Trump rejects latest Iran proposal amid shadow drone war

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President Donald Trump is reportedly pushing the Justice Department to target reporters covering the Iran war as part of a broader crackdown on sources leaking sensitive national security information.

The Wall Street Journal reported that Trump privately complained to acting Attorney General Todd Blanche and at one point passed a stack of news articles marked with a sticky note reading “treason,” according to an administration official.

Blanche has already moved forward with efforts to secure subpoenas targeting reporters’ records, the outlet said.

Senior officials within the Justice Department have also reportedly met with Pentagon counterparts to discuss the scope of the investigations.

Iraqi armed forces on Sunday denied claims of a covert military presence in the country linked to the Israel-Iran conflict after a deadly March clash reportedly fueled rumors of a secret Israeli base in the region.

The Wall Street Journal reported over the weekend that Israel had established a clandestine base in Iraq’s western desert near Karbala and Najaf shortly before the war with Iran erupted in late February, allegedly to support airstrikes against Tehran. The report, citing U.S. officials, added that Israeli forces later launched airstrikes against Iraqi troops who nearly uncovered the outpost early in the conflict.

Iraqi authorities said such reports stemmed from a March 5 clash involving “unidentified and unauthorized groups,” but inspections later found no foreign bases in the area, according to the Iraqi News Agency.

"During the search operations in April and May, no presence of this force or any other unauthorized forces, equipment, or anything else was found,” Head of the Security Media Cell, Saad Maan, said in a statement.

Baghdad described the allegations as “misleading information” and “malicious rumors,” adding that the authorities would pursue legal action against individuals accused of undermining the country’s security institutions, Iran International reported.

Iran’s deputy foreign minister accused the U.S. of attempting to deflect from what he described as America’s “illegal” military operations by blaming a country he claimed has been the victim of aggression.

Kazem Gharibabadi on Monday denounced efforts by Washington and its allies to draft a resolution on the Strait of Hormuz at the United Nations Security Council.

“The core issue is not the passage of ships in a vacuum; the issue is that certain governments are seeking to rewrite the effects of their own illegal actions in the language of ‘international order,’” Gharibabadi said.

He added that U.S.-led efforts to establish a legal framework aimed at reopening the Strait of Hormuz would ultimately fail.

“Any text that seeks to frame the situation in the Strait of Hormuz without reference to aggression, siege, threats of force, and Iran's legitimate rights to defend its security and vital interests will be flawed, biased, political, and doomed to failure from the outset,” he said. 

U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham said Monday that Washington may need a “complete reevaluation” of Pakistan’s role as a mediator between Tehran and the United States following reports the country secretly housed Iranian military assets on its territory.

“If this reporting is accurate, it would require a complete reevaluation of the role Pakistan is playing as mediator between Iran, the United States and other parties,” Graham said in a post on X.

“Given some of the prior statements by Pakistani defense officials towards Israel, I would not be shocked if this were true,” he added, referring to Pakistan’s defense minister calling Israel “cancerous” last week, Times of Israel reported.

Just hours earlier, CBS News reported that Tehran had sent multiple aircraft to Pakistan Air Force Base Nur Khan, potentially protecting them from U.S. airstrikes, just days after President Donald Trump announced a ceasefire effort in early April.

Among the aircraft reportedly relocated was an Iranian Air Force RC-130, an intelligence-gathering variant of the Lockheed C-130 Hercules tactical transport aircraft, the outlet said.

A senior Pakistani official reportedly denied the claims, arguing that the air base is located in a city where a large fleet of aircraft could not be concealed from public view.

The U.S. announced new sanctions Monday against 12 entities accused of aiding Iranian oil shipments to China.

The Treasury Department said the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) allegedly used multiple shell companies “to obfuscate its role in oil sales” by laundering funds received outside the country and funneling it to the Iranian regime.

Officials identified three Iran-based individuals, described as senior leaders within the IRGC’s oil headquarters, along with nine companies tied to the operation.

Among the alleged front companies, four are based in Hong Kong, four in the United Arab Emirates, and one in Oman.

“Instead of using this revenue to support the struggling Iranian people, the regime directs it toward weapons development, backing terrorist proxies, and funding security forces that suppress citizens’ freedoms,” the Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control said.

“Treasury will continue to cut the Iranian regime off from the financial networks it uses to carry out terrorist acts and to destabilize the global economy,” Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent added in a statement.

The apparent collapse of high-stakes U.S.-Iran negotiations has intensified fears that senior figures inside Tehran’s leadership could flee to Russia, seeking refuge to "continue their insurgency and undermine any new regime," an analyst warns.

