War Secretary Pete Hegseth on Thursday said the United States remains committed to helping defend Bolivia's fragile government amid ongoing warnings of a coup d’état.

In a post on X, Hegseth said the War Department and the Americas Counter Cartel Coalition (A3C), a recently established multinational military and political alliance, reject all attempts to overthrow the government of Rodrigo Paz Pereira a mere six months into his term.

"The United States is watching. Bolivia must not allow itself to fall prey to the old status quo of narco-terrorist dominance in the region," Hegseth wrote. "We will continue to support our A3C partners like Bolivia to ensure that narco-terrorists are deterred from profiting on death and destruction in our hemisphere."

PETE HEGSETH MAKES HOMELAND SECURITY TOP MISSION IN FIRST INTERVIEW AS SECRETARY OF WAR

Bolivia's capital, La Paz, has been rocked by weeks of social unrest as mass protests have blocked streets in major cities amid economic inflation and rising fuel prices.

Bolivian Defense Minister Marcelo Salinas resigned Tuesday.

Upon taking office, Paz supported a land reform bill to boost agribusiness that Indigenous farmers said put them at risk of eviction. He further scrapped fuel subsidies, sending prices surging by nearly 90%. Motorists complained that the gasoline was contaminated and ruined their cars.

The Trump administration has said drug traffickers are responsible for inciting the mass unrest.

RUBIO IDENTIFIES 'SINGLE MOST SERIOUS THREAT' TO THE US FROM WESTERN HEMISPHERE

"Let there be no mistake: the United States stands squarely in support of Bolivia's legitimate constitutional government," Secretary of State Marco Rubio wrote Wednesday on X. "We will not allow criminals and drug traffickers to overthrow democratically elected leaders in our hemisphere."

"Let us not make any mistake about that; it is a coup financed by this perverse alliance between politics and organized crime across the region," Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau said Tuesday, stating that the protests were part of an ongoing "coup d’état."

Meanwhile, former President Evo Morales, the country's first Indigenous president who ruled for an unprecedented 14 years, is calling for early elections. "Paz only has two paths left: a suicidal decision like militarization or ... an election in the next 90 days," he wrote on X.

For almost two years now, Morales has been hiding out in Bolivia's central coca-growing Chapare region, evading an arrest warrant on human trafficking charges relating to allegedly having sex with a 15-year-old girl. He rejects the allegations as politically motivated.

Amid President Donald Trump’s Monday announcement that a deal with Iran’s clerical regime is imminent to re-open the Strait of Hormuz and negotiate an end to Tehran’s illicit nuclear weapons program, Iranians who hoped U.S. pressure would force a decisive outcome now fear it may survive while ordinary people absorb the costs.

"Inside Iran, the mood has shifted from early-war optimism to a kind of exhausted resignation, but there is still some hope that this is the moment President Trump will use his leverage to do the right thing. The Iranian people understand this unusually narrow but strategic window," Lisa Daftari, editor-in-chief of The Foreign Desk who keeps in contact with Iranians on the ground, told Fox News Digital.

She continued that ,"The regime is fiscally strained and politically brittle, while the broader population has been disillusioned by years of repression and economic collapse. Iranians do see this as a one‑time opportunity for Washington — and President Trump in particular — to translate military and economic leverage into the potential collapse of an irrefromable regime. If the outcome is a shallow agreement that props up the system without changing its trajectory, that window will likely close for years."

TRUMP’S LEADERSHIP CREATES 'RARE OPPORTUNITY' FOR CHANGE IN IRAN, FORMER IRANIAN POLITICAL PRISONER SAYS

She continued, "If instead, the U.S. holds firm on sanctions and nuclear red lines, it can weaken the regime’s hand without punishing the Iranian people, who have already paid the highest price."

Daftari, the Iran expert, shared recent correspondence from two Iranians from Tabriz and Tehran.

The resident from Tabriz said, "From my perspective, decades of political tension between Iran and the United States have had their greatest impact on ordinary people rather than those in power. Many families feel their voices are not being heard in international discussions about Iran." Adding, "I respectfully ask whether you might consider sharing or highlighting the human side of this situation, so that the experiences of ordinary Iranian families are not overlooked in political discussions and media coverage."

The Tehran resident said, "Today, the people of Iran believe in the future. On days when economic pressure makes the faces of the Iranian people sad, the word ‘unity’ brings a smile to their lips. Our situation is not good, but we are motivated."

Fox News Digital surveyed a few Iranians and agreed to use only their first names because the clerical regime has declared the use of Starlink to bypass the censor a criminal act. A sophisticated clandestine network has managed to smuggle some satellite internet technology into Iran to allow people to communicate with the world outside the Islamist state.

Hassan, who lives in Tehran, pleaded with President Trump to keep strong in his dealings with the regime, saying that "Things have gotten so bad that even if you wanted to give up and leave Iran and just focus on your own life and work, it feels like there’s nowhere left to turn. Mr. Trump, through these deals and arrangements, has left people feeling trapped, with no road left open."

Mehdi, who resides in Tehran, expressed confusion about the existence of an agreement. He said, "So what exactly are they agreeing on? Are they saying they’re close to a deal or are there other discussions too? Every minute there is a new piece of news, everyone has a new analysis, everything changes every minute. It’s strange. This war achieved nothing. We’re the only ones left paying the price," he complained.

THE WAR HITS HOME: WHY FINANCIAL PAIN AND ECONOMIC UNCERTAINTY THREATEN TRUMP’S DRIVE TO TOPPLE IRAN’S REGIME

Hassan from Tehran said that "Mr. Trump, if until yesterday most Iranians thought they were on the same path as America, you caused them all to become disappointed. "Mr. Trump, if you wanted this government to remain in power, why did you blow up factories? Now workers are being laid off, and inflation is out of control. Even with a salary of 18 million tomans, you cannot feed yourself."

Mahsa, from the Caspian Sea city of Rasht, told Fox News Digital that the system [Islamic Republic of Iran] is still fully intact. They don’t care how many people died. If anything, they seem more emboldened now and even take pride in martyrdom. Yesterday I argued with a regime supporter [who] said: "Our leader didn’t give away a single meter of land, didn’t take a step backward, unlike previous kings who gave away Bahrain, Baku, Nakhchivan, and others."

The concerns among many Iranians revolve around the proposed memorandum of understanding between the U.S. and Iran’s regime. The MOU does not address the overthrow of the clerical regime or human rights violations, according to media reports.  Large numbers of Iranians within Iran and among the Iranian diaspora want the Trump administration to topple the Islamist dictatorship in Tehran.

The MOU reportedly involves a 60-day ceasefire extension. Israel and the U.S. launched a joint attack on Iran on February 28. The MOU would also see the reopening the Strait of Hormuz and new talks over Iran's illicit nuclear weapons program.

The leaked elements of the MOU have not been confirmed by the Trump administration.

When asked about the concern among Iranians about a deal with the Islamic Republic, Anna Kelly, a spokeswoman for the White House, told Fox News Digital that "For 47 years, American Presidents and countless other world leaders talked about the threat posed by Iran, but no one had the courage to address it. President Trump took decisive action to ensure that Iran could never harm our homeland, our troops, or our allies again. Once Iran’s nuclear threat is removed for good, the entire region and its people will be safer and more stable."

IRAN REGIME ESCALATES REPRESSION TOWARD 'NORTH KOREA-STYLE MODEL OF ISOLATION AND CONTROL'

However, Trump said last week during his cabinet meeting, "We didn’t set out for regime change," adding, "But by the fact that we’re dealing with a totally different group of people than we were at the beginning … This is regime change."

Reza Farnood, an Iranian American who supports the Trump administration and is a researcher, writer and activist, urged that President Trump continue with his maximum pressure campaign against Tehran.

Farnood told Fox News Digital, "We welcome the bombing and attacking the regime because we are aiming to overthrow the regime." He urged that Trump continue the blockade of Iran’s vessels and deny money to the regime. He said sanctions relief will be used by Iran "against the U.S. and Israel and their allies and innocent Iranians."

Farnood stressed that the clerical regime is holding the Iranian people "hostage."

Kianoosh, who lives in the northern city of Karaj, the capital of  Alborz province, said about Trump’s proposed deal: "You threw six months of our lives into hell. What answer are "you going to give to the mothers of all those children who were killed? Why did you give people false hope? Why did you hand down a death sentence to everything so many people believed in?"

Leading U.S. Senators well-versed in foreign policy have praised Trump’s approach to the Islamic Republic. Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-SC., recently told Fox News’ Sean Hannity "On Trump’s watch, they’re [Iran’s regime] becoming poorer and weaker. That’s the difference."

TRUMP’S 'ECONOMIC FURY' SQUEEZES IRAN — BUT CAN TEHRAN OUTLAST THE PRESSURE?

Graham juxtaposed Trump’s Iran policy with his predecessors. "Obama and Biden screwed Iran up, and Donald Trump is fixing it. On Obama and Biden’s watch, Iran became rich and lethal," he said. "On Trump’s watch, they’re becoming poorer and weaker. That’s the difference."

Iran is running dangerously low on oil storage capacity and could face a severe economic breaking point if forced to halt production, former U.S. Energy Secretary Dan Brouillette recently told Fox News.

Trump has said that Iran’s regime murdered as many as 45,000 Iranian demonstrators in January 2026. He urged just days after the mass murder that protesters keep going and promised them that "help is on its way."

Lawdan Bazargan, a prominent Iranian-American activist who the regime imprisoned in its infamous Evin Prison in Tehran in the 1980s for political dissent, told Fox News Digital that the Iranians she’s spoken with are discouraged by Trump’s dealings. "He was one of the few world leaders who repeatedly spoke about the thousands of Iranians killed in January 2026 and expressed disgust at the sheer brutality of the Islamic Republic. He had promised support for the Iranian people and raised expectations that meaningful change might finally come."

She continued: "Now, 88 days later, many people feel they are left facing the same regime, one that appears more emboldened, more ideological, and still willing to repress, execute, and arrest people. The economy has been devastated, and many feel trapped between a government with no mercy and a future with no clear path forward.

For years, 90 million Iranians have lived as hostages of the Islamic Republic. Now, many fear that the consequences no longer stop at Iran’s borders, through threats to global energy routes, regional stability, and even digital infrastructure."

According to Bazargan, "The question many ordinary Iranians are asking is simple: How are people expected to fight a system that feels victorious, controls the weapons, controls the narrative through a massive propaganda machine, and possesses countless tools of repression?"

Ali, who is also from the sprawling capital city of Tehran, complained about the spiraling prices and inflation and disappointment that the regime is still in place.

"For a government with state-provided housing and billions in patronage and privileges, what difference did any of this make for its supporters?"

Ali added: "We’re the ones who are paying the price and getting crushed. How are our children ever supposed to afford these housing and car prices, and how are they supposed to get married?"

The U.S. State Department referred Fox News Digital to the White House for a comment.

UNITED NATIONS: Romania’s foreign minister told Fox News Digital that Bucharest answered the Trump administration’s call for allied support in the Middle East by allowing the use of Romanian military bases for "defensive activities" related to tensions with Iran and efforts to reopen the Strait of Hormuz.

"We have allowed for access to defensive activities, such as air refueling, for example, because we do believe allies need to rely on each other," Romania’s interim Foreign Affairs Minister Oana-Silvia Ţoiu said in an exclusive interview at the United Nations.

"We’re not part of the war, nor do we intend to become part of war, but we are part of an effort to ensure common defense, and we are a part of a diplomatic effort to ensure the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz," she said.

Ţoiu’s comments come as President Donald Trump has repeatedly pressed European allies to increase defense spending and take a larger role in global security efforts, including maritime security in the Middle East.

NATO LEADERS PREDICT ERA OF 2% DEFENSE SPENDING 'PROBABLY HISTORY' AS TRUMP REPORTEDLY FLOATS HIGHER TARGET

Ţoiu acknowledged growing tensions between Washington and some European allies over support related to the conflict with Iran, but said both sides recognize the need for closer coordination.

"I’m pretty sure that both on the U.S. side and the European side, we do understand that we need to enhance our dialog in order to prevent moments when we create tension in the transatlantic partnership," she told Fox News Digital. "And I do believe a better dialog ahead of time on all sides leads to better results, specifically on the request of help in terms of the conflict in the Middle East."

The Romanian foreign minister said Bucharest approved the use of its military bases and infrastructure for defensive operations linked to regional security efforts.

"Romania has approved through Parliament the proposal of the President, the ministry of foreign affairs and the ministry for defense and the prime minister, the use of our military bases and infrastructure for defensive activities, for activities such as air-fuelling, for example, because we are aware of the fact that it is needed that we trust each other," she said.

"I think we share clear objectives here in Europe, between the U.S. and countries around the world, such as lowering energy prices, such as allowing for fertilizers not to be blocked anymore there."

MIKE WALTZ PUSHES UN RESOLUTION TO STOP IRAN MINING KEY GLOBAL SHIPPING ROUTE

Romania, a NATO member bordering Ukraine, has emerged as one of the alliance’s key eastern flank states amid growing concerns over both Russia’s war in Ukraine and instability in the Middle East.

"We do agree with President Trump on the need to increase budgets," Ţoiu said.

She noted that Romania raised defense spending to 2% of GDP during Trump’s previous term and plans to allocate an average of 3.4% next year through a combination of military procurement and strategic infrastructure investments.

Her remarks came just hours after Romania requested an emergency meeting of the United Nations Security Council on Tuesday following a Russian drone strike that hit a residential building in the Romanian city of Galați on May 29.

The emergency briefing marked the first time in Romania’s roughly 70-year history at the United Nations that it requested a Security Council session over a direct threat to its national security, according to Romanian officials.

MULTIPLE ALLIES DECLINE US CALLS FOR STRAIT OF HORMUZ SUPPORT AMID RISING MIDDLE EAST TENSIONS

Speaking at the Security Council, Ţoiu said a drone carrying explosives violated Romanian airspace for approximately four minutes before crashing into the 10th floor of a residential building, injuring a mother and child.

"We do have the military analysis that shows clearly that it is a Russian-made drone in type of design, type of pieces of equipment, and also the chemical analysis that they have done," she told Fox News Digital.

Ţoiu said the drone was believed to be part of a larger Russian attack targeting Ukrainian civilian infrastructure near the Danube River.

"We wanted to call on the international community to make sure we collectively state that this is a blatant violation of international law," she said.

"And irrespective of whether that was the intention or not, the responsibility is very clear. And these reckless escalations need to stop."

BALTIC LEADERS RIP UN SECURITY COUNCIL AS POWERLESS WHILE RUSSIA HOLDS VETO SEAT

Russia’s U.N. Ambassador Vasily Nebenzya rejected the accusations during the session, calling them "unfounded and biased."

Nebenzya argued that if a Geran-2 drone had directly hit the building, the damage would have been far more severe, claiming Romanian media footage showed only fire damage rather than complete destruction.

He also called for a "thorough, objective, and depoliticized investigation" involving Russia and suggested the incident could have been a Ukrainian provocation intended to drag NATO deeper into the war.

Ţoiu pushed back against Moscow’s position and questioned how a permanent member of the Security Council can simultaneously act as an aggressor state.

"We do now have a question that's not just a question on Romania's side, but the question of the international community of how can a member of the Security Council contribute to its mission there, which is peace and security, while also being an aggressor state," she said.

"And of course, its veto [ is not currently] used towards peace and security."

The United States joined more than 50 countries backing Romania in a joint statement condemning the strike.

U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Mike Waltz later wrote on X that he met with Ţoiu following "the reckless Russian drone strike on a Romanian apartment building.

"The violence must end before more innocent people suffer," Waltz wrote.

Ţoiu told Fox News Digital she also held meetings with the U.S. delegation at the United Nations following the emergency session.

"The United States has joined our common statement alongside more than 50 countries in making a clear public message on the attack," she said.

"We are working with the United States not just through our partnership in NATO, but also strategic partners."

The Israel Defense Forces announced Tuesday that it eliminated a Hamas terrorist who helped abduct American-Israeli hostage Hersh Goldberg-Polin, who ultimately was murdered in the Gaza Strip. 

