Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., swiftly pulled the plug on a meeting with Lebanese Chief of Defense Gen. Rodolphe Haykal after the Lebanese official refused to confirm that the Iranian regime-backed Hezbollah movement is a terrorist organization.

Graham posted to X a blunt message about his frustration with the state of Lebanon in particular and Mideast power politics in general.

 ‘I just had a very brief meeting with the Lebanese Chief of Defense General Rodolphe Haykal. I asked him point blank if he believes Hezbollah is a terrorist organization. He said, ‘No, not in the context of Lebanon.’ With that, I ended the meeting. They are clearly a terrorist organization. Hezbollah has American blood on its hands. Just ask the U.S. Marines,’ 

He continued, ‘They have been designated as a foreign terrorist organization by both Republican and Democrat administrations since 1997 – for good reason. As long as this attitude exists from the Lebanese Armed Forces, I don’t think we have a reliable partner in them. I am tired of the double speak in the Middle East. Too much is at stake.’

Haykal’s refusal to recognize that Hezbollah is a terrorist organization set off security alarm bells among leading experts on the movement.

Matthew Levitt, a leading scholar on Hezbollah from the Washington Institute, told Fox News Digital that, ‘Gen. Haykal’s comment is only going to further concerns that the LAF sees Hezbollah as an actor with which it should deconflict, rather than disarm. The ceasefire agreement is clear that Hezbollah must be disarmed, in both the south and north of the country. In several instances to date, the LAF appears to have shared with Hezbollah targeting intelligence obtained from Israel through the US-led mechanism rather than acting on it.’

He added, ‘At a time when the LAF is seeking international aid, purportedly to disarm Hezbollah, failing to recognize the group as an adversary not only of Israel but of Lebanon as well undermines the case for further funding.’

Fox News Digital sent multiple press queries to Lebanon’s embassy in Washington, D.C.

Sarit Zehavi, a leading Israeli security expert on Hezbollah from the Israel Alma Research and Education Center, told Fox News Digital that, ‘I was not surprised by what Haykal said. This is exactly the problem. Hezbollah is not designated as a terrorist organization in Lebanon. The Lebanese army… is not willing to clash with Hezbollah. Hezbollah is not willing to voluntarily disarm. It will not happen as long as there is no clash.’

Zehavi claimed the Lebanese Armed Forces has ‘helped Hezbollah to conceal is military activity and weapons storages in south Lebanon.’

The U.S. brokered a ceasefire in Nov. 2024 between Hezbollah and Israel. In August, Lebanon’s government accepted an American plan to disarm the group by the end of 2025. That deadline does not seem to have been met.

U.S. Ambassador to Turkey, Thomas Barrack, who also serves as envoy to Syria, said at a recent Milken Institute event that Lebanon is a ‘failed state.’ 

Barrack said, ‘The confessional system does not work. A Maronite president, a Sunni prime minister and a Shia speaker; 128 parliamentary seats split equally between Islam and Christians; everything is a deadlock.’

He said, ‘Hezbollah is a foreign terrorist by U.S. standards,’ and ‘it also happens to be a large political party within Lebanon that has blocking rights… This idea of saying you have to disarm Hezbollah … you’re not actually gonna do it militarily.’

Barrack said, ‘The U.S. is saying Hezbollah needs to be disarmed, Hezbollah is a foreign terrorist organization, it cannot exist. My personal opinion is you kill one terrorist, you create 10. That can’t be the answer.’ He urged the Lebanese political leadership to ‘run to Israel and make a deal…there is no other answer.’

Walid Phares, an American academic expert on Hezbollah and Lebanon who has advised U.S. presidential candidates, told Fox News Digital that ‘The disarming of Hezbollah is not just a U.S. and international request but also and most importantly a request by a majority of Lebanese since at least the Cedars Revolution in 2005, when 1.5 million Lebanese Christians, Druze and Sunnis rallied against the Syrian occupation and the Khomeinist militia.’

