Israeli authorities arrested a 22-year-old Haifa resident for his involvement in an Iranian-backed plot to assassinate a high-ranking Israeli official, with the intended target believed to be former Prime Minister Naftali Bennett, reports say.

Ami Gaydarov, 22, was arrested last month on suspicion that he was working with an Iranian agent to gather intelligence and build a bomb for use in a terror plot against a high-ranking Israeli official. Gaydarov was unaware of the target’s identity. A gag order on his arrest was recently lifted, allowing Israeli media outlets to report on the case.

Authorities said Gaydarov first made contact with his Iranian handler in August 2025 and was paid roughly $23,000 — most of it in cryptocurrency — to carry out tasks in preparation for the assassination plot.

Gaydarov allegedly rented an apartment in the city’s downtown area to serve as a laboratory for the bombs.

TOP IRANIAN OFFICIAL, COMMANDER KILLED IN STRIKE, ISRAEL DEFENSE MINISTER SAYS

Ami Gaydarov was arrested on March 9 by Israeli authorities on suspicion of working with Iranian handlers to harm a high-ranking official. (Israeli Police)

“To facilitate the contacts with his handlers, Gaidarov purchased dedicated phones and rented an apartment in Haifa where he produced the explosive substance, while documenting his activities in videos and photos that were sent to his handler as proof of compliance,” the Israeli police force said.

In connection with the plot, Israeli authorities have also arrested three other suspects, including Sergey Leibman and Edward Shovtiuk. The fourth suspect has not been named. Authorities said indictments for the four suspects should occur in the “coming days.”

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu meets with U.S. Vice President J.D. Vance at the Prime Minister’s Office on October 22, 2025 in Jerusalem, Israel. (Nathan Howard/Pool/Getty Images)

The terror plot was uncovered as part of Israel’s “Operation Roaring Lion,” a major military campaign launched against Iran on February 28, coinciding with the start of the war with Iran.

The arrest of the four men comes as Israeli authorities have won more than 40 indictments against more than 60 defendants working on behalf of the Iranian government. Just two months ago, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ordered that the citizenship of Israelis convicted of espionage for Iran be stripped of their citizenship.

Illustration shows a missile launch from Iran with the country’s flag in the background. (iStock)

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Since the outbreak of the war with Iran, pro-Iranian attacks linked to radical groups have been on the rise. Just last week, French officials reported that a pro-Iran group was behind a failed bomb plot on a Bank of America office in Paris.

President Donald Trump warned in a Tuesday Truth Social post that an entire “civilization will die tonight,” issuing the ominous message as his threat of a devastating U.S. attack against Iranian bridges and power plants loomed.

“A whole civilization will die tonight, never to be brought back again. I don’t want that to happen, but it probably will,” Trump declared in the post.

“However, now that we have Complete and Total Regime Change, where different, smarter, and less radicalized minds prevail, maybe something revolutionarily wonderful can happen, WHO KNOWS? We will find out tonight, one of the most important moments in the long and complex history of the World. 47 years of extortion, corruption, and death, will finally end. God Bless the Great People of Iran!” he added.

TRUMP DEADLINE FOR IRAN TICKS CLOSER AS ISLAMIC REPUBLIC REJECTS TEMPORARY CEASEFIRE

U.S. President Donald Trump speaks during a news conference in James S. Brady Press Briefing Room of the White House on April 6, 2026 in Washington, D.C. (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)

Iranian official Alireza Rahimi put out a video message urging “all young people, athletes, artists, students and university students and their professors” to create human chains around power plants, The Associated Press reported.

In a prior Truth Social post issued on Easter Sunday, the president had threatened a Tuesday attack on the Middle Eastern country’s power plants and bridges.

“Tuesday will be Power Plant Day, and Bridge Day, all wrapped up in one, in Iran. There will be nothing like it!!! Open the F[—]in’ Strait, you crazy b——-, or you’ll be living in Hell – JUST WATCH! Praise be to Allah,” the president declared in the post.

IRAN WAR NEARS ‘COMPLETION’ AS TRUMP EYES DEADLINE — WHAT THE ENDGAME COULD LOOK LIKE

A view of the damaged B1 bridge, a day after it was destroyed by an airstrike, on April 3, 2026 west of Tehran in Karaj, Iran. (Majid Saeedi/Getty Images)

During remarks on Monday, Trump indicated the U.S. has “a plan … where every bridge in Iran will be decimated by 12 o’clock tomorrow night, where every power plant in Iran will be out of business, burning, exploding, and never to be used again. I mean complete demolition by 12 o’clock.”