The IDF said Yousef Ayesh Awad Ramadan, a deputy commander of a Hamas Nukhba terrorist cell, was killed in the central Gaza Strip on Monday. Nukhba, which is Arabic for elite, is the special forces for the Al-Qassam Brigades, which is Hamas' military wing. 

"Ramadan infiltrated Israeli territory during the October 7th massacre and took part in the abduction of Hersh Goldberg-Polin, Eliya Cohen, Alon Ohel, and Or Levy from the bomb shelter at the Re’im Junction," the IDF said Tuesday. 

"In addition, throughout the war, and in recent weeks, the terrorist advanced attack plans against IDF soldiers and Israeli civilians. As such, he posed an immediate threat to IDF troops operating in the Gaza Strip," it continued.

HAMAS STRUGGLES TO FILL LEADERSHIP RANKS AS ISRAEL HUNTS OCTOBER 7 TERRORISTS

Goldberg-Polin survived almost 11 months in underground tunnels following his capture but was killed alongside other hostages in August 2024, while still in captivity. He was 23 at the time of his death. 

"According to our initial assessment, they were brutally murdered by Hamas terrorists shortly before we reached them," then- IDF spokesperson Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari said. 

Goldberg-Polin was abducted at a music festival in southern Israel during Hamas' Oct. 7 attack against the Jewish State.

He lost part of his left arm to a grenade in the attack.  

PENTAGON HOSTS FIRST-EVER ISRAELI-LEBANESE MILITARY TALKS AIMED AT CURBING HEZBOLLAH

Eliya Cohen survived 505 days in captivity. He faced extreme starvation, was kept chained in tunnels, and had surgery for a gunshot wound without anesthesia. He was released in February 2025 as part of a negotiated deal.

Or Levy survived 491 days in captivity. He endured harsh conditions and only learned after his release that his wife, Einav, had been killed in the Oct. 7 attack. He has since reunited with his young son.

Alon Ohel spent more than two years as a hostage in Gaza until his release in October last year. 

A talented pianist, he endured starvation, torture and serious eye injuries from a grenade. He was freed on Oct. 13, 2025, through a U.S.-brokered deal and returned home to recover. He now performs with Israeli artists.

Fox News’ Yonat Friling, Robert McGreevy and Landon Mion contributed to this report.

Colombia’s first-round presidential election, won by tough-talking conservative Abelardo de la Espriella, signaled what analysts describe as a growing backlash across Latin America against leftist governments.

The presidential election could carry significant implications for U.S. interests in the region, including drug trafficking, migration and regional stability, as voters increasingly prioritize security, counternarcotics policies and economic stability ahead of a June 21 runoff between de la Espriella and leftist candidate Ivan Cepeda.

"For the Trump administration, a Colombia that recommits itself to security cooperation, counternarcotics efforts, and stronger democratic institutions would be a major win and an important step forward towards restoring stability across the Western Hemisphere," Melissa Ford Maldonado of the America First Policy Institute (AFPI) told Fox News Digital from Colombia.

ANTI-CARTEL HARDLINER CHANNELS TRUMP IN BID TO END COLOMBIA'S LEFTIST ERA IN PIVOTAL ELECTION

"What happens in Colombia affects the flow of drugs into American communities, the strength of transnational criminal networks, migration pressures and the broader balance between democratic governments and criminalized regimes throughout the region," she added.

The first-round winner, de la Espriella, a conservative lawyer and political outsider known as "El Tigre" ("The Tiger"), has emerged as the face of Colombia's security-focused shift. 

An admirer of President Donald Trump and El Salvador's President Nayib Bukele, won 43.7% of the vote Sunday, outperforming most polls and advancing to a runoff against left-wing Cepeda, the candidate backed by President Gustavo Petro. 

His campaign has centered on a hardline crackdown on criminal organizations, which he argues have flourished under Petro's "Total Peace" policy.

In an interview with the Associated Press, de la Espriella pledged to open mega-prisons and take a far more aggressive approach toward criminal groups. "Criminals will either surrender or leave the country," he said.

The vote comes as Colombia faces rising violence, expanding criminal organizations and growing criticism of President Gustavo Petro’s "Total Peace" strategy, which sought negotiations with armed groups and criminal networks.

AT LEAST 80 PEOPLE KILLED IN NORTHEAST COLOMBIA AS PEACE TALKS FAIL, OFFICIAL SAYS

"Colombia heads into a June 21 runoff with armed groups controlling vast stretches of the country, a failed ‘Total Peace’ negotiating strategy leaving communities more exposed than when it began, and a Venezuelan refugee crisis that has overwhelmed the state's already thin capacity to govern its own territory," Daniel Swift, senior research analyst at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies told Fox News Digital.

Maldonado said Colombia’s election reflects a wider political shift taking place across Latin America.

"This election is part of a broader trend across Latin America, where voters are increasingly rejecting the failed promises of the left in favor of security, sovereignty and economic opportunity," she said.

ECUADOR'S PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION GOES TO RUNOFF BETWEEN CONSERVATIVE INCUMBENT, LEFTIST LAWYER

"We’ve seen it in Argentina, Ecuador, Bolivia, Chile, Honduras, Costa Rica and now increasingly in Colombia."

Swift agreed the election results reflect a broader regional trend.

He said with de la Espriella outperforming "every poll, with security at the top of every voter's mind — confirms that Colombia is part of a broader regional reckoning: Latin Americans are losing patience with governments that cannot provide security," Swift said.

Maldonado said the results reflected mounting frustration with the country’s direction under Petro.

"Years of growing insecurity, rising coca cultivation, expanding criminal organizations, and concessions to armed groups have left many Colombian people frustrated with the direction of the country," she added.

The June 21 runoff is expected to focus heavily on security policy, organized crime and Colombia’s future relationship with the United States under the Trump administration. Maldonado argues it "offers Colombia an opportunity to begin reversing course and reestablish a principle that should have never been up for debate: criminal organizations should be confronted, not negotiated with."

A hardline, law-and-order candidate who promises to dismantle drug cartels and reset Colombia’s security doctrine is gaining traction with voters as Colombians vote in Sunday's presidential election.

As the world’s largest cocaine producer and a long-standing U.S. security partner, Colombia’s internal policies directly affect narcotics flows, migration dynamics and regional stability.

Analysts believe a shift in Bogotá’s leadership could reshape cooperation with Washington on drug interdiction, intelligence sharing and counter-cartel operations — issues that remain central to U.S. domestic and foreign policy.

Abelardo De La Espriella, a businessman and successful defense attorney, has emerged as a leading candidate on the right with a platform focused on aggressive counternarcotics enforcement, institutional reform and a decisive break from current leftist President Gustavo Petro’s negotiation-based approach with armed rebel groups. 

TRUMP’S WAR ON DRUGS STOPS AT MEXICAN BORDER — FOR NOW

The 47-year-old, nicknamed ‘The Tiger,' recently told the Associated Press, "The only peace process I believe in is one imposed by the force of arms and the laws of the republic. Under my government, any bandit who resists will be eliminated as appropriate, and if he submits, we will imprison him in a mega prison so he can pay his debt to justice as they should."

His rise mirrors a regional pattern seen with leaders like Javier Milei, Nayib Bukele and José Antonio Kast figures who have built political momentum around security-first agendas and voter frustration with crime and economic instability.

According to an Associated Press report, polls say De La Espriella is likely to fight it out with leftist candidate Iván Cepeda, who is from the same party as President Gustavo Petro, and center-right candidate Paloma Valencia. There are 14 candidates on the ballot.

Valencia’s campaign is backed by most of the nation’s traditional parties and by economists who are concerned about the growing levels of debt under the Petro administration and want Colombia to return to more orthodox policies, the Associated Press reported.

US PARTNERS WITH COLOMBIA TO TAKE ON IMMIGRATION USING BIOMETRIC TECHNOLOGIES

Valencia told Fox News Digital, "As president of Colombia, we will restore a strategic, close, and trustworthy relationship with the United States, based on mutual respect and the defense of our national interests. We will strengthen cooperation in security, intelligence, military training, and the fight against transnational crime; areas in which the alliance between our two countries has been essential to Colombia’s stability. We will also work to ensure that Colombia plays an active role in the Shield of the Americas and contributes to regional leadership in defense and security. "

She added, "The United States will continue to be a key partner for economic growth, investment, and job creation, as well as a vital ally for the millions of Colombians who live there. Colombia will also stand alongside the United States in defending freedom and democracy across the hemisphere, supporting efforts to restore liberty in Cuba and to help Venezuela return to a democratic path. Our relationship will be defined by trust, cooperation, and the pursuit of tangible benefits for Colombia and its citizens."

Critics say leftist candidate Iván Cepeda, represents a continuation and potential expansion of the leftist policies associated with Petro. Cepeda supports dialogue with armed groups, rural reform and a reform of Colombia’s traditional security framework, placing greater emphasis on social investment.

COLOMBIA PRESIDENT DECREES EMERGENCY POWERS TO RESTORE ORDER IN COCA REGION WRACKED BY REBEL COMBAT

Camilo Guzmán, executive director of Libertank, told Fox News Digital that Sunday’s election will likely result in a runoff between Cepeda and De La Espriella. "Abelardo earned that ticket by reading the room better than anyone else in the opposition. He offered catharsis, speaking directly to Colombian voters' indignation toward the traditional political class and the establishment. 

"Where center-right Senator Paloma Valencia offered competence and continuity with the Uribe tradition, he said, De La Espriella’s message "is built on a hard line on security," Guzman added. "Ending Petro's failed ‘total peace’ policy that emboldened guerrillas and cartels, going after narco-trafficking with full force, and rebuilding the counter-narcotics alliance with Washington that Petro spent four years dismantling."

Analysts say the outcome for the U.S. carries significant strategic weight. A De La Espriella administration could align more closely with Washington’s traditional counternarcotics priorities, potentially strengthening bilateral cooperation at a time when synthetic drug flows and organized crime networks are expanding across the hemisphere.

TRUMP-STYLE LAW-AND-ORDER CONSERVATIVE CLINCHES CHILE’S PRESIDENCY AS VIOLENT CRIME CRISIS RESHAPES NATION

Beyond bilateral relations, the election is being closely watched as a potential inflection point for Latin America. A De La Espriella or Valencia win would reinforce the momentum of security-focused leadership seen in parts of the region, while a Cepeda presidency would signal continuity for Petro’s policies.

José Manuel Restrepo, candidate for vice president on the ticket with De La Espriella talked exclusively to Fox News Digital. "The relationship between Colombia and the United States needs to be recovered and rebuilt, and this starts with a sound security policy to combat drug trafficking. It will be crucial to move beyond the current deteriorated relationship, in which we lost the historic bilateral, bicameral, bipartisan, and multisectoral relationship with our primary trading and investment partner."

He continued, "To strengthen it, we must seize the opportunity for Colombia to become the United States' best possible ally in the restoration of democracy in Venezuela. Leveraging this relationship with the United States, we can play a major role in investing in food, hygiene products and basic needs from Colombia to Venezuela. This would, among other things, give a new direction to the relationship with the United States, creating new opportunities that benefit Colombia…Under our administration, the relationship with the United States would be strengthened and revitalized.

Guzman noted that "De La Espriella's anti-establishment posture is not a libertarian agenda. His economic program leans on price controls, interest-rate subsidies, and import substitution, closer to old-school Latin American populism than to Bukele's pro-investment turn, and a world away from Milei's free-market project. Whether the economic program that comes with it creates new instability south of the border is the open question."

Analyst, entrepreneur and son of a former president Jerónimo Uribe said the stakes could not be clearer in Sunday's presidential race. "The elections in Colombia are not between the left and the right. They are between a communist model propped up by drug traffickers and a model that defends democracy and freedom," he told Fox News Digital.

Representatives for Cepeda did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Fox News Digital.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Just before celebrations for Eid al-Adha, a major Muslim holiday, began in Gaza, an Israeli airstrike hit a building in Gaza City, killing Mohammed Odeh, the newly appointed head of Hamas’ military wing, according to Israeli officials and later confirmed by Hamas.

Reports from regional media said members of Odeh’s family were also killed in the strike. Two hours later, Gaza’s markets were full.

Fox News Digital reviewed video filmed in Gaza showing crowded Eid streets, children shopping and families gathering, with little visible reaction to the killing of the Hamas commander Israel described as one of the architects of the Oct. 7, 2023, attacks on Israel. 

The contrast underscored what many Gazans and analysts describe as a growing disconnect between Hamas leaders and civilians exhausted by nearly three years of war, which has killed more than 70,000 Palestinians, according to the Hamas-run Gaza Health Ministry — figures that do not distinguish between civilians and combatants — and displaced most of Gaza’s population.

ISRAEL ANNOUNCES IT KILLED ONE OF THE ARCHITECTS OF THE OCT. 7 ATTACKS

Hadeel Oueis, editor-in-chief of Jusoor News, told Fox News Digital the assassinations are creating "a clear vacuum" inside Hamas and weakening coordination between leaders in Gaza and abroad.

"With the deaths of its leaders and the collapse of strong centralized command, Hamas is turning into a smaller militia competing with other armed groups operating in Gaza," Oueis said. "Hamas is now fighting for survival."

In a joint statement issued Tuesday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Israel Katz said Odeh, who had replaced senior commander Izz al-Din al-Haddad only days earlier, was "one of the architects of the October 7 massacre."

"Sooner or later, Israel will reach all of them," Netanyahu and Katz said.

Inside Gaza, several residents interviewed by Jusoor News said they no longer viewed the deaths of Hamas leaders as personal losses.

"Of course we didn’t feel anything when Haddad, Sinwar, or others were killed," one Gazan activist and former political prisoner told Jusoor News in an on-camera interview, speaking with his face blurred for safety reasons.

The activist was referring to Izz al-Din al-Haddad, the Hamas military commander Israel said it killed earlier in May, and Yahya Sinwar, the former Hamas leader and chief architect of the Oct. 7, 2023, attacks, who was killed by Israeli forces in southern Gaza in October 2024.

"Ordinary people are the ones who paid the price, not the leaders who made reckless decisions without thinking," the activist said.

"As a result, Gaza today is almost completely destroyed," the activist said. "There are families who have lost everything, while the remaining leaders abroad and inside continue to gamble with our lives constantly."

GRASSROOTS PUSH FOR FREEDOM GROWS IN GAZA AS HAMAS TIGHTENS ITS DEADLY GRIP

A Gaza-based journalist echoed the frustration. 

"When we heard about the killing of Izz al-Din Haddad or others, we were not affected," the journalist said. "What is even more painful is that the children of the leaders live outside Gaza, in Turkey and Qatar, driving luxury cars and living comfortable lives, while people here have almost gone back to the Stone Age."

Another Gaza journalist and human rights advocate told Jusoor Hamas had harmed Palestinians as much as Israelis. 

"I do not see the deaths of the leaders as losses for the Palestinians, because we ordinary people are the ones who paid the price," the advocate said. "Honestly, Hamas did not only hurt the Israelis — they hurt us as well."

At the same time, Israeli analysts caution that the repeated assassinations do not necessarily mean Hamas is close to collapse.

Michael Milshtein, an expert on the Palestinian arena, told Fox News Digital that Hamas unquestionably has suffered severe damage since Oct. 7, 2023, particularly with the deaths of veteran commanders who helped build the organization’s military structure and doctrine.

ISRAEL, HAMAS CEASEFIRE DEAL COULD ENABLE REARMING OF GAZA TERRORISTS

"Almost nobody remains from the core group that planned and led the October 7 attack," he said.

But he noted that Odeh himself had been viewed largely as a second-tier figure before the war rather than an obvious successor to Hamas’ historic military leadership.

"The people replacing them are far less experienced, less capable and far less charismatic," Milshtein said.

Still, he argued, Hamas continues to maintain functioning chains of command and ideological cohesion despite the losses.

"People know they are likely going to die, and they still compete for these leadership positions," he said.

The debate over Hamas’ future comes as international efforts to shape a postwar political framework for Gaza accelerate.

TRUMP-BACKED BOARD OF PEACE, ISRAEL 'WILL TAKE ACTION' IF HAMAS REMAINS OUT OF COMPLIANCE: NETANYAHU ADVISOR

Nickolay Mladenov, who was appointed High Representative for Gaza under the Board of Peace initiative, published the core elements of a proposed 15-point "Roadmap to Complete the Implementation of President Trump’s Gaza Comprehensive Peace Plan."

