Ayatollah’s arsenal vs. American firepower: Iran’s top 4 threats and how we fight back
Ayatollah Khamenei on X ramped up threats to send U.S. warships to the bottom of the sea. “Americans constantly say that they’ve sent a warship toward Iran. Of course, a warship is a dangerous piece of military hardware. However, more dangerous than that warship is the weapon that can send that warship to the bottom of the sea,” he (or his minions) tweeted Feb 17.
Admiral Brad Cooper, who’s in charge of United States Central Command, has forces to counter Iran, and to carry out strikes if so ordered. Sadly, Iran has taken American lives over the years, and now the regime is desperate. With the airspace laid bare by attacks on integrated air defenses prior to Operation Midnight Hammer, Iran has little ability to defend against stealth aircraft.
Count on Iran trying to hit U.S. ships and bases.
Here are the four top tactics in the ayatollah’s arsenal – and how the U.S. will fight back.
US MILITARY WARNS IRAN IT WILL NOT TOLERATE ANY ‘UNSAFE’ ACTIONS AHEAD OF LIVE-FIRE DRILLS IN STRAIT OF HORMUZ
Ballistic missiles
Iran launched short- and medium-range ballistic missiles against the U.S. airbase at Al Udeid, in Qatar, on June 23, 2025. A skeleton crew of American soldiers with two Patriot missile batteries intercepted Iran’s missiles. “We believe that this is the largest single Patriot engagement in U.S. military history,” said Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Dan Caine in a Pentagon briefing the next day.
The U.S. Space Force will once again be on alert to detect the heat of Iranian missile launches and cue the target tracks. Iran’s ballistic missiles can attack multiple targets, but U.S. forces are ready to intercept. In 2024, American Navy destroyers sailing in the eastern Mediterranean nailed Iranian missiles with nose-on shots. They used Standard Missile-3 (SM-3), both the older Block 1 and the wide-coverage Block 2A. SM-3 is a hit-to-kill weapon: it smashed Iran’s missiles at 65,000 feet, in the exo-atmosphere, using just the 600-mph velocity. Bullet hits bullet. That’s why Navy destroyers are fanned out from the Med to the North Arabian Gulf.
IRAN TO HOLD LIVE-FIRE DRILLS IN STRAIT OF HORMUZ WITH US ARMADA IN MIDDLE EAST
Drones
Iran manufactures a lot of drones, but they are going to die if they tangle with U.S. forces. A Marine Corps fighter pilot flying an F-35C from the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln shot down one of Iran’s Shahed drones on Feb. 3. That was a Shahed-139 surveillance drone, which also carries glide bombs and can loiter for up to 24 hours. It got too close to the aircraft carrier, as Central Command put it.
Victory credit goes to the “Black Knights” of Marine Fighter Attack Squadron VMFA-314, as reported by USNI News. The drone kill was easy work for the F-35C, with its sensitive, long-range radar and vectoring by Navy E-2D radar planes, which fly with a massive dish radar to sort out good guys and bad guys. Forward surveillance by the E-2Ds will be essential if Iran launches waves of drones toward U.S. ships. USS Gerald R. Ford en route could add options for day and night combat air patrols against drones and missiles.
MORNING GLORY: PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP’S MOST IMPORTANT DECISION IS COMING
If the attack is over land, look for the U.S. Air Force to pounce. Over the last two years, American pilots have become masters of anti-drone tactics. It started when U.S. Air Force F-15E “Strike Eagles” from an undisclosed Mideast base shot down waves of Iranian drones in April 2024. At one point, crew chiefs came out of bunkers while the base was under fire to pull the arming pins on weapons before the F-15Es took off. They are ready to do it again.
Swarming boats
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The Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps navy has a long history of harassment with small boats, and they like to boast about their exercises with “swarms” of boats. That’s over. Iran thug small boats can’t form up to “swarm” under the constant eye – and guns – of this many U.S. ships and planes. Foolishly, two Iranian small boats and a drone tried to “swarm” a Swedish tanker carrying fuel for U.S. forces. How did that work out? Well, the U.S. Navy destroyer USS McFaul ran them off, as Air Force land-based fighter planes zoomed out to assist.
Cruise missiles
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Iran is stuffed with cruise missiles of various types. Their low, snaking path makes them difficult targets. The good news is the U.S. Navy has done a lot of target practice on Houthi missiles , like when the destroyer USS Gravely deployed its “C-whiz” Phalanx Close-In Weapon System against a sea-skimming Houthi missile one mile from the ship back on Jan. 30, 2024. Typically, Navy missiles like the SM-6 and the Evolved Sea Sparrow can nail the cruise missiles a dozen miles out. F-35 fighters are good at chasing down cruise missiles, too.
