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Rescue teams in Nepal pulled two workers alive from a hydropower tunnel nine days after catastrophic floods swept through the country, leaving more than 1,000 people dead and thousands more missing.

Nepalese lawmaker Shri Ram Neupane told The Associated Press that searchers first heard men's voices in the tunnel on Friday morning. Images distributed by the Nepal Army showed a rescuer carrying one of the workers on his back while soldiers on either side helped.

The breakthrough has raised hopes that the dozens of others believed to be trapped will be rescued. One of the rescued men said more people are alive inside the tunnel, according to Brig. Gen. Raja Ram Basnet, who said the search is ongoing.

SON REALIZES MISSING AMERICAN DAD WAS IN PATH OF NEPAL DISASTER AFTER WATCHING VIRAL VIDEO

"I can’t explain what we are feeling at the moment. We are just grateful to God," Amir Maharjan, the brother of one of those rescued, told the AP.

Both men were flown to a hospital in Kathmandu, and one of them was in critical condition, the AP reported, citing a statement from the prime minister's office.

Officials identified them as a mechanical foreman and a mechanical supervisor at the Trishuli 3A plant.

TERRIFYING VIDEO CAPTURES PEOPLE FLEEING INCOMING MUDSLIDE AT NEPAL-CHINA BORDER

The AP reported that about 115 people are believed to remain trapped in the Trishuli 3A tunnel alone, citing the Independent Power Producers Association of Nepal.

In total, authorities say there are about 900 workers missing from 12 hydropower plants in Nepal, with about 500 of them believed to be trapped in tunnels.

Nepal’s Communication Minister Bikram Timilsina wrote on his Facebook page that officials "are waiting for the rescue of more and more people."

"A heartfelt thank you to everyone who worked tirelessly day and night to rescue two people alive!" Timilsina added.

The AP reported that at least 1,287 people have been killed and more than 5,000 remain missing after the Aug. 26 floods, which scientists believe were likely triggered by a glacier collapse.

China said on Wednesday that on the Tibet side of the border, 21 people were killed and 541 are missing.

Nepal's disaster agency chief told Reuters on Friday that the flooding has likely caused at least 387.5 billion Nepalese rupees (about $2.5 billion) in damage to infrastructure and property.

The Associated Press and Reuters contributed to this report.

China is racing to build the data centers and energy infrastructure needed to power artificial intelligence, raising concerns that Beijing’s ability to rapidly construct massive projects could help it get closer to America’s commanding lead in the physical infrastructure underpinning the AI race.

The U.S. remains far ahead in sheer numbers. The Stanford Institute for Human-Centered Artificial Intelligence’s 2026 AI Index, using Cloudscene data, counted 5,427 U.S. data centers in 2025 compared with 449 in China. Stanford cautioned that the count does not account for differences in facility size, computing capacity or utilization.

But China is moving quickly.

AMERICA IS FIGHTING YESTERDAY’S AI WAR. TOMORROW’S WAR IS ON THE WAY

"We know that China is far behind, but we also know that they are moving at great speed," China expert Gordon Chang told Fox News Digital.

Chang argued that Beijing understands the U.S. advantage will be difficult to erase if America continues building at the same pace and said growing opposition to data-center development could slow that expansion.

President Donald Trump made a similar argument this week, warning communities fighting new projects that China stands to benefit.

"China could not be happier with this anti Data Center movement," Trump wrote on Truth Social. "Actually, they can’t believe it is happening!" Trump also argued that communities embracing data centers would gain jobs and tax revenues.

Vice President JD Vance sharpened that warning Thursday, telling Fox Business there was "a very good chance" the U.S. could lose the AI race to China if Democrats regain control of Congress.

Vance said the broader problem is America’s ability to build enough power to support data centers and other major infrastructure. "We cannot be a country that says we’re not going to build more power," Vance said, arguing that the administration is trying to make it easier to construct power plants alongside data centers while protecting residential ratepayers from higher electricity costs.

AI BOOM: DEMAND FOR DATA CENTERS DRIVES INNOVATION BY ENERGY, TECH INDUSTRIES TO PRODUCE NEW POWER SOURCES

He also pointed to the widening US-China electricity gap, saying China now generates roughly three times as much power as the United States. "We’ve got to build more power plants. We’ve got to make the regulatory state easier to work with."

Asked about China’s rapid infrastructure expansion, the Chinese Embassy in Washington rejected the premise that AI should primarily be viewed as a geopolitical contest.

"AI should not be owned by major countries, still less dominated by contests and rivalry," Embassy spokesperson Liu Chang told Fox News Digital.

Liu pointed to China’s 2025 Global AI Governance Action Plan, which calls for accelerating construction of clean power, next-generation networks, computing capacity and data centers. He said China advocates cooperation with the U.S. and wants AI development to benefit both countries and the broader international community.

Behind that diplomatic message, Beijing is undertaking a massive geographic reorganization of its computing infrastructure.

Under China’s "East Data, West Computing" initiative, Beijing is directing more computing capacity toward western regions where land is available and wind and solar resources can help reduce energy costs.

Five of China’s eight national computing hubs are located in western China, according to a June 25 report from the government-backed Digital China initiative. More than 30 data centers were under construction within a three-kilometer area in Horinger, Inner Mongolia, while intensive construction was also underway in Zhongwei, Ningxia.

That buildout caught the attention of members of the bipartisan US-China Economic and Security Review Commission during a recent fact-finding trip to China.

"I left with an intense belief that the Chinese see this as the frontier in terms of competition," Commission Vice Chairman Mike Kuiken told Fox News Digital, describing AI as increasingly intertwined with robotics, biotechnology, advanced materials and manufacturing.

Kuiken said China has one significant advantage when it comes to constructing the infrastructure needed to support that technology.

"The Chinese, because they write the rules as they go, and the rule of law largely does not exist, are able to just move faster in terms of building things," he said.

But Kuiken also identified a major Chinese weakness: access to the most advanced chips.

"The constraints that are real though, the Chinese do not have the ability to procure advanced chips," he said, while describing Beijing’s ability to rapidly construct coal plants and other infrastructure as "quite incredible."

THE WAR ON DATA CENTERS JEOPARDIZES OUR ECONOMY AND NATIONAL SECURITY

The U.S. retains major advantages beyond its data-center lead. The Stanford Institute for Human-Centered Artificial Intelligence’s 2026 AI Index found that America produced 59 notable AI models in 2025 compared with 35 from China, and U.S. private AI investment reached $285.9 billion, compared with $12.4 billion in China. Stanford cautioned that private investment figures understate Beijing’s overall spending because of Chinese government-backed funds.

At the same time, Chinese models have rapidly narrowed the performance gap. Stanford’s 2026 AI Index found that as of March 2026, the top U.S. model led the top Chinese model by just 2.7%.

Chang also alleged that Beijing is seeking to exploit American opposition to data centers and claimed China-linked networks have helped support protests against projects in the US. "These protests are not entirely organic," Chang told Fox News Digital.

Kuiken was cautious about portraying those local disputes as part of a broader anti-China fight, saying genuine U.S. opposition to data-center projects has also emerged over concerns including electricity costs, water use, noise and land development.

"We are building things in the U.S. faster than we have in a long time," he said, adding that policymakers are working through infrastructure constraints. "Usually there are local issues that are driving those things."

The emerging competition, therefore, is not simply over who develops the smartest AI model.

It is increasingly a race over who can build the electricity, data centers, chips and networks needed to run those models at enormous scale — and how quickly they can build them.

Regime leaders in Iran are more content to see continued confrontation with the United States and its Gulf neighbors rather than pursuing peace in an effort to keep their disenchanted population at bay, one expert says.

U.S. forces have launched airstrikes against Iran in recent days following a brief pause in hostilities amid renewed flare-ups in the Strait of Hormuz.

Tehran isn't as concerned about military action against the country, but rather discontent among Iranians, Dr. Majid Sadeghpour, a human rights activist and the political director of the Organization of Iranian-American Communities, told Fox News Digital.

TRUMP RETALIATES AFTER IRAN ATTACK AS EXPERT WARNS REGIME IS GROWING MORE DANGEROUS

Sadeghpour noted that U.S. officials offered guarantees to Tehran that provided a pathway to peace for Iran.

"You get America to give you a guarantee that it wouldn't seek regime change. Nevertheless, they still attacked ships afterward," Sadeghpour said. "They still attacked our bases in Jordan and Bahrain. So that speaks to the fact that the real threat to the regime is not the bombs from outside, but rather the population uprising."

INSIDE TEHRAN: IRANIANS DESCRIBE IRGC'S BRUTAL RULE, POVERTY — ASK TRUMP TO 'STAY THE COURSE'

"For a regime that's militarized and requires friction, its survival now depends on that friction," he added.

Iran has experienced major uprisings in recent years driven by economic collapse, high inflation, and deep discontent with the regime's strict religious interpretation of Islam. In addition, the Iranian government has suppressed anti-government riots and protests with deadly force and arbitrary arrests and detention, according to human rights observers.

The war with the U.S. helps the regime, Sadeghpour said, by refocusing the Iranian public's attention elsewhere.

