Trump to convene Situation Room meeting as Tehran threatens US Gulf bases | Live Updates from Fox News Digital

Coverage for this event has ended.

President Donald Trump is expected to convene a Situation Room meeting with his top national security advisers on Tuesday to discuss potential military options against Iran, according to reports.

The meeting, first reported by Axios, comes as Trump intensified pressure on Tehran over the weekend, warning Sunday that “the clock is ticking” for Iran and declaring that “there won’t be anything left of them” if Iranian leaders do not “get moving, FAST.”

The United States and Iran appear locked in a standoff after Trump rejected Tehran’s latest response to a U.S. peace proposal as “totally unacceptable,” while declaring the ceasefire to be on “life support.”

The standoff centers on Iran’s nuclear program and weapons ambitions. 

Posted by Emma Bussey

3 hours ago

Mojtaba Khamenei names new chief of staff, linked to family facing $6.6B corruption allegations

Iran Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei appointed a new chief of staff May 12, according to reports.

Reports in Iran’s regime-linked media said Seyed Mehdi Khamoushi would assume the role after Golpayegani’s decades-long tenure alongside Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei since 1989.

IranWire described Khamoushi as a key figure in the Islamic Republic’s “second generation,” linking the clerical establishment, state technocracy and Iran’s powerful, wealthy bazaar networks.

Khamoushi has led the Office for Endowments and Charitable Affairs, known as Owqaf, one of Iran’s wealthiest and most opaque institutions.

Khamoushi and members of his family have faced corruption allegations tied to the Petrochemical Commercial Company privatization scandal.

A 2021 court ruling identified two relatives, Ali-Naqi and Abol Hassan Khamoushi, as “unindicted co-conspirators” in a case involving the alleged theft of $6.6 billion.

Posted by Emma Bussey

4 hours ago

Moscow diplomat floats idea of Ghalibaf getting Russia envoy role after China appointment

Russia’s envoy to international organizations in Vienna appeared to suggest Sunday that Iran's parliament speaker, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, should be given a similar role overseeing relations with Moscow after he was appointed special envoy for China affairs.

“Isn’t it equally relevant to think about something similar in relations with Russia?” Mikhail Ulyanov wrote on X.

His remarks came after Iranian media reported that Ghalibaf had been appointed to oversee relations with China by President Masoud Pezeshkian.

The report, cited by Iran International said Ghalibaf had been approved for the China role by Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei.

The longtime Revolutionary Guards commander is widely described by experts as a loyal “yes man,” with a record of threats against the United States and deep ties to the system’s inner circle.

Posted by Emma Bussey

4 hours ago

Oil prices climb as drone attacks on UAE nuclear plant, Saudi Arabia raise escalation fears

Oil prices continued to rise Monday as efforts to end the U.S.-Israeli war on Iran appeared to have stalled, according to reports.

This came after a nuclear power plant in the UAE came under a drone attack and as President Donald Trump looked set to convene a meeting Tuesday in the Situation Room to discuss military options for Iran.

Brent crude futures rose $1.44, or 1.32%, to $110.70 a barrel by 2337 GMT.

U.S. West Texas Intermediate CLc1 was at $107.26 a barrel, up $1.84, or 1.75%, following a rise to its highest level since May 4.

Both contracts gained more than 7% last week amid hopes of a peace deal between Iran and the U.S. that would also end the impasse in the Strait of Hormuz.

Drone attacks on Saudi Arabia Sunday also raised concerns about an escalation in the conflict, Reuters reported.

Posted by Emma Bussey

5 hours ago

Mojtaba Khamenei's IRGC representative says talks with US moving forward with his approval

Iranian Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei’s representative at the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said Sunday that talks are advancing under official oversight and with his approval.

“Our negotiations are moving forward under the supervision of officials and with the approval of the leadership,” Abdollah Haji Sadeghi said, according to Iran International.

“Sacred unity is more important than anything,” he added.

“We have a courageous, insightful, wise and commanding leader who guides the people beautifully,” Haji Sadeghi said.