U.S. forces have the edge over the ayatollah’s arsenal. But make no mistake. This is a combat zone. Constant vigilance will be key to survival. Navy sailors and the airmen, Marines, soldiers and Space Force Guardians will feel the pressure and intensity of 24/7 operations. Maintainers and ground crews at land bases have jets to fuel, arm and launch, even against incoming drones and missiles. Force protection is top priority and the reason for the sheer number of forces now in U.S. Central Command. You can see why Trump has long sought curbs on Iran’s missile arsenal, and why missile and drone production sites are likely top of the target list for U.S. forces if diplomacy fails.
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US assets in Middle East positioned for ‘highly kinetic’ war, ex-Pentagon official warns
The U.S. is in position for a “highly kinetic” campaign against Iran after launching one of its largest recent military buildups in the Middle East, a former senior Pentagon official has claimed.
Dana Stroul, now research director at The Washington Institute for Near East Policy, made the assessment Sunday as Washington and Tehran prepare for a second round of indirect nuclear talks in Oman.
“The U.S. military is ready for a sustained, highly kinetic campaign should President Trump order it, and also prepared to defend allies and partners in the Middle East from Iran’s missiles,” Stroul told Fox News Digital.
“The U.S. military can rapidly reposition assets from all over the world and deploy overwhelmingly lethal force in a short period of time to one theater,” she said before highlighting how there is “no ally or enemy capable of what we have seen from the U.S. in this current buildup.”
PRESIDENT TRUMP’S IRAN BUILDUP MIRRORS 2003 IRAQ WAR SCALE AS TENSIONS ESCALATE
Describing how the current posture differs from the June 2025 strikes on Iranian-linked nuclear targets, Stroul said the U.S. has expanded its offensive and defensive capabilities.
“Two U.S. aircraft carriers and their accompanying vessels and air wings were stationed in the Middle East last summer during the 12-day war and the U.S. Operation Midnight Hammer,” she explained.
“The addition of the Ford is really important, it expands U.S. offensive capabilities if we go to war with Iran,” she said.
While in June 2025, the U.S. carried out limited but highly targeted strikes against Iranian nuclear infrastructure to degrade key facilities without triggering a regional war, now, Stroul said the force posture is broader and more sustained.
The U.S. has also “increased the number of guided-missile destroyers, fighter aircraft, refuelers, and air defense systems” in the region, she explained.
TRUMP SAYS IRAN HAS 15 DAYS TO REACH A DEAL OR FACE ‘UNFORTUNATE’ OUTCOME
The deployment of aircraft carriers USS Gerald R. Ford and USS Abraham Lincoln has assumed heightened strategic importance.
USS Gerald R. Ford was recently tracked transiting the Strait of Gibraltar eastward, while USS Abraham Lincoln is operating in the Arabian Sea.
“They will both be in the Middle East CENTCOM theater,” Stroul explained before clarifying that there could be “one in the eastern Mediterranean and the other in the Arabian Gulf.”
“There would probably be a combination of reasons for that based on availability, readiness, proximity to the Middle East.
“The Ford was heading home and directed to turn around,” she added.
While the specific destinations of the carriers have not been publicly disclosed for operational security reasons, their presence alone signals escalatory leverage and deterrence.
WITKOFF WARNS IRAN IS ‘A WEEK AWAY’ FROM ‘BOMB-MAKING MATERIAL’ AS TRUMP WEIGHS ACTION
The military buildup comes as indirect diplomatic talks between Washington and Tehran continue, with Oman once again serving as a mediator Feb. 26.
Stroul argued that Iran’s leadership is trying to balance brinkmanship with negotiation.
“Iran’s leaders are playing a weak hand by combining saber-rattling about their own capabilities, staging preparations and exercises to signal readiness,” she claimed.
“They are attempting to slow this down by pursuing negotiations. No one should be under any illusions about the reality of US dominance — Iran is completely outmatched in conventional terms,” Stroul said.
BUILT FOR WEEKS OF WAR: INSIDE THE FIREPOWER THE US HAS POSITIONED IN THE MIDDLE EAST
“Israel dominated Iranian airspace in one day last year, targeted many of Iran’s security leaders, took out half of its missile arsenal, and the U.S. significantly set back its nuclear program,” Stroul said.
Iran’s long-cultivated network of proxies across the region — including Hezbollah, Shiite militias in Iraq, and elements in Syria — has also been weakened after sustained Israeli military pressure.
“Iran’s long-cultivated network of proxies across the region is degraded after more than two years of Israeli operations, and they declined to enter the war and support Iran’s defense last summer,” Stroul explained.
