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Trump’s massive GOP faith bloc raises red flag on Iran deal: Trust him, not his team

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Influential evangelical leaders are divided over the Trump administration’s memorandum of understanding with Iran, as conflict continues across the Middle East and debate grows over whether the framework strengthens U.S. leverage or risks harming Israel.

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President Donald Trump recently threatened to re-escalate U.S. military strikes against Iran after Tehran continued attacks in the Strait of Hormuz after the regime launched strikes against Kuwait and Bahrain over the weekend, drawing condemnations from both Gulf neighbors.

The split is emerging at a delicate moment for Trump, who is trying to turn military pressure on Iran into a diplomatic framework without alienating supporters who helped power his political coalition. Supporters of the MOU say Trump has earned trust because he weakened Tehran first, while critics say any deal that gives Iran relief before its threat to Israel is permanently neutralized risks betraying the alliance his base expects him to protect.

Dr. Mike Evans, founder of the Friends of Zion Heritage Center in Jerusalem and a close evangelical ally of Trump, told Fox News Digital that many people are underestimating the American president.

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EVANGELICAL LEADERS RALLY FOR TRUMP AND ISRAEL AS OPERATION EPIC FURY RESHAPES THE REGION

President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu hold a joint press conference in the State Dining Room at the White House in Washington, D.C., on Sept. 29, 2025. (Kevin Lamarque/Reuters)

«The facts are that Donald Trump was key to ending the Gaza war, he was key to getting hostages out of there and he was key in breaking the back of the Iranian regime, including destroying its navy, air force, missile defense and leadership,» Evans said.

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TRUMP ADMINISTRATION UNVEILS SWEEPING TERMS OF PROPOSED IRAN AGREEMENT

Vice President JD Vance and Jared Kushner standing together at an event.

Vice President JD Vance and Jared Kushner attend an event related to Iran talks. (Fabrice Coffrini/Reuters)

There are 750 million Bible-believing Christians around the world who identify as Zionists, Evans said, adding that while they may disagree on Israeli political issues, they agree that Israel is the biblical homeland given by God to the Jewish people through Abraham.

While running for president, Trump met with Christian groups, including Evans, and asked whether they would support him, Evans said, adding that they agreed on the condition that he support Christian values in the United States and stand by the State of Israel.

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I’M A CHRISTIAN PASTOR WHO WAS BORN IN EGYPT. HERE ARE 3 FACTS I LEARNED ABOUT IRAN’S NUCLEAR OBSESSION

trump pumps fist in air at Faith & Freedom Coalition

President Donald Trump pumps his fist after speaking at the Faith & Freedom Coalition’s 2026 Policy Conference at the Washington Hilton in Washington, DC, on June 26, 2026. (Kent NISHIMURA / AFP via Getty Images)

«He promised to do both and so far he’s exceeded all of our expectations,» Evans said.

«Israel is willing to shed its blood for America in the Middle East. America needs to do everything possible to support the State of Israel. We, as believers, believe that God birthed this nation. We don’t have any fear about Israel’s future,» he added.

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U.S. Officials worked with the Israel Defense Forces to complete Operation Epic Fury in February, which was a 38-day effort to dismantle the Iranian regime’s military capabilities. 

«Following the historic destruction of Iran’s military capabilities through the successful Operation Epic Fury, President Trump and his negotiating team have brokered an excellent, performance-based MOU that advances the interests of the United States by ending the fighting, reopening the Strait of Hormuz to significantly lower energy prices, and forcing Iran to commit to abandon its nuclear ambitions,» White House Spokesperson Olivia Wales told Fox News Digital.

«President Trump has a strong relationship with Prime Minister Netanyahu, and Israel has always been a great ally to the United States. There has been no greater friend to Israel and a fighter for peace than President Trump…Americans and our allies around the world are already safer for the United States and Israel’s bold actions to deny the Iranian regime the ability to develop a nuclear weapon,» a White House official added in comment to Fox News Digital.

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Vice President JD Vance standing outdoors at Burgenstock hotel complex overlooking Lake Lucerne in Switzerland

Vice President JD Vance stands at the Burgenstock luxury hotel complex overlooking Lake Lucerne in Switzerland prior to a quadrilateral meeting between the United States, Iran, Pakistan and Qatar on June 21, 2026. (Fabrice Coffrini/Keystone)

Rev. Johnnie Moore, President of The Congress of Christian Leaders, told Fox News Digital that in 2016, opposition to President Obama’s catastrophic Iran deal was one of the top three reasons evangelicals rallied to Donald Trump, helping forge one of the most consequential, enduring and powerful political coalitions in American history — a coalition that stands with him still and knows its power.

