Inside the Israeli drone unit taking on Iran and Hezbollah

JERUSALEM: Israel’s Squadron 200, also known as the first Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) Squadron, has played a crucial role in destroying more than half of the Iranian regime’s ballistic missile launchers as the 14th day of the war unfolds across the Middle East.

Fox News Digital gained access to one of Israel’s most experienced and veteran UAV operators from Squadron 200. "I have been flying drones for the past 25 years and other operational missions have prepared me for this war," said the IDF Squadron leader.

He summed up the highly sensitive nature of his work in protecting the Israeli civilian population. "Every night that my wife and my kids sleep a full night without an alarm is something I can give credit to the air force and drone operators." Israel’s technology system warns Israelis with mobile phone messages and wailing public alarms that provide an advanced notice of incoming Iranian missiles and drones.

IRAN PROXIES WAGE WAR ON ISRAEL, THREATEN US INTERESTS AS IRAQ SLAMMED FOR NOT DISARMING THEM

The IDF drone commander said the main goal of his squadron is to "find rocket launchers and surface-to-air missiles that are a risk to our pilots who fly over and destroy them before they launch missiles and gain air superiority for the area and reduce the risk for civilians back at home."

He added that "We can take a lot of credit for the reduction" in Iranian missiles and drones fired at Israel.

The stakes are high for the UAV operators. Iran's aerial warfare campaign has led to the deaths of 12 Israelis and over 2,975 people have been admitted to Israeli hospitals. 

An IDF spokesman told Fox News Digital on Wednesday that Iran has launched "many dozens of missiles with cluster bomb heads spread across Israel."  The cluster munitions are particularly lethal because they murder or severely injure with scattered bomblets that can also stay active long after their launch.

Just days ago, Lt. Col. Nadav Shoshani, the Israeli military spokesman, told Fox News Digital that the army has had a "near complete success" rate in stopping Iranian drones from hitting Israeli targets. 

However, the drone commander warned that the "great decrease in the number of launchers does not mean we can sit and rest."

TRUMP SAYS US, ISRAEL SHATTERED IRANIAN MILITARY CAPABILITIES, PRESSES LEADERS TO SURRENDER: 'CRY UNCLE'

The IDF drone commander said, "one thing we learned from October 7 is that we should eliminate risks before they become too big."

"The important thing is the goal of bringing peace to the Middle East," he said with reference to when Iran and Israel had cordial relations before the 1979 Islamic Republic revolution in Iran and President Trump’s advocacy for peace in the region.

The complex running of a drone team was described as "orchestra" work, by the UAV operator, where a 3-person crew — commander, pilot and operator — seamlessly coordinate their various activities.

According to the IDF, Squadron 200 operates the Heron-1 ("Shoval") UAV, manufactured by Israel Aerospace Industries, which is used for intelligence gathering, surveillance, support of ground forces and precision strike missions."

The IDF said that the air force’s drones "are capable of remaining airborne for extended periods and providing real-time intelligence to forces on the ground, both day and night and over long distances.

The squadron was established in the 1970s as part of the development of the Israeli Air Force’s UAV array and has since participated in numerous operations across different arenas."

from Latest World News on Fox News https://ift.tt/2azPC9D

Transgender triple killer removed from home with 2 foster children months after authorities were notified

Two foster children who had been living with a convicted transgender triple killer, despite authorities being aware of the situation since late December 2025, are no longer residing with the violent criminal, according to local media reports.

Reginald Arthurell — who began transitioning to a woman shortly after his release from prison in 2020 — was removed from the home after heavily armed officers raided the address on Monday, radio station 2GB reported. He had been living with a 12-year-old and a 14-year-old for several months, the outlet said. 

The minister for Families and Communities of New South Wales (NSW) on Tuesday issued an apology, saying the situation "should never have been allowed."  

"It is entirely unacceptable for a vulnerable child in the care of the state to be living with a triple murderer," Kate Washington told 2GB. "It should never have happened and I'm deeply apologetic for what has happened."

