration, pointing to freedom of navigation as one of Washington’s core national security interests in the Middle East. "We will continue to work with international partners to deter Iranian and Iranian-proxy attacks on merchant vessels, ensure the free flow of commerce and hold accountable those who threaten the safety of international shipping lanes," a State Department spokesperson said.

The spokesperson said the administration is also seeking to disrupt the flow of Iranian money and weapons to the Houthis, noting that the U.S. has sanctioned more than 200 entities associated with the group.

"We condemn Iran’s flagrant violation of Yemen’s sovereignty and international law in threatening freedom of navigation and supporting their Houthi proxies," the spokesperson said. The State Department also emphasized Washington’s support for Saudi Arabia and Yemen’s internationally recognized government as the threat around Bab el-Mandeb grows.

"The United States stands firmly with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the internationally recognized government of Yemen against Houthi terrorism," the spokesperson said. "We are in close consultation with our Saudi and Yemeni partners and remain committed to their security."

JERUSALEM: Fox News Digital gained rare access to the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) Tzrifin Base in Central Israel, where a vast number of confiscated rockets, grenades, drones, sniper rifles, automated weapons, anti-tank rocket launchers, mortars and other military firepower used by Hezbollah and Hamas are stored.

The seized arsenal of weapons — ranging in manufacturers from the Islamic Republic of Iran to Russia, China to homegrown producers in Lebanon and Gaza and even a Nazi-era gun —were part of the war machinery used by Hamas and Hezbollah against Israeli civilians and the IDF since Hamas terrorists attacked southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023.

The IDF said Hezbollah also used weapons against Lebanese civilians. Hezbollah and Hamas — members of Iran’s so-called "axis of resistance." The terror groups have killed over 300 American citizens according to reports. 

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The Jewish state fought a multi-front war against Iran and its proxies at the height of the conflict. The remains of Iranian rockets litter the ground outside the weapons storage facility at Tzrifin for journalists to inspect.

Tehran fired rockets into civilian areas during the war, including large cities such as Tel Aviv and Be’ersheva. Just days after the joint U.S.-Israeli attack on Iran in late February, the Islamic Republic fired a ballistic missile into Beersheba, causing injuries to 19 people.

To the ordinary eye, it is a Herculean challenge to decipher the small Nazi swastika emblem on the German World War 2-era MG-34 machine gun seized at a Hezbollah terrorist compound in Lebanon. But, for the Israeli military commander of the Captured Equipment Evacuation Unit, Lt. Col. (res.) Idan Sharon-Kettler, it is a run-of-the-mill exercise in weapons identification.

The German MG-34 has the "markings of an eagle carrying a swastika stamped on it," said Sharon-Ketler.

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Sharon-Kettler told Fox News Digital that the Nazi machine gun was used as "propaganda or for morale" of the Iranian regime-backed terrorists in Lebanon. A second Nazi-era assault rifle was confiscated from Hezbollah—the MP 44 (also termed StG 44).

Hamas and Hezbollah, both of whom are designated by the U.S. as terrorist organizations, employed sophisticated methods to transform vehicles into high-intensity offensive weapons. So-called dual-use technology (equipment that can be used for civilian and military purposes) is the bread and butter of Hamas and Hezbollah.

"Motorcycles like these took Israelis hostages," said Sharon-Kettler, as he showed an Egyptian Halawa Motors motorcycle that was captured in Israel on 10/7. The Iranian regime-backed Hamas terrorist movement killed over 1,200 people on 10/7, including more than 40 American citizens. Hamas took over 250 people hostage on the same day.

The IDF also captured rockets from Palestinian Islamic Jihad that were used as "propaganda dummies" during parades against Israel in Gaza.

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The IDF seized all-terrain vehicles (ATV) used by Hezbollah in Lebanon to hold rockets and terrorists. One captured ATV was designed to hold six rockets with launchers."You can sit on top of a hill and control a road that goes underneath. And with six anti-tank rockets you will stop almost any vehicle that passes," said Sharon-Kettler.

He said the ATVs provide great utility for Hezbollah in the rugged, hilly landscape of southern Lebanon.

Iranian-produced mortars were also on display at the IDF base. "We found hundreds" of mortars in Lebanon, said Sharon-Kettler. The IDF captured drones, including decay drones. Sharon-Kettler said some of the Hezbollah drones are used "to make noise" in order to "divert [IDF]resources."

According to Sharon-Kettler, the IDF captured "dozens" of Iranian regime-produced canons in south Lebanese villages, where Hezbollah’s core base exists. "In many houses the canons were pointing out of windows," said Sharon-Kettler. One cannon seized in Lebanon was of Russian origin.