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“No matter what Iran’s leaders say, Iran is not able to rebuild a decades-long project in a few months.”
“That said, the U.S. military is in a position to execute whatever orders President Trump gives,” she said. “It is not a question of military readiness, but a political decision.”
Iran unrest escalates as gunfire, tear gas hit universities amid looming US strike
Tensions flared Sunday across Iran as anti-government protests reignited at major universities and in the streets of Tehran, with reports of tear gas and shots fired in the capital.
Students gathered in Tehran and the northeastern city of Mashhad to mark 40-day memorials for those killed during January’s nationwide anti-government demonstrations before violence broke out.
Ali Safavi, a member of Iran’s Parliament-in-Exile, the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI), told Fox News Digital anti-government protests at the University of Tehran featured chants such as, “This is the year of blood,” and noted that Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) shot at protesters at another location in the city.
“At Khajeh Nasir University in Tehran, students trampled on Khamenei’s picture, while similar acts took place at Ferdowsi and Sajjad universities,” Safavi said.
IRAN OPERATING SECRET ‘BLACK BOX’ SITES HOLDING THOUSANDS IN DETENTION: REPORTS
“Students were shouting ‘death to the oppressor, whether the Shah or the Leader,’ while in Tehran’s Vali Asr Street forces fired at the crowds, which were mostly young people,” he added.
Safavi also claimed that two motorcycle units composed of men and women affiliated with resistance groups paraded through parts of Tehran carrying flags of the National Liberation Army (NLA), the armed wing associated with the NCRI.
IRAN LOCKS NATION INTO ‘DARKER’ DIGITAL BLACKOUT, VIEWING INTERNET AS AN ‘EXISTENTIAL THREAT’
In a statement circulated online, university students also condemned what they described as renewed attempts by authorities to suppress dissent.
“Once again we see that the tainted hands of monopolists seek to turn this sacred space into a playground for reactionary forces,” the statement read. “We who have tasted the bitter experience of repression accept no form of dictatorship, whether with a turban or with boots,” it said.
IRAN OPERATING SECRET ‘BLACK BOX’ SITES HOLDING THOUSANDS IN DETENTION: REPORTS
Iran’s state TV showed videos of what it said were people “pretending to be students” attacking pro-government students in Tehran who were taking part in protests to condemn January’s protests.
The individuals were allegedly injuring students by throwing rocks, Reuters reported.
Some witness accounts and opposition groups described a more forceful response by authorities.
Security forces reportedly fired tear gas at crowds of demonstrators, many of them young people.
At other locations, the protesters also confronted groups of pro-regime demonstrators.
Reports from opposition sources indicated that shots were also fired as security units attempted to disperse gatherings that had spilled beyond campus grounds into surrounding streets.
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Nighttime mobilizations also continued for a second time, with large-scale protests reported across several campuses.
The clashes marked one of the most visible displays of unrest since January’s crackdown and came as Iran faces a potential military strike by the U.S. and amid ongoing talks to negotiate over Iran’s nuclear program.
Iran could ‘activate’ Hezbollah if US targets regime, Trump’s inner circle to decide: expert
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) has tightened control over Hezbollah in the Middle East amid looming prospects of potential U.S. strikes, according to reports.
According to the Jerusalem Post, the tactical shift comes as Hezbollah and Iran prepare for military confrontation in the region, with analysts warning that if Washington specifically strikes the regime, Hezbollah is ready to be “activated.”
“If the regime in Tehran feels threatened, the likelihood of unleashing Hezbollah against Israel and U.S. regional assets increases substantially,” Ross Harrison, a senior fellow at the Middle East Institute, told Fox News Digital.
“Hezbollah would not be activated right away, unless the attack immediately targets the leadership of the Islamic Republic. But as part of a graduated response, Hezbollah will likely be seen as an asset,” he said.
“If it faces an existential risk, then Iran may throw caution to the wind and try to deploy Hezbollah to the maximum,” Harrison, author of “Decoding Iran’s Foreign Policy” explained.
IRAN SIGNALS NUCLEAR PROGRESS IN GENEVA AS TRUMP CALLS FOR FULL DISMANTLEMENT
President Donald Trump previously gave Iran a deadline of 10 to 15 days to respond to a deal, raising questions about what steps Washington could take if Tehran fails to comply.
A new round of talks is now scheduled for Thursday in Geneva and expected to focus on Iran’s nuclear program, including uranium enrichment levels and sanctions relief.
“The decision-making circle in the White House is very small regarding Iran, with the president keeping a close hand on it all,” Harrison explained.
He added that any decision to directly target the Iranian regime would likely rest within Trump’s inner circle of advisers.
