Indian mariner killed as oil tanker hit by drone boat in Gulf of Oman amid US-Iran conflict
The merchant ship MV SAND, which sails under the flag of Panama, in coordination with the Maritime Security Centre, evacuated the survivors. Oman’s Royal Navy is monitoring a damaged oil tanker in the Gulf of Oman and warning ships to stay clear.
Middle East conflict: India shares emergency contact details for Indians stranded in Doha, Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Muscat, Qatar
As many Indians have been pleading for help amid the Middle East conflict triggered by the US-Israel strikes on Iran, the Ministry of External Affairs has released emergency helpline numbers and email IDs for Indian nationals currently living in the conflict-hit countries of the region.
US surges forces to Middle East as Pentagon warns Iran fight ‘will take some time’
More U.S. forces are headed to the Middle East, according to chairman of the Joint Chiefs of staff Gen. Dan Caine, as the U.S. escalates its campaign against Iran. “The flow of forces continues today. In fact, Admiral Cooper will receive additional forces even today,” Caine said during a Pentagon briefing Monday morning, referring to Central Command chief Adm. Brad Cooper. Caine declined to provide troop numbers, saying, “I don’t want to talk specifics, because that would tip the enemy off. We have more tactical aviation flowing into theater just based on the time it took to get it out there.” “I think we’re just about where we want to be in terms of total combat capacity and total combat power for Admiral Cooper.” IRAN’S TERROR PROXIES FROM IRAQ-TO-LEBANON SAY READY TO RESPOND TO US-ISRAEL ATTACKS Caine said the additional forces build on a monthlong repositioning of U.S. assets across the region, including carrier strike groups, advanced fighter aircraft and air defense systems, as the U.S. prosecutes what officials described as “major combat operations” that have already resulted in the death of 555 Iranians, according to an Associated Press count, as of Monday morning. Caine said the U.S. mission in Iran is to “prevent Iran from (the) ability to project power outside its borders.” “This is not a so-called regime change war, but the regime sure did change and the world is better off for it today,” added War Secretary Pete Hegseth. AMERICA STRIKES IRAN AGAIN — HAS WASHINGTON PLANNED FOR WHAT COMES NEXT? Hegseth said the mission was to destroy Iranian missiles and missile production, destroy its navy and ensure it has no capability to pursue a nuclear weapon. The general warned the operation “will take some time” and acknowledged, “We expect to take additional losses.” Four U.S. service members have been killed in the operation that began in the early hours of Saturday Eastern Time. Hegseth said the service members were struck by an Iranian missile that penetrated air defenses at a tactical command center. Asked whether there are American boots on the ground in Iran, Hegseth replied, “no,” but said the administration would not telegraph future options. It’s “one of the fallacies” that “this department or presidents or others should tell the American people — and our enemies, by the way — ‘here’s exactly what we’ll do,’” Hegseth said. “It’s foolishness.” At the start of the operation known as Epic Fury, Caine said more than 100 aircraft launched from land and sea in a synchronized wave, including fighters, tankers, electronic attack aircraft, bombers and unmanned platforms. U.S. cyber and space forces first conducted non-kinetic operations designed to disrupt and degrade Iran’s ability to communicate and respond, he said. Tomahawk missiles fired from U.S. Navy vessels struck Iranian naval forces along the southern flank, while coordinated precision strikes targeted command and control infrastructure, ballistic missile sites and intelligence facilities. Caine said the opening phase struck more than 1,000 targets in the first 24 hours. American B-2 bombers flew 37-hour round-trip missions from the continental United States to hit underground facilities with penetrating munitions, he added. “We are now roughly 57 hours into the operation,” Caine said Monday, adding that U.S. forces have launched hundreds of missions and delivered tens of thousands of pieces of ordnance as the campaign continues to scale.
