Author: joshua

TEL AVIV, Israel — Israelis on Saturday marked one year since IDF soldiers recovered the bodies of six hostages executed by Hamas terrorists in a tunnel in the Gaza Strip.

Organizers estimated nearly 100,000 Israelis gathered in Tel Aviv’s Hostages Square to remember them as family members called on the government to make a deal to bring their loved ones home. A giant flag was unveiled calling on President Trump to “Make History.”

The executions plunged Israel into mourning. The hostages were Eden Yerushalmi, Ori Danino, Carmel Gat, Almog Sarusi, Alexander Lobanov and American-Israeli Hersh Goldberg-Polin.

“How do you sum up in a few words what you want to be remembered about your only son? He was a gift, a blessing, a talented listener, funny, respectful and a curious citizen of the world,” Jon Polin and Rachel Goldberg-Polin, Hersh’s parents, told Fox News Digital.

BODY OF ISRAELI HOSTAGE WHO WAS HELD FOR NEARLY 700 DAYS IN GAZA IS RECOVERED

“He will always be 23. He was not perfect, although most of us parents want to believe that about our children. But he was, indeed, the perfect son for us. We are blessed to have had Hersh in our life. We only wish it had been for longer. Rest peacefully, sweet boy.”

The anniversary coincides with Israel’s new operation into Gaza City, which has led to a fierce debate on whether it could endanger the remaining hostages, given what happened to the “Beautiful Six.”

The Hostage and Missing Families Forum warned that a deal to secure the hostages remains stalled as IDF operations advance, calling it “a painful reminder of last year’s lesson: military pressure kills hostages.

“This nightmare must end! For 694 days, our loved ones have endured hell, and we as a nation have lost all sense of direction. Escalating military pressure abandons the living hostages to their fate and leaves the bodies of those already dead buried forever in Gaza’s rubble.”

On Friday, the IDF announced it had recovered the bodies of two hostages held by Palestinian terrorists in Gaza.

Israeli estimates indicate that 48 captives remain in the Strip. Twenty are believed to be alive.

The developments come as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has insisted that only a comprehensive ceasefire — one that ensures the return of all hostages and ends the war on Israel’s terms — will be considered. 

“Most families want all hostages returned at once,” said Tzvika Mor, father of hostage Eitan Mor and co-founder of the Tikva Forum, which advocates for a full deal contingent on the elimination of Hamas. 

BROTHER OF ISRAELI HOSTAGE URGES UN TO ACT AFTER VIDEO SHOWS HAMAS STARVING AND TORTURING CAPTIVES

“Here is where we are divided,” Mor told Fox News Digital. “The Tikva Forum believes Hamas must be defeated and forced to surrender to Israel, while other families believe Israel must surrender to Hamas to rescue the hostages.”

Mor pointed to the 1976 Entebbe rescue as an example, noting that while the outcome was uncertain at the time, Israelis widely believed the country had a duty to fight for its citizens rather than capitulate to terrorists. He argued that although military action carries risks, the far greater danger would be allowing Hamas to dictate terms after Oct. 7.

On Monday, Donald Trump suggested that the conflict would be wrapped up within weeks. Two days later, he chaired a meeting at the White House to discuss a comprehensive post-war plan for Gaza.

U.S. special envoy to the Middle East Steve Witkoff told Fox News Tuesday the Trump administration is aligned with Jerusalem against a partial deal.

“There’s been a deal on the table for the last six or seven weeks that would have released 10 of the hostages out of the 20 that we think are alive, and it was Hamas who slow-played that process. And it is Hamas now who is saying we accept that deal. And I think in large part they are saying that and changing their mind because the Israelis are putting some very intense pressure on them,” Witkoff told Bret Baier on Fox News’ “Special Report.”

Israeli Opposition Leader Yair Lapid told Fox News Digital his Yesh Atid party supports “a full comprehensive deal which will include the return of all the hostages and an end to the war.

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“If that deal isn’t possible,” he continued, “then Israel should accept the partial deal that has been agreed to, which will give us time to achieve a full deal.”

Netanyahu told visiting Sen. Joni Ernst, R-Iowa, on Monday that the decision to expand the military campaign was “unequivocal.”

