United States

Vessel Off UAE Coast 'Taken', Now Bound for Iran Waters: UK Maritime Agency

A ship off the UAE coast near the Strait of Hormuz has been taken by unknown people and is now headed towards Iranian waters, a UK maritime agency said on Thursday. The vessel was "taken by unauthorised personnel whilst at anchor" 38 nautical miles (70 kilometres) northeast of Fujairah, and "is now bound for Iranian territorial ...

Israeli Ambassador to U.S. Says Any Deal With Lebanon Depends on Hezbollah Disarmament

Israeli Ambassador to the United States Yechiel Leiter issued a series of statements on Thursday ahead of the expected third round of direct negotiations between Lebanon and Israel, signaling that any broader political or security arrangement would be conditioned on the dismantling of Hezbollah and stronger Lebanese state action on the ground. In ...

U.S. Authorities Uncover Migrant Smuggling Network Tied to IRGC-Linked Individual

An Iranian national living in New York pleaded guilty Tuesday to running a migrant smuggling operation that brought people into the U.S., including at least one person tied to Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), federal prosecutors said. According to the U.S. Department of Justice, Sharon Gohari, a naturalized American citizen ...

Iran Hangs Man Accused of Spying for Israel

Iran on Wednesday hanged a man found guilty of selling information to Israeli intelligence, the judiciary said, the latest in a war-related wave of executions. Since the start of the conflict with Israel and the United States in February, Iran has ramped up executions, particularly in cases involving alleged espionage or security-related ...

U.S. War Costs Against Iran Rise to $29 Billion as Pentagon Seeks Additional Funding

The United States has spent an estimated $29 billion on military operations tied to the war with Iran, according to testimony delivered Tuesday before Congress, as senior Pentagon officials defended both the financial and strategic costs of the ongoing campaign. Appearing on Capitol Hill for a series of budget hearings, Jules Hurst III, the ...

Iran's Guards hold military drills in capital as ceasefire teeters

Iran's Revolutionary Guards held military exercises in the capital, Tehran, to prepare for any confrontation, state media reported Tuesday, after US President Donald Trump warned a ceasefire in the Middle East war was on the brink of collapse. The drills involved the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps or IRGC, the ideological arm of Iran's ...

Iran Hangs Man Accused of Passing Info to CIA, Mossad

Iran said Monday it had hanged a man convicted of spying for Israel and the United States, the latest in a wave of executions during the war with the two foes. "Erfan Shakourzadeh... was hanged for collaborating with the US intelligence service and the Mossad spy service," the judiciary's Mizan Online website said. It did not ...

Trump Says U.S. Is Monitoring Iran’s Nuclear Sites and Still Considering Further Strikes

U.S. President Donald Trump said in an interview aired Sunday on Full Measure that enriched uranium believed to remain buried beneath rubble at Iranian nuclear sites is under close U.S. surveillance. He added Washington is monitoring the area continuously and would detect any attempt to move material from the ...

WSJ: Israel Allegedly Built Secret Base in Iraq Ahead of Iran Conflict

Israel allegedly established a covert military outpost deep inside Iraq’s western desert ahead of its recent confrontation with Iran, using the facility to support air operations and special missions, according to a report published by The Wall Street Journal citing U.S. officials and regional sources. The report claims the secret base was ...

CENTCOM says U.S. Forces Disabled Iranian-Flagged Tankers in Gulf of Oman Blockade Enforcement

U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) announced U.S. forces disabled multiple Iranian-flagged oil tankers this week as part of ongoing blockade enforcement measures aimed at preventing vessels from entering Iranian ports via the Gulf of Oman. In a statement, CENTCOM said the operation targeted the M/T Sea Star III and M/T Sevda on May 8, as both vessels ...

Rubio: Lebanese State Must Be Empowered to Confront Hezbollah

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio delivered sharp remarks from Rome on Friday, accusing Hezbollah of acting as an Iranian proxy and stressing that Washington’s priority is strengthening the Lebanese state rather than engaging with the group.  Rubio said Washington will not negotiate with Hezbollah, describing the group as “an Iranian ...