Posted by Emma Bussey

5 hours ago

Germany says G7 is the right forum to discuss ending the war in Iran

Germany’s finance minister said Sunday that the Group of Seven nations is the right forum for discussing efforts to end the war in Iran, according to reports.

Lars Klingbeil made the remarks ahead of traveling to Paris to join G7 finance ministers and central bankers Monday and Tuesday, Reuters reported.

“Our path as Europeans remains clear: We rely on cooperation rather than confrontation,” Klingbeil said.

“We rely on partnerships, reliability, open trade and the strength of the rule of law.”

The minister also said recent crises have shown the need for Germany and Europe to become more independent and resilient, especially in raw materials, energy and supply chains.

The United States is a founding member of the G7, which also includes Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan and the United Kingdom.

Posted by Emma Bussey

6 hours ago

Trump posts image of arrows aimed at Iran as tensions escalate

President Donald Trump shared a Truth Social post Sunday featuring an image of a Middle East map overlaid with an American flag.

The image also showed a series of arrows pointing toward Iran. Trump provided no further details on the image.

The post came after the president warned Iran that “the clock is ticking, and they better get moving, FAST, or there won’t be anything left of them” in an earlier Truth Social post.

Posted by Emma Bussey

6 hours ago

CENTCOM highlights naval operations as USS Abraham Lincoln conducts Arabian Sea flights

U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) highlighted its ongoing operations in the Middle East on Sunday as its sailors managed flights from the USS Abraham Lincoln.

“U.S. sailors support flight operations aboard aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN 72) sailing in the Arabian Sea,” the command said in a post shared on X.

“Every operational success across CENTCOM begins and ends with America’s men and women in uniform,” it said.

Posted by Emma Bussey

8 hours ago

Saudi Arabia intercepts three drones launched from Iraq: report

Saudi Arabia confirmed Sunday it intercepted three drones after they entered the region from Iraqi airspace, according to reports.

Saudi Arabia confirmed Sunday it intercepted three drones after they entered the region from Iraqi airspace, according to reports.

Citing its spokesperson, Major General Turki Al-Maliki, the Defense Ministry also said it would take the necessary operational measures to respond to any attempt to violate its sovereignty and security, Reuters reported.

Posted by Emma Bussey

8 hours ago

CENTCOM confirms 81 vessels diverted, four disabled amid US blockade of Iranian ports

U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) confirmed Sunday it had diverted 81 ships and disabled four others during its ongoing blockade of Iranian ports.

“A U.S. sailor stands watch on the bridge of USS Tripoli (LHA 7) while transiting the Arabian Sea,” the command said in a post shared on X.

“The Tripoli Amphibious Ready Group is enforcing the U.S. blockade against Iran,” CENTCOM added.

“As of May 17, U.S. forces have redirected 81 commercial vessels and disabled four to ensure compliance.”

Posted by Emma Bussey

8 hours ago

IDF says new video exposes six armed Hezbollah militants operating in southern Lebanon

The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) released a new video Sunday showing what the military said was Hezbollah militants.

“IDF footage exposes six armed Hezbollah terrorists operating in Bint Jbeil, south of the Forward Defense Line in southern Lebanon on April 24,” the IDF said in a post shared on X.

The video shows fighters on a rooftop in the region.

In a statement, the IDF also said Hezbollah had launched several rockets, explosive drones and mortar shells toward its soldiers in southern Lebanon in a number of incidents over the past 24 hours.

“The launches and the explosive drone fell in proximity to IDF soldiers. No IDF injuries were reported,” the military said.

Posted by Emma Bussey

9 hours ago

UAE confirms third drone struck generator outside nuclear plant perimete

The United Arab Emirates confirmed Sunday that it had intercepted three drones coming from the west.

The announcement came after one UAV caused a fire outside the Barakah Nuclear Power Plant.

“The Ministry of Defence announced that on 17 May 2026, UAE air defence systems intercepted three UAVs that entered the country from the western border direction,” the ministry said in a statement posted on X.

“The ministry said that two of the UAVs were successfully intercepted, while the third struck an electrical generator outside the inner perimeter of the Barakah Nuclear Power Plant in the Al Dhafra Region.”

