Trump puts pressure on Iran amid tensions in the Strait of Hormuz, calls for ‘real agreement’
President Trump is putting pressure on Iran as traffic slows in the Strait of Hormuz, insisting that a ‘REAL DEAL’ is needed. VP Vance, Witkoff and Jared Kushner will hold peace talks with Iran in Pakistan this Saturday, April 8, 2026. The administration is exploring possible punishments for NATO allies who failed to support Iran’s war efforts, amid concerns about a fragile ceasefire in the Middle East and continued regional instability.
Israeli authorities have arrested a 22-year-old Haifa resident for his involvement in an Iran-backed plot to assassinate a senior Israeli official, with the intended target being former Prime Minister Naftali Bennett, reports say.
Ami Gaydarov, 22, was arrested last month on suspicion of working with an Iranian agent to gather intelligence and build a bomb for use in a terror plot against a senior Israeli official. Gaydarov was unaware of the target’s identity. A gag order on his arrest was recently lifted, allowing Israeli media to report on the case.
Authorities said Gaydarov first contacted his Iranian handler in August 2025 and was paid about $23,000 — most of it in cryptocurrency — to complete tasks in preparation for the assassination plot.
Gaydarov is said to have rented an apartment in the city center to serve as a laboratory for the bombs.
TOP IRANIAN OFFICIAL, COMMANDER KILLED IN STRIKE, ISRAEL’S DEFENSE MINISTER SAYS
Ami Gaydarov was arrested by Israeli authorities on March 9 on suspicion of collaborating with Iranian proxies to harm a senior official. (Israeli Police)
“To facilitate contacts with his handlers, Gaidarov purchased special telephones and rented an apartment in Haifa where he produced the explosive substance, documenting his activities in videos and photographs sent to his handler as proof of compliance,” Israeli police said.
In connection with the plot, Israeli authorities also arrested three other suspects, including Sergey Leibman and Edward Shovtiuk. The fourth suspect has not yet been named. Authorities said charges against the four suspects should take place in the “coming days.”
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu meets with US Vice President JD Vance at the Prime Minister’s Office on October 22, 2025 in Jerusalem, Israel. (Nathan Howard/Pool/Getty Images)
The terror plot was exposed as part of Israel’s ‘Operation Roaring Lion’, a major military campaign against Iran on February 28, coinciding with the start of the war with Iran.
The arrest of the four men comes as Israeli authorities have won more than 40 indictments against more than 60 suspects working on behalf of the Iranian government. Just two months ago, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ordered that Israelis convicted of spying for Iran be stripped of their citizenship.
The illustration shows a rocket launch from Iran with the country’s flag in the background. (iStock)
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP
Since the outbreak of the war with Iran, pro-Iranian attacks linked to radical groups have been on the rise. Last week, French officials said a pro-Iranian group was behind a failed bomb attack on a Bank of America office in Paris.
