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Israel hits the ‘heart’ of Iran’s nuclear program in Natanz facility strike

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Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu confirmed that one of Iran’s top nuclear facilities had been hit in Thursday night’s strike against the regime.

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«Iran has produced enough highly enriched uranium for nine atom bombs, nine,» Netanyahu said. «In recent months, Iran is taking steps that it has never taken before, steps to weaponize this enriched uranium. And if not stopped, Iran could produce a nuclear weapon in a very short time.»

The Natanz Nuclear Facility – one of Tehran’s key nuclear sites and which has been flagged by security experts that in coordination with the Fordow Fuel Enrichment Plant, could produce enough weapons-grade uranium to produce 11 nuclear weapons within a month – has been hit in the strikes, though the extent of the damage remains unknown. 

FILE – This satellite photo from Planet Labs PBC shows the Natanz nuclear facility in Iran on May 20, 2025. (Planet Labs PBC via AP, File)

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ISRAEL LAUNCHES SWEEPING STRIKE ON IRAN WHILE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION SEEKS DIPLOMATIC SOLUTION

«We struck at the heart of Iran’s nuclear enrichment program. We struck at the heart Iran’s nuclear weaponization program,» Netanyahu said in live remarks. «We targeted Iran’s main enrichment facility in Natanz. 

«We targeted Iran’s leading nuclear scientists working on the Iranian bomb,» he added. 

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The Nantaz Nuclear Facility was at least partially destroyed in 2020 following an explosion, and satellite imagery has suggested Iran began constructing deep underground tunnels to further secure and obscure their nuclear program, reported the Institute for Science and International Security earlier this year. 

Israel launches preemptive strike on Iran's capital, Tehran

Israel launches preemptive strike on Iran’s capital, Tehran and its nuclear facilities. 6/12/25 (Courtesy of Israeli MOD)

ISRAEL ANNOUNCES PREEMPTIVE STRIKE AGAINST IRAN

It is unclear at this time if any of the underground structures were hit in the Thursday night strikes. 

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«We will not let the world’s most dangerous regime get the world’s most dangerous weapons, and Iran plans to give those weapons, nuclear weapons, to its terrorist proxies,» Netanyahu said. «That would make the nightmare of nuclear terrorism all too real. 

«The increasing range of Iran’s ballistic missiles would bring that nuclear nightmare to the cities of Europe, and eventually to America,» he added. 

Strike in Tehran

Smoke rises up after an explosion in Tehran, Iran, Friday, June 13, 2025. (AP Photo/Vahid Salemi)

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Reporting by The New York Times also said the Parchin military complex had been hit in the overnight strikes, though Fox News Digital could not independently confirm the hit.

The extent of the damage also remains unknown as it was reported in November that the Parchin military complex had been significantly damaged in Israel’s October strikes which housed a nuclear weapons research facility. 

Another five military bases surrounding Tehran were also reportedly hit. 

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Top Republican slams Katherine Clark for admitting suffering families are ‘leverage’ in shutdown battle

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EXCLUSIVE: A top House Republican is criticizing one of Democrats’ senior leaders for saying the government shutdown and its effects are a «leverage point» to accomplish their goals on healthcare.

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«It’s appalling to see the number two House Democrat openly admit that the left is weaponizing hardworking Americans as ‘leverage’ for political gain, even acknowledging families will suffer in the process,» Republican Study Committee Chair August Pfluger, R-Texas, told Fox News Digital.

«This isn’t governance — it’s calculated hostage-taking, with struggling families caught in the balance as Democrats attempt to force through their radical agenda. Families are seen only as leverage by Democrats. We always knew it, now they’re saying it out loud. Absolutely shameful.»

House Minority Whip Katherine Clark, D-Mass., sat down for an interview with Fox News’ Chad Pergram last week. At one point, Clark was asked about who Americans would find responsible for the ongoing shutdown.

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BATTLEGROUND REPUBLICANS HOLD THE LINE AS JOHNSON PRESSURES DEMS ON SHUTDOWN

Republican Study Committee Chairman August Pfluger is criticizing House Minority Whip Katherine Clark’s comments in a recent interview on the government shutdown. (Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images; Eric Lee/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

«I mean, shutdowns are terrible and, of course, there will be, you know, families that are going to suffer. We take that responsibility very seriously. But it is one of the few leverage times we have,» Clark responded.

