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Battlefields in Ukraine and the Middle East have made one fact unmistakably clear: small drones are no longer a niche capability. They are reshaping modern warfare. Now, the militaries of the world can get persistent surveillance and precision strike options from small systems that are at once inexpensive, adaptable and producible at scale. Traditional defenses were not made to combat these drones, which can overwhelm old-school fortifications through sheer numbers. 

Defense planners know this. Real-world warfare has validated wargames and live-fire exercises, showing us in real time that drones will shape future conflicts. Small drones have also become a core commercial product for both individual users and key civilian sectors, such as agriculture, energy and law enforcement. 

And yet, America’s small drone industrial base is falling behind. We have not managed to make nearly enough drones. Our small drone production rate lags relative to our competitors, particularly China, who has cornered the commercial and military market. Fortunately, concerted action from Congress and President Donald Trump is poised to rebuild America’s drone industrial base in a few short years.

Over a decade ago, the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) recognized that small drones would become a pillar of modern warfare and commercial industry. The CCP proceeded to take over the small drone market. It dumped tens of billions of dollars into the industry and adopted predatory pricing practices. American drone companies simply could not compete. We watched as our supply chains further withered. That dynamic created a negative feedback loop that reduced U.S. drone supply and made them prohibitively expensive for both military and commercial customers.

A DRONE FOR EVERY SOLDIER IN ARMY OF THE FUTURE, DRISCOLL SAYS

We have seen the facts, and we have acted. Today, America is ready to rebuild its small drone industry, with a one-two punch of investment and tailored industrial policy. 

First, Republicans in Congress, working with the Trump administration, appropriated $2.5 billion in the defense reconciliation bill for the Pentagon to buy small drones. Before that, the military had rarely spent more than $100 million per year on the technology. This $2.5 billion demand signal will allow American industry, along with key allies and partners, to begin rebuilding non-Chinese supply chains for small drones and components.  

More than $1 billion of that investment will flow into the new Drone Dominance program. This initiative has brought together 25 American vendors who make small "Group 1" first-person view (FPV) drones. The companies gathered in February at Fort Benning for the first phrase of a four-round competition.

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The top 11 performers were announced in early March. Based on future Gauntlet iterations, the victorious companies will win a portion of the funding and use it to scale production of affordable FPV drones. They must do so quickly — completing 300,000 drones by 2027.

For the first time, the American small drone industry has received a clear sign of significant demand. But it must be persistent, and it will need to scale. By comparison, our Pentagon witnesses at a Senate Armed Services Committee hearing last week told us that Ukraine built 4.5 million Group 1 drones last year and are on track to build 6 million this year alone. 

Second, Congress and the Trump administration are working together to help protect this fledgling American industry, which is vulnerable to predatory Chinese business practices. Over the years, the Pentagon has taken steps to vet trusted drone platforms. But Chinese drones are still the product of choice in the commercial sector, from agriculture and energy to law enforcement and search and rescue. 

Last year, Congress ordered a national security review of key Chinese drone makers. The law, which was led by Senator Rick Scott and supported by the Senate Armed Services Committee, puts us on the path to banning the sale of these adversary-made components in the United States.

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The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is moving quickly to implement this law. Just before Christmas, the FCC announced a ban on the future sale of foreign-made drones and drone components in America. The FCC and the Pentagon are working together to process waivers for key Asian and European allies, as these partners remain an essential part of our drone supply chain. 

These investments and policies are a good start, but they are only that. We must continue these efforts in the years to come at similar levels of budgetary effort and continued partnership among the Trump administration, the Pentagon and Congress. Funding levels should remain steady for a few years as American industry rebuilds itself. We should explore new grant and loan programs to accelerate the adoption of American-made drones alongside our law enforcement and agricultural industries.

When it comes to components, the drone industry largely relies on a similar supplier base — whether it is building for commercial or defense purposes. The faster we create a sustainable U.S. and allied supplier base, the faster we get commercially viable drones that our military can also purchase for reasonable prices. There is no path for American military drone dominance without an American drone industry that can compete commercially.

