Rep Boebert rejects call for another $200 billion to fund Iran war, while Americans ‘can’t afford to live’
Rep. Lauren Boebert, R-Colo., told CNN Thursday she is opposed to sending another $200 billion to fund the Iran war, warning that such efforts are endangering Republican chances in the midterms.
“I will not vote for a war supplemental. No. I am a ‘No.’ I’ve already told leadership, ‘I am a no on any war supplementals,'” Boebert told CNN’s Manu Raju.
“I am so tired of spending money elsewhere. I am tired of the industrial war complex getting all of our hard-earned tax dollars. I have folks in Colorado who can’t afford to live.
“We need America First policies right now, and that — I’m not doing that.”
ROGAN SAYS VOTERS FEEL ‘BETRAYED’ BY TRUMP’S IRAN CAMPAIGN AFTER HE PLEDGED ‘NO MORE WARS’ FOR YEARS
In the past few months, there has been a growing internal battle among President Donald Trump’s MAGA coalition over whether he has fulfilled the campaign promises he ran on for years.
Some podcasters who have praised or been friendly with Trump in the past, ranging from comedian Andrew Schulz to Joe Rogan, have blasted the Iran war as a huge departure from Trump’s rhetoric on ending such foreign conflicts.
Now the GOP is struggling to wrangle enough support to keep funding the military operation in Iran.
SEN RAND PAUL: AMERICA IS AT WAR, BUT AMERICANS DIDN’T VOTE FOR IT
In her declaration to CNN that she will not back the Pentagon’s bid for $200 billion in supplemental funding, Boebert echoed the common sentiment that the military operation is putting Republican chances in the midterms at risk, and other initiatives are far more pressing.
“We need the SAVE America Act, FISA with warrants. There’s a lot of hard lines that I have right now, and we’ve got to get our act together if we want to keep this majority, and the path that we’re going doesn’t look very promising,” she said.
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When another reporter asked whether she thinks the Trump administration should get out of Iran, she replied, while walking away, “That’s up to the president.”
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Iran regime could ‘fall pretty soon,’ Victor Davis Hanson says, as global tide turns
Historian Victor Davis Hanson predicted the Iranian regime could “fall pretty soon” as President Donald Trump’s air campaign continues in the Middle East.
Appearing on “Hannity” Thursday, Hanson argued the president’s strategy in the Middle East is working. He pointed to what he described as a shift in global momentum, three weeks into the joint U.S. and Israeli mission, Operation Epic Fury.
“If Trump sees it through, and I think he will, I think they’re [going to] fall pretty soon, in two, three, four weeks,” said Hanson, a senior fellow at the Hoover Institution, of Iran.
“And I think they know it. And I think the Europeans know it. And I think the Middle East knows it,” he added.
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Hanson argued Trump is avoiding what he described as the mistakes of past administrations in Iraq and Afghanistan by refusing to deploy massive numbers of troops. Instead, he said, the U.S. is using precision intelligence, advanced technology and aerial firepower to achieve its goals.
“We’re not [going to] put people in a Fallujah-like context where they’re going door-to-door against jihadists,” said Hanson.
“We’re [going to] play to our strength — which is intelligence, technology, firepower — and we’re going to do it in a new way with enhanced drones and satellite reconnaissance, so we know the individual names of individual commanders.”
MEDIA UNDER FIRE: JOURNALISTS KEEP QUESTIONING IRAN WAR AS HEGSETH CALLS THEM ‘UNPATRIOTIC’ AND ‘ANTI-TRUMP’
While U.S. drone strikes have targeted top Iranian officials, the strategy is expanding. Three more warships and roughly 2,500 Marines are being deployed to the Middle East to address Iran’s blockade in the Strait of Hormuz. Disruptions in the strait have already sent oil prices surging.
TRUMP ISSUES NEW THREAT AGAINST IRAN AS REPORTS SAY NEW SUPREME LEADER IS ‘MISFUNCTIONING’
Trump has posted about his disappointment with allies for not taking a wider role in reopening the vital waterway. The United Kingdom said the U.S. military can use U.K. bases to launch strikes against Iranian missile sites targeting ships in the strait.
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“Europeans would never agree to go anywhere near Iran unless they thought the tide was turning and they think that we’re [going to] win,” added Hanson.
The operation began with strikes that resulted in the death of Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on Feb. 28. Last week Iran’s new supreme leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, released a statement vowing the Strait of Hormuz will remain closed until the war ends and demanding that U.S. military bases be removed from the region.