Meanwhile, Iran has continued to target commercial ships in the strait in violation of an agreement not to do so, Vice President JD Vance said Thursday.

IRAN ACCELERATES EXECUTION CAMPAIGN AGAINST ANTI-REGIME ACTIVISTS AMID INTERNET CENSORSHIP

"The Iranians are doing what the Iranians do," Vance said. "I think that they're losing their capabilities by the day. I think they're realizing… that their control over the Strait of Hormuz is effectively gone, and it's a diminishing asset."

In order to effect regime change, the U.S. should focus its efforts on the Iranian population, said Sadeghpour, because Iranian leaders will likely drag out the conflict with the U.S. for as long as they can.

"The regime is thinking about the day, the hour after the exhausted population gets calm, and will immediately look around, 'how am I going to get rid of this regime? And who's going to help me do that?' And so that is what the regime is afraid of," he said.

TRUMP REVIVES IRAN REGIME CHANGE SPECULATION WITH CRYPTIC CALL FOR PEOPLE TO 'RISE UP'

Meanwhile, President Donald Trump on Wednesday said he isn't focused on bringing Tehran to the bargaining table, saying he "couldn't care less" if Iran signs a "worthless" agreement.

"They are just playing out the inevitable," Trump wrote on Truth Social. "When are the Iranian people going to rise up and fight?"

Tens of thousands of people took to the streets across Spain to protest the government's handling of a mass crossing of migrants into Spain in July.

Authorities say 50,000 protesters were on the streets in Madrid alone, furious at Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez as the migrant crisis in Spain's north African city of Ceuta continues.

Violence continued for hours after the major protests ended, with gunshots and explosions audible throughout the night on Wednesday.

SPAIN STOCKS AFRICAN ENCLAVE CEUTA WITH BOOSTED SECURITY AS MOROCCO MONITORS CALLS FOR SECOND BORDER RUSH

The protesters bore signs reading, "A united Ceuta will never be defeated," "Sánchez to prison," and "Invaders — go home!"

Spain is still dealing with the fallout after over 70,000 foreign migrants surged across its border from neighboring Morocco in late July.

AT LEAST 72 DEAD AMID MASS MIGRANT RUSH TO STORM SPANISH ENCLAVE OF CEUTA SPARKING BORDER CRISIS

Thousands of those migrants remain in Spanish territory even now.

"What happened to us was not a migratory crisis," Ceuta's regional leader, Juan Jesús Vivas, said Wednesday. "What happened was the violation of Spain's territorial integrity."

SOCIALIST SPANISH PM BLASTS MELONI OVER RESTORED BORDER CONTROLS AFTER CEUTA SURGE, DEMANDS EMERGENCY MEETING

The protests came days after Ceuta residents tore down and burned makeshift migrant shelters found in their city.

Demonstrators carrying Spanish flags moved toward beachside migrant camps last week, destroying shelters and setting fires as police attempted to keep protesters and migrants apart, according to Spain’s public broadcaster RTVE and news agency EFE.

SPAIN DEPLOYS MILITARY AFTER THOUSANDS OF MIGRANTS OVERWHELM BORDER ENCLAVE, AT LEAST 18 DEAD

Meanwhile, Sanchez has blamed Russia and Israel for amplifying the migrant crisis via social media, saying the July surge across the border was due to a misinterpretation of a Spanish Supreme Court ruling.

Sánchez told radio station SER that research by the European Union’s diplomatic service, the European External Action Service, indicated Russian and Israeli networks had participated in spreading disinformation alongside far-right networks, Reuters reported Aug. 31.

"Without facts, without materials backed up by numbers, dates, names, there is simply nothing to talk about," Russia's Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova told reporters.

Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar accused Sánchez of "lying shamelessly," and said in a post on X that the Spanish leader was attempting to divert attention from domestic policy failures.

Fox News' Efrat Lachter and the Associated Press contributed to this report.

The Trump administration is ramping up economic sanctions on Iran through "Operation Economic Outcast," while also threatening dire secondary sanctions against countries that continue Iran-related business.

The new policy puts countries like India and other close U.S. partners in an awkward situation.

New Delhi remains a critical U.S. partner in the Indo-Pacific, but it also has commercial, energy and strategic interests in Iran that it won't likely discard, potentially putting it at odds with the Trump administration.

TRUMP THREATENS 'UNPRECEDENTED' ECONOMIC CONSEQUENCES FOR ANY NATION AIDING IRAN

On Monday, exactly a week after the Trump administration launched its new sanctions campaign, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi met with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization summit in Kyrgyzstan. It was their first meeting since the war broke out six months ago.

According to an Iranian readout, Pezeshkian asked Modi "to use India’s extensive contacts" to help steer the involved parties away from war and back toward dialogue, while thanking Modi for standing by Tehran. Modi reiterated that New Delhi wants to strengthen its "long-standing friendship" with Tehran and "expand and diversify" the two countries’ trade basket.

"That was for Modi to signal to a domestic audience that he is not kowtowing to Trump," Council on Foreign Relations Senior Fellow Sadanand Dhume told Fox News Digital. "India-Iran relations have already been largely hollowed out by previous rounds of sanctions, so there is no question of India trying to balance between the U.S. and Iran," he added.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio was asked by Fox News' Brian Kilmeade on "The Brian Kilmeade Show" Tuesday about Modi's meeting with the Iranian president.

Rubio said he didn't think there was a trade deal between India and Iran — noting many countries around the world talk to Tehran — and stated, "What ultimately happens, though, is – and the President’s been very clear – is no country should be helping Iran evade sanctions. No country should be out there helping them create mechanisms by which they can generate revenue that they will then use to sponsor terrorism and try to build a nuclear weapon. And if countries decide to do that, then we’re going to have to sanction them too."

A U.S. official echoed Rubio's comments and told Fox News Digital that, "the Administration continues to have positive discussions with our economic partners to ensure Iran never possesses a nuclear weapon."

India has been among Iran’s top five trading partners in recent years, though bilateral trade has dropped dramatically since its 2018-19 peak.

IRAN LOSES KEY ECONOMIC LIFELINE IN MIDDLE EAST THAT TRUMP'S SANCTIONS COULDN'T REACH AS DEADLOCK PERSISTS

New Delhi’s exports to Iran are concentrated on goods that can carry humanitarian exemptions, including pharmaceuticals. Iran is also the second-largest overseas market for Indian rice, with India exporting more than $383 million worth in the first six months of the year.

Conversely, India resumed importing Iranian crude oil for the first time in seven years in April, after the Trump administration temporarily lifted sanctions to soften the Middle East conflict’s impact on global energy. Iranian oil shipments to India were valued at roughly $707 million in the first half of the year.

India has already come into the Treasury Department's crosshairs, with the U.S. sanctioning four India-based companies and three Indian nationals over alleged links to Iranian petroleum and petrochemical trade.

The Treasury Department says countries will receive a defined timeline to shut down Iran-related activity as identified by Washington. That puts banks, shippers, insurers and trade intermediaries on notice before any further penalties are imposed. The United Arab Emirates’ suspension of commercial and financial dealings with Iran has already squeezed Indian exporters, as Dubai has long served as a key hub for trade with Iran.

IRAN DEAL CLOCK HITS ZERO AS TRUMP DEMANDS ‘WHITE FLAG’ WITH NEW PRESSURE CAMPAIGN LOOMING

So far, Washington’s initial actions have stopped short of targeting India’s wider commercial relationship with Iran.

Iran, meanwhile, has warned of "grave consequences" for countries that cooperate with what it calls illegal U.S. behavior.

India's interests in Iran also run beyond commerce. The Chabahar port, Iran’s only deep-water oceanic port, provides maritime routes linking India to Russia and Europe. It also gives India an access route to Central Asia that bypasses Pakistan. But U.S. sanctions uncertainty has repeatedly complicated India’s operations there.

India, the world's third-biggest oil importer and consumer, has already faced the cost of the Middle East conflict, through energy disruptions, higher import costs and inflation. It has also shown it will resist U.S. pressure when core interests are at stake. 

For instance, it has defended ties with Russia, despite Moscow’s adversarial relationship with Washington. But experts argue Iran no longer carries the same weight.

"The Russian example is strikingly different. New Delhi shares close military and diplomatic ties with Moscow that are much more important to India than its ties with Iran, notwithstanding lip service to the latter," Dhume said. "Higher global oil prices hurt India, but India weaned itself off Iranian oil imports a while back."

For the U.S., squeezing major economies like India over their ties to Tehran could pose a diplomatic risk. U.S. national security officials stress the need for a workable strategic relationship with India, especially to counterbalance Chinese power.

Under President Trump’s second term, once-blooming U.S.-India relations have been under strain. Trump and Modi sought to reset the relationship just months ago, but the latest Iran sanctions could test it again.

But the U.S. retains enormous leverage over India, particularly when it comes to trade.

"If forced to choose, New Delhi will obviously and emphatically choose its valuable commercial relationship with the U.S. over its skimpy trade ties with the Islamic republic," Dhume said.