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Hezbollah, like its counterpart Hamas in Gaza, embeds its terrorists in residential areas and civilian structures, including hospitals, schools and mosques. The IDF storage facility was packed with Russian-produced AK-47 automatic rifles and various versions of it.

The IDF captured more recent Russian AK-103 and AK-104 automatic rifles in southern Lebanon. "Light sniper rifles, some made in Iran, some Russian, are very common with Hezbollah and Hamas," said Sharon-Kettler.

Israel’s army also seized a highly decorated Turkish hunting rifle that was used by Hezbollah. The IDF found many highly sophisticated Austrian Steyr sniper rifles, including the Austrian Steyr HS .50 caliber sniper rifle, in possession of Hezbollah. Sharon-Kettler showed an Iranian replicated version of the Steyr sniper rifle.

The IDF collected submachine guns in Lebanon that were manufactured by China and Russia, as well as anti-tank launchers produced by Russia and Iran, said the IDF weapons expert.

Additional merchandise seized by the IDF includes all the trappings of a professional army and guerrilla terrorist forces. Well-crafted uniforms made in Syria, China and Lebanon along with helmets, anti-shrapnel vests, and medical kits are part of the IDF's confiscated war equipment.

Sharon-Kettler explained the reasons for Israel being in Lebanon. "Even after the agreement we had with the Lebanese army and government, once we entered Lebanon again, we kept finding everything that is here. For me, it means, if we are not doing the work to clean Lebanon from military entities targeting are civilians, nobody else is doing that."

The IDF commander referred to the November 2024 ceasefire agreement reached between Lebanon and Israel to cease the war between Jerusalem and the Hezbollah terrorist organization. Hezbollah joined Hamas in its war on Israel on Oct. 8, 2023

A State Department official recently told Fox News on background that the U.S.-led effort for Lebanon’s government to disarm Hezbollah and for a staged withdrawal of IDF troops from southern Lebanon will continue.

The next round of talks is scheduled for early September in Rome. The State Department official said, "We feel good about the trajectory" of the talks and added, "We are not naive about the difficulties. Hezbollah is trying to sabotage the process, and both Israel and Lebanon are democracies under domestic political stress. But the fact that the teams sat together, communicated directly, and generated options is itself a structural change."

Spain and Morocco have beefed up security on both sides of the border in Spain's African enclave Ceuta as renewed calls circulate social media for Moroccan migrants to rush the border a second time after an initial mass migration event in July overwhelmed the city.

Soldiers patrolled the city's commercial and government buildings Friday while an enhanced police presence could be seen on Ceuta's main avenues, Reuters reported.

On the Moroccan side, security personnel dressed in all-black patrolled the beaches of Fnideq, one of the most prominent launching points from which migrants illegally entered Ceuta on July 30 as part of a mass migration event that saw over 70,000 people rush into Ceuta from Morocco.

The strengthened security followed calls on social media for Moroccans to again rush into Ceuta, and into Spain's other African enclave, Melilia, on Saturday.

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"The Ministry of the Interior has detected, during the last few days, the circulation of anonymous publications and messages on certain social networks inciting the organization of attempts at collective and illegal crossing to the cities of Ceuta and Melilla, practices which carry serious risks to the safety of people and aim to instrumentalize migration issues in acts of incitement, which are criminalized by law," Morocco's Ministry of the Interior said in a statement posted to the country's state-affiliated news website MAP.

Morocco arrested multiple people who circulated the inciting statements, Interior Ministry spokesperson Rachid El Khalfi said.

The Interior Ministry also called on Spain to continue working to return the remaining Moroccan migrants in Ceuta back to the North African country.

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Of the more than 72,000 migrants who rushed the border, the vast majority have returned to Morocco, according to statements from Spain and Ceuta's government. About 5,000 remain, Spain's Interior Minister Fernando Grande-Marlaska told reporters Friday.

Spanish officials have been screening the remaining migrants and have processed roughly 500 asylum seekers' cases, rejecting the vast majority of them, Reuters reported.

Spain has also installed floating barriers in the waters where migrants had previously swam across.

At least 96 people died during the mass migration event.

Fox News Digital contacted the governments of Spain, Morocco and Ceuta for further comment.

Reuters contributed to this report.

FIRST ON FOX: An Iranian psychologist who publicly appealed to President Donald Trump to stand by Iranians protesting the Islamic Republic has been sentenced to seven months in prison, while his relatives say authorities tried to pressure him into recording a video insulting Trump and Americans. 

