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A dangerous new front is emerging in the Russia-Ukraine war as attackers and alleged intelligence operatives increasingly target executives and engineers developing the cutting-edge drone technology that is reshaping the battlefield, industry experts warned Sunday.

The attacks include an Aug. 4 car bombing near Yekaterinburg that critically injured Vladimir Tkachuk, head of Russian drone manufacturer Uraldronzavod, and killed his driver, according to Russian state news agency TASS, The Associated Press reported.

His company produces the "Upyr," or "Ghoul," a first-person-view attack drone used by Russian forces in Ukraine.

'A NEW KIND OF WAR': INSIDE UKRAINE'S HIDDEN FACTORIES MASS-PRODUCING COMBAT DRONES

Days earlier, Andrei Cherezov, head of another Russian drone company, was shot three times in Tula overnight July 28-29 in an apparent assassination attempt, according to Ukrainian outlet Pravda. Authorities have not publicly attributed either attack to Ukraine.

Draganfly CEO Cameron Chell told Fox News Digital that the rise in attacks comes as Russia and Ukraine race for an edge in drone warfare, making the relatively small number of people responsible for developing new technology increasingly important targets.

"When you can't take out all the distributed infrastructure, drone manufacturing leadership becomes the primary target," Chell said.

"These strikes in Russia and Ukraine and Germany on founders, leaders, engineers of defense and, in particular, drone-type companies are down to drones and these companies having such an impact themselves."

UKRAINE’S BATTLEFIELD IS TRANSFORMING THE FUTURE OF NATO

"Because drone technology evolves rapidly — often with significant iterations occurring every 10 to 30 days — targeting a key engineer, founder, or product lead creates immediate operational disruptions on the battlefield."

"Taking out a particular engineer or taking out a particular leader can set a very important weapons program back quite some time and disrupt shipments to the front line," Chell added.

German authorities have also arrested two suspected operatives accused of spying on a Bavarian drone manufacturer for Russian intelligence, while reports this month said the alleged operation included preparations to target company executive Stefan Thumann, according to Germany’s Die Zeit.

The case follows a reported 2024 plot disrupted by U.S. and German intelligence to target Rheinmetall CEO Armin Papperger.

ZELENSKYY ANNOUNCES 'THE FUTURE IS HERE' AFTER WAR'S FIRST ALL-ROBOT CAPTURE

Chell said as Ukraine and Russia push toward artificial intelligence and autonomous weapons systems, engineers developing those technologies are more strategically important.

"What we see in the Ukraine-Russia conflict is nobody in the loop — total autonomy is the direction things are going because it moves with more speed and precision," Chell said.

"AI and total autonomy are the big innovations for the next 18 months, so a potential reason we could see more targeted activity against leaders is because Ukrainians have that technology advantage."

"Targeting small drone companies is a relatively easy operation compared to targeting individuals in state-run weapons programs," he said.

"It is a fairly inexpensive, low-risk tactic for intelligence agencies that yields an immediate impact on the battlefield, and that's why we've seen this tactic."

"It is a very interesting turn or tactic that's being played by both sides here."

Chell highlighted how Russia and Ukraine approach such plots differently.

"I wouldn't suggest one side has an advantage over the other in terms of tactics, but psychologically, it has a deeper effect on the Russian side," Chell said.

UKRAINE UNLEASHES MORE THAN 400 DRONES NEAR MOSCOW IN ONE OF WAR'S BIGGEST ATTACKS

"The volume of drone advantage will remain with the Russians for the foreseeable future, but the innovation of drones, tactics, and technology lies with the Ukrainians right now."

"Ukraine faces an existential threat, so they are ready for anything. Their tactics tend to be much more blunt — a direct shooter in a hallway or a car bomb," he added.

"The Russian tactics tend to be much more state-organized, using old Cold War tactics: low-level contacts, extensive intelligence and surveillance ahead of time, and inserting into other countries like Germany," he said.

"The Russians have a long-standing, well-established intelligence infrastructure dating back to World War II and the Cold War."

TRUMP IS PROVING THAT THE WAY TO BETTER OUR MILITARY IS TO SECURE OUR SUPPLY CHAINS

As the drone manufacturing industry takes greater precautions, Chell maintained that threats against companies and individuals in the defense supply chain are receiving increased scrutiny.

"We are very cognizant of it, and we're in contact with the proper authorities to make sure we're taking precautions on both a cyber and physical level to ensure we're at less risk," he said.

"We certainly don't take anything for granted."

"There are training and programs in place to ensure executives have a level of safety, primarily around awareness, cybersecurity, and physical location protection," Chell added before stating that the attacks and attempted assassinations have "heightened the conversation around it."

"We as an industry are taking it with a measured amount more seriously," he said.

Israel has taken delivery of its most advanced and expensive submarine from Germany, expanding its fleet amid escalating regional threats, according to reports.

The handover of the INS Drakon is expected to significantly bolster Israel's underwater strike and reconnaissance capabilities, The Algemeiner reported. The warship had been scheduled to be delivered in 2025.

A statement following the submarine's naming ceremony in Kiel in 2024 said the INS Drakon is of the Dolphin AIP class and "equipped with unique systems, including groundbreaking technologies that expand the range of the IDF's capabilities across various arenas." 

Built specifically for the Israeli Navy by Germany's ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems (TKMS), the submarine is said to provide a vital sea-based layer of "deterrence and retribution," amid the war with Iran, defense analysts say.

Dr. Ehud Eilam, an Israeli national security expert and former researcher for Israel’s Ministry of Defense, told Fox News Digital that maintaining a continuous undersea presence is paramount for the nation's national survival.

TRUMP ADMIN PITCHES 15-POINT IRAN PEACE PROPOSAL AS PAKISTAN OFFERS TO HOLD TALKS

"Some of them would have to be at sea, on high alert, around the clock, if Iran suddenly attacked Israel in such a way that would cripple the IDF, including its strategic capabilities," Eilam said.

"In such a drastic scenario, Israel’s submarine/s that would be at sea could respond," he added.

"Israel’s other submarines might be in Haifa harbor at the time. They might be attacked and unable to operate. This demonstrates how important it is to always have submarines at sea."

TKMS reportedly handed over the INS Drakon—the sixth Dolphin-class vessel and third modified Dolphin II-class submarine in Israel's fleet—at its shipyard in Kiel, Germany, in late July.

US MOVES AIRBORNE TROOPS, MARINES AS IRAN REJECTS CEASEFIRE, RAISING GROUND WAR POTENTIAL

Measuring more than 70 meters (230 feet) in length with a displacement exceeding 2,000 tons, the vessel is reported to be the largest submarine constructed in Germany since World War II, carrying an estimated price tag of $634 million, according to The Algemeiner.

According to Israeli outlet Ynet , Israel's Dolphin-class fleet also provides the nation with a critical sea-based second-strike capability in its defense program.

"Everything is going according to plan with the new program for Israel," TKMS CEO Oliver Burkhard told Ynet Global.

"That also applies to the handover of the last boat of the previous series, including the homecoming in Israel," he said of the expansive submarine program.

The INS Drakon’s arrival comes as Israel projects increasing military power across distant operational theaters, Eilam said.

TRUMP IS PROVING THAT THE WAY TO BETTER OUR MILITARY IS TO SECURE OUR SUPPLY CHAINS

"Israel has been acquiring submarines for several purposes. One of them is for deterrence and retribution, such as if Iran manages to develop nuclear weapons," Eilam said before adding that "Israel has to be ready."

While submarines on active deployment carry out intelligence and reconnaissance missions across the Mediterranean Sea, their primary objective remains readiness for "doomsday scenarios," Eilam noted.

"Israel’s new submarine is bigger than others, which suggests Israel wants to have more options, such as increasing the range of the submarine's missiles so they can reach every target in Iran, even if the Israeli submarine is in the Mediterranean Sea," Eilam said.

"That way the submarine does not have to get closer to Iran, which requires crossing the Suez Canal, and this could be very risky, if not impossible in some situations," he added. "The other alternative is to bypass all of Africa, which would take a long time."

The new submarine was named INS Drakon (Dragon) — a mythical sea creature symbolizing strength, uniqueness and power — was chosen because it contains the Hebrew letters ד׳, ק׳, ר׳ (Dakar), thus commemorating the legacy of the submarine INS Dakar and its crew, the Ministry of Defense said.

Fox News Digital has reached out to the Israeli Navy, the Ministry of Defense, TKMS and the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) for comment.

Israel is rejecting a 15-point Gaza proposal put forward by the Board of Peace, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Sunday, declaring that Israeli forces will not withdraw from the enclave until Hamas fully gives up its weapons.

"Israel rejects the 15-point Gaza document proposed by the Board of Peace," Netanyahu said at Sunday's Cabinet meeting. "The IDF will not carry out any withdrawal until Hamas is genuinely disarmed."

Israel remains in discussions with the United States over the disarmament of Hamas but insisted any agreement would have to result in the terror group surrendering its entire arsenal, according to Netanyahu.

"It needs to be genuine disarmament, not fictitious disarmament," Netanyahu said.

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

"When I say Hamas is disarmed, that means the heavy weapons, the less heavy weapons, all the weapons," he added.

Hamas remains committed to a Gaza roadmap agreed with mediators and representatives of the Board of Peace in Cairo 10 days ago, senior Hamas official Basem Naim told Reuters.