“We don’t want that to happen,” he said.

Former National Counterterrorism Center Director Joe Kent, who quit last month over his opposition to the Iran war, warned on Tuesday that the president’s proposed course of action would threaten America’s status as the world’s top superpower.

ILHAN OMAR CALLS TRUMP AN ‘UNHINGED LUNATIC,’ URGES BOOTING HIM OUT OF OFFICE

Members of security forces watch over the crowd during a funeral procession held for IRGC Navy Chief Alireza Tangsiri, alongside other senior naval commanders and their families who were killed in US-Israeli strikes in late March, on April 1, 2026 in Tehran, Iran. (Majid Saeedi/Getty Images)

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“Trump believes he is threatening Iran with destruction, but it is America that now stands in danger. If he attempts to eradicate Iranian civilization, the United States will no longer be viewed as a stabilizing force in the world, but as an agent of chaos—effectively ending our status as the world’s greatest superpower,” Kent wrote in a post on X. “This would upend our economy and shatter the global order. The process is already underway, yet we still have time to avert catastrophe if Trump finds the courage to pursue serious negotiations rather than reckless rage and destruction.”

The Department of Homeland Security revealed that a suspect who fled to China after allegedly planting a deadly explosive device at an important military base is the child of two Chinese illegal immigrants.  

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement arrested Chinese nationals Qiu Qin Zou and Jia Zhang Zheng, both of whom were living in the U.S. illegally, Homeland Security said. Their arrests came following two of their adult children, Ann Mary Zheng and Alen Zheng, being connected to a failed plot to detonate an improvised explosive device (IED) at MacDill Air Force Base in Florida in mid-March. 

The base, located in Florida, is home to U.S. Central Command, which oversees military operations in the Middle East, and Special Operations Command, which oversees all special operations forces across the Department of War.

The alleged perpetrators of the attempt were born in the U.S. after their parents illegally entered the country, according to the Department of Homeland Security. 

ICE DETAINS PRESIDENT OF WISCONSIN’S LARGEST MOSQUE, ALLEGING HE HID CONVICTION FOR ATTACKS ON ISRAELIS

The agency asserted the case “illustrates why the improper recognition of ‘birthright citizenship’ for children of illegal aliens is not only inconsistent with the Constitution, but endangers all Americans.”

Jia Zhang Zheng (left) and Qiu Qin Zou (right) are Chinese illegal aliens whose adult children were allegedly behind an attempted bombing at MacDill Air Force Base. (Octavio JONES / AFP via Getty Images; DHS)

Birthright citizenship refers to the principle that anyone born on U.S. soil is automatically granted U.S. citizenship. 

The FBI said Alen Zheng, who is believed to have planted the improvised explosive device at MacDill Air Force Base on March 10, is currently in China. He is facing charges of attempted damage to government property by fire or explosion, unlawful making of a destructive device and possession of an unregistered destructive device, which carry a potential sentence of up to 40 years in prison.

FBI Tampa arrested Ann Mary Zheng March 17 following her return to the U.S. from China, where she had fled with her brother. She has been charged with accessory after the fact and tampering with evidence, facing up to 30 years in prison. 

She is accused of hiding or damaging a 2010 Mercedes-Benz to prevent its use in legal proceedings, court documents show. 

Prosecutors allege that the siblings attempted to cover their tracks by selling the vehicle to car dealer CarMax. Despite being vacuumed and cleaned, investigators later discovered trace explosive residue inside the vehicle.

The day after Ann Mary Zheng’s arrest, ICE apprehended both parents, Qiu Qin Zou and Jia Zhang Zheng. They are currently in ICE custody, according to the Department of Homeland Security. 

Both parents applied for asylum in the U.S. but were denied and ordered removed by an immigration judge in 1998, according to the agency. 

The Department of Homeland Security said the Bureau of Immigration Appeals denied multiple attempts by the parents to have their case reopened. Despite this, both remained living in the U.S. illegally for nearly three decades.

The department is positing that this case highlights the “grave danger” of current U.S. law granting automatic citizenship to anyone born on American soil, including the children of illegal immigrants.

