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After radical students overthrew Iran’s shah in 1979 and took hostages in the U.S. embassy, the Middle Eastern nation became a strident and blood-soaked adversary of what its new Islamic fundamentalist dictatorship has long called the “Great Satan.”

Since then, Tehran has sponsored terrorism around the globe, including targeting the U.S. in multiple, high-profile instances. Former Reagan Justice Department Chief of Staff Mark Levin said Sunday there are at least 44 examples of Iran targeting Americans either directly or indirectly.

“The Iranian-Nazi regime … [has] murdered more than 1,000 Americans [and] relentlessly pursued nuclear weapons to use against us — they are genocidal warmongers,” said Levin, an author, attorney and Fox News Channel host.

The stage for Iran’s transformation from ally to enemy of the U.S. was set in the 1960s, when Shah Mohammed Reza Pahlavi began clashing with influential Islamic cleric Ruhollah Khomeini. The monarch infuriated the theocrat by liberalizing the national constitution to allow faiths other than Islam to be sworn into office on holy books of their choice.

Khomeini’s rhetoric from France, where he was exiled, intensified during the period known as the White Revolution, including misogynistic and xenophobic sermons and demands that Pahlavi be ousted.

Early aggression toward the US

With Pahlavi as a U.S.-aligned leader, this marked an early instance of antagonism by proxy. As protests engineered by Khomeini broke out in fall 1978, the shah declared martial law, and military police fired on a massive crowd of protesters.

Pahlavi and Empress Farah Pahlavi soon fled on a “vacation” to Egypt but never returned. By February 1979, Khomeini returned to Tehran with significant sectarian support.

Failed Carter strategy develops into hostage crisis

Carter National Security Adviser Zbigniew Brzezinski — the father of “Morning Joe” host Mika Brzezinski — coined the term “arc of crisis” and advanced an ultimately failed “Green Belt” strategy that supported an arc of largely unstable but fundamentalist regimes across the Middle East that were also viewed as oppositional to the Soviet Union.

Brzezinski’s envisioned buffer strategy soon collapsed when Khomeini proved to be just as anti-American as anti-Soviet.

In October 1979, after months of debate over whether to admit him to the U.S. amid the new turmoil in Iran, President Jimmy Carter relented and permitted the cancer-stricken shah to seek medical care in New York.

That November, the group “Muslim Student Followers of the Imam’s Line” stormed the U.S. embassy, beginning 444 days of captivity for 52 American hostages.

The U.S. severed diplomatic ties the following April, and one rescue mission failed and left several U.S. servicemembers dead. The shah died that summer in Egypt, leaving Khomeini in full control of the government.

In what was seen as the final offense to Carter, Iran suddenly released the hostages minutes into President Ronald Reagan’s administration on Jan. 20, 1981.

Lebanon hostage crisis

On July 5, 1982, the years-long saga known as the Lebanon Hostage Crisis began with the systematic abductions of foreigners, including Americans, by Hezbollah and Iranian proxies in the Mideast country, according to United Against a Nuclear Iran.

That group, founded by former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush and former Ambassador Mark Wallace, maintains a comprehensive history of Iranian aggression on its website and is a nonpartisan policy organization formed to combat the threats posed by the Islamic Republic.

During the Lebanon Hostage Crisis, several victims spent years imprisoned by Hezbollah, where they were forced to undergo psychological and medical torture, including CIA Beirut Station Chief William Buckley, who was not related to the National Review founder of the same name. 

Buckley was tortured for months by Dr. Aziz al-Abub, a Lebanese Hezbollah psychiatrist and medical expert who reportedly forced him to take phenothiazines and experimented on him to induce interrogation and make an example of him to the West.

Buckley reportedly died in custody amid these experiments on June 3, 1985.

The CIA later memorialized him on its wall in Langley, Va., and Obama-era Director John Brennan said in a 2014 statement that “we remember Bill not for the manner in which he died but for the legacy he left behind. From his time as an Army lieutenant colonel to his tenure with the Agency, Bill inspired those around him to do great things despite often dangerous conditions.”

The agency later caught up with the figurehead of the Hezbollah-linked Islamic Jihad terrorist group — carrying out what the Washington Institute described as a rare contemporary CIA assassination nearly 25 years later.

Imad Mughniyeh’s group had announced Buckley’s execution in October 1985, but the actual date was determined later, with allegations that he died not from execution but from the side effects of the medical torture he endured. Former hostage David Jacobsen told the institute that Buckley was often sick and delirious in his cell and ultimately died “drowning in his own lung fluids” after a bout of torture.

David Dodge, then-president of the American University in Beirut, was also kidnapped for about a year, and U.S. journalist Terry Anderson was held in captivity for more than six years.

Reagan-era bombings and murders of American servicemembers

On April 18, 1983, an Iran-backed group seen as the predecessor to today’s Lebanese Hezbollah bombed the U.S. embassy in Beirut, killing 63 people, including 17 Americans.

That October, a suicide truck bomb linked to Iran hit a U.S. Marine barracks in Lebanon, killing 241 servicemembers, in what remains the deadliest single day for the Corps since Iwo Jima.

According to the MEMRI translation of Khomeini’s representative to Lebanon, Sayyed Issa Tabatabai’s interview with the IRNA: “I quickly went to Lebanon and provided what was needed in order to [carry out] martyrdom operations in the place where the Americans and Israelis were.” 

He added, “The efforts to establish [Hezbollah] started in [Lebanon’s] Baalbek area, where members of [Iran’s] Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) arrived. I had no part in establishing the [political] party [Hezbollah], but God made it possible for me to continue the military activity with the group that had cooperated with us prior to the [Islamic] Revolution’s victory.”

The MEMRI report continued, “It is noteworthy that the part of the interview in which Tabatabai acknowledged receiving Khomeini’s fatwa ordering attacks on American and Israeli targets in Lebanon was removed by IRNA from its website shortly after publication. This is apparently because no official representative of Khomeini, the father of the Islamic Republic, or of Khamenei, Iran’s Supreme Leader, had ever said that Iran had any involvement in ordering, planning and carrying out the massive bombings in Lebanon against U.S.”

In 1985, Iran-backed Hezbollah hijacked Trans World Airlines (TWA) Flight 847 as it departed Athens. The hijackers collected IDs from the passengers and singled out U.S. Navy Seabee Robert Stethem of Waldorf, Md., mistaking him for a Marine and blaming him for involvement in the Lebanese Civil War.

The hijackers tortured Stethem as they flew to Beirut before shooting him dead, dumping him on the tarmac, and shooting him again.

Operation Praying Mantis

In 1988, the USS Samuel B. Roberts struck an Iranian mine in the Persian Gulf and nearly sank. The Roberts had been escorting Kuwaiti oil tankers as a protective measure.

After the mines were matched to the Iranian ship Ajr, which had been captured by the Americans earlier that year, President Reagan sprang into retaliatory action.

Reagan’s operation destroyed two oil platforms reportedly used as Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) surveillance structures, leading Iran to begin attacking nonmilitary targets.

The mission also claimed two other Iranian ships and was considered the largest naval surface engagement since World War II.

Two Americans died in a helicopter crash during the operation, while dozens of Iranian officers were killed.

Clinton-Bush-Obama era; 9/11

The FBI linked a 1996 attack on an American military housing complex in Saudi Arabia to another Iranian-backed terrorist group.

Hezbollah al-Hejaz was blamed for the Khobar Towers bombing in June of that year, which killed 19 U.S. servicemembers.

In the aftermath of Al Qaeda’s 2000 attack on the U.S.S. Cole destroyer in Aden, Yemen, American courts found Iran indirectly liable in that it provided support for the terrorists – in part by letting them be trained in Tehran-linked Hezbollah bases in Lebanon.

In 2015, FISA Judge Rudolph Contreras found Iran and Sudan liable, and during the Biden administration. Sudan agreed to settle claims of murdered sailors’ families.

After 9/11, when the U.S. went to war in Iraq, Iran and its proxies were suspected of causing a large portion of American casualties by supplying land mines to the Iraqi Shia insurgents. In 2019, the Department of Defense officially raised its estimate to more than 600 troop casualties directly tied to Iran or its proxies, meaning one in six Iraq War losses were caused by Tehran.

Navy Cmdr. Sean Robertson told the Army Times at the time that “these [American] casualties were the result of explosively formed penetrators (EFPs), other improvised explosive devices (IEDs), improvised rocket-assisted munitions (IRAMs), rockets, mortars, rocket-propelled grenades (RPGs), small arms, sniper fire, and other attacks in Iraq.”

During his first term in the White House, President Donald Trump ordered a strike on the IRGC, killing its legendary commander, Qassem Soleimani.

While Iran was not directly implicated as having specific knowledge of the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks in New York, Pennsylvania and Virginia, it was found to be complicit in facilitating the planned terrorism.

The report, led by former New Jersey Republican Gov. Tom Kean Sr., found a “persistence of contacts” between Iranian officials and Al Qaeda.

Chapter 7 of the report found that Iran at least knew that the terrorists being trained by Hezbollah were going to act against the U.S. and/or Israel. The findings thereby blew apart critics’ claims that the Sunni terror group could get along with its religious archenemy, the Shia who ran Iran.

Tehran border patrol officials also did not stamp passports of Al Qaeda operatives traveling around the region, as the marking would have been flagged upon application for any U.S. visa.

In 2016, hackers linked to the IRGC were indicted by the Justice Department – including one 34-year-old Iranian national who allegedly gained access to the controls of a major dam in Rye Brook, N.Y., near the confluence of Interstate 287 and the New England Thruway.

In 2011, the U.S. also foiled an IRGC plot targeting the homeland, in which a District of Columbia restaurant was to be bombed to kill Saudi Ambassador to the U.S. Adel al-Jubeir.

Iranian-born U.S. citizen Manssoor Arbabsiar and Quds Force member Gholam Shakuri were charged in the incident. Arbabsiar was arrested at New york’s JFK Airport and Shakuri remains at large.

A confidential federal source met with Arbabsiar in Mexico that July, where the suspect agreed to pay $100,000 toward a $1.5 million bounty placed on al-Jubeir, according to the Justice Department.

Then-FBI Director Robert Mueller said at the time that the arrests depict the U.S. “increased ability … to bring together the intelligence and law enforcement resources necessary to better identify and disrupt those threats, regardless of their origin.”

