Iran under scrutiny after plot foiled near UK base used by US military

Just days after left-wing British Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband shook hands with the Islamic Republic of Iran’s top diplomat at the United Nations, U.K. authorities arrested five men with possible links to Tehran who allegedly sought to bomb a military base in Fairford used by American forces.

Armed officers arrested the five suspected terrorists who were traveling in three vans reportedly packed with explosive material. The authorities seized the five British nationals and the vans a mere 350 yards from the military base, which is used by the U.S. Army to launch air strikes against military targets in Iran.

Speaking from London on Monday, Nile Gardiner, the director of the Margaret Thatcher Center for Freedom at the Heritage Foundation, told Fox News Digital, "I think it is highly likely it was an Iranian orchestrated attack. It is stunning that they have released terrorist suspects on bail. It strikes me as entirely insane. The suspects appear to be Muslim Islamists, judging by the picture."

BRITAIN INTRODUCES SWEEPING NEW POWERS TO TARGET FOREIGN STATE-LINKED GROUPS INCLUDING IRAN'S IRGC

Gardiner said, "The British government is on a full appeasement drive toward Tehran. We saw that with Ed Miliband meeting with the Iranian foreign minister at the U.N. General Assembly. The U.K. does not want to get involved in the U.S.-led war against Tehran."

He said the current government is a "socialist appeasement-minded British administration that is incredibly weak on defense and national security."

The United States and Israel launched a joint military campaign on Feb. 28 to knock out Iran's nuclear weapons and missile systems.

A source familiar with the Fairford investigation had previously ⁠told Reuters that an Iranian-linked motive was considered the most likely, although a Russian sabotage operation or an Islamist plot were also being looked at as possibilities.

On Sunday, President Donald Trump said the suspects were "looking to do big damage." He added, "We had them under view for a long time, and we got them."

A spokesperson for Prime Minister Andy Burnham said that "when asked whether President Trump’s comments were accurate, the Prime Minister’s official spokesperson said the Defence Secretary had been asked about them on the morning round and referred journalists to his words. He said the investigation was ongoing, and it would not be appropriate to comment further."

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The U.S. and U.K.-designated terrorist movement, Iran's Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), put the British government on notice in July that military installations used to attack Iran are legitimate targets for retaliation.

Jason Brodsky, policy director at United Against Nuclear Iran (UANI), which tracks Iran’s terrorist and spycraft activities in the United Kingdom, told Fox News Digital, "I believe Iran would have a motive for such a plot. This is because in July, authorities in Cyprus arrested a man accused of spying for Iran at RAF [Royal Air Force] Akrotiri. Iranian officials and media have also pointed to RAF Fairford specifically, dubbing it ‘an important matter for our self-defense’ amid Operation Epic Fury."

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Brodsky added, "Iran has a long history of launching terror plots in the U.K., via its Intelligence Ministry and the IRGC. It has long used criminal gangs as proxies to mask its involvement. So I suspect U.K. authorities are probing these angles as part of the investigation."

The U.K.’s Counterterrorism Policing Office said the five suspects were detained on suspicion of offenses under the Explosives Act and preparation of a terrorist act contrary to Section 5 of the Terrorism Act.

Vicki Evans, counterterrorism policing senior national coordinator, deputy assistant commissioner, said, "This is a hugely complex and large-scale operation, involving local and national policing, the MOD, and local agencies, who are working together to progress the investigation and support for the community."

Evans added, "I am very aware of the levels of speculation about the motivation behind this incident, and the geopolitical questions that are being raised."

According to an X post by the Iranian regime’s embassy in London, "The Embassy of the Islamic Republic of Iran in London categorically rejects and strongly condemns the recent unfounded and malicious speculations published by some British individuals and media outlets attempting to link Iran to arrest of five suspects in the vicinity of RAF Fairford base."

