U.S. security guarantees for Ukraine are being tied to Kyiv ceding the eastern Donbas region to Russia as part of a potential peace deal, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy told Reuters in an interview published Thursday.

"The Americans are prepared to finalize these guarantees at a high level once Ukraine is ready to withdraw from Donbas," Zelenskyy said, describing a proposal he warned could undermine both Ukraine’s defenses and broader European security.

But a U.S. official, speaking on background, told Fox News Digital the claim is false.

Zelenskyy's comments point to growing pressure from President Donald Trump to reach a swift end to the war, now in its fourth year following Russia’s 2022 invasion. 

ZELENSKYY SAYS PEACE DEAL IS CLOSE AFTER TRUMP MEETING BUT TERRITORY REMAINS STICKING POINT

Zelenskyy suggested the administration’s approach is influenced in part by competing global crises, including the ongoing conflict involving Iran.

"The Middle East definitely has an impact on President Trump," Zelenskyy said. "President Trump, unfortunately, in my opinion, still chooses a strategy of putting more pressure on the Ukrainian side."

Talks between the United States, Russia and Ukraine have taken place in Abu Dhabi and Geneva in 2026, but key issues remain unresolved, including how Ukraine’s future security would be guaranteed and who would fund its long-term defense.

Zelenskyy warned that abandoning Donbas would hand Russia heavily fortified Ukrainian defensive lines, weakening Kyiv’s position and potentially enabling future aggression.

"I would very much like the American side to understand that the eastern part of our country is part of our security guarantees," he said.

ZELENSKYY CLAIMS TRUMP SAID US WILL CONSIDER GIVING UKRAINE DECADES OF SECURITY GUARANTEES

Russian President Vladimir Putin has long insisted that full control of Donbas is central to Moscow’s war aims. While Russian forces have made gains, analysts cited by Reuters say progress has been slow, and capturing the remaining territory could take significant time and manpower.

Zelenskyy also warned that Moscow is betting Washington will lose interest if negotiations stall. 

"Russia is counting on the fact that the United States will not have the strength or patience to bring this to an end," he said.

Despite tensions over negotiations, Zelenskyy thanked the Trump administration for continuing deliveries of Patriot missile defense systems, which Ukraine relies on to intercept Russian ballistic missiles. 

"Deliveries to us were not stopped. I’m very grateful to President Trump, and to his team," he said, while adding that supplies remain insufficient.

In parallel with the diplomatic push, Zelenskyy signaled a broader strategy to expand Ukraine’s role as a security provider, particularly in the Middle East, where countries are seeking solutions to large-scale drone and missile threats.

UKRAINE PEACE TALKS PRODUCTIVE AS EX-GOVERNMENT OFFICIAL SAYS COUNTRY RETHINKING 'UNCOMPROMISING' STANCE

"The United States has reached out to us regarding their bases in Middle Eastern countries," Zelenskyy wrote on X Thursday, adding that Saudi Arabia, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Jordan and Kuwait have also approached Ukraine.

He said Ukrainian teams are already on the ground sharing operational experience, particularly in countering mass drone attacks. 

"No matter how many Patriots, THAADs, or other air defense systems are in the Middle East, that alone is not enough," he wrote. "There are modern interceptors designed to counter heavy drone strikes."

Zelenskyy also indicated Ukraine is exploring defense trade arrangements, offering to sell surplus systems and expertise while seeking access to air defense missiles it currently lacks. 

"Funding is the scarcest resource today," he wrote, noting Ukraine’s defense industry is operating at roughly half capacity and needs additional financing to scale drone production.

In separate posts tied to an address at a Joint Expeditionary Force summit, Zelenskyy emphasized that Ukraine’s battlefield experience could play a broader role in European and global security.

"We have this experience. … Let’s bring all of this together even more," he wrote, calling for deeper cooperation with European partners and warning that the continent must build its own capacity to produce air defense systems rather than rely on external suppliers.

Reuters contributed to this story.

U.S. security guarantees for Ukraine are being tied to Kyiv ceding the eastern Donbas region to Russia as part of a potential peace deal, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy told Reuters in an interview published Thursday.