Hamas expects mediators and the United States to "press Netanyahu and his government to adhere to the roadmap," he added.

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

Trump had teased a disarmament of the Hamas terrorist group in Gaza as a landmark step toward peace, but there remained skeptics, including Israel's Netanyahu, whose Sunday comments put him at odds with the latest Board of Peace proposal as the Trump administration seeks to move forward with a broader plan for Gaza following the ceasefire reached last year.

Trump said last month that there had been a breakthrough in efforts to advance the peace process and that Hamas had agreed to lay down its weapons. Hamas controlled Gaza for nearly two decades before carrying out the Oct. 7, 2023, terrorist attack on Israel that triggered the war.

Israel has continued carrying out strikes in Gaza since the ceasefire took effect last October, while the future disarmament of Hamas and the withdrawal of Israeli forces remain central issues in negotiations over the territory.

Netanyahu made clear Sunday that Israel would resist provisions in U.S.-backed proposals that his government considers unacceptable.

NETANYAHU REJECTS REPORTS OF A RIFT WITH PRESIDENT TRUMP, SAYS THE TWO REMAIN ALIGNED ON IRAN

He also reiterated his opposition to the establishment of a Palestinian state in either Gaza or the West Bank.

"As long as I am prime minister, there will be no Palestinian state, not in Gaza and not in Judea and Samaria," Netanyahu said. "Neither ‘Fatahstan’ nor ‘Hamastan.’"

The Israeli leader’s rejection of the 15-point proposal underscores the hurdles facing efforts to turn the ceasefire into a lasting settlement, particularly over the sequence of Hamas’ disarmament and an Israeli military withdrawal.

EXCLUSIVE: ISRAELI PRESIDENT HERZOG BLASTS MAMDANI, PRAISES TRUMP, SOUNDS ALARM ON IRAN

Netanyahu indicated Israel would continue working with Washington but said the government would hold firm on its security demands, particularly its insistence that Hamas be fully stripped of its weapons before Israeli troops leave their positions in Gaza.

Netanyahu also used his remarks Sunday to address Israeli operations elsewhere in the region, saying the military had recently acted "forcefully" in Lebanon and carried out what he described as "very important activity."

On Iran, Netanyahu said Tehran has refrained from striking Israel because "it knows what a powerful blow we will deal it if it does," while praising Trump and the U.S.-Israel alliance over efforts to prevent Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons.

"I greatly appreciate President Trump," Netanyahu said." He is the greatest of our friends in the White House. I greatly appreciate the historical partnership with the U.S. against Iran's attempts to acquire nuclear weapons.

"And I wish to emphasize once again: With or without an agreement, as long as I am prime minister, Iran will not have a nuclear weapon. Because the existence of our precious country, the country of all of us, the existence of Israel, is not up for negotiation."

Reuters contributed to this report.

Victims held for six months in captivity at the hands of jihadi kidnappers in Nigeria detailed on Friday the harrowing conditions they were kept in after being liberated in what Nigerian officials are calling the largest rescue operation in the country's history.

Nigerian forces rescued at least 308 victims from captivity in the past week, with the bulk of the victims coming from two distinct groups. 163 of the victims were taken from the Woro community in Nigeria's Kwara State in a Feb. 3 raid that saw their jihadi kidnappers kill an additional 160 people in the Woro village.

The victims told the Associated Press that they believed they had been taken as punishment for refusing to accept and acquiesce to the religious preachings of the jihadis.

One woman, Hauwa Saliu, told the outlet that her captors constantly asked the victims if they had accepted jihad yet.

NIGERIAN PASTOR HIGHLIGHTED BY TRUMP SAYS HE’S NEXT AFTER MILITIA KILLS HIS RELATIVES

"We prayed to God to help us go back home, but it never really crossed our minds that we were going to go back home," she told the outlet.

Another victim, Amira Saliu, described the conditions in which the women and children were being kept, explaining that they were held in a forest near a river, and forced to put out fires and hide when they heard helicopters nearby.

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Saliu, a nurse, also explained how she had to help 10 women give birth with no medical equipment or sanitary gloves.

"I had no choice but to use my bare hands," she told the outlet.

Mary Ishaya, 44, told the outlet that the captives often went days without food and had to bury other captives who had died.

"I still cannot find the right words to describe what has happened to us. We saw death and suffering," she said.

The governor of Kwara State, AbdulRahman AbdulRasaq, told reporters during a news conference that 46 victims were being treated at a hospital.

"This is indeed, indeed a very sad situation. We've not yet come to terms with it. We're still assessing the situation. As you can see, it's just kids ... children and women that are here today," he said. "It's truly a shame that this has happened."

COULD THIS AFRICAN NATION BECOME TRUMP'S NEXT TERROR TARGET AS JIHADISTS CLOSE IN ON POWER?

The incident highlights the ongoing tensions between Nigeria's militant Islamic insurgency in the north and the country's large Christian population, who make up roughly 45% of Nigeria's citizens.

On Christmas Day, President Donald Trump, in coordination with Nigeria's government, authorized precision missile strikes on Islamic State-affiliated groups in northern Nigeria, citing the need to protect the country's Christians.

The U.S. followed up in May, launching coordinated joint military action that reportedly resulted in the death of senior Islamic State leader Abu Bakr al-Mainuk.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

The estimated 72,000 Moroccan migrants who flooded into the Spanish city of Ceuta within 24 hours is shining the spotlight on Europe’s massive problem of illegal and legal migration and the threat of growing Islamic terrorism.

Mideast and European commentators who closely follow Islamic extremism across the continent say Europe’s political class needs to tackle the origins of radical Islamism to prevent terrorism.

According to a July Europol (formerly known as the European Union Agency for Law Enforcement Cooperation) report, Spain recorded the highest number of arrests (117) for "jihadist terrorism-related offenses" within the European Union during 2025.

CEUTA MIGRANT SURGE EXPOSES SPAIN-MOROCCO TENSIONS AS ISLAMIST GROUPS REPORTEDLY SEEK TO EXPLOIT BORDER CRISIS

Some Spanish outlets claimed that the Spanish Civil Guard and police identified "about a dozen" individuals previously deported from Spain for suspected terror-related offenses among those who entered Ceuta last week. However, Euro News reported that Spain’s interior ministry said it has not confirmed those reports. 

Quoting the ministry, it stated that "The Spanish public and the people of Ceuta can be confident that the arrivals on 30 July do not pose a threat to public security." The report also cited the interior ministry as saying that so far this year 82 people had been arrested for offenses related to jihadist terrorism.

Lorenzo Vidino, Director of the Program on Extremism at The George Washington University, and expert on Islamism in Europe and North America, told Fox News Digital, "This is Europe. This is the way it has been for the last 15 years, with some ebbs and flows." He said about the new Europol report that "It is more in line with the last 10 years. Europe has sadly learned to live with this reality."

British political commentator and Mideast expert, Tom Gross, told Fox News Digital: "Europe’s ruling classes need to be honest. It is not racist to point out the obvious: that most terrorism in Western Europe today is being fueled by radical Islamic mosques and teachers."

GERMAN OFFICIALS WANT TO KNOW WHY BERLIN ATTACK SUSPECT WAS FREE DESPITE ALLEGED ISIS SUPPORT

He added, "Leaders in Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Egypt acknowledge this. Why can’t Western leaders?"

Gross said, "Politicians such as new British Prime Minister Andy Burnham, London Mayor Sadiq Khan and Spanish PM Pedro Sanchez, need to stop fueling the propaganda of radical Muslims by implying that there has been some kind of genocide against Muslims in Gaza, when there has been nothing of the sort."

He continued, "If they really want to help push back radical Islam, European leaders should be assisting, not criticizing, those in Washington and elsewhere calling for the downfall of Iran’s Islamic dictatorship."

In April, the U.K. raised its national terror threat level to "severe" following an antisemitic attack in London when a Somali immigrant stabbed two men. A "Severe" warning, according to authorities means another terrorist attack is considered "highly likely" in the next six months.

A spokesperson for London’s Mayor Khan told Fox News Digital that "The Mayor has invested £16 million (approxmiately $21.5 million) – more than any other Mayor – to support grassroots community groups to stand up to hate and intolerance. This includes £6 million (approximately $8 million) through his Shared Endeavour Fund to give Londoners the tools and skills to tackle extremism."

GERMAN OFFICIALS WARN ISLAMIST, FAR-LEFT RHETORIC DRIVING SPIKE IN ANTISEMITIC ATTACKS

Late last month, the alleged Islamist State terrorist, the 21-year-old German-Lebanese man, Abdul Ballout, drove a van into the Berlin Pride Parade event, murdering one woman and injuring nearly 30 people. The German authorities had released Ballout despite his recent conviction related to supporting the Islamic State.

German Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt told public broadcaster ZDF during an interview that in light of the 21-year-old suspect's conviction and record of backing the Islamic State, it did not make sense that the man was roaming free.

"You can assume that it certainly would have made sense to put this person in custody," he noted.

Khan’s spokesperson also cited an X Post from the Mayor following the Berlin Pride attack: "My thoughts are with everyone affected by the horrific attack in Berlin and their families. This appalling act of violence has no place in our society. London stands in solidarity with Berlin’s LGBTQ+ community. This is why Pride matters. Those who seek to spread hatred and division will never win."