“Normally there is input from the National Security Council and the wider intelligence community,” Harrison said. “Since the decision-making process in the White House is opaque, it is hard to know how much of this is getting through.”
WITKOFF WARNS IRAN IS ‘A WEEK AWAY’ FROM ‘BOMB-MAKING MATERIAL’ AS TRUMP WEIGHS ACTION
“If the U.S. is engaging with the Saudis and Emiratis, they are getting warnings about the possibility of this war spreading to the broader region, which would be deleterious to the U.S. and its allies,” he added.
Harrison also warned that there was “potential for attacks to spread across the region, to Israel through direct Iranian ballistic attacks and via Hezbollah, and to the Gulf Arab states through Iran directly and possibly via the Houthis from Yemen.”
Regional media reports also suggest Iran’s ties with Hezbollah are strengthening. Sources told Al Arabiya and Al Hadath that IRGC officers have been rebuilding Hezbollah’s military infrastructure and managing strategic war plans.
The coordination follows changes within Hezbollah’s leadership, Harrison explained.
“Since the killing by Israel of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah last year, ties and operational coordination have to some degree been reestablished,” he said.
“The IRGC has supported Hezbollah in Lebanon for decades,” he said, adding that efforts to reestablish ties appear to be occurring “particularly in light of the destruction of Iran’s nuclear sites last June.”
IRAN DRAWS MISSILE RED LINE AS ANALYSTS WARN TEHRAN IS STALLING US TALKS
“Iran is trying to resurrect lost assets, such as its missile program and its connections to Hezbollah,” Harrison said.
“Hezbollah has been seen for decades by Iran as a deterrence asset against an Israeli or American attack. Since Hezbollah has its own interests, connected to but separate from Iran, whether its leadership will go all the way for Tehran is unknown,” he concluded.
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The developments surrounding Hezbollah and the IRGC came as Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has appointed close ally Ali Larijani as the country’s de facto leader, according to reports.
Fox News Digital has reached out to the White House for comment.
Iran announces test of new naval air defense missile in Strait of Hormuz as US military buildup continues
Iran announced Sunday that it tested a new naval air defense missile during military drills in the Strait of Hormuz as the United States continues to increase its military presence in the region.
The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Navy launched the Sayyad 3-G missile for the first time during the “Smart Control of the Strait of Hormuz” exercise, according to Iran’s state-linked Mehr News Agency.
The Sayyad 3-G, a naval adaptation of Iran’s land-based Sayyad-3 air defense system, is reported to have a range of approximately 150 kilometers (about 93 miles) and can be fired from ship-based vertical launch systems.
The missile is intended to intercept military aircraft, maritime patrol planes and high-altitude unmanned aerial vehicles.
PRESIDENT TRUMP’S IRAN BUILDUP MIRRORS 2003 IRAQ WAR SCALE AS TENSIONS ESCALATE
Iranian state media said it can integrate into a ship’s onboard radar systems and command-and-control network while also maintaining independent tracking capability.
The announcement comes amid heightened regional tensions and a continued U.S. military buildup in the Gulf as Washington holds talks with Tehran over its nuclear program.
The U.S. currently has a significant buildup of naval and air assets positioned around Iran, particularly across the eastern Mediterranean, the Red Sea and the Persian Gulf.
IRAN SAYS US MUST ‘PROVE THEY WANT TO DO A DEAL’ ON NUCLEAR TALKS IN GENEVA
The U.S. has been building up forces in the region, including the USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier and multiple guided-missile destroyers operating in the Arabian Sea, as well as additional destroyers stationed in the Mediterranean and Red Sea.
Several combat ships are also positioned in the Persian Gulf near Iran’s southern coastline.
At least one U.S. military base in Saudi Arabia is shown hosting aircraft, with additional installations across the region supporting air operations and logistics.
TRUMP SAYS IRAN HAS 15 DAYS TO REACH A DEAL OR FACE ‘UNFORTUNATE’ OUTCOME
In an interview Sunday on CBS News’ “Face the Nation,” Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said diplomacy remains the only path forward and dismissed the impact of the U.S. military buildup.
“There is no need for any military buildup, and military buildup cannot help it and cannot pressurize us,” he said.
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Araghchi confirmed that Iranian and U.S. negotiators are expected to meet again Thursday in Geneva, saying he believes it is “quite possible” to prepare a draft text and reach a deal quickly.
He added that talks are focused solely on nuclear issues and “there is no other subject.”
Witkoff warns Iran is ‘a week away’ from ‘bomb-making material’ as Trump weighs action
Special Envoy Steve Witkoff warned Saturday that Iran could be “a week away” from having “industrial-grade bomb-making material,” raising urgent questions about what President Donald Trump could do next to address the looming threat.