The proposal includes a phased Hamas disarmament process, internationally supervised security reforms and the establishment of "one authority, one law, one weapon" inside Gaza.

"Gaza cannot recover while armed groups simultaneously operate as governing authorities," Mladenov wrote while outlining the proposal on social media.

For many Gazans exhausted by years of war, displacement and destruction, the deaths of Hamas leaders now appear to carry less emotional weight than the hope that the conflict itself could finally end.

"Gaza cannot remain hostage to the idea of permanent war while civilians alone pay the entire price," one activist said.

Israeli officials blasted the United Nations after accusing the body of adding Israeli entities to a sexual violence blacklist that also includes the terrorist group Hamas.

"We are done with this UN Secretary-General. Guterres has put Israel on the same blacklist along with Hamas, ISIS and the most depraved terrorist organizations in the world. This is a moral disgrace that proves that Guterres has lost all credibility," Israel's ambassador to the U.N. Danny Danon said in a statement shared with Fox News Digital.

Fox News has confirmed that the UN added three Israeli armed security force groups to an annex of the UN's annual Conflict-Related Sexual Violence report. 

The UN added the Israel Defense Forces, the Israel Prison Services and the country's border police Counter Terrorism Unit to the report's annex, Guterres informed Danon in a Thursday letter obtained by Fox News Digital. 

The inclusion came after the UN determined the groups to be "as a party credibly suspected of committing or being responsible for patterns of rape or other sexual violence," Guterres wrote.

A spokesperson for Danon said Israel was officially freezing relations with the secretary-general's office as long as Antonio Guterres holds the position.

UN DRAFT REPORT ON CHILDREN IN CONFLICT ZONES RAISES EYEBROWS WITH FRAMING OF ISRAELIS

"We are a strong democracy. We invited the representatives of the U.N. to come to Israel to check those ridiculous allegations. They chose not to come. They chose to continue with the campaign against Israel. We saw the lies in The New York Times, and now we see another lie coming from the U.N.," Danon said in a video shared with Fox News Digital.

"We are done with this Secretary-General," he concluded.

In the Thursday letter, Guterres explained his decision to include Israel's security groups.

"Over the past year, and as noted in the country section of this year’s report (S/2026/321), an increasing number of cases of rape and other forms of sexual violence against Palestinians detained in the Occupied Palestinian Territory and in Israel, perpetrated by Israel Defense Forces, Israel Prison Service and the border police Counter Terrorism Unit continued to be verified. This builds on United Nations reporting of similar patterns and trends of violations in previous years," Guterres wrote.

The U.N. did not respond to an inquiry from Fox News Digital.

ISRAEL FOREIGN MINISTRY CONDEMNS NEW YORK TIMES PIECE AS 'ONE OF THE WORST BLOOD LIBELS' IN MODERN PRESS

The Jerusalem Post first reported Wednesday night that the Israeli Prison Service will be included on the U.N.'s list of countries that commit sexual violence in conflict zones.

In early May, The New York Times published an opinion piece from writer Nicholas Kristof accusing Israeli prison guards of conducting institutionalized sexual abuse of Palestinian prisoners. Kristof cited a 2025 U.N. report that called alleged Israeli sexual abuse of Palestinians "standard operating procedures towards Palestinians."

Israeli officials strongly rejected the piece's premises and accused Kristof and the Times of blood libel, threatening to sue the outlet in American courts.

THE UN’S BETRAYAL AND ISRAEL’S FIGHT FOR TRUTH

"In an unfathomable inversion of reality, and through an endless stream of baseless lies, propagandist Nicholas Kristof turns the victim into the accused. Israel -— whose citizens were the victims of the most horrific sexual crimes committed by Hamas on October 7, and whose hostages were later subjected to further sexual abuse -— is portrayed as the guilty party," the Israel Foreign Ministry wrote in a post on X in response to the Times piece.

The New York Times pointed Fox News Digital towards a previously issued statement. 

"Nicholas Kristof’s deeply reported piece of opinion journalism starts with a proposition to readers: ‘Whatever our views of the Middle East conflict, we should be able to unite in condemning rape.’ He draws together on-the-record accounts and cites several analyses documenting the practice of sexual violence and abuse conducted by various parts of Israel’s security forces and settlers," the statement read.

"The accounts of the 14 men and women he interviewed were corroborated with other witnesses, whenever possible, and with people the victims confided in — that includes family members and lawyers. Details were extensively fact-checked, with accounts further cross-referenced with news reporting, independent research from human-rights groups, surveys and in one case, with U.N. testimony. Independent experts were consulted on the assertions in the piece throughout reporting and fact-checking," the statement concluded. 

The Israeli Foreign Ministry further commented Thursday on the reported U.N. blacklisting.

"Over the past year, Israel's Ambassador to the UN and the Israeli delegation held a series of meetings with U.N. representatives and provided documents, data, as well as a detailed response to all the allegations that were raised. Despite this, the U.N. Secretary-General chose to advance a political decision and include Israel alongside Hamas and terrorist organizations," the foreign ministry wrote in a statement shared with Fox News Digital.

"The shameful and absurd U.N. decision to include Israeli entities in the annex to the CRSV report is further proof of the UN’s true nature: a politicized and corrupt organization that has abandoned its founding principles and systematically targets Israel as its primary mission. This decision is yet another example of the UN’s long-standing, institutionalized hostility toward Israel. Today’s decision must be understood in its true context: an attempt to create a fake symmetry between Israel and the real sexual atrocities committed by Hamas. This is its sole motivation. The person behind this farce is Antonio Guterres," the statement continued.

"This is the same Guterres who sought to 'contextualize' the October 7 massacre, who covered up the involvement of UN employees in those atrocities, and who has dragged the UN to its lowest point. Guterres is now exploiting his final months as Secretary-General to fabricate baseless accusations against Israel, completely devoid of any factual merit. Israel has comprehensively, thoroughly, and unequivocally refuted these allegations. Given that António Guterres has chosen to violate every standard of honesty, integrity, and professionalism, Israel has decided to sever all ties with the Secretary-General’s Office and will wait until a new UN Secretary-General is appointed," the statement concluded.

UNITED NATIONS — The Czech Republic is prepared to help protect freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz and is aligning closely with the Trump administration on security, NATO and Israel, Czech Foreign Minister Petr Macinka told Fox News Digital during an exclusive interview at the United Nations in New York.

Prague already had begun discussions about contributing specialized capabilities to help secure the strategically vital waterway amid growing tensions with Iran, Macinka said while speaking at Security Council-related meetings at the U.N. 

"We are ready to contribute to freedom of passage and the Hormuz trade," Macinka said. 

"We were among the first countries that were ready to contribute … We have no navy, as we are in the middle of Europe," he explained, "But we have some unique passive surveillance capabilities."

TRUMP SEEKS WARSHIPS FROM OTHER COUNTRIES TO HELP SECURE STRAIT OF HORMUZ

Macinka warned that Iran posed a global threat through what he described as four main "war tools": nuclear proliferation, drones and ballistic missiles, international terrorism and threats to the Strait of Hormuz. 

"Their nuclear military program must be stopped," he said. "It’s a global risk and global threat."

The comments come as the Trump administration has increased pressure on European allies to take a larger role in protecting international shipping routes amid Iranian threats tied to the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world’s most critical oil transit choke points. Roughly one-fifth of global oil consumption passes through the narrow waterway connecting the Persian Gulf to the Arabian Sea.

Speaking after a meeting with foreign ministers in Sweden Friday, Secretary of State Marco Rubio questioned the value of hosting U.S. military bases in allied countries that later restrict American military operations during wartime.

"One of the arguments I always made was that these bases in the region provided us with logistical options that we wouldn’t otherwise have," Rubio told reporters. "And when some of those bases are denied to you during a conflict that we’re involved in, then you question whether that value is still there."

President Donald Trump also has sharply criticized NATO allies over a reluctance to participate in military operations tied to the Iran conflict and securing the Strait of Hormuz. 

Trump said he was "strongly considering" pulling the United States out of NATO after allies failed to join the U.S. campaign against Iran, according to an April 1 interview with Britain’s Daily Telegraph, calling the alliance a "paper tiger."

The Czech Republic, a NATO member since 1999, reached NATO’s benchmark of spending 2% of GDP on defense and has supported calls for Europe to increase military readiness amid Russia’s war in Ukraine.

Macinka strongly defended the administration’s calls for Europe to increase defense spending and reduce dependence on Washington for long-term security guarantees. 

"We should do our homework and build our defense to become stronger," he said, arguing that Europe had delayed necessary military investments for too long.

He also tied Europe’s defense spending challenges to the European Union’s Green Deal policies, the bloc’s sweeping climate agenda aimed at reducing carbon emissions, calling them ideological and financially destructive. 

"If we get rid of this green, crazy alarmism, then we have enough money to build our defense," he said.

The Czech foreign minister also voiced unusually direct support for Trump and his administration, praising what he described as a global "common sense" shift following Trump’s election victory.

"We are friends of Israel, and we are friends of America," Macinka said. "Especially me as a politician, I'm a friend of the ideology of the current American administration."

Macinka also referenced a clash earlier in 2026 with former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton at the Munich Security Conference, where he criticized Europe’s liberal political establishment and defended the populist wave reshaping parts of Europe and the United States.

EUROPE MUST LEAD ON UKRAINIAN SECURITY GUARANTEES, GREEK FOREIGN MINISTER SAYS: 'WE ARE THE NEIGHBORS'

Macinka linked Prague’s strong support for Ukraine to the Soviet-led invasion of Czechoslovakia in 1968, when hundreds of thousands of Warsaw Pact troops occupied the country for more than two decades.

He said that historical experience continues to shape Czech public opinion and support for Kyiv.

"The Czech society feels a big solidarity with Ukraine," Macinka said, describing the war as a "symmetric war" between a powerful Russian military and a Ukrainian army backed by the West.

Macinka highlighted Prague’s leading role in a Czech-backed ammunition initiative supplying Ukraine with artillery rounds collected through international donor efforts. 

Recalling a visit to Kyiv earlier in 2026, he said he received intelligence briefings on battlefield ammunition consumption from Ukrainian military officials.

TRUMP, ZELENSKYY TO MEET FOR KEY DEAL AS NATO ALLIES, RUSSIA WAIT, WATCH

The Czech initiative delivered more than half a million rounds of ammunition in 2026 alone, according to Macinka, helping stabilize the battlefield ahead of possible peace negotiations.

Macinka argued that maintaining a stable front is essential for meaningful negotiations, warning that shifting battle lines will only harden demands on both sides.

With Washington increasingly focused on the Middle East, Macinka also said Europe must begin taking a larger diplomatic role in future negotiations over Ukraine.

"America is quite busy with the Middle East," he said. "Europe should wake up and ask for a place at the table."

Iran is said to be ‘deeply threatened’ by the small African breakaway state, Somaliland, because of the potential for U.S., Israeli and Western powers to use its deep water port and airbase.

Such moves would severely disrupt Iran’s plan to use their proxy, Yemen’s Houthi terror group, to attack Red Sea shipping.

Iran has been accused of pressuring the Houthis to renew their strikes on shipping, particularly in the Red Sea’s Bab-el-Mandeb Strait. The waterway has become the main route for oil to ship out of the Middle East to Asia since the Strait of Hormuz was effectively closed.

COULD SOMALILAND BASE EMERGE AS US FOOTHOLD AGAINST IRAN, HOUTHIS IN KEY SEA LANES?

Lisa Daftari, a Middle East and foreign policy expert, told Fox News Digital, "Iran’s regime is deeply threatened by what Somaliland represents in an emerging pro‑Western, potentially pro‑Israel foothold overlooking the Bab el‑Mandeb, that could blunt Tehran’s leverage via the Houthis over Red Sea shipping and Israel."

Daftari, the editor‑in‑chief of The Foreign Desk, said, "that’s why Iran‑backed Houthis are already explicitly threatening to strike any Israeli or Western military presence in Somaliland and warning they could move to choke the Bab el‑Mandeb if the conflict with the U.S. and Israel escalates." 

The White House has said that Iran’s proxies, such as the Houthis, have been weakened. "The United States Military achieved all of the goals laid out for Operation Epic Fury – including weakening Iran’s proxies. Now, Iran is being strangled economically – giving President Trump all the cards as negotiations continue," Anna Kelly, special assistant to the President and White House principal deputy press secretary told Fox News Digital when asked if the U.S. was considering a full-time-basing relationship with Somaliland.

Edmund Fitton-Brown, a senior fellow at The Foundation for Defense of Democracies (FDD) told Fox News Digital that Somaliland’s recognition of Israel and Israel’s recognition of it last December has clearly irked Iran.

Fitton-Brown, who is a former U.K. ambassador to Yemen — the Houthis home country, said Iran "opposes any recognition of it (Somaliland) primarily because Israel is the first state to recognize it, and Iran will oppose anything that Israel does. Iran is also viscerally opposed to the U.S. and UAE, both of which have pragmatic engagement with Somaliland, short of recognition. Somaliland is a potential base for anti-Houthi enforcement, i.e. a threat to the Iranian Axis of Resistance."

IS TRUMP CONSIDERING BOLD AFRICA PLAY TO PUSH BACK ON CHINA, RUSSIA AND ISLAMIC TERRORISTS?

The U.S. already has a large base on the Red Sea in Djibouti, but Fitton-Brown says this is increasingly problematical "China is significantly expanding its military and commercial presence in Djibouti. There is a sense that Djibouti is not a reliable ally for the U.S. So Somaliland’s time has probably come."

And Somaliland hopes so. Its Foreign Minister, Abdirahman Dahir Adam, told Fox News Digital "At a time when the Strait of Hormuz is under pressure and threats to the Red Sea are escalating, Somaliland has reiterated its longstanding offer to provide the United States with access along our coast. We have been clear about this in times of peace, and we are equally clear today."

The Somaliland government is also offering storage space for tomahawk missiles, with a government source saying it’s "a unique way to advance security interests."

Adam added, "U.S. destroyers that expend their missile batteries in the Red Sea require (currently) up to two weeks of travel to be resupplied. Somaliland is ready to play a practical role in helping the U.S. to secure global trade routes."

But Somaliland’s offer of allowing use of its airbase and seaport is not all plain sailing.  Maj. Gen. (Ret.) Kenneth P. Ekman, former AFRICOM/J5 and West Africa coordination element lead, told Fox News Digital "a policy dilemma presents when conducting diplomatic and military relations with Somaliland directly, rather than through the Federal Government of Somalia and the SNA (Somali National Army)."

IRAN'S AFRICA ACTIVITIES POSE 'SIGNIFICANT THREATS TO US NATIONAL SECURITY'

"This same dilemma presents," Ekman continued. "While we (the U.S.) enjoy good access in Djibouti, this access is singular and competes with the Chinese presence.  Additional access to the port of Berbera, located in Somaliland, provides redundancy (backup) and a relationally different partner. Frankly, the U.S. military, along with some of our allies and partners, need port access in Berbera."

Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas., chairman of the Senate Subcommittee on Africa and Global Health, is strongly advocating for the U.S. to go all the diplomatic way and recognize Somaliland.

He told Fox News Digital in a statement that "Somaliland promises to be a critical counterterrorism ally for the United States, both because of its strong willingness to partner with us and because of its unique location. We should recognize the Republic of Somaliland as an independent state and, in the meantime, significantly boost our counterterrorism cooperation." 

The U.S. though, appears to be making below-the-radar moves. The Commander of U.S. Africa Command (AFRICOM), Gen. Dagvin Anderson, was recently in the country visiting port facilities, with a delegation, in November. This week, a Somaliland government source told Fox News Digital that U.S. military delegations come to the state every two months, with the last visit in the second half of April. 

Fitton-Brown told Fox News Digital that, "The U.S. is already using it (Somaliland) for counterterrorism operations. My understanding is that the U.S. doesn’t have a permanent military presence in Somaliland, but actively cooperates with Somaliland's security forces on regional counterterrorism and maritime security issues."