WATCH: PRESIDENT TRUMP REVEALS FAMILIES OF SLAIN US SERVICE MEMBERS URGED HIM ‘FINISH THE JOB’

Anne Mary Zheng is charged with accessory after the fact and tampering with evidence, facing up to 30 years in prison.  (DHS)

Following the parents’ arrests, Acting Department of Homeland Security Assistant Secretary Lauren Bis said that “automatically granting citizenship to children of illegal aliens born in the U.S. … poses a major national security risk.”

“That reality became apparent last week when two U.S.-born children of Chinese illegal aliens were indicted for planting a potentially deadly explosive device outside MacDill Air Force Base in Florida,” said Bis, who added that, “This incident underscores the severe national security threat that illegal immigration and birthright citizenship pose to the United States.”

Bis also asserted that the policy of granting automatic birthright citizenship “is based on a historically inaccurate interpretation of the Citizenship Clause” of the 14th Amendment.

The Supreme Court is currently weighing the constitutionality of an executive order signed by President Donald Trump that would end birthright citizenship for the children of illegal immigrants. Trump signed the order on his first day back in the Oval Office in 2025. 

PETE HEGSETH SIGNS MEMO OPENING DOOR FOR TROOPS TO CARRY PERSONAL FIREARMS ON BASES

Police officers with the Tampa Police Department block traffic along South Dale Mabry Highway near the main entrance of MacDill Air Force Base, which houses CENTCOM headquarters, after a suspicious package was reported at the gate in Tampa, Florida, on March 16, 2026.  (Octavio Jones/AFP via Getty Images)

The court held oral arguments on the case this Wednesday, with justices appearing skeptical of Trump’s order.

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Amy Swearer, a senior legal fellow at Advancing American Freedom, described the court’s line of questioning as “disappointing” for proponents of Trump’s stance on birthright citizenship.

“Most people understood coming into this, and I suspect even the government understood coming into this, that this was probably going to be a bit of an uphill battle,” Swearer said.

Despite this, Swearer said, “I do think there’s a path forward” for a Trump victory, though it would likely be narrow and partial.

Fox News Digital’s Alex Nitzberg and Alexandra Koch contributed to this report.

An Ontario man who pleaded guilty to three terrorism charges was sentenced Friday to 20 years in prison.

Matthew Althorpe admitted to creating and publishing white supremacist propaganda as an active member of the terror group Atomwaffen Division, and an agreed statement of facts in the case said manifestos he published on Telegram inspired multiple terrorist attacks.

Superior Court Justice Jane Kelly said in her ruling that the propaganda Althorpe created can never be erased and will continue to inspire more violence.

She said there is evidence Althorpe inspired at least six attacks that left several people killed and wounded through his online manifestos. They promoted hatred of Jewish, Muslim and Black people, among other groups, and advocated for mass casualty attacks and the sabotage of critical infrastructure.

Althorpe’s publications were cited by a teenager who stabbed five people at a mosque in Turkey in 2024 and an attacker who killed two people in a shooting outside a Slovakian gay bar in 2022.

At a January sentencing hearing, Althorpe stated that he regretted his past actions and renounced his extremist beliefs. His defence lawyer requested a sentence of 12 to 14 years.

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But Kelly said in her decision that there is nonetheless concern that Althorpe may continue to harbour white supremacist ideology. She noted there is a risk of reoffending.

“The offenses and the role that Mr. Althorpe played in them are significant and serious. This was not an isolated act of violence and not a series of ill-conceived social media posts,” the judge said.

“His role shows a decade-long commitment to white supremacist, militant accelerationist ideology.”

The judge said Althorpe began participating in white supremacist chat rooms around 2015, and after he stepped away from the now-disbanded Atomwaffen Division, he became a leader of a neo-Nazi fight club.

Althorpe’s defence lawyer had previously characterized his client as a young man who went “way off course and made terrible criminal mistakes” as a result of experiencing childhood sexual abuse and mental health disorders that went untreated.

Kelly said this was no excuse for his actions.

“While Mr. Althorpe’s community suggests that boredom during COVID or getting in with the wrong crowd might have inspired his involvement in terrorist activities, there really is no explanation for it. There is nothing in his upbringing to suggest that he was inspired by those around him to engage in terrorist groups,” she said.

The justice said the 20-year sentence is intended to send a strong message that terrorism is reprehensible and those who engage in it must pay a heavy price.

“Had Mr. Althorpe not pleaded guilty but was found guilty after trial, I have no doubt that he would be facing life in prison,” she said.

Five Jewish organizations that provided community impact statements in Althorpe’s case said his 20-year sentence sends a powerful message against hate.

