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After the Trump administration’s decision to withdraw from dozens of United Nations and other international organizations, experts say more international bodies could soon find themselves on the chopping block.

The announcement that the U.S. would exit 66 international organizations was in response to President Donald Trump’s February 2025 executive order calling for a review of U.S. support to "all international organizations.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio said in reaction to the announcement that the U.S. is "rejecting an outdated model of multilateralism — one that treats the American taxpayer as the world’s underwriter for a sprawling architecture of global governance." Rubio warned the State Department continues to review international organizations, and that those subject to the January cuts "are by no means the only offenders."

Rubio said that the U.S. was not turning its back on the world but was looking to review the "international system," which he said, "is now overrun with hundreds of opaque international organizations, many with overlapping mandates, duplicative actions, ineffective outputs and poor financial and ethical governance."

UN BLASTED FOR FUNDING COMMITTEE 'CREATED TO DESTROY THE JEWISH STATE,' DESPITE BUDGET CRISIS

Hugh Dugan, former Senior Director for International Organization Affairs at the National Security Council during President Trump's first term, told Fox News Digital that U.N. Secretary General Antonio Guterres "always misread" the prior executive order "as a cost-cutting directive." In trying to "cut his way to growth" through the UN80 initiative, 

Dugan said that Guterres "meat-cleavered budgets, hitting bone and flesh as much as fat, but at base it was business as usual: no focus on the U.N.'s pitiful return on investment.  Instead of only cutting the bottom line, also he should have grown the top line by working smarter for new efficiencies."   

Launched in March 2025, the UN80 initiative was designed to identify inefficiencies inside the U.N. system and cut costs across an expansive bureaucracy. In response to Trump's withdrawal from U.N. entities, Guterres' spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric said in a statement that the secretary general, "regrets the announcement by the White House," and stated that "assessed contributions to the United Nations' regular budget and peacekeeping budget...are a legal obligation under the U.N. Charter for all Member States, including the United States."

Brett Schaefer, a senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute, told Fox News Digital that impacted organizations external to the U.N. "don’t receive very much money," and "don’t necessarily merit U.S. funding or support." Withdrawing from those organizations is "more pruning around the margins than a fundamental reassessment of U.S. relationships with international organizations," he said.

For the 31 U.N.-affiliated groups on the list, Schaefer said that the withdrawal order is "an opportunity to signal to the U.N. where the United States would like to see consolidation or elimination of duplication, which is rather rife within the U.N. system."

RUBIO SLAMS UNRWA AS A 'SUBSIDIARY OF HAMAS,' VOWS IT WILL NOT 'PLAY ANY ROLE' IN DELIVERING AID TO GAZA

Schaefer said that withdrawing from the U.N. Population Fund and U.N. Framework Convention on Climate Change was "very consistent with the Trump administration’s policy." Schaefer also indicated that withdrawing from the U.N. Council on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) was a formalization of policy shift that occurred in 2018 when UNCTAD admitted "Palestinians as a full member state" and U.S. law "prohibit[ed] U.S. funding" for the organization.

Other choices, like departing from the U.N. Department for Economic and Social Affairs, "didn’t quite make sense," Schaefer said. He noted that the department is funded through the regular U.N. budget, which makes the move "more of a signal than it is really an effective policy."

Schaefer noted several organizations, including the World Meteorological Organization, World Intellectual Property Organization, U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UNOCHA), Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO), and U.N. Development Programme, that could be subject to future cuts.

While smaller nations utilize the UNDP to administer their humanitarian donations, the U.S. does not need "a middleman" to fund non-governmental organizations and provide aid, Schaefer said. He also noted that the organization "has had a problem with corruption" that included concealing North Korean counterfeit money and providing the country with dual-use technology.

Schaefer said that the U.S. can "promote agricultural development in developing countries" through entities outside the FAO, which he said is "currently led by a Chinese national" who is "using that organization to promote Chinese policies and Chinese commercial interests in developing countries."

On Dec. 31, UNOCHA was a signatory to a memo "which was sharply critical of Israel," Schaefer said. Schaefer believes the memo constituted "a violation of their neutrality" that should result in reprimand. Schaefer said that Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator Tom Fletcher "has made repeated statements echoing false accusations of Israel causing famine and hunger and other humanitarian suffering in Gaza that has since been proved to be false and without basis."

The WIPO, WMO, and FAO declined to comment about whether they might be a target of future cuts.

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

A UNDP spokesperson said that the U.S. "has been a steadfast partner" and that the it maintains its commitment to working alongside the U.S. to "address urgent humanitarian needs, promote stability, and advance prosperity worldwide." The spokesperson noted that "UNDP projects are subject to strict oversight and accountability policies and mechanisms," with the UNDP "consistently rank[ing] amongst the most transparent organizations included in the [Aid Transparency Index.] 

According to the UNDP spokesperson, "no evidence of systematic fraud or diversion of funds was found" when concerns involving the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea were investigated in 2006. The spokesperson said that the DPRK project "concluded in 2020. Any future engagement would require consensus from UNDP’s Executive Board and clear directives from Member States."

A UNOCHA spokesperson noted that the U.S. had just signed an agreement with UNOCHA "reinforcing our partnership."

The U.S. pledged to allocate $2 billion to UNOCHA at the end of December for global humanitarian needs.[iii] In recent years, officials previously told Fox News Digital that the U.S. had contributed between $8 and $10 billion to UNOCHA

Greenland's prime minister declared Tuesday that, "we choose Denmark," if it had to decide between remaining a Danish territory or becoming part of the United States, a report said. 

Jens-Frederik Nielsen made the remark while appearing alongside Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen during a joint press conference in Copenhagen, according to Reuters. 

"We face a geopolitical crisis, and if we have to choose between the U.S. and Denmark here and now then we choose Denmark," Nielsen reportedly said. "We stand united in the Kingdom of Denmark." 

The comment comes as Denmark’s Foreign Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen said he and his Greenlandic counterpart Vivian Motzfeldt are set to meet with Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Vice President JD Vance on Wednesday at the White House, Reuters reported.

TRUMP SAYS GREENLAND'S DEFENSE IS ‘TWO DOG SLEDS’ AS HE PUSHES FOR US ACQUISITION OF TERRITORY

"Our reason for seeking the meeting we have now been given was to move this whole discussion, which has not become less tense since we last met, into a meeting room where we can look each other in the eye and talk about these things," Rasmussen said. 

A source familiar with the matter confirmed to Fox News that Rasmussen will be visiting the White House. 

President Donald Trump said on Sunday that the U.S. must acquire Greenland — not lease it — arguing the Arctic territory lacks defenses and warning that Russia or China would move in if Washington does not act, a move he said is critical to U.S. and NATO security.

EUROPEAN ALLIES WORKING ON PLAN IF US ACTS ON ACQUIRING GREENLAND: REPORT

While speaking with reporters on Air Force One on Sunday night, Trump was asked about Greenland and whether the U.S. had made an offer to acquire the territory from Denmark. 

"I haven’t done that. Greenland should make the deal because Greenland does not want to see Russia or China take over," he said. "Basically, their defense is two dog sleds. You know that? You know what their defense is? Two dog sleds."

The president was also clear that his administration is not talking about leasing Greenland short term, but only about acquiring the Danish territory. 

"If we don’t do it, Russia or China will, and that’s not going to happen when I'm president," Trump said. 

Fox News' Patrick Ward and Greg Wehner contributed to this report. 

The U.S. has designated three branches of the Muslim Brotherhood as terrorist organizations, in a move that could impact Washington's relationships with Qatar and Turkey.

The Treasury and State departments announced the moves against the Lebanese, Jordanian and Egyptian chapters of the group, which the Trump administration asserts pose risks to the U.S.

MIDDLE EASTERN COUNTRY STOPS SPONSORING STUDENTS STUDYING IN BRITAIN OVER FEAR OF RADICALIZATION: REPORT

The State Department gave the Lebanese branch of the Muslim Brotherhood the most severe of its labels, designating it a foreign terrorist organization, which makes it illegal to provide material support to the group, The Associated Press reported. Additionally, the Treasury Department labeled the Jordanian and Egyptian branches as specially designated global terrorists for providing support to Hamas. The Lebanese chapter of the Muslim Brotherhood was also given a special designation by the Treasury Department.

"These designations reflect the opening actions of an ongoing, sustained effort to thwart Muslim Brotherhood chapters’ violence and destabilization wherever it occurs," Secretary of State Marco Rubio said in a statement, according to the AP. "The United States will use all available tools to deprive these Muslim Brotherhood chapters of the resources to engage in or support terrorism."

