Massive fire break out at banquet hall near Delhi’s Motinagar; one person feared trapped
Visuals from the scene show thick plumes of black smoke billowing into the night sky as flames engulfed large portions of the Golden Banquet Hall.
Republicans congratulate Trump amid Iran ceasefire as Dems hold back applause
Following news that Iran and Israel have reached a ceasefire less than two days after the United States struck the Muslim country’s nuclear enrichment sites, Republican lawmakers came out in droves to congratulate the president on Monday evening. Democrats, meanwhile, appear to be withholding their congratulations, at least initially. “CONGRATULATIONS TO EVERYONE! It has been fully agreed by and between Israel and Iran that there will be a Complete and Total CEASEFIRE (in approximately 6 hours from now, when Israel and Iran have wound down and completed their in progress, final missions!), for 12 hours, at which point the War will be considered, ENDED!” President Donald Trump said on Truth Social Monday evening. TRUMP ANNOUNCES HISTORIC IRAN AND ISRAEL CEASEFIRE AGREEMENT TO END ’12 DAY WAR’ Following Trump’s announcement, which was later verified with Iranian officials, Republicans immediately took to social media and the airwaves to congratulate the president, with many extolling his negotiating prowess. “[Trump] is the greatest foreign policy mastermind in American history. Give him the Nobel Peace Prize—NOW,” Tennessee Republican Rep. Andy Ogles wrote on X. “Peace through STRENGTH!,” Speaker of the House Mike Johnson exclaimed on the platform. “President Trump just did what no other president could do. All it took was the American people electing Donald J. Trump and the world is safer for it. CEASEFIRE!” South Carolina GOP Rep. Nancy Mace also added on X. VICE PRESIDENT JD VANCE EXPLAINS TRUMP’S ANNOUNCEMENT OF ‘COMPLETE AND TOTAL CEASEFIRE’ AGREEMENT BETWEEN IRAN, ISRAEL “It’s huge if this sticks, which I don’t know why it wouldn’t,” Rep. Marlin Stutzman, R-Ind., told Fox News. “Once Iran saw and heard what we’re capable of doing with our B-2 bombers and our bunker busters, it not only sends a message to them, but it sends a message to the greater part of the world that, this president, he will negotiate with you, he wants to find a way to do this, but, if you’re not going to negotiate, there’s going to be consequences.” “I think the president really hit the re-set button and said, ‘Look, let’s actually produce long-term peace for the region.’ That’s always been his goal,” Vice President J.D. Vance said on Fox News’s “Special Report” with Brett Baier. “I actually think when we look back we will say the 12-day war was an important reset for the entire region.” Meanwhile, Democrats appear to be withholding their congratulations. A Fox News Digital analysis of Democrat congressional leadership’s accounts on X, shows no congratulatory messages as of Monday evening. However, Fox News was able to catch up with Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., to ask her about her take. The congresswoman’s response was not congratulatory, however. DETAILS REVEALED BEHIND TRUMP’S ANNOUNCEMENT OF IRAN-ISRAEL CEASEFIRE “He also said that it was a war,” Ocasio-Cortez told Fox News when asked about the ceasefire. “I think that the president of United States, admitting that he unilaterally brought the United States into a war without congressional approval, is a very grave public admission. It is illegal. It is unconstitutional. And, and so for me, while the president is posting something about a ceasefire, I think what he also posted was an official acknowledgment that this was war. And I think that is something that should be taken into very serious consideration.” Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., who was pushing to pass a resolution alongside Democrats ahead of this weekend’s attacks seeking to require Trump to gain congressional approval before attacking Iran, said that he would not seek to advance the measure any further on account of the ceasefire. “I talked to the speaker on the floor just now and told him we wouldn’t push it if the cease-fire holds, so it’s really in their court,” Massie said, according to Politico. Massie added that he would “wait and see” before making a final decision.
