Kim Jong Un taps teenage daughter as ‘missile general’ for North Korea nuclear program: reports
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has handed his teenage daughter a leadership role in the regime’s powerful “Missile Administration,” the body that oversees Pyongyang’s nuclear forces, South Korean media reported Monday.
The girl, Ju Ae, who is believed to be 13 or 14 years old, was assessed by South Korean intelligence received on Sunday to be acting as a “missile general director” while authorities monitor developments at the ongoing Ninth Congress of the ruling Workers’ Party, the reports said.
The Chosun Daily, citing high-level government sources familiar with the matter, said intelligence agencies obtained reports that Kim’s daughter has been elevated to the position.
While Jang Chang-ha is officially listed as director of the administration, intelligence suggested Kim’s daughter is receiving briefings from generals and issuing directives.
South Korea’s National Intelligence Service recently told lawmakers that her public profile signals she is also in the “stage of being designated as a successor,” adding that circumstances have been seen where she provides opinions on policy, The Associated Press reported.
The teen has appeared alongside her father at high-profile military events, including intercontinental ballistic missile launches and weapons inspections.
North Korean state media first confirmed her existence in November 2022, and described her only as a “beloved child” when she accompanied Kim at the launch of the Hwasong-17 ICBM.
Her name has never been officially disclosed by Pyongyang.
NORTH KOREA TEST-LAUNCHES HYPERSONIC MISSILE SYSTEM IN FRONT OF KIM, NATION SAYS
Her reported role comes as Kim continues to showcase advances in the country’s weapons programs.
On Feb. 18, Kim was photographed taking the wheel of a nuclear-capable 600mm multiple rocket launcher in Pyongyang, touting it as among the most powerful of its kind.
State media showed rows of launch vehicles and said the rockets, which Kim claimed rival short-range ballistic missiles and use artificial intelligence in their guidance systems, have “completely changed” modern artillery warfare, Reuters reported.
As previously reported by Fox News Digital, Kim was re-elected general secretary of the ruling Workers’ Party of Korea on Feb.22, a decision announced by state-run media following the party’s Ninth Congress.
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North Korea has suspended all meaningful diplomacy with the United States and South Korea since the collapse of a 2019 summit between Kim and President Donald Trump.
This came over disagreements about sanctions relief in exchange for steps to wind down Kim’s nuclear and missile program.
CIA urges Iranians to use burner phones, Tor to contact US in Persian-language video
The CIA on Tuesday published a Persian-language video on its X account calling on Iranian dissidents to make secure contact with the agency amid renewed anti-government protests inside the country.
The post came as CIA Director John Ratcliffe joined Secretary of State Marco Rubio in a classified “Gang of Eight” briefing on Iran on Capitol Hill, a source familiar with the matter told Fox News Digital.
Written in Farsi, the CIA message says the agency “can hear your voice and wants to help you,” and provides operational guidance for those considering reaching out.
The agency urges activists not to use office computers or personal phone lines and instead, if possible, to rely on a disposable “burner” device. It advises ensuring no one can view their screen or monitor their activity.
The video walks viewers through digital security precautions designed to protect their identities.
It recommends using updated browsers such as Google Chrome, Safari or Firefox in Private Browsing or Incognito mode and clearing device and browser histories after making contact.
The video says the CIA also strongly encourages the use of encryption and anonymity tools such as Tor or a VPN, warning that without such protections, visiting the CIA website could be visible to Iranian security services.
The agency provides instructions for accessing its secure contact portal through Tor and other anti-filtering services.
TED CRUZ URGES US TO ARM IRANIAN PROTESTERS AS MILITIAS THREATEN ‘TOTAL WAR’ AGAINST AMERICA
The post comes as Iran entered its fourth day of escalating university protests and as U.S. negotiators are set to meet Iranian counterparts in Geneva Thursday for a second round of talks.
Tehran announced it would be building on “understandings forged in the previous round” and expressed determination to reach a “fair and equitable deal” swiftly.
In a post on X, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Iran reiterated that it would “under no circumstances ever develop a nuclear weapon,” while insisting it would not relinquish its right to peaceful nuclear technology.
Calling the moment a “historic opportunity,” Tehran said a deal was within reach if diplomacy is prioritized, while affirming it would defend its sovereignty “with courage” at home and at the negotiating table.