"The Americans are prepared to finalize these guarantees at a high level once Ukraine is ready to withdraw from Donbas," Zelenskyy said, describing a proposal he warned could undermine both Ukraine’s defenses and broader European security.

The comments point to growing pressure from President Donald Trump to reach a swift end to the war, now in its fourth year following Russia’s 2022 invasion. 

Zelenskyy suggested the administration’s approach is influenced in part by competing global crises, including the ongoing conflict involving Iran.

ZELENSKYY SAYS PEACE DEAL IS CLOSE AFTER TRUMP MEETING BUT TERRITORY REMAINS STICKING POINT

"The Middle East definitely has an impact on President Trump," Zelenskyy said. "President Trump, unfortunately, in my opinion, still chooses a strategy of putting more pressure on the Ukrainian side."

Talks between the United States, Russia and Ukraine have taken place in Abu Dhabi and Geneva in 2026, but key issues remain unresolved, including how Ukraine’s future security would be guaranteed and who would fund its long-term defense.

Zelenskyy warned that abandoning Donbas would hand Russia heavily fortified Ukrainian defensive lines, weakening Kyiv’s position and potentially enabling future aggression.

"I would very much like the American side to understand that the eastern part of our country is part of our security guarantees," he said.

ZELENSKYY CLAIMS TRUMP SAID US WILL CONSIDER GIVING UKRAINE DECADES OF SECURITY GUARANTEES

Russian President Vladimir Putin has long insisted that full control of Donbas is central to Moscow’s war aims. While Russian forces have made gains, analysts cited by Reuters say progress has been slow, and capturing the remaining territory could take significant time and manpower.

Zelenskyy also warned that Moscow is betting Washington will lose interest if negotiations stall. 

"Russia is counting on the fact that the United States will not have the strength or patience to bring this to an end," he said.

Despite tensions over negotiations, Zelenskyy thanked the Trump administration for continuing deliveries of Patriot missile defense systems, which Ukraine relies on to intercept Russian ballistic missiles. 

"Deliveries to us were not stopped. I’m very grateful to President Trump, and to his team," he said, while adding that supplies remain insufficient.

In parallel with the diplomatic push, Zelenskyy signaled a broader strategy to expand Ukraine’s role as a security provider, particularly in the Middle East, where countries are seeking solutions to large-scale drone and missile threats.

UKRAINE PEACE TALKS PRODUCTIVE AS EX-GOVERNMENT OFFICIAL SAYS COUNTRY RETHINKING 'UNCOMPROMISING' STANCE

"The United States has reached out to us regarding their bases in Middle Eastern countries," Zelenskyy wrote on X Thursday, adding that Saudi Arabia, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Jordan and Kuwait have also approached Ukraine.

He said Ukrainian teams are already on the ground sharing operational experience, particularly in countering mass drone attacks. 

"No matter how many Patriots, THAADs, or other air defense systems are in the Middle East, that alone is not enough," he wrote. "There are modern interceptors designed to counter heavy drone strikes."

Zelenskyy also indicated Ukraine is exploring defense trade arrangements, offering to sell surplus systems and expertise while seeking access to air defense missiles it currently lacks. "Funding is the scarcest resource today," he wrote, noting Ukraine’s defense industry is operating at roughly half capacity and needs additional financing to scale drone production.

In separate posts tied to an address at a Joint Expeditionary Force summit, Zelenskyy emphasized that Ukraine’s battlefield experience could play a broader role in European and global security.

"We have this experience. … Let’s bring all of this together even more," he wrote, calling for deeper cooperation with European partners and warning that the continent must build its own capacity to produce air defense systems rather than rely on external suppliers.

Fox News Digital reached out to the White House for comment and didn't receive a reply. 

Reuters contributed to this story.

EXCLUSIVE: As U.S., Israeli and allied forces continue to intercept the vast majority of Iranian missiles and drones, a new report and expert analysis reveal a growing concern behind the headline success: the cost and sustainability of the defense itself.

More than 90% of Iranian projectiles have been intercepted during the war, according to a report obtained by Fox News Digital from the Jewish Institute for National Security of America (JINSA), thanks to a layered regional air defense system built during years of coordination.

But beneath that success lies a widening imbalance that could shape the next phase of the conflict.

The report highlights a critical trend: Iran’s least expensive weapons are proving the most disruptive and are draining costly U.S. and Israeli interceptors.