The breakdown in talks comes as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu also told CBS’ "60 Minutes" that toppling Iran’s regime could now even be a realistic outcome.

Netanyahu noted that any collapse would dismantle the "scaffolding" of Tehran's global terror proxy network, also potentially ending Hezbollah's influence in the region.

"The whole scaffolding of the terrorist proxy network that Iran built collapses if the regime in Iran collapses," Netanyahu said.

"I think you can’t predict when that will happen. Is it possible? Yes. Is it guaranteed? No," he warned.

With diplomatic options perhaps exhausted and the regime's stability in question, an expert suggests the exit strategy any leadership may be eyeing might be similar to that of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, who fled Syria in 2024.

"If the situation deteriorates further, some senior figures could potentially follow a path like Bashar al-Assad’s inner circle and seek refuge in Russia," Middle East expert Saeid Golkar told Fox News Digital.

Golkar, a senior adviser at United Against Nuclear Iran, noted that flight destinations would likely depend on rank.

While top commanders like Parliament Speaker Mohammad-Bagher Ghalibaf might head to Moscow, lower-ranking figures would more likely seek shelter in Iraq or Afghanistan, where the IRGC maintains operational connections, he clarified.

This is an excerpt from an article by Fox News' Emma Bussey. 

Iran is severely escalating the crackdown against its Bahá’í community, the nation’s largest non-Muslim religious minority.

Numerous members of the group have reportedly faced a wave of arrests, home raids, and property seizures across multiple cities, Iran International reported.

During the operations, officers allegedly ransacked residences and confiscated personal belongings, including electronic devices, documents, gold, and jewelry.

Authorities are also holding detainees in prolonged legal limbo, threatening their families, and enforcing prior prison sentences, the outlet said.

While the report named at least 18 individuals arrested across six different cities, experts say the true scale of the crackdown is far greater than publicly documented cases suggest, particularly amid widespread internet disruptions across Iran.

The country’s Intelligence Ministry said the crackdown began in late December against dozens of individuals accused of being involved in "rioting and sabotage,” around the time internal protests erupted across the country.

Unlike Christianity and Judaism, Iran does not officially recognize the Bahá’í faith and has long subjected its followers to persecution since the 1979 Islamic Revolution.

Founded in 19th-century Persia, the Bahá’í Faith teaches the essential unity of all religions and people.

The United Arab Emirates has been quietly carrying out military strikes against Iran, Fox News confirmed.

"Special Report" anchor Bret Baier reported that the nation has been directly engaged inside Iran for several days.

Among the operations, the UAE allegedly struck an oil refinery on Iran’s Lavan Island in the Persian Gulf early last month, according to The Wall Street Journal.

Reuters separately reported that an “enemy attack” struck a facility under the National Iranian Oil Refining and Distribution Company on April 8 at around 10 a.m. local time, citing Iran’s Oil Ministry news outlet, Shana.

The attacks come after the UAE has been identified as the primary target of Iranian missiles and drones more than any other country, according to the Gulf International Forum.

In response, Iran launched a barrage of missile and drone strikes against the UAE and Kuwait, WSJ reported.

The refinery attack allegedly occurred just one day after President Donald Trump announced a ceasefire effort in the conflict on April 7.

UAE officials have not publicly acknowledged any involvement in the reported operations.

Iran announced Monday that it executed a man convicted of spying for Israel and the United States, marking the latest high-profile execution carried out by the Tehran regime, according to Times of Israel.

The man was identified as 29-year-old aerospace engineering graduate Erfan Shakourzadeh, the outlet reported, citing the Iran Human Rights Society.

Shakourzadeh reportedly worked at one of Iran’s “scientific organizations active in the satellite field,” a sector long accused of helping advance the country’s ballistic missile capabilities.

“Erfan Shakourzadeh… was hanged for collaborating with the US intelligence service and the Mossad spy service,” Iran’s judiciary-affiliated Mizan Online website said.

The site claimed that Shakourzadeh had “knowingly and willingly” passed classified information to the CIA and Mossad, Times of Israel reported.

Shakourzadeh was reportedly arrested in 2025, held in solitary confinement and ultimately forced into making confessions before his execution.

Iran’s Parliament speaker warned Monday that Tehran is prepared to retaliate against any attack, just hours after President Donald Trump said the fragile ceasefire with Iran was on “life support.”

Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf described any retaliatory action by Iran’s adversaries as a grave miscalculation they would ultimately regret.

