Starbucks has explored a takeover of Chipotle Mexican Grill, the Financial Times reported on Thursday, in a move that ⁠would reunite chief executive Brian Niccol with the burrito chain he led before joining the coffee giant two years ago.
The potential deal comes as restaurant chains wrestle with uncertain demand from inflation-weary ⁠consumers and rising operating costs, prompting ⁠companies to look ​for new avenues of growth while facing pressure to improve profitability.
Starbucks has worked with advisers in recent months on a takeover proposal for Chipotle, the FT reported, citing people familiar with the ⁠matter.
Starbucks and Chipotle did not immediately respond to Reuters requests for comment.
Shares of Chipotle, which has a market capitalization of nearly $39bn, were up about 6% on Thursday, while those of Starbucks were down about ⁠3%. Starbucks is worth about $107bn, according to LSEG data.
Analysts said any acquisition would probably be a costly undertaking for Starbucks, which is ​still investing heavily in its turnaround efforts.
“A deal could require ‌heavy borrowing or issuing shares,” said ‌Lale Akoner, global market strategist at eToro. “Without a compelling financial case, investors may view the deal as an expensive distraction.“
Starbucks is in ‌the midst of a turnaround under Niccol, who has prioritized customer satisfaction through investments in staffing and store improvements aimed at reducing wait times and restoring the coffeehouse atmosphere that helped make the chain a global brand.
Since Niccol joined the company in September 2024, Starbucks has committed at least $500m to labor investments as part of its reorganization, contributing to pressure on profitability. As of the fiscal third quarter, adjusted operating margin was 14.4%, down from 16.7% in the same quarter two years earlier, according to LSEG data.
Starbucks ‌has reported four consecutive quarters of comparable sales growth under Niccol, but in July he said that, “We have more work to do.“
“The timing of this would be a little weird, given that Starbucks is in ​the middle of their transformation and hasn’t yet shown the margin improvement investors are probably hoping for. Instead of jump-starting the transformation, at first blush, this seems more like jumping the shark instead,” said Brian Jacobsen, chief economic strategist, Annex Wealth Management.
Chipotle, meanwhile, has been contending with softer traffic as consumers pull back on discretionary spending, while higher food and labor costs have pressured margins across the restaurant industry. Its shares have ⁠nearly halved since Niccol left the company.
A potential deal could accelerate Chipotle’s international expansion, some analysts said.
“What ​I like about this potential is the ​opportunity CEO Brian Niccol would have to leverage ​Starbucks’ licensed partnerships in Europe to expand Chipotle more aggressively,” said Jim Sanderson, an analyst at Northcoast Research.
As ​of the end of ‌last year, Chipotle had ​nearly 4,000 restaurants in the United ​States and about 100 international locations. Starbucks, meanwhile, has roughly 40,000 stores globally, including about 18,000 in North America.
Niccol joined Starbucks in 2024 after spending six years at Chipotle, where he was credited with steering the company through the aftermath of its food-safety crises and building out its digital business, helping drive years of strong sales growth.

When you go for a fill-up, and your eyes drift over to the diesel pump, you might shake your head and thank your lucky stars that your car doesn’t run on diesel.
But much of the American economy runs on diesel, from tractor trailers to delivery trucks to farm combines. And sky-high diesel costs eventually trickle down to the nation’s supermarkets and warehouse stores, pushing up prices on a wide range of goods and services.
Here’s how the high price of diesel impacts the American consumer
Who uses diesel?
Only about 3% of passenger vehicles use diesel (mostly pickups, SUVs and used import sedans), but 76% of commercial vehicles use diesel.
“Diesel is the workhorse fuel of the economy,” said David Ortega, a food economist at Michigan State University. “Semi-trucks, freight trains, barges, and farm machinery run on it. Most consumers never buy a gallon of diesel, but almost everything they do buy moved on diesel at some point, often several times, between production and the store shelf.”
How much does diesel cost?
A gallon of diesel on average cost $6.30 on Oct. 7, compared to $5.90 a month before and $3.68 a year ago, according to AAA. The current price is just below the all-time record, $6.53, set Sept. 22.
Diesel prices are even higher in California, a top producer of dairy, nuts, grapes, lettuce, strawberries and other crops. A gallon of diesel in California cost $8.35 on Oct. 7.
If diesel prices keep rising, “some pumps aren’t even built to display what could come next,” petroleum analyst Patrick De Haan tweeted in early September.
Why is diesel so expensive?
Fuel prices are rising across the board because of the Iran war. The conflict has constricted tanker traffic through the Strait of Hormuz and seeded attacks on refineries and infrastructure in the Persian Gulf. Attacks on Russian refineries in the Ukraine war are another factor.
Diesel costs run even higher because of heavy global demand, steep excise taxes and other factors.
How do high diesel prices affect farmers?
For farmers, the timing of surging diesel prices “could hardly be worse,” Ortega said. “We are in the heart of fall harvest, when combines, tractors, grain carts and trucks run long hours moving crops from fields to storage and elevators.”
A combine harvester operation uses about 300 gallons of diesel a day. In California, that’s roughly $2,500 worth of fuel.
Wayne Gularte, who grows crops on 600 acres near Gonzales, California, told Reuters that his fuel costs were up 40% this year, from roughly $5 a gallon to $7. To cut costs, he put a gas-powered tractor from the 1950s back into service.
Nationwide, farm fuel costs have risen by $18 per acre, or 82%, from last year for corn, and by $11 an acre, or 79%, for soybeans, two of America’s top crops, said Michael Langemeier, a Purdue University economist.
How do high diesel prices affect consumers?
Diesel prices are up by about 75% from last year. Fortunately for consumers, only a fraction of that spike will reach warehouses and stores.
The fuel used to transport and store food items, for example, makes up 4% to 7% of its total cost, said Bernhard Dalheimer, a Purdue agricultural economist.
