World News
Venezuelan opposition leader seized by armed men after being released from jail
María Corina Machado said Monday that a Venezuelan opposition leader was seized in Caracas shortly after being released from jail.
Machado wrote in a post on X that Juan Pablo Guanipa, a key ally, was kidnapped by heavily armed men in civilian clothing in the Los Chorros area of the capital.
"We demand his immediate release," she said.
Alfredo Romero, the president of the Venezuelan human rights group Foro Penal, said 35 political prisoners were released on Sunday, including Guanipa, who was initially arrested in May.
US MOVES FAST TO REOPEN VENEZUELA EMBASSY AFTER YEARSLONG FREEZE
Reuters reported that Venezuelan authorities were seeking court approval to place Guanipa under house arrest.
The country’s Public Ministry alleged that he violated the terms of his release but provided no additional details and did not say whether he had been re-arrested.
Guanipa’s Primero Justicia party said on X that he was forced into a silver Toyota Corolla during the incident.
"We hold Delcy Rodríguez, Jorge Rodríguez, and Diosdado Cabello responsible for any harm to Juan Pablo's life," the party wrote. "We call on the international community for the immediate release of Juan Pablo Guanipa and for an immediate and unconditional end to the persecution of the opposition."
The U.S. State Department did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.
TRUMP EMBRACES US INTERVENTION IN VENEZUELA, OPENS DOOR TO BROADER LATIN AMERICA PUSH
Rodríguez has been serving as the interim president of Venezuela since the U.S. capture of Nicolás Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores earlier this year.
In late January, President Donald Trump said Venezuela was releasing political prisoners at a "rapid rate," praising the move as a "powerful humanitarian gesture" by the country’s leadership.
An estimated 687 political prisoners remain in custody in Venezuela as of Feb. 2, according to Foro Penal.
Japan's 'Iron Lady' thanks Trump as party secures historic supermajority
Japan’s Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s ruling Liberal Democratic Party secured a sweeping win in Sunday’s parliamentary elections, capturing about 316 seats in the 465-member lower house and achieving a governing supermajority alongside allies. The result gives her a strong mandate to advance a conservative agenda focused on defense, immigration and economic reforms, the Associated Press reported.
A heavy metal fan and drummer, Takaichi — who has long cited former British PM Margaret Thatcher as a personal and political inspiration — expressed gratitude for President Trump’s support, thanking him for his congratulatory message following the victory and signaling continued alignment with Washington.
Trump praised her leadership in a post after the results were announced. "Congratulations to Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi and her Coalition on a LANDSLIDE Victory in today’s very important Vote," Trump wrote on social media, "Sanae’s bold and wise decision to call for an election paid off big time. Her Party now runs the Legislature, holding a HISTORIC TWO THIRDS SUPERMAJORITY — The first time since World War II. Sanae: It was my Honor to Endorse you and your Coalition. I wish you Great Success in passing your Conservative, Peace Through Strength Agenda. The wonderful people of Japan, who voted with such enthusiasm, will always have my strong support."
SANAE TAKAICHI BECOMES JAPAN’S FIRST FEMALE PRIME MINISTER, CITING THATCHER INSPIRATION
The election outcome represents one of the strongest performances for the ruling party in years and solidifies Takaichi’s position only months after taking office as Japan’s first female prime minister.
Following the results, Takaichi said she was prepared to move forward with policies aimed at making Japan "strong and prosperous," as she seeks to implement reforms and bolster national security, the Associated Press reported.
Her agenda includes boosting defense spending, revising security policies and stimulating economic growth, while maintaining a tougher posture toward regional threats such as China. Known for her hawkish stance on Beijing, Takaichi is expected to maintain Japan’s close alignment with the United States.
"Takaichi's landslide win shows other leaders that defiance of China can be popular with voters. Nobody has to appease or please Xi Jinping anymore," Asia analyst Gordon Chang told Fox News Digital.
U.S. officials also welcomed the outcome. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent described aid on Fox News’ "Sunday Morning Futures With Maria Bartiromo" that Takaichi is a strong ally and emphasized that her leadership strengthens the strategic partnership between Washington and Tokyo.
Takaichi’s victory is widely seen as a geopolitical signal as well as a domestic political triumph. Analysts say the strengthened mandate could deepen cooperation with the United States on security and economic policy at a time of rising tensions in the Indo-Pacific.
The snap election, called just months into her premiership, was widely viewed as a referendum on her leadership. With the opposition fragmented, voters delivered a decisive result that now gives Takaichi political space to pursue her agenda through the remainder of the parliamentary term.
Takaichi backs strengthening Japan’s defense posture and supports constitutional revision to expand the role of the military. Economically, she has praised the stimulus-driven policies associated with former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.
Her public thanks to Trump underscores how central the U.S. alliance remains to Tokyo’s strategy moving forward, experts say, as she prepares to translate electoral momentum into legislative and security action at home and abroad.
Reuters and the Associated Press contributed to this report.
As Epstein-linked appointment sparks backlash, UK PM Starmer faces party revolt amid resignation calls
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer is facing one of the most serious crises of his premiership after a cascade of resignations, renewed scrutiny over his decision to appoint Peter Mandelson as Britain’s ambassador to Washington and mounting unrest inside the ruling Labor Party ahead of a critical meeting of members of Parliament Monday evening.
On Monday, Scottish Labor leader Anas Sarwar became the most senior party figure to call for Starmer’s resignation, saying "the distraction needs to end and the leadership in Downing Street has to change," according to the Associated Press. His intervention piles fresh pressure on the prime minister.
At the center of the crisis are newly publicized materials detailing Mandelson’s links to Jeffrey Epstein, revelations that have reshaped the political stakes and triggered questions about vetting at the highest levels of government. Documents cited by Fox News Digital report Mandelson maintained contact with Epstein after his 2008 conviction, and that Epstein transferred about $75,000 in 2003 and 2004 to accounts connected to Mandelson or his husband.
KEIR STARMER’S CHIEF OF STAFF RESIGNS AFTER RECOMMENDING EPSTEIN-CONNECTED AMBASSADOR
Morgan McSweeney, Starmer’s chief of staff and one of the most influential figures inside Downing Street, stepped down on Sunday after acknowledging his role in recommending Mandelson for the diplomatic post. In a resignation statement obtained by The Guardian, McSweeney said the decision was "wrong" and he accepted responsibility, calling his departure the "only honorable course."
The pressure intensified hours later when Tim Allan, the prime minister’s director of communications, also resigned, according to GB News. Allan, a veteran New Labor strategist, became the second senior aide to exit as the political fallout deepened.
Dr. John Hemmings, director of the National Security Center at the Henry Jackson Society, told Fox News Digital the prime minister is now under escalating political pressure and that "it’s unclear as to whether he’ll survive."
"Prime Minister Starmer is coming under ever-increasing political pressure to resign here in London in the wake of the scandal around Lord Mandelson — his appointed ambassador to the United States — and his connection to Jeffrey Epstein. He has lost two close aides and is under attack for his China foreign policy. The Chagos Deal is under scrutiny and his trip to Beijing was largely viewed as devoid of real results," Hemmings said.
Alan Mendoza, executive director of the Henry Jackson Society, added: "It is extraordinary to be in a situation where a prime minister who won a landslide general election victory only 20 months ago is now on the verge of being forced to resign. We are here as a result of a series of policy U-turns and bad judgment calls culminating in the Lord Mandelson debacle. His fate is now ultimately in the hands of the Parliamentary Labor Party tonight. If he feels he no longer has their confidence, then there is every chance that this will be the end of Keir Starmer."
