Previously self-deported Iranian illegal immigrant picked up after refusing ICE arrest in Texas
A previously deported Iranian man living in the United States illegally was arrested this week in Texas, federal prosecutors said. Jamil Bahlouli was found at an Austin home where deportation officers attempted to arrest him as part of a 2020 removal order after he skipped out on an appointment at an immigration office, the Justice Department said. When authorities found Bahlouli in the doorway of his home, he “refused to be arrested and took an action designed to prevent or hamper his deportation and departure pursuant to the outstanding final order of removal by slamming the door on the deportation officers,” court documents state. MORE IRANIANS WITH CRIMINAL HISTORIES ARRESTED BY ICE IN TRUMP’S SECURITY SWEEP: ‘WORST OF THE WORST’ He is charged with failure to deport. Bahlouli self-deported to Canada on Oct. 14, 2021 following the removal order. However, he re-entered the U.S. illegally at some point and was found around Dec. 15, 2023, authorities said. The 2020 removal order used to deport him the first time was then reinstated, the Justice Department said. BIDEN-APPOINTED JUDGE BLOCKS DEPORTATION OF BOULDER ATTACK SUSPECT’S FAMILY DESPITE VISA VIOLATIONS He was charged with illegal re-entry and information with illegal entry, for which he was convicted in Montana on Jan. 5, 2024, according to court documents. He was sentenced to time served and released into the U.S. Bahlouli was scheduled to report to an ICE office in San Antonio on Jan. 23, 2024 but never showed up, authorities said. He faces up to four years in prison. ICE is investigating the case.
Fox News Politics Newsletter: Red State Notches SCOTUS Win Over Planned Parenthood
Welcome to the Fox News Politics newsletter, with the latest updates on the Trump administration, Capitol Hill and more Fox News politics content. Here’s what’s happening… -Legalized same-sex marriage turns 10 after landmark Supreme Court decision reshaped American law and culture -Former Biden aide Anthony Bernal subpoenaed by House committee after refusing to appear for deposition -ICE arrests more Iranian nationals across amid sleeper cell concerns The Supreme Court ruled Thursday that South Carolina has the power to block Medicaid funding for Planned Parenthood clinics, in a technical interpretation over healthcare choices that has emerged as a larger political fight over abortion access. The case, Medina v. Planned Parenthood South Atlantic, centers on whether low-income Medicaid patients can sue under what is known as Section 1983 – part of the Civil Rights Act of 1871 – in order to choose their own qualified healthcare provider. It involves South Carolina’s blocking of Medicaid funding for Planned Parenthood South Atlantic, which the organization argued violated federal law. In a 6-3 decision, the Court noted that the typical redress for such a violation would be for the Secretary of Health and Human Services to withhold Medicaid funding from the state, not for an individual to sue the state. “Section 1983 permits private plaintiffs to sue for violations of federal spending-power statutes only in ‘atypical’ situations … where the provision in question ‘clear[ly]’ and ‘unambiguous[ly]’ confers an individual ‘right,’” Justice Neil Gorsuch wrote in the majority opinion, ruling that the law in question in the present case “is not such a statute.”…READ MORE. TAXPAYER BURDEN: FIRST ON FOX: Congressman calls on Noem, Dr. Oz with a plan to ‘swiftly remove’ 1.4 million illegal migrants who receive Medicaid COURT BATTLE RAGES: Abrego Garcia lawyers ask US judge to order return to Maryland amid ongoing criminal case ‘SWISS ARMY KNIFE’: What has Vance accomplished in first 5 months as VP? His peers weigh in FAKE NEWS FRENZY: Trump admin pushes back against ‘false reporting’ by mainstream media outlet on children deportations JUDICIAL POWER GRAB: Revisiting Justice Scalia’s same-sex marriage dissent: prophetic or inflammatory? TWISTED PRIORITIES: Hegseth tears into reporters, alleging they ‘cheer against Trump’ and Iran strikes EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW: Fmr. Trump Secy. of State Pompeo says Iran strike sends message: ‘America is back leading in the world’ WOKE WASTE SLASHED: FIRST ON FOX: Noem uncovers and kills multimillion dollar Biden-era DEI, LGBTQ program WAITING FOR THE CALL: Top Dem demands answers from Social Security, claiming wait times spiked during DOGE cuts SPIES IN THE SKIES: Drone incursions on US bases come under intense scrutiny as devices upend modern combat ART OF THE