The timing is notable, with Chinese President Xi Jinping reportedly set to visit India for next week’s BRICS summit. Russian President Vladimir Putin and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian are also expected to attend.

Analysts say the impact will ultimately depend on how aggressively Washington moves from warnings and diplomacy to actual secondary sanctions. That is particularly true with India, where more aggressive enforcement risks further straining U.S. relations with a strategically important partner.

"The U.S. should learn from its own past success in quietly persuading India to generally kick its Iran oil habit," Dhume said. "Quiet diplomacy works better with India than bluster. This is the key lesson from the past that the Trump administration appears to be forgetting."

The Indian government did not respond to Fox News Digital requests for comment.

As the war in neighboring Ukraine moves closer to its border, the former Soviet republic of Moldova, which just marked 35 years of independence, faces growing pressure from Russia. 

In exclusive comments to Fox News Digital, national security advisor to Moldova’s President Maia Sandu, Stanislav Secrieru, said Russia’s recent strikes against Ukrainian-Moldovan border infrastructure pose a major threat to Ukraine’s economy and access to European markets.

Secrieru told Fox News Digital that, "In August, Russia began striking Ukraine’s border infrastructure along the Moldovan frontier. With Ukrainian grain exports through the Black Sea ports under sustained attack, Moldova has become a transit route for that grain towards Romania’s ports — and the Moldovan government cut rail transit tariffs by half to keep it moving." 

US WARNS RUSSIAN-LINKED ACTORS SEEKING TO 'FOMENT MANUFACTURED INSURRECTION' IN EUROPEAN COUNTRY

These routes, Secrieru said, are a lifeline for Ukraine’s exports and for its economy. "Russia’s strikes are meant to sever them. Russia has also stepped-up violations of Moldova’s airspace in August, to intimidate us into withdrawing our support. Moldova stays the course. We will continue to provide civilian support to Ukraine and to keep the corridors that sustain its economy open," Secrieru told Fox News Digital.

President Maia Sandu reported five Russian drones violated its airspace just hours before the country celebrated its independence, in what the president called an attempt at "intimidation."

"We have repeatedly warned about the unacceptable risks posed by Russia’s war against Ukraine. Yet another Russian attack on Ukraine has once again resulted in violations of Moldova’s airspace," the foreign ministry posted on X. 

Secrieru told Fox News Digital that Russia violated Moldovan airspace on 17 occasions in August, the highest number of violations in a month since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy recently visited his Moldovan counterpart in Chișinău, taking part in Independence Day celebrations and emphasizing the shared struggle of Ukrainians and Moldovans in the face of the threat posed by neighboring Russia.

"Russia is doing a lot to ruin our lives in Ukraine, to ruin your lives in Moldova, and to make it as difficult as possible for Romania. This is the ‘Russian world.’ It spoils. It destroys. But we will win. I am sure," Zelenskyy told a large Independence Day gathering.

ZELENSKYY PRESSURES US AND EUROPE FOR MORE 'AIR DEFENSE' ASSISTANCE AMID ONGOING WAR WITH RUSSIA

RUSSIA USES AMMO DEPOT IN TRANSNISTRIA TO SMUGGLE WEAPONS ACROSS UKRAINIAN BORDERS

Both Moldova and Ukraine applied for EU membership on the same day, shortly after Russia’s invasion in 2022. Russia’s invasion and its destabilization efforts in Moldova complicate both countries' path forward to EU membership, a central goal of Putin’s Russia as Moscow has tried to stymie the countries of the former Soviet republic from moving closer to the West and EU institutions.

Russia’s new threats against its neighbors come on the heels of CIA Director John Ratcliffe’s surprise visit to Moscow, fueling speculation Russia intends to escalate conflict with NATO members, particularly the Baltic nations of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania.

Along with its kinetic actions in Ukraine and incursions into Moldova’s airspace, Moscow uses influence operations in the former Soviet space to aid pro-Russian actors and push pro-Russian points of view.

"Russia has been interfering in Moldova for years, and these latest reports fit the broader pattern of Moscow using hybrid warfare to test how far it can push Europe without triggering a serious response," Ivana Stradner, research fellow with the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, told Fox News Digital.

Moldova remains a prime target for Russian influence operations over 30 years after declaring independence from the Soviet Union. Russia maintains around 1,500 troops in the breakaway territory of Transnistria, which split away from Moldova after the declaration of independence from the Soviet Union in 1991.

Stradner, who focuses on Russian disinformation campaigns, said Putin is counting on Western risk aversion and betting that if a country isn’t under the NATO umbrella, the West will decide it’s safer to look away.

"That’s exactly why Moldova matters. This could be a rehearsal for how Moscow tests the Baltics," Stradner warned.

The Baltic countries are taking notice of what’s happening in Moldova and there are growing fears that Russia may escalate the conflict beyond Ukraine.

Estonian Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna stated on X that while Estonia’s threat assessment has not changed, "Russia’s threat and possible provocations against NATO must be taken seriously." Other Baltic leaders including Latvia’s Prime Minister Andris Kulbergs reiterated that the threat of a Russian invasion remains low but warned of an increased risk of Russian actions.

Since independence, Moldova has set its sights on moving closer to the West, with recent elections and a referendum on becoming a member of the European Union gaining significant support.

The relationship between Iran and Russia is growing as both sides "need each other desperately," an expert told Fox News Digital on Wednesday after Russian President Vladimir Putin voiced support for the regime in Tehran.

Putin was photographed shaking hands Tuesday with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian during a meeting on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Summit in Kyrgyzstan, where he said, "Russia is standing in full solidarity with the people of Iran," according to a readout by the Kremlin.

"We admire your courage and resilience in your fight for your national interests," Putin added. "Please convey my regards and words of sincere support to Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic Mojtaba Hosseini Khamenei."

Retired U.S. Air Force Gen. Philip Breedlove, a former NATO commander, told Fox News Digital that "this relationship between Iran and Russia is growing" and "they both need each other desperately."

"In the grand scheme of things, they are both 'broke.' I'm using others language here, but the bottom line is they are hurting economically," he said. "They need each other's help. Russia desperately needs Iran to produce missiles for them because of Ukraine's attack on Russia's ability to build missiles. And Iran desperately needs Russian targeting and intelligence to continue to attack Americans in the Middle East."

RUSSIA'S LAVROV SAYS IRAN HAS 'INALIENABLE' RIGHT TO ENRICH URANIUM, OPENLY DEFYING TRUMP'S DEMANDS

"Russia is transferring capability, transferring, in larger terms, technologies that enable Iran, and frankly, they're sort of helping to prop up the religious leaders of Iran," Breedlove added.

Jason Brodsky, the policy director of United Against Nuclear Iran (UANI), told Fox News Digital that "Iran and Russia have had a long-time partnership that is strategically important for both countries."

"Russia views Iran as a cudgel to use against America, and Iran has in recent years especially viewed Russia as a lifeline with respect to advancing its military, providing economic support, providing political support, most importantly at the U.N. Security Council as Russia is a permanent member. So that's how the partnership serves both countries' interests," he said.

Breedlove also said the U.S. war with Iran has now "turned into almost more a test of will than it is a military test." Both the U.S. military and Iran have been trading aerial strikes in recent days.

"The U.S. has established basically air and sea dominance, but because of the U.S.' decision early in the war that they were not going to put boots on the ground, Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps knows that they're going to survive. And Iran's IRGC, in their mind, understand clearly that they don't have to win this war," Breedlove told Fox News Digital.

"All they have to do is survive and continue to threaten" the Strait of Hormuz, which will drive up maritime insurance rates and cause "all kinds of problems with carriers," he continued.

"So we have a test of wills, a nation that can militarily end the war, should it make some more drastic decisions about how to get after the IRGC and a nation that understands it doesn't have to win, it just has to survive, because its harassment of the strait will cause prices to go so high on transit that it's going to be a problem for the world economy," Breedlove said.

CHINA, RUSSIA, IRAN AND NORTH KOREA FORM 'AXIS OF AGGRESSORS' THAT COULD OVERWHELM US, BOOK WARNS

Brodsky told Fox News Digital that he believes there is "no diplomatic happy ending" for the U.S.-Iran war "as long as the Iranian regime is in power."

"It is fundamentally anti-American to its core and that imperils any kind of diplomatic arrangement or negotiating process that the United States and Iran undertake," he said. "I think we've seen in President Trump's comments that he has grown exasperated with diplomacy with the Islamic Republic, and rightfully so."

During their meeting Tuesday, Pezeshkian told Putin, "We are grateful to you for the stance you have adopted during the war, the conflicts, the U.S. sanctions and all the rest," according to the Kremlin.

"Our relations are of a strategic nature. This is more than just ‘normal’ relations," Pezeshkian reportedly added. "We believe – no, we are certain that thanks to this we can stand up against U.S. bias and the rightless sanctions they are imposing on us."

VIDEO: US LAUNCHES STRIKES ON IRAN AS TRUMP WARNS REGIME IS 'PLAYING OUT THE INEVITABLE'

Breedlove said to Fox News Digital following the Putin-Pezeshkian meeting that "the world has a problem with Russia, and for almost 25 or 30 years we tried to make a friend or at least a cooperative entity out of Russia."

