US Navy announces first seizure of Iranian weapons bound for Yemen as two SEALs remain lost from mission
The U.S. Navy on Tuesday announced what’s considered the first seizure of Iranian weapons bound for Yemen since Houthi rebels began their campaign of attacks against international merchant shipping in the Red Sea two months ago – yet the two Navy SEALs lost at sea during the mission carried out last week still remain missing amid search and rescue efforts. On Jan. 11, 2024, while conducting a flag verification, U.S. CENTCOM Navy forces “conducted a night-time seizure of a dhow conducting illegal transport of advanced lethal aid from Iran to resupply Houthi forces in Yemen as part of the Houthis’ ongoing campaign of attacks against international merchant shipping,” U.S. Central Command said in a statement Tuesday. “U.S. Navy SEALs operating from USS Lewis B Puller (ESB 3), supported by helicopters and unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), executed a complex boarding of the dhow near the coast of Somalia in international waters of the Arabian Sea, seizing Iranian-made ballistic missile and cruise missiles components,” the statement said. “Seized items include propulsion, guidance, and warheads for Houthi medium range ballistic missiles (MRBMs) and anti-ship cruise missiles (ASCMs), as well as air defense associated components.” NAVY SEALS MISSING OFF COAST OF SOMALIA WERE CHASING IRAN-MADE WEAPONS BOUND FOR YEMEN, OFFICIAL SAYS “Initial analysis indicates these same weapons have been employed by the Houthis to threaten and attack innocent mariners on international merchant ships transiting in the Red Sea,” CENTCOM added. “This is the first seizure of lethal, Iranian-supplied advanced conventional weapons (ACW) to the Houthis since the beginning of Houthi attacks against merchant ships in November 2023. The interdiction also constitutes the first seizure of advanced Iranian-manufactured ballistic missile and cruise missile components by the U.S. Navy since November 2019. The direct or indirect supply, sale, or transfer of weapons to the Houthis in Yemen violates U.N. Security Resolution 2216 and international law.” CENTCOM clarified that the two U.S. Navy SEALs previously reported as lost at sea were directly involved in this operation. “We are conducting an exhaustive search for our missing teammates,” General Michael Erik Kurilla, USCENTCOM Commander, said in a statement. The dhow was deemed unsafe and sunk by U.S. Navy forces. Disposition of the 14 dhow crewmembers is being determined in accordance with international law, the Navy said. “It is clear that Iran continues shipment of advanced lethal aid to the Houthis. This is yet another example of how Iran actively sows instability throughout the region in direct violation of U.N. Security Resolution 2216 and international law,” Kurilla added. “We will continue to work with regional and international partners to expose and interdict these efforts, and ultimately to reestablish freedom of navigation.” 2 NAVY SEALS GO MISSING OFF COAST OF SOMALIA DURING NIGHTTIME BOARDING MISSION The missing sailors so far have not been publicly identified as efforts to find them alive continue. Reports, citing U.S. officials, say the two special forces operators were climbing on a ladder aboard a vessel while on a mission in the Gulf of Aden when high waves knocked one into the sea. The second SEAL jumped in after the first as part of Navy SEAL protocol to help a partner in distress and both vanished. The Gulf of Aden has warm waters, so powerful swells and exhaustion are more of a concern than hypothermia. Tuesday’s announcement comes a day after Houthi rebels fired a missile that struck a U.S.