He added, ‘While the Assad forces withdrew, Hezbollah remained armed. In May 2008, the radical Shia militia conducted an urban military coup against the pro-Western government and seized full power until the Israel-Iran war, known as the 12-day war of 2025. The latter was provoked by Hezbollah siding with Hamas during the Oct. 7 war.’

Fox News Digital reported in November that the Trump administration ramped up pressure on the Lebanese government to disarm Hezbollah.

Former president Bill Clinton said on X that he has shared what he knows about the crimes of disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein in a sworn statement shared with the House Oversight Committee, which both Bill and Hillary Clinton have agreed to testify in front of under subpoena pressure.  

‘I have called for the full release of the Epstein files. I have provided a sworn statement of what I know,’ the former president said on X, formerly Twitter, Friday afternoon. ‘And just this week, I’ve agreed to appear in person before the committee. But it’s still not enough for Republicans on the House Oversight Committee.’

In the wake of news that the Clintons would comply with House Republicans’ subpoenas to testify, after concerns they would not and threats of contempt, Republicans accused the Clintons of ‘requesting special treatment.’

After the Clinton’s attorneys sent the House Oversight Committee a letter indicating they would comply and testify under certain conditions, Democrat Ranking Member of the committee, Robert Garcia, said the letter amounted to full compliance with the committee’s demands.

However, House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer disputed the characterization, telling Fox News Digital the agreement lacked specificity.  

‘The Clintons’ counsel has said they agree to terms, but those terms lack clarity yet again, and they have provided no dates for their depositions,’ Comer said. ‘The only reason they have said they agree to terms is because the House has moved forward with contempt. I will clarify the terms they are agreeing to and then discuss next steps with my committee members.’

The Clintons’ change of heart led the House to temporarily pause proceedings on holding them in contempt on Monday night. 

Democrats on the committee have pointed out that Comer has not pushed to hold others who did not appear in contempt, nor has he made any threats against the DOJ for failing to produce all of its documents on Epstein by a deadline agreed to by Congress late last year. The department has produced a fraction of the documents expected so far.

‘Now, Chairman Comer says he wants cameras, but only behind closed doors. Who benefits from this arrangement? It’s not Epstein’s victims, who deserve justice,’ Clinton said in his X post on Friday afternoon. ‘Not the public, who deserve the truth. It serves only partisan interests. This is not fact-finding, it’s pure politics.’

‘Now, Chairman Comer says he wants cameras, but only behind closed doors,’ he continued. ‘Who benefits from this arrangement? It’s not Epstein’s victims, who deserve justice. Not the public, who deserve the truth. It serves only partisan interests. This is not fact-finding, it’s pure politics.’

Fox News Digital’s Greg Wehner and Elizabeth Elkind contributed to this report.

President Donald Trump on Thursday signed an executive order requiring the government to assess foreign weapons sales based on their impact on U.S. production capacity for key systems and to favor allies whose defense investments and strategic importance align with U.S. national security priorities.

Under the order, obtained first by Fox News Digital, the Departments of War, State and Commerce are instructed to ensure that U.S. arms transfers support weapons systems deemed most operationally relevant to the National Security Strategy, reinforce critical supply chains, and prioritize partners that have invested in their own defense and occupy strategically important regions.

The administration argues that past arms transfer policy allowed foreign demand to shape U.S. production decisions, contributing to backlogs, cost overruns and delivery delays that left both the U.S. military and its allies waiting years for critical equipment.

‘The America First Arms Transfer Strategy will now leverage over $300 billion in annual defense sales to strategically reindustrialize the United States and rapidly deliver American-manufactured weapons to help our partners and allies establish deterrence and defend themselves,’ according to a White House fact sheet.

A central goal of the order is to speed up a foreign military sales process that defense officials and industry leaders have long criticized as slow and overly bureaucratic. The order directs federal agencies to identify ways to streamline enhanced end-use monitoring requirements, third-party transfer approvals and the congressional notification process — steps the administration says have contributed to years-long delays in delivering U.S. weapons overseas.