“Now, this is just an average,” he said. Fuel can make up a much higher share of the total cost of some items.
Here are some examples.
Food transported over long distances
If you dine at Five Guys, you might notice the potatoes often come from Idaho. Idaho is a long way from most of the continental United States, and trucks have to carry potatoes many miles to reach your local burger joint.
“A truckload of potatoes going from Idaho to Chicago is 40% more expensive now than a year ago, and half of that is diesel,” said Jason Miller, a professor of supply chain management at Michigan State University.
The same economics apply to apples and pears grown in Washington State’s Yakima Valley, and lettuce and strawberries from California, said Dean Croke, principal analyst at DAT Freight & Analytics.
Perishable food that requires refrigeration
Pretty much anything that’s refrigerated at the supermarket is also chilled on its journey to get there. Moving those goods requires refrigerated trucks, which use lots of diesel.
“Fresh produce, dairy and meat often travel long distances in refrigerated trucks that burn energy both to move and to keep products cold,” Ortega said.
When you factor in refrigeration and distance, shipping a truck of lettuce from Salinas, California, to New York “is going to run somewhere around $10,000,” Croke said, and $4,200 of the total is for diesel alone. A year ago, Croke said, the same fuel would have cost about $2,700.
Heavy and low-value products
Consider a case of soda. It’s mostly water. Water is heavy: about eight pounds per gallon. Soda is relatively inexpensive to bottle, but pricey to ship. That’s why soda companies have manufacturing plants near major population centers.
Heavy, inexpensive products are especially vulnerable to diesel prices, because “transportation is a large share of what you pay for them,” Ortega said.
The list includes bottled beverages, canned goods and a range of non-food items, including household appliances.
If you’re buying a dump truck’s worth of mulch, “that nursery is probably going to hit you with a fuel surcharge,” Miller said.
What other products and services are impacted by high diesel costs?
Here are a few examples.
Heating oil
Diesel fuel and heating oil are essentially “the exact same product,” said Alex Jacquez, senior vice president of policy, advocacy and research at the Groundwork Collaborative. And nearly 5 million households, mostly in the Northeast, still use heating oil.
Heating oil prices have risen sharply this year.
Shipping services
Spiking diesel prices have prompted shipping services to boost fuel surcharges, which rise and fall with per-gallon diesel prices.
At UPS, the domestic ground surcharge crept up from 25% on July 6 to 29.5% on Sept. 21. The rate rose to 30.25% on Sept. 28.
At FedEx, the ground-service surcharge stands at 29.25%.
Diesel costs will drive up the prices of gifts we ship for the holidays, Miller said. Retailers will find ways to bake the surcharge into the tab.
“You may be seeing higher minimum-order quantities for free shipping, and things of that sort,” he said.
What’s the bottom line?
Unless you’re buying heating oil or driving a vintage BMW, you’re not likely to take the full brunt of $6.50-a-gallon diesel.
The impact of high diesel prices on a clamshell pack of lettuce or a bag of potatoes will be measured in pennies on the dollar, Miller said.
Why? Because fuel costs make up only 5% or so of the average sticker price you pay at the supermarket. If shipping costs double, a $1 potato might become a $1.05 potato.
And it takes months for price shocks to work their way through the supply chain.
Contract prices between manufacturers and retailers are often set annually, Miller said. Thus, the full effects of higher diesel prices might not hit “for at least another six to nine months, minimum,” he said.
“Early on, much of the cost increase gets absorbed along the supply chain,” Ortega said. “But as contracts reprice and fuel surcharges take hold, more of that cost makes its way to the grocery store.”

NERMEEN SHAIKH: We begin today’s show in Spain. Maricarmen has died. She’s the 87-year-old woman whose eviction from her home of 70 years in Madrid sparked mass protests across Spain. In September, she was forcibly removed from her apartment on a stretcher after the private investment company which owns the building hiked her rent. After massive public outcry, the landlord had agreed to allow her back into her apartment. María Carmen Abascal died on Wednesday just hours before she was set to sign a new rental agreement.
On Wednesday, protesters in Madrid gathered to shout “murderers” outside the Madrid parliament.
PROTESTERS: ¡Asesinos! ¡Asesinos! ¡Asesinos! ¡Asesinos!
AMY GOODMAN: Protesters in Madrid, Spain, responded with sadness and anger over the death of 87-year-old Maricarmen.
DIANA: [translated] She’s a woman who died of heartbreak. They killed her through heartbreak. Taking an 87-year-old woman out of her home after she had lived in the same house for 70 years, that’s killing someone. A year ago, she had such strength, such life, such enthusiasm. It was a joy to see her. And the moment she left that apartment, or, rather, the moment they took her out of that apartment, she had to be hospitalized. And today, she is gone.
So, breaking the news has been horrific, because most people here weren’t following the news. They were preparing food, helping people on the streets. It has been very hard. There have been many people crying, so many people trying to stay strong. But you can’t, not at a moment like this. …
Amid all this grief, I think it serves perfectly to show why we’re here, because we’re trying to fight so that no one has to feel that grief and that emptiness of feeling alone, and above all, so that people remember her, so that they remember that she died alone out of her home.
NERMEEN SHAIKH: Protesters also rallied in Barcelona on Wednesday to decry the death of Maricarmen.
PROTESTER: [translated] Maricarmen has died. But she didn’t just die. She was killed. The state killed her. The companies killed her. And she has been our inspiration. She’s pushed us even more to mobilize, to organize, to fight against those in power.
AMY GOODMAN: Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez expressed his condolences, writing, quote, “All my love to Maricarmen’s family and loved ones. A hug also to all those who today feel this loss as our own. Rest in peace,” the prime minister wrote.
After public outcry, Sánchez dissolved the Spanish parliament Monday after lawmakers refused to pass a broad emergency housing law including an eviction moratorium. Sánchez called a snap election for November 29th.