SCATHING REPORT CALLS ON US TO LABEL ISLAMIST GROUP INFILTRATING ALL ASPECTS OF AMERICAN LIFE AS TERRORIST ORG

A new report by Germany’s federal intelligence that documents threats to the constitutional order estimates that there are roughly about 28,000 members of Germany’s Islamist scene. Approximately 9,110 are currently assessed to have an "orientation to violence. "The type of violence is defined as jihadi violence."

Germany’s federal interior ministry, which publishes the annual domestic intelligence threat report, notes that crimes attributed to "religious ideology" have climbed from 134 in 2022 to 998 last year. Radical Islamist crimes are reportedly understood to make up the main portion of the "religious ideology" category.

Germany’s neighbor, France, experienced another stabbing just days after the attack in Germany. A suspect reportedly stabbed three women in Paris and declared as people captured him after the attack, "it is Allah who commanded me."

Vidino said, "The incident in Paris it seems one of the cases" regarding the how an attack is classified: "Is it terrorism? Is it a crazy guy? Often times, Europeans play down the ideological motive and cite mental health. Some countries tend to do it more than others. Most Europeans go for downplaying of the ideological component."

AMERICAN ‘JIHAD’ FUELED BY 'RISKY SOURCE' INSIDE US BORDERS, WARNS NATIONAL SECURITY EXPERT

Austria’s intelligence agency announced in May on its website that it arrested a group of suspected Islamist terrorists, which included five males aged between 14 and 45 and one 16-year-old female. "The individuals concerned are suspected of having committed offenses related to Islamist extremism and terrorism in Austria, for example through membership of a terrorist organization, incitement to terrorist offenses, dissemination of IS [Islamic State] propaganda, and approval of terrorist offenses," wrote the Austrian agency.

In June, Swedish authorities arrested a teenage boy who pledged allegiance to the Islamist State and idolized suicide bombers, according to Swedish media. He issued death threats to students at school and showed pictures of beheaded people.

Nervana Mahmoud, a British-Egyptian medical doctor who has written extensively about Islamist terrorism and indoctrination, told Fox News Digital that "The current challenge facing Europe is, in many ways, a battle over Islamist extremism and its place within Western societies. To address the threat at its source, European governments need to focus on preventing radicalization and disrupting foreign funding and ideological networks that fuel extremist movements. Without tackling these root causes, the risk of future terrorist attacks will remain."

SENATE CLEARS WAY FOR TRUMP'S TOP SPY AS KEY ANTI-TERROR PROGRAM REMAINS IN LIMBO

Mahmoud said, "The United States should learn from Europe’s experience rather than simply criticize it. It has an opportunity to strengthen prevention efforts early by fostering a shared American identity within immigrant communities, disrupting foreign funding that may promote extremist influence through universities and think tanks, and working with Muslim Americans who reject Islamism and uphold democratic values. Long-term success will require not only strong security measures but also sustained efforts to prevent radicalization before it takes hold."

The United Kingdom’s judicial system recorded a series of convictions of Islamist terrorists in July. Abdullah Bin Yasir was imprisoned for two and a half years after admitting he had bomb-making guides linked to an Islamic State-aligned entity. The construction of bomb material was designed to carry out a terrorist attack.

Late last month, in Wigston, Britain, the authorities arrested a 27-year-old man for supporting the Islamic State.

According to the Crown Prosecution Service, the 31-year-old Mohammad Bashir "pleaded guilty to preparing an act of terrorism" against a British defense target.

A spokesperson for the British Home Office told Fox News Digital, "The United Kingdom has one of the most robust counter-terrorism systems in the world. We remain committed to ensuring our Police and Security Services have the tools and powers they need to prevent the spread of violent ideologies and keep the country safe."

UK PINS STRING OF ANTISEMITIC ATTACKS ON IRAN-LINKED GROUP, BANS IRGC

The spokesperson added, "This includes a wide range of terrorist offenses and specialized powers designed to risk, support prosecution, and strengthen management of terrorist offenders. Islamist terrorism remains the primary domestic threat to the United Kingdom, accounting for roughly three quarters of the Security Service’s casework."

Northern continental Europe is also facing a serious Jihadi terrorist threat. According to a late May Danish Security and Intelligence Service statement, the "CTA [Center for Terror Analysis in Denmark] assesses that the terrorist threat from militant Islamists remains at the level of significant."

Vidino said there has been a silver lining since the outbreak of the Islamic State terrorist attacks in Europe. "I would say I do think most European law enforcement agencies and security forces have gotten better over the years. When the big ISIS radicalization took place, small countries were completely unprepared to deal with it." He cited Switzerland, Austria and the Scandinavian countries.

"They did not have legal capabilities and mindset. That has changed and it is not perfect."

Fox News Digital sent multiple press queries to the Spanish government.

Colombia entered a new political chapter as conservative President Abelardo de la Espriella was sworn into office Friday, pledging to reverse much of former President Gustavo Petro’s left-wing agenda and restore a tougher approach to security, economic policy and relations with the United States.

Known by his nickname 'El Tigre' (the tiger), his inauguration marks one of the most significant political shifts in Latin America in recent years. After four years of Socialist President Gustavo Petro’s "Total Peace" strategy, expanding coca cultivation and increasingly strained relations with Washington, De la Espriella now faces the challenge of translating campaign promises into governing reality.

He was joined at the inauguration by several conservative presidents from across the region, including Argentina's Javier Milei, Ecuador’s Daniel Noboa and Chile’s José Antonio Kast. Acting U.S. Attorney General Todd Blanche was there as part of the U.S. delegation. Spain's King Felipe VI and FIFA President Gianni Infantino were also in attendance, the Associated Press reported.

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"I have come to close a long chapter of national resignation and, together with the people, embark on the most profound transformation of our destiny," De La Espriella said according to Reuters while speaking at the Pichincha Battalion military base in Cali. "I send a firm message to the Colombian people: the time has come to restore order, authority, and freedom."

Reuters said that one of his first acts as president was to join The Shield of the Americas, founded by President Trump.

For the U.S., Colombia remains its closest security partner in South America, a key trading ally and one of the region’s largest recipients of U.S. security assistance. Hundreds of American companies operate in Colombia, while the country’s security conditions directly affect regional migration, organized crime and narcotics trafficking.

On foreign policy, the new president has committed to rebuilding strategic ties with the United States, restoring close cooperation with Israel and adopting a tougher stance toward the authoritarian governments of Venezuela, Cuba and Nicaragua.

Whether those commitments produce measurable improvements, however, will depend on resources that remain in short supply. Camilo Guzmán, executive director of Libertank, told Fox News Digital that the country’s financial situation will define what the administration can realistically accomplish.

"President de la Espriella inherits a house with the roof leaking and the safe empty. The order matters, because almost everything he promised requires money he does not have." Guzmán pointed to Colombia’s deteriorating fiscal position as the administration’s most immediate challenge.

"Start with the fiscal picture. It is worse than his own team seems to expect. The 2026 deficit is tracking around 6.5–6.7% of GDP, the financing gap is close to $34 billion and the implicit medium-term adjustment being left on his desk is near five points of GDP. It is also a cash problem, not only an accounting one. Before he governs, he must make payroll."

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

The International Monetary Fund projects Colombia’s economy will grow by only about 2.3% this year while inflation remains elevated, limiting the government’s room to finance new security initiatives or major economic reforms without additional spending cuts or new revenue measures.

Security presents an equally daunting challenge. Violence has intensified across several regions as criminal organizations and guerrilla groups have expanded their territorial influence over the past several years.

Guzmán said, "Security is the second fire. The first half of 2026 closed with the highest homicide count for any first semester in a decade, extortion still rising and armed groups that have grown sharply since 2022. Security is rebuilt in years, not in quarters. Expect operations, captures and hard rhetoric in the first 100 days, visible and real, but not yet structural."

Even if the administration moves quickly on executive actions, its legislative agenda will depend on building consensus in a fragmented Congress. Although De la Espriella won the presidency, his party controls only five seats in the Senate, while Petro’s Historic Pact remains the largest individual political bloc. Passing security reforms, fiscal legislation and broader economic initiatives will require negotiations with centrist and traditional parties on virtually every major proposal.

Guzmán believes those political realities may prove just as important as the security challenges. "He won the election; he did not win Congress. The July fight over the Senate presidency was the first warning. He has a coalition that is numerically large and poorly disciplined. His agenda will be negotiated bill by bill."

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For that reason, analysts caution against measuring the administration’s success solely by immediate results. Instead, the first 100 days are likely to be judged by whether the new president establishes credibility, assembles an effective governing team and demonstrates that campaign promises can evolve into a coherent governing strategy.

Guzmán concluded, "The realistic expectation is this: the first 100 days will produce signals, not results. Appointments, decrees, an emergency spending cut, a tax bill, a security package. Meanwhile, expectations are enormous, and the distance between what people were promised and what is physically possible in 100 days is the main political risk he faces. He will spend those 100 days putting the house in order. He should say so out loud, and early. Credibility is the one asset he can build by day 100."

The decisions investors and policymakers will watch most closely include whether De la Espriella formally abandons Petro’s negotiations with the ELN, resumes aerial coca fumigation, expands intelligence and security cooperation with Washington, restores full diplomatic engagement with Israel and introduces a credible fiscal adjustment plan.