A former senior U.S. defense official agreed that American military specialists have been co-ordinating with Somaliland forces since 2023, when they came together to kill Bilal al-Sudani, reportedly a key facilitator and financier of the ISIS global network.

However, the U.S. aligns publicly with Somalia, from which Somaliland broke away in 1991. 

When asked this week about the U.S. military relationship with Somaliland when it comes to counter-terrorism operations in the country, a Pentagon official told Fox News Digital: "The United States maintains its strategic partnership with the Federal Government of Somalia.

"In northern Somalia, AFRICOM, alongside the Federal Government of Somalia and Somali Armed Forces, has conducted airstrikes to degrade ISIS—Somalia's ability to threaten the U.S. Homeland, our forces, and our citizens abroad. In southern Somalia, AFRICOM, also in close coordination with the Federal Government of Somalia, has conducted airstrikes to enable partner forces’ ability to degrade al Shabaab. Our strategic approach to countering terrorism in Africa relies on trusted partnerships and collaboration grounded in and through shared security interests."

Daftari added, "Somaliland is offering the United States what the mullahs fear most in this theater, namely an alternative, resilient platform on the African shore that includes an airfield, port, and over‑the‑horizon access that would dilute Houthi leverage and give Washington options that don’t depend on Djibouti or Persian Gulf partners alone."

LONDON, England — From Sudan to Gaza, civilians are desperate, hospitals are under attack, and the humanitarian aid system cannot keep up, according to a new report in the Lancet medical journal. 

"The humanitarian system is no longer fit for purpose, given the types of emergencies that we have and their magnitude," report co-author Dr. Paul Spiegel told Fox News. 

AS WORLD FIXATES ON OTHER WARS, SUDAN SEES 12 MILLION FORCIBLY DISPLACED IN DEVASTATING CONFLICT

A professor at Johns Hopkins University and co-chair of its Center for Humanitarian Health, Spiegel has decades of experience working in refugee camps and war zones around the world. "I've been doing this for well over 30 years," he said. "We're in a very dark time."

Highlighting one of the world’s largest disasters, Sudan's brutal civil war — where tens of millions of people are in need as hospitals close and famine spreads — the panel of experts behind the report says the world knows how to save lives, but that the system is failing to deliver. The experts' report, titled 'Health in a World of Crises and Impunity,' argues that some agencies are too bureaucratic, and others too slow. The whole system, they say, needs revamping.

The report argues the United Nations is in need of reform, while in the U.S. it highlights the Trump Administration's shuttering of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) over suspected fraud and abuse. 

During that restructuring, many of USAID's most vital programs were folded into the State Department, but the report calls USAID's closure a "shock" and "sudden," and part of a chain of decisions in the U.S. and elsewhere which it condemns as "a political and moral failure."

ANALYSTS SAY GAZA 'CIVILIAN' DEATHS INCLUDE HAMAS, OTHER TERROR MEMBERS WORKING AS MEDICS, MEDIA WORKERS

"USAID needed to be restructured," Spiegel told Fox News. "The U.N. needs to be restructured in a very significant way. But it's how you do that.

"It is the strategy to make sure that you do it in such a way that vulnerable populations across the globe are not going to be hurt, and that it wasn't done like that."

The authors are pushing for major global reforms, including overhauling funding, sending aid directly to local communities, greater accountability if governments or armed groups block aid, and upholding healthcare as a basic human right.

"It's really a complete rebalancing," Spiegel said, "to make sure that the system actually works for the people it's intended to help."

A Canadian teenager is facing arson charges after authorities say she torched a charter bus belonging to an American professional baseball team during a road trip to Winnipeg, Canada.

The Kane County Cougars, a U.S.-based independent professional baseball team, were traveling in Canada for games against the Winnipeg Goldeyes.

On May 21, law enforcement agencies responded to the team’s bus engulfed in flames outside Blue Cross Park, according to Winnipeg Police Service.

FEDS SAY ARIZONA SUSPECT VANDALIZED ICE FACILITY AND ATTEMPTED TO IGNITE LOBBY AREA

Authorities determined that the fire was intentionally set. Two teenagers were initially taken into custody. A 15-year-old girl has since been charged with arson causing damage to property and possession of incendiary material.

COLLEGE BASKETBALL TEAM EVACUATES BUS BEFORE IT GOES UP IN FLAMES ON HIGHWAY

The teen was later released into the custody of a responsible adult, police said.

"The entire bus and contents were destroyed," the Winnipeg Police Service said in a release.

AUSTIN POLICE ARREST 2 JUVENILES ALLEGEDLY LINKED TO 12 RANDOM SHOOTINGS INJURING 4 PEOPLE

"We are very disappointed that this could happen to our family-owned company, and the loss of this vehicle will impact our business and operations," Windstar operations manager Jackson Greteman told a CBC Lite.

"We are happy that no one was hurt in this reckless act of vandalism and are co-operating with local authorities," he added.

VIDEO SHOWS TEENS CARVING UP GOLF COURSE GREENS IN RECKLESS STUNT, POLICE SAY

Greteman said damage to the 56-seat bus and destroyed equipment is estimated at roughly $425,000.

Authorities have not publicly discussed a possible motive as the investigation continues.

Canadian health officials on Sunday confirmed that one of four Canadians who returned from the MV Hondius cruise ship, the subject of an international Andes hantavirus outbreak, tested positive for hantavirus. Three people connected to the outbreak have died.

The Public Health Agency of Canada confirmed the positive test after British Columbia’s top public health officer previously described the case as a "presumptive positive."

"One individual’s sample was confirmed positive for hantavirus," the agency said in a statement.

Officials said additional testing will be conducted at a national laboratory. It was not immediately clear whether that testing was for confirmation, strain characterization or another purpose.

CRUISE SHIP PASSENGER DESCRIBES UNCERTAINTY AFTER 3 DEATHS AMID HANTAVIRUS PROBE

The development comes as global health officials continue monitoring the rare hantavirus outbreak tied to the MV Hondius, which has sickened multiple passengers.

As of May 13, the World Health Organization said 11 cases had been identified in connection with the cruise outbreak, including eight confirmed cases, two probable cases and one inconclusive case. Those figures included three deaths. The Associated Press later reported that the Canadian confirmation brought the number of people from the ship who had tested positive to 10.

Canadian health officials said four Canadians returned home from the MV Hondius, though only one has tested positive for the virus.

RARE HANTAVIRUS HUMAN-TO-HUMAN TRANSMISSION SUSPECTED ON LUXURY CRUISE SHIP WHERE 3 HAVE DIED

The confirmed patient and a traveling companion — identified as a Yukon couple in their 70s — returned from the cruise together. The companion later tested negative, officials said.

A third person in their 70s from Vancouver Island remains in isolation, along with a British Columbia resident in their 50s.

So far, no confirmed U.S. cases tied to the cruise ship have been reported, though WHO said as of May 13 that one U.S.-repatriated passenger had inconclusive laboratory results and was undergoing retesting.

HANTAVIRUS DEATHS ON CRUISE SHIP HIGHLIGHT DANGERS OF RODENT-BORNE DISEASE

Last week, however, health officials in Ontario County, New York, announced they were investigating a suspected locally acquired hantavirus case unrelated to the cruise ship.

The Ontario County Public Health Department said there was no risk to the general public. Officials also said the strain typically seen in the United States is not known to spread from person to person.

The outbreak linked to the MV Hondius began after the Dutch cruise ship, carrying 147 passengers and crew members, departed Argentina on April 1 for a South Atlantic voyage.

TRAPPED CRUISE SHIP PASSENGER SHARES UPDATE ON CLEANLINESS OF SHIP AMID DEADLY HANTAVIRUS OUTBREAK

The outbreak has prompted heightened precautions internationally, including in the Netherlands, where Radboud University Medical Center quarantined 12 staff members after officials said a hantavirus patient’s blood and urine were not handled under the strictest protocols recommended for the virus strain.

The outbreak has also sparked comparisons to the coronavirus pandemic. However, Fox News senior medical analyst Dr. Marc Siegel previously told Fox News Digital there is "no comparison."

He noted hantavirus is difficult to spread.

"It's not airborne ... in terms of respiratory droplets hanging in the air," he said. "It's very difficult to transmit."

While coronavirus "moved in the direction of humans in a significant way," hantavirus has not, except for "very rare" cases of human-to-human transmission, he added.

The World Health Organization has assessed the risk to the global population as low, while noting that current evidence suggests subsequent human-to-human transmission may have occurred on board. Andes virus is the only hantavirus known to have documented person-to-person transmission, though such spread is considered rare.

Siegel also noted hantavirus cases have been reported in the United States for decades, though they remain "very rare."

Fox News Digital’s Brittany Miller and Angelica Stabile, along with The Associated Press, contributed to this report.

The Lebanese government filed a sharply worded complaint with the United Nations arguing that the Islamic Republic of Iran has abused diplomatic immunity by refusing to recall its ambassador after Beirut demanded his expulsion and to stop alleged terrorist activities on its soil, according to a recently surfaced letter from late April.

The disclosure of the letter, which is reportedly a precedent-setting move by Lebanon, comes amid a second day of talks in Washington between Israel and Lebanon to normalize relations (the countries are in a state of war) and dismantle the Iranian-regime-backed Hezbollah terrorist movement in Lebanon.

A U.S. State Department spokesperson told Fox News Digital on Friday that "The United States facilitated talks between Israel and Lebanon have resumed today and are ongoing. The atmosphere of talks has been very positive, even exceeding expectations."

FAMILY OF AMERICAN HOSTAGE TORTURED IN LEBANON WINS LANDMARK CASE AGAINST IRAN

State Department spokesman Tommy Pigott wrote on X on Friday that "On May 14 and 15, the United States hosted two days of highly-productive talks between Israel and Lebanon. The April 16 cessation of hostilities will be extended by 45 days to enable further progress. The State Department will reconvene the political track of negotiations on June 2 and June 3."

He added that, "In addition, a security track will be launched at the Pentagon on May 29 with military delegations from both countries. We hope these discussions will advance lasting peace between the two countries, full recognition of each other’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, and establishing genuine security along their shared border."

As the sides report back to their capitals, the potentially game-changing letter in which Lebanese ambassador to the U.N. Ahmad Arafa, slammed Iran for inserting alleged terrorists from Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) into Lebanon "under the guise of diplomatic activity," has given hope to critics of Iran and Hezbollah.

Arafa said, according to the letter, that Iran committed "unlawful acts in blatant defiance of the decisions of the Government of Lebanon." He continued, "This Iranian conduct constitutes direct and blatant interference in the internal affairs of Lebanon and drags the country into a war it did not choose to become involved in."

The U.S. and the European Union have classified the IRGC as a terrorist entity.

The letter took the Iranian Ambassador to Beirut, Mohammad Reza Sheibani, to task for "blatant interference" in Lebanon.

According to Lebanon’s U.N. letter, Beirut argued that Iran is violating the 1961 Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations and interfering in Lebanon’s state of affairs.

IDF SOLDIERS ACCUSE UN PEACEKEEPERS OF ENABLING HEZBOLLAH TERRORISTS AMID INCREASING CEASE-FIRE VIOLATIONS

When asked about the details of the letter, a spokesperson for Lebanon’s ambassador to the U.S. declined to comment. The spokesperson also declined to weigh in on the current talks with Israel in Washington.

Walid Phares, a leading U.S. expert on Lebanon and the Mideast, told Fox News Digital that "Many have considered the Lebanese memo to the U.N. as the start of the Lebanese government change of attitude towards Iran and a sign of escalation by Beirut. While the tone of the letter and its narrative make people feel that there is a government resistance to Iran and Hezbollah reality is still lesser."

He added that "The subject of the last quarrel is a legal change of status regarding the presence of Iranians on Lebanese soil. The Lebanese government has decided not to grant Iranians, government, and private citizens an automatic visa waiver, which upset Iran and Hezbollah. Besides, Tehran is furious at the fact that the Lebanese government has not been helpful in dealing with the elimination of a number of IRGC members killed in Lebanon by Israel. Tehran blames the foreign ministry of Lebanon, particularly foreign minister Youssef Raggi, for the ‘lessening of solidarity with Iran."'

According to Phares, "Raggi represents a Lebanese Christian bloc in the parliament, who is not sympathetic to the regime. However, the actual talks in D.C. are designed by the Lebanese government to show the Trump administration that the ‘state wants to talk’ but not to reach an agreement that would trigger Hezbollah's wrath. The leaders of the Lebanese state are not yet where the U.S. and Israel expect them to be."

A regional official well-versed in the U.N. dispute told Fox News Digital that Lebanon "argued that Iran had not given the Lebanese foreign ministry the list of all Iranians and the details about their place of stay. And that’s why Israel targeted that hotel in Lebanon in which six were killed, which is true."

The official said that "Iran had not told the foreign ministry of Lebanon about those six people."

President Donald Trump said the ceasefire with Iran is on "massive life support," as retired U.S. commanders and national security experts are increasingly split whether Washington should resume military operations against Tehran or avoid what critics warn could become another prolonged Middle East conflict.

"I would say the ceasefire is on massive life support," Trump told reporters Monday. "Where the doctor walks in and says, ‘Sir, your loved one has approximately a 1% chance of living.’"

Trump also dismissed Iran’s latest response to a proposed agreement as "a piece of garbage," amid reports the White House is reviewing military options should negotiations collapse.

Retired Lt. Gen. H.R. McMaster, former national security adviser under Trump, said he believes Iran’s leadership is unlikely to make the concessions Trump considers necessary for a deal.

WHITE HOUSE WARNS IRAN AGAINST BALKING AT DEAL: TRUMP READY TO 'UNLEASH HELL'

"I think the Iranian leadership and IRGC are unwilling to make the kind of concessions that President Trump thinks are at the minimum," McMaster told Fox News Digital, referring to Iran's hardline Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. 

"President Trump always wants a deal," he added. "But he's not going to sign up for a bad deal."

The emerging debate now centers on a core question facing Washington: whether additional military pressure could force Iran to abandon its nuclear and missile ambitions, or whether renewed strikes would deepen a regional conflict without producing decisive results.

Retired Vice Adm. Mark Fox, former deputy commander of U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM), said he believes the current ceasefire and diplomatic track are unlikely to force Iran to back down.

"I really cannot envision anything other than a full return to combat operations," Fox told Fox News Digital. "The only thing that they will respond to, I think ultimately, is force."

Fox argued the U.S. military remains capable of reopening and securing commercial shipping through the Strait of Hormuz despite ongoing Iranian threats against vessels transiting the waterway.

HORMUZ CHOKE POINT PERSISTS AS IRAN HALTS OIL TRAFFIC DESPITE TRUMP CEASEFIRE

"This is a militarily obtainable objective," he said, outlining a strategy involving guided missile destroyers, attack helicopters, drones and expanded aerial surveillance to create a protected maritime corridor through the Strait.

Fox acknowledged the U.S. Navy is smaller than it was during the 1980s tanker wars, but argued American forces still possess the capability to secure the chokepoint if Washington commits enough naval assets and persistent monitoring operations.

"It’s not easy," Fox said. "But the geography is fixed."

He described a possible strategy that would rely on destroyers, drones and attack aircraft to create what he called an "unblinking eye" over the strait, allowing U.S. forces to identify and neutralize Iranian speedboats, drones and anti-shipping threats before they can strike commercial vessels.

Fox also warned against allowing Iran to preserve leverage over Hormuz while continuing to advance its missile and nuclear programs.

"If not now, when?" he said. "If they had a nuclear weapon, they would use it."

EXPERTS WARN IRAN’S NUCLEAR DOUBLE-TALK DESIGNED TO BUY TIME, UNDERMINE US PRESSURE

Fox, who also signed onto a recent policy paper by the Jewish Institute for National Security of America, echoed the report’s argument that Iran is using negotiations to buy time while preserving its military capabilities.

The paper was authored by several retired senior U.S. military officials and national security experts, including retired Gen. Chuck Wald, former deputy commander of U.S. European Command and retired Vice Adm. Robert Harward, former deputy commander of CENTCOM, argued the current ceasefire and diplomatic track "cannot reliably compel Iran" to meet U.S. demands and warned Tehran was seeking to "drag out talks, erode U.S. resolve, and use the time to strengthen itself."