STARMER CALLS ON EX-PRINCE ANDREW TO TESTIFY BEFORE CONGRESS AFTER LATEST EPSTEIN RELEASE
Starmer has sought to contain the damage, saying he regrets the appointment. In remarks reported by GB News on Monday, the prime minister said: "I have been absolutely clear that I regret the decision that I made to appoint Peter Mandelson. And I’ve apologized to the victims, which is the right thing to do." He added that scandals of this kind risk undermining public faith in politics.
The prime minister now faces a showdown with Labor lawmakers, with backbench MPs expected to challenge his leadership at a party meeting Monday evening U.K. time. A senior Labor MP told GB News the "clock is ticking" and called for decisive action to "cleanse politics."
Downing Street has insisted Starmer will not resign despite the double departure. A spokesperson told journalists that the prime minister is "getting on with the job in hand and delivering change across the country," and he remains "upbeat and confident," and retains Cabinet support.
The political damage, however, extends beyond staffing turmoil. Mandelson was withdrawn from the ambassador role after additional details about his relationship with Epstein emerged, and he resigned from the Labor Party earlier this month, leaving Starmer confronting what experts describe as the most acute test of his leadership since taking office.
Fox News Digital's Ashley Carnahan and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Keir Starmer’s chief of staff resigns after recommending Epstein-connected ambassador
Morgan McSweeney resigned Sunday as British Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s chief of staff, stepping down amid mounting criticism over his role in advising the appointment of Peter Mandelson as the United Kingdom’s ambassador to the United States.
In a resignation statement obtained by The Guardian, McSweeney said the decision to appoint Mandelson was "wrong" and accepted full responsibility for recommending it, calling his departure the "only honourable course" under the circumstances.
"He [Mandelson] has damaged our party, our country and trust in politics itself," the former chief of staff wrote, noting the decision to resign wasn’t easy.
McSweeney said the controversy had damaged public trust and called for a fundamental overhaul of the government’s vetting and due-diligence process, while pledging his continued support for Starmer and the Labour government’s agenda.
UK PRIME MINISTER SUGGESTS FORMER PRINCE ANDREW SHOULD TESTIFY IN EPSTEIN INVESTIGATION
Emails and documents made public by the Justice Department in January show Mandelson maintained contact with Jeffrey Epstein after his 2008 conviction on two felony counts of soliciting prostitution, one of which involved a minor.
The Associated Press reported that newly surfaced documents indicate Mandelson may have passed along sensitive government information to Epstein in the period following the 2008 global financial crisis.
The outlet also cited documents and financial records indicating Epstein transferred a total of $75,000 in 2003 and 2004 to accounts connected to Mandelson or his husband, Reinaldo Avila da Silva.
BILL CLINTON COMES OUT SWINGING AGAINST COMER FOR REJECTING PUBLIC EPSTEIN HEARING: ‘STOP THE GAMES’
Foreign Office minister Stephen Doughty told the House of Commons on Sept. 11 that Starmer asked him to withdraw Mandelson as the UK’s ambassador to the United States after emails showed Mandelson’s relationship with Epstein was "materially different" from what was known at the time of his appointment.
"In particular, Lord Mandelson’s suggestion that Jeffrey Epstein’s first conviction was wrongful and should be challenged is new information," Doughty said. "In the light of that and mindful, as we all are, of the victims of Epstein’s appalling crimes, Lord Mandelson has been withdrawn as ambassador with immediate effect."
Mandelson resigned from the Labour Party on Feb. 1.
Iran’s top diplomat says nation’s power lies in defying pressure: ‘No to the great powers’
Iran is prepared to pursue diplomacy while remaining ready to defend itself if challenged, Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Sunday, arguing that Tehran’s strength lies in its ability to stand firm against pressure.
"We are a man of diplomacy, we are also a man of war; not in the sense that we seek war, but … we are ready to fight so that no one dares to fight us," he said, according to Press TV, Iran’s state-run English-language broadcaster.
Araghchi made the remarks in Tehran at the National Congress on the Islamic Republic’s Foreign Policy, two days after Iran and the United States held nuclear talks in Oman.
Fox News previously reported that negotiations between Iranian and U.S. officials in Muscat, the capital, were held face-to-face, marking the first such meetings since U.S. strikes on Iran’s nuclear sites in June.
IRAN PUSHES FOR FRIDAY NUCLEAR TALKS IN OMAN AMID RISING TENSIONS WITH US FORCES: SOURCE
Iran’s Foreign Ministry described the talks as "intensive and lengthy" in a post on X, saying the meetings allowed both sides to present their positions and concerns.
"It was a good start, but its continuation depends on consultations in our respective capitals and deciding on how to proceed," the government account said.
It added there was broad agreement on continuing the negotiations, though decisions on timing, format and the next round will be made following consultations in the two capitals, with Oman continuing to serve as the intermediary.
US MILITARY SHOOTS DOWN IRANIAN DRONE APPROACHING USS ABRAHAM LINCOLN IN ARABIAN SEA, OFFICIAL SAYS
Araghchi said Sunday that Iran views its nuclear program as a legitimate right and is seeking recognition of that position through negotiations.
"I believe the secret of the Islamic Republic of Iran’s power lies in its ability to stand against bullying, domination and pressures from others," he said, according to Press TV.
"They fear our atomic bomb, while we are not pursuing an atomic bomb. Our atomic bomb is the power to say no to the great powers," the top diplomat added. "The secret of the Islamic Republic’s power is to say no to the powers."
President Donald Trump has expanded the U.S. military presence in the Middle East, deploying the USS Abraham Lincoln carrier strike group and the USS Michael Murphy, a guided-missile destroyer.
Other U.S. naval assets, including the USS Bulkeley, USS Roosevelt, USS Delbert D. Black, USS McFaul, USS Mitscher, USS Spruance and USS Frank E. Petersen Jr., are positioned across key waterways surrounding Iran, from the eastern Mediterranean and Red Sea to the Persian Gulf, Gulf of Oman and Arabian Sea.
North Korea executed teens for listening to K-pop, watching ‘Squid Game’: report
North Korean authorities executed teenagers for watching the South Korean television series "Squid Game" and listening to K-pop, human rights researchers announced in early February.
Amnesty International cited testimony from an escapee with family ties in Yanggang Province who said people, including schoolchildren, were executed for specifically watching the popular survival drama series.
It also separately documented accounts of forced labor sentences and public humiliation for consuming South Korean media elsewhere in the country, particularly for those without money or political connections.
"Usually when high school students are caught, if their family has money, they just get warnings," said Kim Joonsik, 28, who was caught watching South Korean dramas three times before leaving the country in 2019.
WATCHDOG HIGHLIGHTS NATIONS WHERE CHRISTIANS FACE PERSECUTION AROUND THE GLOBE
"I didn't receive legal punishment because we had connections," he told Amnesty International in an interview.
NORTH KOREA MISSILE LAUNCH THAT PUT SOUTH KOREA, JAPAN ON HIGH ALERT ENDS IN FAILURE
Joonsik said three of his sisters’ high school friends were given multi-year labor camp sentences in the late 2010s after being caught watching South Korean dramas, a punishment he said reflected their families’ inability to pay bribes.
"The authorities criminalize access to information in violation of international law, then allow officials to profit off those fearing punishment. This is repression layered with corruption, and it most devastates those without wealth or connections," said Sarah Brooks, Amnesty International's deputy regional director.
"This government's fear of information has effectively placed the entire population in an ideological cage, suffocating their access to the views and thoughts of other human beings," she added. "People who strive to learn more about the world outside North Korea, or seek simple entertainment from overseas, face the harshest of punishments."
Several defectors told the human rights organization that they were required to witness public executions while still in school, describing the practice as a form of state-mandated indoctrination designed to deter exposure to foreign culture.