In a moment, we’ll go to Spain for the latest. But first, let’s hear Maricarmen in her own words, speaking on September 27th, after she was evicted, from her hospital bed.
MARÍA DEL CARMEN ABASCAL MARTÍN: [translated] I want what happened to me to help ensure that it doesn’t happen to other people. I wanted to lead people to fight so the unfair laws that allowed for my eviction can be changed. That is why on Tuesday Maricarmen’s Law must be approved, so they can take a first step to end with this. …
I would like to be there with you, to be camping with you, fighting with you, but I don’t have that chance. That is why, from here, I’m asking you all to be brave. Fight to defend what is yours. Please be careful. Keep camping as long as your bodies allow and as long as you want to.
AMY GOODMAN: That was María del Carmen Abascal, known by the world now as Maricarmen, speaking from her hospital bed.
We go now to Spain, where we’re joined by the independent Spanish journalist and former Democracy Now! producer María Carrión.
María, if you can talk about the significance of the death of MariCarmen, the response in the streets, and now what could lead to the fall of the Spanish government?
MARÍA CARRIÓN: Hi, Amy, Nermeen. Thank you so much for having me on.
Yes, Maricarmen has become a symbol, and it’s hard to believe that so much has happened in the last two weeks, since she was evicted on the 23rd of September after living in her home for over 70 years, and after activists had blocked the entrance to her building and her apartment with their own bodies, and resulting in massive police brutality, and then the images that have gone around the world of Maricarmen being taken out on a stretcher and into an ambulance and going into a hospital, where she’s been able to survive only for two weeks.
And this shows that what happens to vulnerable people and young people and people of every walk of life here in Spain when the interest of speculators is more important to those who govern than the well-being of ordinary citizens like Maricarmen. She literally put her body on the line for seven years, which is how long she fought this eviction for. And we’ve seen how she’s deteriorated over time, especially the last couple of weeks, but, really, since she began fighting for her home.
And so, she’s become a symbol, through her own loss of life, of the most extreme example of what happens to families and to individuals here whose homes are bought maybe by, you know, vulture funds or investment funds, and, like what happened to her, rent gets hiked by as much as five times what you can pay. This actual investment fund bought the apartment for very low cost because Maricarmen was living in it. It was a rent-controlled home, and they knew it very well, and that’s why the price was fixed so low. And then they proceeded to look for the way that they could legally expel her from her home.
And this is happening all over Spain. The same day that Maricarmen was evicted from her apartment, a family with two little kids was also evicted in Madrid. It’s a daily occurrence. And the encampments that have been born out of this outcry for what happened to Maricarmen, the people who are living on the streets now in small tents and putting their own bodies on the line, under, you know, rain and inclement weather, are saying this is enough.
And this is what has led to the protests. This is what led, finally, the Spanish government, which is considered quite progressive, to approve these housing decrees that got voted down in parliament. This is what resulted in last weekend’s massive protests all over Spain, which led Pedro Sánchez, the prime minister, on Monday to dissolve parliament and call for snap elections, and then proceed to approve these two decrees by a different system that happens once we don’t have a working parliament. And who knows what will happen from here to the 29th of November?
NERMEEN SHAIKH: So, María, before we conclude, if you could tell us who in Spain, what — is it a regional government, the state government — that is, the national government — or a municipal government that’s responsible for housing legislation and implementation?
MARÍA CARRIÓN: All of the above. So, we have national housing laws, which have to be approved by parliament. And in this case, these emergency decrees were not. But also, regional governments have to implement what the national governmental laws are. And in the case of conservative regional governments, including Madrid’s, which is extremely right-wing, they have refused to implement a lot of these housing laws.
But anyone, as the activists say, could have stepped in to prevent Maricarmen and so many other people from being evicted. So it’s a collective responsibility, which is why the street has said, “Enough. Everyone needs to be held responsible.” And all of these housing decrees are not even enough, because none of them basically are structural and go to the heart of the matter, which is that rents have gone up 80% in the last 10 years, while salaries have not kept up. Young people cannot leave their homes. They cannot become independent or start families. And this is what people are trying to change from the street.
AMY GOODMAN: I want to end with Maricarmen in her own words, speaking in May.
MARÍA DEL CARMEN ABASCAL MARTÍN: [translated] I’m 87 years old. I live on my own. I don’t have a family. And I have been living for 70 years in that house. A vulture fund bought it at the same price I would have been able to buy it. And in 2021, they took me to court because I have an old, lifelong rental contract. They tried to evict me in October 2025, and they stopped it. Now they will try to evict me on June 3rd. …
This government must understand people have the right to have a home, and they cannot evict people so vulture funds become rich without working.
AMY GOODMAN: That was Maricarmen speaking in May. She died on Wednesday. We thank María Carrión, independent journalist, joining us from Spain. And we will continue to cover this issue tomorrow on Democracy Now! Today, later tonight, there is a major march planned from the main plaza, where the encampments have been set up, to the apartment building where Maricarmen lived for over 70 years and was taken out by stretcher in her eviction, dying in the hospital on Wednesday.
Coming up, The AI Doc: Or How I Became an Apocaloptimist. Stay with us.
[break]

PepsiCo on Thursday reported quarterly earnings and revenue that topped analysts’ expectations, fueled by international growth as its North American business continues to lag.
With one quarter left in 2026, the company also lowered its forecast for its full-year earnings, as its struggles in its home market weigh on profits. Pepsi expects core earnings per share to increase 2.5% to 3.5%, down from its previous projection of the low end of a range from 5% to 7%. It is also now projecting net revenue growth of about 6%, on the high end of its prior outlook of a range of 4% to 6%.
Tune in at 10 a.m. ET as PepsiCo CEO Ramon Laguarta joins CNBC TV to discuss the company’s earnings. Watch in real time on CNBC+ or the CNBC Pro stream.