DOJ on ‘high alert’ for Iranian nationals living illegally in US, Bondi says
Attorney General Pam Bondi was questioned Monday during a House budget hearing about Iranian nationals who entered the country illegally during the Biden administration after the Trump administration warned the conflict with Iran raised threat levels in the United States. Rep. Tony Gonzales, R-Texas, asked if the attorney general knew how many Iranian nationals in the United States have been convicted of crimes. Bondi said she was unsure, but that more than 1,000 entered the country during the last administration. “And I can tell you, we are on high alert, and everyone is looking at that very closely,” Bondi said. TRUMP CALLS IRAN RESPONSE TO STRIKE ON NUCLEAR FACILITIES ‘WEAK,’ SUGGESTS RETURN TO DIPLOMACY U.S. Border Patrol arrested 1,504 Iranians at the southern border during President Joe Biden’s term, and nearly half of them, or 729, were released into the United States, according to a senior Customs and Border Protection source. Bondi’s remarks echo those of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), which issued a notice one day prior saying that the Iran conflict “is causing a heightened threat environment in the United States.” The DHS cited the possibility of extremists in the United States “independently mobilizing to violence” if Iranian leaders were to call for it. The department also said cyberattacks and incidents of antisemitism could increase. Gonzales asked Bondi about the threat of Iranian “sleeper cells,” to which the attorney general said she could “not talk about that in this setting.” The line of questioning during a hearing about the Department of Justice’s (DOJ) budget proposal for the upcoming fiscal year came amid a rapidly evolving conflict in the Middle East that Trump chose to intervene in over the weekend. OVER 700 IRANIAN NATIONALS RELEASED INTO THE US DEPSITE TERRORISM CONCERNS The Trump administration carried out airstrikes on three Iranian nuclear facilities, leading to Iran launching a missile attack on a U.S. military base near Doha, Qatar, on Monday. Trump said the Iranians gave “early notice” of the offensive and that no casualties occurred as a result of the attack. Later Monday, Trump announced that a ceasefire between Israel and Iran would take effect in a matter of hours, though ceasefire deals have fallen through in the past, and it remains unclear if the agreement will hold. The DOJ brought an indictment against three men last year in connection to a murder-for-hire scheme that allegedly originated in Iran that involved assassinating Trump before the 2024 election, as well as killing a journalist. One of the men remains at large. He is an Afghan national but was allegedly being paid by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, an Iran-based militant group. “The charges announced today expose Iran’s continued brazen attempts to target U.S. citizens, including President-elect Donald Trump, other government leaders and dissidents who criticize the regime in Tehran,” FBI Director Christopher Wray said at the time of the indictment. Bill Melugin contributed to this report.
ICE arrests alleged gang member hiding from Mexican authorities in sanctuary city: ‘Heinous murderer’
EXCLUSIVE: Immigration and Customs Enforcement arrested an illegal immigrant in New Haven, Connecticut, who is wanted for allegedly killing a Mexican law enforcement officer. Orlando Diaz-Cebada, known as “El Leches,” was taken into ICE custody on June 12, 2025, in Connecticut. He is allegedly a member of the Los Pochos gang that works with the Sinaloa Cartel, according to DHS. “Thanks to our brave ICE law enforcement and federal partners, this criminal illegal alien fugitive wanted for murdering a law enforcement official in Mexico is off America’s streets. This heinous murderer attempted to evade justice by hiding out in Connecticut,” Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin said in a statement. FEDERAL AGENTS CAPTURE ALIEN ACCUSED OF RAPE, ASSAULT WHILE LA POLITICIANS CONDEMN ICE OPERATIONS “These are the types of barbaric criminal illegal aliens our brave ICE law enforcement risks their lives every day to arrest. America is no longer a safe haven for violent criminals. If you are a criminal illegal alien considering entering America illegally, don’t even think about it. If you come here and break our laws, we will hunt you down. Criminals are not welcome in the United. States,” McLaughlin added. Diaz-Cebda entered the United States illegally in May 2024, and was deported twice by U.S. Border Patrol, as he tried to enter again two days after the first try. According to DHS, the circumstances of when he returned to the U.S. are unclear, as the department said he was not “inspected, admitted, or paroled” by federal authorities. A