New Iranian supreme leader ‘likely disfigured,’ Hegseth says
War Secretary Pete Hegseth said during a Friday morning press briefing that the U.S. “is decimating the radical Iranian regime’s military” and that the Islamic Republic’s new supreme leader was injured and “likely disfigured.” “Desperate and hiding, they’ve gone underground, cowering,” Hegseth said of Iranian leadership. “That’s what rats do. We know the new so-called not-so-Supreme leader is wounded and likely disfigured,” he said. TRUMP SAYS US ‘TOTALLY DESTROYING’ IRAN AND TO ‘WATCH WHAT HAPPENS’ FRIDAY Iran’s new Supreme Leader Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei, the son of the late Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who was killed during the beginning of the war, issued a statement on Thursday that Hegseth described as “weak.” “It was a written statement,” Hegseth said. “Iran has plenty of cameras and plenty of voice recorders. Why a written statement? I think you know why. His father, dead. He’s scared, he’s injured, he’s on the run and he lacks legitimacy. It’s a mess for them. Who’s in charge? Iran may not even know.” PENTAGON ESTIMATES IRAN WAR COST $11.3B IN THE FIRST SIX DAYS IN CLOSED-DOOR CONGRESSIONAL HEARING: REPORT “We’re on plan to defeat, destroy, disable all of their meaningful military capabilities at a pace the world has never seen before,” Hegseth said. “Soon, and very soon, all of Iran’s defense companies will be destroyed,” he noted. TRUMP WARNS OF IRANIAN ‘SLEEPER CELLS’ AS CANADA IS ACCUSED OF HARBORING REGIME OPERATIVES “I serve God, the troops, the country, the Constitution, and the president of the United States and answer only to those, all in service of victory on the battlefield and the military objectives that we’ve laid out from day one: Defeat the missiles, missile launchers and defense industrial base, which I laid out today. Defeat the Navy and deny Iran the ability to have a nuclear weapon. Clear, decisive, achievable.”
Iran conflict could be push GOP needs for 2nd ‘big, beautiful bill’
Top House Republicans are eyeing a surge in military funding as the U.S. continues its joint operation with Israel against Iran, and some are arguing that a second “big, beautiful bill” is the vehicle to get it done. Republicans are discussing the possibility of supplemental funding to aid the U.S. effort as Iran continues to retaliate against allies in the region. Senior House GOP lawmakers told Fox News Digital that the resulting heightened national security environment means that Congress has a responsibility to ensure the armed forces are prepared for whatever threats may arise. At the same time, they’re skeptical that Democrats will provide the votes necessary to pass such a funding bill through traditional means. “They are certainly not going to spend an additional dime on the military, on security, on any of the things that we care about,” Republican Study Committee Chairman August Pfluger, R-Texas, told Fox News Digital of the opposing party. “The threats around the world have never been higher. They’ve never been greater. And we have to recapitalize after four just disastrous years of President Biden completely decimating our military.” OPERATION EPIC FURY SURVIVES SENATE CHALLENGE AS REPUBLICANS CLOSE RANKS BEHIND TRUMP “So this conflict right now, and the future of our country and our Western values, have to be secured by additional defense spending, which can only happen in a reconciliation bill.” Republicans passed a sweeping tax and policy bill last summer dubbed President Donald Trump’s landmark One Big, Beautiful Bill Act. It was done via the budget reconciliation process, which allows the party in power to change broad swaths of fiscal law while sidelining the minority party — in this case, Democrats. It makes that possible by lowering the threshold for advancing legislation in the Senate from 60 votes to a simple majority, lining it up with the House. REPORTER’S NOTEBOOK: GOP TARGETS AFFORDABILITY WITH RECONCILIATION 2.0 PLAN AHEAD OF MIDTERMS House Budget Committee Chairman Jodey Arrington, R-Texas, said he believed an additional funding package for Iran was inevitable but added, “The politics