Shares of Pepsi fell less than 1% in premarket trading.
Here’s what the company reported compared with what Wall Street was expecting, based on a survey of analysts by LSEG:
Earnings per share: $2.34 adjusted vs. $2.29 expected
Revenue: $25.27 billion vs. $24.96 billion expected
Pepsi reported third-quarter net income attributable to the company of $3.05 billion, or $2.23 per share, down from $2.6 billion, or $1.90 per share, a year earlier.
Excluding items, the company earned $2.34 per share.
Net sales rose 5.6% to $25.27 billion. Organic revenue, which excludes acquisitions, divestitures and foreign exchange, increased 3.1% during the quarter.
Pepsi reported volume growth of 3% for its beverages and 1% for its food for the quarter. Volume excludes pricing and currency fluctuations to reflect demand more accurately.
The company’s international markets were once again the bright spot. Pepsi’s international business has accounted for 41% of the company’s net revenue so far this year, CEO Ramon Laguarta said in prepared remarks.
Pepsi saw volume growth in all but one of its international business units during the quarter. Only its convenient foods division in Europe, the Middle East and Africa reported declining volume, of 1%.
But in its home market, Pepsi once again struggled.
“Our business in North America performed below our expectations and represents a meaningful opportunity for improvement,” Laguarta said.
Its North American beverage unit saw volume shrink 2%, while its North American food division reported flat volume.
The turnaround of its domestic business is moving more slowly than expected, CFO Steve Schmitt said in prepared remarks. So far, the strategy to fix the struggling divisions has focused on innovation and the company’s advertising and marketing.
For its snacks, Pepsi has leaned into simpler ingredients, “alternative” oils and functional benefits, like protein and fiber. Its drink business will continue to stay focused on functional hydration, flavored soft drinks, energy drinks and zero-sugar options.
However, Laguarta shared green shoots showing that the company’s efforts are working.
Pepsi’s North American convenient foods business, which includes brands like Doritos and Quaker Oats, saw its organic revenue improve sequentially. Its North American beverage unit, which includes its namesake soda and Gatorade, among other brands, saw organic volume trends pick up, thanks to its functional hydration and zero-sugar drinks. But Pepsi’s carbonated soft drink portfolio lagged behind the overall category, including rival Coca-Cola .
Pepsi is planning cost reductions to cut down on redundancies and discretionary spending to pay for investments in innovation and marketing, Laguarta said in prepared remarks.

Coverage for this event has ended.
4 hours ago
Pinned
Trump warns of ‘horror show’ if Iran targets US cities with missiles
President Donald Trump emphasized the need to defend American cities against potential Iranian aggression Wednesday, warning of catastrophic consequences if Tehran were to obtain a nuclear weapon.
“You want to see problems—and I said it the other day—let them hit a missile into San Diego or Los Angeles on the way. Let them hit—you want to see a horror show?” Trump said in San Antonio, Texas.
“You want to see problems, let them hit San Diego, let them hit Los Angeles, and you want to see some bad things happen.”
“You want to see a country that would be in freefall,” Trump said, asserting that Tehran would not hesitate to use nuclear weapons.
“We’re not going to let that happen. We protect our cities. We protect our country. We’re not letting that happen. And they’d use it, too. They’d use it. They would use it,” he added.
Posted by Emma Bussey
3 hours ago
Yemen’s government forces claim 1,860 Houthis neutralized in thousands of strikes
Yemen’s government forces said Wednesday they carried out thousands of strikes against Houthi targets as part of Operation “Dawn of Yemen,” claiming 1,860 fighters were “neutralized.”
“As part of Operation ‘Dawn of Yemen’, armed forces executed 2,103 targeting ops against various Houthis militia military targets across all fronts, resulting in neutralizing 1,860 militia members & destroying hundreds of military positions & material,” a spokesman for the armed forces said on X.
In a statement posted on X, coalition spokesman Maj. Gen. Turki al-Maliki also said that 82 targets had been destroyed across Saada, Hodeidah, al-Jawf and Marib, including 11 ballistic missile storage sites found in mountainous areas.
Posted by Emma Bussey
3 hours ago
Huckabee rips NYC Mayor over Oct. 7 statement, brands him ‘Jihad Mamdani’
U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee sharply criticized New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani on the anniversary of the Oct. 7 attacks, comparing the mayor’s stance to President Donald Trump’s message on Truth Social.
Mamdani described the Hamas atttack as “horrific,” but devoted much of his statement to criticizing Israel’s ongoing military campaign in the Gaza Strip, which he characterized as an “ongoing genocide.”
“I wish Mayor “Jihad Mandami” sent a message like @realDonaldTrump for Oct 7. But Mayor Mayhem sends loves & kisses to Hamas,” Huckabee said on X.
Posted by Emma Bussey
3 hours ago
CENTCOM rejects Iran’s claim of ‘full control’ over Hormuz, says oil route is open
U.S. Central Command blasted Iran’s claims of control over the Strait of Hormuz as “false” Wednesday, insisting the oil route remains open despite threats.
“Earlier today, a general from Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps claimed in media reports that “the Strait of Hormuz is closed” and his country has “full control over it.” This is FALSE,” CENTCOM said in a statement on X.
“Traffic is flowing through the Strait of Hormuz right now carrying commercial goods and energy supplies, including 20 million barrels of crude oil,” the command added.
The United States and its regional partners clearly control the strait, CENTCOM said.
The statement came after Mohammadreza Naqdi, an adviser to the commander of the IRGC, said that shipping routes through the Strait of Hormuz considered illegal by Tehran would be closed.
According to the state-run IRNA news agency, foreign ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei also said Wednesday that Iran and Oman had reached an agreement “on the geographical coordinates of safe transit routes in the Strait of Hormuz and on how they will be communicated to the relevant international body.”