document reviewed by Fox News Digital from the attorney general’s office in Tlaxcala, a state in Mexico, showed that he is wanted in the country for aggravated homicide. ILLEGAL ALIEN CHARGED WITH ATTEMPTED MURDER FOR THROWING MOLOTOV COCKTAIL AT OFFICERS IN LA RIOTS: DHS The arrest warrant was filed on April 23, 2024, a month before he came to the U.S. New Haven is considered a sanctuary city, according to WSHU. In April, Mayor Justin Elicker touted a legal win as the Trump administration attempted to scrap federal funding for cities that do not comply with federal immigration enforcement. CLICK HERE FOR MORE IMMIGRATION COVERAGE “New Haven is a welcoming city and we’re committed to ensuring all our residents feel safe calling the police, seeking medical care, sending their children to school, and accessing critical public services. It’s not only the right policy, it’s the practical policy,” Elicker said in a statement in April. TWO ILLEGAL VENEZUELAN IMMIGRANTS, SUSPECTED TDA GANG MEMBERS CHARGED IN DEADLY CHICAGO MASS SHOOTING “We need to make sure our police department is working to fight crime and not commandeered to do the work of the federal government. We are very pleased with this ruling and that New Haven will be able to use lawfully obligated federal funds to further strengthen public safety in our city,” the Democrat added. Fox News Digital reached out to the mayor’s office. “We fully support the efforts of our federal partners in apprehending this individual, who stands accused of a heinous crime, the killing of a fellow officer. While everyone is entitled to due process, we stand firmly behind actions that protect our communities,” a spokesperson for the New Haven Police Department stated.
With prospects of a THC ban eroded, Texas hemp industry supports age restrictions, more regulation enforcement
Hemp industry leaders say they agree with regulations similar to how the state regulates alcohol.
Texas directs public universities to identify undocumented students
The directive comes after a court rescinded undocumented students’ eligibility for in-state tuition. It’s unclear what information schools might ask from students and how their immigration data will be protected.
Hospitals in sanctuary cities could be most vulnerable to Iran terror attacks, warns expert
Following reports that 729 Iranian nationals illegally entered the U.S. and were released into the country by the Biden administration, experts are warning that sanctuary jurisdictions with policies obstructing ICE and federal immigration enforcement may be the most vulnerable targets for Iranian-sponsored terror attacks looking to retaliate for the U.S. strikes over the weekend. The number of Iranians released into the country by Border Patrol agents under former President Joe Biden’s administration increased successively each year of the administration. In total, Border Patrol arrested 1,504 Iranian nationals from fiscal year 2021 through fiscal year 2024. Of the 1,504 individuals who were arrested, 729 were released into the United States. Just hours after Trump addressed the nation on U.S. military strikes on Iranian nuclear sites, the DHS released a new memo sounding the alarm on a “heightened threat environment in the United States.” The bulletin states, “The likelihood of violent extremists in the Homeland independently mobilizing to violence in response to the conflict would likely increase if the Iranian leadership issued a religious ruling calling for retaliatory violence against targets in the Homeland.” ‘OPEN BORDERS’ UNDER BIDEN COULD HELP IRAN RETALIATE WITH US TERROR SLEEPER CELLS: FORMER FBI BOSS NBC News reported that Iran sent a message to Trump at the G7 summit last week that it could activate “sleeper cells” to conduct terror attacks in the U.S. “We have to assume threats may arise,” Lora Ries, a director of the Border Security and Immigration Center at the Heritage Foundation, told Fox News Digital. Ries said that while the government is aware of 729 Iranian illegal immigrants being released into the country under Biden, the real concern is that “we have no idea” how many unknown “gotaways” there could be in the U.S. presently. She said the concerns are most acute in so-called sanctuary jurisdictions that have policies or, in the case of Los Angeles, populations that are actively obstructing federal immigration authorities from carrying out deportations. MIDNIGHT HAMMER IS ‘MISSION ACCOMPLISHED’ BUT THERE’S ONE BIG RED FLAG “Democrats need to start supporting deportations,” she remarked, pointing out that despite a narrative that ICE agents are arresting innocent immigrants, many of the illegals are serious criminals, or in some cases, even terrorists. Andrew Arthur, an immigration policy expert at the Center for Immigration Studies, told Fox News Digital that