TROLL: White House drops ‘Daddy’s Home’ meme after viral NATO summit moment HEROES SURVIVE FIRE: Caine reveals details on the 44 young soldiers who defended largest US base in Middle East from Iran TORTURE AND ABUSE: Belarusian dissident thanks Trump admin for his freedom, demands the UN act REGIONAL OUTREACH: Trump’s crown jewel Abraham Accords may expand to normalize ties between Israel and other nations AUTHORITARIAN LUXURY: North Korea’s Kim cuts tape at coastal tourist site; foreigners not yet welcome ‘HISTORIC’ TEAM: Mossad chief thanks US for help with Iran, says ‘significantly thwarted’ regime threats NUKE SITE SHOWDOWN: ‘The mission was accomplished’: Senate Republicans push back against leaked report on Iran strikes POWER PLAY BACKFIRE: FIRST ON FOX: GOP senator calls for parliamentarian’s firing after serving Medicaid blow to Trump’s ‘big, beautiful bill’ UNELECTED POWER: Fury erupts as unelected Senate ‘scorekeeper’ blocks Trump’s agenda FLIP-FLOP FIASCO: DC House delegate’s office backtracks after 88-year-old’s statement that she’ll run for re-election VALUES VS. VERDICT: WATCH: Republicans share views on gay marriage decade after Supreme Court decision THREATS UNLEASHED: Republican congresswoman’s office evacuated after pro-abortion activists send chilling threats SMACKDOWN: Trump’s ‘big, beautiful bill’ faces setback as Senate rules knock out key Medicaid provisions GREAT DIVORCE: Decade after landmark ruling, Republican support for same-sex marriage craters NEW ROUND BEGINS: JB Pritzker takes aim at Trump in launching Democratic re-election bid for Illinois governor CAMPAIGN LAUNCH: ‘No dignity’ in socialism: NYC Mayor Adams announces re-election bid after Mamdani wins Dem primary GREEN BRAINWASHING: Parental rights watchdog exposes left-wing climate group’s strategy to recruit kids for environmental activism RED RISING: New York Republicans warn of ‘disaster’ if ‘dangerous’ Zohran Mamdani wins mayoral race Get the latest updates on the Trump administration and Congress, exclusive interviews and more on FoxNews.com.
37 House Dems vote with GOP to deport illegal immigrant drunk drivers
A bill to deport illegal immigrants convicted of driving while under the influence (DUI) netted the support of 37 House Democrats on Thursday. The bill was introduced by conservative Rep. Barry Moore, R-Ala., and passed by a 246 to 160 vote. No Republican voted against the bill, and it was opposed by 160 Democrats. Democrats who voted for the legislation include Rep. Jim Himes, D-Conn., the top Democrat on the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, as well as moderate Reps. Tom Suozzi, D-N.Y., Jared Golden, D-Maine, Laura Gillen, D-N.Y., Don Davis, D-N.C., and Marie Gluesenkamp Perez, D-Wash., among others. 148 DEMOCRATS BACK NONCITIZEN VOTING IN DC AS GOP RAISES ALARM ABOUT FOREIGN AGENTS “Today’s vote in the House sends a clear message: if you are a guest in this country, and you break our laws and put American lives at risk by driving under the influence, there will be consequences,” Moore said. The bill is named after Jeremy and Angel Seay, a couple from Moore’s own community who were killed by an illegal immigrant who was found to have been drunk driving, Moore said. It’s also named after slain Arizona police officer Brandon Mendoza, who was killed by an illegal immigrant found to have been driving under the influence. REPUBLICANS CHALLENGE ‘IRRELEVANT’ BUDGET OFFICE AS IT CRITIQUES TRUMP’S ‘BEAUTIFUL BILL’ Democrats who opposed the bill argued it was an attempt at fearmongering. “I participated in the judiciary hearings that led to this bill being sent to the floor, and I carefully reviewed the majority report. There’s absolutely no evidence in that hearing or report showing a causal connection between immigration status and drunk driving,” Rep. Mary Gay Scanlon, D-Pa., said when the House Rules Committee debated the bill earlier this week. “And most notably, for all this talk, this legislation takes no real meaningful action to repair our broken immigration system.” But Moore said he was “amazed” that 160 Democrats voted against the bill. “It just shows that if it comes to anything about holding illegal immigrants accountable, even if it’s killing our own people in drunk driving cases, they’re against any kind of reforms on immigration,” Moore said. House Democrats’ senior leadership are among the 160 who voted against the bill, including House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y. The legislation would have to be taken up by the Senate and then signed into law by President Donald Trump to go into effect.
