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As U.S. and Iranian negotiators met in Switzerland on Sunday, a regional analyst warned that a dispute over billions in potentially unfrozen Iranian assets could quickly test the durability of a fledgling interim agreement.

The disagreement is emerging, they say, as Washington and Tehran begin implementing the memorandum of understanding signed June 17, with negotiators holding the first round of talks at Bürgenstock, near Lucerne, Switzerland.

According to Iran International, President Masoud Pezeshkian had signaled Tehran's expectations early Sunday, saying, "$6 billion of our funds in Qatar will be returned. Trump, who tried to deny Iran its rights, acknowledged them in his recent speech."

The dispute traces back to discussions at the G7 summit in Évian-les-Bains, France, where world leaders debated the issue.

TRUMP DEFENDS WAR DEAL IN MARATHON PRESSER, USING SEMANTICS ON WHY IRAN IS GETTING $300 BILLION

"We have taken their money, it isn't our money, it is their money, and we froze it," President Donald Trump said. "At a certain point in time, I guess we're going to have to give it back."

He also stressed that any access to the funds remains strictly conditional, writing on Truth Social that Iran would receive "not ten cents" during the 60-day negotiation period if it failed to uphold its commitments.

"There are effectively two competing narratives about the frozen funds," Alex Vatanka, a senior fellow at the Middle East Institute, told Fox News Digital.

"Releasing frozen assets is not simply an economic question. It is one of the central political tests of trust between Tehran and Washington and will likely become one of the first major implementation disputes in the weeks ahead," Vatanka added.

Paragraph 11 of the MOU framework states that the United States "undertakes to make fully available" restricted and frozen Iranian funds.

However, the agreement ties any release of funds to a step-by-step process based on compliance, rather than granting immediate, unrestricted access.

BIDEN ADMIN EXTENDS $10B IRAN SANCTIONS WAIVER 2 DAYS AFTER TRUMP ELECTION WIN

"First, there remains considerable uncertainty over the total amount of Iranian assets frozen abroad," Vatanka said.

"Iranian officials often speak of more than $100 billion, while Western estimates range higher. The immediate negotiations, however, appear focused on securing access to roughly $24 billion to $25 billion as an initial tranche."

Iran's frozen assets are widely estimated at between $100 billion and $120 billion and held under sanctions and financial restrictions in countries including China, India, Iraq and South Korea, according to reporting by the Wall Street Journal.

Vatanka said the central dispute extends beyond the size of the payout.

"The real dispute is not simply about how much money Iran receives, but who ultimately controls how it is spent."

"Iranian officials are emphasizing sovereignty over the funds, while the United States is trying to preserve leverage by attaching conditions to their use," he added as talks got underway Sunday.

In a statement on X, Qatar's Foreign Ministry said the talks are aimed at reaching a comprehensive and lasting agreement covering all elements of the framework.

Spokesman Majed bin Mohammed Al Ansari said technical teams were negotiating the final deal while oversight groups would monitor implementation and track progress.

The U.S. and Qatar are exploring a mechanism to channel an initial $6 billion toward humanitarian purchases, including food and medicine, according to reports.

US ECONOMIC CHOKEHOLD ON IRAN REACHES PEAK LEVERAGE AS COLLAPSE RISKS EMERGE

However, Western intelligence officials remain concerned that unfrozen funds could be diverted to regional conflicts rather than domestic development projects.

Reuters reported that Iran has already signaled to Hezbollah that increased financial support could resume if Tehran's cash flow improves.

"This issue also has an important regional dimension," Vatanka said. "Iran has pledged to direct a portion of those reconstruction funds toward supporting its weakened proxy network in Lebanon."

"The United States has insisted that Iran cannot use any unfrozen assets to fund terrorist organizations, warning that access to the funds would be revoked if Tehran violates the terms of the agreement," he added.

Vatanka said the two sides also remain divided over the broader purpose of the agreement.

"Tehran is presenting the roughly $25 billion as money that will be released gradually and invested in rebuilding the country's infrastructure, with officials talking about roads, airports, transport corridors and projects that visibly benefit ordinary Iranians."

"Washington, however, appears to be describing something much narrower," Vatanka added.

"U.S. officials have indicated they want the funds released through controlled mechanisms, primarily for humanitarian and other approved civilian purchases, rather than giving Tehran unrestricted access."

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni’s escalating feud with President Donald Trump is nothing but a calculated political strategy aimed at boosting her standing at home, a leading Italian political analyst told Fox News Digital on Sunday.

After the row between Trump and Meloni escalated on June 20, analysts also said the Italian leader may see little downside in confronting Trump, particularly as she faces declining approval ratings ahead of Italy's 2027 general election.

The diplomatic dispute had reached a boiling point after Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani announced June 19 that he was scrapping a trip to Washington, where he had been scheduled to meet Secretary of State Marco Rubio.

"Giorgia Meloni must have calculated that a public row with Trump yields no tangible consequences, other than an increase in her domestic and international standing," Mattia Diletti, a political science lecturer at Sapienza University of Rome, said.

TRUMP SAYS MELONI 'WANTS TO BE FRIENDS AGAIN' AFTER ITALY REFUSED TO HELP US AMID IRAN WAR

Giovanni Orsina, a political scientist at Rome’s Luiss University, also told the Financial Times that the row would offer a "positive image" for Meloni and a "silver lining" to a confrontation she had "desperately tried to avoid."

The friction between Trump and Meloni intensified after an interview broadcast by Italy’s La7 television network, where the president claimed she had asked for a photograph with him at the G7 summit and that he agreed only out of pity.

"She begged me to take a picture with her," Trump said. "She wanted a picture with me so badly. I wouldn’t have taken it, but I felt sorry for her."

RUBIO MEETS MELONI AS TRUMP–POPE CLASH CLASH ESCALATES US STRAINS WITH KEY EUROPEAN ALLY

Meloni fired back, releasing a video statement on X rejecting the president’s narrative.

"I am frankly stunned," Meloni said in the video message. "I don’t know why the president of the United States behaves this way toward his own allies. But there’s one thing he must remember: Neither I nor Italy ever beg."

Trump doubled down on Truth Social and tied the row directly to Meloni’s political fortunes.

"Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni asked, over and over, for a picture with me during the G7 meeting in France," Trump wrote on Truth Social.

"She is doing poorly in Italy with her level of popularity, possibly because she turned down the United States of America... when it came to denying Iran from obtaining or developing a nuclear weapon ... She wouldn’t even let us use Italy’s landing strips or runways, a great logistical inconvenience ... Now, after the United States defeated Iran militarily, she wants to be friends again in order to get her 'numbers up.' No thanks!!!"

Within hours, Meloni responded on social media: "As for my popularity, being your friend certainly has not helped it ... My popularity depends on my ability to defend Italy’s national interest... In any case, my popularity is none of your concern. I suggest you focus on yours."

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

The back-and-forth marks a reversal for two leaders who once enjoyed a close political alignment.

When Meloni first came to power, she positioned herself as a bridge between Washington and Brussels while pushing ties with Trump based on shared nationalism and stances on immigration.

"Politically, Trump has favored Meloni," Diletti noted, pointing out that she had previously visited Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida in 2025. She was the only European Union leader to attend his second inauguration.

The cracks also appeared in April when Trump criticized Meloni for siding with Pope Leo XIV’s condemnation of the U.S. conflict with Iran.

On Sunday, Trump also criticized Italy and Giorgia Meloni over their approach to Iran, accusing the NATO ally of failing to help confront Tehran's nuclear ambitions.

"As the 2027 Italian general election approaches, Meloni is facing a decline in approval ratings for the first time," Diletti explained.

"The opportunity to counter a President so unpopular in Europe and Italy helps bolster her approval ratings and allows her to build European solidarity," he claimed.

The government of Socialist Prime Minister Edi Rama is under increasing pressure as Albanians continue taking to the streets to call for his resignation, as well as the leader of the opposition, Sali Berisha, faulting them and their parties for some thirty years of corruption ever since the end of the communist regime in 1991.

The catalyst for the protests first began over a multi-billion-dollar luxury resort plan by Jared Kushner and his business partners pursuing the creation of two resort properties through investment firm Affinity Partners that will add around 10,000 hotel rooms and villas to Albanian coastal lands.

One planned location, the abandoned Sazan Island, is the home of a former Soviet military base. The other property in Zvërnec is said to be home to the Vjosa-Narta protected landscape where monk seals and flamingos make their homes and sea turtles nest.