the “ultimate soft target” for a terror attack would be a hospital, especially hospitals in sanctuary jurisdictions. He pointed out Iran’s recent bombing of a hospital in Be’er Sheva, Israel, demonstrating the regime is willing to carry out such an attack. “It’s a possibility in the United States,” said Arthur. “If we’re trying to think of a soft target that would potentially have catastrophic impacts, it would be a hospital.” To prevent such an attack, Arthur stressed the importance of federal, state and local law enforcement agencies all working together to monitor and proactively respond to threats. AMERICAN TRAVELERS SHOULD KNOW ESCAPE ROUTES AT TRANSIT HUBS AFTER IRAN STRIKES, SECURITY EXPERT WARNS “Fortunately, DNI [the Director of National Intelligence] should have an idea of what potential targets in the future are. DNI is not going to share that publicly, but all that should flow down through DHS to state and local law enforcement agencies,” he explained. “The problem is that right now, we have all these state and local law-enforcement agencies and sanctuary jurisdictions that really aren’t cooperating with DHS,” he said. “That could create its own vulnerability.” “It compounds the risk,” he went on. “Particularly in California, because I think a lot of law enforcement agencies in California are confused about what they can do and can’t do under SB-54 — the California Values Act — so it could potentially create its own vulnerability.” That being said, Arthur said an Iranian-sponsored terror attack inside the U.S. would likely be a “suicidal move” for the regime and would likely be a “last desperate move.” Even so, Arthur said there remains a “real concern” about Iranian-sponsored terror attacks inside America’s borders. AMERICANS VULNERABLE TO CYBERATTACKS, LONE WOLF THREATS IN WAKE OF IRANIAN AIRSTRIKES: FORMER FBI AGENT Other potential mass casualty targets could be places such as the National Mall in Washington, D.C., Times Square, Independence Hall in Philadelphia or other highly populated, open areas. “The threat is real. Whether they’re going to use it is a different question,” he concluded, adding, “The Biden administration exposed the American people to an unacceptable level of threat.” On Monday evening, Trump posted on social media that “it has been fully agreed by and between Israel and Iran that there will be a Complete and Total CEASEFIRE … for 12 hours, at which point the War will be considered, ENDED!”
Iran attacks US military base in Qatar
NewsFeed Iran fired missiles at the US’s Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar, saying it was retaliation for recent American strikes on its nuclear facilities. Qatar intercepted the missiles and said it reserves the right to respond “to this blatant aggression in accordance with international law.” No casualties were reported. Published On 23 Jun 202523 Jun 2025 Adblock test (Why?)
US-Israel-Iran conflict: List of key events, June 23, 2025
Here are the key events on day 11 of the Israel-Iran conflict. Here’s where things stand on Monday, June 23: Fighting Iran has fired ballistic missiles at the Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar, the United States’ largest military installation in the Middle East. Doha said the attack was intercepted and there were no casualties. Fellow Gulf countries Bahrain and Kuwait – which also host US facilities – joined Qatar in closing their airspace, then reopened them. Earlier, Israel had struck Tehran’s Evin Prison, notorious for holding political activists. Iranian state television shared surveillance footage of the strike, which reportedly blew the facility’s gate open. Explosions were heard on the western outskirts of the southwestern Iranian city of Ahvaz, capital of oil-rich Khuzestan province, the Fars news agency reported. Tasnim news agency reported a strike at an electricity feeder station in the Evin neighbourhood in north Tehran. Earlier, Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz said his country had attacked “regime targets and government repression bodies in the heart of Tehran”, including Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) command centres. Israel also carried out a strike on the Fordow enrichment facility, a day after the US hit the underground site south of Tehran with so-called “bunker buster” bombs. The Israeli military issued an evacuation threat to residents of Tehran, telling them to stay away from weapons production centres and military bases. Iranian state television said on Monday that the country had targeted the Israeli cities of Haifa and Tel Aviv. It claimed the majority of its projectiles fired since the early hours of the day had successfully reached their targets. Sirens sounded across Israel before noon on Monday, with a large number of impacts recorded in several