"When we were 16, 17, in middle school, they took us to executions and showed us everything," said Kim Eunju, 40. "People were executed for watching or distributing South Korean media. It's ideological education: if you watch, this happens to you too."
Congressional commission warns China's Pacific infrastructure projects could pose a military threat
FIRST ON FOX: Chinese-funded infrastructure projects across the Pacific Islands may appear civilian on the surface but could provide future military access for Beijing, senior members of a bipartisan congressional advisory commission warned in an exclusive interview with Fox News Digital.
Senior members of the U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission said runways, ports and other facilities financed by the People’s Republic of China are often "dual use" and part of a broader strategic pattern that blends economic investment with long-term security objectives.
"When you see a broader trend of militarization of the region… you see a lot of activities that suggest there are at least some security and military-related interests involved," commission chair Randall Schriver said. "Even if it’s declared for civilian use… it is by its very character dual-use and could be used for military purposes."
Schriver warned that China’s investments in the Pacific should not be viewed in isolation. "We know that China is very ambitious. We know that even civilian infrastructure projects often have strings attached," he said. "In many instances, those involve access for the Chinese military."
Commission Vice Chair Michael Kuiken said Beijing frequently pairs infrastructure financing with financial leverage. "There’s a cycle of debt diplomacy here," Kuiken said. "China loads these islands up with debt and then uses their position of weakness to gain access… to build runways, to do things with respect to ports."
"It’s a cycle that we see over and over again," he added, calling it "a flywheel of debt diplomacy. There’s a vicious rinse-and-repeat cycle here. And whether it’s Taiwan, Palau, Micronesia or the Solomon Islands, it is a playbook that the Chinese go back to every time."
CHINA’S GLOBAL AGGRESSION CHECK: TAIWAN TENSIONS, MILITARY POSTURING, AND US RESPONSE IN 2025
Schriver acknowledged Washington was slow to recognize the security implications of China’s expansion in the region.
"In a word, yes," he said when asked whether the U.S. reacted too slowly.
He noted the timing coincided with major U.S. military investments in Guam, even as Chinese projects advanced nearby. "While this was happening, the Chinese were making inroads in the Pacific Islands … with great proximity to Guam," he said, describing the island as central to U.S. logistics and combat operations.
Asked what would signal a shift from civilian infrastructure to operational military use, Schriver said some warning indicators are already visible.
"The practice of undersea cable cutting… has been very provocative," he said, describing it as activity that could be tied to military contingencies.
He also warned that visible deployments of Chinese military aircraft to Pacific facilities would mark a major escalation, citing a pattern previously seen in the South China Sea.
US TURNS TO FINLAND TO CLOSE ARCTIC ‘ICEBREAKER GAP’ AS RUSSIA, CHINA EXPAND POLAR PRESENCE
"We’ve seen a particular pattern that wouldn’t surprise us at all to see in other parts of Oceania," Schriver said.
Kuiken urged lawmakers to increase scrutiny and transparency. "The thing members can do most easily is just ask the intelligence community for imagery and for intelligence reports … raise the alarm, shine a light on it and expose the activities," he said.
Kuiken also revealed the future hearing focused on undersea infrastructure and security risks in the region.
"Data is the lifeblood of the global economy these days," he said. "Those cables are a vital source of information… and those are really quite aggressive actions and need to be exposed."
The commission has proposed a broader U.S. response, including increased Coast Guard cooperation and expanded support for Pacific Island nations to strengthen resilience against security threats and economic pressure.
Schriver referenced a "Pacific Island Security Initiative" recommendation aimed at combining economic, law enforcement and defense engagement.
Kuiken described the approach as "a layered cake." "We want there to be a civilian aspect… a law enforcement piece… and a military piece," he said. "You sort of need to do all of them in order to really be effective and really to combat the influence of the Chinese in this space."
Trump's special envoy Witkoff and Kushner visit US aircraft carrier amid Iran tensions, talks
U.S. Special Envoy for Peace Missions Steve Witkoff along with Jared Kushner and Adm. Brad Cooper, the commander of U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM), visited the USS Abraham Lincoln in the Arabian Sea on a scheduled deployment Saturday.
The visit comes amid tensions with Iran as Witkoff said the service members were "keeping us safe and upholding President Trump’s message of peace through strength," and a day after the U.S. and Iran held talks in Oman to discuss Iran’s nuclear program.
"We thanked the sailors and Marines, observed live flight operations, and spoke with the pilot who downed an Iranian drone that approached the carrier without clear intent," Witkoff wrote on X. "Proud to stand with the men and women who defend our interests, deter our adversaries, and show the world what American readiness and resolve look like, on watch every day."
The aircraft carrier left San Diego in November for the Indo-Pacific region and moved to the Middle East in January.
IRAN VOWS TO ‘TARGET US BASES’ IF AMERICAN FORCES LAUNCH AN ATTACK: REPORT
"I join the American people in expressing our incredible pride in the Sailors and Marines of the Abraham Lincoln Carrier Strike Group," Cooper told the service members. "Their dedication to the mission and professionalism are on full display here in the Middle East as they demonstrate U.S. military readiness and strength."
This comes as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said he would meet with President Donald Trump in Washington, D.C., on Wednesday to discuss Iran.
"The prime minister believes that all negotiations must include limiting ballistic missiles, and ending support for the Iranian axis," Netanyahu’s office said, referring to Tehran's support for groups such as Hezbollah and Hamas.
The two leaders last met in September.
Trump described Friday's Oman talks, which included Witkoff and Kushner, as "very good."
"Iran looks like it wants to make a deal very badly," the president told reporters Friday aboard Air Force One en route to Mar-a-Lago. "We have to see what that deal is."
Kick Iran out of Olympics, World Cup for execution of over 30 athletes, activists demand
A longtime critic of the Iranian regime and the former head of the rogue nation’s national wrestling team are urging sports organizations to ban Iran from competitions just weeks after Tehran executed thousands of anti-government demonstrators.
The sport of wrestling — a national pastime in Iran — has been hit hard by the Iranian regime’s slaughter of protesters seeking to end 47-years of Islamist totalitarian rule in the country. According to a Friday report from the London-based independent news organization Iran International, the clerical regime killed Parsa Lorestani , a 15-year-old protester and wrestler from the city of Zagheh in western Iran. A government sniper killed Lorestani in the city of Khorramabad during a protest on Jan. 8. The outlet showed video of the young boy wrestling.
"Another wrestler murdered. Erfan Kari was 20. A champion," Iranian-American Sardar Parshei, former head coach of Iran’s national Greco-Roman wrestling, wrote on his X account Friday."He could have been an Olympian. Instead, the Islamic regime shot him for protesting. Other wrestlers are still in prison. Be their voice. Save them."
Prominent dissident Masih Alinejad announced to her 786.800 followers in X post on Friday that, "The Islamic Republic has slaughtered over 40,000 protesters, thousands of them athletes, children, teenagers, young people, women, men, and from various sports disciplines. At the same time, the regime shamelessly exploits international sporting events to legitimize itself and whitewash its crimes. With the upcoming FIFA World Cup to be hosted in the United States, we demand that FIFA take a firm and principled stand."
IRAN LOCKS NATION INTO ‘DARKER’ DIGITAL BLACKOUT, VIEWING INTERNET AS AN ‘EXISTENTIAL THREAT’
Alinejad noted that the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), which is recognized by the U.S. and European Union as a terrorist organization, controls all aspects of Iranian society, including sports.
"FIFA, the International Olympic Committee and all global sports organizations must refuse to legitimize a system that massacres its own people and athletes for demanding freedom and human dignity," Alinejad said. "Boycott the Islamic Republic from all international sporting competitions."