«Evangelicals know, and President Trump knows, that words on paper don’t change terrorists. Accountability does. Action does. This President has been willing to confront the Iranian regime in ways no predecessor would, and the regime has never been weaker,» Moore said.

TRUMP PIVOTS ON STRIKES WHILE DANGLING IRAN DEAL, TESTING WHETHER TEHRAN BLINKS

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«The nuclear threat, at least for now, is gone. What brought Iran to this table was not a memorandum — it was precise and unrelenting military action that shattered their nuclear ambitions and broke their conventional forces,» he continued.

«We also know, as the President knows, that the regime will say and do anything to deceive everyone around him — because they understand they cannot deceive the President himself. Evangelicals trust President Trump entirely. That does not mean that we trust many of those now involved in the negotiation,» he added. 

The risk the president must manage, he said, is that Tehran turns this into a stalling game — as it tried and failed to do with his own team at least twice and did successfully with Presidents Biden and Obama. 

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«In the end, because of the President, America will win this too — negotiation or not. But it is clear where our community stands. The regime only understands one language: strength. American strength,» he said.

ISRAEL FEARS TRUMP WEARY OF ‘HIGHLY SUSPICIOUS’ NETANYAHU AND COULD ‘FLIP’ AMID IRAN DEAL: ANALYST 

U.S. sailor signaling launch of MH-60R Sea Hawk helicopter aboard USS Gerald R. Ford

A U.S. sailor signals the launch of an MH-60R Sea Hawk helicopter aboard the aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford while supporting Operation Epic Fury at sea on Feb. 28. (U.S. Navy via Getty Images)

Other leaders expressed concerns over recent comments on Israel from the administration. Laurie Cardoza-Moore, president of Proclaiming Justice to the Nations, told Fox News Digital that evangelical Christians were largely responsible for the election of the current administration and said the agreement with Iran is extremely worrying.

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«One of our core issues is the Biblical requirement to stand with Israel and G-d’s chosen people as described in the Books of Genesis and Obadiah. As the Bible teaches, those who stand with Israel will be blessed, and those who curse her will be cursed,» she said.

«There is a strong feeling that Israel is being betrayed and thrown under the bus in favor of the Islamic Republic of Iran. We are particularly concerned about recent harsh and false statements made by Vice President Vance, which could be perceived as cursing Israel,» she added.

The office of the vice president declined to comment when approached by Fox News Digital.

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Vance has supported Israel but has also said he is willing to criticize the country when he believes its actions warrant it. He condemned antisemitism in February, telling the Daily Mail, «I think Jew hatred is disgusting.»

«You shouldn’t hate people because they’re white. You shouldn’t hate people because they’re Jewish. You shouldn’t hate people because they’re black,» he said.

But Vance has also made clear that support for Israel does not mean automatic agreement with Netanyahu’s government.

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«Prime Minister Netanyahu, look, he governs a country that has obviously been a very close partner of the United States. But, even when we’ve been close partners, sometimes we have interests that are perfectly aligned, and sometimes we have interests that are misaligned,» Vance said in an interview on «CBS Sunday Morning» June 10.

TRUMP’S IRAN AGREEMENT RAISES A BASIC QUESTION: IS IT ACTUALLY A DEAL?

USS Gerald R. Ford conducting flight operations at sea

The U.S. Navy’s USS Gerald R. Ford conducts flight operations in support of Operation Epic Fury at an undisclosed location on March 9, 2026. (DVIDS/Reuters)

The Trump administration publicly released details of the memorandum outlining plans for immediate waivers on Iranian oil exports, a framework for at least $300 billion in reconstruction and economic development assistance if a final agreement is reached, and a 60-day negotiating period aimed at securing a comprehensive deal on Iran’s nuclear program.

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Pastor John Hagee, founder and chairman of Christians United for Israel, told Fox News Digital that, in its current form, the MOU appears ill-advised at best, as the military gains achieved by Washington and Jerusalem have yet to be fully realized.

