প্রেসিডেন্ট ট্রাম্প বিশ্বকে বলেছেন, ইরানের পারমাণবিক অস্ত্র থাকতে পারে না

Rep. Tim Burchett, R-Tenn., argued Saturday that U.S. intervention in Iran prevented Tehran from obtaining a nuclear weapon that he claimed would have been used against Israel or another country.

“The Iranians were close to nuclear; they were they were getting ready to launch Armageddon, from what I understand,” Burchett said on “The Big Weekend Show.”

Burchett, a member of the House Foreign Affairs and Oversight committees, said he believes Iran would have obtained a nuclear weapon without President Donald Trump’s intervention.

“If President Trump had intervened over there, Iran would have a nuclear weapon. They would have launched against Israel or somebody else,” Burchett said.

His comments come as Trump continues to insist Iran cannot be allowed to obtain a nuclear weapon and weighs his next steps in the war.

Turkey is working with other countries on new proposals aimed at bringing the U.S. and Iran toward an agreement to end the war, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said Saturday.

“Turkey and other countries are presenting proposals and are making every effort to bring the negotiations between the United States and Iran to a conclusion,” Fidan told Turkish broadcaster NTV.

Fidan did not provide details of the proposals but pointed to distrust between Washington and Tehran.

“There is a strong distrust between the parties,” Fidan said. “Now both sides are clearly trying to advance this process in a way that will secure their interests.”

Iran-backed Houthi rebels are posing a growing threat to a key Saudi oil shipping route after seizing new territory along Yemen’s Red Sea coast, Fox News correspondent Stephanie Bennett reported Saturday.

The Houthis captured the port city of Mokha and Perim Island in the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, a vital shipping route Saudi Arabia can use to bypass the Strait of Hormuz, Bennett reported on “Fox Report.”

The developments come amid escalating attacks on Saudi Arabia, including Saturday’s assault on Riyadh. Flames and a large plume of black smoke were seen near King Khalid International Airport as emergency air raid alerts sounded across the capital and flights faced major disruptions.

The Houthis have targeted Saudi oil facilities and tankers since declaring a naval blockade against the kingdom in July. An attack on Saudi Arabia’s East-West pipeline also has been blamed on Iran-backed militias in Iraq.

The fighting has displaced at least 112,000 people inside Yemen over the past two weeks, while nearly 3,000 others have fled by sea to Djibouti, according to the U.N. migration agency.

Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthis claimed an attack on Riyadh Saturday after a strike hit a jet fuel facility at King Khalid International Airport, according to The Wall Street Journal.

Saudi air defenses intercepted and destroyed a Houthi ballistic missile launched toward the capital earlier Saturday, Saudi-led coalition spokesperson Col. Turki al-Malki said, according to the Journal.

Hours later, the Houthis claimed attacks on Riyadh and the Red Sea port city of Yanbu, saying they used ballistic and cruise missiles as well as drones. It was not immediately clear which weapon struck the airport fuel facility.

The Houthis also attempted to target Baish, Taif, Farasan and Yanbu, but those attacks were thwarted by Saudi air defenses, al-Malki said.

The attack comes as the Houthis have intensified operations against Saudi Arabia in recent weeks, including an attempted drone attack near Mecca.

U.S. Marines conducted hoist training aboard the USS Portland in the Arabian Sea, U.S. Central Command said Saturday.

CENTCOM released an image showing an MH-60S Sea Hawk hovering above the amphibious transport dock’s flight deck as Marines participated in the training.

The exercise comes as U.S. military forces continue operations in the Middle East amid the war with Iran.

The USS Portland is an amphibious transport dock designed to transport and support Marines, aircraft and landing craft.

The U.S. military’s costs for the war with Iran have climbed to an estimated $43.6 billion, according to a new U.S. Central Command assessment provided to lawmakers.

The estimate covers expenses through Sept. 3 and marks an increase from the $38 billion that the Congressional Budget Office estimated the conflict had cost through Aug. 1, The Associated Press reported.

Weapons accounted for the largest share of the latest estimate, with munitions costs reaching $28.1 billion. That’s up from $21.7 billion in the CBO’s earlier assessment.

The military’s breakdown also includes costs associated with operating warships, aircraft and bases, along with equipment losses and medical support for U.S. troops.

The latest estimate comes as the Trump administration seeks congressional approval for a $1.5 trillion military budget and a separate $95 billion package that would help fund the Iran war and other priorities.

The Pentagon has reported 18 U.S. service members killed and more than 830 wounded during the conflict, according to AP.

The new estimate does not include damage inflicted on U.S. bases in the Middle East by Iranian missile and drone attacks.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Turkey could provide military assistance to Saudi Arabia as the kingdom faces escalating attacks from the Iran-backed Houthis, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said Saturday.