Rubio announces new visa restrictions on families of fentanyl traffickers
Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced new sanctions on Thursday that he called “necessary” to “deter and dismantle” the flow of deadly fentanyl into the United States. The new policy imposes new visa restrictions on family members and close personal and business associates of foreign drug traffickers. Speaking with reporters Thursday afternoon, State Department spokesman Tommy Piggott said that this move “will not only prevent them from entering the United States, but also serve as a deterrent for continued illicit activities.” In a statement released by the State Department, Rubio stressed the importance of further expanding sanctions to stop the flow of fentanyl and other drugs into the country. “The fentanyl crisis in the United States is unprecedented, with overdoses remaining the leading cause of death for Americans ages 18 to 44,” said Rubio. STATE DEPARTMENT SAYS IT HAS PROVIDED GUIDANCE TO MORE THAN 25,000 PEOPLE IN ISRAEL, WEST BANK AND IRAN The secretary said that “more than 40 percent of Americans reportedly know someone who has died from an opioid overdose, and in 2024, the United States averaged over 220 overdose deaths daily.” “Today’s action expands upon existing tools,” he said, adding that the State Department “will use all necessary tools to deter and dismantle the flow of fentanyl and other illicit drugs from entering the United States and harming U.S. citizens.” Fentanyl is a dangerous drug that is often trafficked into the United States across the southern and northern borders by cartels and other criminal elements. In 2024, fentanyl was linked to the deaths of 48,422 persons in the United States, according to the CDC. During his campaign, President Donald Trump vowed to wage a war against fentanyl traffickers through increased border security and by cracking down on illegal immigration. Since taking office, Trump has deployed U.S. troops to the southern border, targeted cartels and transnational criminal groups as “foreign terrorist organizations” and hit cartel leaders with sanctions. LIBERAL NEWS OUTLET MOCKED FOR REPORTING ON ‘MYSTERIOUS’ DROP IN FENTANYL FLOWING ACROSS BORDER According to the Center for Immigration Studies (CIS), the U.S. law enforcement seizures of fentanyl, which the group explains is a “key indicator of broader total smuggling at and between the southern border’s ports of entry,” have dropped 50% since the November election. CIS states that this significant decline indicates a “greater decline in total fentanyl smuggling.” In May, Attorney General Pam Bondi announced that authorities had made one of the biggest fentanyl busts in U.S. history with the seizure of 409 kilos of fentanyl pills and 11.5 kilos of fentanyl powder. Bondi said that around 35 kilos of methamphetamine, 35 kilos of meth, 7.5 kilos of cocaine and 4.5 kilos of heroin also had been seized along with $5 million in cash and 49 rifles and pistols. Sixteen people including three women, were arrested in the operation. Six of the males are in the U.S. illegally, according to Bondi. BONDI ANNOUNCES ONE OF LARGEST FENTANYL SEIZURES IN US HISTORY Bondi described fentanyl as a weapon of “mass destruction” and laid down a stern warning to drug pushers looking to distribute the potentially deadly drug throughout the nation. “When we catch you like all of these individuals, if convicted, we will put you behind bars. There will be no negotiating and we will lock you up for as long as humanly possible,” Bondi said. “We will not negotiate with those who are killing our family members, including brothers, sisters, daughters, sons, parents, friends, everyone in this room.”