EUROPEAN CAPITAL ROCKED BY VIOLENT PROTESTS AS GOVERNMENT CORRUPTION PROBE FUELS UNREST

Agim Nesho, former Albanian ambassador to the U.S. and the United Nations, told Fox News Digital that, "Unlike some of the misinformation in the media, the protests in Albania are not against the family of President Donald Trump and foreign investors like Jared Kushner. These investors are bringing in $4 billion dollars into Albania that will create jobs and opportunity for our youth. 

"They are building on private land whose protected status was revoked years ago by Rama and his oligarchs. Global investors have standards and demonstrate accountability, and there is a hope they will show more care and consideration for the environment than Edi Rama and the business interests around him, who would instead build there on their own," he said.

Nesho claimed that "After 12 years and at least three stolen elections, including last year’s parliamentary election which was not recognized by the United States, and which handed Rama a supermajority that can change laws and the constitution, Rama’s days now look to be numbered."

Eric Czuleger, Editor-in-Chief of The Under Report, has lived in Albania for five years and has documented the growing protests. He told Fox News Digital that "Rama’s government has never been under such direct pressure from the Albanian people and his response is instructive. First, he denied the existence of the protests, claiming that they were a couple hundred people with an axe to grind. When they grew, the international media forced the domestic media [to] stop its blackout. Suddenly, the protests were a ‘hybrid war’ spurred on by Iran and Russia."

The protests, which began in May, have not swayed Prime Minister Rama’s support for planned investments. The Rama government sent a lengthy response to Fox News Digital on behalf of the prime minister directed at "all interested foreign parties and individuals, who have spread all kinds of misinformation and launched all kinds of baseless attacks all over the globe against a highly ambitious project with the potential to become another role model for how next-generation tourism destinations can be built."

ALBANIANS RALLY BY THE THOUSANDS AGAINST RULING SOCIALIST GOVERNMENT

His statement added that "Sazan Island is state property and has never been intended, nor requested, to be sold." He also said that the "area in Zvërnec is privately owned land," and explains that additional claimants to the land have taken their claims to court. 

In an effort to clear up misconceptions, Rama's statement said that "the project must undergo not merely an ordinary Environmental Impact Assessment, but an In-Depth Environmental Impact Assessment." Rama also claims that the project location "has no connection whatsoever with the Vjosa Delta," and says that claims that protected status labels were removed from development areas to allow for investment "is one of the greatest falsehoods inflated beyond all imagination."

Irrespective of Rama’s defense of the projects, on Wednesday, the European Parliament urged the Albanian government to stop construction on protected lands, Politico reported. They also called for a moratorium on further permits and construction in protected areas.

A source familiar with the situation with the luxury resort project told Fox News Digital that some of what is circulating online about the project is fabricated and doctored, and that some disinformation has emerged from outside the country.  

ALBANIAN OPPOSITION LAWMAKERS LIGHT FLARES, SCUFFLE WITH POLICE AMID PARLIAMENT CHAOS OVER CORRUPTION PROBE

Asher Abehsera, Chair of Sazan Real Estate Development LLC, told Fox News Digital that "for four years, we have worked toward creating a world-class destination on the Albanian coast—one rooted in thoughtful design, environmental stewardship, and long-term economic opportunity. Our goal is simple: celebrate Albania’s natural beauty, create jobs, and build something future generations can be proud of." Abehsera said that the project's "future will ultimately be determined by Albania and the Albanian people."

As the protests continue, Czuleger said that Albanians are both "concerned that nothing will happen" and "concerned that something bad could happen" if the Rama government does step down. "If leadership doesn’t change now, then people wonder if the corruption will ever stop," he said. "If leadership does change then it’s possible someone worse comes in." Czuleger said that "protesters are tired," and "the news cycle is moving on." Noting that the "only thing that will bring a change to the administration is patience, pressure, and a clarification of the movement’s goals."

Albanian actor and artist Florjan Binaj told Fox News that the protests "are the biggest protests that have ever happened in Albania since 1991." He called the protest atmosphere "amazingly powerful.

Binaj said that he plans to join the protests for "as long as [he] can," noting that "the protesters want Rama’s resignation" to pave the way for an alternative government.

Nesho added," The protesters have risen up due to the fact that one of the poorest countries in Europe can count billions and billions in corruption by a government that holds itself accountable to no one. It is difficult for the protesters to compromise and negotiate with PM Rama under these circumstances. The only path is resignation of the government and early elections under international monitors."

The Rama government did not respond to direct questions about protesters’ concerns. 

The scope of the Iranian delegation at Switzerland’s first round of technical talks with the United States on Sunday underscored what an analyst described as Tehran’s red-line demand for "immediate cash flow" and significant financial concessions from the get-go.

The team’s arrival at Bürgenstock came within days of a breakthrough memorandum of understanding (MOU) signed by President Donald Trump and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian and after follow-up talks were called off, fueling uncertainty across the region.

"These are the most consequential negotiations America has entered in the Middle East in years. Iran knows that, and it is playing it very well," counterterrorism expert Dr. Omar Mohammed told Fox News Digital.

"Tehran arrived as if this were the moment to collect," Mohammed, director of the Program on Extremism at George Washington University, said.

TRUMP'S IRAN AGREEMENT RAISES A BASIC QUESTION: IS IT ACTUALLY A DEAL?

Iranian state media also confirmed that Tehran had sent a whole-regime apparatus, led by chief negotiator Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf and Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi.

Their team includes top security, legal and financial figures, including Abdolnaser Hemmati, governor of the Central Bank of Iran, leading the economic committee; Ali Bagheri Kani, deputy secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council; Kazem Gharibabadi, Iran's deputy foreign minister handling legal affairs; as well as senior state oil and energy officials.

Mohammed noted that Iran purposely bypassed a narrow, diplomatic-only team to protect its domestic leverage.

"Iran has not only sent diplomats; it has sent the foreign ministry, the security state, the central bank, legal affairs and oil," he explained. "This is a whole-regime delegation built around implementation, money, leverage and red lines."

Araghchi, Mohammed said, is the diplomatic face, while Bagheri Kani brings the Supreme National Security Council into the room, meaning the security establishment is overseeing the process and "protecting the regime’s red lines."

The inclusion of Iran's top financial and energy officials also sends the clearest signal of Tehran's primary objective: immediate cash flow, "energy leverage" and control of maritime operations, the expert said.

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

"Hemmati’s presence on Sunday was one of the clearest signals. You do not send the central bank governor to a symbolic meeting. You send him when the question is money: frozen assets, sanctions relief, banking channels, usable currency and how quickly Iran can turn promises on paper into cash it can actually spend," Mohammed said.

"The oil official is another major signal. If oil is in the room, Hormuz is in the room. For an American policymaker, that means maritime security and energy leverage."

Gharibabadi’s presence, Mohammed said, pointed directly to a legal battlefield over verification and language, perhaps designed to ensure Iran can bypass future enforcement.

The U.S. delegation, which includes Vice President JD Vance, is anchored by U.S. Special Envoy for Peace Missions Steve Witkoff and former senior White House adviser Jared Kushner.

Vance had indicated that Washington was hopeful it could make progress on both the nuclear issue and the escalating Lebanon ceasefire crisis while in Switzerland.

On Sunday, he said Trump had asked to turn over "a new leaf" to transform the U.S. relationship with Iran and that the talks starting in Switzerland would allow both sides to work to resolve issues.

TRUMP ENVOY WITKOFF AND JARED KUSHNER IN GENEVA FOR CLOSELY WATCHED IRAN NEGOTIATIONS

In contrast, according to Iran International, hardline lawmaker Mahmoud Nabavian read excerpts he described as top-secret letters from Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei on Iranian state TV.

He alleged the leader opposed nuclear talks, demanded compensation from Washington and insisted on Iran's control of the Strait of Hormuz before the live program was cut.

Now, the differing composition of the two teams underscores the starkly different approaches both nations are bringing to the table, Mohammed said.

"Iran is not only negotiating substance, but negotiating the terms under which it can later avoid pressure," Mohammed warned. "If the money comes first and the concessions come later, Tehran will not interpret that as compromise. It will interpret it as victory."

"If Washington gives Iran cash, oil access and legal protection while Iran keeps Hormuz, proxies, missiles and nuclear options alive, then America has not bought peace. It has financed Iran’s next phase," Mohammed suggested.

"This delegation is not designed to end Iran’s leverage. It is designed to collect the benefits of the pause, preserve the regime’s pressure points and carry them into the next round."

On Sunday, talks between Iran and the U.S. were paused but not ended, Reuters reported.