Afsoon Roshanzamir Johnston, the first American female wrestler to win a medal in world championship competition in 1989, told Fox News Digital the slaughter of protesters in her homeland makes her sick.
TRUMP THREATENS IRAN WITH CRUSHING RESPONSE AS TEHRAN DENIES HALTING PROTEST EXECUTIONS
"It is with a very sad and heavy heart that I speak for the Iranian people and the dire situation currently unfolding in my homeland.," she said. "Having been a young girl in Iran during the 1979 Revolution, I vividly remember the feeling of the clocks being turned back 100 years as women’s freedoms and fundamental human rights were stripped away overnight."
Roshanzamir Johnston said females women are denied the basic right to participate in athletics, and young male wrestlers are being tortured and executed.
"We can no longer turn a blind eye to this brutality," she said. "It is time for a call to action: we must find a way to place undeniable pressure on the regime to end these mass killings without stripping our athletes of their hard-earned opportunities. The world must stand with the people of Iran before more of our bravest souls are lost."
IRAN’S SUPREME LEADER ACKNOWLEDGES THOUSANDS KILLED AS TRUMP CALLS FOR NEW LEADERSHIP: REPORTS
Parshei, who was a world champion Greco-Roman wrestler, told Fox News Digital that he is also campaigning for the IOC and the United World Wrestling organization to block Iran from competitions.
When asked if the IOC would ban Iran and whether the Olympic body agrees with the U.S. demand that Iran not execute 19-year-old wrestler Saleh Mohammadi, who faces an imminent death penalty, the IOC media team directed Fox News Digital to a January 29 statement on the matter.
"We will continue to work with our Olympic stakeholders to help where we can, often through quiet sport diplomacy. The IOC remains in touch with the Olympic community from Iran."
LEAKED DOCUMENTS EXPOSE KHAMENEI'S SECRET DEADLY BLUEPRINT FOR CRUSHING IRAN PROTESTS
Dan Russell, executive director of the U.S.-based Wrestling for Peace organization, said sports and diplomacy can be complicated, but in the current situation, athletes must stand together.
"Neutrality cannot mean indifference when lives are at stake," Russell said. "Sport must take a stand for peace, respect, and human dignity."
"Every option must be considered to demand an immediate halt to executions, the release of imprisoned wrestlers such as Saleh Mohammadi and Alireza Nejati, and basic protections for athletes who speak with conscience," Russell added. "Athletes who represent the best of who we are as the wrestling family. "
A spokesman for Iran’s UN mission told Fox News Digital that "The mission declined to comment."
But not all critics of Tehran's brutal regime support banning Iran from sports competitions.
"I am not in favour of banning Iran’s wrestling team," said Potkin Azarmehr, a British-Iranian expert on the Islamic Republic. "If Iran’s wrestling team competes, it's an opportunity for more defections and protests against the regime by the spectators which will be televised and reach millions of viewers inside Iran, too."
"The ban would just be a blanket victimization of other wrestlers who have trained long hours for this," he added. "Having said that, the IOC and UWW should make some statement and make sure spectators are allowed to display pictures of the fallen wrestlers."
Russia to 'interrogate' two suspects in attempted assassination of top military general
Russia said it plans to "interrogate" two suspects in the attempted assassination of a top military intelligence official who was ambushed in Moscow on Friday, according to a Russian newspaper.
The Russian newspaper Kommersant reported that two suspects in the shooting of Lt. Gen. Vladimir Alekseyev "will soon be interrogated," citing a source close to the investigation.
After questioning, the suspects are expected to be charged, the report said, according to Reuters.
Alekseyev, the deputy head of Russia’s GRU military intelligence agency, was shot three times in his Moscow apartment building on Friday and rushed to a hospital.
ZELENSKYY CLAIMS US GAVE UKRAINE AND RUSSIA A DEADLINE TO REACH PEACE AGREEMENT
The Associated Press reported that the business daily Kommersant said the shooter posed as a delivery person and shot Alekseyev twice in the stairway of his apartment building, injuring him in the foot and arm. Alekseyev allegedly attempted to wrest the weapon away and was shot again in the chest before the attacker fled, the report said.
Kommersant reported that Alekseyev underwent successful surgery and regained consciousness Saturday but remained under medical supervision.
Russian news outlet TASS reported that the surgery was successful and that Alekseyev’s injuries were not life-threatening.
RUSSIAN GENERAL KILLED BY CAR BOMB, THIRD SENIOR MILITARY LEADER KILLED THIS YEAR
The outlet reported that the Investigative Committee launched a criminal investigation on charges of attempted murder and illicit trafficking in firearms.
Russian foreign minister Sergey Lavrov accused Ukraine of being behind the assassination attempt, alleging — without providing evidence — that it was intended to sabotage peace talks. Ukraine denied any involvement.
Alekseyev, 64, has been under U.S. sanctions over alleged Russian cyber interference in the 2016 U.S. presidential election. The European Union also sanctioned him over the 2018 poisoning of former Russian intelligence officer Sergei Skripal and his daughter in Salisbury, England.
The assassination attempt came as President Donald Trump’s administration has been seeking to help broker peace between Russia and Ukraine.
The warring nations agreed to a prisoner swap this week, according to readouts posted on X by U.S. special presidential envoy for peace missions Steve Witkoff and Ukraine’s national security and defense council minister Rustem Umerov.
Fox News' Alex Nitzberg and Reuters contributed to this report.
Iran vows to 'target US bases' if American forces launch an attack: report
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi warned Saturday that Tehran will "target U.S. bases" in the region if American forces launch an attack, a report said.
The remark came after Araghchi said Friday that indirect nuclear talks with the U.S. in Oman were "a good start" and that there was a "consensus" that the negotiations would continue.
"It would not be possible to attack American soil, but we will target their bases in the region" if Iran is attacked by U.S. forces, Araghchi told Al Jazeera on Saturday, according to Reuters.
"We will not attack neighboring countries; rather, we will target U.S. bases stationed in them. There is a big difference between the two," he reportedly added.
The U.S. last June attacked nuclear facilities in Iran, in what has come to be known as Operation Midnight Hammer.
In response, Iran launched a retaliatory attack on Al-Udeid, the American airbase in Qatar, which President Donald Trump characterized at the time as a "very weak response."
"Iran has officially responded to our Obliteration of their Nuclear Facilities with a very weak response, which we expected, and have very effectively countered. There have been 14 missiles fired — 13 were knocked down, and 1 was ‘set free,’ because it was headed in a nonthreatening direction," the president wrote on Truth Social.
SATELLITE IMAGES REVEAL ACTIVITY AT IRAN NUCLEAR SITES BOMBED BY US, ISRAEL
Regarding Friday’s nuclear talks, Araghchi said, "It was a good start, but its continuation depends on consultations in our respective capitals and deciding on how to proceed."
Omani Foreign Minister Badr al-Busaidi met with both Iranian and American officials on Friday, the Foreign Ministry of Oman said on X. The ministry said that al-Busaidi held separate meetings with Araghchi and U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner.
"The consultations focused on preparing the appropriate conditions for resuming diplomatic and technical negotiations, while emphasizing their importance, in light of the parties' determination to ensure their success in achieving sustainable security and stability," the Foreign Ministry of Oman said.
Ambassador Mike Waltz lays out ‘America First’ vision for US leadership at the UN
EXCLUSIVE: Ambassador Mike Waltz, the U.S. permanent representative to the United Nations, outlined the Trump administration’s "America First"-centered policies that he is adopting in a wide-ranging, exclusive interview with Fox News Digital, as the former national security advisor asserts himself in the role.
