As we prepare to celebrate 250 years of freedom this summer, America should resolve to once again be a healthy nation. Chronic disease has been rapidly increasing for decades, and for far too long, the federal government’s approach to nutrition has been part of the problem. Empowered by President Donald Trump’s leadership, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) will soon publish a final rule that will more than double the amount of healthy food that many retailers in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) are required to stock.

Since its inception, SNAP has helped our most vulnerable citizens afford the essential and nutritious food they need. At least, that is what the program is supposed to do. Over time, however, SNAP has been taken advantage of, allowing many to game the system and leaving millions of vulnerable Americans without healthy, nutrient-dense food options. 

This has accelerated the health crisis that our nation is up against. Every year, 90% of the nearly $5 trillion the United States spends on healthcare goes toward treating people with chronic conditions. And of the roughly 73 million children under age 18 in the United States, the CDC reports that over 40% have at least one chronic health condition, while more than 350,000 American children have been diagnosed with diabetes.  

The consequences are far-reaching and have even put our national security at risk. Due primarily to obesity, poor physical fitness, and/or mental health challenges, more than 75% of Americans aged 17 to 24 are ineligible for military service — a staggering and dangerous reality.

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Rising rates of childhood chronic disease are driven by a combination of factors. Improving SNAP — which covers 15.6 million children, or about 39% of all SNAP participants — is a terrific place to start. When it comes to a lack of healthy options for both America’s children and adults, the stocking standards that classify the foods retailers are required to stock to redeem SNAP benefits are a key culprit. 

The current stocking standards were established when SNAP was used quite differently. Today, too many taxpayer dollars are spent on highly processed products loaded with empty calories. With nearly 266,000 retailers nationwide redeeming nearly $96 billion in SNAP benefits in fiscal year 2025, we can’t afford not to act. 

To take just one example of SNAP misuse, retailers have been able to qualify for SNAP by selling jelly, passing it off as a "fruit," and making a quick buck off it. This was never the intent of SNAP, and the Trump administration is laser-focused on restoring the program to its original mission.

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Our pending final rule raises the bar for stocking by strengthening requirements for retailers and closing loopholes that have allowed certain snack foods to count as staple foods. This rule requires all retailers to carry a minimum of 28 varieties across the four staple food groups — more than double the 12 they are currently required to carry. This will mean more real food like eggs, chicken, whole grain breads, fruit and yogurt on store shelves and on Americans’ plates. 

Americans on SNAP deserve even more than 28 varieties, but this is a long overdue step in the right direction. It is also the very least retailers can do in exchange for receiving federal taxpayer dollars, since public money should go toward supporting the national interest. And retailers participating in SNAP should feel obligated to offer a variety of healthy foods, period.

At long last, we are modernizing SNAP to responsibly steward taxpayer dollars, promote healthy eating and empower Americans to lead better lives. This pending final rule squares with the latest Dietary Guidelines for Americans’ call to eat real food by ensuring low-income Americans have healthy options available wherever they shop.

There is no better 250th birthday present we can give America than making our nation healthier through real food grown by our incredible farmers, ranchers and producers. Stay tuned — there is much more to come before July 4th. 

CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM ROBERT F. KENNEDY JR.

CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM AGRICULTURE SECRETARY BROOKE ROLLINS

Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is the 26th Secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

Sen. Markwayne Mullin, R-Okla., is drawing support from some of Congress’ most vocal China and Cuba hawks — and even some Democrats — to lead the Department of Homeland Security, though critics say the combative lawmaker lacks the experience and temperament for the post.

The nomination comes as the Department of Homeland Security sits at the center of President Donald Trump’s immigration crackdown and broader homeland security agenda, placing whoever leads the agency in charge of border enforcement, FEMA disaster response and counterterrorism operations at a time of mounting geopolitical pressure.

Sen. James Lankford, R-Okla., who sits on the Homeland Security Committee and will question Mullin at Wednesday’s confirmation hearing, said his fellow Oklahoman is the "right man at the right time" to lead the agency.

"With the most secure border, now is the time to build on that progress and continue protecting our homeland," Lankford said.

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"Unfortunately, in Oklahoma, we understand a thing or two about natural disasters, and FEMA is ready for reform," Lankford added, expressing optimism Mullin will bring reform to the key DHS sub-agency. "Markwayne Mullin will be a strong leader in turning FEMA around." 

Supporters point to Mullin’s hardline views on China and warnings about potential upheaval in Cuba as reasons he is well-suited to lead DHS at a volatile geopolitical moment. Critics, however, argue the combative senator lacks the judgment and experience needed for the role.