The order also creates a new Promoting American Military Sales Task Force charged with overseeing implementation of the strategy and tracking major defense sales across the government. In a move aimed at increasing accountability, the administration says agencies will be required to publish aggregate quarterly performance metrics showing how quickly defense sales cases are being executed.

 The strategy also signals a shift in how the United States prioritizes its partners. The order directs the government to favor countries that have invested in their own defense and occupy strategically important regions, effectively tying arms sales decisions more closely to U.S. military planning and geographic priorities.

Other partners could face longer timelines or lower priority if their requests do not align with U.S. strategic or industrial objectives. While the order does not name specific countries, it reflects an effort to focus limited U.S. production capacity on allies viewed as most critical to executing the National Security Strategy.

The order also instructs the War, State and Commerce departments to ‘find efficiencies in the Enhanced End Use Monitoring criteria, the Third-Party Transfer process, and the Congressional Notification process.’

Congress will likely be watching how the administration implements the order, especially provisions aimed at speeding both oversight of U.S. weapons once they are sold abroad and the process for notifying lawmakers about major arms deals. Lawmakers have argued those steps help prevent misuse of U.S. weapons, even as they have criticized delays that slow deliveries to allies.

The order follows a series of recent defense-related executive actions taken by Trump. In January 2026, he signed an order directing defense contractors to prioritize production capacity, innovation and on-time delivery over stock buybacks and other corporate distributions.

That built on an April 2025 order aimed at improving speed and accountability in the foreign military sales system, as well as a January 2025 order focused on modernizing defense acquisitions and reducing red tape across the defense industrial base.

A comprehensive new briefing document from a prominent nonpartisan research and policy group is sounding the alarm on ‘serious ethical and national security concerns’ related to Democratic Rep. Rashida Tlaib and her affiliations with individuals and organizations linked to designated foreign terrorist entities.

‘The conduct of Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib, including her rhetoric, affiliations, campaign infrastructure, and ideological alignment with certain individuals and organizations, raises serious concerns about potential risks to the ethical and institutional integrity of the United States government,’ the report, released by the Institute for the Study of Global Antisemitism and Policy’s advocacy and policy-oriented arm, states.

The report details a ‘recurring pattern’ of behavior that it says suggests an ideological affinity for radical movements, ranging from participation in conferences featuring convicted terrorists to significant campaign payments made to activists linked to Hamas and Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine-aligned networks.

The briefing covers Tlaib’s financial history and says her campaign apparatus poured large sums of cash to anti-Israel activists, including almost $600,000 between 2020 and 2025 to Unbought Power, a consulting firm headed by Rasha Mubarak.

Mubarak has faced scrutiny for her past affiliations with the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), an unindicted co-conspirator in the 2009 Holy Land Foundation terror-financing trial, and the Alliance for Global Justice (AFGJ), which has been investigated for ties to the PFLP-linked group Samidoun.

Tlaib, according to the briefing, has shared the stage with a variety of questionable figures highlighted by a conference alongside Wisam Rafeedie, a convicted PFLP operative, who defended the Oct. 7 Hamas terrorist attack as ‘resistance.’

‘Through public endorsement, co-sponsorship, and amplification, Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib has consistently engaged with a range of organizations known to maintain operational or ideological ties to terrorist networks,’ the briefing states. ‘Tlaib has engaged with and disseminated the messaging of these groups and has shared related content on social media platforms, has participated in events organized by these groups, and has referenced their terminology and conceptual frameworks in official congressional communications.’

Tlaib is no stranger to being accused of promoting hostile foreign actors, and the House of Representatives has already taken formal action against the Michigan Democrat twice. 

She was first censured in November 2023 for promoting alleged false narratives regarding the Oct. 7 Hamas attacks. A second resolution was introduced in September 2025 following her appearance at the ‘People’s Conference for Palestine,’ where speakers allegedly ‘whitewashed’ convicted Hamas financiers.