Waltz rejected claims that the present U.N. cash crisis was primarily a result of unpaid U.S. dues. "The United States pays to the U.N. system, more than 180 countries combined," noting, "We have historically been the largest supporter of the U.N., but under President Trump, we’re demanding reform."
Waltz argued the organization has drifted from its founding mission. "There are times where the U.N. has been incredibly helpful to U.S. foreign policy and objectives, but there are also times where it’s working against us," he said. "It has become bloated, it has become duplicative, it has lost its way from its original founding."
Waltz framed the approach as part of an "America First" doctrine focused on accountability for taxpayer dollars and burden-sharing among member states, saying that Washington’s financial leverage is intended to force change. "When we give the U.N. some tough love … these are the American taxpayers’ hard-earned dollars," he said. "At the end of the day, we will get the American taxpayers’ money’s worth, so to speak, out of this organization."
UNITED NATIONS 'UPSET' THAT TRUMP TOOK 'BOLD ACTION' TO IMPROVE VENEZUELA, SAYS UN AMB. MIKE WALTZ
At the U.N. earlier this week, the secretary-general framed the crisis as a matter of unpaid obligations by member states. When asked what gives him confidence the United States will pay, he said, "The question is not one of confidence. Obligations are obligations. So in relation to obligations, it’s not a matter of having confidence. It’s a matter of obligations being met."
The secretary-general’s spokesperson, in response to a Fox News Digital question, rejected the idea that the organization’s financial crisis stems from internal management and echoed that position, saying the funding situation is "very clear," pointing to the fact that some of the largest contributors have not paid, while arguing the secretary-general has been a "responsible steward" of U.N. finances and has pursued management reform since the start of his tenure.
"They just agreed to cut nearly 3,000 headquarters bureaucratic positions," Waltz said in their defense. "They agreed to the first-ever budget cut in U.N. history in 80 years, a 15% budget cut, and they’re cutting global peacekeeping forces by 25%."
"What’s interesting is, behind the scenes, a lot of people are saying thank you. This place needs to be better. President Trump is right. It’s not living up to its potential. We should ask ourselves, why isn’t the U.N. resolving things like border disputes with Cambodia and Thailand? Why aren’t they really driving the humanitarian catastrophe in Sudan to a resolution? That’s what the U.N. was built for. Thank God President Trump is, but he’s asking the question of why is he having to do all of this. Where’s the United Nations? So we’re determined here to help them live up to their reforms, live up to their mandate, live up to their mission."
"You have to have one place in the world where everyone can talk," he said. "The president is a president of peace. He puts diplomacy first."
Asked whether U.N. leadership is doing enough to reform the world body, Waltz said Secretary-General António Guterres has begun moving in the right direction but should have acted sooner.
"The secretary general has taken steps in the right direction. Frankly, I wish he had done it much sooner in a much more aggressive way," Waltz said.
UN CHIEF ACCUSES US OF DITCHING INTERNATIONAL LAW AS TRUMP BLASTS GLOBAL BODIES
He cited structural changes and consolidation efforts while arguing that measurable results must follow.
"The U.N.’s budget has quadrupled in the last 25 years," Waltz said. "We haven’t seen a quadrupling of peace around the world. In fact, it’s gone the opposite direction."
When asked if the administration’s Gaza peace framework and a mechanism known as the Board of Peace are alternatives to the U.N., Waltz said they are intended to complement the institution rather than replace it.
"The president doesn’t intend the Board of Peace to replace the U.N., but he intends to drive a lot of these conflicts to conclusion," he said.
"As part of the president’s 20-point peace plan was also the Board of Peace to actually implement it," he said.
He said the Board of Peace involves regional governments and is designed to create a stabilization structure on the ground. "The Egyptians are involved, Turkey’s involved, the Gulf Arabs, Jordan and importantly, the Israelis," he said. "We’re going to have a stabilization force, we’re going to have a funding mechanism for rebuilding humanitarian aid … and this Palestinian technocratic committee that can restore government services."
TRUMP ADMIN EXIT FROM UN, INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS RAISES QUESTION OF WHO’S NEXT
Looking ahead, Waltz said the administration wants a narrower, more mission-driven U.N. focused on security, conflict resolution and economic development.
"I see … a much more focused U.N. that we have taken back to the basics of promoting peace and security around the world," he said.
He also called for greater private sector involvement and less reliance on traditional aid structures. "This old model of NGOs and agencies going to governments and just saying, ‘More, more, more’ — it isn’t sustainable," he said. "If we’re driving environments in developing countries that welcome American businesses … we break that dependence on development aid and everyone benefits."
Ultimately, Waltz framed his role as executing foreign policy vision. "I’m a vessel for the president’s vision," he said. "From my perspective, at the end of his administration, he looks at a U.N. that is leading in driving countries toward peaceful conclusions to conflicts around the world and asking for his help. That’s a much better dynamic than the president having to do it all and saying, ‘Where is the U.N. in these conflicts?’ And so we’re looking to very much flip that on its head, and we have a plan to do it."
Zelenskyy claims US gave Ukraine and Russia a deadline to reach peace agreement
Ukraine and Russia are reportedly working on a U.S.-set deadline to reach a peace deal that would end the nearly four-year-long war.
On Friday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy told reporters that the U.S. had set a June deadline for Moscow and Kyiv to strike an agreement, according to The Associated Press. The outlet noted Zelenskyy's remarks were embargoed until Saturday morning.
"The Americans are proposing the parties end the war by the beginning of this summer and will probably put pressure on the parties precisely according to this schedule," Zelenskyy said, according to the AP. The Ukrainian president also said that if the June deadline is not met, the Trump administration would likely put pressure on Moscow and Kyiv to meet.
"And they say that they want to do everything by June. And they will do everything to end the war. And they want a clear schedule of all events," Zelenskyy added, the AP reported.
Zelenskyy posted a video message on X on Friday saying Ukraine's negotiators "report on the sensitive aspects of the negotiations in Abu Dhabi that cannot be discussed over the phone." He added that Ukraine was preparing for "next meetings," which he said would be "trilateral."
The Ukrainian president told reporters that the U.S. had proposed it host the trilateral talks next week, likely in Miami, and that Ukraine had already confirmed it would participate, the AP reported.
President Donald Trump on Friday expressed optimism about the Russia-Ukraine talks while speaking with reporters aboard Air Force One.
"We have very good talks going with Russia and Ukraine," Trump said.
In a readout of the trilateral talks in Abu Dhabi that took place on Feb. 4 and 5, the U.S. described the discussions as "constructive" and said they were focused on creating "the conditions for a durable peace." The U.S. also said that the delegations had reached an agreement under which Russia and Ukraine would each release 157 prisoners of war, noting that it would be "the first exchange in the last five months."
US SPECIAL ENVOY WITKOFF ANNOUNCES US, UKRAINIAN AND RUSSIAN DELEGATIONS AGREE TO PRISONER SWAP
Additionally, the U.S. said it and Russia agreed to open a new channel of communication by establishing a military-to-military dialogue, which would be led by General Alexus Grynkewich, commander of U.S. European Command. The dialogue was suspended prior to the war in Ukraine, the U.S. said, adding that it was "crucial to achieving and maintaining peace."
Despite the apparent progress, Russia and Ukraine's war remains ongoing, with Moscow striking Kyiv's energy infrastructure as the nation faces a brutal winter. Zelenskyy said on Saturday that the overnight attack involved 400 drones and approximately 40 "missiles of various types." The Ukrainian president said that an apartment building and a college administrative building were hit.
"Every day, Russia could choose real diplomacy, but it chooses new strikes. It is crucial that everyone who supports the trilateral negotiations respond to this," Zelenskyy said. "Moscow must be deprived of the ability to use the cold as leverage against Ukraine. This requires missiles for Patriot, NASAMS, and other systems. Every shipment helps us get through this winter."
