President Donald Trump expressed deep frustration with both Israel and Iran on Tuesday, saying the two countries ‘don’t know what the **** they’re doing.’

Trump made the comments while departing from the White House for a NATO summit Tuesday morning. Both Israel and Iran fired missiles at one another following the imposition of a ceasefire on Monday night.

‘I’m not happy with Israel. You know, when I say, okay, now you have 12 hours, you don’t go out in the first hour and just drop everything you have on them. So I’m not happy with them. I’m not happy with Iran either, but I’m really unhappy if Israel is going out this morning,’ Trump said.

He continued, ‘We basically have two countries that have been fighting for so long and so hard that they don’t know what the **** they’re doing.’ 

‘I’m gonna see if I can stop it,’ he added.

‘ISRAEL. DO NOT DROP THOSE BOMBS. IF YOU DO IT IS A MAJOR VIOLATION. BRING YOUR PILOTS HOME, NOW!’ Trump wrote on Truth Social shortly after boarding Marine One.

Minutes later, he announced that Israel was canceling its plans for an attack Tuesday morning.

‘ISRAEL is not going to attack Iran. All planes will turn around and head home, while doing a friendly ‘Plane Wave’ to Iran. Nobody will be hurt, the Ceasefire is in effect! Thank you for your attention to this matter!’ he wrote.

He then topped it off with a post stating: ‘IRAN WILL NEVER REBUILD THEIR NUCLEAR FACILITIES!’

Trump announced a ceasefire between Israel and Iran on Monday night, dubbing the conflict a ’12-day war.’

Qatar’s prime minister secured Iran’s agreement to the U.S.-proposed ceasefire after Iran’s limited strikes on America’s Al-Udeid Air Base in Qatar.

A senior Israeli official told Fox News on Tuesday that Iran had launched two missiles toward Israel following the announcement of the ceasefire ‘and we believe they are trying to fire more in the next couple of hours.’

‘Unfortunately, the Iranians have decided to continue to fire toward Israel,’ the official said to Fox News Chief Foreign Correspondent  Trey Yingst after Trump unveiled the deal Monday.

‘Now we will have to retaliate, this will happen of course,’ the official added. ‘It could end within several hours, but they [the Iranians] need to make a decision.’ 

Israel has yet to confirm that it has canceled its follow-up attack.

A House lawmaker is nominating President Donald Trump for the Nobel Peace Prize after he brokered a ceasefire deal between Israel and Iran.

Rep. Buddy Carter, R-Ga., wrote to the Nobel Peace Prize Committee, declaring Trump had an ‘extraordinary and historic role’ in having ended ‘the armed conflict between Israel and Iran and preventing the world’s largest state sponsor of terrorism from obtaining the most lethal weapon on the planet.’

Trump declared the ’12 Day War’ was ending late on Monday afternoon with a ceasefire that was meant to go into effect overnight Tuesday.

It ends just over a week after Israel first launched a preemptive strike against Iran, arguing Tehran was dangerously close to obtaining a nuclear weapon.

The two countries subsequently traded rocket fire over the following days, and over the weekend, the U.S. launched its own airstrikes on three of Iran’s key nuclear facilities.

Iran responded by shooting rockets at a U.S. air base in Qatar on Monday, but not without giving advance notice to U.S. and Qatari officials. No injuries were reported in that attack.

‘President Trump’s influence was instrumental in forging a swift agreement that many believed to be impossible. President Trump also took bold, decisive actions to halt Iran’s nuclear ambitions and ensure that the world’s largest state sponsor of terrorism remains incapable of acquiring a nuclear weapon,’ Carter wrote in his letter.

He said Trump’s leadership through the crisis ‘exemplifies the very ideals that the Nobel Peace Prize seeks to recognize: the pursuit of peace, the prevention of war, and the advancement of international harmony. In a region plagued by historical animosity and political volatility, such a breakthrough demands both courage and clarity.’

‘President Trump demonstrated both, offering the world a rare glimpse of hope. For these reasons, I respectfully submit this nomination for Donald J. Trump, 47th President of the United States, to be considered for the Nobel Peace Prize,’ Carter finished.

It is not the first time Trump has been nominated for the prize, though he has yet to win.

Rep. Darrell Issa, R-Calif., tapped Trump for the prize just earlier this year, arguing his 2024 electoral victory had an ‘astonishingly effective impact’ on peace in the world.