Tlaib’s language made another appearance in the briefing as ISGAP Action described antisemitic ‘tropes’ used by the Michigan congresswoman on multiple occasions.

The report cites an August 2021 event where Tlaib referenced ‘people behind the curtain’ making money off ‘racism’ from ‘Gaza to Detroit.’

The briefing goes further than issuing warnings about Tlaib’s record and calls on government agencies to take specific action. 

The briefing calls for a formal congressional inquiry into Tlaib’s conduct that specifically reviews her public statements that allegedly align with terrorist organizations, her attendance at events honoring convicted terrorists and a thorough review of her campaign fundraising sources.

Additionally, the briefing asks the Department of Justice’s National Security Division to conduct a legal review to determine if Tlaib or her affiliates have violated 18 U.S. Code §2339B, which prohibits providing material support to foreign terrorist organizations.

The Federal Election Commission, according to the briefing, should perform a forensic audit of Tlaib’s campaign finances focusing on donations from individuals tied to terror networks.

‘Tlaib’s conduct demonstrates how extremist ideologies can infiltrate mainstream democratic institutions,’ the report concludes. ‘If left unchecked, her actions will continue to legitimize hate.’

Last year, Tlaib’s name came up in another ISGAP Action report that highlighted what it called a multi-generational campaign by the Muslim Brotherhood to ‘transform Western society from within’ and covertly infiltrate the United States. 

‘The election and re-election of congresswomen such as Ilhan Omar (D-MN) and Rashida Tlaib (D-MI), who have openly defended positions aligned with Brotherhood perspectives on Israel, counterterrorism, and international relations, demonstrates the intersection of identity politics and Brotherhood narratives,’ the report stated.

‘While neither congresswoman has a documented formal affiliation with the Muslim Brotherhood, both have appeared at events organized by Brotherhood-aligned organizations, have received campaign support from Brotherhood-aligned donors, and have consistently advocated positions aligned with Brotherhood objectives.’

Fox News Digital reached out to Tlaib’s office for comment.

House GOP leaders are forging ahead on legislation aimed at imposing new federal guardrails to ensure only U.S. citizens vote in national elections.

House Majority Leader Steve Scalise, R-La., confirmed to Fox News Digital that the chamber would vote on the SAVE America Act introduced by Rep. Chip Roy, R-Texas, next week.

It comes after conservatives threatened to extend the partial government shutdown earlier this week if the legislation was not included in Congress’ bipartisan funding bills. But those lawmakers backed off their demands after getting assurances from the White House that the Senate would give the bill serious consideration.

The House’s vote next week hikes the growing pressure on the Senate to take up the bill, where it will face long odds of passing. Its backers are hoping a little-known maneuver called a ‘standing filibuster’ will be key to breaking through Democratic opposition, however. 

‘These are common-sense measures that protect American voters,’ Scalise explained to Fox News Digital on Thursday.

‘Only Democrats in Congress could oppose these basic requirements that prevent voter fraud, and that’s because they want illegal aliens to vote in our elections. Why else would they support open borders, oppose deporting illegal aliens, and oppose election security like picture ID?’

The SAVE America Act is an updated version of Roy’s Safeguarding American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) Act, which passed the House in April 2025 but was never taken up in the Senate.

Whereas the SAVE Act would create a new federal proof of citizenship mandate in the voter registration process and impose requirements for states to keep their rolls clear of ineligible voters, the updated bill would also require photo ID to vote in any federal elections.

‘It’s all the same concept, right? I mean, you want citizenship, and then you want to guarantee that the person voting is the person voting. Photo ID is, I think, a critically important element to that, and we want to require that for federal elections,’ Roy told Fox News Digital on Thursday.

The bill is expected to easily pass the House — the original SAVE Act got support from all Republicans and four Democrats — but its survival in the Senate is more complicated.

Most legislation needs 60 votes to break through a filibuster, meaning at least seven Democrats will need to vote with Republicans to advance the bill. 

Rep. Anna Paulina Luna, R-Fla., led a small coalition of conservatives threatening to extend the most recent government shutdown if the SAVE America Act was not attached to the funding bill that President Donald Trump signed into law on Tuesday.