Rep. Carlos Gimenez, R-Fla., the only Cuban-born member of Congress and one of Washington’s most vocal Cuba hawks, gave Mullin a ringing endorsement.

"I served with Sen. Markwayne Mullin in the US House. Department of Homeland Security employees are currently working without pay due to the Democrats’ deranged partisan shutdown. I trust Markwayne will lead the Department with integrity & implement a much-needed course-correction to protect our citizens," Gimenez told Fox News Digital.

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Gimenez said Mullin is rightly prepared to lead DHS amid a likely "dramatic transition in Cuba, my native homeland which has been under a brutal communist tyranny for over 67 years."

President Donald Trump has also suggested the island’s regime could collapse soon, telling CNN it may happen "pretty soon."

At least one Democratic senator on the Homeland Security Committee, John Fetterman of Pennsylvania, indicated last week he would also support Mullin.

"I will vote [to confirm] him, of course, but I’m unsure how many Democrats [will]; I don’t know why," he told WABC radio's John Catsimatidis.

Fetterman said he agrees with Mullin's view of border security and supports "rounding up and deporting criminals," but not in the way Secretary Kristi Noem handled the controversial immigration crackdown in Minneapolis earlier this year.

"Why can't you give someone a chance?" he said.

A Democrat colleague on the Homeland Security Committee who is a hard "no" is New Jersey Sen. Andy Kim.

Kim painted Mullin's confirmation as a referendum on the Trump administration's immigration enforcement policies and emergency management response writ-large.

"They don't want to move forward on the types of reforms that are needed to be able to push forward on," Kim told CNN. He added he believes the official truly running DHS is White House aide Stephen Miller.

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Committee member Joni Ernst, R-Iowa, by contrast, told Fox News Digital it is important to confirm Mullin as "Democrats shamelessly refuse to fund DHS."

"President Trump is putting the safety and security of our citizens first by choosing a leader like Markwayne Mullin to be Secretary of Homeland Security. I’ve served alongside of him in the Senate, and there should be no delay in moving him out of committee to a quick confirmation," Ernst said.

But not all lawmakers are convinced.

Rep. Pat Ryan, D-N.Y., a former U.S. Army intelligence officer who served in Iraq, blasted Mullin’s nomination, arguing the combative senator lacks the temperament to oversee homeland security operations.

Ryan also took issue with Mullin’s recent comments to Fox News describing the sensory experience of war despite never serving in uniform.

"Hey Sen. Mullin, what the actual f--- are you talking about?" Ryan wrote on social media. "Did I miss the part of your bio where you served in combat or served in uniform at all? Call of Duty doesn’t count."

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Ryan told Fox News Digital Mullin would be even "more sensationalist, more volatile, and more blindly loyal to the president" than outgoing DHS Secretary Kristi Noem.

Asked about Ryan’s criticisms, Mullin’s office pointed to the senator's comments on the "Clay Travis & Buck Sexton Show," where he said he did take part in "special assignments outside of [the Pentagon]."

"I never wore the uniform or the flag on my shoulder," Mullin said. "I’ve been in the same area, but two totally different things."

Mullin also received praise across the aisle from Rep. Josh Gottheimer, D-N.J., who told Fox News Digital the Department of Homeland Security needs "new leadership" and said the Oklahoma Republican would bring a more bipartisan approach.

Gottheimer said he has worked with Mullin for years in Congress and, while they may not agree on everything, "he’s someone you can count on to keep his word and work collaboratively to get things done."

Mullin also drew support from figures in his home state, including former Oklahoma Superintendent of Public Instruction Ryan Walters, who said the senator has proven to be a strong partner for state officials — a key component of how the Department of Homeland Security operates.

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Walters said he worked closely with Mullin while investigating Chinese influence in Oklahoma schools tied to Confucius Classrooms, an issue he argued shows homeland security concerns extend beyond immigration.

"Senator Mullin was a great partner in assisting us with a lot of what we were looking at," Walters said in an interview, adding that Mullin also helped Oklahoma schools through more domestic concerns as well, particularly during the Biden administration and COVID.

"He is a true believer in the American people and the America First agenda."

The White House also defended the nomination, with spokeswoman Abigail Jackson telling Fox News Digital that Mullin is "perfectly suited" to lead DHS and work closely with the president.

"Whether it be protecting the homeland from bad actors, stopping dangerous drugs from flowing into American communities, or removing the worst-of-the-worst criminal illegal aliens, Senator Mullin will work tirelessly to implement the President’s agenda," Jackson said.

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?

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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.

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.

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"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.

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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.

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.

An FBI advisory referencing an unverified tip about a potential Iranian drone concept off the California coast circulated to multiple California law enforcement agencies — only to be forcefully downplayed by the White House hours later.

