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Pope Leo XIV on Sunday called for an immediate ceasefire in the war involving Iran, delivering his strongest remarks yet on the conflict and urging leaders responsible for the fighting to halt violence after deadly strikes that hit schools and civilian areas.The Associated Press reported the pope made the remarks at the end of his Sunday noon blessing at the Vatican, where he appealed to leaders involved in the conflict to halt the fighting and pursue dialogue instead of continued military escalation."On behalf of the Christians of the Middle East and all women and men of good will, I appeal to those responsible for this conflict," Leo said. "Cease fire so that avenues for dialogue may be reopened. Violence can never lead to the justice, stability, and peace that the people are waiting for."Leo did not cite the U.S. or Israel by name, though he appeared to reference an attack in the opening days of the war that struck a school in Iran and killed more than 165 people, many of them children.IRAN WAR, 11 DAYS IN: US CONTROLS SKIES, OIL SURGES AND THE REGION BRACES FOR WHAT’S NEXTU.S. officials said the strike may have been based on outdated intelligence, and an investigation into the incident is underway.The pope said he was particularly close to the families of victims killed in attacks that have struck schools, hospitals and residential areas during the conflict.He also expressed concern about the impact of the fighting in Lebanon, where aid groups have warned the escalating conflict could trigger a humanitarian crisis.IRAN VOWS 'DECISIVE' SELF DEFENSE AT UN AFTER TRUMP KILLS SUPREME LEADER IN OPERATION EPIC FURYChristian communities in southern Lebanon are of particular concern to the Vatican, as they have long been seen as an important presence for Christians across a largely Muslim region.For much of the two weeks since the conflict began, Leo has limited his public comments to broader appeals for peace and dialogue while avoiding direct references to the U.S. or Israel – a stance consistent with the Vatican’s longstanding tradition of diplomatic neutrality.Some Catholic leaders, however, have taken a more direct stance on the conflict.RED CROSS SHARES AUDIO OF IRANIAN CIVILIAN EXPLAINING SITUATION ON THE GROUND IN TEHRAN: 'NO RESPITE'Cardinal Robert McElroy, the archbishop of Washington, described the war as morally unjustifiable, while Chicago Cardinal Blase Cupich criticized the White House for sharing social media posts about the war that… [TheTopNews] Read More.

Iranian authorities say they have arrested dozens of people accused of spying for Israel across several provinces, according to state media reports over the weekend.Fars, a news agency affiliated with Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), reported Sunday the West Azerbaijan prosecutor’s office had arrested 20 individuals in the northwestern city of Urmia for allegedly providing Israel with information about military, police and security sites.On Saturday, Iran’s Ministry of Intelligence said it had arrested several "enemy operatives" across the country, including a 10-member group in Mazandaran province and another 10-member network in Khorasan Razavi province, according to Tasnim, a semi-official news agency.Authorities said the suspects transferred the locations of military installations and economic infrastructure and shared coordinates of public places, academic institutions and research centers with Israel.IRANIAN REGIME SPREADING ANTI-ISRAEL PROPAGANDA ACROSS DOZENS OF SOCIAL MEDIA ACCOUNTS: REPORTIn southern Khuzestan province, intelligence officials also reported arresting a three-person "terrorist team" accused of carrying out armed attacks against security forces and government facilities. The Wall Street Journal reported last week that Israel has relied on tips from ordinary Iranians to identify targets for strikes inside Iran, citing a senior Israeli security official.The newspaper said information about potential targets is sent through Israeli Persian-language social media accounts and is verified by Israeli authorities before strikes are carried out.CIA URGES IRANIANS TO USE BURNER PHONES, TOR TO CONTACT US IN PERSIAN-LANGUAGE VIDEOIn a separate development, Bahraini authorities said Sunday they arrested five people accused of passing sensitive information to the IRGC and helping recruit operatives for potential attacks inside the country.According to a statement from Bahrain’s Police Media Center, the suspects allegedly collected and transmitted coordinates and images of sensitive locations, including hotels, to the IRGC.IRANIAN REGIME SPREADING ANTI-ISRAEL PROPAGANDA ACROSS DOZENS OF SOCIAL MEDIA ACCOUNTS: REPORTOfficials said one suspect previously received training at IRGC camps in "trafficking persons and recruiting operatives to participate in implementing terrorist plots."The five detainees were referred to Bahrain’s Public Prosecution, while a sixth suspect identified in the case is believed to be a fugitive abroad. [TheTopNews] Read More.