Luna told reporters she spoke with the White House on Monday night where she got assurances that Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., is looking at using a maneuver called a ‘standing filibuster’ to ensure a vote on the bill.

It would restore antiquated filibuster rules in the Senate that require opponents of a bill to be physically present in the chamber and speaking continuously to delay its consideration. 

The move would also eliminate the need for 60 votes to break a filibuster, which currently does not require lawmakers to be present in the chamber until a vote — rather, it would end when opponents were done speaking. Each senator can give a maximum of two speeches, though without any time constraints.

The downside of such a move is that it would grind Senate proceedings to a halt until the filibuster was over. But Roy argued that any such delay in the upper chamber’s duties would fall squarely on Democrats’ shoulders.

‘What we’re trying to say is that for something as important as sovereignty in our elections, we should force that question,’ Roy said. ‘If Democrats want…a long, drawn-out, talking filibuster, then let them explain that to the American people.’

Scalise told Fox News Digital, ‘Once House Republicans pass this bill — and we will — I urge the Senate to quickly put it on the floor so we can send it to President Trump’s desk. The American people are demanding action — Congress must answer their call and pass this critical legislation.’

President Donald Trump on Thursday called for U.S. nuclear experts to begin work on what he described as a ‘new, improved, and modernized Treaty,’ arguing that the United States should move away from extending the existing New START nuclear arms agreement.

Trump made the remarks in a post on Truth Social as the administration weighs the future of U.S. nuclear arms control policy and whether it will seek to extend or replace New START, the last remaining nuclear arms control treaty between Washington and Moscow.

‘Rather than extend ‘NEW START’ (A badly negotiated deal by the United States that, aside from everything else, is being grossly violated), we should have our Nuclear Experts work on a new, improved, and modernized Treaty that can last long into the future,’ Trump wrote.

‘The president wants to have our nuclear experts work on a new, improved and modernized treaty that can last long into the future,’ White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said during a press briefing.  ‘And that’s what the United States will continue to discuss with the Russians.’

Trump also made broader claims in his post about his role in preventing nuclear conflict, writing that he stopped ‘Nuclear Wars from breaking out across the World between Pakistan and India, Iran and Israel, and Russia and Ukraine.’

A White House official told Fox News that the Trump administration is still weighing next steps on nuclear arms control and that no final decision has been announced.

‘The President will decide the path forward on nuclear arms control, which he will clarify on his own timeline,’ the official said.

The official added that Trump ‘has spoken repeatedly of addressing the threat nuclear weapons pose to the world and indicated that he would like to keep limits on nuclear weapons and involve China in arms control talks.’

Axios reported Thursday that U.S. and Russian officials have been discussing whether both sides could continue to observe the terms of New START after its expiration, citing multiple sources familiar with the talks. The outlet reported that no formal extension has been approved and that any arrangement would not be legally binding.

In his Truth Social post, Trump wrote that the U.S. should pursue a new agreement rather than extend New START.

According to the Associated Press, New START’s expiration leaves no caps on the U.S. and Russia’s nuclear arsenals for the first time in more than a half-century.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Wednesday that Trump has made clear that future arms control efforts must include China, telling reporters that ‘in order to have true arms control in the 21st century, it’s impossible to do something that doesn’t include China because of their vast and rapidly growing stockpile.’

Sen. Marsha Blackburn, R-Tenn., is urging U.S. Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts to launch an investigation into Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson over her attendance at the Grammy Awards on Sunday amid anti-ICE rhetoric from celebrities and artists at the event. 

Jackson was in attendance at this year’s politically-charged event because of her nomination for narrating the audiobook version of her memoir, ‘Lovely One.’ 

However, critics said Jackson clapped as various speakers criticized U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).

‘While it is by no means unheard of or unusual for a Supreme Court justice to attend a public function, very rarely—if ever—have justices of our nation’s highest Court been present at an event at which attendees have amplified such far-left rhetoric,’ Blackburn wrote in a letter to Roberts. 