According to the Nobel Prize website, there have been 338 candidates nominated for the 2025 Nobel Peace Prize so far.

Carter, who is also running for Senate in Georgia, has introduced several notable bills this year backing Trump, though many have been seen as largely symbolic.

The Georgia Republican introduced legislation to rename Greenland ‘Red, White, and Blueland’ after Trump expressed interest in taking the territory. He also authored a bill aimed at letting Trump sell off a federal building in California named after former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif.

However, as for the conflict in the Middle East, it appears the tenuous peace is in danger of fraying as of Tuesday morning.

Carter’s nomination for Trump comes shortly after Israel accused Iran of breaking their ceasefire agreement, which Tehran has denied.  

As the dust still settles following the U.S. attack on Iran’s nuclear sites, analysts say the next steps will determine whether the Islamic Republic’s atomic ambitions have truly been crippled. 

Commenting on the mission, President Donald Trump wrote on Truth Social that: ‘The damage to the Nuclear sites in Iran is said to be ‘monumental.’ The hits were hard and accurate. Great skill was shown by our military. Thank you!’

Also on Sunday, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Dan Caine told reporters, ‘Final battle damage will take some time, but initial battle damage assessments indicate that all three sites sustained extremely severe damage and destruction.’ He added it was far too early to comment ‘on what may or may not still be there.’

A senior Israeli security source told Fox News Digital, ‘It’s still too soon to know for sure, but it appears the sites were seriously damaged — it looks excellent.’

‘History is being written,’ said Reserve Brig. Gen. Yossi Kuperwasser, head of the Jerusalem Institute for Strategy and Security and a former IDF intelligence chief. ‘This is a powerful development that significantly weakens the Iranian threat and highlights the deep cooperation between Israel and the United States. But the journey is far from over.’

According to Kuperwasser, the strikes caused heavy damage to core parts of Iran’s nuclear infrastructure. ‘But I don’t think the program is destroyed,’ he told Fox News Digital. ‘They still have enriched uranium, the ability to produce centrifuges, and scientists. We killed many, but not all. And even the bombed facilities — we don’t know for sure that nothing remains.’

Kuperwasser emphasized that while Tehran may retain some nuclear assets, a key strategic threshold has now been crossed. ‘Until now, everything was covert: sabotage, diplomacy, sanctions. But now, military action has proven far more effective. If Iran tries to restart its program, they know we — and the Americans — are prepared to strike again.’

Sima Shein, a former senior Mossad official and Iran expert at Israel’s Institute for National Security Studies (INSS), agreed that Iran’s capabilities have been degraded, but not eliminated.

‘There’s no doubt these were the three most important sites,’ Shein told Fox News Digital, referring to the U.S. strike Saturday night that hit Natanz, Isfahan, and Fordow, but claimed ‘Iran has dispersed its enriched uranium — both 60% and 20% — across various unknown locations. They’ve likely hidden advanced centrifuges as well, because production oversight hasn’t existed for years.’

She added that if a future diplomatic agreement is reached, the first condition must be ‘full disclosure and removal’ of all remaining fissile material.

Mark Dubowitz, CEO of the Foundation for Defense of Democracies (FDD), told Fox News Digital that all remaining Iranian nuclear facilities must be completely dismantled and referred to FDD expert’s plan, which outlined a strategy for the permanent dismantlement of Tehran’s nuclear weapons enterprise. 

The report calls for the destruction of all enrichment sites, the removal or seizure of enriched uranium, the dismantling of advanced centrifuges, and a permanent halt to weaponization efforts. It also demands unrestricted inspections, irreversible disarmament, and strict enforcement through snapback sanctions. FDD argues that anything less would leave Iran capable of rebuilding its nuclear program.

Amos Yadlin, a former head of Israeli military intelligence and president of the Mind Israel think tank, called the American strike a ‘game-changer.’

‘Trump’s doctrine of ‘peace through strength’ is in action,’ Yadlin said. ‘Geopolitically, this changes the entire war — and sends a message to China, Russia, and others.’

But Yadlin also believes Iran’s nuclear capabilities haven’t been wiped out completely. ‘There are two possible Iranian responses: retaliation and changing nuclear policy. Retaliation may come via terror attacks in the Gulf, or pressure through proxies like Hezbollah or the Houthis. But I think the more likely shift is in nuclear posture — perhaps withdrawing from the NPT.’

