INTERNACIONAL
What’s next for Iran’s terror army, the IRGC, after devastating military setbacks?
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Once a revolutionary militia, Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps built power through ideology and fear. Now, after devastating losses, its future is uncertain.
After major military setbacks, Iran’s IRGC faces a turning point. Experts explain its roots, power, and whether its reign of repression and terror can endure.
Once a fringe militia born of revolution, Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) has grown into the regime’s most feared and powerful force. But according to Dr. Afshon Ostovar, a leading expert on Iran and author of «Vanguard of the Imam: Religion, Politics, and Iran’s Revolutionary Guards,» said the recent U.S. and Israeli strikes in Iran may have permanently altered its trajectory.
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An Iraqi youth holds a picture of Major General Mohammad Rabbani, a commander in the Iranian Revolutionary Guard who was killed in the Israeli bombing of Tehran, during a pro-Iran protest in Baghdad near the green zone, the ultra-secured neighborhood hosting the US embassy on June 16, 2025, amid the Israel-Iran escalating conflict. (AHMAD AL-RUBAYE/AFP via Getty Images)
«What the IRGC tried to achieve over the last 25 years is basically toast,» Ostovar told Fox News Digital, «Their campaign to build a military deterrent at home through missiles and nuclear enrichment, and to expand regionally through proxies, has essentially collapsed.»
Founded in the wake of the 1979 revolution, the IRGC was created to safeguard and spread the Islamic Republic’s values — often through violence. Ostovar describes how its legitimacy evolved over time, initially drawn from the overthrow of the Shah, then the Iran-Iraq War, and later through the manufactured narrative of an eternal struggle with the U.S. and Israel.
Behnam Ben Taleblu, Senior Director of FDD’s Iran Program Behnam Ben Taleblu, told Fox News Digital the IRGC’s origin reflects a deep mistrust of Iran’s traditional military, which had remained loyal to the Shah.
«The IRGC were created through efforts to collect pro-regime armed gangs called Komitehs. They enforced revolutionary edicts and developed a parallel and ideological military force due to clerical skepticism in the national army,» he explained.
People move past a large banner featuring portraits of slain leaders from Iran-aligned armed groups, including Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar, Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah, and Iranian commander Qasem Soleimani, in central Tehran, Iran, on May 1, 2025. (MOHAMMADALI NAJIB/Middle East Images/AFP via Getty Images)
«The IRGC are tasked with preserving and defending the revolution in Iran,» Taleblu said. «That’s one reason why the 1979 Islamic Revolution has not been tamed, nor has the regime’s extremism lost any luster. If anything, terrorism and hostage-taking have continued.»
«They created a boogeyman in the U.S. and Israel,» Ostovar added. «But today, that ideology no longer resonates with most Iranians. The majority want better relations with the West and are tired of the regime’s isolationist stance.»
Today, the IRGC is deeply intertwined with the clerical elite. «The IRGC and the clerical elite are partners in power, treating Iran as a springboard to export their revolution,» Taleblu noted.
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Over the past year, Iran has suffered a series of strategic defeats: Hezbollah has been degraded in Lebanon, Hamas crippled in Gaza, Syria effectively lost, and Iranian military infrastructure — including nuclear and missile sites — destroyed in many cases by U.S. and Israeli strikes. Ostovar says these losses have decimated the IRGC’s regional footprint and forced the regime to reevaluate its strategy.
«They can try to rebuild everything — but that would take too long and be too difficult,» he said. «More likely, we’ll see them repress harder at home and lean on China and Russia to rebuild conventional military capabilities like air defense and advanced jets.»
Members of the Iranian revolutionary guard march during a parade. The IRGC is designated as a foreign terrorist organization by the State Department. A large part of its work is to covertly operate outside of Iran. (Reuters)
Internally, the IRGC’s economic empire is also under growing strain. Sanctions, cyberattacks, and battlefield losses have made operations far more difficult. Ostovar said that foreign banks avoid any connection with Iran out of fear they may inadvertently deal with IRGC-linked entities, forcing the group to operate through front companies abroad. «They’ve lost a lot, and now they’ll have to redirect their limited resources to rebuild. That’s going to stretch them even thinner.»
