US strikes Iran in retaliation for Apache shoot-down

India's shipping minister said Thursday that three Indian seafarers aboard the Palau-flagged tanker Settebello have been confirmed dead after initially being reported missing following a U.S. military operation tied to enforcement of Washington's blockade on Iran.

"It is deeply unfortunate to learn of the tragic incident aboard the Palau-flagged MT Settebello," Ports, Shipping and Waterways Minister Sarbananda Sonowal wrote on X. "Sadly, three Indian seafarers initially reported missing are now confirmed dead after bodies have been located and identified."

Sonowal called the deaths "a profound loss to our maritime family" and said the Indian government is working to repatriate surviving crew members and return the bodies of the deceased to their families.

U.S. Central Command previously accused the Settebello of attempting to transport Iranian oil in violation of the blockade and said American forces fired into the vessel's engine room to stop it.

The U.S. Embassy in Jordan issued an alert late Wednesday warning that missiles, drones or rockets had been reported in Jordanian airspace.

“Reports indicate missiles, drones, or rockets are in Jordanian airspace,” the embassy said in a statement.

“Seek overhead cover and shelter in place immediately,” the statement continued. “Remain indoors and pay attention to local announcements and alerts.”

The Associated Press reported that Iran launched strikes toward Jordan on Wednesday.

The warning came hours after the U.S. military said it had conducted strikes against Iranian military surveillance capabilities, communications systems and air defense sites across Iran.

Kuwait announced Wednesday that it had closed its airspace amid ongoing Iranian attacks across the region.

The Associated Press reported that flights were being diverted to alternative airports following the closure.

Earlier Wednesday, Kuwait's military said its air defense systems were intercepting hostile aerial targets and urged the public to follow security and safety instructions issued by government authorities.

Retired Lt. Gen. Keith Kellogg urged the United States to “finish the job” in Iran following a series of military strikes earlier Wednesday.

In an interview with Fox News host Sean Hannity, Kellogg cautioned against a prolonged conflict while arguing that the U.S. should apply overwhelming force to bring the crisis to a conclusion.

“I would reach a point right now, Sean, of saying, ‘We're just done with you guys. We're gonna go in, we're gonna finish the job,’” Kellogg said.

“Having a protracted war is not the American way of war,” he continued. “It's a war we've been conditioned to in the last few decades, where we’ve done things in Afghanistan and Iraq. We ought to go back to the way we did it in World War II and World War I and just finish the job.”

Kellogg went on to argue that the United States should “obliterate” its adversaries' ability to continue fighting and force them back to the negotiating table.

“When you need to come to the table, you want to talk to us, you've got our phone number,” he said. “Right now, we're playing their game, not our game. Let's play our game and force them to come to us.”

Kellogg's comments came after U.S. Central Command said Wednesday that American forces struck multiple targets inside Iran, including air defense systems, surveillance radar sites and command-and-control nodes.

President Donald Trump told Fox News that the United States is prepared to rapidly escalate military action if Tehran does not soon agree to terms aimed at ending the ongoing crisis.

Kuwait's military said Wednesday that its air defense systems were intercepting hostile aerial targets.

The military urged residents to follow security and safety guidance issued by official authorities.

The announcement came after Iranian missile and drone attacks targeted the region Tuesday and into Wednesday.

A commander in Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) threatened a sweeping response if the Strait of Hormuz were destabilized, according to The Times of Israel.

Brig. Gen. Majid Mousavi, commander of the IRGC Aerospace Force, warned that Iran would retaliate across the region if the strategic waterway became unsafe.

IRGC Aerospace Force Commander Brig. Gen. Majid Mousavi warned that Iran would retaliate across the region if the strategic waterway became unsafe.

“We will bring the region into hell for you from across Iran if you make the sacred Strait of Hormuz unsafe,” Mousavi was quoted as saying by Iranian state media, according to The Times of Israel.

The warning came after U.S. officials dismissed Iranian claims that Tehran had closed the Strait of Hormuz, saying commercial shipping traffic continued to move through the vital waterway

U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) said Wednesday that the U.S. military struck multiple targets in Iran, including military surveillance capabilities, communications systems and air defense sites.