"We wanted to embrace them and bring them into the Western fold and so forth. And now we are clearly understanding based on what they're doing for Iran and what they are doing in their illegal and immoral war in Ukraine, we now understand that Russia does not want to be a part of the Western world," he said.

"Mr. Putin has this vision of three spheres of influence. Mr. Xi [of China] takes care of Eastern Asia. Russia takes care of Western Asia and Europe, and the United States should remain in the Western Hemisphere. And that's what he's pushing us to," Breedlove continued. "And the bottom line is, in respect to Iran and in respect to Ukraine, Mr. Putin is going to do nothing until someone shows him steel. He understands power. Rhetoric doesn't do anything with Mr. Putin."

"Sanctions have never changed Mr. Putin's battlefield actions," he said, "so the West is going to have to figure out exactly what they're going to do to Mr. Putin."

A Thai resort city began cracking down on prostitution ahead of the arrival of 5,000 U.S. sailors and Marines exhausted from months at sea in the Middle East.

The USS Abraham Lincoln docked near Pattaya, one of Thailand's primary nightlife areas, on Wednesday along with two other naval vessels, The Independent reported.

"We are doing our best, but it is difficult," Pattaya police chief Anek Srathongyoo said Monday of his department's efforts to curb prostitution in the city.

TRUMP PRAISES OUSTED NAVY SECRETARY PHELAN AMID TENSIONS WITH PENTAGON LEADERSHIP

The police effort involves increased patrols in beachfront and nightlife areas, as well as raids over the weekend in which more than 50 people were arrested on suspicion of prostitution.

Although prostitution is illegal in Thailand, major tourist hubs like Bangkok and Pattaya are well known for sex tourism.

The San Diego–based USS Abraham Lincoln left port in November and was redirected to the Middle East amid the U.S. war with Iran.

However, the prolonged deployment raised concerns amid reports of health issues, deteriorating conditions aboard the warship, and low morale.

US STOPS 9 OIL TANKERS ATTEMPTING TO BREAK TRUMP'S BLOCKADE ON IRANIAN PORTS

Pattaya Mayor Poramase Ngampiches expressed hope that the influx of American service members would boost the region's economy.

Each service member could spend around $30 to $90 per day, depending on where they stay and for how long, the mayor said.

"When we heard the news that a U.S. Navy warship would be docking in Pattaya, it became a source of hope for us," said Lisa Hamilton, president of the Pattaya Nightlife Business Association.

Pattaya originally grew from a small fishing village into a major tourism hub largely due to U.S. military members seeking rest and relaxation during the Vietnam War.

Rescue workers in Nepal were forced to use cable cars and ziplines to ferry stranded citizens across rivers after August's deadly flood and mudslide wiped out local bridges.

Video shows teams of workers yanking ropes to ferry locals who were stranded on an embankment flanked by a flooded river. In one clip, a pair of people sit in a small box attached to a wire as they're yanked onto a platform across a river in Nuwakot, Nepal.

The rescues come as both Nepal and neighboring China continue to deal with the aftermath of the Aug. 26 mudslide and ensuing floods in Tibet's Gyirong Valley and the Nepal's Trishuli River Valley.

EXPERTS ZERO IN ON LIKELY CAUSE OF DEADLY NEPAL MUDSLIDE, WITH MORE THAN 1,400 MISSING

As of Wednesday, at least 1,114 people have been confirmed dead and nearly 4,000 remain missing in Nepal. Chinese authorities report an additional 16 confirmed dead and at least 541 missing on their side of the border.

Rescuers are still working to search and rescue any potential survivors trapped in a hydropower tunnel in the Rasuwa district.

ROUGHLY 80 AMERICANS STILL UNACCOUNTED FOR AFTER HIMALAYAN DISASTER KILLS 903, OFFICIALS SAY

"In Rasuwagadhi, we think 46 people are trapped in a room-like structure in the tunnel," Amshu Kiran Shahi, a board member of the Nepal Electricity Authority that operates the hydropower plant, told Reuters.

A senior official in President Donald Trump's administration also told Fox News that an additional two Americans made it to safety in Nepal, marking 16 total Americans in the country who made their way to safety.

SON REALIZES MISSING AMERICAN DAD WAS IN PATH OF NEPAL DISASTER AFTER WATCHING VIRAL VIDEO

Seventy-five Americans in Nepal currently remain unaccounted for while no American casualties have been reported so far.

Fox News Digital contacted the U.S. State Department and Nepal's Foreign Ministry for further comment.

Fox News' Gillian Turner and Reuters contributed to this report.

President Donald Trump revived speculation over regime change in Iran Tuesday night, openly asking when Iranians would "rise up and fight" as his administration intensified military and economic pressure on a government US officials say is increasingly vulnerable.

"I'm not trying to force Iran to the bargaining table," Trump wrote on Truth Social Tuesday. "I like our position now much better, with almost total control of the Hormuz Strait, and their economy totally collapsing."

"They are just playing out the inevitable," Trump added. "When are the Iranian people going to rise up and fight?"

IRAN REGIME CHANGE TALK RESURFACES AS TRUMP SAYS TEHRAN 'WANTS TO MEET' AMID US STRIKES

Trump did not explicitly call for the overthrow of Iran's government, and the White House has not publicly announced a policy of U.S.-led regime change. But his appeal to the Iranian population comes as the administration increasingly portrays Tehran as approaching an internal breaking point. Fox News Digital reached out to the White House for clarification Wednesday. 

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent described Iran as being in a "death spiral" during remarks Monday, arguing that economic pressure was rapidly narrowing the government's options.

"They are panicked. They are resorting to kinetic because they are getting squeezed economically," Bessent said told Ed Lawrence on Fox Business.

COULD IRAN’S REGIME COLLAPSE? EXPERTS ASSESS BESSENT’S BID TO SEVER FINANCIAL LIFELINES

Bessent said Iran could eventually face one of three outcomes: "Either the IRGC are going to turn on each other, the people are going to turn on them, or they are going to come to the table and want to do a deal that they can stick with."

"They are in the death throes," he added, comparing Iran's deterioration to bankruptcy occurring "slowly, then quickly."

Miad Maleki, a senior fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies and former Treasury sanctions official, told Fox News Digital that Washington does not need to choose between invading Iran to overthrow the government and striking another agreement with Tehran.

"It's very clear U.S. government is not in the business of regime change anymore," Maleki said. "And I think it's very clear that we're not going to have boots on the ground to invade Iran. And I don't think we need that."

INSIDE TEHRAN: IRANIANS DESCRIBE IRGC'S BRUTAL RULE, POVERTY — ASK TRUMP TO 'STAY THE COURSE'

Instead, Maleki argued Washington should "contain this regime, cut off its economic lifelines, empower the Iranian people" and prepare for another wave of demonstrations inside Iran.

"We need to be prepared to support the Iranian people in a way that they can be empowered and take the government back," he said, stressing the importance of ensuring protesters maintain access to the internet so they can communicate, mobilize and make their voices heard.

Maleki described Iran's leadership as the weakest it has been since the 1979 Islamic Revolution and argued that further Iranian military escalation could deepen its vulnerability rather than restore lost leverage.

The debate comes as reports of localized economic protests continue to emerge from inside Iran.

TRUMP SAYS IRAN IS ‘DEAD’ — EXPERTS POINT TO THE REAL SIGN TEHRAN IS NEARING THE BRINK

The National Council of Resistance of Iran, an exiled Iranian opposition coalition, said Tuesday that workers, retirees, drivers and job-seeking young people demonstrated in several cities on Aug. 31. The group alleged security forces opened fire on job seekers in Gachsaran and Ahvaz and reported separate demonstrations over unpaid wages, inflation, fuel shortages and working conditions. Those specific claims have not been independently verified by Fox News Digital.

Iran analyst Benny Sabti also told Fox News Digital that deteriorating living conditions could become a catalyst for broader unrest. "People are hungry," Sabti said, predicting Iranians would "take the streets again."

"Hunger is humiliating," he said, arguing that economic desperation could eventually outweigh fear of the government's security apparatus.

The political stakes are rising alongside a dramatic military escalation. US forces carried out another wave of strikes Tuesday against Iranian air-defense systems, radar installations, maritime assets and mine-laying capabilities, according to US Central Command, while Iran retaliated with missile and drone attacks against US assets across the region.

For Trump, however, Tuesday night's post suggested the question may no longer be only whether economic pressure brings Tehran back to negotiations — but what happens inside Iran if it does not.

A beachside party in Bali, Indonesia, erupted into chaos after a balloon reportedly exploded inside a popular restaurant, sparking a raging inferno.

Videos captured flames ripping through the Chez Gado-Gado restaurant in the Seminyak resort area during the incident Sunday, which left an Australian teenager hospitalized with burns, according to 7News.

"There was a 70th birthday, and they had two balloons on their table and a waitress went to light the candle on the birthday cake, but she lit it a bit too close to the balloon," Tara Borelli, a witness from Sydney, told News.com.au. "It popped, then exploded. We felt the heat from the pop."