‘They’re in a dilemma,’ Shein told Fox News Digital. ‘They don’t want to drag the U.S. further into military conflict, and they can’t risk harming ties with Gulf neighbors. A military retaliation — like closing the Strait of Hormuz — would invite overwhelming force. Expelling inspectors or quitting the NPT [Non-Proliferation Treaty] may be their next moves.’

Kuperwasser added that military pressure alone may not bring lasting resolution — unless paired with either a diplomatic agreement with intrusive inspections, or a credible threat of continued strikes.

‘If there’s an agreement, it must be based on verification — not trust,’ he said. ‘Anywhere, anytime inspections. But if they refuse, we can continue striking any new facility they build.’

As Israel and the U.S. prepare for potential cycles of response and counter-response, Kuperwasser believes the Israeli public is ready.

‘These are historic times,’ he said. ‘We understand the sacrifice — and we’re ready to see it through.’

Roughly three-quarters of the nation’s health insurance providers signed a series of commitments this week in an effort to improve patient care by reducing bureaucratic hurdles caused by insurance companies’ prior-authorization requirements.

Director of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, Dr. Mehmet Oz, alongside Health and Human Services Secretary, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., announced the new voluntary pledge from a cadre of insurance providers, who cover roughly 75% of the population, during a press conference Monday. The new commitments are aimed at speeding up and reducing prior-authorization processes used by insurers, a process that has been long-maligned for unnecessarily delaying patient care and other bureaucratic hurdles negatively impacting patients.   

‘The pledge is not a mandate. It’s not a bill, a rule. This is not legislated. This is a opportunity for industry to show itself,’ Oz said Monday. ‘But by the fact that three-quarters of the patients in the country are already covered by participants in this pledge, it’s a good start and the response has been overwhelming.’

Prior-authorization is a process that requires providers to obtain approval from a patient’s insurance provider before that provider can offer certain treatments or services. Essentially, the process seeks to ensure patients are getting the right solution for a particular problem.

However, according to Oz, the process has led to doctors being forced to spend enormous amounts of man-power to satisfy prior-authorization requirements from insurers. He noted during Monday’s press conference that, on average, physicians have to spend 12 hours a week dealing with these requirements, which they see about 40 of per week. 

‘It frustrates doctors. It sometimes results in care that is significantly delayed. It erodes public trust in the healthcare system. It’s something we can’t tolerate,’ Oz insisted.

The pledge has been adopted by some of the nation’s largest insurance providers, including United Healthcare, Cigna, Humana, Blue Cross & Blue Shield, Aetna and many more. While the industry-led commitments aim to improve care for patients, it could potentially eat into their profits as well if patients start seeking care more often.

The commitments from insurers cemented this week include taking active steps to implement a common standardized process for electronic prior-authorization through the development of standardized submission requirements to support faster turnaround time. The goal is for the new framework to be operational by Jan. 1, 2027.

Another part of the pledge includes a commitment from individual insurance plans to implement certain reductions in its use of medical prior-authorization by Jan. 1, 2026. On that date, if patients switch insurance providers during the course of treatment, their new plan must honor their existing prior-authorization approvals for 90-days while the patient transitions.

Transparency is also a key part of the new commitments from insurance providers. Health plans enjoined with the commitments will pledge to provide clear and easy-to-understand explanations of prior-authorization determinations, including guidance for appeals. The commitment also states that by 2027, 80% of electronic prior-authorization approvals from companies will be answered in real-time.   

Oz, during the Monday press conference, compared the industry-led pledge to the Bible, saying, ‘The meek shall inherit the earth.’

‘I always grew up thinking ‘meek’ meant weak, but that’s not what meek means. ‘Meek’ means you have a sharp sword, a sword that could do real damage to people around you, but you decide, electively, to sheathe that sword and put it away for a while, so you can do goods, so you can do important things where once in a while we have to get together, even if we’re competitors, and agree,’ Oz said Monday.

‘That’s what these insurance companies and hospital systems have done,’ he continued. ‘They have agreed to sheathe their swords to be meek for a while, to come up with a better solution to a problem that plagues us all.’

A former Clinton-era National Security Council staffer broke with his party and heaped praise on President Donald Trump’s successful strikes on Iran over the weekend, while remarking former Vice President Kamala Harris would have likely lacked the ‘courage’ to execute such a mission if she were commander-in-chief. 