JERUSALEM, Israel: In a move being praised by many Christian leaders, the government of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu recently announced the appointment of a new position of envoy to the Christian world — with the goal of better and smoother relations with the Christian world.

In an exclusive interview in Jerusalem, Ambassador George Deek told Fox News Digital the importance the Netanyahu government has put on his position.

"We see the ethnic cleansing of the region from its Christians, who have been diminished from 20% of the population of the Middle East to less than 2% of the population today," Deek said. "All those places that used to have thriving Christian communities today have been reduced to nothing."

CHRISTIAN LEADERS HOLD EMERGENCY SUMMIT IN JERUSALEM TO CONFRONT GLOBAL RISE IN ANTISEMITISM

Israel counts 300 churches, double the number in 1948, while its Christian population has grown from 34,000 in 1948 to more than 180,000 today.

Deek said of his role. "My hope is to also be able to build strong bridges between the State of Israel and Christian leaders… by telling a fuller story of the State of Israel, which I think is missed in most of the narratives we hear today in the world," he said.

According to Israel's Central Bureau of Statistics, as of December 2025, Israel’s Christian population stood at approximately 184,200, representing 1.9% of the country’s total population. The community grew by 0.7% over the previous year.

Deek, who served for six years as Israel’s ambassador to Azerbaijan before assuming his current role, said most people know Israel only through its Jewish identity and are unaware of the complexity and diversity of Israeli society.

Deek said the decision announced by the Foreign Ministry in April to appoint him to the role stems from three factors: first, the special connection between Christians and the land of Israel as the birthplace of Christianity.

Second is the deep historical bond reflected in the churches of the Holy Land and in Christians and Jews living under shared biblical values, from which they derive societal principles including democracy, individualism, and freedom of conscience and thought.

Third is the importance Israel places on relations with people of all denominations and religions.

CHRISTMAS RETURNS TO HOLY LAND CITIES AS BETHLEHEM’S CHRISTIAN POPULATION DWINDLES, NAZARETH REMAINS STRONG

"It has a special relationship with the Christian people abroad and the Christian community in Israel, which is the only Christian community in the entire Middle East that is actually growing in numbers and basically thriving as part of Israeli society," Deek said.

"As the only nation to appoint a special envoy to the Christian world, Israel has indicated its deep appreciation for Christian support and its long-term interest in guarding Christian-Jewish relations. This is especially vital in this time of resurgent antisemitism spreading like wildfire in the poorly regulated digital sphere," International Christian Embassy Jerusalem (ICEJ) ‘s President Dr. Jürgen Bühler told Fox News Digital. 

The organization has operated from Jerusalem for 46 years and maintains branch offices and representatives in 95 countries, with a presence spanning approximately 185 nations worldwide.

It recently organized an emergency summit on antisemitism that brought together more than 200 theologians, pastors and ministry leaders from over 30 countries in person, alongside approximately 3,000 participants attending online.

CHRISTIAN PASTORS, INFLUENCERS JOIN 1,000-STRONG ISRAEL MISSION BACKING JEWISH STATE, FIGHTING ANTISEMITISM

He says Israel has the potential to serve as both an inspiration and a partner across the region and beyond, helping ensure that people can practice their faith freely and remain in the lands of their forefathers.

Still, Deek noted that in recent months there have been several isolated incidents involving attacks on Christian symbols and, in one case, an assault on a Christian nun.

"More than anything, this was an attack on the values on which this country is established—values of tolerance and acceptance — where no one has the right to attack anyone or use violence against anyone for any reason whatsoever, especially not attack a symbol of Christianity, Islam or Judaism," he said.

DISPUTED FIRE BY ANCIENT CHURCH IN HOLY LAND SPARKS DIPLOMATIC, RELIGIOUS FALLOUT

"That is absolutely unacceptable and that is why the leadership of the State of Israel, from the prime minister to the foreign minister and others, have all condemned it unequivocally and unanimously," he added.

The Israeli soldier who desecrated a cross in southern Lebanon is in prison, as is the individual who pushed a nun to the ground and attacked her in Jerusalem. These cases, Deek said, demonstrate that the State of Israel takes such incidents very seriously and fully enforces the law.

Amid a surge in antisemitic incidents in Europe and elsewhere following the Hamas-led Oct. 7 massacre, Deek said hate that begins with Jews never ends with Jews, and that the same hate that drove out Jews from Arab countries in the 20th century has over the past two decades been directed against other minorities in the region.

TURKEY DEPORTS PEACEFUL CHRISTIANS UNDER GUISE OF ‘NATIONAL SECURITY’ CLAIMS WATCHDOG

"We see it even with Hamas pushing out the Christian population there, which has completely disappeared from Gaza," he added.

Within this environment, Israel is the only place where such minorities have been able to live safely and practice their faith without fear. In fact, they do not merely survive in the State of Israel, they thrive, Deek said.

He nevertheless pointed to a well-oiled campaign by forces on the woke left and right, along with extremist Islamist groups, that are manipulating the Christian faith and promoting claims of what he says is the so-called mistreatment of Christians in Israel.

"I see it as a personal mission to bring as many Christians as possible to visit the land of Israel, not as a political campaign....  I want them to come here to connect to their Bible. I want them to connect to their Scripture, I want them to connect to the roots of their values by simply going to those places," Deek said.

"And, under the protection of Israel as the guardian of the holy sites of Christianity… to reconnect to these values and to remember that these are the biblical values that connect Jews, Christians and all the people of the book in this world," he added.

U.S. President Donald Trump declared in a Sunday Truth Social post that British Prime Minister Keir Starmer will resign from his post.

Trump indicated that he wishes Starmer well, but also accused the British politician of failing on two issues.

"Keir Starmer will resign as Prime Minister of The United Kingdom. He failed badly on two very important subjects- IMMIGRATION AND ENERGY (OPEN NORTH SEA OIL!). I wish him well! President DJT," Trump declared in the Truth Social post.

Trump's statement comes amid reporting that Starmer could be on his way out as early as Monday, with Reuters reporting Sunday the prime minister was still deliberating over his future.

This is a breaking news story and will be updated

As Colombia heads into a pivotal presidential runoff on Sunday, conservative outsider Abelardo de la Espriella is riding a wave of voter frustration over crime, cartels and economic uncertainty.

His rise comes as outgoing President Gustavo Petro faces mounting political turmoil, turning the election into a high-stakes battle over the future of one of America’s most important allies in Latin America.

De le Espriella’s campaign is built on a platform of law and order, anti-cartel crackdowns and repairing U.S.-Colombia relations as he faces leftist politician Iván Cepeda in the presidential runoff. Cepeda is from Petro’s socialist party.

COLOMBIAN PRESIDENT PETRO THREATENS MILITARY RESPONSE AFTER TRUMP WARNS COLOMBIA MAY BE NEXT TARGET

In a region increasingly defined by larger-than-life political figures, de la Espriella is known universally as "El Tigre," and has transformed his nickname into a political movement. Campaign rallies feature tiger imagery, merchandise and slogans built around strength and fearlessness.

He has openly embraced comparisons to President Trump, presenting himself as a political outsider willing to confront entrenched elites, challenge progressive orthodoxies and restore what supporters describe as strength and order to government.

Earlier this week Trump endorsed him stating in part on social media that: "Colombian Presidential Candidate, "El Tigre (THE TIGER)," Abelardo de la Espriella, is a Smart, Strong, and Tough Leader, who fights tirelessly for, and loves, his Great Country and People, just like I do for the United States of America."

Trump added, "Because of his tremendous accomplishments in life, and his political support for me, it is my Honor to give Abelardo my Complete and Total Endorsement. GET OUT AND VOTE FOR "EL TIGRE" ABELARDO DE LA ESPRIELLA — HE WILL NOT LET THE WONDERFUL PEOPLE OF COLOMBIA DOWN. It will rise to a new height of Greatness!"

TRUMP DOUBLES DOWN ON COLOMBIA CRACKDOWN, CALLS PETRO ‘LUNATIC,’ VOWS TO END ALL US PAYMENTS OVER DRUGS

Aside from the Trump comparison, he’s also been likened to El Salvador’s President Bukele. Like Bukele, he has built a political brand around toughness, disruption and public frustration with crime. His campaign rhetoric frequently emphasizes restoring state authority and defeating criminal organizations through overwhelming force.

Petro’s ally, Iván Cepeda, has pledged to continue the administration’s social and economic agenda while expanding negotiations with armed groups.

Cepeda’s campaign did not respond to a Fox News Digital request for comment on his campaign and hopes for the country.