The early results are encouraging. Competition is driving innovation, protected technologies are advancing, and the industrial base is beginning to scale. These steps are the foundation for a thriving American-based small drone industry that can equip our military affordably and deliver competitive commercial drones.

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The U.S. military has devastated Iran and all but destroyed its military effectiveness. Period. Full stop. 

Everyone recognizes this, and the coverage reflects it. 

And yet President Donald Trump is accusing many in the media of wanting America to lose the war, and his FCC chairman is talking about networks losing their licenses. 

There's no question that journalistic credibility has plummeted in the Trump era, and the president has used lawsuits and other tactics to pressure news organizations. 

US 'LOCKED AND LOADED' TO DESTROY IRAN’S 'CROWN JEWEL' 'IF WE WANT,' TRUMP WARNS

At the same time, journalists have an obligation to ask about the latest developments in a war that has divided the MAGA media movement, given the sharp contrast between Trump's past rhetoric against entanglement in foreign wars and his decision to attack Iran and wipe out its nuclear weapons program. 

It’s hardly a shock, but the president has been combative with those asking the questions, as if he resents any challenge to the official narrative. 

Some reporters have focused on the blockade of oil shipments through the Strait of Hormuz, which Iran is using to retaliate against the U.S. and Israeli attacks. Oil prices have soared, though they have dipped below the $100-plus per barrel level, and the response from American allies asked to help police the narrow passageway has been tepid. These are facts. 

TRUMP SUDDENLY SEEMS ANXIOUS TO END THE WAR AS AMERICAN CASUALTIES MOUNT AND IRAN FINDS WAYS TO HIT BACK

On Sunday, when an unidentified reporter on Air Force One asked why he was "sending 5,000 Marines and sailors" to the Middle East, Trump said "you’re a very obnoxious person" and moved on without answering.

During the same in-flight session, the president was asked about a fundraising letter that has drawn criticism for featuring the "dignified return" of six fallen American soldiers in Delaware – a solemn occasion generally seen as above politics. 

When the woman identified herself as being from ABC News, Trump called the network "one of the worst, most fake, most corrupt."

"Will you comment on the dead soldiers?" she persisted.

Trump: "ABC News, I think it’s maybe the most corrupt news organizations on the planet. I think they’re terrible." After a third attempt, he said, "Okay, I don’t want any more from ABC."

I wasn’t there, so I don’t know the tone. Perhaps they should have provided more context – your critics say such-and-such – but Trump, rightly or wrongly, heard it as sharp personal criticism. And that led to this online escalation against the "Radical Leftwing Press," with even mentioning the loaded word "TREASON": 

"The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal (in particular), and other Lowlife ‘Papers’ and Media actually want us to lose the War. Their terrible reporting is the exact opposite of the actual facts! They are truly sick and demented people that have no idea the damage they cause the United States of America."

And yet none of the questions or reports are remotely out of bounds, especially in a time of war.

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Some headlines, for instance, have emphasized the difficulties in the Strait of Hormuz. Trump himself yesterday said at a lengthy presser, called to discuss the two-year closing of the Kennedy Center, that some allies are not "enthusiastic" about helping, and some such as Britain have refused to help at all.

"I think it’s terrible," the president said, adding that he has long felt that America spends endless billions to protect NATO but that he long suspected there would be no reciprocation if needed.

That, in turn, underscores why Hormuz has been a legitimate subject for coverage. 

One CNN report, with four journalists contributing, said: "Top Trump officials acknowledged to lawmakers during recent classified briefings that they did not plan for the possibility of Iran closing the strait in response to strikes, according to three sources familiar with the closed-door session."

Sorry, it’s hard to imagine there was no planning at all, but CNN stands by its reporting.

War Secretary Pete Hegseth, a former co-host of "Fox & Friends Weekend," has unloaded on the coverage. 

"Some in this crew, in the press, just can’t stop. Allow me to make a few suggestions. People look up at the TV and they see banners. They see headlines. I used to be in that business. And I know that everything is written intentionally."

