Satellite images show irrefutable evidence of Iran’s nuclear sites damage
Fresh satellite imagery released by Maxar Technologies shows significant damage at three of Iran’s key nuclear sites, Fordow, Natanz, and Isfahan, just days after U.S. B-2 stealth bombers conducted strikes ordered by President Donald Trump.
The new photos, released on June 24, provide the clearest post-strike visuals to date, showing the precision and depth of the U.S. assault on Iran’s nuclear infrastructure.
At the heavily fortified Fordow Fuel Enrichment Facility, located deep beneath a mountain near Qom, satellite views reveal multiple craters along the primary access roads and directly at the entrances to tunnel complexes.
Several perimeter buildings were destroyed outright, and one crater can be seen blasted into the access road leading to the facility.
US STRIKE DAMAGE TO IRAN’S NATANZ, ISFAHAN NUCLEAR FACILITIES CAPTURED IN SATELLITE IMAGES
The Isfahan Nuclear Technology Center also shows signs of recent damage. An overview image highlights new destruction at the surface, while detailed shots capture tunnel entrances that appear to have been struck directly, echoing earlier reporting that the operation aimed to neutralize buried infrastructure previously unreachable by conventional air power.
Meanwhile, at Natanz, a site known for its history with the Stuxnet cyberattack and long a target of Israeli and American scrutiny, two craters believed to have been caused by U.S. ordnance now appear filled and covered with dirt.
IRAN’S FORDOW NUCLEAR SITE STRUCK SECOND TIME AS IDF TARGETS ACCESS ROUTES
These strikes had reportedly targeted the underground centrifuge halls that are central to Iran’s uranium enrichment operations.
IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi confirmed that key buildings and underground systems at all three sites were hit.
American officials say Iran’s nuclear program has been severely set back.
Trump has claimed a “very successful” mission.
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In addition to the nuclear sites hit by the U.S., Maxar’s images also documented separate airstrike damage in the capital city of Tehran.
The images show widespread destruction believed to be linked to suspected nuclear program buildings near Tehran’s Shahid Rajaee University.
Witkoff calls damage report leaks ‘treasonous,’ says Iran’s nuclear program destroyed
The U.S. strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities over the weekend eradicated Iran’s ability to produce a nuclear weapon, despite media reports saying the opposite, Steve Witkoff, the Trump administration’s special envoy to the Middle East, said Tuesday.
The strikes ordered by President Donald Trump targeted three sites – one each in Isfahan, Natanz and Fordow.
“All three of those had most, if not all, the centrifuges
damaged or destroyed in a way that it will be almost impossible for them to resurrect that program, in my view and in many other experts’ views who have seen the raw data, it will take a period of years,” Witkoff told “The Ingraham Angle.”
Witkoff described media reports contradicting claims that Iran’s nuclear sites were obliterated “completely preposterous.”
He also called for whoever leaked documents about the damage assessment of the three targeted sites to be held accountable.
“Leaking that type of information, whatever the information, whatever side it comes out on, is outrageous,” he said. “It’s treasonous. So, it ought to be investigated. And whoever did it, whoever is responsible for it, should be held accountable. It could hurt lives in the future.”
“It was never going to be a forever war. It was never gonna be a war just for war’s sake. It was a war to achieve an objective that I think most Americans should be very, very satisfied with,” Witkoff told the “Ingraham Angle.” “I can tell you that I was in those discussions. I watched our commander in chief. He is, he’s got this uncanny ability to understand exactly when to push the button and when to pull out. He achieved his objective and that was the end of it.”
Israelis responded calmly on Tuesday to U.S. President Donald Trump, who criticized the Jewish State and accused it of violating a ceasefire he brokered with Iran.
The people of Israel expressed gratitude for Trump’s mediation and relief for the end of the conflict.
“Honestly, I don’t care that much about what Trump said about Israel. At the end of the day, I think he’s the one that truly helped to bring an end to this war and that’s what’s important to me,” Daniel Kopylkov, a cook, said.
Historian Marc Volovici said Trump’s verbal attacks against Israel underscored the Jewish State’s dependence on U.S. political, military and financial support.
“This was just a very small but significant demonstration of how Israel relies on international legitimacy, and especially (the) American one,” he said.
Earlier in the day, Trump blasted Israel after joining the U.S. ally in the war two days before by dropping massive bunker-buster bombs on Iran’s underground nuclear sites.
Reuters contributed to this report.
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., said Tuesday that President Donald Trump “doesn’t know what the F he’s doing” after the president claimed that Israel and Iran do not know what they are doing.
”We basically have two countries that have been fighting so long and so hard that they don’t know what the fuck they’re doing,” Trump told reporters.
Ocasio-Cortez responded on X: “And he doesn’t know what the F he’s doing either.”
“Mind you instead of focusing on the war he just uncorked, he spent his morning writing essays about me in his blog,” she added.
President Donald Trump lashed out at CNN and the New York Times over reports that U.S. strikes failed to significantly damage three Iranian nuclear facilities.
“FAKE NEWS CNN, TOGETHER WITH THE FAILING NEW YORK TIMES, HAVE TEAMED UP IN AN ATTEMPT TO DEMEAN ONE OF THE MOST SUCCESSFUL MILITARY STRIKES IN HISTORY,” Trump wrote on Truth Social. “THE NUCLEAR SITES IN IRAN ARE COMPLETELY DESTROYED! BOTH THE TIMES AND CNN ARE GETTING SLAMMED BY THE PUBLIC!”
A report by CNN citing anonymous sources, said the strikes ordered by Trump didn’t do the kind of damage that would seriously degrade Tehran’s ability to restart its nuclear program.
The preliminary intelligence assessment, which is deemed low confidence in intelligence terms, by the Defense Intelligence Agency said Iran’s nuclear program could be back on line in less than a year.
The White House and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth have pushed back on the reports.
“Based on everything we have seen — and I’ve seen it all — our bombing campaign obliterated Iran’s ability to create nuclear weapons,” Hegseth said. “Our massive bombs hit exactly the right spot at each target—and worked perfectly. The impact of those bombs is buried under a mountain of rubble in Iran; so anyone who says the bombs were not devastating is just trying to undermine the President and the successful mission.“
The U.S. State Department announced the U.S. Embassy in Israel, the West Bank and Gaza will open as usual beginning on Wednesday now that Home Front Command has lifted all restrictions after Israel and Iran agreed to a ceasefire.
U.S. government employees were ordered to shelter in place while tensions between Israel and Iran continued to escalate.
Despite many restrictions being lifted, U.S. government employees and family members are restricted from traveling outside greater Tel Aviv, Jerusalem, and Be’er Sheva areas until further notice, the State Department said. Travel between those areas, though, is allowed, including to and from Ben Gurion Airport.
STATE DEPARTMENT ISSUES WORLDWIDE CAUTION FOR US TRAVELERS FOLLOWING TRUMP’S IRAN STRIKES
The State Department issued a full release on restrictions being lifted, when and where services are expected to resume.
While embassies are reopening, visa operations, for example, will resume in Jerusalem and Tel Aviv starting on Monday, June 30.
But regularly scheduled U.S. passport and Consular Report of Birth Abroad appointments will resume on Wednesday.
Sen. Rand Paul
, R-Ky., said it is too soon to know how effective President Donald Trump’s strikes on Iran’s nuclear facilities will be, despite reports they could be back up and running in less than a year.
Paul told reporters he had seen reports that 400 kg of 60% enriched uranium had been removed from the nuclear facilities before U.S. bombs were dropped in Iran.
The senator was clear, though, that he had not been briefed on the veracity of the missing uranium and learned about the missing uranium through news reports.
As far as the future of Iran’s nuclear program, Paul said he hoped Iran was chastened by the events and want to be part of a community of nations and be friendly with everyone instead of racing toward a nuclear program capable of completing a nuclear weapon.
TRUMP HAILS ‘MONUMENTAL’ DAMAGE AS EXPERTS AWAIT VERDICT ON IRAN’S NUCLEAR PROGRAM
“So, this will either be heralded as the greatest military strike in recent history or if they make a spiritual nuclear weapon, people will look back, you know, in retrospect and say, ‘oh my goodness, what happened here?’” Paul said. “I don’t think it’s known yet. I don’t think anybody knows. And it may take a while to know. I doubt there will be any kind of inspections. I don’t think there’s going to be nuclear inspections. I don’t expect Iran to let anybody come in and look at the facilities.”
“They will say one thing, but they will obviously have some propaganda effects that they’re trying to display, and others will say something else, but I’m not sure we’re going to know for a while.” he continued. “I think it’s going to take a while to assess things…but I think ultimately it’s going to take a while until Iran reveals which direction they’re going.”
Vice President JD Vance on Tuesday praised President Donald Trump’s action to strike Iranian nuclear facilities over the weekend.
Vance, who spoke at the Ohio Republican Party dinner in Lima, Ohio, said Trump gave Tehran 60 days to give up its nuclear ambitions.