-owned ship Monday just off the coast of Yemen in the Gulf of Aden, less than a day after they launched an anti-ship cruise missile toward an American destroyer in the Red Sea. The attack on the Gibraltar Eagle, later claimed by the Houthis, further escalated tensions gripping the Red Sea after American-led strikes on the rebels. The Houthis’ attacks have roiled global shipping, amid Israel’s war with Hamas in the Gaza Strip, targeting a crucial corridor linking Asian and Mideast energy and cargo shipments to the Suez Canal onward to Europe. The U.S., with help from the United Kingdom, began strikes in Yemen on Friday, hitting 28 locations and striking more than 60 targets with cruise missiles and bombs launched by fighter jets, warships and a submarine. Sites hit included weapon depots, radars and command centers, including in remote mountain areas, the U.S. has said. The Houthis have yet to acknowledge how severe the damage was from the strikes, which they said killed five of their troops and wounded six others. U.S. forces followed up with a strike Saturday on a Houthi radar site. Since November, the rebels have repeatedly targeted ships in the Red Sea, saying they were avenging Israel’s campaign in Gaza against Hamas. But they have frequently targeted vessels with tenuous or no clear links to Israel, imperiling shipping in a key route for global trade. The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Iowa results show ‘weakness of Donald Trump,’ Democrat governor claims
Democrat Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker is claiming that Donald Trump’s performance at the Iowa caucuses is showing the “weakness of Donald Trump.” Pritzker, a Biden campaign surrogate, made the remark on MSNBC Monday night as votes were still being counted. Trump ended up winning the contest by a large margin, capturing 51.01% of the votes, followed by Ron DeSantis at 21.23%, Nikki Haley at 19.12% and Vivek Ramaswamy at 7.66%, who later suspended his campaign and endorsed Trump. “This is the most famous Republican. He’s the guy who, you know, basically built the modern Republican Party, the MAGA Republican Party that Democrats are running against and half the people in that party didn’t vote for Donald Trump,” Pritzker told MSNBC. “So, I think that is telling. It tells you the weakness of Donald Trump and also the opportunity for Democrats, because in the end, look, if the base doesn’t turn out for Donald Trump in the general election enthusiastically, and Democrats turn out its base, this is all about, you know, independents, and independents don’t like Donald Trump,” he added. “So, I think we’re in a pretty good place tonight to see what’s happening on the Republican side.” REPUBLICAN PRESIDENTIAL PRIMARY BATTLE MOVES ON TO NEW HAMPSHIRE AFTER TRUMP ROMPS IN IOWA Pritzker then said “If Donald Trump in fact is the winner tonight and able to win in New Hampshire and in South Carolina, probably the race is over, but the truth is all of these candidates are running as sort of mini-me Trump Republicans.” Pritzker last year said he would support Biden’s 2024 re-election campaign. FOX NEWS VOTER ANALYSIS BREAKS DOWN KEY GROUPS THAT PUSHED TRUMP TO VICTORY AT THE IOWA CAUCUSES Meanwhile, Biden, in a tweet late last night, described Trump as the “clear front runner” following Iowa. “Looks like Donald Trump just won Iowa. He’s the clear front runner on the other side at this point,” Biden said in a post on X. “But here’s the thing: this election was always going to be you and me vs. extreme MAGA Republicans. It was true yesterday and it’ll be true tomorrow.”