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Meanwhile, Iranian state television reported Tuesday that the Revolutionary Guard conducted military drills involving missile launches, drone flights and live-fire exercises along the country’s coast, according to Ynet.
Fox News Digital reached out to the CIA for comment, who had nothing further to add.
Iran’s shadowy chemical weapons program draws scrutiny as reports allege use against protesters
A new report from the Foundation for Defense of Democracies (FDD) raises concerns about Iran’s opaque chemical weapons program, which argues policymakers have paid little attention to compared with Iran’s more scrutinized nuclear weapons program.
The FDD report outlines how the Iranian regime may have resorted to the unconventional use of chemical weapons while it faced an unprecedented uprising beginning in December 2025, a wave of unrest Tehran has not seen since the 1979 Islamic revolution. Any use of chemical weapons by Iran would be in defiance of their obligations under the 1997 Chemical Weapons Convention.
“The United States, its allies and the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) should investigate credible claims that Iran’s regime used chemical weapons against its own people,” Andrea Stricker, deputy director of FDD’s nonproliferation program and author of the report, told Fox News Digital.
Iran’s illicit chemical weapons program is under renewed scrutiny as the Trump administration appears closer to taking military action against Iran and its nuclear weapons program.
While the U.S. has been engaged in indirect talks with Iranian officials mediated by Oman in Geneva, the U.S. has increased its military presence in the Persian Gulf, sending the USS Gerald R. Ford to join dozens of other warships to the region.
On Tuesday, Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi posted on X that “Iran will resume talks with the U.S. in Geneva with a determination to achieve a fair and equitable deal—in the shortest possible time.”
The foreign minister claimed that Iran will not pursue nuclear weapons under any circumstances but emphasized that Iran will not forgo its right to harness peaceful nuclear technology.
ISRAELI OFFICIALS REPORTEDLY WARN IRAN’S BALLISTIC MISSILES COULD TRIGGER SOLO MILITARY ACTION AGAINST TEHRAN
“A deal is within reach, but only if diplomacy is given priority,” he added.
Despite the optimism and push for continued talks, there remain fears that Iran will not make any meaningful concessions on their nuclear program, which could lead to U.S. military strikes on the nation.
A broader regime change campaign to topple the Islamic republic’s government, led by Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, is also not off the table, according to some reports.
“If Washington launches strikes against Iran, it should give serious consideration to targeting the regime’s chemical weapons research and production facilities. Such action would help halt further development and potential use of these weapons while sending a clear message that the regime cannot commit atrocities with impunity,” Stricker said.
The Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC), which Iran is party to, upholds the norms against state-held chemical weapons, specifically, banning states’ development, stockpiling, production and use of chemical weapons, even for retaliatory reasons, as well as their receipt from or transfer to anyone.
US ASSETS IN MIDDLE EAST POSITIONED FOR ‘HIGHLY KINETIC’ WAR, EX-PENTAGON OFFICIAL WARNS
Israel’s deputy ambassador to the Netherlands, Yaron Wax, said in July 2025 before a special meeting of the OPCW that “over the past two decades Iran has been developing a chemical weapons program based on weaponized pharmaceutical agents.”
These agents, Wax said, impact the central nervous system and can be fatal even in small doses.
The ambassador said at the Shahid Meisami Research Complex, destroyed by Israel in June 2025, Iran’s Shahid Meisami Group (SMG) was working on fentanyl opioid-derived tactical munitions for military use. Israel believes the pharmaceutical-based agents were transferred to Syria’s longtime and now deposed dictator, Bashar al-Assad, and Iraqi Shia militias as well.
Iran began developing its chemical weapons program in 1983 during its war with Iraq in response to chemical attacks from the regime of Saddam Hussein, according to the U.S. Intelligence Community.
As recently as 2024, the U.S. has repeatedly found Iran in noncompliance with its obligations under the CWC.
In a post on X in November 2024, the Iranian mission to the United Nations pushed back on the charges against it. “A victim of Western-donated chemical weapons employed by the Saddam regime, Iran stands as a responsible member of the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC). Over the past several decades, not a single instance of Iranian violation has been recorded. The current unfounded reports are merely an outgrowth of psychological warfare propagated by the Zionist regime in the wake of its recent defeat on the Lebanese front.”