“You don’t want the worst people in the world to have a nuclear weapon. So what did the President do? For 60 days, he negotiated aggressively to encourage the Iranian regime to give up those weapons peacefully,” Vance said. “And by the way, he was more than willing to accept a peaceful settlement to that problem. But again, this comes back to instincts. When the President realized that there was not going to be a peaceful settlement to that problem, he sent B2 bombers and dropped twelve 30,000-pound bombs on the work facility and destroyed that program.”
“Not only did we destroy the Iranian nuclear program, we did it with zero American casualties,” the vice president added.
Vance noted that many do not want the United States to get involved in a lengthy, protracted conflict.
“We all saw what happened with Iraq and Afghanistan,” he said.
Classified briefings for House and Senate members about the U.S. strikes on Iranian nuclear sites have been postponed until later in the week, said House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La.
“I have just confirmed with the White House that the classified bipartisan briefing for all House Members will now be held on Friday,” Johnson wrote Tuesday on X. “Senior Administration officials will present the latest information pertaining to the situation involving Israel and Iran.”
Some Democrats expressed frustration at the delay.
“This last-minute postponement of our briefing is outrageous, it’s evasive, it’s derelict. They’re bobbing and weaving and ducking. Senators deserve full transparency. There is a legal obligation for the administration to inform Congress about precisely what is happening,” Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., said on the Senate Floor.
“What are they afraid of?” he added.
Israel said its forces intercepted two drones that likely came from Iran as both nations continue to observe a fragile ceasefire.
“The Air Force intercepted earlier this evening two unmanned aerial vehicles that were making their way toward the country’s territory, likely from Iran,” the Israeli Air Force wrote on X. “The interceptions were carried out outside the country’s territory.”
Israeli officials have said the country will respond with force if Iran violates the newly agreed-upon ceasefire.
Iran’s nuclear program could be back on line in less than a year, according to sources who have seen the Defense Intelligence Agency bomb damage assessment from U.S. strikes this past weekend.
The agency assesses that the Iran nuclear program
could be back on line in a matters of “months,” from one to two months on the low end to less than a year on the high end, sources who have seen the classified DIA assessment told Fox News Chief National Security Correspondent Jennifer Griffin.
The preliminary intelligence assessment, which is deemed low confidence in intelligence terms, is based on satellite images and signals intelligence obtained since the strikes. The focus of the report is on Iran’s Fordow facility.
The U.S. bunker buster bombs were able to cave the entrances to the facility, which is built 300 feet underground. Some infrastructure was destroyed, but the overall operations were not destroyed and they could “dig out” and rebuild and repair the power to the facility that powered the centrifuges.
An unknown amount of the highly enriched uranium was moved out of the facility, according to the preliminary DIA intelligence assessment. One possibility, according to the report, is that it was moved to the “3rd site” that the Iranians told the International Atomic Energy Agency about ahead of the strikes.
The DIA is one of 18 intelligence agencies and focuses on military intelligence.
There’s no question that Iran’s nuclear program has suffered significant damage, said Ret. Gen. David Petraeus.
Petraeus, the former CIA director and commander of U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM), praised the U.S. military precision strikes against Iran over the weekend in an effort to degrade its ability to develop a nuclear weapon.
“I suspect that this has set the program back much, much more than many months but the bomb assessment process does need to be complete to validate that,” he said Tuesday on “The Will Cain Show.”
Petraeus noted that officials need to ensure that high-enriched uranium wasn’t moved from the targeted sites elsewhere.
“I’m quite confident that this has set back the program a very substantial amount of time, undoubtedly years,” he said.
International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi said his agency does not know where nearly 900 pounds of potentially enriched uranium is located, after Iranian officials said it was being removed for protective measures ahead of strikes on nuclear facilities in Iran.
Grossi was a guest on Fox News’ “The Story with Martha MacCallum,” on Tuesday, when he was asked about the whereabouts of the enriched uranium in Iran, as well as other topics concerning the U.S. strikes on Iran’s nuclear facilities on Saturday.
The U.S. military on Saturday carried out massive precision strikes on three key nuclear sites in Iran, including Fordow, Natanz and Isfahan.
UN NUCLEAR CHIEF SAYS IRAN HAS MATERIAL TO BUILD BOMBS, BUT NO PLAN TO DO SO
Grossi said Natanz was the first to be hit and sustained “very serious damage” in one of the centrifuge halls where enrichment was being carried out. Isfahan also sustained damage, he added, though nobody has been inside the halls to assess the damage.
MacCallum asked Grossi about a statement in which he previously said he believed 900 pounds of potentially enriched uranium was taken to an ancient site near Isfahan.
“I have to be very precise, Martha…We are the IAEA, so we are not speculating here,” Grossi said. “We do not have information of the whereabouts of this material.”
He told the host Iran officials told him they were taking protective measures which may or may not include moving around the material.
“So, it is quite obvious you are asking me about it, that there is a question there: Where is this?” Grossi said. “So, the way to asserting that is to allow the inspection activity to resume as soon as possible. And I think this would be for the benefit of all.”
The U.S. strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities Saturday have rendered ideal results for addressing the crisis between Iran and Israel, according to former President Joe Biden’s National Security Council coordinator for the Middle East and North Africa.
“Bottom line, this is about the best place we can be,” Brett McGurk said in a CNN interview late Monday. “I give extremely high marks to this national security team and President Trump for managing this crisis and getting where we are.”
EX-CLINTON OFFICIAL APPLAUDS TRUMP’S ‘COURAGEOUS’ IRAN CALL, DOUBTS HARRIS WOULD’VE HAD THE NERVE
Additionally, McGurk said that the Trump administration has an opportunity to pursue a ceasefire between Israel and Gaza amid ongoing attempts for months to secure one.
“There’s a chance for diplomacy here,” McGurk said. “Not only on the Iran side, but also in Gaza. Those talks are also going on back channel in Cairo; there’s a Hamas delegation there. Try to get that ceasefire in place. And you can come out of this in a place that is far better than we would have anticipated 10 nights ago.”
Read more about Trump’s handling of the Iranian conflict.
This is an excerpt from a story by Diana Stancy.
The U.S. bombing campaign to take out Iranian nuclear sites has “obliterated” Iran’s ability to produce a nuclear weapon, officials said.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt disputed a CNN report that Iran’s nuclear facilities were intact.
“Based on everything we have seen — and I’ve seen it all — our bombing campaign obliterated Iran’s ability to create nuclear weapons,” Hegseth said. “Our massive bombs hit exactly the right spot at each target—and worked perfectly. The impact of those bombs is buried under a mountain of rubble in Iran; so anyone who says the bombs were not devastating is just trying to undermine the President and the successful mission.“
Leavitt said the alleged assessment was “flat-out wrong and was classified as ‘top secret’ but was still leaked to CNN by an anonymous, low-level loser in the intelligence community.”
“This assessment and the leak is a clear attempt to demean President Trump, and discredit the brave fighter pilots who conducted a perfectly executed mission to obliterate Iran’s nuclear program,” she said. “Everyone knows what happens when you drop fourteen 30,000 pound bombs perfectly on their targets: total obliteration.”
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Tuesday said his country achieved a historic victory by taking out Iran’s nuclear program.
In a video message to Israelis, the prime minister said Israel faced its destruction had it not acted.
“We eliminated two immediate existential threats: the threat of annihilation by nuclear bombs, and the threat of annihilation by 20,000 ballistic missiles,” he said. “Because at the decisive moment, we rose like a lion, stood like an eagle, and our roar shook Tehran and echoed across the world.”
In 12 days of operations, Israel destroyed the main enrichment facility in Natanz, a uranium conversion facility in Isfahan, a heavy water reactor in Arak, as well as eliminating Iran’s top nuclear scientists, he said.
“As for the Iranian regime—we delivered crushing blows. We eliminated numerous senior figures, destroyed command posts, struck Revolutionary Guards bases and Basij bases, and targeted symbols of the regime,” Netanyahu added. “And this morning, just hours before the ceasefire, we dealt the Ayatollah regime the harshest blow since the start of the war—the worst in its history. Hundreds of regime operatives were eliminated in a devastating strike—the most devastating Tehran has seen in the last 50 years.”
The Israeli leader added that Israel has not forgotten about the hostages being held in Gaza by Hamas.
“We have not paused our efforts for a single moment—not even during the war—to return all our hostages home. Again: the living and the fallen alike. And we will not let up until this sacred mission is complete,” he said.
The group pushing for all hostages being held captive in Gaza by Hamas is calling for their release following a ceasefire agreement between Israel and Iran.
The Hostages and Missing Families Forum said the momentum is on Israel’s side to get the remaining hostages released.
“The ceasefire agreement must expand to include Gaza
; we call on the government to engage in urgent negotiations that will bring home all the hostages and end the war,” the group in a news release. “Those who can achieve a ceasefire with Iran can also end the war in Gaza.”
“To conclude this decisive operation against Iran without leveraging our success to bring home all the hostages would be a grave failure,” it said. “The Israeli government has a duty to seize this opportunity with both hands, and pursue with full force a comprehensive deal that will return all 50 hostages in one phase and end the war.”