The Israel Defense Forces said on Saturday that it had killed the Houthi prime minister and several other senior officials in a strike in Yemen. 

“Houthi Prime Minister, Ahmed Al-Rahawi, along with additional senior officials of the Houthi terrorist regime were eliminated during an IDF strike in Sanaa, Yemen,” the IDF said in a social media post.

The IDF said it had targeted a Houthi site where officials responsible “for the use of force, the military buildup of the Houthi terror regime, and the advancement of terror actions against Israel. The IDF will continue to target all threats against Israeli civilians.” 

The airstrike was conducted by the Israeli Air Force Thursday using intelligence gathered by the IDF. 

ISRAEL CONFIRMS STRIKE ON HOUTHIS IN YEMEN, MARKS SECOND TIME THIS WEEK

“The strike was made possible by seizing an intelligence opportunity and completing a rapid operational cycle, which took place within a few hours,” the IDF said. 

A Houthi statement confirmed Al-Rahawi’s death. 

It was Israel’s second strike against the Houthis in Yemen in a week. 

On Sunday, Israel hit Yemen’s capital in response to missiles fired by the Houthis. The attack killed six people and wounded 86 others, according to Reuters, which cited a Houthi Health Ministry spokesperson.

“As we warned the Houthis in Yemen: ‘After the plague of darkness comes the plague of the death,’” said Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz, who was in the IDF central command during the attack. “Whoever raises a hand against Israel, their hand will be cut off.”

ISRAEL HAMMERS HOUTHIS WITH AIRSTRIKES, REBELS RESPOND AMID RED SEA FLARE-UP

The IDF previously said the Houthis were operating under Iran’s direction to harm Israel and its allies. The IDF also blamed the Houthis for “undermining regional stability and disrupting global freedom of navigation.” 

The strikes Thursday were launched after Israel intercepted two drones from Yemen and happened during a speech by Houthi leader Abdul-Malik Badreddin al-Houthi, according to YNet. Additionally, the Israeli outlet reported that the speech went on without interruption.

The conflict between Israel and the Houthis has gone on for nearly two years. 

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The Iran-backed terror force threatened to strike Israel just days after Hamas’ Oct. 7 massacre. Within weeks of Hamas’ attacks, the Houthis shot missiles and drones at Israel that were intercepted by U.S. forces aboard the USS Carney.

The Houthis have continued to attack Israel in support to Hamas. 

The Associated Press contributed to this report. 

The remains of an Israeli hostage who spent nearly two years in captivity in the Gaza Strip were recovered Friday, the country’s military announced. 

“The body of Ilan Weiss, who was held hostage for 693 days in Gaza, has been recovered in a joint Israel Defense Forces and Israeli Security Agency military operation,” the IDF said. 

“Ilan was from Kibbutz Be’eri and left his home on the morning of October 7 to join the kibbutz emergency response team. He was murdered and kidnapped by Hamas during the October 7 Massacre,” it added. “His wife Shiri, 54, and daughter Noga, 19, were taken hostage into Gaza and released during the ceasefire deal in November 2023.” 

The body of a second Israeli was also recovered Friday and is now in the process of being identified, according to The Associated Press. 

ISRAEL ELIMINATES GAZA TERRORIST WHO TOOK PART IN OCT. ATTACK ON KIBBUTZ, TOOK YARDEN BIBAS HOSTAGE 

“It’s a bittersweet moment that the Weiss family is reunited with their loved one, even though he’s coming back not as they would have wanted,” Rubi Chen, who believes his son is still in captivity in Gaza, was quoted by the AP as saying. 

Chen said his family had received intelligence that his son Itay did not survive the Oct. 7 attack, but Hamas has not provided any information about his son’s whereabouts. 

The Israeli Hostages and Missing Families Forum said “Ilan was a devoted family man – humble, principled, and a dedicated father to his daughters.”

“He loved hosting guests, tending his garden, and enjoying a beer. On weekends, he would go mountain biking with his brother-in-law Gil Boyum, a fellow member of the kibbutz emergency team who was also killed on that Black Sabbath,” it added.