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«It is an inflection point in this budget process where we have tried to get the Republicans to meet with us and prioritize the American people, and it’s been an absolute refusal, and they were willing to let government shut down when they control the House, the Senate and the White House rather than come and talk about an issue as important to the American people is if they can afford healthcare.»

Fox News Digital reached out to Clark’s office for a response to Pfluger’s comments.

Capitol building with falling money

The government is in a shutdown after Congress failed to reach an agreement on federal funding. (Getty Images)

The government shutdown is now in its 23rd day after Senate Democrats rejected the GOP’s federal funding bill for a 12th time on Wednesday evening.

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Republicans proposed a measure that would keep federal funding roughly flat until Nov. 21, a spending patch called a continuing resolution (CR), so that negotiators would have more time to strike a longer-term deal on fiscal year (FY) 2026.

The bill passed the House largely along partisan lines on Sept. 19.

But Democrats have been pushing for any funding deal to include an extension of Obamacare subsidies that were enhanced during the COVID-19 pandemic. Those enhancements are set to expire at the end of 2025.

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Republican leaders have signaled a willingness to negotiate on those subsidies, but have ruled out doing so in the current package.

SCREAMING MATCH ERUPTS BETWEEN HAKEEM JEFFRIES, MIKE LAWLER AS GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN CHAOS CONTINUES

Speaker of the House Mike Johnson

Speaker of the House Mike Johnson speaks during a news conference at the U.S. Capitol on the 10th day of the federal government shutdown in Washington, Oct. 10, 2025. (Alex Wroblewski/AFP via Getty Images)

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«Mike Johnson said, we have an eternity to talk about this, an eternity. This impact of the ACA is in the next few weeks,» Clark said. «Yes, there are repercussions to a shutdown that are terrible for people.»

She continued, «I feel for military families that even if they get paid, you know, there are lots of spouses that also work that are feeling these cuts because we’ve encouraged military spouses to become federal workers to accommodate all the travel and moving that military families so frequently experience. And now we’re saying to them, you’re not going to be paid for your work. I mean, let’s get it together here. The Republicans need to come to town. They need to sit down with us.»

Republicans have seized on Clark’s comments in recent days, however.

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House GOP Chairwoman Lisa McClain, R-Mich., said in a statement on Wednesday, «Democrats are holding American families hostage to advance their political agenda, and they’re admitting it.»

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INTERNACIONAL

Los submarinos que contrabandean cocaína a través de océanos y mares

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GUAYAQUIL, Ecuador — El comandante de la guardia costera de Ecuador observaba con una mirada derrotada el submarino que había sido utilizado para transportar drogas, exhausto por los interminables esfuerzos de interdicción que parecen no llevar a ninguna parte, con sus marineros arriesgando sus vidas mientras la cocaína sigue fluyendo.

Los traficantes de drogas, dijo, siempre iban muchos pasos por delante.

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La Armada ecuatoriana tiene dos submarinos en su flota.

Nadie lo sabe con certeza, pero sin duda son muchos más.

En los últimos 15 años, Ecuador ha capturado alrededor de una docena de embarcaciones semisumergibles y sumergibles.

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Las autoridades estadounidenses creen que solo una pequeña fracción de estas embarcaciones ha sido interceptada a nivel mundial.

Estábamos en la extensa base naval a lo largo del paseo marítimo de Guayaquil, la ciudad más poblada de Ecuador, observando los barcos narcotraficantes incautados por la marina, algunos con la ayuda de la DEA (Administración para el Control de Drogas) de Estados Unidos.

Era un cementerio de barcos pesqueros asoleados, embarcaciones semisumergibles y un enorme submarino metálico.

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Un buque semisumergible en exhibición en una base naval de Guayaquil, Ecuador, el 19 de octubre de 2025. Los buques semisumergibles y totalmente sumergibles son más difíciles de detectar, ya que se mimetizan con el agua. (Daniele Volpe/The New York Times)

La disposición de los buques era un testimonio de la astucia de los cárteles a la hora de idear formas de transportar drogas por todo el mundo.