"I just grabbed my daughter and little cousin and ran straight onto the beach towards the water," Borelli added, describing how the straw roof of the restaurant immediately caught fire and "within minutes" the entire restaurant was ablaze.

ONE TOURIST DEAD AFTER MASSIVE FIRE NEARLY DESTROYS CARIBBEAN RESORT; 1,690 EVACUATED

"It lit up like a firecracker... people were screaming and crying and running around," Paul Cole, another witness, told 9News.

The Badung Fire and Rescue Service said it took more than two hours to put out the flames and there were no casualties, according to The Bali Sun.

First Inspector I Gede Adi Saputra Jaya of the Denpasar Police, citing statements from witnesses at the scene, told reporters Monday that the fire is "strongly suspected" to have started after a balloon "was hit by a candle flame, causing it to explode and catch fire," the website added.

HUNDREDS OF POUNDS OF FIREWORKS EXPLODE, DESTROYING HOMES AND INJURING FIREFIGHTERS

"Initial extinguishing efforts using fire extinguishers by restaurant staff were unsuccessful because the fire had already grown large and spread quickly to the thatched roof," he reportedly said.

One witness told 9News, "There are the balloons, a lot of explosions, explosion and explosion and explosion, it was just, yeah, it was terrible."

"It was just bedlam," added Joe Xuereb, another witness. "As soon as the fire started, people didn’t know what to do."

The restaurant now says on its website that it is "temporarily closed."

An explosion at a train station in Germany injured two people, both Ukrainian citizens, on Wednesday.

Police say they found a suspicious package following the explosion and ordered the Augsburg train station closed. The package was ultimately found to be harmless and trains began running again at 10 a.m. local time. The victims in the explosion were a 17-year-old girl and an 18-year-old man, neither of whom have been identified.

"We can give the all-clear — the object we found in front of the main train station was harmless, and we have reopened the station," police spokesperson Timo Küfner told The Associated Press. "The trains are running again, too."

The explosion occurred just after 3 a.m. local time and caused only minor injuries to the pair.

NATO MEMBER SCRAMBLES FIGHTER JETS AS RUSSIAN ATTACK ON UKRAINE KILLS 8

"It’s still too early to say anything about a possible motive for the overnight explosion, but we are investigating," said Küfner.

The incident comes just a day after Germany accused Russia of carrying out a failed drone sabotage operation at the Leipzig/Halle Airport.

German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul said Russia's consulate in Bonn will be closed and the contract for the Russian House cultural center in Berlin will be terminated after German authorities concluded Moscow was behind the Aug. 4 incident.

RUSSIA LINKED TO ARSON ATTACKS ON PROPERTIES CONNECTED TO UK PM KEIR STARMER, POLICE SAY

Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt said forensic evidence and intelligence findings tied Russia to the attack, in which authorities found a drone carrying an explosive device beside a Ukrainian Antonov cargo aircraft at Leipzig/Halle Airport.

Officials said the device failed to explode because of a faulty detonator.

DRONE STRIKES APARTMENT BUILDING IN NATO MEMBER ROMANIA AS RUSSIA ATTACKS NEIGHBORING UKRAINE

Germany also said it believes a second drone collided with a nearby cargo aircraft, while officials have linked the incident to what Dobrindt described as Russia's "well-established pattern of Russian hybrid operations in Europe."

The Russian Embassy in Berlin called the accusation "absurd," while Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said Moscow would respond in a "mirror-image" fashion to Germany's actions. The embassy later described Berlin's measures as an "unprecedented escalation in Russian-German relations."

In addition to closing Russian diplomatic facilities, Wadephul announced tighter entry restrictions for Russian nationals and additional measures targeting Russia's shadow fleet. He also said he had summoned Russia's ambassador to Germany, Sergei Nechayev.

Fox News' Brittany Miller and The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Germany has accused Russia of carrying out a failed drone sabotage operation at Leipzig/Halle Airport and announced Tuesday it would close Russian diplomatic facilities, escalating tensions after investigators linked Moscow to last month's attack.

German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul said Russia's consulate in Bonn will be closed and the contract for the Russian House cultural center in Berlin will be terminated after German authorities concluded Moscow was behind the Aug. 4 incident.

Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt said forensic evidence and intelligence findings tied Russia to the attack, in which authorities found a drone carrying an explosive device beside a Ukrainian Antonov cargo aircraft at Leipzig/Halle Airport.

Officials said the explosive failed to detonate because of a faulty detonator.

Germany also said it believes a second drone collided with a nearby cargo aircraft, while officials have linked the incident to what Dobrindt described as Russia's "well-established pattern of Russian hybrid operations in Europe."

US INTEL WARNS RUSSIA COULD LAUNCH LIMITED ATTACK ON NATO ALLY IN EFFORT TO FRAGMENT ORGANIZATION: REPORT

Russia has denied the allegations.

The Russian Embassy in Berlin called the accusation "absurd," while Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said Moscow would respond in a "mirror-image" fashion to Germany's actions. The embassy later described Berlin's measures as an "unprecedented escalation in Russian-German relations."

In addition to closing Russian diplomatic facilities, Wadephul announced tighter entry restrictions for Russian nationals and additional measures targeting Russia's shadow fleet. He also said he had summoned Russia's ambassador to Germany, Sergei Nechayev.

The announcement marks Germany's first public attribution of responsibility for the airport attack. Until now, Berlin had said only that "foreign powers" may have been involved, though U.S. media previously reported American officials believed Russia was responsible.

US ALLY ON PUTIN’S DOORSTEP BRACES FOR WAR AS RUSSIA TENSIONS TAKE OMINOUS TURN

Leipzig/Halle Airport is one of Europe's largest cargo hubs and serves as a logistics center for Germany's military and NATO allies. It is also home to Ukrainian Antonov transport aircraft, making it a strategically important hub supporting Ukraine's cargo operations.

NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte backed Germany's findings, writing on X that the alliance "stands in full solidarity with Germany."

"The evidence is clear. And I welcome the measures announced by Germany in response," Rutte wrote.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said the European Union was preparing additional sanctions against Russia, while Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk accused Moscow of escalating tensions across the region.

EUROPE BANKROLLS PUTIN'S WAR MACHINE EVEN AS NATO RACES TO BOLSTER DEFENSES

The developments come as Germany has warned it faces an increasing campaign of hybrid threats targeting military, transportation and critical infrastructure. Chancellor Friedrich Merz said last week those responsible for hostile acts against Germany would "pay a price."

German police separately said Tuesday they were investigating improvised explosive and incendiary devices discovered at a power substation in the eastern state of Brandenburg after a damaged power line caused a temporary outage. Authorities have not identified who planted the devices.

United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres met Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian Tuesday as Iranians detained from January's nationwide protests continue to face prison sentences, alleged torture and a growing number of death sentences and executions.

The U.N. readout of the meeting, held on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization summit in Bishkek, said Guterres raised the humanitarian and economic consequences of the conflict involving Iran and stressed the need for diplomacy and respect for international law. 

The readout made no mention of Iran's treatment of protesters, executions or allegations of torture.

Asked by Fox News Digital at Tuesday's U.N. briefing whether Guterres raised those issues directly with Pezeshkian, and if so, why they were not included in the readout, the secretary-general's spokesperson, Stéphane Dujarric, said he had "nothing to add to the readout."

'KILLING OFF THE COUNTRY': IRAN EXECUTES DOZENS, ARRESTS 4,000-PLUS IN WAR CRACKDOWN

But Dujarric said Guterres had raised the issues with senior Iranian officials in other meetings.

"I can tell you that in other meetings with senior Iranian leaders, in New York and other places, the secretary-general has raised those issues directly," Dujarric said. 

"We have, from this podium, on behalf of the secretary-general, condemned in no uncertain terms the use of the death penalty in Iran, as we stand against the death penalty in every country."

The exchange comes as human rights organizations report that Tehran's crackdown has continued months after the January demonstrations.

Iran International reported Aug. 7, citing rights groups, that more than 60,000 people were detained across Iran after the protests, while some independent sources put the number of people summoned, detained or interrogated above 100,000.

IRAN HANGS 2 PROTESTERS IN PUBLIC; CROWD CRIES 'DISHONORABLE' AS SECURITY FIRES TEAR GAS

In Ardabil province alone, roughly 800 people were arrested during the protests, according to the report, which cited the Human Rights Activists News Agency, or HRANA. As of early August, at least 54 remained in Ardabil Prison, including 29 who had not yet received a hearing.

New figures released Tuesday show the punishments have continued. In its monthly report published Sept. 1, HRANA said it documented 78 executions across Iran in August, including two people executed in connection with the January protests. Iranian courts issued 21 death sentences during the month, including against 10 defendants in an Isfahan case stemming from the protests.

The group also documented six cases of forced confessions, four cases of prisoners being beaten, four transfers to solitary confinement and nine cases in which detainees were denied access to legal counsel.

HRANA reported Aug. 31 that 13 people arrested during January protests were sentenced to a combined 24 years, three months and one day in prison. Four of the defendants also received a combined 196 lashes, while one was sentenced to two years of exile.