SCATHING REPORT CALLS ON US TO LABEL ISLAMIST GROUP INFILTRATING ALL ASPECTS OF AMERICAN LIFE AS TERRORIST ORG

The labeling of the Jordanian chapter as a specially designated global terrorists comes months after Amman announced a sweeping ban on the organization. The AP noted that while the Jordanian monarchy had previously banned the Muslim Brotherhood a decade ago, it officially licensed a splinter group and continued to tolerate the Islamic Action Front while restricting some of its activities. The Islamic Action Front, a political party linked to the Muslim Brotherhood, won several seats in the 2024 parliamentary elections.

In November, President Donald Trump issued an executive order calling for "certain chapters or other subdivisions of the Muslim Brotherhood" to be considered for designation as foreign terrorist organizations and specially designated global terror organizations.

The Muslim Brotherhood's "chapters in Lebanon, Jordan, and Egypt engage in or facilitate and support violence and destabilization campaigns that harm their own regions, United States citizens, and United States interests," the executive order reads.

The order goes on to state that after the Oct. 7, 2023, attacks on Israel, "the military wing of the Lebanese chapter of the Muslim Brotherhood joined Hamas, Hezbollah, and Palestinian factions to launch multiple rocket attacks against both civilian and military targets within Israel." It also adds that the Egyptian chapter of the Muslim Brotherhood "called for violent attacks" against U.S. partners and interests on Oct. 7, 2023. Additionally, the order states that the Jordanian chapter's leaders "have long provided material support to the militant wing of Hamas."

Both Florida and Texas have designated the Muslim Brotherhood as a terrorist organization, something Trump contemplated doing in 2019 during his first term in office.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

The U.S. military and its regional partners opened a new air defense operations cell in Qatar to "enhance integrated air and missile defense," U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) announced Tuesday, as tensions are escalating in Iran. 

The cell was opened at Al Udeid Air Base outside of Doha – the same base that Iran targeted in a retaliatory attack last June following U.S. strikes on Tehran’s nuclear facilities.  

The base is home to 10,000 American forces and is the U.S.’s largest military installation in the Middle East. Located southwest of Doha, it serves as a hub for logistical operations for the U.S. mission to fight ISIS in Iraq and Syria. 

"This is a significant step forward in strengthening regional defense cooperation," Adm. Brad Cooper, commander of CENTCOM, said in a statement on Tuesday. "This cell will improve how regional forces coordinate and share air and missile defense responsibilities across the Middle East."

FLASHBACK: IRAN ATTACKS US BASE IN QATAR, TRUMP THANKS TEHRAN FOR ADVANCE NOTICE AND ‘VERY WEAK RESPONSE’

CENTCOM said the new Middle Eastern Air Defense – Combined Defense Operations Cell is located in the Combined Air Operations Center (CAOC) and is made up of personnel from the U.S. and its regional partners. 

"The Qatar-based CAOC, established more than 20 years ago, currently includes representatives from 17 nations who coordinate the employment of military air assets across the Middle East region," CENTCOM said. 

"U.S. Air Force Central service members will work alongside regional counterparts... in planning multinational exercises, conducting drills, and responding to contingencies," CENTCOM added. "The cell will also be responsible for sharing information and threat warnings."

IRANIAN REGIME TARGETING STARLINK USERS IN BID TO SQUASH LEAKING PROTEST FOOTAGE

A U.S. defense official told Fox News Digital last year that Iran had used short-range and medium-range ballistic missiles to attack Al Udeid, but no casualties had been reported.   

"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," President Donald Trump wrote on Truth Social at the time.

More than 2,000 people have been killed in the ongoing anti-government demonstrations in Iran, according to an activist group. The U.S.-based Human Rights Activists News Agency said Tuesday that 1,847 of the dead were protesters and 135 were members of Iran’s security forces, The Associated Press reported. Other reports have the death toll higher. 

Fox News’ Morgan Phillips, Jennifer Griffin and Liz Friden contributed to this report. 

Iranian authorities are targeting Starlink users in an effort to shut down leaks of protest footage amid the regime's ongoing blockade against internet access, human rights groups say.

Iran cut off public internet access as anti-regime protests ramped up last week, leaving Starlink as one of the few ways Iranians can share images about the regime's deadly crackdown.

Starlink remains illegal in Iran, but rights groups say they have smuggled thousands of Starlink terminals into the country. The government's efforts to shut down internet access has slowed the service's connectivity, but users are still able to send footage to trusted third-parties who can then share it to social media, The Wall Street Journal reported Monday.

SpaceX, the company behind Starlink, did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Fox News Digital.

IRANIAN MILITARY LEADER THREATENS PREEMPTIVE ATTACK AFTER TRUMP COMMENTS

President Donald Trump confirmed on Sunday that he planned to speak with SpaceX founder and CEO Elon Musk about boosting Starlink's connectivity in Iran.

"He's very good at that kind of thing, he's got a very good company," Trump told reporters.

SpaceX previously worked with former President Joe Biden's administration to support Starlink access in Iran in 2022 amid protests against the death of Mahsa Amini. Amini, a 22-year-old woman, was hospitalized and later died after being detained by Iran's morality police for a dress code infringement.

TRUMP SAYS IRAN 'STARTING TO' CROSS US RED LINES AS PROTESTERS DIE IN GOVERNMENT CRACKDOWN

Iran's current protests arose for economic reasons, with Iranians outraged at high prices and demanding an end to Ayatollah Ali Khamenei's regime.

Since the unrest broke out, Iranian authorities have killed at least 646 protesters, with thousands more deaths expected to be confirmed. Reuters reported the death toll at 2,000, citing an unnamed Iranian official.

The White House confirmed on Monday that Trump was weighing whether to bomb Iran in reaction to the crackdown.

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters that diplomacy remains Trump’s first option, but that the president "has shown he’s unafraid to use military options if and when he deems necessary."

"He certainly doesn’t want to see people being killed in the streets of Tehran. And unfortunately that’s something we are seeing right now," she added.

Fox News' Landon Mion contributed to this report.

A staggering and growing wave of persecution against Christians across sub-Saharan Africa has been laid bare in the latest Open Doors’ World Watch List for 2025. The report says three out of four Christians murdered worldwide are killed in Nigeria.

Fourteen of the top 50 countries worldwide where verified deaths could be reasonably linked to victims’ Christian faith are in sub-Saharan Africa. Open Doors is a global Christian charity supporting Christians persecuted for their faith.

The organization states that one in seven Christians in the world face high levels of persecution. But that figure rises to one in five in Africa. 

AFRICAN UNION CHIEF DENIES GENOCIDE CLAIMS AGAINST CHRISTIANS AS CRUZ WARNS NIGERIAN OFFICIALS

Africa’s most populous nation is also ranked as the seventh worst in the world for persecution in all its forms. According to Open Doors, out of the 4,849 Christians killed for their faith globally in the year up to the end of Sept. 2025, 3,490 of these were murdered in Nigeria — 72% of the total. 

Muslims have also been killed in Nigeria. But the latest data from the report shows Christians have been "disproportionately targeted." These are four of the affected states — there are others:

In Benue State in north-central Nigeria, 1,310 Christians were killed compared with 29 Muslims.

In Plateau State in north-central Nigeria, 546 Christians were killed compared with 48 Muslims.

In Taraba State in northeast Nigeria, 73 Christians were killed compared with 12 Muslims.

In north-western Kaduna State, 1,116 Christians were abducted in 2025, compared with 101 Muslims.

US AMBASSADOR MICHAEL WALTZ DECLARES ATROCITIES AGAINST CHRISTIANS IN NIGERIA 'GENOCIDE'

"The latest figures should leave us in no doubt: there is a clear religious element to this horrific violence," Henrietta Blyth, CEO of Open Doors U.K. told Fox News Digital.

Blyth added, "For many thousands of Christians, this will come as no surprise. Those who witnessed their families being killed, and their homes razed to the ground by Islamist Fulani militants report being told by their attackers that ‘we will destroy all Christians.’"

"It’s surely time to dismiss the idea that this violence is somehow ‘random,’" Blyth stated.  "If we don’t recognize the clear religious element to the violence, it won't be possible to properly address this tragic situation."

Mohammed Idris, Nigeria’s minister of information and national orientation, told Fox News Digital this week, "The loss of life in any form is unacceptable, and the Nigerian government recognizes the pain felt by all affected families and communities."