Iranian man, 2nd person arrested after allegedly trying to enter UK nuclear missile base: report
Two people were arrested after allegedly unsuccessfully attempting to enter HM Naval Base Clyde in Scotland on Thursday, authorities confirmed to Fox News Digital.
One suspect was an Iranian man, while the other was a woman of unknown nationality, The Telegraph reported.
“Around 5pm on Thursday, 19 March, 2026, we were made aware of two people attempting to enter HM Naval Base Clyde,” Police Scotland said in a statement to Fox News Digital. “A 34-year-old man and 31-year-old woman have been arrested in connection and enquiries are ongoing.”
The Telegraph reported that the man was Iranian, while the woman’s nationality was not immediately known. Citing the Times, the Telegraph said the suspects were turned away from the base because they lacked the correct passes and were later arrested nearby for allegedly “acting suspiciously in the vicinity.”
IRAN’S NEW SUPREME LEADER LINKED TO PROPERTIES WITH ‘LINE OF SIGHT’ INTO ISRAELI UK EMBASSY
A Royal Navy spokesperson said in a statement to Fox News Digital, “Police Scotland have arrested two people who unsuccessfully attempted to enter HM Naval Base Clyde on Thursday 19 March. As the matter is subject to an ongoing investigation, we will not comment further.”
HM Naval Base Clyde — commonly known as Faslane — is considered the primary base for the United Kingdom’s missile fleet.
PENCE BACKS TRUMP’S IRAN STRIKES, SAYS PRESIDENT ‘IGNORED’ GOP ISOLATIONISTS
The Royal Navy says the base is home “to the core of the Submarine Service, including the nation’s nuclear deterrent, and the new generation of hunter-killer submarines.”
The U.K. Parliament says the Royal Navy currently operates a fleet of nine submarines, with the entire fleet based at HM Naval Base Clyde.
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“Five of those are conventionally-armed nuclear-powered attack submarines of the Astute class. A further four are ballistic missiles submarines (SSBN) of the Vanguard class that comprise the UK’s submarine-based nuclear deterrent,” it added.
Most Americans expect Trump to send boots on the ground in Iran — but majority oppose it: Poll
Nearly two-thirds of Americans think that President Donald Trump will send U.S. ground troops into the fighting against Iran, a new national poll indicates.
A Reuters/Ipsos survey, conducted Tuesday through Thursday (March 17–19), also indicates that a majority of Americans, 55%, say they don’t support sending ground troops into the operation against Iran.
The poll’s release comes as the U.S. and Israeli attacks on Iran are about to close out their third week.
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Only 7% of those questioned in the survey said they’d support a large-scale strike by American ground forces, with 34% saying they’d back a more limited-in-scope incursion by U.S. special forces.
Fourteen percent of Republicans surveyed said they’d support a large ground force operation, with 63% saying they’d back inserting special forces into a ground action. Twenty-one percent of Republicans gave a thumbs-down to sending in American ground troops.
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Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, at a Pentagon briefing earlier this month, declined to rule out the use of U.S. ground forces.
Trump said on Thursday that he was “not putting troops anywhere,” when asked by a reporter about his war plans.
“If I were, I certainly wouldn’t tell you,” the president added.
The military attacks by the U.S. and Israel have resulted in the deaths of Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and other top officials, and the decimation of the country’s military.
But Iran has retaliated with attacks against Israel and many of its other neighbors in the volatile Middle East.
ONLY ON FOX NEWS: PENCE SAYS TRUMP ‘TURNED A DEAF EAR’ TO ISOLATIONISTS IN GOP
Iran has targeted energy facilities with missile and drone attacks in a number of Persian Gulf nations. It has also made the Strait of Hormuz nearly impassable to commercial shipping, bringing to a halt roughly 20% of the world’s oil supply and in turn sending fuel prices skyrocketing in the U.S. and across the globe.
Most national polls conducted since the launch of the strikes at the end of February indicate opposition to the attacks outweighing support, and the Reuters/Ipsos survey is no exception.
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According to the poll, which questioned 1,545 adults nationwide, 37% of Americans approved of the fighting with Iran, with 59% disapproving.
But there’s a wide partisan divide, with 77% of Republicans but just 6% of Democrats and 28% of independents supporting the operation.
Pence backs Trump’s Iran strikes, says president ‘ignored’ GOP isolationists
EXCLUSIVE — As he praises President Donald Trump for “taking the fight directly” to Iran, former Vice President Mike also argues that the attacks show that the president isn’t listening to the isolationist wing of the Republican Party.