ISRAEL RECOVERS REMAINS OF THREE MORE BODIES HELD BY HAMAS: ‘NO VICTORY UNTIL LAST HOSTAGE RETURNS’ 

As of Friday, there are 48 hostages left in Gaza, 20 of whom are believed to be alive, according to The Times of Israel. 

“I offer my heartfelt condolences and support to the Weiss family and the community of Kibbutz Be’eri upon the recovery of the body of hostage Ilan Weiss, of blessed memory,” Israeli President Isaac Herzog wrote on X. 

“Ilan showed courage and noble spirit when he fought the terrorists on that dark day. In his death, he gave life. And ever since, his family has shown extraordinary strength in their struggle for his return,” Herzog continued. 

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“The horrors committed by Hamas, murder, torture, abduction, are crimes against humanity. The world must show moral clarity, apply pressure, and act for the immediate release of all the hostages. We will not rest until every one of them is brought home, the living to the loving embrace of their families, and the fallen to be laid to rest in dignity. Every last one,” he added. 

The Associated Press contributed to this report. 

A Mexican Senate session descended into chaos on Wednesday when two senior politicians traded blows following a heated debate over the U.S.’s involvement in the fight against drug cartels.

Video captured the explosive moment when Alejandro “Alito” Moreno, head of the opposition Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI), and Gerardo Fernández Noroña, the Senate president of the ruling Morena Party, violently shoved one another after lawmakers finished singing the national anthem to close the day’s session. 

The clash erupted after a tense debate, during which the Morena Party and its allies reportedly accused PRI and the conservative National Action Party (PAN) lawmakers of calling for U.S. military intervention in Mexico, a claim the opposing parties reportedly denied.

The issue has grown especially contentious following reports that President Donald Trump authorized U.S. military force against Latin American drug cartels designated as terrorist groups.

TRUMP APPROVES MILITARY ACTION AGAINST LATIN AMERICAN CARTELS CLASSIFIED AS TERRORIST ORGANIZATIONS

Moreno, who said his party was denied the right to speak for closing remarks, was seen approaching Fernández Noroña, reportedly saying, “I’m asking you to let me speak,” while clutching the Senate president by the arm.  

“Don’t touch me!” Fernández Noroña reportedly yelled back, as the two politicians violently shoved each other as colleagues scrambled to intervene. 

In the scuffle, Moreno also clashed with one of Fernández Noroña’s collaborators, cameraman Emiliano González, who was knocked to the floor. Another lawmaker was seen yanking the Senate president’s suit jacket and taking a swing at him as he tried to escape the mayhem.

SENATE SHAKEN: BIPARTISAN WORRY ERUPTS AFTER INCIDENT INVOLVING CALIFORNIA DEMOCRAT

Fernández Noroña accused Moreno of threatening to kill him, according to local reports.

“He hit me and told me ‘I’m going to break your mother, I’m going to kill you,’” Fernández Noroña said in a press conference according to El Pais.

Moreno countered that the ruling party was silencing opposition voices and insisted Fernández Noroña had instigated the fight.

“Let it be clear: the first physical aggression came from Fernández Noroña,” Moreno said in a post on X Wednesday. “There was an approved agenda. Minutes before reaching the corresponding point, Morena changed it to their convenience to silence us and prevent the opposition from speaking out. Their obligation was to give me the floor, and they didn’t do it.”

‘SPECTACLE OF HIMSELF’: SENATE REPUBLICANS BLAST ALEX PADILLA AFTER HIS FORCIBLE REMOVAL FROM DHS PRESSER

The Senate president said he plans on filing a criminal complaint against Moreno as well as three other PRI legislators involved, including Carlos Eduardo Gutierrez Mancilla, Alonso Erubiel Lorenzo and Ruben Moreira.

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Fernández Noroña is also calling an emergency session Friday to propose expelling Moreno and the three other PRI lawmakers as a result of the scuffle, the New York Post reported.

Fernández Noroña and Alejandro Moreno did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Fox News Digital.

Israel rejected a United Nations-backed report that declared famine in Gaza, claiming it contained “gross forgeries.” A foreign ministry official warned Jerusalem would lobby donor countries to cut funding unless the report is withdrawn.