Carlos Chacón, executive director of Instituto de Ciencia Política (ICP), a think tank in Colombia told Fox News Digital, "Colombia is torn between two models and two visions: the leftist model, which seeks to increase state intervention in the economy, a model already proven to generate fiscal deficits and economic crises; a model that prioritizes negotiations and appeasement over security, resulting in the strengthening of criminal networks nationwide; and, above all, a model whose political agenda is to alter the Constitution."

US SANCTIONS COLOMBIAN PRESIDENT AND FAMILY OVER DRUG TRAFFICKING ALLEGATIONS

Chacón said the difference between the two candidates is clear, saying that Abelardo’s model "favors free enterprise and seeks to ensure security, regain territorial control, downsize the state, revitalize strategic sectors, and mend international relations, would be implemented entirely within the framework of the 1991 Constitution." He added, "Abelardo has never spoken of replacing the constitutional model with an authoritarian one, as is the case with the project proposed by Petro, Cepeda."

One of the recurring themes of de la Espriella’s campaign has been rebuilding a close relationship with Washington and pursuing a more aggressive security partnership against narcotrafficking and armed groups. He has advocated U.S.-backed operations against narco-terrorist camps and stronger bilateral cooperation on security issues.

De la Espriella rise comes as the outgoing Colombian President Petro faces a battle over allegations of improper involvement in the country’s presidential election. The head of Colombia’s congressional investigative commission has proposed suspending president Petro while authorities examine allegations that he improperly intervened in the presidential campaign on behalf of his political movement.

The proposal has triggered fierce debate across Colombia, with supporters describing it as necessary accountability and critics arguing it exceeds constitutional authority. Petro has denied wrongdoing and remains in office.

The outcome of this election will help determine not only the future of Colombia’s security strategy, but also the trajectory of one of Washington’s most important allies in the Western Hemisphere.

African and Caribbean leaders are demanding financial compensation, debt cancellation and formal apologies from countries that benefited from the transatlantic slave trade after adopting a sweeping reparations plan at a conference in Ghana.

The 19-point framework calls for financial compensation, debt relief, a Global Reparations Fund and the return of looted cultural artifacts and ancestral remains. It also seeks reforms to international financial institutions that supporters say disadvantage Third World countries.

The proposal is expected to be presented at the next UN General Assembly as African and Caribbean nations step up a coordinated push for slavery reparations.

The plan was adopted Friday by the African Union and the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) Commission on Reparatory Justice at the end of a three-day conference.

REPARATIONS ADVOCATES PUSH FOR PAYMENTS TO BLACK AMERICANS DESPITE BUDGET AND LEGAL CHALLENGES

"None of us gathered in this hall today can be held personally responsible for the atrocities of the transatlantic slave trade," Ghanaian President John Dramani Mahama told delegates.

"History does not ask us to inherit guilt, but it asks us to inherit responsibility," Mahama added.

The proposal does not identify specific countries that should provide compensation or issue formal apologies.

TULSA MAYOR PROPOSES $100M REPARATIONS PLAN FOR DESCENDANTS OF 1921 TULSA RACE MASSACRE

It does call for debt cancellation, climate justice financing, expanded citizenship pathways for Africans in the diaspora and what organizers describe as a "right of return" for descendants of enslaved Africans.

The plan also urges African countries to preserve former slave forts and castles as memorial sites.

According to advocates, at least 12.5 million Africans were kidnapped and transported aboard European ships between the 15th and 19th centuries. Supporters of reparations argue the effects of slavery continue to be felt across Africa and the Caribbean generations later.

UN COURT RULES WEALTHY NATIONS PAY UP FOR CLIMATE CHANGE DAMAGES IN CONTROVERSIAL GLOBAL RULING

The conference follows a UN vote in March recognizing transatlantic slavery as the "gravest crime against humanity."

The resolution passed with 123 votes in favor, but the U.S., Israel and 52 other countries either voted against it or abstained.

According to Reuters, the United States and European Union raised concerns that the resolution could be interpreted as creating a hierarchy among crimes against humanity by treating some atrocities as more serious than others.

MACRON TAKES THE STAGE UNINVITED AT AFRICA SUMMIT TO SCOLD CROWD FOR 'TOTAL LACK OF RESPECT'

Heads of state from Namibia, Liberia, Senegal, Barbados and Sao Tome and Principe attended the conference, along with senior officials from several other countries.

French President Emmanuel Macron addressed the gathering virtually from the Élysée Palace, where he acknowledged the suffering caused by slavery.

Enslaved people were "torn from their homelands, deported, dehumanised, and treated as goods," Macron said.

Macron also said reparations should not be viewed "as an end point, or a cheque written to bring the story to a close."

The conference in Ghana brought together separate reparations efforts previously pursued by African and Caribbean nations into a single document that organizers plan to take before the United Nations.

Reuters contributed to this report.

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer is reportedly considering stepping down and could announce a timetable for his departure as early as Monday, according to a report published Saturday.

Britain's Observer newspaper reported that Starmer was discussing his future with his wife at his Chequers country residence before making a final decision.

The outlet reported that senior Labour Party figures expect a statement addressing his future as early as next week.

A government source told Reuters that Starmer remains focused on governing and pointed to previous comments in which he vowed to remain in office.

AS EPSTEIN-LINKED APPOINTMENT SPARKS BACKLASH, UK PM STARMER FACES PARTY REVOLT AMID RESIGNATION CALLS

Fox News Digital has reached out to the prime minister's office for comment.

Pressure on Starmer has been building for months amid growing dissatisfaction within his party and concerns over the government's handling of the economy and cost-of-living issues.

The political threat to Starmer intensified Friday after rival Andy Burnham won a seat in Parliament, positioning him to mount a formal leadership challenge.

LABOUR MP PUTS CABINET 'ON NOTICE,' THREATENS TO TRIGGER LEADERSHIP CHALLENGE AGAINST STARMER BY MONDAY

Starmer congratulated Burnham following the victory, writing on X that voters, "chose Labour’s campaign of hope and optimism over division and hate."

When asked about Burnham's apparent ambitions to replace him, Starmer insisted he intends to remain in office.

"I’ve said repeatedly I’m not going to walk away from that," Starmer said.

UK’S STARMER JUGGLES TROUBLE AT HOME AS HE WALKS GEOPOLITICAL TIGHTROPE WITH TRUMP

Starmer has led the Labour Party since 2020 and became prime minister in 2024.

Calls for his resignation intensified last month, with more than 100 Labour lawmakers publicly urging him to step aside or set out a timetable for his departure. Several parliamentary aides also resigned in protest.

The internal revolt followed a series of disappointing local election results for Labour, which lost hundreds of council seats across England, surrendered long-held ground in Wales and fell behind political rivals in Scotland.

Starmer's popularity has also declined amid a persistently high cost of living, sluggish economic growth and criticism over his acceptance of gifts from wealthy donors.

Fox News Digital's James Cirrone and Emma Bussey, and Reuters contributed to this report.

The first case of H5N1 bird flu has been confirmed in Australia, meaning the virus has now found its way to every continent.

The Australian Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry said the virus was found in a single seabird, a brown skua, near Esperance on the south coast of Western Australia, in Cape Le Grand National Park.

Australia’s Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development said it was "responding as part of a nationally coordinated plan with the Australian Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry and stakeholders across [Western Australia] to reduce the impact of this disease."

The outbreak in the U.S. has left millions of birds dead and has caused grocery store hikes and shortages, most notably with eggs.

BIRD FLU UPTICK IN US HAS CDC ON ALERT FOR PANDEMIC 'RED FLAGS': REPORT

The spread to humans is rare.

"We all knew we couldn't be bird flu-free forever," Australia’s federal Agricultural Secretary Julie Collins said in a press conference on Saturday.

Jackie Jarvis, Western Australia’s agricultural minister, said in a press conference on Friday: "As a result of WA’s established early detection system, appropriate action was taken, including isolating the bird and collecting samples for testing."

HUNDREDS OF WILD BIRD DEATHS REPORTED ACROSS 7 COUNTIES PROMPTING PARK CLOSURES

She added, "this shows that Australia’s and Western Australia’s preparedness measures have worked. We are pleased to see the surveillance, and reporting system working as intended, with the bird reported through to DPIRD for further investigation."

By Saturday, Jarvis said further testing confirmed the strain that she said was consistent with bird flu found in the remote Australian territories of Heard Island and McDonald Islands near Antarctica, which devastated the wildlife there.

Last year, around 13,000 of a population of 17,000 elephant seal pups died there in just a few months after being exposed.

The islands are wildlife sanctuaries.