Retired general who once led Air Force Research Laboratory goes missing
A retired U.S. Air Force general was reported missing in New Mexico, with authorities warning that medical concerns have heightened fears for his safety. Retired Maj. Gen. William Neil McCasland, 68, was last seen around 11 a.m. Friday near Quail Run Court NE in Albuquerque, the Bernalillo County Sheriff’s Office said. Officials said they do not know what McCasland was wearing or in which direction he may have traveled. The sheriff’s office has issued a Silver Alert. “Due to his medical issues, law enforcement is concerned for his safety,” the sheriff’s office said. NANCY GUTHRIE NEIGHBORS’ RING CAMERA CAPTURES VEHICLES ON POSSIBLE ROUTE FROM CRIME SCENE McCasland was a longtime leader at Kirtland Air Force Base in New Mexico and previously commanded Kirtland’s Phillips Research Site and Air Force Research Laboratory. NANCY GUTHRIE SUSPECT’S DIGITAL ‘BLACKOUT’ MAY BE KEY TO CASE, SAYS EXPERT WHO PROBED KOHBERGER PHONE Col. Justin Secrest, commander of the 377th Air Base Wing at Kirtland, told the Albuquerque Journal that the base is coordinating with local authorities. “Our thoughts are with his family during this difficult time,” Secrest said. McCasland was commissioned in 1979 after graduating from the U.S. Air Force Academy with a degree in astronautical engineering and held multiple leadership roles in space research, acquisition and operations, including work with the National Reconnaissance Office. Authorities asked anyone with information about McCasland to text BCSO to 847411 or call the sheriff’s Missing Persons Unit at +1 (505) 468-7070.
Hegseth lays out ‘clear’ 3-part mission against Iran, says war ‘is not endless’
War Secretary Pete Hegseth on Monday outlined what he described as a “clear” three-part mission against Iran, insisting the conflict “is not endless” and sharply rejecting comparisons to past U.S. wars in the Middle East. Speaking during the first Pentagon briefing since U.S.-Israeli strikes began over the weekend, Hegseth said Operation Epic Fury has a narrowly defined objective: destroy Iran’s offensive missile capabilities, cripple its navy and prevent Tehran from obtaining a nuclear weapon. “We set the terms of this war from start to finish. Our ambitions are not utopian. They are realistic, scoped to our interests and the defense of our people and our allies,” he told reporters. Hegseth said the campaign is being carried out “surgically” but with overwhelming force, arguing the United States is steadily degrading Iran’s capabilities while strengthening its own posture in the region. IRAN’S MISSILE REACH: WHAT’S IN RANGE NOW – AND HOW CLOSE THEY ARE TO THE US He also acknowledged the risk of additional casualties, saying four Americans have been killed so far, and vowed to press ahead until the operation’s objectives are met. Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Dan Caine said the operation began Saturday under U.S. Central Command and cautioned that it would not be a one-night effort. This is a breaking news story; check back for updates.
Wife of GOP congressman dead after being injured in January hit-and-run crash
The wife of U.S. Rep. Jim Baird, R-Ind., has died after suffering serious injuries in a January hit-and-run accident, the congressman’s office announced Sunday. Danise Baird died following complications from her injuries in the Jan. 5 car crash, Baird’s office wrote in a post on X. “Congressman Baird and Danise were married for 59 years, building a life centered on faith, family, and service,” the post read. “A devoted wife and loving mother of three, she was the foundation of their family and will be deeply missed. We ask that you keep the Congressman and his family in your prayers during this difficult time.” The congressman was also injured in the crash as the couple drove back to the nation’s capital. He was discharged after less than 24 hours in the hospital, though missed some time on Capitol Hill. REPUBLICAN CONGRESSMAN HOSPITALIZED AFTER CAR ACCIDENT, SOURCES SAY Baird, 80, and his wife were both originally expected “to be okay,” President Donald Trump said a day after the crash while making remarks at the recently renamed Donald J. Trump and John F. Kennedy Memorial Center for the Performing Arts. The couple’s son, Beau Baird, wrote in a Jan. 15 update on Facebook that his mother had “a long recovery ahead of her after suffering nearly 15 breaks and fractures” in the “serious hit-and-run accident.” On Feb. 1, he wrote that his mother “has taken her first assisted steps,” adding that “while we’re hopeful, we know there’s still a road ahead, and family is at the center of all we do.” Baird and his wife were high school sweethearts and shared three children together, according to the congressman’s House biography. GOP REP MAST SAYS US MILITARY OBJECTIVE IN IRAN IS TO ‘ELIMINATE’ THREAT TO AMERICANS Lawmakers took to social media to share their condolences with the Baird family following the devastating loss of their matriarch. “This is incredibly sad news from our dedicated colleague Jim Baird,” Rep. Elise Stefanik, R-N.Y., wrote. “Jim’s wife Danise was often by his side as he worked so hard in Congress on behalf of his constituents. They are salt of the earth people and Jim and his family have sacrificed so much for our country.” Rep. Pete Stauber, R-Minn., asked the public to “join me in lifting up my colleague Rep. Jim Baird and his family in prayer,” adding, “May God wrap them in His comfort through the difficult days ahead.” Rep. Lisa McClain, R-Mich., wrote that she and her husband Mike were praying for the Baird family to “find comfort, strength, and peace in the days ahead.” Baird, a U.S. Army veteran who served during the Vietnam War and is known on Capitol Hill for veterans and farming issues, has represented Indiana’s 4th Congressional District since 2019. The district is a largely rural, agriculture-heavy area in western and north-central Indiana. Fox News’ Michael Dorgan, Alex Nitzberg and Chad Pergram contributed to this report.