In an Aug. 22 report, the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) said famine is already taking place in the Gaza Governorate and is likely to spread to Deir al-Balah and Khan Younis by the end of September. The report said about one-third of Gaza’s roughly 2 million residents — about 641,000 people — could soon face catastrophic starvation.

According to the IPC, 132,000 children under age 5 are projected to suffer acute malnutrition through 2026, including more than 41,000 severe cases. It said over 55,000 pregnant and breastfeeding women also require urgent nutrition support.

ISRAEL PUSHES BACK AT ‘TAILOR-MADE’ UN-BACKED REPORT CLAIMING GAZA FAMINE

The report blamed almost two years of war, the displacement of 1.9 million people, the collapse of local food production, and severe restrictions on aid. It noted that even when food enters Gaza, much of it fails to reach civilians. 

Israel flatly rejected the findings, with the Foreign Ministry Director General Eden Bar Tal telling reporters the IPC had committed “gross forgeries” and manipulated its own evidence to declare famine.

Bar Tal said the IPC fabricated 182 deaths to reach the famine threshold of 188. He accused the group of breaking its own rules by using a malnutrition measure barred in Gaza, relying on clinic-based samples that are prohibited, and cherry-picking surveys. He claimed that of 15,749 children surveyed, the IPC used only 7,519, enough to push results above famine levels.

“The IPC report is forged for political purposes. No doubt the IPC manipulated and ignored data, broke its own rules and hid contradictory evidence,” Bar Tal said, saying the report was fabricated for the purpose of “supporting Hamas’s starvation campaign.”

ISRAEL SAYS UN MISLEADS WORLD AS GAZA AID STOLEN AND DIVERTED FROM CIVILIANS

The Foreign Ministry issued a formal letter demanding the report’s withdrawal and warned that if it is not retracted, Israel will urge donor states to freeze funding to the IPC “until professional credibility is restored.” It also distributed a PowerPoint presentation titled “The IPC Fraud,” which described the process as “shooting the arrow and then drawing the target.” One slide read: “The facts are clear: The IPC report is forged.”

The IPC did not respond to Fox News Digital requests for comment.

At a Security Council meeting on Wednesday, Dorothy Shea, the acting U.S. ambassador to the U.N., said that hunger was a real issue and a priority for the U.S., but also took issue with the IPC report. 

“We can only solve problems with credibility and integrity. Unfortunately, the recent report from the IPC doesn’t pass the test either. One of the report’s key authors has a lengthy record of bias against Israel, including openly justifying the Houthi terrorist attacks on Israeli civilian targets. By his own measure, he ought to have recused himself. This helps explain why the normal standards were changed for this declaration, raising significant questions,” she said.

In response to Fox News Digital’s questions, Stéphane Dujarric, the spokesman for the U.N. Secretary General, defended the IPC process and rejected Israel’s claims: “The data that the IPC put out on famine in Gaza is robust. It is scientific and it is technical,” Dujarric said. “IPC famine analysis uses a standard measurement … reviewed carefully by an independent group of experts who confirmed that a famine is taking place in Gaza Governorate.”

He said the IPC relied on “recent and verified” U.N. agency data streams including WHO, UNICEF, UNRWA, and WFP, while also considering figures from Israel’s Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories (COGAT).

On whether Hamas’s exploitation of aid factored in, Dujarric said the report “illustrates the constraints that hinder humanitarian organizations from distributing aid and stand in the way of allowing people to get the aid they need.”

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On Thursday, Secretary-General António Guterres claimed that “Famine is no longer a looming possibility — it is a present-day catastrophe. People are dying from hunger, families are being torn apart by displacement and despair,” Guterres told reporters before briefing the Security Council.

 

Russia on Thursday struck out against President Donald Trump’s decision to withdraw the U.S. from the 2015 nuclear agreement with Iran and argued Washington is to blame for Tehran’s non-compliance with the international treaty. 

The accusation came just hours after the U.K., France and Germany (E3) alerted the UN Security Council that they had initiated the snapback mechanism to reimpose severe UN sanctions on Iran within 30-days, following its non-compliance with the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA.)