FBI investigating Iran strike leaker, Leavitt says: ‘They should be held accountable’
Those who leaked a preliminary assessment — rejected by the White House — on the U.S. strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities will face justice for sharing the document, according to White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt. President Donald Trump and multiple leaders are saying that the strikes destroyed three Iranian nuclear sites. A leaked report from the Defense Intelligence Agency, published by CNN and the New York Times, cast doubt on that though, saying that the strikes only set back Iran’s nuclear program by several months. CNN first reported the assessment’s findings, citing seven people who were briefed on the report. The outlet reported the findings were based on a battle damage assessment from U.S. Central Command. Leavitt pushed back on the early assessment’s credibility, claiming the report was “flat-out wrong.” “Everyone knows what happens when you drop 14 30,000-pound bombs perfectly on their targets: total obliteration,” Leavitt said in a Tuesday statement. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth said Wednesday that the FBI is conducting an investigation to get to the bottom of the matter and who shared the document with the media. TRUMP SLAMS RUSSIA’S CASUAL THREAT TO ARM IRAN WITH NUCLEAR WEAPONS: ‘THAT’S WHY PUTIN’S THE BOSS’ Additionally, Leavitt told reporters that leaking classified information is a criminal offense and that those who fail to follow the law “need to be held accountable for that crime.” “This administration wants to ensure that classified intelligence is not ending up in irresponsible hands, and that people who have the privilege of viewing this top secret classified information are being responsible with it,” Leavitt told reporters Thursday. “Clearly, someone who had their hands on this and it was a very few people, very few number of people in our government who saw this report,” Leavitt said. “That person was irresponsible with it. And we need to get to the bottom of it. And we need to strengthen that process to protect our national security and protect the American public.” Meanwhile, the U.S., Israel and Iran’s Foreign Ministry have all said that the three nuclear sites U.S. forces struck have encountered massive damage. EX-CLINTON OFFICIAL APPLAUDS TRUMP’S ‘COURAGEOUS’ IRAN CALL, DOUBTS HARRIS WOULD’VE HAD THE NERVE Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesman Ismail Baghaei told Al Jazeera Wednesday that the country’s nuclear facilities were “badly damaged,” and Israel’s Atomic Energy Commission said the U.S. strikes were “devastating.” On Sunday, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Dan Caine said that initial battle damage assessments suggest “all three sites sustained extremely severe damage and destruction.” Trump issued a word of caution to Iran Wednesday, should it attempt to repair its nuclear program once more, and said the U.S. wouldn’t hesitate to launch another strike against Iran. Trump personally called for the firing of one of the reporters who authored the story about the initial assessment, claiming in a Wednesday Truth Social post that the reporter should be “IMMEDIATELY reprimanded, and then thrown out ‘like a dog.’” RUSSIAN LEADER CLAIMS MULTIPLE COUNTRIES PREPPED TO PROVIDE IRAN NUCLEAR WEAPONS FOLLOWING US STRIKES Even so, CNN came to the defense of the reporter, Natasha Bertrand. “We stand 100% behind Natasha Bertrand’s journalism and specifically her and her colleagues’ reporting of the early intelligence assessment of the U.S. attack on Iran’s nuclear facilities,” CNN said in a Wednesday statement. “CNN’s reporting made clear that this was an initial finding that could change with additional intelligence. We have extensively covered President Trump’s own deep skepticism about it.” Fox News’ Brooke Singman contributed to this report.
‘Presidential incapacity’: Senate Republican seeks paper trail of Biden’s autopen use
FIRST ON FOX: A Senate Republican wants to build a paper trail of former President Joe Biden’s autopen usage with the end goal of calling more hearings, passing legislation or amending the Constitution to best address “a mentally incapacitated president.” Sen. Eric Schmitt, chair of the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on the Constitution, is requesting special access under the Presidential Records Act to a trove of Biden-era documents and memos that chronicle his usage of an autopen. In a letter to Secretary of State and Acting National Archivist Marco Rubio exclusively obtained by Fox News, Schmitt argued that creating a paper trail of key directives made toward the end of his presidency would help in “deciding which legislative remedy is most appropriate.” TOP BIDEN AIDE ADMITS TO CONGRESS SHE DIRECTED AUTOPEN SIGNATURES WITHOUT KNOWING WHO GAVE FINAL APPROVAL “In particular, the increased use of the autopen to sign pardons, executive orders, and other documents as his Presidency progressed became a poignant symbol of President Biden’s mental decline and has created questions about the validity of those orders and pardons if President Biden did not direct the use of the autopen,” he wrote. Schmitt requested access to a slew of documents, including memos about procedures for usage of the autopen, who was granted authority to use the autopen and emails from staff authorizing or requesting authorization for autopen usage. SENATE HEARING ON WHO WAS ‘REALLY RUNNING’ BIDEN WHITE HOUSE KICKS OFF WEDNESDAY He also requested access to all White House records