Less than 48 hours before the U.S.-Israeli strike on Iran began, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu spoke by phone to President Donald Trump about the reasons for launching the kind of complex, far-off war the American leader once had campaigned against. Both Trump and Netanyahu knew from intelligence briefings earlier in the week that Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and his key lieutenants would soon meet at his compound in Tehran, making them vulnerable to a “decapitation strike” – an attack against a country’s top leaders often used by Israelis but traditionally less so by the United States. But new intelligence suggested that the meeting had been moved forward to Saturday morning from Saturday night, according to three people briefed on the call. The call has not been previously reported. Netanyahu, determined to move forward with an operation he had urged for decades, argued that there might never be a better chance to kill Khamenei and to avenge previous Iranian efforts to assassinate Trump, these people said. Those included a murder-for-hire plot allegedly orchestrated by Iran in 2024, when Trump was a candidate. The Justice ‌Department has accused a Pakistani man of trying to recruit people in the United States…

NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles! A phalanx of reporters and photographers trailed House Budget Committee Chairman Jodey Arrington, R-Texas, out of the Capitol and across the Capitol grounds last Thursday morning.The Trump administration planned to ask Congress for an additional $200 billion to cover the cost of the war in Iran. Passing such a plan might be dicey. Especially vaulting the 60 vote barricade in the Senate. But House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., and Arrington were already touting a “reconciliation” bill for this year to approve some of the GOP’s domestic policy priorities ahead of the midterms. Reconciliation is inoculated from a Senate filibuster. And other Republicans may be on board with the extra $200 billion if it’s tucked into a reconciliation package which tackles other subjects.”I think reconciliation is probably going to be the only vehicle that we put anything in because the Democrats aren’t going to support it,” said Arrington, briskly traversing a set of congressional steps near the plaza, bound for Independence Avenue. “I don’t think they’ll support the supplemental for the operating needs for our military while they’re in conflict.””The Senate seems kind of suspect of trying to do this,” yours truly followed…

U.S. Navy counter-mine ships that replaced minesweepers last year in Bahrain have yet to demonstrate their reliability and effectiveness in the face of potential naval mine warfare, according to the Defense Department’s testing office and military experts.The Pentagon was unable to determine the operational effectiveness or suitability of Independence-class littoral combat ships equipped with the mine countermeasures mission package due to insufficient data on its mine-hunting and mine-destroying technology, according to the Office of the Director, Operational Test & Evaluation’s fiscal 2025 annual report.Several retired U.S. Navy captains who deployed on minesweepers and defense analysts also told Military Times that the LCS with the MCM mission package, which replaced four Avenger-class mine countermeasures ships in 2025, is not as effective as its predecessor due to a myriad of technological constraints and malfunctions.“The Navy has not provided sufficient data from operational employment of [Airborne Mine Neutralization System] and [Airborne Laser Mine Detection System] to determine operational effectiveness of the Independence variant with MCM MP,” the March 13 DOT&E report stated.Both of these counter-mine systems are deployed by MH-60S helicopters, which are attached to the littoral combat ship. They identify and destroys mines through sonar, lasers and deployed unmanned underwater vehicles.The systems…

This article was originally published by Tyler Durden at ZeroHedge under the title: Oil Plunges, Stocks Spike As Trump “Postpones” Military Strikes On Iran After “Productive” Talks; But Move Reverses After Tehran Denies Contact Summary Trump announces “productive” talks with Iran, “postpones” military strikes for 5 days IRGC-linked media deny contact Trad Govt-linked media yet to issue comment Market response: oil down, yields down, stocks up (but all off their kneejerk extremes) *  *  * Denials Begin It did not take long for the denials to emerge. Iran’s semi-official Fars news agency (which is the propaganda arm of the IRGC, so take it with lots of salt) said that an anonymous Iranian source, Iran is not in contact with Trump, adding that “there is no direct or indirect communication with Trump.”  “He retreated after hearing that our targets would be all power plants in West Asia,” Fars said. A similar denial came from the semi-official Tasnim news reports, which said that Iran is not in talks and there have been no talks with US President Donald Trump. It added that Iran will continue to respond and defend the country; the Strait of Hormuz won’t return to pre-war status through psychological operations. Trump’s social media…

These under-$25 Amazon finds are thoughtful, practical picks you’ll wish you bought sooner. From a portable tire inflator to a mini fan and bug traps, they tackle everyday annoyances with ease. Even better, some are already discounted ahead of Amazon’s Big Spring Sale, running March 25 through 31.READ MORE: Amazon’s Big Spring Sale hasn’t started yet — but these early deals are live right nowTechThese clever finds solve everyday problems like lost keys, limited outlets and dirty earbuds.Original price: $12.96 Upgrade any outlet with this wall charger, featuring five outlets and four USB ports. Keep your devices powered without the cord clutter — and grab it before the deal disappears.  Stop losing your keys or wallet with the Life360 tile. The Bluetooth tracker works with Apple and Android devices, letting you ring your Tile or track it through the free app. With this deal live now, it’s a smart time to try it for yourself.Original price: $6.45 Get the gunk out of your AirPods with this compact kit designed to reach tight spaces inside earbuds and charging cases. It’s a simple, low-cost way to improve sound and hygiene, and works on phones, tablets and other devices.READ MORE: Early Amazon Big Spring Sale deals: Fox News reader favorites under…