Iran's decades-long use of the Strait of Hormuz chokepoint for global oil shipping from the Middle East will come to an end, according to President Donald Trump, and he is rallying the world to free it."Many Countries, especially those who are affected by Iran’s attempted closure of the Hormuz Strait, will be sending War Ships, in conjunction with the United States of America, to keep the Strait open and safe," Trump wrote Saturday morning on Truth Social.Iran closing the strait has roiled global oil supply, causing gas price increases even in the states, despite the fact the U.S. is a net-exporter of oil and gets only a fraction of its oil from the Middle East. Trump is calling on those countries relying on the oil tankers from the strait to share in the responsibility to free it up."We have already destroyed 100% of Iran's Military capability, but it's easy for them to send a drone or two, drop a mine, or deliver a close range missile somewhere along, or in, this Waterway, no matter how badly defeated they are," Trump's post continued. "Hopefully China, France, Japan, South Korea, the UK, and others, that are affected by this artificial constraint, will send Ships to the area so that the Hormuz Strait will no longer be a threat by a Nation that has been totally decapitated."US 'WINNING DECISIVELY' AGAINST IRAN, WILL ACHIEVE 'COMPLETE CONTROL' OF AIRSPACE WITHIN DAYS, HEGSETH SAYSTrump vowed a massive campaign to knock out Iran's ability to terrorize the oil tankers transversing the region."In the meantime, the United States will be bombing the hell out of the shoreline, and continually shooting Iranian Boats and Ships out of the water," he concluded. "One way or the other, we will soon get the Hormuz Strait OPEN, SAFE, and FREE!"Trump added in another Truth Social post five hours later that the countries relying on that Middle East oil must take responsibility for it now, too.WATCH SHIPPING THROUGH THE STRAIT OF HORMUZ GRIND TO A HALT AMID IRAN CONFLICT"The United States of America has beaten and completely decimated Iran, both Militarily, Economically, and in every other way, but the Countries of the World that receive Oil through the Hormuz Strait must take care of that passage, and we will help — A LOT!" Trump wrote. "The U.S. will also coordinate with those Countries so that everything goes quickly, smoothly, and well. This should… [TheTopNews] Read More.

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… [TheTopNews] Read More.

Exiled Iranian Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi said Saturday he is ready to lead Iran’s transition "as soon as the Islamic Republic falls."As the war in Iran entered its third week, Pahlavi — the son of the late Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi — said he has been working in recent months to develop a transition plan should the Iranian regime collapse to ensure the country does not experience a disruption in governance.Pahlavi said in a social media post that "capable individuals" have been identified both inside and outside Iran to lead what he called a "transitional system.""The transitional system, under my leadership, will be ready to assume governance of the country as soon as the Islamic Republic falls and, in the shortest possible time, establish order, security, freedom and the conditions for Iran’s prosperity and flourishing," he said.MIKE POMPEO: OPERATION EPIC FURY IS RIGHTEOUS — AND REGIME CHANGE MUST FOLLOWPahlavi has lived in exile since the 1979 Islamic Revolution toppled Iran’s monarchy and established the Islamic Republic.He has in recent years sought to position himself as a unifying opposition figure and has said he would help guide a transition of power from theocracy to democracy in Iran.In a message addressed to his "compatriots," Pahlavi said his plan for governing the country would fall within the framework of the "Iran Prosperity Project."IRAN’S NEW SUPREME LEADER IS ‘HIS FATHER ON STEROIDS,’ EXPERTS WARN OF HARDLINE RULEHe said that many compatriots with valuable experience and expertise have declared "their readiness to participate in the rebuilding of the country and to serve the homeland."Since joint operations between the U.S. and Israel began, nearly 50 regime figures have been killed, including Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.His son, Mojtaba Khamenei, was elected this week by Iran’s Assembly of Experts as the country’s new supreme leader.TRUMP EXPLORING BACKING MILITIAS IN IRAN TO TOPPLE WEAKENED REGIME FOLLOWING STRIKES: REPORTSIn an appearance last week on Fox News’ "My View" with Lara Trump, Pahlavi said the Iranian people would not accept any outcome moving forward tied to the current regime."Only a clean break will ensure that not only we achieve a democratic solution and alternative to this regime, but there will be people who are not in any form or shape directly associated with this regime," he said.Pahlavi said the Iranian people must decide their country’s leadership and that "only the ballot box should determine the outcome and who will be… [TheTopNews] Read More.