VIOLENT REPEAT OFFENDER ACCUSED OF KILLING TEACHER AS 911 CALL REVEALED HER FINAL MOMENTS: REPORT

She added that "very poor decisions were made" at the time when authorities became aware of the situation and said a review is underway to determine how the "terrible" circumstances were allowed to happen, promising systemic changes.

The situation has sparked widespread backlash and calls for the resignation of authorities who allowed the crisis to continue for months. 

Late last year, Arthurell moved into an existing foster home in Sydney, where two children were already living under the care of an elderly woman, 2GB reported. He reportedly met her while she was working at a hospital, and he was a patient there.

The woman, who invited him to move in as a housemate, already had two foster children living with her under her approved placement with the New South Wales Department of Communities and Justice.

Arthurell therefore shared the household with the children. The arrangement went unnoticed by authorities until the carer’s daughter reportedly raised concerns late last year.

FLORIDA MAN WHO WRESTLED COP'S GUN AWAY AND KILLED HIM TO BE EXECUTED AFTER FINAL APPEALS REJECTED

Prior to moving in, Arthurell had built a long criminal history, primarily involving the killings of three people over three decades, court documents show. He was first convicted of manslaughter in 1974 for reportedly stabbing his stepfather to death in Sydney. In 1981, he fatally bashed a 19-year-old sailor during a violent robbery, and while on parole in 1995, he killed his fiancée by beating her to death with a piece of wood, local outlets reported.

After killing his romantic partner, he was caught photographing himself wearing one of her dresses, 2GB added.

All three killings involved alcohol, court documents show. Records indicate that Arthurell spent nearly 39 years of his life in custody following the murders.

After his prison release in November 2020, Arthurell began transitioning into a woman under the name Regina. The first public photos and self-introductions appeared on a transgender community Facebook page in May 2021, 2GB reported. Arthurell had also expressed plans to undergo gender-affirming surgery "as soon as possible," News.com.au reported.

Court documents also described that "her transition has been taking place over quite some years," confirming the process was ongoing after his release.

Arthurell now remains in private accommodation following his Monday removal, ABC Australia reported Tuesday. 

from Latest World News on Fox News https://ift.tt/438QsaX

Trump warns of Iranian 'sleeper cells' as Canada accused of harboring regime operatives

As President Donald Trump warned recently about Iranian "sleeper cells" potentially operating in North America, Canadian opposition lawmakers are accusing their government of allowing operatives linked to Tehran’s regime to remain in the country.

Trump said Wednesday U.S. authorities were monitoring Iranian networks believed to have entered the United States in recent years.

"I have been (briefed), and a lot of people came in through Biden with his stupid open border," Trump said in response to a question from Fox News’ Peter Doocy. "But we know where most of them are. We've got our eye on all of them."

The remarks come amid growing concern among Western security officials about Iranian intelligence activities targeting critics abroad.

FROM HOSTAGE CRISIS TO ASSASSINATION PLOTS: IRAN’S NEAR HALF-CENTURY WAR ON AMERICANS

In Canada, senior Conservatives say the government has failed to act against Iranian regime officials despite identifying individuals linked to Tehran.

Deputy Conservative leader Melissa Lantsman, immigration shadow minister Michelle Rempel and Pierre Paul-Hus, Conservative Québec Lieutenant, called upon the Liberal government, in a statement released in Ottawa, to table a plan within one week to take immediate action to stop Iranian regime activities in Canada.

"The Liberals have known for years that there are hundreds of Iranian regime officials in Canada, 239 of whom have had their visas" canceled, the lawmakers said.

NATIONAL SECURITY EXPERT URGES DHS TO RAISE TERROR THREAT LEVEL, WARNS OF SLEEPER CELL RISKS IN US

They added that government officials told a parliamentary immigration committee recently that only one person has been deported so far, citing legal obstacles including asylum claims, the absence of direct flights to Iran and privacy protections.