The ministry added that investigations were underway to determine the source of the attack and said further details would be announced once the investigation was complete.

“The Ministry of Defence affirmed that it remains fully prepared and ready to address any threats and will firmly confront any attempts to undermine the country's security, in a manner that safeguards its sovereignty, security and stability, and protects its national interests and gains,” the statement said.

Meanwhile, Dr. Anwar Mohammed Gargash, adviser to the UAE president, condemned the attack on Sunday.

“The terrorist targeting of the Barakah clean nuclear power plant, whether carried out by the principal perpetrator or through one of its agents, represents a dangerous escalation and a dark scene that violates all international laws and norms, in criminal disregard for the lives of civilians in the UAE and its surroundings,” he said in a post shared on X.

Posted by Emma Bussey

10 hours ago

Iran threatens to 'deactivate' US bases in Persian Gulf as Trump warns 'clock is ticking'

IRGC spokesperson Ebrahim Zolfaghari warned Sunday that U.S. military bases in the southern Persian Gulf would be “deactivated” as the U.S. maintained its blockade of Iranian ports and the IRGC enforced its effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz.

Zolfaghari's remarks came around the same time as President Donald Trump urged Iran to make peace and abandon its nuclear weapons ambitions, saying the “clock is ticking.”

“In the past 24 hours, the IRGC Navy did not allow any vessel to pass through the Strait of Hormuz,” Zolfaghari said in a post shared on X.

“In the near future, all U.S. military bases in the southern Persian Gulf will be deactivated,” he warned.

“We will build the New Order,” he said.

Zolfaghari’s comments also came after the UAE suffered a drone strike Sunday that sparked a fire at an electrical generator outside the Barakah Nuclear Power Plant in Abu Dhabi’s Al Dhafra region.

“The original model of a Shahed-136 drone attack looks like this,” Zolfaghari said in another X post on Sunday, that included what looked like a drone strike diagram.

“The fact that we have not yet treated you this way is out of consideration for our Muslim brothers and sisters in the UAE,” he added.

“But our patience has its limits,” he warned.

Posted by Emma Bussey

12 hours ago

Van Hollen calls out Trump as 'stupid enough' to fight Netanyahu's 40-year war with Iran

Sen. Chris Van Hollen, D-Md., accused Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday of pulling President Donald Trump into the war with Iran during an interview on NBC's "Meet the Press," as the president returned from a China summit without Beijing making a specific commitment to help broker an end to the conflict.

"The president got dragged into this war. Prime Minister Netanyahu said that he’d been waiting 40 years for somebody to go to war with him in Iran. He found a president stupid enough to do it," he said. "I blame Donald Trump for that decision, but here we are."

Van Hollen said the U.S. does not need China to end the fighting, arguing that Trump could stop the war by changing course.

"I don’t think we need China’s support," Van Hollen said. "I think the fastest way to end the war in Iran is just to stop digging a hole even deeper, and that’s what we should do right now."

The Maryland Democrat said Trump had campaigned on avoiding new wars and lowering costs, but that the conflict had undercut both promises.

"After all, Donald Trump was the candidate who said he was going to keep us out of wars, and he was going to focus on bringing down prices, and of course he’s done just the opposite," Van Hollen said. "Gas and other prices are going through the roof."

This is an excerpt from an article by Fox News' CJ Womack.

Posted by Anders Hagstrom

13 hours ago

Why president Trump rejected Xi Jinping's offer on the Iran conflict

Sen. Dave McCormick, R-Pa., discussed President Donald Trump's official state visit to China following news that he rejected Xi Jinping's offer to resolve the Iran conflict and reopen the Strait of Hormuz.

Posted by Anders Hagstrom

13 hours ago

Sen John Fetterman on bipartisan cooperation and holding Iran accountable

Sen. John Fetterman, D-Pa., discussed his willingness to vote with Republicans on key issues, including opposing Iran's nuclear program during an appearance on "Sunday Morning Futures."