"For example, a banner or a headline, ‘Mideast War Intensifies,’ splashing on the screen the last couple of days, alongside visuals of civilian or energy targets that Iran has because that’s what they do."

"What should the banner read instead? How about ‘Iran increasingly desperate’ Because they are. They know it, and so do you, if it can be admitted."

HEGSETH SCOLDS CNN'S 'UNSERIOUS' REPORT ON IRAN CONFLICT, SUGGESTS PARAMOUNT OWNER SHOULD OVERHAUL NETWORK

In his choice of words, Hegseth, a veteran and conservative commentator, suggests that he doesn’t merely want straight-news headlines but blatant support for the war effort. With Israel attacking Iran’s proxy Hezbollah in Lebanon and Tehran hitting the U.S. embassy in Baghdad – without casualties – what could possibly be wrong with "Mideast War Intensifies"? 

Hegseth also slammed "more fake news from CNN. ‘Reports that the Trump administration underestimated the Iran War’s impact on the Strait of Hormuz.’

"Patently ridiculous, of course. For decades, Iran has threatened shipping in the Strait of Hormuz. This is always what they do, hold the strait hostage. CNN doesn’t think we thought of that. It’s a fundamentally unserious report."

The secretary then said the quiet part out loud. CNN, part of Warner Bros. Discovery, is on track to be taken over by Paramount Skydance, the current owners of CBS, where Bari Weiss is editor-in-chief. The outlet is owned by billionaire Larry Ellison and his son David, who the president yesterday called "great." They have said they want a more balanced approach to news that appeals to both center-right and center-left audiences. 

Hegseth said "the sooner David Ellison takes over that network, the better."

Maybe he didn’t intend it that way, but it sounds like the Pentagon chief expects the new CBS to be in a cheerleading role.

And now there are the comments at the FCC. 

TRUMP 'THRILLED' AS FCC CHAIR WARNS NEWS ORGANIZATIONS TO CORRECT COURSE OR LOSE LICENSES

Trump said on Truth Social yesterday he is "so thrilled to see Brendan Carr, the Chairman of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), looking at the licenses of some of these Corrupt and Highly Unpatriotic ‘News’ Organizations." 

Carr said on X that "broadcasters that are running hoaxes and news distortions —also known as the fake news — have a chance now to correct course before their license renewals come up. The law is clear. Broadcasters must operate in the public interest, and they will lose their licenses if they do not."

The chairman said changing course would be a smart business decision, since "trust in legacy media has now fallen to an all time low." That part is undoubtedly true.

I don’t think we’ll see any broadcast stations lose their licenses, since that’s where these extraordinarily rare actions would be carried out, not at the network level.

Carr’s detractors swung into action, with Democratic Sen. Elizabeth Warren saying it was "constitutional law 101" and "illegal for the government to censor free speech it just doesn’t like about Trump’s Iran war. This threat is straight out of the authoritarian playbook." Democratic FCC commissioner Anna Gomez warned on MS NOW of a "chilling effect."

There’s a reason this hasn’t happened in more than half a century. In 1969, the commission revoked the license of Jackson, Miss. station WLBT for airing racist programming and refusing to allow civil-rights viewpoints. That’s how rare it is.

But Carr has a knack for boosting pressure on a network or station to act on its own by raising the specter of a revoked license, like citing a nuclear weapon hidden in the basement. He did that in the uproar over remarks by Jimmy Kimmel that prompted Disney/ABC to take him off the air, although the backlash turned that into a week’s suspension.

Presidents generally don’t like coverage of their military operations. You think LBJ enjoyed hearing Walter Cronkite return from Saigon to say we were losing the war? Richard Nixon argued the nightly combat footage on TV was turning Americans against the war, and his allies encouraged license challenges to CBS, NBC and ABC stations, though these efforts failed.

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Journalists today need to keep raising pressing issues about how the Iran war is faring, though that clearly displeases the president.