“Our armed forces are ready to deliver a well-deserved response to any aggression; mistaken strategy and mistaken decisions will always lead to mistaken results— the whole world has already figured this out,” Ghalibaf said in a post on X.

“We are prepared for all options; they will be surprised.”

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stressed Monday that the decision over who will lead the country’s intelligence agencies rests solely with him, amid mounting pushback from government officials.

The remarks come as Maj. Gen. Roman Gofman is expected to be appointed as the next head of the Mossad.

“Only the prime minister appoints the head of the Mossad,” Netanyahu said in a video statement, according to Times of Israel.

“The Mossad and the Shin Bet are directly subordinate to the prime minister by law,” he added. “Not the attorney general, not the Supreme Court, and not the media.”

Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara reportedly told Israel’s High Court of Justice on Sunday that she opposed the appointment, citing alleged flaws in the vetting committee’s review process, including the absence of reviewing dissenting opinions.

The United Kingdom issued 12 new sanctions Monday targeting several Iranian-linked individuals and entities accused of threatening international security.

The measures are aimed at disrupting illicit financial networks and “criminal proxies who act on behalf of the Iranian state to threaten the UK and Europe,” Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper said.

“The sanctions are intended to prevent criminal gangs from traveling to the U.K. or accessing assets used to finance illegal activity,” British officials added.

The sanctions target three entities and nine individuals tied to Iran-affiliated operations, including members of Iran’s so-called “shadow banking” network — used to bypass oil sanctions — as well as figures connected to the Zindashti Network, a transnational group accused of assassination plots and narcotics trafficking.

The three sanctioned organizations are Berelian Exchange, GCM Exchange and the Zindashti Network.

The nine individuals targeted include Mansour Zarringhalam, Nasser Zarringhalam, Ekrem Abdulkerym Oztunc, Nihat Abdul Kadir Asan, Reza Hamidiravari, Namiq Salifov, Fazlolah Zarringhalam, Pouria Zarringhalam and Farhad Zarringhalam.

Sanctions include asset freezes, travel bans and director disqualifications for individuals accused of destabilizing the Middle East and targeting dissidents, British officials said.

British officials said the U.K. has now imposed more than 550 sanctions on Iranian individuals and organizations, including sanctions against the entirety of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, as well as more than 90 sanctions tied to alleged human rights abuses.

In a rare announcement, the U.S. Navy revealed Monday that a U.S. nuclear-armed submarine arrived in Gibraltar, a British Overseas Territory, on Sunday.

The U.S. Navy said the Ohio-class ballistic missile submarine’s port visit underscores America’s continued partnership with its NATO allies.

“The port visit demonstrates U.S. capability, flexibility, and continuing commitment to its NATO allies,” U.S. Sixth Fleet Public Affairs said in a statement.

“Ohio-class ballistic missile submarines are undetectable launch platforms for submarine-launched ballistic missiles, providing the US with its most survivable leg of the nuclear triad,” the maritime branch added.

The rare disclosure, signaling U.S. military readiness, comes after President Donald Trump rejected Iran’s latest proposal amid escalating tensions in the region.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he hopes to draw U.S. financial support to his country "down to zero" during an interview on Sunday.

CBS News' Major Garrett asked Netanyahu if he believed it was time for Israel to reset its financial relationship with the United States and the prime minister agreed, saying he even raised the issue with President Donald Trump.

"Absolutely. And I've said this to President Trump," Netanyahu said. "I've said it in — to our own people." 

He told CBS it was time for his country to wean itself off both the financial and military support from the U.S.

"I want to draw down to zero the American financial support, the financial component of the military cooperation that we have," Netanyahu said. "Because we receive $3.8 billion a year. And I think that it's time that we weaned ourselves from the remaining military support." 

When pressed about a timeline for when this could occur, he said over the next decade.

"I said, let's start now and do it over the next decade, over the next 10 years, but I want to start now," the Israeli leader said. "I don't want to wait for the next Congress. I want to start now." 

Netanyahu argued that the dramatic shift in public opinion in his country could be traced to the rise in social media.

"Israel has gone to unbelievable lengths to get innocent civilians out of harm's way," he said. "We text message millions of text messages to them—make millions of phone calls to them, pamphlets, leaflets, you name it, OK? We have seen the deterioration of the support for Israel in the United States almost — I would say, it correlates almost 100% with the geometric rise of social media."

"And that, by itself, is not what caused it," Netanyahu continued. "And I don't believe in, you know, in censoring them or anything. But I'll tell you what happened. We have several countries that basically manipulated social media. And they do it in a clever way. And that's something that has hurt us badly."