“U.S. Marine Corps, Air Force, and Navy assets fired precision munitions on Iranian targets that posed a threat to U.S. forces and international commercial ships transiting regional waters,” CENTCOM said in a statement.

The agency said the “self-defense strikes” were in response to Iran’s “unwarranted and continued aggression.”

“U.S. forces remain vigilant, lethal, and ready,” CENTCOM said.

Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) claimed Wednesday that it had attacked the U.S. Fifth Fleet in Bahrain, following a fresh wave of U.S. airstrikes on Tehran, according to The Times of Israel.

Bahrain’s Ministry of Interior said in a statement that the country has activated its alarm sirens, urging residents to remain calm and proceed to the nearest safe location.

“The warmongering US regime attacked several points in Jask, Sirik and Qeshm early this morning under false pretexts, damaging a telecommunications mast in Sirik and destroying two water tanks in the city,” the IRGC said in a statement quoted by Iranian media, as reported by The Times. 

President Donald Trump on Wednesday revealed that top Iranian officials had called him directly to request a halt to U.S. bombing attacks, according to Fox News chief foreign correspondent Trey Yingst.

The exchange, which marks a rare and critical moment of direct engagement between Trump and Tehran leadership, came as the president said Washington had delivered “vicious” and “violent” strikes earlier in the day.

The president also told Fox News the U.S. operation involved the deployment of 49 Tomahawk missiles alongside fighter jets targeting radar and air defense systems. The strikes reportedly hammered positions about 40 miles outside Tehran and along Iran’s southwestern coast on the Persian Gulf.

Trump warned that the United States is prepared to rapidly escalate military action if Tehran does not soon sign an agreement to end the ongoing crisis.

“We'll bomb the S— out of them tomorrow,” Trump warned.

Fox News' Trey Yingst contributed to this report.

Iranian media falsely claimed that Tehran's forces had attacked an American warship in the Strait of Hormuz, U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) said Wednesday.

“TRUTH: No U.S. warships have been struck,” CENTCOM said in a post on X.

Tehran had earlier claimed that Iranian and U.S. maritime forces engaged in a confrontation at sea, a claim U.S. officials also denied.

U.S. officials on Wednesday dismissed Iran's claims that Tehran has closed the Strait of Hormuz, saying commercial traffic continues to move through the strategic waterway.

“Commercial ships are continuing to transit in and out of the Strait of Hormuz tonight,” U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) said in a post on X.

The response came after Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) reportedly announced plans to close the passage following the latest round of U.S. airstrikes.

According to Reuters, Iran's top joint military command said oil tankers and commercial vessels would not be allowed to pass through the strait and warned that any ship attempting to do so would be targeted.

Reuters contributed to this report.

U.S. officials told Fox News on Wednesday that airstrikes against Iranian targets remain ongoing and dismissed Tehran's claims that American and Iranian maritime forces had clashed at sea.

U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) said the U.S. Navy did not engage in any skirmishes with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Navy (IRGCN), Iran’s primary maritime force operating in the Strait of Hormuz.

The denial came as the U.S. military launched a fresh round of attacks against Iranian targets, marking a second consecutive night of airstrikes following the downing of a U.S. Army Apache helicopter earlier in the week.

Fox News' Jen Griffin contributed to this report.

Hundreds of people gathered in Lebanon on Wednesday evening for a rally supporting the Iranian regime and its proxy terrorist group, Hezbollah.

The demonstration, which served as a protest against the United States and Israel, erupted in Dahiyeh — a southern suburb of Beirut that is widely considered a Hezbollah stronghold, AFP correspondents reported, according to The Times of Israel.

Photos from the scene showed attendees waving numerous Hezbollah flags and holding portraits of slain leader Hassan Nasrallah.

The event came after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu urged the Lebanese people to join Israel’s fight against Hezbollah and its Iranian backers.

Britain is moving to give authorities sweeping new powers to target foreign state-linked groups as officials warn of growing threats tied to Iran and other hostile governments.

The National Security (State Threats) Bill introduced Tuesday would give the UK government new powers to crack down on foreign state-linked organizations involved in activities such as assassination plots, surveillance and sabotage. The legislation could potentially be used against Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRCG), though officials have not indicated whether the group would be among the first organizations designated.