Israel will comply with a ceasefire with Iran, but any violation will be met with a forceful response, said Danny Danon, Israel’s ambassador to the United Nations, said Tuesday.
“Israel is a peaceful nation. We pray for peace three times a day,” Danon told reporters. “But let no one mistake our desire for peace. Other weakness. Any violation of the ceasefire and any threat against our people will be met without forceful response. We have demonstrated that we can and will act to defend our people against any threat.”
TRUMP NOMINATED FOR NOBEL PEACE PRIZE OVER IRAN-ISRAEL CEASEFIRE DEAL
In his remarks, Danon also praised President Donald Trump for helping to broker the agreement.
“I think that President Trump deserves a Nobel Peace Prize. I think we should thank him for his leadership, for the brave decision that he took, and to recognize the effort of the United States.”
President Donald Trump told Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Tuesday that the United States will not conduct more airstrikes on Iran, Fox News has learned.
Trump, who traveled to the Netherlands on Tuesday to attend a gathering of North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) leaders at The Hauge, told Netanyahu after Saturday’s strike in which U.S. warplanes attacked three Iranian nuclear facilities.
Iran and Israel have both agreed to a ceasefire after nearly two weeks of back-and-forth strikes.
Israel Defense Minister Israel Katz said he has been in contact with his U.S. counterpart, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, and emphasized his country will respect the ceasefire agreed upon as long as Iran respects the agreement.
“I spoke moments ago with U.S. Secretary of Defense @PeteHegseth,” Katz wrote in a post on X. “I thanked him for President @realDonaldTrump bold decision to stand with Israel against the Iranian nuclear threat.”
UN CHIEF PRAISES TRUMP FOR IRAN-ISRAEL CEASE-FIRE DAYS AFTER CONDEMNING US STRIKES
“The Secretary praised Israel and the IDF for the historic achievements made,” Katz continued. “I emphasized that Israel will respect the ceasefire — as long as the other side does. We agreed to deepen the close U.S.-Israel security cooperation.”
President Donald Trump announced that Iran and Israel had agreed on a ceasefire on Monday night, though shortly after the agreement had been reached, the two began to trade strikes on each other.
The State Department said it is providing guidance and support to more than 27,000 people regarding the conflict between Israel and Iran.
State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce told reporters Tuesday that the majority of those looking for assistance from the agency are seeking help getting flights out of Israel, since June 21.
Since then, flights have departed from Israel with hundreds of U.S. citizens, lawful permanent residents, and their immediate family members, Bruce said.
STATE DEPARTMENT ISSUES WORLDWIDE CAUTION FOR US TRAVELERS FOLLOWING TRUMP’S IRAN STRIKES
Emergency flights have been carrying Israelis to safety in places like Tel Aviv since the conflict between Israel and Iran ramped up, with the two countries trading attacks back and forth.
Some 100,000 to 150,000 Israelis were abroad when Israel Defense Forces (IDF) fighter jets began striking Iran overnight on Thursday, in an effort to destroy Iran’s nuclear program and cache of weapons.
President Donald Trump’s approach to the future of Iran will mostly likely be based on safety and national security, the State Department said Tuesday.
“He has in the past addressed the issue of relationships with this country,” State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce told reporters. “We are a good friend to have, and that a friendship with the United States, assists and helps facilitate the natural national security of another nation.”
VANCE TOUTS DESTRUCTION OF IRANIAN NUCLEAR PROGRAM AS TRUMP ANNOUNCES ISRAEL-IRAN CEASEFIRE
“I look at that in his approach and certain things, and that’s been certainly his attitude about it and it seems to be a correct one,” she added.
Bruce added that the future of Iran is in the hands of the Iranian people.
“The whole world has noted that the world has changed and that nothing will be the same,” she said.
Israel plans to demolish an apartment belonging to a terrorist allegedly involved in a 2024 attack at a Tel Aviv light rail station that killed seven people.
“The IDF announced its intention to demolish the apartment of terrorist Abdel Rahim Haimoni, who carried out a serious terrorist attack at the Jaffa light rail station,” the Israel Defense Forces said on X.
Authorities announced their intention to confiscate and demolish the apartment where terrorist Abd al-Rahim Haimoni lived in Hebron, in the West Bank.
Al-Rahim Haimoni and other terrorists killed seven people and injured 15 others on Oct. 1, 2024 at the light rail station, authorities said.
Israel
announced Tuesday it has ended its state of emergency.
“The IDF Home Front Command has lifted all restrictions on schools, public gatherings, and workplaces, marking a cautious return to normal life,” the country said in a post on X.
The move comes after a ceasefire announced by President Donald Trump went into effect this morning.
“Following the recent decision by the Home Front Command to lift restrictions, the Israel Airports Authority announces that Ben Gurion and Haifa airports are returning to full operation,” the Israel Airports Authority also said.
The USS Gerald R. Ford departed Norfolk, Va., on Tuesday for a scheduled deployment that could position it near Israel.
The Ford will sail for the European theater of command, which includes waters off Israel’s Mediterranean coast. The presence of the aircraft carrier and its accompanying warships gives President Donald Trump the option of a third carrier group in the Middle East if needed.
Rear Adm. Paul Lanzilotta, who commands the carrier strike group, told reporters they’re initially going to the European theater of operations but said, “we’re mobile and maneuverable.”
“Within one day, we can move this whole strike group 700-plus miles,” he said.
The Ford was previously sent to the Eastern Mediterranean to be within striking distance of Israel after Hamas’ Oct. 7 attacks in 2023.
The Ford is the first in the Navy’s new class of advanced aircraft carriers, which are designed to carry a wider variety of planes and operate with several hundred fewer sailors. Nearly 4,500 sailors departed Tuesday in a strike group that includes guided-missile destroyers and several squadrons of fighter jets.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Israel Defense Forces (IDF) Chief of the General Staff Maj. Gen. Eyal Zamir said Tuesday that “We have concluded a significant phase, but the campaign against Iran is not over.”
“We are entering a new phase based on the achievements of the current one. We’ve set Iran’s nuclear project back by years, and the same applies to its missile program,” Zamir said as a ceasefire between Israel and Iran went into effect.
“Despite the phenomenal achievement — we must keep our feet on the ground. Many challenges still lie ahead. We must stay focused, there’s no time to rest on our laurels,” he added.
Zamir also said “Now the focus shifts back to Gaza — to bring the hostages home and to dismantle the Hamas regime.”
Fox News’ Yonat Friling contributed to this report.
A State Department official told Fox News that several thousand people have fled Israel and the Middle East since the onset of the Israel-Iran war.
“We have been in contact with over 27,000 people that we’re blasting out information to through Smart Traveler Enrollment… obviously hundreds of thousands through social media and greater amplification,” the official said.
Several thousand Americans have already left Israel for Jordan by way of land crossings, the official added.
Thousands of others headed to the island of Cyprus, while there are hundreds also traveling through Egypt over the last two days, according to the official.
There are still Americans in Israel looking to leave.
Fox News’ Nick Kalman contributed to this report.
Exiled Iranian Prince Reza Pahlavi is pushing for regime change in Tehran, asserting that the regime is “near collapse.”
In a post on X, Pahlavi encouraged the people of Iran to rise up and warned military personnel that this is their “final chance” to stand with the public against the regime.
“To the military — as you’re given orders to lash out at the people — stand down. This is your final chance. You are being watched. We will remember who stood with the people and who committed crimes against them,” Pahlavi wrote on X.
On Monday, Pahlavi held a news conference in Paris, where he announced the launch of a secure platform for military, police and security personnel looking to defect from the regime to contact him and his team. He implied that he was already receiving such messages, saying that the platform would “efficiently manage the growing volume of inbound communications and requests from those breaking with the regime and seeking to join our movement.”
The exiled prince also issued a message to the world, urging the international community to let the “corrupt, crumbling, terrorist regime” in Iran fall.
“Do not prop up a regime that will, soon again, turn its guns, missiles, and terror toward you,” Pahlavi wrote.
Fox News Digital’s Danielle Wallace contributed to this report.
Lawmakers are anxious that the fragile ceasefire between Israel and Iran may not hold, but many are not ready to call for regime change in the Islamic Republic.
President Donald Trump on Monday announced that Israel and Iran had agreed to a truce, but as the evening carried into the wee hours of Tuesday morning, whether that peace would last came into question.
On Capitol Hill, in the immediate wake of the ceasefire announcement, lawmakers were already looking at the deal skeptically but had confidence that the president’s negotiating power would ensure the fragile truce was not shattered.
“I remain hopeful,” Rep. Nancy Mace, R-S.C., told Fox News Digital. “I trust the president. He’s been right on everything, and he’s the only president that’s been able to bring Iran and Israel to the table in this manner. So I’m going to hope and pray that this works, and if it doesn’t, then we know Trump will act decisively.”
Sen. Eric Schmitt, R-Mo., told Fox News Digital that it was the groundwork Trump laid in his first term with the Abraham Accords and his recent visit to Saudi Arabia that could help solidify a lasting ceasefire between the two sides.