"Importantly, there have been no detections in poultry and there is no evidence of mass mortality," Jarvis said of the mainland case.

A second case of another migratory bird is also suspected near Esperance.  

Reuters contributed to this report.

Counterterrorism officials are investigating after a suspect went on a rampage in Scotland, leaving five men injured.

The attacks, which are believed to have been anti-Muslim, began near a mosque in Edinburgh where two men were injured just before 9 p.m. Friday, officials said, according to BBC News. 

The suspect, who is a 36-year-old Scottish man, also allegedly attacked three other men in another part of the city.

None of the victims, who range in age from 22 to 39, have life-threatening injuries. Three of the victims were taken to the hospital.

FLORIDA MAN INDICTED FOR ALLEGEDLY PLOTTING MASS SHOOTING TARGETING JEWISH EMPLOYEES AT ADVOCACY ORGNAIZATION

The suspect also allegedly attacked a car at a gas station, which was found with its windows smashed out and an axe inside, and he was seen pushing down shelves inside the station’s mart, BBC News reported.

He was also caught on surveillance video allegedly on the attack outside a pizzeria with a weapon, the outlet reported, adding that social media videos show havoc in other areas of the city as well.

"Officers responded to multiple reports of a fast-moving sequence of events across Edinburgh before arresting a man and public safety was our priority," Police Scotland said in a statement.

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

The man was taken into custody around 9:30 p.m. local time and he remains there.

"This was a shocking attack and my first thoughts are with those who were injured and most directly affected," Assistant Chief Constable Catriona Paton said.

She added, "I want to send a clear message of support to all our communities that there is no place for racism or faith-based hate in a Scotland which is at its best when we stand together." 

The suspect allegedly told police when he was caught that he was "protecting the country," BBC News reported.

"Extensive work is ongoing to establish all the circumstances," Paton said. "We are being supported by Counter Terrorism Policing and working under the direction of the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service.

The Muslim Council of Britain condemned the attack, saying the community is "rightly nervous and worried."

"This incident comes not long after racist pogroms on the streets of Belfast that targeted minority families, and is a direct consequence of political rhetoric that demonises entire communities," the council added. "To our community: stay vigilant, look out for one another, and please report any Islamophobic hate crimes to the police.

Israeli Ambassador to the United Nations (U.N.) Danny Danon erupted at Vanessa Frazier, the U.N. Secretary-General's Special Representative for Children and Armed Conflict, in a tense exchange over Frazier's role in placing Israel on a blacklist on sexual violence.

The pair shouted over each other during a Friday U.N. meeting marking the International Day for the Elimination of Sexual Violence in Conflict after a report Frazier helped author placed Israel on a sexual violence blacklist.

"You caved to the pressure. You caved to the Secretary General's obsession with targeting Israel. And in doing so," Danon began before Frazier chimed in.

"Wait, I'm speaking now!" Danon yelled.

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

"No, you will be quiet, because I'm speaking now! You spoke, now I speak. You spoke, and now I'll speak. Shame on you, you're part of the bullying of Israel. Shame on you, you can walk out. You spoke now, I speak. You can walk out, shame on you! You're part of this, you're part of his obsession," he continued.

The United Nations Secretary-General's office listed Israeli entities in the annex of the U.N.'s annual Conflict-Related Sexual Violence report in May. The report specifically mentioned the Israel Defense Forces, the Israel Prison Services and the country's border police Counter Terrorism Unit after U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres labeled the organizations "a party credibly suspected of committing or being responsible for patterns of rape or other sexual violence."

Danon had previously condemned the U.N.'s decision to add Israel to the blacklist and announced a freezing of relations between Israel and Guterres' office.

NETANYAHU SLAMS 'TERRORIST-SUPPORTING' UN COUNCIL THAT ACCUSED ISRAEL OF COMMITTING SEXUAL CRIMES

In a statement to Fox News, Danon's office blasted the decision as a "stain" and noted that Israel was being placed on a list with terrorist organizations.

"Israel has been placed on a blacklist alongside Hamas, ISIS, and Boko Haram. This is a moral disgrace that will be remembered as one of the darkest stains on António Guterres’ legacy," he said.

On Friday, Danon also called for U.N. Special Representative on Sexual Violence in Conflict and Under-Secretary-General of the United Nations Pramila Patten to resign. He then rebuffed an apparent attempt by Frazier to defend Patten, noting that Patten was not present at the meeting.

UN COMMISSION ACCUSES ISRAEL OF 'EXTERMINATION' IN CONTROVERSIAL REPORT

"Ms. Patten was invited here, she chose not to be here. You will allow me to finish my words. Shameful. You are part of this shameful behavior. You are a part of it. Shame on you. Shame on you," Danon shouted.

"I will speak and you will be quiet. You work for the U.N. and you will respect the rule of the U.N. Respect the rule. We will not allow you to bully us. We are a member state, and you work for the U.N., and you will be quiet now. You will be quiet. Shameful. You and your shameful report. We know why you took this position. We will not let you be part of this shameful campaign. I will finish my words. If you don't want to listen, go out," Danon continued.

UN REPORT TARGETING ISRAEL SPARKS BACKLASH, AUTHOR ACCUSED OF OVERSTEPPING HER MANDATE

Danon contended that Israel cooperated with the U.N. and that the organization did not independently review the evidence or give Israel a fair opportunity to address the allegations. He also accused Patten of lending credibility to a politically motivated campaign against Israel.

"If verifying the facts is not Ms. Patten’s responsibility, then what exactly is her responsibility?" Danon asked.

"You knew Israel had cooperated. You knew you had not reviewed the evidence yourself. Yet you chose to stand behind this falsehood. You should have said no. You should have resigned. You tried to stain Israel’s name. But the stain is not on Israel. The stain is on you," he said during the U.N. meeting.

Danon's office also plans on filing a formal complaint with the U.N. over Frazier's interruptions during the meeting, his office told Fox News Digital.

Fox News Digital contacted a spokesperson for Patten and for Frazier but did not immediately receive a response.

The European Parliament erupted into chants of "send them back" after lawmakers approved a sweeping overhaul of the European Union’s migrant return system, marking the latest sign that Europe is moving toward tougher immigration enforcement after years of growing anger and frustration from voters.

Members of the European Parliament voted on Wednesday 418 to 218, with 30 abstentions, to approve the Return Regulation, a measure designed to speed up the removal of third-country nationals who are staying illegally in the European Union.  

The moment quickly turned explosive. After the vote was announced, right-wing lawmakers stood, applauded and chanted "send them back," according to a video of the meeting. Lawmakers on the left responded by chanting "shame on you."

'YOU'RE DESTROYING YOUR COUNTRIES': IS EUROPE FINALLY HEEDING TRUMP'S WARNING ON ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION?

The legislation still requires formal approval by the Council of the European Union and publication in the Official Journal before it enters into force, but the confrontation underscored how sharply divided Europe remains over migration, even as the bloc’s institutions move ahead with policies once seen as politically taboo. 

The new rules would allow member states to detain some migrants for up to 24 months, with a possible six-month extension, and create a framework for "return hubs" outside the European Union in third countries willing to receive migrants with return decisions.

'YOU'RE DESTROYING YOUR COUNTRIES': IS EUROPE FINALLY HEEDING TRUMP'S WARNING ON ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION?

Supporters say the rules are necessary because European Union countries have struggled to enforce deportation orders. The European Conservatives and Reformists Group (ECR), citing the European Commission, said only around 20% of migrants who receive a return decision are actually returned.

The vote comes after Fox News Digital reported earlier in June that the European Union appeared to be moving toward tougher border and asylum rules amid growing concern over illegal immigration across the continent. The new measures include stricter screening, identity and security checks, and the use of biometric data such as fingerprints and facial recognition.

Conservative leaders hailed the Parliament vote as a victory. Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni called the result a "great success," calling the legislation a "historic measure," according to her post on X. 

Other right-wing figures in France and Austria praised the moment as evidence that pressure from the right was reshaping European Union policy.

Critics, however, accused lawmakers of dehumanizing migrants and weakening core protections. 

The Guardian reported that socialist vice president of the European Parliament Javi López called the plenary session "disgraceful," while Italian Green and Left Alliance Member of the European Parliament Ilaria Salis described the celebration as "horrifying."

Human rights groups have also raised alarms. 

United Nations human rights chief Volker Türk warned the new rules risk expanding detention, Reuters reported, creating offshore return hubs and weakening safeguards against forced returns.

At least one Italian tourist is dead with several more injured after a massive fire in the Dominican Republic resort town Bayahibe on Friday.