The proposal comes as British intelligence officials warn of increasing Iran-backed activity inside the UK. Last year, MI5 Director General Ken McCallum said the security service had tracked more than 20 potentially lethal Iran-backed plots and recorded a 35% increase in state-threat investigations.

Under the legislation, Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood would have the authority to designate groups responsible for what the government calls "foreign power threat activity." Supporting designated organizations or accepting money from them could carry prison sentences of up to 14 years.

British authorities have also investigated possible Iranian links to several recent incidents, including arson attacks targeting Jewish sites. The UK has separately secured convictions against individuals accused of spying for or acting on behalf of Russian and Chinese entities.

The bill would create a new framework for tackling threats posed by foreign governments and their proxies, an area critics say Britain's existing counterterrorism laws were not designed to address.

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Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth on Wednesday said his department is well prepared to dictate the terms of any potential resolution or peace deal with Iran from a position of strength, as he announced plans to target Tehran “hard” and “strong” in a fresh wave of airstrikes.

“The War Department is prepared to set the terms to ensure that we get the kind of deal President Trump expects,” he said.

“We're in lockstep with the White House, in lockstep with the negotiating team to make sure we set the conditions. And the targets tonight are meant to do that.”

Hegseth added that Iran has been powerless to stop U.S. maritime operations, citing Operation Project Freedom, which officials said recently resulted in the safe passage of millions of barrels of oil through the Strait of Hormuz under American protection in the middle of the night.

“Let’s just say, this command has used the ceasefire wisely and with great efficiency to ensure that we're refining our intelligence and target sets in a way that are far, far beyond even the beginning of epic fury.”

Sounds of explosions were reported in several areas across Iran, including near the Strait of Hormuz and western Tehran, Mehr News Agency reported, according to The Times of Israel.

The reported blasts came as U.S. officials announced that the military had begun launching a fresh round of attacks against the country at 5:15 p.m. ET.

Secretary of War Pete Hegseth said the U.S. will strike Iran Wednesday evening, marking a second consecutive night of operations launched by Washington.

“We'll strike them hard tonight and hopefully Iran makes a good decision,” he said.

“We will hit them hard on our terms, on the targets that improve the environment, for us to operate in and undermine the capabilities that Iran wants to have.”

Hegseth added that, if pressed, the U.S. is prepared to negotiate with weaponry, emphasizing that President Donald Trump is willing to use force if necessary.

“If we need to negotiate with bombs, we'll negotiate with bombs. And we're very good at it. Nobody better in the world,” he said.

“President Trump, he's willing to go back and fight as necessary, but has given Iran an open hand to make this deal. It's right there. They have that chance. They're choosing to play games.”

Israel’s ambassador to the United Nations on Wednesday criticized the Security Council for failing to publicly condemn Hezbollah after it reportedly issued a statement expressing condolences over the death of a U.N. peacekeeper in Lebanon.

Danny Danon called the council’s response a “profound failure” in a post on X, arguing the U.N. should have explicitly called out Hezbollah for violating U.N. Security Council Resolution 1701, a 2006 measure aimed at ending hostilities between the terrorist group and Israel.

“When a UN peacekeeper dies in southern Lebanon and the Security Council still fails to explicitly condemn Hezbollah for violating Resolution 1701, it reflects a profound failure by the international community,” Danon said.

Danon shared a copy of the U.N. statement regarding the June 4 death of a Serbian United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) peacekeeper in southern Lebanon.

According to the release, the Security Council condemned the incident, expressed condolences and called for “those responsible for the attack to be held accountable.”

It also urged adherence to the June 3 U.S.-brokered ceasefire, but did not specifically name Hezbollah as responsible for the incident.

Ebrahim Azizi, the head of the Iranian parliament’s National Security Commission, asserted Wednesday that the United States is losing its confrontation with Iran, declaring, “We're not afraid of fighting losers.”

Azizi claimed in a post on X that U.S. casualties are “far higher” than what Washington has acknowledged, though he provided no evidence to support the assertion.

“The number of American casualties is already far higher than Trump confirms, and it will rise,” Azizi said.

He further suggested the conflict could expand beyond the Middle East, potentially spreading to other regions.

“This time, the war won't be limited to the region," he said. "We'll see what happens!” 