The Iranian Embassy added "The Circulation of such fabricated speculations, particularly in the aftermath of the criminal acts of aggression committed by the United States and the Israeli regime against the Iranian people, will serve no purpose other than to fuel Iranophobia propaganda in the UK. The Islamic Republic of Iran reserves the right to take appropriate legal measures, as necessary, to safeguard the rights and interests of the country and its people in response to misleading and damaging media narratives."

Barak Seener, senior fellow at the London-based Henry Jackson Society, told Fox News Digital, "The British government has no sense of how to prioritize its national security interests. While British Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband told Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi at the U.N. that the United Kingdom will not tolerate intimidation, threats, or hostile activity on British soil, he was sure to take a friendly picture with him, while purposely avoiding meeting any Israeli representative."

He added, "Similarly, at the Labor Party conference, Ed Miliband spent 15 seconds on Iran, and close to four minutes on Israel. This has led to an environment in which a suspected terror plot at RAF Fairford could take place."

A spokesperson for the British government told Fox News Digital, "The police have issued a statement this afternoon from the head of CTP. We don’t have any further comment at this early stage."

With respect to the Fox News Digital press query about Miliband's meeting with Araghchi at the U.N., the British government spokesperson sent Fox News Digital a readout of the meeting, "The Foreign Secretary told Araghchi that Iran should choose de-escalation and diplomacy instead of prolonging the war. He underlined the importance of restoring freedom of navigation and the full reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, stressing the impact continued disruption has on global security and economic stability.

"The Foreign Secretary reiterated the UK's unwavering resolve to combat threats from Iranian-linked groups in UK soil, including attacks on the British Jewish community. The Foreign Secretary made clear that Britain will not tolerate intimidation, threats or hostile activity on UK soil and set out the measures the Government has taken in response. He also raised the ongoing detention of Craig and Lindsay Foreman, repeating the UK's call for their immediate release and stressing that their welfare remains a priority for the Government."

Reuters contributed to this report.

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UK airbase terror suspects being released on bail as Iran denies connection

United Kingdom police are releasing five terror suspects on bail Monday after they were arrested on suspicion of a terror plot targeting a U.S. air base in Britain this weekend.

Laurence ​Taylor, head of ​Counter Terrorism Policing, confirmed that investigations into the five men are ongoing, "including ⁠that this may be actively committed ​by proxies ​or ⁠individuals either knowingly or unknowingly working on ⁠behalf ​of a ​foreign state." Meanwhile, the Iranian Embassy in the U.K. has denied any connection to the five men.

The Sunday night arrests came after a local resident and farmer in Gloucestershire told the BBC that she had called police late in the evening after coming across three white vans blocking a road near RAF Fairford air base. As she turned her car around, she told the BBC that her headlights illuminated a group of "hooded and masked men" who "panicked" upon being spotted and scrambled into a nearby woods.

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Authorities identified the five men as "U.K. nationals," but did not offer any further details.

RAF Fairford plays host to significant U.S. Air Force assets and has been used as a launching point for multiple U.S. operations in the war against Iran in recent months.

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Defense Secretary Wes Streeting confirmed that the local farmer had at least a "partial picture" of the incident.

"I do want to thank the member of the public who acted quickly and called this in," Streeting told the BBC.

"I would also just say, respectfully, that she has a partial picture. And I won't go beyond that, in terms of commenting on operational security matters," he added.

The local, who asked to remain anonymous, told the BBC that she was astounded it had been her 999 call that "foiled whatever plans they had," adding that she was surprised the base didn't have more significant surveillance and security.

Iran's Embassy vehemently denied any connection with the incident in a public statement on Monday.

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"The Embassy of the Islamic Republic of Iran in London categorically rejects and strongly condemns the recent unfounded and malicious speculations published by some British individuals and media outlets attempting to link Iran to arrest of five suspects in the vicinity of RAF Fairford base," the Embassy wrote on X.

"The Circulation of such fabricated speculations, particularly in the aftermath of the criminal acts of aggression committed by the United States and the Israeli regime against the Iranian people, will serve no purpose other than to fuel Iranophobia propaganda in the U.K.," the statement continued.