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Despite these pressures, both Ostovar and Taleblu agree that the IRGC is unlikely to turn against the regime. «Much like the regime elite, the IRGC is at a crossroads,» Taleblu said. «They have lost much of their strategic brain trust, but are likely to remain loyal for a combination of ideological and material reasons — so long as the status quo doesn’t change.»
Looking ahead, Iran may shift focus inward, relying more on domestic repression than on external terror. «They can’t get weapons into Gaza. They’ve lost access to Lebanon. They may still attempt terrorism, but they’ve failed repeatedly — especially against Israeli targets,» Ostovar said. «In contrast, repressing their own people is something they can do easily.»
He warns that Iran could become «more insular, more autocratic — more like North Korea than what it is today.» While regime collapse is always a possibility, Ostovar believes autocracies are often resilient. «Look at Venezuela or Cuba — they’ve run their countries into the ground but still hold on to power.»
In this photo released by the Iranian Red Crescent Society rescuers work at the scene of an explosion after an Israeli strike in Tehran, Iran, Friday, June 13, 2025. (Iranian Red Crescent Society via AP)
Ostovar thinks change — and not for the better — could come via generational shift. «The IRGC’s younger cadre is less religious but no less hardline,» he said. «They may not care about hijabs, but they’ve spent the last two decades fighting the U.S. and Israel in Iraq, Syria, and Lebanon. That’s the war they know.»
Some reformist elements within the regime envision a different path — one focused on normalization and growth. «They want to preserve the regime not by fighting the world, but by opening up to it,» Ostovar said. «They look more to Vietnam or China as models.»
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Taleblu warned that despite recent setbacks, the IRGC’s grip remains strong. «Right now, the Guards have power without accountability, wielding political, economic, and military influence in Iranian policy. How this influence is channeled by the next generation of Guardsmen remains to be seen.»
Hay canciones que pasan a la historia, ya sea por su melodía, por las voces que las interpretan o sus letras. The Independent realizó un ranking de las 40 mejores letras de canciones en inglés de todos los tiempos. Bandas como Nirvana, The Beatles o Abba forman parte del listado. Según el ranking, las canciones se destacaron no solo por su música o interpretación, sino también por la fuerza de sus palabras, capaces de dejar una huella en distintas generaciones.
La lista está encabezada por ‘All Apologies’ de Nirvana. El tema está incluido en el álbum In Utero de 1993. Cobain escribió esta canción dirigiéndose tanto a Courtney Love como a su hija, Frances Bean. Para muchos, este track logra transmitir con especial nitidez el malestar interno y la rabia del músico, a la vez que se entrelaza con una profunda declaración de amor hacia su familia.
Según The Independent, el mensaje contenido en esta canción supera la tragedia personal de Cobain y subraya la permanencia del afecto más allá de la ausencia física. Apenas seis meses después del lanzamiento, el artista se quitó la vida y dejó atrás de sí un tema que muchos consideran imprescindible para comprender el significado de su legado artístico.
El listado continúa con Nine Inch Nails, ‘Hurt’. El tema, escrito e interpretado por Trent Reznor, hace un retrato directo de la autodestrucción y el sufrimiento, elementos presentes desde la primera grabación. Si bien Reznor nunca precisó si el trasfondo hace referencia al consumo de heroína, el texto y la atmósfera de la canción transmiten una carga emotiva que oscila entre el dolor y una poesía sombría.
Joy Division con su hit ‘Love Will Tear Us Apart’ da continuidad al ranking. “¿Por qué el dormitorio está tan frío volteado de tu lado?, ¿Mi sincronización es tan imperfecta, nuestro respeto se ha agotado?“, cita la letra. El sencillo, escrito por Ian Curtis, refleja matices de su propia experiencia personal, marcada por la crisis matrimonial y una inminente tragedia.