«I have yet to hear from anyone who was not surprised by such an about face in signing the MoU. Who would not be concerned with the U.S. effectively agreeing to forever negotiations with a highly militarized radical Islamist regime, flush with cash, in pursuit of nuclear weapons,» Hagee said.

Most evangelical Christians, he added, see what everyone else sees: The U.S. negotiating team appears to have fumbled the ball on the one-yard line. Nevertheless, the U.S.-Israel alliance remains a cornerstone of both countries’ security as well as a key pillar of global stability.

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AMERICANS KNOW IRAN IS OUR ENEMY. IT’S TIME ESTABLISHMENT POLITICIANS AGREED

trump g7 iran presser

Trump gestures as he addresses the media alongside United States Trade Representative Jamieson Greer, US Commerce secretary Howard Lutnick, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and US Secretary of Treasury Scott Bessent during a closing press conference at the G7 summit, in Evian, eastern France (Mandel NGAN / AFP via Getty Images)

RETIRED US MILITARY LEADERS SUPPORT LETTING ISRAEL ‘FINISH THE JOB’ AGAINST IRAN, PROXIES

«From a religious perspective, we have a divine mandate to stand with Israel. From a national security perspective, we have no stronger or wiser ally anywhere in the world. And from the Christian pilgrim’s perspective, our holy sites in the Holy Land have never been more open and yet more secure,» Hagee said.

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«The most «America-first» thing one can do is stand with our only true ally in the region,» he continued.

«The Islamic Republic declared war on the West the day it was founded nearly half a century ago. That has not changed. Democracies rarely get to decide who their enemies are. The only conclusion to this conflict is regime change through domestic revolution in Iran,» Hagee added.

MORNING GLORY: PRESIDENT TRUMP AND THE US ARE WAGING A RIGHTEOUS BATTLE — AND WINNING

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Eden Alexander and Mike Evans in Israel.

Dr. Mike Evans, founder of the Friends of Zion Heritage Center in Jerusalem, meets with former Hamas hostage Edan Alexander. (Shlomi Amsalem)

After the 60-day timeframe, Evans predicted Trump is likely to extend negotiations for another 90 days, carrying them through the end of the year and beyond the midterm elections. President Trump, Evans said, will then break the economic back of the regime, take Kharg Island and completely bankrupt the regime.

«I am not panicking because I know Donald Trump. I am the strongest supporter in the state of Israel of Donald Trump. I am the one that hosted the embassy gala, put up all the billboards and gave him an award. I am not panicking over this,» he added.

Evans said Christians do not believe the battle can be won by bombs alone, and that they view prayer as their most powerful weapon.

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«We are hosting the largest prayer in history at the Kotel (Western Wall) with 5 to 10 million Christians on Oct. 7. I now have more than a dozen ambassadors involved and 23 additional ones I am meeting with who want to represent their country,» he said.

Dr. Jürgen Bühler, president of the International Christian Embassy Jerusalem (ICEJ), said his organization has witnessed up close for decades how the Iranian regime has progressively raised the sword of radical Islam over Israel, as well as over indigenous Christians throughout the Middle East.

«Given the current deal being worked out with Iranian leaders, we share the sense of most Israelis that the war against this intolerable Iranian threat has been stopped short of its needed objective,» he told Fox News Digital.

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«Israel is a fellow Western democracy that deserves our full support in its fight to defend our shared freedoms and values, and many Christians in this region look to Israel as a light of hope for securing their own freedoms and futures,» he added.

Ultimately, Bühler said, the best and most just answer to the Iranian threat is genuine regime change in Tehran.

«We have not given up hope that the Iranian people themselves will be able to rise up and overcome their oppressive rulers and steer their nation away from this self-destructive obsession with destroying Israel,» he said.

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Heather Johnston, founder and president of the U.S.-Israel Education Association, said in a statement to Fox News Digital in reaction to the MoU that the U.S.-Israel relationship has advanced American interests for decades and should be strengthened — not strained — by U.S. diplomacy with Iran.

«Iran’s long record of supporting terrorism and threatening Israel gives Americans ample reason to assess this agreement carefully and skeptically. Any diplomacy with Iran should be measured against whether it advances or undermines that progress,» she said.