Fidan pointed to the Mecca Joint Defense Agreement between Turkey, Saudi Arabia and Pakistan, saying Ankara would examine any request from Riyadh for assistance under the trilateral pact.

The agreement allows the three countries to provide collective assistance, with the nature of that support determined by the requesting country and joint decisions among the members.

Fidan also warned that the widening Middle East crisis was no longer economically sustainable.

Israel’s ambassador to the United Nations, Danny Danon, said Saturday that Iran is seeking to spread its ideology across the Middle East as he argued the country poses a threat beyond Israel.

Danon told Aishah Hasnie on “Fox News Live” that Israel could eventually resume regional diplomatic efforts that were disrupted by the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas attacks.

“On the contrary, I think, you know, we had negotiations with many countries. October 7th happened three years ago. It pushed us back. But now I think we can go back on track and continue where we stopped.”

“We have to face the brutality of Iran, the threat of the Iranians,” Danon said. “They want to expand their radical ideas to the region.”

“We will not allow them to take over the Middle East.”

Danon also cited Iran’s attacks on the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia while arguing Tehran’s conflict with Israel is not rooted in a territorial dispute.

The Israel Defense Forces said Saturday that it eliminated a Hamas commander who infiltrated Israel during the October 7, 2023, massacre and recently “worked to plant explosives throughout the Gaza Strip with the aim of harming our forces.” 

“The IDF struck in the Khan Younis area two days ago, eliminating the terrorist Muhammad Sulaiman Biuk, a commander in the military wing of the Hamas terror organization,” the IDF said. 

“The terrorist promoted terrorist plots against IDF forces and citizens of the State of Israel and worked to increase the competence of the organization’s terrorists and restore its capabilities, while systematically violating the ceasefire. The terrorist was eliminated with the aim of removing the threat he posed,” it added. 

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, following recent calls for the U.S. and Iran to return to the negotiating table, said Saturday that “in the Middle East, sustainable security cannot be dictated from outside the region,” a report said. 

“Regional security must belong to the region itself. The countries of the region must be able to discuss their security, stability, development and common future and find their own solutions without the intervention of foreign powers,” Araghchi was quoted as saying by Iran’s Mehr news agency. 

“Decades of foreign intervention, military pressure, and endless wars in the Middle East have proven an undeniable truth. Military intervention does not create security, and the exertion of pressure and coercion does not lead to peace,” he reportedly added. “Instead, war has been normalized as a primary instrument of international relations and has led to the perpetuation of patterns of perpetual confrontation and conflict.” 

U.S. Central Command Commander Adm. Brad Cooper said in a video message Saturday that “momentum is building” in the Strait of Hormuz as “the volume of crude oil, cargo, and liquid natural gas these past two weeks is higher than at any point in the past six months.” 

“CENTCOM forces have supported more than one billion barrels of crude oil leaving the Gulf. That’s one billion barrels of crude oil out through the Strait of Hormuz in the last couple of months,” Cooper said. “We’ve reached this significant milestone while assisting over 2,000 commercial ship transits through the strait by providing coordinated protection. Clearly, momentum is building. Primary transit lanes in the strait are clear of mines. Thousands of ships have passed through the strait.” 

“Over one billion barrels of crude have been shipped from Gulf partners through the Strait of Hormuz, and Iran has exported zero barrels thanks to our iron-clad blockade,” Cooper continued. “Even with this progress, we remain clear-eyed and laser-focused as we work with our teammates in the U.S. Interagency as well as all six partners in the Gulf Cooperation Council, known as the GCC, as well insurance and shipping companies to increase the volume of traffic flow through the Strait of Hormuz. The effort is paying off. The volume of crude oil, cargo, and liquid natural gas these past two weeks is higher than at any point in the past six months.” 

Cooper also said “the average American doing this important work is in their mid-20s.” 

“They’re pilots, maintainers, logisticians, culinary specialists, air defenders, intelligence analysts, and members of every other career field that make up America’s military, the greatest force on earth,” he added. “To all our service members and partners, stay focused and keep up the great work.” 

The U.S. Navy’s 7th Fleet said Saturday that the USS Abraham Lincoln has arrived in Guam following a lengthy deployment in the Middle East in support of the U.S.-Iran war. 

“Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln, flagship of Carrier Strike Group 3, Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Frank E. Petersen Jr., and the embarked staffs of Carrier Air Wing  9 and Destroyer Squadron 21, arrived in Guam for a brief logistics stop,” the 7th Fleet said. 

“The stop on Naval Base Guam marks CSG-3 personnel’s first return to American soil in nine months, during which personnel will be afforded on-base liberty,” it added. 

USNI News reported Saturday that the USS Abraham Lincoln has been deployed for 302 days and is  currently making its way to the U.S. west coast. 