are such that there’s no guarantee that the supplemental will pass.” “On top of that, the president has been talking about a big capital investment to modernize the military,” Arrington told Fox News Digital. “If we can’t get Democrats to support either of those endeavors — I think we’ve got a better chance of getting support on an emergency supplemental than we do on a one-time capital investment — but I think that reconciliation may be the only train leaving the station that could address those important things.” Pfluger also signaled a broader path: “Is it specific to Iran or is it more general and more broad to just increasing defense spending and making sure that our military has what they need to deter Iran and others? I think that’s probably the more likely path.” However, he noted that reconciliation meant that spending would likely have to be offset by cuts elsewhere, something that could appease fiscal hawks wary of bloated spending levels. “So where do we find the savings? I’ve got some ideas on that. I think it’s related to fraud. I think there’s a lot of money to be saved when we look at fraud, like what happened in Minnesota with the daycares and the billions of dollars that went out the window there,” Pfluger said. THE HITCHHIKER’S GUIDE TO CONGRESS’ OPTIONS ON HAMSTRINGING TRUMP’S WAR POWERS IN IRAN The idea of a second reconciliation bill has already been met with skepticism by a significant number of Republicans, many of whom have cited the GOP’s razor-thin majorities in the House and Senate. But a senior House Republican who also spoke with Fox News Digital argued that the situation in Iran could bring the unity Republicans need. “That would be the biggest motivating factor in another reconciliation bill,” the lawmaker said. And Pfluger pointed out that there was precedent — Democrats passed two reconciliation bills themselves when they last controlled Congress at the beginning of former President Joe Biden’s term. “We should remind ourselves that they stuck together, and they were able to do that. So should we,” he said. But Arrington warned that lawmakers would have to move fast for something to be attainable. “The window is closing, and I don’t see us being able to do a reconciliation bill if we get past the spring, because we’ll be too close to the election,” Arrington said.
Trump says US ‘totally destroying’ Iran: ‘Watch what happens to these deranged scumbags today’
President Donald Trump said on Friday that the U.S. was “totally destroying” and “killing” Iran, warning to watch “what happens to these deranged scumbags today.” “We are totally destroying the terrorist regime of Iran, militarily, economically, and otherwise,” Trump wrote on Truth Social in the early morning hours on Friday. “Iran’s Navy is gone, their Air Force is no longer, missiles, drones and everything else are being decimated, and their leaders have been wiped from the face of the earth,” he continued. “We have unparalleled firepower, unlimited ammunition, and plenty of time.” 4 US SERVICE MEMBERS KILLED IN REFUELING AIRCRAFT CRASH IN IRAQ Trump also appeared to signal significant developments later on Friday, writing, “Watch what happens to these deranged scumbags today.” “They’ve been killing innocent people all over the world for 47 years, and now I, as the 47th President of the United States of America, am killing them. What a great honor it is to do so!” the president said. TRUMP SAYS US ‘TOTALLY DESTROYING’ IRAN AND TO ‘WATCH WHAT HAPPENS’ FRIDAY The president’s post comes nearly two weeks since he launched the U.S. war against Iran in conjunction with close U.S. ally Israel on February 28. The effort has proven controversial, and Americans have been facing surging gas prices domestically during the conflict. US DESTROYS AGING IRANIAN WARPLANES, VIDEO SHOWS “The United States is the largest Oil Producer in the World, by far, so when oil prices go up, we make a lot of money. BUT, of far greater interest and importance to me, as President, is stoping an evil Empire, Iran, from having Nuclear Weapons, and destroying the Middle East and, indeed, the World. I won’t ever let that happen!” Trump declared in a Truth Social post on Thursday.