Chasing the apocalypse: Radical Shiite clerics on American soil preach prophetic showdown with US
FIRST ON FOX: For many, the war with Iran — and the killing of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei — might seem like the climactic end to a long, brutal reign of terror by the theological clerics who have run the country since 1979. But a Fox News Digital investigation reveals that, for certain hardline Shiite ideologues, including in the U.S., this is not an ending but a prophetic showdown that will usher in the arrival of the “Mahdi,” a messiah, according to Islamic eschatology, or the theology of end times. In this prophecy, Mahdi will emerge to battle Dajjal, the Islamic equivalent of the Antichrist, in a final battle of Armageddon. For many of these ideologues, President Donald Trump is Dajjal. At a recent Friday sermon at a local Shiite mosque in northern Virginia, an imam closed prayer with an earnest plea, before war broke out in Iran: “May Allah destroy all the nonbelievers – or kafiroon or munafiqoon,” he said, using Arabic words that refer to “nonbelievers” and “hypocrites.” He asked for this victory “before the arrival of Imam Mahdi.” ANTI-US PROTESTERS FUNDED BY PRO-CHINA TYCOON MOBILIZE AS FIRST BOMBS FALL ON IRAN Fox News Digital observed the sermon and also witnessed a special table of honor in the middle of the mosque’s main prayer hall, featuring framed photos of Khamenei embracing Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar and Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrullah, also killed by Israel for orchestrating terrorist attacks. The Friday service at the Manassas Mosque reveals a theological dynamic that Secretary of State Marco Rubio warned about in early February, noting that the Islamic Republic of Iran’s leaders are guided not merely by geopolitics and national security considerations, but by “pure theology.” “We have to understand that Iran ultimately is governed, and its decisions are governed by Shiite clerics — radical Shiite clerics — who make policy decisions on the basis of pure theology,” Rubio said. In its investigation, Fox News Digital conducted a digital analysis of hours of sermons and scores of pages of pro-regime protest slogans, messaging and social media posts, using large-language models, and found clerics, community leaders and media platforms in the U.S. framing tensions with Iran in explicitly apocalyptic terms rooted in eschatology, or Islamist end-times theology. The investigation found that precepts shaping Tehran’s worldview, from its clerics to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, are also being preached on American soil by proxies for Iran’s propaganda. From the mosque in northern Virginia to religious institutions in Michigan and Texas, clerics aligned with the Islamic Republic are advancing a doomsday interpretation of faith that casts geopolitical and military confrontation with the U.S. as part of a prophetic destiny tied to the return of the Mahdi. After war broke out Friday night, Fox News Digital witnessed pro-regime chats on messaging platforms, like Telegram, filled with prayers, awaiting “the arrival” of Mahdi. “We need Al Mahdi…His return with Jesus will be the final win permanently,” one read. “The saviour the warrior the dominator ‘ imam mahdi ’ [sic] will arrive,” read another. Last summer, the Manassas Mosque co-organized a White House protest with the Party for Socialism and Liberation, the ANSWER Coalition, CodePink and other far-left groups to support the Iranian regime. The groups are now again protesting Trump’s military action against Iran. One demonstrator, wearing a black-and-white Palestinian keffiyeh scarf over her face, carried a flag last summer that read “Labayk ya Mahdi” in Arabic, meaning, “At your service, oh, Mahdi.” In Farsi, Arabic and English, the flag also had the message, “I dedicate every single of my steps to your reappearance.” DEADLY AUSTIN SHOOTING THAT KILLED 3 MAY BE ‘ACT OF TERRORISM,’ FBI SAYS Pro-regime mosques, K-12 schools and local community organizations in the U.S. are “producing messaging that mirrors Tehran’s talking points almost word for word,” warned Andrew Ghalili, policy director at the National Union for Democracy in Iran, an advocacy group led by Iranian Americans who oppose the theocratic regime running Iran. In an upcoming report, “The Ayatollahs’ Influence Network in the United States,” reviewed by Fox News Digital, the group’s researchers conclude the Islamic Republic of Iran spreads “Tehran’s messaging” in a network of institutions it supports in the U.S., for example, pitting Trump as the Dajjal fighting defenders of the Mahdi, like Khamenei and now his