Posted by Anders Hagstrom

14 hours ago

Senate Republicans block Dems' effort to end Iran conflict

Fox News' Alex Hogan reported on President Donald Trump’s return from China with new trade wins as Senate Republicans narrowly blocked an effort to curb the president's war powers in Iran.

Posted by Anders Hagstrom

14 hours ago

US eliminates top global ISIS leader in Nigeria operation

President Donald Trump announced late Friday that U.S. and Nigerian forces carried out an operation that killed a global ISIS leader.

Trump identified the terrorist as Abu-Bilal al-Minuki, whom he described as ISIS’s second-in-command globally.

"Tonight, at my direction, brave American forces and the Armed Forces of Nigeria flawlessly executed a meticulously planned and very complex mission to eliminate the most active terrorist in the world from the battlefield," Trump wrote in a post on Truth Social.

"Abu-Bilal al-Minuki, second in command of ISIS globally, thought he could hide in Africa, but little did he know we had sources who kept us informed on what he was doing," Trump continued. "He will no longer terrorize the people of Africa, or help plan operations to target Americans."

Trump also thanked the Nigerian government for its cooperation in the mission.

"With his removal, ISIS’s global operation is greatly diminished," he added.

In a Saturday morning X post, Secretary of War Pete Hegseth confirmed U.S. forces, in coordination with the Armed Forces of Nigeria, killed al-Minuki and other ISIS leaders and provided more details about al-Minuki's role within ISIS.

"Abu-Bilal al-Minuki was the senior ISIS General Directorate of Provinces Emir — the number two for ISIS globally — responsible for overseeing the planning of attacks, directing hostage-taking and managing financial operations," Hegseth wrote. "The removal of him and other ISIS personnel makes Americans safer by further degrading ISIS’s ability to plan and carry out attacks that threaten the U.S. homeland, American citizens, and innocent civilians. "

"Operations like last night’s demonstrate the exceptional lethality, patience and skill of U.S. forces, amplified alongside willing and capable partners, to address shared threats," Hegseth wrote. "This should serve as a reminder that we will hunt down those who wish to harm Americans or innocent Christians, wherever they are."

This is an excerpt from an article by Fox News' Robert McGreevy.

Posted by Anders Hagstrom

15 hours ago

Hamas and Hezbollah flags fly at Manhattan anti-Israel protest after Mamdani condemns terror plot

Several masked demonstrators carried Hamas flags at an anti-Israel protest in Manhattan on Friday, while a Hezbollah flag waved above the crowd, hours after federal authorities charged an alleged Kataib Hezbollah operative of plotting attacks on Jewish community centers and a Manhattan synagogue.

The protest drew about 500 demonstrators carrying Palestinian flags to Washington Square Park, where chants of "globalize the intifada" rang out as one speaker declared Israel has no right to exist and said Palestinians would take over Israel "by any means necessary."

Just as the protest was kicking off at around 4:30 p.m., New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani condemned the alleged terror plot by Mohammad Baqer Saad Dawood Al-Saadi, a commander in the Kataeb Hezbollah terrorist operation in Iraq.

"Let me be clear: antisemitism, violent extremism, and terrorism have no place in our city. This kind of hate is despicable," Mamdani said.

Two minutes later, a starkly different scene unfolded in Lower Manhattan off W. 4th Street. The activists descended on the busy Washington Square Park with Palestinian flags, pre-printed signs and banners, transforming a corner of the park into a rally staging ground to protest the existence of the state of Israel and demand its dismantling and replacement with a state called Palestine.

Among them, a young anti-Israel demonstrator arrived, draped in the flag of the Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades — Hamas’s military wing — wearing it like a cape. The flag depicted a masked armed fighter beside the Dome of the Rock beneath green script in Arabic, declaring the shahada, or Muslim proclamation of faith. He also carried a flag featuring an image of Abu Obaida, the spokesman for Hamas’ military wing, who became one of the terror group’s most recognizable figures after Hamas’ Oct. 7, 2023, attack on Israel. Israeli forces killed him in 2025.