The deceased woman, 46-year-old Italian national Francesca Valentino, died at the resort's Viva Wyndham Dominicus Beach Hotel, according to the Dominican Republic's Directorate of Out-of-Hospital Emergency Services (DAEH).

At least nine other people were treated for injuries, with three of those taken to off-site medical facilities, DAEH said in a statement.

Authorities evacuated 1,690 tourists from the popular resort town, The Associated Press reported, citing local authorities.

AT LEAST 18 DEAD, 120 INJURED IN ROOF COLLAPSE AT DOMINICAN REPUBLIC NIGHTCLUB

Aerial video of the blaze showed smoke billowing from numerous beachside buildings, with large gray plumes of smoke casting dark shadows on the beach's turquoise waters.

RESIDENTS WAKE UP SCREAMING AS COPS RACE TO RESCUE THEM FROM LATE-NIGHT APARTMENT BLAZE: VIDEO

Authorities reported that "preliminary observations indicate that the fire spread rapidly due to the flammable nature ​of parts of the roof structures made of palm, as ​well as wind conditions," according to Reuters.

Guests were moved to other hotels, such as the Viva Wyndham Dominicus Palace, a nearby hotel run by the same operators as the Viva Wyndham Dominicus Beach Hotel. The Palace did not sustain any damage, according to Reuters.

"Tourist activities ​in Bayahibe and the surrounding area remain unaffected ​and ⁠continue to take place safely and as normal," the Dominican Republic's Emergency Operations Center (COE) also noted.

Video of the aftermath shows a drone spraying water on a charred and destroyed block of buildings as the structures continue to smolder.

Fox News Digital contacted DAEH, COE and Wyndham Hotels and Resorts for additional comment.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

A man was released from custody on Friday after he was charged with attempted murder for allegedly forcing a 3-year-old boy into a crocodile enclosure at a zoo.

Cambridgeshire police said that the man, who remains unidentified, wasn’t fit to be interviewed.

The boy suffered critical injuries in the incident at Johnsons of Old Hurst, a farm and zoo in Huntingdon, England, north of London.

The 30-year-old man will remain on bail until Sept. 30, pending further inquiries.

GEORGIA MOM’S WALMART TRIP DEVOLVES INTO ‘TUG-OF-WARRING’ IN DESPERATE ATTEMPT TO SAVE HER SON

"The man, who is not known to the victim, was ​assessed as ​not being ⁠fit for interview," police said in a statement.

The boy is in stable condition, after reportedly suffering a broken arm and pelvis.

He was saved from the crocodile by Tracey Johnson, the wife of the zoo’s owner.

MOTHER JUMPS INTO WATER TO SAVE 4-YEAR-OLD DAUGHTER WHO FELL BETWEEN CRUISE SHIP AND DOCK

 "I know Tracey very well and she’s a lovely lady and it’s nothing more than I’d expect from her," a local told BBC News. "She’d always put her own life at risk to save someone else. She’s an extraordinary lady and very brave.

The villager added that Johnson put herself in "immense danger" during the rescue.

The owners said their tropical house would remain closed until further notice.

"Our thoughts and prayers are with the boy and his family following the incident that occurred today," the owners wrote on social media.

Huntingdonshire district councillor Charlotte Lowe said she couldn’t "fathom how it’s happened because they’ve got all the right protection and safety equipment, for want of a better word, in there," The Guardian reported.

Fox News Digital has reached out to the Cambridgeshire Constabulary for comment.

Authorities are responding after two passenger trains crashed into each other Friday near Bedford, England, killing one person and injuring nearly 90 others.

The East of England Ambulance Service said it was called to a collision involving two trains at Elstow, near Bedford, at about 5:15 p.m. local time and quickly declared a "major incident."

One person died at the scene, 11 people suffered very serious injuries, 22 were seriously injured and 56 people had minor injuries, officials said.

Bedford is roughly 60 miles north of London.

2 TRAINS COLLIDE IN DENMARK, LEAVING 5 PEOPLE CRITICALLY INJURED

All the patients with the most serious injuries have been taken from the scene to hospital.

The ambulance service said it sent numerous resources to the scene, including more than 20 ambulances, specialist hazardous area response teams and six air ambulances.

MULTIPLE STABBED IN UK TRAIN ATTACK NEAR CAMBRIDGE AS POLICE ARREST 2 SUSPECTS

"Our thoughts are with everyone affected, and we thank all emergency service colleagues for their swift response," the ambulance service wrote in a statement.

The Bedfordshire Fire and Rescue Service confirmed its crews were also responding.

"Please avoid the area," fire officials wrote in a statement on X.

Sources told The Telegraph the train driver was on the phone with maintenance staff discussing a safety issue at the time of the crash.

This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.

Andy Burnham has officially won his special election and regained a seat in Parliament, setting him up to challenge the deeply unpopular Keir Starmer as the leader of the Labour party and as prime minister.

Burnham, currently the mayor of Greater Manchester in northwest England, won a seat in Makerfield and came away with 55% of the vote in a field of more than a dozen candidates, according to The Associated Press. The runner-up was Rob Kenyon of Reform UK, a right-wing populist party, who received more than 9,000 fewer votes than Burnham.

Burnham last served as a member of Parliament in 2017 but strongly implied in his victory speech that he is returning with the intention to lead the United Kingdom.

"Everyone knows that politics isn’t working. Everyone can feel that the country isn’t where it should be. Tonight could, just could, be the turning point," he said, according to the AP. "This result will bring about a country that works fairly for everywhere and for everybody."

TRUMP ALLY NIGEL FARAGE DEALS MAJOR BLOW TO STARMER IN LOCAL UK ELECTIONS AS RESIGNATION CALLS MOUNT

This special election, called by-elections in Britain, was unusually significant because the area's Labour MP, Josh Simons, intentionally resigned to allow Burnham to win the seat and pursue leadership.

The potentially outsized impact of this election was juxtaposed with the strange scene that unfolded when all the candidates gathered on Friday morning to hear the results. Burnham stood in between an independent candidate dressed in a fox costume and another candidate known as "Count Binface".

As his name suggests, "Count Binface," whose real name is Jonathan David Harvey, was wearing a trash can on his head and regularly runs in U.K. elections to advocate for increased voter turnout.

Starmer congratulated Burnham in a social media post on X, saying voters "chose Labour’s campaign of hope and optimism over division and hate."

When asked about Burnham's intentions to oust him as leader, Starmer said he will fight to remain prime minister, a position he has held for nearly two years.

"I’ve said repeatedly I’m not going to walk away from that," Starmer told reporters.

AS EPSTEIN-LINKED APPOINTMENT SPARKS BACKLASH, UK PM STARMER FACES PARTY REVOLT AMID RESIGNATION CALLS

Starmer led the Labour party to a landslide victory in July 2024 and ever since, his popularity has been eroding thanks to a persistently high cost of living, an anemic economy and a scandal over his willingness to accept gifts from wealthy donors.

Last September, Starmer was slammed for appointing Peter Mandelson as the British ambassador to the United States, when it was known as early as 2019 that Mandelson had a friendship with convicted child sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. Following an enormous public backlash, Mandelson was quickly dismissed from his post.

With Starmer as leader, Labour is increasingly losing liberal-minded voters to the Green Party, while also facing stronger challenges by Reform UK, a Nigel Farage-led party that advocates against mass migration and in favor of tighter border controls. Farage, an ally of U.S. President Donald Trump, said he was disappointed by Burnham's victory.

Burnham is expected to head to London to be sworn in as soon as Monday. Under the British parliamentary system, the governing party can hold leadership elections in the middle of the term. The winner of such a contest can become prime minister without there having to be a national election.

Under Labour rules, a lawmaker can challenge the leader if they win the backing of a fifth of their party's members in the House of Commons. Burnham has enough lawmakers on board to trigger a leadership contest, according to a report from The New Statesman.

According to the AP, Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy said Burnham and Starmer will "have a conversation about what comes next" in the next few days.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

A proposed $300 billion investment fund for Iran included in the U.S.–Iran memorandum of understanding may face major legal obstacles under existing U.S. sanctions law, raising questions about whether the plan is workable even if both sides move toward a final agreement.

The memorandum, digitally signed Wednesday by President Donald Trump and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, is aimed at ending the war and restoring traffic through the Strait of Hormuz. As part of the 14-point plan, the U.S. agreed to lift sanctions on Iran, allow Tehran to increase its oil revenue and regain access to parts of the international banking system, among other measures.

But one of the most ambitious parts of the framework — a proposed $300 billion private investment fund for Iran’s reconstruction and development — may collide with a longstanding U.S. determination that Iran’s construction sector is controlled directly or indirectly by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.