“It’s up to 60%,” Witkoff said of Iran’s enrichment level. “They’re probably a week away from having industrial-grade bomb-making material.”
The “dangerous” proposition, Witkoff said on “My View with Lara Trump,” comes despite Trump’s “zero enrichment” red line, which he accused Iran of violating “well beyond” what a civil nuclear program requires.
“We can’t have that,” he said. “This is something that they have to stick with until they prove to us that they can behave.”
TRUMP WARNS IRAN, DELAYS STRIKES AS RED LINE DEBATE ECHOES OBAMA’S SYRIA MOMENT
Witkoff told Fox News that the president is “curious” why Iran has not shifted course despite mounting U.S. pressure in the region.
“With the amount of sea power, naval power that we have over there, why they haven’t come to us and said, ‘We profess that we don’t want a weapon?'”
But external pressures are only part of the picture. The Islamic regime faces additional pressures from its own civilians, prompting unrest and state-driven aggression against protesters.
TRUMP GIVES IRAN 10-DAY ULTIMATUM, BUT EXPERTS SIGNAL TALKS MAY BE BUYING TIME FOR STRIKE
Exiled Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi, who has discussed the proposition of Iranian regime change on multiple occasions, has previously expressed faith in Trump’s ability and willingness to help topple the regime.
Pahlavi has outlined a series of measures the U.S. could take to weaken the ayatollah, including neutralizing the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), cracking down on “ghost tankers” that secretly transport sanctioned oil and fund the regime, expelling diplomats or holding them accountable for criminal behavior, freezing oligarchs’ assets, supporting protesters with internet access and calling for the unconditional release of all political prisoners in Iran.
Witkoff told Lara Trump he met with Pahlavi at the president’s direction.
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“I think he’s strong for his country, cares about his country, but this is going to be about President Trump’s policies, not Mr. Pahlavi’s policies,” he said.
“I think the president is interested in hearing everyone’s views. He has no pride of authorship [which] is maybe the best way for me to say it, which I greatly respect because he’s open to new ideas and new ways of thinking.”
Exiled Iranian princess: Islamic regime ‘has never been this close’ to falling, people ‘begging’ Trump to help
Exiled Iranian Princess Noor Pahlavi made an impassioned plea for President Donald Trump‘s help this weekend, saying the Iranians had never been so close to overthrowing the supreme leader, Ali Khamenei.
Pahlavi made the statement during an interview with The California Post, saying her “heart breaks” over Iran despite the fact that she has never stepped foot there. Her grandfather, the former Shah of Iran, was deposed roughly 47 years ago.
“Imagine if this were happening to you and your country,” she said, referencing a crackdown on regime protesters. “It’s happening at the hands of the government, the government that’s meant to protect them.
“It’s literally a government waging war on its own citizens. It’s just incredibly painful to watch, to hear about. And it’s hard for people here to see and hear about. But it’s our responsibility not to look away,” she added.
IRAN’S PRESIDENT STRIKES SOFTER TONE ON NUCLEAR TALKS AFTER TRUMP’S WARNING THAT ‘BAD THINGS WOULD HAPPEN’
“It’s never been this close, and the regime has never been this weak,” she continued.
“The people really listened when the president told them that help was on the way and that they should continue taking to the streets. They’ve named streets after him. They’re holding up signs with his face on them. They’re begging him to come in and help them because they’re fighting this government empty-handed,” she added.
The Trump administration has been building up U.S. military strength near Iran for weeks.
Potential U.S. military strikes on Iran could target specific individuals and even pursue regime change, according to a new report.
GLOBAL PROTESTS CALL FOR IRAN REGIME CHANGE IN MAJOR CITIES WORLDWIDE AFTER BLOODY CRACKDOWN
Two U.S. officials who spoke to Reuters on condition of anonymity reportedly said those are options that have emerged in the planning stage, if ordered by President Donald Trump. They did not say which individuals could be targeted, but Trump, notably, in 2020 ordered the U.S. military attack that killed Iranian Gen. Qassem Soleimani, the head of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps’ elite Quds Force.
Trump already said Friday that he is “considering” a limited military strike on Iran to pressure its leaders into a deal over its nuclear program, when asked by a reporter at the White House.
Last week, when questioned if he wanted regime change in Iran, the president said, “Well it seems like that would be the best thing that could happen.”
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Trump on Thursday suggested the window for a breakthrough is narrowing in talks with Iran, indicating Tehran has no more than “10, 15 days, pretty much maximum” to reach an agreement.
“We’re either going to get a deal, or it’s going to be unfortunate for them,” he said.