This is an excerpt from an article by Fox News' Hanna Panreck.

President Donald Trump says he supports temporarily suspending the federal gas tax as the conflict with Iran continues to drive prices up.

Trump made the endorsement in an interview with CBS News on Monday. Pausing the gas tax would require an act of Congress.

"I think it's a great idea," Trump said. "Yup, we're going to take off the gas tax for a period of time, and when gas goes down, we'll let it phase back in."

According to AAA, gas prices hit a high of over $4.52 on Sunday.

President Donald Trump elaborated on his rejection of Iran's latest peace proposal on Monday, adding that the ongoing ceasefire with Iran is on "life support."

Speaking at the White House during a press event, Trump told reporters that Tehran's offer was "unacceptable" and said he had a plan for further negotiations.

"You mentioned that you're meeting with the generals on Iran. You rejected a deal on the weekend. Can you tell us anything about that proposal? And what, if any, effort is made to break the stalemate?" a reporter asked.

"It was just unacceptable. You know, a lot of people said, well, does he have a plan? Yeah, of course they do have a--I have the best plan ever. And Iran has been defeated militarily. Totally. they have a little left they probably built up during this period of time. We'll knock that out in about a day. But I have a plan. You know, that's a very simple plan. I don't know why you don't say it like it is. Iran ca not have a nuclear weapon. They're very dangerous. They're very volatile," Trump said.

Asked about the status of the ceasefire with Tehran, Trump said it is "unbelievably weak."

"I would say I would call it the weakest right now. After reading that piece of garbage they sent us. I didn't even finish reading it. They said, I'm not going to waste my time reading it. I would say it's one of the weakest right now," he said.

President Donald Trump teased that a "large group of generals" is waiting on his word for next steps in the conflict with Iran.

Trump made the statement during a press event at the White House on Monday as negotiations with Iran appeared to be at a standstill.

"Thank you to say a few words Katie's going to say. And followed by Monique Pruitt and then Olivia Walton, then Doctor Oz and Doctor Dorothy Fink and Doctor Alex Adams. And you'll speak not too long, because I am being waited on by a large group of generals. And that's also important. You know, having to do, Having having to do with the absolutely lovely country of Iran. That's the way they pronounce it," Trump said, referring to Sen. Katie Britt, R-Ala.

President Donald Trump says Iran told him that the U.S. would have to dig out the “nuclear dust” at its facilities because it is buried so deep that Iran can’t get to it.

Trump told Fox News' John Roberts that he doesn't know at this moment how the U.S. would get into Iran to proceed with the removal, saying it is a matter for further negotiation.

Trump nevertheless emphasized that Iran cannot be allowed to ever get a nuclear weapon.

President Donald Trump says he is considering renewing his short-lived "Project Freedom," but this time with an expanded scope beyond just escorting vessels through the Strait of Hormuz.

Trump made the statement during a Monday phone interview with Fox News' John Roberts. He said he has not made a final decision on restarting the project.

Trump first announced the initiative last week, but soon paused it amid peace talks with Tehran.

Chinese President Xi Jinping plans to discuss "world peace" with President Donald Trump when he arrives for the summit in Beijing this week.

China's Embassy in the U.S. gave a preview of Xi's meeting with Trump in a post on social media Monday. China has strong economic ties with Iran and has criticized Trump's "Operation Epic Fury."

"President Xi will exchange views with President Trump on major issues concerning bilateral relations and world peace and development," the Embassy wrote.

"China and the U.S. need to expand cooperation and manage differences in the spirit of equality, respect and mutual benefit, and provide for more stability and certainty in a transforming and volatile world," the statement continued.

Former CENTCOM Communications Director Col. Joe Buccino (Ret.) joined Fox News on Monday to share analysis on Iran’s latest peace proposal.

Buccino says Iran has softened somewhat on its stance regarding its nuclear energy program and enriched uranium stockpile, but President Donald Trump is still not satisfied.

Iran's Foreign Ministry defended its latest peace proposal under criticism from President Donald Trump on Monday, claiming they are not demanding any concessions from the U.S.

Iran's latest plan called for the U.S. to end its blockade of Iranian ports as well as drop sanctions against the country.

“We did not demand any concessions — the only thing we demanded was Iran’s legitimate rights,” Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Baghaei said Monday. “The American side still insists on its one-sided views and unreasonable demands.”

Trump has maintained that any peace deal with Iran must include provisions limiting Tehran's nuclear program and removing enriched uranium.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Secretary of War Pete Hegseth on Sunday suggested Sen. Mark Kelly, D-Ariz., may have violated his oath with comments he made to a news outlet following a classified briefing.