Blackburn, who sits on the Senate Judiciary Committee, called for an investigation into whether Jackson’s actions violate the high court’s Code of Conduct and would require her to recuse herself from certain cases. 

‘To that end, in the interest of a fair-minded, impartial, and independent federal judiciary, I urge you to initiate an investigation into Justice Jackson’s attendance at this event and if her participation in any way would require recusal from matters that will come before the Court,’ her letter states. 

Attendees at the awards were seen wearing ‘ICE Out’ lapel pins, and some winners spewed anti-ICE rhetoric such as ‘No one is illegal on stolen land’ and ‘F— ICE.’

Jackson’s appearance at the event raises questions considering the court is slated to take on cases revolving around the Trump administration, including birthright citizenship and immigration. 

Fox News Digital has reached out to Blackburn’s office and the Supreme Court. 

In her letter, Blackburn noted that Democrats and the news media have smeared Republican-appointed justices to the court as ‘corrupt’ and ‘partisan.’

She recalled how Sens. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., and Sheldon Whitehouse, D-RI., wrote a letter to Roberts urging him to ensure that conservative Justice Samuel Alito would recuse himself from cases related to the 2020 election and Jan. 6, 2021 Capitol riot because his wife put up a Revolutionary War-era flag at their home.

‘Unlike these meritless claims against Justice Alito and Justice Thomas, there are serious questions regarding Justice Jackson’s participation in such a brazenly political, anti-law enforcement event and her ability to remain an impartial member of the Supreme Court,’ Blackburn wrote. 

President Donald Trump has warned that the U.S. could use military force to secure the Diego Garcia air base in the Chagos Islands if any future deal threatens access to the joint U.S.-U.K. installation.

Trump made the comments Thursday in a Truth Social post while also signaling his willingness to move past tensions with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer after what he described as ‘very productive discussions’ about the Indian Ocean base.

Emphasizing the base’s strategic importance, Trump said the role of Diego Garcia was essential to U.S. national security.

‘It is the site of a major U.S. military base, strategically situated in the middle of the Indian Ocean and, therefore, of great importance to the national security of the United States,’ Trump wrote.

Trump also acknowledged that the U.K. struck what he called ‘the best deal he could make’ under a controversial agreement to transfer sovereignty of the islands to Mauritius while leasing Diego Garcia back for at least 99 years.

‘However, if the lease deal, sometime in the future, ever falls apart, or anyone threatens or endangers U.S. operations and forces at our base, I retain the right to militarily secure and reinforce the American presence in Diego Garcia,’ Trump warned.

‘Let it be known that I will never allow our presence on a base as important as this to ever be undermined or threatened by fake claims or environmental nonsense.’

The comments marked a slight shift in tone from Trump, who in January criticized the U.K.-Mauritius deal as an ‘act of great stupidity’ and an ‘act of total weakness,’ accusing Britain of surrendering a critical military asset.

Diego Garcia serves as a hub for long-range bombers, logistics, intelligence collection and military communications across the Middle East, the Indo-Pacific and Africa, hosting around 2,500 U.S. and military and civilian personnel.

The island base has been used for long-range U.S. operations such as in Afghanistan and in Yemen.

According to Reuters, Downing Street had confirmed Trump and Starmer discussed Diego Garcia during a recent call and agreed to safeguard the base’s continued operation.

‘Turning to Diego Garcia, and the deal the U.K. has secured to maintain control of the U.S.-U.K. military base to protect national security, the leaders recognized its strategic importance,’ a No. 10 spokeswoman said.

‘The leaders agreed their governments would continue working closely to guarantee the future operation of the base and speak again soon.’

Under the agreement, British taxpayers are projected to pay roughly £35 billion [$47 billion] over the next century, including annual payments of about £160 million [$216 million] to Mauritius, according to public estimates.

Britain has also agreed to approximately £3 billion [$4 billion] in compensation over the life of the deal, with an option to extend the lease for an additional 50 years.