GOP senator earns Dem backlash for ‘enemy is inside the gates’ comment about NYC Mayor Zohran Mamdani
Republican Sen. Tommy Tuberville of Alabama declared “the enemy is inside the gates” when sharing a post on X that juxtaposed a photo of the September 11, 2001, terror attack on the Twin Towers with an image of New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani. The post Tuberville shared was from an account called “End Wokeness,” which included a message that read, “Less than 25 years apart.” The image appears to show Mamdani hosting a Ramadan Iftar event at city hall, based on an Instagram post from an account called “muslimnews” that includes video footage which matches up with the image of Mamdani that End Wokeness shared on X. ZOHRAN MAMDANI WILL BE FIRST MAYOR TO BE SWORN IN ON QURAN DURING NEW YORK CITY INAUGURATION Mamdani, who is both a Muslim and a democratic socialist, directly responded to Tuberville’s remark. “Let there be as much outrage from politicians in Washington when kids go hungry as there is when I break bread with New Yorkers,” Mamdani wrote in a post on X when sharing Tuberville’s tweet. Democrats blasted Tuberville in response to the remark. MAMDANI SPARKS VIRAL OUTRAGE OVER DINNER PHOTO WITH MAHMOUD KHALIL INSIDE GRACIE MANSION: ‘DISGRACEFUL’ “Racist. Islamophobic. Disgusting. Republicans just want to Make America White Again,” Democratic Sen. Ed Markey of Massachusetts declared in a post on X. “This is mindless hate,” Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer asserted in a post on X. “Muslim Americans are cops, doctors, nurses, teachers, bankers, bricklayers, mothers, fathers, neighbors, mayors, and more. Islamophobic hate like this is fundamentally un-American and we must confront and overcome it whenever it rears its ugly head.” Tuberville shared Schumer’s post and declared, “Calling Radical Islam out for being a CULT doesn’t make you an ‘Islamophobe.’ Radical Islamists chant ‘death to America’ and would love to see every Christian and Jew murdered. Under Sharia Law, if you are not a Muslim, you are the ENEMY. Under Sharia Law, minorities are PERSECUTED. Under Sharia Law, women are SOLD, RAPED, and TRAFFICKED. Don’t believe me?? Read it for yourself! Radical Islam is NOT compatible with the Constitution and has NO PLACE IN AMERICA. I won’t be silenced about this.” MAMDANI TOUTS LANDMARK COURT VICTORY AGAINST REPEAT OFFENDER LANDLORD IN HOUSING ENFORCEMENT PUSH Tuberville also posted “the enemy is inside the gates” on Dec. 31 when sharing a screenshot of a New York Times headline about Mamdani being slated to be the first Big Apple mayor to use a Quran for his swearing in.
Schumer silent on ending DHS shutdown after deadly shootings hit Michigan, Virginia
A pair of shootings on Thursday, one involving a suspect linked to ISIS, has Republicans sounding the alarm to reopen the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), while Democrats dig further into their position. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., and his caucus again blocked a full-year funding bill for the agency, as well as multiple attempts to provide temporary funding, on Thursday. Just as the vote ended and as lawmakers fled Washington, D.C., an active shooter incident at the Temple Israel synagogue in West Bloomfield, Mich., erupted. The suspect died in a shootout with police in that incident. Meanwhile, another shooting at Old Dominion University in Virginia with a suspect previously imprisoned for supporting ISIS led to one person killed and two others injured. Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., told Fox News Digital, “At some point, the consequences, impacts of not funding DHS are real.” DEMS VOTE TO KEEP DHS CLOSED DESPITE AIRPORT CHAOS, IRANIAN SLEEPER CELL THREAT Senate Republicans have tried and failed three times to pass full-year funding for the agency, and Thune noted that it had been two weeks since Schumer and Democrats responded to the latest compromise offer from the White House. When asked if the latest shooting could make Democrats budge, he said, “I’m not sure.” “But it’s a dangerous game and people are going to get hurt,” Thune said. ‘YOU CAN CRY ABOUT IT’: TEMPERS FLARE IN SENATE AS DHS SHUTDOWN DEBATE ERUPTS, STALEMATE DIGS DEEPER The funding impasse has caused the agency to be