IRAN’S REMAINING WEAPONS: HOW TEHRAN CAN STILL DISRUPT THE STRAIT OF HORMUZ

The current air defense architecture, integrating U.S., Israeli and Arab systems, has proven highly effective at stopping incoming threats. Early warning systems, shared radar coverage and pre-positioned assets have allowed multiple countries to work together to defeat Iranian missiles and drones.

During a press briefing on Wednesday, press secretary Karoline Leavitt said, "More than 9,000 enemy targets have been struck to date … Iran's ballistic missile attacks and drone attacks are down by roughly 90%," she said, adding that U.S. forces have also destroyed more than 140 Iranian naval vessels, including nearly 50 mine layers.

A surge of U.S. assets before the war, including Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD), batteries, Patriot systems, two carrier strike groups and roughly 200 fighter aircraft, helped absorb Iran’s opening salvos and maintain high interception rates, according to JINSA's report.

But Ari Cicurel, associate director of foreign policy at JINSA and author of the report, said focusing only on interception percentages misses the bigger picture.

"Overall high missile and drone interception rates have been important but only tell part of the story," Cicurel told Fox News Digital. "Iran came into this war with a deliberate plan to dismantle the architecture that makes those intercepts possible. It has struck energy infrastructure to upset markets and used cluster munitions to achieve higher hit rates."

IRAN’S DRONE SWARMS CHALLENGE US AIR DEFENSES AS TROOPS IN MIDDLE EAST FACE RISING THREATS

Danny Citrinowicz, a Middle East and national security expert at Institute for National Security Studies and a nonresident fellow at the Atlantic Council, said that imbalance is at the heart of the problem. 

"There needs to be a change in the equation," he told Fox News Digital. "The Iranians are launching drones that cost around $30,000, and we are using missiles that cost millions of dollars to intercept them. That gap is a very problematic one."

He added that the same dynamic applies to ballistic missiles.

"Building a missile in Iran may cost a few hundred thousand dollars, while the interceptor costs millions, especially when we talk about systems like Arrow," he said. "It’s easier and quicker to produce missiles than it is to build interceptors. That’s not a secret."

This cost imbalance is feeding into a broader concern: interceptor depletion.

The JINSA report warns that stockpiles across the region are already under strain. Some Gulf states have used a significant portion of their interceptor inventories, with estimates suggesting Bahrain may have expended up to 87% of its Patriot missiles, the United Arab Emirates and Kuwait have used roughly 75% and Qatar has used roughly 40%. 

Israel is also facing mounting pressure. While officials have not publicly confirmed stockpile levels, the report notes signs of rationing, including decisions not to intercept certain cluster-munition threats in order to conserve more advanced interceptors.

PENTAGON ESTIMATES IRAN WAR COST $11.3B IN THE FIRST SIX DAYS IN CLOSED-DOOR CONGRESSIONAL HEARING: REPORT

Citrinowicz said that dynamics become more acute the longer the war continues.

"We are now several weeks into the war, and even if the salvos are limited, the issue of interceptors becomes more significant over time," he said.

Iran has adapted its tactics accordingly, shifting from large barrages to smaller, more frequent attacks designed to maintain constant pressure while gradually draining defensive resources.

These persistent salvos, even if limited in size, force defenders to remain on high alert and continue expending interceptors, accelerating the depletion of already finite stockpiles.

The report underscores that drones pose a unique challenge compared to ballistic missiles.

Unlike missiles, which rely on large launchers and leave detectable signatures, drones can be launched from mobile platforms and can fly at low altitudes that make them harder for radar systems to detect.

For example, A Shahed-136 weighs roughly 200 kilograms and launches from an angled rail mounted on a pickup truck, after which the crew can quickly relocate. That simpler launch profile makes it easier for Iran to disperse, conceal and fire under pressure, the report stated.

Iran also has incorporated lessons from the war in Ukraine, deploying more advanced drones, including those guided by fiber-optic cables that are immune to electronic jamming, and faster variants powered by jet engines.

These innovations complicate interception timelines and increase the likelihood of successful strikes, even against otherwise effective defense systems.