‘I am not a fan of many of Donald Trump‘s actions, but I will speak openly and honestly when he takes bold steps defending America’s interests, as he did tonight,’ Jamie Metzl, founder of the international social group One Shared World, posted to X on Saturday evening. 

Metzl served on former President Bill Clinton’s National Security Counci and was former President Joe Biden’s deputy staff director of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, and he heaped praise on Trump repeatedly on X over the weekend, while also taking a shot at Harris’ lack of ‘courage and fortitude.’ 

‘But I’m not a blind tribalist and am perfectly comfortable praising President Trump for bold and courageous actions in support of America’s core national interests, as he took last night,’ Metzl posted to X on Sunday morning. 

‘Although I believe electing Kamala Harris would have been better for our democracy, society, and economy, as well as for helping the most vulnerable people in the United States and around the world, I also believe VP Harris would not have had the courage or fortitude to take such an essential step as the president took last night,’ he added. 

Metzl continued in his X messages that ‘Iran has been at war with the United States for 46 years,’ and was aiming to build a nuclear weapon with the intention of wielding it over the U.S and its allies. 

‘Iran has been at war with the United States for 46 years. Its regime has murdered thousands of American citizens. Its slogan ‘death to America’ was not window dressing but core ideology. It was racing toward a nuclear weapon with every intention of using it to threaten America, our allies, and the Middle East region as a whole. No actions like this come without risks, and I imagine the story will get more complicated over time, but that’s why these types of decisions are complicated,’ he wrote. 

Fox News Digital reached out to Harris’ office regarding Metzl’s post, but did not immediately receive a reply.

Metzl’s comments are among a cacophony of Democratic elected officials and traditional anti-MAGA voices who have come out to praise Trump since the successful attack on Iran, dubbed ‘Operation Midnight Hammer.’ 

‘The destruction of Iran’s nuclear program is essential to ultimate peace in the Middle East. This is not a Democratic or Republican issue — dealing with the Iranian threat is central to America’s national security. The world is safer because of the actions of our brave service members. I’m praying for the safety of our service members in the region,’ New Jersey Democratic Rep. Josh Gottheimer said in a statement over the weekend, for example.

‘As I’ve long maintained, this was the correct move by @POTUS,’ Democratic Pennsylvania Sen. John Fetterman wrote on X on Saturday. ‘Iran is the world’s leading sponsor of terrorism and cannot have nuclear capabilities. I’m grateful for and salute the finest military in the world.’ 

While New York Times columnist Bret Stephens, a frequent Trump critic, wrote in an opinion piece that Trump made a ‘courageous and correct decision that deserves respect, no matter how one feels about this president,’ while fellow Times columnist David French also said it was the ‘right decision’ on social media. 

Other Democrats and frequent Trump critics, such as New York Democratic Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Republican Kentucky Rep. Thomas Massie, have slammed Trump over the strikes, arguing they bypassed Congress.

Trump announced the Saturday evening strikes on Iran in a Truth Social post that was not preceded by media leaks or speculation that strikes were imminent. The unexpected social media post was followed just hours later by a brief Trump address to the nation while flanked by Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Vice President JD Vance. 

‘A short time ago, the U.S. military carried out massive precision strikes on the three key nuclear facilities in the Iranian regime: Fordow, Natanz and Isfahan,’ Trump said from the White House late on Saturday in an address to the nation regarding the strikes. ‘Everybody heard those names for years as they built this horribly destructive enterprise. Our objective was the destruction of Iran’s nuclear enrichment capacity, and a stop to the nuclear threat posed by the world’s No. 1 state sponsor of terror. Tonight, I can report to the world that the strikes were a spectacular military success.’

The strikes ‘obliterated’ Iranian nuclear facilities and backed the nation into a corner to make a peace deal, Trump said. This mission was also celebrated by Hegseth and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Dan Caine as one that was cloaked in secrecy and intentionally deceptive to confuse the enemy. 

‘It involved misdirection and the highest of operational security. Our B-2s went in and out of… these nuclear sites, in and out and back, without the world knowing at all,’ Hegseth said. ‘In that way, it was historic.’

The operation included the longest B-2 spirit bomber mission since 2001, the second-longest B-2 mission ever flown and the largest B-2 operational strike in U.S. history, Hegseth and Caine said during the Sunday press conference. 

Operation Midnight Hammer followed Israel launching preemptive strikes on Iran on June 12 after months of attempted and stalled nuclear negotiations and subsequent heightened concern that Iran was advancing its nuclear program. Netanyahu declared soon afterward that the strikes were necessary to ‘roll back the Iranian threat to Israel’s very survival.’