Seyed Ahmad Seyedabdollahi, a 32-year-old psychologist and counselor from Borujen who had been living in Tehran, posted an English-language video on Jan. 4 directly addressing Trump. In the video, reviewed by Fox News Digital, he urged the president to act quickly on his pledge to support Iranian protesters, saying young Iranians had trusted his words and that those who helped the Iranian people would be remembered.

""...To prove your good intentions to the Iranian people, either do something without saying anything or act very quickly on your words, because many young people trust what you say. And, as you probably know, many things are useless to people who are dead.I assure you that the Iranian nation remembers good deeds well, and they will try to repay their friends in the future."

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Ten days later, on Jan. 14, Seyedabdollahi was arrested at his father's home in Borujen, according to Iran International, Iran Wire, Harana human rights activist news agency, and the Hana Human Rights Organization. Hana reported that plainclothes agents confiscated phones and electronic equipment and that Seyedabdollahi was subsequently held in solitary confinement and at an Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps intelligence detention facility in Isfahan.

A relative of Seyedabdollahi told Fox News Digital that the video triggered sustained pressure from Iranian security authorities.

"Since that day, he has faced serious pressure from Iranian security authorities. He was arrested twice and subjected to repeated interrogations," the relative said. "During his detention, he spent extended periods in solitary confinement. He was eventually convicted and sentenced to seven months in prison, and in July 2026 he was transferred to prison to begin serving his sentence."

Branch One of the Borujen Revolutionary Court convicted Seyedabdollahi of "engaging in media activities against national security," sentenced him to seven months in prison and barred him from government and public services for five years, Iran International reported Aug. 6. He was detained again July 7 to begin serving the sentence and remains in Borujen Prison.

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Hana Human Rights Organization said he was denied contact with his family for 17 days following his first arrest and that his family initially did not know where he was being held. Iran International reported that he was denied access to a lawyer of his choosing during his detention and at times was prevented from communicating with his family.

Iranian authorities have also opened a second case against Seyedabdollahi on a charge translated as "propaganda against the establishment" or "propaganda against the system of the Islamic Republic." The case, opened in June, remains at the preliminary investigative stage, according to Hana.

Court documents obtained by Fox News Digital appear to detail the authorities' investigation of Seyedabdollahi and contain references to alleged foreign contacts and financial transactions involving the United States and Israel. His relative said interrogators accused him of being connected to the CIA and Mossad and of receiving money in exchange for making the video.

"They told him you are a member of the CIA and Mossad and you took money from them for this job," the relative said.

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The relative also alleged that Iranian authorities pressured Seyedabdollahi to record another video repudiating his original message and attacking Trump and Americans.

"He did not give in to numerous pressures to publish a clip that contradicted the first video," the relative said. "He was asked to sexually insult Trump and make the American people look stupid and ignorant so that we could broadcast your clip on the national media."

The relative further alleged that Seyedabdollahi endured solitary confinement and mistreatment during interrogations, and said he continues to face pressure in prison after refusing authorities' demands. Those allegations also could not be independently verified.

"His situation in Borujen Prison is not good because he has been out of solitary confinement for a few days, but sometimes they take him to solitary confinement under various pretexts," the relative said, adding that monitored telephone calls make it difficult for him to speak openly about his treatment.

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The relative said the five-year prohibition on public and government employment has compounded the punishment by threatening Seyedabdollahi's ability to work after his release.

"You understand the economic conditions of Iran. Now imagine that in this situation someone has been deprived of their social rights, i.e. job and income, and he is imprisoned," the relative said.

The relative described Seyedabdollahi as a psychologist and popular speaker with a following among young Iranians, and said he remained focused on those who suffered more severely during the government's crackdown.

In the brief period when he was free, the relative recalled him saying, "Don't feel weak. Our problems are insignificant compared to the thousands of people who have lost their lives."

Seyedabdollahi was one of several Iranians who directly appealed to Trump during January's nationwide protests. Iran International reported that he posted his video Jan. 4, two days after Trump warned Iranian authorities against firing on peaceful demonstrators. Trump again warned Tehran on Jan. 9 and on Jan. 13 urged Iranians to continue protesting, writing that "help is on its way."

Iran International reported that the crackdown resulted in mass arrests and cited the U.S.-based Human Rights Activists News Agency as saying more than 50,000 people were arrested during a period of just over six weeks. The outlet also reported that U.N. human rights chief Volker Türk said at least 56 people had been executed on national-security-related charges since March 19, including 27 in cases linked to the January protests.

The Iranian mission to the U.N. declined to comment.