The report called for expanded military operations targeting Iran’s maritime capabilities, missile infrastructure and internal coercive apparatus while avoiding broad attacks on civilian infrastructure that could trigger wider regional escalation.

But not everyone agrees that renewed military action would produce a better outcome.

Retired Lt. Col. Daniel Davis, a senior fellow at Defense Priorities and longtime critic of expanded U.S. military interventions, warned that calls to "finish the job" ignore the realities exposed during the recent fighting.

"To ‘finish the job,’ as they say, is irrational," Davis told Fox News Digital. "It’s illogical, and it violates any kind of military principle."

KEITH KELLOGG URGES US TO 'FINISH THE JOB' AGAINST IRAN BY SEIZING ISLANDS, STRANGLING ECONOMY

Davis argued that despite thousands of strikes and weeks of fighting, Iran retained significant missile and maritime capabilities.

"We couldn't knock them out with 14,000 targets hit," he said. "Why does anybody think that going back another time is going to have a different result?"

He described Iran’s geography, dispersed missile infrastructure and asymmetric naval tactics as creating what he called "a militarily unsolvable problem."

"The only thing left is a diplomatic outcome," Davis said.

The disagreement reflects a broader divide emerging in Washington as officials weigh what comes next if negotiations fail.

Supporters of renewed military action argue Iran is weaker than it has been in decades and that stopping now risks allowing Tehran to regroup, rebuild its missile arsenal and preserve leverage over one of the world’s most important energy choke points.

Critics counter that even extensive U.S. and Israeli strikes failed to fundamentally break the regime’s control or eliminate its military capabilities, raising the risk that further escalation could drag the United States into another drawn-out regional conflict with uncertain results.

KAOHSIUNG, Taiwan: President Donald Trump’s meetings with communist China’s supreme leader Xi Jinping in Beijing will be keenly watched here in Taiwan, from the presidential office to military command centers and semiconductor company boardrooms. The key question many are asking is whether Trump negotiates with China from a position of strength, or leaves Taiwan exposed?

The de facto independent nation of 23 million people has spent decades living under threat from the Chinese Communist Party, which claims Taiwan as its territory despite never having ruled it for even a day.

Observers here warn that Xi may try to offer Trump a deal: cooperation on tariffs, fentanyl, U.S. business access, or global flashpoints like Iran and Ukraine in exchange for Trump accepting a larger Chinese role in Taiwan’s future.

CHINA ORDERS FIRMS TO IGNORE US IRAN SANCTIONS, DARING US TO ENFORCE CRACKDOWN

Taiwan’s Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Francois Wu recently told Bloomberg News, "What we are the most afraid is to put Taiwan on the menu of the talk between Xi Jinping and President Trump."

Huang Kwei-bo, a professor in National Chengchi University’s Department of Diplomacy, told Fox News Digital that Taiwan shouldn't assume nothing will change. "Taiwan shouldn't rule out the possibility that the United States and mainland China could reach an understanding behind the scenes, agreeing to reduce arms sales to Taiwan, or become less active in helping us meaningfully participate in international space," he said.

In comments on Monday, President Trump acknowledged China’s dislike of U.S. arms sales to Taiwan, and said the topic would be "one of the many things I'll be talking about." 

CHINA LAUNCHES LARGEST MILITARY DRILLS OFF TAIWAN IN 8 MONTHS WITH LIVE-FIRE EXERCISES CAUGHT ON CAMERA

Over the past week, more than 50 communist Chinese aircraft crossed the Taiwan Strait median line or entered Taiwan’s air defense identification zone. 

Those numbers are not a dramatic new escalation. In Taiwan, they are increasingly seen as part of a new normal: a sustained pressure campaign that falls short of war but keeps Taiwan’s military on alert. China also intentionally damages the undersea cables that connect Taiwan to the internet, hacks into Taiwan’s computer systems daily, and floods social media with content that praises the communist party.

Taiwan’s semiconductor industry is a major concern for Washington. The island is home to Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co., or TSMC, the dominant producer of the world’s most advanced semiconductors. Those chips are used in smartphones, cars, artificial intelligence systems and U.S. defense technology. Any conflict or blockade that cuts Taiwan off from global markets would ripple through American factories, consumers, technology companies and military planning.

However, as the leaders of the two nations most closely intertwined with Taiwan's future meet, there is no outward sense of panic here.

"Most people here are not obsessed with China every day," Audrey Chiang, who runs a tourist souvenir shop in Kaohsiung, told Fox News Digital. Chiang has a son who is just a few years away from serving one year as a military conscript, a 2024 response to China’s invasion threats. "We go to work. We worry about the next big test at our kids’ school. We complain about traffic. But everyone knows things can change very quickly."

Taiwan’s legislature on May 8 passed a near US$25 billion supplemental defense spending bill, meant in part to signal to Washington that Taipei isn’t simply depending on America to protect itself. But the package was smaller than the almost US$40 billion requested by Taiwan President Lai Ching-te’s administration. 

Taipei-based American political analyst, Ross Darrell Feingold, told Fox News Digital that many in Taiwan assume that the U.S., and possibly Japan, will come to the island’s defense in the event of a war. "Going back to the Cold War when the U.S. had a treaty obligation to defend Taiwan, and even after the treaty was abrogated, the consistent assumption is that the U.S. president will send in the military to save Taiwan. More recently, there is a growing assumption Japan will do so as well. But Taiwan still must do what is necessary to prove to its partners that Taiwan’s own people will be on the front line," he said.

CHINA PROMISES 'COUNTERMEASURES' TO US ARMS SALE TO TAIWAN

Taiwan’s main political parties have major differences in their approaches to China, but broadly support U.S. arms purchases and agree that Beijing is a threat to democratic Taiwan.

Chinese officials insist Taiwan’s status is an "internal affair." Taiwan’s elected government rejects that, and so do most Taiwanese, who see Taiwan’s future as something only they should decide.

National Pingtung University Associate Professor Paul Lee is among those who think Xi Jinping is going to push the U.S. president hard on Taiwan. Speaking by phone, he told Fox News Digital that "Xi Jinping almost certainly wants one clear change from the U.S., he’ll want Trump to say the United States ‘opposes Taiwan independence’ rather than the language it uses now that is closer to ‘does not support Taiwan independence.’ To be frank, I don’t think President Trump sees Taiwan as that important – except as the producer of the world’s most advanced semiconductors, and as a source of some revenue from weapons sales." Lee notes that the difference between "doesn’t support" and "opposes" may not seem like much for Trump, but for Xi, it would be viewed as a major victory."

For Taiwan’s ruling party, and anyone in Taiwan who supports moves by Lai and his predecessor to establish at home and abroad that Taiwan is not part of China, such a change in language would come as a blow as it implies that the U.S. does not agree with the people of Taiwan having the right to self-determination on their future, Lee explained, and he said Xi Jinping wouldn’t be satisfied with Trump simply saying a few sentences. 

"Trump has roughly three years left on his second term, and Xi will want to ensure the ‘oppose independence’ language translates into a new framework with new rules such as not letting Taiwan President Lai transit through the U.S., as one example. Xi knows U.S. presidents come and go, so the goal is to create a tacit agreement that Taiwan is in the Chinese sphere of influence, he said.

Lee said China has been patiently waiting for an opportune moment, and the war in Iran, tariffs and other issues facing President Trump is presenting exactly that.

Lee said Taiwan’s government and academic community will closely scrutinize the official translations of what the two sides "agree" on. "Put simply," Lee said, "if Xi Jinping agrees to help make things easier for Trump, Xi will not be satisfied with cryptically worded official press releases. He will want to see the beginning of a new U.S.-China framework for dealing with Taiwan."

The U.S. ​State Department ‌announced on Monday that it refused to back an ​International Migration Review Forum "progress" declaration, ​accusing the U.N. of efforts to "advocate and facilitate replacement immigration in the United States and across the broader West."

The U.S. did not participate in the second International Migration Review Forum, held May 5–8 at U.N. Headquarters in New York, and will not support the declaration, the department said in a statement on Monday.

The forum is the U.N.’s main global platform for member states to review implementation of the Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration, according to the U.N. Network on Migration. The 2026 forum was scheduled to produce an intergovernmentally agreed "Progress Declaration."

President Donald Trump ended U.S. participation in the U.N. process to develop the Global Compact for Migration during his first term in 2017, and now the State Department says the federal government will again affirm its opposition.

TRUMP PULLS US OUT OF UN-LINKED MIGRATION FORUM IN BOLD IMMIGRATION MOVE

The Global Compact was adopted in 2018 after the U.S. withdrew from the process. The U.N. and International Organization for Migration describe the compact as a cooperative framework intended to improve migration governance across countries.

"As Secretary Rubio said, opening our doors to mass migration was a grave mistake that threatens the cohesion of our societies and the future of our peoples," the department's statement reads. "In recent years, Americans witnessed first-hand how mass immigration laid waste to our communities: crime and chaos at the border, states of emergency in major cities, and billions of taxpayer dollars funneled towards hotels, plane tickets, cell phones and cash cards for migrants."

"Much of this was driven by UN agencies and their partners, which did not just facilitate the invasion of our country, but proceeded to redistribute our own people’s wealth and resources to millions of foreigners from the worst corners of the world," it continued.

The department argued there was nothing safe, orderly or regular about any of this, adding that the costs "were borne primarily by working Americans forced to compete for scarce jobs, housing, and social services."

"The UN has little to say about them," the department wrote.

TRUMP UNVEILS ‘REVERSE MIGRATION’ PLAN TO HALT ‘THIRD WORLD’ IMMIGRATION, REVOKE BIDEN-ERA ENTRIES

"President Trump is focused on the interests of Americans, not foreigners or globalist bureaucrats," the statement reads. "The United States will not support a process that imposes, overtly or by stealth, guidelines, standards, or commitments that constrain the American people’s sovereign, democratic right to make decisions in the best interests of our country."

The department concluded its statement by saying its goal is not to "manage" migration, but to "foster remigration."

In a thread on X also announcing the move to object to the declaration, the department said UN agencies "systematically facilitated mass migration into America and Europe, even as citizens of these nations called for restrictions on migration." It added that U.N. materials related to the Global Compact call for expanding regular migration pathways and reference "regularization" of migrants.

The International Organization for Migration says the forum is held every four years for countries to review progress and shape next steps on migration policy. IOM, which coordinates the U.N. Network on Migration, says the network includes 39 U.N. agencies working to support countries on migration issues.

The department alleged that "UN agencies – working with the NGOs they fund – established a migration corridor through Central America and to the U.S. border," the post reads. "As the American people suffered under an unprecedented wave of mass migration, the UN was on the ground pipelining migrants to our southern border."

"After facilitating mass migration to the United States, UN agencies condemned the deportation of illegal immigrants," the post continued. "While the United Kingdom faced unprecedented illegal boat crossings, UN agencies condemned plans for deportations. UN officials lobbied aviation regulators to prevent the deportation of migrants – an appalling violation of the UK’s national sovereignty."

The U.N. Network on Migration describes the compact as "non-legally binding." A U.N.-hosted text of the compact also says it respects states’ sovereign right to determine their national migration policies and to distinguish between regular and irregular migration status.

The declaration itself says the Global Compact is a cooperative framework and acknowledges that no state can address migration alone, while also upholding the sovereignty of states.

The department pushed back on the compact’s framing of migration as "safe, orderly and regular."

"For the citizens of Western nations, mass migration was never safe. It introduced new security threats, imposed financial strains, and undermined the cohesion of our societies," it wrote.

"The United States will not legitimize global compacts that enable mass migration into America or Western nations," the post added.

U.N. materials frame the compact as a cooperative framework for issues that often cross borders, including labor migration, border management, migrant protections and development. U.N. agencies, including the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, describe the IMRF as a state-led review process with participation from relevant stakeholders.

Fox News Digital has reached out to the U.N. for comment.

This is part one of a series examining the challenges confronting the NATO alliance.

NATO has become a "bloated architecture" too dependent on American military power, former senior national security advisor Keith Kellogg told Fox News Digital.

As President Donald Trump pressures NATO allies to spend more on defense — ordering the withdrawal of 5,000 U.S. troops from Germany and signaling possible cuts in Spain and Italy — a deeper concern is emerging inside the alliance: despite years of rising European defense budgets, NATO still depends heavily on American military power, from missile defense and intelligence to logistics and nuclear deterrence. 

The growing gap between political commitments and real military capability is now fueling calls for structural changes inside the alliance as NATO confronts mounting threats from Russia and instability in the Middle East.

TRUMP ‘RIGHT TO BE OUTRAGED’ BY EUROPE’S BETRAYAL ON IRAN, SAYS FORMER THATCHER ADVISOR

NATO’s imbalance is not theoretical — and it is not new, retired Lt. Gen. Keith Kellogg told Fox News Digital, "I told the president… maybe you ought to talk about a tiered relationship with NATO," Kellogg described conversations with Trump in his first term about the alliance’s future. "…we need to develop a new, for lack of a better term, a new NATO a new defensive alignment with  Europe."

Kellogg added the alliance has expanded politically but not militarily — creating what he sees as a growing gap between commitments and real capability.

"You started with 12, and you went to 32, and in the process, I think you diluted the impact," he argued, calling today’s NATO "a very bloated architecture."

"They haven't put the money into defense. Their defense industry and defense forces have atrophied. When you look at the Brits right now, they could barely deploy forces: they have two aircraft carriers, both under maintenance. Their brigades are like one out of six that work. And you just look at the capability, it's just not there. So I think we need to realize that and say, well, we need something different," Kellogg, who is the co-chair of the Center for American Security at the America First Foreign Policy Institute, told Fox News Digital.

But not everyone agrees the alliance is losing relevance.

"It has never been more relevant," said John R. Deni, a research professor at the U.S. Army War College, who says NATO remains central to U.S. national security.

"The reason for that is twofold," he said. "One, it’s our comparative advantage versus the Chinese and the Russians… they don’t have anything like this."

"And the second reason… NATO underwrites the security and stability of our most important trade and investment relationship," he added, referring to economic ties between North America and Europe.

NATO ALLIES CLASH AFTER RUSSIAN JETS BREACH AIRSPACE, TESTING ALLIANCE RESOLVE

By around 2010, the United States accounted for roughly 65% to 70% of NATO defense spending, according to analysis provided by Barak Seener from the Henry Jackson Society, a London-based think tank.

"They’ve always been dependent on the U.S.," Kellogg said of the European allies.

"The allies overall rely upon one another for deterrence and defense by design," Deni said, explaining that alliances exist to "pool their resources" and "aggregate their individual strengths."

Deni pointed to ground forces as a clear example of what the U.S. gains from the alliance, noting that "there are far more allied mechanized infantry forces on the ground than there are Americans."

NATO CHIEF SIGNALS ALLIES MAY ACT ON HORMUZ, WARNS OF ‘UNHEALTHY CODEPENDENCE’ ON US

Still, he acknowledged that reliance has at times gone too far.

"In the past… it was fair to say that the European allies were overly reliant upon the Americans for conventional defense," he said, pointing to the 2000s.

That, he said, was partly driven by U.S. priorities — as Washington pushed European allies to focus on wars in Afghanistan and Iraq rather than territorial defense.

Seener describes NATO as "formally collective, but functionally asymmetric," with the U.S. providing a disproportionate share of "high-end capabilities."

That asymmetry is most visible in nuclear deterrence.

Seener said the U.S. provides the overwhelming majority of NATO’s nuclear arsenal — including intercontinental ballistic missiles, submarine-launched systems and strategic bombers — meaning deterrence ultimately relies on the assumption of U.S. retaliation.

A NATO official told Fox News Digital that, "The U.S. nuclear deterrent cannot be replaced, but it is clear that Europe needs to step up. There’s no question. There needs to be a better balance when it comes to our defense and security. Both because we see the vital role the U.S. plays around the world and the resources that it demands, and also because it is only fair."

"The good news," the official added, "is that the Allies are doing exactly that. They are stepping up, working together — and with the U.S. — to ensure we collectively have what we need to deter and defend one billion people living across the Euro-Atlantic area."

NATO LAUNCHES ARCTIC SECURITY PUSH AS TRUMP EYES GREENLAND TAKEOVER

Beyond nuclear weapons, the dependence runs through the alliance’s operational backbone.