Fox News Digital’s Hannah Panreck contributed to this report.

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries is demanding President Donald Trump and his senior officials ‘justify’ the U.S. military’s recent strikes in Iran.

‘We’ve seen no evidence to date that an offensive strike of this nature was justified under the War Powers Act or the Constitution,’ Jeffries said. 

‘But the whole reason for the Trump administration to undertake that process is to come up to Capitol Hill and convince the American people and their elected representatives in the House and in the Senate. That hasn’t happened.’

Trump officials have maintained that the strike was in compliance with the War Powers Act, which requires the White House to notify Congress within 48 hours of a military action and blocks that operation from continuing for more than 60 days without approval from lawmakers.

Jeffries claimed he had not seen ‘a scintilla of evidence to date’ that shows ‘there was an imminent threat to the United States of America.’

‘If the administration has evidence to the contrary, come up to present it. We’re not hard to find. I’m not hiding,’ he said.

The House Democratic leader said he requested a briefing Tuesday for the Gang of Eight, the informal name for the top party and intelligence leaders in Congress.

Trump green-lit airstrikes on three of Tehran’s major nuclear sites over the weekend. The president said on Truth Social Monday that the areas hit were ‘completely destroyed.’

The move has sharply divided Democrats, with some pro-Israel moderates backing Trump’s move — while several progressives like Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., have called for the president’s impeachment over the operation.

Dozens of left-wing lawmakers have gotten behind a bipartisan war powers resolution by Reps. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., and Ro Khanna, D-Calif., to limit Trump’s ability to strike Iran.

Meanwhile, Jeffries side-stepped multiple questions on those calls for impeachment during his press conference, instead reasserting his demand that Trump officials come before Congress.

‘A tool that’s on the table right now is to continue to demand that the administration present itself before the United States Congress and make the case to the American people as to why this extraordinary step has been taken. That’s step one,’ Jeffries said.

‘Step two is for the War Powers Resolution, whether that’s the one that has already been introduced or others that may subsequently be introduced, for those resolutions to be debated on the House floor, as should have occurred already. And then we’ll see where we’re at thereafter.’

Pressed again on whether he was taking calls for Trump’s impeachment seriously, Jeffries said, ‘This is a dangerous moment that we’re in, and we’ve got to get through what’s in front of us. And what’s in front of us right now is the Trump administration has a responsibility to come to Congress, justify actions for which we’ve seen no evidence to justify its offensive strength in Iran.’

When reached for comment on Jeffries’ demands for justification, the White House referred Fox News Digital to press secretary Karoline Leavitt’s comments on Fox News Monday morning.

‘The White House made calls to congressional leadership. They were bipartisan calls. In fact, Hakeem Jeffries couldn’t be reached. We tried him before the strike, and he didn’t pick up the phone, but he was briefed after, as well as [Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y.], who was briefed prior to the strike,’ Leavitt said. 

‘We gave these calls as a courtesy, and the Democrats are lying about this, because they can’t talk about the truth of the success of that operation and the success of our United States military and the success of this president and this administration in doing something that past administrations — Democrats too — have only dreamed about.’

Iran launched a retaliatory attack on Al-Udeid, the American airbase in Qatar on Monday, which President Donald Trump characterized as a ‘very weak response.’ 

‘Iran has officially responded to our Obliteration of their Nuclear Facilities with a very weak response, which we expected, and have very effectively countered. There have been 14 missiles fired — 13 were knocked down, and 1 was ‘set free,’ because it was headed in a nonthreatening direction,’ Trump wrote on Truth Social. 

A U.S. defense official told Fox News Digital Iran had used short-range and medium-range ballistic missiles to attack Al-Udeid base, but no casualties had been reported. 

Iran has ‘gotten it all out of their ‘system,’ and there will, hopefully, be no further HATE,’ Trump predicted, thanking Iran for giving the U.S. ‘early warning’ of the attack to minimize casualties. 

‘Perhaps Iran can now proceed to Peace and Harmony in the Region, and I will enthusiastically encourage Israel to do the same. Thank you for your attention to this matter!’

Qatar’s foreign ministry called the attack ‘brazen aggression,’ but said it had successfully intercepted Iranian missiles. 