“The threat posed by Mr. Althorpe was not only to the Jewish community. His hatred and violent extremism targeted all those who did not align with his grotesque ideology,” they said.

The Alliance of Canadians Combatting Antisemitism, B’nai Brith Canada, the Canadian Antisemitism Education Foundation, the Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs and the Friends of Simon Wiesenthal Center called on governments to do more to address “sources of hate and radicalization” in Canada and prioritize dismantling terror networks.

Kelly noted the Criminal Code sets out a parole ineligibility period of half of the sentence, or 10 years, for people found guilty of terrorism charges but said Althorpe may apply for parole before then.

“This does not mean that Mr. Althorpe will be released on parole before he serves one half of his sentence. It simply means that he can apply for parole before he does,” she said.

&copy 2026 The Canadian Press

The man reportedly being floated by the Trump administration as a possible interlocutor with Iran is also one of the regime’s most hardline figures — Iranian parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, a longtime Revolutionary Guards commander, widely described by experts as a loyal “yes man,” with a record of threats against the United States and deep ties to the system’s inner circle.

That contradiction underscores the central question facing U.S. policymakers: Even if Washington is speaking to the “right people,” as President Donald Trump has claimed, can someone like Ghalibaf actually deliver?

“Ghalibaf doesn’t have an independent line. His strength is that he is a ‘yes man,’” said Beni Sabti, an Iran expert at the Institute for National Security Studies. He added, “If he is told to shake hands with Special Envoy Steve Witkoff, he will do it. If he is told to escalate, he will. It is not about moderation, it is about who gives the orders.”

AS AIRSTRIKES RAIN DOWN ON THE IRANIAN REGIME, CAN A FRACTURED OPPOSITION UNITE TO LEAD IF IT FALLS?

Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf speaks during a public event in Iran in 2024 (Hossein Beris / Middle East Images / Middle East Images via AFP)

Regime Insider 

Ghalibaf, 64, is a product of Iran’s security establishment.

He rose through the ranks of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps during the Iran-Iraq War, eventually becoming commander of the IRGC air force.

“He even completed flight training abroad, which was not unusual at the time, with France reportedly assisting at one stage. Until recently, he was still conducting training flights in France,” said Sabti.

He later served as Iran’s national police chief, overseeing internal security forces responsible for suppressing protests, including the 1999 student uprising, alongside Qassem Soleimani.

After transitioning into politics, Ghalibaf attempted to run for president multiple times but failed. He instead built his career through loyalty to the system, serving as Tehran’s mayor for more than a decade before becoming speaker of parliament in 2020.

“Ghalibaf went on to serve in senior national roles and is now speaker of parliament. He has consistently aligned himself with the supreme leader and follows directives rather than setting his own independent positions,” Sabti said.

“His name has also been linked to multiple corruption allegations, including misuse of oil revenues and sanctions evasion networks involving his family. His sons have reportedly been involved and are under sanctions,” Sabti said, adding, “There have also been public scandals involving family members traveling abroad and making luxury purchases, including widely circulated images of them arriving with numerous high-end Gucci suitcases.”

IRAN’S NEW SUPREME LEADER IS ‘HIS FATHER ON STEROIDS,’ EXPERTS WARN OF HARDLINE RULE

Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad-Bagher Ghalibaf looks on as parliament members chant in support of the IRGC while wearing military uniforms in Tehran, Iran, Feb 1, 2026.  (Hamed Malekpour/Islamic consultative assembly news agency/WANA (West Asia News Agency)/Handout via Reuters)

Limited Authority

Ghalibaf’s wartime statements reflect a hardening tone inside Iran’s leadership.

He has rejected ceasefire terms, declaring Iran would continue fighting “until the enemy truly regrets its aggression.”

He has also warned that attacks on Iranian infrastructure would trigger retaliation across the region, including against energy targets.

At the same time, he has publicly denied any negotiations with the United States, calling reports of talks “fake news” and accusing Washington of manipulating markets.

In remarks aired on Iranian television on January 12, 2026, he warned that U.S. forces would face catastrophic consequences if they confronted Iran. “Come, so you can see what catastrophe befalls American bases, ships and forces,” he said, adding that American troops would be “burned by the fire of Iran’s defenders.”

In the same remarks, broadcast and translated by MEMRI, he described the U.S. president as “delusional and arrogant,” and framed Iran’s ideology as a growing global movement.