The minister continued, "Nigeria has consistently maintained that its security challenges stem from a convergence of criminal insurgency, armed banditry, resource competition, and localized communal disputes, not from state-directed or institutional religious persecution. The government remains focused on upholding its constitutional duty to protect all citizens and on advancing security reforms that improve coordination, accountability, and civilian safety nationwide."

At the time of writing, the new World Watch List had not been released to the minister, but he did share his thoughts on Middle Belt killings, "With respect to the Middle Belt states, the Nigerian government has long stated that violence in this region is primarily driven by long-standing disputes over land and resources, organized banditry, and criminal networks that prey on vulnerable communities, Christian and Muslim alike."

AFRICA’S CHRISTIAN CRISIS: HOW 2025’S DEADLY ATTACKS FINALLY DREW GLOBAL ATTENTION AFTER TRUMP’S INTERVENTION

He concluded, "while some attacks tragically take on communal or identity dimensions, framing the Middle Belt crisis as a systematic campaign against Christians does not reflect the full security reality on the ground and risks obscuring the role of criminal actors who exploit instability for profit and power."  

Some 150,000 are estimated to have died in the civil war that has engulfed this nation since 2023. Open Doors reports, "the situation for the nation’s 2 million Christians is especially grim."

"We are considered as the enemy by both (opposing) factions, who accuse us of being allied with the other side," Rafat Samir, general secretary for the Sudan Evangelical Alliance, told Fox News Digital. We are told ‘you don’t belong here’ and driven from our homes. To make matters worse, Christians are often excluded when aid is distributed." A particular pattern can be seen across sub-Saharan Africa, Open Doors states. The report claims, "Islamist militants enter the vacuums in law and order left by a weak junta and civil conflicts. It means they can operate with impunity across parts of Burkina Faso, Mali, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Central African Republic, Somalia, Niger and Mozambique. Their stated aim is to create ‘Sharia states’ operating under their deadly interpretation of Islamic law."

Elsewhere in the world, North Korea remains top of the list for having the world’s worst persecution of Christians, with Open Doors stating, "If Christians are discovered, they and their families are deported to labor camps or executed."

A huge spike in reported violence against Christians in Syria has followed the fall of Bashar al-Assad’s presidency in Dec. 2024, and has led the country to jump to number six on the list. China is number 17, with churches driven underground by surveillance and heavy regulation.

The reporting period for the World Watch List ended some two months before President Trump ordered U.S. forces to bomb Muslim militants in northwestern Nigeria on Christmas Day to try to stop the killing of Christians.

Jo Newhouse from Open Doors sub-Saharan Africa, told Fox News Digital, "The U.S. airstrikes (against Jihadi groups in Nigeria) have thrown many of the militant groups in the area into a state of panic. They have been scattering and attacking civilians as they come across soft targets, hoping that they can rebuild their resources through looting and kidnapping."

"Many Christians across the northern states are in a state of flux, unable to find any safety or stability. They bear the scars of living under the perpetual risk of death, destruction and displacement," Newhouse said.

As Iran weakens, a power vacuum is emerging across the Middle East — and Saudi Arabia is moving to fill it by recalibrating relations with former rivals, hedging global partnerships and asserting a more independent foreign policy, according to several experts.

Javed Ali, former senior official at the National Security Council and professor at the University of Michigan, told Fox News Digital that "Since Iran’s 1979 revolution, both Saudi Arabia and Iran have vied for influence across the broader Muslim world. Mohammed bin Salman’s consolidation of power in the kingdom has also introduced a markedly different vision from that of his predecessors."

Riyadh’s recent moves, from Yemen to Turkey, are fueling debate over whether Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s expanding regional role still aligns with U.S. interests. As part of that recalibration, Bloomberg reported on Jan. 9  that Turkey is seeking entry into the Saudi–Pakistan mutual defense pact signed four months earlier, according to people familiar with the talks.

TRUMP FACES MIDDLE EAST TEST AS NETANYAHU BALKS AT ERDOGAN’S GAZA TROOP HOPES

Michael Rubin, a senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute, said Saudi Arabia’s current trajectory must be viewed through years of accumulated frustration with U.S. policy.

"To be fair to MBS, previous U.S. administrations did not uphold their end of the bargain either," Rubin told Fox News Digital, pointing to repeated Houthi attacks on Saudi territory. "The Houthis launched hundreds of drones and rockets that the Obama administration ignored."

Rubin said tensions deepened as Mohammed bin Salman pursued reforms long urged by U.S. policymakers, only to face sharp criticism from Washington. He cited the Biden administration’s decision to remove the Houthis’ terror designation.

"By no objective measure should Secretary of State Antony Blinken have removed the terror designation from the Houthis," Rubin said, calling the move "pure spite directed at MBS and Donald Trump."

Rubin said that decision marked a turning point. "MBS calculated that if the United States did not have his back, he would need to embrace a Plan B," he said, describing outreach to Russia and China as tactical signaling rather than ideological realignment.

Saudi geopolitical researcher Salman Al-Ansari rejects claims that Riyadh is drifting ideologically or embracing Islamist movements, framing Saudi policy as interest-driven.

"Saudi Arabia does not base its foreign policy on ideological alignment, but on pragmatic considerations aimed at stability and development," Al-Ansari told Fox News Digital. He said outreach to Turkey reflects an effort to de-escalate rivalries. "The rapprochement with Turkey reflects this diplomatic approach, which seeks to transform the Middle East from a region of chronic conflict into one of greater stability."

Al-Ansari said the shift has already delivered results. "This shift has given Riyadh increased flexibility in engaging regional powers, a change Ankara quickly recognized and that has translated into expanding economic cooperation."

He rejected claims of alignment with the Muslim Brotherhood. "Saudi Arabia designated the group as a terrorist organization in 2014, and this position remains unchanged," he said.

SAUDI DEFENSE MINISTER SECRETLY MEETS WITH TRUMP TO DISCUSS IRAN DE-ESCALATION, ISRAEL: SOURCES

Those competing interpretations of Saudi intent are now colliding most visibly in Yemen, where the Saudi-Emirati alliance originally formed to counter Iran’s Houthi proxy. While both entered the war to roll back Iranian influence, their strategies diverged. Riyadh backs a unified Yemeni state under the internationally recognized government, arguing fragmentation strengthens Iran. The UAE has supported southern separatists, including the Southern Transitional Council, prioritizing control over ports and security corridors.

In the last few days, Saudi and Yemeni government forces have largely recaptured southern and eastern Yemen from the UAE-backed Southern Transitional Council (STC), and the STC’s leader reportedly fled to the UAE amid the group’s reported dissolution, highlighting a sharp rift involving Emirati support for separatists

Rubin called Yemen the clearest warning sign. "This is best seen in Yemen, where he has been supporting the Muslim Brotherhood faction militarily and attacking the more secular Southern Forces in a way that only empowers al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula and the Houthis," he said.

Al-Ansari countered that "differences with the UAE stem from its backing of separatist armed actors in Yemen, which complicates the political process, fragments the anti-Houthi front, and ultimately benefits the Iranian-backed Houthi militia."

Rubin warned of long-term consequences. "By ‘blowback’ I mean the same Islamists MBS cultivates today will end up targeting Saudi Arabia in the future," he said.

With Iran weakened and regional power shifting, Washington now faces a central question: whether Saudi Arabia’s expanding role will reinforce U.S.-backed stability, or redefine the balance of power in ways that test the limits of the long-standing partnership.

As protests spread across Iran and the government responds with lethal force, amid increasing reports claiming thousands have been killed, a growing question is being debated by analysts and Iranians alike: Is the Islamic Republic facing its most serious threat since the 1979 revolution, or does it still retain enough coercive power to survive?

For Mehdi Ghadimi, an Iranian journalist who spent decades protesting the regime before being forced to leave the country, this moment feels fundamentally different from anything that came before.

"From 1999, when I was about fifteen, until 2024, when I was forced to leave Iran, I took part in every street protest against the Islamic Republic," Ghadimi told Fox News Digital. "For roughly half of those years, I supported the reformist movement. But after 2010, we became certain that the Islamic Republic is not reformable, that changing its factions is a fiction."

EXILED IRANIAN CROWN PRINCE APPEALS TO TRUMP AS IRAN PROTESTS MARK ‘DEFINING' MOMENT

According to Ghadimi, that realization gradually spread across Iranian society, culminating in what he describes as a decisive shift in the current unrest.