Those early moves, analysts say, will offer the clearest indication of whether Colombia’s new president can begin delivering on his promise to reverse the Petro era, or whether the country’s fiscal, political and security realities will force him to scale back one of the most ambitious conservative agendas in modern Colombian politics.

Reuters and the Associated Press contributed to this report.

Russian President Vladimir Putin could attack a NATO member country in the next few years in an attempt to fragment the post-World War II organization and test Article 5, new U.S. intelligence has found, according to a report.

While U.S. intelligence had previously assessed that Putin wouldn’t launch an assault on a NATO country while still involved in the war in Ukraine, the Russian president is now looking for a victory as Ukraine makes gains, and the U.S. and Europe have seen increasing signs he is testing the organization, according to a report from The Wall Street Journal.

That includes a drone that hit a Romanian apartment building in May and cruise missiles that landed in Poland late last month, a NATO country.

RUSSIA PREPARING HYBRID ATTACKS ON NATO'S EASTERN FLANK, INTELLIGENCE WARNS

Article 5 of NATO states that an attack on one country is an attack on all countries.

The assessment said it would likely be a limited attack that could range anywhere from a cyberattack to a small-scale land incursion and would likely be focused on the Baltics or Poland.

The attack could happen any time between this fall and 2029, the assessment said.

"The question mark is how the United States would respond in that case," Heather Conley, senior fellow with the American Enterprise Institute, told the Journal. "It has always been a goal [of Russia’s] to challenge the credibility of NATO and to separate the United States from its allies."

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The assessment also comes amid claims the United States’ munitions stockpile has been depleted by arms sent to support Ukraine and due to the war in Iran.

Chief Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell, however, called those claims false.

"We have everything required to strike at the time and place of the president’s choosing," Parnell told the Journal. "Across multiple combatant commands, we have already executed successful operations while maintaining a deep, ready arsenal to defend our people and our interests. Any adversary who confuses media noise with American weakness will discover the truth the hard way."

A land incursion was deemed the least likely because it would trigger Article 5, but it’s unclear what the response would be to something like a cyberattack.

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"This has always been NATO’s challenge to respond to a sub-Article 5 attack, and it’s been very true that to this point, NATO allies have preferred not to escalate," Conley told the Journal.

Fox News Digital has reached out to NATO for comment.

Col. Martin O’Donnell, a NATO spokesman, told the Journal, "We are always thinking through and preparing for any number of scenarios. NATO is watching, and we are ready to deter and defend as necessary, which we continue to demonstrate."

A student opened fire at a high school in Thailand on Friday, killing at least six and injuring others, police reported.

The attack took place at the Debsirin Nonthaburi School in Nonthaburi province northwest of Bangkok, Royal Thai Police spokesperson Trairong Piwpan indicated to The Associated Press.

A witness told reporters that students hid inside a classroom while they heard gunshots from another building before police officers knocked on the door and cleared a way for them to leave the building.

THREE PEOPLE KILLED IN NORTH CAROLINA SHOOTING, OFFICIAL SAYS

Authorities provided conflicting numbers of casualties in connection with the attack.

Trairong told news broadcaster Channel 3 that the attacker was being hospitalized in serious condition, while 15 other individuals had been hurt, including two in critical condition — he reported that three teachers and three students had been killed.

OFF-DUTY TROOPER AND ARMED CITIZEN HAILED AS HEROES AFTER RETURNING FIRE ON IN-N-OUT GUNMAN

Thailand Health Minister Pattana Promphat indicated that 22 individuals were hurt with nine in critical condition. Some were hurt due to causes like falls, and it was unclear how many were gunshot victims.

Deputy Interior Minister Polapee Suwunchwee indicated to reporters that five teachers passed away and that the perpetrator took the lives of his two grandparents at home prior to heading to the school. He reported that the attacker died at a hospital.

FATHER WHO BOUGHT AR-15 FOR GEORGIA SCHOOL SHOOTER LEARNS FATE IN FIRST-OF-ITS-KIND CONVICTION

Trairong reported that the weapon was thought to have been taken from a member of the shooter's family.

The Associated Press contributed to this report

Former U.S. Marine Robert Gilman, who has been held in a Russian prison since 2022, could be close to death, advocacy groups representing his family warned Thursday.

They also say Gilman is being fed through a tube after falling into a catatonic-like state.

Hostage advocacy groups and Gilman's sister indicated the former service member may have been tortured and injected with mind-altering drugs before falling into a stupor in June, Reuters reported.

Eric Lebson, chief strategy officer of Global Reach, an advocacy group representing Gilman's family, told Fox News Digital that Gilman has been unable to eat on his own for more than six weeks.

US PILOT AND INFLUENCER RELEASED FROM CHILEAN ANTARCTIC DETENTION 2 MONTHS AFTER ALLEGED UNAUTHORIZED LANDING 

Gilman was transferred in late June from a prison hospital to the psychiatric ward of a civilian emergency hospital in Voronezh after entering what was assessed as a "dissociative stupor," Lebson said.

"For the past 46 days, he has been fed through a tube," Lebson added.

"The Russians have not been responsive," he said before adding that the Russians have also "not allowed his mother to see him, which raises our level of concern that something serious has now happened."

Lebson said the Russian hospital also barred his mother from visiting him despite a judicial order allowing her to see her son.

"She flew to Russia, and they are not allowing her to come and do what is needed to get him out of a stupor," Lebson said.

"His mother and lawyer have been prohibited from seeing him since he was moved to the civilian hospital 46 days ago."

NATIONAL GUARDSMAN ACCUSED OF SEEKING TO SEND PHOTOS OF SENSITIVE MILITARY TECHNOLOGY TO RUSSIA 

According to Lebson, the White House and the State Department have urged Moscow to release Gilman so he can receive urgent medical treatment in the United States.

"The State Department and the National Security Council have been very actively engaged in communication about the need for Robert to be released on an emergency basis," he clarified.

Another advocacy group following the case also expressed concern for Gilmam's safety.

"It doesn’t seem like he’s getting the care he needs, and we are very concerned for his life and safety," Elizabeth Richards, director of hostage advocacy and research at the Foley Foundation, which has tracked Gilman's case, told Reuters.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio raised Gilman's case with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov during a meeting in Manila July 23, according to Reuters.

Gilman is one of at least 10 Americans known to be imprisoned in Russia.

US AND QATAR SECURE RELEASE OF AMERICAN CITIZEN AMIR AMIRY FROM AFGHANISTAN DETENTION

"We are deeply concerned about Robert Gilman's health and continued detention," the State Department said in a statement.

"I am more afraid for my brother than I have been since this horrible nightmare started," Gilman's sister, Lexie Hudson, said in a statement.

"I'm worried that I may never see him again if the Russians don't release him. I'm worried that he could die."

As previously reported by Fox News Digital, Gilman, of Dracut, Massachusetts, was first arrested in January 2022 after fellow train passengers reported he was intoxicated and causing a disturbance while traveling from Sochi to Moscow to replace a damaged passport.

AMERICAN JOURNALIST AHMED SHIHAB-ELDIN ACQUITTED ON ALL CHARGES AFTER 52 DAYS DETAINED IN KUWAIT, FAMILY SAYS

He was convicted later that year of assaulting a police officer and sentenced to 3½ years in prison. Gilman later told the court he believed his drink had been spiked.

His legal troubles escalated while in custody after he was convicted in separate incidents involving altercations with prison staff and an investigator.

In December, Russian state media reported that a regional court extended Gilman's sentence, bringing his total prison term to 10 years.

Vladimir Gilman, Robert's father, previously said the family asked the State Department in March 2023 to designate his son as wrongfully detained, a status that would make securing his release a top U.S. government priority.

In a statement, a senior administration official told Fox News Digital that President Trump’s administration is "closely tracking Mr. Gilman’s case and has made repeated, concerted outreach to the Russians calling for his return to the United States."

Between 3,000 and 5,000 migrants remain in Ceuta after hordes of mostly military-aged men rushed into the Spanish enclave from Morocco late last month, Ceuta's president said Thursday.

While speaking from a video call during an extraordinary session of the European Parliament's Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs, Ceuta President Juan Jesus Vivas also revealed around 100 people died during the surge.

Authorities estimate roughly 80,000 migrants rushed into the territory within a 48-hour period in late July.

Vivas called the border crisis an "invasion" and "one of the most difficult moments in the recent history of our city."

"According to the Dictionary of the Royal Spanish Academy, an 'invasion' should be understood in its second definition as the abnormal or irregular occupation of a specific place," Vivas said, according to a Fox News Digital translation of his remarks, which he gave in Spanish.

AT LEAST 72 DEAD AMID MASS MIGRANT RUSH TO STORM SPANISH ENCLAVE OF CEUTA SPARKING BORDER CRISIS

"That is precisely what occurred on July 30 and 31, when approximately 80,000 people — equivalent to the entire population of Ceuta — stormed into our city. This characterization, moreover, aligns with the statement made by the President of the Government of Spain, who on Friday the 31st, during his visit to Ceuta, stated that we were facing an attack, a violation of Spain's territorial integrity," Vivas continued.