areas, including the Ashdod area in southern Israel and the Lachish area, south of Jerusalem. Advertisement Casualties and disruptions Eleven days into the conflict, large numbers of Tehran’s 10 million population have reportedly fled. After Israel’s strike on Evin Prison, Iran’s IRIB state broadcaster released video showing rescue workers combing the flattened wreckage of a building at the prison, carrying a wounded man on a stretcher. Iranian power company Tavanir said there were power cuts in the Iranian capital, Tehran. In Qatar, prior to Iran’s attack on Al Udeid, the US and the United Kingdom had urged their citizens in the country to “shelter in place”. Britain said on Monday that a Royal Air Force flight carrying 63 British nationals and their dependents out of Israel had left Tel Aviv. A number of airlines, including Kuwait Airways, Finnair and Singapore Airlines, have suspended operations in the Middle East. Air India said it was not only halting operations to the region, but also stopping flights to and from the US east coast and Europe. Politics and diplomacy After Iran’s attack on Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar, US President Donald Trump thanked Tehran for giving him ”early notice” of the attack, which he described as a ”very weak response” to the US attack on Iranian nuclear facilities. In a separate post, he thanked the emir of Qatar for his peace efforts. A spokesperson for the Qatari Foreign Ministry said that the country considered the Iranian attack to be a “surprise”, announcing the situation in the country was safe. Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei posted on his Farsi-language X account: “We have not violated anyone’s rights, nor will we ever accept anyone violating ours, and we will not surrender to anyone’s violation; this is the logic of the Iranian nation.” Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi said in a statement posted by his ministry on Telegram that Iran would be ready to respond again in case of further action by the US. Earlier in the day, Ali Akbar Velayati, an adviser to Khamenei, said bases used by US forces “in the region or elsewhere” could be attacked – that evening, Iran targeted Al Udeid in Qatar. Abdolrahim Mousavi, Iran’s armed forces chief of staff, pledged that the country would take “firm action” in response to US strikes on key nuclear sites the day before. “This crime and desecration will not go unanswered,” he said on state television. Ebrahim Zolfaqari, spokesperson for Iran’s Khatam al-Anbiya central military headquarters, addressed US intervention in the war in a video statement, saying: “Mr Trump, the gambler, you may start this war, but we will be the ones to end it.” Iran’s semi-official Tasnim news agency said a parliamentary committee had approved a general plan to suspend cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). Iran’s mission to the United Nations said the US, the UK, France, Israel and IAEA chief Rafael Grossi were responsible for the deaths of innocent civilians and the destruction of infrastructure. Russian President Vladimir Putin slammed attacks on Iran as “unprovoked” and “unjustified” in a Moscow meeting with Tehran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi. Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov said, “Our strategic partnership with Iran is unbreakable,” but was not drawn on the question of whether Iran had requested military help – or whether any help would be forthcoming. After Israel’s attack on Tehran’s Evin Prison, Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar wrote “Viva la libertad!”, Spanish for “long live liberty”, on X. French Foreign Affairs Minister Jean-Noel Barrot said that the Israeli strike on Tehran’s Evin Prison, which holds some French prisoners, was unacceptable. China’s UN ambassador, Fu Cong, said US credibility was “damaged” after its bombing of Iran’s nuclear sites, warning the conflict could “go out of control”, according to the state broadcaster. German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said of Sunday’s US strikes on Iranian nuclear sites: “Yes, it is not without risk, but leaving it as it was wasn’t an option either.” British Foreign Secretary David Lammy said his country stood ready to “defend our personnel, our assets and those of our allies and partners”. NATO chief Mark Rutte said alliance members had “long agreed that Iran must not develop a nuclear weapon” and called an Iranian atomic bomb his “greatest fear”. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio called on China
Iran attacks US air base in Qatar: What we know so far