"The Islamic Republic of Iran reserves the right to take appropriate legal measures, as necessary, to safeguard the rights and interests of the country and its people in response to misleading and damaging media narratives," it added.

Reuters contributed to this report.

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Foiled terror plot at bomber base signals wider threat to US military installations: expert

Five men arrested near a key U.S. bomber base in the U.K. on Sunday may have planned a "complex," coordinated attack with potentially far-reaching security implications for American military installations globally, a former U.S. intelligence official warned.

As counterterrorism police investigated after officers detained the suspects near RAF Fairford in Gloucestershire, a former Pentagon official also said President Donald Trump will ultimately be the one to decide the consequences if indeed the "trail leads to Tehran."

The men were initially held on suspicion of offenses under Britain’s Explosives Act before being arrested on terrorism charges in connection with the airfield, a key U.S. Air Force hub and the primary European base for American strategic bombers.

On Sunday, Trump said U.S. authorities had been monitoring the suspects prior to their capture.

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"We had them under investigation," Trump told reporters in Chicago. "They were looking to do big damage to our fort."

"It may have been Scotland Yard. I don't know. We worked with a lot of them. We had them under view for a long time, and we got them," Trump added.

According to Sky News, counterterrorism police were investigating whether Iran is linked to the suspected bomb plot.

Former Trump White House official Morgan Murphy told Fox News Digital that British authorities are leading the investigation alongside U.S. law enforcement and intelligence.

"Every phone, bank record and rental receipt will be run through British and American intelligence, and if the trail leads to Tehran, it will be found," Murphy clarified.

"But as American airmen and bombers seem to have been the target, Air Force investigators on the base, the FBI in London, and American intelligence will likely all work the case."

"If conclusive evidence proves Iran is behind an attempted attack on U.S. forces, the American President will ultimately decide how Tehran pays," Murphy added.

BRITAIN INTRODUCES SWEEPING NEW POWERS TO TARGET FOREIGN STATE-LINKED GROUPS INCLUDING IRAN'S IRGC

Former Defense Intelligence Agency official Andrew Badger told Fox News Digital the number of suspects and vehicles involved raised the possibility of a sophisticated operation.

"We are going to see elevated security protocols across Europe, across the U.K., and across the entire world for any U.S. installation," he said.

"This is a very significant threat, and again, seeing that we had five individuals involved and three different reported vans at the scene, this could have been a very complex, highly orchestrated operation," Badger added.

"This isn't just some type of amateur lone wolf operation," he said, noting Fairford’s strategic importance to the U.S. military. "Fairford is also where the U.S. houses its strategic bombers for Europe as well as the rest of the world."

He said a potential attack posed broader risks beyond the airfield itself which he said "could have had significant security implications. It could have damaged the nearby area."

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"They could have tried to use a VBIED or a vehicle-borne explosive device where the first van could have gone off at the front gate, and then the other vans would have gone in and tried to go for the strategic bombers," Badger said.

British authorities have not publicly identified who they believe was behind the suspected plot or announced a motive, but RAF Fairford had taken on greater strategic importance during the war with Iran.

The U.K. government previously authorized U.S. forces to use the Royal Air Force bases Fairford and Diego Garcia for limited defensive operations, including destroying Iranian missiles and launchers at their source.

Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) later warned that any base used to attack Iranian territory would be considered a legitimate target.

"Any base used to launch attacks on Iranian territory is a legitimate target for our forces," the IRGC said, according to reports.

"Tehran warned London in July to keep American bombers off Fairford, and if this plot traces back to Iran, the answer must be more bombers, not fewer," Morgan said.

IRAN EXPERT BRANDS ISLAMIC CENTER OF ENGLAND IRAN'S 'UK OFFICE,' URGES IMMEDIATE CLOSURE

A local councilor told Reuters there had been a recent security alert at Fairford and surveillance had been stepped up.