Echoing previous claims from Spain's leftist President Pedro Sánchez and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, Vivas acknowledged roughly 75,000 of the migrants had returned to Morocco but added "under no circumstances does it allow us to claim that our city has returned to normal."

"Ceuta has not returned to normal because between 3,000 and 5,000 people who entered during those fateful days of July 30 and 31 still remain," Vivas said. "The reception centers for adult and minor migrants are in a state of collapse, turning the influx into a major humanitarian emergency."

"Added to this are disruptions to public order and a high risk to public safety," he continued. "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. It has been exposed to the world that we are extraordinarily vulnerable, and that our security and integrity are in the hands of a third country, Morocco, which does not recognize our sovereignty."

He then proposed a set of actions authorities should take to return the city to normal. The proposals included expelling the remaining Moroccan migrants, provisioning more resources for the city's migrant facilities, and the implementation of a new economic model which he called on to be "More Spain and More Europe."

CEUTA MIGRANT SURGE EXPOSES SPAIN-MOROCCO TENSIONS AS ISLAMIST GROUPS REPORTEDLY SEEK TO EXPLOIT BORDER CRISIS

"We serve a society that has forged its character through courage to endure and the ability to overcome adversity. We are confident it will do so again, though I emphasize that the requested support from European authorities remains indispensable. Thank you very much," Vivas concluded.

Following the border rush between July 30-31, Sánchez called the incident "an attack, a violation of the territorial integrity of Spain."

Fox News Digital contacted the governments of Spain and Ceuta for additional comment.

U.S. Indo-Pacific Command vowed Thursday that the U.S. "remains committed to the defense of the U.S. homeland and our allies in the region" after North Korea test-fired a ballistic missile.

The launch of the short-range ballistic missile unfolded ahead of large-scale, annual exercises to be conducted by the U.S. and South Korean militaries later this month. South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff said a projectile from North Korea's eastern Wonsan area was detected around 5 p.m. local time.

"We are aware of the missile launch and are consulting closely with our allies and partners. Based on current assessments, this event does not pose an immediate threat to U.S. personnel or territory, or to our allies," U.S. Indo-Pacific Command said in a statement.

"The United States remains committed to the defense of the U.S. homeland and our allies in the region," it added.

RUSSIA DEPLOYS NORTH KOREA MISSILE UNIT TO UKRAINE; MOSCOW-PYONGYANG AXIS DEEPENS: REPORT

South Korea's military bolstered its surveillance posture and is closely coordinating with the U.S. and Japan in the wake of the event, according to South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff.

Japanese Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi said the missile landed in the waters off North Korea's east coast and that there were no reports that the weapon reached Japanese territory.

Koizumi added that North Korea's repeated missile launches pose a threat to Japan and the region and that Tokyo lodged a protest to Pyongyang through their embassies in Beijing. South Korea's presidential national security council called the North Korean launch "a provocation" that violates U.N. Security Council resolutions and urged the North to stop it.

It was North Korea's first ballistic missile launch since late June, when it tested a tactical ballistic missile with a "special mission" warhead and other weapons. After watching the testing activities, leader Kim Jong Un said at the time that the military needed to bolster its "deadly and destructive offensive posture."

CHINA, RUSSIA, IRAN AND NORTH KOREA FORM 'AXIS OF AGGRESSORS' THAT COULD OVERWHELM US, BOOK WARNS

South Korean and U.S. officials haven't yet released details about this year's Ulchi Freedom Shield joint exercise, but the drills are typically held in the latter half of August.

"This annual exercise aims to build understanding between Combined Forces Command, United States Forces Korea, the United Nations Command, and ROK Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS), ROK government agency, ensuring their ability to fortify the combined defense posture and enhance Alliance response capabilities against a spectrum of security threats," United States Forces Korea said about the exercises on its website.

"It will feature live, virtual, constructive and field-based training, engaging personnel from the various military services," it added.

U.S. and South Korean officials say the training is defensive in nature, but North Korea says the maneuvers are a practice invasion and often responds with missile tests, according to The Associated Press.

Fox News' Liz Friden and The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Reports of Iranians stealing bread, cheese, meat and other basic groceries are fueling concerns that the country’s worsening economic crisis is pushing households toward a breaking point.

An investigation published Wednesday by the Iranian newspaper Jahan-e Sanat described supermarket workers encountering customers who allegedly concealed inexpensive food items or ate packaged products inside stores without paying. The accounts are anecdotal and do not establish the national prevalence of food theft, but analysts say they reflect the mounting pressure created by inflation, currency depreciation and collapsing purchasing power.

"These are anecdotal, but they align with hard data," Miad Maleki, an associate fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, told Fox News Digital.

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

"Iran is already inside the tipping zone," Maleki said. "But a genuine ‘tipping point’ wouldn’t be a single dramatic event. It would look like what’s already unfolding in slow motion: currency collapse, World War II-level food inflation and now theft of staples, reaching a threshold where basic caloric/nutritional access breaks down for a large share of the population, not just the poorest."

The reports surfaced as Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian acknowledged that the country was facing "difficulties and problems," while insisting during a televised address Wednesday that Iran remained powerful and respected.

"The enemy is exerting pressure in an attempt to provoke the people into protesting," Pezeshkian said, according to an account of his Aug. 5 address published by Iran’s state-affiliated Press TV.

Maleki said worsening food insecurity could become a trigger for renewed demonstrations, pointing to Iran’s November 2019 protests following a sharp government-imposed increase in gasoline prices.

IRAN HANGS 2 PROTESTERS IN PUBLIC, CROWD CRIES 'DISHONORABLE' AS SECURITY FIRES TEAR GAS

"The regime’s own history proves it, because its most dangerous moments have been economic, not ideological," Maleki said.

He cautioned, however, that economic desperation would not necessarily produce immediate political change. Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and Basij paramilitary forces have repeatedly demonstrated their willingness to suppress unrest rather than make significant economic concessions, he said.

A supermarket employee identified only as Amirhossein told Jahan-e Sanat that he had witnessed several suspected thefts during the previous 10 months. The employee described customers allegedly taking cheese, butter, cakes, pastries and meat, according to Iran International’s account of the newspaper investigation.

"I think poverty is the main reason," the employee told the newspaper. "You cannot judge everyone the same way, but when someone steals a simple item, they are probably under enormous pressure."

MAJOR DISPUTE TO THREATEN TRUMP'S IRAN DEAL OVER BILLIONS IN FROZEN TEHRAN FUNDS: EXPERT

Maleki, a former Treasury Department sanctions official, said Iran’s annual food inflation reached between 112.5% and 113.8% in March 2026, with the prices of bread and cereals rising 140% and dairy products and eggs increasing 116.8%.

The Statistical Center of Iran data cited in separate reports showed point-to-point inflation of 113.8% for food and beverages and 112.5% for food items in March compared with the same month a year earlier. Bread and cereal prices increased 140%, while milk, cheese and egg prices rose 116.8%.

"While a single newspaper’s petty-crime roundup isn’t proof of imminent collapse, it’s a credible symptom layered on top of verified macro data," Maleki said. "And when or if this conflict ends and market demand is not suppressed by a state of war, inflation will skyrocket even higher."

Maleki said Iran’s currency crisis has intensified the pressure on households. The U.S. dollar reached approximately 1.5 million rials in January before surpassing 1.94 million rials on Iran’s open market in July amid renewed regional conflict.

IRAN’S REGIME WON’T NEGOTIATE IN GOOD FAITH. TRUMP MUST BREAK ITS GRIP

The government’s response, Maleki said, has included issuing monthly cash credits worth approximately $7 at the open-market exchange rate after eliminating subsidized exchange rates for certain imports. He argued that removing those subsidies contributed to further price increases.

The critical threshold, he added, would come when access to basic nutrition deteriorates not only among Iran’s poorest citizens but across a large portion of the population.

The supermarket accounts do not prove that the Iranian government is on the verge of collapse. Maleki argues, however, that they provide an increasingly visible sign that the country’s economic crisis is affecting Iranians’ ability to afford basic necessities.

Retired Army Gen. Jack Keane questioned whether Pakistan, Qatar and Saudi Arabia can be trusted to help shape negotiations with Iran, accusing the regional partners of steering President Donald Trump away from military pressure while leaving the United States and Israel to bear the risks of confronting Tehran.

Keane, a Fox News senior strategic analyst and former Army vice chief of staff, said during a Monday appearance on Fox News’ "America’s Newsroom" that Pakistan and Qatar were "compromised" as mediators because, in his view, they favor Iran over the United States.

"It is well known in the Middle East region, by our intelligence services, by all the players, that the Pakistanis and the Qataris are compromised because they favor Iran at the expense of the United States," Keane said. "This is historical. This is not new."

NUCLEAR EXPERTS URGE TRUMP NOT TO LET IRAN STEER TALKS AWAY FROM REGIME'S ATOMIC THREAT

Keane’s criticism contrasts with Trump’s public praise for Islamabad.

Trump said April 26 during a phone interview with Fox News that he had "great respect for Pakistan" because its officials had "been terrific" and "really tried" to advance negotiations with Iran. He added that Pakistan would remain involved in the process.

While speaking to reporters after the G7 summit in France June 18, Trump also credited Pakistan and Qatar with helping advance the negotiations that produced the U.S.–Iran memorandum of understanding.