"For the first time in the 47 years of struggle by the Iranian people against the Islamic Republic, the idea of returning to the period before January 1979 became the sole demand and the central point of unity among the people," he said. "As a result, we witnessed the most widespread presence of people from all cities and villages of Iran in the streets, on a scale unprecedented in any previous protests."

Ghadimi claimed the chants on the streets reflected that shift. Instead of demanding economic relief or changes to dress codes, protesters openly called for the fall of the Islamic Republic and the return of the Pahlavi dynasty.

"At that point, it no longer seemed that we were merely protesting," he said. "We were, in fact, carrying out a revolution."

IRAN'S KHAMENEI ISSUES DIRECT WARNING TO UNITED STATES IN RUSSIAN-LANGUAGE POSTS

Still, Ghadimi was clear about what he believes is preventing the regime’s collapse.

"The answer is very clear," he said. "The government sets no limit for itself when it comes to killing its own people."

He added that Tehran appears reassured by the lack of consequences for its actions. "It has also been reassured by the behavior of other countries that if it manages to survive, it will not be punished for these blatant crimes against humanity," he said. "The doors of diplomacy will always remain open to them, even if their hands are stained with blood."

Ghadimi described how the regime cut off internet access to disrupt coordination between protesters and opposition leadership abroad. He said that once connectivity was severed, the reach of video messages from the exiled Prince Reza Pahlavi dropped dramatically.

While Iranian voices describe a revolutionary moment, security and policy experts caution that structural realities still favor the regime.

Javed Ali, an associate professor at the Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy, said the Islamic Republic is facing far more serious threats to its grip on power than in years past, driven by a convergence of military, regional, economic and diplomatic pressures.

IRAN REGIME SAID TO UNLEASH HEZBOLLAH AND IRAQI MILITIAS AS UPRISING SPREADS

"The IRGC is in a much weaker position following the 12-day war with Israel last summer," Ali said, citing "leadership removals, ballistic missile and drone capabilities that were used or damaged, and an air and radar defense network that has been significantly degraded."

Ali said Iran’s regional deterrence has also eroded sharply. "The so-called Axis of Resistance has been significantly weakened across the region," he said, pointing to setbacks suffered by Hamas, Hezbollah, the Houthis and Shiite militias allied with Tehran.

Internally, Ali said demographic pressure is intensifying the challenge. "Iran’s younger population is even more frustrated than before with deteriorating economic conditions, ongoing social and cultural restrictions and repeated violent crackdowns on dissent," he said.

US HOSTAGES IN IRAN FACE HEIGHTENED RISK AS PROTESTS SPREAD, EXPERTS SAY NUMBER HELD MAY EXCEED ESTIMATES

Ali also pointed to shifting external dynamics that are limiting Tehran’s room to maneuver, including what he described as a stronger U.S.-Israel relationship tied to the Netanyahu-Trump alliance. He added that there are "possible joint operations already underway to support the protest movement inside Iran."

Israeli security sources, speaking on background, said Israel has no such interest in intervening in a way that would allow Tehran to redirect domestic unrest outward.

"Everyone understands it is better to sit and wait quietly and not attract the fire toward Israel," one source said. "The regime would like to make this about Israel and the Zionist enemy and start another war to repress internal protests."

"It is not Israel against Iran," the source added. "We recognize that the regime has an interest in provoking us, and we do not want to contribute to that."

The source said a collapse of the Islamic Republic would have far-reaching consequences. "If the regime falls, it will affect the entire Middle East," the official said. "It could open a new era."

Ali said Iran is increasingly isolated diplomatically. "There is growing isolation from Gulf monarchies, the fall of Assad in Syria and only muted support from China and Russia," he said.

Despite those pressures, Ali cautioned that Iran’s coercive institutions remain loyal.

"I think the IRGC, including Basiji paramilitary elements, along with the Ministry of Intelligence, are still loyal to the regime out of a mix of ideology, religion, and self-interest," he said, citing "power, money and influence."

Whether fear of collapse could drive insiders to defect remains unclear. "Whether there are insiders willing to flip because of a sense of imminent collapse of the clerical structure is hard to know," Ali said.

TRUMP SAYS IRAN 'STARTING TO' CROSS US RED LINES AS PROTESTERS DIE IN GOVERNMENT CRACKDOWN

He placed the probability of an internal regime collapse at "25% or less," calling it "possible, but far less probable."

For now, Iran appears caught between two realities: a population increasingly unified around the rejection of the Islamic Republic, and a security apparatus still willing to use overwhelming force to preserve it.

As Ali noted, pressure alone does not bring regimes down. The decisive moment comes only when those ordered to enforce repression decide it is no longer in their interest to do so.

Despite the scale of unrest, Ghadimi cautioned that the outcome remains uncertain.

"After these four hellish days, without even knowing the fate of our friends and loved ones who went into the streets, or whether they were alive or not, it is truly difficult for me to give you a clear assessment and say whether our revolution is now moving toward victory or not," he said.

He recalled a message he heard repeatedly before leaving Iran, across cities and social classes.

"The only thing I consistently heard was this: ‘We have nothing left to lose, and even at the cost of our lives, we will not retreat one step from our demand for the fall of the Islamic Republic,’" Ghadimi said. "They asked me to promise that now that I am outside Iran, I would be their voice."

"That spirit is what still gives my heart hope for victory," he added. "But my mind tells me that when mass killing carries no punishment, and when the government possesses enough bullets, guns and determination to suppress it, even if it means killing millions, then victory would require a miracle."

Iranians were able to place some international phone calls Tuesday for the first time since authorities imposed a sweeping communications shutdown amid a violent crackdown on anti-government protests.

Residents in Tehran said calls to numbers outside the country briefly connected, though text messaging remained disabled and internet access was still restricted to government-approved domestic websites, leaving Iran largely cut off from the outside world.

The partial restoration came as security forces maintained a heavy presence across central Tehran, according to residents, with riot police, Revolutionary Guard units and plainclothes officers deployed at key locations as authorities sought to contain unrest.

IRAN'S KHAMENEI ISSUES DIRECT WARNING TO UNITED STATES IN RUSSIAN-LANGUAGE POSTS

Protests erupted in recent weeks over Iran’s deepening economic crisis, with demonstrators increasingly calling for regime change. Activist groups say hundreds of people have been killed, though the true toll remains difficult to verify due to the internet blackout and tight state controls on information.

Some government offices and financial institutions were damaged during the unrest, residents said, while merchants reported being ordered to reopen businesses despite ongoing security operations. Foot traffic remained sparse in many areas of the capital.

The unrest has drawn heightened international attention as tensions grow between Tehran and Washington. U.S. President Donald Trump has said Iran wants to negotiate with his administration following his threat to bomb the country over its response to the protests.

Iran "better not start shooting, because we’ll start shooting, too," Trump said on Friday.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi told Al Jazeera in an interview aired Monday night that he continued to communicate with U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff.

The communications "continued before and after the protests and are still ongoing," Araghchi said, adding that "Washington’s proposed ideas and threats against our country are incompatible."

Araghchi also said that Tehran is "fully prepared for war" in the event that the U.S. attacks.

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters that diplomacy remains Trump’s first option, but that the president "has shown he’s unafraid to use military options if and when he deems necessary, and nobody knows that better than Iran."

"He certainly doesn’t want to see people being killed in the streets of Tehran. And unfortunately, that’s something we are seeing right now," she added.

IRAN SET TO HANG PROTESTER IN WHAT WOULD MARK FIRST EXECUTION TIED TO ANTI-REGIME DEMONSTRATIONS

Tens of thousands of pro-government demonstrators also took to the streets on Monday after days of protests challenging the rule of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Iranian state television aired chants from the crowd, who shouted "Death to America!" and "Death to Israel!" as well as "Death to the enemies of God!"

Iran’s attorney general has warned that anyone participating in protests will be considered an "enemy of God," a crime punishable by death.

Trump announced on Monday that countries engaging in business with Iran will face 25% tariffs that would be "effective immediately" in response to Tehran's crackdown on protests.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel declared Monday that his administration is not negotiating with Washington, despite President Donald Trump’s threats to push Cuba into a deal now that Venezuelan oil will no longer be supplied.

"There are no conversations with the U.S. government, except for technical contacts in the migration field," Díaz-Canel said in a post on X.

Díaz-Canel continued to denounce the U.S., accusing it of applying hostile pressure on the island, and insisted that negotiations would only take place if they are conducted in accordance with international law.

"As history demonstrates, relations between the U.S. and Cuba, in order to advance, must be based on International Law rather than on hostility, threats, and economic coercion," he said.