Posted by Emma Bussey
4 hours ago
Trump predicts oil prices will plunge ‘like a rock’ as he signals Iran war could end soon
President Donald Trump highlighted oil supplies in the Middle East amid the war with Iran on Wednesday, saying the United States had taken out “more oil out of the Hormuz Strait in the last three nights than at any time in the history of the Strait.”
“And we’ll be out of there soon,” Trump said in Texas before adding that “oil prices come down like a rock.”
“Everything else is coming down. Oil is coming down,” he added.
“And we did that whole thing because it was a big operation that should have been done by past presidents for many years. It should have been done, but nobody wanted to take it on,” he said.
Posted by Emma Bussey
5 hours ago
3 killed, dozens injured in Saudi airport attacks as coalition launches major strikes on Houthis
Three people were killed and dozens were injured in attacks on Saudi Arabian airports, Saudi civil aviation authorities said Wednesday, as fighting intensified in Yemen between the Houthis and Saudi-backed government troops.
One person was killed and eight others were wounded in a strike on King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh, the capital.
A separate attack on Abha Regional Airport left two people dead and 28 injured.
In response, the Saudi-led coalition fighting in Yemen vowed retaliation, warning the strikes “will not go unpunished,” Reuters reported.
Late Wednesday, the coalition said it launched retaliatory strikes against more than 80 Houthi military sites across the Yemeni governorates of Saada, Hodeidah, Jawf and Marib, the outlet said
Posted by Emma Bussey
6 hours ago
Thousands gather in Tel Aviv to mark 3 years since Oct. 7 attacks
Thousands gathered at Tel Aviv’s Yarkon Park on Wednesday night for a memorial ceremony marking the third anniversary of the Oct. 7 attacks, the Times of Israel reported.
Organized by survivors and families, the gathering was separate from official state ceremonies held on the Hebrew anniversary of the massacre.
Government ministers were absent, while several opposition leaders attended alongside around 50,000 citizens who came to pay their respects.
The ceremony opened at 9:15 p.m. with a minute of silence, followed by performances by Israeli artists and tributes from families of the fallen.
The event was co-hosted by actress Shani Cohen and former hostage Eli Sharabi, whose wife and two daughters were killed in the Oct. 7 attack on Kibbutz Be’eri and whose brother died in captivity in Gaza.
“On that Shabbat morning, we lost so much,” Sharabi said before describing the destruction of entire communities and the loss of friends and family.
Posted by Emma Bussey
6 hours ago
Johnson says Iran’s collapsing economy will force Tehran to strike deal with US
House Speaker Mike Johnson hailed Operation Epic Fury as a success Wednesday, saying Iran had been “dangerously close” to having a nuclear weapon and predicting the country’s economic collapse would force Tehran to reach an agreement with the U.S.
Speaking at a campaign event for U.S. Rep. Tom Barrett, Johnson also said his membership in the “Gang of Eight” gives him access to some of the federal government’s most sensitive intelligence briefings.
“Operation Epic Fury was an epic success. We had no choice in the matter,” Johnson said.
“I’m on the Gang of Eight. I get the highest level briefing in the federal government. We got the briefing in a bipartisan briefing there, that Iran was dangerously close to having a nuclear weapon.”
“So they had to take care of that. Operation Epic Fury was an epic success, and now it is winding down,” he added.
Johnson said the Iranian currency was worth almost nothing and that the regime had no more assets to sell around the world.
“Their economy is in collapse and they are in a desperate state,” he said, adding that they “will be forced out of desperation to make an agreement with us and to finish this up.”
“The U.S. did the heavy lifting there, and everyone will have to help to make sure that we keep the peace, we keep commerce, and we make sure that jihadism and terrorism is not allowed to go forward and certainly not to have nuclear capabilities.”
Posted by Emma Bussey
6 hours ago
Syria could send 20,000 troops to Yemen as Saudi Arabia battles Houthis: report
Syria is weighing whether to send troops to Yemen to support the Saudi-led coalition against the Houthis, Axios reported Wednesday.
Citing U.S. officials, the outlet said Saudi Arabia and Syria have been discussing the possible deployment, with Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa considering the request but not yet making a final decision.
Syria could send between 10,000 and 20,000 troops, the outlet reported.
The issue was discussed during a meeting between al-Sharaa and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in Riyadh earlier this week.
Although the United States has not publicly taken a position on a possible deployment, Washington has been consulted by both countries and does not oppose a Syrian deployment in principle, Axios reported.
President Donald Trump said Oct. 5 that the military campaign against the Houthis would “work out very well.”
Posted by Emma Bussey
7 hours ago
Trump weighs potential Iran strikes before midterm elections: report
The White House has asked the Pentagon to develop options for potential strikes on Iranian targets ahead of the Nov. 3 midterm elections, The Atlantic reported Wednesday.
Citing administration officials, the outlet reported that the size and targets of potential strikes — as well as whether the administration will ultimately proceed — are still being debated.
Supporters of limited strikes acknowledge that such action alone would not bring Iran to the negotiating table, restore safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz or lower gasoline prices before Election Day, the report said.
“It would make the president look like he got a win and that gas prices would start going down,” a Republican told the outlet.
The report also said a limited operation could be followed by more substantial military action after the midterms, when Trump has publicly suggested military action could resume.
A White House official told Fox News Digital that the commander in chief has “all options available at any time.”
“The United States is in a very strong position with control of the Strait of Hormuz and the Iranian economy collapsing,” the official said.
“Iran has been decimated,” the official said, before adding that “things will go one of two ways; the easy way or the hard way.”
“President Trump holds all the cards and will do whatever is best for the United States.”
Posted by Emma Bussey
7 hours ago
Iran accuses US of ‘false flag’ operations to justify war
Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baqaei accused Washington on Wednesday of carrying out what he called “false flag” operations to support its war against Iran.