Biden era

By 2020, Iran was blamed for several recent attacks on commercial oil tankers, and after Trump ordered the killing of Soleimani, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei dispatched ballistic missiles at Al-Asad Air Base in Iraq.

Several dozen U.S. troops were wounded.

After Hamas militants massacred Israelis on Oct. 7, 2023, Iran-backed Hamas and Hezbollah launched about 180 attacks on Western forces in the region, including a drone strike on a base in Jordan that killed three Americans.

Trump era: Assassination plot on the president

After an Afghan-born Iranian proxy and two American men were charged with allegedly trying to hunt down and assassinate an Iranian-born American critic of the ayatollah’s regime, the Justice Department disclosed that Trump was also the subject of a similar assassination plot.

Farhad Shakeri, who had spent 14 years in a New York state prison for robbery and made U.S. contacts to create a “network of criminal associates” to “supply the IRGC with operatives” domestically, was allegedly seeking to kill Masih Alinejad — a journalist who often appears on Fox News Channel.

Shakeri remained at large, likely in Iran, as of 2024, but his American counterparts were put on trial in Brooklyn.

Jonathon Loadholt of Staten Island and Carlisle Rivera of Brooklyn allegedly “were recruited as part of that network to silence and kill, on U.S. soil, an American journalist who has been a prominent critic of the regime,” according to then-Attorney General Merrick Garland.

“We will not stand for the Iranian regime’s attempts to endanger the American people and America’s national security,” Garland said, as the criminal complaint suggested Shakeri and Rivera first met while serving time.

The two men stalked Alinejad and were also accused of rotating plates on Loadholt’s car to avoid suspicion, while then-FBI Director Christopher Wray mentioned Trump as another target of an Iranian plot in a related statement on the Alinejad case.

Shakeri reportedly spoke to the FBI voluntarily from Iran, where he disclosed efforts to assassinate Trump, according to The New York Times.

Shakeri said he was told to create a plan to kill Trump after an IRGC meeting that October and that, if he could not, the assumption from the militia was that Trump would lose to Kamala Harris and be “easier to assassinate” while out of office.

“Thanks to the hard work of the FBI, their deadly schemes were disrupted.  We’re committed to using the full resources of the FBI to protect our citizens from Iran or any other adversary who targets Americans,” Wray said in a statement at the time.

Trump has since warned Iran repeatedly to back down, with Secretary of War Pete Hegseth overseeing 2025 airstrikes on nuclear facilities, and the administration ultimately taking what it described as long-term military action to force regime change.

“Our objective is to defend the American people by eliminating imminent threats from the Iranian regime,” Trump said Saturday.

Fox News Digital’s Benjamin Weinthal contributed to this report.

As coordinated U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran continue, current and former defense officials say that while a limited strike lasting several days is feasible, sustaining a broader confrontation — one involving potentially hundreds of incoming missiles — is far more complicated.

The U.S. and Israel undertook a mission known as Operation Epic Fury, targeting Iranian leadership and military sites Saturday. Its duration is still unclear, but the campaign may go on for days, according to U.S. officials. 

Sustaining operations beyond the initial window presents a more complex challenge — one shaped by a “zero-sum” competition for missile defense inventories between the Middle East and Europe.

Officials and analysts warn that certain U.S. missile and air-defense interceptor inventories have been severely drawn down by the relentless pace of recent operations. The strategic dilemma for the Pentagon is that the systems required to shield U.S. bases from Iranian retaliation are the same ones being depleted by the defense of Ukraine and the ongoing protection of Israel.

Iran already has fired counterattacks near U.S. positions in Bahrain, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait and Jordan, with several host governments saying their air defense systems intercepted incoming projectiles. No U.S. service member fatalities or injuries have been reported as of Saturday, a U.S. official told Fox News Digital. 

U.S. authorities have not publicly released casualty figures or formal damage assessments.

During the intense June 2025 Iran–Israel conflict, U.S. forces fired more than 150 Terminal High Altitude Area Defense Interceptors — roughly a quarter of the total global inventory — and a large number of ship-based standard missiles to protect allies, according to published defense assessments.

This shortfall largely is attributed to the dual pressure of supplying Ukraine against Russian cruise missiles and the surge of batteries to the Middle East. Replenishing these high-end systems can take more than a year, analysts say, because production lines are optimized for peacetime and cannot be surged overnight.

Independent groups have noted the U.S. currently produces roughly 600–650 Patriot PAC-3 MSE missiles annually, reflecting recent contracts to boost production capacity. Analysts say that in a high-intensity war with a near-peer adversary like Iran — where multiple interceptors are often used to defeat a single incoming missile — even a year’s worth of production could be consumed in a matter of weeks, especially after recent drawdowns in Ukraine and the Middle East.

“The Department of War has everything it needs to execute any mission at the time and place of the President’s choosing and on any timeline,” Chief Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell said in response to readiness questions.

Retired Air Force Gen. Charles Wald, former deputy commander of U.S. European Command, said the United States retains the ability to surge conventional strike munitions into the region and draw from prepositioned stocks if a campaign is ordered. 

“From a conventional munition standpoint, we can always fly in more weapons from around the world,” Wald told Fox News Digital. “There are a lot of weapons stored there with this type of mission in mind.”

The greater concern, he acknowledged, lies on the defensive side. 

“The issue will be defensive weapons — Patriot, SM-3, and the Arrow system in Israel,” Wald said. “You can never have enough defense.”

Regional analysts caution that in a sustained missile exchange, interceptor inventories — not offensive strike weapons — could become the binding constraint. 

“There is a limit to how many THAAD missiles can be used,” Israeli defense analyst Ehud Eilam said. “These are not systems you can reproduce overnight.”

Iran is believed to possess between 1,500 ballistic missiles and 2,000 ballistic missiles, as well as drones and shorter-range rockets capable of striking U.S. bases and Gulf energy infrastructure.

Several experts also pointed to the psychological impact of recent U.S. operations. 

The swift Operation Absolute Resolve in Venezuela in January 2026 and summer 2025’s 12-day exchange with Iran have reinforced confidence in American military capability. However, one former defense official cautioned that success in these tightly scoped missions can create a false sense of momentum toward action in far more complex scenarios.

TRUMP SAYS IRAN HAS 15 DAYS TO REACH A DEAL OR FACE ‘UNFORTUNATE’ OUTCOME

“Iran is a very different problem,” the official said — a large, heavily armed state with extensive missile forces and regional proxy networks that would not resemble a short, surgical operation.

Wald acknowledged that risk. 

“You don’t want to get people so confident that you don’t consider the risks. It’s not going to be as clean or pure as, say, Venezuela was, or the 12-day war.”

Even as the strikes continue, officials warn that retaliation from Iran and its network of allied militias could broaden the conflict. Iran’s ballistic missiles and drones — coupled with allied groups in Iraq, Lebanon and Yemen — already have prompted missile salvos against U.S. bases and Gulf partners, according to defense reporting.

Experts say the 2025 conflict underscored how quickly escalation can test both defensive systems and political will. 

“Once these things break, you own what follows,” one former official said, underscoring the risk that missiles and proxy actions could quickly widen a limited U.S. strike.

Wald warned that even a successful military phase would not eliminate the political uncertainty. 

“Bombing Iran is not going to do regime change,” he said, emphasizing that air power can degrade capability but cannot guarantee a stable political outcome.

Beyond the immediate exchange, officials say the economic consequences could prove just as consequential. Roughly one-fifth of the world’s oil supply transits the Strait of Hormuz, and even limited disruption could send global energy markets sharply higher.

For Washington, the strategic calculus extends beyond the Middle East. China remains the primary long-term competitor, with the war in Ukraine already consuming significant resources. 

A sustained regional conflict would draw on naval assets and air-defense systems that planners must also consider for potential future contingencies in Taiwan or North Korea.

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Officials familiar with internal deliberations say President Donald Trump has sought a high degree of confidence in how an Iran contingency would unfold — a standard that becomes harder to meet in scenarios involving escalation and political fallout.

Fox News Digital has reached out to the White House for comment.

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In a sweeping pre-dawn bombing campaign across Iran, Israeli forces targeted sites linked to Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, a senior Israeli official confirmed to Fox News. The official said Iran’s president was also targeted as part of the joint U.S. operation, dubbed Operation Epic Fury.

Reuters reported that Khamenei was not in Tehran during the strikes and was instead transferred to a secure location. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi told NBC News that Khamenei and Iran’s President Masoud Pezeshkian are still alive “as far as I know.”

President Donald Trump described the “massive and ongoing” operation as the opening phase of a campaign that he said would devastate Iran’s military, dismantle its nuclear program and ultimately bring about regime change. 

“It will be yours to take,” Trump said in a video statement addressing the Iranian public.

Hours later, Tehran signaled it would not back down, saying it would defend itself against any attack.

“This will be probably your only chance for generations,” he added. Officials in Tehran said the country would defend itself against any attack.

WORLD’S LARGEST AIRCRAFT CARRIER HEADS TO MIDDLE EAST AS IRAN NUCLEAR TENSIONS SPIKE DRAMATICALLY

Ahead of the strikes, the U.S. military amassed what Trump previously called an “armada” in Iran’s backyard. Mapped out across the Persian Gulf and beyond, the deployment tells its own story, one of calculated pressure backed by credible capability.

The buildup coincided with indirect negotiations between Washington and Tehran over Iran’s disputed nuclear program. Trump has warned that the regime must fully dismantle its nuclear infrastructure or face consequences. 

THE ONLY MAP YOU NEED TO SEE TO UNDERSTAND HOW SERIOUS TRUMP IS ABOUT IRAN

At the heart of America’s force projection are the USS Abraham Lincoln and USS Gerald Ford aircraft carrier strike groups — dual mobile fortresses at sea, guarded by destroyers and equipped to unleash precision strikes at a moment’s notice. 

More than a dozen other U.S. warships are also in the region to support.

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For Iran, it means U.S. forces are not concentrated in a single vulnerable location — they are distributed, layered and positioned to operate from multiple directions at once. 

It was not immediately clear how or when Iran might respond. But with senior leaders targeted and U.S. naval assets positioned across the region, the latest exchange marks one of the most volatile moments in the decades-long standoff between Israel, Iran and the United States.

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One of President Donald Trump’s longtime Republican critics, Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., joined Gang of Eight Democrats in opposition to Operation Epic Fury, the U.S. strikes on Iranian military targets.