TRUMP WARNS IRAN, DELAYS STRIKES AS RED LINE DEBATE ECHOES OBAMA’S SYRIA MOMENT
Stricker says the U.S. and international community have failed to hold Iran accountable for its illegal chemical weapons program, and meaningful action must be taken to prevent Iran from transporting banned substances to Iran’s nefarious proxy actors in the Middle East.
The report notes that the U.S. and OPCW should launch a pressure campaign against Iran, calling out the regime and publicizing any violations. The Trump administration, the report recommends, should demand a formal ultimatum to demonstrate compliance with the convention and accept monitoring and verification mechanisms.
FDD also suggests Israel should ratify the CWC and work within the OPCW, which would give Israel more credibility in combating Iranian violations.
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The report says that, as a last resort, the U.S. should consider launching strikes targeting regime chemical weapons facilities, or support Israeli efforts, if actionable intelligence indicates movement on Iran’s chemical weapons efforts or a renewed push by the regime to use such illegal weapons to crack down on anti-government protests.
“The only solution to Iran’s persistent WMD threat is for the United States and Israel to undermine the regime’s grip on power. Until then, the two nations will periodically be forced to play whack-a-mole with Tehran’s capabilities whenever they endanger regional peace,” Stricker said.
Rubio, Ratcliffe to deliver classified Iran briefing to Gang of Eight ahead of Trump’s State of the Union
Secretary of State Marco Rubio and CIA Director John Ratcliffe will brief top congressional leaders on rising tensions in Iran on Tuesday ahead of President Donald Trump’s annual State of the Union address.
Ratcliffe and Rubio, who also serves as Trump’s national security advisor, will brief the so-called Gang of Eight congressional leadership as well as top lawmakers on the Intelligence committees from the White House Tuesday at 3 p.m.
The closed-door session comes as the administration weighs next steps in the escalating standoff with the Islamic Republic. Talks with Iran, where the U.S. is pushing for full denuclearization and a limit on its ballistic missile program, are scheduled to resume on Thursday. White House envoys Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff led talks last week with Iran that did not result in a tangible deal.
The White House has made clear that diplomacy is Trump’s first priority, but the Middle East has seen the largest U.S. military buildup in decades. One carrier strike group under the USS Abraham Lincoln is already in the region and another with the USS Gerald R. Ford is heading that way.
Meanwhile, Iran is digging in. Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi posted on X Tuesday, “Our fundamental convictions are crystal clear: Iran will under no circumstances ever develop a nuclear weapon; neither will we Iranians ever forgo our right to harness the dividends of peaceful nuclear technology for our people.”
In a message directed at the American side, he added, “A deal is within reach, but only if diplomacy is given priority.”
The U.S. has insisted Iran cannot have any nuclear enrichment capacity, even for energy purposes.
TRUMP SAYS IRAN ALREADY HAS US TERMS AS MILITARY STRIKE CLOCK TICKS
Araghchi said last week that the two sides had come to a “general agreement on a number of guiding principles” and agreed to begin drafting text for a possible agreement, with plans to exchange drafts and schedule a third round of talks.
Meanwhile, reports have swirled that Trump is considering a “limited” strike on Iran aimed at pressuring its leaders into acquiescing to a deal.
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Rubio’s classified briefing comes at a pivotal moment, just hours before Trump steps to the podium for his State of the Union address. The timing suggests the administration wants congressional leaders fully briefed on Iran’s nuclear posture, U.S. intelligence assessments and potential next steps before the president publicly lays out his strategy to the nation.
By meeting with the Gang of Eight ahead of the speech, the White House is also locking in oversight consultation before Trump speaks. That gives top lawmakers the same classified context the president is working from and makes it harder for critics to argue they were blindsided if Trump signals tougher action, new diplomatic parameters or a shift in posture toward Tehran during his address.
South African president thanks Putin after 17 men ‘lured’ to Russian front lines begin returning home
South African President Cyril Ramaphosa thanked Russian President Vladimir Putin after 17 men who the government said were “lured” to Russian front lines in its war against Ukraine began returning home.