“The United States abandoned JCPOA, and since then the situation started [to] deteriorate,” Dmitry Polyanskiy, Russia’s UN Ambassador, said Thursday.

“We should not confuse the real source of the problem that happened in 2018,” he added in reference to Trump’s decision to drop the U.S. from the JCPOA over Iran’s alleged violation of the agreement. 

UK, FRANCE, GERMANY TRIGGER UN SANCTIONS ON IRAN OVER ‘SIGNIFICANT’ NUCLEAR PROGRAM DEFIANCE

Though Trump has repeatedly claimed Tehran was violating the agreement, the UN’s nuclear watchdog, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) as well as the other signatories on the JCPOA said there was no evidence that Iran had begun expanding its nuclear program until 2019 – a stance it continues to hold.

“We all know that the measures that were taken by Iran in terms of uranium enrichment, they were taken in response to the U.S. withdrawal from JCPOA,” the Russian diplomat said Thursday.  “And these measures can easily be reviewed.”

Russia and China on Thursday introduced a draft UNSC resolution in an attempt to extend the timeline of the 2015 Iran nuclear agreement by six months and therefore extend when sanctions can be put on Tehran.

But given Iran’s refusal to comply when a similar extension was floated in July by E3 negotiators, it seems unlikely that the U.S., France or the U.K., as permanent members of the UNSC, will agree to push the action forward.

IRAN SEEKS CHINA, RUSSIA HELP TO STALL UN SANCTIONS AHEAD OF NUCLEAR TALKS WITH EUROPEANS

The U.S. has long called on the other signatories to reinforce snapback sanctions on Iran for the violations after it lost its ability to do so by bowing out of the agreement in 2018.

But despite clear evidence that Iran has in recent years violated the JCPOA, including by amassing up to 45 times the amount of enriched uranium that it is permitted to have, operating advanced centrifuges and denying the IAEA access to its nuclear sites, the Russian official claimed the “move by E3 cannot and should not entail any legal or procedural effect.”

“It’s a mere escalatory step,” he continued. “Western countries…don’t care about diplomacy, and they care only about, blackmail and, threats, and coercion of independent countries.”

A UK official confirmed Thursday morning that attempts to reach a diplomatic solution with Iran have been ongoing for years, including in 2022 when a proposal was agreed to by all JCPOA participants, including Russia and China, but which Iran rejected. 

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The official also said that there had been “very intense diplomacy” over the last “12 months, 6 months, 6 weeks,” but which Russia appeared to dismiss on Thursday.

“The world is at a crossroads,” Polyanskiy said. “It’s quite clear. One option is peace, diplomacy and goodwill. 

“Another option is…diplomacy at the barrel of the gun…extortion and blackmail,” he added. 

The White House did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s questions.

Israel confirmed on Thursday that it carried out an attack on a Houthi target in Yemen’s capital, Sanaa, marking the second such strike in less than a week.

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said the Houthis were operating under Iran’s direction to harm Israel and its allies. The IDF also blamed the Houthis for “undermining regional stability and disrupting global freedom of navigation.” 

TRUMP URGED TO AID YEMEN’S ANTI-HOUTHI FORCES AS TERROR GROUP ESCALATES ATTACKS ON SHIPPING

“As we warned the Houthis in Yemen: ‘After the plague of darkness comes the plague of death.’ Whoever raises a hand against Israel, their hand will be cut off,” Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said after Thursday’s strike.

The Thursday strikes, which were launched after Israel intercepted two drones from Yemen, occurred during a speech by Houthi leader Abdul-Malik Badreddin al-Houthi, according to YNet. Additionally, the Israeli outlet reported that the speech went on without interruption.

ISRAEL HAMMERS HOUTHIS WITH AIRSTRIKES, REBELS RESPOND AMID RED SEA FLARE-UP

On Sunday, Israel hit Yemen’s capital in response to missiles fired by the Houthis. The attack killed six people and wounded 86 others, according to Reuters, which cited a Houthi Health Ministry spokesperson.