La canción sobresale por una combinación de melodía vibrante y una lírica de gran vulnerabilidad. La composición no transmite un mensaje sombrío en sí mismo, sino que transforma su tristeza en una pieza conmovedora, donde la humanidad del autor adquiere toda su dimensión.
Arcade Fire, ‘Sprawl II Mountains Beyond Mountains’ continúa la lista. Junto a la voz de Régine Chassagne, la canción aporta una atmósfera única. La melodía logra materializar emociones latentes y anhelos de escapar de la uniformidad.
El ranking, presentado por The Independent, sigue con Beyoncé, ‘Formation’; Laura Marling, ‘Ghosts’; LCD Soundsystem, ‘Losing My Edge’; Leonard Cohen, ‘So Long, Marianne’; The Libertines, ‘Can’t Stand Me Now’; Kate Bush, ‘Cloudbusting’; Nick Cave, ‘Into My Arms’; The Sisters of Mercy, ‘This Corrosion’ y Sultans of Ping FC con ‘Where’s Me Jumper?’
Seguidamente, el medio español posicionó entre los mejores temas a ‘There Is a Light That Never Goes Out’, de The Smiths; ‘I’m On Fire’ de Bruce Springsteen; ‘Father Lucifer’ de Tori Amos; ‘Black Steel in the Hour of Chaos’ de Public Enemy y ‘Pools (Drank)’ de Kendrick Lamar.
Mientras la comunidad afroamericana afrontaba las consecuencias de políticas conservadoras, Prince decidió abordar en su tema principal cuestiones como la violencia asociada a las pandillas, la pandemia del sida, tensiones políticas y catástrofes naturales. Con este enfoque, el cantante dejó atrás su aislamiento creativo y presentó ‘Sign O ‘The Times’, una canción donde la reflexión social y el comentario sobre realidades urgentes pasaron a primer plano.
En el listado no podían faltar los Rolling Stones. Si bien tienen grandes letras, en ‘Gimme Shelter’ recrean la atmósfera de inestabilidad y amenaza constante de la época. La composición captura el miedo y la incertidumbre de una sociedad al borde de la ruptura. Asimismo consolida el legado de Mick Jagger, Keith Richards y sus compañeros como cronistas musicales de un periodo turbulento.
Si de turbulencias se trata, David Bowie es uno de los artistas que, durante su vida, atravesó momentos turbulentos. Estos periodos fueron de gran inspiración para el músico a la hora de componer. ‘Station to Station’ es una de las canciones grabadas en los días más oscuros de Bowie. El músico lidiaba con su adicción a las drogas en Los Ángeles mientras buscaba refugio en las letras.
El ranking continúa con ‘Supersonic’, de Oasis; ‘Born Slippy’ de Underworld; ‘Landslide’ de Fleetwood Mac; ‘Graceland’ de Paul Simon; ‘Take a Walk on the Wild Side’ de Lou Reed; ‘Every Time the Sun Comes Up’, de Sharon Van Etten; ‘Gloria’ de Patti Smith; y ‘Hotel California’ de Eagles.
Thin Lizzy sigue el listado con ‘The Boys are Back in Town’. Le sigue Nina Simone con ‘Four Women’; St. Vincent ‘Digital Witnesses’; Frank Ocean con ‘Pink + White’. El ranking continúa con ‘Dinner at Eight’ de Rufus Wainwright; ‘It’s Alright Ma’’ de Bob Dylan; ‘The Winner Takes it All’ de Abba y ‘I Wanna Be Adored’ de The Stone Roses.