TRUMP ADMIN TO CONTROL VENEZUELAN OIL SALES IN RADICAL SHIFT AIMED AT RESTARTING CRUDE FLOW

"We have always been willing to engage in a serious and responsible dialogue with the various governments of the United States, including the current one, on the basis of sovereign equality, mutual respect, principles of International Law, reciprocal benefit without interference in internal affairs and with full respect for our independence," Canel added. 

On Sunday, Trump declared that Cuba would no longer receive oil or money from Venezuela, a move that would sever Havana’s longtime energy and financial lifeline. 

The announcement came after a stunning Jan. 3 operation in Venezuela, in which American forces captured President Nicolás Maduro and reportedly killed at least 32 Cuban personnel.

VENEZUELAN OIL SHIPMENTS SURGE TO US PORTS WITH HEAVY CRUDE AFTER MADURO CAPTURE

"THERE WILL BE NO MORE OIL OR MONEY GOING TO CUBA - ZERO! I strongly suggest they make a deal, BEFORE IT IS TOO LATE," he warned.

Cuba has long depended on imported oil to keep its aging power grid running. Before the U.S. attack on Venezuela, Havana was receiving 35,000 barrels a day from Venezuela, roughly 7,500 from Russia and some 5,500 barrels daily from Mexico, The Associated Press reported, citing Jorge Piñón of the Energy Institute at the University of Texas at Austin, who tracks the shipments.

Even with Venezuelan oil imports, Cuba has suffered widespread blackouts in recent years due to persistent fuel shortages, an aging and crumbling electric grid and damage from hurricanes that have battered the island’s infrastructure.  

Now, with U.S. sanctions tightening on both Russian and Venezuelan oil, blackouts could worsen as Havana’s leaders reject Trump’s call to strike a deal. 

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Iran is reportedly set to execute its first protester in connection with mass arrests over the widespread anti-regime demonstrations, according to human rights groups.

Erfan Soltani, 26, is scheduled to be hanged to death on Wednesday after he was arrested last week during the protests in Karaj, the NGO groups Iran Human Rights (IHRNGO) and National Union for Democracy in Iran (NUFD) said.

"His family was told that he had been sentenced to death and that the sentence is due to be carried out on 14 January," sources told IHRNGO.

IHRNGO Director Mahmood Amiry-Moghaddam said in a statement that "the widespread killing of civilian protesters in recent days by the Islamic Republic is reminiscent of the regime’s crimes in the 1980s, which have been recognized as crimes against humanity."

RAND PAUL SAYS TRUMP'S THREAT TO BOMB IRAN 'IS NOT THE ANSWER': NOT THE 'JOB OF THE AMERICAN GOVERNMENT'

"The risk of mass and extrajudicial executions of protesters is extremely serious," the statement added. "Under the Responsibility to Protect, the international community has a duty to protect civilian protesters against mass killings by the Islamic Republic and its Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. We call on people and civil society in democratic countries to remind their governments of this responsibility."

The NUFD is calling for international support to halt Soltani’s execution, stressing that his "only crime was calling for freedom" for Iran.

"Be his voice," the group wrote on X.

Soltani was allegedly denied access to a lawyer, according to the NUFD.

According to The US Sun, Soltani was charged with "waging war against God," a crime punishable by death in Iran.

Soltani’s alleged execution has yet to be independently verified amid a communications blackout as the country's leaders seek to quell the dissent.

More than 10,000 people have reportedly been arrested in recent weeks for participating in the anti-government protests sparked by Iran’s failing economy, according to human rights groups, and many have begun to demand total regime change as the demonstrations continue.

Tehran's crackdown on the demonstrations has also led to more than 500 deaths, human rights groups said.

U.S. President Donald Trump has warned Tehran that violence against the protesters would be met with a U.S. military response, saying on Friday that they "better not start shooting, because we’ll start shooting, too."

"Iran is looking at FREEDOM, perhaps like never before. The USA stands ready to help!!!" Trump wrote on Truth Social on Saturday.

The White House confirmed on Monday that Trump was weighing whether to bomb Iran.

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters that diplomacy remains Trump’s first option, but that the president "has shown he’s unafraid to use military options if and when he deems necessary."

"He certainly doesn’t want to see people being killed in the streets of Tehran. And unfortunately that’s something we are seeing right now," she added.

IRAN'S KHAMENEI ISSUES DIRECT WARNING TO UNITED STATES IN RUSSIAN-LANGUAGE POSTS

But many congressional lawmakers, including some within the Republican Party, have criticized the president's threats to bomb Iran, with several arguing that he needs approval from Congress under the Constitution, that the U.S. should not be involved in another foreign affair and that military action could rally Iranian protesters behind the Ayatollah.

"We wish them the best," Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., said on Sunday. "We wish freedom and liberation the best across the world, but I don't think it's the job of the American government to be involved with every freedom movement around the world … If you bomb the government, do you then rally people to their flag who are upset with the Ayatollah, but then say, 'Well, gosh, we can't have a foreign government invading or bombing our country?' It tends to have people rally to the cause."

"Plus, there is this sticking point of the Constitution that we won't let presidents bomb countries just when they feel like it," he added. "They're supposed to ask the people, through the Congress, for permission."

Iranian officials have threatened to retaliate against U.S. troops in the region if the Pentagon were to strike, with Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi saying that Tehran is "fully prepared for war."

The British government intensified its crackdown on AI-generated sexual abuse Monday after ministers confirmed a possible ban on Elon Musk's social media platform X amid a widening probe and with the company potentially incurring hefty fines.

The dramatic move follows the launch of a formal investigation by Ofcom, the U.K. communications regulator, into whether X breached its legal duties under the U.K.'s Online Safety Act and came after reports that the platform’s built-in AI chatbot, Grok, was used to generate and share sexualized deepfake images of women and children.

Grok was launched in 2023 but its image generator feature, Grok Imagine, was added in 2025 with a specific mode to generate adult content.

Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology Liz Kendall described the recent use of the AI tool being misused to generate sexually explicit and non-consensual images as "deeply disturbing." 

Kendall also warned that social media companies would be held accountable if they failed to act.

UK PM STARMER–PRAISED EGYPTIAN EXTREMIST FACES COUNTER-TERROR PROBE OVER RESURFACED TWEETS

"I welcome Ofcom’s urgency in launching a formal investigation today," Kendall said, according to Reuters. "It is vital that Ofcom complete this investigation swiftly because the public – and most importantly the victims – will not accept any delay."

In a separate statement shared later Monday, Kendall said the Grok AI tool had been used to create and circulate degrading, non-consensual intimate images.

"No woman or child should live in fear of having their image sexually manipulated by technology," she said before adding, "The content which has circulated on X is vile. It is not just an affront to decent society, it is illegal."

Kendall added that sharing or threatening to share deepfake intimate images without consent, including images of people in their underwear, constitutes a criminal offense under U.K. law.

LAWMAKERS UNVEIL BIPARTISAN GUARD ACT AFTER PARENTS BLAME AI CHATBOTS FOR TEEN SUICIDES, VIOLENCE

She warned that Ofcom has the authority to issue "fines worth millions of dollars" or penalties of up to 10% of a company’s qualifying worldwide revenue.

"But X does not have to wait for the Ofcom investigation to conclude," Kendall said. "They can choose to act sooner to ensure this abhorrent and illegal material cannot be shared on their platform," she warned.

Ofcom had said it "urgently made contact" with X on Jan. 5, demanding explanations about the steps being taken to protect U.K. users and setting a response deadline of Jan. 9.

While xAI, another company founded by Musk, responded, Ofcom said it decided to open a formal investigation after reviewing the available evidence "as a matter of the highest priority."

In a statement shared Monday, Ofcom said, "Reports of Grok being used to create and share illegal non-consensual intimate images and child sexual abuse material on X have been deeply concerning."

"Platforms must protect people in the UK from content that’s illegal in the UK, and we won’t hesitate to investigate where we suspect companies are failing in their duties, especially where there’s a risk of harm to children," the statement said.

OPENAI TIGHTENS AI RULES FOR TEENS BUT CONCERNS REMAIN

As previously reported by Fox News Digital, the chatbot acknowledged in a public post on X that it had generated and shared an AI image depicting two young girls in sexualized attire, calling the incident a "failure in safeguards" and apologizing for the harm caused.

Amid mounting criticism, Grok confirmed it has begun restricting some image-generation and editing features to paying subscribers. The chatbot said the limitations were implemented to prevent further misuse.