“False flags are an old craft: manufacture the incident, assign the blame, and harvest the consequences,” Baqaei wrote on X.
“In a world where the American and international public is weary of an unlawful war of aggression against Iran, and where the aggressors have no honest way to justify a war of choice, even a raft made of lies can look like salvation to those who are drowning,” he added.
Baqaei accompanied the post with a video portraying Iran as the target of past and alleged “false flag” operations, culminating with the suspected RAF Fairford bomb plot and the FlyDubai terror incident.
Posted by Emma Bussey
8 hours ago
Tanker struck by ‘multiple projectiles’ off Qatar coastline, casualties reported: UKMTO
A tanker transiting the Persian Gulf has been struck by multiple projectiles around 51 nautical miles north of Madinat ash Shamal, Qatar, according to the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations agency (UKMTO).
The agency said casualties have been reported following the strike.
UKMTO also said an investigation is underway and urged vessels to exercise caution and report any suspicious activity or sightings to maritime monitoring agencies.
Posted by Emma Bussey
8 hours ago
Iranian president warns country faces ‘all-out war in all dimensions,’ vows resistance
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said Wednesday that Iran is facing an “all-out war in all dimensions,” while pledging to push for diplomacy, strengthen the country’s defenses and resist pressure.
According to the IRGC-affiliated Fars News Agency, Pezeshkian made the comments during a Cabinet meeting, while characterizing the current climate as “a situation of total war.”
“At the same time, we are powerfully pursuing the program of resistance and resilience, and without a doubt, we will resist and will disappoint and frustrate the enemy,” Pezeshkian said of the United States.
He added that unity in Iran is the priority and said the main issue is relying on “domestic capabilities, empathy and cooperation with one another,” according to Fars.
Posted by Emma Bussey
9 hours ago
Florida GOP hopeful backs Trump on Iran: ‘This is about ending a long war, not starting a war’
For GOP congressional candidate Dan Green, the military confrontation with Iran isn’t the start of a new war — it’s the long-overdue resolution of a conflict that began in 1979.
Drawing on his own military tours in Iraq, the Navy veteran running in Florida’s 9th Congressional District argues that America is finally settling decades-long strife with Tehran, even as he faces a tough domestic battle over inflation, kitchen-table economics, and a 10-year Democrat incumbent in the newly redrawn Orlando-based suburban district.
“I think one thing to know about Iran is that they’ve been at war with us since the 1970s, when they seized our embassy in Tehran and they took our Americans hostage. So to me, this is about ending a long war, not starting a war.
“Whether it’s the Marine Corps barracks in the 80s when Iran bombed those, the Khobar Towers in Saudi Arabia, and also with my tours in Iraq, the Iranians were killing a lot of our soldiers, sailors, airmen and Marines.
“So, the question is, what’s the butcher’s bill you’re willing to tolerate of dead Americans? And we also know they plotted to kill and assassinate our president.
So, to me, this has been a long time coming, but I think what we really need to focus on is how do we get a successful termination of this conflict and stability back in the Middle East?”
This in an excerpt from a report by Fox News Digital’s David Unsworth.
Posted by Emma Bussey
9 hours ago
Putin marks 73rd birthday with call to Iran, offers Tehran help to ease US tensions: state media
Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Iranian counterpart, Masoud Pezeshkian, held a phone call Wednesday in which the Russian leader expressed Moscow’s willingness to assist Tehran in navigating tensions with Washington, Iranian state media reported.
The call came on Putin’s 73rd birthday.
The two leaders praised the “positive and expanding trajectory of relations” between Moscow and Tehran and stressed a shared commitment to further strengthen strategic alignment.
On the war, Putin “referred to efforts by some countries to mediate and help reduce tensions, saying that Russia supports” them, Islamic Republic News Agency (IRNA) reported.
Iranian friends “can be assured that Moscow is also ready to play a role and provide assistance in this regard,” Putin said.
Posted by Emma Bussey
9 hours ago
Trump calls Netanyahu on Oct. 7 anniversary, says Hamas paying ‘very big price’
President Donald Trump said Wednesday that he spoke with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on the anniversary of the Oct. 7 attacks, reflecting on the “horrible tragedy” while warning that Hamas and its allies are paying a steep price for the assault.
“I spoke with Bibi Netanyahu, and I wish him well,” Trump told reporters. “And I wish the people of Israel well.
“That was a horrible day, a horrible tragedy, a horrible in there,” he added.
“The other side is paying a very big price for what they did on October 7th. Believe me,” Trump said.
Posted by Emma Bussey
9 hours ago
Hegseth credits USS Abraham Lincoln with crushing Iran threat, ‘changing arc of history’
Secretary of War Pete Hegseth declared Wednesday that the USS Abraham Lincoln’s deployment helped thwart Iran’s missile buildup and ensure the regime never obtains a nuclear weapon while changing the course of history
“You have changed the arc of history, ensuring that crazy people, theocratic leaders, never get a nuclear weapon. It changes the arc of history,” Hegseth repeated.
“There’s only one president, one commander in chief, one military capable and willing to undertake that kind of mission.
“Given the threat that Iran posed, so many conventional weapons, such a large arsenal, when for 50 years you’ve been building a terror state and digging underground and trying to accumulate enough missiles so that no one can attack you, that means you’re a real threat.
“And we called the USS Abraham Lincoln, and you responded from minute one, constant combat operations, which Iran could never have expected, the kind of fire and fury that you were able to bring off this flight deck, along with other incredible Americans,” he said
Posted by Emma Bussey
10 hours ago
Hegseth tells USS Lincoln sailors US Navy sent 59 Iranian ships to ‘bottom half’ of ocean
Secretary of War Pete Hegseth welcomed the USS Abraham Lincoln crew home Wednesday after more than 300 days at sea, hailing its combat deployment against Iran
“What the USS Abraham Lincoln carrier strike group did, no other carrier strike group has ever done,” he said.
