World News
Georgian demonstrators watch Iran closely as their own protests grind on
While thousands of Iranians take to the streets daily demanding the downfall of the Islamic Republic, people in the small European country of Georgia, along Russia’s southern border, have been protesting at various levels of intensity for over a year following disputed parliamentary elections in 2024.
Everyday Georgians who are still braving freezing temperatures and allegations of violence by the authorities are looking at their peers fighting for democracy in Iran and seeing their own struggle playing out against a corrupt and unpopular regime.
"When you walk through the demonstrations every day in Tbilisi, all people talk about is Iran. The heated debate over it shows how much it matters and how optimism is out on the streets due to developments despite controversies," Tinatin Khidasheli, former defense minister of Georgia, told Fox News Digital.
IRAN'S ETHNIC MINORITIES COULD HOLD KEY TO REGIME'S FATE AS PROTESTS CONTINUE
"Developments in Iran resonate in a very human way: if people can challenge a far more despotic and violent regime, it reinforces the belief that resistance in Georgia is not futile," Khidasheli added.
Mass protests began shortly after the pro-Russia Georgian Dream party claimed victory in elections in October 2024 and halted Georgia’s efforts to join the European Union.
Georgians have long desired to move closer to the West and join the European Union, with opinion polls showing overwhelming support for joining the bloc. Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze halted Tbilisi’s accession path to join the EU shortly after taking power, sparking anger from many.
Tbilisi's main Rustaveli Avenue has been crowded with protesters chanting and blocking traffic, outraged at the ruling party pulling Georgia away from Europe and closer to a Russian-oriented foreign policy.
FRANCE CONDEMNS IRAN PROTEST CRACKDOWN, WEIGHS SATELLITE INTERNET AID AMID BLACKOUT
Erekle Koplatadze, a 33-year-old from Tbilisi, has been participating in protests almost daily since November 2024. Koplatadze, who was detained for six days for allegedly blocking a road while protesting in November 2025, told Fox News Digital that there has been a feeling of solidarity with the protests in Iran since people rose up in December against economic mismanagement and regime corruption.
"You will see many Lion and Sun flags (Iran's national flag until the 1979 Islamic Revolution) in front of Georgia’s Parliament. And there have been protests in front of the Iranian Embassy in Tbilisi," Koplatadze said.
Koplatadze said the news coming out of Iran and the regime’s brutal violence employed against innocent people has shaken many Georgians in the crowd and a shared sense of empathy has emerged.
"I don’t remember such a big protest in Tbilisi in support of a foreign nation except for Ukraine," he said.
Ana Riaboshenko, co-founder of the "Initiative Culture For Democracy" who attends protests on a regular basis, told Fox News Digital that developments in Iran directly affect Georgia, as well as all the countries in the region.
"Its transformation from a terrorist state to a democratic government will significantly change the situation and indeed contribute substantially to the global power balance and economy. A particularly positive outcome is expected with the collapse of the Russian-Iranian partnership."
G7 THREATENS IRAN WITH NEW SANCTIONS OVER NATIONWIDE PROTEST CRACKDOWN KILLING THOUSANDS
Riaboshenko pointed out that Russian-backed Georgian Dream representatives positioned themselves as partners with Tehran and bilateral relations and cooperation have increased since the rigged elections of 2024.
Civic IDEA, a Georgian NGO, issued a report in July 2025 detailing how Iranian businessmen and companies use Georgia as a strategic transit point to evade international sanctions and channel funds back to Iran.
Nearly 13,000 Iranian companies are registered in Georgia, according to the Civic IDEA report.
Marika Mikiashvili, Foreign Secretary of party Droa, part of the largest democratic alliance in Georgia, spoke to Fox News Digital and said while Georgians are in awe and very inspired by the bravery of Iranians, their struggle is a warning sign as much as it is profoundly inspiring.
"Many protesters see Iran as a cautionary tale of what happens when a consolidating dictatorship isn’t defeated soon enough," Mikiashvili warned.
There have also been no statements of support for the pro-democracy protests from the Georgian Dream government or condemnation of security force human rights violations against innocent people.
As the Georgian Dream government entrenched itself in power, it implemented harsh anti-demonstration laws to crack down on dissent and used disproportionate force and other brutal tactics to squash the unrest.
Human Rights Watch documented numerous laws that interfered with Georgians' rights to peacefully assemble, including steep fines for protest-related violations and abusive police tactics as thousands of people have been arbitrarily detained.
Since Georgian Dream’s election, 600 people have been arbitrarily detained, 300 protesters were tortured or subjected to inhumane treatment, 1,000 citizens received fines for political opinions, and 400 journalists have been arrested, beaten, and harassed, according to Transparency International Georgia, a non-governmental organization with the goal of combating corruption in Georgia.
Exiled Iranian crown prince reveals 6-step plan to exert pressure on Tehran's regime
Exiled Iranian crown prince Reza Pahlavi unveiled Friday a 6-step plan to exert pressure on the regime, which he declared "will fall, not if, but when."
"My brave compatriots still holding the line with their broken bodies but unbreakable will, need your urgent help right now. Make no mistake, however, the Islamic Republic is close to collapse," Pahlavi declared.
"Ali Khamenei and his thugs know this. That's why they are lashing out like a wounded animal, desperate to cling to power," he continued. "The people have not retreated. Their determination has made one thing clear. They are not merely rejecting this regime. They are demanding a credible new path forward. They have called for me to lead."
Pahlavi said he has a comprehensive plan for an orderly transition and asked the international community to do six things, starting with protecting the Iranian people "by degrading the regime's repressive capacity, including targeting the Islamic Revolutionary Guard leadership and its command-and-control infrastructure."
"Second, deliver and sustain maximum economic pressure on the regime, block their assets worldwide, target and dismantle their fleet of ghost [oil] tankers," he said.
"Third, break through the regime's information blockade by enabling unrestricted internet access. Deploy Starlink and other secure communications tools widely across Iran and conduct cyber operations to disable the regime's ability to shut down the internet. Fourth, hold the regime accountable by expelling its diplomats from your capitals and pursue legal enforcement actions against those responsible for crimes against humanity," Pahlavi continued.
"Fifth, demand the immediate release of all political prisoners. Six, prepare for a democratic transition in Iran by committing to recognize a legitimate transitional government when the moment comes," he concluded.
Pahlavi’s remarks came as President Donald Trump seemed to remain ambivalent about the possibility of Pahlavi taking over the country if the Islamic regime were to fall.
"He seems very nice, but I don't know how he'd play within his own country," Trump told Reuters during an interview on Wednesday. "And we really aren't up to that point yet.
"I don't know whether or not his country would accept his leadership, and certainly if they would, that would be fine with me," he added.
When Pahlavi was asked Friday by a reporter about how he plans to win Trump over, he said, "President Trump has said that it's up to the Iranian people to decide, and I totally agree."
"I've always said it's for the Iranian people to decide. And I think the Iranian people have already demonstrated in great numbers who it is that they want them to lead to this transition," he added. "So I'm confident that I have the support of my compatriot. And as for the international leaders to assess the fact on the ground and see who is capable of doing that. I believe I can, and I have the Iranian people’s support."
Fox News Digital’s Rachel Wolf contributed to this report.
UNRWA officials lobby congressional staffers against Trump terrorist designation threat
EXCLUSIVE: UNRWA officials urged congressional staffers to oppose a potential Trump administration move to designate the U.N. agency as a foreign terrorist organization, and discussed UNRWA’s ongoing operations in Gaza and the West Bank, including cash-based assistance, during a Dec. 17 briefing, Fox News Digital has learned.
The video conference was organized by UNRWA USA, the American nonprofit that supports the agency through advocacy and fundraising. UNRWA USA Executive Director Mara Kronenfeld opened the briefing by saying the goal was to make clear that UNRWA "is still on the ground" in Gaza and the West Bank despite what she described as "the Netanyahu government's insidious efforts to systematically prevent UNRWA from continuing its life-saving humanitarian work."
During the meeting, briefers also raised reports that the U.S. government was considering designating UNRWA as a foreign terrorist organization and discussed with congressional offices what steps could be taken to "help prevent that and support UNRWA in its critical work," according to meeting details reviewed by Fox News Digital.