More recently, he escalated further. He warned that “the blood of American soldiers is the personal responsibility of Trump,” and vowed Iran would “settle accounts with the Americans and Israelis,” adding that “Trump and Netanyahu crossed our red lines and will pay the price.”

He has also threatened retaliation against regional energy infrastructure, signaling a willingness to expand the conflict beyond direct military confrontation.

Not the Decision-Maker

“He’s considered relatively moderate in the current Iranian context, but he’s not the one calling the shots. He’s not the leader himself,” Danny Citrinowicz, Middle East, National Security and intelligence expert, told Fox News Digital that adding that Ghalibaf may serve as a channel to Iran’s leadership, but not as the ultimate authority.

“If you want to speak to someone in Iran, he’s probably the point of contact,” he said. “But he’s not deciding anything. Even if he wants to do something, he has to get approval from the IRGC and the supreme leadership.”

Sabti said that “Some point to periods during Rouhani’s presidency when he appeared to align with Rouhani and describe him as somewhat moderate, but that is misleading,” he said.

TRUMP SAYS IRAN WANTS TO TALK BUT WHO WILL LEAD AFTER KHAMENEI?

A man lights a cigarette with fire from a burning picture of Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, as Israelis rally in support of the nationwide protests happening in Iran, in Holon, Israel, January 14, 2026.  (Ammar Awad/Reuters)

A System That Makes Deals Harder

Analysts say the bigger issue is not Ghalibaf himself, but the system he operates within.

Behnam Ben Taleblu, a senior fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, said: “Those who see the ascendance of someone like Ghalibaf, who is an IRGC veteran, as extending power outside his traditional civilian role have missed how personality, not profession, has been the driving force in Iranian politics for decades. Those who focus on IRGC backgrounds in the Supreme National Security Council may also overlook that recent secretaries — Shamkhani, Larijani and Ahmadian — all had IRGC backgrounds.”

“The system today is more radicalized and decentralized,” Citrinowicz agreed. “It’s not one person. It’s multiple actors you need to coordinate with, which makes it much harder to negotiate.”

“I’m not saying it’s impossible, because this is still the Middle East, but it will be very difficult to reach an agreement with them, let alone one that reflects the same demands the U.S. was making before the war. There is no way they are going to agree to that,” he added.

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A billboard depicting Iran’s supreme leaders since 1979: (L to R) Ayatollahs Ruhollah Khomeini (until 1989), Ali Khamenei (until 2026), and Mojtaba Khamenei (incumbent) is displayed above a highway in Tehran on March 10, 2026. Iran marked the appointment of Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei to replace his father as its supreme leader on March 9, 2026.  (AFP/Via Getty Images)

Citrinowicz said the regime sees themselves as prevailing. “From Iran’s perspective, they are winning, not losing. They are using their strategic capabilities and effectively threatening a choke point in the global economy, namely the Strait of Hormuz. That only reinforces the radicalization taking place inside the regime. Under those conditions, they will be the ones making demands of Trump, not the other way around.”

Even if talks were to take place, he said, Ghalibaf would not be able to commit Iran without broader approval.

The United States military reportedly launched airstrikes targeting the headquarters of Iraq’s ​Iran-backed Shiite militia (PMF) and a residence belonging to its leader on ‌Tuesday, in an escalation of strikes against Tehran’s prized militias. 

The latest strikes from the U.S. military follows a statement last week from Gen. Dan Caine, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, who said AH-64 helicopters “have been striking against Iranian-aligned militia groups to make sure that we suppress any threat in Iraq against U.S. forces or U.S. interests.” 

In what appears to be an Iraqi threat against the U.S., Iraq’s Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani said in a statement on Tuesday, “In light of the unjustified attacks and grave violations of Iraqi sovereignty, including the targeting of official security headquarters, the Council decided the following: To confront and respond to military attacks carried out by military aircraft and drones targeting the headquarters and formations of the Popular Mobilization Forces Commission and other formations of our armed forces, using available means, in accordance with the right to respond and self-defense.”

US WARNS IRAQ MUST ACT AGAINST IRAN-BACKED MILITIA ATTACKS ON AMERICAN ASSETS

Smoke rises from the U.S. embassy building in Baghdad, Iraq, Saturday, March 14, 2026.  (Ali Jabar/ AP Photo)

Sudani also said that Iraq’s foreign ministry planned to summon the U.S. chargé d’affaires and separately the Iranian ambassador on Wednesday. The PMF is part of Iraqi Prime Minister Al-Sudani’s government.