By taking numerous questions yesterday – and acknowledging that he doesn’t know what Iranian leaders he’s even negotiating with after the first airstrikes – Trump defused some of the tensions.

But as we have seen in wars from Vietnam and Iraq, the press serves as an early-warning system when missions are not so easily accomplished.

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President Donald Trump is pushing hard for Congress to ban Wall Street firms from buying single-family homes. He’s rightly worried that financial tycoons are crowding out younger and middle-class homebuyers, especially in fast-growing Southern cities. But there’s another kind of homebuyer the president and Congress should cut off at the pass: foreigners who are blocking our own citizens from the American Dream.

In a new paper, I show that foreign homebuyers are far more common than most people realize. Between April 2024 and March 2025 alone, foreigners purchased more than 78,000 American homes.  And foreign homebuying is becoming more common with every passing year. Between 2024 and 2025 alone, foreign buyers spent 33% more on U.S. homes than they did in the previous year.

Each home bought by someone from outside the U.S. leaves one fewer home for Americans to buy. That fact alone raises prices for first-time homebuyers — it’s Economics 101. But the situation is even worse when you account for the fact that nearly half of foreigners paid all cash. Younger Americans and middle-class families simply can’t compete with all-cash offers — certainly not if they’re buying their first home. The playing field is tilted against them, and it’s tilted in favor of people who may have never set foot in America at all.

But who, exactly, are these foreign homebuyers?

HOUSE PASSES BIPARTISAN HOUSING BILL AS TRUMP ZEROES IN ON AFFORDABILITY CRISIS

Shockingly, a huge number of them are from economic and strategic rival nations. The most foreign homebuyers come from communist China. They purchase about one out of every six foreign-bought homes, and in 2025 alone, they dropped $13.7 billion on American homes.

Tellingly, nearly half of these Chinese buyers intend to use their new home as a way to gain permanent residence in the United States, giving them preferential access to things like a college education for their children. In other words, not only are Chinese citizens crowding Americans out of homes — they’re pushing Americans out of other U.S. institutions, as well.

Whether they’re from China or anywhere else, it’s important to note that these foreigners aren’t simply buying condos or townhomes. They’re overwhelmingly buying the single-family detached homes that Americans want most. Nearly two out of every three foreign home purchases are in that category. So foreign homebuyers are dimming the heart of the American Dream itself.

No matter where they’re from or what kind of home they get, foreign homebuyers are standing in the way of American citizens. But other countries don’t make this mistake. They’ve enacted heavy restrictions on foreign homebuyers precisely because they want to put their own people first.

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Canada is a case in point. While Canadian citizens are some of the most common buyers of American property, their own country bans most foreign purchases of homes. Many foreign purchases that are still allowed are hit with heavy taxes in order to deter them.

Similarly, China severely limits foreign homebuying, even as many of its citizens buy homes in America. The double standard is clear — and so is the harm to America’s people and interests. Our citizens are waiting in line behind homebuyers from our country’s top strategic and economic rival. In what world does that make sense?

The problem is obvious — but so is the solution. Congress should restrict foreigners from buying American homes, either with an outright ban or heavy taxes that discourage purchases. The Republican Study Committee has already laid out a plan to significantly raise taxes on homebuyers from overseas. Such innovative ideas deserve attention and action in the coming months.

This isn’t a matter of sticking it to foreigners. It’s about standing up for our own citizens. The American Dream is for the American people, and young professionals and middle-class families urgently need it brought within their reach.

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KAOHSIUNG, Taiwan: Last Christmas Eve, satellite tracking and ship-transponder data revealed an unusual maritime event in the East China Sea: thousands of Chinese fishing vessels gathered into tight, linear formations and holding position for extended periods. It happened again two weeks later.

Analysts from a geospatial analytical firm were the first to identify two large stationary formations involving roughly 1,400 and 2,000 fishing vessels. Cargo ships in the area were forced to reroute or carefully thread between thousands of stationary vessels that had ceased normal fishing activity. This flotilla behavior by Chinese fishing boats, analysts believe, was a "gray zone" exercise.