shuttered for nearly one month, with little hope in Congress that a deal can be reached soon. Republicans have warned that because of President Donald Trump’s war on Iran, there could be increased threats in the U.S. that DHS would have to handle without proper funding. Senate Majority Whip John Barrasso, R-Wyo., blasted Schumer and Democrats for continuing their blockade and accused them of trying to “peel apart” DHS. “They are so beholden and detached to the far-left component of this nation that they don’t care about everybody else,” Barrasso said. “We’ve had terrorist attacks right here in the homeland — two in the last two weeks.” KATIE BRITT BLASTS DEMOCRATS FOR PLAYING ‘POLITICAL GAMES’ WITH SHUTDOWN AMID AIRPORT CHAOS Democrats spent much of Thursday trying to fund the agency one piece at a time in a bid to carve out funding for Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), for which they have sought stringent reforms that Republicans say go too far. Fox News Digital reached out to Schumer’s office for comment on whether the latest shootings would change his calculus on the shutdown, but it did not immediately respond. Instead, Schumer released a statement on the synagogue shooting that did not mention the agency or the funding battle. “Antisemitism is not theoretical. It is real, and it is deadly,” Schumer said. “In solidarity with good-thinking people everywhere, it must be faced head-on, denounced and defeated. Every one of us has a responsibility to not just stand up against this pernicious hate, but to fight it wholeheartedly, no matter where it comes from.”
House conservative unveils bill to end chain migration, scrap diversity visa in sweeping immigration overhaul
FIRST ON FOX: A member of the conservative House Freedom Caucus is proposing legislation that would usher in the most significant legal immigration overhaul the U.S. has seen in decades. Rep. Andy Ogles, R-Tenn., is leading a new bill that would shift the American immigration system from a family-based focus, largely ending chain migration and prioritizing immigrants who serve the “national interest” of the U.S. “All immigration to the United States shall serve the economic, cultural, and security interests of the United States as determined by Congress,” a draft version of the legislative text obtained by Fox News Digital said. It would also eliminate the diversity visa lottery, an annual quota allowing for 55,000 immigrant visas for people from countries with otherwise low migration rates to the U.S. SENATE REPUBLICANS PUSH TO DEPORT, DENATURALIZE FRAUDSTERS AMID MINNESOTA SCANDAL People seeking to immigrate to the U.S. would have to qualify under an expanded set of “good moral character requirements” as well. Prospective immigrants accused of gang affiliation and who have prior arrest records for domestic violence or driving under the influence — even without convictions — could risk being ineligible. Other circumstances that could hinder eligibility under that standard include misuse of public benefits, any immigration violation like visa overstays and tax delinquency. Mandatory vetting to confirm “good moral character” would include “enhanced background checks, including social media review and in-person interviews.” WHITE HOUSE-BACKED GOP BILL WOULD REVOKE CITIZENSHIP AFTER SOMALI FRAUD SCANDAL Republicans have long taken a hard line on illegal immigration, but a growing contingent of conservatives has expressed public skepticism about the legal immigration process as well. Ogles’ bill would reverse key portions of the Immigration and Nationality Act of 1965, colloquially known as the “Hart-Celler Act” after its two main backers in Congress. The landmark bill reversed longstanding immigration quotas that overwhelmingly favored people from Northern and Western Europe, leading to more migration pathways for people from Asia, Latin America, Africa, as well as places like Eastern Europe. It established a system that favored family reunification, refugees, and people with specific skills deemed beneficial to the U.S. economy. Ogles himself previously called for repealing Hart-Celler, posting on X in December 2025, “The Hart-Celler Act scrapped the highly effective national-origins quota system and replaced it with an immigration regime built to favor third-world migration.”