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INTERNACIONAL

El cese del máximo general de Ucrania marca el fin de una era

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KIEV, Ucrania — El general Oleksandr Syrskyi, quien fue reemplazado como comandante en jefe de las fuerzas ucranianas el martes por la noche, fue un líder militar inflexible y condecorado, y una de las figuras más importantes de la guerra de Ucrania contra Rusia.

Sin embargo, su fortaleza al comienzo del conflicto y su personalidad inquebrantable podrían haber sido, en última instancia, su perdición política.

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Reconocido por su papel en la defensa de Kiev, la capital, al comienzo de la invasión rusa a gran escala en febrero de 2022, se ganó la confianza del presidente Volodymyr Zelensky y se convirtió en comandante en jefe de las fuerzas armadas de Ucrania dos años después, logrando contener la lucha contra Rusia a través de una guerra encarnizada con armamento pesado y numerosas tropas.

Su partida marca el fin de una era:

el relevo de la vieja guardia militar formada en la Unión Soviética por una generación más joven de comandantes que han adoptado la innovación tecnológica y el liderazgo colaborativo.

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El general supervisó la expansión de la guerra con drones y robots en el campo de batalla, pero los comandantes y sus partidarios en la primera línea del combate han instado a acelerar aún más su desarrollo como clave para derrotar a un enemigo poderoso.

Su destitución se produjo tras un fuerte desacuerdo con el ex ministro de Defensa, Mykhailo Fedorov, impulsor de la innovadora guerra con drones en Ucrania.

Fedorov, quien se quejó de que Syrskyi estaba bloqueando la firma de contratos militares para la adquisición de drones, fue destituido, lo que provocó protestas dentro del ejército y en las calles, muchas de las cuales exigían la dimisión de Syrskyi.

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Choque

El enfrentamiento puso fin a la carrera militar de cuatro décadas de Syrskyi, que comenzó en una academia militar soviética y que finalmente le valió algunas de las más altas condecoraciones militares de Ucrania, incluido el título de «Héroe de Ucrania», el máximo honor.

Comandó batallas cruciales y aparecía con frecuencia en fotografías informando al presidente en el frente, lo que le dio notoriedad pública.

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Sin embargo, a menudo fue criticado por ser un jefe exigente y un micromanager que quería controlar cada aspecto de las fuerzas armadas.

Sus críticos se quejaban de una imprudencia al estilo soviético con la vida de los soldados y de lo que consideraban su negativa a retirar tropas de posiciones que desde hacía tiempo se consideraban insostenibles.

Syrskyi se defendió el miércoles.

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«He sido testigo de esta guerra desde su primer día en 2014, he vivido mi vida en el frente y conozco el precio de cada kilómetro de tierra ucraniana que ha sido liberada», dijo en las redes sociales al anunciar su dimisión.

“Le entrego a mi sucesor un ejército que no solo mantiene la posición, sino que se encuentra en estado de ofensiva:

con iniciativa, con estructura y con gente que sabe cómo atacar al enemigo.”

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Nacido en 1965 en la aldea de Novinki, al este de Moscú, Syrskyi creció en Járkov, Ucrania, donde su padre servía en el ejército soviético.

Siendo un alumno brillante, fue seleccionado para estudiar ingeniería en una academia militar de élite en Moscú antes de regresar a Ucrania e incorporarse al ejército.

Fue ascendiendo de rango y en 2014 desempeñó un papel clave cuando las fuerzas rusas intervinieron en apoyo de un movimiento separatista en el este de Ucrania.

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Para cuando comenzó la invasión rusa, era uno de los generales más experimentados del ejército.

Cuando Zelensky fue elegido presidente, Syrskyi conoció al nuevo presidente durante una visita a un campo de entrenamiento militar y rápidamente se ganó su confianza.

Hanna Maliar, ex viceministra de Defensa que trabajó estrechamente con Syrskyi entre 2021 y 2023, declaró en una entrevista que él trabajaba jornadas de 18 horas, se mantenía en buena forma física y nunca se tomaba los fines de semana libres.

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Lo describió como un hombre carismático, pero también de una inmensa serenidad en situaciones de crisis, lo que hizo que la gente confiara en él durante los primeros días de la invasión rusa en febrero de 2022.

Según Maliar, él había propuesto que se asignara a alguien la tarea de defender Kiev y se ofreció voluntario dos semanas antes de la invasión rusa.