White House spokesperson Anna Kelly also defended the administration’s regional partners, telling Fox News Digital that, "President Trump has great relationships with leaders from Pakistan, Qatar and Saudi Arabia, and he appreciates the involvement of all of our regional partners who are assisting with negotiations." 

"If Iran cannot agree to a good deal with the United States, the fault will lie squarely with the regime, who will suffer the consequences," Kelly added.

Mediators were preparing a second memorandum focused exclusively on the Strait of Hormuz, Wednesday reports indicated, potentially separating the immediate maritime crisis from the broader dispute over Iran’s nuclear activities.

Keane, a former four-star general, argued that their involvement may have contributed to Washington misunderstanding Iran’s intentions.

"And yet they’re mediators," Keane said. "So their influence here, I think, had played a part in misleading the United States in terms of Iran’s real intentions."

TRUMP SAYS SAUDI NUCLEAR AGREEMENT WON'T MOVE FORWARD WITHOUT ABRAHAM ACCORDS: 'THEY HAVE TO BE A MEMBER'

Pakistan and Qatar have played formal roles in the diplomatic process.

A June 22 joint statement from the two countries said they were mediating talks between the United States and Iran under the Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding. The framework established working groups on nuclear issues, sanctions, monitoring and dispute resolution, as well as a mechanism intended to prevent incidents involving commercial vessels in the Strait of Hormuz.

Pakistan declined to comment on Keane’s criticism. The Saudi and Qatari embassies in Washington did not respond by the time of publication.

Raza Rumi, editor-at-large of Pakistan’s The Friday Times, disputed Keane’s characterization, arguing that Islamabad’s working relationship with Tehran does not make it a compromised mediator.

IS THIS TRUMP’S LAST ‘LAST CHANCE’? CEASELESS STRING OF BROKEN CEASEFIRES FUELS DOUBT OVER IRAN DEAL

"Successful mediators are often those that enjoy channels of communication with all sides," Rumi told Fox News Digital, saying Pakistan’s approach is shaped more by geography, security and economic concerns than ideological alignment with Iran.

He noted that Pakistan shares a long border with Iran and wants to prevent further instability, while also maintaining longstanding ties with the United States and close partnerships with Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. Rumi also pointed to the exchange of strikes between Pakistan and Iran in January 2024 as evidence that relations between the neighbors are not uniformly close.

"The suggestion that Pakistan somehow caused Washington to misunderstand Tehran’s intentions is difficult to substantiate," Rumi said. "It would be a considerable stretch to attribute any American misreading of Iran’s intentions to Pakistani mediation."

Keane directed even sharper criticism at Saudi Arabia, saying that Riyadh denied the United States access to Saudi airspace and a U.S. air base during preparations for a possible operation to forcibly reopen the Strait of Hormuz. He also claimed Saudi officials had repeatedly persuaded Trump not to resume major military operations against Iran.

"The fact of the matter is, the Saudis are not willing to sacrifice to rid the Middle East region of Iran’s aggression," Keane said, describing the potential costs as casualties and damage to Saudi oil infrastructure.

"They’re willing for us to make that sacrifice, for sure," he added. "They’re willing for Israel to make that sacrifice, for sure."

His remarks highlighted a broader debate over whether Saudi caution represents an unwillingness to confront Tehran or a strategic effort to prevent an open-ended regional war.

GULF COUNTRIES STRONGLY CONDEMN IRAN'S DRONE ATTACK ON BAHRAIN AS RISING TENSIONS THREATEN MOU

Salman Al-Ansari, a Saudi geopolitical analyst, rejected the suggestion that Riyadh is unwilling to confront Iran, saying the Kingdom distinguishes between credible deterrence and military action without clear objectives.

"Saudi Arabia supports confronting Iranian aggression, but not an open-ended regional war without clear objectives or an endgame," Al-Ansari told Fox News Digital.

"Riyadh favors diplomacy backed by credible deterrence, but any agreement must be enforceable and verifiable, addressing Iran’s nuclear program, its proxies, and freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz," he added.

A Gulf affairs analyst who requested anonymity because of the sensitivity of the issue offered a different assessment, saying Saudi leaders fear that a wider confrontation would expose the Kingdom’s critical infrastructure to Iranian retaliation.

"Saudi Arabia believes it should appease Iran because it is deeply concerned about the consequences of a broader confrontation," the analyst said. "Riyadh fears the damage Iran could inflict on the Kingdom’s infrastructure and has therefore favored restraint and negotiations over a decisive military campaign."

The analyst described a widening divide among Gulf states, arguing that Saudi Arabia and Qatar favor accommodation while the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Kuwait support stronger pressure on Iran.

Richard Goldberg, a senior adviser at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies think tank and former National Security Council official, said during a separate Fox News appearance Wednesday, that Washington continues to depend on Saudi infrastructure even as disagreements persist over military strategy.

"When we talk about the Gulf states, we talk about Saudi Arabia and General Keane’s comments, remember, we also are relying on Saudi Arabia with their overland pipelines to keep us in the game here," Goldberg said. "The fact that they’re at maximum capacity moving through the Red Sea also allows us to continue the strangulation strategy."

TRUMP WARNS IRAN FIGHTING ISN'T OVER AS HE VOWS US WILL 'WIN' AS TALKS FADE

The debate comes as the United States and Iran continue negotiations over the Strait of Hormuz.

Oman, Pakistan, Qatar and Saudi Arabia all have been involved in the diplomatic effort, while reports Wednesday indicated that mediators were working on an interim arrangement that could establish separate shipping routes through Iranian and Omani waters as broader nuclear negotiations continue.

The central question is whether those negotiations can produce an enforceable agreement or merely allow Tehran to preserve its leverage over the waterway.

Keane said he remained doubtful that Iran was prepared to surrender meaningful control.

"They are not going to give up the Strait of Hormuz," he said. "They think it’s a strategic asset."

He predicted Iran would seek to retain some degree of control over the waterway and warned that reaching an agreement on Iran’s nuclear program would be even more difficult.

"My gut feeling here is no," Keane said when asked whether Iran was prepared to reach and implement a substantive agreement. "The president is not going to make a bad deal here."

Vacationers were sent scrambling for safety Monday after a projectile struck a crowded beach in a Russian Black Sea resort town, killing seven people, including four children, and injuring dozens more, officials said.

Video footage captured the incident in the village of Arkhipo-Osipovka near Gelendzhik, where the beach was packed with visitors at the time of the strike.

The Russian Mission in Geneva said in a post on X that the "bloody attack" was carried out by a drone launched by Ukraine, accusing Kyiv of targeting civilians.

UKRAINE LAUNCHES WHAT APPEARS TO BE ONE OF ITS LARGEST DRONE ATTACKS AGAINST RUSSIA: REPORT

"The attack targeted civilian infrastructure. Emergency and special services are working at the crash site," regional Gov. Veniamin Kondratyev said in a post on Telegram.

"What happened today is a targeted attack by the Kyiv regime against civilians who have no connection to the military infrastructure. This cynical and inhumane terrorist attack against children cannot be justified." 

UKRAINE UNLEASHES MORE THAN 400 DRONES NEAR MOSCOW IN ONE OF WAR'S BIGGEST ATTACKS

Andriy Kovalenko, an officer with Ukraine’s Defense Forces, disputed Russia’s account, saying the deaths were directly caused by Russian air defenses that intercepted a drone, sending debris onto the beach.

"Russian air defense shot down a drone over people lying on the beach," Kovalenko said on Telegram.

In the video, sounds resembling gunfire were heard just seconds before a drone struck the beach, causing a fireball explosion that sent bystanders screaming. As the gunfire was heard, the drone appeared to veer sharply before diving toward the beach.

Preliminary Russian reports also found that several of the deaths were caused by "falling drone debris," Kondratyev said.

ZELENSKYY SAYS PUTIN 'LOST THE INITIATIVE' AS UKRAINE'S TECH INDUSTRY RESHAPES THE WAR

In another Telegram post, Kovalenko indicated that Ukraine uses its weapons against Russian military-industrial infrastructure to affect Moscow’s ability to finance the war.

He further accused Russian President Vladimir Putin of creating an "illusion" that Russia would remain safe from the war by downplaying daily explosions as falling debris, limiting air raid warnings, and positioning air defenses near populated areas such as the Black Sea resort.

"Putin deliberately killed these people. Because if he had not started the war and struck Ukraine, they would be alive," Kovalenko said.

"It was Putin, his air defense, who killed these Russians. His decisions in response to their decisions launched a chain of death for Russians."

A drone carrying explosives was found near a Ukrainian plane at Germany's Leipzig/Halle Airport late Tuesday, prompting officials to warn the incident represented "a new quality of danger," authorities said Wednesday.

The discovery temporarily shut down both runways at the major European freight hub and forced several flights to divert to other airports, according to The Associated Press.

Another flying object was spotted nearby shortly before midnight and several flights, including one passenger plane, were then diverted to other airports.

JETBLUE FLIGHT REPORTS DRONE STRIKE DURING APPROACH TO NEW YORK AIRPORT: FAA

German police launched a large response and opened an investigation into the two incidents.

Police said an airport worker found the first explosive drone near the airport's south runway with "an unknown explosive device."

An explosives disposal robot was deployed to examine the device before authorities removed its detonator.

