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Trump sounds alarm on 'crazy' Iran, says regime would use nuclear weapon 'without question' (live blog, 22 posts)
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7 hours ago
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## Kyiv, Israel fighting ‘same axis of evil’ as Russia deploys Iranian weapons: Ukraine envoy
Iranian Drone / Morteza Nikoubazl / NurPhoto/via Getty Images
Ukraine’s war with Russia and Israel’s conflict with [Iran](https://www.foxnews.com/category/world/conflicts/iran) are part of the same broader fight, with Iranian weapons linking the two battlefields, Ukraine’s ambassador to Israel said Tuesday.
Speaking to [The Jerusalem Post](https://www.jpost.com/international/internationalrussia-ukraine-war/article-906149) ahead of Ukraine’s Independence Day, Ambassador Yevgen Korniychuk pointed to Russia’s use of Iranian attack drones as evidence of cooperation between Moscow and Tehran and a direct link between the threats facing Ukraine and Israel.
“We have been feeling more and more like we’ve been fighting against the same axis of evil,” Korniychuk said. “You guys are against Iran, and we are against Russia," he told the outlet.
“We’ve been shot by the same Iranian-made drones that are currently being improved substantially by the [Russians](https://www.foxnews.com/category/world/world-regions/russia),” he said.
“So we feel that we’ve been fighting against the same enemy in different corners of the same battlefield.”
Posted by Emma Bussey
7 hours ago
## Oil hits nearly one-month high as Iran tensions keep key Hormuz trade route in focus
Hormuz / Ali Saeedi / Getty Images
Oil prices rose more than 2% on Thursday to settle at their highest levels in nearly a month amid escalating tensions across the [Gulf](https://www.foxnews.com/category/world/conflicts/iran), Reuters reported.
Brent crude futures settled up $2.16, or 2.4%, at $93.78 a barrel, their highest close since July 24. U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude futures for September gained $2, or 2.3%, to settle at $87.83 a barrel, also their highest since July 24.
Oil trading firm Ritterbusch and Associates said new threats from Washington appear “unlikely to sway Iran into relinquishing their primary source of leverage, that being control of the Strait, absent major concessions from the U.S.”
“So, the beat goes on with no resolution in sight that would spur a major decline in oil prices back to levels anywhere close to those prior to the war,” Ritterbusch and Associates told [Reuters](https://www.reuters.com/business/energy/oil-prices-steady-investors-assess-us-iran-war-outlook-2026-08-20/).
Posted by Emma Bussey
7 hours ago
## Ex-CENTCOM chief urges US crackdown on Iran’s banks, oil smuggling, ‘gray zone’ network
Washington must cut off the financial lifelines [Tehran](https://www.foxnews.com/category/world/conflicts/iran) uses to maintain its grip on power and confront Iran’s “gray zone” network, former U.S. CENTCOM commander retired Gen. Joseph Votel said Thursday after President Donald Trump announced “draconian sanctions” on Iran.
“We have to demonstrate the ability to virtually go after every dollar that is supporting the regime,” Votel said on “ [The Story](https://www.foxnews.com/video/6403779113112).”
“This means we have to be prepared to go after banks and businesses and governments that are providing the support,” he warned before adding that Washington needs to address the oil smuggling, the currency swaps, the cash transfers, the ship registries and “all the other gray zone activities that are taking place that are keeping this government in Iran in place.”
“It requires really strong collaboration across the [U.S. government](https://www.foxnews.com/us). It requires good communication and planning with our partners, not only in the region but internationally,” he said.
“We’re going to have to exercise some patience with this. It’s going to take some time, so you have to have some political patience in this,” he added.
Posted by Emma Bussey
8 hours ago
## Trump: Tehran pursued nuclear arms for over half a century, was weeks from new weapon
President Donald Trump / Jacquelyn Martin / AP
President [Donald Trump](https://www.foxnews.com/category/world/conflicts/iran) said Thursday that Iran had been pursuing its nuclear ambitions for more than half a century and claimed Tehran was just weeks from having a new nuclear weapon when he ordered U.S. strikes on its nuclear facilities in 2025.
“This was going on for 50 — actually 51 years now,” Trump told Michael Cohen on his 77 WABC radio show.
“And it should have been taken care of by other presidents or other countries. And it wasn't.
“Iran became the bully of the [Middle East](https://www.foxnews.com/category/world/conflicts/iran). They were bullying everybody around.
“They were the boss and bad things were happening, and they would have absolutely taken out Israel and they would have absolutely taken out the Middle East.
President Trump / The White House; Maxar Technologies via Reuters
“I guess they would have shot at us, too. But had they had nuclear weapons, if they had that capacity, it would have been different.
“Now, when we hit them with the B-2 bombers, they were exactly two weeks away from having a new nuclear weapon.
“And that's why I had to do it, because you cannot let them have that kind of a weapon,” he added. The U.S. military struck Iran’s Fordow, Natanz and Isfahan nuclear facilities in June 2025 in an operation involving B-2 stealth bombers and bunker-busting bombs.
Posted by Emma Bussey
9 hours ago
## Trump says loss of so many Iranian leaders makes deal with Tehran difficult
President Donald Trump / The White House via X Account / Anadolu via Getty Images
President [Donald Trump](https://www.foxnews.com/category/person/donald-trump) said Thursday that the destruction of Iran’s military capabilities and the loss of much of its leadership have made it harder to strike a deal with Tehran, even as he declared the U.S. was “doing very well” in its confrontation with the country.