An Iraqi Kurdish government official said to Fox News Digital, “So what the Iraqi government will now fight the Americans?”

When asked about the Iraqi Kurdish government official’s comment, a spokesperson for Iraq’s embassy in Washington D.C., told Fox News Digital, “Absolutely not. It is against elements that target them.”

According to the Times of Israel, a fresh airstrike on Wednesday hit the PMF in western Iraq. “Two missiles were fired from a fighter jet” at a base in Anbar province, a security official said. The Anbar base was also reportedly struck by U.S. forces on Tuesday.

The Iraqi embassy spokesman said, responding to additional Fox News Digital press questions that he lacked the current information to comment regarding the fast-moving developments in Iraq.

Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al Sudani chairs negotiations between Iraq and the United States to end the International Coalition mission in Baghdad, Iraq, Jan. 27, 2024. President Joe Biden is set to host al Sudani Monday, April 15, for talks that come as tensions across the Middle East have soared over the war in Gaza and Iran’s threats to retaliate for an Israeli military strike against an Iranian facility in Syria.  (AP Photo/Hadi Mizban, Pool)

The PMF has launched attacks on the U.S. embassy in Baghdad, Israel and other American assets in the region, especially in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq, following the U.S.-Israel joint attack on the Islamic Republic on Feb. 28. Over the years, the PMF has been accused of killing American military personnel in the Middle East.

DEFIANT IRAN VOWS TO FIGHT ‘UNTIL COMPLETE VICTORY,’ DESPITE HEAVY MILITARY LOSSES

PMF leader Falih al-Fayadh was not present when his residence was hit in the northern city of ​Mosul on Tuesday. At least 15 PMF terrorists were killed in other ⁠airstrikes that hit a headquarters of the group in Iraq’s Euphrates valley ​province of Anbar, according to sources and a statement from the group.

The Kurdish government official told Fox News Digital on Tuesday: “The militias are brazenly doing Iran’s bidding. They’ve attacked U.S. forces and diplomats, Iraq’s own intelligence services, French troops, and the KRG’s Peshmerga [Kurdish Regional Government]. Energy and civilian infrastructure haven’t been spared. This does not require analysis — these groups openly claim responsibility.”

Supporters gather in Baghdad’s Sadr district holding Iranian flags and posters of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei following the announcement that he was killed in U.S.-Israeli attacks, on March 1, 2026 (Murtadha Al-Sudani/Anadolu via Getty Images)

The Kurdish official added: “So why does the Iraqi government continue to pay those it itself describes as terrorists and criminals? There are four principal groups: Harakat al-Nujaba, Kataeb Hezbollah, Kataeb Sayyid al-Shuhada and Asaib Ahl al-Haq. This government is unwilling to defend its own interests, let alone those of its partners. At this point, the distinction between the PMF and the state is increasingly hard to discern.”

Elizabeth Tsurkov, a senior non-resident fellow at the New Lines Institute for Strategy and Policy and an expert on the PMF, told Fox News Digital there was a “sense of delusion” during the Biden administration, which tried to differentiate between the PMF and six of its pro-Iran militia members that are U.S.-designated terrorist entities.

She said the recent strikes clearly “show that the U.S. is tired of this inane distinction,” Tsurkov said. She stressed the “entire PMF structure is a problem.”

Tsurkov, who was held hostage by the pro-Iranian regime, Kataib Hezbollah, for two and half years in Iraq, said, “The U.S. possesses immense leverage over Iraq. The U.S. can sanction certain ministries and certain directors generals.” She added that the U.S. can also sanction Iraqi banks that transfer money to Iran.

An explosion is reported near the U.S. Consulate and the Erbil International Airport area, where a U.S. military base is also located, in Erbil, Iraq, with fire breaking out and thick smoke rising following the blast, on march 12, 2026.  (Ahsan Mohammed Ahmed Ahmed/Anadolu via Getty Images)

Tsurkov said the PMF are highly sensitive to U.S. strikes on their top leadership.

The PMF movement is reeling from the devastating alleged U.S. airstrikes. The dead included its operations commander, Saad al-Baiji. The statement said ​U.S. forces had targeted a command headquarters in Anbar while personnel were on ​duty. The security sources said the strikes were hit during a meeting attended by senior commanders.