The plane, bearing the blue and yellow colors of the Ukrainian flag, displayed the English-language slogan, "Be Brave Like Kherson," a tribute to the southern Ukrainian region, Deutsche Welle reported.

In the second incident, an unidentified flying object collided with a cargo aircraft that had aborted its landing at Leipzig/Halle Airport because of the runway closure.

HELICOPTER REPORTS NEAR MISS WITH RC PLANE NEAR JFK AFTER JETBLUE DRONE STRIKE

The aircraft diverted to Hannover Airport, about 125 miles north-west of Leipzig, where officials found minor damage, according to The Associated Press.

German Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt said the discovery of the first drone marked a significant escalation.

"Drone sightings, drone threats, including in a hybrid context, are something we know from the past," he said. "That a drone armed with explosives is at an airport is a new threat scenario."

Dobrindt also described the incident as "a hybrid attack scenario."

He said questions about the type of explosives used, the drone's origin and who was responsible remained under investigation.

"All the speculation that is currently going on about the explosives, the construction, the question of the drone, the origin and, of course, who is behind it, is now part of the investigation," Dobrindt said.

"What is happening now also shows that the assessment made months ago — that we are dealing with a high level of danger — was justified."

In June, Dobrindt opened Germany's Joint Centre for Countering Hybrid Threats, which brings together federal and state security agencies to address threats including espionage, sabotage and disinformation.

REPORT WARNS RUSSIA USING SHADOW FLEET TO PROBE NATO DRONE DEFENSES

Leipzig/Halle Airport is a major European cargo hub, and Ukrainian Antonov transport aircraft are based there.

NATO said it was aware of the incidents but referred questions to German authorities.

RUSSIA LINKED TO ARSON ATTACKS ON PROPERTIES CONNECTED TO UK PM KEIR STARMER, POLICE SAY

Ukraine's ambassador to Germany, Oleksii Makeiev, suggested Moscow may have been behind the incident, telling Welt TV Wednesday, "Who else could it be but Russia?" according to reports.

In 2024, an incendiary device ignited at a logistics center at Leipzig/Halle Airport, setting fire to a freight container in an incident Western security officials suspect was part of a Russian intelligence sabotage operation.

Russia has begun deploying a North Korean missile unit equipped with up to 120 ballistic missiles and six launchers for use in its war against Ukraine, a Ukrainian intelligence official told told Reuters Wednesday.

The reported escalation marks a deepening military partnership between Moscow and Pyongyang, with around 90 North Korean personnel expected to be stationed in Russia's western Voronezh region to support the new unit, according to Andrii Cherniak of Ukraine's Main Directorate of Intelligence (HUR).

Cherniak also claimed Pyongyang has already delivered a fresh batch of 40 KN-23 and KN-24 ballistic missiles to Russian forces, Reuters said.

RUSSIA LAUNCHES BALLISTIC MISSILE ATTACK ON KYIV HOURS AFTER ZELENSKYY WARNS OF MAJOR STRIKE

Final details of the deployment are expected to be finalized during high-level talks next month.

The intelligence report follows a massive Russian barrage against Kyiv and the surrounding region Aug. 4. 

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Moscow launched 24 ballistic missiles, four cruise missiles and 115 drones overnight, killing at least 17 people.

Zelenskyy argued more lives could have been saved had Western allies replenished Ukraine's depleted stockpiles of air defense interceptors.

Zelenskyy previously warned that Moscow had been preparing since June to receive additional North Korean military personnel in the Voronezh region, according to reports.

RUSSIA UNLEASHES NEARLY 600 MISSILES AND DRONES ON KYIV IN DEADLIEST STRIKE SINCE MAY

Cherniak told Reuters a Russian strike in late July marked the first recorded use of North Korean ballistic missiles against Ukrainian targets since August 2025.

According to HUR estimates, Russia has received approximately 150 KN-23 and KN-24 missiles from North Korea since late 2023.

Military analysts say Russia is increasingly relying on ballistic weapons because they require advanced defense systems — such as the U.S.-made Patriot — to intercept.

The Washington-based Institute for the Study of War (ISW) assessed that Russia is deliberately incorporating more ballistic missiles into its long-range strike packages to maximize pressure on Ukraine's limited air defenses.

ISW added that North Korea is gaining critical battlefield data from the conflict, allowing Pyongyang to refine its missile performance using Russian operational experience.

ALARMING MISSILE REPORT DRAWS FORCEFUL RESPONSE FROM TRUMP AS IRAN WAR TESTS AMERICA’S ARSENAL

North Korea has emerged as one of Moscow's key military allies since the full-scale invasion of Ukraine began.

Reuters reported that Pyongyang has supplied millions of artillery shells and previously sent 14,000 troops to Russia's Kursk region to counter Ukraine's 2024 cross-border incursion.

Cherniak also noted that roughly 9,500 North Korean troops are still in Kursk, though they are not engaged in active combat right now.

A report by the Foundation for Defense of Democracies (FDD) states that, since Russia's 2022 invasion of Ukraine, North Korea has supplied Moscow with large quantities of artillery and rocket ammunition, cannon and rocket artillery systems and ballistic missiles.

The policy institute described the Russia-North Korea relationship as one of the "most consequential among the Axis" and the only partnership in which one member has deployed troops in combat to assist another.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy accused Russia of going "mad" following the release of a video showing a Ukrainian vegetable vendor being stalked by a Russian military drone before the drone exploded near him.

The incident occurred on Aug. 4 at a Kherson market located in Southern Ukraine. Footage released by the Kherson Regional Military Administration shows a drone hovering near a man standing beside a minibus before following him as he moves behind the bus. Moments later the drone dives toward the minibus and explodes near its front, detonating close to where the man is standing.

"A Russian drone deliberately hunted down a man selling vegetables and detonated right next to him," Zelenskyy wrote on X in a post including the video. "The Russians even admitted to the crime, showing zero regret and openly boasting about tormenting people. The man was wounded in the blast. Every single day, ordinary people in Kherson face these Russian "safaris."

MOSCOW BOMBING EXPOSES POTENTIAL SECURITY GAPS AROUND PUTIN'S MILITARY ELITE, EXPERT SAYS

The street vendor, identified as 52-year-old Yuriy, survived the near-fatal encounter, which Ukrainian authorities describe as part of a pattern of Russian drone attacks that track and target civilians — a practice they have dubbed "human safaris."

Speaking from a hospital bed, Yuriy told BBC that he and his wife were setting up their stall when he heard the drone buzzing nearby. His wife had run away, and the drone zeroed in on Yuriy, who pulled out vegetables to show that he did not have a weapon.

"It could see that I had tomatoes out, some cucumbers and eggplants laid out on the floor," Yuriy told BBC. "It even ducked under the umbrella when I was running away round the other side."

Ukraine's Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha called the attack a "barbaric war crime," demanding international intervention.

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Zelenskyy argued that everyone should see the video to make clear what Russia is capable of, arguing that President Vladimir Putin won't stop with Ukraine.

"This is not just about Ukraine," Zelenskyy wrote. "Russia’s campaign against human life must be stopped here in Ukraine before it spreads further. Finland and Kazakhstan, the Baltic states and Poland, the countries of the South Caucasus, Romania, and Moldova — all should work together to ensure real security guarantees and bring Russia’s war to an end."

"Peace is needed, which requires cooperation among everyone in the world who truly values peace," Zelenskyy wrote.

Ukraine's Prosecutor General's Office says authorities have opened 5,303 criminal cases into drone attacks on civilian targets in the Kherson region. The office says the attacks have killed 287 civilians and wounded 2,549 others, including 41 children.

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Prosecutors said the attacks appeared to be part of a systematic campaign, with FPV drones repeatedly striking civilians in public places, homes, transport hubs and civilian vehicles, and in some cases launching follow-up attacks after emergency crews arrived.

The release of the chilling video comes a year after a one-year-old boy was killed by a Russian drone in the Kherson region while playing in his playpen in his grandmother's backyard.

Iran’s top Revolutionary Guard commander declared Wednesday that Tehran would continue working on nuclear weapons as long as the United States and Israel possess them, intensifying concerns that Iran is using negotiations over the Strait of Hormuz to postpone concessions on its nuclear program.

"As long as the United States and Israel possess nuclear weapons, we will continue working on them for our national security," IRGC commander-in-chief Ahmad Vahidi said, according to a translation of remarks circulating Wednesday. "If they disarm, we will disarm."

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu responded by vowing that Israel would continue preventing Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon, with or without a diplomatic agreement.

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"Today, we heard the commander of the Revolutionary Guards, Vahidi, explicitly declare Iran’s intention to continue developing nuclear weapons — ‘continue,’ as he put it," Netanyahu said at a ceremony marking the reinterment of Shimon and Rivka Herzl, the grandparents of the founder of modern day Zionism, Theodor Herzl.

"Well, as prime minister of Israel, I too am determined to continue — to continue preventing Iran from possessing nuclear weapons," he said.

Netanyahu praised President Donald Trump as Israel’s greatest friend in the White House and expressed appreciation for the two countries’ joint efforts against Iran’s nuclear ambitions.

"Israel’s existence is not subject to negotiation," Netanyahu said. "With an agreement or without an agreement, I am determined — we are all determined — to do whatever is necessary to ensure our security and our future."