The issue is not just technical. It goes to whether one of the central economic promises of the Trump-Iran framework can realistically be executed under current U.S. law. If the $300 billion fund depends on investment in sectors Washington has already identified as IRGC-controlled, experts say the administration may be forced to rely on temporary waivers or new licenses — a legal structure that could make long-term investors wary and complicate any final deal.

TOP SENATE REPUBLICAN RIPS INTO TRUMP'S IRAN DEAL, SAYS $300 BILLION MAKES OBAMA DEAL LOOK LIKE 'A PITTANCE'

The State Department formally determined in 2020, and again in May 2025, that Iran’s construction sector was controlled directly or indirectly by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. Under the Iran Freedom and Counter-Proliferation Act, known as IFCA, that finding creates sanctions risks for people or companies doing business in the sector.

Miad Maleki, a senior fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies and a former Treasury Office of Foreign Assets Control executive, told Fox News Digital that the legal and sanctions-related problems surrounding the fund are more complicated than simply asking whether Congress would have to approve it.

"I think Congress is unavoidable for a durable version of that investment," Maleki said. "If we have a final deal and now as part of this commitment, the U.S. government and allies are going to have to go in and help Iran to set up this fund or get access to such a fund."

Maleki said the president has meaningful unilateral authority to begin easing restrictions. Trump could revoke relevant executive orders, direct the Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control to issue general licenses and waive some congressional sanctions laws.

But he said that does not mean the fund would be durable enough to attract serious investors.

"Technically, the fund could be switched on through some kind of an executive action plan alone, but it would be on paper and it would have to be renewed every 180 days," Maleki said, referring to waivers for mandatory sanctions tied to Iran’s construction sector.

JD VANCE REVEALS DETAILS OF US-IRAN DEAL, ADDRESSES WHETHER TAXPAYER MONEY WILL GO TO TEHRAN

"If you’re anyone who is in an investment-type business, it’s hard to find someone who would be investing in construction-type projects that take time," he added. "These projects are not like 180-day projects."

The concern, Maleki said, is especially acute in Iran, where investors would face sanctions uncertainty, political risk and an unreliable partner.

"It’s hard to find someone who would be investing ... based on something that could not just be renewed if Iran, especially in the context of Iran, where you don’t really have a reliable partner, where things can blow up any minute," he said.

TRUMP'S IRAN DEAL 'GIVING A LOT MORE TO GET A LOT LESS' THAN OBAMA'S, SENATOR SAYS

That structure raises a broader question about whether negotiators were truly expecting the memorandum to mature into a final, durable agreement.

"The more I’ve been digging into this memorandum of understanding, sanctions paragraphs of this memorandum, the more I have come to this kind of doubt that the negotiators really were counting on a final deal to be reached," Maleki said.

"If you do get to a final agreement and you’re looking into actually meeting the commitments that you made, this $300 billion investment fund, it’s not something you can really set up," he added. "I think it would be almost close to impossible to get something that would materialize."

READ IT: THE FULL TEXT OF THE US-IRAN MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING:

Maleki said one possible explanation is that the U.S. side may view its role as limited to providing sanctions relief, while leaving Iran and potential investors to sort out whether the fund can actually be built.

"We’re going to give them the waivers that they need. If they can’t find investors to invest in this, that’s their problem," he said, describing one possible view of the negotiators’ approach.

The Treasury Department and the Iranian mission to the U.N. did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.

The issue could become a congressional flashpoint. Because IFCA waivers are limited to 180 days and require justification to Congress, any long-term investment framework for Iran could force the administration to repeatedly defend why sanctions tied to an IRGC-controlled sector should be suspended.

The legal obstacles also come as critics warn the pact gives Iran major economic benefits while leaving some of the most difficult nuclear and security questions for future negotiations. Maleki said the U.S. had already built significant leverage over Iran through sanctions, military pressure and the blockade, but may now be trading that leverage for the reopening of Hormuz.

"We reached a point that we had leverage that no U.S. president has ever had with Iran," Maleki said. "Yet we gave that away for this, for the opening of the Strait of Hormuz."

He argued that Iran is likely to use the process to delay rather than rush toward a final agreement.

"Iran is going to go back to its playbook of dragging, buying time with the sanctions relief-type incentives that I’m seeing in this package," Maleki said. "I do not think that the Iranian regime is going to rush to get to a deal."

John Hannah, a senior fellow at the Jewish Institute for National Security of America and a former national security adviser to Vice President Dick Cheney, warned that any economic windfall from the agreement could help the IRGC rebuild.

"It’s almost certain that the IRGC will use any economic windfall granted by this MOU to reconstitute as much of their conventional military as possible as fast as possible — especially the vast missile and drone arsenal that the IRGC believes proved critical to the strategic successes they achieved during the war," Hannah told Fox News Digital.

This week, President Donald Trump and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi came face-to-face at the G7 summit in France, their first such encounter since February 2025. Rather than his trademark bear hug, Modi greeted Trump with a smile and handshake.

Then on Wednesday, the two held a bilateral meeting. It was a friendly chat, but one that came against a backdrop of compounding tensions.

As India works at restoring its relationship with Washington, its arch-foe Pakistan has expanded its own diplomatic profile, complicating India's campaign against its nuclear-armed rival.

COMMERCE SECRETARY HOWARD LUTNICK MAKES QUIET TRIP TO INDIA DAYS AFTER TARIFF SETBACK

For years, India built an international case against Pakistan, projecting it as an isolated or destabilizing state. This hardline stance appeared to be working, with Modi declaring to Pakistan, "India has been successful in isolating you, and we will intensify those efforts." 

But a decade later, Pakistan is rapidly emerging as a key global player in the region and beyond.

While Modi initially tried to engage Pakistan, his government’s approach eventually hardened around the mantra that "terror and talks cannot coexist."

In Washington, India has typically been favored, with Presidents Trump, Biden, Obama and George W. Bush all making visits during their time in office.

Modi built a rapport with Trump during his first term in office and was one of the first world leaders invited to the White House after Trump’s inauguration. But over the past year, that relationship has come under strain as Islamabad quietly clawed its way back to credibility.

"India misjudged Trump in term two, banking on once friendly relations," Sid Dubey, a visiting professor at Bennett University in India, told Fox News Digital. "They have yet to start recovering from that."

PRESIDENT TRUMP, INDIA'S MODI TO TACKLE TRADE, TARIFF TENSIONS AT HIGH-STAKES MEETING

The shift first became apparent in May 2025, when President Trump announced he had secured a ceasefire between nuclear-armed India and Pakistan. The fighting had come over India-administered Kashmir and was the worst in decades.

Islamabad promptly praised Trump for ending the deadly dispute and even nominated him for a Nobel Peace Prize. New Delhi, however, rejected the claim, insisting the ceasefire was the result of direct bilateral talks with Pakistan.

The response reflected India’s long-standing sensitivity to third-party involvement in what it fiercely maintains is a bilateral dispute.

In the months that followed, frictions only deepened.

President Trump hit India with some of the steepest tariffs imposed on any major economy. Meanwhile, U.S. sanctions pressure on Russian oil rattled energy import-dependent India, while disputes over H-1B visas added further strain. Analysts say Trump’s America First agenda increasingly overshadowed the friendship Modi had cultivated during Trump’s first term.

"When Trump unfortunately said the May 2025 clash ended because of him personally, that upset India a lot, and they made that known," Dubey said. "Then the tariffs were another slap in India’s face. Meanwhile, Pakistan took advantage, leaving India at a bit of a loss. From there, relations fell further with the Iran conflict."

India is among the countries most indirectly affected by the strategic fallout from the Iran war, facing economic pressure and mounting energy concerns.

IRAN WAR FUELS ASIA ENERGY CRUNCH AS INDIA, JAPAN, OTHERS FEEL STRAIN

Last week, a U.S. strike further exacerbated tensions after three Indian seafarers became collateral damage in the conflict. They were the first and only seafarers confirmed killed as part of the U.S. blockade, sparking outrage across India.

New Delhi instantly summoned Washington’s Chargé d’Affaires Jason Meeks, expressing deep concern over the renewed attacks and arguing that its nationals were becoming casualties in a war not their own.

India also warned of the broader humanitarian, economic, and energy consequences of the conflict, which are expected to linger even as an agreement has now been reached.

All the while, Pakistan was gaining diplomatic visibility, finding itself in the unusual position of currying favor in Washington while maintaining deep ties with China, Iran and the Gulf states.