"So there was a specific threat about six weeks ago from the Iranians on this base. At the time, there was increased surveillance around the area," he told the outlet.

Badger, however, cautioned against assuming Iran was responsible while pointing to other potential threats.

"This could be Iran trying to gain strategic leverage in negotiations, but there are other actors as well," Badger added.

"But there's Russia, who's been launching a campaign of gray zone or hybrid warfare attacks across Europe, as well as Islamic extremists, which are still a significant threat here in the U.K."

"Was this some type of retaliation by Iran to perhaps try to gain leverage or to try to inflict a cost for the U.S. withdrawing from these negotiations? Again, we don't know for sure, but it is a possibility," Badger said.

Badger also pointed to RAF Welford, a major U.S. ammunition storage facility that primarily supports operations at RAF Fairford.

US EMBASSIES IN MIDDLE EAST WARN AMERICANS OF 'UNFORESEEN ESCALATION' AS LATEST STRIKES HIT IRAN

"RAF Welford is actually the second-largest weapons and ammunition depot in all of Europe," Badger said, noting that the facility where the U.S. stores ammunition "could have been a target as well."

"Other bases across Europe, including European and U.S. partners, have already been on a heightened state of alert," Badger continued.

"But of course, after this attack, I think they're going to be in an even more heightened state. You're going to have more frequent security patrols."

"There are reports that RAF Fairford was put onto what's called the Delta alert, which is the highest state of security alert within the military base system," Badger said.

"So this is basically that 'an imminent terrorist attack is inbound,'" he concluded.

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UK police arrest 'explosive' suspects near US airbase, key to Iran war

U.K. police say they arrested multiple suspects for offenses under the "Explosives Act" near a U.S. airbase in southwest England on Sunday.

Gloucestershire Police say the arrests took place just two miles from RAF Fairford, which hosts U.S. Air Force assets. The U.S. has recently used the base in operations relating to the war in IRan.

"A number of properties are currently being evacuated in the Whelford area following the declaration of a major incident," Gloucestershire Police said in a statement. "It follows the arrest of several men on suspicion of offenses under the explosives act."

ANDY BURNHAM TAKES OVER AS UK PRIME MINISTER, CALLS FOR 'NEW POLITICAL MODEL'

"The Army's specialist explosive ordnance disposal team are currently examining a number of vehicles," police added.

Authorities did not name the suspects or detail exactly how many were arrested.

British Defense Secretary Wes Streeting wrote on X that the situation is "being dealt with."

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"The Prime Minister is being kept updated on the incident in Gloucestershire," The UK Defense Ministry said in another statement.

"We are grateful to the emergency services, who have acted quickly to detain several suspects and put measures in place to keep the community safe," the statement continued.

"It would be inappropriate to comment further whilst investigations are ongoing," it added.

WATER CYBERATTACK HITS AT LEAST 7 STATES

The incident comes roughly a month after Iran-linked hackers were suspected of forcing a small British power generator offline for several days this summer.

The British shutdown came weeks after hackers struck more than 30 community water systems in Minnesota, accessing technology used to remotely monitor and control pumps and other equipment. Minnesota officials have not publicly attributed the attacks. Several news outlets, citing U.S. officials and a leaked industry threat-sharing memo, reported that Iran was the likely culprit.

Federal agencies have also warned that Iranian-affiliated actors have targeted similar industrial devices across water, energy and government sectors, seeking access to the software used to control them. That activity has already caused operational disruptions and financial losses.

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Finland's Stubb credits Trump for pushing Ukraine peace talks while dismissing Russian invasion fears

UNITED NATIONS — As Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy warns that Russia could take its war beyond Ukraine, Finnish President Alexander Stubb is striking a markedly calmer tone — saying Finland is prepared for Moscow and crediting President Donald Trump with pushing harder for a negotiated end to the war.

"I think we're certainly in a better place than we were before President Trump started," Stubb told Fox News Digital in an on-camera interview on the sidelines of the U.N. General Assembly in New York. "He's doubled down in the past year and a half to try to find a solution for peace with negotiators such as Steve Witkoff, Jared Kushner and many others."