TRUMP’S MIDDLE EAST ENVOY REVEALS WHAT LED TO BREAKDOWN IN IRAN TALKS BEFORE OPERATION EPIC FURY

A State Department official told Fox News Digital that, “The United States strongly condemns the widespread attacks by Iran and Iran-backed militias against U.S. citizens and targets associated with the United States throughout Iraq, including U.S. diplomatic personnel and facilities.”

The official continued: “As Secretary Rubio has said, the Iraqi government must take all measures to safeguard U.S. diplomatic personnel and facilities and ensure militia groups cannot use Iraqi territory to threaten the United States, our Iraqi partners, or the region. Doing so is in Iraq’s interest. Continued attacks by Iran-backed militias undermine Iraq’s stability and risk drawing Iraq into a broader regional conflict.”

Members of Shiite radical cleric Moqtada al-Sadr’s Mehdi Army parade in Baghdad’s Shiite neighborhood of Sadr city 03 April 2004. Sadr’s followers have held almost daily demonstrations to protest the decision by the coalition to close his weekly newspaper, the al-Hawza al-Natiqa, for 60 days on charges of inciting violence. (Ahmed Labib/Anadolu via Getty Images)

A spokesperson for U.S. Central Command referred Fox News Digital to the White House and to the Office of the Secretary of War for comment on the administration’s policy. Fox News Digital reached out to the White House and Pentagon for comment.

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On Monday, the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad issued a security alert warning: “Iraq Iran-aligned terrorist militias have conducted widespread attacks on U.S. citizens and targets associated with the United States throughout Iraq, including the Iraqi Kurdistan Region (IKR). U.S. citizens should leave Iraq now.”

Fox News Digital reached out to the Israel Defense Forces regarding Israel’s role in the ongoing strikes against Iran-backed militias.

Reuters contributed to this report.

The Army’s top civilian and enlisted leaders have awarded eight Meritorious Service Medals and two Purple Hearts to Old Dominion University ROTC cadets who stopped the March 12 gunman later identified by the FBI as Mohamed Bailor Jalloh, a former National Guardsman convicted in a case tied to support for the Islamic State.

In a private ceremony this week, Secretary of the Army Dan Driscoll and Sgt. Maj. of the Army Michael Weimer honored the cadets for their actions during the attack inside an ROTC classroom, according to U.S. Army Cadet Command on Facebook. The cadets’ names were withheld for privacy.

Federal authorities have said the cadets subdued and killed Jalloh after he opened fire, killing military science professor Lt. Col. Brandon Shah, 42, and wounding two others during an attack during their class at Old Dominion in Norfolk, Virginia.

One cadet was hospitalized in critical condition, while the other was treated and released after the deadly melee.

STRING OF ATTACKS CONNECTED TO NATURALIZED CITIZENS RAISES NATIONAL SECURITY QUESTIONS

Sergeant Major of the Army Michael R. Weimer and Army Secretary Dan Driscoll presented honors to Old Dominion University Army ROTC cadets, acknowledging their bravery and sacrifice during a classroom shooting earlier in the month. (Ian Ives / U.S. Army)

The Purple Heart is awarded to members of the U.S. Armed Forces who are wounded, killed or die from wounds received in combat, while a prisoner of war, or in action against an enemy force.

The Meritorious Service Medal is the noncombatant service equivalent honor to the Bronze Star.

It has not been made clear how many students were in the class at the time of the shooting, which the FBI has described as an act of terrorism, hailing the cadets’ intervention to prevent additional casualties.

“There were students that were in that room that subdued him, and, uh, rendered him no longer, uh, alive,” according to Dominique Evans, special agent in charge of the FBI’s Norfolk field office, in news conference remarks that raised outpouring of American pride on social media.

SOROS-BACKED DA SPARKS BACKLASH AFTER BLAMING OLD DOMINION SHOOTING ON PRO-GUN LAWMAKERS: ‘F— RIGHT OFF’

Army Secretary Dan Driscoll honored eight cadets from Old Dominion University’s Army ROTC program with Meritorious Service Medals and two were awarded Purple Hearts for their courage, service and bravery for “terminating” an ISIS terrorist attacker. (Ian Ives / U.S. Army)

“I don’t know how else to say it,” Evans said. “They basically were able to terminate the threat.”

They heroically did so without guns.

Jalloh “was not shot,” she added, as reports indicated the cadets killed the ISIS-linked assassin by stabbing him to death.