The crackdown has also increasingly involved capital punishment. Iran International reported Aug. 26, citing HRANA, that two additional January protest detainees had been sentenced to death.

The same report cited the U.S.-based Abdorrahman Boroumand Center as saying it had documented 950 executions in Iran since the beginning of 2026, including at least 30 protesters.

INSIDE TEHRAN: IRANIANS DESCRIBE IRGC'S BRUTAL RULE, POVERTY — ASK TRUMP TO 'STAY THE COURSE'

Among those imprisoned is Seyed Ahmad Seyedabdollahi, a 32-year-old psychologist whose case Fox News Digital reported in August.

Seyedabdollahi posted an English-language video Jan. 4 appealing directly to President Donald Trump to support Iranian protesters. He was arrested 10 days later and ultimately sentenced to seven months in prison and barred from government and public services for five years.

His relatives told Fox News Digital that Iranian authorities later pressured him to record another video insulting Trump and Americans. Fox News Digital could not independently verify those specific demands, but IranWire reported Aug. 11 that security agents instructed him to read a prepared anti-Trump script on camera and that he repeatedly refused despite alleged threats and coercion.

His relatives also alleged that Seyedabdollahi was subjected to solitary confinement and torture. 

Hana Human Rights Organization reported Aug. 9 that he had been held in Borujen Prison since July 7 and that authorities opened a second case against him on a charge of "propaganda against the system of the Islamic Republic."

WALTZ CALLS OUT IRANIAN DIPLOMAT AT UN FOLLOWING DRONE STRIKES ON BAHRAIN AND KUWAIT

The fate of Iran's detainees also surfaced Tuesday at the U.N. Security Council as France assumed the rotating presidency for September. The Security Council's official presidency list shows France holding the September presidency, with Ambassador Jérôme Bonnafont serving as council president.

Asked by Fox News Digital whether France planned to address Iranians detained after the protests and reports of torture and executions during its presidency, Bonnafont said the council's central focus on Iran this month would be Tehran's nuclear program but stressed that those discussions would not take place "in a vacuum."

"You referred to this matter with the situation of the civilian population in Iran," Bonnafont told Fox News Digital, according to a translation of his remarks. "They are the victims of the choices made by the Iranian authorities for years now, with these episodes of mass repression to which you referred."

Morad Tahbaz, an Iranian American environmentalist who spent years imprisoned in Iran before his release in a 2023 prisoner exchange with the United States, previously described to Fox News Digital the conditions detainees can face inside the Iranian prison system.

Tahbaz said he spent four months alone in a small cell under a bright light that remained on 24 hours a day. He was allowed out twice a day for about 10 minutes and was blindfolded whenever he left the cell.

He described the IRGC intelligence facility at Tehran's Evin Prison as "probably the harshest and toughest imprisonment that any prisoner will go through."

Tahbaz said one of the most difficult aspects of being held by Iran was knowing that even the end of a prison sentence did not necessarily mean freedom.

"When you are a hostage … [you don't know that], at the end of your sentence, they'll necessarily let you go," Tahbaz told Fox News Digital. "They'll just come up with another charge to keep you there for as long as you're of value to them."

Multiple U.S. embassies in the Middle East warned Americans Tuesday of the "potential for unforeseen escalation" as U.S. Central Command launched fresh strikes on Iran.

Similar messages posted on the websites of the U.S. embassies in Jerusalem, Jordan and Qatar said, "Americans currently in the Middle East should exercise caution and heightened vigilance and should be prepared for flight cancellations, periodic airspace closures, and potential travel disruptions."

The warnings came as CENTCOM said its forces "began striking Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) targets in Iran" around 12 p.m. ET.

"The strikes follow recent attempted attacks by the IRGC against commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz and against American service members deployed to the region," CENTCOM added.

US STRIKES IRGC, IRANIAN PORT TARGETS AFTER TRUMP VOWS TO 'HIT BACK HARD'

"The strikes are large and powerful, and in retaliation for the Iranians’ failed attempt at adding sea mines to the Strait, which currently has no mines (They have been completely removed or detonated!), and the Iranians shooting eight missiles, all successfully knocked down, at our Military Base in Jordan," Trump wrote on Truth Social on Tuesday.

"If the failed Nation of Iran retaliates for this very justified attack, they will be hit again at a much harder and higher level, but it will not be the biggest attack of them all, that is waiting in the wings and, when it is over, there will be very little left of the Islamic Republic of Iran!" he added.

U.S. strikes over the weekend targeted two Iranian rocket launchers on an island in the Strait of Hormuz, the first such strikes in a month.

Iranian forces were preparing to launch rockets carrying sea mines into the strait when U.S. forces targeted Larak Island, U.S. Central Command said.

In response, Iran launched eight ballistic missiles targeting U.S. bases in Jordan.

NEW REPORT EXPOSES INTACT IRANIAN BUNKER THAT MAY HIDE REGIME'S ONGOING NUCLEAR WORK

The embassies also said Tuesday, "Due to tensions in the Middle East, the security environment remains complex with the potential for unforeseen escalation.

"U.S. diplomatic facilities, including outside the Middle East, have been targeted. Iran and groups supportive of Iran may target other U.S. interests overseas or at locations associated with the United States and Americans throughout the world, including U.S. businesses and other institutions," it continued.

"The situation in the Middle East remains fluid," the message also said. "The Iranian regime is unpredictable, as seen by its recent decisions to attack areas in the region without warning or provocations as well as to expand attacks to areas not previously targeted (such as Egypt). Americans should remain vigilant, as merely because U.S. interests or businesses have not been attacked in a country in the past does not ensure their safety."

Fox News Digital’s Louis Casiano contributed to this report.

Residents in Spain’s North African enclave of Ceuta tore down and burned makeshift migrant shelters amid escalating tensions over a massive influx from neighboring Morocco, as Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez accused Russian and Israeli-linked networks of helping spread disinformation that fueled the crisis.

Demonstrators carrying Spanish flags moved toward beachside migrant camps last week, destroying shelters and setting fires as police attempted to keep protesters and migrants apart, according to Spain’s public broadcaster RTVE and news agency EFE. Protesters chanted "Invasores, expulsión" — "Invaders, expulsion" — as they advanced toward the beaches where migrants have been staying, EFE reported Aug. 27.

Hundreds of residents returned to the streets the following day, marching toward the Trampolín and Benítez beach areas where migrants were camped and repeating the same chant, according to EFE.

The unrest follows an unprecedented surge on July 30 and 31, when more than 72,000 migrants irregularly crossed from Morocco into Ceuta, one of the European Union’s two land borders with Africa. At least 100 people died attempting the crossing, according to Ceuta authorities cited by Reuters on Aug. 31. Roughly 5,000 migrants remained in the enclave as of Monday.

STATE DEPARTMENT RAISES TRAVEL WARNING FOR PART OF SPAIN AS MIGRANT SURGE SPARKS MILITARY DEPLOYMENT

Sánchez on Monday directly linked the mass crossing to what he described as a foreign-backed disinformation campaign.

Spanish authorities have said misleading videos and posts circulating on Instagram, TikTok and other social-media platforms falsely suggested that migrants who reached Ceuta by sea would be permitted to remain in Spain.

CEUTA MIGRANT SURGE EXPOSES SPAIN-MOROCCO TENSIONS AS ISLAMIST GROUPS REPORTEDLY SEEK TO EXPLOIT BORDER CRISIS

Sánchez told radio station SER that research by the European Union’s diplomatic service, the European External Action Service, indicated Russian and Israeli networks had participated in spreading the disinformation alongside far-right networks, Reuters reported Aug. 31.

He argued that Russia and Israel had seized on the crisis to attack Madrid because of disagreements with his government over the wars in Ukraine and Gaza.

However, Sánchez provided no further details about the evidence supporting the accusation, according to the reports.

Both governments rejected his claims.

Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar accused Sánchez of "lying shamelessly" and said in a post on X that the Spanish leader was attempting to divert attention from domestic policy failures.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov separately rejected Spain’s accusation that Russia was connected to the Ceuta migration crisis.

Sánchez also rejected allegations that Morocco’s government deliberately facilitated the border surge, telling SER, "When people talk and speculate about the participation of Moroccan authorities, I deny this outright," according to Reuters. Spanish opposition parties and some human-rights organizations have accused Rabat of allowing the crossings, an allegation Morocco denies.

SPANISH JOURNALIST SAYS CEUTA RESIDENTS BELIEVE GOVERNMENT ISN'T DOING ENOUGH TO PREVENT ANOTHER MIGRANT RUSH

The disinformation surrounding the Ceuta crossing had been building well before Sánchez publicly accused Russian and Israeli-linked networks. Fox News Digital reported Aug. 4 that an open-source investigation by Golden Owl Intelligence traced weeks of activity across TikTok, Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp that circulated misleading interpretations of Spanish immigration law, along with information about routes, meeting points and recommended crossing times.