Stubb, who has been closely involved in the diplomatic effort, said he and Norway’s prime minister have worked largely "in the back office," relaying information among Ukraine, the United States and European governments.

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"I think he's really working hard and hopefully we'll get a solution," Stubb said.

The interview came during an intense diplomatic week in New York focused heavily on the wars in Ukraine and the Middle East.

Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy met in New York during UNGA week as Washington continued its effort to revive negotiations with Moscow. Zelenskyy said peace remained Ukraine's priority and thanked Trump for sending the two envoys to Kyiv after they had also held talks in Moscow.

Zelenskyy was asked by Fox News Digital after the meeting about the possibility that Russia could invade or attack another European country in the near future.

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"That's why the risk of offensive by drones, missiles or land operation is very high against other countries who are bordering Russia or Belarus," Zelenskyy said.

The Ukrainian leader argued that Russian President Vladimir Putin, unable to achieve his military objectives in Ukraine, could seek to create instability elsewhere in Europe to pressure Western governments into reducing their support for Kyiv. He pointed to drone incursions and disruptions affecting several European countries, arguing that Moscow is already attempting to intimidate European societies and test their response.

Asked by Fox News Digital what European countries should do in response to the growing threat, Zelenskyy offered a direct answer.

"Respond. Always respond. It's not about the war. If you don't respond, Russians, they will go further," he said.

But Stubb struck a notably calmer tone when asked about Zelenskyy’s warnings that Russia could eventually attack other European countries, including Finland, which shares the longest border with Russia.

"As commander-in-chief in Finland, I sit on all the relevant information and I just don't see a factual basis for it," Stubb said.

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That does not mean, he stressed, that Moscow has stopped targeting Europe.

Stubb distinguished between the "kinetic" war Russia is fighting in Ukraine and what he described as a broader "hybrid" campaign in Europe, pointing to cyberattacks, sabotage and damage to undersea cables in the Baltic Sea.

"We have to see this as a campaign," he said. "Russia tries to intimidate Europe, scare us and get into our heads."

His prescription was characteristically Finnish: "cool, calm and collected, take a sauna and a nice bath and deal with it."

Stubb said Finland, a country with a population of 5.6 million, can afford that attitude precisely because it has spent decades preparing for a potential threat from its eastern neighbor.

"We are calm because we are prepared," he said.

He pointed to Finland’s mandatory military service, reserve force, artillery, long-range capabilities and extensive network of civilian shelters. The Finnish Defence Forces puts Finland’s wartime military strength at 280,000 personnel, with additional reservists available if needed.

That deterrent received another boost just days before Stubb traveled to New York. Finland is acquiring 64 F-35A fighter jets to replace its F/A-18 Hornet fleet under a procurement decision announced by the Finnish government.

The first two F-35s intended for operations inside Finland arrived at the Lapland Air Wing in Rovaniemi on Sept. 18, according to a Finnish Defence Forces press release.

"We have obligatory military service. I did mine, my son did his. We have women who do it voluntarily. We have over 60 F-18s. We just bought 64 F-35s, the two first of which arrived. We have long-range missiles, air, land and sea. We have the capability to mobilize 280,000 troops within days in a conflictual situation. On top of that, we have land mines. And we have the biggest artillery in Europe together with Poland… On top of that, we have civilian shelters for over 4.4 million people out of 5.6."

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"We don't have them because we're worried about Sweden," Stubb joked of Finland’s military capabilities. "We have them because we see a security threat coming from Russia."

He said that level of preparedness, combined with Finland’s NATO membership, makes a direct Russian attack unlikely. Finland became NATO's 31st member on April 4, 2023, after abandoning its longstanding military non-alignment following Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

"We feel that we're very prepared, and that gives us a strong enough … deterrent that we don't believe that Russia is going to test a country like Finland," Stubb said. "And of course the icing on the cake is that we are now security providers in the Alliance NATO."