VIRGINIA MAN CHARGED WITH SELLING WEAPON USED BY OLD DOMINION UNIVERSITY GUNMAN

Jalloh’s ability to carry out an ISIS-inspired terrorist attack in the U.S. after President Donald Trump started the military strikes on Iran is a function of former President Joe Biden’s Justice Department releasing a terrorist.

Secretary of the Army Dan Driscoll shakes the hands of Old Dominion University Army ROTC cadets after awarding eight Meritorious Service Medals and two Purple Hearts during a private ceremony Sunday. (Ian Ives / U.S. Army)

Jalloh had pleaded guilty in 2016 to attempting to provide material support to ISIS and had been released from federal custody in December 2024 to mere supervised probation, which failed to prevent the attack.

He was released about 2 1/2 years early after completing a drug treatment program, a person familiar with the matter told the AP. The person was not authorized to speak publicly and did so on condition of anonymity.

It was not clear how Jalloh qualified for the program, which allows inmates to shave up to a year off their sentences. Inmates serving sentences for terrorism-related offenses typically are not eligible for such programs or other sentence-reducing credits.

DEM-BACKED ‘SOCIAL JUSTICE’ LAW PUT VIRGINIA’S ODU CAMPUS AT RISK BEFORE ATTACK, FORMER AG ARGUES

Old Dominion University Police Chief Garrett Shelton said less than 10 minutes passed between when officers were called about a shooting in the university’s business school building and when responders determined the shooter was dead.

“The shooter is now deceased thanks to a group of brave students who stepped in and subdued him – actions that undoubtedly saved lives along with the quick response of law enforcement,” FBI Director Kash Patel wrote March 12 on X.

Three members of the U.S. Army ROTC program at Old Dominion were wounded, including one who died. Jalloh also had served. The naturalized U.S. citizen from Sierra Leone was a specialist with the Virginia Army National Guard from 2009 until 2015, when he was honorably discharged.

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Shah, 42, was the university’s professor of military science and a former ODU ROTC cadet who returned in 2022 to lead the program.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Newly obtained doorbell camera video shows the suspect in the Austin mass shooting at an apartment shortly before the deadly rampage. 

In the clip obtained by FOX 7, 53-year-old Ndiaga Diagne can be seen leaving a Del Valle, Texas apartment, as captured by a neighboring doorbell camera.

The video timestamp reads Feb. 28, one day before the mass shooting. 

The same neighbor also provided a video of FBI agents covering up their camera moments before a raid on Diagne’s apartment on March 2.

The raid was related to the execution of a search warrant at an apartment tied to Diagne.

One day earlier, residents at the Eastridge Apartments were met by federal agents surrounding a complex unit at around 11:30 a.m., with one agent using a loudspeaker to tell anyone in unit 813 to step away from the windows, the outlet reported.

Shortly after, neighbors heard a noise that they described as sounding like gunfire. 

“Then we heard like, gunshots, and then we heard a grenade, like a grenade bomb go off in the apartment. It was just a lot of cars and the FBI with their guns drawn,” one anonymous resident told FOX 7. 

Another resident detailed how they encountered armed agents outside their apartment upon returning home. 

“I looked through the window from the restroom, and I just saw them right in the house, and they had a car in the grass right there. They had K-9s waiting too, they had rifles outside the gate,” Alex Sky said.

According to Police Chief Lisa Davis, the gunman – who was a 53-year-old naturalized US citizen born in Senegal who lived in Pflugerville – “put his flashers on, rolled down his window and began using a pistol shooting out of his car windows, striking patrons of the bar that were on the patio and that were in front of the bar.” 

Following the initial shooting, the gunman then drove westbound on Sixth Street to Wood Street, parked his vehicle and exited holding a rifle while continuing to shoot at pedestrians without ever entering the bar.

He was then shot and killed by police at the scene.

The FBI has since classified the shooting as a possible act of terrorism.

“Obviously, it’s still way too early in the process to determine an exact motivation, but there were indicators on the subject and in his vehicle that indicate potential nexus to terrorism,” Alex Doran, acting special agent in charge of the FBI’s San Antonio Field Office, said at a press conference Sunday.

“Again, it’s still too early to make a determination on that. That’s why we are investigating it very closely with our partners with the Austin Police Department,” Doran added.

Additionally, the FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force has also been deployed. 

“We’re just at this point prepared to say that it was potentially an act of terrorism,” he said.

At least two additional victims remain in critical condition, according to authorities.