Nikki Haley raises eyebrows by saying her third-place finish makes primary a 2-person race
Former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley finished third in Iowa, far behind former President Donald Trump, but her message looking ahead to New Hampshire is the Republican primary is now a two-person contest. Her bold claim comes after Haley earned 21,085 caucus votes, or 19.7%, putting her behind second-place finisher Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, who had 23,420 votes, or 21.2%. Trump trounced all of his challengers, winning an outright majority (51%) with 56,260 votes in a historic caucus victory that resoundingly confirmed his frontrunner status. Despite finishing third, Haley told supporters gathered at her campaign headquarters at the Marriott Hotel in West Des Moines that she is in the best position to take on Trump as the primary moves on to New Hampshire. “I was at 2% in the polls. But tonight Iowa did what Iowa always does so well. The pundits will analyze the results from every angle. We get that. But when you look at how we’re doing in New Hampshire, in South Carolina and beyond, I can safely say tonight, Iowa made this Republican primary a two-person race,” Haley said. DESANTIS EDGES HALEY FOR SECOND-PLACE FINISH IN IOWA, BEHIND TRUMP’S HISTORIC CAUCUS WIN Her comments were immediately mocked by Never Back Down, a pro-DeSantis super PAC, “Nikki Haley repeatedly claimed she was in second place in Iowa,” Never Back Down posted on X. “She finished third.” Before the election results came in Monday night, Haley grabbed momentum during the fall months and caught up with DeSantis for second place in polls in Iowa and in national surveys in recent weeks. She also surged to second place, surpassing DeSantis and narrowing the gap with Trump, in New Hampshire, the state that holds the first primary and second overall contest in the GOP nominating calendar. TRUMP QUICKLY SECURES VICTORY IN IOWA, OTHERS BATTLE FOR SECOND IN FIRST GOP PRESIDENTIAL NOMINATING ELECTION With eyes forward to the Granite State’s Jan. 23 primary next week, Haley went on the attack against Trump in her speech, comparing him unfavorably to President Biden. “I voted for Donald Trump twice. I was proud to serve in his administration. But when I say more of the same, you know what I’m talking about,” Haley said. “It’s both Donald Trump and Joe Biden, they have more in common than you think. “You know, 70% percent of Americans don’t want another Trump-Biden rematch. A majority disapprove of both of them. Trump and Biden are both about 80 years old, yet Trump and Biden both put our country trillions of dollars deeper in debt and our kids will never forgive them for it,” she continued. “Trump and Biden both lack a vision for our country’s future because both are consumed by the past, by investigations, by vendettas, by grievances. America deserves better.” FOX NEWS VOTER ANALYSIS: TRUMP DOMINATES IOWA CAUCUSES It’s unclear what Haley’s path to victory will be considering Trump’s commanding lead in the upcoming New Hampshire and South Carolina primaries, although recent polls suggest she stands in a distant second place in both contests ahead of DeSantis. The DeSantis campaign told Fox News Digital in a statement that the governor will continue to New Hampshire, South Carolina and beyond. “They threw everything at Ron DeSantis. They couldn’t kill him. He is not only still standing, but he’s now earned his ticket out of Iowa. This is going to be a long battle ahead, but that is what this campaign is built for. The stakes are too high for this nation, and we will not back down,” a senior DeSantis campaign official said. Haley argued she remains in the best position to beat Trump in the primary and Biden in November’s general election. “Our campaign is the last, best hope of stopping the Trump-Biden nightmare,” Haley said. Clutching polls that show her leading Biden in a hypothetical 2024 matchup, Haley argued that a Trump nomination would make the election a toss-up. “Look what happens when I go head-to-head against Biden. We win in a landslide. Not in a landslide it’s not even close. That means no recounts, no lawsuits and no doubts,” Haley said. Fox News Digital’s Paul Steinhauser and Brandon Gillespie contributed to this report. Get the latest updates from the 2024 campaign trail, exclusive interviews and more at our Fox News Digital election hub.
Trump narrowly denied clean sweep of Iowa’s 99 counties by 1 vote
Former President Donald Trump just barely failed to sweep the entire Iowa Caucus on Monday after losing just one out of the state’s 99 counties — reportedly by a single vote. Former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley won Johnson County with 1,271 votes, approximately 35.5% of the vote. Trump received 1,270 votes, according to GOP officials in the state. Haley’s single-vote advantage disrupts the former president’s otherwise clean sweep of the Hawkeye State’s caucus. GOP PRESIDENTIAL PRIMARY BATTLE MOVES ON TO NEW HAMPSHIRE AFTER TRUMP DOMINATES IN IOWA However, her notable disruption of Trump’s dominating victory did not save her from falling behind Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, who finished second place overall. The former governor claimed her third-place finish was evidence of momentum when considering polling numbers in upcoming primary states. “When you look at how well we’re doing in New Hampshire, in South Carolina and beyond, I can safely say tonight Iowa made this Republican primary a two-person race,” Haley said. QUESTIONS SWIRL ABOUT DESANTIS CAMPAIGN AFTER GOVERNOR LANDS SECOND-PLACE FINISH IN IOWA DeSantis edged out Haley for second place. The result was a much-needed boost for DeSantis, who visited every county and invested significant time and resources in the Hawkeye State. “Because of your support, in spite of all of what they threw at us, we got our ticket punched out of Iowa,” DeSantis said in his speech. DeSantis outperformed some polling expectations on Monday night, finishing at roughly 21% when the Real Clear Politics average of polls showed him at 15.7% before votes were cast. “They threw everything at Ron DeSantis,” a senior DeSantis campaign official told Fox News Digital late Monday night. “They couldn’t kill him. He is not only still standing, but he’s now earned his ticket out of Iowa. This is going to be a long battle ahead, but that is what this campaign is built for. The stakes are too high for this nation and we will not back down.” Trump currently holds large leads in the polls in both New Hampshire and South Carolina. The former president, according to the Real Clear Politics average of polls, holds a 14-point lead in New Hampshire and a 30-point lead in South Carolina. Fox News Digital’s Andrew Mark Miller contributed to this report.