Seener pointed to U.S.-provided intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance — as well as logistics and command systems — as essential to NATO operations.

"Without U.S. intelligence and surveillance, NATO loses situational awareness and early warning capabilities," Seener said, adding, "So that means that Russia, for example, can attack Europe. And theoretically, if there's no NATO and the U.S. is not involved, Europe would not be aware, or it would take it too long to be able to defend itself."

Kellogg also says that much of Europe’s military capability falls short of top-tier systems.

"For the most part, their equipment, if you had to grade it A, B, C, D, E, F, they’re kind of like B players or C players," he said. "It’s not the first line of work."

He pointed to air and missile defense as a key gap, noting that while European countries rely on U.S.-made systems such as Patriot and THAAD, "they don’t have a system that’s comparable."

Kellogg attributed that to years of underinvestment, saying European defense industries "have atrophied," adding that the United States is also now "relearning that as well."

TRUMP AFFIRMS US 'WILL ALWAYS BE THERE FOR NATO,' WHILE EXPRESSING DOUBTS ABOUT ALLIANCE

Deni said the picture today is more mixed.

"Alliance defense spending has been up… and has spiked far more after 2022," he said, pointing to Russia’s invasion of Crimea in 2014 as a turning point.

But he cautioned that capability gains take time, noting that many improvements are still years away from full deployment.

Deni pointed to recent European purchases of U.S. systems as evidence of growing capability, noting that countries including Poland, Romania, Norway and Denmark are acquiring the F-35 fighter jet from the U.S.

"You can’t build an F-35 overnight," he said, adding that many of these improvements will take years to fully materialize.

A NATO official told Fox News Digital the alliance "needs to move further and faster" to meet growing threats, pointing to new capability targets agreed by defense ministers in June 2025.

The official said priorities include air and missile defense, long-range weapons, logistics and large land forces, noting that while details remain classified, plans call for a fivefold increase in air and missile defense, "thousands more" armored vehicles and tanks, and "millions more" artillery shells. NATO also aims to double key enabling capabilities such as logistics, transportation and medical support.

The official added that allies are increasing investments in warships, aircraft, drones, long-range missiles, as well as space and cyber capabilities, while boosting readiness and modernizing command and control.

"These targets are now included in national plans," the official said, adding that allies must demonstrate how they will meet them through sustained defense spending and capability development.

The NATO official also noted that European allies lead multinational forces across Central and Eastern Europe, while the U.S. and Canada serve as framework nations in Poland and Latvia, alongside ongoing air policing missions and NATO’s KFOR operation in Kosovo.

Kellogg’s warning is direct: NATO’s deterrence depends on U.S. presence.

"The one you always have to worry about… is Russia," Kellogg, who was Trump’s special envoy for Ukraine and Russia in 2025, said.

If U.S. forces are tied down elsewhere, NATO could face serious strain — particularly in areas like intelligence and logistics.

For Kellogg, the danger is delay. "We won’t know until it happens," he said. "And then you won’t be able to respond to it."

Deni, however, said the alliance remains a strategic asset — not a liability.

The question, he suggests, is not whether NATO still works. It is whether allies can adapt fast enough to keep it working.

The United States is advancing a new United Nations Security Council resolution targeting Iran’s actions in the Strait of Hormuz as the administration seeks to reinforce its ongoing maritime operation with international backing.

U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Mike Waltz said Monday the effort is designed to hold Iran accountable for mining international waters, threatening global shipping and attempting to disrupt one of the world’s most critical trade routes.

"The president and Secretary Rubio have instructed us to come to the Security Council in full cooperation and craft a resolution with Bahrain and the GCC countries," Waltz said during a press briefing. "We’re working on a parallel effort at the Security Council that is separate and distinct from Project Freedom, but obviously related."

"The resolution will involve holding Iran to account for its blatant violations of international law," he added, including requiring Tehran to stop laying sea mines, disclose their locations and work with the United Nations to establish humanitarian corridors used by dozens of U.N. agencies to deliver aid globally.

RUSSIA, CHINA VETO UN RESOLUTION AIMED AT REOPENING STRAIT OF HORMUZ, HOURS BEFORE TRUMP DEADLINE

The diplomatic push comes as U.S. forces moved Monday to secure commercial shipping through the strait under President Donald Trump’s Project Freedom. U.S. Central Command confirmed American forces sank six Iranian small boats threatening vessels, underscoring the fragility of the ceasefire and the ongoing risks to global energy flows.

Waltz framed the effort as part of a broader push to set a global precedent.

"We can’t set a standard that if two countries have a conflict … you can then embark on collective punishment for the economies of the rest of the world," he said.

When asked by Fox News Digital about the broader implications of Iran’s actions, Waltz said the U.S. is working to ensure that international waterways cannot be weaponized.

IRAN SEIZES SHIPS IN HORMUZ AS US TALKS FALTER AFTER CEASEFIRE EXTENSION

"You can’t start indiscriminately just throwing sea mines out into the ocean to sow doubt and fear into the international maritime community," he said. "And you certainly can’t see it as a revenue source … no country has a right to punish the rest of the world as part of a conflict."

He also pointed to the human toll of the crisis, noting that thousands of civilian mariners have been caught in the escalating tensions.

"These are captains, engineers, cooks, deckhands … they had no part in this conflict. They shouldn’t be forced to suffer," Waltz said, adding that the administration is emphasizing the humanitarian aspect of ensuring safe passage and aid delivery.

Fox News Digital also asked whether the U.S. and its partners should look beyond securing the strait and consider long-term structural solutions to bypass it altogether.

"I know our Gulf partners and allies are seriously thinking through that," Waltz said, referencing existing infrastructure such as Saudi Arabia’s East-West pipeline and export routes through the Gulf of Oman.

"I know they’re looking at additional alternatives to frankly diversify their pathways and diversify their economies," he added.

While the U.S. military effort is focused on immediate stabilization, including guiding vessels and deterring Iranian harassment, Waltz stressed that the U.N. resolution is intended to address the broader international implications and prevent similar crises in the future.

Despite the push, questions remain about whether Russia and China will support the measure after a previous attempt in April failed to pass. 

Waltz said the current proposal is narrower in scope and focused specifically on clear violations of international law, which he argued should make opposition less likely.

Fox News Digital reached out to the Iranian mission to the U.N. fo comment. 

This is part one of a series examining the challenges confronting the NATO alliance.

As President Donald Trump ramps up pressure on NATO allies to increase defense spending — and orders the withdrawal of 5,000 U.S. troops from Germany over the next six to 12 months — a deeper issue is coming into focus: even as allied budgets rise, NATO still depends heavily on American military power to function.

NATO’s imbalance is not theoretical — and it is not new, retired Lt. Gen. Keith Kellogg told Fox News Digital, "I told the president… maybe you ought to talk about a tiered relationship with NATO," Kellogg described conversations with Trump in his first term about the alliance’s future. "…we need to develop a new, for lack of a better term, a new NATO a new defensive alignment with Europe."

Kellogg, who served as a senior national security official during Trump's first term, said the alliance has expanded politically but not militarily — creating what he sees as a growing gap between commitments and real capability.

NATO CHIEF SIGNALS ALLIES MAY ACT ON HORMUZ, WARNS OF ‘UNHEALTHY CODEPENDENCE’ ON US

"You started with 12, and you went to 32, and in the process, I think you diluted the impact," he argued, calling today’s NATO "a very bloated architecture."

"They haven't put the money into defense. Their defense industry and defense forces have atrophied. When you look at the Brits right now, they could barely deploy forces: they have two aircraft carriers, both under maintenance. Their brigades are like one out of six that work. And you just look at the capability, it's just not there. So I think we need to realize that and say, well, we need something different," Kellogg, who is the co-chair of the Center for American Security at the America First Foreign Policy Institute, told Fox News Digital.

But not everyone agrees the alliance is losing relevance.

"It has never been more relevant," said John R. Deni, a research professor at the U.S. Army War College, who says NATO remains central to U.S. national security.

"The reason for that is twofold," he said. "One, it’s our comparative advantage versus the Chinese and the Russians… they don’t have anything like this."

"And the second reason… NATO underwrites the security and stability of our most important trade and investment relationship," he added, referring to economic ties between North America and Europe.

NATO ALLIES CLASH AFTER RUSSIAN JETS BREACH AIRSPACE, TESTING ALLIANCE RESOLVE

By around 2010, the United States accounted for roughly 65% to 70% of NATO defense spending, according to analysis provided by Barak Seener from the Henry Jackson Society, a London-based think tank.

"They’ve always been dependent on the U.S.," Kellogg said of the European allies.

"The allies overall rely upon one another for deterrence and defense by design," Deni said, explaining that alliances exist to "pool their resources" and "aggregate their individual strengths."

Deni pointed to ground forces as a clear example of what the U.S. gains from the alliance, noting that "there are far more allied mechanized infantry forces on the ground than there are Americans."

Still, he acknowledged that reliance has at times gone too far.

"In the past… it was fair to say that the European allies were overly reliant upon the Americans for conventional defense," he said, pointing to the 2000s.

That, he said, was partly driven by U.S. priorities — as Washington pushed European allies to focus on wars in Afghanistan and Iraq rather than territorial defense.

Seener describes NATO as "formally collective, but functionally asymmetric," with the U.S. providing a disproportionate share of "high-end capabilities."

That asymmetry is most visible in nuclear deterrence.

Seener said the U.S. provides the overwhelming majority of NATO’s nuclear arsenal — including intercontinental ballistic missiles, submarine-launched systems and strategic bombers — meaning deterrence ultimately relies on the assumption of U.S. retaliation.

A NATO official told Fox News Digital that, "The U.S. nuclear deterrent cannot be replaced, but it is clear that Europe needs to step up. There’s no question. There needs to be a better balance when it comes to our defense and security. Both because we see the vital role the U.S. plays around the world and the resources that it demands, and also because it is only fair."

"The good news," the official added, "is that the Allies are doing exactly that. They are stepping up, working together — and with the U.S. — to ensure we collectively have what we need to deter and defend one billion people living across the Euro-Atlantic area."

NATO LAUNCHES ARCTIC SECURITY PUSH AS TRUMP EYES GREENLAND TAKEOVER

Beyond nuclear weapons, the dependence runs through the alliance’s operational backbone.

Seener pointed to U.S.-provided intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance — as well as logistics and command systems — as essential to NATO operations.

"Without U.S. intelligence and surveillance, NATO loses situational awareness and early warning capabilities," Seener said, adding, "So that means that Russia, for example, can attack Europe. And theoretically, if there's no NATO and the U.S. is not involved, Europe would not be aware, or it would take it too long to be able to defend itself."

Kellogg also says that much of Europe’s military capability falls short of top-tier systems.

"For the most part, their equipment, if you had to grade it A, B, C, D, E, F, they’re kind of like B players or C players," he said. "It’s not the first line of work."

He pointed to air and missile defense as a key gap, noting that while European countries rely on U.S.-made systems such as Patriot and THAAD, "they don’t have a system that’s comparable."

Kellogg attributed that to years of underinvestment, saying European defense industries "have atrophied," adding that the United States is also now "relearning that as well."

TRUMP AFFIRMS US 'WILL ALWAYS BE THERE FOR NATO,' WHILE EXPRESSING DOUBTS ABOUT ALLIANCE

Deni said the picture today is more mixed.

"Alliance defense spending has been up… and has spiked far more after 2022," he said, pointing to Russia’s invasion of Crimea in 2014 as a turning point.

But he cautioned that capability gains take time, noting that many improvements are still years away from full deployment.

Deni pointed to recent European purchases of U.S. systems as evidence of growing capability, noting that countries including Poland, Romania, Norway and Denmark are acquiring the F-35 fighter jet from the U.S.

"You can’t build an F-35 overnight," he said, adding that many of these improvements will take years to fully materialize.

A NATO official told Fox News Digital the alliance "needs to move further and faster" to meet growing threats, pointing to new capability targets agreed by defense ministers in June 2025.

The official said priorities include air and missile defense, long-range weapons, logistics and large land forces, noting that while details remain classified, plans call for a fivefold increase in air and missile defense, "thousands more" armored vehicles and tanks, and "millions more" artillery shells. NATO also aims to double key enabling capabilities such as logistics, transportation and medical support.

The official added that allies are increasing investments in warships, aircraft, drones, long-range missiles, as well as space and cyber capabilities, while boosting readiness and modernizing command and control.

"These targets are now included in national plans," the official said, adding that allies must demonstrate how they will meet them through sustained defense spending and capability development.

The NATO official also noted that European allies lead multinational forces across Central and Eastern Europe, while the U.S. and Canada serve as framework nations in Poland and Latvia, alongside ongoing air policing missions and NATO’s KFOR operation in Kosovo.

Kellogg’s warning is direct: NATO’s deterrence depends on U.S. presence.

"The one you always have to worry about… is Russia," Kellogg, who was Trump’s special envoy for Ukraine and Russia in 2025, said.

If U.S. forces are tied down elsewhere, NATO could face serious strain — particularly in areas like intelligence and logistics.

For Kellogg, the danger is delay. "We won’t know until it happens," he said. "And then you won’t be able to respond to it."

Deni, however, said the alliance remains a strategic asset — not a liability.

The question, he suggests, is not whether NATO still works. It is whether allies can adapt fast enough to keep it working.

U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk on Tuesday accused Iran’s regime of dramatically intensifying its crackdown on dissent in the wake of the February conflict, warning that Tehran has carried out executions, mass arrests, torture and one of the world’s longest internet shutdowns while invoking national security.

In a sharply worded statement from Geneva, Türk said at least 21 people have been executed and more than 4,000 arrested on national security-related charges since Feb. 28 as the regime faces mounting scrutiny over what he described as a sweeping assault on fundamental rights. 

"I am appalled that, on top of the already severe impacts of the conflict, the rights of the Iranian people continue to be stripped from them by the authorities in harsh and brutal ways," Türk said.

COULD NARGES MOHAMMADI UNITE IRAN’S OPPOSITION? HUSBAND SAYS IMPRISONED NOBEL LAUREATE STILL FIGHTING

Since the start of the conflict two months ago, the U.N. said nine people have been executed over the January 2026 protests, 10 for alleged membership in opposition groups and two on espionage charges. It's estimated some 40,000 people were killed by regime forces during January's uprising.

Türk warned that Iran’s broad use of vaguely defined national security laws has enabled authorities to fast-track prosecutions, deny legal counsel and rely on coerced confessions.

"Even where national security is invoked, human rights can only be limited where strictly necessary and proportionate," he said, calling on Tehran to halt executions, impose a moratorium on capital punishment and immediately release those arbitrarily detained.

For many Iranian dissidents, the findings reflect an already dire reality.

"It is bad," Banafsheh Zand, an Iranian-American journalist and editor of the Iran So Far Away Substack, told Fox News Digital. "They’re completely killing off the country."

On Saturday, it was reported that Iran had executed another athlete, a 21-year-old karate champion. Sassan Azadvar Joonqani was detained in January during the anti-regime protests and was executed by the regime on Thursday, according to a Euronews report. 

In March, Iran executed another athlete, 19-year-old wrestling champion Saleh Mohammadi, for protesting against the regime, Fox News Digital reported. 

Türk’s office said detainees have reportedly faced enforced disappearances, torture, mock executions and televised confessions, with ethnic and religious minorities, including Bahá’ís, Zoroastrians, Kurds and Baluch Iranians facing particular risk.

RUBIO REVOKES IRANIAN OFFICIALS' US TRAVEL PRIVILEGES OVER DEADLY PROTEST CRACKDOWN KILLING THOUSANDS

Among those cited by the U.N. was imprisoned Nobel Peace Prize laureate Narges Mohammadi, whose condition sharply worsened Friday after what her family described as a catastrophic health crisis after months of being denied specialized care.

According to a statement from the Narges Foundation published Friday, Mohammadi was urgently transferred by ambulance from Zanjan Prison to a hospital after suffering two episodes of complete loss of consciousness in a single day, accompanied by severe cardiac distress. 

The foundation said prison doctors determined her condition could no longer be managed on site after what her family called a "last-minute" transfer that may have come dangerously late.