Stubb also used his Sept. 22 address to the U.N. General Assembly to advocate for continued support for Kyiv, calling the "Coalition of the Willing" supporting Ukraine "particularly close to my heart." He said the coalition was working toward a "just and lasting peace in Ukraine in accordance with the U.N. Charter."

Stubb made additional news on Ukraine during UNGA week, when he urged SpaceX owner Elon Musk to extend Starlink coverage so Ukrainian forces could use the satellite network in areas containing Russian ballistic missile launchers, including inside Russia. He argued that doing so could help Ukraine target launchers firing missiles at Ukrainian cities.

Yet Ukraine was only one piece of what Stubb described as an increasingly interconnected global security crisis.

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Asked about Trump’s call at the U.N. for countries to support efforts to prevent Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon, Stubb was unequivocal.

"I agree, Iran should not obtain nuclear weapons," he told Fox News Digital, adding that Tehran should not use proxies or be able to produce missiles.

Stubb also argued that the conflicts involving Russia and Iran can no longer be viewed in isolation, alleging that Moscow is providing intelligence to Tehran that Iran has used against U.S. military bases in the Gulf, while Iranian weapons have been supplied to Russia for use against Ukraine.

"We're going in this merry-go-round where every bit of the conflict is linked to another," Stubb said. "The sooner we can end both, the better."

Trump used his Sept. 22 U.N. General Assembly address to call for Iran's economic isolation and reiterate that Tehran should not obtain a nuclear weapon, while warning of further US military action if a peace agreement is not reached, according to Reuters. 

For Stubb, the proliferation of conflicts — from Ukraine and Iran to Gaza, Yemen and Sudan — is testing a diplomatic system already struggling to keep pace.

"It's not a zero-sum game," he said. "We have to deal with a multiplicity of conflicts right now, unfortunately."

And for Trump, he added, that means "working around the clock."

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Israeli UN envoy's Starlink video reaches millions, with nearly 40% of Instagram viewers in Iran

A viral video of Israel’s U.N. ambassador offering an Iranian representative a Starlink device has reached around 9 million views across social media — and nearly 40% of its Instagram viewers are in Iran, according to analytics shared with Fox News Digital.

A representative for Israeli Ambassador to the U.N. Danny Danon told Fox News Digital that the office was surprised by the video’s reach inside Iran, saying such an audience is unusual for Israeli diplomatic accounts.

"We couldn't imagine to be the popular," the representative said, referring to the video's reach in Iran.

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The representative said the encounter grew out of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s address to the U.N. General Assembly, where Netanyahu displayed a Starlink device while delivering a message aimed at the Iranian people.

According to Danon’s representative, Netanyahu had prepared the Starlink element for his speech and asked that the device be offered to the Iranian delegation afterward. Danon then approached an Iranian representative with the device in an encounter captured on video.

The Iranian representative declined to take it.

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Danon later posted the exchange on social media, where the video quickly gained traction.

Instagram audience analytics shared with Fox News Digital show 39.9% of viewers were located in Iran, the largest share from any country. The U.S. accounted for 14.3%, followed by Israel at 12.6%, Canada at 5.9% and Germany at 4.1%.

The representative said Danon’s office viewed the unusually large Iranian audience as significant given the message accompanying the Starlink offer, which he described as one of freedom and freedom of expression for the Iranian people.

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But Danon’s office says another online trend emerged as the video spread.

The representative told Fox News Digital that accounts the office believes are Iranian began recirculating a years-old video of former Israeli Ambassador to the U.N. Gilad Erdan being escorted from the General Assembly during a protest against then-Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi.

The video dates to September 2023, when Erdan walked through the General Assembly holding a photograph of Mahsa Amini during Raisi’s speech.

One post recirculating the old video in recent hours has drawn hundreds of thousands of views while portraying the incident as a current confrontation involving Israel’s U.N. ambassador.