Biden declares Trump the ‘clear front runner’ in GOP race after Iowa trouncing
President Biden declared former President Trump the “clear front runner” in the GOP presidential race following Trump’s dominant victory in Iowa Monday night. Biden was quick to launch a fundraising push based on Trump’s win as well. He went on to attack “extreme MAGA Republicans” in a post on X, formerly Twitter. “Looks like Donald Trump just won Iowa. He’s the clear front runner on the other side at this point,” Biden wrote. “But here’s the thing: this election was always going to be you and me vs. extreme MAGA Republicans. It was true yesterday and it’ll be true tomorrow,” he added. CLICK HERE FOR LIVE IOWA CAUCUS UPDATES FROM FOX NEWS Biden followed up the statement with a request for donations to his 2023 re-election campaign. DONALD TRUMP, NIKKI HALEY, RON DESANTIS AND VIVEK RAMASWAMY FACE OFF AT IOWA CAUCUSES Trump said he feels “invigorated” and “greatly honored” after winning the 2024 Iowa caucuses Monday night, telling Fox News Digital that he feels “strong” for our country. “It really is an honor that, minutes after, they’ve announced I’ve won — against very credible competition — great competition, actually,” Trump said. He added: “It is a tremendous thing and a tremendous feeling.” VIVEK RAMASWAMY ENDS PRESIDENTIAL BID FOLLOWING IOWA CAUCUSES “We have to get our country back,” he told Fox News Digital. “Our country has gone through so many bad things over the last three years and it is continuing to go through bad things.” Votes in Iowa are still being tallied, but Trump has clearly taken the lion’s share of the vote, with Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis coming in a distant second, followed closely by former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley. Fox News’ Brooke Singman contributed to this report
Texas’ school ratings remain in limbo as the state and school districts fight over how strict the grading should be
Dozens of school districts sued the Texas Education Agency last fall, claiming revisions to the state’s accountability system would hurt them.
Centre issues show cause notices to Indigo, Mumbai Airport for viral video of passengers eating on tarmac
After the incident, the Union Minister of Civil Aviation, Jyotiraditya Scindia, held a meeting with all ministry officials on Monday.
‘Narendra Modi function’: Rahul Gandhi takes dig at PM over Ram Temple consecration
Addressing a rally in Nagaland’s capital Kohima for ‘Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra’, he said, “The RSS and the BJP have made the 22nd January function a completely political Narendra Modi function.”