Her husband, Taghi Rahmani, told Fox News Digital earlier this week that her physical condition had already become increasingly dire after what he described as a violent arrest and deteriorating prison treatment. 

"She has sustained severe trauma and urgently requires medical attention," he said.

Rahmani previously said Mohammadi’s medical team and outside specialists had pushed for treatment in Tehran due to her history of multiple heart procedures, while authorities allegedly blocked those recommendations until her condition became life-threatening. Despite her physical decline, Rahmani said, "Spiritually and mentally, Narges remains steadfast."

IRAN’S KHAMENEI LASHES OUT AT PROTESTERS AS NATIONWIDE ANTI-REGIME UNREST GROWS

The U.N. statement, combined with Mohammadi’s emergency hospitalization, has intensified scrutiny of Iran’s prison conditions, which Türk described as marked by overcrowding, medical neglect and severe human rights abuses.

Türk also cited dire prison conditions, including overcrowding, shortages of food, water and medicine and denial of medical care.

The U.N. further highlighted reports of lethal violence in detention centers, including claims that security forces killed at least five detainees in Chabahar Prison after protests over suspended food distribution.

But while dissidents welcomed the U.N.’s unusually forceful language, some also questioned whether condemnation without action can meaningfully alter conditions, especially as Iran this week was elevated to a vice chair role on a U.N. nuclear nonproliferation committee.

"The reason why Iranians just don't trust, don't like and don't want to know from the U.N.," Zand said, is what she described as its repeated failure "to rise to the occasion of responding to the regime and holding their feet to the fire at the right time ... with the right amount of pressure."

While she said the latest statement itself was important, Zand argued many view such condemnations as hollow when paired with what they see as institutional legitimacy granted to Tehran.

"They're making a statement. … Fine," she said. "But what are they gonna do about it?"

EXCLUSIVE: A surge in online claims warning of famine in Gaza is gaining traction across social media and international outlets, but newly surfaced data reviewed by Fox News Digital from the United Nations, the Board of Peace and the Israeli military tells a sharply different story. 

The figures were shared at a meeting of the Ad Hoc Liaison Committee (AHLC), a forum that coordinates international aid to the Palestinians, by the Board of Peace and described as based on reporting from the U.N.

Children aged 6 to 59 months admitted for acute malnutrition treatment rose from 2,807 cases in January 2025 to a peak of 17,384 in August 2025 before declining steadily to 3,043 in March 2026, an approximately 83% drop, according to the data. 

EYEWITNESS TO FIGHTING HAMAS TERRORISTS IN GAZA'S DEADLY NETZARIM CORRIDOR: 'THE CHALLENGES ARE CONSTANT'

The figures challenge a rapidly spreading narrative that Gaza is facing widespread famine, a claim gaining traction across global media and shaping international pressure on Israel.

The dataset also indicates that most remaining cases are now classified as "moderate" or linked to chronic medical and genetic conditions requiring sustained support.

Separate figures presented at the same meeting, collected by the Board of Peace, show a sharp increase in humanitarian aid delivery following the establishment of the Civil-Military Coordination Center (CMCC) in October 2025. The U.S.-led, multinational hub, located in Israel, is designed to manage post-war Gaza stabilization. 

The Civil-Military Coordination Center oversees aid delivery, monitors a U.S.-brokered ceasefire, and coordinates efforts with 60 nations and organizations.

The figures show weekly truck deliveries into Gaza rose from approximately 1,300 to 4,200, while the percentage of trucks diverted en route dropped from roughly 90% to just 1% post-Civil-Military Coordination Center. 

The number of people reached with food assistance increased from about 400,000 before the Civil-Military Coordination Center was established to approximately 2.1 million post-coordination center. 

And yet, April has seen a spike in messaging alleging "engineered starvation" in Gaza, according to HonestReporting, a U.S.-based pro-Israel media watchdog, with the narrative spreading from Hamas-linked channels to mainstream platforms in a matter of days. 

"On April 13, our team began seeing posts about soda and Nutella entering Gaza at the same time that Doctors Without Borders accused Israel of trying to ‘destroy the conditions of life,’" said Jacki Alexander, CEO of HonestReporting. "We used our proprietary AI tool to identify whether this was part of a broader pattern, and that analysis formed the basis of our memo."

"Since then, we’ve seen continued use of famine-related language across social media and ideologically aligned outlets," Alexander said. "Content claiming mass starvation has reached millions of views, and the narrative has expanded to include allegations about blocked medical supplies."

The HonestReporting report said the messaging quickly escalated, with viral posts claiming bakeries were shutting down, food supplies were critically low and an "entire generation" of children faced irreversible harm. The narrative, claimed the report, was further reinforced by coverage in outlets including Drop Site News, Middle East Eye, Mondoweiss and Al Jazeera English.

"Hamas understands that its best leverage exists in the information war," Alexander said. 

"That’s why we developed these tools — to document narrative warfare and create a blueprint to dismantle it," Alexander told Fox News Digital. 

ISRAEL ANNOUNCES IMMEDIATE RESUMPTION OF GAZA AID AIRDROPS AMID GROWING HUNGER CRISIS

In an interview with Fox News Digital, Richard Goldberg, a senior advisor at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies nonprofit, said, "What we’re seeing is a recurring pattern in this conflict where the humanitarian narrative is being weaponized."

Goldberg argued that the timing of the famine claims is tied to growing pressure on Hamas to disarm and to broader diplomatic efforts involving the United States, Arab states and international partners.

"One of those weapons is trying to resurrect a narrative of famine," he said.

Hamas is seeking to "undermine" a coalition involved in shaping Gaza’s post-war future, according to Goldberg, and prevent consensus around next steps. 

"Hamas is the isolated party, and they do not want to disarm," he said.

Goldberg said that, unlike earlier stages of the war, the current environment makes it harder for such claims to take hold. 

"You now have months of ceasefire, and the U.N. and other partners have been directly involved in the humanitarian effort," he said.

"They all have the data… and they are all in a position where there’s a brick wall Hamas is going to find for its disinformation tactics," he added.

WARFARE EXPERT CALLS GAZA REBUILDING PLAN 'DISNEYLAND STRATEGY' TO DEFEAT HAMAS

"What worked against just Israel a year ago cannot work as well against an entire coalition," Goldberg said.

A senior Israeli military official told Fox News Digital that during the ceasefire, humanitarian throughput into Gaza averaged roughly 600 trucks per day, far above what the official said U.N. planning models estimated was required to meet baseline food needs.

"According to the U.N., it’s somewhere between 115 to 130 trucks a day," the official said, while emphasizing that recent aid levels have significantly exceeded that threshold.

The official said that despite temporary disruptions during the Iran conflict, crossings quickly reopened and aid volumes returned to high levels, arguing that current famine allegations are "completely false."

"It’s impossible with the amount of aid that is going in," the official said. "There is no shortage of food in the Gaza Strip for an extended period."

Israel's Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories (COGAT) similarly told Fox News Digital that Israel’s defense establishment believes Hamas is attempting to exploit global attention shifting toward Iran and Lebanon by pushing renewed humanitarian collapse narratives about Gaza.

Hamas has repeatedly sought throughout the war to portray "a deliberately false narrative of the collapse of the humanitarian system" in Gaza in order to increase international pressure on Israel and shape negotiations, according to COGAT. 

A security official said Hamas intensifies such campaigns whenever diplomatic pressure rises.

"Hamas is trying to stall for time and is using all means to maintain its grip on power," the official said. "Whenever negotiations over an agreement take place, Hamas intensifies false campaigns about the humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip in order to secure international support through fabricated crises."

Fox News Digital has reached out to the United Nations and the World Food Programme for comment. 

The United States, joined by the United Arab Emirates and backed by concerns from key European powers, sharply condemned the United Nations’ decision Monday to grant Iran a leadership post at a major nuclear treaty conference.

Iran’s selection as one of dozens of vice presidents at the monthlong review conference for the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty reignited scrutiny over what critics say is a recurring pattern of Iran gaining procedural legitimacy inside international institutions despite longstanding concerns over its nuclear conduct.

The clash erupted as the 11th Review Conference of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty opened at U.N. headquarters in New York, where Iran was selected as one of 34 vice presidents through the Non-Aligned Movement bloc. 

The conference includes 191 treaty parties and convenes every five years to review implementation of the pact aimed at preventing the spread of nuclear weapons.

IRAN SECURES UN ROLE WITH BACKING FROM UK, FRANCE, CANADA, AUSTRALIA AS US STANDS ALONE

For the administration, the symbolism was immediate and explosive.

"Rather than choosing to use this review conference to defend the integrity of the NPT and call Iran to account, we instead elect Iran a vice president," Christopher Yeaw, U.S. assistant secretary for arms control and nonproliferation, told delegates. "It is beyond shameful and an embarrassment to the credibility of this conference."

The UAE and Australia publicly backed the American objection, while Britain, France and Germany also expressed concern, marking a broader coalition than in earlier U.N. disputes where the U.S. often stood largely alone in challenging Iran’s procedural elevation.

The diplomatic uproar follows a pattern previously highlighted by Fox News Digital. On April 13, the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC), a 54-member body that plays a central role in shaping U.N. policy and staffing key committees, nominated the Islamic Republic of Iran to the U.N.’s Committee for Program and Coordination, which helps shape policy on human rights, women’s rights, disarmament and counterterrorism, with the United States the only country to formally object.

IRAN VASTLY INCREASED NUCLEAR FUEL STOCKPILE AHEAD OF TRUMP RETURN, UN AGENCY FINDS

During Monday’s debate, Iranian envoy Reza Najafi rejected the criticism as "baseless and politically motivated," accusing the U.S. of hypocrisy and pointing to America’s nuclear history while defending Tehran’s right to peaceful nuclear development. Russia also defended Iran, with Ambassador-at-Large Andrey Belousov objecting to what he called the politicization of the conference.

The Iranian mission to the United Nations declined to comment to Fox News Digital.

U.N. spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric told Fox News Digital that the secretary-general "is not involved in any way in the election of Member States to leadership roles in various conferences or legislative bodies."

"Member States are responsible for electing other Member States, and they must be accountable for the results of these elections," Dujarric said.

He added that the U.N.’s focus remains on the broader nuclear threat rather than the procedural controversy surrounding Iran’s appointment. 

"We strongly encourage all Member States participating in the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty Review Conference to focus on what is most important: stopping the spread and threat of nuclear weapons, which remains a global threat," he said.

Iran’s appointment comes amid heightened international concern over Iran’s nuclear trajectory. Western governments and the International Atomic Energy Agency have raised alarms over Iran’s enrichment of uranium to near weapons-grade levels and disputes over inspections, while Tehran insists its program is strictly civilian.

Critics say the controversy exposes a structural contradiction at the heart of the U.N. system: geopolitical blocs can elevate states under scrutiny into positions of procedural authority, even at conferences dedicated to the very norms those states are accused of violating.

The last NPT review conference in 2022 failed to produce a consensus document after Russia blocked the agreement, underscoring how great power divisions have increasingly paralyzed the treaty’s review process, according to The Associated Press. 

Hillel Neuer, executive director of UN Watch, told Fox News Digital the vote reflects what he described as a broader erosion of institutional credibility at the United Nations.

"This is part of a disturbing trend," Neuer said. "Iran has been accumulating senior roles across the U.N. system, from human rights bodies to key committees. Each appointment chips away at the credibility of international institutions, reinforcing the perception that political deal-making outweighs basic standards of conduct."

Reuters and the Associated Press contributed to this report.

The shooting at the White House Correspondents’ Association Dinner has exposed a serious security vulnerability surrounding President Donald Trump and other senior U.S. officials, a former Defense Department intelligence officer has warned.

And with tensions between Washington and Tehran rising and ceasefire talks stalled, Andrew Badger told Fox News Digital the April 25 breach could further increase Iran’s "motivation" to target Trump and others in the administration.

"This could show that there is a vulnerability in terms of potentially accessing President Trump or senior officials," Badger said before warning of "significant vulnerabilities."

TRUMP PRAISED FOR 'STRENGTH' IN MOMENTS AFTER SHOTS RANG OUT AS EYEWITNESS DESCRIBES 'TERRIBLE' SCENE

"When you're looking at your adversary, and you're seeing weakness, it also fuels motivation," he said before claiming that "Iran has the motive to strike at senior Trump officials, including President Trump."

"Iran, which has a demonstrated history of using criminals and proxy individuals, could certainly look at this as an opportunity."

Chaos broke out at the Washington Hilton Hotel when a suspected gunman, identified as 31-year-old Cole Thomas Allen of Torrance, California, stormed a security checkpoint and opened fire.

Trump and other administration officials were rushed out of the ballroom as law enforcement responded. Allen is currently in custody and made an initial court appearance on Monday.

AMERICANS MUST HAVE 'HIGHER DEGREE OF VIGILANCE' AMID IRAN TERROR THREAT, HOUSE INTEL CHAIR WARNS

The gathering included Trump, first lady Melania Trump, Vice President JD Vance, Speaker of the House Mike Johnson, journalists and senior administration officials — a concentration of leadership that Badger said presented significant risk.

"The top three of the line of succession were at this single event," Badger noted.

He added that "eight of the nine line-of-succession officials were at this single event," warning of a worst-case scenario: "If this individual would have somehow worn a suicide vest, you could have eliminated all three of those individuals."

HOSPITALS IN SANCTUARY CITIES COULD BE MOST VULNERABLE TO IRAN TERROR ATTACKS, WARNS EXPERT

"Imagine if there were multiple people. Imagine if he was wearing suicide vests. Imagine if he used some type of drone," Badger said, emphasizing the scale of potential exposure at a nonsecure venue.

The incident, he said, unfolds against the backdrop of ongoing tensions with Iran, which have escalated amid U.S. and Israeli targeting of Iranian officials and leadership.

Badger pointed to longstanding Iranian hostility tied to the 2020 killing of Qassem Soleimani, the commander of Iran’s Quds Force, who was killed in a U.S. drone strike near Baghdad International Airport ordered by Trump.

TRUMP FACES UNPRECEDENTED THIRD ASSASSINATION ATTEMPT

"There has been a driving animus, a driving motivation in the Iranian regime — which they’ve stated publicly — to get revenge for that killing of Soleimani," said Badger, who served on the front lines of human intelligence operations, including a 2014 deployment to Afghanistan.

After Soleimani was killed, Ayatollah Khamenei warned that those responsible for the attack would face "severe revenge," adding that the death would strengthen and intensify resistance against the United States and Israel.

Badger warned that Iran and other adversaries have increasingly relied on unconventional tactics. "Iran and other state actors such as Russia have increasingly reverted to contracting criminals, or gangsters, to conduct hybrid warfare," he said.

Following the incident, Trump underscored the need for more secure venues, advocating for a dedicated White House ballroom.

"It’s got every single bell and whistle you can possibly have for security and safety... It’s really what you need," Trump said on Fox News’ "The Sunday Briefing."

World leaders across the globe swiftly condemned political violence and expressed relief that President Donald Trump was unharmed after a chaotic armed attack Saturday night disrupted the White House Correspondents’ Association Dinner in Washington, D.C.

Their responses poured in on X after a man armed with guns and knives stormed the lobby of the Washington Hilton and charged toward the ballroom, where Trump, lawmakers, journalists and foreign dignitaries were gathered, prompting Secret Service agents to open fire and guests to dive under tables.

The suspect — later identified as 31-year-old Cole Allen of Torrance, California — was taken into custody, and Trump was rushed offstage unharmed. Officials said the suspect was a guest at the Washington Hilton, where the dinner was being held, and was taken into custody at the scene. He is expected to appear in court on Monday.

In their reactions, world leaders emphasized both solidarity with the United States and concern over rising political violence.

SECRET SERVICE AWARE AFTER IRANIAN STATE TV AIRS TRUMP THREAT FEATURING PHOTO OF BUTLER ASSASSINATION ATTEMPT

French President Emmanuel Macron called the incident "unacceptable," writing that "violence has no place in a democracy" while expressing "full support" for Trump.

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni echoed that sentiment, warning against political extremism.

"No political hatred can find space in our democracies," she said, adding that democratic nations must not allow "fanaticism to poison the places of free debate and information."