“10,000 sorties, 23,000 combat flight hours, almost 4,000 combat sorties, 1.5 million pounds of ordnance dropped on the enemy,” he added.
“You guys were central to an arrangement we made with the Iranian Navy before this conflict.
“We decided to share the ocean with the Iranian Navy. They got the bottom half.”
“You sunk 59 of them. 59 vessels of the Iranian Navy,” Hegseth said.
“They don’t. They had a modern navy before this conflict started. And then they had to deal with the USS Abraham Lincoln and what you’re capable of doing.
“And then you enforced not just once, but twice, an impenetrable steel wall.”
The aircraft carrier left its San Diego base in 2025 for the Indo-Pacific before being sent to the Middle East earlier this year.
Posted by Emma Bussey
10 hours ago
Trump says when US-Iran conflict ends, oil prices could drop to ‘even lower’ than pre-war levels
President Donald Trump said Wednesday that “oil will drop like a rock as soon as we’re finished with the war, which we’ll be very soon.
“It’s going to be very soon. One way or the other we will be finished with it,” Trump said at the White House.
“But oil will come down to levels that were, I think, maybe even lower than they were before the war,” he added.
Posted by Greg Norman-Diamond
11 hours ago
CENTCOM showcases US fighter jet taking off from USS Boxer in Middle East
U.S. Central Command released a photo Wednesday showing a U.S. Marine Corps F-35B Lightning II jet taking off from the flight deck of the USS Boxer during its deployment to the Middle East.
The USS Boxer is one of the U.S. military ships enforcing a blockade on Iranian ports.
“CENTCOM forces resumed the blockade against ships attempting to enter or depart Iranian ports July 14 at the Commander in Chief’s direction. In addition to redirecting 130 vessels, American forces have disabled three ships that refused to comply,” CENTCOM said earlier this week.
“Over the past 12 weeks, CENTCOM has destroyed 13 commercial vessels that were violating the blockade or part of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps’ multibillion-dollar shadow network,” it added.
Posted by Greg Norman-Diamond
12 hours ago
More than 200,000 displaced in Yemen as Houthi conflict escalates, UN agency says
The International Organization for Migration (IOM) said Wednesday that 201,217 people “have been forced from their homes in Yemen” as the conflict is escalating between Iran-backed Houthis and Saudi-backed government forces.
“People are running for their lives and finding nowhere safe to go,” IOM Director General Amy Pope said in a statement.
“The speed of this crisis is alarming,” the IOM added. “In mid-September, IOM’s Displacement Tracking Matrix counted 76,000 displaced people. By the end of the month, the figure had passed 145,000. Today it stands at 201,217 people, or 33,776 households. Nearly all of them, 197,755, have fled since 1 September.
“Displacement now spans 10 governorates. Ta’iz is the hardest hit, with 114,708 displaced people, 57 per cent of the total,” it also said. “Lahj follows with 42,264, Aden with 20,814, Abyan with 9,030 and Al Hodeidah with 8,244.”
Posted by Greg Norman-Diamond
13 hours ago
Hezbollah receives $200 million from Iran to help displaced Lebanese: report
The terrorist group Hezbollah has received $200 million from Iran to help people in Lebanon who have been displaced in the fight against Israel, Reuters reported Wednesday.
The report, citing two sources with direct knowledge of the transfer, said the funds would go to the hundreds of thousands of Hezbollah supporters in southern Lebanon who have been uprooted due to cross-border skirmishes with Israel’s military.
Intermediaries who helped facilitate the money transfer charged a 20% fee because of the risks of dealing with Hezbollah, Reuters also reported.
The development comes after another report emerged last week saying Hezbollah terrorists received $157 million worth of weapons in 2024, most of it given freely by Iran.
The analysis found that Hezbollah spent just $28 million on procuring weapons, and those were limited to small arms, ammunition, drone components, dual-use equipment and equipment obtained through its international procurement networks.
Posted by Greg Norman-Diamond
13 hours ago
Israel’s military eliminates Hamas terrorist who ‘planted explosives’ brought from hospital
The Israel Defense Forces announced Wednesday that it killed two Hamas terrorists, including one who planted explosives that he had obtained from inside of a hospital in northern Gaza.
“IDF forces identified during the night two terrorists from the Hamas terrorist organization who exited Kamal Adwan Hospital in northern Gaza Strip. One of the terrorists planted explosives brought from inside the hospital in the area of the yellow line, with the aim of targeting IDF forces,” the IDF wrote on X.
“Immediately after the identification, the IDF struck and eliminated the terrorists to remove the threat. Mohammed Tamos, a sniper in the military wing of the Hamas terrorist organization who was eliminated in the strike, simultaneously operated as a civil defense worker in the Gaza Strip,” the IDF added.
“The IDF reiterates and emphasizes that Hamas continues to cynically exploit hospitals and medical infrastructure in the Strip for terrorist purposes in violation of international law, while turning spaces designated for treating the civilian population into spaces used to advance terrorist activities and rehabilitate the organization’s military capabilities,” it also said.
Posted by Greg Norman-Diamond
14 hours ago
NYC’s Mamdani, on Oct. 7 anniversary, slams Israel’s ‘ongoing genocide in Gaza’
New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani released a statement Wednesday on the third anniversary of Hamas’ Oct. 7, 2023 attack on Israel condemning what he described as the “ongoing genocide in Gaza.”
“This day is profoundly painful for so many New Yorkers. It marks three years since the horrific war crimes of October 7. On that day, Hamas killed more than 1,100 Israelis and abducted 251 others. We grieve alongside our many friends and neighbors who still carry that unthinkable loss,” Mamdani said.