The conflict between Israel and the Houthis has gone on for nearly two years. The Iran-backed terror force threatened to strike Israel just days after Hamas’ Oct. 7 massacre. Within weeks of Hamas’ attacks, the Houthis shot missiles and drones at Israel that were intercepted by U.S. forces aboard the U.S.S. Carney.

Since then, Israel has responded to missiles from the Houthis by attacking areas controlled by the terror organization in Yemen, including the Hodeidah port.

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The Houthis have not ceased attacks on Israel in support of the Palestinians in Gaza. On Aug. 22, Reuters reported the Houthis said they had fired a ballistic missile at Israel in solidarity with Gaza.

Europe’s powerhouse trio, the U.K., France, and Germany (E3), on Thursday initiated the process to reimpose sweeping sanctions against Iran over its “significant non-compliance” with international nuclear agreements. 

At 9 am EST, they submitted a letter to the president of the United Nations Security Council, Panama’s Ambassador Eloy Alfaro de Alba, notifying him of their intent to trigger the snapback sanctions mechanism enshrined under the 2015 nuclear deal known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA).

The action comes after months of warnings from European leaders, and years of calls from the U.S. dating back to the first Trump administration in 2018, flagging that Tehran was in violation of nuclear agreements made under the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) – though Iran’s record of non-compliance did not initiate until 2019 per findings by international nuclear watchdogs. 

IRAN SAYS IT HAS ‘PLENTY OF SCIENTISTS’ LEFT TO RESTART URANIUM ENRICHMENT, DESPITE US, ISRAELI STRIKES

According to a U.K. official on Thursday, the decision to enforce snapback sanctions, which is expected to have severe consequences for Iran’s already flagging economy, was not a decision that was made “lightly.”

The official confirmed that there has been “very intense diplomacy” over the last “12-months, 6-months, 6-weeks” that ultimately led to this decision – including three major factors like Tehran’s uranium stockpile levels, its operating of advanced centrifuges and its refusal to adhere to international inspection regulations – all of which are dictated under the JCPOA.

The official confirmed that in May Iran was found to have roughly 20,000 lbs of enriched uranium, including 900 lbs of near-weapons grade highly enriched uranium (HEU) – which is 45 times higher than the JCPOA limit of under 660 lbs of enriched uranium.

“Iran is the only non-nuclear weapons state producing highly enriched uranium,” the official said, adding that those stockpiles remain unaccounted for. 

Thursday’s actions mean that by the end of the 30-day period all 15 members of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC), which includes Russia and China, could be legally bound to reimpose sanctions on Iran. 

But in speaking to reporters in Washington, D.C. on Wednesday, the head of the U.N.’s nuclear watchdog, the International Atomic Energy Agency, said there is “still time” for Iran to prevent the sanctions from taking hold. 

“Iran will have to comply,” IAEA Director General Raffael Grossi said. “I think there is a possibility. I’m not naively optimistic, but at the same time, there is no reason why we should not [have] a good outcome.”

IRAN DOUBLES DOWN ON REFUSAL TO END NUCLEAR PROGRAM, READY FOR WAR WITH ISRAEL

The E3 and the U.S. have made clear there are specific steps that Tehran needs to do in order to avoid snapback sanctions, including giving the IAEA full access to all Iranian nuclear sites, direct negotiations with Washington, and accounting for roughly 900 lbs of highly enriched uranium (HEU).

But Grossi also noted that it would be “almost impossible” for Iran to get to a point of compliance with the JCPOA due to too many technical advances. 

Questions over the location of the HEU, which is estimated to be enough to make 10 nuclear warheads, mounted after the U.S. levied direct strikes at Iran’s nuclear program in June. Reports suggested that in the days leading up to the strikes, Iran may have moved and hidden some of its uranium based on satellite imagery that showed convoys leaving the Fordow and Isfahan nuclear sites.

But on Wednesday, Grossi countered these concerns and said the IAEA had no evidence that the uranium has been moved to a secret location. 

Though the stockpile of HEU is still not officially accounted for as the IAEA has not been granted access to Iran’s top nuclear sites – though Grossi said he anticipated that access to come shortly as inspectors on Wednesday visited the Bushehr nuclear power plant after being re-granted access in Iran. 