Others followed wearing the green headbands of Hamas and carrying similar flags. Nearby, a protester carried Hezbollah’s bright yellow flag, featuring the organization’s recognizable green insignia of a stylized assault rifle incorporated into Arabic calligraphy.

The demonstration was organized by anti-Israel groups including the Muslim American Society — a powerful nonprofit whose leaders supported Mamdani’s election — and Within Our Lifetime, another local group. Protesters arrived carrying pre-made banners over their shoulders, stacks of professionally printed signs and a North Face bag filled with protest gear. 

This is an excerpt from an article by Fox News' Asra Nomani.

Posted by Anders Hagstrom

15 hours ago

UK defense shortfalls highlighted as Britain avoids Iran offensive role amid Trump criticism

The United Kingdom announced Tuesday it will be deploying military assets "as part of a future defensive mission to secure freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz."\

While the move can be seen as a positive step in repairing relations with the U.S., Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s reluctance to join the U.S. in "Operation Epic Fury" against Iran has still ruffled feathers in Washington — most notably those of President Donald Trump.

Trump has dismissed Starmer as "no Churchill." In a recent interview with Sky News, the president further complained about the lack of British alignment: "When we asked them for help, they were not there. When we needed them, they were not there... And they still aren't there."

Trump also took aim at the British Navy’s readiness in March, ridiculing the fleet during a White House meeting. 

"We had the U.K. say that, 'We'll send'— this is three weeks ago — 'we'll send our aircraft carriers,' which aren't the best aircraft carriers, by the way," Trump said, according to Sky News. "They're toys compared to what we have."

This is an excerpt from an article by Fox News' Michael Saunders.

Posted by Anders Hagstrom

16 hours ago

Netanyahu to speak with Trump after China trip: 'Prepared for every scenario'

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says he will speak with President Donald Trump later Sunday to discuss Trump's China trip.

Trump visited with Chinese President Xi Jinping last week and discussed the Iran conflict and its impact on global trade.

“Our eyes are also open regarding Iran. I will speak today, as I do every few days, with our friend President Trump," Netanyahu said in a statement. "I will certainly hear impressions from his trip to China, and perhaps other matters as well. There are certainly many possibilities, and we are prepared for every scenario.”

Posted by Anders Hagstrom

16 hours ago

Drone strikes generator at nuclear power plant in UAE

Chief foreign correspondent Trey Yingst reported on a drone attack against a nuclear power plant in the United Arab Emirates on Sunday as President Donald Trump is set to speak with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu amid stalled negotiations with Iran.

Posted by Anders Hagstrom

17 hours ago

Weekend Israeli strike killed Hamas military chief tied to Oct. 7 attacks: report

An Israeli airstrike in Gaza killed Hamas military wing leader Izz al-Din al-Haddad, whom Israel described as one of the last surviving architects of the Oct. 7, 2023 terror attacks.

The Israeli military said al-Haddad was killed Friday in a strike in Gaza. Hamas later confirmed his death.

Israel said al-Haddad helped direct the planning and execution of the Oct. 7 attacks, when Hamas-led terrorists killed roughly 1,200 people in southern Israel and took more than 250 hostages.

Israeli officials said al-Haddad had recently taken over leadership of Hamas’ military wing following the death of Mohammed Sinwar.

The military also accused al-Haddad of surrounding himself with Israeli hostages during the war to deter attacks against him.

Al-Haddad’s family confirmed to The Associated Press that he was killed alongside six other people, including his wife and daughter.

Israel Defense Forces chief Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir called the killing a “significant operational achievement” and said Israel would continue pursuing those responsible for the Oct. 7 massacre.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Posted by Anders Hagstrom

18 hours ago

Iran says it has 'no trust in Americans' as latest offer falls flat

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi declared that Iran has "no trust in Americans" on Saturday after President Donald Trump rejected the country's latest peace proposal.

Trump says Iran has failed to provide sufficient safeguards to prevent Tehran from obtaining a nuclear weapon.

Trump has showed no signs of ending the fragile ceasefire with Iran as negotiations are ongoing, however.

Posted by Anders Hagstrom

Live Coverage begins here