Reza Pahlavi, the former Crown Prince of Iran and a leading advocate for replacing the country’s current regime, delivered a defiant message to the Iranian people on Wednesday, declaring that the Islamic Republic has driven Iran into destruction.

The former heir to the Pahlavi dynasty, who has lived in exile in the United States for decades, said the regime has pursued reckless policies and accused it of prioritizing foreign interests over its own citizens.

“Our nation today is paying the price of the policies of a government whose priority is not Iran or the Iranian people, but support for foreign and anti-Iranian terrorists; a regime that instead of building Iran has dragged the country into war, corruption, poverty and ruin,” Pahlavi said in a video posted on X.

“Our Iran, today more than ever, needs the unity of national forces. Whether with foreign support or without it, Iran's fate is in our own hands. We are stronger than this worn-out and exhausted regime. We are more determined and steadfast than the mercenaries sent to the streets for propaganda shows.”

EXCLUSIVE: Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) has allegedly used the country's soccer system to spy on citizens, potentially violating FIFA bylaws, according to a new report from a major opposition party.

The National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI)'s U.S. office provided the report to Fox News Digital. It outlines an alleged plot for Iran’s soccer federation and top clubs to be drawn into a broader state security apparatus, and that at least 15 IRGC commanders have been formally documented and identified in soccer club management.

The NCRI, citing alleged official IRGC documents, accuses the IRGC of using clubs, stadium infrastructure and security-linked management posts to monitor fans, suppress dissenting athletes and violate FIFA rules on political interference.

The report alleges facial-recognition technology and other devices and tracking systems were used to monitor spectators. The report cites alleged internal Iranian security documents, including Tehran Province Security Council material from 2025 and a Sarallah Headquarters security plan from 2024.

According to NCRI-US’s translations of those documents, officials discussed facial-recognition cameras at Azadi, Takhti and Shahr-e Qods stadiums; ticketing tied to Iran’s national civil-registration database; seat-by-seat mapping of spectators by national ID; monitoring and vetting of fan-club leaders; and designated police staging areas or quick-reaction units inside stadiums.

"It is highly critical for security, intelligence, and law enforcement agencies to utilize and exploit the video surveillance cameras of the Azadi Complex during matches, given the constant potential for unpredictable security incidents. It is highly conceivable that future riots and civil unrest could originate inside the sports stadiums," the report said, quoting the documents.

This is an excerpt from an article by Fox News' Jackson Thompson.

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Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told the Lebanese people that Israel's fight is not with Lebanon itself, but with Hezbollah and its Iranian backers.

In a relatively rare direct appeal to the Lebanese public, Netanyahu urged Lebanese citizens to pursue peace alongside Israel, according to Iran International.

“I have a message for you, the people of Lebanon,” Netanyahu said. “Israel is not at war with you. We’re at war with Hezbollah, that has taken your country hostage, that does Iran’s bidding, that uses your territory to launch terrorist attacks against Israel.”

President Donald Trump on Wednesday revealed that the U.S. military recently executed a "secret mission" in the Strait of Hormuz, escorting more than 200 ships through the strategic waterway last month despite ongoing hostilities with Iran.

The operation enabled the safe passage of more than 100 million barrels of oil into the global market, Trump said.

“Last month, I directed our Great U.S. Military to execute a secret mission to support Oil Tankers and other Commercial Ships through the Strait of Hormuz,” Trump wrote in a post on Truth Social.

“Today, I am pleased to announce that this effort has resulted in more than 100 MILLION Barrels of Oil making its way through the Strait, and into the Open Market. More than 200 Commercial Ships have safely traveled through the Strait.”

Trump also declared that the vital global energy chokepoint is under U.S. control rather than Iran’s, asserting that the operation demonstrated America’s dominance over the strategic waterway.

“This wildly successful effort is because the UNITED STATES of AMERICA CONTROLS the Strait of Hormuz — NOT Iran," he added. "Their military is defeated, and their economy is lost. It’s over for Iran!" 

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent announced new sanctions against Iran Wednesday as part of Operation Economic Fury.

The new sanctions target nine individuals and entities the U.S. says have supported weapon procurement for the Iranian military.

“Through Economic Fury, the Treasury Department is disrupting the foreign procurement networks that support the Iranian military’s efforts to acquire weapons,” Bessent said in a statement.