Black GOP lawmaker shuts down ‘enraged’ protester calling him ‘racist’ during pro-Trump speech
Rep. Wesley Hunt, R-Texas, mixed it up with a heckler while campaigning for former President Trump in Iowa on Monday after the audience member began shouting at him and accusing Trump of being “racist.” “Tonight, at the Timberline Caucus, as I spoke on behalf of President Trump an enraged man attempted to stop my speech,” Hunt posted on X on Monday night from Iowa. “He shouted Trump was ‘racist.’ You know, the same tired trope we’ve heard over and over again. “But on this day, of all days, Martin Luther King Day, the people of Iowa, just like President Trump judge me not by the color of my skin but by the content of my character. The anti-Trump movement is in full blown meltdown.” In the video of the exchange, an audience member can be heard interrupting Hunt and saying, “How can a Black man do this on Martin Luther King Day?” TRUMP SAYS HE IS ‘HONORED,’ ‘INVIGORATED’ AFTER WINNING IOWA CAUCUSES: ‘WE WANT TO MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN’ The man accused Hunt of “degrading himself” and “turning his back” on Black people as he attempted to confront Hunt before being held back by other members of the audience. The man, who appeared to be African-American like Hunt, was eventually removed from the room by members of the crowd, sparking applause from the audience. RUBIO BECOMES 2ND FLORIDA SENATOR TO ENDORSE TRUMP OVER DESANTIS “I come from a district in Houston, Texas that’s a majority white district and I won by 30 points,” Hunt said after the protester was escorted out. “Because on days like this I realize I am literally being judged not by the color of my skin but on the content of my character.” Hunt added that when he “walks into rooms like this” he doesn’t “see race color or creed” but rather his “fellow Americans.” Trump won Monday night’s Iowa Caucus by a commanding margin, beating his closest challenger by almost 30 points as votes continued to roll in after midnight.
Stopgap spending bill to avoid government shutdown expected to pass Congress despite right-wing opposition
Congress is expected to pass a short-term federal funding extension known as a continuing resolution (CR) this week aimed at avoiding a government shutdown. It’s expected to pass with support from Republican and Democrat leaders who have agreed on little beyond the idea that shutting down the government is a bad idea both practically and politically. The Republican majority in the House has experienced deep fractures over federal spending, with a growing bloc of conservatives declaring they prefer a government shutdown to an extension of the previous Democrat Congress’s spending priorities. JOHNSON CAUGHT BETWEEN WARRING HOUSE GOP FACTIONS: ‘DRIFTING TOWARD MOB RULE’ Within hours of the CR legislative text being made public, the hard-line right House Freedom Caucus panned it as a “surrender.” Johnson, meanwhile, argued that the extra time will keep Republicans on track to secure conservative policy victories in the spending fight. The ultra-conservative faction has had outsized influence on the House GOP majority for much of this Congress, particularly on bills that rely on Republican votes to pass. HOUSE, SENATE RELEASE BIPARTISAN AGREEMENT ON GOVERNMENT FUNDING AS SHUTDOWN DEADLINES LOOM But two GOP aides who spoke with Fox News Digital anticipate that there’s little the Freedom Caucus and its allies can do about stopping the CR. It’s uncertain whether House GOP leaders will secure support from a majority of their own members, given the current political climate on spending, both aides suggested. “It’ll be a showdown for sure,” one Republican aide told Fox News Digital. They said earlier, “The Freedom Caucus offers nothing more than criticism without a single suggestion to avert a government shutdown, and progressives want to spend more money than what this agreement represents.” “That leaves the typical coalition of Republicans and Democrats who will get this CR across the finish line,” the aide predicted. “While this bill will pass on the House Floor, more Republicans than in the past will be forced to vote against this CR for political reasons.” HOUSE GOP ERUPTS IN DIVISION OVER CALL TO PUSH JOHNSON OUT OF SPEAKERSHIP: ‘WORKING FOR JOE BIDEN’ Meanwhile, a GOP aide to a moderate lawmaker blamed that political climate on the eight House Republicans led by Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., who ousted ex-Speaker Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., in October. “Thanks to the Gaetz gang who were more concerned with getting political revenge on Kevin McCarthy with help from Democrats, the House will once again be forced to pass a CR rather than deliver the spending reform we promised,” the second aide said. The new CR would extend the two current government funding deadlines from Jan. 19 and Feb. 2 to March 1 and March 8.