‘The State of Qatar strongly condemns the attack that targeted Al-Udeid Air Base by the Iranian Revolutionary Guard. We consider this a flagrant violation of the sovereignty of the State of Qatar,’ spokesperson Majed Al Ansari posted on X. 

‘We reassure that Qatar’s air defenses successfully thwarted the attack and intercepted the Iranian missiles.’ 

After the strike, the U.S. embassy in Kuwait issued a security alert limiting base access to only essential personnel and the embassy in Bahrain shifted some of its employees to telework. 

Just before the attack, Iran’s President Mahmoud Pezeshkian issued a warning promising not to let Saturday’s strikes on its nuclear facilities go ‘unanswered.’ 

‘We neither initiated the war nor wanted it; but we will not leave the aggression against #GreaterIran unanswered. We will stand by the security of this #belovednation with all our being and respond to every wound on Iran’s body with faith, wisdom, and determination,’ he wrote on X. 

But Iran reportedly gave both U.S. and Qatari officials advanced notice of the attacks. It would be a strategy similar to the response to the killing of Iranian Gen. Qassem Soleimani, where Iran needed to symbolically respond without escalating the conflict beyond what it could handle. 

A spokesperson for Iran’s armed forces said its Revolutionary Guard Corps carried out the attack: ‘We warn our enemies that the era of hit and run is over.’

Kuwait, Iraq, Bahrain and the UAE all closed their airspaces amidst the attack. 

The base is home to 10,000 American forces and is the U.S.’s largest military installation in the Middle East. Located southwest of Doha, it serves as a hub for logistical operations for the U.S. mission to fight ISIS in Iraq and Syria. It also hosts Central Command’s (CENTCOM) Forward Headquarters, as well as its air forces and special operations in the region. It also has been used as a headquarters for British involvement in airstrikes against ISIS in Iraq.

President Donald Trump visited Al Udeid last month on May 15, where he inked a $1 billion military sales agreement with Doha. 

Qatar has walked a tight line between friendly relations with the U.S., through efforts to expand the base, and with Iran. Prior to the attack, Qatar suspended all flights and promised to ‘take all necessary preventive measures.’ 

The attack was not entirely unexpected – satellite images showed the U.S. moved most of its unhangered aircraft out of Al Udeid last week. 

Iran vowed to retaliate against the U.S. after American B-2 bombers dropped 14 bunker buster bombs on three Iranian nuclear sites. 

‘The criminal US must know that in addition to punishing its illegitimate and aggressive offspring, the hands of Islam’s fighters within the armed forces have been freed to take any action against its interests and military, and we will never back down in this regard,’ Abdolrahim Mousavi, the new chief of staff of the Iranian armed forces, warned in a statement. 

But Trump warned Iran after Saturday’s strikes on its nuclear hubs: ‘Any retaliation by Iran against the United States of America will be met with force far greater than what was witnessed tonight.’

The air base also hosts an array of military assets: B-52 strategic bombers, C-17 Globemaster transports and RC-135 Rivet Joint reconnaissance aircraft, in addition to 379th Air Expeditionary Wing’s airlift, aerial refueling, and intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance capabilities. 

Fox News’ Thomas Ferraro and Liz Friden contributed to this report. 

A moderate House Democrat is offering rare praise for President Donald Trump after his precision strikes on Iran over the weekend.

‘Iran is governed by a regime that is hostile to the United States and allied with others that seek the destruction of America. They sponsor terrorist organizations that have killed American troops and citizens and are a source of chaos and bloodshed in the region,’ Rep. Jared Golden, D-Maine, said in a statement Monday.

‘Based on what I know so far, I believe the president was right to launch limited strikes to deter that outcome.’

He cited the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) assessing that Iran was close to a nuclear weapon.

‘It is important now that the country learns what information helped inform the president’s decision and the timing of these strikes, and that we learn more about whether we were successful in destroying Iran’s nuclear program,’ Golden said.

‘But what matters most now is what happens next: Just today, Iran launched missiles at American bases in Iraq and Qatar. The top priority for the president and his administration, as well as for Congress, must be to use every tool at our disposal to defend Americans and deter further escalation by Tehran.’

Golden said he also looked forward to the House of Representatives’ expected briefing on the situation in Iran. 

The House-wide briefing is expected to occur at 3 p.m. Tuesday, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., said Monday.

The Democratic response in Washington to Trump’s strikes has been largely negative, save for a handful of pro-Israel lawmakers, including Sen. John Fetterman, D-Pa.