successors. “What we’re seeing is years of deliberate investment by the Islamic Republic inside the United States,” Ghalili told Fox News Digital. “This is happening on American soil, and it’s just another way in which the regime poses a direct threat to the United States, this time not with missiles but through infiltration,” he said. A gunman just killed three in Austin, Texas, wearing a sweater that said, “PROPERTY OF ALLAH.” According to media reports, law enforcement officials found the flag of the Islamic Republic of Iran and photos of its leaders in his home. ENEMY WITHIN: COUNTERTERRORISM EXPERTS FEAR SLEEPER CELLS COULD BE POISED INSIDE US After the recent Friday service, two community leaders at the Manassas mosque declined to speak for attribution but told Fox News Digital that the rhetoric of destroying “nonbelievers” and the photos of Khamenei and the terrorist group leaders are meant to challenge “injustice” before the Mahdi appears. A Harvard University report on “The Hidden Imam and the End of Time” recognizes the world’s two billion Muslims hold a range of beliefs regarding eschatology and many reject strict or literal interpretations. In the majority Sunni sect and the minority Shiite sect of Islam, clerics describe the Mahdi’s army traveling from modern-day Iran to Damascus, Syria, where Jesus would appear at the Umayyad Mosque and pray behind the Mahdi. The Mahdi’s forces would battle Dajjal in Syria and kill him in Lod, Israel, conquering the world. Days ago, Iran’s state-run Islamic Republic News Agency repeated the end-times narrative, quoting Hezbollah Secretary General Sheikh Naim Qassem, claiming the regime is the “government of Imam Mahdi” and its anti-U.S. “resistance is the path to hastening his reappearance.” IRAN OPERATING SECRET ‘BLACK BOX’ SITES HOLDING THOUSANDS IN DETENTION: REPORTS For
3 US warplanes shot down by Kuwaiti air defenses, pilots bail out in friendly fire incident, CENTCOM says
Three U.S. Air Force F-15E Strike Eagles were shot down in a friendly fire incident over Kuwait late Sunday during active combat operations tied to Operation Epic Fury, U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) said. The aircraft were mistakenly engaged by Kuwaiti air defenses amid a complex battle environment that included attacks from Iranian aircraft, ballistic missiles and drones. All six aircrew members safely ejected, were quickly recovered, and are reported to be in stable condition. Kuwaiti officials have acknowledged the incident, and an investigation is underway to determine the cause. KEY MILITARY SITES TARGETED INSIDE IRAN AS PART OF COORDINATED US-ISRAELI STRIKES CENTCOM said additional details are expected as the review progresses. Kuwait’s Ministry of Defense said earlier on Monday that several U.S. military aircraft had crashed, according to a statement carried by the state-run Kuwait News Agency. Defense Ministry spokesperson Col. Saud Al-Atwan said Kuwaiti authorities immediately launched search and rescue operations, evacuated the aircrews from the crash sites and transferred them to hospitals to assess their conditions and provide any necessary medical care. Al-Atwan added that Kuwaiti and U.S. forces were coordinating on the circumstances of the incident and implementing joint technical procedures as part of the response. 3 US SERVICE MEMBERS KILLED, 5 SERIOUSLY WOUNDED IN IRAN OPERATION Video from the crash appeared to show one of the jets descending rapidly in a steep dive before disappearing from view. In separate footage, pilots could be seen parachuting toward the ground surrounded by smoke. The Kuwait Army’s official X account said its Air Defense Force confronted a number of “hostile aerial targets” at dawn, intercepting and tracking them as part of operations in the central part of the country. TRUMP OVERSEES US STRIKES ON IRAN FROM MAR-A-LAGO, SPEAKS WITH NETANYAHU: WH The post did not specify how many targets were engaged or detail their nature, but described the response as efficient and conducted under full combat readiness to protect Kuwait’s airspace.
CM Rekha Gupta’s big push for Delhi women: Free bus travel, LPG cylinders, and more; here’s all you need to know
In the gracious presence of the President Droupadi Murmu, CM Gupta dedicated four major welfare schemes, including the Saheli Pink Smart Card for free bus travel, a free LPG cylinder scheme, and the Delhi Lakhpati Bitiya Yojana. Here’s all you need to know.
Dow asks Texas to legalize plastic pollution from its Seadrift complex
Facing multiple lawsuits, North America’s largest chemical manufacturer requests an “unprecedented” permit amendment to authorize its discharge of polyethylene pellets into coastal waters.