Trump has not sought congressional approval for an attack on Iran, Massie wrote on X, rebuking “acts of war unauthorized by Congress.”

“I am opposed to this War,” Massie added in a second X post Saturday morning. “This is not ‘America First.’

“When Congress reconvenes, I will work with @RepRoKhanna to force a Congressional vote on war with Iran. The Constitution requires a vote, and your Representative needs to be on record as opposing or supporting this war.”

Secretary of State Marco Rubio reportedly met earlier this week with the Gang of Eight, and a spokesman for House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., told Fox News Digital that Rubio called the speaker before the overnight strikes were carried out in Iran.

Notably, Trump has reminded the world that Iran’s regime had targeted him, including fomenting assassination talk in retaliation of his first administration’s taking out Islamic Republican Guard QUDs force commander Qasem Soleimani Jan. 3, 2020.

“I was the hunted, now I am the hunter,” Trump said on the White House lawn before the Operation Midnight Hammer strikes and amid past warnings to Iranian leaders.

Article I of the U.S. Constitution grants Congress the power to declare war, but a U.S. official told Fox News chief national security correspondent Jennifer Griffin that Trump’s U.S. military armada in the Middle East, working in concert with Israel, is targeting military targets and ballistic missile sites that pose an “imminent threat.”

The U.S. military is not targeting Iran’s leadership, but Israel is, the official added.

KHANNA AND MASSIE THREATEN TO FORCE A VOTE ON IRAN AS PROSPECT OF US ATTACK LOOMS

Alerting Congress was a topic of contention during the stealth operation to extract Venezuelan dictator Nicolás Maduro, when Trump and Rubio said they did not alert the Gang of Eight in advance, fearing leaks and putting U.S. troops at risk before the operation.

The Gang of Eight consists of the four Republican and Democrat leaders of Congress and four other members of the House and Senate Intelligence Committees.

Rep. Jim Himes, D-Conn., ranking member of the House Intelligence Committee, is part of the group.

“Everything I have heard from the administration before and after these strikes on Iran confirms this is a war of choice with no strategic endgame,” Himes wrote in a statement. “As I expressed to Secretary Rubio when he briefed the Gang of Eight, military action in this region almost never ends well for the United States, and conflict with Iran can easily spiral and escalate in ways we cannot anticipate. It does not appear that Donald Trump has learned the lessons of history.

“The president’s own statement acknowledges this is war, and the Constitution requires the administration to come to Congress for authorization, something it has not done. Next week, the House will vote on a war powers resolution, and I will support that resolution. In the meantime, I will be praying for the safety of our service members and all civilians who are in harm’s way.”

Sen. Mark Warner, D-Va., vice chair of the Senate Intelligence Committee, spoke out against Trump’s Operation Epic Fury action.

GOP LAWMAKERS SPLIT ON US MILITARY INTERVENTION TO FULFILL TRUMP’S CALLS FOR REGIME CHANGE IN IRAN

“Iran’s leadership has long supported terrorism across the region, undermined regional stability, continued to advance its nuclear ambitions and brutally repressed its own people, but acknowledging those realities does not relieve any president of the responsibility to act within the law, with a clear strategy, and with Congress,” Warner wrote in a statement.

“The American people have seen this playbook before — claims of urgency, misrepresented intelligence and military action that pulls the United States into regime change and prolonged, costly nation-building. We owe it to our service members, and to every American family, to ensure that we are not repeating the mistakes of the past.”

Warner added a call for Trump to give the “country clear answers: What is the objective? What is the strategy to prevent escalation? And how does this make Americans safer?”

TRUMP HAS THREE STRIKE OPTIONS THAT WOULD AID THE PROTESTERS AND DEVASTATE IRAN

“The president moved forward without seeking congressional authorization,” Warner’s statement concluded. “The Constitution is clear: The decision to take this nation to war rests with Congress, and launching large-scale military operations — particularly in the absence of an imminent threat to the United States — raises serious legal and constitutional concerns.

“Congress must be fully briefed, and the administration must come forward with a clear legal justification, a defined end state and a plan that avoids dragging the United States into yet another costly and unnecessary war.”

Rep. Rick Crawford, R-Ark., the chair of the House Intelligence Committee, noted Trump gave “Iran plenty of opportunities to take the diplomatic route.”

REPUBLICAN SENATORS SAY LEAKED IRAN DAMAGE REPORT WAS INACCURATE, POLITICALLY MOTIVATED

“Prior to the initiation of this action, in earnest diplomatic engagements with Iran, President Trump was very clear about his red line from the start and his expectations of Iran during these negotiations,” Crawford wrote in a statement. “Iran absolutely cannot be allowed to maintain a nuclear weapon or capabilities. The safety and security of Americans and our allies are on the line.”

Crawford’s statement stressed concern for American forces conducting the operation versus Democrats’ concerns over Trump’s authority as commander in chief.

TRUMP ISSUES STERN IRAN WARNING AS TEHRAN ANGRILY REACTS TO SPEECH AMID MUTED WORLD REACTION

“The United States of America has the most premier military in the world, and I am confident it will successfully carry out the very clearly stated goals of this operation,” Crawford wrote. “As the operations continue, we pray for the safety of the U.S. military forces involved, Americans in the region, and our allies.

“I would strongly advise the Iranian regime heed President Trump’s warning.”

Trump warned in his State of the Union earlier this week that he will hold to his longtime vow that “Iran will never have a nuclear weapon,” saying in his Truth Social video overnight to explain the strikes that Iran was attempting to reconstitute its designs on a nuclear arsenal.

TRUMP TELLS IRANIANS THE ‘HOUR OF YOUR FREEDOM IS AT HAND’ AS US-ISRAEL LAUNCH STRIKES AGAINST IRAN

“One thing is certain, I will never allow the world’s No. 1 sponsor of terror, which they are by far, to have a nuclear weapon,” Trump said in the State of the Union. “Can’t let that happen.”

Senate Armed Forces Committee Chair Roger Wicker, R-Miss., praised the “decisive action” against “the world’s leading proliferator of terrorism.”

“This is a pivotal and necessary operation to protect Americans and American interests,” Wicker wrote in a statement. “The president has stated the operation’s goals clearly: thwart permanently the ayatollahs’ desire to create a nuclear weapon, degrade their ballistic missile force and their production capacity, and destroy their naval and terrorism capabilities.

RUBIO, RATCLIFFE TO DELIVER CLASSIFIED IRAN BRIEFING TO ‘GANG OF EIGHT’ AHEAD OF TRUMP’S STATE OF THE UNION

“These are the hardest decisions that face any American commander-in-chief, and I appreciate that President Trump and his team conducted a comprehensive strategy using all tools of national power and a well-orchestrated military planning process.”

Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Va., a member of the Senate Armed Services and Foreign Relations Committees, echoed the long-time Trump position against “regime-change wars.”

“Has President Trump learned nothing from decades of U.S. meddling in Iran and forever wars in the Middle East?” Kaine wrote in a statement.

MASSIE-LED PUSH TO HANDCUFF TRUMP ON IRAN GETS JEFFRIES’ BACKING

“For months, I have raised hell about the fact that the American people want lower prices, not more war — especially wars that aren’t authorized by Congress, as required by the Constitution, and don’t have a clear objective.

“These strikes are a colossal mistake, and I pray they do not cost our sons and daughters in uniform and at embassies throughout the region their lives,” Kaine said. “The Senate should immediately return to session and vote on my War Powers Resolution to block the use of U.S. forces in hostilities against Iran.

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“Every single senator needs to go on the record about this dangerous, unnecessary, and idiotic action,” Kaine added.

Sen. Andy Kim, D-N.J., echoed the call to vote on Kaine’s war powers resolution.

“Americans don’t want to go to war with Iran,” Kim wrote in a statement. “By launching strikes, President Trump has made the same dangerous and foolish decision President Bush did a generation ago. He put Americans in harm’s way without clearly showing there’s an imminent threat to our national security. He put the Iranian people in harm’s way by calling on them to rise up without a broad coalition of partners to assist in their protection. 

“And Trump once again started a cycle of violence that has already escalated and could spiral out of control,” he continued. “This is unacceptable. The Senate should vote on Senator Kaine’s War Powers Resolution immediately.

“I stand ready to do so today.”

Fox News Digital’s Liz Elkind contributed to this report.

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President Donald Trump spoke with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu Saturday, after launching joint attacks on Iran, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said Saturday morning. 

“President Trump monitored the situation overnight at Mar a Lago alongside members of his national security team,” Leavitt posted to X on Saturday. “The President spoke with Prime Minister Netanyahu by phone.” 

Trump announced in a Truth Social video message at 2:30 a.m. Eastern Standard Time that the strikes had been launched, and addressed the Iranian people directly, telling them to “seize control of (their) destiny.” 

Leavitt continued on X that Secretary of State Marco Rubio provided congressional notification to the “Gang of Eight,” which is a bipartisan group of top congressional intelligence leaders, and that administration security leaders continue to monitor the situation. 

IRAN FIRES MISSILES AT US BASES ACROSS MIDDLE EAST AFTER AMERICAN STRIKES ON NUCLEAR, IRGC SITES

“Prior to the attacks, Secretary Rubio called all members of the gang of eight to provide congressional notification, and he was able to reach and brief seven of the eight members. The President and his national security team will continue to closely monitor the situation throughout the day.” 

Gang of Eight Democrats have rebuked the operation, including Rep. Jim Himes, D-Conn., who serves as the ranking member of the House Intelligence Committee. 

“Everything I have heard from the administration before and after these strikes on Iran confirms this is a war of choice with no strategic endgame,” Himes wrote in a statement. “As I expressed to Secretary Rubio when he briefed the Gang of Eight, military action in this region almost never ends well for the United States, and conflict with Iran can easily spiral and escalate in ways we cannot anticipate. It does not appear that Donald Trump has learned the lessons of history.” 

GOP REP MASSIE JOINS DEMOCRATS IN OPPOSITION TO US IRAN STRIKES

Tensions have been flaring with Iran for months. The U.S. launched a series of strikes on that nation’s nuclear program in June, before returning to the table for negotiations over the program. 

In the lead-up to Saturday’s strikes, Trump had warned that the regime needed to fully dismantle its nuclear infrastructure or face consequences.