TRUMP ADMIN WEIGHS TERRORISM SANCTIONS AGAINST UN PALESTINIAN AID AGENCY OVER HAMAS ALLEGATIONS
Bill Deere, UNRWA’s director in Washington, said "press reports appear to be true" that the administration was considering a foreign terrorist organization designation for the agency.
"This would be unprecedented for a U.N. agency to consider this. It is certainly unwarranted," Deere said, asserting that "four separate independent investigations" dispute Israel’s allegations regarding UNRWA’s workforce.
Deere urged congressional offices to respond forcefully.
"You can loudly express your displeasure," Deere said, arguing that the ramifications would extend beyond UNRWA and set a precedent affecting the broader U.N. system.
UN AMBASSADOR WALTZ REVEALS TRUMP'S MIDDLE EAST PEACE PLAN IS ‘THE ONLY WAY FORWARD’
"If they go ahead and do this, our recourse with regard to this is limited," he said, adding that one step that could be taken is that "Congress can override the designation."
The meeting featured UNRWA field leadership describing conditions and operations in Gaza and the West Bank.
Sam Rose, director of UNRWA affairs in Gaza, told participants that international staff were not entering Gaza because of the Israeli Knesset legislation, and that operations were being managed remotely.
Rose said that despite claims that UNRWA has been blocked, the agency’s services in Gaza haven’t stopped for a single day, pointing to primary healthcare, education, water and sanitation work, shelter operations and the use of UNRWA facilities as emergency shelters.
Rose also described the agency’s ability to operate programs that do not rely on immediate supply deliveries.
"Cash assistance and job creation programs are also able to continue," he said and added, "we're able to operate at scale."
Roland Friedrich, introduced as director of UNRWA affairs in the West Bank, described UNRWA’s scale in the territory, including education, healthcare and assistance programs. He said UNRWA provides support to hundreds of thousands of Palestinian refugees, including aid that "can be cash assistance," along with other forms such as food vouchers and social protection payments.
Friedrich also described "cash for rent" assistance for displaced people, and argued that UNRWA’s presence plays a stabilizing role across multiple countries in the region.
The officials also discussed workarounds that allow UNRWA to keep operating under restrictions.
ISRAEL SAYS UN MISLEADS WORLD AS GAZA AID STOLEN AND DIVERTED FROM CIVILIANS
Rose said UNRWA was still able to receive fuel and that certain coordination occurred through third parties, describing indirect engagement involving U.N. channels. He said fuel could run power generators and water pumps and emphasized the importance of keeping basic services running.
On aid flows, Rose said Israel was reporting truck numbers that reached 600 per day, and he said he did not have reason to doubt the overall count. At the same time, he argued that the mix of goods entering had shifted, with commercial supplies playing a larger role while certain humanitarian items remained restricted for U.N. agencies. He described what he called a two-tier system, where some items blocked from U.N. use could enter through private channels.
Beyond the operational discussion, the briefing included explicit advocacy aimed at congressional offices.
Kronenfeld urged participants to support legislation described in the meeting as the UNRWA Funding Emergency Restoration Act of 2025, and she thanked offices already backing efforts to restore U.S. funding, describing the United States as historically UNRWA’s largest donor before the funding halt in 2024.
UNRWA USA did not respond to multiple requests for comment from Fox News Digital. UNRWA also did not respond.
William Deere, director of the UNRWA Representative Office in Washington, D.C., provided the following statement in response to a request for comment from Fox News Digital:
"UNRWA participates in briefings hosted by the UNRWA USA National Committee and attended by bicameral groups of Republican and Democratic staff from Capitol Hill, as well as think tanks and nongovernmental organizations. Briefings like these are important opportunities for the Agency to respond to the government of Israel’s ongoing disinformation campaign suggesting that UNRWA is no longer actively working in Gaza. Quite the opposite is true. Every day, UNRWA staff are delivering critical services in Gaza and the West Bank, including East Jerusalem. In fact, in a recent letter to the U.S. Government Accountability Office, UNRWA thanked President Trump for negotiating the ceasefire, which allows the world to turn to Gaza’s future."
Deere added: "In Gaza, UNRWA medical personnel deliver 40 percent of primary healthcare and play a critical role in distributing water, promoting public health through immunization campaigns, pest control, nutrition screenings, and the disposal of solid waste. UNRWA is also leading the way in Gaza education, stepping up its ‘back to learning’ program, with almost 70,000 children now accessing the Agency’s in-person learning activities. The West Bank, including East Jerusalem, is also a challenging area in which to work, especially given the various laws approved by the Israeli Knesset, and policymakers are always interested to hear the impacts of these laws firsthand from our experts."
Top Iran prayer leader who dubbed protesters 'Trump's soldiers' calls for executions amid ongoing unrest
An Iranian cleric has called for the death penalty for protesters detained during a nationwide crackdown amid ongoing unrest against the Islamic regime.
The cleric's calls follow President Donald Trump's threats of U.S. intervention if protesters were met with violence.
Ayatollah Ahmad Khatami’s sermon, which was broadcast by Iranian state radio, reportedly sparked chants from those gathered for prayers. The Associated Press reported that the chants included, "Armed hypocrites should be put to death!"
During his sermon, Khatami gave the first overall statistics of the damage from the protests, which began in late December, according to the AP. This information provides a look at the scale of the protests after the regime instituted a nationwide internet blackout on Jan. 8.
ARMED KURDISH FIGHTERS TRY TO BREACH IRAN BORDER AS REGIONAL THREAT GROWS AMID PROTESTS: REPORTS
The cleric claimed 350 mosques, 126 prayer halls and 20 other holy places had sustained damage, the AP reported. Khatami also claimed that 400 hospitals, 106 ambulances, 71 fire department vehicles and another 50 emergency vehicles sustained damage.
Another 80 homes of Friday prayer leaders had also reportedly been damaged, the AP reported, adding that it could be a sign of demonstrators taking out their frustrations against the government as the leaders hold an important position within Iran's theocracy.
"They want you to withdraw from religion," Khatami said, according to the AP. "They planned these crimes from a long time ago."
Khatami, who was appointed by Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and serves on the country’s Assembly of Experts and Guardian Council, had previously spoken out against protesters. He described them as being "butlers" of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and "Trump's soldiers."
Khamenei made similar remarks, saying that the protesters were "ruining their own streets to make the president of another country happy," referring to Trump.
Trump has been vocal in his support for the Iranian people and said early on that the U.S. was "locked and loaded" and ready to intervene if the regime used violence against protesters. It is unclear if and when the U.S. will take concrete action in Iran, but speculation has circulated following the bombing of the country's nuclear sites in 2025 and the U.S. capture of Venezuelan dictator Nicolás Maduro.
Fox News Digital reached out to the White House and the State Department for comment.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Trump launches phase 2 of Gaza peace plan — but Hamas disarmament remains the real test
President Donald Trump’s administration formally launched the second phase of its plan to end the war between Israel and Hamas this week, shifting from a ceasefire framework toward a post-ceasefire political and security phase for Gaza. The announcement immediately raised a central question that now dominates expert analysis: who will actually disarm Hamas.
U.S. Special Envoy to the Middle East Steve Witkoff announced Wednesday that phase two is underway, describing it as a transition "from ceasefire to demilitarization, technocratic governance and reconstruction." He warned that Hamas must fully comply with its obligations under the deal, including the immediate return of the final deceased Israeli hostage.
"The U.S. expects Hamas to comply fully with its obligations, including the immediate return of the final deceased hostage," Witkoff wrote on X. "Failure to do so will bring serious consequences."
TRUMP FACES MIDDLE EAST TEST AS NETANYAHU BALKS AT ERDOGAN’S GAZA TROOP HOPES
President Donald Trump reinforced the administration’s announcement on Thursday, writing on Truth Social that the United States had "OFFICIALLY entered the next phase of Gaza’s 20-Point Peace Plan," following Witkoff’s remarks. Trump said that since the ceasefire, his team had helped deliver "RECORD LEVELS of Humanitarian Aid to Gaza, reaching Civilians at HISTORIC speed and scale," adding that "even the United Nations has acknowledged this achievement as UNPRECEDENTED."