When asked by reporters whether Iran was taking immediate action to begin meeting the E3 demands and avoid sanctions, Grossi said, “point blank…no.”

“Our work hasn’t started. We are not yet where I would like us to be – I will not hide this,” he said. “But at the same time I am a diplomat, I am always working towards peace.”

IRAN SEEKS CHINA, RUSSIA HELP TO STALL UN SANCTIONS AHEAD OF NUCLEAR TALKS WITH EUROPEANS

Iran has threatened to retaliate if the sanctions are implemented, though how it will do so remains unclear.

Tehran in recent years has strengthened ties with powerful allies like Russia and China, who have rejected calls for snapback sanctions.

But even though Russia and China sit on the U.N. Security Council with veto powers, they will not be able to unilaterally stop the sanctions from going through.

In an unprecedented move in 2015, the sanctions mechanism was written in a way that reversed standard council procedure, which would traditionally require all five permanent members to approve of any action, meaning that just one veto could block the action.

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In the case of snapback sanctions on Iran, every permanent member, which includes the U.S., France, U.K., China and Russia, must veto the push to reimpose sanctions.

This means that, despite opposition from Russia and China, they cannot block the sanctions, as they have increasingly done when it comes to other security council actions in recent years – leading to what some have argued is a paralyzed state in the U.N.’s highest body.

President Donald Trump is reportedly working on a move that would give the U.S. a new military and economic foothold in Africa, counter China and Russia and strike a blow against Islamist terrorists in the region. And now a leading senator has told Fox News Digital this goal can be realized by recognizing the breakaway Somaliland as an independent state.

Somaliland, on the southern coast of the Gulf of Aden, broke away from Somalia in 1991. Its government is said to be offering the U.S. a new air and sea base close to the entrance of the Red Sea, and directly across from Yemen and the Houthis, if the U.S. formally recognizes it, 30% of the world’s container ship traffic is reported to pass through its waters en route to or from the Suez Canal.

In the Oval Office on Aug. 8, Trump told reporters, “We’re looking into that right now,” when asked about the recognition of Somaliland and the possible resettlement of Gazans there, adding, “We’re working on that right now, Somaliland”. 

TRUMP URGED TO AID YEMEN’S ANTI-HOUTHI FORCES AS TERROR GROUP ESCALATES ATTACKS ON SHIPPING

The chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Subcommittee on Africa, Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas., told Fox News Digital, “There is a very real opportunity that President Trump will recognize Somaliland during this administration.”

Cruz added, “President Trump is bringing a new era of clarity in American national security, after four years of the Biden administration rewarding our enemies and punishing our allies, and recognizing Somaliland should be part of this new era.

“Somaliland has been a reliable ally to the United States, is integrating itself with us and our allies globally, and is committed to helping us counter efforts by China to undermine the safety and prosperity of Americans,” he said.

The White House did not respond to a Fox News Digital request for comment.

Neighboring Somalia has been battling Islamist fundamentalist fighters for decades. U.S. Africa Command has increased the number of airstrikes against both ISIS and al-Shabab terrorists under the current administration.

But Somaliland, 99% Muslim, has allegedly eliminated radicalism and has aligned itself with the U.S. and Israel, leading Cruz to tell Fox News Digital, “They’re a Muslim country, in a very dangerous part of Africa, showing real courage. I will continue to push for deepening the U.S.-Somaliland partnership, including through the Africa Subcommittee in the Senate, and I expect that my colleagues on both sides of the aisle will be receptive to doing so.”

‘PEACEMAKER’ TRUMP CAN END AFRICA’S BIGGEST WAR, FORMER WHITE HOUSE ADVISOR SAYS

Earlier this month, Cruz wrote to President Trump about Somaliland, stating, “it requires the status of a state. I urge you to grant it that recognition.”

Somaliland’s president, Abdirahman Mohamed Abdullahi , is optimistic, telling the British Guardian newspaper on May 30, “Recognition is on the horizon.” He added, “It’s a matter of time. Not if, but when”.

Somaliland’s port at Berbera is the jewel in any Washington deal. Analysts say it is in such a strategic position that both Russia and China have tried to acquire it. Right next door to it is one of Africa’s five longest runways, offering the U.S. the possibility of both a sea and air base that can strike Houthi rebels to the north and Al Shabaab terrorists to the east. 