INSIDE THE ISRAELI DRONE UNIT TAKING ON IRAN AND HEZBOLLAH

Despite these challenges, the report emphasizes that the defensive architecture has not failed.

"The architecture has held, but the trajectory is moving in the wrong direction," Cicurel said. "Reversing it requires moving assets to where the pressure is greatest, hunting Iranian launchers and drones more aggressively, and convoying ships through the Gulf."

Even with high interception rates, the broader impact of the attacks is being felt.

Iranian strikes on energy infrastructure and shipping have driven oil prices higher and disrupted traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, demonstrating that air defense alone cannot prevent economic and strategic consequences.

The emerging picture is not one of failing defenses, but of a system under growing strain.

As long as Iran can produce cheap drones and missiles faster than the U.S., Israel and their partners can produce interceptors, the balance may gradually shift.

"As long as the war continues," Citrinowicz said, "the key question will be whether Iran can produce missiles faster than we can produce interceptors."

Iran could significantly increase U.S. casualties if its elite military and proxy forces shift to guerrilla-style hit-and-run attacks in the region, a leading military analyst has warned.

Michael Eisenstadt of the Washington Institute for Near East Policy spoke as the Pentagon moved elements of the Army’s 82nd Airborne Division into the Middle East amid a new escalation in the conflict, according to reports.

"Iran has large infantry units in its military that are equivalent to the brigade combat team of the 82nd Airborne," Eisenstadt, a former U.S. Army Reserve officer, told Fox News Digital.

"The 82nd Force is too small to cause significant harm to Iran, but it is large enough to be vulnerable to Iranian strikes, and this would enable Iran to significantly increase U.S. casualties," he said.

HEGSETH WARNS ‘MORE CASUALTIES’ EXPECTED IN OPERATION EPIC FURY AGAINST IRAN

Eisenstadt, who has worked as a U.S. government military analyst, claimed that, even if major conventional operations begin to wind down in the Middle East region, the danger may only evolve rather than disappear.

"We could see an end to major combat operations, with activity shifting to guerrilla-style hit-and-run attacks in the Gulf and other gray-zone activities by Iran," he said.

"Think of the aftermath of the 1991 Gulf War with Iraq, in which we had to contain the Iraqis for a decade after a very successful war."

US COULD TAKE IRAN’S MAIN OIL EXPORT HUB ‘AT A TIME OF OUR CHOOSING,’ JACK KEANE SAYS

Fox News chief national security correspondent Jennifer Griffin reported Wednesday that the U.S. has ordered the deployment of an additional 82nd Airborne forces to the region.

The contingent is expected to include Maj. Gen. Brandon R. Tegtmeier, the division commander, elements of his headquarters staff, and infantry battalions from the division’s Immediate Response Force. 

Officials also indicated that the total number of troops ultimately sent could still change.

Eisenstadt said this new deployment is intended to increase pressure on Tehran as the U.S. pushes for new ceasefire terms, set in place by President Donald Trump.

WINNING THE BATTLES, LOSING THE WAR? AMERICA MUST DEFINE THE ENDGAME IN IRAN

"This deployment is intended to create leverage over Iran and pressure it to accept U.S. terms for a ceasefire agreement. It would also create military options if Iran rejects those terms," he said.

In that scenario, he said, the 82nd could potentially operate alongside Marine expeditionary units in operations to seize and hold terrain, including Kharg Island, located roughly 20 miles off Iran’s Gulf coast.

U.S. forces struck military targets there March 13, destroying more than 90 Iranian military sites while deliberately sparing key oil infrastructure, according to multiple reports.

IRAN’S REMAINING WEAPONS: HOW TEHRAN CAN STILL DISRUPT THE STRAIT OF HORMUZ

"The brigade combat team of the 82nd could work with the 11th and 31st MEUs, or independently, to seize and hold terrain — such as Kharg Island," Eisenstadt said.

"This would provide leverage over Iran by denying it the ability to export oil and helping end the war on terms favorable to the U.S."

"There are risks involved though, because Iranian units on the mainland could bombard Kharg Island and inflict casualties on U.S. troops there also," Eisenstadt said.

JACK KEANE WARNS CEASEFIRE WITH IRAN WOULD 'PLAY RIGHT INTO THEIR HANDS' AS TRUMP SIGNALS DEAL PROGRESS

The latest military buildup comes as the conflict that began with Operation Epic Fury on Feb. 28, has also centered on the Strait of Hormuz, with Iran restricting access.