Trump wrote that these developments had "set the stage for this next phase," which he said would include backing a newly appointed Palestinian technocratic government, the National Committee for the Administration of Gaza, to govern the territory during a transitional period. Trump described himself as chairman of the Board of Peace and said the committee would be supported by the board’s high representative.
Trump again warned that Hamas must "IMMEDIATELY honor its commitments, including the return of the final body to Israel, and proceed without delay to full Demilitarization," adding, "They can do this the easy way, or the hard way." Trump concluded the post by saying, "The people of Gaza have suffered long enough. The time is NOW. PEACE THROUGH STRENGTH."
The new phase envisions the establishment of a transitional technocratic Palestinian administration in Gaza, while the United States works with Egypt and other regional partners to ensure compliance and stability. Yet the announcement offered few operational details, particularly regarding how Hamas would be disarmed after more than two decades of military control in the enclave.
In an exclusive interview with Fox News Digital, Jérôme Bonnafont, France’s ambassador to the United Nations, called the ceasefire an "incredible achievement" and said phase two could help lay the groundwork for peace without Hamas.
"The Trump plan is establishing a ceasefire, which is an incredible achievement," Bonnafont said. "It has to go to a massive reopening of humanitarian aid, and it is going to be announced within a couple of days."
He said the next stage includes an international stabilization force that would support reconstruction and contribute to Hamas’s disarmament.
"That would help disarm Hamas, and that will help the Palestinian Authority return and democratically restart the management of Gaza as part of the Palestinian territory," he said.
Bonnafont emphasized that France views Israel’s security as a priority, particularly in the face of regional threats. "We have always been on the side of Israel when it comes, for example, to the threats by Iran to the existence of Israel," he said.
At the same time, he said France believes long-term security depends on the creation of a demilitarized Palestinian state living in peace with Israel. "We believe that security for Israel in the long term comes with the creation of Palestine," Bonnafont said. "A Palestine that has to be independent but demilitarized and in peace with Israel."
The United Nations also welcomed the announcement of phase two, calling it "an important step" while emphasizing adherence to international law and existing U.N. resolutions.
ISRAEL SHUTS DOOR ON TURKEY IN GAZA AS TRUMP PRAISES ERDOGAN, PLAYS DOWN CLASH
Israeli and U.S. security analysts broadly agree that phase two cannot succeed without addressing Hamas’s weapons and coercive power.
Dr. Avner Golov, vice president of the Israeli policy institute Mind Israel, told Fox News Digital that, "The central challenge is Hamas’s demilitarization," Golov said. "The only actors truly willing to dismantle Hamas’s military capabilities are the Israelis, and as long as Hamas remains armed, there should be no rebuilding and no IDF withdrawal from the current defensive line."
"In the end, there must be a credible military threat from the IDF against Hamas," he said. "Without such a threat, I see no chance that Hamas will voluntarily disarm."
Golov also pointed to what he described as a gap between diplomatic commitments and action by regional actors. "The key test is Turkey and Qatar," he said. "They signed a document committing to Hamas’s disarmament, but since then they have not demonstrated real commitment to implementing it."
US SEEKS UN AUTHORIZATION FOR GAZA INTERNATIONAL FORCE LASTING THROUGH 2027 UNDER TRUMP PLAN
Jonathan Ruhe, a fellow for American Strategy at the Jewish Institute for National Security of America (JINSA), argued that phase two presents a detailed reconstruction framework but avoids the most politically difficult decision.
"The peace plan offers a detailed framework for rebuilding Gaza and promoting better governance," Ruhe said. "But it’s silent on the ‘who’ and ‘how’ of disarming Hamas."
"As long as Hamas can interrupt aid distribution, intimidate and kill Gazans who want a better future, and threaten renewed war with Israel, international investment in reconstruction and reform will be near zero," he said.
While Trump’s plan calls for Hamas to disarm voluntarily, Ruhe also said Hamas has little reason to do so. "Hamas refuses because it thinks it won the war," he said. "Now there is an urgent need to decide who will disarm Hamas forcefully."
Ruhe noted that a U.N. Security Council resolution authorizes an International Stabilization Force to disarm Hamas, but he said no country has been willing to put troops in that role. Instead, he said the Trump plan outlines a more limited mission for international forces, focused on guarding aid sites and preventing Hamas resupply.
"Trump and Netanyahu both said Israel might have to disarm Hamas," Ruhe said. "But the IDF ground forces need to rest and refit after two years of grueling combat, and a major offensive risks blowing up the international coalition needed for phase two."
He suggested that well-vetted private military contractors, overseen by U.S. security officials rather than U.S. Central Command, could play a role, though he acknowledged such a move would involve "hard fighting."
Despite diplomatic momentum, analysts interviewed by Fox News Digital cautioned that time may be working against the plan. "The status quo favors Hamas as it continues tightening its grip over its half of Gaza," Ruhe said. "Announcing the Board of Peace serves important diplomatic purposes, but it won’t mean much on the ground unless and until Hamas is disarmed."
Golov echoed that assessment. "As long as Hamas remains armed, there should be no rebuilding and no IDF withdrawal from the current defensive line," he said.
Iran's ethnic minorities could hold key to regime's fate as protests continue
Even as the anti-regime protests seemed to slow down on Friday, experts say there is a major part of the country that could help decide the future of the country and that’s Iran’s complex ethnic minority population, which makes up just under 50% of the population.
Shukriya Bradost, a leading academic expert on Iran’s minorities, who was born and raised in the Kurdistan region of Iran, told Fox News Digital that "Ethnic groups from the establishment of the Islamic constitution in 1979 did not support it and have been fighting for their rights for 47 years."
According to a new paper authored by Bradost, "Iran’s protests have spread across provinces, despite skepticism and concern among ethnic groups," she notes that 51% of the country is Persian, Azeris make up 24%, Kurds comprise roughly 8% to 17% of the nation, and Arabs and Baluch minorities number 3% and 2% of the population.
IRAN PROTESTS SPARK REGIME SURVIVAL QUESTION AS EXILED DISSIDENT SAYS IT FEELS LIKE A ‘REVOLUTION’
She wrote that "Iran is a country of about 93 million people whose modern state was built around a centralized national identity rather than ethnic pluralism."
"The regime cannot survive anymore. The regime will fight to the last bullet if Khamenei is still alive," she said.
Reports from various groups say the supreme leader of the Islamic Republic, Ali Khamenei, ordered the slaughter of thousands of protesters — the U.S.-based Human Rights Activists in Iran reported 2,571 deaths from the protests, while leading Iranian opposition figure Reza Pahlavi told Bret Baier on Special Report on Monday that a minimum of 12,000 people are dead.
Sardar Pashaei, the President of Hiwa, a nonprofit that organizes a new generation of Kurdish activists for human rights and democratic change, told Fox News Digital that, "Ethnic minorities make up nearly half of Iran’s population, and no meaningful political transition can succeed without them. Kurds, in particular, have decades of experience resisting authoritarian rule and have consistently paid the highest price through repression, imprisonment, and loss of life. Their role is not symbolic — it is structural to any real challenge to the Islamic Republic."
IRAN’S ‘DISTINCTIVE’ DRONE DEPLOYMENT SEES DEATH TOLL SOAR AMID VIOLENT PROTESTS
Pashaei, who won a Greco-Roman wrestling world championship title for Iran and coached the country’s elite Greco-Roman team, added, "Beyond protest, ethnic minorities — especially Kurds — are crucial to ensuring that one form of tyranny is not replaced by another. Kurdish political culture strongly favors democratic values, pluralism and women’s participation, which is why there is almost no support among them for monarchy or lifetime rule."
He noted that "In Syria and Iraq, Kurdish-administered areas became among the most stable after the collapse of dictatorships, and Kurdish regions in Iran would likely be among the most stable after the fall of the Islamic regime. Despite this, Kurds continue to face discrimination both inside Iran and within opposition politics, even though a democratic future can only be built through a broad, inclusive coalition."