"I thank all our partners who understand this and are genuinely helping," he added.
Trump previously said that Russian President Vladimir Putin had agreed to temporarily stop attacks on Ukraine's energy infrastructure, citing the brutally cold weather.
Fox News Digital reached out to the White House and the State Department for comment.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Canada and France opening new consulates in Greenland's capital amid Trump pressure
Canada opened its consulate in Greenland's capital and the first French consul to the Danish territory arrived on Friday, following the Trump administration’s efforts to acquire the island.
"I am en route to Nuuk for the opening of Canada’s new consulate — strengthening Canada’s presence, partnerships, and leadership in the Arctic," Canadian Foreign Minister Anita Anand wrote on X Friday morning, later posting a video of the Canadian flag being raised in Nuuk.
She was joined by Governor General of Canada Mary Simon.
Canada had previously announced plans for the consulate in 2024, but its 2025 opening was delayed due to weather.
TRUMP SAYS FRAMEWORK OF 'FUTURE DEAL' ON GREENLAND REACHED AFTER NATO TALKS AS TARIFFS PUT ON HOLD
"The future of the Arctic belongs to the people of the Arctic. Tomorrow I will visit Denmark and then on to Greenland," Simon said in a speech earlier this week. "Let me be clear, Canada stands firmly in support of the people of Greenland who will determine their own future."
Jean-Noël Poirier also arrived in Nuuk to become the first French Consul General of Greenland on Friday, the French government said in a release.
French President Emmanuel Macron announced the Nuuk consulate in June, making it the first European Union country to set up a consulate in Greenland.
The physical French consulate doesn't exist yet.
"Deep ties of friendship and key joint projects already link France, Denmark and Greenland, allowing all parties to look forward enthusiastically and confidently to the opening of this new consulate general," the French government said.
It added, "France reiterates its commitment to respect for the Kingdom of Denmark’s territorial integrity."
President Donald Trump has been insistent on acquiring Greenland, with administration officials claiming Denmark is unable to defend the semi-autonomous island.
"Greenland is one-fourth the size of the United States," top White House aide Stephen Miller told Fox News last month. "With respect to Denmark, Denmark is a tiny country with a tiny economy and a tiny military. They cannot defend Greenland, they cannot control the territory of Greenland."
In January, Trump threatened to impose 10% tariffs that would increase to 25% in June on eight European countries, including France and Denmark, unless they allowed the U.S. to acquire Greenland.
The president dropped the tariff threat following a meeting with NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte in which Trump said a "framework" for a deal for security in the Arctic had been reached.
The U.S. reopened its consulate in Greenland in 2020 after closing it in 1953.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Iranian official says nuclear talks will continue after US, Tehran negotiations had 'a good start' in Oman
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said that indirect nuclear talks with the U.S. in Oman were "a good start" and that there was a "consensus" that the negotiations would continue.
"After a long period without dialogue, our viewpoints were conveyed, and our concerns were expressed. Our interests, the rights of the Iranian people, and all matters that needed to be stated were presented in a very positive atmosphere, and the other side’s views were also heard," Araghchi said.
"It was a good start, but its continuation depends on consultations in our respective capitals and deciding on how to proceed," he added.
Omani Foreign Minister Badr al-Busaidi met with both Iranian and American officials on Friday, the Foreign Ministry of Oman said on X. The ministry said that al-Busaidi held separate meetings with Araghchi and U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner.
"The consultations focused on preparing the appropriate conditions for resuming diplomatic and technical negotiations, while emphasizing their importance, in light of the parties' determination to ensure their success in achieving sustainable security and stability," the Foreign Ministry of Oman said.
Oman reportedly put out a public statement acknowledging the talks after journalists with The Associated Press saw Iranian and American officials separately visit the palace, the outlet reported. The AP said it was not immediately clear if talks were done for the day, but noted that the palace was empty after the convoys left.
The Iranian representatives reportedly met with al-Busaidi first, and only after their convoy left the palace did another set of vehicles arrive, one of which had an American flag, according to the AP. The outlet said the SUV flying the American flag stayed at the palace for an hour and a half.
TRUMP SAYS IRAN ALREADY HAS US TERMS AS MILITARY STRIKE CLOCK TICKS
The talks were initially set to take place in Turkey, but were later moved, according to Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who confirmed the change in venue on Wednesday.
"We thought we had an established forum that had been agreed to in Turkey. It was put together by a number of partners who wanted to attend and be a part of it," Rubio said when taking questions from reporters on Wednesday.
"I saw conflicting reports yesterday from the Iranian side saying that they had not agreed to that. So, that's still being worked through. At the end of the day, the United States is prepared to engage in, has always been prepared to engage with Iran."
Iranian officials also reportedly tried to limit the talks to a bilateral U.S.-Iran format, excluding other Arab and regional countries, according to Axios.
RUBIO CONFIRMS IRAN DEMANDED VENUE CHANGE FOR NUCLEAR TALKS
Tensions between Iran and the U.S. have been high since Washington bombed Tehran's nuclear facilities in the summer of 2025. Things escalated further as the U.S. condemned Iran's treatment of anti-regime protesters, with President Donald Trump threatening to act if government actors used violence against demonstrators.
Trump recently said in an interview with NBC News that Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei "should be very worried," though the president acknowledged that the two countries were "negotiating."
When pressed about why he has not followed through on threats to take action if the regime used violence against protesters, Trump said that the U.S. "had their back" and that the "country's a mess right now because of us," referring to the strikes on Iran's nuclear facilities. Trump also told NBC News that the U.S. had learned that Iran was attempting to build a new nuclear site in a different part of the country.
The president said that he issued a threat that if Iran were to build a new nuclear facility, the U.S. would "do very bad things."
It is not immediately clear whether there will be more discussions over the course of the weekend or if there are any plans for direct discussions between Iranian and American officials.
The State Department did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital's request for comment.
Lindsey Graham abruptly ends meeting after Lebanese general refuses to label Hezbollah terrorists
Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., swiftly pulled the plug on a meeting with Lebanese Chief of Defense Gen. Rodolphe Haykal after the Lebanese official refused to confirm that the Iranian regime-backed Hezbollah movement is a terrorist organization.
Graham posted to X a blunt message about his frustration with the state of Lebanon in particular and Mideast power politics in general.
"I just had a very brief meeting with the Lebanese Chief of Defense General Rodolphe Haykal. I asked him point blank if he believes Hezbollah is a terrorist organization. He said, ‘No, not in the context of Lebanon." With that, I ended the meeting. They are clearly a terrorist organization. Hezbollah has American blood on its hands. Just ask the U.S. Marines,"
He continued, "They have been designated as a foreign terrorist organization by both Republican and Democrat administrations since 1997 – for good reason. As long as this attitude exists from the Lebanese Armed Forces, I don’t think we have a reliable partner in them. I am tired of the double speak in the Middle East. Too much is at stake."
LAWMAKERS QUESTION WHETHER US MOVING FAST ENOUGH TO CAPITALIZE ON HEZBOLLAH'S WEAKENED STATE
Haykal’s refusal to recognize that Hezbollah is a terrorist organization set off security alarm bells among leading experts on the movement.
Matthew Levitt, a leading scholar on Hezbollah from the Washington Institute, told Fox News Digital that, ‘Gen. Haykal’s comment is only going to further concerns that the LAF sees Hezbollah as an actor with which it should deconflict, rather than disarm. The ceasefire agreement is clear that Hezbollah must be disarmed, in both the south and north of the country. In several instances to date, the LAF appears to have shared with Hezbollah targeting intelligence obtained from Israel through the US-led mechanism rather than acting on it."