Kelly told Margaret Brennan on Face the Nation that it is "shocking how deep we have gone into these magazines" when asked if the Pentagon has updated lawmakers on the Iran war's impact on U.S. weapons stockpiles. 

The senator told Brennan the Tomahawks, Army Tactical Missile System (ATACMS), RIM-161 Standard Missile 3 (SM-3), Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) rounds and Patriot rounds used to defend the U.S. have been hit hard, adding that it will take years to replenish those stockpiles, which could affect a hypothetical U.S. conflict with China.

In response, Hegseth questioned whether Kelly, a former Navy pilot, may have violated his oath and said the Pentagon's legal counsel will review his comments.

"'Captain' Mark Kelly strikes again," Hegseth wrote on X.

"Now he’s blabbing on TV (falsely & dumbly) about a *CLASSIFIED* Pentagon briefing he received," he continued. "Did he violate his oath… again? @DeptofWar legal counsel will review."

The senator clapped back, saying Hegseth had revealed similar information at a recent hearing and that it was not classified.

"We had this conversation in a public hearing a week ago and you said it would take 'years' to replenish some of these stockpiles," Kelly responded on X. "That’s not classified, it’s a quote from you. This war is coming at a serious cost and you and the president still haven’t explained to the American people what the goal is."

This is an excerpt from an article by Fox News' Landon Mion.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu claimed on "60 Minutes" Sunday that the dramatic shift in public opinion on his country could be traced to the rise in social media.

"Israel has gone to unbelievable lengths to get innocent civilians out of harm's way," Netanyahu said. "We text message millions of text messages to them—make millions of phone calls to them, pamphlets, leaflets, you name it, OK? We have seen the deterioration of the support for Israel in the United States almost — I would say, it correlates almost 100% with the geometric rise of social media."

He continued, "And that by itself is not what caused it. And I don't believe in, you know, in censoring them or anything. But I'll tell you what happened. We have several countries that basically manipulated social media. And they do it in a clever way. And that's something that has hurt us badly."

Netanyahu acknowledged that Israel has made "mistakes" in its war against Hamas but emphasized that they were not deliberate actions.

"Israel is besieged on the media front, on the propaganda front, and we've not done well on the propaganda war," he said.

Netanyahu remarked that even host Major Garrett would not be immune to negative propaganda if there was enough pressure against him.

"I can paint you as a monster," Netanyahu said. "And if I say it often enough, enough people will believe it."

An NBC News poll in March found that only 32% of Americans view Israel positively while 39% of Americans saw the nation in a negative light. The shift was far more pronounced among Democrats and independents, while Republicans were still largely sympathetic to the Jewish state.

This is an excerpt from an article by Fox News' Lindsay Kornick.

A second suspected oil slick has been detected near Iran’s Kharg Island export hub, according to maritime intelligence firm Windward AI, heightening fears of an environmental disaster as a larger spill identified May 8 continues drifting toward Saudi Arabian waters.

The suspected new slick comes as U.N. officials warned Sunday that oil spills in the region could trigger an environmental catastrophe amid the ongoing Strait of Hormuz crisis.

"Another possible oil spill was detected today at 11 a.m. local time," Windward told Fox News Digital. The approximate visible area, according to the firm, was between 12 to 20 square kilometers.

Tehran has pointed to foreign vessels, but maritime experts say the main slick — estimated at tens of thousands of barrels and covering about 65 square kilometers, according to the U.N. University Institute for Water, Environment and Health — is more likely linked to aging infrastructure, pipeline ruptures or a "war mode" environment that has threatened the waterway since February.

"We should worry about the cause of the slick and monitor things carefully to see if there are new developments," U.N. official Dr. Kaveh Madani told Fox News Digital.

"If this slick gets bigger, we should be seriously worried about there being a leakage of aging infrastructure," Madani said, adding the slick was "moving away toward the southwest of the island."

"We just have to see how it moves and if it gets closer to the centers of population. If it does, desalination operations also must be halted. The risk is low right now," he said.

This is an excerpt from an article by Fox News' Emma Bussey.

President Donald Trump on Sunday sharply dismissed Iran’s multipage proposal, signaling potential and continued deadlock in negotiations to end the war.

“I have just read the response from Iran’s so-called “Representatives.” I don’t like it — TOTALLY UNACCEPTABLE!” Trump said in a post shared on Truth Social.

According to reports, Iran’s response — delivered through Pakistani mediators — failed to address Washington’s core demand for advance commitments on the future of its nuclear program and uranium reserves.