Perfil

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Según ella, era un jugador de ajedrez que siempre tenía un tablero a mano en su cuartel general y un planificador meticuloso.

Mientras se preparaba para defender Kiev, consultó documentos de los archivos sobre las batallas de la Segunda Guerra Mundial en la región y planificó la defensa de la ciudad recorriendo las antiguas fortificaciones alemanas.

“Su logro personal es esta preparación”, dijo ella.

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“Piensa de forma poco convencional, empleando trucos y movimientos totalmente inesperados”, añadió.

Tras neutralizar la amenaza rusa contra Kiev, Syrskyi fue enviado al frente oriental para reforzar las defensas ucranianas, mientras las fuerzas rusas centraban su atención en la toma de las provincias orientales de la región del Donbás.

A finales del verano de 2022, detectó una debilidad en las defensas rusas y aprovechó la oportunidad, desencadenando una contraofensiva a gran escala que hizo retroceder a las fuerzas rusas y recuperó una amplia franja de territorio ucraniano en el noreste de Ucrania.

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En 2023, supervisó la sangrienta defensa de la ciudad de Bakhmut, que duró varios meses.

El gobierno la celebró como una batalla heroica, pero soldados y analistas la criticaron por ser un esfuerzo inútil con escaso beneficio estratégico, que además desvió recursos de la principal contraofensiva en el sur de Ucrania ese verano.

Esa contraofensiva de mayor envergadura, supervisada por el general Valery Zaluzhny, fracasó, y en febrero de 2024 Zelensky lo reemplazó por Syrskyi como comandante en jefe.

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Suceder a Zaluzhny, un líder muy querido y empático, era impopular en aquel momento. Pero luego, en el verano de 2024, Syrskyi lanzó otra ofensiva sorpresa, ordenando una incursión en la región rusa de Kursk para anticiparse a un ataque ruso.

Pero luego, en el verano de 2024, Syrskyi lanzó otra ofensiva sorpresa, ordenando una incursión en la región rusa de Kursk para anticiparse a un ataque ruso.

Llevar el ataque a territorio ruso elevó la moral interna y desvió las fuerzas rusas durante varios meses, pero cuando Rusia organizó una respuesta, Ucrania perdió a algunos de sus mejores combatientes y equipos en un momento en que ambos escaseaban cada vez más.

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A medida que la guerra se prolongaba, Rusia fue ganando terreno progresivamente y sumió a los ucranianos en la miseria con devastadores ataques a la infraestructura durante un invierno gélido.

Syrskyi se ganó el apodo de «el carnicero» entre los soldados. Maliar, quien ha mantenido una estrecha relación con Syrskyi desde que dejó el Ministerio de Defensa y regresó a un puesto académico, afirmó que el apodo era inapropiado y que, al planificar las operaciones, siempre se esforzaba por minimizar las bajas.

Según ella, la defensa de Bakhmut estaba justificada porque permitió a Ucrania destruir a Wagner, la fuerza paramilitar rusa, que, de haber sobrevivido, habría causado un daño mucho mayor a las defensas ucranianas.

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Críticas

Pero las críticas al liderazgo de Syrskyi alcanzaron su punto álgido en las últimas semanas.

Bohdan Krotevych, ex teniente coronel de la Guardia Nacional de Ucrania, se había quejado durante varios años de los frecuentes cambios de unidades que Syrskyi realizaba para cubrir las carencias a lo largo de los 1287 kilómetros del frente ucraniano.

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“Otro problema importante fue la microgestión”, dijo Krotevych.

“Marcó a oficiales prometedores, ascendió a leales y desvió recursos de aquellos que eran capaces de obtener resultados”.

“No se trata de microgestión; se trata de estar al tanto de lo que sucede”.

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Algunos comandantes manifestaron su apoyo en los últimos días, afirmando que Syrskyi era el único comandante con la experiencia suficiente para supervisar las operaciones militares en todo el país.

c.2026 The New York Times Company

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Trump warns Houthis after shipping blockade threat: ‘We take care of things’

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President Donald Trump said Tuesday the U.S. would «take care of things» if Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthis follow through on threats to impose a naval blockade against Saudi Arabia, as his administration reportedly backed Riyadh’s renewed military campaign against the group.

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His comments came after the Houthis announced a naval blockade against Saudi Arabia Monday, only days after Saudi forces struck Sanaa International Airport and after Iran reportedly instructed the group to prepare to close the Bab el-Mandeb Strait if the U.S. attacks Iranian power infrastructure.