“We're doing very well with Iran,” Trump told Michael Cohen during an interview on his 77 WABC radio program.
“The Navy's gone, the Air Force is gone, the leadership is gone,” Trump said. “Part of the problem is so many of the leaders are gone. It's not easy to make a deal. Nobody knows who's leading.”
Trump said the central objective of the U.S. campaign was to prevent Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon.
“I think the public sees what we're doing because Iran can never have a nuclear weapon,” he said. “We have to make a journey to the Middle East because we can't let Iran have a nuclear weapon.”
“They're crazy,” Trump continued. “If you had a country like that, they would absolutely use the nuclear weapon without question.”
Trump also pointed to the use of B-2 bombers, saying: “I stopped that, and I stopped it cold with the B-2 bombers.”
“They would have wiped out Israel. They would have wiped out the Middle East,” he added.
Posted by Emma Bussey
9 hours ago
## Macron hosts Saudi crown prince for critical talks amid Middle East turmoil
Macron / Yoan Valat / Pool via Reuters
French President Emmanuel Macron will meet face to face with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in Paris on Aug. 23 and 24, where the two leaders are expected to discuss rising tensions in the [Middle East](https://www.foxnews.com/category/world/world-regions/middle-east), Macron’s office said Thursday.
The talks will focus on key regional issues and efforts to promote stability and peace in the Middle East, as France continues to work closely with its partners in the [Persian Gulf](https://www.foxnews.com/category/world/conflicts/iran), the president’s office said.
Posted by Emma Bussey
9 hours ago
## Esper urges tougher Iran squeeze, says China must face pressure over Tehran oil ties
The United States and its allies should intensify economic pressure on [Iran](https://www.foxnews.com/category/world/conflicts/iran) and target countries helping it stay afloat, former Trump Defense Secretary Mark Esper said Thursday, singling out China as one of the largest buyers of Iranian oil.
Esper also argued that tightening the economic squeeze on Tehran is the best option.
“It is something that will take us time and patience and discipline to effect,” Esper said on “America Reports,”adding that there was a good chance the strategy “could pay off.”
“We will have to sacrifice a little bit. The Iranian people will sacrifice a little bit, but it's a far better option than committing ground troops, and it's a far better option than retreating from the Strait and leaving it to Iran.”
“The president putting out the word to other nations is important,” Esper said, referring to President [Donald Trump’s](https://www.foxnews.com/category/person/donald-trump) Truth Social post Wednesday.
“This will be economic warfare and isolation on an unprecedented scale,” Trump wrote. “Any country that allows its financial institutions, businesses, airports, or government entities to provide any type of lifeline to Iran will itself face tremendous economic consequences.”
Esper said [China](https://www.foxnews.com/category/world/world-regions/china) would be a key focus of that effort because of its economic ties to [Tehran](https://www.foxnews.com/category/world/world-regions/middle-east).
“As you know, China is one of the biggest buyers of Iranian oil and other goods,” Esper said.
“But other than that, it's mostly the countries neighboring, bordering Iran that we have to focus on as well in order to really clamp down on Iran and tie up their economy.”
Posted by Emma Bussey
10 hours ago
## Vance reveals ‘new phase’ in Iran war, warns US faces ‘delicate dance’ with Tehran
JD Vance / Jacquelyn Martin / AP
Vice President [JD Vance](https://www.foxnews.com/category/person/jd-vance) confirmed a new phase in the war with Iran on Thursday, describing what he called a “new reality” on the ground as the Trump administration turned to economic pressure.
“We're in a new phase of this,” Vance said on “ [The Clay Travis & Buck Sexton Show](https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/daily-review-with-clay-and-buck-aug-20-2026/id1498106610?i=1000784657334).”
“We have destroyed their conventional military. We have put an incredible amount of pressure on their industrial base that they use to manufacture weapons,” he said.
“We're kind of now in a new phase where the most effective tool that we have is the economic pressure that we can apply to them, and and this is a delicate dance because we apply economic pressure to them, they're going to try to apply economic pressure to us.”
“We're going to keep that going because we think that's the best way to to ultimately accomplish the final objective here.”
“The president said [Iran](https://www.foxnews.com/category/world/conflicts/iran) cannot have a nuclear weapon.”
“Well, their nuclear facilities are destroyed, but the question is, do they try to rebuild them?”
“What we're trying to do is create a changed reality on the ground, where not just we can say with confidence their facilities have been destroyed, but we can also say with confidence they're never going to try to rebuild, and that's the phase that we're in now.”
Vance’s comments came as President Donald Trump intensified the economic campaign against [Tehran](https://www.foxnews.com/category/world/world-regions/middle-east), warning of consequences for countries that provide “any type of lifeline to Iran” as Washington seeks to further isolate the regime.
Posted by Emma Bussey
11 hours ago
## Tehran pushes ‘new regional order’ as Iraq’s oil revenues plunge amid strait closure: report
Ghalibaf / Majid Asgaripour / WANA (West Asia News Agency) via REUTERS
Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf visited Iraq Aug. 19, a trip analysts say reflects Tehran’s effort to “reshuffle relations with Iraq” amid mounting [regional](https://www.foxnews.com/category/world/world-regions/middle-east) and economic pressure.
Ghalibaf arrived for a three-day visit as Baghdad confronts an economic crisis fueled by the prolonged closure of the Strait of Hormuz.
Dr. Yaron Schneider, an INSS researcher, told The Jerusalem Post that [Iran](https://www.foxnews.com/category/world/conflicts/iran) is trying to “mend or fix what has already b