“Treasury has frozen the Iranian regime’s assets, severely disrupted its economy, and dismantled the Iranian war machine. Treasury will not tolerate any support of the Iranian military," he added.

"Among those designated are China- and Hong Kong-based individuals and companies that facilitated the procurement of weapons for the IRGC and MODAFL, as well as a Hong Kong-based company operating within Iran’s clandestine banking network that attempted weapons procurement-related transactions," the Treasury Department wrote in a statement.

Former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo discussed the possibility of the U.S. escalating its response to Iran’s role in the downing of an Apache helicopter and the broader strategy for stability in the Middle East on Wednesday.

Pompeo argued that President Donald Trump won't get the result he wants from Iran without "a lot more American pressure."

President Donald Trump says the U.S. has secreted 22 oil tankers through the Strait of Hormuz without Iran's knowledge in recent days.

Trump made the statement during an event inside the Oval Office, saying the operations took place at night with "no lights," and outside of Iran's detection.

"I'm just announcing today for the first time, but we've been taking out millions of barrels of oil, millions of barrels. Every night, we've been taking out oil, but now I'm gonna tell you because they just figured it out," Trump said. "It was very hard for me. I wanted to say it so badly, but I didn't want to ruin it."

"Millions of dollars of barrels have come out, and that's why it's at $85-$90 a barrel instead of $250," he added.

President Donald Trump said the U.S. will continue "attacking" Iran on Wednesday, saying the U.S. will only accept a "meaningful" peace deal.

Trump made the comments while speaking to reporters in the Oval Office on Wednesday, saying the U.S. will continue retaliating against Iran after it shot down a U.S. Apache helicopter this week.

"We hit them hard yesterday and we're going to hit them hard again today," Trump said.

"I've been working with Iran for a number of months and they should sign that deal," he said. "We want a deal that's meaningful. We want a deal that works. We don't want to just have a Barack Hussein Obama deal, a JCPOA, the worst deal."

Inflation ticked higher in May as American consumers continued to face elevated fuel prices amid the Iran war's impact on the energy market and across the economy.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) said on Wednesday that the consumer price index (CPI) – a broad measure of how much everyday goods like gasoline, groceries and rent cost – rose 0.5% from a month ago and is 4.2% higher than a year ago. The annual figure is the highest since April 2023.

Both the 0.5% monthly increase and the 4.2% rise from a year ago were in line with the expectations of economists polled by LSEG.

So-called core prices, which exclude volatile measurements of gasoline and food to better assess price growth trends, were up 0.2% on a monthly basis and 2.9% from a year ago. The monthly figure was slightly cooler than the expected rise of 0.3%, while the annual core figure was in line with economists' predictions.

High inflation has created severe financial pressures in recent years for most U.S. households, which are forced to pay more for everyday necessities like food and rent. Price hikes are particularly difficult for lower-income Americans, because they tend to spend more of their already-stretched paychecks on necessities and have less flexibility to save.

Energy prices rose 3.9% in May amid the Iran war's disruption of Middle Eastern oil supplies, with prices up 23.5% in the last year. The BLS noted that the energy index accounted for over 60% of the overall CPI increase in May.

Gasoline prices increased 7% on a monthly basis in May and are up 40.5% compared with a year ago. Electricity prices rose 0.6% last month and are up 5.9% from a year ago. Utility gas service prices fell 0.5% in May and are up 3% year over year.

This is an excerpt from an article by Fox News' Eric Revell.

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Last month, Iranian proxy Kataib Hezbollah terrorist Mohammad al Saadi was arrested in Turkey and extradited to New York City, where he was charged with planning and executing terrorist attacks in Europe and the U.S. Al Saadi was accused of firebombing the Bank of New York Mellon in Amsterdam, stabbing two Jewish victims in London, and shooting at the U.S. consulate in Toronto. He was also allegedly targeting Ivanka Trump for assassination.

Al Saadi, who reportedly received training from the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), posted a picture of the Kushner home in Florida on social media and boasted that he was "currently in the stage of surveillance and analysis...our revenge is a matter of time." Al Saadi sought to assassinate Ivanka Trump because he wanted to avenge the kinetic strike President Trump launched during his first term, which eliminated IRGC Commander Qasem Soleimani.