In his letter to the White House, Cruz wrote, “Somaliland has emerged as a critical security and diplomatic partner for the United States, helping America advance our national security interests in the Horn of Africa and beyond. It is strategically located along the

Gulf of Aden, putting it near one of the world’s busiest maritime corridors. It possesses capable armed forces and contributes to regional counterterrorism and piracy operations. It has proposed hosting a U.S. military presence near the Red Sea along the Gulf of Aden.”

US AFRICA COMMANDER HIGHLIGHTS TERROR GROWTH IN SAHEL AND COMPETITION WITH CHINA FOR INFLUENCE

The U.S.’s largest military base in Africa is just up the coast in Djibouti. But there are security and surveillance issues at the Camp Lemonnier U.S. base where the Chinese and other nations have opened their own bases and monitoring stations nearby.

Somaliland is also offering the White House access to rare earth minerals essential for high-tech industries, such as lithium and silicon quartz.

The U.S. has described Somalia, with large numbers of both ISIS and al-Qaida-linked operatives, as a terrorist safe haven. Now the increasing presence of China and military forces from countries such as Turkey is reportedly leading some in Washington to be increasingly unhappy with its “one Somalia” policy, where Somaliland continues to be recognized only as a part of Somalia. 

For now, a State Department spokesperson told Fox News Digital the official position: “The United States recognizes the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Federal Republic of Somalia, which includes the territory of Somaliland. The State Department is not in active discussions with Somaliland’s representatives about a deal to recognize Somaliland as a state.”

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But, Somaliland’s foreign minister worked Washington’s corridors and politicians in April, and several African sources, including the influential Horn Observer news outlet, have reported that President Abdullahi is expected to come to D.C. “soon”. U.S. officials, including the U.S. ambassador to Somalia, Richard Riley, are said to have been to Somaliland to meet with the president at least three times this year.

Russia launched a large-scale attack on Kyiv overnight, killing 10 people, injuring at least 38 others and damaging buildings, Ukrainian officials said on Thursday.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said a child was killed in the drone and missile attack.

“Right now in Kyiv, first responders are clearing the rubble of an ordinary residential building after a Russian strike,” Zelenskyy said on X.

“Russia chooses ballistics instead of the negotiating table. It chooses to continue killing instead of ending the war. And this means that Russia still does not fear the consequences. Russia still takes advantage of the fact that at least part of the world turns a blind eye to murdered children and seeks excuses for Putin,” he continued.

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Zelenskyy added that it is “definitely time for new, tough sanctions against Russia for everything it is doing.”

“All deadlines have already been broken, dozens of opportunities for diplomacy ruined. Russia must feel accountable for every strike, for every day of this war. Eternal memory to all victims of Russia,” he said.

The Ukrainian Air Force said it knocked down 563 of 598 drones and 26 of 31 missiles launched by Russia in a country-wide attack. It said 13 locations were hit and debris fell at 26 locations.

“Unfortunately, the Russians’ style is typical in their attacks,” Tymur Tkachenko, head of Kyiv’s military administration, wrote on Telegram.

“Combined strikes, from different directions. And systematic, targeting ordinary residential buildings,” the post added.

Officials said numerous buildings had sustained damage, including several high-rise apartment blocks.

In the Darnytskyi district, a five-floor building was partly destroyed, and rescue teams were searching the rubble for trapped people, Tkachenko said.

He said emergency crews responded to the aftermath of the attacks at more than 20 locations in the city.

Fires have also broken out in areas throughout the city.

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António Costa, president of the European Council, said he was “horrified by yet another night of deadly Russian missile attacks on Ukraine.”

“My thoughts are with the Ukrainian victims and also with the staff of @EUDelegationUA, whose building was damaged in this deliberate Russian strike,” he wrote on X.

“The EU will not be intimidated. Russia’s aggression only strengthens our resolve to stand with Ukraine and its people,” he added.

Separately, Russia’s Defense Ministry said that its air defense systems intercepted 102 Ukrainian drones overnight.

Reuters contributed to this report.