The world’s largest aircraft carrier arrived in Greece for maintenance after surviving an onboard fire nearly two weeks earlier, according to a Navy release.The USS Gerald R. Ford arrived at Naval Support Activity Souda Bay on Monday after operating in the Red Sea in support of Operation Epic Fury.“The port call allows for the ship to undergo efficient assessment, repairs, and resupply,” the release said. “Gerald R. Ford Carrier Strike Group continues its overseas deployment.”The aircraft carrier remains fully mission capable, the release said.A non-combat fire broke out in the main laundry room of the carrier on March 12, injuring two sailors and sending another off ship for further medical treatment.The first two returned to duty that day, while the third, as of March 17, was in stable condition.The Navy has not yet revealed the cause of the fire but said more information would be forthcoming when available.RELATEDMore than 600 service members were reportedly without their racks, after the berthing compartments were affected by the blaze, according to The New York Times. Sailors were reportedly sleeping on floors and tables in the aftermath of the fire, which took 30 hours to douse. Reuters reported that about 100 sleeping berths were…

NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles! A cemetery in the San Francisco Bay Area has removed a banner draped across a 9/11 memorial that advertised a new Islamic section after backlash from the community. NBC Bay Area reported that the owner of Memorial Gardens Cemetery said that he recently sold part of the property to a Muslim family, and that “he gave them permission to put up signage but did not authorize them to drape it over the 9/11 installation.” The owner reportedly had the signage removed, but community residents said that the sign should not have been erected to begin with. TUNNEL TO TOWERS ANNOUNCES STEEL ACROSS AMERICA TOUR TO MARK 25 YEARS SINCE 9/11 ATTACKS  NBC Bay Area reported that Danny Kimmel, a resident of Concord, California, said the banner advertising an Islamic memorial garden draped over the 9/11 memorial was placed in front of the cemetery where his mother was laid to rest.”I felt a punch to the gut type of thing,” he said, according to the report. “To see that sign on that memorial is kind of nutty is my thoughts.”Kimmel’s brother was killed in Vietnam, and he said his mother would be totally against the placement…

Gasoline prices are quickly approaching the “politically sensitive” $4 per gallon mark. Analysts claim that at this price, consumers make the conscious decision to drive less. This month’s surge in retail fuel prices (gasoline and diesel) marks the largest increase on record, with gasoline only 4 cents below the precarious $4 line. Iranian Official Warns of $200 Oil Prices Amid Escalating Strait of Hormuz Tensions Prices of fuel are delivering a nasty shock to the pocketbooks of cash-strapped consumers, who are already being pummeled by ridiculous housing costs and inflation of grocery prices. Affordability Crisis Worsens As 2026 Approaches Bonnie Herzog, managing director and senior consumer analyst at Goldman Sachs, wrote in a note that when fuel prices spike to these “psychological threshold” levels, above $3 and approaching $4 a gallon, consumers tend to drive less and fill up their tanks less frequently. “Historically, when retail gas prices increase (especially above the $3/gal psychological threshold, although that’s been rebased higher), consumers make the concerted decision to drive less, don’t always fill up their tanks (i.e., lower fill rates),” Herzog told clients on Friday, accoridng to a report by ZeroHedge. Herzog added that when looking back on history, the real “demand…

NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles! What began as a grim discovery inside a Southern California apartment has exploded into a coast-to-coast case — one Murrieta police say is “unusual” for their community, with investigators alleging a murder-for-hire plot tied to a victim’s ex-girlfriend and three other suspects.Officers with the Murrieta Police Department were called to The Arbors at California Oaks apartments just after 9 a.m. on Jan. 13, 2026. Inside one of the units, they found a man dead. From the start, investigators treated the case as a homicide.The victim was later identified by family as 30-year-old Aaron “AJ” Parr — a son, brother and father whose loss has left loved ones reeling.Just over two weeks later, police arrested Ignacia Perkins, the victim’s ex-girlfriend, along with James Petri, who authorities described as an acquaintance of Perkins.FAMILY OF MOM ALLEGEDLY KILLED BY EX-‘AMERICAN IDOL’ HOPEFUL DEMANDS LIFE INSURANCE DETAILSBut the case quickly grew beyond California.As detectives dug through physical and digital evidence, they began working with law enforcement agencies across the country, ultimately identifying two more suspects believed to be involved.On March 18, authorities arrested Jerry Wheeler, 34, in Brookhaven, Georgia, and Kenneth Maxwell, 39, in Midfield, Alabama.…

NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles! Jet fuel prices in the U.S. have more than doubled in a matter of weeks as Middle East tensions squeeze supply, fueling concerns airlines could run short of fuel.Prices jumped from about $2.17 to $4.56 per gallon by March 20, according to the Argus U.S. Jet Fuel Index. Airlines warn inventories could run dry within weeks, raising the risk of higher airfares and flight cancellations.Airlines are already adjusting. United Airlines CEO Scott Kirby said the carrier will cut about 5% of planned flights in the near term as fuel costs surge, warning that if prices persist, jet fuel alone could add $11 billion in annual expenses.OIL, GAS PRICES JUMP AS TRUMP FLIRTS WITH STRIKING IRANIAN OIL INFRASTRUCTUREUnited is also scaling back service during off-peak periods and suspending select international routes, including Israel and Dubai due to the conflict.Meanwhile, Delta Air Lines CEO Ed Bastian said on Tuesday the jet fuel spike added as much as $400 million in costs in March alone. Speaking at a J.P. Morgan industrial conference, Bastian said airlines are moving quickly to pass those higher costs on through fare increases.American Airlines expects fuel to add about $400 million…