"There have been proposals by defense experts in the United States that the U.S. Navy should treat China’s maritime militia as a real naval force," Holmes Liao, a defense expert who is currently a senior advisor for the Taiwan Space Agency (TASA), told Fox News Digital.

CHINA LAUNCHES LARGEST MILITARY DRILLS OFF TAIWAN IN 8 MONTHS WITH LIVE-FIRE EXERCISES CAUGHT ON CAMERA

"I think Taiwan may need to adhere to that mentality and mindset," said Liao. "If these Chinese vessels are operating under clear military direction, then their status under the law of armed conflict could be subject to reassessment, potentially affecting claims of civilian immunity."

Liao said that Taiwan should consider deploying surveillance drones or air patrols over maritime militia formations to demonstrate presence and reinforce deterrence. "Taiwan has so far been very timid in response to PRC aggression," said Liao. "They may be fishing boats, but they are actually under the PLA’s command… part of the maritime militia." 

Indeed, several editions of the U.S. Department of Defense’s annual "Military and Security Developments involving the People's Republic of China," describe the People’s Armed Forces Maritime Militia (PAFMM) as a "state-organized, trained, and equipped" force that actively supports China’s navy and coast guard.

Analysts at the Center for Strategic and International Studies’ Asia Maritime Transparency Initiative have previously documented swarms of dozens or even hundreds of Chinese vessels in the South China Sea near contested reefs, often remaining stationary for long periods. But the incidents late last year and early this year highlight how the scale of this fishing militia appears to be expanding.

Fishing vessels are inexpensive, numerous and legally ambiguous. When deployed in mass, they complicate navigation, create radar clutter and raise operational risks for commercial shipping. The civilian status of these boats also conveniently allows Beijing to frame any incidents as "rogue actions not sanctioned by authorities," or as accidents.

BIPARTISAN HOUSE CHINA PANEL SLAMS BEIJING’S TAIWAN DRILLS AS ‘DELIBERATE ESCALATION’

The United States frequently cites freedom of navigation as the reason for navy patrols in the Indo-Pacific, with a U.S. State Department fact sheet noting that the region "accounts for 60% of global GDP." The area around Taiwan is already treated by maritime insurers and shipping firms as a "higher-risk environment," meaning even temporary flotilla formations could influence shipping decisions and significantly affect both regional and global economies.

Taipei-based security analyst Sasha Chhabra, however, warned of the risks China would face should it deploy civilian fishing vessels in an active conflict. "A U.S. Navy convoy could easily break through these lines, and the large commercial vessels that carry Taiwan’s much-needed imports would easily splinter most fishing vessels in a ramming incident."

He noted that there is precedent for Beijing using Chinese fisherman as "live bait" during a conflict. "In 1973, China used civilian fishing vessels to bait the South Vietnamese Navy into conflict and seize full control over the Paracels (islands)," said Chhabra. "But what worked against teetering South Vietnam in 1973 won’t work against the U.S. Navy." 

However, for independently ruled Taiwan, the concern could be cumulative pressure rather than a single dramatic incident. Encounters between Taiwanese patrol vessels and Chinese fishing boats have grown more frequent around outlying islands and in parts of the Taiwan Strait, with vessels sometimes operating in coordinated groups that shadow or crowd Taiwanese ships. The maritime militia could also be used as a tool to discourage the global shipping industry from doing business with Taiwan.

Taiwan’s major ports are the energy and industrial lifelines for this de facto independent state. The port of Kaohsiung in the south, for example, handles large volumes of LNG imports and petrochemical shipments. Even partial disruption or perceived instability in surrounding sea lanes could ripple through supply chains and sharply raise costs for the global economy.

Jason Wang, CEO of ingeniSPACE, the company that revealed the fishing fleets on their satellite systems, told Fox News Digital that despite Taiwan’s semiconductor advantage, China is winning in space. Wang said data fusion and satellite-based maritime awareness are now strategic necessities. "Intelligence is deterrence without provocation. Intelligence ensures efficient targeted spending and is a force multiplier by shaping a more effective military force," he said. "Taiwan, like all First Island Chain nations, must be prepared for a new kind of warfare."