TRUMP ADMINISTRATION PROMISES JUSTICE FOR SLAIN ISRAELI COUPLE IN DC SHOOTING

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi said he was "relieved" Trump, the first lady and Vice President JD Vance were safe, stressing that violence "must be unequivocally condemned."

Leaders across Europe struck a similar tone. British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said he was "shocked by the scenes," calling the attack one that must be "condemned in the strongest possible terms," particularly given it targeted a high-profile democratic event.

UK Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper said she was "appalled," adding that democracies must "stand together against political violence."

US JUDGE ORDERS SUSPECT DETAINED FOR THREATENING TO KILL RICHARD GRENELL

NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte framed the incident as a broader threat to democratic systems, calling it "an attack on our free and open societies" and reaffirming solidarity with the United States.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu described the incident as an "attempted assassination," though U.S. authorities have not publicly characterized it as such, saying he and his wife were "shocked" while praising U.S. security forces for their "swift and decisive action." He also wished a speedy recovery to a police officer who was shot in a bullet-resistant vest during the confrontation.

From the Western Hemisphere, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney said he was "relieved" all attendees were safe but called the episode a "disturbing event," while Mexico’s President Claudia Sheinbaum said simply, "Violence should never be the way."

WORLD LEADERS SPLIT OVER MILITARY ACTION AS US-ISRAEL STRIKE IRAN IN COORDINATED OPERATION

Argentine President Javier Milei issued one of the strongest statements, condemning what he described as a "new assassination attempt," and linking the attack to "violent rhetoric of the left all over the world." His characterization has not been confirmed by U.S. officials.

Leaders from beyond the traditional Western alliance also weighed in. Venezuela’s acting president, Delcy Rodríguez, said her government "strongly condemns" the attack and emphasized that "violence is never an option," while European Commission Vice President Kaja Kallas highlighted the symbolism of the venue, noting that "an event meant to honour a free press should never become a scene of fear."

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese praised U.S. law enforcement and Secret Service agents for their "swift action" in containing the situation.

The attack marks the latest in a string of security threats against Trump since 2024 and is likely to intensify scrutiny over security protocols at major public events involving the president. It is also likely to renew conversations about rising political violence in the U.S.

Authorities say the suspect acted alone and have not yet identified a motive. FBI and local law enforcement officials descended on the suspect’s Torrance home Saturday night.

MEXICO CITY: The recent high-profile gathering of leftist leaders in Barcelona, convened by Spain’s socialist Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez, is drawing increasing attention for what analysts describe as a broader geopolitical positioning that could challenge U.S. influence across Latin America and beyond.

The summit brought together Brazil President Lula da Silva, Colombia’s Gustavo Petro and Mexico’s Claudia Sheinbaum. Framed as a platform for addressing inequality, climate change and the rise of right-wing political movements, yet the rhetoric coming from it has raised questions in Washington and across the region about whether a more coordinated political counterweight to the United States is taking shape.

Without naming the Trump administration, Sánchez warned of the "normalization of the use of force" and "attempts to undermine international law", as criticism of U.S. foreign policy. He also pushed for reforms to global institutions, arguing that the current system no longer reflects today’s geopolitical realities, a position that implicitly challenges long-standing U.S. leadership in those bodies.

WALZ RIPS TRUMP AND VANCE IN EUROPE, SAYS 'FEEBLE-MINDED, TRIGGER-HAPPY PRESIDENT' HAS NO EXIT PLAN FOR IRAN

"The Barcelona summit reflects a deliberate effort by Pedro Sánchez to position himself as a leading figure within an emerging progressive bloc that is increasingly critical of U.S. foreign policy under President Trump," Juan Angel Soto, founder and CEO of Fortius Consulting told Fox News Digital.

"This positioning is particularly complex given Spain’s structural anchoring in both the European Union and NATO, which traditionally align it closely with Washington. However, Sánchez has simultaneously deepened ties with the Global South, evident in his growing proximity to China, as well as to leaders such as Lula, Sheinbaum and Petro, suggesting a dual-track foreign policy that seeks greater autonomy from U.S. influence," Soto said.

The Colombian leader tied global tensions directly to economic and energy systems, arguing that fossil fuel dependence has fueled conflict and inequality, an argument that aligns with broader criticism of Western-led economic models.

Roberto Salinas León, director of International Affairs at Universidad de la Libertad in Mexico City, told Fox News Digital, "The ill-named summit ‘In Defense of Democracy’ held in Barcelona brought together notable ‘progressives’ with an aim to bring together a global contingent opposed to, well, Trump 2.0. How convenient."

TRUMP CRITICIZES SPAIN AMID IRAN, NATO RIFT AS PM SANCHEZ FACES QUESTIONS OVER POLITICAL MOTIVES

"Petro stated that ‘Latin American progressivism is a ray of hope for a humanity in crisis.’ Yet these would-be spokespersons for democracy have supported such inhumane brutal dictatorships like Cuba, Nicaragua, Maduro’s Venezuela, Iran, and others. This gathering is more aptly characterized as a political mascara of electoral autocracies, each leader undermining the institutional checks and balances of open liberal democracies," he said.

Brazil’s Lula criticized what he described as interventionist policies by major powers and called for a rebalancing of global governance, including changes to the U.N. Security Council. At one point, he characterized recent U.S. leadership as contributing to global instability, reinforcing a central theme of the summit: that the current international order needs to be redefined.

"The new Cold War is being waged between China and the United States; it is this very rivalry that is at stake in every country participating in the summit. Lula’s concern regarding the resurgence of the right has become patently obvious, particularly when observing Argentina and Chile, where the victories of Milei and Kast have ushered in ‘winds of change.’ We are, quite literally, living through times reminiscent of the fall of the Berlin Wall, specifically, the collapse of ‘21st-century socialism’ across Hispanic America, and this is precisely what has them so worried," Brazilian political analyst Sandra Bronzina told Fox News Digital

"When the global progressive left rails against the United States, talking about sovereignty and peace, or speaking out against war, they are not doing so out of mere altruism or good intentions. Rather, they are driven by a shadowy self-interest: ensuring that China continues to colonize our nations, a process that is, evidently, already well underway."

'AMERICAS COUNTER CARTEL COALITION': INSIDE THE US STRATEGY TO COMBAT NARCO TERROR, CONFRONT CHINA, OTHER FOES

Mexico’s Sheinbaum underscored the principle of national sovereignty, reiterating Latin America’s longstanding emphasis on non-intervention. She joined other leaders in opposing sanctions on countries such as Cuba, signaling a willingness to coordinate positions that diverge sharply from U.S. policy in the region.

Taken together, analysts say the messaging out of Barcelona suggests the early stages of a loosely aligned bloc, one that is increasingly willing to challenge U.S. positions on global governance, regional policy and economic strategy.

Yet even as leaders in Barcelona warn of a rising right-wing threat, political realities across the Americas tell a different story, one that may resonate more directly with U.S. audiences.

In Argentina, sweeping economic reforms focused on deregulation and fiscal discipline have captured global attention as an alternative to state-led models. In El Salvador, aggressive security policies have dramatically reduced violence. And in Ecuador, a renewed focus on law-and-order and institutional control is emerging as a response to escalating cartel violence.

Analysts say these examples highlight a counter to the Barcelona narrative in that a significant portion of the region is moving toward policies centered on security, market reforms and stronger state authority — priorities that often align more closely with U.S. strategic interests.

Experts say the contrast is striking. On one side, a group of leaders in Barcelona is calling for a rethinking of global systems long associated with U.S. leadership. On the other, governments across the hemisphere are experimenting with approaches that emphasize economic liberalization and strong security measures.

Amid charged exchanges between President Trump and Iran’s fragmented leadership over the regime's insistence that it retain its nuclear enrichment system, top experts on Iran’s atomic weapons program support the commander in chief’s ironclad goal to dissolve it.

One of the main sticking points during the intense talks between Tehran and Washington centers on Iran’s claim that the rogue regime has a right to enrich and possess weapons-grade uranium, the material required to build an atomic bomb. 

The showdown over enriched uranium might be the core deal-breaker issue when and if the next round of talks to reach a nuclear agreement goes ahead in Pakistan.

GOP SENATORS: CONGRESS SHOULD VOTE ON TRUMP'S POTENTIAL IRAN NUCLEAR DEAL

Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson, Esmaeil Baqaei, vehemently rejected Trump’s demand last week on state-controlled television. 

"Iran’s enriched uranium is not going to be transferred anywhere under any circumstances," Baqaei declared.

Trump claimed Iran had agreed to "give us back the nuclear dust that’s way underground." The President terms Iran’s 440 kilograms of enriched uranium as "nuclear dust" after sustained U.S. military strikes on Iranian sites that store the country’s stockpile of uranium.

"The United States should insist on a permanent ban of Iranian enrichment and its full dismantlement in negotiations. Iran retaining any enrichment infrastructure in anticipation of the end of a moratorium would allow it to cheat as soon as Trump leaves office and resume its path to nuclear weapons," Andrea Stricker, deputy director of the Foundation for Defense of Democracies' nonproliferation program, told Fox News Digital.

Jonathan Ruhe, fellow for American strategy at JINSA, echoed Stricker on the importance of abolishing the Iranian enrichment program. He told Fox News Digital, "An acceptable deal would have to embody many of Trump’s stated redlines from his first administration, and from the run-up to last summer’s 12-Day War. 

"This means permanent bans on enrichment, reprocessing and weaponization capability and, equally importantly, full verification of Iran’s compliance with these strictures."

IRANIAN PRESIDENT CALLS FOR NEGOTIATION AND DIALOGUE AS NUCLEAR TALKS CONTINUE

President Trump withdrew from President Obama’s widely criticized nuclear deal with Iran, the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), in 2018. 

"In theory, the so-called ‘Iran deal’ was supposed to protect the United States and our allies from the lunacy of an Iranian nuclear bomb, a weapon that will only endanger the survival of the Iranian regime," Trump said at the time. "In fact, the deal allowed Iran to continue enriching uranium and, over time, reach the brink of a nuclear breakout."

Ruhe said, "The JCPOA failed to ensure IAEA [International Atomic Energy Agency] inspectors could monitor, and account for, the entirety of Iran’s program and its compliance with the deal. This problem has worsened significantly in the decade since, as Iran systematically stonewalled inspectors.

"Iran’s negotiators always drag out talks and avoid giving clear answers. They still think time is on their side, with their blockade hurting the global economy and their missile arsenals being dug out and prepared for renewed conflict. Trump should insist on a definitive response from Tehran and be ready for renewed operations.

IRAN SIGNALS NUCLEAR PROGRESS IN GENEVA AS TRUMP CALLS FOR FULL DISMANTLEMENT

"As a cautionary tale: The Obama team first entered nuclear talks with stringent redlines, but then they let Iran call their bluffs, ignore their deadlines and wear down their demands until we ended up with the JCPOA," Ruhe said.

Iran is a signatory to the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) that obligates it not to enrich uranium for military purposes. However, U.S. and European intelligence reports have documented Iran’s illicit proliferation activities.

Ruhe said, "This regime cynically wants it both ways: They insist the NPT gives the ‘right’ to peaceful enrichment, yet they flout the treaty’s safeguards. By claiming this ‘right,’ they try to make certain core issues non-negotiable. By this logic, they should get to retain enrichment capacity. So, the questions then become how much and what the U.S. has to give in return for this supposed sacrifice by Iran.

"As the Non-Proliferation Treaty’s name indicates, it’s an agreement to prevent proliferation, not to promote nuclear development."

Stricker said Rafael Grossi, the head of the IAEA, recently said, "It’s fiction that the NPT specifically mentions ‘enrichment’ in its peaceful uses clause. Moreover, the prevailing legal demand from the U.N. Security Council is that Iran stop enriching and come back into compliance with its nonproliferation obligations. 

For nearly 25 years, the IAEA has been unable to conclude that all of Iran’s nuclear material and activities are devoted to peaceful uses."

She added that "Iran’s enrichment program began through illicit procurements and covert facilities, under a nuclear weapons program that planned to use enriched uranium as fuel. Iran was clearly stockpiling material for an apparent nuclear weapons breakout."

Judges at the International Criminal Court on Thursday confirmed crimes against humanity charges against former Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte for deadly anti-drugs crackdowns he allegedly oversaw while in office.

A three-judge panel found unanimously there were "substantial grounds" to believe the ex-leader was responsible for dozens of murders, first as mayor of the southern Philippine city of Davao and later as president.

Duterte, 80, was arrested in the Philippines last year and denies the charges against him.

In their 50-page decision, judges found that the evidence shows that Duterte "developed, disseminated and implemented" a policy "to ‘neutralize’ alleged criminals."

FORMER HONDURAN PRESIDENT RELEASED FROM US PRISON AFTER TRUMP PARDON

According to prosecutors, police and hit squad members carried out dozens of murders at Duterte’s behest, motivated by the promise of money or to avoid becoming targets themselves.

"For some, killing reached the level of a perverse form of competition," deputy prosecutor Mame Mandiaye Niang told the court in pretrial hearings in February.

A date for the start of the trial has not yet been set.

Duterte's lead defense lawyer Nick Kaufman told judges during the February hearings that he "stands behind his legacy resolutely, and he maintains his innocence absolutely."

US MOVES TO EXPAND MISSILES IN PHILIPPINES, PUTTING CHINA WITHIN RANGE

Kaufman argued that the prosecution "cherry-picked" examples of Duterte's "bombastic rhetoric," and his client’s words were never intended to incite violence.

Estimates of the death toll during Duterte’s presidential term vary, from the more than 6,000 that the national police have reported to up to 30,000 claimed by human rights groups.

Duterte has not been present in the courtroom for any hearings, having waived his right to appear. Last month judges found he was fit to stand trial, after postponing an earlier hearing over concerns about his health.

ICC prosecutors said in 2018 that they would open a preliminary investigation into the violent drug crackdowns. In a move that human rights activists say was aimed at avoiding accountability, Duterte, who was president at the time, announced a month later that the Philippines would leave the court.

On Wednesday, appeals judges rejected a request from Duterte’s legal team to throw out the case on the grounds that the court did not have jurisdiction because of the Philippine withdrawal.

A former Mexican beauty queen was found shot to death in her Mexico City apartment, with investigators examining the possible involvement of her mother-in-law, according to local reports.

Carolina Flores Gómez, 27, was found dead inside an apartment in the Polanco neighborhood, one of the city’s most affluent areas, Reporte Índigo, a Mexico-based news outlet, reported. 

Authorities said the death is being investigated as a homicide, after initial findings indicated she suffered a gunshot wound to the head. Emergency responders were called to the scene, where paramedics confirmed she showed no signs of life.

Prosecutors are investigating whether Flores Gómez’s mother-in-law, Erika María, as well as a man described in reports as her partner or husband, may have been involved in her death.

CALIFORNIA HIKER'S BODY FOUND NAKED IN BIG SUR BACKCOUNTRY

The man, identified as Alejandro, accused his mother of killing Flores Gómez, Mexican news outlet Azteca Guerrero reported.

The outlet also reported that the woman’s mother-in-law was present at the scene when the gun was fired and that authorities are looking into the timeline of when the incident was reported.

WIDOW, SON OF LATE CHICAGO COMMISSIONER FOUND SHOT DEAD INSIDE HOME IN SUSPECTED HOMICIDE

Preliminary reports cited by Mexican news outlet Diario Puntual indicate that a security guard at the building did not hear gunshots, adding uncertainty about how the crime occurred.

Authorities in Baja California, Mexico, also responded to the case, Diario Puntual reported.

CIA PERSONNEL KILLED IN MEXICO CRASH TIED TO CARTEL OPERATION; QUESTIONS MOUNT OVER US ROLE

Baja California Gov. Marina del Pilar Ávila Olmeda expressed solidarity with the victim’s family and called for the case to be clarified. 

State prosecutor María Elena Andrade Ramírez also said there is coordination with Mexico City authorities to support the investigation.

Flores Gómez previously competed in beauty pageants and was crowned Miss Teen Universe Baja California in 2017.

The case has drawn attention in Mexico amid ongoing concerns about violence against women, with advocacy groups calling for a thorough investigation into the circumstances surrounding her death.

The investigation into the matter is open and ongoing.