NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles! Iran’s militant and unyielding supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who ruled the Islamic Republic for more than three decades and oversaw an era of harsh internal repression and confrontation with the United States and Israel, has died following the Israeli strike in Tehran, as his compound was reduced to rubble, a senior Israeli official told Fox News Digital.”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. “Khamenei’s worldview was shaped by his militant anti-Americanism and antisemitism, which first manifested itself in his protests against the Shah of Iran,” he added. Born April 19, 1939, in Mashhad, eastern Iran, Khamenei was among the Islamist activists who played a central role in the 1979 revolution that overthrew the U.S.-backed Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi. A close ally of Iran’s first supreme leader, Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, Khamenei rose through the new system and served as president from 1981…

Key members of Congress are demanding a swift vote on a war powers resolution that would restrain President Donald Trump’s military attack on Iran unless the administration wins their approval for what they warn is a potentially illegal campaign that risks pulling the United States into a deeper Middle East conflict.Both the House and Senate, where the president’s Republican Party has a slim majority, had already drafted such resolutions long before the strikes Saturday. Now they are ready to plunge into a rare war powers debate next week that will serve as a referendum on Trump’s decision to go it alone on military action without formal authorization from Congress.“Has President Trump learned nothing from decades of U.S. meddling in Iran and forever wars in the Middle East?” said Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Va., a leader in the bipartisan effort. He said the strikes on Iran were “a colossal mistake.”In the House, Reps. Ro Khanna, D-Calif., and Thomas Massie, R-Ky., are demanding Congress go on record with a public vote on their own bipartisan measure. “Congress must convene on Monday to vote,” Khanna said, “to stop this.”Massie blasted Trump’s own presidential campaign slogan and said: “This is not ‘America First.’”But most Republicans,…

NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles! Four people were injured in a hotel fire in Palm Jumeirah area of Dubai after a loud explosion was reportedly heard as the Iranian regime launched retaliatory strikes in the Middle East.The Dubai Media Office, a government entity, said in a statement Saturday that the site was secured and the fire had been contained.”The safety and wellbeing of residents and visitors remain the highest priority. Authorities continue to take all necessary measures to safeguard the public. The public is urged to remain calm, rely solely on verified information from official sources, and refrain from circulating videos or images on social media,” the media office wrote on X.Dubai authorities confirmed that “an incident” occurred in a building in the Palm Jumeirah area and emergency response teams responded, although they did not elaborate on what caused the incident. Reports suggest United Arab Emirates forces intercepted an Iranian air attack in retaliation for U.S. forces conducting Operation Epic Fury against Iran. Iran’s retaliation against the U.S. and Israel’s attacks has been focused on Israel and U.S. assets in the Middle East. Explosions have reportedly been heard in several countries hosting U.S. forces, including Bahrain, Qatar,…

U.S. Central Command officials have confirmed that airstrikes launched on Iran on Saturday involved the first combat use of the U.S. military’s new autonomous kamikaze drone.The Low-cost Unmanned Combat Attack System, or LUCAS drone, was launched as part of Operation Epic Fury, which targeted Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps command and control facilities, Iranian air defense capabilities, missile and drone launch sites and military airfields, CENTCOM officials announced. “The president ordered bold action, and our brave soldiers, sailors, airmen, Marines, guardians, and Coast Guardsmen are answering the call,” Adm. Brad Cooper, commander of CENTCOM, said in the release.The LUCAS platform is a one-way attack drone reverse-engineered after the Iranian Shahed-136. Built by the Arizona-based SpektreWorks, the drone, which can be launched via catapults, rocket-assisted takeoff and mobile ground systems, is a spinoff of the company’s FLM 136 target model, one designed for counter-drone training while simulating Iran’s Shahed variant.The FLM 136 model carries a range capability of around 500 miles, with a maximum payload of 40 pounds, or “roughly twice the explosive yield of a hellfire missile,” according to Alex Hollings, host of Sandboxx News’ FirePower. With a maximum takeoff weight of 180 pounds, the FLM 136 is significantly lighter than…