Musk also accused the U.K. Government of "fascism" Monday for "arresting thousands of people for social media posts."

The billionaire Tesla founder had responded to a post on X that claimed the country arrests more people for social media posts than "any other country on earth." 

Alongside the Ofcom investigation, the U.K. government announced that legislation criminalizing the creation of non-consensual intimate images generated by AI would come into force this week.

Kendall said responsibility does not rest solely with individuals.

"The platforms that host such material must be held accountable, including X," she said. 

If they do not act, she said she is "prepared to go further."

Meanwhile, U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer's official spokesperson said the government’s presence on the platform was "under review" and that "all options are on the table."

The Associated Press also reported Monday that Malaysia and Indonesia have become the first countries to block Grok.

Fox News Digital has reached out to Elon Musk and Prime Minister Keir Starmer's office for comment.

The Associated Press and Reuters contributed to this report.

As Iran faces escalating nationwide protests and rising verbal threats from the Trump administration, Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei delivered a pointed warning to the United States this week from an unusual platform — his Russian-language account on X — a move analysts say underscores Tehran’s alignment with Moscow as pressure mounts on the regime.

In a post dated Jan. 11, Khamenei wrote in Russian, "The United States today is miscalculating in its approach toward Iran." Hours later, he followed with a second message, also in Russian, warning that Americans had suffered defeat before because of "miscalculations" and would do so again because of "erroneous planning."

Ksenia Svetlova, executive director of the Regional Organization for Peace, Economy and Security (ROPES) and an associate fellow at Chatham House, said the language choice was telling, even if the execution was clumsy.

PROTESTS SPREAD ACROSS IRAN AS REGIME THREATENS US FORCES AS 'LEGITIMATE TARGETS' AFTER TRUMP WARNING

"This is bad Russian," Svetlova told Fox News Digital. "It seems that it’s translated by Google Translate, not by a human being." Still, she said the use of Khamenei’s Russian-language account was no surprise given how closely Iran and Russia have aligned in recent years.

Khamenei’s warning came as Iran’s internal crisis continued to deepen. According to HRANA, a human rights organization tracking the unrest, at least 544 people have been killed in nationwide protests, with dozens of additional cases still under review. Opposition group NCRI has claimed the death toll is far higher — more than 3,000 — though exact figures remain difficult to verify amid widespread internet blackouts imposed by Iranian authorities.

President Donald Trump has led U.S. criticism in response to the rising death toll. In response to a question about whether Iran had crossed a red line, Trump responded by saying, "They're starting to, it looks like. And they seem to be some people killed that aren't supposed to be killed. These are violent. If you call them leaders, I don't know if they're leaders, or just they rule through violence. But we're looking at it very seriously," he said on Sunday aboard Air Force One. 

IRANIAN PRESIDENT SAYS HIS COUNTRY IS AT 'TOTAL WAR' WITH THE US, ISRAEL AND EUROPE: REPORTS

"We’re looking at some very strong options," he added.

Iranian leaders have pushed back, accusing Washington of interference and warning that any U.S. military action would trigger retaliation against American forces and allies in the region.

At the same time, Tehran has signaled it wants to keep diplomatic back channels open. Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei said Monday that communication between Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff remains active. Axios separately reported that Araghchi reached out to Witkoff over the weekend amid Trump’s warnings of possible military action.

IRANIAN MILITARY LEADER THREATENS PREEMPTIVE ATTACK AFTER TRUMP COMMENTS

Despite those overtures, analysts say Khamenei’s Russian-language message reflects where Iran sees its most reliable strategic partner.

Russia has become a critical lifeline for Tehran, particularly as Moscow relies on Iranian-supplied drones and other military equipment for its war in Ukraine. That dependence, Svetlova said, means Iran’s internal instability could carry serious consequences for the Kremlin.

"I think that could be a dramatic effect, because they do depend on Iran — specifically military production, the drones and ballistic missiles," she said. "They need them to continue their war against Ukraine."

Yet the partnership has also fueled resentment inside Iran. Svetlova pointed to criticism following the 12-day war with Israel, when many Iranians accused Moscow of failing to come to Tehran’s aid.

"There was a lot of criticism in Iran against Russia that it did not come to help," she said. "It didn’t reach out. It didn’t do anything, basically."

Still, she said Russia has few alternatives as its global position narrows. With longtime allies weakened or toppled, such as Bashar al-Assad in Syria and Nicolás Maduro in Venezuela, Moscow is increasingly reliant on Tehran — even as it remains largely silent about the protests rocking Iran.

Against that backdrop, Svetlova explained, Khamenei’s warning in Russian appears like a signal — to Washington and to Moscow — that Iran sees its confrontation with the United States as part of a shared front with President Vladimir Putin.

Firefighters rescued a dog from a burning home in Canada on Saturday morning after the family pet accidentally started a fire by chewing on a battery-powered glove, authorities said.

Ottawa Fire Services said crews were dispatched just after 9 a.m. to a home in Orléans after a monitoring company reported an active fire alarm.

The homeowner, who was on the way to the house, confirmed through interior security cameras that a fire was burning inside. Several passing motorists also called 911 to report flames visible in the residence.

Firefighters arrived within four minutes and found heavy smoke and flames venting from a first-floor bay window. Crews launched an aggressive attack, knocking down flames that had breached the window before entering the home to continue extinguishment efforts.

ASSISTANT FIRE CHIEF'S DOG ESCAPES UNHARMED AFTER CHEWING ON LITHIUM-ION BATTERY, SPARKING HOUSE FIRE

Firefighters searched the house and found a dog, carrying it safely outside. The pet was not injured, and no people were inside at the time of the fire, officials said.

No injuries were reported, but one adult and one child were displaced, the department said.

DRAMATIC VIDEO SHOWS FIREFIGHTERS RACING ACROSS FROZEN POND TO SAVE DOG THAT FELL THROUGH ICE

Officials declared the fire under control at 9:23 a.m., about 10 minutes after crews arrived, preventing further spread. Two searches confirmed no people were inside.

An Ottawa Fire Services investigator determined the fire started after the family dog chewed on a heated skiing glove containing a lithium-ion battery. Security camera footage showed the dog pulling the glove onto a couch, damaging the battery, which then ignited.

Fire officials warned that lithium-ion batteries can pose serious fire risks if damaged and urged residents to store battery-powered items safely and keep them away from pets and children.

FIRST ON FOX: The Islamic Republic of Iran may have more than eight American citizens and residents in its captivity, Fox News Digital can reveal based on information from sources outside the Trump Administration who are well-versed with Tehran’s hostage-taking policy system.

Information shows that the total number of Americans citizens and residents held hostage by the Iranian regime could exceed the open-source data listing five American hostages in Iran.

Iran’s regime arrested U.S. citizen, Kamran Hekmati, a 70-year-old from Great Neck, New York who went to Iran to visit family members last May. Iranian authorities arrested Hekmati in July 2025 and charged him with "making a trip to Israel" 13 years prior to his visit to Iran. Hekmati, a Persian Jew who was born in Iran, traveled to Israel in 2012 to attend his son’s Bar Mitzvah.

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

Iran bans Iranians from traveling to the Jewish state and any relations with Israel. Tehran considers Hekmati an Iranian citizen because the regime does not recognize dual citizenship.

The regime’s Islamic Revolutionary Court sentenced Hekmati to four years in prison, and he is being held in Iran’s infamous Evin Prison — a complex that is reportedly used to torture political prisoners and dissidents. The Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA) noted Hekmati has also been held at an intelligence ministry facility in Tehran. CNN reported that Hekmati suffers from bladder cancer.

The regime arrested another U.S. citizen, Afarin Mohajer, on Sept. 29, 2025 at Imam Khomeini International Airport. The human rights group, HRANA, said there was no information about the charges leveled against the Californian resident. 

According to U.S. government outlet Radio Farda that reports on Iran, Mohajer has an inoperable brain tumor and was told by "a doctor before going to prison that she does not have long to live," citing her son. She visited Iran to take care of her husband’s finances following his death, the son said. While released in December on bail, she is not allowed to leave Iran.

TRUMP TARGETED BY IRANIAN DEATH FATWAS AS WATCHDOG GROUP DEMANDS IMMEDIATE SANCTIONS RESPONSE

The authorities arrested an unnamed Iranian-American woman in December 2024. She was released from prison, but the authorities seized the passports of the dual national, and she is also barred from leaving Iran.

The former Radio Farda journalist Reza Valizadeh traveled to Iran in March 2024 to visit relatives, according to a report by United Against a Nuclear Iran (UANI) on American hostages held in Iran.  