Danon’s representative characterized the renewed circulation as a "disinformation campaign" intended to counter the attention surrounding Danon’s video.

"From our perspective, the Danon video moved something in Iran," the representative told Fox News Digital, arguing that the Iranian regime was attempting to "change the story."

Fox News Digital's Emma Bussey contributed to this report.

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Pope Leo draws staggering 800,000 faithful to heart of Paris for massive outdoor Mass

Pope Leo XIV drew an estimated 800,000 people into the heart of Paris on Saturday for a massive open-air Mass, filling one of the French republic’s most storied public squares as he urged Catholics to openly share their faith in an "increasingly secularized society."

Flag-waving crowds packed the Champs-Élysées and Place de la Concorde as the American pope traveled roughly 1.2 miles through central Paris in the popemobile before celebrating Mass.

The Vatican estimated attendance at 800,000, roughly 200,000 more people than had registered in advance.

People of faith gathered in the streets, with families lifting babies and young children toward the popemobile as Leo made his way through the French capital.

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"Seeing you gathered here," Leo told worshippers, he was looking upon the "heirs of France’s long and beautiful history of faith," according to Vatican News.

The pope called on French Catholics not to keep that rich inheritance to themselves.

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"Let it overflow, so that those you meet may be refreshed and their thirst satisfied," Leo said. "From this beautiful city of Paris, I pray fervently that the living water of the Holy Spirit may flow throughout France."

The setting carried particular resonance in a country known for its strict tradition of secularism.

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It is notable that the Place de la Concorde was an execution ground during the French Revolution, where devoutly Catholic King Louis XVI and Queen Marie Antoinette were guillotined. Today, the square is closely associated with the French republic and regularly hosts Bastille Day celebrations.

The decision to celebrate a papal Mass there drew criticism from supporters of France’s strict separation of church and state, who argued another site would have been more appropriate.

The images also offered a striking contrast with another massive Paris spectacle just two years earlier.

The 2024 Summer Olympics opening ceremony drew worldwide controversy over a tableau featuring drag performers that Christian leaders and other critics said mocked Christianity.

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The French Bishops’ Conference said at the time that the ceremony "included scenes of mockery and derision of Christianity," adding that Christians around the world had been "hurt by the outrageousness and provocation of certain scenes."

The tableau was widely interpreted by critics as a parody of Leonardo da Vinci’s "The Last Supper," though Olympics organizers disputed that interpretation.

Leo’s visit comes as France experiences a notable increase in adult conversions even as the country continues a decades-long decline in overall Catholic participation.

Annual adult baptisms in France have tripled since 2016, reaching 13,000 this year, according to The Associated Press. Overall baptisms, however, have fallen sharply over the longer term, from 513,000 in 1980 to 186,000 in 2024.

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Leo thanked French families, young people, catechumens and new Christians for bearing witness to their faith in what he described as an "increasingly secularized society," according to Vatican News.

The scale of the pope’s reception was already apparent the night before the Mass as some 80,000 young people packed France’s national stadium Friday for a vigil featuring fireworks and a theatrical retelling of the country’s Catholic history.

"Thank you for your courage! Thank you for your presence," Leo told them in French. "Thank you for your faith. You are the saints of France!"

At Saturday’s Mass, Leo invoked France’s Catholic heritage and drew on the biblical image of "living water," telling worshippers that Jesus Christ could satisfy humanity’s desire for "life, truth, unity, peace, communion, and happiness."

He also invoked French Catholic saints including Irenaeus, Martin and Francis de Sales while praising those who continue to work for "life, the family, truth, peace, fraternity and justice."

The sea of people rivaled some of the largest public celebrations to fill the Champs-Élysées in recent decades, including France’s World Cup victories in 1998 and 2018, according to the AP.

Leo’s four-day trip to France began Friday with a visit to the restored Notre Dame Cathedral, the first by a pope since the devastating 2019 fire.

He traveled Saturday night to Lourdes, one of the Catholic Church’s most visited pilgrimage sites.

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