He added, "At a time when the LAF is seeking international aid, purportedly to disarm Hezbollah, failing to recognize the group as an adversary not only of Israel but of Lebanon as well undermines the case for further funding."
Fox News Digital sent multiple press queries to Lebanon’s embassy in Washington, D.C.
ISRAEL WARNS HEZBOLLAH ‘PLAYING WITH FIRE,’ PRESSES LEBANON TO ACT ON WEAPONS PLEDGE
Sarit Zehavi, a leading Israeli security expert on Hezbollah from the Israel Alma Research and Education Center, told Fox News Digital that, "I was not surprised by what Haykal said. This is exactly the problem. Hezbollah is not designated as a terrorist organization in Lebanon. The Lebanese army... is not willing to clash with Hezbollah. Hezbollah is not willing to voluntarily disarm. It will not happen as long as there is no clash."
Zehavi claimed the Lebanese Armed Forces has "helped Hezbollah to conceal is military activity and weapons storages in south Lebanon."
The U.S. brokered a ceasefire in Nov. 2024 between Hezbollah and Israel. In August, Lebanon’s government accepted an American plan to disarm the group by the end of 2025. That deadline does not seem to have been met.
U.S. Ambassador to Turkey, Thomas Barrack, who also serves as envoy to Syria, said at a recent Milken Institute event that Lebanon is a "failed state."
CARTEL CONNECTION: HEZBOLLAH AND IRAN EXPLOIT MADURO’S VENEZUELA FOR COCAINE CASH
Barrack said, "The confessional system does not work. A Maronite president, a Sunni prime minister and a Shia speaker; 128 parliamentary seats split equally between Islam and Christians; everything is a deadlock."
He said, "Hezbollah is a foreign terrorist by U.S. standards," and "it also happens to be a large political party within Lebanon that has blocking rights… This idea of saying you have to disarm Hezbollah … you’re not actually gonna do it militarily."
Barrack said, "The U.S. is saying Hezbollah needs to be disarmed, Hezbollah is a foreign terrorist organization, it cannot exist. My personal opinion is you kill one terrorist, you create 10. That can’t be the answer." He urged the Lebanese political leadership to "run to Israel and make a deal...there is no other answer."
Walid Phares, an American academic expert on Hezbollah and Lebanon who has advised U.S. presidential candidates, told Fox News Digital that "The disarming of Hezbollah is not just a U.S. and international request but also and most importantly a request by a majority of Lebanese since at least the Cedars Revolution in 2005, when 1.5 million Lebanese Christians, Druze and Sunnis rallied against the Syrian occupation and the Khomeinist militia."
He added, "While the Assad forces withdrew, Hezbollah remained armed. In May 2008, the radical Shia militia conducted an urban military coup against the pro-Western government and seized full power until the Israel-Iran war, known as the 12-day war of 2025. The latter was provoked by Hezbollah siding with Hamas during the Oct. 7 war."
Fox News Digital reported in November that the Trump administration ramped up pressure on the Lebanese government to disarm Hezbollah.
Russian military intelligence official shot in Moscow: report
A Russian military intelligence figure was shot in the nation's capital city on Friday, according to The Associated Press.
Lt. Gen. Vladimir Alekseyev was shot multiple times by an unidentified attacker at an apartment building and was hospitalized, Investigative Committee spokesperson Svetlana Petrenko noted in a statement, according to the AP.
President Vladimir Putin was informed about the attack, said Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov, who added that law enforcement agencies need to step up protection of senior military officers during the conflict in Ukraine.
ZELENSKYY REVEALS 55,000 UKRAINIAN DEATH TOLL AS PEACE TALKS CONTINUE
President Donald Trump's administration has been striving to help broker peace between Russia and Ukraine.
The warring nations agreed to a prisoner swap this week, according to readouts posted on X by U.S. special presidential envoy for peace missions Steve Witkoff and Ukraine's national security and defense council minister Rustem Umerov.
TRUMP CALLS FOR NUCLEAR EXPERTS TO WORK ON ‘NEW, IMPROVED, AND MODERNIZED TREATY’
"Over February 4 and 5, delegations from the United States, Ukraine, and the Russian Federation met for the second trilateral meeting in Abu Dhabi to advance efforts to end the war in Ukraine. The discussions were constructive and focused on how to create the conditions for a durable peace," the readouts state.
US SPECIAL ENVOY WITKOFF ANNOUNCES US, UKRAINIAN AND RUSSIAN DELEGATIONS AGREE TO PRISONER SWAP
"The delegations reached agreement whereby the Russian Federation and Ukraine will each release 157 Prisoners of War. This is the first exchange in the last five months," the readouts note.
The Associated Press contributed to this report
Iran's Khamenei stays away from talks as JD Vance says dynamic makes diplomacy 'much more complicated'
As indirect talks between the U.S. and Iran started on Friday in Oman, remarks from Vice President JD Vance earlier in the week questioning the absence of the Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei from talks have raised a core dilemma for Washington — the person with ultimate authority in Tehran is not sitting at the negotiating table.
In the interview, Vance said, "It’s a very weird country to conduct diplomacy with, when you can't even talk to the person who's in charge of the country. That makes all of this much more complicated… It is bizarre that we can't just talk to the actual leadership of the country. It really makes diplomacy very, very difficult," he said on Megyn Kelly's podcast.
IRANIAN SUPREME LEADER BLAMES TRUMP FOR INCREASINGLY INTENSE DEMONSTRATIONS
Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, 86, has served as Iran’s supreme leader since 1989 and remains the country’s highest political and religious authority, with ultimate control over military, security and strategic decisions. That concentration of power means any diplomatic outcome must ultimately pass through him.
Sina Azodi, the director of the Middle East Studies Program at George Washington University, told Fox News Digital that Khamenei’s authority stems from direct control over Iran’s core power centers. "He is very powerful because he is the commander in chief of the armed forces and appoints the heads of the IRGC, the Artesh (conventional military), the judiciary and other important institutions."
Azodi added that protocol and hierarchy also explain Khamenei’s absence from negotiations. "Iranians are very adamant about diplomatic protocols — that since other countries don’t have the equivalent rank, he does not participate in any negotiations because his ‘equal’ rank does not exist," Azodi said. "Even when foreign heads of state visit him, there is only the Iranian flag, and foreign flags are not allowed."
Iranian sources familiar with internal discussions described Khamenei as operating from a legacy mindset at this stage of his life. "The supreme leader sees the confrontation with Washington as defining his historical role and believes Iran can retaliate against U.S. interests in the region. Khamenei is not focused on personal risk and views strategic confrontation as part of preserving his legacy," a Middle Eastern source speaking on the condition of anonymity told Fox News Digital.
Behnam Ben Taleblu, a senior fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, told Fox News Digital that Khamenei remains the decisive figure in Iran’s system even as the regime faces pressure at home and abroad.
"He wields great influence in Iran but also exercises the greatest veto in Iran’s political hierarchy," Ben Taleblu said.
He added, "The Iranian strategy… is to raise the cost of war in the thinking of the adversary," he said, describing a system that signals willingness to talk while simultaneously preparing for confrontation.
He warned that "regimes that are afraid and lethal and weak can still be dangerous," and said Tehran may believe threatening U.S. assets could deter a broader war even if such escalation risks triggering a stronger American response.
TOP IRANIAN GENERAL THREATENS TO 'CUT OFF' TRUMP'S HAND OVER POTENTIAL MILITARY STRIKES
"Very difficult to say what Khamenei’s mindset is, but I think that he, along with other senior officials, think that the current conflict is not an isolated phenomenon but rather the continuation of the June 2025 conflict and the recent protests, which he called ‘an American coup,’" Azodi told Fox News Digital.