Walz in the hot seat as critics’ predictions on his controversial new law come true: ‘Concerning trends’
As Minnesota’s fraud scandal continues to make headlines, signature legislation signed by Gov. Tim Walz extending the amount of paid leave available to Minnesota workers is already causing major headaches and concerns from critics worried about potential abuse of even more dollars. The legislation, which took effect on January 1, allows Minnesota workers up to 12 weeks a year off with partial pay to care for a newborn or a sick family member, and up to 12 weeks to recover from their own serious illness. Benefits are capped at 20 weeks a year for employees who take advantage of both. Two months in, the legislation is already receiving pushback, including from the state’s largest, non-partisan business advocacy organization. “Beyond just anti-fraud sentiments, employers are reporting a few concerning trends,” Lauryn Schothorst from the Minnesota Chamber of Commerce told Fox 9 Minneapolis. TAFOYA RIPS WALZ ‘DODGING’ ACCOUNTABILITY IN HEARING, UNVEILS PLAN TO FIGHT FRAUD: ‘FULL WEIGHT OF THE LAW’ “Providers are being pressured by patients for the full 12 weeks of leave, even if their condition does not require it. A number of respondents have shared that their employees are making more on paid leave than the wage replacement thresholds in law. Employees are going on vacation or to music festivals while supposedly on leave. These anecdotes don’t necessarily reveal fraud or a lack of oversight by the department. They highlight concerns with the broad eligibility and limited employer recourse elements of the law. To employers, overuse is abuse.” Two Republican lawmakers who spoke to Fox News Digital agreed with that assessment. “The chamber is right,” State Sen. Michael Holmstrom said. “Minnesota is not a business-friendly state. Employers were already offering this benefit and then the state got in between employers and their employees, which it has no business doing.” Holmstrom says a major employer in his district has seen a 700% increase in paid leave usage since the law took effect and the company is unable to backfill those positions with skilled workers to compensate. The result, Holmstrom explained, is carrying on with business as usual without replacements and providing a lower level of service. State Sen. Mark Koran told Fox News Digital he also agreed with the chamber and suggested fraud concerns are valid, saying there will be “no real enforcement” because the “state removed the employer from the oversight and administration of the program.” GOP LAWMAKER UNVEILS WALZ ACT AFTER BILLIONS LOST IN MINNESOTA FRAUD SCANDAL Koran explained: “The program isn’t being used as intended, which Republicans predicted. It was sold as a replacement for short and long-term leave replacement. Now it’s a complex sick leave program with the effective date on day one, not the traditional seventh day of injury or illness.” “The liberal use guidelines mean employees can take a day off every week, or every Monday and Friday for a long weekend. It’s a huge negative impact on employers’ ability to find substitute labor and puts Minnesota in the bottom tier of business competitiveness.” Ultimately, Koran says the law will result in fewer jobs, lower pay, decreased benefits and a “continued exodus of business creation and expansion out of Minnesota.” On social media, critics have echoed similar sentiments, with some pointing out that most businesses in Minnesota already offered paid leave, making state interference unnecessary. “No way,” Brian McClung, former spokesperson for former Republican Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty, posted on X. “I am shocked – shocked! If only someone had warned the MN Democrat trifecta that creating an expensive, cumbersome, bureaucratic system might go badly (when the vast majority of businesses already offered paid leave without a mandate).” Fox News Digital reached out to Walz’s office for comment. The new state paid leave program is being enforced by a new government division within the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development with more than 400 full-time employees overseeing the process, causing uneasiness from some given the multiple state agency bureaucracies that oversaw the massive fraud scandal. Earlier this year, when the law was about to take effect, Fox News Digital reported on concerns that the bill could open the door up for even more fraud, with Bill Glahn, a policy fellow at the Center of the American Experiment, describing the legislation at the time as the “next billion-dollar fraud.” “When you build a multibillion-dollar state benefit program with weak oversight, fraudsters line up,” Townhall columnist and Minnesota resident Dustin Grage, told Fox News Digital in January. “We’ve already seen what happens in Minnesota. The paid family leave system will be a magnet for abuse.” In a statement to Fox News Digital, a spokesperson for the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development defended the program. “Minnesota is not unique in enacting a state paid family and medical leave program – we are one of 13 states, plus the District of Columbia, that have done so. The United States is an outlier – it’s one of only seven countries worldwide that lacks a national paid family and medical leave program. The federal Bureau of Labor Statistics noted in 2023 that 73% of American civilian workers lack access to paid family leave,” the statement said. “We recognize that Paid Leave is a big change for Minnesota employers. That’s why we’ve worked closely with employers around the state, plus many employer advocacy groups, to develop tools and materials to make administering Paid Leave as smooth as possible. We have received positive feedback from many employers, and we are consistently improving service offerings.” The spokesperson added that the department “takes program integrity seriously.” “While the Minnesota Chamber of Commerce has not shared the underlying data from its survey, the Chamber has presented its objections to paid family and medical leave programs for years at the Minnesota Legislature. Despite these objections, the Chamber has been a good partner in helping educate employers about Paid Leave.”