Wang and other experts note that countries like Japan and South Korea have, for roughly a decade, aggressively augmented their satellite spy constellations with commercial satellites to "ensure sufficient coverage and revisit rates so that their leadership has the capability to distinguish both overt military and gray zone activity."

Analysts say the broader lesson is that sea control no longer depends solely on destroyers and submarines. In the immediate future, the most consequential maritime pressure may come not from warships, but from vessels that look, at first glance, entirely harmless.

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Kate Middleton this week admitted she rarely drinks alcohol after her cancer diagnosis two years ago.

"Since my diagnosis I haven't had much alcohol," the Princess of Wales said when offered a pint at Fabal Beerhall while touring London’s Bermondsey Beer Mile on Thursday, according to several U.K. outlets. "It's something I have to be a lot more conscious of now."

The princess asked owner Hannah Rhodes if the beerhall had any non-alcoholic brews.

"We don’t yet, I’m afraid," Rhodes told her, The Independent reported. "I would love to do that one day, but we would need quite a bit of tech to do it properly."

PRINCE WILLIAM SAYS ROYAL FAMILY BLINDSIDED AS CANCER ‘PULLED THE RUG FROM UNDER OUR FEET’ IN RARE INTERVIEW

The 44-year-old drank a soda instead, but said of Prince William, who was touring the breweries with her, "You like cider," according to a reporter from The Sun.

"I’m a cider man," William agreed, according to E News. "I like cider. I grew up on cider in the West Country."

Middleton revealed in 2024 that she had been diagnosed with an undisclosed type of cancer.

DOCTORS REVEAL WHAT ‘REASONABLE’ DRINKING LOOKS LIKE — AND WHO SHOULD AVOID ALCOHOL

"In January, I underwent major abdominal surgery in London, and at the time, it was thought that my condition was noncancerous," Middleton said in a video in March 2024 following speculation about her health. "The surgery was successful. However, tests after the operation found cancer had been present. My medical team therefore advised that I should undergo a course of preventive chemotherapy, and I am now in the early stages of that treatment."

In January of last year, the princess announced, after finishing her treatment in the fall of 2024, that her cancer was in remission.

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Alcohol is classified as a Group 1 carcinogen, meaning it raises the risk for cancer.

"You can lower your risk for cancer by drinking less alcohol or not drinking at all," the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says on its website. "All drinks that contain alcohol, including red and white wine, beer, and liquor, increase the risk of cancer."

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The CDC says that several cancers are linked to alcohol consumption, including mouth, throat, voice box, esophagus, colon and rectum, liver and breast.

"Some studies show that drinking three or more drinks that contain alcohol per day increases the risk of stomach and pancreatic cancers," the CDC adds. "Drinking alcohol may also increase prostate cancer risk. All kinds of drinks that contain alcohol increase the risk of cancer. Drinking less alcohol is better for your health than drinking more."

The royal couple shared a video montage of their day at several breweries on their official Instagram.  

"Stopping along Bermondsey Beer Mile learning about Southwark’s long history as the centre of London’s beer production and the breweries that keep the tradition alive today," they wrote. "Great to see innovation, craftsmanship and community coming together."

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The U.S. State Department is urging Americans in the Middle East to leave the region immediately as escalating conflict and widespread airspace closures disrupt travel and evacuation efforts. However, attacks from Iran, closed embassies and shuttered airspace have created difficulties for Americans who find themselves trapped with few options.

Shanice Day was one of thousands of Americans who said they found themselves stranded in the Middle East after the conflict began. She and her best friend had traveled to Dubai to celebrate her 30th birthday. 

"We did like a whole desert day," Day said, "They started calling me their ‘habibi,’ and they let me play with the falcon."

Once airspace closed, only a limited number of flights began leaving the region as safety allowed.