Potential US military strikes on Iran could target specific individuals, pursue regime change: report
Potential U.S. military strikes on Iran could target specific individuals and even pursue regime change, a report said.
Two U.S. officials who spoke to Reuters on condition of anonymity reportedly said those are options that have emerged in the planning stage, if ordered by President Donald Trump. They did not say which individuals could be targeted, but Trump, notably, in 2020 ordered the U.S. military attack that killed Iranian Gen. Qassem Soleimani, the head of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps’ elite Quds Force.
Fox News Digital has reached out to the White House and the Department of War for comment.
Trump already said Friday that he is “considering” a limited military strike on Iran to pressure its leaders into a deal over its nuclear program, when asked by a reporter at the White House.
BUILT FOR WEEKS OF WAR: INSIDE THE FIREPOWER THE US HAS POSITIONED IN THE MIDDLE EAST
Last week, when questioned if he wanted regime change in Iran, the president said, “Well it seems like that would be the best thing that could happen.”
Trump on Thursday suggested the window for a breakthrough is narrowing in talks with Iran, indicating Tehran has no more than “10, 15 days, pretty much maximum” to reach an agreement.
“We’re either going to get a deal, or it’s going to be unfortunate for them,” he said.
TRUMP GIVES IRAN 10-DAY ULTIMATUM, BUT EXPERTS SIGNAL TALKS MAY BE BUYING TIME FOR STRIKE
A Middle Eastern source with knowledge of the negotiations told Fox News Digital this week that Tehran understands how close the risk of war feels and is unlikely to deliberately provoke Trump at this stage.
However, the source said Iran cannot accept limitations on its short-range missile program, describing the issue as a firm red line set by Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.
Iranian negotiators are not authorized to cross that boundary, and conceding on missiles would be viewed internally as equivalent to losing a war.
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The source indicated there may be more flexibility about uranium enrichment parameters if sanctions relief is part of the equation.
Israelis keep suitcases packed and ready as Trump weighs potential Iran strike decision
For more than a month, Michal Weits has kept suitcases packed by the front door of her house in Tel Aviv.
“We have our bags ready for weeks,” she said. “Three weeks ago, there were rumors that it was the night the U.S. would attack Iran. At midnight, we pulled the kids out of their beds and drove to the north, where it is supposed to be safer.”
Weits, the artistic director of the international documentary film festival Docaviv, is speaking from her own traumatic experience. During the 12-day war, an Iranian missile struck her Tel Aviv home. She, her husband, and their two young children were inside the safe room when it collapsed on her.
TRUMP MEETS NETANYAHU, SAYS HE WANTS IRAN DEAL BUT REMINDS TEHRAN OF ‘MIDNIGHT HAMMER’ OPERATION
“After an Iranian missile hit our home and we lost everything we had, we also lost the feeling of ‘it won’t happen to me,’” she said. “We are prepared, as much as it’s really possible.”
Weits remembers the surreal contrast of those days. Four days after being injured in the missile strike, while still in the hospital, she was told she had won an Emmy Award for the documentary she produced about the Nova massacre on Oct. 7.
“Four days earlier an 800-kilogram explosive missile fell on our home and I was injured, and four days later I woke up on my birthday to news that I had won an Emmy,” she said. “It can’t be more surreal than this. That is the experience of being Israeli, from zero to one hundred.”
She says Israelis have learned to live inside that swing. “Inside all of this, life continues,” she said. “Kids go to school, you go to the supermarket, Purim arrives and you prepare, and you don’t know if any of it will actually happen. We didn’t make plans for this weekend because we don’t know what will happen.”
That gap — between visible routine and private fear — defines this moment. The fear she describes is now part of the national atmosphere.
MORNING GLORY: WHAT WILL PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP DECIDE TO DO WITH IRAN?
On the surface, Israel looks normal. The beaches are crowded in the warm weather. Cafés are full. The Tel Aviv Stock Exchange has risen in recent days. Children go to school as Israelis prepare for the Jewish holiday of Purim and costumes are being prepared.
But inside homes and across local news broadcasts, one question dominates: when will it happen? When will President Donald Trump decide whether to strike Iran — and what will that mean for Israel?
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has instructed the Home Front Command and emergency services to prepare for possible escalation, with Israeli media reporting a state of “maximum alert” across security bodies.
Speaking at an officer graduation ceremony this week, Netanyahu warned Tehran: “If the ayatollahs make a mistake and attack us, they will face a response they cannot even imagine.” He added that Israel is “prepared for any scenario.”
The military message was echoed by the IDF. “We are monitoring regional developments and are aware of the public discourse regarding Iran,” IDF Spokesperson Brig. Gen. Effie Defrin said. “The IDF remains vigilant in defense, our eyes are open in every direction and our readiness in response to any change in the operational reality is greater than ever.”