La semana pasada, el ejército estadounidense atacó un semisumergible en el Caribe que, según afirmaba, transportaba cocaína.

Dos personas murieron, pero hubo dos sobrevivientes, entre ellos un ecuatoriano que fue repatriado.

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El ataque forma parte de la campaña de la administración Trump para destruir embarcaciones que, según afirma, transportan drogas.

(El miércoles, anunció haber atacado una embarcación frente a las costas de Colombia, la primera vez que se produce un ataque de este tipo en el Pacífico).

Muchos expertos dicen que los ataques estadounidenses violan el derecho internacional.

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Transporte

Los destartalados barcos pesqueros y las lanchas rápidas todavía transportan cantidades importantes de cocaína desde América del Sur a los Estados Unidos, pero los barcos semisumergibles surgieron en la década de 1990 como una forma de intentar evadir a las autoridades estadounidenses.

Normalmente, la mayor parte de la embarcación se encuentra bajo la superficie del agua, con una cabina de fibra de vidrio justo encima para facilitar la navegación.

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Las embarcaciones suelen tener una tripulación de hasta cuatro personas, miden aproximadamente 15 metros de eslora y tienen capacidad para dos toneladas de cocaína, según la Armada de Ecuador.

La guardia costera ecuatoriana estimó que la construcción de un semisumergible incautado costó alrededor de un millón de dólares. En comparación, una tonelada de cocaína puede alcanzar los 25 millones de dólares en Estados Unidos.

A mediados de la década de 2000, las armadas de Sudamérica comenzaron a ver submarinos de pleno derecho, como el enorme buque de 27,5 metros de eslora que se encuentra en la base naval de Guayaquil.

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Fue descubierto en 2010, su construcción costó unos 2 millones de dólares y podía transportar hasta 10 toneladas de cocaína, según el comandante de la Guardia Costera.

Después de que algunas fuerzas del orden comenzaron a utilizar cámaras termográficas para detectar embarcaciones bajo el agua, los narcotraficantes comenzaron a cubrirlas con plomo y las equiparon con dispositivos de enfriamiento para ayudar a ocultar sus señales de calor, según Insight Crime, una organización de investigación.

La potencia y el alcance de los submarinos también han aumentado con los años.

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Al principio, solo podían contrabandear drogas de Sudamérica a Centroamérica.

Ahora, pueden atravesar los océanos Pacífico y Atlántico y llegar hasta Europa, África y Australia, recorriendo miles de kilómetros sin repostar.

Ecuador se ha convertido en un actor importante en el tráfico mundial de drogas.

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Alrededor del 70% de la cocaína mundial fluye a través del país.

No es un centro de producción, pero Ecuador limita con Colombia, el mayor productor mundial de cocaína, y los concurridos puertos de Guayaquil, que envían banano, pescado y camarones al mundo, representan una oportunidad lucrativa para los cárteles.

La costa ecuatoriana y el Pacífico en general son los principales destinos de la cocaína mundial, no el Caribe, según datos de Estados Unidos y la ONU.

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La cocaína también ha impulsado un aumento de la violencia allí, convirtiendo a Ecuador, de ser el país más seguro de Latinoamérica, en uno de los más peligrosos.

Un semisumergible en exhibición en una base naval de Guayaquil, Ecuador, el 19 de octubre de 2025. Una exhibición de embarcaciones confiscadas en una base naval de Ecuador ofrece un vistazo a por qué es tan difícil detener el narcotráfico. (Daniele Volpe/The New York Times)Un semisumergible en exhibición en una base naval de Guayaquil, Ecuador, el 19 de octubre de 2025. Una exhibición de embarcaciones confiscadas en una base naval de Ecuador ofrece un vistazo a por qué es tan difícil detener el narcotráfico. (Daniele Volpe/The New York Times)

Mientras entrevistaba al comandante de la guardia costera —cuyo nombre The New York Times no revela por razones de seguridad— estallaron fuegos artificiales a poca distancia.

“Eso lo hacen cada vez que un cargamento llega a su destino”, dijo con un suspiro, refiriéndose a la pandilla que controla el barrio colindante con la base.