The advisory, distributed through federal security channels, referenced intelligence suggesting Iran had "aspired" to launch unmanned aerial systems from a vessel offshore. The email did not identify specific targets, dates or operational details.

The advisory was shared with California state officials and forwarded to local law enforcement agencies, according to reporting by the San Francisco Chronicle, including police departments in San Francisco, Oakland, San Jose and Berkeley. Local officials emphasized there was no indication of a specific or imminent threat but confirmed they were coordinating with federal partners.

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FBI spokesperson Ben Williamson posted the alert to X Thursday, which he said went to joint terrorism task force partners. 

"We recently acquired unverified information that as of early February 2026, Iran allegedly aspired to conduct a surprise attack using unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) from an unidentified vessel off the coast of the United States, specifically against unspecified targets in California, in the event of U.S. strikes on Iran," the alert said, according to Williamson. "We have no additional information." 

After reports about the advisory surfaced publicly, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt sharply criticized the coverage.

"This post and story should be immediately retracted by ABC News for providing false information to intentionally alarm the American people," Leavitt wrote. 

She said the reporting was based on "one email that was sent to local law enforcement in California about a single, unverified tip," adding: "No such threat from Iran to our homeland exists, and it never did."

California Gov. Gavin Newsom similarly said there was no verified threat to the state and that officials remained in communication with federal authorities as a precaution.

Former Department of Homeland Security official Tom Warrick said the wording of the advisory suggests the intelligence likely reflected aspirational discussion rather than operational planning.

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"When you see the word ‘unverified,’ that generally means this is aspirational," Warrick said.

He emphasized that advisories of this kind are not routine occurrences, but during periods of heightened tensions — particularly involving Iran — federal authorities may err on the side of caution.

"It’s not a regular occurrence," Warrick said. "But given the war with Iran, and given Iran’s known tendencies, it’s only prudent for the FBI to put out a notice to local law enforcement to be aware that this is what we know — but this is all we know."

Warrick said such reporting often stems from intercepted communications in which foreign actors discuss potential attack concepts without evidence of capability or follow-through.

"Somehow the United States picked up information of Iranians talking to each other — who probably have some affiliation to the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps, Quds Force — talking about, ‘Wouldn’t it be nice to launch a drone attack on California?’" Warrick said, describing what he believes likely triggered the alert. "That’s where we are."

He stressed that distributing such intelligence allows local authorities to connect suspicious activity — such as unusual drone purchases or maritime behavior — with broader federal reporting.

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At the same time, Warrick drew a distinction between large-scale military drone strikes and smaller improvised threats.

"We’re not talking about launching Shaheds at California. That’s not feasible," he said.

"Using small-scale hobby drones to carry out a terrorist attack has always been a concern of homeland security," he added. "That threat already exists." 

Current federal law limits the authority to actively disable or intercept drones to specific federal agencies, including the Department of Defense and Department of Homeland Security. State and local law enforcement agencies generally lack independent authority to jam or seize unmanned aerial systems without federal coordination.

Some state and local officials have in recent years pushed Congress to expand counter-drone authority beyond federal agencies, arguing that the proliferation of small drones has outpaced existing legal frameworks.

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While Warrick framed the advisory as precautionary, Iran specialists say the broader concept referenced in the alert is not entirely imaginary — though executing such an operation would be complex.

Michael Eisenstadt, a senior fellow at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy, said Iran has experimented with sea-based launch concepts in the past, including containerized missile systems deployed from modified merchant vessels.

"The idea is something they’ve clearly thought about," Eisenstadt said. "They’ve demonstrated elements of this concept before."

However, he cautioned that projecting such capability across the globe and positioning assets close enough to the U.S. coastline to make an operational difference would be difficult.

"To get it across the globe and close enough off the coast of California to make a difference — I’m pretty sure we track pretty closely ships coming out of Iran," he said, adding that such an operation would likely be "a little too complicated for them to do at this point."

Eisenstadt agreed that describing the advisory as aspirational was likely accurate.

"I think that’s probably correct," he said.

He also questioned whether a direct drone strike on U.S. territory would align with Iran’s historical escalation patterns.

"If they were to retaliate on the homeland, it would more likely involve inspired or commissioned attacks," he said, rather than a complex maritime drone launch.

Drone-related activity has drawn scrutiny along the West Coast in recent years, though analysts caution against drawing a direct connection between prior incidents and the unverified tip referenced in the advisory. 

In 2019, multiple U.S. Navy destroyers operating near the Channel Islands of the coast of California reported encounters with groups of unidentified unmanned aerial systems during training operations. 