TRUMP THREATENS TO EXPAND STRIKES ON IRAN, SAYS POWER PLANTS ARE NEXT TO GO: ‘HIT THEM HARD’

«So far, it hasn’t happened, might happen, but we take care of things,» Trump said in the Oval Office. «If something like that happens, we take care of it.»

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President Donald Trump announced «major combat operations» in Iran, marking a significant escalation in tensions between Washington and Tehran. (Al Drago/Getty Images)

Saudi forces targeted Sanaa International Airport on Monday after an Iranian Mahan Air flight carrying Houthi officials back from Iran was forced to divert, according to Axios. A U.S. official told the outlet the aircraft was believed to be carrying weapons, missile components and Iranian military personnel intended for the Houthis.

Trump’s warning comes as the administration has expanded military operations against Iran while the Houthis threaten to disrupt shipping in the Red Sea. The developments have fueled concerns that Washington could become increasingly involved in efforts to secure one of the world’s most important maritime trade corridors while simultaneously confronting Tehran in the Persian Gulf.

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The prospect of simultaneous disruption at the Strait of Hormuz and the Bab el-Mandeb has become one of the biggest concerns for global shipping markets: together, the routes normally carry roughly one-third of global seaborne oil trade and serve as critical arteries for energy shipments between the Middle East, Europe and Asia, according to U.S. Energy Information Administration data.

The Houthis already have shown they can disrupt one of the world’s busiest shipping corridors. Since late 2023, the group has carried out more than 190 attacks on commercial shipping, forcing major carriers to abandon the Red Sea route in favor of the far longer trip around Africa.

President Donald Trump sits with Mohammed Bin Salman in the Oval Office

US President Donald Trump meets with Crown Prince and Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia Mohammed bin Salman in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, DC on November 18, 2025. Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman arrived at the White House to fanfare and a jet flyover Tuesday, in his first visit to the United States since the 2018 murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi. (Brendan Smialowski/AFP via Getty Images)

Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman sought Trump’s approval before launching the latest strikes against the Houthis — and that approval was granted, according to the Axios report.

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The White House could not be reached for comment. The Pentagon and U.S. Central Command declined to comment.

For years, the Houthis have evolved into one of Iran’s most effective regional partners, allowing Iran to pressure global commerce while avoiding a direct military confrontation with the United States or its allies. The group has repeatedly launched missiles and drones at commercial vessels transiting the Red Sea, disrupting international shipping and forcing vessels to reroute around southern Africa.

IRAN-BACKED TERROR PROXY HOUTHIS THREATEN FRESH ATTACKS AFTER YEMEN AIRPORT STRIKE

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Yemen's Houthi supporters brandish weapons and shout anti-U.S. and Israel slogans during a demonstration staged to show solidarity with Iran on April 3, 2026 in Sana'a, Yemen.

Yemen’s Iran-backed armed Houthi group has warned they will move to shutter the Bab Al-Mandeb Strait through missile-drone attacks if Gulf nations join the US-Israel war on Iran. (Mohammed Hamoud/Getty Images)

Although direct fighting between Saudi Arabia and the Houthis largely subsided following a U.N.-brokered truce in 2022, the group continued expanding its missile, drone and maritime capabilities with Iranian support. This week’s exchange of Saudi airstrikes and Houthi missile attacks marked the most significant cross-border escalation between the two sides in roughly four years.

Bridget Toomey, a research analyst at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, said the latest escalation was driven by Saudi concerns that Iran and the Houthis were attempting to establish a dangerous new status quo by opening a direct air link between Tehran and Houthi-controlled Sanaa.

She said such flights would create an easier route for Iran to move weapons, drones and Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps advisers into Yemen, posing a threat not only to Saudi Arabia but also to broader U.S. and international security interests.

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TRUMP WON’T RULE OUT KHARG ISLAND TAKEOVER: WHAT A US ASSAULT COULD LOOK LIKE

«A direct air connection between Tehran and Sanaa would be a serious threat, not just to the international community, but also to Saudi Arabia,» Toomey told Fox News Digital.

Rather than signaling a return to the yearslong Saudi-led intervention in Yemen, Toomey described Riyadh’s response as «a measured escalation» intended to demonstrate it would not allow such an air bridge to become normalized.