Golden has been known to break from his own party on issues like trade, border security and national security, among other issues.

Golden won his seat in Maine’s 2nd Congressional District by less than 1% in 2024, while Trump carried the district by 10%.

When reached for comment on his statement, the White House pointed Fox News Digital to Trump’s recent Truth Social post on Iran’s attack on Al-Udeid Air Base in Qatar, which houses U.S. troops.

‘Iran has officially responded to our Obliteration of their Nuclear Facilities with a very weak response, which we expected, and have very effectively countered. There have been 14 missiles fired — 13 were knocked down, and 1 was ‘set free,’ because it was headed in a nonthreatening direction. I am pleased to report that NO Americans were harmed, and hardly any damage was done,’ Trump said.

‘Most importantly, they’ve gotten it all out of their ‘system,’ and there will, hopefully, be no further HATE. I want to thank Iran for giving us early notice, which made it possible for no lives to be lost, and nobody to be injured. Perhaps Iran can now proceed to Peace and Harmony in the Region, and I will enthusiastically encourage Israel to do the same.’

President Donald Trump took a swipe at former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev for suggesting that other countries would step in to supply Iran with nuclear warheads in retaliation for the U.S. strikes on Saturday that targeted three Iranian nuclear facilities. 

‘Did I hear Former President Medvedev, from Russia, casually throwing around the ‘N word’ (Nuclear!), and saying that he and other Countries would supply Nuclear Warheads to Iran? Did he really say that or, is it just a figment of my imagination? If he did say that, and, if confirmed, please let me know, IMMEDIATELY. The ‘N word’ should not be treated so casually. I guess that’s why Putin’s ‘THE BOSS,’’ Trump said in a Truth Social Post on Monday. 

Trump’s comments came after Medvedev, now the deputy chairman of the Security Council of Russia, said that Iran would continue to advance its nuclear program and would receive assistance from other nations to do so. 

‘The enrichment of nuclear material — and, now we can say it outright, the future production of nuclear weapons — will continue,’ Medvedev said in a Sunday X post. 

‘A number of countries are ready to directly supply Iran with their own nuclear warheads,’ Medvedev said.

He did not specify which countries could be involved in providing Iran with nuclear capabilities, but Russia historically has supported Iran’s nuclear program. Last week, Russian President Vladimir Putin also offered to broker peace talks between Iran and Israel. 

Likewise, Moscow has also offered to intervene and help negotiate a nuclear deal between the U.S. and Iran. 

Moscow was involved in the 2015 Iran deal, known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action. The agreement lifted sanctions on Iran in exchange for limits on Iran’s nuclear program, but Trump withdrew from the deal in 2018.

On Saturday, the U.S. launched strikes late Saturday targeting key Iranian nuclear facilities: Fordow, Natanz and Isfahan. The mission involved more than 125 U.S. aircraft, including B-2 stealth bombers, according to Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Dan Caine. 

Trump also touted the success of a guided-missile nuclear submarine involved in the strikes, which launched more than two dozen Tomahawk cruise missiles at key Iranian targets. 

‘By the way, if anyone thinks our ‘hardware’ was great over the weekend, far and away the strongest and best equipment we have, 20 years advanced over the pack, is our Nuclear Submarines,’ Trump said Monday in the Truth Social post. ‘They are the most powerful and lethal weapons ever built, and just launched the 30 Tomahawks — All 30 hit their mark perfectly. So, in addition to our Great Fighter Pilots, thank you to the Captain and Crew!’

The exiled prince of Iran has proposed leading the country’s democratic transition to end the Islamic Republic in a new speech Monday. 

‘Today, it is clearer than ever: The Islamic Republic is collapsing,’ Reza Pahlavi, the eldest son of the late last shah of Iran, Mohammad Reza Shah Pahlavi, said. ‘Credible reports indicate that Ali Khamenei’s family – and the families of senior regime officials – are making preparations to flee Iran. The regime is on its last legs, in towns and cities across the country. The military is fractured. The people are united. The foundations of this 46-year tyranny are shaking.’

‘This is our Berlin Wall moment,’ Pahlavi said from a press conference he called in Paris.

Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was reportedly hiding out in a bunker as the U.S. military pounded three Iranian nuclear sites over the weekend. Amid concerns that he could be assassinated, Khamenei has cut off all electronic communications to his commanders, relying on a trusted aide to relay orders, the New York Times reported.