The U.S. government outlet Voice of America, like Radio Farda, reports on Iran, said Valizadeh was reportedly arrested in September 2024 and charged with "collaborating with overseas-based Persian media."

The charge was later changed to "collaborating with a hostile government." UANI noted that "VOA cited sources claiming that Valizadeh was arrested for not cooperating with the IRGC’s Intelligence Organization and Iran’s intelligence ministry and for not expressing regret for his journalism."

The regime arrested Shahab Dalili, a permanent U.S. resident who lives in Virginia, in 2016.

The UANI report stated that Taghato, a Farsi-language news outlet operated by Iranians living in the U.S., posted on Twitter (now X) that the Iranian regime arrested Dalili in March 2016. He went to Iran after his father’s death. The opaque Iranian regime judicial system sentenced him to 10 years in prison for "allegedly cooperating with a hostile government."

IRAN PROTESTS PROMPT NEW TRUMP WARNING OVER DEADLY GOVERNMENT CRACKDOWNS

A U.S. State Department official told Fox News Digital that "As Secretary Rubio has said, President Trump is working to secure the release of detained Americans around the world.  The Iranian regime has a long history of unjustly and wrongfully detaining other countries’ citizens as hostages for use as political leverage. Iran should release these individuals immediately. "

The U.S. official added that "Due to security considerations with respect to ongoing cases, we do not disclose specific numbers of hostages."

Barry Rosen, a former American diplomat and survivor of the Iran hostage crisis that took place in 1979 when Islamist revolutionary students took a group of 66 Americans captive, told Fox News Digital, in the wake of the nationwide revolts against the regime, "We are in a very intractable situation right now" and expressed skepticism about bringing the hostages back under the current situation.

The nationwide strikes and demonstrations to topple the regime with respect to securing the hostage’s release "make it even more complicated," Rosen said, adding that hostage diplomacy "has always been complicated." Rosen was evetually released having spent 444 days in captivity.

"Quiet diplomacy is the best way to go, but I don’t think there is any way for quiet diplomacy right now," he said.

When discussing "quiet diplomacy," Rosen said he was "talking about dealing with the hostage situation with Iran, given all our differences on the nuclear situation between both countries. But when it comes to the uprising in Iran, we need to loudly support a democratic Iran."

IRAN ON THE BRINK AS PROTESTERS MOVE TO TAKE TWO CITIES, APPEAL TO TRUMP

Rosen, who considers Iran his second home, said, "I want to see the Iranian people do what they are doing now, so the Iranian regime implodes by itself." He said, "Support for uprisings (and protests) is the right way to go. I am fearful of any military operations that could cause chaos in the country."

Rosen co-founded the non-government organization Hostage Aid Worldwide, which provides current information on hostages held outside the U.S.

Navid Mohebbi, who worked as a Persian media analyst for the U.S. State Department's Public Affairs Bureau, wrote a booklet on "Breaking the Trend: How to Combat the Hostage-Taking Business in Iran" for the U.S.-based National Union for Democracy in Iran.

He told Fox News Digital, "Iran’s hostage-taking is not a series of isolated cases; it is a systematic state policy designed to extract political and economic concessions. The Islamic Republic has learned that detaining Americans and other Western nationals carries little cost and often produces tangible rewards — whether sanctions relief, access to frozen assets or asymmetric prisoner swaps. As long as this behavior is treated as a humanitarian problem rather than a coercive strategy, Tehran will continue to rely on hostage-taking as a core tool of statecraft."

He continued, "To reverse this pattern, the United States must impose consequences that are measurable, cumulative and irreversible. Every hostage-taking case should trigger automatic penalties: targeted sanctions on judges, prosecutors, interrogators, prison officials and intelligence officers involved; permanent confiscation — not escrow — of regime assets tied to hostage diplomacy; and coordinated diplomatic consequences with allies, including travel bans, removal of regime officials from international bodies and the pursuit of Interpol red notices where applicable. The message must be unambiguous: hostage-taking will leave the regime worse off, not better."

Mohebbi urged that, "The U.S. should formally designate Iran as a state that engages in hostage-taking, ban the use of U.S. passports for travel to or through Iran and maintain a public registry of regime officials involved in these crimes. At the same time, Washington must provide stronger, more transparent support to families of hostages and ensure sustained public naming and shaming. Only by raising the cost across legal, diplomatic, financial and reputational fronts can the United States begin to dismantle Iran’s hostage-taking business," he said.

Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel Bermúdez declared Sunday that the island nation would defend itself "to the last drop of blood," responding to pressure from U.S. President Donald Trump to strike a deal with Washington. 

President Trump had spoken about Cuba in a Truth Social post earlier in the day, urging that "they make a deal, BEFORE IT IS TOO LATE."

"Those who blame the Revolution for the severe economic shortages we suffer should hold their tongues out of shame. Because they know it and acknowledge it: they are the fruit of the draconian measures of extreme strangulation that the U.S. has been applying to us for six decades and now threatens to surpass," the Cuban wrote on X, according to a translation of the Spanish-language post. 

"#Cuba is a free, independent, and sovereign nation. No one dictates what we do. Cuba does not aggress; it is aggressed upon by the United States for 66 years, and it does not threaten; it prepares, ready to defend the Homeland to the last drop of blood," he wrote in another post, according to the translation.

CUBA IDENTIFIES 32 MILITARY PERSONNEL KILLED IN US OPERATION AGAINST MADURO REGIME IN VENEZUELA

U.S. Rep. Carlos Gimenez, R-Fla., who was born in Cuba, responded to the foreign figure's post.

"You dictators, henchmen, and executioners of the Cuban nation think you own the island. You don't have much time left," he declared, according to the translation of his post, also written in Spanish.

CUBAN-BORN GOP LAWMAKER WARNS VENEZUELA ELECTIONS MUST HAPPEN IN ‘MONTHS,’ NOT ‘YEARS’ AFTER MADURO DOWNFALL

Trump declared in a Truth Social post on Sunday, "Cuba lived, for many years, on large amounts of OIL and MONEY from Venezuela. In return, Cuba provided ‘Security Services’ for the last two Venezuelan dictators, BUT NOT ANYMORE! Most of those Cubans are DEAD from last weeks U.S.A. attack, and Venezuela doesn’t need protection anymore from the thugs and extortionists who held them hostage for so many years.

"Venezuela now has the United States of America, the most powerful military in the World (by far!), to protect them, and protect them we will. THERE WILL BE NO MORE OIL OR MONEY GOING TO CUBA - ZERO! I strongly suggest they make a deal, BEFORE IT IS TOO LATE," he warned.

TRUMP ULTIMATUM TO CUBA: ‘MAKE A DEAL, BEFORE IT IS TOO LATE’ OR FACE CONSEQUENCES

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Rep. Gimenez thanked the president.

"I was born in Cuba & forced from home shortly after the Communist takeover. Today, I represent my community in Congress. Thank you, President Trump, first Venezuela & next is Cuba. We will be forever grateful. Our hemisphere must be the hemisphere of liberty," the lawmaker wrote in a post on X.

Five severed human heads were found hanging from ropes on a beach in southwestern Ecuador Sunday in a gruesome display linked to ongoing gang violence sweeping across the country, according to reports.

The killings came amid a wave of bloody violence tied to drug trafficking and organized crime, which has surged across Ecuador in recent years.

The Associated Press reported that the grim discovery underscores the tactics used by criminal groups competing for control of territory and trafficking routes, especially along the country’s coastline.

TREN DE ARAGUA GANG LEADER CHARGED WITH RACKETEERING CONSPIRACY AND COCAINE TRAFFICKING UNDER TRUMP CRACKDOWN

Police said the heads were found on a tourist beach in the small fishing port of Puerto Lopez, in Manabi province.

The images shared by Ecuadorian media and on social media showed the severed heads tied with ropes to wooden poles planted in the sand, with blood visible at the scene.

A wooden sign left beside the heads carried a threatening message aimed at alleged extortionists targeting local fishermen.

The message warned those demanding so-called "vaccine cards" protection payments commonly extorted by gangs that they had been identified, the report said.

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

Authorities said the display was likely the result of a conflict between criminal groups operating in the area.

Drug-trafficking networks with links to transnational cartels are active along Ecuador’s coast and have used fishermen and their small boats to transport illicit shipments, according to local police.

President Daniel Noboa launched an armed campaign against gangs and declared states of emergency in several provinces, including Manabi, deploying the military to support police operations.