TRUMP VOWS TO ‘KNOCK THE HELL OUT OF’ IRAN IF NUCLEAR PROGRAM IS REBUILT AGAIN AFTER HIGH-STAKES MEETING
Yet the psychological shift inside Israel goes deeper than official statements.
For years, Israelis lived with rockets from Hamas. The Iranian strikes felt different.
“The level of destruction from Iran was something Israelis had not experienced before,” said Israeli Iran expert Benny Sabti. “People are used to rockets from Gaza. This was a different scale of damage. It created real anxiety.”
Iron Dome, long seen as nearly impenetrable, was less effective against heavier Iranian missiles. Buildings collapsed. Entire neighborhoods were damaged.
“People are still traumatized,” Sabti said. “They are living on the edge for a long time now.”
At the same time, he stressed that the country is better prepared today.
“There are feelings, and there are facts,” Sabti said. “The facts are that Israel is better prepared now. The military level is doing serious preparation. They learned from the last round.”
The earlier wave of protests inside Iran had sparked hope in Israel that internal pressure might weaken or topple the regime. Weits told Fox News Digital, “I am angry at the Iranian government, not the Iranian people. I will be the first to travel there when it’s possible. I hope they will be able to be free — that all of us will be able to be free.”
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Despite losing her home and suffering hearing damage from the blast, she says the greater loss was psychological. “There is no more complacency,” she said. “The ‘it won’t happen to me’ feeling is gone.”
Across Israel, that sentiment resonates.
US to unveil platform aiming to bypass internet censorship in China, Iran and beyond
FIRST ON FOX: The State Department has finalized a new privacy-preserving app intended to give users worldwide access to what officials describe as the same uncensored internet available to Americans, even in countries with strict online repression such as China and Iran and as Europe enacts tighter content oversight.
The platform, Freedom.gov, will roll out “in the coming weeks,” Fox News Digital has learned.
It will operate as a one-click desktop and mobile application compatible with iOS and Android devices.
MARCO RUBIO VOICES CONCERN THAT AMERICANS MAY SOMEDAY BE ARRESTED FOR SOCIAL MEDIA POSTS WHEN VISITING EUROPE
The app is open-source and includes built-in anonymity protections.
The initiative comes as governments worldwide tighten control over digital speech, from China’s “Great Firewall” to sweeping internet shutdowns in Iran and new regulatory regimes in Europe. U.S. officials say Freedom.gov is designed to offer a technological counterweight — exporting what they describe as America’s open internet model to users living under censorship.
“In the interest of total transparency, we made Freedom.gov completely open-source. But we also made it completely anonymous,” a State Department official said. “Anyone can see how it works. No one, including us, can track or identify you.”
According to the official, the application does not log IP addresses, session data, browsing activity, DNS queries or device identifiers that could be used to personally identify users.
Specific details about the app’s underlying technical structure were not disclosed.
Governments with sophisticated censorship systems historically have moved quickly to block or criminalize circumvention tools. Authorities can restrict app downloads, block domains, throttle traffic or impose penalties on users.
Whether Freedom.gov maintains accessibility in heavily restricted environments may depend on its technical architecture and its ability to adapt to countermeasures.
The initiative is being led by Under Secretary for Public Diplomacy Sarah Rogers, who oversees the State Department’s Digital Freedom office.
“Freedom.gov is the latest in a long line of efforts by the State Department to protect and promote fundamental freedoms, both online and offline,” Rogers said. “The project will be global in its scope, but distinctly American in its mission: commemorating our commitment to free expression as we approach our 250th birthday.”
Reuters previously reported that the State Department was developing the Freedom.gov platform.
The rollout comes amid intensifying global battles over internet governance, as governments across Europe and beyond move to assert greater control over online content.
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In Europe, regulators have tightened oversight under new laws aimed at policing digital platforms. The European Union’s Digital Services Act expands government authority over major platforms and requires removal of illegal content, including hate speech and extremist material, with regulators empowered to impose steep fines for violations.
In the United Kingdom, the Online Safety Act imposes new obligations on platforms to address harmful and illegal content and includes age-verification requirements for certain services. Critics warn the measures risk incentivizing aggressive content removal and expanding government influence over lawful speech online.
Elsewhere, restrictions have been more direct. Russia recently moved to ban WhatsApp, further consolidating state control over digital communications.
China maintains the world’s most sophisticated online censorship system, widely known as the “Great Firewall,” blocking foreign news outlets and social media platforms while promoting a state-controlled digital ecosystem.
Iran repeatedly has imposed sweeping internet shutdowns during periods of unrest. During protests, government blackouts have cut citizens off from global communications.