Khalil Kani Sanani, a spokesperson for the Kurdistan Freedom Party (PAK), told Fox News Digital that there are two provinces to keep an eye on. "Today, Kermanshah and Ilam are prepared to play that role. The organizations of the Kurdistan Freedom Party and the units of the National Army of Kurdistan in the cities of those two provinces are both managing the uprising process and carrying out resistance and legitimate defense."
TRUMP CANCELS ALL MEETINGS WITH IRAN, CALLS ON PROTESTERS TO 'TAKE OVER' THE COUNTRY
He noted the last major uprising began in those regions. "This time as well, after Tehran’s suppression, the cities of Kurdistan became centers of uprising against the regime, and from Kurdistan the spirit of revolt has spread toward Tehran and across all of Iran."
The "Jina uprising" he referred to was known as "The Women, Life, Freedom" movement that unfolded across Iran after the Islamic Republic’s morality police murdered Mahsa (Jina) Amini, a young Iranian-Kurdish woman, in September 2022 for failing to properly wear her hijab.
Kani Sanani said "The operations of our units in Kermanshah, Ilam, Lorestan, and Bakhtiari against the IRGC [Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps] forces have given great hope to the people and raised public morale. If the airspace of those regions were to be closed to the regime’s aircraft, our forces would rapidly take control of all the cities in those provinces, and from there we would move with a force of 100,000 people to assist the residents of Tehran."
Siamand Moeini, who is on the leadership council of The Kurdistan Free Life Party (PJAK), told Fox News Digital the "The current government has no capacity or program for internal democratic reforms. Therefore, the best alternative is a joint struggle to change it and establish a democratic system that includes participation from all peoples of Iran."
He added that "Iran’s current centralized system fails to represent the will of its people. Over the past century, authoritarian governance and central state repression have resulted in the suffering and deaths of thousands — policies that the people of Iran have consistently rejected. In the current circumstances, we propose a democratic self-governance alternative for all regions of Iran, especially for Kurdistan, which can adequately address the needs of the Kurdish population."
According to Moeini, "Iran’s future system of governance must be grounded in the broad participation and cooperation of all its peoples, laying the foundation for a truly sustainable and inclusive democracy."
Australia removes 4.7M kids from social media platforms in first month of historic ban
Social media companies have removed access to millions of accounts belonging to children in Australia in the first month since the country’s historic ban took effect, requiring platforms such as Instagram, Snapchat and TikTok to identify and deactivate users under the age 16.
Access was revoked for roughly 4.7 million users, according to Australian officials, who on Friday touted the early success of the law, which was enacted in mid-December amid fears surrounding the impact of online environments on young people.
"Today, we can announce that this is working," Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said during a news conference. "This is a source of Australian pride. This was world-leading legislation, but it is now being followed up around the world."
Under the law, 10 social media giants — Facebook, Instagram, X, TikTok, Snapchat, Kick, Reddit, Threads, Twitch and YouTube — must locate and deactivate accounts of Australian users under the age of 16. The companies face fines of up to $33 million if they don’t take "reasonable steps" to remove underage users.
AUSTRALIAN MOTHER CALLS FOR SOCIAL MEDIA AGE RESTRICTIONS AFTER DAUGHTER'S SUICIDE
"We stared down everybody who said it couldn’t be done, some of the most powerful and rich companies in the world and their supporters," said Australian communications minister Anika Wells. "Now Australian parents can be confident that their kids can have their childhoods back."
According to Australia’s eSafety Commissioner Julie Inman Grant, there are roughly 2.5 million Australians between the ages of 8 and 15, with about 84% of 8 to 12-year-olds having at least one social media account. While the total number of accounts across platforms is unknown, Inman Grant said the number of deactivated or restricted accounts was encouraging.
"We’re preventing predatory social media companies from accessing our children," she said at a news conference.
NEARLY TWO-THIRDS OF AMERICAN VOTERS BACK SOCIAL MEDIA BAN FOR KIDS UNDER 16, FOX NEWS POLL SHOWS
Critics of the new ban have argued that it will be difficult to enforce, and Inman Grant acknowledged that there are still some active underage accounts.
"We don't expect safety laws to eliminate every single breach. If we did, speed limits would have failed because people speed, drinking limits would have failed because, believe it or not, some kids do get access to alcohol," she said.
She added that based on data reviewed by her office, there was an increase in downloads of alternative apps after the ban began, but not a spike in usage.
Social media platforms can verify age by either requesting copies of identification documents, using a third party to apply age estimation technology to an account holder’s face, or making inferences from data already available, such as how long an account has been active.
Meta, which owns Facebook, Instagram and Threads, said earlier this week that it had removed nearly 550,000 accounts belonging to users it believed were under the age of 16 just one day after the ban began.
While the law was popular among parents and child safety campaigners, online privacy advocates and groups representing teenagers largely came out against it.
FRANCE REPORTEDLY PLANNING TO BAN CHILDREN UNDER 15 FROM SOCIAL MEDIA STARTING 2026
Other countries have weighed similar measures in step with Australia, and some American lawmakers have also signaled their interest in pursuing social media restrictions in the U.S.
"I think we ought to look at what Australia’s doing, for example, requiring access to these social media platforms to not be available to anybody under the age of 16," Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, said last month.
Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., previously said that "protecting children is an avenue that should be pursued."
"I won’t rule out some sort of limitation in sales or distribution or use of those devices… Parents and grandparents need a helping hand; this is getting out of hand," he said.
Fox News Digital's Nora Moriarty, The Associated Press and Reuters contributed to this report.
Trump's pick for Iceland ambassador apologizes for joking about Arctic nation becoming 52nd state
Former Rep. Billy Long, who was nominated by President Donald Trump to be ambassador to Iceland, has apologized after privately joking to House lawmakers that the Arctic island would become the "52nd state" with him as its governor.
Long, a Republican who represented Missouri from 2011 to 2023 and served a brief stint as IRS commissioner last year, said he was just joking with his former congressional colleagues.
"There was nothing serious about that, I was with some people, who I hadn’t met for three years, and they were kidding about Jeff Landry being governor of Greenland and they started joking about me and if anyone took offense to it, then I apologize," Long told Arctic Today.
"I apologize and that’s my only comment, I look forward to working with the people of Iceland and I apologize it was taken that way, I was with a group of friends and there was nothing serious about it," he added.
Trump recently named Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry as a special envoy to Greenland.
This comes as Trump heats up his threats to acquire Greenland, a Danish territory, saying he plans to take the island "one way or the other."
"We are going to do something on Greenland, whether they like it or not," Trump said last week. "Because if we don't do it, Russia or China will take over Greenland, and we're not going to have Russia or China as a neighbor."
Trump administration officials are openly weighing options such as military force to take Greenland, a move that would violate NATO’s Article V, which states that an attack on one member is an attack on all of them and could end the alliance of more than 75 years.
TRUMP GREENLAND TAKEOVER WOULD END NATO, DENMARK ASSERTS
Denmark and other European countries have made moves, including sending additional troops to Greenland in case of a U.S. invasion, backing the territory as it reaffirms its position that it does not want to join the U.S. Iceland is among the NATO members that have expressed opposition to Trump's repeated threats to take Greenland.
On Capitol Hill, most Democrats and even some Republicans have opposed the idea of taking Greenland, while other Republicans have voiced support for pursuing closer ties with the territory, including Rep. Randy Fine, R-Fla., who introduced legislation to make it the 51st U.S. state, although he said the best way to acquire Greenland is voluntarily.
Trump has also said he wanted to make Canada the 51st U.S. state.
Long was visiting former colleagues on the House Floor earlier this week when he made the controversial comment about Iceland, sparking some minor diplomatic backlash, with Iceland's Ministry for Foreign Affairs demanding answers from the U.S. Embassy in Reykjavík.
"There is no doubt that this is very serious for a small country like Iceland," Icelandic Parliament member Sigmar Guðmundsson told MBL. "We need to understand that all the security arguments made by the U.S. regarding Greenland, also apply to Iceland."
Some Icelanders also launched a petition drive calling on their government to reject Long as ambassador if he is confirmed by the U.S. Senate. The petition has obtained 2,000 signatures.
Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., told Politico that Long was "probably having some fun" and "I wouldn’t read too much into that."
Trump’s push to acquire Greenland sparks international media frenzy on remote island
As President Donald Trump ramps up his effort to acquire Greenland, a surge of international journalists have rushed to the island to take the pulse of its political leaders and residents.
In recent weeks, media from around the world — including The Associated Press, Reuters, the BBC and Al Jazeera, as well as outlets from Scandinavian countries and Japan — have made their way to the semi-autonomous Danish territory, overwhelming its politicians and community leaders with interview requests.
While Trump has argued that controlling the roughly 800,000-square-mile island is necessary for national security purposes, its leaders have repeatedly insisted it's not for sale.
Juno Berthelsen, a member of parliament for the Naleraq opposition party, said the media storm intensified last year when Trump first expressed interest in acquiring Greenland, adding that he has been doing multiple interviews a day for the past two weeks.
TRUMP TAPS REPUBLICAN GOVERNOR TO SERVE AS SPECIAL ENVOY TO GREENLAND
"We’re very few people and people tend to get tired when more and more journalists ask the same questions again and again," Berthelsen told the Associated Press.
Greenland’s population is about 57,000 people, with roughly 20,000 living in Nuuk, the small capital city where the same collection of business owners are repeatedly asked to do news interviews, sometimes as many as 15 a day.
Many residents interviewed by the AP said they want the world to know that Greenlanders will decide their own future and expressed confusion about why Trump wants to control the island.
TRUMP ISSUES STERN WARNING TO NATO AHEAD OF VANCE'S HIGH-STAKES GREENLAND MEETING
"It’s just weird how obsessed [Trump] is with Greenland," Maya Martinsen, 21, told the AP.
She said Trump is "basically lying about what he wants out of Greenland," asserting that the president is using U.S. national security as a means to take control of "the oils and minerals that we have that are untouched."
The Americans, Martinsen continued, "only see what they can get out of Greenland and not what it actually is."
EUROPEAN ALLIES WORKING ON PLAN IF US ACTS ON ACQUIRING GREENLAND: REPORT
"It has beautiful nature and lovely people. It’s just home to me. I think the Americans just see some kind of business trade," she added.
Americans, however, appear ambivalent about the acquisition, with 86% of voters nationwide saying they would oppose military action to take over Greenland, according to a Quinnipiac University poll. By a 55%-37% margin, voters surveyed said they opposed any U.S. effort to try to buy Greenland.
On Wednesday, Trump said in a social media post that "anything less" than U.S. control of Greenland is "unacceptable," but Greenland Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen said during a news conference this week that the island will not be owned or governed by the United States.
Trump's recent comments have sparked tension with Denmark and other NATO allies, and troops from several European countries, including France, Germany, Sweden and Norway, deployed to Greenland this week for a brief two-day mission to bolster the territory’s defenses.
Fox News Digital's Paul Steinhauser and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Top Iranian general threatens to 'cut off' Trump's hand over potential military strikes
One of Iran’s most senior officials issued a direct threat against President Donald Trump Thursday while warning that U.S. military action would provoke retaliation against American forces across the Middle East, according to Iranian media reports.
The remarks came as well-placed sources confirmed to Fox News Digital at least one American aircraft carrier was being repositioned toward the Middle East amid rising tensions with Tehran.
Senior Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) general Mohsen Rezaei, a member of Iran’s Expediency Discernment Council, reportedly made his threat during a public address.
"Trump has said his hand is on the trigger. We will cut off his hand and his finger," Rezaei said, according to Iran International.
TOP IRANIAN OFFICIAL DOWNPLAYS DEATH TOLL, BLAMES 'ISRAELI PLOT' AS US CONSIDERS STRIKES
The outlet also said that Rezaei maintained that Iran would abandon any notion of a ceasefire if attacked.
"If we move forward, there will be no talk of a ceasefire anymore," he said. "You do not pay attention to the restraint and strategic patience we have shown. Stop right now. Step back, otherwise none of your bases in the region will be safe," Rezaei added.
The threat surfaced as at least one U.S. aircraft carrier could be moving toward the Middle East, according to sources.
Officials have not disclosed whether it is the USS Abraham Lincoln, currently operating in the South China Sea, or one of two carriers that departed Norfolk and San Diego earlier this week.
Military sources said transit to the region could take at least a week, with additional U.S. air, land and sea assets expected to follow to provide Trump with military options should he order strikes against Iran.
SOME US MILITARY PERSONNEL TOLD TO LEAVE MIDDLE EAST BASES, US OFFICIAL CONFIRMS
Rezaei is one of Iran’s most powerful military figures. He served as commander-in-chief of the IRGC from 1980 to 1997 and is currently vice president for economic affairs, secretary of Iran’s Supreme Council for Economic Coordination and a senior figure in the Principlist Resistance Front of Islamic Iran.
In 2006, Argentine authorities issued an international arrest warrant for Rezaei in connection with the 1994 AMIA Jewish community center bombing in Buenos Aires. He was sanctioned by the U.S. Treasury in January 2020 under Executive Order 13876 for advancing Iran’s destabilizing objectives.
During his tenure, the IRGC expanded repression at home and supported terrorist proxy groups abroad, including Hezbollah.
US OPENS NEW AIR DEFENSE OPERATIONS CELL AT QATAR BASE THAT IRAN TARGETED IN RETALIATORY ATTACK
Meanwhile, unrest inside Iran continued into its nineteenth day. According to the Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA), at least 2,677 arrests have been recorded with 1,693 additional cases under investigation.
Another agency also reported expanded communication blackouts, including the shutdown of landlines in some areas.
"They are continuing as before, but not at the pace before the slaughter of thousands and the arrests," Ali Safavi of the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI) told Fox News Digital, claiming as many as 50,000 detainees.
"There is still a total shutdown of the internet. Security forces are raiding residential areas and going to people’s rooftops. They started destroying satellite dishes," Safavi said before describing clashes continuing through Wednesday night into Thursday in Tehran and Kermanshah, including gunfire.
NCRI President-elect Maryam Rajavi also urged the international community to act immediately to secure the release of detainees and demanded an urgent international fact-finding mission to Iran’s prisons.
Passenger’s Wi-Fi name triggers bomb scare, forces Turkish Airlines emergency landing
A Turkish Airlines flight was forced to make an emergency landing in Barcelona Thursday morning after a passenger created a hoax threat by setting up a Wi-Fi hotspot suggesting there was a "bomb threat" on board, according to airline officials.
The emergency protocol was alerted when Flight 1853 was already approaching its intended designation at Barcelona-El Prat Airport from Istanbul. Euronews said the Airbus A321, which was carrying 148 passengers and seven crew members, was directed to a designated area for inspection upon landing.
"It was detected that a passenger had created an in-flight internet access point and named the network in a way that included a bomb threat," Yahya Üstün, senior vice president of communications at Turkish Airlines, said in a post on X.
Simpleflying reported that the flight was cruising over the Mediterranean when a flight crew member noticed an alarming Wi-Fi name that reportedly said, "I have a bomb, everyone will die."
PASSENGERS BAFFLED AND CONFUSED AFTER SCREAMS BURST FROM BENEATH TAXIING AIR CANADA PLANE
Necessary safety procedures were immediately initiated following the alert, Üstün said.
The aircraft was then escorted by two fighter jets, one Spanish and one French, during the emergency protocol, Euronews reported.
CAUSE OF FAILED ALASKA AIRLINES LANDING GEAR THAT SENT PASSENGERS SCREAMING REVEALED
Following the aircraft’s safe landing, response crews inspected the plane and worked to identify the passenger who created the threatening Wi-Fi hotspot name, airline officials said. The operation involved Spanish authorities such as personnel from the Civil Guard, the National Police and Catalonia’s regional police and fire services, according to Euronews.
According to footage from the scene, a dog was deployed to examine the passenger's luggage on the tarmac.
However, "no irregularities were found" following a thorough inspection, according to officials.
"Our aircraft's return flight will be carried out after the completion of passenger boarding," Üstün said.