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Trump celebrated in his video message early Saturday morning directed at Iranians that the “hour of your freedom is at hand.”

“Stay sheltered. Don’t leave your home. It’s very dangerous outside. Bombs will be dropping everywhere. When we are finished, take over your government. It will be yours to take,” Trump said. “This will be, probably, your only chance for generations. For many years, you have asked for America’s help, but you never got it. No President was willing to do what I am willing to do tonight. Now you have a President who is giving you what you want.”

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Iranian Ambassador to the United Nations Amir-Saeid Iravani condemned U.S. strikes against Iran that targeted the country’s military leadership and killed Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, calling the attack a double standard and promising the country would defend itself at a U.N. Security Council meeting Saturday.

Iravani accused the U.S. of undermining its claims of pursuing international stability while attacking a sovereign country for its “domestic” activities.

“Neither the charter nor international law recognize internal matters of a state as justification for the use of force by other states. The rule of law would be replaced by the rule of force,” Iravani said.

“Iran will continue to exercise its right of self-defense decisively and without hesitation until the aggression ceases in full and unequivocal terms.”

On Saturday morning, President Donald Trump ordered the execution of Operation Epic Fury, citing Tehran’s continued efforts to develop a nuclear weapon.

“It has always been the policy of the United States, in particular my administration, that this terrorist regime can never have a nuclear weapon. I’ll say it again. They can never have a nuclear weapon,” Trump said in remarks about the attack Saturday.

TRUMP OVERSEES US STRIKES ON IRAN FROM MAR-A-LAGO, SPEAKS WITH NETANYAHU: WH

Trump said the strikes were meant to “defend the American people by eliminating imminent threats from the Iranian regime” and that they had come after Iran had refused to abandon plans to develop nuclear capabilities.

Iravani called the attack a continuation of longstanding U.S. aggression against Iran.

“Mr. president, this morning the United States regime, jointly and in coordination with the Israeli regime, initiated an unprovoked and premeditated aggression against the Islamic Republic of Iran for the second time in recent months,” Irvani said, referring to strikes the U.S. carried out against its nuclear enrichment sites last year.

OBAMA OFFICIAL WHO BACKED IRAN DEAL SPARKS ONLINE OUTRAGE WITH REACTION TO TRUMP’S STRIKE: ‘SIT THIS ONE OUT’

“The president of the United States and the prime minister of the Israeli regime have openly claimed responsibility for this act of aggression and have explicitly articulated regime change as their objective, an unmistakable admission of their intent to violate Iran’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.”

U.N. Ambassador Mike Waltz pushed back on Iravani’s characterizations.

“For 47 years, the Iranian regime has chanted, quote, ‘Death to America’ at every turn. At every opening, it has sought to eradicate the state of Israel. It has waged an unending campaign of bloodshed and mass murder,” Waltz said.

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Iravani did not address the negotiations between the U.S. and Iran on its nuclear development plans.

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New York City’s socialist mayor Zohran Mamdani is facing blowback from conservatives on social media over his post condemning the U.S. attack on Iran which led to the killing of Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

On Saturday, as a joint strike on Iran by the United States and Israel was developing, Mamdani blasted the Trump administration’s decision in a post on X that has been viewed roughly 20 million times. 

“Today’s military strikes on Iran — carried out by the United States and Israel — mark a catastrophic escalation in an illegal war of aggression,” Mamdani wrote.

Mamdani added, “Bombing cities. Killing civilians. Opening a new theater of war.  Americans do not want this. They do not want another war in pursuit of regime change.”

Mamdani went on to say that Americans prefer “relief from the affordability crisis” before speaking directly to Iranians in New York City.

“You are part of the fabric of this city — you are our neighbors, small business owners, students, artists, workers, and community leaders,” Mamdani said. “You will be safe here.”

The post was quickly slammed by conservatives on social media, making the case that Mamdani’s response appeared sympathetic to Iran’s brutal regime and pointing to his lack of public reaction to the Iranian protesters killed in recent years.

“Comrade Mayor is rooting for the Ayatollah,” GOP Sen. Ted Cruz posted on X. “They can chant together.”

OBAMA OFFICIAL WHO BACKED IRAN DEAL SPARKS ONLINE OUTRAGE WITH REACTION TO TRUMP’S STRIKE: ‘SIT THIS ONE OUT’

“Do u say anything pro American ?” Fox News host Brian Kilmeade posted on X. “do u know any Iranians – ? they hate @fr_Khamenei they celebrate his death, you should be celebrating his death ! hes killed thousands of American’s and just killed 30k Iranians, did u even say a word about that? You are an embarrassment !! Please quit.”

“I don’t feel safe in New York listening to someone like you, Mamdani, who sympathizes with the regime that killed more than 30,000 unarmed Iranians in less than 24 hours,” Iranian-American journalist Masih Alinejad posted on X. 

“We Iranians do not allow you to lecture us about war while you had nothing to say when the Islamic Republic shot schoolgirls and blinded more than 10,000 innocent people in the streets. You were busy celebrating the hijab while women of my beloved country Iran were jailed and raped by Islamic Security forces for removing it. And NOW you find your voice to defend the regime? No. I will not let you claim the moral high ground. The people of Iran want to be free. Where were you when they needed solidarity?”

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“How is it that you can’t differentiate between good and evil?” Billionaire hedge fund manager Bill Ackman posted on X. “Why is this so hard for you?”

“It takes a particular kind of audacity, or ignorance, for a city mayor to appoint himself the conscience of American foreign policy while his constituents step over garbage on their way to work,” GOP Rep. Nancy Mace posted on X. “History will not remember his bravery. It will not remember him at all.”

“Iranian New Yorkers are thrilled today and see right through you,” Republican New York City Councilwoman Vickie Paladino posted on X. 

“When Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Turkey, UAE, Bahrain all support today’s operation eliminating world’s #1 sponsor of terror, but New York City’s Mayor @ZohranMamdani is shilling for Iran,” Republican New York City Councilwoman Inna Vernikov posted on X. 

Fox News Digital reached out to Mamdani’s office for comment.

Shortly after Mamdani’s post, it was announced by President Trump and Israeli officials that the military operation resulted in Khamenei’s death

Israeli leaders confirmed Khamenei’s compound and offices were reduced to rubble early Saturday after a targeted strike in downtown Tehran.

“Khamenei was the contemporary Middle East’s longest-serving autocrat. He did not get to be that way by being a gambler. Khamenei was an ideologue, but one who ruthlessly pursued the preservation and protection of his ideology, often taking two steps forward and one step back,” Behnam Ben Taleblu, senior director of FDD’s Iran program, told Fox News Digital.

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The partial government shutdown has Department of Homeland Security employees missing their paychecks even as the U.S. has engaged Iran with airstrikes that have brought the nation to the brink of war.

Earlier Saturday, the U.S. and Israel commenced targeted Iranian positions including the palace of dictator Ayatollah Ali Hosseini Khamenei – who was later declared dead by Jerusalem officials. The strikes have prompted concerns of retaliation, possibly inside U.S. borders.

“I am in direct coordination with our federal intelligence and law enforcement partners as we continue to closely monitor and thwart any potential threats to the homeland,” DHS Secretary Kristi Noem said in a statement.

As Friday rolled into Saturday, Transportation Safety Administration officers began effectively working pro bono, with the agency calling them “true models of selflessness and sacrifice.”

“Right now, the men and women of TSA are showing up to work without a paycheck due to the reckless DHS shutdown — despite the fact that Democrat members of Congress are still getting paid,” the agency said in a statement, calling out Democrats’ “political theater making life harder for these officers and their families.”

Lawmakers took notice of the disparity on Saturday as eyes turned to the security of America’s homeland amid Iran’s pledge to strike back.

“Given developments in the Middle East and the ongoing threat posed by Iran and its terrorist proxies, Democrats in the house, and Senate must cease the politics and must immediately fund the Department of Homeland Security,” said Rep. Daniel Meuser, R-Pa.

The Blue Mountain congressman – whose district is home to the agency’s latest immigration center purchase in Shartlesville, which is simultaneously being lambasted by Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro – added that blocking DHS funding is “irresponsible and dangerous” amid the rising global tension.

“Democrats in Congress must join Republicans, act responsibly and stop blocking efforts to fund DHS,” said Meuser.

Meuser added that protecting American people is a fundamental federal responsibility and that the U.S. cannot afford national security-related delays.

DHS SHUTDOWN TRIGGERS TSA ‘EMERGENCY MEASURES’ AS LAWMAKER WARNS AIRPORTS COULD FEEL ECONOMIC PAIN

His Keystone compatriot Sen. David McCormick echoed that sentiment in a Saturday statement:

“Now would be a good time for Democrats to drop their opposition to DHS funding and pass the bill to support our homeland security,” McCormick said.

“Continuing to play political games with our national security given the unfolding situation in the Middle East is dangerous.”

While many Democrats voiced concern or opposition to the Trump administration’s strikes, McCormick’s counterpart, Sen. John Fetterman, ridiculed critics on X – retweeting an alert that Ayatollah Ali Hosseini Khamenei had been killed, writing: “Let’s see who grieves for that garbage.”

The top Democrat on the House Homeland Security Committee, however, did criticize the operation.

Rep. Bennie Thompson of Mississippi told NOTUS News on Saturday that Trump’s attack lacks “a clear strategy” while saying the U.S. is “vulnerable to ensuing terrorism attacks today because of Trump’s reckless, inflammatory actions.”

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“I am deeply concerned about the administration’s attention to possible threats and its ability to protect Americans,” he added.

Just prior to the strikes, the Senate and House Democratic leaders released a joint statement addressing the DHS shutdown’s current conditions.

“We have received the White House’s counteroffer and are reviewing it closely. Democrats remain committed to keep fighting for real reforms to rein in ICE and stop the violence,” said New York Sen. Charles Schumer and Rep. Hakeem Jeffries.

Fox News Digital reached out to DHS for additional comment.

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FIRST ON FOX: A major public policy nonprofit co-led by former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush praised President Donald Trump for ordering Saturday’s military strikes against Iran.

United Against a Nuclear Iran (UANI) was formed by Bush and Ambassador Mark Wallace – who held a United Nations-centered post in Bush’s brother’s administration and also advised Ohio Gov. John Kasich’s presidential campaign — to combat threats posed by the Islamic Republic. The group has been on the frontlines of highlighting Iran’s human rights abuses and attacks on Americans, and advising policymakers and the business community about dangers posed by Tehran.