Al Saadi, a 32-year-old Iraqi national who was on his way to Russia when he was arrested, established a travel agency, which specialized in religious trips and gave him cover to travel around the world to connect with terrorist cells. When he was arrested he had an Iraqi Service Passport, a special travel document issued to Iraqi government employees only obtained with the consent of the Prime Minister.

In another successful overseas counterterrorism operation last month, the U.S. and Nigerian Military forces killed senior ISIS terrorist leader Abu Bilal al Manuki, a Nigerian national, who was responsible for global terrorist operations and had also planned terrorist attacks in West Africa and the Sahel. Specific details about how the U.S. and our Nigerian partners found, fixed, and finished al Manuki have not been released.

Vice President JD Vance addressed the United States’ diplomatic relationship with Israel this week as President Donald Trump’s partnership with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has reportedly been strained recently.

"The Israelis and the United States, we have a lot of shared interests, but we also have some situations where our interests diverge," Vance said on "Jesse Watters Primetime."

"I think where the president has been very clear here is that while Israel obviously has some objectives that it has, the United States’ main objective in Iran is to ensure that Iran does not have a nuclear weapon," he added.

Vance’s remarks come after recent U.S. intelligence reports raised concerns about Israel’s surveillance efforts targeting American negotiators involved in U.S.-Iran peace talks.

Those who have reportedly been surveilled include the Pentagon’s top policy officer, Elbridge A. Colby, and Trump’s top negotiator, Steve Witkoff.

Trump also recently confirmed calling Netanyahu "f---ing crazy" in a heated phone call over Israel’s military operations in Lebanon, exposing a rare rift between the two leaders.

This is an excerpt from an article by Fox News' Nora Moriarty.

Qatar's government condemned Iran's attacks on Kuwait, Bahrain and other regional neighbors on Wednesday.

Qatar's Ministry of Foreign Affairs released a statement after Iran launched missiles at its Arab neighbors this week.

"The State of Qatar strongly condemns the Iranian attacks on the State of Kuwait, the Kingdom of Bahrain, and the Hashemite The Ministry of Foreign Affairs considered the attacks a blatant violation of the sovereignty of these countries and a flagrant breach of international law," the ministry wrote.

"The Ministry stresses the need to spare the region the repercussions of these unjustified attacks and to work towards de-escalation in order to restore regional and international security and stability," the statement continued.

"It also reiterates the State of Qatar's full solidarity with the State of Kuwait, the Kingdom of Bahrain, and the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, and its support for all measures they take to preserve their sovereignty and security," it added.

President Donald Trump is continuing to project confidence that a final nuclear agreement with Iran remains within reach despite months of slow-moving diplomacy, unresolved disputes over uranium enrichment and a ceasefire that appeared at risk of unraveling over the weekend.

"We're in the final throes of what will be a very, very good deal," Trump told reporters after attending the third game of the NBA Finals at Madison Square Garden, adding that it would come in "two or three days." 

Trump has suggested dozens of times over the past two months that a deal is just around the corner, yet little public evidence has emerged that the sides have bridged the core disputes that have complicated negotiations. Since the start of Operation Epic Fury, the president has said a deal was close at least 38 times, according to a CNN count. 

Despite months of predictions that a deal was imminent, negotiations remain publicly deadlocked over uranium enrichment, sanctions relief and Iran's growing stockpile of enriched uranium. Yet administration officials and outside analysts say a combination of economic pressure on Iran, a fragile but surviving ceasefire and the high costs of renewed conflict may explain why Trump continues to believe an agreement is achievable.

In May alone, Trump said a deal was "largely negotiated," later suggested he was making a "final determination" and now says an agreement could arrive within days. 

Former National Security Council official Michael Singh said Trump's confidence likely reflects both the president's negotiating style and the reality that neither Washington nor Iran appears eager to abandon diplomacy despite recent military exchanges.

"Projecting optimism is part of President Trump's MO," Singh told Fox News Digital, adding that despite recent military exchanges, "we don't see either side really pursuing any alternative with any kind of determination."

In announcing the ceasefire April 7, Trump said talks were "very far along" but it would take two weeks for "the Agreement to be finalized and consummated."