“All you can do is just trust that because of the events that have happened, I mean, Iran … their conventional weapons have been decimated, their platforms have been decimated,” he said. “Their nuclear program has been obliterated. So they’re at the table because of that.”
Sen. John Hoeven, R-N.D., told Fox News Digital that Iran has “typically never done what they said they would do.”
However, he believed that with the pressure from both the U.S. and Israel, and because Trump was willing to use force — which he described as the president showing he “means business” — things could be different.
Fox News Digital’s Elizabeth Elkind contributed to this report.
Naval Operations Acting Chief Adm. James Kilby told lawmakers Tuesday on Capitol Hill that the Navy is going through its munitions at an “alarming rate” as it helps in the defense of Israel.
“The latest round of conflict in the Middle East utilized large amounts of munitions to defend Israel from Iranian strikes. Does the Navy currently have all the SM-3s [missiles] it needs for global threats?” Kilby was asked by Sen. Brian Schatz, D-Hawaii, during a Senate Appropriations Committee Hearing on the 2026 Navy Budget.
“We do, sir, but we are to your point, using them at an alarming rate. As you know, those are missiles procured by the Missile Defense Agency and then delivered to the Navy for our use. And we are using them quite effectively in the defense of Israel,” Kilby responded.
The Trump administration’s successful surprise strikes on Iran on Saturday night were executed without issue after the National Security Council saw massive overhauls earlier in 2025, and the national security advisor was replaced by Secretary of State Marco Rubio to fulfill an additional job role that critics said would likely end in failure.
President Donald Trump
made a surprise announcement on Truth Social Saturday evening announcing the U.S. military carried out successful strikes on a trio of Iranian nuclear facilities as tensions and conflict heightened between Iran and Israel since June 12.
The operation, which was also praised by Pentagon brass as a total success, was executed after the Trump administration slashed the National Security Council and replaced former national security advisor Mike Waltz with Rubio, who currently serves four different roles within the administration.
Democratic lawmakers and former National Security Council staffers seethed against potential and finalized cuts to the council, alleging that Trump was politicizing and potentially crippling national security.
The Trump administration and its supporters, however, viewed the overhauls as the president coming through on his campaign promise to strip Washington of the “deep state” and streamline the office.
President Donald Trump’s decision to order military strikes on Iran without first seeking congressional approval was met with immediate, yet familiar, criticism from lawmakers across the political spectrum.
Presidents have for decades taken actions similar to Trump’s and attracted backlash for skirting Congress’s authority. The Constitution gives Congress the power to declare war but presidents the power to control the military and foreign policy.
Gene Healy, a senior vice president with the libertarian Cato Institute, told Fox News Digital that in terms of “crossing a constitutional Rubicon, this is territory that presidents have been dancing over since at least Harry Truman.”
“In each case, it’s at odds with the original design of constitutional war powers, which is that one single person should not have the power to embroil the United States in foreign wars,” Healy said.
His think tank also rebuked former President Barack Obama in 2011 after Obama unilaterally authorized airstrikes in Libya as part of a NATO-led effort to enforce a no-fly zone in the country and protect civilians there.
“The president is derelict in his duty to obey the Constitution and the War Powers Resolution. And Congress is derelict in its duty to assert its constitutional authority,” another member of the thinktank wrote at the time.
Congress passed the War Powers Act in 1973 to install guardrails for presidents who seek to authorize military action,
but critics have said the resolution has lacked potency and that the legislative branch needs to reassert its authority by passing a tougher policy or making good on government funding threats.
House Speaker Mike Johnson told “Fox & Friends” on Tuesday that a report of Iran’s nuclear chief vowing to restart the country’s nuclear program is “madness.”
Iran’s nuclear chief Mohammad Eslami said earlier today that the Islamic Republic is surveying damage to its nuclear industry and preparations are underway for its restoration, Reuters reported, citing the Iranian Mehr news agency.
“The plan is to prevent interruptions in the process of production and services,” Eslami was quoted as saying.
“It’s madness,” Johnson later told Fox News when asked about the report. “We are under no illusion that you can just kill all their nuclear ambition overnight, but I think reality has set in over there. We have decimated the upper echelon of their military command as well as their nuclear scientists. There is not much left for them to rebuild upon.
“But the idea that they would put out a statement like at this fragile moment is very frustrating. It goes to show you why Iran
has always been an irrational actor,” Johnson added. “They are not to be trusted. But we have got to use force, this is what peace through strength really means. You have to forge the peace through the exercise of strength.”
Iran appeared to ignore President Donald Trump’s plea to adhere to the ceasefire he brokered between the Islamic Republic and Israel.
On Tuesday, Israel vowed to respond to the alleged violation, with Defense Minister Israel Katz announcing that he ordered the military to strike Tehran. Additionally, Israel Defense Forces (IDF) Chief of the General Staff Maj. Gen. Eyal Zamir vowed the country would “respond with force.”
Iran’s military denied violating the ceasefire, according to reports. However, the IDF said on Tuesday that air raid sirens were sounding across the country.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office released a statement confirming that in response to Iran’s apparent violation, the Israeli Air Force destroyed a radar array near Tehran.
A senior Israeli official spoke with Fox News about Iran’s alleged violation of the ceasefire, saying that the country believes Tehran will attempt to fire more missiles within a matter of hours.
“Unfortunately, the Iranians have decided to continue to fire toward Israel,” a senior Israeli official told Fox News. “Two missiles were fired toward Israel, and we believe they are trying to fire more in the next couple of hours.”
Fox News’ Trey Yingst contributed to this report.
President Donald Trump ripped what he terms “fake news” media outlets on Tuesday morning.
While answering questions about Israel’s war with Iran as he departed the White House,
Trump hammered CNN and MSNBC after accusing them of downplaying the success of the U.S. strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities last weekend, calling CNN in particular “scum.”
“You’re gutless losers,” he said. “I say that to CNN because I watch it. I have no choice. I’ve gotta watch that garbage. It’s all garbage. It’s all fake news. But I think CNN is a gutless group of people.”
The U.S. military on Saturday carried out massive precision strikes on three key nuclear sites in Iran, including Fordow, Natanz and Isfahan. Long-range B-2 stealth bomber aircraft dropped 30,000-pound bunker-buster bombs on the locations in an attack that Trump called “a spectacular military success.”
“Iran’s key nuclear enrichment facilities have been completely and totally obliterated,” Trump stated in an address to the nation that night.
While speaking with reporters on Tuesday, Trump recounted the success of the mission and savaged outlets that questioned whether the three nuclear facilities were destroyed.
President Donald Trump said Tuesday that “China can now continue to purchase Oil from Iran.”
“Hopefully, they will be purchasing plenty from the U.S., also. It was my Great Honor to make this happen!” Trump added on Truth Social after announcing a ceasefire between Israel and Iran last night.
“Heading to NATO where, at worst, it will be a much calmer period than what I just went through with Israel and Iran. I look forward to seeing all of my very good European friends, and others. Hopefully, much will be accomplished!” Trump said in another post.
The president is flying to the Netherlands today for a NATO summit.
President Donald Trump said Tuesday that Russian President Vladimir Putin asked him if he needed help resolving the Israel-Iran conflict.
“I’d like to see a deal with Russia,” Trump said in reference to the war in Ukraine. “As you know Vladimir called me up. He said, can I help you with Iran? I said, ‘no, I don’t need help with Iran. I need help with you.’ And I hope we’re going to be getting a deal done with Russia, which is a shame. Six thousand soldiers died last week.”
Trump made the remark while heading to the Netherlands for a NATO summit.
Russia’s United Nations ambassador claimed this week that the Trump administration’s devastating airstrikes on Iran have opened a “Pandora’s box” and could lead to a global “nuclear catastrophe.”
RUSSIA CLAIMS US STRIKES ON IRAN HAVE OPENED A ‘PANDORA’S BOX’ AND COULD LEAD TO GLOBAL ‘NUCLEAR CATASTROPHE’
Vassily Nebenzia, speaking during an emergency meeting of the Security Council on Sunday, said Russia “vehemently condemns the irresponsible, dangerous, and provocative actions taken by the USA against the Islamic Republic of Iran, which is a sovereign country and a U.N. member state.”
“Through its actions, the U.S. has opened Pandora’s box, and no one knows what new consequences this may lead to,” Nebenzia said.
“I think it is obvious to everyone in this chamber that unless we stop the escalation, the Middle East will find itself on the brink of a large-scale conflict, which is fraught with unpredictable consequences for the entire international security architecture. And the whole world could find itself on the verge of a nuclear catastrophe,” he added.
The office of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Tuesday that the Israel Defense Forces carried out a small airstrike on Iranian radar equipment before backing down from further attacks.
“At 7:06 a.m., Iran launched one missile toward Israeli territory, and at 10:25 a.m., two more missiles. The missiles were intercepted or landed in open areas without causing casualties or damage,” the office said. “In response to Iran’s violations, the Israeli Air Force destroyed a radar array near Tehran. Following President Trump’s
conversation with Prime Minister Netanyahu, Israel refrained from further strikes.”