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That objective appeared to shape one of Saudi Arabia’s most consequential strikes this week.

The Bab el-Mandeb Strait, which connects the Red Sea with the Gulf of Aden, is one of the world’s busiest maritime choke points. Nearly 15% of global seaborne trade passes through the corridor each year, making it a critical route for commercial shipping and energy supplies moving between Asia and Europe.

A satellite imagery shows Bab el Mandeb Strait

A satellite imagery shows Bab el Mandeb Strait, a key shipping waterway and the gateway to the Red Sea, as Iran threatens using Yemen’s Houthi allies to shut the Bab el-Mandeb gateway to the Red Sea, in this handout picture dated July 12, 2026. (Nasa Worldview/Handout via Reuters)

The latest threat comes as commercial shipping through the Strait of Hormuz has also faced disruption amid escalating tensions between the United States and Iran. While the two waterways are separated by hundreds of miles, together they form the principal maritime corridor linking the Persian Gulf with Europe. Serious disruption to both would place additional pressure on global energy exports, increase shipping costs and deepen supply chain disruptions.

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Toomey said the Houthis occupy a unique position within Iran’s regional network because of where they are located.

«They’re crucial to Iran’s broader ability to expand the conflict,» she said. «Iraqi militias or Hezbollah don’t sit on a maritime choke point.»

Still, she cautioned against viewing the Houthis simply as an extension of Tehran, noting that Iran’s command and control over the group has historically been less direct than its relationships with some of its other proxy organizations.

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Gregg Roman, executive director of the Middle East Forum, said Trump’s backing of the Saudi operation and his latest warning to the Houthis point to an administration willing to support regional allies while confronting Iranian-backed groups that threaten maritime commerce.

«The Iranians are trying to project power. The president is supportive of any effort to limit that projection,» Roman told Fox News Digital.

Roman said the airport strike reinforced Saudi Arabia’s long-running effort to prevent Iran from establishing a direct supply corridor into Houthi-controlled Yemen.

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«We’re certainly not going to allow you to have any shipments to reinforce the Houthis,» he said.

If the campaign continues with Washington’s backing, it would place one of Iran’s most strategically valuable regional partners under renewed military pressure while increasing the cost of Tehran’s broader effort to project power across the Middle East.

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saudi arabia, donald trump, war with iran, geopolitics, middle east foreign policy

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INTERNACIONAL

Israel’s new exhibit exposes years of Hamas terrorist planning before Oct 7 massacre

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The «Return to October» exhibition offers an immersive reconstruction of the Hamas-led Oct. 7, 2023, massacre, combining video with declassified Israel Defense Forces intelligence and planning materials recovered in the Gaza Strip that reveal how the Palestinian terrorist group planned and carried out its cross-border assault.

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The 600-square-meter exhibition, assembled by the Israel Intelligence Heritage & Commemoration Center (IICC), a nonprofit dedicated to commemorating fallen members of Israel’s intelligence community.

The exhibition features vehicles used in the attack, a film on the abduction of Israeli hostages, a mock Hamas tunnel, and excerpts from the Israel Defense Forces’ 47-minute compilation of raw footage from the assault.

INSIDE ISRAEL’S MISSION TO TRAIN CIVILIANS TO STOP THE NEXT OCT 7-LIKE TERROR ATTACK

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A Hamas kidnapping kit from the Oct. 7 attack containing handcuffs, electric shock devices and syringes intended to inject hostages who resisted was displayed at the ‘Return to October’ exhibition in Israel. (Amelie Botbol for Fox News Digital)

«The main conclusion of this exhibition is that Hamas prepared this terror invasion over a long period in a highly organized and professional manner. It gathered extensive intelligence over many years, and visitors can see examples of that intelligence-gathering effort throughout the exhibition,» Yossi Kuperwasser, head of the Institute for the Research of the Methodology of Intelligence at the Israel Intelligence Heritage & Commemoration Center, told Fox News Digital.

Kuperwasser said the exhibition’s most significant feature is its collection of documents seized by the IDF in Gaza that Hamas sought to keep hidden. Among them are materials indicating that Hezbollah chose not to fully join the Oct. 7 attack out of concern that Israel would respond with a major offensive. The documents also shed light on the relationship between Hamas and Iran, including the extent of Tehran’s involvement.