Amenaza

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Un modesto muro de ladrillo coronado con alambre de púas flexible era lo único que separaba la base naval más grande de Ecuador del extenso y empobrecido barrio, controlado por Los Lobos, uno de los grupos narcotraficantes más poderosos del país.

La banda colabora estrechamente con cárteles mexicanos y grupos del crimen organizado albaneses e italianos para contrabandear cocaína por todo el mundo, según funcionarios estadounidenses, europeos y ecuatorianos.

El mes pasado Los Lobos fueron designados como organización terrorista por el Departamento de Estado de Estados Unidos.

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Le pregunté al comandante de la guardia costera si estaba nervioso por estar al lado del mismo enemigo contra el cual luchaban sus fuerzas, si alguna vez le preocupaba que miembros de Los Lobos escalaran los muros para atacar a sus marineros o sabotear su equipo.

“A veces”, dijo, encogiéndose de hombros y con una expresión de “¿qué se le va a hacer?” en el rostro.

c.2025 The New York Times Company

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Louvre director grilled on spectacular security failures, including camera pointing away from key balcony

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The director of Paris’ iconic Louvre Museum is facing scrutiny over apparent security failures that allowed thieves to make off with more than $100 million worth of jewels.

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In her first public address since the heist, Louvre Museum director Laurence des Cars acknowledged there was a «terrible failure» and said, «Despite our efforts, despite our hard work on a daily basis, we failed,» The Guardian reported.

Des Cars admitted that security around the Louvre’s perimeter was an issue and that the only camera monitoring the outside of the museum was facing away from the balcony that led to the gallery where the precious jewels were kept, according to reports. The Guardian also noted that des Cars confirmed all the museum’s alarms were functioning during the burglary.

LOUVRE HEIST ADDS TO HISTORY OF HIGH-PROFILE MUSEUM BREACHES, LEAVES OTHER GALLERIES ON EDGE

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Louvre Museum director Laurence des Cars made her first public remarks since the recent jewelry heist at a press conference on Oct. 22, 2025, in Paris, France. (Edward Berthelot/Getty Images)

«We failed these jewels,» des Cars said, according to the BBC. The outlet also quoted the director as saying that no one is safe from «brutal thieves — not even the Louvre.»

On Sunday, burglars appeared to use a truck-mounted electric furniture lift to conduct the heist, Laure Beccuau, the Paris prosecutor, said in an interview with RTL radio, according to The New York Times. She added that the thieves obtained the lift by pretending it was for a move. Additionally, Beccuau noted that it would not be easy for burglars to sell the stolen jewels for what they’re worth if they tear the pieces apart or melt them, according to the Times.

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Police and moving lift outside the Louvre Museum following jewel heist in Paris.

Police secure the area outside the Louvre Museum in Paris, where burglars used a truck-mounted moving lift to reach a second floor window and steal royal jewelry valued at more than $100 million. (Dimitar DILKOFF / AFP)

HOW LOUVRE BURGLARS OBTAINED TRUCK-MOUNTED LIFT TO MAKE OFF WITH JEWELS WORTH MORE THAN $100M

The thieves got away with a total of eight objects, including a sapphire diadem, necklace and single earring from a set linked to 19th-century queens Marie-Amélie and Hortense. They also stole an emerald necklace and earrings tied to Empress Marie-Louise, Napoleon Bonaparte’s second wife, and a reliquary brooch. Empress Eugénie’s diamond diadem and her large corsage-bow brooch — an imperial ensemble of rare craftsmanship — were also part of the loot.

«The theft committed at the Louvre is an attack on a heritage that we cherish, for it is our history,» French President Emmanuel Macron said in an X post on Sunday. «We will recover the works, and the perpetrators will be brought to justice. Everything is being done, everywhere, to achieve this, under the leadership of the Paris prosecutor’s office.»

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Forensic police officers arrive at the Louvre

Forensic police officers arrive at the Louvre Museum after reports of a robbery in Paris, France, on Oct. 19, 2025. (Gonzalo Fuentes/Reuters)

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The heist has prompted a national reckoning, with some officials comparing the shock to the 2019 burning of Notre Dame cathedral. Beccuau told RTL radio that the team investigating the heist had grown from 60 investigators to 100, underscoring the importance of the case on national and international levels.

Fox News Digital’s Michael Dorgan contributed to this report.

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