In a statement Tuesday, Ramaphosa’s office said the South African government, working closely with Russian authorities, secured the repatriation of the men after receiving distress calls requesting assistance.
The group, ranging in age from 20 to 39, was allegedly recruited into “mercenary activities.”
The circumstances surrounding their recruitment remain under investigation.
Ramaphosa expressed gratitude to Putin for responding positively to his request for help during a Feb. 10 phone call between the two leaders.
Four of the men have already returned to South Africa, while 11 are expected to arrive soon.
Two remain in Russia — one receiving treatment at a hospital in Moscow and another being processed before finalizing travel arrangements.
KENYA DEMANDS ANSWERS FROM RUSSIA OVER RECRUITMENT OF CITIZENS TO FIGHT IN UKRAINE WAR
South Africa’s embassy in Moscow is continuing to monitor the hospitalized individual until he is cleared to travel, according to Ramaphosa’s office.
Ukraine’s Foreign Minister, Andrii Sybiha, said in November that Kyiv estimates at least 1,436 foreign nationals from 36 African countries have been recruited to fight for Russia, warning the true number may be higher.
AMERICANS WARNED OF AL QAEDA-LINKED TERRORIST PRESENCE IN POPULAR VACATION GETAWAY
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Sybiha said Russia uses a range of tactics to recruit foreigners, including financial incentives, deception and coercion.
“Signing a contract is equivalent to signing a death sentence,” he wrote on X. “Foreign citizens in the Russian army have a sad fate. Most of them are immediately sent to the so-called ‘meat assaults,’ where they are quickly killed.”
Iran vows to do ‘whatever it takes’ to make a nuclear deal happen: report
Iran’s deputy foreign minister insisted Tuesday that his country will do “whatever it takes” to reach a deal with the U.S. over its nuclear program.
The vow from Majid Takht-Ravanchi comes as U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner are set to meet with an Iranian delegation in Geneva Thursday, according to Reuters.
“We are ready to reach an agreement as soon as possible. We will do whatever it takes to make this happen. We will enter the negotiating room in Geneva with complete honesty and good faith,” Takht-Ravanchi reportedly said.
“If there is an attack or aggression against Iran, we will respond according to our defense plans. … A U.S. attack on Iran is a real gamble.”
Fox News Digital has reached out to the White House for comment.
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said Tuesday morning that President Donald Trump’s first option for Iran is “always diplomacy” but that he is “willing to use the lethal force of the United States military if necessary.”
Trump wrote on Truth Social Monday that “it will be a very bad day” for Iran if the country can’t strike a deal over its nuclear program.
WITKOFF WARNS IRAN IS ‘A WEEK AWAY’ FROM ‘BOMB-MAKING MATERIAL’ AS TRUMP WEIGHS ACTION
In a series of posts on X, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Tuesday, “Pillared on the understandings forged in the previous round, Iran will resume talks with the U.S. in Geneva with a determination to achieve a fair and equitable deal — in the shortest possible time.
“Our fundamental convictions are crystal clear: Iran will under no circumstances ever develop a nuclear weapon; neither will we Iranians ever forgo our right to harness the dividends of peaceful nuclear technology for our people.
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“We have a historic opportunity to strike an unprecedented agreement that addresses mutual concerns and achieves mutual interests. A deal is within reach, but only if diplomacy is given priority,” he added. “We have proven that we will stop at nothing to guard our sovereignty with courage. We bring the same courage to the negotiating table, where we will pursue a peaceful resolution to any differences.”
Moscow rocked by apparent suicide bombing
An unidentified assailant detonated an explosive device next to a patrol vehicle in Moscow on Tuesday, killing himself and a police officer in an apparent suicide bombing, according to The Associated Press.
The outlet noted that, according to officials, the explosion also left two other officers injured.
The attack happened just after midnight on Tuesday near the Savyolovsky railway station in downtown Moscow, according to the AP, which cited Moscow’s branch of the Interior Ministry.
The AP also reported that Russia’s top investigative agency said the assailant was a 22-year-old man from Russia’s Udmurt Republic and that there was an ongoing probe regarding the motive behind the attack.
The attacker reportedly approached traffic police officers who were sitting in a patrol vehicle, The Moscow Times reported. The outlet noted, citing Russian state media agency TASS, that the targeted patrol car was heavily damaged but did not catch fire as a result of the attack.