En los tres últimos puestos se encuentran ‘The World is Yours’ de Nas; ‘When I’m Sixty Four’ de The Beatles y Beck con ‘Loser’. Este último es uno de los éxitos más recordados de Beck. Surgió a partir de una autocrítica espontánea después de escuchar una versión preliminar del tema. El propio músico reconoció sentirse «el peor rapero del mundo» y se definió como “un perdedor”.
Esta percepción no solo alimentó el concepto de la canción, sino que inspiró el famoso estribillo que acabó identificando al tema. A pesar de la aparente falta de coherencia en la letra, la composición logra crear una atmósfera singular gracias a su escritura en flujo de conciencia, un recurso que genera magnetismo incluso en lo absurdo.
INTERNACIONAL
House Republicans warn anti-ICE rhetoric from Democrats is driving violent attacks on agents
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President Donald Trump’s crackdown on illegal immigration and deportation rollout has ignited anti-Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) protests across the United States.
House Republicans told Fox News Digital there is a parallel between Democrats’ rhetoric against federal immigration officers amid this crackdown and the surge in violence against ICE and Border Protection (CBP) officers.
«The increasingly violent attacks against law enforcement are being egged on by irresponsible Democratic politicians,» Rep. Tom McClintock, R-Calif., said in an exclusive interview.
Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Kristi Noem on Monday blamed Democrats’ «sanctuary city policies» for the shooting of an off-duty CBP officer in New York City.
NOEM WARNS OF ‘UNPRECEDENTED’ THREAT LEVEL FOR ICE AGENTS, BLAMES ‘LIES’ FROM DEMOCRATS
A split image of demonstrators in New York City protesting the Trump administration’s use of the Alien Enemies Act to more quickly deport certain migrants from the U.S. to El Salvador, alongside a photo of U.S. President Donald Trump at the White House in 2025. (Getty Images)
A second illegal immigrant has been apprehended in connection to the shooting of the CBP officer. He was reportedly struck in the face and forearm in Manhattan’s Riverside Park on Saturday night. Miguel Francisco Mora Nunez, a Dominican national who was caught by Border Patrol in April 2023, was taken into custody following the shooting.
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«Without enforcing our immigration laws, we have no immigration laws,» McClintock continued. «Without immigration laws, we have no border, and without a border we have no country. And that’s what Americans suffered for four long years with the open borders policies of the Biden administration.»
Democrat Sens. Alex Padilla and Cory Booker, two of the leading Capitol Hill critics of Trump’s illegal immigration crackdown, have introduced legislation that would require immigration enforcement officers to clearly identify themselves without masks.
Rep. Andrew Clyde, R-Ga, told Fox News Digital that he has «absolutely» seen an increase in violence, explaining that when a member of Congress uses «radical rhetoric,» people take it to heart.
US soldiers seen at the US-Mexican border in New Mexico on May 8, 2025. (Can Hasasu/Anadolu via Getty Images)
«We should be applauding them. We should be thankful to them. They are literally removing criminal aliens from our midst and making us a safer nation. And yet these radical Democrats are inflaming the public. And as a result, you’re seeing more violence against them. And it’s unconscionable that they do that,» Clyde said.
Federal immigration law enforcement officers have been targeted since Trump signed his «big, beautiful bill» into law, which includes legislation for robust immigration reform. There were at least two ambushes in Texas, and protesters clashed with federal officers at the Portland, Oregon, ICE facility, over the Fourth of July weekend.
Rep. Michael Guest, R-Miss., told Fox News Digital that there has been «growing rhetoric by many on the Democratic side» from everyone except Sen. John Fetterman, D-Pa. Particularly in Los Angeles, Guest pointed to California Gov. Gavin Newsom’s and Mayor Karen Bass’ anti-ICE rhetoric as protests delved into riots in the West Coast city last month.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents, along with other federal law enforcement agencies, attend a pre-enforcement meeting in Chicago on Jan. 26, 2025. (Christopher Dilts/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
Bass has signed a series of executive orders aimed at impeding ICE deportation raids in Los Angeles, criticizing the «unconstitutional, reckless raids» and establishing a Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) working group that expands resources for families impacted by Trump’s deportation rollout.