after Nov. 1, 2024, that refer or relate to presidential pardons; that prioritize briefing books, memos and decision memos for pardons; and, eventually, access to all White House records after Nov. 1. “With that information, the subcommittee will be better positioned to ensure that any potential proposed amendment will be sufficiently comprehensive so as to address any plausible contingency concerning a mentally incapacitated President,” Schmitt wrote. “It would be challenging enough to amend the Constitution once — much less more than once if it then subsequently turned out not all contingencies around presidential incapacity were adequately considered.” Schmitt’s letter comes after the Senate Judiciary Committee’s hearing on Biden’s alleged mental decline while in office and how the autopen could have played a central role in his inner circle’s alleged attempt to skirt the Constitution while continuing to carry out the duties of the office. EX-WHITE HOUSE OFFICIALS TO TESTIFY ON WHO ‘REALLY RAN THE COUNTRY’ DURING BIDEN ERA It also explicitly mentions the closed-door, transcribed hearing with Biden’s former director of the Domestic Policy Council, Neera Tanden, conducted by the House Oversight Committee this week. A source told Fox News Digital that during the transcribed interview, which lasted five hours, Tanden testified she had “minimal interaction with President Biden” in her role as staff secretary and that to obtain autopen signatures, she would send decision memos to members of Biden’s inner circle. She said during the interview she was not aware of what actions or approvals happened between the time the memo was sent out and returned with approval. However, Tanden’s opening statement, shared with Fox News Digital by her lawyer, Michael Bromwich, said that, as staff secretary, she was responsible for “handling the flow of documents to and from the President” and that she was authorized to direct that autopen signatures be “affixed to certain categories of documents.” “We had a system for authorizing the use of the autopen that I inherited from prior Administrations,” Tanden said. “We employed that system throughout my tenure as Staff Secretary.” She was later named director of Biden’s Domestic Policy Council and said she was no longer responsible for the flow of documents and was no longer involved in decisions related to the autopen. “I would note that much of the public discussion on the subject matter of this hearing has conflated two very different issues: first, the president’s age and second, whether President Bident was in command as President,” she said. “I had no experience in the White House that would provide any reason to question his command as President. He was in charge.” Schmitt requested that access to the swathe of memos and communications be granted no later than July 16. “It is important for this subcommittee to have a clear picture of President Biden’s decision-making capacity at the end of his presidency and to know the extent to which members of his inner circle possibly usurped the President’s decision-making authority,” he wrote. Fox News Digital’s Liz Elkind contributed to this report.
World leaders flock to meet with Trump at NATO Summit
President Donald Trump took part in a flurry of greetings with world leaders eager to get face time with the U.S. president during his brief stint at the NATO Summit. Upon arriving, the president was welcomed by Dutch royals — King Willem-Alexander, Queen Maxima, and their daughter Crown Princess Amalia. He became the first president to stay at the king’s palace, Huis ten Bosch Palace. “I had breakfast with the king and queen this morning — beautiful people,” Trump said. “I slept beautifully.” TRUMP SAYS US WOULD STRIKE AGAIN IF IRAN REBUILDS NUCLEAR PROGRAM He participated in photo ops with world leaders from across the political spectrum — friend and foe alike — and received fawning praise from NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, who likened him to the father of the alliance. “Daddy has to sometimes use strong language,” Rutte said in defense of Trump’s expletive-laden criticism of Israel and Iran for threatening the ceasefire he negotiated. The president was riding high amid warming relations with the alliance he previously threatened to pull out of. After months of combativeness with Europe over defense spending and liberal policies, Trump praised the alliance for agreeing to his demand to raise its defense spending target to 5% of GDP. “Believe it or not, allies have increased spending by $700 billion,” Trump said in a news conference. “This week, the NATO allies committed to dramatically increase their defense spending to that 5% of GDP, something that no one really thought possible.” TRUMP JOINS NATO SUMMIT WITH GLOWING PRAISE AS ALLIES ADOPT NEW SPENDING Even Spain — the only nation not to agree to commit 5% to defense — got a relatively mild drubbing from the president. “I like Spain. I have so many people from Spain. It’s a great place, and they’re great people. But Spain is … the only country out of all of the countries that refuses to pay. And, you know, so they want a little bit of a free ride,” he said. It was certainly a different tone from Vice President JD Vance’s address at the Munich Security Conference. “The threat that I worry the most about vis-à-vis Europe is not Russia. It’s not China. It’s not any other external actor,” Vance said at the time. “What I worry about is the threat from within the retreat of Europe from some of its most fundamental values, values shared with the United States of America.”