“The suffering did not begin nor end that day. It instead continued through the Israeli government’s devastating, ongoing genocide in Gaza, in which it has killed more than 74,000 Palestinians — including more than 21,000 children,” he continued. “Even since the so-called ceasefire, more than 1,400 Palestinians have been killed. That suffering has intensified with every Israeli bomb dropped on ambulances waiting outside hospitals, every drone strike targeting a residential building or journalist, and every shipment of food aid turned away at a border crossing. Many New Yorkers are reckoning with this unbearable grief, and we mourn alongside them — all while knowing that our tax dollars fund these war crimes.
“Three years later, we must refuse to accept a world in which occupation and apartheid continue, where war crimes are met with impunity, and our federal government continues its complicity with every arms shipment,” Mamdani concluded. “To honor the dead, we must fight for a world in which every person can live with freedom, safety, and dignity.”
Posted by Greg Norman-Diamond
14 hours ago
Israeli defense officials concerned Iran could launch missiles as economic situation worsens: report
Senior Israeli defense officials told the country’s security cabinet this week that they are concerned Iran could lash out and launch missiles toward Israel as the economic situation inside the Islamic Republic continues to deteriorate, according to a report from The Jerusalem Post.
“The maritime blockade in the Strait of Hormuz is having a significant effect. The Americans control the strait – much more than the Iranians control it,” Military Intelligence Directorate chief Maj. Gen. Shlomi Binder was quoted as telling ministers.
The remarks come after Iran’s currency hit a record low last week.
In addition to the Iranian port blockade by the U.S. military in Operation Epic Fury, the U.S. Treasury Department also launched its Operation Economic Outcast sanctions campaign against Iran.
Posted by Greg Norman-Diamond
15 hours ago
Rubio says Iran has ‘lost complete control’ of the Strait of Hormuz
Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Wednesday during a visit to Greece that the Iranian regime has “lost complete control” of the Strait of Hormuz.
“The Straits of Hormuz are open. There’s almost as much oil flowing out now as there was before this conflict began, so they’ve lost complete control of the straits. And their economy, and it’s not only in free fall now, the Iranian economy is about to reach a place that few countries in the world have been in terms of how bad it’s going to get,” Rubio said.
“And it’s all the fault, all the fault of the radical Shia clerics that make the decisions in that country. They are the ones that have put the poor people of Iran in the situation that they’re in,” he continued. “Because every dollar and every penny that that regime gets, they don’t spend it on roads or bridges or helping improve the lives of the Iranian people. They spend that money on Hezbollah and Hamas and militias that fire rockets out of Iraq and the Houthis.
“That’s who they spend their money on. They should have spent their money on their people and instead they spend their money on terrorism and on weapons. So hopefully that’ll change, but yeah, they’ll never have a nuclear weapon.”
Posted by Greg Norman-Diamond
16 hours ago
Iran claims illegal routes in Strait of Hormuz will become blocked
An adviser to Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) claimed Wednesday that illegal routes in the Strait of Hormuz will soon be shut down.
Mohammadreza Naqdi told Iran’s Fars News Agency that the routes were created by blasting through some of the rocky passages along the Strait of Hormuz, and were used by smaller boats smuggling oil, according to Reuters.
The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations Centre (UKMTO) said last week that “vessel traffic through the Strait of Hormuz remains approximately 75% below pre-conflict levels, with tankers continuing to dominate observed movements.”
Since early July, “31 of 48 projectile strike incidents reported to UKMTO have occurred on the southern Omani route,” it added.
Posted by Greg Norman-Diamond
17 hours ago
Iran-backed Houthis attack airport in Yemen as fighting escalates: report
The Houthi terrorist group in Yemen attacked Aden International Airport on Wednesday with ballistic missiles and explosive drones, a report said.
The development comes as fighting between the Houthis and Saudi-backed government forces in Yemen has ramped up in recent days around the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, a key shipping route in the Middle East, according to Reuters.
The government forces are trying to recapture territory along the strait and around the town of Mocha that the Houthis took control of in September, Reuters reported.
Saudi-led coalition spokesperson Maj. Gen. Turki al-Malki also confirmed on Wednesday the “Interception and destruction of a ballistic missile north of Riyadh… launched by the terrorist Houthi militia.”
Posted by Greg Norman-Diamond
17 hours ago
Greece says its open to helping US in the Strait of Hormuz
Greek Foreign Minister George Gerapetritis said Wednesday that his country is open to cooperating with the U.S. and offering maritime aid in the Strait of Hormuz if there is a peace process there, according to Reuters.
Gerapetritis reportedly made the remark as Secretary of State Marco Rubio was visiting Athens.
“Arrived in Greece for the 6th U.S.-Greece Strategic Dialogue. Greece is a steadfast, capable NATO ally,” Rubio wrote on X.
“We are united in defense, energy, and shared democratic values. The U.S.-Greece bond is deep, and our partnership is stronger than ever,” he added.
The flow of commercial traffic through the Strait of Hormuz remains reduced during the U.S.-Iran war.
Posted by Greg Norman-Diamond
18 hours ago
Vance says Iran deal would require reduction in nuclear enrichment capacity
Vice President JD Vance said Monday that any deal with Iran would need Iran to reduce its nuclear enrichment capacity, rather than give assurances of future nuclear drawdowns.
“If you don’t want a nuclear weapon, then why do you need 60% enriched fuel? And if you want to show commitment to not building a nuclear weapon, don’t build highly enriched fuel. That’s a very basic threshold issue,” Vance told Reuters after a campaign trip in Alaska.
“I think if they want to show a commitment to not building a nuclear weapon, they would do something meaningful on their enrichment capacity,” he added.
Vance also told the outlet that Washington is uncertain about decision-making in Tehran.
“One of the things we picked up on is it’s not totally clear how their country makes decisions,” Vance said.
Yesterday’s Fox News Digital live blog offers additional coverage of the conflict with Iran.
Posted by Emma Bussey