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The Wall Street Journal previously reported that thousands of Starlink satellite internet terminals were covertly brought into the country following a blackout, in an effort backed by the United States to help dissidents bypass censorship.
Iranian authorities have attempted to jam satellite signals and criminalized possession of such equipment. Satellite connectivity — which does not rely on domestic telecommunications infrastructure — has emerged as one of the few viable lifelines during shutdowns.
Trump gives Iran 10-day ultimatum, but experts signal talks may be buying time for strike
President Trump said in June he would decide “within the next two weeks” whether to strike Iran. He made the decision two days later.
On Thursday, he gave Tehran another deadline, saying the Islamic Republic has 10 to 15 days to come to the negotiating table or face consequences.
The compressed timeline now sits at the center of a new round of high-stakes nuclear diplomacy. But with Trump, deadlines can serve as both a warning and a weapon.
Jason Brodsky, policy director at United Against Nuclear Iran, told Fox News Digital, “The Iranian regime has been operating under a grand delusion that they can turn President Trump into President Obama, and President Trump has made it clear that that’s not happening.”
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Brodsky said there is little expectation inside the administration that diplomacy will produce a breakthrough.
“I think there’s deep skepticism in the Trump administration that this negotiation is going to produce any acceptable outcome,” he said.
Instead, he said, the talks may be serving a dual purpose.
“They’re using the diplomatic process to sharpen the choices of the Iranian leadership and to buy time to make sure that we have the appropriate military assets in the region,” Brodsky said.
A Middle Eastern source with knowledge of the negotiations told Fox News Digital Tehran understands how close the risk of war feels and is unlikely to deliberately provoke Trump at this stage.
However, the source said Iran cannot accept limitations on its short-range missile program, describing the issue as a firm red line set by Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei. Iranian negotiators are not authorized to cross that boundary, and conceding on missiles would be viewed internally as equivalent to losing a war.
The source indicated there may be more flexibility about uranium enrichment parameters if sanctions relief is part of the equation.
According to Brodsky, Iran’s core positions remain unchanged.
“They’re trying to engage in a lot of distraction — shiny objects — to distract from the fact that they’re not prepared to make the concessions that President Trump is requiring of them,” he said.
“The Iranian positions do not change and have not changed fundamentally. They refuse to accept President Trump’s position on zero enrichment. They refuse to dismantle their nuclear infrastructure. They refuse limitations on Iran’s missile program, and they refuse to end support for terror groups.”
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Behnam Taleblu, senior fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, warned that Tehran may be preparing a different kind of proposal altogether.
“The first kind of deal that we have to be worried about … they may pitch an agreement that is based more on transposing the current reality onto paper. … These kinds of agreements are more like understandings,” Taleblu said.
“You take the present reality, and you transpose that onto paper, and then you make the U.S. pay for something it already achieved.”
Taleblu outlined what he sees as Tehran’s strategic objectives.
“The Iranians want three things, essentially,” he said. “The first is they want to deter and prevent a strike.
“The second is that they are actually using negotiations … to take the wind out of the wings of Iranian dissidents. And then the third is… they actually do want some kind of foreign financial stabilization and sanctions relief.”
“What the Iranians want is to play for time. … An agreement like this doesn’t really require the Iranians to offer anything.”
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At the same time, Taleblu said the administration’s intentions remain deliberately opaque.
“It’s hard to read the tea leaves of the administration here,” Taleblu said. “Obviously, they don’t want a nuclear Iran, but also obviously they don’t want a long war in the Middle East.
“The military architecture they’re moving into the region is signaling that they’re prepared to engage in one anyway. The question that the administration has not resolved politically … is: What is the political end state of the strikes? That’s the cultivation of ambiguity that the president excels at.”
Jacob Olidort, chief research officer and director of American security at the America First Policy Institute, told Fox News Digital, “The President has been clear that he wants to give diplomacy a chance. However, if, in his estimation, diplomatic efforts prove unsuccessful, he will almost certainly turn to military options. What is rightfully unpredictable is the specific objective and scope of military action the President may take.
“Specifically, will military action serve as a new layer of diplomatic pressure towards creating a new opportunity to make Iran agree to our demands — military force as coercive diplomacy — or simply achieve the intended objectives that diplomacy could not? Regardless, the President has a record of taking bold action to protect the American people from Iran’s threats.”
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Public sentiment inside Iran remains deeply divided, Iranian sources told Fox News Digital. Many view a foreign military invasion as unacceptable, while anger over the killing of young protesters continues to fuel domestic tensions and uncertainty.
With a 10 to 15-day window ticking, Trump’s deadline may function less as a calendar marker and more as leverage.