This article was originally published by Tyler Durdern at ZeroHedge.  “Persons may wish to consider leaving Israel while commercial flights are available,” the US State Department announced Friday, signaling that US strikes on Iran could be imminent. It provided confirmation that the US government has begun evacuating “non-emergency” personnel from the embassy in Israel and their family members, citing “safety risks” amid growing tensions with Iran. via AFP The new urgent announcement also strongly suggests that whatever military action ensues, it will most likely involve a joint operation between the US and Israel. Some have warned that Washington is essentially about to go to war on behalf of what are fundamentally Israel’s interests in the region. People in Israel would further be at risk given the potential for Hezbollah to renew strikes on the country’s north, and then there’s the threat of Houthi attacks from the south – as happened in the last conflict in June and prior. Fox correspondent Lucas Tomlinson has noted that the last time the embassy issued such an evacuation notice, it occurred just eight days before Operation Midnight Hammer (the June strikes). Another regional journalist, Idrees Ali, as observed: “Many of the things that happened before the United…

NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles! President Donald Trump’s strikes in 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…

NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles! The Islamic Republic of Iran has built a coalition of largely Shiite terrorist proxies — the axis of resistance — that is set to join Tehran in counterstrikes in response to the joint U.S.-Israel preventive attacks on Iran’s military installations and leadership.The most dangerous of Iran’s allies is its main strategic partner, which is Lebanese terrorist organization Hezbollah. Israel’s army had been intensely targeting Hezbollah positions ahead of the U.S. campaign, Operation Epic Fury. HezbollahThe Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF) is obligated to disarm Hezbollah, according to the Nov. 2024 ceasefire with Israel. Israel Defense Forces (IDF) spokesperson, Effie Defrin, said on Friday that “In Lebanon, we continue to act daily against attempts by the Hezbollah terrorist organization to rebuild and rearm.”He said, “An example of this is the strike we carried out yesterday in the Baalbek area, during which we targeted ammunition depots and eliminated terrorists from the Radwan Force. We will not allow Hezbollah to rebuild its capabilities and pose a threat to Israeli civilians.”IF KHAMENEI FALLS, WHO TAKES IRAN? STRIKES WILL EXPOSE POWER VACUUM — AND THE IRGC’S GRIP An official from Hezbollah said on Wednesday that the jihadi terrorist…

American bombers in World War II represented the most significant leap in strategic air power the world had ever seen. Between 1941 and 1945, the United States Army Air Force (U.S.A.A.F.) deployed an unprecedented array of bombing aircraft across both European and Pacific theaters. From light attack bombers like the Douglas A-20 Havoc to massive heavy bombers like the B-29 Superfortress, these aircraft fundamentally altered how nations conducted warfare. Workers assemble B-24 Liberator bombers on a massive wartime production line. American bombers were critical to winning World War II and shaped military aviation for decades. The American bomber force wasn’t just about heavy four-engine aircraft. It encompassed three distinct categories that served different tactical and strategic purposes. Light bombers such as the A-20 Havoc and the Lockheed Hudson conducted reconnaissance, anti-submarine patrols, and tactical ground support. Medium bombers, including the B-25 Mitchell, B-26 Marauder, and later A-26 Invader, struck transportation networks, bridges, and tactical targets. Heavy bombers, including the B-17 Flying Fortress, B-24 Liberator, B-29 Superfortress, and B-32 Dominator, carried out the strategic bombing campaign that systematically dismantled Axis industrial capacity. This comprehensive bomber arsenal enabled the United States to project power at every operational level. Each aircraft type filled…

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NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles! Jon Taffer claims a popular weight-loss trend has taken a bite out of the bar and restaurant industry.The “Bar Rescue” host warned restaurants are in worse shape than when he launched the hit TV show 15 years ago, pointing to GLP-1 medications as a big culprit.”Costs are higher, customers are less frequent, things like GLP medications are reducing how much people eat, how much people drink,” Taffer told Fox News Digital. “The reduced alcohol consumption trends — sure, there’s a lot of factors that are working to compress and work against the industry these days.””And that’s why this season is so challenging for me, because of all of those pressures on all of these operators,” he added. “And these people are in serious debt. I mean, it’s houses, cars, families on the line. It’s a heavy-duty situation that I’m thrown into, and I take it really seriously. That’s why I’m so aggressive.” Despite the headwinds, he argued that challenging markets create opportunity for standout businesses.”There’s a lot of factors working against it. But I’ll tell you what: in moments like this, that’s when the great ones shine,” Taffer explained. “The ones that…