“In the call, President Trump expressed his deep appreciation for Israel — which achieved all the objectives of the war. He also expressed his confidence in the stability of the ceasefire,” the office added.
Trump wrote on Truth Social this morning that Israel will not attack Iran following a ceasefire agreement.
“All planes will turn around and head home, while doing a friendly ‘Plane Wave’ to Iran. Nobody will be hurt, the Ceasefire is in effect!” Trump said.
“Israel. Do not drop those bombs. If you do it is a major violation,” Trump added in another post.
President Donald Trump said Tuesday that Israel will not attack Iran following a ceasefire agreement.
“All planes will turn around and head home, while doing a friendly ‘Plane Wave’ to Iran. Nobody will be hurt, the Ceasefire is in effect!” Trump wrote on Truth Social.
Trump added in another post that “Iran will never rebuild their nuclear facilities.”
Vice President JD Vance told Fox News on Monday that the United States achieved its objective in destroying Iran’s nuclear program.
“A week ago, Iran was very close to having a nuclear weapon. Now Iran is incapable of building a nuclear weapon with the equipment they have because we destroyed it,” Vance said during an appearance on “Special Report.”
Fox News Digital’s Ashley Carnahan contributed to this report.
In a historic turn of events, Iran agreed to a ceasefire Monday following a limited strike on a U.S. military base in Qatar.
The agreement, brokered by President Donald Trump, marks a dramatic de-escalation after 12 days of war.
Even as the ceasefire deal seems to be teetering, experts say Iran’s decision to step back reflects the heavy toll its military infrastructure has taken in the wake of coordinated U.S. and Israeli strikes on nuclear sites, missile stockpiles and key production facilities.
“Iran
cannot win this war,” said Danny Orbach, a military historian at Hebrew University. “They’ve lost roughly 60% of their launchers. Even if they still have around 1,000 long-range missiles, without enough functioning launchers, they can’t deploy them effectively.”
According to U.S. and Israeli officials, the attack on the Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar — the largest U.S. base in the Middle East — caused no casualties and only minor damage. The strike appears to have been carefully calibrated.
“The strike in Qatar was coordinated with the Americans and was not intended to impress or cause real harm,” claimed Sima Shine, a former Mossad official and senior Iran expert at Israel’s Institute for National Security Studies. “Iran still has weapons, but it doesn’t want to draw the U.S. into an all-out war. And they know closing the Strait of Hormuz will end badly for them.”
House Speaker Mike Johnson told “Fox & Friends” on Tuesday that President Donald Trump is frustrated and “we all are” over violations of a ceasefire deal between Israel and Iran.
“This ceasefire is fragile, it’s very important,” Johnson said. “The president wants cooler heads to prevail and we do as well and he’s going to have conversations – ongoing conversations with Prime Minister Netanyahu this morning, he has already spoken to him.”
IRAN-ISRAEL CEASEFIRE TEETERS AS IDF ACCUSES TEHRAN OF VIOLATIONS
“This is our concern and our plea to them not to retaliate and not to escalate. We need to calm the situation down. I’m optimistic that will happen and I think the president is at well. We are on the verge of real peace in the Middle East and we got to forge that,” Johnson added.
“We are under no illusion that you can just kill all their nuclear ambition overnight, but I think reality has set in over there,” Johnson also said. “We have decimated the upper echelon of their military command as well as their nuclear scientists. There is not much left for them to rebuild upon.”
President Donald Trump told Israel on Tuesday to “bring your pilots home, now!” as he criticized both Israel and Iran for violating a ceasefire agreement.
“Israel. Do not drop those bombs. If you do it is a major violation,” Trump wrote on a post on Truth Social.
Speaking to reporters while departing the White House, Trump said “I didn’t like plenty of things I saw yesterday.
“I didn’t like the fact that Israel unloaded right after we made the deal. They didn’t have to unload, and I didn’t like the fact that — the retaliation was very strong. But in all fairness, Israel unloaded a lot. And now Israel just went out because they felt it was violated by one rocket that didn’t land anywhere. That’s not what we want,” Trump said.
Trump also said “I think they both” violated the ceasefire deal.
“You know what we have? We basically have two countries that have been fighting so long and so hard that they don’t know what the f— they’re doing. Do you understand that?” Trump added.
President Donald Trump
said Tuesday he believes Iran will never be able to rebuild its nuclear program as the Fordow facility targeted by the U.S. military over the weekend is under a pile of rubble.
“That place is demolished. The B-2 pilots did their job. They did it better than anybody could even imagine. They hit late in the evening. It was dark with no moon. And they hit that target with every one of those things. And that place is gone,” Trump told reporters.
The U.S. launched a surprise strike using B-2 stealth bombers on Iran’s Fordow, Natanz and Isfahan nuclear facilities on Saturday.
“All three sites sustained extremely severe damage and destruction,” Joint Chiefs Chairman Air Force Gen. Dan Caine said during a briefing at the Pentagon on Sunday morning. He added that the full extent of the battle damage to the facilities would take time to assess.
Fordow, Iran’s underground nuclear enrichment site, was pictured in satellite images showing from a bird’s-eye view that the strike had obliterated some structures at the site.
Fox News Digital’s Stephen Sorace contributed to this report.
Iran’s foreign ministry
said the airstrikes launched toward the U.S. military’s Al-Udeid Air Base in Qatar on Monday were “were carried out in exercise of the inherent right of self-defense under Article 51 of the United Nations Charter.”
Spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei added that the 14 missiles were fired at the base “in response to the U.S. military aggression on June 22, 2025, against Iran’s territorial integrity and national sovereignty.”
“This defensive action should in no way be construed as directed against the friendly and neighboring country of Qatar, and the Islamic Republic of Iran remains committed to its cordial and deep-rooted relations with that country,” he said Tuesday in a post on X.
“Iran has always adhered to the principle of good neighborliness with Qatar and other neighboring countries,” Baqaei added. “We are determined not to allow the aggressive actions and malicious policies of the United States and the Zionist regime against Iran to provoke sedition and division between us and our brothers in the region.”
A U.S. defense official told Fox News Digital that Iran had used short-range and medium-range ballistic missiles to attack the Al-Udeid base, but no casualties had been reported.
The base is home to 10,000 American forces and is the U.S.’s largest military installation in the Middle East.
Fox News’ Morgan Phillips, Jennifer Griffin and Liz Friden contributed to this report.
A senior Israeli official told Fox News on Tuesday that Iran launched two missiles toward Israel following the announcement of the ceasefire “and we believe they are trying to fire more in the next couple of hours.”
“Unfortunately, the Iranians have decided to continue to fire toward Israel,” the official said to Fox News Chief Foreign Correspondent Trey Yingst after Trump unveiled the deal Monday.
“Now we will have to retaliate, this will happen of course,” the official added. “It could end within several hours, but they [the Iranians] need to make a decision.”
The Israelis also estimate that Iran has 100 ballistic missile launchers stuck in tunnels following Israeli strikes against them.
“We took them back many years,” the official said regarding U.S. and Israeli strikes against Iran’s nuclear program.
The Israel Defense Forces said it intercepted more than 15 unmanned aerial vehicles that had been launched toward Israel from Iran.
Israel has agreed
to U.S. President Donald Trump’s mutual ceasefire proposal to end the conflict with Iran but vowed to “respond forcefully” to any violation of the truce, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said.
“Last night, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu convened the Cabinet together with the Minister of Defense, the IDF Chief of Staff, and the Head of the Mossad, to report that Israel has achieved all the objectives of Operation ‘Am K’Lavi’ (‘With the Strength of a Lion’), and even far beyond that,” Netanyahu’s office said in a statement.
Israel has eliminated an immediate existential double threat in the nuclear domain and in the field of ballistic missiles, according to the statement.
The Israeli Defense Forces have also achieved “full air superiority” over Tehran’s skies, dealt a severe blow to the military leadership and destroyed dozens of key Iranian government targets, the statement said.
TRUMP ANNOUNCES HISTORIC IRAN AND ISRAEL CEASEFIRE AGREEMENT TO END ’12 DAY WAR’
In the past 24 hours, the IDF attacked government targets in the heart of Tehran and eliminated another senior nuclear scientist, it said.
“Israel thanks President Trump and the United States for their support in defense and for their participation in eliminating the Iranian nuclear threat,” the statement said.
But the statement emphasized that Israel will “respond forcefully” to any violation of the ceasefire.
“Our hearts are with the families who lost their loved ones, and we send wishes for a full recovery to the wounded,” the statement said.
“This is a tremendous success for the people of Israel and its fighters, who have eliminated the two existential threats to our country and ensured the eternity of Israel,” it added.
Israel Defense Minister Israel Katz said he ordered the military to “respond forcefully” to Iran’s violation of the ceasefire agreement with “high-intensity strikes against regime targets in the heart of Tehran.”
“In light of Iran’s blatant violation of the ceasefire declared by the President of the United States, and the launching of missiles toward Israel—and in accordance with the Israeli government’s policy to respond forcefully to any violation—I have instructed the IDF, in coordination with the Prime Minister, to continue the intense operations striking regime targets and terror infrastructure in Tehran,” Katz said in a statement.