Ella Emhoff feels ‘trauma’ returning to NYC polling station where she voted for Harris
Former Vice President Kamala Harris’ stepdaughter, Ella Emhoff, shared with her Instagram followers on Tuesday that she felt “a little trauma” while on her way to vote in New York City’s Democratic mayoral primary. Emhoff revealed that she was voting in the same polling station where she had cast her ballot for her stepmother, who ultimately suffered a crushing defeat in Nov. 2024. “You know, I’m feeling a little trauma walking to the same polling station that I did to vote for Kamala. And you know, I’m just feeling a lot of hope,” Emhoff said in a video posted to her Instagram story that has since expired. REPUBLICANS USE MAMDANI BOMBSHELL VICTORY OVER CUOMO AS AMMUNITION TO BLAST DEMOCRATS AS EXTREMISTS In the second part of the video, Emhoff sported an “I Voted” sticker and said she was “feeling a huge mix of emotions,” adding that it was “spectacular seeing New York come together in this way and rally behind Zohran.” Emhoff was among several celebrity guests — including “Sex and the City” star Cynthia Nixon and actor Kal Penn — at Zohran Mamdani’s watch party. ERIC ADAMS WARNS ZOHRAN MAMDANI IS A ‘SNAKE OIL SALESMAN’ AFTER DEM SOCIALIST’S NYC MAYORAL PRIMARY WIN While the results of the primary are unofficial, Mamdani claimed victory, and the other frontrunner in the race, former Gov. Andrew Cuomo, conceded. Emhoff endorsed Mamdani in May in a video apparently filmed at Brooklyn Steel, a music venue in New York City, where Mamdani was holding an event. “I’m passing the phone to the next mayor of New York City, who’s going to make New York happier, healthier and more affordable,” Emhoff says in the video, which was a play on the “passing the phone” social media trend. In the past month, Emhoff promoted Mamdani on her social media. In one post, she made a list of “big reminders,” including urging New Yorkers not to rank Cuomo and to vote for Mamdani instead. Mamdani has faced heavy criticism from Republicans who see him as being a radical and from those who have accused him of being an antisemite. His proposals, such as implementing free public transit, creating a network of city-owned grocery stores and instituting free universal childcare for children from ages 6 weeks to 5 years. Rep. Elise Stefanik, R-N.Y., criticized Mamdani, saying that “a radical, Defund-the-Police, Communist, raging antisemite will most likely win the New York City Democrat mayoral primary.” The New York City Board of Elections is set to release the official primary results on July 1, according to Fox 5.
Bernie Moreno wants Senate to call for Nobel Peace Prize to go to Trump
Sen. Bernie Moreno, R-Ohio, wants President Donald Trump to win the Nobel Peace Prize. The lawmaker is introducing a resolution Wednesday that declares the U.S. Senate “calls on the Norwegian Nobel Committee to award President Donald John Trump the 2025 Nobel Peace Prize,” “urges all peace-loving nations to join in that call” and “expresses its deepest appreciation to President Trump for bringing an end both to the nuclear program of Iran and hostilities related thereto in only 12 days.” President Barack Obama was awarded the prize in 2009, less than one year after taking office. TRUMP NOMINATED FOR NOBEL PEACE PRIZE OVER IRAN-ISRAEL CEASEFIRE DEAL “Obama won the Nobel, then he killed hundreds of civilians and did nothing to stop Forever Wars,” Moreno declared in a post on X. “Now President Trump did what neocons said couldn’t be done—destroying Iran’s nuclear facilities & securing a ceasefire. It’s time to formally nominate him.” Rep. Earl “Buddy” Carter, R-Ga., who is running for U.S. Senate, also nominated Trump for the award this week. TRUMP ANNOUNCES HISTORIC IRAN AND ISRAEL CEASEFIRE AGREEMENT TO END ‘12 DAY WAR’ In a nomination letter, the congressman said he was nominating Trump “in recognition of his extraordinary and historic role in brokering an end to the armed conflict between Israel and Iran and preventing the world’s largest state sponsor of terrorism from obtaining the most lethal weapon on the planet.” TRUMP SAYS IRAN WON’T BE BUILDING BOMBS ‘FOR A VERY LONG TIME’ “His leadership at this moment exemplifies the very ideals that the Nobel Peace Prize seeks to recognize: the pursuit of peace, the prevention of war, and the advancement of international harmony,” Carter’s letter declared. Fox News’ Tyler Olson contributed to this report
Iran, Israel and US agree that Islamic Republic nuclear sites were ‘badly damaged’ despite leaked intel report