Operations at Barcelona-El Prat Airport resumed normally following the explosive scare, Reuters reported.
Reuters contributed to this report.
Latin America rebel groups urged to form 'super guerrilla' alliance against Trump
Latin America’s most powerful guerrilla groups are being urged to set aside years of bloody infighting and unite against President Donald Trump, according to reports.
The calls intensified in the wake of the arrest of former Venezuelan president Nicolás Maduro, which has fueled fears among groups of a looming US-backed military intervention.
The recent call came from Colombia’s most wanted insurgent leader, Nestor Gregorio Vera, or "Ivan Mordisco", who released a video appeal to rival rebel factions, even despite years of brutal infighting, according to Reuters.
After decades of waging a bloody conflict over territory, drug routes and illegal economies, Vera said the time had come to put differences aside.
US MAY BE INVOLVED IN VENEZUELA FOR YEARS, TRUMP SAYS
"The shadow of the interventionist eagle looms over everyone equally. We urge you to put aside these differences," Vera said in the video, in which he appeared in camouflage flanked by two heavily armed fighters, Reuters said.
"Destiny is calling us to unite. We are not scattered forces, we are heirs to the same cause. Let us weave unity through action and forge the great insurgent bloc that will push back the enemies of the greater homeland," he added.
Among the groups singled out was the left-wing National Liberation Army (ELN), Colombia’s largest and most powerful guerrilla organization, which controls vast stretches of the 1,400-mile border between Colombia and Venezuela.
US RAID IN VENEZUELA SIGNALS DETERRENCE TO ADVERSARIES ON THREE FRONTS, EXPERTS SAY
"The war between Mordisco’s Farc dissidents and the ELN has been very, very bloody with a huge humanitarian impact," Jorge Mantilla, a security analyst and expert on Colombian guerrilla groups, told The Telegraph.
"So it calls my attention that, despite that, Mordisco is still saying, ‘stop this, let’s unite against our enemy, which is the US and its intervention’. So the cards are on the table."
Colombian President Gustavo Petro, himself a former guerrilla fighter, had seized on the threat of a united insurgent front to call for a concerted effort to "remove" drug-trafficking guerrillas.
He said he had invited Venezuela’s new leader, Delcy Rodriguez, to cooperate in rooting out the armed groups.
But reports of a potential joint military operation involving the US, Colombia and Venezuela also raised the prospect that the ELN could finally be dismantled after more than 60 years of insurgency.
As previously reported by Fox News Digital, guerrillas now operate along Venezuela’s 2,219-kilometer border with Colombia and control illegal mining near the Orinoco oil belt.
The National Liberation Army (ELN), a Colombian Marxist guerrilla group with thousands of fighters and designated a U.S.-designated terrorist organization, has operated in Venezuela as a paramilitary force.
The group is believed to have around 6,000 fighters and controls key cocaine-producing regions, illegal mining operations and smuggling routes, per reports.
Following Mr Maduro’s capture, the ELN vowed to fight to its "last drop of blood" against what it called the US empire.
"Today, the main goal of the ELN is not the takeover of power in Colombia or to rebuild a Colombian state, but more so to defend the Bolivarian Revolution, because they consider themselves a continental guerrilla [group] because their ideological inspiration is Latin Americanist, so they feel the struggle of Venezuela is their struggle," Mantilla told the Telegraph.
"I think ELN is, right now, in a very vulnerable position," Angelika Rettberg, political science professor at the University of the Andes in Colombia told the outlet.
"I also don’t think that even if they are able to build this unified organization, that would make them less likely to be hit by an eventual US attack," Ms Rettberg said.
Former Ukrainian PM accused of bribing politicians with US dollars to weaken Zelenskyy's government
A former Ukrainian prime minister has been accused of plotting to bribe politicians with stacks of U.S. dollars in a scheme aimed at weakening President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s government, a former political advisor has claimed.
Ukraine’s National Anti-Corruption Bureau (UNACB) first confirmed Jan. 13 it uncovered an alleged effort by the leader of an unnamed parliamentary faction to offer illegal benefits to lawmakers, according to Reuters.
Video released by UNACB showed stacks of U.S. dollars seized during overnight searches earlier this week, including footage of a woman in an office sitting behind a desk. Authorities did not publicly identify the suspect.
According to the Kyiv Post, published recordings allegedly show that three lawmakers were offered $10,000 per month in exchange for their votes, with the case linked by some to Yulia Tymoshenko, a veteran politician, former prime minister and current leader of the Batkivshchyna party.
UKRAINIAN OFFICIAL YERMAK RESIGNS AS CORRUPTION PROBE ENCIRCLES ZELENSKYY
Former Zelenskyy press secretary Iuliia Mendel told Fox News Digital the cash allegedly belonged to Tymoshenko and was intended to pay lawmakers to vote against the president’s legislative proposals.
"In Ukraine, such transactions are usually discussed in U.S. dollars, as you can see from the law enforcement reports," Mendel, a former political advisor said.
"The U.S. dollars shown in that video were allegedly hers that she was supposed to use to pay people to vote against Zelenskyy’s legislative proposals. She said it was her personal savings," Mendel added.
Mendel said the sums shown in the footage appeared relatively modest, "about $40,000," she said, noting other corruption cases in Ukraine have involved "much larger sums, sometimes millions of dollars."
The raid on Tymoshenko’s party office reportedly lasted nearly all night.
"Officers arrived in the evening and remained in her office for almost the entire night," Mendel said.
Investigators allege several lawmakers — reportedly including members of Zelenskyy’s own faction — approached Tymoshenko, leading to discussions about regular monthly payments in exchange for coordinated voting.
Despite reportedly being served with a notice of suspicion, Tymoshenko also addressed parliament this week, calling the case "political persecution against me."
"The so-called ‘urgent investigative actions’ that lasted all night ended at the Batkivshchyna party office. These ‘urgent investigative actions’ have nothing to do with law and order," Tymoshenko also wrote on Facebook.
According to Mendel, the goal was not to attack Zelenskyy personally but to fracture the ruling mono-majority in parliament.
ZELENSKYY MOVES TO 'CLEAN UP' UKRAINE'S ENERGY SECTOR AS CORRUPTION SCANDAL ROCKS LEADERSHIP
"Ukraine’s system is a parliamentary-presidential republic, meaning the legislature plays a central role in governance. When the president controls a mono-majority, legislation can pass quickly," Mendel said.
"Breaking that majority would significantly weaken Zelenskyy’s legislative authority."
Tymoshenko, a central figure in the 2004 Orange Revolution and Ukraine’s first female prime minister, has faced legal trouble before.
In 2011, she was jailed over a gas deal with Russia in a case widely viewed as politically motivated before being released in 2014. She is expected to appear before Ukraine’s High Anti-Corruption Court.
"Corruption is one of the key reasons we are losing this war. It severely damages Ukraine’s image on the international stage," Mendel warned.
"By 2024, corruption had reached such a scale that Ukrainians chose an extremely dangerous and painful path — exposing it publicly in order to fight it," Mendel added.
"Now, cases like this bring the issue back into the spotlight. Corruption will destroy Ukraine."
Fox News Digital has reached out to Zelenskyy’s office for comment.
US sending military assets to Middle East as Trump weighs Iran strike, sources say
At least one U.S. aircraft carrier is being moved toward the Middle East as tensions with Iran continue to build, military sources confirm to Fox News.
It is not yet clear whether the carrier is the USS Abraham Lincoln, currently operating in the South China Sea, or one of two carriers that departed Norfolk and San Diego earlier this week. Transit to the region is expected to take at least a week.
U.S. military assets from air, land and sea are expected to flow into the region in the coming days and weeks to provide the president with military options should he decide to carry out strikes against Iran, sources said.
G7 THREATENS IRAN WITH NEW SANCTIONS OVER NATIONWIDE PROTEST CRACKDOWN KILLING THOUSANDS
The movements are part of what officials described as a process of "setting the force."
One well-placed source said if the president decides to carry out military action, "This will be different, more offensive." The source said U.S. military planners are preparing a range of options that would depend on how Iran’s regime acts in coming days.