STATE DEPARTMENT USES PATRIOTS TEAM PLANE TO EVACUATE AMERICANS FROM MIDDLE EAST

Day only had a few days of vacation, before the U.S. and Israel struck Iran on February 28. Even though the airstrikes began that Saturday morning, Day didn’t realize there was an issue until that afternoon. By the time Day realized what had happened, Iran was already sending missiles towards the Gulf.

"As soon as I got open my phone, it says like ‘U.S., Israel strikes Iran.’ So, I told my friend that’s back at the hotel, and she’s at the beach at the moment. So, I’m actually like, ‘Hey, have you seen what’s going on?" Day recounted, "She explains that she sees like a missile, almost go across the sky."

Iran responded to the American and Israeli attacks almost immediately, raining missile and drone strikes across the United Arab Emirates, even hitting Dubai International Airport, one of the busiest in the world. With their return flights canceled as the UAE closed its airspace, Day and her friend scrambled to find a way home while also trying to process the seriousness of the situation.

"We just kind of cried. That first 48 hours was so tough for us. Just having to break the news to our parents, because it was so early here. To hear my friend’s mom be so devastated, and then to hear my own mom’s voice crack like that. I would not wish this on anyone," Day said.

AMERICANS STRANDED IN DUBAI FACE REPEATED FLIGHT CANCELLATIONS AMID IRAN ESCALATION

Emirati airspace would continue to open intermittently to limited flights, but every rebooked flight would eventually get canceled. Day and her friend eventually made it home to Houston, Texas, by first flying to Australia.

Unlike the UAE, which has long marked itself as a safe oasis for foreigners, travel to Israel has always brought the possibility of conflict.

Jenna Fonberg and Jetlyn Toledo landed at Ben Gurion Airport the day before Israel and the U.S. hit Iran. The friends had planned to celebrate the Jewish holiday of Purim with Fonberg’s older brother, Blake, who lives in Tel Aviv. 

By the time Fonberg and Toledo landed in Israel, there were already talks of a conflict breaking out in the region.

"The thing about Israel is there’s always talk about war breaking out or always talk about conflict. So, if you cancel every single trip based on, I guess rumors of violence coming, you would essentially never come," Toledo said.

The next day, the trio woke up to sirens telling them to get to the nearest bomb shelter. They said, overtime, they made friends with the familiar faces who repeatedly showed up to the same shelters.

"There’s a lot of new faces today, because it’s kind of close to the beach, so a lot of people just walking on the boardwalk run in here," Fonberg said while taking cover during a missile threat.

Blake said he lost his home to a strike during a 12-day conflict with Iran in 2025. He said this time, he’s focusing on staying positive.

"We have to stay positive. If we are not positive, we lose. And, I think I really tried to instill that into them [Fonberg and Toledo] day one. I was like, ‘Everything’s going to be fine,’" Blake said.

Throughout the sirens and strikes, the trio said they kept faith that both the U.S. and Israel’s militaries would keep them safe. They said it was most important to stay calm through it all.

Fonberg and Toledo looked at options to leave the country, but with Israeli airspace completely closed at the start of the conflict, they were left with few options. Instead of driving to another country with open airspace, they chose to wait to see if the skies would open in time for their scheduled flight on March 8.

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

"I feel safer being by a bomb shelter and being able to run in if I need it. Rather than driving 3 hours, 5 hours to Jordan or Egypt and just covering my head if I hear a siren," Fonberg said.

Israeli airspace slowly began opening on March 4. Fonberg and Toledo returned to the U.S. on their originally scheduled flights.

Ben Suster and his wife were at the end of their honeymoon in Israel when the U.S. and Israel struck Iran. Similar to Fonberg and Toledo, the newlyweds knew there was a possibility of conflict but felt safe in Israel. Suster and his wife landed in the country days before the strikes began.

"Our flight was for Saturday night. We woke up Saturday morning, and literally we had a minute of peace, and we thought, ‘Oh my goodness,’ like we made it through the night, like we’re in the clear and our flights should be good tonight," Suster said.

The first sirens began moments later.