PUTIN PUTS ‘NUCLEAR TRIAD’ ON FAST TRACK, ZELENSKYY CLAIMS ‘WORLD WAR 3’ UNDERWAY
Russian President Vladimir Putin allegedly said at a meeting with top officials from Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB) that the young man was recruited online and was unknowingly given an explosive device that was then detonated remotely, according to the AP.
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The attack came just as Russia marked the fourth anniversary of its invasion of Ukraine. While the Trump administration has worked to broker a peace deal between the two sides, Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy have yet to reach an agreement.
Iran nears China anti-ship supersonic missile deal as US carriers mass in region: report
Iran is nearing a deal with China to acquire supersonic anti-ship cruise missiles, a move that could significantly raise the stakes in the Middle East as U.S. carrier strike groups assemble within striking distance of the Islamic Republic.
Reuters reported Tuesday that Tehran is close to finalizing an agreement for Chinese-made CM-302 missiles, citing six people with knowledge of the negotiations.
The supersonic weapons, which can travel roughly 180 miles and fly low to evade ship defenses, would enhance Iran’s ability to target U.S. naval forces operating in the region.
The deal is near completion, though no delivery date has been agreed, the people said. It is unclear how many missiles are involved, how much Iran has agreed to pay, or whether China will ultimately proceed given heightened regional tensions.
Reuters reported that negotiations accelerated after last year’s 12-day war between Israel and Iran, which left Tehran’s military infrastructure strained and heightened regional tensions.
The reported deal comes as President Donald Trump warns Tehran of consequences if it fails to curb its nuclear program, while the Pentagon has deployed multiple carrier strike groups to the region, including USS Abraham Lincoln and USS Gerald R. Ford. The buildup marks one of the largest U.S. naval deployments in the region in recent years.
Trump said on Feb. 19 he was giving Iran 10 days to reach an agreement over its nuclear program or face potential military action.
WITKOFF WARNS IRAN IS ‘A WEEK AWAY’ FROM ‘BOMB-MAKING MATERIAL’ AS TRUMP WEIGHS ACTION
A White House official told Fox News Digital that the president remains firm that Iran cannot develop nuclear weapons or enrich uranium.
“The president would like to see a deal negotiated, but he has been clear that ‘either we will make a deal or we will have to do something very tough like last time,’” the official said when asked for comment on the reported approaching Iran-China deal.
Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei last week appeared to threaten U.S. warships directly.
“More dangerous than that warship is the weapon that can send that warship to the bottom of the sea,” Khamenei wrote on Feb. 17 on X.
Military analysts say a Chinese transfer of supersonic anti-ship missiles could complicate U.S. naval operations in the Persian Gulf and surrounding waters.
“It’s a complete game-changer if Iran has supersonic capability to attack ships in the area,” Danny Citrinowicz, a former Israeli intelligence officer and senior Iran researcher at Israel’s Institute for National Security Studies, told Reuters. “These missiles are very difficult to intercept.”
IRAN ANNOUNCES TEST OF NEW NAVAL AIR DEFENSE MISSILE IN STRAIT OF HORMUZ AS US MILITARY BUILDUP CONTINUES
Still, U.S. forces maintain layered defenses against Iranian threats, including Patriot missile batteries, Navy destroyers equipped with Standard Missile interceptors and F-35 stealth fighters, Fox News Digital reported.
Last year, Navy destroyers in the eastern Mediterranean intercepted Iranian ballistic missiles using SM-3 interceptors, while Marine Corps F-35Cs operating from USS Abraham Lincoln shot down Iranian drones that approached U.S. assets, according to U.S. Central Command.
Iran has also relied on swarming fast boats, ballistic missiles and drones in past confrontations with U.S. forces.
The White House did not directly address the reported missile negotiations when asked by Reuters. China’s foreign ministry told the outlet it was not aware of the talks.
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The potential transfer would mark one of the most advanced Chinese weapons systems supplied to Iran in decades and could test U.S. sanctions authorities if finalized.
As U.S. forces fan out across the region, defense officials have stressed that the buildup is designed to deter Iranian aggression — but warned they are prepared for combat if diplomacy fails.