"I think that he thinks that the U.S. is definitely after a regime change and that needs to be resisted at all costs," he added.
Inside Iran, frustration with Khamenei has become increasingly visible, according to a journalist reporting from within the country.
TRUMP SAYS IRANIAN SUPREME LEADER KHAMENEI SHOULD BE 'VERY WORRIED' AMID TENSIONS
"What people want more than anything else is for Khamenei to die… I hear it every day, everywhere I go — why doesn’t he die?" the journalist told Fox News Digital.
"You just open the Twitter of Iranians… the tweet is, why don’t you die? And everybody knows who we are talking about. So a nation is waiting for him to die."
The journalist said many Iranians no longer believe political reform is possible and instead see generational change as the only turning point.
An Iranian journalist in exile, Mehdi Ghadimi, told Fox News Digital that, "The Islamic government considers itself obligated to enforce Islamic law across the entire world. They harbor hatred toward Iranians and Jews, whom they regard as enemies of Islam," he explained, "In such a structure, the leader is seen as more than a political ruler; he is perceived as God’s representative, while leaders of enemy states are viewed as representatives of Satan, which is why he never meets with them. If dialogue or compromise were to take place, his sacred image would collapse in the eyes of his supporters."
He continued, "For this reason, groups labeled as ‘moderate,’ ‘reformist’ or ‘pro-Western’ are created so that the West can negotiate with them," Ghadimi added. "No one within the structure of the Islamic Republic thinks about anything other than defeating the Western world and establishing Islamic dominance globally. The diplomats presented to Western politicians as moderates are tasked with using diplomacy to buy time for Khamenei."
The negotiations come amid heightened regional tensions, U.S. military deployments and unresolved disputes over Iran’s nuclear program and missile capabilities.
Regional analysts say that for the U.S., the central challenge remains unchanged. Diplomats can negotiate, but the final decision rests with one man — a leader shaped by decades of confrontation with the United States, focused on regime survival and determined to preserve his legacy even as Iran enters a new round of talks.
Iran seizes oil tankers, threatens 'massacre' in Strait of Hormuz, hours before US talks
Iran seized two foreign oil tankers in the Persian Gulf Thursday, accusing them of smuggling fuel and detaining 15 foreign crew members ahead of high-stakes U.S.–Iran talks Friday in Oman.
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) navy said it intercepted the two ships near Farsi Island, claiming they were carrying about 1 million liters of smuggled fuel, Reuters reported.
The crews, made up of 15 foreign nationals, were taken into custody and referred to Iran’s judicial authorities, according to Iranian state media.
US POSITIONS AIRCRAFT CARRIERS, STRIKE PLATFORMS ACROSS MIDDLE EAST AS IRAN TALKS SHIFT TO OMAN
The IRGC alleged the vessels were part of an organized fuel-smuggling network that had been operating in the region for several months.
Iranian officials said the ships were identified through intelligence monitoring and seized during coordinated naval operations in the Persian Gulf, a vital artery for global energy markets.
According to The Jerusalem Post, Iranian authorities framed the operation as a significant blow to illegal fuel trafficking, though they did not immediately disclose the vessels’ nationalities or destinations.
The seizures come as Iranian rhetoric toward the U.S. has grown hostile.
Ezzatollah Zarghami, a former Iranian minister and ex–state broadcaster chief, issued a warning, threatening violence in the Strait of Hormuz, through which around one-fifth of the world’s oil and petroleum product consumption passes.
"I am sure that the Strait of Hormuz will be the place of massacre and hell for the U.S.," Zarghami said Thursday.
"Iran will show that the Strait of Hormuz has historically belonged to Iran. The only thing the Americans can think of is playing with their vessels and moving them from one place to another."
Zarghami later repeated the threat, calling the Strait a potential "killing field" for American forces and signaling Iran’s willingness to escalate amid mounting regional pressure.
Special envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner are scheduled to meet Iranian officials in Oman Friday.
The pair are traveling from Abu Dhabi after two days of talks related to Russia and Ukraine.
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt confirmed Thursday that Friday’s talks were still on, stating "diplomacy is always [Trump’s] first option."
Trump signals willingness to defend Diego Garcia military base if future deal threatens US access
President Donald Trump has warned that the U.S. could use military force to secure the Diego Garcia air base in the Chagos Islands if any future deal threatens access to the joint U.S.-U.K. installation.
Trump made the comments Thursday in a Truth Social post while also signaling his willingness to move past tensions with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer after what he described as "very productive discussions" about the Indian Ocean base.
Emphasizing the base’s strategic importance, Trump said the role of Diego Garcia was essential to U.S. national security.
UK REOPENS CHAGOS ISLANDS TALKS WITH US FOLLOWING TRUMP CRITICISM OF DEAL: REPORTS
"It is the site of a major U.S. military base, strategically situated in the middle of the Indian Ocean and, therefore, of great importance to the national security of the United States," Trump wrote.
Trump also acknowledged that the U.K. struck what he called "the best deal he could make" under a controversial agreement to transfer sovereignty of the islands to Mauritius while leasing Diego Garcia back for at least 99 years.
"However, if the lease deal, sometime in the future, ever falls apart, or anyone threatens or endangers U.S. operations and forces at our base, I retain the right to militarily secure and reinforce the American presence in Diego Garcia," Trump warned.
TRUMP HAILS 'GREAT AND VERY BRAVE' UK SOLDIERS AFTER SLAMMING NATO ALLIES' AFGHANISTAN SERVICE
"Let it be known that I will never allow our presence on a base as important as this to ever be undermined or threatened by fake claims or environmental nonsense."
The comments marked a slight shift in tone from Trump, who in January criticized the U.K.-Mauritius deal as an "act of great stupidity" and an "act of total weakness," accusing Britain of surrendering a critical military asset.
Diego Garcia serves as a hub for long-range bombers, logistics, intelligence collection and military communications across the Middle East, the Indo-Pacific and Africa, hosting around 2,500 U.S. and military and civilian personnel.
The island base has been used for long-range U.S. operations such as in Afghanistan and in Yemen.
According to Reuters, Downing Street had confirmed Trump and Starmer discussed Diego Garcia during a recent call and agreed to safeguard the base’s continued operation.
UK REOPENS CHAGOS ISLANDS TALKS WITH US FOLLOWING TRUMP CRITICISM OF DEAL: REPORTS
"Turning to Diego Garcia, and the deal the U.K. has secured to maintain control of the U.S.-U.K. military base to protect national security, the leaders recognized its strategic importance," a No. 10 spokeswoman said.
"The leaders agreed their governments would continue working closely to guarantee the future operation of the base and speak again soon."
Under the agreement, British taxpayers are projected to pay roughly £35 billion [$47 billion] over the next century, including annual payments of about £160 million [$216 million] to Mauritius, according to public estimates.
Britain has also agreed to approximately £3 billion [$4 billion] in compensation over the life of the deal, with an option to extend the lease for an additional 50 years.
The agreement has also drawn criticism from Britain’s Conservative Party, which argues the deal weakens the U.K.’s strategic position and risks undermining long-standing security ties with the U.S.
TRUMP HAILS 'GREAT AND VERY BRAVE' UK SOLDIERS AFTER SLAMMING NATO ALLIES' AFGHANISTAN SERVICE
Mauritius has said its sovereignty over the islands is "unequivocally recognized" under international law and has called for swift implementation of the agreement.
As previously reported by Fox News Digital, a Downing Street spokesperson also said in January the U.K. is continuing efforts to "allay any concerns" in Washington.
"We will continue to engage with the U.S. on this important matter and the importance of the deal to secure U.S. and U.K. interests," the spokesperson said.
Fox News Digital has reached out to the White House and Downing Street for comment.
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