Pakistan’s prominent role in recent months highlighted how Islamabad has been more nimble in its diplomacy than India," Council on Foreign Relations Senior Fellow Sadanand Dhume told Fox News Digital. "Additionally, Pakistan decisively outmaneuvered India’s quixotic bid to isolate Pakistan on the world stage."

Regional dynamics have also been reshaped by the two rivals' competing strategies. India has deepened its strategic partnership with the U.S. through alliances such as the Quad partnership with the U.S., Australia, and Japan and has expanded cooperation across South Asian states, including a burgeoning relationship with Afghanistan. Meanwhile, Pakistan’s growing regional relevance has been reflected in its strengthened ties with China, improved relations with regional partners like Bangladesh and expanded security cooperation with Gulf states.

RUBIO VISIT TO INDIA PUSHES DEEPER ENERGY TIES AS IRAN CONFLICT RATTLES GLOBAL OIL MARKETS

Additionally, Trump, who accused Pakistan of "deceit and lies" during his first term, has since repeatedly praised its leadership. In June 2025, the president invited Pakistan’s army chief Asim Munir to the White House for a high-profile lunch meeting.

Munir was the first Pakistani military chief who was not also president to be hosted by a U.S. president. He also led the war effort against India earlier that year. 

Trump described Munir as his "favorite Field Marshal" and an "exceptional human being." 

Their relationship has been further reflected in trade deals and, most recently, Pakistan’s role as a principal mediator in restoring diplomacy between the U.S. and Iran.

"India tried to make Pakistan an international pariah. Instead, Pakistan has wormed its way into Trump’s good books through a combination of concrete co-operation with the U.S. and outrageous flattery of the president, leading to Trump elevating Field Marshal Asim Munir and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif as heroes," Dhume said.

India, meanwhile, has maintained close ties with Israel while generally sticking to more measured messaging. 

TRUMP’S FAVORITE FIELD MARSHAL: WHO IS PAKISTAN’S POWERFUL ARMY CHIEF ASIM MUNIR WITH DEEP INTEL TIES

On June 15, upon the agreement of a deal with Iran, Modi released a statement, saying, "India hopes that the implementation of this understanding will help restore peace and stability in the region and ensure the freedom of navigation and commerce."

"Hats off to Pakistan. They worked really hard to bring this awfully disruptive war with Iran to an end," Dubey told Fox. "India unfortunately lost out by not seeking to be a problem solver like Pakistan. It could have played its cards better as a peacemaker, given its traditionally strong relations with Tehran."

Still, analysts caution these are rapidly evolving dynamics. There is no guarantee that Pakistan’s current moment will last, and the tide for India could still turn.

"Pakistan’s mediation role has allowed it to substantially reset its international image. It has positioned itself as a responsible international actor rather than a rogue state responsible for both nuclear proliferation and exporting Islamic terrorism. How long this lasts depends in large measure on two things: will Pakistan find a way to remain in Trump’s good books, and will it be able to change its behavior sufficiently to convince the world that it has indeed turned over a new leaf," Dhume told Fox News Digital.

Meanwhile, India is working to regain its position and show the U.S. it is still a reliable partner.

Marco Rubio visited India last month, his first since becoming Trump’s top diplomat last year, which was widely seen as an attempt to reset ties. 

Trump and Modi's G7 meeting marked another significant step. 

Trump praised Modi as "calm, cool and totally killer" and said he would be traveling to India "sometime in the future." India has been pressing Trump for a visit, potentially as part of a broader meeting involving Japan and Australia.

Trump also said the United States would defend India.

"If anybody attacks that man, we're going to be there," Trump said, referring to Modi. "Now, if there’s a new leader, I’m not sure about it."

The Pakistani and Indian governments did not respond to Fox News Digital requests for comment.

Iran’s hardline parliament speaker and key negotiator Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf warned that Tehran would not honor its commitments under a newly signed memorandum with the U.S. if Washington fails to uphold its side of the deal, according to the media arm of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. 

"If the United States does not honor its commitments, there is no way Iran will honor its own commitments," Ghalibaf said, according to the outlet.

Ghalibaf’s warning was echoed Thursday by Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Quds Force commander Esmail Qaani, who threatened the U.S. in remarks translated by MEMRI TV, saying, "Americans should know their place and avoid confronting the Muslims." 

Qaani added that "Trump is trembling" and warned that the U.S. "should fear not only Hormuz and Bab al-Mandeb, but many other locations as well."

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The warnings came after President Donald Trump and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian Wednesday digitally signed a copy of the memorandum aimed at ending the war and resuming the flow of traffic through the Strait of Hormuz.

The memorandum gives Iran major economic relief while leaving some of the most difficult nuclear questions for a final agreement to be negotiated throughout the next 60 days. Under the 14-point plan read by a senior U.S. official, Washington agreed to begin lifting its naval blockade, work with regional partners on a $300 billion reconstruction and development plan for Iran, and terminate U.S., U.N. and other sanctions on an agreed schedule as part of a final deal. 

The memorandum also says all licenses, waivers and permissions needed for related financial transactions would be granted by the United States.

In return, Iran reaffirmed that it "shall not procure or develop nuclear weapons," and the two sides agreed to resolve the fate of Iran’s stockpiled enriched material under a future mechanism, with the minimum method being on-site down-blending under International Atomic Energy Agency supervision. 

The agreement defers many of the hardest questions — including how to wind down Iran’s nuclear program — until the 60-day negotiation period for a final deal.

But the Iranian figure at the center of the deal is not a diplomat known for moderation. 

Ghalibaf, a former Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps commander and longtime regime insider, has threatened American forces, vowed Trump would "pay the price" and built his career through loyalty to Iran’s security establishment.

The new warning underscored what experts say is the central risk of the agreement: Washington may be entering a deal with officials who can enforce Iran’s commitments, but who have shown little sign of changing the regime’s long-term posture toward the U.S., Israel or the region. 

Ghalibaf, 64, is a product of Iran’s security establishment. He rose through the ranks of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps during the Iran-Iraq War, eventually becoming commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps air force. 

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

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

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

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

Behnam Ben Taleblu, a senior fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, said the image of Ghalibaf at a signing ceremony with a senior U.S. official would be a propaganda victory for the regime.

"There was a time when the Islamic Republic would have been terrified to be seen signing such a thing," Ben Taleblu told Fox News Digital. "Post-war, this is a sign of the regime’s opportunism, and no one identifies that opportunism better than someone like Ghalibaf, who comes from the IRGC, who is a corrupt politician and is a wheeler and dealer."

But Taleblu warned that Washington should not confuse Ghalibaf’s opportunism with moderation. 

"The mirage is the myth of Iranian military moderation and the myth that, with time, this regime will integrate and put aside all the things that have kept it on the sidelines for so long," he said. "Transforming Iran via a deal — that is a huge lift."

Ghalibaf’s wartime statements reflect the hardline posture inside Iran’s leadership. In remarks aired on Iranian television on Jan. 12 and translated by MEMRI, he warned that U.S. forces would face catastrophic consequences if they confronted Iran.

"Come, so you can see what catastrophe befalls American bases, ships and forces," he said, adding that American troops would be "burned by the fire of Iran’s defenders."

TRUMP ADMINISTRATION UNVEILS SWEEPING TERMS OF PROPOSED IRAN AGREEMENT

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

John Hannah, a senior fellow at the Jewish Institute for National Security of America and a former national security adviser to Vice President Dick Cheney, said Ghalibaf’s expected role reflects the reality of who holds power inside Iran. 

"If you’re going to sign an agreement with Iran, those are the forces in charge and calling the shots, presumably with the approval of the new Supreme Leader," Hannah told Fox News Digital. "If the U.S. harbors hope that Iran will ever implement any of their obligations under the MOU, these are the people — odious as they are — capable of making it happen."

But Hannah said the central question is whether Iran’s leadership sees compliance as useful, or whether the agreement is simply a tactical pause.

"The big question is whether they see it in their interest to do so, or are they only buying time, rebuilding their power and preparing for the next round of conflict," he said.

Ben Taleblu was even more blunt, warning that even a seemingly favorable agreement would not change the nature of the regime.

"Even if you’ve got the perfect deal, with this kind of regime, with this kind of mentality, they will escalate," he said. "I thought we would have learned by now what the regime did after the JCPOA. It built a vast missile arsenal. It literally built an empire of terror proxies that took Israel years of blood, effort and money to dismantle, backed by American support."

"If we engage in pay-to-play with these guys," he added, "I’m sorry to sound the alarm bell like this — but something tells me this is bad either way."

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