Trump issues new threat against Iran as reports say new Supreme Leader is 'misfunctioning'

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As the U.S. and Israel face ongoing tensions with the Islamic Republic of Iran, Israeli President Isaac Herzog issued a video message to Iranians for Nowruz, which the Associated Press indicates is "the Persian New Year."

"To the people of Iran, from the president's residence in Jerusalem, I send you all my best wishes from the people of Israel to the people of Iran for a happy Nowruz," he said in the video.

“It is clear to us in Israel and around the world: the Iranian people are proud and strong. Your dignity and longing for freedom is a source of inspiration pointing to what is most noble in humanity. You, the people of Iran, deserve better. You deserve a different future. Let us remember better days are possible. We will yet celebrate Nowruz together again as in the days of Cyrus the Great, spreading the light of cooperation, friendship, and peace," Herzog said.

The Israel Defense Forces said in a post on X that it struck targets in Syria due to Druze civilians being attacked.

"In response to yesterday’s events in which Druze civilians were attacked, the IDF struck a command center and weapons in military compounds belonging to the Syrian regime in southern Syria," the IDF noted in the post.

"The IDF will not tolerate harm towards the Druze population in Syria and will continue to operate to defend them. The IDF continues to monitor developments in southern Syria and will operate in accordance with directives from the political echelon," the post states.

A 26-year-old Israeli citizen suspected of perpetrating "security offenses on behalf of" the Islamic Republic of Iran has been arrested, according to a joint statement from the Israel Security Agency and the Israel Police obtained by Fox News.

"As part of a joint operation by the Israel Security Agency, Lahav 433 of the Israel Police, and the Military Police Criminal Investigation Division, Raz Cohen, 26 years old from Jerusalem, an Israeli citizen who served in the reserves in the Iron Dome array, was recently arrested on suspicion of committing security offenses involving contact with Iranian intelligence elements and carrying out security-related tasks under their direction," the statement, translated from Hebrew, noted.

"The ISA and police investigation revealed that over several months, the suspect maintained contact with Iranian intelligence operatives and was instructed by them to carry out various security-related missions, including transferring sensitive security information to which he was exposed during his role," the statement explains. "The investigation also found that the suspect was aware that the contact was being managed by Iranian elements and that he received payment in exchange for carrying out the tasks."

The announcement comes nearly three weeks after Israel and the U.S. launched the war against Iran.

Fox News' Yonat Friling contributed to this report

U.S. gas prices have soared more than 30% this month, heading toward $4 a gallon amid supply disruptions from the ongoing war in the Middle East.

National average retail gas prices have jumped about 90 cents a gallon, which is above 30%, since the U.S.-Israeli strikes against Iran late last month. The average gas price in the U.S. on Thursday was $3.88 a gallon, according to the American Automobile Association.

Analysts said gas prices are expected to move even higher, as crude prices continue to rise. U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude futures have jumped nearly $30, or 43%, from $67.02 a barrel to $96.14 over the same period.

"It now looks like gasoline will hit $4/gal next week and could head toward $4.10/gal and beyond," GasBuddy analyst Patrick De Haan said on X.

The $4 per gallon mark was last reached in August 2022.

President Donald Trump had promised to lower energy prices and boost domestic oil and gas production, but that effort has been strained since the war began.

The conflict in Iran has halted supplies from one of the world's top oil-producing regions, as Iran’s blockade on shipping in the Strait of Hormuz has disrupted exports from producers in the Middle East and slashed production in the region.

Reuters contributed to this report.

The Bank of England warned it may have to raise interest rates as rising energy prices linked to the conflict involving the U.S., Israel, and Iran push up inflation.

“Monetary policy cannot reverse this shock to world energy supply,” Bank Governor Andrew Bailey said in a statement on Thursday, according to Politico. “Monetary policy must, however, respond to the risk of a more persistent effect on U.K. consumer price inflation.”

Bailey’s comments came after the Monetary Policy Committee voted unanimously to leave the bank rate unchanged at 3.75%.

A rate cut had been expected before the conflict in the Middle East began late last month.

The Bank said prices would rise more quickly because of the “new shock to the economy” and now anticipates inflation to be close to 3.5% in March.

Policymakers said they would “assess how events unfold.” They also discussed whether a rate increase could be needed, but Bailey suggested markets were “getting ahead” of themselves in assuming several increases this year.

Airlines are hiking plane ticket prices ahead of a busy summer travel season as jet fuel costs rise due to the ongoing war in the Middle East.

Flights also have to take longer routes around war zones, and higher fuel costs cut into their already razor-thin profit margins.

As jet fuel prices soar, the airlines are passing those price hikes on to their customers through higher fares and fees, according to the Los Angeles Times.

"Whenever there's a surge in oil prices, the airlines end up passing that to the consumers immediately," Diego Bufquin, director of hospitality management and entrepreneurship at Tulane University, told the newspaper. "It doesn't take a long time."