"The 82nd deployment is intended to increase psychological pressure on Iran and support efforts to reopen the Strait of Hormuz so it can once again be used by all countries," Eisenstadt explained.

The 82nd Airborne is one of the U.S. military’s premier rapid-response units, trained to parachute into hostile or contested territory to secure key ground and airfields.

Portions of the division have also spent recent days at the Joint Readiness Training Center, sharpening infiltration, surveillance, combat and resupply skills, Axios reported.

"Iranian military officials have welcomed news of the dispatch of these units to the Gulf because it potentially creates options for them to impose costs on the U.S.," Eisenstadt said.

The man reportedly being floated by the Trump administration as a possible interlocutor with Iran is also one of the regime’s most hardline figures — Iranian parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, a longtime Revolutionary Guards commander, widely described by experts as a loyal "yes man," with a record of threats against the United States and deep ties to the system’s inner circle.

That contradiction underscores the central question facing U.S. policymakers: Even if Washington is speaking to the "right people," as President Donald Trump has claimed, can someone like Ghalibaf actually deliver?

"Ghalibaf doesn’t have an independent line. His strength is that he is a ‘yes man,’" said Beni Sabti, an Iran expert at the Institute for National Security Studies. He added, "If he is told to shake hands with Special Envoy Steve Witkoff, he will do it. If he is told to escalate, he will. It is not about moderation, it is about who gives the orders."

AS AIRSTRIKES RAIN DOWN ON THE IRANIAN REGIME, CAN A FRACTURED OPPOSITION UNITE TO LEAD IF IT FALLS?

Ghalibaf, 64, is a product of Iran’s security establishment.

He rose through the ranks of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps during the Iran-Iraq War, eventually becoming commander of the IRGC air force.

"He even completed flight training abroad, which was not unusual at the time, with France reportedly assisting at one stage. Until recently, he was still conducting training flights in France," said Sabti.

He later served as Iran’s national police chief, overseeing internal security forces responsible for suppressing protests, including the 1999 student uprising, alongside Qassem Soleimani.

After transitioning into politics, Ghalibaf attempted to run for president multiple times but failed. He instead built his career through loyalty to the system, serving as Tehran’s mayor for more than a decade before becoming speaker of parliament in 2020.

"Ghalibaf went on to serve in senior national roles and is now speaker of parliament. He has consistently aligned himself with the supreme leader and follows directives rather than setting his own independent positions," Sabti said.

"His name has also been linked to multiple corruption allegations, including misuse of oil revenues and sanctions evasion networks involving his family. His sons have reportedly been involved and are under sanctions," Sabti said, adding, "There have also been public scandals involving family members traveling abroad and making luxury purchases, including widely circulated images of them arriving with numerous high-end Gucci suitcases."

IRAN’S NEW SUPREME LEADER IS ‘HIS FATHER ON STEROIDS,’ EXPERTS WARN OF HARDLINE RULE

Ghalibaf’s wartime statements reflect a hardening tone inside Iran’s leadership.

He has rejected ceasefire terms, declaring Iran would continue fighting "until the enemy truly regrets its aggression."

He has also warned that attacks on Iranian infrastructure would trigger retaliation across the region, including against energy targets.

At the same time, he has publicly denied any negotiations with the United States, calling reports of talks "fake news" and accusing Washington of manipulating markets.

In remarks aired on Iranian television on January 12, 2026, he warned that U.S. forces would face catastrophic consequences if they confronted Iran. "Come, so you can see what catastrophe befalls American bases, ships and forces," he said, adding that American troops would be "burned by the fire of Iran’s defenders."

In the same remarks, broadcast and translated by MEMRI, he described the U.S. president as "delusional and arrogant," and framed Iran’s ideology as a growing global movement.

More recently, he escalated further. He warned that "the blood of American soldiers is the personal responsibility of Trump," and vowed Iran would "settle accounts with the Americans and Israelis," adding that "Trump and Netanyahu crossed our red lines and will pay the price."

He has also threatened retaliation against regional energy infrastructure, signaling a willingness to expand the conflict beyond direct military confrontation.

