Iranian regime has ‘never faced a president’ like Trump, Rubio says

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian marked the second anniversary of him taking office Saturday with a social media post blasting Israel and affirming the "future of Iran will be shaped by the people of Iran.”

"Two years ago, the start of our work coincided with the assassination of our dear guest by the Zionist regime; two years in which imposed wars, pressure, and relentless hostilities were inflicted upon the people of Iran," he wrote. "In all these hard days, it was the true heroes of the people who stood out. The future of Iran will be shaped by the people of Iran."

The post seems to reference Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh, who was in Tehran as a guest for Pezeshkian's inauguration when he was reportedly killed. Iran blamed Haniyeh's assassination on Israel, but Israel did not immediately claim responsibility.

Pezeshkian's statement comes after Pakistan foreign ministry spokesperson said earlier this week that Pakistan is doing its “utmost” to bring the United States and Iran back to the negotiating table under the memorandum of understanding reached last month.

“We are doing our utmost to bring all parties back to the Islamabad MOU,” spokesman Tahir Andrabi was quoted by the AFP as telling reporters in Islamabad, Pakistan, on Thursday.

Pakistan has served as a mediator in talks between the U.S. and Iran aimed at ending the war.

In a statement to Fox News Digital on Friday, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said: “The United States signed an MOU with Iran and they broke it, shot at commercial ships, and killed American soldiers. President Trump is not going to stand by and allow this terrorist behavior to occur. Iran will continue to pay until they come to the table in, what President Trump deems, a meaningful way.”

Fox News Digital's Jasmine Baehr contributed to this post.

U.S. Central Command released an image Saturday showing a U.S. Army CH-47 Chinook helicopter preparing to land at an undisclosed location in the Middle East.

"The Chinook is a tandem-rotor aircraft designed to transport personnel, equipment, and supplies in a variety of environments," CENTCOM said.

CENTCOM has played a leading role in Operation Epic Fury against Iran, which was launched 154 days ago on Feb. 28.

The release of the image comes as U.S. embassies in Jordan and Israel, and the U.S. Mission to the United Arab Emirates issued advisories Saturday warning Americans to consider leaving the region as the conflict with Iran continues.

Bahrain’s foreign ministry said Saturday that “repeated Iranian attacks on civilian and vital facilities” in Kuwait amount to a “flagrant violation of the sovereignty, security and stability” of the country. 

“The Ministry praised the efficiency and readiness of the Kuwaiti Armed Forces, which today confronted and destroyed a number of hostile drones, reiterating the Kingdom of Bahrain’s full solidarity with the sisterly State of Kuwait, and its complete support for the deterrent measures it is taking to preserve its sovereignty, security, stability and territorial integrity, stressing the need for an immediate and comprehensive cessation of the heinous and unjustified attacks carried out by Iran and its proxies against the countries of the region, and an end to its threats to maritime navigation, in order to enhance regional and international security and stability,” it said. 

Kuwait’s army said earlier this morning it destroyed multiple “hostile drones” from Iran that targeted “vital facilities” inside the country. 

New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani is spreading hateful and antisemitic rhetoric and endangering the lives of New Yorkers, Israeli President Isaac Herzog told Fox News Digital in an exclusive interview at his Jerusalem residence.

"Mamdani does not respect my nation's right for self-determination… the Jewish people's inherent right to have a nation of their own. And he's basically spreading blasphemy, hate, antisemitic rhetoric. He should understand that he's risking his own citizens, he’s risking their safety, well-being and life," Herzog said.

In an incident that drew global attention, Mamdani posted a video on social media on July 21 in which he called Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu "a war criminal" and "the architect of a horrific genocide against the Palestinian people."

"This cannot be accepted in New York, which is a city which is dear to our heart, dear to the Israelis, and dear to me personally," Herzog said.

On Iran, Herzog said the regime has for decades posed a strategic threat to global stability, and not only to Israel and the Middle East.

"They take their people's food and money and spend it on terror all over the world. It's a given fact," he said. "You ask yourself why a nation of this nature wants to have so much terror activity around the world, and that is because of ideology… The ideology does not accommodate any other religion or moderate Islam, for that matter. That is why it is so dangerous," he added.

The Israel Defense Forces said Saturday that a combat officer "was moderately injured during an operational activity in southern Lebanon,” where troops have been working to suppress threats from the Iran-backed terrorist group Hezbollah. 

“The fighter was evacuated to receive medical treatment at a hospital, and his family was notified,” the IDF said. 

The development comes after the IDF said it uncovered an underground tunnel network in southern Lebanon. 

“The infrastructure network served as a central command complex, from which the fighting was directed and fire was guided against IDF forces and the citizens of the State of Israel. This is a strategic infrastructure network that was built over two decades, consisting of several levels, and served as a central terror headquarters for [Hezbollah’s] ‘Badir’ unit in southern Lebanon, which was funded and planned by the Iranian terror regime,” according to the IDF.

The U.S. Embassy in Jerusalem echoed a warning Saturday from the U.S. Embassy in Jordan that Americans should "remain vigilant" as the "situation in the Middle East remains fluid" with Iran.

"Download the free Israel Defense Forces Home Front Command application on Android or Apple devices to receive real-time alerts for rockets, missile attacks, and armed UAV intrusions," the embassy advised Americans who are currently in Israel.

It added that Americans should have a "supply of food, water, medications, and other essential items" if trouble arises.

The U.S. Embassy in Jordan also issued a warning Saturday that Americans in the Middle East should “consider departing” as the “Iranian regime is unpredictable.” 

“Americans currently in the Middle East should exercise caution and heightened vigilance and should be prepared for flight cancellations, periodic airspace closures, and potential travel disruptions,” the advisory said. “Americans in the region should consider departing, or be prepared to depart should there be escalation.” 