The organization counsels existing and would-be commercial partners of Iran regarding the legal, financial, and reputational risks of that kind of commerce.

“UANI salutes the courage and professionalism of American and Israeli service members carrying out this historic mission against the Iranian regime,” Bush and Wallace told Fox News Digital on Saturday.

“We applaud President Trump for his courageous decision to launch this military operation. For 47 years, the Iranian regime has unleashed terror, violence, and misery—against its own people and across the region—while threatening the United States, Israel and our allies.”

Bush, who ran against Trump in a bruising 2016 primary, and Wallace noted that many presidents tried to bring Iran into the “peaceful community of nations” but were not able to finish the job.

“This president engaged extensively and in good faith to achieve a diplomatic solution,” they said, as Trump indicated as recently as last week that he wanted to negotiate terms.

“The regime chose escalation and continued its pursuit of nuclear weapons. The responsibility for this moment rests squarely with Ayatollah Khamenei.”

Khamenei, 86, was declared dead by Israeli sources by late afternoon.

Bush and Wallace added that it was clear the joint American-Israeli operation was directed not at Iran the country and citizenry, but at Khamenei’s “lethal capabilities.”

The Iranian people, they said, have long suffered under repression and that Trump’s message since the strikes began is one that should be embraced by all Americans:

“We aim to see Iran free, prosperous, and at peace. This is their time to take their great country back.”

“The Butcher of Tehran is dead,” they added in a separate public statement.

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Bush added in a statement on X that “Operation Epic Fury marks a historic mission against the Iranian regime.”

“We salute the courage and professionalism of American and Israeli service members and commend for his courageous decision,” he said.

Bush’s own relationship with Trump has appeared to warm since their bitter feuds of a decade ago.

During the 2016 sweeps, Trump nicknamed the Republican Party scion “Low Energy Jeb,” while Bush quipped that the mogul would not be able to “insult your way to the presidency” – after the eventual victor mocked an ad that former first lady Barbara Bush filmed for her son.

While governor, Bush made improving public education a hallmark of his administration in Tallahassee. Bush implemented stricter proficiency standards in elementary education and signed what was dubbed the “A+ plan,” making Florida the first state to require clear letter-grades on student performance.

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He recently praised the Trump administration’s overtures toward universal school choice and federal block-grants as a “transformational opportunity.”

“The Trump administration has a chance to shift the power dynamic back to the states, where policymakers are uniquely equipped to understand and address the diverse needs of their students, schools, and communities,” he added in a column in Education Week.

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Ben Rhodes, a leading figure within the Obama administration who pushed for the 2015 nuclear deal with Iran, was blasted on social media Saturday after he criticized U.S. military strikes on Iran. 

In the immediate aftermath of the joint attack by the U.S. and Israel, Rhodes was posting criticism of the administration on social media saying that Trump and Netanyahu “seem to be totally unconcerned about the human beings – on all sides – who will suffer.”

“Trump’s second term has been the worst case scenario,” Rhodes said in another X post. 

Rhodes was quickly ridiculed by many conservatives on social media who pointed to the Obama-era Iran deal as a catalyst for allowing the situation to escalate to this point and placing blame on the Obama administration for not taking the threat from Iran seriously.

“Yes we were much better off with a president who drew redlines and failed to enforce them,” American Enterprise Institute fellow and Fox News contributor Marc Thiessen posted on X. “Team Obama might want to sit this one out.”

“Oh look the guy who literally created this mess in the first place has chimed in,” Republican digital operative Alec Sears posted on X. 

“You were part of the team who gave billions of dollars to the Iranian Regime – you helped fund this terror on human beings,” former acting Director of National Intelligence Richard Grenell posted on X. “Once again, President Trump is cleaning up your mess.”

LONGTIME TRUMP CRITIC GEORGE CONWAY SUGGESTS US IS ‘TERRORIST STATE’ AFTER IRAN STRIKES

“You had eight years to do something on this issue,” Red State writer Bonchie posted on X. “Instead, you became a foreign operative doing everything you could to preserve an Islamist regime.”

“You put these circumstances in place.”

“The Obama crew weeps for the mullahs,” former Trump campaign communications director Tim Murtaugh posted on X. 

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“Ben Rhodes bears responsibility for how America got to this point,” Middle East and geopolitical analyst Matthew Brodsky posted on X. “He is a spineless agent of influence for the regime in Iran. It’s taken years to undo the damage of his foreign policy.”

On Saturday afternoon, it was reported that Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who ruled the Islamic Republic for more than three decades, was killed in the strike against Iran.

Israeli leaders confirmed Khamenei’s compound and offices were reduced to rubble early Saturday after a targeted strike in downtown Tehran.

“Khamenei was the contemporary Middle East’s longest-serving autocrat. He did not get to be that way by being a gambler. Khamenei was an ideologue, but one who ruthlessly pursued the preservation and protection of his ideology, often taking two steps forward and one step back,” Behnam Ben Taleblu, senior director of FDD’s Iran program, told Fox News Digital.

Fox News Digital’s Efrat Lachter contributed to this report.

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Former President Bill Clinton has vigorously denied many of them, allegations of sexual improprieties have punctuated his career and repeatedly made questions about his character the focus of national attention.

His truthfulness is again back in the national spotlight after lawmakers on Friday questioned Clinton about his connections to Jeffrey Epstein — the disgraced financier who died in 2019 while incarcerated on charges of sex trafficking minors.

Clinton has not been implicated in any wrongdoing.

Friday’s questioning, however, is just the most recent entry in a list of questions and controversies that stretches back almost 30 years.

Juanita Broaddrick – 1998

Allegations against Clinton began in 1998 when Juanita Broaddrick accused Clinton of raping her when he was running for governor of Arkansas in 1978. In the years since, Broaddrick described attempts she believes the Clintons made to keep her from speaking about the incident.

“I was at a fundraiser, but [Hillary Clinton] caught me before I left, and she came up very friendly and said, ‘Bill and I are so appreciative of everything you do.’ And then her voice changed,” Broaddrick recalled in an interview with Fox News in 2018.

“It frightened me,” she said.

By the time Broaddrick’s allegations became public, the statute of limitations protected Clinton from prosecution for the accusation.

Clinton has denied the claim.

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Kathleen Willey – 1998

In an interview with Fox, Willey called herself a former friend of Clinton and said she supported him when he launched his presidential ambitions.

“We raised an awful lot of money for him,” Willey recalled.

Willey explained that her husband had fallen on hard financial times, prompting her to turn to the White House in 1993 in hopes of finding a job. Clinton was the president then.

“He sat down on the sofa. I proceeded to tell him what was going on, and I told him, ‘I need a job.’ He took my coffee cup from me and the next thing I knew he had me backed into a corner, hands all over me, trying to kiss me,” Willey said, describing an altercation between the two that took place in a study just outside the Oval Office.

Willey first went public with her allegation in a CBS interview with “60 Minutes” in 1998. Clinton has repeatedly denied the allegation.

Gennifer Flowers – 1992

A former television reporter, Gennifer Flowers claimed that she had a longstanding affair with Clinton from the late 1970’s through 1989.

Years later, she said Clinton’s advances started when she and Clinton met during a reporting assignment.

“He proceeded to come on to me for three months before I decided I wanted to have a relationship with him which at that point was consensual. In today’s standards, it was definitely sexual harassment,” Flowers said in an appearance on the Ingraham Angle in 2018.

The story spread to national media as Bill Clinton waged a presidential campaign, just weeks before the Iowa caucuses.

Clinton, in an interview with 60 Minutes in the fallout of the news, didn’t confirm the allegations from Flowers but said he had “acknowledged causing pain” in his marriage.

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Troopergate – 1993

Shortly after President Bill Clinton assumed office, allegations first reported by The American Spectator magazine began to surface that Clinton had used state troopers as governor to arrange sexual encounters with women.

Among them, Larry Patterson, Roger Perry and Danny Ferguson all claimed Clinton had ordered them to facilitate his encounters.

Time magazine quoted the original American Spectator allegations, stating that the troopers had said “their official duties included facilitating Clinton’s cheating on his wife.”

“They were instructed by Clinton to drive him in state vehicles to rendezvous points and guard him during sexual encounters … and to help Clinton cover up his activities by lying to Hillary.”

The allegations about the troopers also became a part of independent counsel Ken Starr’s later investigation of separate cases.

Paula Jones

Jones’ case, which eventually led to Clinton’s impeachment in 1998, began while Clinton was governor of Arkansas.

“I was asked to work the governor’s quality management conference,” Jones recalled in an interview with Sean Hannity in 2016. “His security was hanging out with us, and later that day, he came over and said, ‘The governor would like to meet with you.’”

Jones said she was escorted up to Clinton’s room at a hotel.

“We did some small talk, and then he started kinda getting a little comfortable. He said he liked my curves and then I’m like — I didn’t know what to do. It was him and me in the room,” Jones said.

Jones described how the governor then exposed himself to her before she left the room.

“’I’m not that kind of girl,’” Jones remembers telling Clinton.

After Jones launched a sexual harassment lawsuit in 1991, Ken Starr, an independent counsel who was assigned to the case, began an investigation that would uncover not just the details about the Jones incident but also the Monica Lewinsky scandal that finally led to Clinton’s impeachment in the House of Representatives.

Jones herself was awarded an $850,000 settlement as a result of her private suit.

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Monica Lewinsky – 1998

The case that would eventually lead to Clinton’s impeachment first came to the public’s attention when the Drudge Report picked up a story, initially abandoned by Newsweek, that Clinton was having an affair with an intern at the White House.

“She was a frequent visitor to a small study just off the Oval Office, where she claims to have indulged the president’s sexual preference. Reports of the relationship spread in White House quarters, and she was moved to a job at the Pentagon, where she worked until last month,” the reporting read.

Clinton famously denied the allegations when answering questions under oath from Ken Starr, who, at the time, was investigating Paula Jones’ claims.

“I did not have sexual relations with that woman,” Clinton famously said in an interview at the White House.

Eventually, Clinton’s infidelity was confirmed when a friend of Lewinsky recorded her talking about the affair and turned the tapes over to Starr.

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Clinton would be forced to admit that he had misrepresented his boldest of assertions. At least one voter in Houston told NBC the admission left him with more questions.