"The presence of agents of the Islamic Republic in Canada is not a new issue," Maryam Shariatmadari, one of the faces of the "Girls of Revolution Street" protests against Iran’s mandatory hijab laws who fled Iran after being imprisoned and now lives in exile in Canada, told Fox News Digital. "For years, the people of Iran have expressed concern about the presence of these individuals and their children in Canada."

"A clear example is Mahmoud Reza Khavari and Marjan Al-Agha, who are known embezzlers," she said. "What is striking is that an economic magazine that introduces entrepreneurs has presented the son of Mahmoud Reza Khavari — the former CEO of Bank Melli and a convicted criminal in Iran — as an ‘inspiring businessman’ in Canada and has described him as ‘a young leader.’"

"But these days we are seeing more of these individuals," Shariatmadari added. "Their presence has become more visible, and they are organizing gatherings under the slogan ‘No to War,’ while expressing support for Hamas and Hezbollah. Meanwhile, they remained completely silent about the killing of Iranians."

DHS REMAINS UNFUNDED AS IRAN SLEEPER CELL FEARS SPIKE NATIONWIDE AMID SECURITY WARNINGS

Exiled Iranian journalist Mehdi Ghadimi, who now lives in Canada, told Fox News Digital that individuals linked to Iran’s regime often arrive in Western countries through several different channels. 

"Some arrive as students, academics or ordinary immigrants but were already connected to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps through family ties or ideological affiliation," he said. "They often try to identify activists and critics so those individuals can face legal or judicial problems either in Iran or even abroad," he said.

Ghadimi said another category operates primarily through financial networks tied to the regime. 

"Another group includes people who used to be members of the IRGC or other state institutions and later enter countries like Canada as private investors," he said. "When someone brings several million dollars for investment, it raises questions about where that money came from."

He added that wealthy business figures who move capital abroad may also do so with the approval of Iran’s security establishment. 

"If someone is moving large amounts of money out of Iran and investing abroad, it is very difficult to do that without the approval of the IRGC and the security institutions of the Islamic Republic," he said.

Ghadimi also pointed to past corruption scandals involving Iranian officials who moved large sums of money overseas, including the case of former Bank Melli CEO Mahmoud Reza Khavari, who fled Iran after a major banking scandal and later settled in Canada.

The criticism comes as Canadian police investigate the disappearance of Iranian dissident Masood Masjoody, a mathematician and critic of Iran’s clerical leadership who vanished earlier this year in Burnaby, British Columbia.

Investigators with Canada’s Integrated Homicide Investigation Team say evidence suggests Masjoody was likely the victim of murder, though authorities have not publicly identified suspects and the investigation remains ongoing, according to The Guardian.

Police say investigators are reviewing Masjoody’s background and personal history as part of the probe, and Canadian media reports have noted aspects of his past that authorities are examining as they work to determine a possible motive.

The case has heightened concerns among Canada’s Iranian diaspora, many of whom have warned for years that Iran monitors and intimidates critics abroad.

Conservatives argue weaknesses in immigration enforcement have allowed individuals linked to the Iranian regime to remain in the country despite visa bans and sanctions imposed by Ottawa.

They are calling on the government to urgently enforce deportation orders against Iranian regime officials, disrupt financial networks linked to Tehran and establish a long-delayed foreign influence registry aimed at exposing agents working on behalf of foreign governments.

"The Liberals can take action against the Iranian regime today, at home within our own borders, they said in the statement. "Too much is at stake. We expect a plan within the week." 

"It’s not complicated, Iran’s regime must not find safe haven in Canada," Lantsman said.

The Canadian government directed Fox News Digital to the Canada Border Services Agency, which did not respond to a request for comment.

from Latest World News on Fox News https://ift.tt/mQu2HM3

Israel hits back after coordinated Iran-Hezbollah missile, drone strikes, urges Beirut to rein in terrorists

JERUSALEM: Iran proxy Hezbollah fired some 200 missiles and drones into the Jewish state overnight and into Thursday in what Israeli media described as an "integrated Hezbollah and Iran joint attack."