«When we have Democrats constantly attacking our ICE agents for what they’re doing, demonizing them for enforcing the law, that is going to create more violence, and the situation is going to get worse and not better,» Guest added.
Rep. Mariannette Miller‑Meeks, R‑Iowa, added in an interview with Fox News Digital that it’s «unreal to me that people are attacking law enforcement agents trying to do their job.»
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She said the emphasis should be on supporting ICE and CBP agents.
«Keep the focus on deporting criminal illegals, people that are bad actors that should be out of the country, focusing on the influence of gangs and cartels in this country,» Miller-Meeks added, urging her fellow House Republicans to remind Americans that these deportations are necessary due to the surge of illegal immigration under the Biden administration.
Fox News Digital reached out to Biden’s office for comment but did not immediately hear back.
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Iranian media reported that 27 inmates from the notorious Evin Prison remain at large following an Israeli airstrike last month.
After Israel’s strike during the 12-day war, 75 inmates escaped from Evin prison, according to the Associated Press, which cited a news website affiliated with Iran’s judiciary. In the article, Iranian Judiciary Spokesperson Asghar Jahangir said that out of the 75 escapees, 48 were either recaptured or returned voluntarily, the Associated Press added. Jahangir also stated that the escapees had been serving time for minor offenses.
A view shows the aftermath of an Israeli strike on Evin Prison that took place on June 23, after the ceasefire between Israel and Iran, in Tehran, Iran, June 29, 2025. (Majid Asgaripour/WANA (West Asia News Agency) via REUTERS)
IRAN CLAIMS ITS PRESIDENT WAS INJURED IN ISRAELI AIRSTRIKE LAST MONTH
In June, Israel launched Operation Rising Lion, which was aimed at destroying Iran’s nuclear capabilities. While Iranian officials said 71 were killed in the strike, local media reported that there were 80 killed, including staff, soldiers, inmates and visiting family members, according to the Associated Press.
Sayeh Seydal, a jailed Iranian dissident who survived Israel’s strike on Evin Prison, told relatives that being in the facility was a «slow death,» according to the Associated Press, which obtained a recording of the conversation.
«The bombing by the U.S. and Israel didn’t kill us. Then the Islamic Republic brought us to a place that will practically kill us,» Seydal said.
On Tuesday, Amnesty International called for an investigation of Israel’s strike on the prison as a possible war crime, saying it constituted «a serious violation of international humanitarian law.»
FILE – Rescuers search through the rubble of a damaged section of Evin Prison following an Israeli strike the day before, in Tehran, Iran, Tuesday, June 24, 2025. (AP Photo/Mostafa Roudaki/Mizan News Agency, File) (AP Photo/Mostafa Roudaki/Mizan News Agency, File)
IRAN ACKNOWLEDGES DEATH TOLL FROM ISRAEL’S STRIKE ON NOTORIOUS EVIN PRISON
Erika Guevara Rosas, who serves as Amnesty International’s Senior Director for research, advocacy, policy and campaigns, said «the evidence establishes reasonable grounds to believe that the Israeli military brazenly and deliberately attacked civilian buildings.»
Evin Prison is infamous for its harsh conditions and became a place for Iranian officials to throw protesters.
A person stands on the rubble as a view shows the aftermath of an Israeli strike on Evin Prison that took place on June 23, after the ceasefire between Israel and Iran, in Tehran, Iran, June 29, 2025. (Majid Asgaripour/WANA (West Asia News Agency) via Reuters)
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In 2022, the U.S. Treasury Department sanctioned Iranian officials and entities responsible for a crackdown on protesters, including Evin Prison warden Hedayat Farzadi, who was known for his brutal tactics. The department said that protesters thrown in Evin Prison under Farzadi’s watch were subjected to torture and physical abuse.
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