“What else has he lied about?” a man asked reporters.

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President Donald Trump’s announcement Saturday that the U.S. military began a major combat operation in Iran was met with immediate questions about whether the president improperly bypassed Congress, which has the sole authority to declare war under the Constitution.

Trump characterized the joint operation with Israel to take out Iranian leaders and eliminate its weapons supply as an act of “war,” bringing into focus the 1973 War Powers Resolution and the 2001 Authorization for Use of Military Force. Experts say those laws and court precedent have given Trump the authority to sidestep the legislative branch and attack Iran, for now.

“The courts have allowed presidents to order such attacks unilaterally. … There has historically been deference to presidents exercising such judgments under the [War Powers Resolution’s] vague standard,” George Washington University law professor Jonathan Turley wrote in an op-ed. “That was certainly the case with the attacks in Bosnia and Libya under Democratic presidents.”

The War Powers Resolution requires the president to consult Congress within 48 hours of a military offensive and cease actions within 60 days if Congress has not voted in support of them. Turley noted that Congress could still assert control over what the Pentagon is calling “Operation Epic Fury” sooner if it wanted to.

“Congress can seek to bar or limit operations in the coming days,” Turley wrote. “Given the fluid events, many members are likely to wait to watch the initial results and, frankly, the polling on the attacks. … The longer the operation continues, the calls for congressional action will likely increase.”

Former State Department official Gabriel Noronha, who advised on Iran, said in a lengthy X post that Congress has already authorized Trump’s actions under the AUMF because Iran is “the headquarters of al Qaeda.” Noronha said that, unlike other iterations of the AUMF, the 2001 version of the law was never repealed and “expressly authorizes force against any nation, organization, or person that planned the 9/11 attacks ‘or harbored such organizations or persons.'”

“Congress has had 25 years to limit the scope of the 2001 AUMF,” Noronha wrote. “Instead, it has consciously decided to preserve the President’s rights under the law to pursue international terrorists to the end of the earth.”

Trump said in a statement early Saturday morning that Operation Epic Fury was a “noble mission” and that service members could be killed, explicitly using the term “war.”

“The lives of courageous American heroes may be lost, and we may have casualties. That often happens in war,” Trump said.

Some have suggested that in planning the operation, Israel and the United States deliberately delegated responsibilities to avoid legal landmines.

A U.S. official told Fox News that the Israeli military is targeting Iranian leadership, while the United States is targeting missile sites that pose an “imminent threat,” rather than Iran’s leadership. Amos Yadlin, a retired Israeli Air Force general, also told Fox News that Israel carried out a strike on Iran’s leadership because of decades-old U.S. laws restricting the targeting of heads of state.

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The White House, meanwhile, has made clear that it factored Congress into the planning. Secretary of State Marco Rubio briefed the “Gang of 8,” which comprises the Democratic and Republican leaders of Congress and the top lawmakers on the intelligence committees, ahead of the action. Press secretary Karoline Leavitt said Rubio called the Gang of 8 members and gave them a heads-up on timing and connected with all but one of them. Once the strikes began Saturday morning, the Pentagon also briefed the Armed Services committees.

Republican lawmakers have largely reacted with support for Trump, while Democrats have been critical. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., said in a statement that short of “exigent circumstances,” Trump needs Congress to authorize an “act of war.”

“The Trump administration must explain itself to the American people and Congress immediately, provide an ironclad justification for this act of war, clearly define the national security objective and articulate a plan to avoid another costly, prolonged military quagmire in the Middle East,” Jeffries said.

Sen. John Thune, R-S.D., commended the president, citing Iran’s “relentless nuclear ambitions” and refusal to engage in diplomacy.

Some non-interventionist GOP lawmakers spoke out against the actions. Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., said the Constitution gave Congress the power to authorize war “for a reason, to make war less likely.”

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Paul quoted President James Madison: “The Executive Branch is the branch most prone to war, therefore, the Constitution, with studied care, delegated the war power to the legislature.”

A bipartisan group of lawmakers, including Jeffries, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., and Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., said they are planning a forthcoming vote on a war powers resolution that would block U.S. action in Iran without congressional approval. Previous attempts to pass the same bill failed this Congress after Trump launched targeted strikes on Iran’s nuclear facilities and captured Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro.

Fox News’ Jen Griffin and Efrat Lachter contributed to this report.

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President Donald Trump’s joint strikes with Israel against Iran have intensified a growing bipartisan push in Congress to rein in his war powers, with lawmakers in both parties demanding votes on resolutions aimed at limiting his authority to use military force in the region.

Members in both chambers had already planned to force votes before the first bombs fell Saturday. Now, they are doubling down on calls to restrict the president’s military authority.

Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Va., has repeatedly forced votes to curb Trump’s war powers abroad — he was nearly successful in halting further military action in Venezuela until Republicans blocked the effort earlier this year.

Kaine had already prepped his latest resolution, co-sponsored by Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., for a vote in the Senate next week. He argued Saturday that the strikes, carried out without congressional approval, further underscore why a vote should be held immediately.

“These strikes are a colossal mistake, and I pray they do not cost our sons and daughters in uniform and at embassies throughout the region their lives,” Kaine said in a statement. “The Senate should immediately return to session and vote on my War Powers Resolution to block the use of U.S. forces in hostilities against Iran.”

In the House, Reps. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., and Ro Khanna, D-Calif., are preparing their own war powers resolution for a vote.

KENNEDY WARNS AYATOLLAH WANTS TO ‘DRINK OUR BLOOD OUT OF A BOOT’ AS IRAN TENSIONS ESCALATE

Massie said in a post on X that he opposed “this war. This is not ‘America First.’”

“When Congress reconvenes, I will work with [Khanna] to force a congressional vote on war with Iran,” Massie said. “The Constitution requires Congress to vote, and your representative needs to be on record as opposing or supporting this war.”

The effort has the backing of House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., who earlier in the week noted that the resolution would require “the president to come to Congress to make the case for using military force against Iran.”

RUBIO, RATCLIFFE TO DELIVER CLASSIFIED IRAN BRIEFING TO ‘GANG OF EIGHT’ AHEAD OF TRUMP’S STATE OF THE UNION

The resolution’s fate in the House remains uncertain, given that a handful of House Democrats have broken with their party and backed the administration’s strikes in Iran.

Massie and Khanna’s push may also have the support of at least one more Republican in the lower chamber.

Rep. Warren Davidson, R-Ohio, appeared ready to back their war powers resolution following news of the strikes Saturday. He reiterated a position he made earlier in the week in a post on X.

“I have asked for a classified briefing defining the mission in Iran,” Davidson said. “In the absence of new information, I will support the War Powers Resolution in the House next week.”

“War requires congressional authorization,” he continued. “There are actions short of war, but no case has been made.”

Meanwhile, back in the Senate, the success of Kaine and Paul’s push will require Senate Republicans to cross the aisle.

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They found a short-lived bipartisan coalition earlier this year, when their resolution targeting military action in Venezuela survived a key procedural vote. The group included Sens. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, Susan Collins, R-Maine, and Todd Young, R-Ind.

Both Hawley and Young later flipped their positions after assurances from the administration that there would be no boots on the ground in Venezuela and that Trump would seek congressional approval for any future military action in the region.

Whether that same standard will apply to operations in Iran remained unclear Saturday. Murkowski and Young both said they hope to receive thorough briefings in the days ahead.

“Last summer, following Operation Midnight Hammer, I supported the administration’s targeted actions in Iran after receiving a comprehensive briefing from senior officials,” Murkowski said on X. “Events are rapidly unfolding, and I expect Congress to receive the same level of engagement so we fully understand the scope, objectives and risks of any further military action.”

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President Donald Trump’s joint strikes on Iran are exposing a divide in both parties, as several Democrats come to the president’s defense while a handful of Republicans question his constitutional authority.

Trump announced U.S. and Israeli forces targeted Iranian leadership and military sites in the early hours of Saturday morning, catching millions of Americans — and the majority of lawmakers in Congress — by surprise. 

A handful of House Democrats are justifying the operation, bucking most of their party, who are calling the operation a reckless and illegal action. On the other hand, at least three Republican lawmakers are signaling that the news gave them some pause as of Saturday morning.

Rep. Greg Landsman, D-Ohio, said that the strikes “are targeting military infrastructure —- with warnings to Iranian civilians to take shelter away from these military targets.”

“I want a lasting peace for everyone in the region — from the Iranian people to the Lebanese, Palestinians, Syrians, Iraqis, Jordanians, and Israelis. I hope these targeted strikes on the Iranian regime’s military assets ends the regime’s mayhem and bloodshed and makes way for this lasting peace in the region,” Landsman said.

“Thank you to our brave service members who are leading this effort, and I pray their work will finally free the people of Iran and those in the region from more violence or war.”

Reps. Tom Suozzi, D-N.Y., and Josh Gottheimer, D-N.J., similarly put the onus on Iran, as did Sens. Jacky Rosen, D-Nev., and John Fetterman, D-Pa.

ISRAEL LAUNCHES PREEMPTIVE STRIKE AGAINST IRAN, DEFENSE MINISTER SAYS

On the Republican side, Reps. Warren Davidson, R-Ohio, Thomas Massie, R-Ky., and Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., are concerned about how actions against Iran could run afoul of Congress’ own constitutional authority.

“We need a government small enough to fit within the Constitution. We need a government effective enough to solve problems and serve its own people. Or, we need a new Constitution,” Davidson posted on X. 

When another user asked if he supported Trump’s actions against Iran, Davidson replied, “No. War requires congressional authorization.”

ISRAEL TARGETS IRAN’S SUPREME LEADER IN SWEEPING STRIKES AS US JOINS ‘OPERATION EPIC FURY’

Massie, a longtime critic of foreign intervention, went so far as to introduce a resolution alongside Rep. Ro Khanna, D-Calif., to rein in Trump’s war powers. House Democrats are demanding a vote on that resolution as soon as next week.

Landsman told NOTUS that he would vote against such a measure if it came to the House floor.

Rep. Josh Gottheimer, D-N.J., while similarly praising the military’s moves, refused to tell Fox News Digital if he would support the resolution via a spokesperson.

“Today, the United States, with our key democratic ally Israel, took decisive action to defend our national security, fight terror, protect our allies, and stand with the Iranian people who have been massacred in the streets for demanding freedom from the murderous Iranian regime,” Gottheimer said in a statement.