Without a bomb shelter inside their Airbnb, the couple made a home out of a nearby public shelter.

"Obviously, sitting in a gloomy garage was not how we expected to end our honeymoon," Suster said.

They stayed in the garage full-time, before meeting up with friends in another shelter.

"We spent the entire day and night in this garage, making friends, you know, Israelis making the most of the situation," Suster said.

After a few days, Suster and his wife left Tel Aviv to join their family in Geva Binyamin, an Israeli settlement in the West Bank near Jerusalem. The couple eventually evacuated with the non-profit Grey Bull Rescue. For security reasons, Suster could not share details about the operation. 

"We don’t even know what tomorrow’s going to look like. We were told what the final destination would be, but when that happens, how we’re getting there, not a clue," Suster said.

Similar to Fonberg and Toledo, Suster said he felt safe and was sad to leave. He only left because they were on a time crunch, getting home to Florida in time for his sister’s wedding.

According to the State Department, more than 32,000 Americans have returned to the United States since the U.S. strikes on Iran began on February 28. 

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Newly obtained images and video allegedly show the man accused in Thursday’s synagogue attack in Michigan purchasing more than $2,000 worth of fireworks two days before ramming a truck into Temple Israel outside Detroit.

Video obtained by Fox News allegedly shows 41-year-old Ayman Mohamad Ghazali of Dearborn Heights making two purchases of fireworks totaling $2,250.96 at the Phantom Fireworks showroom in Livonia, Michigan, on March 10.

According to Phantom Fireworks, Ghazali made one purchase for $1,369.02 at 2 p.m. and another for $881.94 at 2:17 p.m. He purchased 20 items, including a variety of firecrackers, aerial repeaters and a fountain product.

Alan Zoldan, executive vice president of Phantom Fireworks, told Fox News there "was nothing really too suspicious" about the purchase, noting that Ghazali "seemed like he was in a good mood."

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Zoldan said the items Ghazali was buying were based on how they sounded and that he was looking at fireworks "that were either shaped like they were possibly very strong or had names like ‘Military Demolitions’ and ‘Da Bomb.’"

"He obviously thought that they were going to be stronger and perhaps more devastating than they were," Zoldan said.

Surveillance footage allegedly shows Ghazali shopping in the store’s retail showroom, where he spent about 45 minutes. After making the first purchase, he loaded the fireworks into the bed of his pickup truck and then returned inside to make an additional purchase.

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Zoldan added there was no noticeable tension or anything that would raise suspicion for employees.

Ghazali allegedly rammed a vehicle into Temple Israel, a large Reform Jewish synagogue in West Bloomfield, shortly before 12:30 p.m. local time. He then exited the vehicle with a rifle and exchanged gunfire with armed security, who shot and killed him.

All preschool children and staff were safely evacuated from the synagogue.

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Jennifer Runyan, special agent in charge of the FBI’s Detroit field office, said during a news conference Friday that Ghazali was "forensically confirmed" to be the assailant.

She said Ghazali had no previous criminal history or registered weapons and had never been the subject of an FBI investigation.

After engaging security officers in a gunfight, Ghazali's vehicle engine compartment caught fire, and he became trapped in the synagogue hallway, according to investigators.

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"At some point during the gunfight, Ghazali suffers a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head," Runyan said.

She said agents found large quantities of commercial-grade fireworks and several jugs of flammable liquid, believed to be gasoline, in the bed of the truck. Some of the items were consumed in the fire, she added.

Dearborn Heights Mayor Mo Baydoun said during a news conference Friday that Ghazali, a Lebanese-born American citizen, had recently lost family members in Lebanon during the country’s conflict with Israel.

"We do know that the individual had recently suffered devastating and personal losses overseas due to an Israeli airstrike on his family's home in Lebanon, leaving two children dead," he said.

"That grief is real and it’s heartbreaking," he continued. "But let me be clear: that is not an excuse. These actions do not reflect our values as a city. This is not who we are. There is never an excuse for violence, especially violence directed at a sacred space."

The incident remains under investigation.

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