Navy documents later released through the Freedom of Information Act showed that some incidents were assessed as potential surveillance activity, while others were attributed to commercial or hobbyist operators. In several cases, the operator was never definitively identified.

More recently, Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, California, confirmed multiple instances of unmanned aerial systems entering restricted airspace in late 2024, though officials said those incursions did not impact operations and were not assessed to pose an immediate threat.

Security analysts say the proliferation of inexpensive drone technology has complicated airspace monitoring near both civilian and military facilities, a broader backdrop against which even low-confidence intelligence may prompt precautionary alerts.

The FBI and Coast Guard could not immediately be reached for additional comment. 

When an Iranian American husband and wife see protests against the war with Iran in the United States, they shudder, recalling living and being raised under a regime that "controlled" their young lives.

Since its start, Operation Epic Fury has drawn scrutiny from the American public, inspiring anti-war protests across the country. 

Behzad Hemmati and Rahil Nazarian both had the opportunity to come to America from Iran as young adults. 

Decades later, Hemmati, 50, and Nazarian, 42, told Fox News Digital that they are watching the situation unfold from their new home in Southern California, and to them, this conflict isn’t a war, it’s a "rescue mission."

Born under the Shah, Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, Hemmati recalls he was too young to experience the "good things" before the Islamic Revolution in 1979 overthrew Pahlavi's reign.

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"I came here [just because of] my natural personality, I couldn’t bear with the things that [were] happening [in Iran]," Hemmati said.

He recalled his life as a teenager and said, "You want to be yourself, to be free," but shared that what Western culture considers a "normal" teenage life, wasn’t allowed in Iran.

"You want to dance, you want to hang out with your friends, but we couldn’t … girls and boys [are] always separate," Hemmati explained. "This is how [the government] control[s] you, this is how [they] break you in pieces and take that beautiful life that you can have [and] take it away from you."

Nazarian was born during the Iran-Iraq War in the 1980s. Her father was a teacher and after the Islamic Revolution, she explained that the Islamic Republic took her family’s home, their land and her father was unable to work.

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"After [Ayatollah Ruhollah] Khomeini came and took over, they fired [my father] because they told him, ‘You work during Shah, you don’t deserve this," Nazarian said.

In an emotional moment, she recalled her father being brought back and forth between Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) camps until one day, he did not come back.

"They were executing most of his family members," Nazarian said. 

"One day, he went, and they told him, ‘Oh, we have a plan for you, we’re gonna give you back everything we took to you, we’re going to give it back to you,’" Nazarian recalled. "He left home [that day], he never came back."

Since the initial strikes in Operation Epic Fury that began in the early-morning hours of Feb. 28, the conflict has struck a chord with the American public, leading to backlash against the Trump administration.

Still, when Hemmati and Nazarian see protests against military action, Hemmati told Fox News Digital that they "don’t understand."

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"People should understand [here], those that they don’t understand," he said. "People are going on the street and saying no to war, I can tell you 100%, they have no idea."

The operation has also garnered support from many in the Iranian American community. 

Hemmati said protests in favor of U.S. military action in the country have sprung up around Southern California, and that he attends an event almost every weekend. He says this is a way for people to be the voice for people inside Iran who are in favor of the operation.

"[Iranian’s] inside Iran want to show the world — obviously, they can’t do anything because everything is disconnected from Iran — but that’s why we’re going out to be their voice," Hemmati said.

Nazarian and Hemmati said they spoke to relatives still living in Iran and despite constant bombardments near their homes, they’re "glad this is happening."

"No matter what happens, no matter if we lose our house, no matter if the whole house is destroyed, as long as we’re alive to fight back, we’re still grateful and happy," Hemmati said.

"They were thanking President [Donald] Trump and said, it’s OK, we have to pay the price for freedom," Nazarian continued.

Hemmati said by targeting specific IRGC locations the operation is "cutting the regime’s bloodlines."

"They’re targeting those very special places for their government," Hemmati said. "Once they’re eliminated, then it’s time for people to go out."

Once able, Nazarian and Hemmati said they’ll be on the first flight to Iran to see family for a long-overdue visit.

"[Our] kids are so thirsty to see their cousins, their family, because I don’t have any family [in the US]," Nazarian said. "I haven’t seen them for nine years [and Hemmati] hasn’t been there for 19 years."

"[This] is what I’ve been waiting for [for 47 years]," Hemmati said. "Unfortunately, we’re going to lose some lives in this rescue mission … but again, people are saying inside Iran, they’re saying, ‘How many are we gonna lose? … We’re ready to sacrifice again until we get to [freedom].’"