"Both sides, Israel and Iran, are looking to do an immediate CEASEFIRE! Final negotiations on ‘Peace’ are proceeding, subject to ignorance or stupidity getting in its way. The Blockade will remain in place, and in full force and effect, until a ‘Final Deal’ is reached. Things should move quickly," Trump posted on Truth Social Monday. 

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Admiral Mark Montgomery (Ret.) joined "Fox & Friends" on Wednesday to discuss escalating U.S.-Iran tensions after Tehran shot down a U.S. military Apache helicopter.

Montgomery said "full scale" attacks on Iran may be back on the table after the incident.

Trump already ordered a wave of strikes against 20 targets in Iran in response to the shoot-down.

U.S. peace talks with Iran continue Wednesday despite President Donald Trump's threats to escalate attacks on Tehran, a senior White House official confirmed to Fox News Digital.

"The talks still continue," the official said.

"The U.S. responded to the attack on the Apache helicopter and he’ll keep exerting maximum pressure to get a deal done," the official added.

Fox News' Jacqui Heinrich contributed to this report.

President Donald Trump suggested he may order the U.S. military to begin targeting Iranian power plants and bridges on Wednesday.

Trump made the statement in an interview with Fox News' Trey Yingst, saying Iranian leadership has been dragging their feet on peace negotiations.

"I may keep going," Trump said. "They had a chance to sign a deal and survive."

He added that Tehran has been "tapping the U.S. along" in peace talks that have ultimately made little progress.

President Donald Trump offered new details about the shoot-down of a U.S. Apache helicopter by Iran on Wednesday.

Trump told Fox News' Trey Yingst in an interview that the Iranian drone that hit the helicopter got "lodged between the two pilots." He said the drone was on fire but did not explode as the pilots brought the helicopter down into the water.

Trump said the survival of the two pilots was a "miracle."

The president went on to say that he is considering wider military action against Iran as peace talks have failed to make progress, saying he is getting closer to targeting Iran's power plants and bridges.

"I may keep going," Trump said. "They had a chance to sign a deal and survive."

President Donald Trump called out the "fake news media" for allegedly failing to report on the effectiveness of the U.S. blockade on Iranian ports Tuesday.

Trump made the statement on his Truth Social account, calling his weeks-long blockade a "STEEL WALL."

"The Fake News Media refuses to report how EFFECTIVE the U.S. Naval BLOCKADE is, the most successful Blockade in the history of Naval Warfare. NOTHING GETS THROUGH unless we want it to. IT IS A STEEL WALL!" Trump wrote.

"Iran is doing ZERO business, not paying their military, or any of their bills, and quickly becoming a FAILED NATION! Lots of oil is getting out. Praise be to Allah!" he added.

President Donald Trump lashed out at Iranian leadership on social media on Tuesday, saying they were "all talk."

"Iran’s Military is a complete and total mess. Much of it, like their Navy and Air Force, doesn’t even exist anymore - They have been completely defeated," Trump wrote.

"Iran is all talk and no action. The Bully of the Middle East is DEAD!!! They’ve taken too long to negotiate a deal that would have been great for them, now they will have to pay the price!" he added.

His statement came as Fox News foreign correspondent Trey Yingst reported that Qatari negotiators traveled to Tehran on Tuesday morning to meet with the Iranians in an effort to bridge the remaining gaps in the negotiation process, according to a diplomat with knowledge of the situation.

U.S. Army Special Forces veteran Jim Hanson discussed U.S. strikes on Iran on Tuesday, saying Iran's hardliners are sabotaging a peace deal.

Speaking during an appearance on "Jesse Watters Primetime," Hanson suggested the Iranian people should be able to remove Iran's radical leadership.

A senior U.S. official told Fox News that 20 targets inside Iran were hit Tuesday night.

While CENTCOM said the U.S. strikes have ended, the situation remains “active,” and the U.S. military is prepared to respond if Iran retaliates, the official said.

President Donald Trump defended the strikes as necessary and "powerful" in a statement to ABC News' Jonathan Karl.

"I think it's very important to respond. They shot down a helicopter, and we are responding as we speak," he said Tuesday.

Trump said the strikes were a direct response to Iran's actions.

"This is a response to what they did they did with our helicopter last night, and I believe the response should be very strong, very powerful, and that's what this one is," he added.

Fox News' Jennifer Griffin contributed to this report.