Images are emerging Saturday showing black smoke rising near King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, after the country warned locals of potential “danger.” 

“An alert has been issued by the National Platform for Early Warning in Emergency Situations in the city of Riyadh to warn of a danger,” the Saudi Civil Defense agency wrote on X late Friday, before adding in a follow-up post that “the danger has been lifted from the city of Riyadh.” 

Reuters reported Saturday that one of its journalists in Riyadh heard booms in the area before the all-clear message was given. 

The warning for Saudi Arabia’s capital came days after the country said it destroyed a Houthi drone that tried to enter the airspace near the city of Mecca. 

The Iran-backed Houthis in Yemen have been targeting Saudi Arabia during the U.S. war against Tehran. 

The Israel Defense Forces said Saturday that it struck infrastructure belonging to the Iran-backed Hezbollah terrorist group after two of its soldiers were injured in southern Lebanon. 

“The strike was conducted in response to a Hezbollah explosive device in the Security Zone, that lightly injured 2 IDF soldiers that were in an IDF engineering vehicle,” it said.  

“Among the targets struck were observation posts and infrastructure from which Hezbollah terrorists operated to advance and execute attacks against IDF soldiers,” Israel’s military added. 

Iran has killed a man who was convicted of sharing missile site intelligence to Israel during last year’s “12-day war,” a report said. 

Hossein Pedaran was hanged after Iran’s Supreme Court upheld his death sentence on charges of espionage and intelligence cooperation, Reuters reported Saturday, citing Iran’s Mizan news agency. 

Iranian authorities claimed Pedaran gave information over to Israel’s Mossad intelligence service, Reuters added. 

The Department of War said “Operation Rising Lion — also known as the Iran-Israel war — was an armed conflict between those two countries in which Israel launched a number of surprise attacks on key Iranian facilities, both nuclear and military.” 

Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Mohammad Ishaq Dar told his Iranian counterpart Saturday that “dialogue and diplomacy remain the only viable means to ensure peace and stability in the region.” 

Pakistan has acted as a key mediator between the U.S. and Iran during Operation Epic Fury. 

Pakistan’s foreign ministry said Dar and Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, during a phone call Saturday, “agreed to maintain close cooperation and to meet in New York on the sidelines of the 81st UN General Assembly.” 

Dar also “stressed the importance of uninterrupted energy supplies and the safe and expeditious passage of ships, particularly given their implications for developing countries and global supply chains.” 

The U.N. Security Council said recent military escalation, attacks and threats from the Iran-backed Houthis in Yemen “risk further expanding the conflict, threatening maritime security and international trade.” 

In a statement, the council’s 15 members called for “practical cooperation” to prevent the Houthis from acquiring arms, military training, financing and other military-related assistance needed to carry out their attacks, which have targeted Saudi Arabia and territory in Yemen along the Bab el-Mandeb Strait. 

The message came as Saudi Arabia warned of a “hostile aerial threat” and issued a string of emergency alerts across the kingdom, including in its capital, late Friday and early Saturday, according to The Associated Press. 

No casualties were reported after the alerts were lifted. However, Reuters released an image showing smoke from the fuel storage depot at King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh.

Saudi authorities didn’t say what prompted the alerts or the cause of the audible explosions, but they previously reported intercepting incoming Houthi missiles and drones. 

The Associated Press contributed to this post.

China is urging the U.S. and Iran to resume negotiations as Iranian officials and media increasingly look to Beijing as a potential diplomatic bridge between Tehran and Washington, according to Iran International.

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi told Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi during talks in Beijing on Wednesday that China was prepared to play a “constructive role” in resolving international disputes.

Wang also called on Washington and Tehran to rebuild their negotiating mechanism and hold substantive consultations on unresolved issues.

Araghchi said after the meeting that decisions made in consultation with China would “decide future strategic balance in the region, with immeasurable knock-on effects.”

The discussions come ahead of Chinese President Xi Jinping’s planned meeting with President Donald Trump in Washington next week. China has not publicly offered to mediate directly between the U.S. and Iran, according to Iran International. 

Yesterday’s Fox News Digital live blog offers additional coverage of the conflict with Iran.

President Donald Trump plans to use his upcoming U.N. General Assembly address to make the case that Iran must be prevented from obtaining a nuclear weapon, U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. Mike Waltz said Friday.

The president will also discuss the administration’s efforts in Gaza, including its 20-point peace plan, Waltz told reporters.

Trump’s U.N. visit will include a meeting with leaders from six Gulf Arab countries as Washington weighs its next steps in the war with Iran.

Waltz said Trump is also scheduled to hold meetings with British Prime Minister Andy Burnham and Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi.

The president is set to address the General Assembly next week as world leaders gather in New York.