The attacks prompted fierce retaliatory strikes from the Israeli Defense Forces into Hezbollah strongholds in the Beirut suburbs.

The Israel Defense Forces said, "The IDF is operating with determination against the Hezbollah terrorist organization following its deliberate decision to attack Israel on behalf of the Iranian regime. The IDF will not tolerate any harm to Israeli civilians and will forcibly respond against any threat posed to the State of Israel."

Calling its new operation "Eaten Straw," the terror group claimed to have targeted Israeli military sites in the suburbs of Tel Aviv, among other targets.

ISRAEL-HEZBOLLAH BORDER TENSIONS RISE AS TERROR GROUP REARMS, RESISTS US- BACKED CEASEFIRE

Matthew Levitt, a leading scholar on Hezbollah from the Washington Institute, told Fox News about Eaten Straw. "The term comes from a Koran verse about destroying one’s enemies to the point that they are destroyed like grains of straw husks. In fact, it is going to lead to a massive Israel response."

Just days prior to Wednesday’s attacks, Lebanon’s President Joseph Aoun charged Hezbollah with pushing Lebanon into becoming  "a second Gaza."

An Israeli security expert from the Israel Alma Research and Education Center, Sarit Zehavi, told Fox News Digital, that "I think that Hezbollah is trying to scare Israel from launching further operations and I truly hope that we will not be afraid, and our government will do what it has to do."

IRAN COULD ‘ACTIVATE’ HEZBOLLAH IF US TARGETS REGIME, TRUMP’S INNER CIRCLE TO DECIDE: EXPERT

The Lebanese armed forces also failed to meet President Trump’s deadline to disarm Hezbollah terrorist organization in 2025. 

The Lebanese government announced on Tuesday that it is interested in direct talks with Israel to end the current conflict with Hezbollah, yet one Israeli official claimed Beirut was not "affecting Hezbollah’s behavior in any way," the Times of Israel cited a report from news site Y-Net reported.

Israel's U.N. Ambassador Danny Danon, speaking Wednesday, told members of the United Nations Security Council in New York that, "Lebanon now faces two options: either the Lebanese government takes real actions and restrains Hezbollah, or Israel uses its force to dismantle this terrorist organization. There is no other option."

Edy Cohen, a Lebanese-born Israeli scholar of Hezbollah, dismissed the Lebanese government overtures to Israel as political theater. He referenced the 2006 war between Israel and Hezbollah that concluded with United Nations Security Council Resolution 1701, requiring the Lebanese state and army to disarm Hezbollah, as a failed effort.

Cohen told Fox News Digital: "I don’t believe the Lebanese government. It is a game between them and Hezbollah. The Lebanese offered, for the first time since 1982, it would agree to dialogue with Israel. The first condition is a ceasefire. Hezbollah told the Lebanese government give the Israelis this offer. Hezbollah wants to stop this war. And that is how the government of Lebanon jokes about us."

Speaking during a meeting of the United Nations Security Council meeting on Wednesday, Lebanese Ambassador Ahmad Arafa told the council, "The Lebanese people do not want war, and the Lebanese government is moving forward in implementing its decisions and will not backtrack," The National reported. 

According to the National report, Arafa said, "In our modern history, no Lebanese government has demonstrated this level of courage and determination to reclaim the state authority, to restrict weapons to legitimate state institutions and to extend the state's control exclusively through its own forces over all Lebanese territory."

An Israeli official told the Times of Israel that "The Lebanese government needs to get a grip on their country or Hezbollah parts of Beirut will soon look like Gaza."

from Latest World News on Fox News https://ift.tt/WTaOwFY

Rubio designates Afghanistan as 'state sponsor of wrongful detention': 'Despicable tactics'

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio designated Afghanistan as a "state sponsor of wrongful detention," accusing the Taliban of "unjustly" detaining Americans and other foreign nationals.