IRAN-ISRAEL CEASEFIRE TEETERS AS IDF ACCUSES TEHRAN OF VIOLATIONS
“This comes in continuation of the actions carried out yesterday,” he continued.
The Israeli Defense Forces also said it will “strike with force” after it accused Iran of violating a ceasefire agreement to end the conflict.
“In light of the severe violation of the ceasefire carried out by the Iranian regime, we will strike with force,” the IDF’s Chief of the General Staff Eyal Zamir said in a situational assessment.
Iranian state media reported that Tehran is denying Israel’s claims that it violated the ceasefire.
Cuomo concedes to democratic socialist backed by AOC, Bernie Sanders
NEW YORK CITY – Enjoying a surge of support from progressive and younger voters, democratic socialist Zohran Mamdani is a big step closer to becoming the first Muslim mayor of the nation’s most populous city.
While the Associated Press had yet to project a winner in New York City’s Democratic Party mayoral primary Tuesday night, former Gov. Andrew Cuomo saw the writing on the wall, telling supporters at an election night gathering that Mamdani “won.”
Mamdani, a 33-year-old state assembly member from Queens who is originally from Uganda, topped the former three-term governor and nine other candidates in a crowded primary field in an election that was determined by ranked-choice voting. He will be considered the frontrunner in November’s general election in the heavily blue city.
“Tonight was Assemblyman Mamdani’s night, and he put together a great campaign,” Cuomo said Tuesday in front of supporters. “He touched young people and inspired them and moved them and got them to come out and vote. He really ran a highly impactful campaign. I called him. I congratulated him. I applaud him sincerely for his effort.”
TRUMP FRONT-AND-CENTER AS NATION’S BIGGEST CITY HOLDS MAYORAL PRIMARY
Cuomo added that “tonight is his night. He deserved it. He won.”
‘GLOBALIZE THE INTIFADA’ PHRASE STIRS TENSIONS ON NYC CAMPAIGN TRAIL AS MIDDLE EAST CONFLICT RAGES
As the unofficial results of the first round of voting trickled in, in which Mamdani was leading as of Tuesday night, Cuomo told his supporters that his campaign would be “having conversations” about how to proceed to help both the Democratic Party and New York City moving forward.
“Now I want to look at all the numbers, as they come in and this ranked choice voting and, what the numbers actually say and do,” Cuomo added.
A Cuomo campaign aide, following the former governor’s speech, said Cuomo was leaving the door open for a possible run as third party or independent candidate in November.
“I want to look at all the numbers as they come in and analyze the rank choice voting. I will then consult with my colleagues on what is the best path for me to help the City of New York, as I have already qualified to run for mayor on an independent line in November,” Cuomo said in a statement.
Across town at an election night celebration, Mamdani confirmed Cuomo called him to concede the race as they discussed the “need to bring this city together,” and then invited New York City Comptroller Brad Lander on stage to thank him for demonstrating the “power of the politics of the future.”
Mamdani was introduced by notorious Trump-foe New York Attorney General Letitia James, telling his supporters just past midnight, “Tonight, we made history.”
“I will be your Democratic nominee for the mayor of New York,” Mamdani declared.
The Democratic socialist described his vision for New York City’s future as a place “where the mayor will use their power to reject Donald Trump’s fascism, to stop mass ICE agents from deporting our neighbors and to govern our city as a model for the Democratic Party.”
“I will be the mayor for every New Yorker,” Mamdani said. “Whether you voted for me, or for Governor Cuomo, or felt too disillusioned by a long broken political system to vote at all, I will fight for a city that works for you, that is affordable for you, that is safe for you. I will work to be a mayor you will be proud to call your own.”
The presumptive Democratic nominee cross-endorsed with Lander in a successful attempt to consolidate support against Cuomo within the ranked-choice voting style. Mamdani and Lander campaigned together in the weeks leading up to primary day.
Their combined totals would be enough to topple Cuomo as ranked-choice voting rounds get underway, per the Board of Elections’ unofficial tally Tuesday night. According to The Associated Press, ranked-choice tabulations won’t start until July 1, so it could be some time before the results are finalized.
Mamdani, who, among other things, proposed to eliminate fares to ride New York City’s vast bus system, make CUNY (City University of New York) “tuition-free,” freeze rents on municipal housing, and “free childcare” for children up to age five, was boosted recently after winning an endorsement from Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.
“In our New York, the power belongs to the people,” Mamdani said after declaring victory.
The backing of the progressive rock star and New York City’s most prominent leader on the left was followed a week later by an endorsement from Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont, the progressive champion and two-time Democratic presidential nominee runner-up.
With multiple candidates on the left running in the primary, the endorsements by Ocasio-Cortez and Sanders helped to consolidate the support of progressive voters behind Mamdani.
Once far down in public opinion polls, Mamdami surged the past couple of months to second place as he narrowed the gap with Cuomo.
Cuomo’s campaign in the closing weeks of the primary criticized Mamdani as a “dangerously inexperienced legislator” while touting that the former governor “managed a state and managed crises, from COVID to Trump.”
“The mayor of the city of New York is the CEO of one of the largest corporations on the globe. This is not a job for a novice,” Cuomo said on the eve of the primary. “This is not a job… for on-the-job training. We need someone who knows what they’re doing on day one because your lives depend on it.”
Cuomo and his campaign also targeted Mamdani for his controversial and defiant stance against Israel, which critics suggested touched on antisemitism.
“We are against calls to globalize the intifada, declaring open season on Jewish people. We are against those who would glorify Hamas terrorists, who are destined to kill Jewish people,” Cuomo said on the eve of the primary as he took aim at Mamdani.
But the attacks apparently weren’t enough to dissuade New York City voters.
Mamdani now advances to November’s general election, where he’ll face Curtis Sliwa, the founder of the volunteer crime-fighting patrols known as the Guardian Angels. Sliwa, for a second straight election cycle, is the Republican nominee for mayor.
Also on the ballot in November is incumbent Mayor Eric Adams, a moderate Democrat elected in 2021, who is running for re-election as an independent. Adams earlier this year dropped his Democratic primary bid as his approval ratings sank to historic lows.
Adams’ poll numbers were sinking even before he was indicted last year on five counts, which accused the mayor of bribery and fraud as part of an alleged “long-running” scheme to personally profit from contacts with foreign officials.
The mayor made repeated overtures to Trump, and the Justice Department earlier this year dismissed the corruption charges, so Adams could potentially work with the Trump administration on its illegal immigration crackdown.
New York City’s mayoral primary campaign played out as the Democratic Party works to escape from the political wilderness, following last year’s elections, when the party lost control of the White House, the Senate majority and failed to win back control of the House from the GOP. And it came as the party works to resist Trump’s sweeping and controversial second-term agenda.
Political analysts said the results of the primary would be seen as a barometer of which way the Democratic Party is headed, towards the center if Cuomo had won and towards the left if Mamdani was victorious.
“Zohran Mamdani’s likely victory shows that a new direction for the Democratic Party is possible – a future of dynamic candidates who appeal to young voters and working class voters with a platform that fights for people, not corporations,” Stephanie Taylor, co-founder, Progressive Change Campaign Committee, said in a statement.
And pointing to endorsements of Cuomo earlier this month by former President Bill Clinton and former three-term New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg, she charged that “the old guard establishment of the Democratic Party, fueled by billionaires, did everything they could to defeat Mamdani – and they failed. They continue being wrong about everything, and they need to get out of the way and let a new generation lead.”
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Ahead of the primary, the moderate Democrat-aligned group the Third Way said in a memo they were “deeply alarmed” over the prospect of a Mamdani victory.
“A Mamdani win for such a high-profile office would be a devastating blow in the fight to defeat Trumpism,” the group argued.
Republicans were quick to take aim at Mamdani and the Democrats.
The National Republican Congressional Committee argued that “the new face of the Democrat Party just dropped, and it’s straight out of a socialist nightmare.”
Blinken blasts Trump for ‘pouring gasoline’ on Iran’s nuclear program after strikes
Former Biden Secretary of State Antony Blinken condemned President Donald Trump’s strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities on Tuesday, though he held out some hope they’d have their intended effect.
“The strike on three of Iran’s nuclear facilities by the United States was unwise and unnecessary. Now that it’s done, I very much hope it succeeded,” he wrote in a New York Times guest essay.
U.S. military B-2 stealth bomber aircraft dropped 30,000-pound bunker-buster bombs on three nuclear facilities on Saturday in an attack Trump called “a spectacular military success.”
PROMINENT TRUMP CRITICS LAUD PRESIDENT’S DECISION TO STRIKE IRAN NUCLEAR SITES
The president announced on Truth Social on Monday that both Israel and Iran had agreed to a ceasefire following the U.S. strikes, although a frustrated Trump lashed out at both countries on Tuesday morning for continued hostilities. The administration has since pushed back against media reports that the attacks did not obliterate Iran’s nuclear capabilities but instead were only a temporary setback.