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Missile defense systems are also expected to be sent to the region to bolster the defense of U.S. bases and Israel. The systems would include missile defense assets, according to sources.
The Pentagon did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital's request for comment.
Turkey says Syria using force is an option against US-backed fighters who helped defeat ISIS
Tensions between Syria’s transitional government and the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) escalated this week after Turkey warned that Damascus could resort to military force against the group, following days of deadly clashes in and around Aleppo. The SDF played a critical role in aiding U.S. forces to defeat the Islamic State in Syria.
Turkey’s foreign minister, Hakan Fidan, said Thursday that Syria’s use of force against the SDF seems an option, adding he hoped the crisis could be resolved through dialogue, according to Reuters.
The remarks came after several days of fighting between Syrian government forces and Kurdish fighters that displaced tens of thousands of civilians and left at least 23 people dead, Reuters reported.
The warning underscores mounting regional pressure as negotiations aimed at integrating the SDF into Syria’s national army remain stalled nearly a year after a U.S.-backed framework agreement was signed.
The United States remains deeply involved in efforts to prevent the confrontation from spiraling, with U.S. Central Command mediating daily on the ground in Syria alongside partners such as France, the U.K., Turkey and Jordan. "CENTCOM is on the ground inside Syria playing an active mediating role every single day," said Charles Lister, senior fellow and director of the Syria Initiative at the Middle East Institute.
"Fundamentally, the United States remains the SDF’s biggest and most important backer, supporter, provider of finance, training and, to an extent, defense," he said.
Lister said Washington has already used significant leverage, including compelling SDF leader Mazloum Abdi to sign the March 2025 framework agreement.
DEADLY STRIKE ON US TROOPS TESTS TRUMP’S COUNTER-ISIS PLAN — AND HIS TRUST IN SYRIA’S NEW LEADER
"We would not have had the March framework agreement had it not been for basically Gen. Mazloum being strong-armed onto a helicopter, flown to Damascus, and told that he needed to sign that agreement," he said.
In a statement released on Wednesday, the SDF accused Syrian government forces and Turkey of what it described as a "dangerous military escalation" across eastern Aleppo’s countryside, including Deir Hafer, Maskanah and the area surrounding the Tishreen Dam.
The SDF claimed Syrian government forces carried out more than a dozen attacks using artillery, mortars and suicide drones and said civilian infrastructure, including a post office and a bakery, was struck.
The SDF also said Turkish Bayraktar drones struck multiple SDF positions near Maskanah and Tabqah. Turkey and the Syrian government had not publicly responded to the claims.
The crisis stems from a failed March 2025 agreement intended to merge SDF forces into Syria’s Ministry of Defense.
"There’s no question that Damascus has been a tough negotiator," Lister said. "Having said that, the government has also bent significantly."
TRUMP DECLARES IMPORTANCE OF NOT DERAILING 'SYRIA'S EVOLUTION INTO A PROSPEROUS STATE'
Lister claims the deal stalled because of internal divisions within the SDF. "The fact that no deal has been implemented is quite frankly because the SDF is not a united, cohesive movement," he said. "There are elements within the SDF who absolutely do not want this deal to be implemented."
He said some factions are deliberately delaying implementation. "Their calculation is clearly that the longer that they can stall, they hope that the Syrian transitional government will do something to destroy its international credibility," Lister said. "It’s just a stall-and-wait-and-see approach."
"That approach is intrinsically dangerous," he said. "It only guarantees conflict."
"Over the past two or three days, there have been a number of Turkish drone strikes on SDF military bases in this frontline district in eastern rural Aleppo," Lister said.
"Turkey is primed to get back involved," he said. "When Turkey has gone all out on the SDF, the SDF haven’t stood a chance."
According to Lister, only pressure from the highest level could alter the trajectory.
"The only thing that’s going to change the equation here is if President Trump makes it publicly clear that this deal has to be made and implemented expeditiously," he said.
"This is not contained," Lister warned. "All the preparations are clearly being made for this to become an active military zone unless serious diplomacy pulls both sides off the brink."
Reuters contributed to this report.
Troops from Europe deploy to Greenland in rapid 2-day mission as Trump eyes US takeover
Troops from several European countries deployed to Greenland and are on the ground there Thursday for a quick 2-day mission to bolster the territory’s defenses.
France, Germany, Sweden and Norway are participating in the exercise, Fox News has learned. Leaders say the mission is meant to demonstrate they can deploy military assets "quickly."
The development comes as the Trump administration is pushing to acquire the Danish territory. Germany deployed a reconnaissance team of 13 personnel, France sent 15 mountain specialists and Sweden, Norway and Britain sent three, two and one officers, respectively, according to Reuters.
"The geopolitical tensions have spread to the Arctic. The Government of Greenland, and the Danish Ministry of Defense have therefore decided to continue the Danish Armed Forces’ increased exercise activity in Greenland, in close cooperation with NATO allies," the Danish Ministry of Defense said in a statement Wednesday.
"From today, there will be an expanded military presence in and around Greenland — in close cooperation with NATO allies. The purpose is to train the ability to operate under the unique Arctic conditions and to strengthen the alliance’s footprint in the Arctic, benefiting both European and transatlantic security," it added.
"As part of the increased presence in the Arctic and North Atlantic, the Danish Armed Forces are, from today, deploying capabilities and units related to the exercise activities. In the period ahead, this will result in an increased military presence in and around Greenland, comprising aircraft, vessels and soldiers, including from NATO allies," the Danish Ministry of Defense also said.
It said the exercise activities in 2026 "could include guarding critical infrastructure, providing assistance to local authorities in Greenland, including the police, receiving allied troops, deploying fighter aircraft in and around Greenland, and conducting naval operations."
"Some officers from the Swedish Armed Forces are arriving in Greenland today," Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson wrote on X on Wednesday. "They are part of a group from several allied countries. Together they will prepare upcoming steps within the framework of the Danish exercise Operation Arctic Endurance. It is at the request of Denmark that Sweden is sending personnel from the Armed Forces."
Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen told Reuters on Thursday that, "The American ambition to take over Greenland is intact."
"That is of course serious, and therefore we continue our efforts to prevent this scenario becoming a reality," he added.
Danish Foreign Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen and Greenlandic Foreign Minister Vivian Motzfeldt met with Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Vice President JD Vance at the White House on Wednesday.
This is a developing news story. Please check back for updates.
Iran appears to reopen airspace after Trump says killing is 'stopping'
Iran appeared to reopen its airspace on Thursday after a sudden overnight closure disrupted flights across the region, even as airlines largely continued to avoid the country amid heightened security warnings and ongoing regional tensions.
The overnight closure lasted around five hours after a Notice to Air Missions, or NOTAM, was issued, according to the aviation risk-monitoring site Safe Airspace.
Safe Airspace warns that the main danger for civil aircraft in Iranian airspace is misidentification by air defense systems during heightened tensions, rating the overall risk level currently as "One — Do Not Fly."
President Donald Trump told reporters in the Oval Office on Wednesday that he was informed the killing of protesters in Iran was "stopping."
"We have been notified and really strongly, but we'll find out what that all means. But, we've been told that the killing in Iran is stopping," he said.
Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., disagreed with Trump, writing on X that every indication he’s seen shows that the Iranian regime’s killing of anti-government protesters is "still very much in full swing."
"The death toll is mounting by the hour. Hoping that help is on the way," he wrote.
TRUMP ENVOY REPORTEDLY MEETS WITH EXILED IRANIAN PRINCE AS REGIME FACES PROTESTS
The U.S.-based Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA), which tracks human rights violations in Iran, said on Wednesday that nationwide protests continued into the 18th day as authorities maintained a near-total internet shutdown.
The group’s aggregated figures showed 617 protest gatherings in 187 cities across the country, the arrest of at least 18,470 people and the confirmed deaths of 2,615 individuals.
HRANA said 2,435 of those killed were protesters, including 13 children under the age of 18.
TOP IRANIAN OFFICIAL DOWNPLAYS DEATH TOLL, BLAMES 'ISRAELI PLOT' AS US CONSIDERS STRIKES
Trump has threatened action against the regime, warning Tehran in multiple Truth Social posts to stop killing its people.