The campaign intensified after Spain’s Supreme Court issued a July 8 ruling restricting the immediate return of migrants intercepted at sea near Ceuta and Melilla. Simplified accounts of the ruling, combined with confusion over Spain’s separate plan to regularize hundreds of thousands of undocumented migrants, were circulated online as evidence that migrants reaching Spanish territory would be allowed to stay.

SPAIN'S MIGRANT SURGE REIGNITES DEBATE OVER EUROPE’S ISLAMIST TERROR THREAT

Zineb Riboua, a research fellow at the Hudson Institute, said at the time that Islamist movements were also seeking to exploit the crisis politically. Riboua argued that Islamist voices in Morocco and Spain were amplifying the unrest and portraying Europe as an attractive destination while using Morocco’s ties with Israel and the U.S. to attack the Moroccan government. In a July 31 analysis, Riboua wrote that Islamist activists had spent years encouraging young Moroccans to believe their country offered them little future and depicting Europe as a place where prosperity and opportunity were easily available.

The crisis has also spread beyond Spain. Italy on Monday extended for another 15 days its suspension of Schengen free-movement arrangements with Spain, a step first imposed July 31 in response to the mass influx into Ceuta.

Nile Gardiner, director of the Margaret Thatcher Center for Freedom at the Heritage Foundation, warned Fox News Digital at the outset of the crisis that Ceuta could become "a key turning point in the unraveling of the European Union." "Once you unravel Schengen — which I think is inevitable — this breaks down the entire European project," Gardiner said.

Reuters contributed to this story.

The Israel Defense Forces captured Hamas' head of general security during a raid in Gaza, Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said.

An Israeli security official identified the Hamas leader as Mu'in al-Arabid, head of the General Security Apparatus, saying he was arrested during an Israeli incursion deep inside Hamas territory in Gaza. The IDF carried out airstrikes to cover the raid's withdrawal, adding that there were no Israeli casualties.

"A short time ago, a senior Hamas terrorist was arrested, and this is our policy: We do not wait for threats. Instead, we pursue Hamas terrorists, thwart them, and destroy their terrorist infrastructure. We have built a strong and unprecedented security zone in Gaza to protect residents and IDF soldiers," Katz said in a statement.

HAMAS STRUGGLES TO FILL LEADERSHIP RANKS AS ISRAEL HUNTS OCT 7 TERRORISTS

"Nearly 70% of the Gaza Strip has been destroyed, with no residents, no tunnels, and no homes, and the IDF controls the territory. We are not leaving Gaza until the Strip is demilitarized, Hamas is disarmed, and all terrorist tunnels are destroyed. Even after that, the IDF will remain in Gaza along defensive lines and ensure the security of the western Negev communities. Any attempt to bypass the security zone through aerial launches will be met with a harsh response," he added.

The raid comes weeks after President Donald Trump's administration demanded that Hamas disarm and give up control of Gaza in August. Jared Kushner, Trump's son-in-law, traveled to Israel last month and said the IDF may receive U.S. backing to "finish the job."

NETANYAHU REJECTS BOARD OF PEACE'S GAZA PLAN: NO 'WITHDRAWAL UNTIL HAMAS IS GENUINELY DISARMED'

"If they don't follow through now on their commitment, everyone will see that they're not genuine about peace, and then Israel will have a lot more support from the U.S. and others to go and finish the job in the appropriate way," Kushner also told Fox News' Trey Yingst of the terrorist group.

The warning from Trump’s son-in-law followed a rare face-to-face meeting with Hamas in Egypt — only Kushner's second known meeting with the group.

KUSHNER TOUTS UNPRECEDENTED IRAN CONTACTS AS TEHRAN DENIES TRUMP BACKCHANNEL

"They said all the right things, but obviously, it's very, very hard to trust, you know, a terrorist organization that committed these terrible atrocities," Kushner continued. "But we had a very cordial meeting, and they said all the right things, and so we're going to give them a chance to perform."

"It's going to have to be based on actions and steps, and I hope it will be true."

The U.S.-led "Board of Peace" proposal centers on a phased ceasefire, demilitarization of Gaza, Israeli troop withdrawal, Palestinian technocratic governance and international reconstruction efforts.

Reuters contributed to this report.

President Donald Trump declared Iran a "Failed Nation" Monday, claiming the country is economically and militarily broken as renewed fighting with the U.S. raises questions about how much leverage Tehran still has left.

"Iran is officially a Failed Nation. IT IS DEAD!" Trump wrote on Truth Social Monday morning. "They have no Navy, they have no Air Force, they have no currency, they are not paying their soldiers or police."

Trump also claimed Iranian inflation had reached 300% and said the country's leadership was "in total disarray and incapable of properly representing the country."

Iran is facing pressure from nearly every direction — renewed U.S. military strikes, tighter sanctions and a steep drop in oil exports — raising fresh questions about how long Tehran can keep absorbing the economic pain and still maintain leverage against Washington.

COULD IRAN’S REGIME COLLAPSE? EXPERTS ASSESS BESSENT’S BID TO SEVER FINANCIAL LIFELINES

Official Iranian data cited by Reuters put annual inflation at 66% in July, while the IMF projects average consumer-price inflation of 68.9% in 2026.

Trump's post came amid the sharpest US-Iran military escalation in weeks. U.S. forces struck two Iranian launchers on Larak Island Sunday after Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps forces were observed preparing to launch rockets with sea mines into the Strait of Hormuz, according to a U.S. official. Iran retaliated by launching ballistic missiles toward U.S. bases in Jordan, while Jordan said it intercepted eight missiles that entered its airspace.

The renewed confrontation comes as Washington ratchets up economic pressure.

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent told Reuters Sunday that the administration expects to roll out additional secondary sanctions as frequently as every week, initially focusing on banks and potentially cutting financial institutions that continue facilitating Iranian transactions out of the U.S. dollar-based financial system.

IRAN’S DEEPEST WEAKNESS IS GETTING EXPOSED THROUGH AMERICA’S MAXIMUM PRESSURE CAMPAIGN

Iran's own leaders are acknowledging growing economic strain.

President Masoud Pezeshkian said Iran's exports and imports have fallen nearly 35% because of U.S. sanctions and the naval blockade, while annual inflation reached 66% in July, Reuters reported Aug. 29. The IMF projects Iran's economy will contract 5.4% this year.

Miad Maleki, a senior fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies who previously served as associate director of Treasury's Office of Global Targeting at the Office of Foreign Assets Control, told Fox News Digital that the Islamic Republic may be nearing an economic breaking point. FDD says Maleki previously helped oversee U.S. sanctions programs and served as chief and senior sanctions coordinator for Iran and the Middle East.

"I think where we stand today, it's very clear — we see very clear signs, indications of what I would call an economy that is on the verge of collapse, if it hasn't already collapsed yet," Maleki said.

Maleki argued that the critical pressure point is Iran's ability to turn oil exports into usable revenue.

US TARGETS CHINESE REFINERY IN SWEEPING IRAN OIL CRACKDOWN, SANCTIONS ‘SHADOW FLEET’ TANKERS

He estimates Tehran needs roughly 1 million barrels of oil exports per day to sustain itself, about 1.5 million to avoid hyperinflation and approximately 2 million to support development. Maleki said Iranian exports have fallen dramatically and Tehran is increasingly struggling to repatriate revenue from the oil it can sell.

Kpler data cited by Reuters showed Chinese imports of Iranian crude falling from an average 1.4 million barrels per day in 2025 to a provisional 534,000 barrels per day so far in August.

Maleki said Tehran is increasingly relying on money creation rather than cutting politically sensitive salaries and pensions. But there are limits.

"They can keep printing money, but they can't really print the type of commodities that they need, such as gasoline, such as wheat," he said.

The pressure, however, may create a dangerous paradox.

IRAN COULD UNLEASH ‘KINETIC’ RESPONSE AS US TIGHTENS ECONOMIC CONTAINMENT, ANALYST WARNS

Iran analyst Danny Citrinowicz, a fellow at Israel's Institute for National Security Studies and a nonresident senior fellow at the Atlantic Council's Scowcroft Middle East Security Initiative, told Fox News Digital that the maritime blockade, wartime losses and wider economic pressure are hurting Tehran, but argued Washington should not assume economic pain will lead to capitulation.

Citrinowicz said continued pressure could instead increase Tehran's incentive to escalate if Iranian leaders conclude the status quo is worse than renewed confrontation. He said Iran could attempt to target "U.S. economic assets in the Gulf," ports or U.S. vessels involved in enforcing the blockade, even as its missile-production capabilities have been degraded.

Maleki agreed Iran would likely attempt to escalate, but questioned how much leverage Tehran still possesses.

"They're going to try to escalate," Maleki said, pointing to the attacks of the last 24 hours. But he argued that further escalation would increasingly affect Gulf states Iran has relied upon for trade, sanctions evasion and diplomacy — potentially bringing even greater economic and diplomatic pressure.

MILLIONS OF BARRELS OF IRANIAN OIL SIT BEYOND TRUMP BLOCKADE AS HE VOWS ‘ZERO LEAKAGE’

Asked whether Iran was losing its leverage, Maleki responded: "Absolutely."