Blinken not only trashed Trump’s strikes on Iran but criticized the president’s entire strategy in dealing with the country, which started with him tearing up former President Barack Obama’s Iran nuclear deal in 2018 and culminated in Saturday’s strikes.
“In 2018, President Trump tore up the agreement and replaced it with … nothing. In response, Iran accelerated its enrichment, quite likely reducing its breakout time to a matter of days or weeks. Mr. Trump, in essence, is now trying to put out a fire on which he poured gasoline,” Blinken said.
Blinken also argued Trump jumped the gun when there was still time for diplomacy with the Iranian regime.
TOP DEMOCRATS, MEDIA DECLARE US AT WAR AFTER IRAN STRIKES AS WHITE HOUSE PUSHES BACK ON NARRATIVE
“As of now — and there are conflicting messages coming from within the Trump administration — our intelligence agencies believe Iran has not yet made a decision to weaponize. If and when it does, it would take Tehran 18 to 24 months to produce an explosive device, according to some estimates,” he said. “In other words, there was still time for diplomacy to work, and the situation wasn’t nearly the emergency that Mr. Trump portrayed it to be.”
He added, “Experts I’ve spoken to had real doubts about the ability of the Massive Ordnance Penetrator, or M.O.P. — the 30,000-pound bombs unique to America’s arsenal that were dropped on Iran’s nuclear sites — to fully incapacitate the Fordo site and other deeply buried or fortified components of Iran’s nuclear program.”
Trump ripped media critics on Tuesday that he accused of casting doubt on the effectiveness of his strikes. Singling out CNN, he said, “But when I see CNN, all night long, they’re trying to say, ‘Well, maybe it wasn’t really as demolished as we thought.’ It was demolished. You take a look at the pinpricks, and you see that place is gone. And I will say, I think CNN ought to apologize to the pilots of the B-2s.”
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Blinken did admit he hoped Trump’s attack was successful.
“I wish that he had played out the diplomatic hand we left him,” Blinken wrote. “Now that the military die has been cast, I can only hope that we inflicted maximum damage — damage that gives the president the leverage he needs to finally deliver the deal he has so far failed to achieve.”
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The White House did not immediately reply to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.
Teen DOGE staffer resigns amid department shakeup under Trump administration
A White House official confirmed to Fox News that a teenaged employee with the nickname “Big Balls” has resigned from his post at the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), adding to the recent shakeup within the department.
The now-former DOGE employee – whose real name is Edward Coristine – told Fox News Anchor Jesse Watters last month that his nickname originally came from his LinkedIn social media account.
“I use it as my LinkedIn username,” Coristine told Watters, prompting laughter from the host as well as DOGE leader Elon Musk and the rest of his team at the interview.
“Well, people on LinkedIn take themselves super seriously, and they’re pretty averse to risk, and I was like, ‘Well, I want to be neither of those things.’ So, I just, I set it and honestly, I didn’t think anybody would notice,” the DOGE employee continued, mocking the career-focused social media platform.
DOGE STAFFING SHAKEUP AS ELON MUSK HANGS UP HIS HAT, WHITE HOUSE CONFIRMS
A 19-year-old college student and software developer, Coristine was criticized by Democrats and liberal media pundits during DOGE’s first few weeks of investigating wasteful and fraudulent spending in the federal government. Many were upset about the young, irreverently named government employee being given access to government records to pursue DOGE’s work.
During his interview with Watters, Coristine said he had been looking through U.S. Treasury Department payment computers and finding a multitude of outgoing payments from the federal government that lacked details about who they were going to and why.
“So, one of our initiatives is to root out fraud and waste, and to do that we started looking at the payment computers. And, as mentioned earlier, there’s no accounting of what payments actually go to in the payment computer,” Coristine said. “You look at a specific line item — $20 million. You’re like, ‘OK, what is this money going to?’ And for the majority of payment systems, it’s like, ‘Well, we don’t really know.’”
FLASHBACK: TOP FIVE WILDEST MOMENTS FROM ELON MUSK’S DOGE TENURE AS IT COMES TO AN END
He continued, saying the system that distributes taxpayer money “literally has no checks and no accountability” to the American taxpayer, adding that it is a “huge vector for fraud, waste, and abuse.”
Coristine’s resignation comes less than a month after Musk departed from the agency.
Musk’s departure was followed by the departure of several other staffers and special government employees at DOGE, which now includes Coristine.
WHAT’S NEXT FOR DOGE AFTER ELON MUSK’S DEPARTURE? ‘ONLY JUST BEGUN’
Musk has been heading DOGE since President Donald Trump took office in January. The department was tasked with cutting $2 trillion from the federal government’s budget through efforts to slash spending, government programs and federal workforce.
While DOGE was tasked with cutting $2 trillion from the budget, its efforts have led to roughly $180 billion in savings due to asset sales, contract cancellations, fraud payment cuts and other ways to eliminate costs, according to an update on DOGE’s website.
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The savings translate to about $1,118 in savings per taxpayer, the website notes.
Reward offered as search for ‘armed and dangerous’ dad takes grim turn
The Washington state father wanted for the alleged killings of his three daughters may no longer be alive in the remote wilderness, according to local authorities.
Travis Decker, 32, is accused of murdering his three daughters – Paityn, 9, Evelyn, 8, and Olivia, 5 – after their bodies were found near Decker’s abandoned vehicle in a remote campground.
In a statement released Monday night, the Kittitas County Sheriff’s Office revealed “there is no certain evidence that Decker remains alive or in this area” but insisted authorities are continuing to search for the father throughout Teenaway Valley, Liberty, Lauderdale and Blewett Pass.
MILITARY-TRAINED DAD ACCUSED OF KILLING DAUGHTERS NEARS 3 WEEKS LIVING IN WILDERNESS AMID MANHUNT
“Seemingly, strong early leads gave way to less convincing proofs over the last two weeks of searching,” the department said. “Still, we can’t and won’t quit this search.”
Additionally, authorities are set to deploy a cadaver dog this week, Chelan County Sheriff Mike Morrison told USA Today.
The Chelan County Sheriff’s Office did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.
SURVIVALIST’S GOOGLE SEARCHES REVEAL POSSIBLE ESCAPE PLAN AMID MANHUNT IN DAUGHTERS’ TRIPLE MURDER: REPORT
“Some search resources are being redirected to find and recover Decker if he died in the rugged wilderness during this intense search,” the Kittitas County Sheriff’s Office said, adding that it is “a possibility that increases every day.”
The update comes after the girls’ mother, Whitney Decker, spoke publicly about the loss of her children for the first time last week.
“I truly hope that the legacy of the girls’ lives on in everyone’s heart forever,” she said at a June 20 memorial service, according to Fox 13 Seattle. “They were incredible.”
WANTED WASHINGTON DAD’S YOUNG DAUGHTERS WERE FOUND DEAD WITH BAGS ON HEADS, WRISTS BOUND: DOCS
The search for Decker began over three weeks ago after the girls’ mother called the police when he failed to return the girls from a court-mandated visitation on May 30. Three days later, the girls’ bodies were discovered with plastic bags over their heads and their hands bound at Rock Island Campground, police said.
Decker, a military-trained survivalist, was homeless and alternating between living out of his car and at nearby campsites. Decker also suffered from mental health issues, according to court documents.
Last week, authorities shared an updated flyer depicting possible ways Decker may have altered his appearance while on the run, including renderings showing him wearing a baseball cap and without facial hair.
NEW FLYER SHOWS SUSPECTED KILLER DAD MAY HAVE CHANGED APPEARANCE IN WILDERNESS MANHUNT: POLICE
Officials previously quashed a TikTok video reportedly circulating showing Morrison announcing Decker’s arrest following a long standoff.
“To be clear, Mr. Decker is not in custody and CCSO had no part in making the video,” the department wrote in a Facebook post.
The U.S. Marshals Special Operations Group (SOG), in coordination with the Border Patrol Tactical Unit and King County Sheriff’s Office, is intensifying efforts to locate fugitive Decker. Newly released photos on X this week capture the scale and precision of the search operation in the remote Colchuck Lake area.
One striking image shows a U.S. Marshal in full camouflage lying on a rocky ledge, surveying the snow-dusted mountains through a spotting scope. A vibrant blue lake glimmers in the distance. Another photo features a marshal with a long-range precision rifle mounted on a bipod, stationed on jagged ground with dramatic peaks in the backdrop.
Two additional images emphasize aerial support: one depicts marshals on a snowy plain pointing toward a King County Sheriff’s helicopter overhead, while another aerial shot shows a chopper flying low above a turquoise lake, with searchers visible below.
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Authorities warn that Decker should be considered armed and dangerous but insist they have no reason to believe he is a threat to public safety. He is charged with three counts of aggravated first-degree murder and kidnapping.
The U.S. Marshals Service is offering a $20,000 reward for any information leading to Decker’s arrest.
“We recognize we do have a job to do,” Morrison said. “If we fail, the voices of Paityn and Evelyn and Olivia will not be heard, and that’s not going to be acceptable.”