"We are locked and loaded and ready to go," he wrote on New Year’s Day.
The president said on Tuesday that he had canceled all meetings with Iranian officials and called on protesters to "TAKE OVER YOUR INSTITUTIONS!!!"
"Save the names of the killers and abusers. They will pay a big price," Trump wrote, adding, "HELP IS ON ITS WAY."
Armed Kurdish fighters try to breach Iran border as regional threat grows amid protests: reports
Armed Kurdish separatist groups tried to cross into Iran from Iraq in recent days, stoking fears that the country’s spiraling unrest has attracted dangerous foreign militants who could destabilize the wider region, according to reports.
Iranian officials said the attempted breach came amid a sweeping crackdown on nationwide protests against the country’s regime, with Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) leading the response, Reuters reported.
The Tasnim News Agency also reported armed militia groups operating in Iraq crossed the border in western and northwestern Iran, according to Middle East Monitor.
TOP IRANIAN OFFICIAL DOWNPLAYS DEATH TOLL, BLAMES 'ISRAELI PLOT' AS US CONSIDERS STRIKES
Reuters had reported that three sources, including a senior Iranian official, said Turkey’s intelligence agency, known as MIT, warned the IRGC that Kurdish fighters were trying to cross the Iran-Iraq border.
The Iranian official said clashes also broke out after the attempt to cross and accused the fighters of trying to exploit the unrest and create further instability.
According to the Council on Foreign Relations, around 30 million Kurds live in the Middle East, mainly in Iran, Iraq, Syria and Turkey.
TRUMP SAYS IRAN 'STARTING TO' CROSS US RED LINES AS PROTESTERS DIE IN GOVERNMENT CRACKDOWN
Turkey has designated Kurdish militant groups in northern Iraq as terrorist organizations and has carried out cross-border military operations against them. The Turkish military has also targeted PKK bases in Iraq.
In 2025, the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) said it would disarm and end its decades-long battle against Turkey.
Reuters said MIT and President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan's office did not comment on the Iran crossing, though it warned that any interference in Iran would inflame regional crises.
'LEAVE IRAN NOW': US EMBASSY POSTS WARNING TO AMERICANS STILL IN THE COUNTRY
Iranian authorities alleged the fighters were dispatched from Iraq and Turkey and said the Iranian regime has asked both governments to stop any transfer of fighters or weapons into Iran.
The number of deaths during the crackdown on protesters rose to at least 2,571 on Wednesday, accordin g to the Human Rights Activists News Agency.
President Donald Trump said Wednesday he had been told the killings had halted, and he believes there is no plan for large-scale executions.
Asked who told him, Trump said they were "very important sources on the other side."
Iran closed its airspace to most flights Wednesday, according to flight-tracking website Flightradar24, with the closure lasting a little more than two hours.
Japan's Prime Minister Takaichi plans to dissolve Parliament and call early election to strengthen coalition
Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi plans to dissolve Parliament’s powerful lower house as early as this month, setting up a snap election aimed at securing voter backing for her agenda while her approval ratings remain high, a senior party official said.
The Associated Press reported that the move would allow Takaichi to seek fresh support for her economic and security priorities at a time when her scandal-tainted party and a new coalition partner hold only a slim majority in Japan’s legislature.
Takaichi made history in October when she was elected as Japan’s first female prime minister.
Described by some Japanese and international media as an ultraconservative, hard-line figure, Takaichi has backed strengthening Japan’s defense posture, emerged as a vocal China hawk and supported constitutional revisions to expand the role of the Self-Defense Forces.
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Calling a snap election could allow Takaichi to capitalize on approval ratings of about 70% and help her Liberal Democratic Party gain additional seats in Parliament.
Shunichi Suzuki, secretary general of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party, told reporters that Takaichi informed him and other senior officials of her intention to dissolve the lower house "soon" after it convenes on Jan. 23.
Suzuki said no date has been set for dissolving the chamber or holding a snap election, adding that Takaichi plans to outline her strategy at a news conference next Monday.
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Takaichi’s scandal-tainted LDP and its coalition currently hold only a narrow majority in the lower house, Parliament’s more powerful chamber, following losses in the 2024 election.
By calling an early vote, Takaichi appears to be aiming to expand her party’s share of seats and strengthen its position alongside a new junior coalition partner.
Opposition lawmakers criticized the plan as self-serving, saying it would delay urgent parliamentary debate over the national budget, which must be approved quickly.
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Echoing Suzuki’s comments, media reports have said Takaichi plans to dissolve the lower house on Jan. 23, the opening day of this year’s ordinary parliamentary session, potentially setting the stage for a snap election as early as Feb. 8.
Takaichi is seeking voter backing for her agenda, including "proactive" fiscal spending and an accelerated military buildup under a new coalition with the Japan Innovation Party, Suzuki said.
The conservative Japan Innovation Party joined the ruling bloc after the centrist Komeito withdrew, citing disagreements over Takaichi’s ideological positions and her approach to anti-corruption reforms.
TRUMP SAYS MISSILES FOR JAPAN’S F-35S WILL ARRIVE ‘THIS WEEK’ DURING VISIT TO USS GEORGE WASHINGTON
Takaichi met Wednesday with Suzuki and other coalition leaders after holding talks in Nara with South Korean President Lee Jae Myung at a summit aimed at strengthening bilateral ties. The meetings came as she faces rising trade and political tensions with China following remarks on Taiwan that angered Beijing days after she took office.
Winning a snap election would also make it easier for Takaichi and her governing bloc to pass the budget and advance other legislation.
Her Cabinet approved a record 122.3 trillion yen ($770 billion) budget in late December that must clear Parliament before the fiscal year begins in April. The plan includes measures to fight inflation, support low-income households and boost economic growth.
Known for her hawkish and nationalistic views and her ultra-conservative positions on social issues including gender and sexual diversity, Takaichi is seeking to reclaim conservative voters drawn to emerging populist parties in recent elections.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Venezuela’s acting president touts ‘new political moment,’ hints at further release of political prisoners
Interim Venezuela President Delcy Rodríguez announced Wednesday that her government will continue to release prisoners detained under the rule of former President Nicolás Maduro in an initiative she touted as a "new political moment," according to The Associated Press (AP).
Her comments came just days after the interim government freed at least four U.S. citizens detained in Venezuela, marking the first known release of American prisoners since Maduro was ousted in a U.S. military operation earlier this month.
During her first press briefing since becoming acting leader, Rodríguez reportedly told journalists in Caracas that the process of releasing detainees "has not yet concluded," emphasizing that the effort to free those held under Maduro’s rule is ongoing.
Rodriguez then pitched for a "Venezuela that opens itself to a new political moment, that allows for ... political and ideological diversity," the AP reported.
VENEZUELA RELEASES MULTIPLE AMERICAN CITIZENS FROM PRISON FOLLOWING MILITARY OPERATION
The outlet added that possibly 800 prisoners, including political leaders, soldiers and lawyers, are still being detained, citing Venezuelan human rights organization Foro Penal.
Rodriguez also claimed that her government had already released 212 detainees, but human rights organizations have estimated lower figures, The AP added.
TRUMP SIGNS ORDER TO PROTECT VENEZUELA OIL REVENUE HELD IN US ACCOUNTS
The Maduro ally insisted that the prisoner releases do not signal a break from the past and are not the direct result of U.S. pressure, but rather credited the effort to the ousted president, The AP reported. She said Maduro oversaw the release of 194 detainees in December, noting that he did so because he "was thinking precisely about opening spaces for understanding, for coexistence, for tolerance," according to the outlet.
While Rodríguez has not provided a detailed framework for determining who will be released, she said decisions will reportedly be guided by an evaluation of "crimes related to the constitutional order," warning that "messages of hatred, intolerance, acts of violence will not be permitted."
The actual coordination of these releases will be handled by Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello.
President Donald Trump said Wednesday that he recently had a "great conversation" with Rodríguez, their first since Maduro was seized and flown to the U.S. to face drug-trafficking charges.
"We had a call, a long call. We discussed a lot of things," Trump said. "And I think we’re getting along very well with Venezuela."
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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