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«The most important lesson is that Israel’s enemies are constantly planning large-scale terrorist attacks. They seek to wipe us off the map, and if you become complacent and assume they are not preparing such attacks, you are mistaken,» he said.

ISRAEL’S MILITARY ELIMINATES HAMAS TERRORIST WHO HELPED ABDUCT AMERICAN-ISRAELI HOSTAGE, 3 OTHERS

Hamas cartoons

 Anti-Israel and antisemitic Hamas incitement material was displayed at the ‘Return to October’ exhibition in Israel. (Amelie Botbol for Fox News Digital)

The exhibition’s first room features a map marking 114 points where terrorists breached the border into Israel on Oct. 7. Red circles identify the communities that were attacked, while a dotted red line traces where the attackers were ultimately stopped. According to the exhibition, about 4,300 Hamas, Palestinian Islamic Jihad and other terrorist operatives entered Israel at the start of the assault, followed by another 1,500 to 1,700 Gazans described as «uninvolved civilians.»

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Displayed in the room are Egyptian, North Korean, Russian, Chinese and Iranian-made weapons, alongside arms supplied to Hamas by Hezbollah.

The tour guide Eyal, whose last name could not be disclosed, displayed a kidnapping kit containing handcuffs, electric shock devices and syringes intended to sedate hostages, alongside what he described as a «spiritual kit» containing a miniature Quran and a fatwa, or religious ruling, calling for the killing of Israelis.

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Hamas Oct. 7 attacks exhibit

Personal belongings recovered from Israeli homes burned by Hamas terrorists during the Oct. 7, 2023, attack are displayed at the ‘Return to October’ exhibition in Israel. (Amelie Botbol for Fox News Digital)

Another display features military gear belonging to former Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar, as well as a handwritten document recovered by the IDF from the European Hospital in Gaza.

«Here, he instructs Hamas terrorists to attack the Zionists, burn villages, kill and kidnap people, humiliate soldiers, and document everything using GoPro cameras for social media,» Eyal said.

The document also states that Sinwar hoped Iran, the Houthis, Hezbollah, Arabs in Judea and Samaria, and Arab citizens of Israel would join the assault.

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Also on display are aerial photographs that Hamas used to map Kibbutz Be’eri, identifying individual homes, the armory and the security chief’s residence; an operational plan dated Oct. 6 that was shared only with Hamas commanders to prevent leaks; and a booklet translating Arabic phrases into Hebrew.

The exhibition also highlights Hamas education and incitement. Shelves display books recovered from Gaza, including copies of Mein Kampf found in schools, while photographs show children posing with weapons after attending Hamas summer camps.

«It begins in childhood,» Eyal told Fox News Digital.

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UNRWA employees linked to terrorism

Displays featuring what organizers say are UNRWA facilities and personnel involved in terrorist activities were shown at the ‘Return to October’ exhibition in Israel. (Amelie Botbol for Fox News Digital)

Another room focuses on Hamas’s exploitation of journalists and UNRWA for terrorist purposes, featuring displays that organizers say show 60% of reporters killed in Gaza were Hamas members or affiliated with the organization, a photograph of a UNRWA school allegedly used as a combat headquarters, and a map of Israel labeling towns and cities with Arabic names.

A garage-like room displays a white Toyota pickup truck and motorcycles used in the terror assault.

«We found that 153 pickup trucks and 350 motorcycles entered Israel that day. Many of these Toyotas were imported into Gaza through Ashdod Port in Israel,» Eyal said.

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Yahya Sinwar belongings display

Military equipment displayed at the exhibition that organizers say belonged to former Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar was shown at the ‘Return to October’ exhibition in Israel. (Amelie Botbol for Fox News Digital.)

Another room shows excerpts from the IDF’s 47-minute compilation of raw footage from the attacks. Many journalists chose not to watch because of the graphic content, while some who remained in the room left in tears.

Toward the end, a corridor displays the names and photographs, in alphabetical order, of the 1,224 people killed during the attacks, including soldiers, police officers, civilians, Jews, Arabs, Christians, and Druze.

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«When we fail in our mission, this is the situation we arrive at,» Eyal said.

The final room features footage of Israeli hostages reuniting with their families and concludes with an optimistic painting depicting a flourishing southern Israel.

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anti semitism, iran, war with iran, terrorism, israel

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