Israel says it is determined to destroy Iran's nuclear program because its archenemy's furtive efforts to build an atomic weapon are a threat to its existence.

What's not-so-secret is that for decades Israel has been believed to be the Middle East's only nation with nuclear weapons, even though its leaders have refused to confirm or deny their existence.

A Palestinian activist who was detained for more than three months pushed his infant son's stroller with one hand and cheered as he was welcomed home Saturday by supporters including U.S. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.

Mahmoud Khalil greeted friends and spoke briefly to reporters at New Jersey's Newark International Airport a day after leaving a federal immigration facility in Louisiana. A former Columbia University graduate student and symbol of President Donald Trump 's clampdown on campus protests, he vowed to continue protesting Israel and the war in Gaza.

In the days after Hamas attacked Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu seemed a shellshocked shadow of himself. He looked diminished and downtrodden by the surprise assault that created a national emergency and caused his public support to plummet.

Now, as Israel faces another unprecedented crisis in a war with Iran, Netanyahu appears rejuvenated. With the U.S. lending its support against a threat he has devoted his life to confronting, Netanyahu is demonstrating a resurgent confidence that could signal a new turning point in his lengthy political career.

The promise came three years ago from Oklahoma City general manager Sam Presti. It might have been overlooked for a couple of reasons. One, the Thunder were awful at the time. Two, he was speaking Latin.

"Labor omnia vincit," Presti said after the 2021-22 season, quoting a motto of Oklahoma. Depending on how Presti was translating it, it could have been "hard work conquers all" or "slow work conquers all."

Major oil producers Russia and Iraq on Monday expressed "concern" over volatility in world energy markets amid the spiraling conflict between Iran and Israel following U.S. attacks on Iranian nuclear sites.

In a phone call between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani, the Kremlin said the two leaders "expressed concern about the emerging risks to global energy markets and emphasized the importance of continuing active cooperation within the OPEC+ format."

Several close U.S. allies urged a return to the negotiating table following American strikes on Iran that fueled fears of a wider conflict, while noting the threat posed by Tehran's nuclear program. Some countries and groups in the region, including those that support Iran, condemned the move while also urging de-escalation.

U.S. President Donald Trump described the damage as "monumental" after the U.S. hit three Iranian nuclear sites, though the U.S. assessment was unfinished.

Muslims will soon welcome a new year in the Islamic lunar calendar, known as the Hijri calendar.

The Hijri New Year, beginning on the first day of the month of Muharram, signals a chance for spiritual reflection and religious resolutions, set in the month following the annual Hajj in Mecca, Saudi Arabia.

Hezbollah has long been considered Iran's first line of defense in case of a war with Israel. But since Israel launched its massive barrage against Iran, triggering the ongoing Israel-Iran war, the Lebanese militant group has stayed out of the fray — even after the U.S. entered the conflict Sunday with strikes on Iranian nuclear sites.

A network of powerful Iran-backed militias in Iraq has also remained mostly quiet.

Hezbollah has condemned the U.S. strikes on Iran in a statement but did not threaten to join in Tehran’s retaliation.

“The blatant deceit and deception practiced by U.S. President Donald Trump, driven by illusions of control and arrogance ... confirms that the United States of America, along with the tyrants of arrogance, is a threat to the security and stability of the Islamic Republic,” the statement said.

The United States' bunker-busting entry into Israel's war with Iran is having only a modest effect on the price of oil and stock markets worldwide Monday, at least for now. The hope is that Iran won't retaliate in a way that disrupts the global flow of crude, which would hurt economies worldwide but also its own.

The S&P 500 was edging down by 0.1% in early trading, coming off a week where stock prices had jumped up and down on worries about the conflict potentially escalating. The Dow Jones Industrial Average was down 37 points, or 0.1%, as of 9:35 a.m. Eastern time, and the Nasdaq composite was 0.4% lower.