The UK Maritime Trade Operations Centre is reporting two fresh attacks against commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz. 

The agency said a tanker traveling 21 nautical miles northeast of Khasab, Oman, reported Friday “seeing a large splash and explosion in close proximity to the vessel.” 

“No damage to the vessel has been reported at this time. Authorities are investigating. Vessels are advised to transit with caution and report any suspicious activity to UKMTO,” it said.

The UKMTO added that it received another report from a ship traveling 11 nautical miles northeast off the coast of Lima, Oman, that it was “struck by an unknown projectile which has caused damage to the engine room.”  

“There are no reported casualties or environmental impact,” the UKMTO said. 

Fox News’ Liz Friden contributed to this post. 

A tanker carrying liquified natural gas from Qatar was struck by a projectile while traveling through the Strait of Hormuz, a report said. 

Bloomberg, citing security consultancies Vanguard Tech and Marisks, identified the ship on Saturday as the Gaslog Shanghai. 

The UK Maritime Trade Operations Centre said late Friday that it received a report from a ship traveling off the coast of Oman that it was “struck by an unknown projectile which has caused damage to the engine room.”  

“There are no reported casualties or environmental impact,” the UKMTO added. 

New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani was reportedly denied the opportunity to speak Friday during the funeral of Army Sgt. Angel Sarah Rampersad in Queens, one of three U.S. service members killed in Jordan during an Iranian attack on July 17.

Mamdani attended the service at a church in Ozone Park but did not deliver remarks honoring Rampersad.

According to the New York Post, Mamdani appeared to review prepared remarks on an iPad as other dignitaries spoke, but his name was never called.

A source familiar with the funeral told the New York Post that Rampersad's family chose not to have Mamdani speak in an effort to avoid any "political distractions."

The mayor's office later released his prepared remarks.

"It is often said that our fallen 'gave their tomorrows for our today,'" Mamdani planned to say. "Sergeant Rampersad had tomorrows waiting for her: birthdays, ordinary mornings, evenings spent with her loved ones. But she gave every one of them up so that we could have ours — so that we could stand here today, safe and protected."

The U.S. Embassy in Jordan issued a warning Saturday that Americans in the Middle East should “consider departing” as the “Iranian regime is unpredictable.” 

“Americans currently in the Middle East should exercise caution and heightened vigilance and should be prepared for flight cancellations, periodic airspace closures, and potential travel disruptions,” the advisory said. “Americans in the region should consider departing, or be prepared to depart should there be escalation.” 

“U.S. diplomatic facilities, including outside the Middle East, have been targeted. Iran and groups supportive of Iran may target other U.S. interests overseas or at locations associated with the United States and Americans throughout the world, including U.S. businesses and other institutions,” it continued. 

“The situation in the Middle East remains fluid.  The Iranian regime is unpredictable, as seen by its recent decisions to attack areas in the region without warning or provocations as well as to expand attacks to areas not previously targeted (such as Egypt),” the embassy added. “Americans should remain vigilant, as merely because U.S. interests or businesses have not been attacked in a country in the past does not ensure their safety.” 

The embassy concluded the advisory by saying that all Americans should “avoid travel” to military bases in Jordan, which recently have come under attack by Iran. 

Kuwait’s army announced Saturday it has destroyed multiple “hostile drones” from Iran that targeted “vital facilities” inside the country. 

“The Official Spokesman for the Ministry of Defense, Major General Saud Abdulaziz Al-Otaibi, stated that the armed forces have detected, since dawn today, hostile drones within Kuwaiti airspace, and they have been dealt with and destroyed,” Kuwait’s army posted on X. 

“He added that the heinous Iranian aggression targeted a number of vital facilities, including a government facility in the north of the country, as well as civilian vehicles belonging to one of the civil companies on Bubiyan Island, resulting in material damage due to falling shrapnel, with no human injuries recorded, praise be to God,” a statement added. 

Explosions were reported earlier in Kuwait as its air defense systems intercepted the drones. 

Iran is threatening to retaliate against U.S. or Israeli strikes by targeting critical energy infrastructure, according to comments published Friday by Iran’s state-affiliated Tasnim News Agency.

A senior security official told Tasnim that reports in U.S. media about possible American and Israeli attacks on Iranian infrastructure amounted to “a kind of madness,” warning Tehran has prepared “extensive response plans.”

According to Tasnim, the official said those plans include strikes targeting Israeli critical infrastructure and U.S. energy infrastructure across the region, adding Iran’s armed forces have both “the capability and the will” to carry them out.

The threat comes hours after the White House told Fox News Digital that President Donald Trump “is not going to stand by and allow this terrorist behavior to occur” and that “Iran will continue to pay until they come to the table in, what President Trump deems, a meaningful way.”

The White House statement came in response to reports of a possible expansion of U.S. military operations against Iran.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Iran is confronting a different kind of U.S. president under President Donald Trump, arguing Tehran can no longer rely on negotiations without consequences.

In an interview airing this weekend on “My View with Lara Trump,” Rubio said the Iranian regime has “never faced a president like President Trump.”

“I don’t think the Iranian regime has ever faced a president like President Trump, which is someone that actually takes action,” Rubio said. “They got used to, for 20 or 30 years, not just the U.S., but the broader world, allowing them to get away with things like lying, breaking deals, tricking people into agreements.”

The comments come as the White House says Iran “will continue to pay” until it returns to negotiations in what President Trump considers “a meaningful way,” following Tehran’s alleged attacks on commercial shipping and U.S. forces after signing a memorandum of understanding with the United States.

During Fox News’ “Special Report,” panelists said the administration appears increasingly skeptical that Iran will negotiate in good faith as the president weighs further military action.

Yesterday's Fox News Digital live blog has additional coverage of the conflict with Iran.