Jet fuel prices make up about a third of airlines' operating costs, meaning they "cannot afford to wait to upcharge their customers," Bufquin said.

Higher U.S. gasoline prices caused by the war against Iran could erase the larger tax refunds many Americans are expected to receive this year, a new analysis found.

Economists from the Stanford Institute for Economic Policy Research estimate that the average U.S. household will spend an additional $740 on gas this year due to the rise in global oil prices triggered by the U.S.-Israeli war on Iran, according to CBS News. This would consume nearly all of the additional money people are set to collect in tax refunds this year.

The nonpartisan Tax Foundation estimates that the average individual tax refund will be $748 higher this year because of new cuts provided under President Donald Trump's spending bill signed last summer.

Earlier this month, overall tax refunds were averaging $3,676, which is an 11% jump from the same time last year, according to IRS data. 

Damage to Qatar’s Ras Laffan Industrial City after Iranian missile strikes will take five years to repair, QatarEnergy said in a statement Thursday.

The missiles had struck the world’s largest liquefied natural gas (LNG) export hub, causing extensive damage and fires.

The attacks also forced a temporary halt in operations at the facility, which supplies roughly 20% of the world’s LNG.

Providing an update, H.E. Minister Saad Sherida Al-Kaabi said the impact on production and revenue would be significant.

“The missile attacks reduced Qatar’s LNG export capacity by 17% and caused an estimated loss of $20 billion in annual revenue,” he said on X.

He added that recovery would be a long-term effort, warning that “extensive damage to our production facilities will take up to five years to repair and will compel us to declare long-term force majeure.”

A subsequent attack on Ras Laffan early Thursday also sparked a fire, which Qatari authorities said they were working to contain.

European Union leaders released a statement on the Iran conflict Thursday following a summit in Brussels with representatives from all 27 member nations.

While calling for de-escalation and “maximum restraint,” the European Council said it “strongly condemns Iran’s indiscriminate military strikes against countries in the region and expresses its solidarity with those affected.”

“It calls on Iran and its proxies to immediately cease these attacks and respect the sovereignty and territorial integrity of countries in the region, in line with UN Security Council Resolution 2817 (UNSCR 2817), which should be fully implemented,” the statement added.

EU leaders also called for “a moratorium on strikes against energy and water facilities.”

A Hezbollah rocket struck a home in Kiryat Shmona, Israel, injuring four people, while a fragment from an Iranian missile hit the Haifa oil refinery, causing damage but no casualties, The Times of Israel reported Thursday.

According to Magen David Adom ambulance (MDA), a man in his 60s was seriously wounded by abdominal shrapnel, a 68-year-old woman suffered moderate head injuries, and two men in their 20s were hurt.

Kiryat Shmona Mayor Avichai Stern said it was “a matter of time” before such an incident happened, warning that limited reaction times make it difficult for elderly and disabled residents to reach shelters.

Israel faced 14 missile salvos through the day targeting central, northern and southern regions, as well as Jerusalem.

Hezbollah also continued rocket and drone attacks in the north, while Iranian ballistic missiles also targeted the area.

Fragments from an intercepted missile struck the Bazan oil refinery in Haifa, causing power outages in the Krayot suburbs, according to the IDF.

Energy Minister Eli Cohen said no significant infrastructure damage was reported.

Separate footage shared on X also showed a burning missile fragment landing on a Haifa street shortly after midnight, with no injuries reported.

The Trump administration has approved about $7 billion in weapons for the United Arab Emirates, the Wall Street Journal reported on Thursday.

The State Department isn't required to announce to the public under rules governing U.S. arms exports, the Wall Street Journal reported.

The announced sale is addition to the more than $16.5 billion to three Middle East countries, Reuters reported.

The unannounced deals include the sale of Patriot PAC-3 Missiles worth about $5.6 billion and CH-47 Chinook helicopters costing about $1.32 billion to the UAE, the Journal said.

According to U.S. officials, the administration also moved forward with $23 billion in other weapons sales to the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait and Jordan in order to boost those countries militarily against Iran.

The Justice Department has seized four domains as part of an ongoing effort to disrupt hacking and transnational repression schemes conducted by the Islamic Republic of Iran’s Ministry of Intelligence and Security (MOIS).

The seized domains were identified as: Justicehomeland.org, Handala-Hack.to, Karmabelow80.org, and Handala-Redwanted.to, the Justice Department said.

They were used by Iran attempted psychological operations where it claimed credit for hacking activity, posting sensitive data stolen during hacks, and calling for the killing of journalists, regime dissidents, and Israelis.

In one incident, MOIS used the Handala-hack.to domain to claim credit for a March 2026 destructive malware attack against a U.S.-based multinational medical technologies firm.

“Terrorist propaganda online can incite real-world violence — thanks to our National Security Division and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Maryland, this network of Iranian-backed sites will no longer broadcast anti-American hate,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. “Our cyber assets will remain ever-vigilant to root out and deactivate networks that pose a threat to American citizens.”