In his announcement on Monday, Rubio said the Taliban continues to use "terrorist tactics" that he insisted "need to end."

"I am designating Afghanistan as a State Sponsor of Wrongful Detention," Rubio said in a statement. "The Taliban continues to use terrorist tactics, kidnapping individuals for ransom or to seek policy concessions. These despicable tactics need to end."

The secretary also called on the terror group to free a pair of Americans who are "unjustly detained" in Afghanistan.

IRAN REGIME CITED AS TRUMP ADMIN SET TO DESIGNATE SUDAN'S MUSLIM BROTHERHOOD A TERROR GROUP

"It is not safe for Americans to travel to Afghanistan because the Taliban continues to unjustly detain our fellow Americans and other foreign nationals," he said. "The Taliban needs to release Dennis Coyle, Mahmoud Habibi, and all Americans unjustly detained in Afghanistan now and commit to cease the practice of hostage diplomacy forever."

Coyle, 64, was detained more than a year ago without charges by the Taliban General Directorate of Intelligence, according to his family, noting that he still has not been charged. His family said he was legally working to support Afghan language communities as an academic researcher.

Habibi, a 38-year-old American citizen who was born in Afghanistan, was taken along with his driver from their vehicle in the capital of Kabul in August 2022 by the Taliban General Directorate of Intelligence, according to the State Department.

The FBI said Habibi was previously Afghanistan’s director of civil aviation and worked for the Kabul-based telecommunications company Asia Consultancy Group. The FBI said the Taliban detained 29 other employees of the company but has released most of them.

Habibi has not been heard from since his arrest, and the Taliban has not disclosed his whereabouts or condition, according to the State Department and FBI. The Taliban has previously denied it detained Habibi.

The U.S. is also calling for the return of the remains of Paul Overby, an author who was last seen close to Afghanistan's border with Pakistan in 2014, according to Reuters, citing two sources familiar with the situation.

The State Department could restrict the use of U.S. passports for travel to Afghanistan if the Taliban does not meet the U.S. government's demands, the sources told the outlet.

A passport restriction of this kind is currently only in place for North Korea.

The Taliban called the decision by Rubio to designate Afghanistan a "state sponsor of wrongful detention" regrettable, adding that it wanted to resolve the matter through dialogue.

STATE DEPARTMENT DEFENDS 'PROACTIVE' EVACUATION EFFORTS AGAINST DEMS' CLAIMS OF DIPLOMATIC CHAOS

The Taliban took control of Afghanistan in 2021 during the U.S. military’s chaotic withdrawal from the country that ended the 20-year war in the region.

Rubio gave the "state sponsor of wrongful detention" designation to Iran late last month, just one day before the U.S.-Israeli strikes on the country. He warned that the U.S. could restrict travel to Iran over its detention of U.S. citizens, but there have not been any restrictions yet.

"The Iranian regime must stop taking hostages and release all Americans unjustly detained in Iran, steps that could end this designation and associated actions," Rubio said at the time.

Reuters contributed to this report.

from Latest World News on Fox News https://ift.tt/NjTWsCk

Hezbollah, Iran unleash coordinated cluster bomb strikes on Israel in major escalation

Hezbollah and Iran launched a coordinated strike strategy Tuesday, a national security expert claimed, as reports emerged that deadly cluster munitions were hitting Israel in synchronized attacks.

The developments unfolded on day 11 of Operations Epic Fury and Roaring Lion, the joint U.S.-Israeli campaign targeting Iran, marking a potential escalation in the widening regional conflict.

"Hezbollah has fully joined the war, and it looks like they are now very well coordinated with Iran," Kobi Michael, a senior researcher at the Institute for National Security Studies and the Misgav Institute, told Fox News Digital while speaking from his bomb shelter near Tel Aviv.