The agreement has also drawn criticism from Britain’s Conservative Party, which argues the deal weakens the U.K.’s strategic position and risks undermining long-standing security ties with the U.S.

Mauritius has said its sovereignty over the islands is ‘unequivocally recognized’ under international law and has called for swift implementation of the agreement.

As previously reported by Fox News Digital, a Downing Street spokesperson also said in January the U.K. is continuing efforts to ‘allay any concerns’ in Washington.

‘We will continue to engage with the U.S. on this important matter and the importance of the deal to secure U.S. and U.K. interests,’ the spokesperson said. 

Fox News Digital has reached out to the White House and Downing Street for comment.

Iran seized two foreign oil tankers in the Persian Gulf Thursday, accusing them of smuggling fuel and detaining 15 foreign crew members ahead of high-stakes U.S.–Iran talks Friday in Oman.

Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) navy said it intercepted the two ships near Farsi Island, claiming they were carrying about 1 million liters of smuggled fuel, Reuters reported.

The crews, made up of 15 foreign nationals, were taken into custody and referred to Iran’s judicial authorities, according to Iranian state media.

The IRGC alleged the vessels were part of an organized fuel-smuggling network that had been operating in the region for several months.

Iranian officials said the ships were identified through intelligence monitoring and seized during coordinated naval operations in the Persian Gulf, a vital artery for global energy markets.

According to The Jerusalem Post, Iranian authorities framed the operation as a significant blow to illegal fuel trafficking, though they did not immediately disclose the vessels’ nationalities or destinations.

The seizures come as Iranian rhetoric toward the U.S. has grown hostile.

Ezzatollah Zarghami, a former Iranian minister and ex–state broadcaster chief, issued a warning, threatening violence in the Strait of Hormuz, through which around one-fifth of the world’s oil and petroleum product consumption passes.

‘I am sure that the Strait of Hormuz will be the place of massacre and hell for the U.S.,’ Zarghami said Thursday.

‘Iran will show that the Strait of Hormuz has historically belonged to Iran. The only thing the Americans can think of is playing with their vessels and moving them from one place to another.’

Zarghami later repeated the threat, calling the Strait a potential ‘killing field’ for American forces and signaling Iran’s willingness to escalate amid mounting regional pressure.

Special envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner are scheduled to meet Iranian officials in Oman Friday.

The pair are traveling from Abu Dhabi after two days of talks related to Russia and Ukraine.

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt confirmed Thursday that Friday’s talks were still on, stating ‘diplomacy is always [Trump’s] first option.’

War Secretary Pete Hegseth said Thursday that some cartel drug traffickers operating in the U.S. Southern Command area of responsibility have halted narcotics activity following recent U.S. military strikes in the Caribbean.

‘WINNING: Some top cartel drug-traffickers in the @SOUTHCOM AOR have decided to cease all narcotics operations INDEFINITELY due to recent (highly effective) kinetic strikes in the Caribbean,’ Hegsth wrote in a post on X.

Hegseth credited President Donald Trump with directing the military actions, calling the effort a lifesaving deterrent.

‘This is deterrence through strength. @POTUS is SAVING American lives,’ he wrote.

Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina praised the military action, writing on X, ‘Well done @SecWar and to all under your command. We must continue to verify and monitor. We can’t trust drug cartels.’

The Trump administration has been pursuing a policy of conducting deadly attacks against vessels of alleged ‘narco-terrorists.’

SOUTHCOM announced a strike that killed two on Thursday.

‘On Feb. 5, at the direction of #SOUTHCOM Commander Gen. Francis L. Donovan, Joint Task Force Southern Spear conducted a lethal kinetic strike on a vessel operated by Designated Terrorist Organizations. Intelligence confirmed the vessel was transiting along known narco-trafficking routes in the Eastern Pacific and was engaged in narco-trafficking operations. Two narco-terrorists were killed during this action. No U.S. military forces were harmed,’ Southern Command noted in a post on X.