6 US service members aboard refueling aircraft after mid-air collision causes crash in Iraq
Six U.S. service members were killed when a KC-135 refueling aircraft crashed in western Iraq Thursday afternoon after a mid-air incident with a second aircraft, officials confirmed. A U.S. KC-135 refueling aircraft went down in western Iraq around 2 p.m. ET, U.S. Central Command confirmed early Friday. All six crew members aboard the aircraft have been confirmed dead. The other aircraft involved in the incident landed safely, CENTCOM said. Officials said the loss of the aircraft was not the result of hostile fire or friendly fire. The identities of the service members are being withheld pending notification of next of kin and will be released 24 hours after those notifications are complete. FORMER TOPGUN PILOT DECLARES IRAN MILITARY ‘OVER WITH’ AMID US AIR SUPERIORITY, BUT WARNS OF ANOTHER DANGER The circumstances surrounding the incident remain under investigation. The KC-135 Stratotanker is a U.S. Air Force aircraft that refuels other planes midair, allowing them to fly longer missions without landing. It can also be configured for medical evacuations and surveillance, according to the Air Force. Based on the Boeing 707 design, the KC-135 has been in service for more than 60 years, supporting the Air Force, Navy, Marine Corps and allied aircraft. The Air Force is gradually replacing the aging fleet with next-generation KC-46A Pegasus tankers. Despite upgrades, concerns have been raised about the durability of the older aircraft. The Congressional Research Service reported that the Air Force operated 376 KC-135s last year across active duty, the Air National Guard and the Air Force Reserve. IRAN PROXIES WAGE WAR ON ISRAEL, THREATEN US INTERESTS AS IRAQ SLAMMED FOR NOT DISARMING THEM A standard crew includes a pilot, co-pilot and boom operator, who controls the refueling boom from the rear of the aircraft. Some KC-135s are also equipped with wing-mounted pods and can carry cargo or passengers when needed. A second US official said another KC-135 was involved in the incident and landed safely in Israel, according to Israel’s ambassador to the United States. The crash follows last week’s mistaken downing of three US F-15E fighter jets by friendly Kuwaiti fire. Refueling tankers could become increasingly important if the conflict with Iran continues, as US aircraft may need to fly longer missions deeper into the region.