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The exchange came as nuclear experts urged Trump to keep Iran’s nuclear program at the center of negotiations, warning that Tehran could use the Hormuz crisis to secure sanctions relief and other concessions before addressing its remaining nuclear capabilities.

Trump told "Fox News at Night" Tuesday that military force remained an option if Iran abandoned the talks, while insisting Tehran could not be allowed to obtain a nuclear weapon.

"If they back out again, they’re going to get hit really hard," Trump told Fox News’ Trace Gallagher. "They know that. They understand that. I have no choice. They can’t have a nuclear weapon. It’s very simple.

"The hard hit is yet to come, and hopefully we won’t have to use it."

Trump said negotiators held an "all-day negotiation" Tuesday and described the discussions as "very good." He has said the talks would initially focus on reopening the Strait of Hormuz before turning to Tehran’s nuclear program.

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Andrea Stricker, deputy director of the Foundation for Defense of Democracies’ Nonproliferation and Biodefense Program, said that sequence could play directly into Iran’s strategy.

"It is in the Iranians’ interest to steer the negotiations toward the issues that they most care about," Stricker told Fox News Digital, including securing major U.S. concessions over Hormuz and "maintaining control of that crucial waterway that has proven a lifeline for Tehran to survive this war."

She said Iran would also seek oil sanctions relief and potentially relief from all U.S. sanctions, before addressing the nuclear file.

"If Tehran is able to structure the talks that way — and I’m concerned that Trump appears to be going along with that approach — there may be little left in terms of leverage to get big concessions from the Iranians on the nuclear file down the line," Stricker said.

There is evidence that Tehran has sought to sequence the talks in its favor. Axios reported in April that Iran proposed reopening the Strait of Hormuz and ending the war before beginning nuclear negotiations, potentially reducing U.S. leverage over enrichment and Iran’s enriched-uranium stockpile.

The Washington Post later reported that Tehran was focused on preserving its leverage over Hormuz rather than engaging deeply on major nuclear restrictions.

Kelsey Davenport, director for nonproliferation policy at the Arms Control Association, agreed Iran is seeking to capitalize on the leverage it gained by disrupting maritime traffic through the Strait of Hormuz.

"The current focus on the Straits of Hormuz is not surprising. Iran is looking to capitalize on leverage gained by disrupting maritime traffic through the waterway and test if Trump is willing to negotiate in good faith," Davenport told Fox News Digital.

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She said Tehran understands that any durable agreement will ultimately have to address its nuclear program but said, "At the end of this conflict, Iran will still possess the capabilities necessary to build a bomb," Davenport said, "The relevant knowledge and nuclear expertise cannot be bombed away.

"Tehran retains key materials and technologies necessary to build a bomb," she added. "If left unchecked, the nuclear program will be a source of instability and renewed conflict, even if Iran does not resume more proliferation-sensitive nuclear activities."

A proposed agreement between Iran and Oman could give Tehran some control over ships entering the Persian Gulf through the Strait of Hormuz, a senior Iranian source and two regional officials told Reuters Wednesday. One regional source described the arrangement as a concession that had already been made, although the precise meaning of Iranian "control" remained under negotiation.

Iran is also seeking fees from ships traveling through the waterway, according to Reuters, while Washington has opposed both Iranian control and mandatory transit charges.

Stricker said postponing the nuclear issues would allow the regime to preserve its remaining enriched-uranium stockpiles and avoid fully dismantling its nuclear infrastructure.

She said Iran also wants to avoid accounting for its past nuclear weapons-related work or committing to end uranium enrichment and plutonium reprocessing.

"Leaving them as a last-order issue in the negotiations likely means that we will not see the Iranians make big concessions and make a solid nuclear deal," Stricker said.

Davenport said the administration should prioritize restoring access for inspectors from the International Atomic Energy Agency before beginning detailed nuclear negotiations.

"The IAEA has not visited key Iranian nuclear sites in more than a year," she said. "It remains unclear how much of Iran’s nuclear infrastructure remains and where any gaps might be in trying to account for Iran’s nuclear materials."

She said renewed inspections would give Washington a clearer picture of Iran’s remaining facilities and materials, while helping negotiators design a verification regime capable of addressing any gaps.

Davenport also recommended pairing sanctions relief with specific, verifiable Iranian steps rather than negotiating one sweeping package.

"A series of smaller deals could build confidence in the process," she said.

Stricker urged the administration to link every concession involving Hormuz, sanctions or the U.S. blockade to a measurable Iranian step on the nuclear file.

"The best approach to ensure a solid deal is to make the nuclear issues just as important as the Strait of Hormuz, removing the blockade and other top Iranian priorities," she said.

Israeli President Isaac Herzog issued a stern warning about the global spread of antisemitism in an exclusive interview with Fox News Digital at his Jerusalem residence.

"Antisemitism is an age-old plague which should be dealt with by everybody, by all societies. It's not an Israeli issue or only a Jewish issue," he said.

"It's a contamination of societies that starts with the Jews — never ends with them. It's the most dangerous phenomena that has to be dealt with aggressively, with no mercy, with full adjudication, and most importantly, with education," he added.

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Herzog's warning comes as newly released New York City Police Department (NYPD) data show anti-Jewish incidents accounted for 56.9% of all confirmed hate crimes since the start of 2026, even though Jewish New Yorkers make up only about 10% of the city's population.

Herzog pointed to New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani, whom he accused of spreading hate and compromising the lives of New Yorkers.

"Mamdani does not respect my nation's right for self-determination — the Jewish people's inherent right to have a nation of their own. And he's basically spreading blasphemy, hate, antisemitic rhetoric. He should understand that he's risking his own citizens, he’s risking their safety, well-being and life," Herzog told Fox News Digital.

In a video posted on social media on July 21, Mamdani called Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu "a war criminal" and "the architect of a horrific genocide against the Palestinian people."

Days later, Raul Morales, 51, allegedly yelled "Allahu Akbar" while stabbing two men on Manhattan's Upper West Side, including one who was visibly identifiable as Jewish.

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"We've seen the stabbing just a few days ago ... just because somebody was dressed as an Orthodox Jew. This cannot be accepted in New York, which is a city that is dear to our heart, dear to Israelis, and dear to me personally," Herzog said.

More broadly, a report released last month by the J7 Large Communities' Task Force Against Antisemitism found that 20 people were killed in antisemitic attacks across seven countries outside Israel in 2025, marking the deadliest year for such violence in the Jewish diaspora since 1994.

The J7 comprises Jewish communities in the United States, Australia, Canada, Argentina, the United Kingdom, Germany and France.

According to the report, more than 23,000 antisemitic incidents were recorded across the J7 countries last year, representing a 97% increase in violent attacks and a 136% rise in overall incidents compared with 2022.

"Of course, Israel is doing its best, but it has to be an effort with governments all over the world, law enforcement agencies, educational systems and Jewish communities, which we care about a lot," Herzog said, in reference to confronting Jew-hatred.

Referencing a recent article by Prof. Niall Ferguson titled "The Death of History," he said, "How much TikTok or the social networks distort the facts of history? They negate the worst and greatest horror of humankind, the Holocaust. And that's why we have to stand up together and combat it," he told Fox News Digital.

Herzog stressed that misinformation spread through distorted and superficial channels makes it easy to smear Israel on social media, but that such narratives do not reflect reality.

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"[Israel] is the place where the Startup Nation flourishes. This is the place where great ideas are given to the world and contribute enormously to the world in so many great fields, from health to energy, to science, to agriculture, to food security, to what not. There's a reason why Americans who visit our country, young Americans, fall in love with this country," he said.

Growing antisemitism, coupled with polarization within and between Jewish communities and a weakening sense of Jewish identity in some places, led Herzog to launch Voice of the People in April 2023. The initiative brings together a council of 150 emerging leaders — one-third from Israel, one-third from the United States and the remainder from around the world.

Leaders are selected through an algorithm from thousands of candidates and serve rotating terms of roughly two years, developing ideas to address challenges facing the Jewish world.

The initiative held an in-person kick-off summit in March 2025 in Haifa, featuring Herzog and bringing together all council members, reflecting his belief in building the next generation of Jewish leadership, which he described as one of his main tasks.

"I'm overjoyed by the great ideas I see and feel, and I hope that around November we will have a new registration starting for the next slot, the next cohort, and I invite as many Jewish friends to register," he said.

Brazilian lawmakers preparing to conduct official business found themselves sharing the halls of a state legislature with several uninvited — but unusually relaxed — guests.

A group of capybaras entered the Mato Grosso Legislative Assembly in Cuiabá on July 30, briefly drawing attention away from an upcoming vote as they explored the government building.

Video recorded by legislative staffer Nayara Bueno showed the animals moving calmly through the entrance while workers sought to steer them outside.

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"They show up here quite often, so we’ve gotten used to seeing them," Bueno told The Associated Press.

The rodents' guest appearance did not cause any damage to the Mato Grosso state legislature, according to officials.

The legislature borders a park that is home to wildlife, giving the animals easy access to the surrounding government complex. 

Native to South America, capybaras are semiaquatic mammals commonly found around wetlands and other bodies of water. They are highly social, generally travel in groups and can reach weights of about 175 pounds.

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The world's largest living rodents have also become internet favorites, with social media users frequently highlighting their laid-back behavior around other animals and people.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.