"He’s considered relatively moderate in the current Iranian context, but he’s not the one calling the shots. He’s not the leader himself," Danny Citrinowicz, Middle East, National Security and intelligence expert, told Fox News Digital that adding that Ghalibaf may serve as a channel to Iran’s leadership, but not as the ultimate authority.

"If you want to speak to someone in Iran, he’s probably the point of contact," he said. "But he’s not deciding anything. Even if he wants to do something, he has to get approval from the IRGC and the supreme leadership."

Sabti said that "Some point to periods during Rouhani’s presidency when he appeared to align with Rouhani and describe him as somewhat moderate, but that is misleading," he said.

TRUMP SAYS IRAN WANTS TO TALK BUT WHO WILL LEAD AFTER KHAMENEI?

Analysts say the bigger issue is not Ghalibaf himself, but the system he operates within.

Behnam Ben Taleblu, a senior fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, said: "Those who see the ascendance of someone like Ghalibaf, who is an IRGC veteran, as extending power outside his traditional civilian role have missed how personality, not profession, has been the driving force in Iranian politics for decades. Those who focus on IRGC backgrounds in the Supreme National Security Council may also overlook that recent secretaries — Shamkhani, Larijani and Ahmadian — all had IRGC backgrounds."

"The system today is more radicalized and decentralized," Citrinowicz agreed. "It’s not one person. It’s multiple actors you need to coordinate with, which makes it much harder to negotiate."

"I’m not saying it’s impossible, because this is still the Middle East, but it will be very difficult to reach an agreement with them, let alone one that reflects the same demands the U.S. was making before the war. There is no way they are going to agree to that," he added.

Citrinowicz said the regime sees themselves as prevailing. "From Iran’s perspective, they are winning, not losing. They are using their strategic capabilities and effectively threatening a choke point in the global economy, namely the Strait of Hormuz. That only reinforces the radicalization taking place inside the regime. Under those conditions, they will be the ones making demands of Trump, not the other way around."

Even if talks were to take place, he said, Ghalibaf would not be able to commit Iran without broader approval.

A new analysis of social media activity during the opening days of Operation Epic Fury suggests that much of the online backlash and anti-Israel content may not have been driven by Americans at all.

The report identified recurring narratives pushed by foreign-based accounts, including claims that the operation was a "betrayal of MAGA," "highly unpopular with the American people" and carried out "on behalf of Israel."

Sixty percent of the most viral posts on X mentioning "Iran" during the first week of the operation originated from accounts based outside the United States — despite often presenting themselves as American voices, according to research conducted by Argyle Consulting Group, a private intelligence and data analysis firm.

WITH DOGS, DANCE AND UNCOVERED HAIR, IRANIANS DEFY 'UNHOLY ALLIANCE' OF SOCIALISTS, RADICALS: ‘HYPOCRITES!’

"These aren’t just random opinions," Eran Vasker, CEO and co-founder of Argyle Consulting Group, told Fox News Digital. 

"What we’re seeing is discourse that looks American — written in English, using U.S. political language — but is actually coming from outside the country … almost impossible for a regular user to detect," Vasker said, explaining that the accounts "look very American" and mirror domestic political language and debates.

The analysis examined 100 highly X viral posts — each with more than 10,000 shares — between Feb. 28 and March 7. In total, posts containing the word "Iran" generated 98 million posts, 696.4 million interactions, and an estimated 1.5 trillion potential views, making it one of the largest online information events on record. 

Foreign accounts alone generated 155.6 million views, compared to 93.4 million from U.S.-based accounts, outpacing them by more than 60 million views in the sample.

Even more striking, every single foreign-based post in the dataset was negative toward the operation, while the only supportive content came from U.S.-based users, Argyle found. 

WHY TRUMP IS DENOUNCING THE MEDIA’S IRAN WAR COVERAGE AS TOO NEGATIVE – BOOSTED BY RHETORICAL FCC BACKING

JP Castellanos, Binary Defense director of threat intelligence and a former member of U.S. Central Command’s Active Cyber Defense Team, said much of the activity is focused on Israel and combines disruption with messaging. 

"About 42% of the attacks that we’re seeing or the claims that we’re seeing online are directed toward Israel," Castellanos said.