He argued Tehran has emerged weakened from internal unrest and the external war and is increasingly isolated domestically and internationally.

What Maleki is watching next is not necessarily missed government payrolls, but shortages that could trigger another wave of domestic unrest.

"What I'm looking for is shortages of items such as gasoline," Maleki said. "Right now they're fighting a war inside Iran that is way more challenging to the regime than it is from external forces that they're facing."

Commercial traffic through the Strait of Hormuz remained severely disrupted Monday, while Brent crude climbed more than 2% to above $90 as markets reacted to the renewed U.S.-Iran exchanges. Reuters reported Aug. 31 that Gulf oil flows have recovered from their wartime lows but remain below pre-war levels.

Maleki said he expects Iranians to return to the streets and argued Western governments should prepare now to help them communicate and organize if Tehran again shuts down internet access.

"What we need to do is to contain this regime, cut off this economic lifeline, empower the Iranian people, be prepared next time Iranians are back on the street [and] take actions to stop this regime from slaughtering Iranians," Maleki said.

"Those are the right policies — put the pressure on, be prepared to push back on the Iranian regime every time it escalates," he added. "At this point, they are the weakest they've been since 1979. Every time they try to escalate, they become weaker."

Reuters contributed to this story.

Roughly 80 Americans remain unaccounted for following the catastrophic Himalayan flood last Wednesday that killed hundreds of people, the State Department said.

The update marks a decrease from a previous estimate of at least 90 Americans who went missing near the Nepal-China border.

"We can confirm that 13 American citizens have made their way to safety in Nepal," a State Department spokesperson told Fox News.

Meanwhile, Nepal’s death toll has risen to 903, while the number of people still unaccounted for has nearly doubled to roughly 4,200, according to an update from local officials Sunday.

TRAPPED NEPALI WORKERS PULLED FROM HYDROPOWER TUNNEL AFTER CATASTROPHIC FLOODING

According to officials, the disaster occurred in north-central Nepal when a distant slope failure involving a glacier triggered a rapidly moving debris flow that traveled roughly 62 miles downstream before striking a populated area. Footage from the disaster showed a massive surge of water and debris suddenly rushing through the valleys, engulfing buildings in its path.

On Sunday, a spokesperson for Nepal’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs provided an update on the toll.

"So far, 903 bodies have been recovered from the areas and about 4200 people are still unaccounted for. Over 10,000 people have been rescued from the regions, including over 323 foreign nationals. As per the available data, about 590 foreign nationals are still missing, from 39 countries," the spokesperson said.

Twenty-two of the missing Americans were part of a pilgrimage affiliated with a Tennessee-based nonprofit group, Isha Foundation coordination leader Jyoti Jankowski told Fox News Saturday. They were inside an immigration building when the flooding struck the area, Jankowski said.

MORE THAN 3,000 MISSING AFTER COLOMBIA EARTHQUAKE AS TRUMP ADMINISTRATION PROVIDES $15.5 MILLION IN RELIEF

Authorities said Nepal is coordinating with neighboring countries and the international community to provide relief, with supplies already arriving from countries including India and China.

More supplies are expected to arrive from the U.S., United Arab Emirates, Myanmar, Qatar, the U.K., Australia, the Republic of Korea, Japan, New Zealand, Malaysia, Singapore, Bangladesh, Pakistan and other international organizations, officials said.

"Relief and humanitarian assistance are being provided in the affected areas. We are deeply grateful to our friends and partners for their solidarity, goodwill and generous offers of support at this difficult time," the spokesperson said.

DEATH TOLL FROM MUDSLIDES, FLOODING AT NEPAL-CHINA BORDER CLIMBS PAST 670; NEARLY 3,000 MISSING

The State Department said last Wednesday that it was "monitoring the situation and is deploying a disaster response advisor to the region to support response efforts."

"The Department will also provide $500,000 in assistance through its global award with Catholic Relief Services, supporting emergency shelter, relief items, and water, sanitation, and hygiene assistance to flood-affected communities," the department said.

According to the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) investigators remain uncertain whether the initial failure was a landslide incorporating part of a glacier or a glacial collapse, in which a portion of a glacier breaks off and rapidly moves downslope with surrounding debris.

The glacier-related event resulted in a magnitude 5.2 earthquake, according to the USGS. A second seismic event was recorded approximately three hours later, generating energy equivalent to a magnitude 4.2 earthquake.

"The glacial debris contained water and ice that rapidly melted, picking up more material and water as it flowed downslope in the existing stream and river channels, creating a fast-moving, far-traveled landslide and flood laden with boulders and other rubble," the agency said.

A new report from a leading think tank has revealed what it says is a partially submerged Iranian uranium facility at the Natanz nuclear compound in Iran.

The revelation of the secretive facility raises new concerns over whether Iran’s nuclear weapons apparatus was destroyed during the two American-Israeli-launched wars against the regime in 2025 and 2026.

The Washington, D.C.-based Institute for Science and International Security (ISIS) announced in late August that it has located an underground Iranian facility that is likely linked to uranium enrichment for the possible use in production of atomic weapons.

EXPERTS ‘DEEPLY’ CONCERNED OVER IRAN’S WORK AT UNDERGROUND NUCLEAR SITE

It wrote that "The facility does not appear to have been targeted in the military actions of either 2025 or 2026. Since the June 2025 war, no vehicle activity has been observed at the facility in available satellite imagery."

According to the institute, "The Institute has identified a separately enclosed, partially below-ground, bunkered building at the Natanz Nuclear Complex that was likely intended to serve as uranium hexafluoride… storage facility to support large-scale uranium enrichment at the Natanz Fuel Enrichment Plant. The bunkered structure was constructed between 2010 and 2017, with the bulk of construction occurring between 2015 and 2017."

It further added that "The lesson for today is that any temporary enrichment ban must include a dismantlement and dissolution of remaining capabilities and must not allow for any type of preparatory activity for the end of a ban."

IRAN NUCLEAR DEAL HINGES ON IAEA ACCESS TO LONG-BLOCKED ATOMIC WEAPON SITES, EXPERTS SAY

Uranium is the crucial material to produce atomic weapons. Iran’s regime is vehemently opposed to the Trump administration’s demands that it stop enriching uranium and hand over its already enriched uranium.

According to another report by the Institute for Science and International Security in April," From December 2024 to June 2025, a half-year period, Iran almost doubled its stock of 60% enriched uranium to 440 kilograms. This action dramatically increased suspicion that Iran was moving toward a decision to build nuclear weapons, significantly shortening timelines to be able to create a nuclear arsenal with up to ten nuclear weapons."

The U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran’s vast nuclear weapons facility during Operation Midnight Hammer in June 2025 significantly set back Iran’s ability to produce atomic weapons and enrich uranium.

OBAMA-ERA INSPECTION FLAWS IN IRAN COULD PERSIST AS EXPERTS WARN OF NUCLEAR BLIND SPOTS

Jason Brodsky, policy director at United Against Nuclear Iran (UANI), told Fox News Digital that "The report assesses the structure at the Natanz nuclear facility was not targeted during Operations Midnight Hammer and Epic Fury. This raises questions as to why the U.S. and Israel did not target the site. Given that Iran is not allowing IAEA [International Atomic Energy Agency] inspections of bombed facilities, in contravention of its NPT [Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons]obligations, this will require Washington and Jerusalem to rely on their own intelligence estimates as to this bunkered building."

Brodsky added, "If it is still intact and can accommodate this kind of enrichment activity, the site should be destroyed in any future strikes. The allowance of such a facility under the JCPOA [Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action] demonstrates the flaws of the agreement — permitting Iran to retain an industrial scale enrichment program following the sunsets of various provisions — and underscores why zero enrichment in Iran has to continue to be the international demand."

When asked about the facility and if the IAEA plans to inspect it, Fredrik Dahl, a spokesman for the IAEA, told Fox News Digital, that "The building you are referring to is well-known to the Agency as part of the Natanz site that the IAEA regularly inspected prior to mid-2025."

Asked about the report, Anna Kelly, a White House spokeswoman, told Fox News Digital that "First, Iran’s nuclear facilities were totally obliterated during Operation Midnight Hammer. Now, Operation Economic Outcast is severing every remaining economic lifeline sustaining the Islamic Republic of Iran. President Trump has been clear that Iran can never possess a nuclear weapon, and America is entering the endgame with the single greatest financial offensive ever mounted against an adversary."

Successive U.S. administrations have repeatedly designated the Islamic Republic of Iran since the 1980s as a leading state-sponsor of terrorism.

U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent’s announcement last week that the U.S. imposed the economic equivalent of the military campaign that defeated Nazi Germany on the Islamic Republic of Iran could set off a series of events leading to the dissolution of the nearly 47-year-old dictatorship in Tehran, according to experts.

Bessent’s declaration of economic warfare — formally designated Operation Economic Outcast — follows President Trump’s commitment to launch an "economic D-Day" against the clerical regime. The comprehensive U.S. economic pressure point campaign also aims to isolate the regime with respect to its efforts to rebuild its nuclear weapons facility.