Why an unverified Iran drone tip prompted FBI alerts to California law enforcement
An FBI advisory referencing an unverified tip about a potential Iranian drone concept off the California coast circulated to multiple California law enforcement agencies — only to be forcefully downplayed by the White House hours later. The advisory, distributed through federal security channels, referenced intelligence suggesting Iran had “aspired” to launch unmanned aerial systems from a vessel offshore. The email did not identify specific targets, dates or operational details. The advisory was shared with California state officials and forwarded to local law enforcement agencies, according to reporting by the San Francisco Chronicle, including police departments in San Francisco, Oakland, San Jose and Berkeley. Local officials emphasized there was no indication of a specific or imminent threat but confirmed they were coordinating with federal partners. DHS SHUTDOWN MAY DELAY US TERROR RESPONSE AMID IRAN CONFLICT, EXPERT WARNS FBI spokesperson Ben Williamson posted the alert to X Thursday, which he said went to joint terrorism task force partners. “We recently acquired unverified information that as of early February 2026, Iran allegedly aspired to conduct a surprise attack using unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) from an unidentified vessel off the coast of the United States, specifically against unspecified targets in California, in the event of U.S. strikes on Iran,” the alert said, according to Williamson. “We have no additional information.” After reports about the advisory surfaced publicly, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt sharply criticized the coverage. “This post and story should be immediately retracted by ABC News for providing false information to intentionally alarm the American people,” Leavitt wrote. She said the reporting was based on “one email that was sent to local law enforcement in California about a single, unverified tip,” adding: “No such threat from Iran to our homeland exists, and it never did.” California Gov. Gavin Newsom similarly said there was no verified threat to the state and that officials remained in communication with federal authorities as a precaution. Former Department of Homeland Security official Tom Warrick said the wording of the advisory suggests the intelligence likely reflected aspirational discussion rather than operational planning. FBI RAISES COUNTERTERROR TEAMS TO HIGH ALERT AMID IRAN TENSIONS “When you see the word ‘unverified,’ that generally means this is aspirational,” Warrick said. He emphasized that advisories of this kind are not routine occurrences, but during periods of heightened tensions — particularly involving Iran — federal authorities may err on the side of caution. “It’s not a regular occurrence,” Warrick said. “But given the war with Iran, and given Iran’s known tendencies, it’s only prudent for the FBI to put out a notice to local law enforcement to be aware that this is what we know — but this is all we know.” Warrick said such reporting often stems from intercepted communications in which foreign actors discuss potential attack concepts without evidence of capability or follow-through. “Somehow the United States picked up information of Iranians talking to each other — who probably have some affiliation to the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps, Quds Force — talking about, ‘Wouldn’t it be nice to launch a drone attack on California?’” Warrick said, describing what he believes likely triggered the alert. “That’s where we are.” He stressed that distributing such intelligence allows local authorities to connect suspicious activity — such as unusual drone purchases or maritime behavior — with broader federal reporting. NATIONAL SECURITY EXPERT URGES DHS TO RAISE TERROR THREAT LEVEL, WARNS OF SLEEPER CELL RISKS IN US At the same time, Warrick drew a distinction between large-scale military drone strikes and smaller improvised threats. “We’re not talking about launching Shaheds at California. That’s not feasible,” he said. “Using small-scale hobby drones to carry out a terrorist attack has always been a concern of homeland security,” he added. “That threat already exists.” Current federal law limits the authority to actively disable or intercept drones to specific federal agencies, including the Department of War and Department of Homeland Security. State and local law enforcement agencies generally lack independent authority to jam or seize unmanned aerial systems without federal coordination. Some state and local officials have in recent years pushed Congress to expand counter-drone authority beyond federal agencies, arguing that the proliferation of small drones has outpaced existing legal frameworks. IRAN’S DRONE SWARMS CHALLENGE US AIR DEFENSES AS TROOPS IN MIDDLE EAST FACE RISING THREATS While Warrick framed the advisory as precautionary, Iran specialists say the broader concept referenced in the alert is not entirely imaginary — though