President Donald Trump’s historic precision strikes on Iran’s nuclear sites Saturday hit their targets and “destroyed” and “badly damaged” the facilities’ critical infrastructure — an assessment agreed upon by Iran’s Foreign Ministry, Israel and the United States. “Our nuclear installations have been badly damaged, that’s for sure,” Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesman Ismail Baghaei told Al Jazeera. TRUMP SAYS US WOULD STRIKE AGAIN IF IRAN REBUILDS NUCLEAR PROGRAM Israel’s Defense Forces Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir said its assessment is that Iran’s nuclear program has been “significantly damaged,” while Israel’s Atomic Energy Commission described the U.S. strikes as “devastating.” “The devastating U.S. strike on Fordo destroyed the site’s critical infrastructure and rendered the enrichment facility inoperable,” Israel’s Atomic Energy Commission said. “We assess that the American strikes on Iran’s nuclear facilities, combined with Israeli strikes on other elements of Iran’s military nuclear program, has set back Iran’s ability to develop nuclear weapons by many years.” It added: “The achievement can continue indefinitely if Iran does not get access to nuclear material.” TRUMP THRASHES CNN AS ‘GUTLESS LOSERS’ FOR COVERAGE OF US STRIKES ON IRAN And as for the United States, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Dan “Razin” Caine said that initial battle damage assessments indicate that “all three sites sustained extremely severe damage and destruction.” “More than 125 U.S. aircraft participated in this mission, including B-2 stealth bombers, multiple flights of fourth and fifth generation fighters, dozens and dozens of air refueling tankers, a guided missile submarine, and a full array of intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance aircraft, as well as hundreds of maintenance and operational professionals,” Caine said in a press briefing. And Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said that “given the 30,000 pounds of explosions and the capability of those munitions, it was devastation underneath Fordow.” HEGSETH SAYS FBI IS CONDUCTING INVESTIGATION INTO LEAK OF INTEL REPORT ON STRIKE AGAINST IRAN “Any assessment that tells you otherwise is speculating with other motives,” Hegseth said. The agreement on the assessment of damage between the United States, Israel and Iran comes amid a report that cited leaked low-confidence intelligence from one intelligence agency that suggested the U.S. strikes did not destroy Iran’s nuclear sites. A Defense Intelligence Agency source told Fox News that the “low confidence” assessment was based on just “one day’s worth of intelligence reporting.” More intelligence has been gathered in the days since through other sources and methods, according to the source. “This is a preliminary, low-confidence report and will continue to be refined as additional intelligence becomes available,” the Defense Intelligence Agency said. “We are working with the appropriate authorities to investigate the unauthorized disclosure of classified information.” And Secretary of State Marco Rubio blasted the report and said that Iran’s nuclear program “today looks nothing like it did just a week ago.” “That story is a false story, and it’s one that really shouldn’t be re-reported because it doesn’t accurately reflect what’s happening,” Rubio said. “Everything underneath that mountain is in bad shape.” Rubio also added that “there is no way Iran comes to the table if somehow nothing had happened.” TRUMP LASHES OUT AT ISRAEL AND IRAN WITH PROFANITY FOR BREAKING CEASE-FIRE “This was complete and total obliteration. They are in bad shape,” Rubio said. “They are way behind today compared to where they were just seven days ago because of what President Trump did.” Even the International Atomic Energy Agency’s Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi assessed that “very significant damage is expected to have occurred.” “At the Esfahan nuclear site, additional buildings were hit, with the US confirming their use of cruise missiles,” he said, according to prepared remarks for the International Atomic Energy Agency. “Affected buildings include some related to the uranium conversion process,” he said. “Also at this site, entrances to tunnels used for the storage of enriched material appear to have been hit. At the Natanz enrichment site, the Fuel Enrichment Plant was hit, with the U.S. confirming that it used ground-penetrating munitions.” Meanwhile, Trump has been in the Netherlands at the NATO Summit, where he was met with praise from allies on his “decisive” action in Iran. NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte praised Trump as a “man of strength” and a “man of peace” during Wednesday’s summit. “I just want to recognize your decisive action on Iran,” Rutte said at the start of his joint remarks with the president. “You are a man of strength, but you are also a man of peace. And the fact that you are now also successful in getting this ceasefire done between Israel and Iran — I really want to commend you for that. I think this is important for the whole world.” The president on Wednesday declared that the United States would strike Iran again if the country attempts to rebuild its nuclear program.