Despite his efforts, violence has continued to escalate with police increasing patrols and surveillance in Puerto Lopez following recent massacres in the province, the Associated Press said.

MS-13 GANG LEADER ACCUSED IN MURDER OF EX-HONDURAN PRESIDENT’S SON ARRESTED IN NEBRASKA

In 2025, at least nine people, including a baby, were killed there in an attack that authorities blamed on clashes between local gangs also.

As previously reported by Fox News Digital, in 2025, infighting between factions of a gang vying for control over territory in Ecuador's largest city, Guayaquil, left nearly two dozen people dead.

Ecuador ended the year with a record homicide rate of 52 per 100,000 people, according to the Organized Crime Observatory, making it the deadliest year on record.

Iran’s crackdown on nationwide protests continued Sunday, with reports of mass killings as demonstrations spread across the country amid warnings of drone surveillance.

The Center for Human Rights in Iran claimed a "massacre was unfolding," while the Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA) reported "surveillance drones flying overhead and movements by security forces around protest locations, indicating ongoing monitoring and security control."

"Drones are indispensable reconnaissance, surveillance and intelligence tools," military drone expert Cameron Chell told Fox News Digital. "They have given the Iranian government a distinctive upper hand in combating the protests."

"I doubt there will be any use of drones for direct strikes at this point," Chell said. "But I would not be surprised if, beyond surveillance, they were using drones to help position snipers and shock protesters."

IRAN PROTESTS GROW DEADLIER AS REGIME INTERNET BLACKOUT FAILS TO STOP UPRISING

"It does indicate the level of seriousness the government is applying towards the situation."

The full scale of the violence has been difficult to verify due to a near-total internet blackout. Iran’s connectivity to the outside world remained at roughly 1% of normal levels, according to NetBlocks.

The most conservative estimates indicate at least 2,000 people may have been killed across Iran over the past 48 hours, Iran International reported. 

The deaths of 544 people involved in the protests have been confirmed, with dozens of additional cases under review, according to HRANA.

HRANA said more than 10,681 individuals have been arrested and transferred to prisons. Protests have been recorded at 585 locations in 186 cities across all 31 provinces, the agency reported.

Witnesses told Iran International that security forces appeared "overstretched in some areas," relying on intimidation, warning shots and force. 

GRAHAM WARNS IRANIAN AYATOLLAH: 'TRUMP IS GONNA KILL YOU' IF INTERNAL CRACKDOWN CONTINUES

In other locations, particularly in southeastern Iran, rights groups said security forces fired directly at protesters in Zahedan after prayers, wounding several people.

Ali Safavi, a member of the National Council of Resistance of Iran, told Fox News Digital that drones were observed over Ferdow Boulevard in Tehran-sar.

"The regime, in fear of the people, deployed drones to monitor and control the demonstrations," Safavi said. "In other areas there were clashes and assaults from the suppressive forces."

Chell, CEO and co-founder of Draganfly, claimed more danger was imminent given Iran’s sudden use of drones.

"Iran would not be unique or advanced by western standards in using drones, but they are advanced in their tactical understanding and effectiveness using them," he said.  "This drone deployment 100% signals more danger as if, for no other reason, it enables the regime to know when and where to deploy resources."

"It helps track specific people or groups who flee protest sites," Chell continued. "They could also be using cells for tracking and listening so they could track protesters' cell phones who were at the protest sites."

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Chell said Iran relies largely on small, domestically produced systems.

"They would have the Bina, which has a smaller reconnaissance drone with a shorter operational range of up to 40 km," he said. "These are typically lightweight, equipped with optical/infrared cameras, used to monitor movement and relay imagery back to ground stations. These are the ones most likely to be adapted for crowd monitoring throughout cities."

Protests that began Dec. 28 over Iran’s economic collapse have evolved into the largest anti-regime demonstrations in years, according to analysts and opposition groups.

"We could see an escalation in the use of intimidation/force multiplier effect of drones and/or the use of tear gas or smoke to help create crowd disbursement," Chell said.

President Donald Trump renewed warnings to Tehran, saying the U.S. stands ready to support protesters and cautioned Iranian authorities against the use of lethal force.

"Iran is looking at FREEDOM, perhaps like never before. The USA stands ready to help!!! President DONALD J. TRUMP," he wrote on Truth Social.

Trump also said that protesters appear to be gaining ground in some cities and warned Iranian leaders not to begin shooting demonstrators, saying, "we’ll start shooting too."

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio discussed the possibility of U.S. intervention in Iran, according to a report.

The two leaders spoke by phone Saturday as Israel is on "high alert," preparing for the possibility of U.S. military intervention in Iran, according to Reuters, citing multiple Israeli sources.

The report comes as nationwide anti-regime demonstrations across Iran hit the two-week mark.

On Saturday, the Iranian regime triggered an internet "kill switch" in an apparent effort to conceal alleged abuses by security forces and as protests against it surged nationwide, according to a cybersecurity expert. The blackout reduced internet access to a fraction of normal levels.

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On Sunday, Iran’s parliament speaker warned that the U.S. military and Israel would be "legitimate targets" if America strikes the Islamic Republic.

Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf issued the threat as lawmakers rushed the dais in the Iranian parliament, shouting, "Death to America!" according to The Associated Press.

President Donald Trump offered support for the protesters on Saturday, writing on Truth Social that "Iran is looking at FREEDOM, perhaps like never before. The USA stands ready to help!!!"

IRANIAN MILITARY LEADER THREATENS PREEMPTIVE ATTACK AFTER TRUMP COMMENTS

At a news conference Friday, Trump said Iran was facing mounting pressure as unrest spreads across the country.

"Iran’s in big trouble," he said. "It looks to me that the people are taking over certain cities that nobody thought were really possible just a few weeks ago. We’re watching the situation very carefully."

The president said the U.S. would respond forcefully if the regime resorts to mass violence. 

"We’ll be hitting them very hard where it hurts. And that doesn’t mean boots on the ground, but it means hitting them very, very hard where it hurts," he said.

Fox News Digital reached out to the State Department and White House for comment.

Fox News Digital's Emma Bussey, Brie Stimson and The Associated Press contributed to this report.

The organization that oversees the Nobel Peace Prize rejected recent suggestions that Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado could give or share her award with President Donald Trump.

The Norwegian Nobel Institute shut down the idea Friday, after Machado suggested that she might transfer the prestigious award to Trump earlier this week.

"Once a Nobel Prize is announced, it cannot be revoked, shared, or transferred to others," the institute said in a statement. "The decision is final and stands for all time."

The statement comes after Machado floated the idea during an appearance Tuesday on Fox News' "Hannity."

UNITED NATIONS 'UPSET' THAT TRUMP TOOK 'BOLD ACTION' TO IMPROVE VENEZUELA, SAYS UN AMB. MIKE WALTZ

"Did you at any point offer to give him the Nobel Peace Prize?" Sean Hannity asked. "Did that actually happen?"

Machado responded, "Well, it hasn’t happened yet."

"I certainly would love to be able to personally tell him that we believe — the Venezuelan people, because this is a prize of the Venezuelan people — certainly want to give it to him and share it with him," Machado continued. "What he has done is historic. It’s a huge step towards a democratic transition."

TRUMP ADMIN SAYS MADURO CAPTURE REINFORCES ALIEN ENEMIES ACT REMOVALS

On Jan. 3, Trump announced that the U.S. had successfully completed an operation to capture authoritarian Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, who is now facing drug trafficking charges in New York.

Trump was asked during an appearance Thursday on "Hannity" whether he would accept the Nobel Prize from Machado.

"I've heard that she wants to do that," Trump responded. "That would be a great honor."

TRUMP OUSTING OF MADURO DRAWS PARALLELS TO US RAID IN PANAMA – BUT THERE ARE SOME MAJOR CONTRASTS

Machado secretly escaped Venezuela last month and traveled to Norway to receive the Nobel Peace Prize, which she dedicated to Trump.

"Let me be very clear. As soon as I learned that we had been awarded the Nobel Peace Prize, I dedicated it to President Trump because I believed at that point that he deserved it," Machado said on "Hannity." "And a lot of people, most people, said it was impossible to achieve what he has just done on Saturday, January 3rd."

Trump said he plans to meet with the Venezuelan opposition leader in Washington next week.

He has previously stated that Machado "doesn't have the support within or the respect within the country" to lead. Trump has supported acting President Delcy Rodríguez, a longtime Maduro loyalist, who previously served as vice president under Maduro.

Fox News Digital's Landon Mion contributed to this report.