executing such an operation would be complex. Michael Eisenstadt, a senior fellow at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy, said Iran has experimented with sea-based launch concepts in the past, including containerized missile systems deployed from modified merchant vessels. “The idea is something they’ve clearly thought about,” Eisenstadt said. “They’ve demonstrated elements of this concept before.” However, he cautioned that projecting such capability across the globe and positioning assets close enough to the U.S. coastline to make an operational difference would be difficult. “To get it across the globe and close enough off the coast of California to make a difference — I’m pretty sure we track pretty closely ships coming out of Iran,” he said, adding that such an operation would likely be “a little too complicated for them to do at this point.” Eisenstadt agreed that describing the advisory as aspirational was likely accurate. “I think that’s probably correct,” he said. He also questioned whether a direct drone strike on U.S. territory would align with Iran’s historical escalation patterns. “If they were to retaliate on the homeland, it would more likely involve inspired or commissioned attacks,” he said, rather than a complex maritime drone launch. Drone-related activity has drawn scrutiny along the West Coast in recent years, though analysts caution against drawing a direct connection between prior incidents and the unverified tip referenced in the advisory. In 2019, multiple U.S. Navy destroyers operating near the Channel Islands off the coast of California reported encounters with groups of unidentified unmanned aerial systems during training operations. Navy documents later released
Illegal immigrant accused of assaulting NJ teen could be released under sanctuary policies, ICE warns
A criminal illegal immigrant accused of sexually assaulting a teenage girl in New Jersey could soon be released under the state’s sanctuary policies, prompting federal immigration officials to issue a warning to local leaders. Gerardo Garcia Gonzalez, a criminal illegal immigrant from Mexico, was arrested by the Ocean County Sheriff’s Office on charges of sexual assault of a victim between 13 and 15 years old, criminal sexual contact and sexual assault by force or coercion. After illegally entering the U.S. in 2001, Gonzalez was returned to Mexico and later re-entered the country at an unknown time, according to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). “This pedophile should NEVER have been in our country and able to prey on children in the first place,” Deputy Assistant Secretary Lauren Bis said in a statement. “We are calling on New Jersey sanctuary politicians to NOT release this predator charged with sexually assaulting a child from jail into New Jersey neighborhoods.” ICE SWEEPS UP CONVICTED PEDOPHILES, TRAFFICKERS IN MASSIVE HOLIDAY WEEKEND STING: ‘WORST OF THE WORST’ Bis continued, “This is the exact reason we need sanctuary jurisdictions to work with us. No one should want this sicko to be on our streets.” U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) requested that Gonzalez not be released under the state’s sanctuary policies. DHS said the request follows proposals by New Jersey politicians for legislation and executive orders “designed to demonize our brave ICE law enforcement.” CALIFORNIA SANCTUARY POLICIES BLAMED AFTER ICE ARRESTS 9 SEX OFFENDERS IN LOS ANGELES Last month, two state Democratic assembly members introduced the F—ICE Act, formally known as the Fight Unlawful Conduct and Keep Individuals and Communities Empowered Act. The legislation would permit civil action for alleged violations of the U.S. Constitution related to immigration enforcement. The bill was drafted after a Democratic Socialist councilman was confronted by a federal agent after arriving at the scene of a raid on the Hudson-Bergen Light Rail, where an agent told him, “I don’t need a warrant, bro.” DHS SAYS ANTI-ICE AGITATORS HELPED CHILD RAPISTS, GANG MEMBERS EVADE DEPORTATION “This is a disgusting bill just meant to demonize our officers who are experiencing a highly coordinated campaign of violence against our law enforcement,” Bis previously told Fox News Digital. Shortly after taking office in January, New Jersey Gov. Mikie Sherrill signed Executive Order 12, which restricts ICE activities on state property and creates a portal for residents to report immigration enforcement activity in their communities. The Justice Department filed a lawsuit last month against New Jersey and Sherrill, accusing the state of expanding its sanctuary policies and obstructing federal immigration enforcement through the executive order. DHS said the actions come as law enforcement officers face a 1,300% increase in assaults and an 8,000% increase in death threats. Fox News Digital reached out to Sherrill’s office and the New Jersey Attorney General’s Office for comment. Fox News Digital’s Charles Creitz and Michael Dorgan contributed to this report.