“I applaud the extraordinary bravery and professionalism of our servicemembers and pray for their safety as Iran and its terrorist proxies retaliate against American bases and our partners in the region.”

He, like Suozzi and Rosen, called for a classified briefing on the operation’s details.

GULF STATES CONDEMN IRANIAN RETALIATORY STRIKES ON THEIR TERRITORIES FOLLOWING US-ISRAELI OPERATION

“I agree with the President’s objectives that Iran can never be allowed to obtain nuclear capabilities. The President must now clearly define the national security objective and articulate his plan to avoid another costly, prolonged war in the Middle East,” Suozzi said in his own statement.

Fetterman, meanwhile, has been among the Democrats most full-throated in his support.

“President Trump has been willing to do what’s right and necessary to produce real peace in the region. God bless the United States, our great military, and Israel,” he posted on X early Saturday morning, among the first lawmakers to sound off.

He said of the war powers vote, “I’m a hard no. My vote is Operation Epic Fury.”

It’s a stark contrast to the majority of Democratic lawmakers who have lambasted Trump for not getting authorization from Congress before the strikes.

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House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., accused Trump of moving to “abandon diplomacy and launch a massive military attack has left American troops vulnerable to Iran’s retaliatory actions.”

In the Senate, Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., said, “Confronting Iran’s malign regional activities, nuclear ambitions, and harsh oppression of the Iranian people demands American strength, resolve, regional coordination, and strategic clarity. Unfortunately, President Trump’s fitful cycles of lashing out and risking wider conflict are not a viable strategy.”

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The first missile in the U.S. arsenal used against Iranian targets in Saturday’s pre-dawn strike was the Tomahawk, a long-range cruise missile launched from Navy ships and submarines.

About half the length of a standard telephone pole, the Tomahawk flies at the speed of a commercial airliner and can carry a 1,000-pound warhead about the distance from Washington, D.C., to Miami.

Fired from destroyers or submarines positioned hundreds of miles away, the missiles allow a president to respond rapidly to a crisis without sending pilots into contested airspace or deploying ground forces. 

The Tomahawk has become a go-to option for limited military action because it offers precision and flexibility while keeping the U.S. footprint small. The missiles can hit fixed targets with high accuracy, reducing the risk of broader escalation. 

Presidents of both parties have used Tomahawks in the opening hours of military operations, from strikes in Iraq in the 1990s to more recent operations in Syria and elsewhere. 

Defense officials and military analysts say the weapon’s long range, reliability and relatively low risk to American personnel make it an attractive first strike option when the White House wants to send a message quickly but stop short of a wider war.

That combination of speed, distance and precision has kept the Tomahawk at the center of U.S. military planning for decades.

Manufactured by defense titan Raytheon — now RTX — the Tomahawk has been a mainstay of the Navy’s arsenal since the 1980s. It was first used in combat during the 1991 Gulf War and has since become a go-to option for presidents seeking to strike from long range without putting U.S. service members in harm’s way.

“Year in and year out, administration in and administration out, it’s the long-range land attack cruise missile that presidents reach for first in a crisis,” Thomas Karako, director of the Missile Defense Project at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, told Fox News Digital.

But heavy use has taken a toll. “We’ve been using them far more frequently than we’ve been producing them,” Karako said.

Prior to Saturday’s operation, the missile was used in June 2025 during a U.S. strike on Iranian nuclear facilities.

Overall, the Tomahawk has been deployed more than 2,350 times.

At roughly $1.4 million apiece, the Tomahawk missile has an intermediate range of 800 to 1,553 miles and can be launched from more than 140 U.S. Navy ships and submarines. 

The Tomahawk strike was just one piece of a broader U.S. military posture in the region.

Ahead of the strikes, the U.S. military amassed what Trump previously called an “armada” in Iran’s backyard. Mapped out across the Persian Gulf and beyond, the deployment tells its own story, one of calculated pressure backed by credible capability.

THE ONLY MAP YOU NEED TO SEE TO UNDERSTAND HOW SERIOUS TRUMP IS ABOUT IRAN

The deployment coincided with indirect negotiations between Washington and Tehran over Iran’s disputed nuclear program. Trump has warned that the regime must fully dismantle its nuclear infrastructure or face consequences.

At the center of the U.S. presence are two aircraft carrier strike groups — the USS Abraham Lincoln and USS Gerald R. Ford — each supported by guided-missile destroyers and cruisers and capable of sustained air and missile operations.

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More than a dozen additional U.S. warships are also operating in the region in support roles, according to defense officials.

It was not immediately clear how or when Tehran might respond, though Iranian leaders have previously warned of retaliation in the event of direct U.S. military involvement.

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Democratic Reps. Ilhan Omar and Rashida Tlaib, both progressive “Squad” members, lashed out at President Donald Trump on Saturday in response to his decision to strike Iran. 

“Trump has launched an illegal regime change war,” Omar posted on X. “As someone who has survived the horrors of war, I know military strikes will not make us safer; they will inflame tensions and push the region further into chaos.”

Omar, who fled Somalia as a refugee as a young child, added, “When we abandon diplomacy, we choose destruction.”

Tlaib reacted on social media to a clip of Trump acknowledging that there may be American casualties in this attack. 

“He doesn’t care about our loved ones in the military,” Tlaib posted on X in a message that was reposted by Omar. “He doesn’t care about the fact that Americans don’t want this war.”

“He doesn’t care about the Iranian people. He is corrupted. Don’t fall for the lies.”

Democratic Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York also slammed President Donald Trump for abandoning diplomacy in favor of launching an attack against Iran, predicting the outcome will be “catastrophic.”

“The American people are once again dragged into a war they did not want by a president who does not care about the long-term consequences of his actions. This war is unlawful. It is unnecessary. And it will be catastrophic,” Ocasio-Cortez said.

“Just this week, Iran and the United States were negotiating key measures that could have staved off war. The President walked away from these discussions and chose war instead. President Trump flippantly acknowledged the possibility of American casualties, stating ‘that often happens in war,’” she continued. “Mr. President: this was not an inevitability. This is a deliberate choice of aggression when diplomacy and security were within reach. Stop lying to the American people.

Democratic Rep. Greg Casar, another progressive House member associated with the informal “Squad” group, called Trump’s actions an “illegal war” in a post on X.

“Yet again, an American president is sending other people’s kids to risk their lives in a senseless regime change war,” Casar said. 

The U.S. and Israel launched the joint attack just after 9 a.m. local time in what the Pentagon has dubbed “Operation Epic Fury.”

IF KHAMENEI FALLS, WHO TAKES IRAN? STRIKES WILL EXPOSE POWER VACUUM — AND THE IRGC’S GRIP

In video remarks posted to Truth Social, Trump addressed the Iranian people directly and told them to “seize control of [their] destiny.”

“The hour of your freedom is at hand. Stay sheltered. Don’t leave your home. It’s very dangerous outside. Bombs will be dropping everywhere. When we are finished, take over your government. It will be yours to take,” Trump said. “This will be, probably, your only chance for generations. For many years, you have asked for America’s help, but you never got it. No President was willing to do what I am willing to do tonight. Now you have a President who is giving you what you want.”

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While Trump focused some of his message on empowering the people of Iran, he stated that the intent of the operation is to “defend the American people by eliminating imminent threats from the Iranian regime,” which he described as “vicious” and “very hard, terrible people.”

Trump also said that while there may be American casualties as a result, the mission is “noble” as it is aimed at stopping a “wicked, radical dictatorship” from threatening American national security interests and destabilizing the Middle East.

Fox News Digital’s Michael Sinkewicz and Alex Nitzberg contributed to this report

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Transportation Security Administration (TSA) workers are on the cusp of working without pay, and there is no backup plan in place to ensure they don’t miss a check.

During the longest government shutdown in history last year, the White House was able to shift around funding from the GOP’s “big, beautiful bill” to ensure that military service members were paid. But TSA workers won’t get the same treatment.

Over 60,000 TSA workers are set to receive partial paychecks this week for the work they did before funding expired earlier this month. They won’t get another paycheck until Congress can land on a deal to fund the agency.

And the likelihood of that wrapping sooner rather than later is low.

Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., said that if the Trump administration could “figure out a way to pay government employees, absolutely.”

“I mean, these are people who have jobs and have commitments and have families,” Thune said. “And, you know, it’s going to be really unfortunate if we get to a point where I hope we don’t, where people aren’t getting paid because the Democrats continue to insist on changes to things that are just not feasible or tenable.”

DHS SHUTDOWN EXPLAINED: WHO WORKS WITHOUT PAY, WHAT HAPPENS TO AIRPORTS AND DISASTER RESPONSE

But a White House official told Fox News Digital in a statement that, like the 43-day shutdown, the Trump administration would be able to transfer funding “to cover certain employees at DHS that were funded by the bill — namely law enforcement and active-duty military such as USCG.”

“TSA has not been part of that, as they have a different funding stream from these other agencies,” the official said.

Republicans believe that a key difference maker in the shutdown could be longer lines at airports and flight cancellations start to stack up as workers go without pay and take time off. A similar scenario played out during the previous shutdown, when cancellations compounded day after day.

“When people start missing paychecks, and you start having disruptions in travel and that sort of thing, it’s going to get more and more painful,” Thune said. “So it’d be nice to fix this before and to avoid all that, but we’ve got to have a partner that actually wants to make a deal.”

DEMOCRATS DEMANDING ICE REFORMS LOSE AIRPORT ESCORTS IN SHUTDOWN THEY TRIGGERED

The White House and Senate Democrats, led by Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., have been at odds over finding a compromise deal to fund the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), with hopes for a quick resolution to the ongoing shutdown quickly fading this week.

Both sides have rejected back-and-forth offers over the last two weeks. Senate Democrats argued that, for now, whether the agency would be reopened and TSA workers get paid was in the White House and Republicans’ hands.

Senate Democrats portrayed negotiations as having totally flatlined and put the onus of further conversations on the Trump administration.

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“We told them what our priorities were, they answered with a very, very weak, limited response,” Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash., said. “And we said, ‘No, this is what our requests were. We made a few changes,’ nothing back.”

When asked if she believed the White House was negotiating in good faith, Murray said, “Not yet.”

But Senate Republicans said that talks were happening on the side among members.