Iran has attacked United States forces stationed at the Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar, saying it was retaliating against the US strikes on Iran’s nuclear sites. The attacks on Monday were confirmed by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) in a statement addressed to the Iranian people. Consecutive flares, coupled with loud explosions, were seen in Qatar’s capital, Doha, and other parts of the country. Here’s what to know about the Iranian attacks in Qatar. Why did Iran launch an attack in Qatar? The IRGC, in its statement, said it launched a “powerful and devastating missile attack” as part of Operation Annunciation of Victory in response to the “blatant military aggression” by the US on Iran’s nuclear facilities. The IRGC also said its “decisive action” sent a message to the White House and its allies that Iran would, “under no circumstances, leave any aggression against its territorial integrity, sovereignty, or national security unanswered”. “US bases and mobile military assets in the region are not points of strength, but rather major vulnerabilities,” the statement warned. Where did Iran attack and why? Iran said it targeted the Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar because it “serves as the command centre of the US Air Force and is the largest strategic asset of the American terrorist army in West Asia”. Tehran also noted that the missile strike was conducted away from residential areas in Qatar. “This action does not pose any threat to the friendly and brotherly country, Qatar, and its noble people, and the Islamic Republic of Iran remains committed to maintaining and continuing warm and historic relations with Qatar,” Iran’s Supreme National Security Council said in a statement. Advertisement What and where is the Al Udeid Air Base? Al Udeid is the largest US military base in the Middle East, housing approximately 10,000 US troops. The 24-hectare (60-acre) base, located in the desert southwest of Doha, was set up in 1996. It serves as the forward headquarters for US Central Command, which directs US military operations in a huge swath of territory stretching from Egypt in the west to Kazakhstan in the east. The base houses the Qatar Emiri Air Force, the US Air Force, the United Kingdom’s Royal Air Force and other foreign forces. How did Iran attack, and how did Qatar respond? A US defence official, quoted by the Reuters news agency, said that “Al Udeid Air Base was attacked by short-range and medium-range ballistic missiles originating from Iran”. Qatar’s Ministry of Defence, meanwhile, said its air defence systems successfully intercepted the Iranian missiles targeting the base. Qatar said it received information that bases in the region are being targeted, including Al Udeid Air Base. “At 7:30pm (1630 GMT), we received reports that seven missiles were launched from Iran toward Al Udeid Air Base,” Qatari officials said in a briefing later on Monday. They confirmed that Al Udeid Air Base was evacuated before the attack. Its Foreign Ministry decried the attack, saying it is a “violation of Qatar’s sovereignty and airspace and the UN charter”, and that Doha reserves the right to respond. Was there any damage after Iran’s attack? Qatar’s Defence Ministry confirmed that the incident resulted in no deaths or injuries. In a later press briefing, Qatar’s Ministry of Interior confirmed that a total of 19 missiles were fired from Iran. It added that only one of those hit Al Udeid Air Base, but caused no casualties. “We are proud of the response to today’s attack and no damage was reported,” Qatari officials said. What’s happening in Qatar as a result of the Iranian attack? In the hours leading up to the attack, the embassies of the US and the UK in Qatar released statements urging citizens in Qatar to shelter in place until further notice. However, the advisory was lifted a few hours after the attacks had ceased. Several British, American and European schools in the country said they would remain closed on Tuesday. Qatar’s Ministry of Education said all exams set to take place on Tuesday had been rescheduled for Wednesday. During its briefing, Qatar’s Ministry of Interior said the situation in the country was “completely stable” and that all authorities are working in coordination to ensure the safety of the public. Advertisement Jabr al-Naimi from Qatar’s Public Security said the safety of citizens, residents, and residents is of the “utmost priority”. “We will not allow any international or external crisis or conflict to affect our life in Qatar,” he said in a televised press conference. Qatar’s Foreign Ministry also said life is going back to “normal” following the attack, and has reiterated its call for warring parties to negotiate. Why was Qatar’s airspace shut, and when did it reopen? Qatar shut down its airspace temporarily, saying it was “part of the measures taken to ensure the safety of residents and visitors.” It was reopened more than five hours later. Adblock test (Why?)