“It’s one of the things I give President Trump great credit for,” Pence said this week in an exclusive interview with Fox News Digital.
Pence’s comments come nearly three weeks into the military strikes against Iran, as some loud populist and anti-war voices in the MAGA and America First orbits have heavily criticized the military operation.
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The former vice president, who has long been a proponent of strong American deterrence around the world, highlighted that “around this administration, and to some extent in this administration, there have been some increasingly loud voices calling for America to pull back from our role as leader of the free world. Isolationist voices have taken hold in some quarters of the Republican Party.”
“But fortunately, President Trump turned a deaf ear to those voices last year when he struck Iran, and this year, when he launched Operation Epic Fury,” Pence emphasized. “I think it’s greatly to his credit.”
FOX NEWS EXCLUSIVE: PENCE CHARGES DEMOCRATS’ HOLDUP OF DHS FUNDING ‘UNCONSCIONABLE’
Pence argued that it’s “reflective of where the overwhelming majority of Republicans are. Republicans understand that America is the arsenal of democracy, that we’re the leader of the free world, that we have obligations to lead.”
And pointing to his former boss during Trump’s first administration, Pence said, “I’ve told people many times, I’m proud of President Trump for making the decision to launch operation Epic Fury. But I’m not surprised, because the President I serve with is no isolationist.”
The military attacks by the U.S. and Israel have resulted in the death of Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and other top officials, and the decimation of the country’s military.
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But Iran has retaliated with attacks against Israel and many of its other neighbors in the volatile Middle East.
Iran has also targeted energy facilities with missile and drone attacks in a number of Persian Gulf nations. It has also made the Strait of Hormuz nearly impassable to commercial shipping, bringing to a halt roughly 20% of the world’s oil supply, which has sent fuel prices skyrocketing in the U.S. and across the globe.
But Pence emphasized that he “couldn’t be more proud of President Donald Trump for making the decision to send our troops directly against an enemy that has literally claimed thousands of American lives, including nearly 1,000 service members.”
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The former vice president said Trump has “unleashed the armed forces of the United States to take the fight directly to the source of global terrorism. And I think at the end of the day, the American people understand that this is a fight that we have to win, and it’s going to be important that we finish the threat that Iran has posed to the American people, to our cherished ally, Israel, to nations across the region and across the West, once and for all.”
And Pence said that if he were advising Trump, he would urge the president “to finish the threat that the mullahs and Tehran have posed to the people of this country once and for all.”
HEAR MORE ABOUT PENCE’S POSITION ON IRAN ON THE FOX NEWS RUNDOWN
Iran’s new supreme leader linked to properties with ‘line of sight’ into Israeli UK Embassy
Iran’s supreme leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, has been linked to two luxury apartments overlooking the Israeli Embassy in London, a location that security experts said could provide “permanent surveillance,” according to multiple reports.
The multimillion-dollar Kensington properties sit next to the high-profile embassy compound and were identified by UK media, drawing on findings from a yearlong probe into Khamenei’s potential overseas assets.
The Times of London reported on March 5 that the one building “sits next to the Israeli Embassy on Palace Green,” placing the residences in exceptional proximity to one of Israel’s most sensitive diplomatic sites.
LETHAL ELITE ‘BLACK-CLAD’ KILL SQUAD GUARDS IRAN’S NEW SUPREME LEADER MOJTABA KHAMENEI
The revelations stem from a Bloomberg investigation that alleged that the Khamenei portfolio could span multiple countries and include high-value real estate in London, totaling around $138M as well as assets in Europe and the Gulf.
The two London apartments were reportedly acquired in 2014 and 2016 via intermediaries and occupy upper floors of the building, offering a direct vantage point toward the rear of the Israeli embassy compound, UK media reported.
A terrorism specialist quoted in reports said the positioning effectively means “Iran owns the view into the back of the Israeli Embassy from less than 50 meters away,” describing the situation as a potential “serious security breach.”
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Roger Macmillan, a former director of security at the Iranian dissident satellite channel Iran International, also said the two apartments had “a direct line of sight, held through Mojtaba Khamenei. That’s not a property portfolio — it’s a permanent surveillance platform.”
“This is a serious security breach,” he added.
Further details from Bloomberg’s investigation indicated that a businessman acted as a financial conduit, buying up high-end properties on Khamenei’s behalf and channeling funds through a network of investments.