"Most of Hezbollah's rockets and drones are launched simultaneously with the Iranian missiles," he said.

IRAN'S SENIOR CLERICS ‘EXPOSED’ AFTER BUILDING STRIKE IN QOM, SUCCESSION CHOICE LOOMS

Israel confirmed Tuesday that Iran had been firing cluster munitions — adding a complicated and deadly challenge to Israel’s stretched air defenses, The Associated Press reported.

The warheads burst open at high altitudes, scattering dozens of smaller bomblets across a wide area. The smaller bombs, which at night can resemble orange fireballs, are difficult to intercept and have proven lethal.

Fox News correspondent Nate Foy also said despite Israel's strong air defense, half of the missiles are hard to defend against because half of the missiles are cluster munitions.

"The Iranian use of cluster missiles and the idea that they deliberately target civilians and civil facilities must be considered as a use of non-conventional weapons, and the American-Israeli response must be appropriate," Michael urged.

Banned by more than 120 nations under the 2008 Convention on Cluster Munitions, the weapons are widely condemned for their broad-area, indiscriminate effects that often result in catastrophic civilian harm.

IRAN PROXIES WAGE WAR ON ISRAEL, THREATEN US INTERESTS AS IRAQ SLAMMED FOR NOT DISARMING THEM

Michael spoke as Reuters reported Hezbollah was applying lessons from its last war with Israel as it prepares for a possible full-scale Israeli invasion and protracted conflict. 

It said sources claimed the group was returning to its roots in guerrilla warfare in south Lebanon.

"Operating in small units, fighters from the Iran-backed group are avoiding the use of communication devices that could be at risk of Israeli tapping and are rationing the use of key anti-tank rockets as they engage Israeli troops," said the sources, familiar with Hezbollah military activities.

Michael also said that the "north of the country, toward the Haifa area, is under heavy bombing."

IRAN’S ‘STUNNING STRATEGIC MISCALCULATION’ COULD ACCELERATE GULF TIES TO ISRAEL, EX-CENTCOM DIRECTOR PREDICTS

"Israeli citizens have to spend most of the time in the shelter rooms as Hezbollah and Iran deliberately target civilians and civilian facilities," he said.

"Tel Aviv is still under an emergency routine, with sirens continuing and many people spending a lot of time in the bomb shelter rooms," he added before highlighting that "Israel is a small country and will not be able to continue containing such asymmetry and this type of attrition war."

As of Tuesday night local time, the IDF said it had launched a wave of airstrikes against Hezbollah infrastructure in Beirut’s southern suburbs. 

This came after the military reiterated its warning to evacuate the area, a Hezbollah stronghold known as the Dahiyeh.

HEGSETH BLASTS BRITS, SAYS IRAN'S CHAOTIC RETALIATION HAS DRIVEN ITS OWN ALLIES 'INTO THE AMERICAN ORBIT'

In a post shared on X, the IDF said: "This is what we’re operating against."

Reuters sources also claimed much of Hezbollah's fighting on the ground had been focused so far near the town of Khiyam, near the intersection of Lebanon's border with Israel and Syria.

This is one area where Hezbollah believes any Israeli land invasion could begin. Hezbollah's elite Radwan fighters, who withdrew from the south following the 2024 ceasefire, had also returned to the area, it said.

TRUMP SAYS IRAN IS 'RUNNING OUT OF LAUNCHERS' AS REGIME IS 'BEING DECIMATED'

"Israel will no doubt take control over a wide territory in south Lebanon, from the international border to the Litani River, in order to establish a security buffer zone," Michael said.

"This will prevent Hezbollah from attacking the Israeli villages and towns in the north of the country and will intensify the attacks against Hezbollah all over Lebanon," Michael added.

"We hope that President Trump will not stop or use the formula he used with the Houthis, declaring victory and leaving the wounded lion incapable of revenge and/or reconstituting itself."