Sen. Katie Britt, R-Ala., hoped that she could convince enough Senate Democrats to come around and ensure that TSA agents, and others, wouldn’t go without pay for the foreseeable future.

“I am working on talking to people,” Britt said.

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Iran launched missile and drone strikes targeting U.S. military facilities in multiple Middle Eastern countries Friday, retaliating after coordinated U.S.–Israeli strikes on Iranian military and nuclear-linked sites.

Explosions were reported in or near areas hosting American forces in Bahrain, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait and Jordan, according to regional officials and state media accounts. Several of those governments said their air defense systems intercepted incoming projectiles.

It remains unclear whether any U.S. service members were killed or injured, and the extent of potential damage to American facilities has not yet been confirmed. U.S. officials have not publicly released casualty figures or formal damage assessments.

Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) described the operation as a direct response to what Tehran called “aggression” against Iranian territory earlier in the day. Iranian officials claimed they targeted U.S. military infrastructure and command facilities.

The United States military earlier carried out strikes against what officials described as high-value Iranian targets, including IRGC facilities, naval assets and underground sites believed to be associated with Iran’s nuclear program. One U.S. official told Fox News that American forces had “suppressed” Iranian air defenses in the initial wave of strikes.

Tomahawk cruise missiles were used in the opening phase of the U.S. operation, according to a U.S. official. The campaign was described as a multi-geographic operation designed to overwhelm Iran’s defensive capabilities and could continue for multiple days. Officials also indicated the U.S. employed one-way attack drones in combat for the first time.

IF KHAMENEI FALLS, WHO TAKES IRAN? STRIKES WILL EXPOSE POWER VACUUM — AND THE IRGC’S GRIP

Iran’s retaliatory barrage targeted countries that host American forces, including Bahrain — home to the U.S. Navy’s Fifth Fleet — as well as Qatar’s Al Udeid Air Base and the UAE’s Al Dhafra Air Base. Authorities in those nations reported intercepting many of the incoming missiles. At least one civilian was killed in the UAE by falling debris, according to local authorities.

Iranian officials characterized their response as proportionate and warned of additional action if strikes continue. A senior U.S. official described the Iranian retaliation as “ineffective,” though independent assessments of the overall impact are still developing.

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Regional governments condemned the strikes on their territory as violations of sovereignty, raising the risk that additional countries could become directly involved if escalation continues.

The situation remains fluid, with military and diplomatic channels active across the region. Pentagon officials are expected to provide further updates as damage assessments and casualty reviews are completed.

Fox News’ Jennifer Griffin contributed to this report. 

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As U.S. and Israeli forces strike deep inside Iran — reportedly targeting senior regime officials including Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and President Masoud Pezeshkian — the question of who would lead Iran if the Islamic Republic collapses is no longer theoretical.

Iran has retaliated with missile barrages against U.S. positions across the Middle East, and while Iranian state media says top leaders remain alive and have been moved to secure locations, the direct targeting of political and military leadership marks a dramatic escalation.

Yet despite the intensity of the moment, regional analysts say there is no obvious successor poised to take control of the country.

The real power center: security forces

Experts consistently point to one determining factor: whether Iran’s coercive institutions — particularly the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) — fracture or consolidate.

If the IRGC remains cohesive, the most likely outcome is not democratic transition but a harder, more openly security-dominated system. A clerical reshuffle or military-led consolidation could preserve much of the existing power structure even if key figures are removed.

If, however, segments of the IRGC or regular armed forces defect or splinter under pressure from war and internal unrest, a political opening could emerge.

At this stage, there is no confirmed evidence of widespread security defections.

Reza Pahlavi: visible but long in exile

One of the most prominent opposition figures abroad is Reza Pahlavi, son of Iran’s last shah. He has lived outside Iran since the 1979 revolution and has spent decades advocating for a secular, democratic system.

In a recent statement, Pahlavi called the U.S. strikes a “humanitarian intervention” and urged Iran’s military and security forces to abandon the clerical regime. He declared that the Islamic Republic is “collapsing” and called on Iranians to prepare to return to the streets at the appropriate time.

But while Pahlavi has name recognition and support among parts of the diaspora, his actual base of support inside Iran is difficult to measure. He has not lived in the country for more than four decades, and many Iranians remain divided over the legacy of the monarchy.

Analysts note that symbolic visibility — including chants heard during past protests — does not necessarily translate into the organizational infrastructure needed to govern a country of nearly 90 million people.

Maryam Rajavi and the NCRI: organized but controversial

Maryam Rajavi, leader of the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI), has taken a different approach. Her organization announced a provisional government framework aimed at transferring sovereignty to the Iranian people and establishing a democratic republic based on her longstanding ten-point plan.

In a subsequent message, Rajavi called on “patriotic personnel in the armed forces” to stand with the Iranian people and urged regime forces to “lay down their arms and surrender.” She also rejected both clerical rule and what she described as “monarchical fascism,” an apparent reference to restorationist movements linked to the former royal family.

The plan calls for dissolving the IRGC and other security institutions, separating religion from the state, abolishing the death penalty, guaranteeing gender equality and holding elections for a constituent assembly.

The NCRI presents itself as a ready governing alternative.

TRUMP ADMIN RAMPS UP ‘MAXIMUM PRESSURE’ IRAN SANCTIONS AHEAD OF NEW ROUND OF NUCLEAR TALKS

But the group — closely associated with the Mujahedin-e Khalq (MEK) — remains deeply controversial. Its history of armed struggle and years spent in exile have led many analysts to question the depth of its support inside Iran, particularly among younger generations.

While some Western political figures have expressed backing over the years, domestic legitimacy remains uncertain.

No clear heir apparent

Despite bold statements from opposition figures, experts caution that Iran’s future leadership is more likely to be shaped inside military barracks and security compounds than in exile press conferences.

Four decades of repression have hollowed out internal political alternatives. No widely recognized civilian leader inside Iran has emerged with cross-factional legitimacy.

If the regime’s leadership were to fall quickly, the immediate struggle would likely be among security elites — not between rival exile figures.

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For now, analysts say, Iran has competing visions but no consensus successor. Whether the country transitions toward a new political system, hardens into military rule or experiences prolonged instability will depend less on declarations abroad and more on whether the regime’s core power structures fracture from within.

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As one of Israel’s staunchest defenders from the left, Sen. John Fetterman, D-Pa., full-throatedly endorsed President Donald Trump’s attacks on Iran as lawmakers on both sides of the aisle reacted Saturday morning.

“President Trump has been willing to do what’s right and necessary to produce real peace in the region,” Fetterman wrote on X. “God bless the United States, our great military, and Israel.”

Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., one of Congress’ biggest backers of bold military action, is hailing President Donald Trump as a “man of peace,” and “evil’s worst nightmare.”

“As I watch and monitor this historic operation, I’m in awe of President Trump’s determination to be a man of peace but at the end of the day, evil’s worst nightmare,” Graham wrote Saturday morning on X in a string of posts. “Well done, Mr. President.”

Trump’s U.S. military armada in the Middle East, working in concert with Israel, is targeting military targets and ballistic missile sites that pose an “imminent threat,” a U.S. official told Fox News Chief National Security Correspondent Jennifer Griffin. 

The U.S. military is not targeting Iran’s leadership, but Israel is, the official added.

Strikes hit the compound home of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, 86, in downtown Tehran on Saturday morning.

And Trump issued a video statement on social media, urging Iranian people to get out of the way for now, but “when we are finished, take over your government; It will be yours to take.”

“God bless @POTUS for planning and now executing Operation Epic Fury, making America more safe and eventually more prosperous,” Graham added. “I seek God’s protection for all under President Trump’s command, as well as our allies in Israel.

LINDSEY GRAHAM CALLS FOR US TO USE ‘ANY MEANS NECESSARY’ TO STOP THE PEOPLE BEHIND THE KILLING OF IRANIANS

“My mind is racing with the thought that the murderous ayatollah’s regime in Iran will soon be no more.

While reports of explosions happened hours earlier, Graham posted his first support for the actions after 3 a.m. ET, calling the “operation is necessary and long justified.”

“The biggest change in the Middle East in a thousand years is upon us,” Graham added in his second post on X. “The likelihood of normalization between Saudi Arabia and Israel getting back on track is exceedingly high – a subject I brought up last week to the key players in the region who concurred if the ayatollah goes down, historic peace advances.”

As the attacks were under way and battle damage assessments were yet to come, Graham delivered his prayers to the troops undertaking the operation.

“As to the men and women participating in this operation for our country and Israel, may God bless you and keep you safe,” he wrote. “If you are injured or fall, I believe with all my heart that your sacrifice makes your country and the world a better and safer place. This moment is why you chose to serve.

“This operation has been well-planned. It will be violent, extensive and I believe, at the end of the day, successful. Again the demise of the ayatollah’s regime with American blood on its hands is necessary and more than justified.”

MORNING GLORY: WHAT WILL PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP DECIDE TO DO WITH IRAN?

And, one of Trump’s long-time Republican critics, Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., also posted on X, noting Trump has not sought congressional approval – although there was a briefing held with the Gang of Eight earlier this week.

“Acts of war unauthorized by Congress,” Massie wrote on X.

Senate Armed Forces Committee Chair Roger Wicker, R-Miss., praised the “decisive action” against “the world’s leading proliferator of terrorism.”

“This is a pivotal and necessary operation to protect Americans and American interests,” Wicker wrote in a statement. “The president has stated the operation’s goals clearly: thwart permanently the ayatollahs’ desire to create a nuclear weapon, degrade their ballistic missile force and their production capacity, and destroy their naval and terrorism capabilities.

“These are the hardest decisions that face any American commander-in-chief, and I appreciate that President Trump and his team conducted a comprehensive strategy using all tools of national power and a well-orchestrated military planning process.”

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The time to strike was now, according to Wicker.

“The Iranian regime has never been weaker,” he added. “Without the use of military force against them, Iran’s ayatollahs would simply continue to grow their ability to threaten Americans and our interests, working in concert with the Chinese Communist Party, the Russian dictator Putin, North Korea, and other terrorist allies. 

“The ayatollahs have mortgaged the economic future of ordinary Iranians to engage in their obsessive and apocalyptic vision.   

Most importantly, I commend the brave men and women of our armed forces, who continue to demonstrate a level of operational proficiency unrivaled the world over. That fact will be evident in the coming days. Thanks to them, Americans are safer – not just today, but for generations to come.”

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