TRUMP SAYS HE’S ‘NOT HAPPY’ WITH IRAN’S CHOICE OF NEW SUPREME LEADER
The investigation also found that 11 mansions on London’s “Billionaire’s Row” were purchased using an Isle of Man shell company.
The Financial Times has also similarly reported on links between Khamenei’s associates and luxury assets across Europe.
Khamenei, 56, has been viewed as a powerful figure within Iran’s ruling establishment, ultimately becoming the leading successor to his father, who was killed in a Tehran compound strike on Feb. 28.
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So far, since he was selected by Iran’s Assembly of Experts, he has not been seen in public.
Iranian women’s soccer team returns home after declining asylum in Australia: report
Earlier this month, Australia granted asylum to five members of the Iranian women’s soccer team who were visiting the country for a tournament when the U.S. and Israel launched a joint military campaign against the country.
The remaining members of the team faced uncertainty.
After the team was knocked out of the Women’s Asian Cup, most of the players who initially sought asylum later changed their minds.
On Wednesday, all but two ultimately returned to Iran after declining asylum offers in Australia, according to unconfirmed Iranian state media reports.
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Video circulating on social media showed the soccer players entering Iran after a flight landed in Turkey. Those same athletes were previously seen traveling through the country by bus shortly after the flight returned to Iran. Multiple officials were reportedly present at the border when the soccer team arrived.
Fatemeh Pasandideh and Atefeh Ramezanisadeh were the two members of the Iranian national team who reportedly elected to stay behind in Australia. Both have been training with the Brisbane Roar club.
IRAN WRESTLING CHAMPION SPEAKS OUT AGAINST COUNTRY’S TREATMENT OF FEMALE ATHLETES AMID SOCCER PLAYER CONCERNS
Iran’s squad arrived in Australia for the tournament shortly before the war began Feb. 28. The team initially gained global attention after some players stayed silent during Iran’s national anthem before their first game.
When the team was knocked out of the tournament and faced the prospect of returning to a country under bombardment, calls grew for Australia’s government to offer the women asylum. Iranian groups in Australia and President Donald Trump were among those who expressed fears for the women’s safety.
Iranian First Vice President Mohammad Reza Aref last week dismissed suggestions the women would be unsafe if they returned home, saying the country “welcomes its children with open arms and the government guarantees their security.”
Trump also commented on the Iranian men’s team’s World Cup participation, suggesting last week that while the squad is “welcome” to compete in the U.S. after qualifying, it might not be “appropriate.”
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“The Iran National Soccer Team is welcome to The World Cup, but I really don’t believe it is appropriate that they be there, for their own life and safety,” Trump wrote in a post to Truth Social post March 12.
Iran’s men’s team is slated to play in Inglewood, California, against New Zealand June 15. It is also scheduled to face Belgium June 21 before finishing group play against Egypt in Seattle June 26. The U.S. is hosting the tournament with Canada and Mexico from June 11 to July 19.
Iran arrests 97 people it accuses of being ‘soldiers of Israel’ in massive crackdown
Iran’s intelligence ministry has arrested 97 people accused of being “soldiers of Israel,” according to state media reports Thursday.
The arrests are part of the country’s latest security sweep, which has seen hundreds detained over alleged links to Israel and the United States since the start of the war, Reuters said.
Earlier Thursday, state media also cited the police commander of Alborz province as saying 41 people had been arrested for sending videos to opposition media channels based abroad.
TOP IRANIAN OFFICIAL, COMMANDER KILLED IN STRIKE, ISRAEL DEFENSE MINISTER SAYS
On March 10, Iran’s intelligence ministry also reported it had arrested a foreign national, along with 30 other people it described as spies, internal mercenaries and operational agents of Israel and the U.S., according to Reuters.
The latest wave of arrests came in the wake of the assassination of Iran’s intelligence minister, Esmaeil Khatib, in a targeted Israeli strike in Tehran.
Khatib’s death was confirmed March 18 by Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz 10 days after the start of Operation Epic Fury and Operation Roaring Lion, both targeting the Iranian regime.
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Under Khatib, the intelligence ministry’s role broadened significantly, and it now operates extensive informant networks across universities, media organizations, minority communities and activist circles across the country.
Its agents identify protest organizers, monitor communications and conduct interrogations, according to The Jerusalem Post.
On March 12, the U.S.-based Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA) also said Iranian authorities had arrested nearly 200 people on charges related to the U.S.-Israeli war against the Islamic Republic.
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The charges include alleged activity on social media, sending content to foreign media outlets, espionage and disturbing public order, HRANA said before adding that its count was based on official reports.