‘Legally Blonde’ star flaunts bikini body at 49, reveals morning ritual
Ali Larter looks fit in a red bikini
The 49-year-old “Landman” star posted a stunning mirror selfie taken inside her “Landman” trailer. Larter is posing with a hand on her hip, wearing a teeny red string bikini. The photo, shared to her Instagram account, shows off the actress’ toned abs and legs.
“For all my ladies out there that work hard to be their best everyday,” she wrote in her caption. “Let’s hear how you do it? I had to shoot a bikini scene for my show last week. Playing a character that is so comfortable in her body drives me. So here’s how I prep and what I eat for a day on set.”
She then went on to detail her daily schedule, which includes waking up at 5:30 in the morning and drinking celery juice and coffee. She also explains she will work out, “dunk my face in ice water, slather with oil cause of my spray tan” and leave for work by seven in the morning.
‘LEGALLY BLONDE’ STAR ALI LARTER HAS FOUND ‘A REAL SENSE OF COMMUNITY’ SINCE MOVING OUT OF LOS ANGELES
In the photo, Larter accessorizes the red bikini with a diamond cross necklace belonging to her character, which she calls “my suit of armor for this woman.”
“[Ten] minutes of deep breathing to break down the BS I tell myself and redirect my energy to a calm, confident, and creative state while I look over my material,” she wrote. “And then go walk the walk! Let me know how you build yourself up to look and feel your best. Xo”
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The comments section was full of fans sending positivity towards the actress, with one writing “I’ll have what she’s having. Holy moly Ali,” and another adding, “Holy smokes- you look UNREAL!! I need to do all of these things immediately!!! #GOALS!!”
This isn’t the first time the “Legally Blonde” star has appeared on the show in a bikini. The actress posted a carousel of photos on her Instagram in November 2024 featuring stills from the show while promoting the first season.
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In the photos, the actress can be seen in a different red bikini, which featured strings wrapped around her abdomen.
Larter plays Anglea, Billy Bob Thornton’s character’s on-again-off-again wife on the Taylor Sheridan-led show, which revolves around the oil business and the people behind it. The show also stars Demi Moore and Jon Hamm.
WATCH: ALI LARTER EXPLAINS HOW SHE TRANSFORMED INTO HER CHARACTER FROM ‘LANDMAN’
Larter told Fox News Digital she worked with a dialogue coach to nail her character’s West Texan accent, and was inspired by her wardrobe to get into character.
“They put a little air in their ‘WH’s, and so getting in the accent was something for me,” she said. “Also, you know, Angela is a very glamorous woman, and she loves to like, you know, put on her leopard print bodysuits and her… jeans and so, putting on her wardrobe and her heels was a big thing for me, and the hair and makeup, and then it was a kind of moment of transforming into this character that is very provocative and very bold and comfortable in her body.”
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Season two of “Landman” is set to premiere on Paramount + in November 2025.
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Fast food giant and donut chain call it quits with their ‘unsustainable’ partnership
Krispy Kreme said on Tuesday that it will no longer sell its doughnuts at McDonald’s restaurants after the partnership failed to deliver cost-effective results for the doughnut maker.
“Ultimately, efforts to bring our costs in line with unit demand were unsuccessful, making the partnership unsustainable for us,” Krispy Kreme CEO Josh Charlesworth said in a statement.
The companies said the partnership will end on July 2.
MCDONALD’S EVOLUTION FROM DRIVE-IN TO GLOBAL FAST-FOOD ICON
McDonald’s and Krispy Kreme announced the partnership in March 2024, and intended to sell the doughnuts at all McDonald’s locations in the U.S. by the end of 2026.
“We had strong collaboration with Krispy Kreme and they delivered a great, high-quality product for us, and while the partnership met our expectations for McDonald’s and Owner/Operators, this needed to be a profitable business model for Krispy Kreme as well,” Alyssa Buetikofer, McDonald’s USA’s chief marketing and customer experience officer, said in a statement.
Krispy Kreme paused the planned nationwide rollout in early May, saying it was “reassessing the deployment schedule together with McDonald’s while it works to achieve a profitable business model for all parties.”
WHAT YOU SHOULD ORDER AT MCDONALD’S, ACCORDING TO NUTRITIONISTS
Charlesworth said during an earnings call that demand dropped below expectations after the initial launch, “requiring intervention.”
| Ticker | Security | Last | Change | Change % |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DNUT | KRISPY KREME | 2.60 | -0.02 | -0.76% |
| MCD | MCDONALD’S CORP. | 291.45 | +1.99 | +0.69% |
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The doughnut chain said it plans to drive future sustainable growth by making its products available in more places though profitable U.S. expansion via high-volume retail points of distribution and capital-light international franchise growth.
McDonald’s said Krispy Kreme represented a small, non-material part of its breakfast business, which it said is a “core pillar” of its business strategy.
Amazon founder reportedly abandons wedding party location as activists claim ‘victory’
Jeff Bezos and fiancée Lauren Sánchez have decided to change one of their wedding venues in Venice because of security concerns and possible protests, according to reports.
The couple had planned to hold a wedding party at the historic Scuola Grande della Misericordia in the Cannaregio section of the city, but are now moving it to the harder-to-reach Arsenale, a former shipyard, which is completely surrounded by water and only reachable by boat when connecting bridges are raised, BBC News and Reuters reported.
The city in recent days has seen increasing protests by people concerned celebrity guests will overrun Venice with private jets and yachts. Other protesters also disagree with the Amazon founder’s politics.
A number of celebrities are invited to the wedding festivities, which remain a secret but are expected to kick off on Thursday and end Saturday in the picturesque Italian city.
JEFF BEZOS, LAUREN SÁNCHEZ WEDDING PLANNERS FIGHT BACK AGAINST VENICE TAKEOVER CLAIMS
Ivanka Trump and Jared Kushner arrived in Italy on Tuesday ahead of the festivities.
The couple traveled by boat from the Marco Polo airport in Venice to the St. Regis hotel. Trump wore an off-white cropped top with a matching long skirt. The outfit featured red-orange detailing.
Kushner kept it casual with a linen button down and khaki pants. The former government advisor to father-in-law Donald Trump accessorized with sunglasses and a New York Yankees ball cap.
Philanthropist and fashion designer Diane von Fürstenberg also arrived in Italy on Tuesday.
The Belgian fashion designer wore a colorful striped suit with a black top underneath as she arrived at Venice’s Marco Polo Airport.
Bezos and Sánchez debuted their relationship in 2019 after Sánchez separated from Hollywood agent Patrick Whitesell and Bezos divorced his ex-wife Mackenzie Scott.
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The couple’s engagement was announced in May 2023. Bezos proposed using a 30-carat pink diamond ring estimated to be worth between $3 million and $5 million.
Between 200 and 250 guests, including many rumored celebrities like Kim Kardashian, Katy Perry and Leonardo DiCaprio, are expected to attend.
“No Space for Bezos,” the group leading the protests, has more demonstrations planned for Saturday in the city.
The group also took credit for forcing the wedding venue to move.
“The news that Bezos has run away from the Misericordia is a great victory for us,” Tommaso Cacciari, a leader of the “No Space for Bezos” campaign, told Reuters.
JEFF BEZOS, LAUREN SANCHEZ TO WED DURING THREE-DAY VENICE EXTRAVAGANZA THAT’S SPARKING LOCAL FURY
The protests were criticized by the president of the Veneto region, which includes Venice, Luca Zaia, who said the wedding festivities could bring tens of millions of dollars in much-needed revenue to the city.
The couple, on their wedding invitation, asked guests to make donations to three Venetian charities in lieu of gifts, according to Good Morning America. The charities include the UNESCO Venice office, to “safeguard this city’s irreplaceable cultural heritage,” CORILA “to restore the vital lagoon habitats that protect Venice’s future” and Venice International University “to support research and education for sustainable solutions.”
The couple have also pushed back on the idea that their nuptials will overrun the city, which is already crowded with tourism.
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The couple’s wedding planners told Fox News Digital that Bezos and Sánchez specifically instructed them to minimize the disruptions to the best of their ability out of respect to the locals.
“As event organizers who have been working in Venice for over 24 years, we feel obliged to set the record straight given the misinformation, untruths and misunderstandings circulating about the Bezos wedding,” the team at Lanza & Baucina Limited said in a statement. “From the outset, instructions from our client and our own guiding principles were abundantly clear: the minimizing of any disruption to the city, the respect for its residents and institutions and the overwhelming employment of locals in the crafting of the events.
“Rumors of ‘taking over’ the city are entirely false and diametrically opposed to our goals and to reality,” the statement continued. “No exaggerated quantity of water taxis or gondolas have ever been booked, the number of taxis reserved being proportionate for the number of guests. Before the recent news of protests arose, we had worked for there to be minimal negative impact or disruption to the lives of Venetians and the city’s visitors.
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“We have always acknowledged the wider debate and critical issues surrounding the city’s future, and from the outset our client has been honored to support the city and its all-important lagoon through non-profit organizations and associated projects,” the statement concluded.