Sirens blared in Jerusalem early Friday amid incoming missile strikes.

Sirens were also activated in Haifa, Fox News Chief Foreign Correspondent Trey Yingst said.

The Israel Defense Forces have not said where the strikes originated from. Israeli forces have been trading strikes with Iran and Hezbollah in neighboring Lebanon since late February.

A Thai worker and four Palestinian women were killed Wednesday amid faced multiple barrages of ballistic missiles from Iran, according to rep[orts.

The Thai worker was killed in Israel while the Palestinian woman were killed in the West Bank, the Times of Israel reported.

The 30-year-old man, identified later as Thai agriculture worker Chaiwat Waewnil, sustained critical injuries from shrapnel and died a short while later, the Magen David Adom ambulance service said.

The four women were the first West Bank Palestinians killed by Iran in the current war, the news outlet reported.

Iran’s supreme leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, has been linked to two luxury apartments overlooking the Israeli Embassy in London, a location that security experts said could provide "permanent surveillance," according to multiple reports.

The multimillion-dollar Kensington properties sit next to the high-profile embassy compound and were identified by UK media, drawing on findings from a yearlong probe into Khamenei’s potential overseas assets.

The Times of London reported on March 5 that the one building "sits next to the Israeli Embassy on Palace Green," placing the residences in exceptional proximity to one of Israel’s most sensitive diplomatic sites.

The revelations stem from a Bloomberg investigation that alleged that the Khamenei portfolio could span multiple countries and include high-value real estate in London, totaling around $138M as well as assets in Europe and the Gulf.

The two London apartments were reportedly acquired in 2014 and 2016 via intermediaries and occupy upper floors of the building, offering a direct vantage point toward the rear of the Israeli embassy compound, UK media reported.

A terrorism specialist quoted in reports said the positioning effectively means "Iran owns the view into the back of the Israeli Embassy from less than 50 meters away," describing the situation as a potential "serious security breach."

This post contains an excerpt from an article by Emma Bussey.

French President Emmanuel Macron on Thursday called for an immediate de-escalation in the Middle East, urging a halt to U.S.–Israeli strikes on critical infrastructure as fighting intensifies across the region.

"France calls for the immediate implementation of a moratorium on strikes targeting civilian infrastructure, whether related to water or to energy," Macron wrote on X, reinforcing France’s push for diplomacy even as the United States and Israel emphasize military pressure against Iran and its proxies. "Freedom and security of navigation must be restored." 

President Donald Trump recently struck a mixed tone on France’s role, saying he had spoken with Macron and was cautiously optimistic Paris ultimately would help secure the Strait of Hormuz, a critical global shipping route for oil and energy supplies.

On "a scale of 0 to 10," Trump said Macron had been "an eight." 

"Not perfect, but it’s France," he said at a press briefing in the White House Monday. Trump went on to say he believes Macron "is going to help" regarding securing the Strait of Hormuz, but added, "I don’t do a hard sell on them, because my attitude is we don’t need anybody. We’re the strongest nation in the world."

"I’m almost doing it . . . because I want to find out how they react," Trump said, suggesting the U.S. is also testing its allies.

In a future crisis, he warned, "I’ve been saying for years that if we ever did need them, they won’t be there. Not all of them, but they won’t be there."

This post contains an expert from an article by Efrat Lachter.

U.S. forces decimated an Iranian factory used to produce missiles, officials said Thursday.

Prior to Operation Epic Fury, U.S. forces targeted the Karaj Surface-to-Surface Missile Plant to assemble ballistic missiles, which " threatened Americans, neighboring countries, and commercial shipping," U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) said.

CENTCOM released one image of the plant from March 1 showing the building untouched.

A March 11 image showed the area destroyed after U.S. forces struck with precise munitions, CENTCOM said.

Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard was not aware that former National Counterterrorism Center Director Joe Kent was under FBI investigation for allegedly leaking classified information prior to his resignation, a senior intelligence official told Fox News Digital Thursday. 

Kent stepped down Tuesday after publicly breaking with President Donald Trump over the war in Iran, writing in his resignation letter that Tehran posed "no imminent threat" to the United States.

Two sources briefed on the matter told Fox News that the FBI investigation into Kent had been underway for weeks before his departure.

FBI leak investigations are often tightly held in the early stages to avoid tipping off the subject. But the fact that the probe into Kent had been underway for weeks before his resignation — and that the director of national intelligence was not aware of it — raises questions about why the nation’s top intelligence official was not informed.

The lack of awareness also raises questions about how decisions regarding Kent’s access to sensitive information were managed in the weeks leading up to his resignation, as administration officials have said he had been cut out of planning meetings related to the current Iran mission, known as Operation Epic Fury, as well as the president’s daily briefings.

One senior administration official described Kent as a "known leaker" and said Gabbard had been asked to fire Kent and had not done so. 

This post is an excerpt from an article by Morgan Phillips.