Pahlavi, whose father was the last monarch overthrown during the 1979 Iranian Revolution, said Monday that Iran currently stands at a crossroads, warning that the West handing the current regime a lifeline would only result in more bloodshed. 

‘The difference in these two roads depends on one factor and one factor alone: whether the current regime in Iran is allowed to survive,’ he said. ‘If the West throws the regime a lifeline there will be more bloodshed and chaos – because this regime will not submit or surrender after it has been humiliated. It will lash out. As long as it is in power, no country and no people are safe: whether on the streets of Washington, Paris, Jerusalem, Riyadh or Tehran.’

He argued for a ‘peaceful and democratic transition’ and said the only way to achieve peace was through ‘a secular, democratic Iran.’ 

‘I am here today to submit myself to my compatriots to lead them down this road to peace and a democratic transition,’ Pahlavi said. ‘I do not seek political power, but rather to help our great nation navigate through this critical hour toward stability, freedom, and justice.’ 

Pahlavi accused Khamenei of using the Iranian people as ‘human shields’ by hiding out in his bunker. 

‘Seeing the images of the people of Tehran forced to flee our beautiful capital, the explosions in Isfahan, the fires along the Persian Gulf, all fill me with pain. But more than pain, I am filled with anger because this war is the result of the selfishness, hatred, and terror of one man: Ali Khamenei,’ he said. ‘While he directs this war from the safety of his hidden bunker, he uses our people as human shields. It is time to end the suffering.’

In a direct message to Khamenei, Pahlavi said, ‘Step down. And if you do, you will receive a fair trial and due process of law. Which is more than you have ever given any Iranian.’

He said other senior regime officials would have to face justice but promised not to ‘repeat the mistakes made in other failed transitions.’

‘To those of you who are loyal to the Iranian nation, and not the Islamic Republic: there is a future for you in a democratic Iran, if you join the people now,’ Pahlavi said. ‘The choice is yours to make. I know these officers, these soldiers, these brave men exist because they are reaching out to me and telling me they want to be part of this national salvation. But now, greater coordination is needed.’ 

Pahlavi announced that he is establishing ‘a formal channel for military, security, and police personnel to reach out directly to me, my team, and our expanding operation.’ He promised that it was a ‘secure platform to efficiently manage the growing volume of inbound communications and requests from those breaking with the regime and seeking to join our movement.’ 

He said the international community was right to be concerned about stopping nuclear weapons and securing regional stability. Although the destruction of the three nuclear sites at Natanz, Isfahan and Fordow has ‘diminished the regime’s domestic nuclear enrichment,’ Pahlavi warned that the U.S. strikes did ‘not diminish the regime’s intent to acquire and use nuclear weapons.’

‘The regime, enraged and emboldened, will be seeking revenge and can acquire nuclear weapons from other rogue regimes like North Korea,’ he said. ‘The destruction of the regime’s nuclear facilities alone will not deliver peace.’ 

Pahlavi said he was ‘stepping forward to lead this national transition – not out of personal interest but as a servant of the Iranian people.’ He said he has a ‘clear plan for transition and national renewal’ based on three core principles: Iran’s territorial integrity; individual liberties and equality of all citizens; and separation of religion and state. Pahlavi proposed convening a ‘national unity summit’ of activists, dissidents, business leaders, professionals, experts and other groups outside of politics. 

The goal would be for them to together develop a roadmap to democratic transition, and he said the ‘final form of this future democracy we seek will be for the Iranian people to decide in a national referendum.’ 

Pahlavi also said he developed a three-phase, comprehensive plan for the ‘economic reconstruction and social stabilization’ of the country. He promised that his team of experts ‘will publish the plans for the first 100 days after the collapse of the Islamic Republic based on this work.’ 

‘We are bringing together some of the world’s greatest investors, builders, entrepreneurs, and experts who care about Iran and see its immense potential,’ he said. 

Before opting for U.S. military intervention, President Donald Trump reportedly was working with Turkey to coordinate a diplomatic resolution to the Israel-Iran conflict and cut a nuclear deal, but the ayatollah did not engage. According to Axios, sources said Trump offered to send Vice President JD Vance and White House envoy Steve Witkoff for negotiations, and Trump offered to come to Turkey himself if it meant meeting with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian. 

Turkey relayed the proposal to its Iranian counterparts, who reportedly could not reach Khamenei for hours. Without the ayatollah’s sign-off, the proposed meeting was called off.