He also pointed to doxing campaigns and AI-generated videos "trying to basically shape the information space."

Much of the challenge, Castellanos said, is distinguishing real cyber incidents from inflated online claims by hacktivist groups seeking attention.

"A lot of times, these are just claims that they put online," he said. 

BLOODY NYC KHAMENEI VIGIL REVEALS ANTI-US PROTEST NETWORK LINKED TO IRAN

Researchers said the scale, consistency and geographic spread of the messaging point to a coordinated effort rather than organic global debate.

Cyber threat analysts say that an online narrative campaign is unfolding alongside broader activity by pro-Iranian and aligned groups across the digital space.

One of the most prominent groups to emerge in the current conflict, Castellanos said, is Handala, an Iran-linked hacking operation that has claimed responsibility for attacks on both U.S. and Israeli targets. 

Among the most influential voices driving engagement, seven of the top 10 accounts were based outside the United States, including accounts linked to Russia, the United Arab Emirates, the United Kingdom and South Asia.

U.S. authorities and cybersecurity firms have linked Handala to Iran’s Ministry of Intelligence and Security, describing it as part of a broader effort combining cyberattacks with psychological and information operations.

The cybersecurity researchers told Fox News Digital Handala is part of a wider network of Iran-aligned and pro-Russian hacktivist groups that have mobilized since the start of the war, blending disruptive cyber activity with narrative-shaping campaigns online.

Fox News Digital reached out to X multiple times, providing a list of the accounts in question per their request, but has not yet received a response.

Police in the United Kingdom arrested two men Wednesday allegedly behind what Prime Minister Keir Starmer described as an "antisemitic arson attack" as detectives are investigating a possible Iran link. 

Metropolitan Police said the men, ages 45 and 47, were detained at addresses in northwest and central London on suspicion of arson with intent to endanger life and that their properties are being searched. On Monday, "Four ambulances from Hatzola, a volunteer-led ambulance service operating in the Golders Green area of north London, were set on fire," according to police. 

"The antisemitic arson attack in Golders Green is horrifying," Starmer said on X in reaction to the incident. 

A video circulating online purports to show Harakat Ashab al-Yamin al-Islamiyya, an Iran-linked group that has claimed responsibility for recent attacks on Jewish sites in Belgium and the Netherlands, taking credit for the London attack, according to the Jewish Chronicle.

UK COUNTERTERRORISM POLICE PROBE ANTISEMITIC ARSON ATTACK AS IRAN-LINKED GROUP CLAIMS RESPONSIBILITY

"We are aware of an online claim from a group taking responsibility for this attack," Detective Chief Superintendent Luke Williams of the Metropolitan Police previously said. "Establishing the authenticity and accuracy of this claim will be a priority… but it is not something we can confirm at this point." 

When asked about the possible Iran link on Wednesday, the Metropolitan Police told Fox News Digital that establishing any potential motivation behind the attack is part of the ongoing investigation but that it could not comment further at this time. 

Commander Helen Flanagan, Head of Counterterrorism Policing London, which the Metropolitan Police said is leading the investigation, said Wednesday, "We have been working around the clock since this appalling attack took place and this has led to these arrests being made this morning."

BELGIUM DEPLOYS MILITARY TO PROTECT JEWISH SITES AFTER ANTISEMITIC SYNAGOGUE EXPLOSION

"This appears to be an important breakthrough in the investigation, but we’re also mindful that CCTV footage of the incident suggests there were at least three people involved," she added. "We fully recognize the local community will still be concerned and our investigation very much remains active and we will continue to work to identify and seek to arrest all of those who may have been involved." 

"We know that community concerns remain heightened and I want to reassure the community that an enhanced, bespoke policing plan and activity, which is particularly focused around vulnerable areas right across London, will continue over coming days and weeks," Williams said Wednesday.

"This includes specialist officers and capability being deployed alongside local officers to help protect certain locations and will also involve highly visible armed police patrols to serve as a deterrent to anyone seeking to cause our communities harm," he continued. "I must stress that these are precautionary and not in response to any specific threat, and we continue to work alongside our colleagues in Counter Terrorism policing to support their investigation." 

Fox News Digital’s Efrat Lachter contributed to this report.