Meanwhile, an Israeli military official, speaking anonymously under army briefing rules, said Tuesday that roughly half of the projectiles Iran was launching toward Israel were now cluster bombs, The Associated Press said.

from Latest World News on Fox News https://ift.tt/iPbRZwl

Lethal elite 'black-clad' kill squad guards Iran's new Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei

An elite counterterrorism unit has been deployed to protect Iran’s newly appointed Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei, following the assassination of his father, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Fox News Digital has learned.

The force, known as NOPO — Iran’s black-clad Counterterrorism Special Force — was assigned to safeguard the leader after a U.S.-Israel strike on a Tehran compound on Feb. 28 killed the elder Khamenei amid the start of Operation Epic Fury.

"With Khamenei gone, NOPO will now be protecting Mojtaba Khamenei," Ali Safavi, an official with the Foreign Affairs Committee of the Paris-based National Council of Resistance of Iran, or NCRI said.

The force, formed in 1991, was initially the "nucleus" of the IRGC’s 28th Ruhollah (Khomeini’s first name) Division, according to Safavi, and typically handles hostage rescue operations.

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

The history of the unit also includes deployments against internal security threats, and it has often been called on to suppress protests.

Iran’s Assembly of Experts elected Mojtaba Khamenei on March 8, 2026, elevating him as the third Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic.

His succession comes amid ongoing war with the U.S. and Israel, but so far, Mojtaba Khamenei has not been heard from since the start of the conflict.

According to The Times of Israel, Iranian state television reported that Mojtaba Khamenei was wounded in the war, with the reports yet unconfirmed.

"NOPO is the Farsi acronym for Nirouyeh Vijeh Pasdaran Velayat, which translates into the Special Force to Protect the Supreme Leader," Safavi further explained.

IRAN POSTPONES TEHRAN FAREWELL CEREMONY FOR KHAMENEI WHERE LARGE CROWDS WERE EXPECTED TO GATHER

Over time, NOPO has evolved into a highly specialized unit distinct from the broader Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), the military branch established in 1979 to defend the Islamic Republic and its leadership from internal and external threats.

"The NOPO is composed of six brigades only. Four are stationed in Tehran, one in Mashhad and one in Isfahan," Safavi said.

"They are far more lethal, ruthless and well-trained than the IRGC," he claimed before describing how the brigade’s loyalty was exclusively to the Supreme Leader.

"This force was only used for the protection of Khamenei," Safavi continued. "They are very well equipped. Khamenei did not trust any other security force for his protection."

Safavi also said some members of the unit were killed in Ali Khamenei's assassination but that the force remains fully operational.

"Some of the NOPO were killed when Khamenei was killed, but the fact is that they are now involved in the suppressive and security measures the regime has also undertaken in recent days to prevent any outbreak of protests," Safavi said.

The elite force’s activities extend beyond personal protection in times of crisis, Safavi added.

KHAMENEI’S DEATH OPENS UNCERTAIN CHAPTER FOR IRAN’S ENTRENCHED THEOCRACY

"But in times of crisis, such as what happened during the January uprising, they were heavily involved in opening fire on the protesters," he said.

This comes amid reports that hundreds of NOPO members have also been widely deployed around prisons in Iran that are holding political detainees.

"Hundreds of suppressive forces are widely deployed around the prison. In Ghezel Hesar Prison," the NCRI said in a statement.

On Tuesday, March 3, 2026, following the bombing of a military center near Mahabad Prison, prisoners whose ward doors had been locked protested and set fire to their blankets, demanding their release under wartime conditions.

"Suppressive forces responded by firing tear gas into the ward," the NCRI reported.

Reports also indicated NOPO had taken control of Evin Prison in Tehran following the flight of regular prison officials amid intensified conflict.

In 2021, the U.S. Treasury Department imposed sanctions on NOPO for its part in committing "serious human rights abuses against persons in Iran or Iranian citizens or residents, or the family members of the foregoing."

from Latest World News on Fox News https://ift.tt/7oqkdPn