INTERNACIONAL
Trump faces Middle East test as Netanyahu balks at Erdogan’s Gaza troop hopes
NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!
President Donald Trump is facing a pivotal decision that could define the next phase of his Middle East policy: whether to allow Turkish troops into Gaza as part of a U.S.-backed stabilization force. The move, which Ankara is lobbying for, has triggered alarm in Israel and among Arab allies who view Turkey’s ambitions and Islamist ties as a threat to regional stability.
According to Middle East Eye, Turkey is preparing a brigade of at least 2,000 soldiers drawn from multiple branches of its military to join the mission once a U.N. Security Council mandate is approved. Israel has flatly rejected the idea. «There will be no Turkish boots on the ground,» an Israeli government spokesperson told reporters.
Trump has publicly praised Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan as «a very strong leader,» signaling renewed trust and raising questions over whether personal diplomacy could outweigh Israel’s concerns. His decision will test Washington’s ability to balance its closest Middle East ally, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, with a NATO partner that has long hosted Hamas leaders and positioned itself as their defender.
TRUMP SIGNALS NEW TRUST IN ERDOGAN, RAISING CONCERNS OVER TURKEY’S AMBITIONS IN GAZA AND BEYOND
President Donald Trump speaks to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at Ben Gurion International Airport before boarding his plane to Sharm el-Sheikh, on Oct. 13, 2025 in Tel Aviv, Israel. President Trump is visiting the country hours after Hamas released the remaining Israeli hostages captured on Oct. 7, 2023, part of a US-brokered ceasefire deal to end the war in Gaza. (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images.)
Dan Diker, president of the Jerusalem Center for Security and Foreign Affairs, said Trump must recognize the depth of the ideological divide between Israel and Erdogan’s government.
«Trump is an economic warrior and a dealmaker. He wants to put everyone in his Middle East regional deal by embracing enemies and allies alike,» Diker said. «But he doesn’t take into account the profoundly deep-rooted enmity that Erdogan’s government embodies. Turkey is not a friend of the United States and the Western alliance, even though it’s a NATO member. It is currently on a mission to assert itself as an Islamic imperial power in the Middle East.»
Diker warned that Erdogan’s ambitions, combined with his support for Hamas, pose a direct challenge to both Israel and NATO. «You want to talk about an occupier? They’re the major occupiers of Syria right now, and they see themselves as the determining Islamic power in Gaza. This is a very dangerous moment, and the president would be well advised to back Israel without conditions,» he said.
He warned Erdogan is «publicly supporting and financing an international Islamic terror organization.» Diker said NATO «must not allow» this and that Trump «cannot allow himself to compromise the principles of America first, which is Israel first and the West first.»
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, speaks to the attendees during a rally to show their solidarity with the Palestinians, in Istanbul, Turkey, on Saturday, Oct. 28. (Emrah Gurel/AP)
The reported preparations come as Trump has described Erdogan as «highly respected» and «a very strong leader,» signaling renewed trust between Washington and Ankara and raising concerns inside Israel about Turkey’s growing influence. In recent months, Erdogan has intensified his rhetoric against Israel while positioning himself as the indispensable power for Gaza’s reconstruction and future governance.
For Israeli officials and analysts, Turkey’s intentions extend far beyond humanitarian assistance. Former Israeli National Security Adviser Yaakov Amidror said the prospect of Turkish troops entering Gaza is unacceptable. «I am not at all sure Turkish forces will enter, and if they do, it will be very bad. I think Israel must stand firmly on its feet to prevent Turkish forces from entering,» he told Fox News Digital.
AS TRUMP ADMIN PUSHES GAZA PEACE PLAN, HISTORY SHOWS UN PEACEKEEPING’S MIXED RECORD
President Donald Trump greets Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan during a summit to support ending the more than two-year Israel-Hamas war in Gaza after a breakthrough ceasefire deal, Monday, Oct. 13, 2025, in Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt. (Evan Vucci AP Photo/ Pool)
Amidror said Turkey’s ambitions are incompatible with Israeli security needs. «Turkey is a power with a desire to expand its borders and its influence into areas that are relevant to us, and therefore we must not accept a Turkish army in Gaza.»
He added that Israel must retain operational freedom inside Gaza even after the war. «Israel must not give up Israeli freedom of action, like in Lebanon. The moment Hamas rebuilds itself, we will act as we do in Lebanon.»
Israel’s concern is rooted in years of tensions with Ankara, including Erdoğan’s support for Hamas, his political embrace of the Muslim Brotherhood, and clashes over Syria, where Ankara opposed Israeli and Western-backed Kurdish forces and backed Islamist militias that Israel viewed as destabilizing. The bilateral relationship has been marked by repeated diplomatic crises and years of heated personal exchanges between Erdogan and Netanyahu.
Gonul Tol, senior fellow at the Middle East Institute and author of «Erdogan’s War: A Strongman’s Struggle at Home and in Syria,» said Turkey’s aggressive Gaza posture is deeply tied to Erdogan’s domestic political survival and his long-standing support for Islamist movements across the region.
«The primary goal there is domestic politics,» she said. «Erdogan has always framed himself as the champion of the Palestinian cause, and by his most conservative constituency, he’s often pushed to take a strong stance against Israel.»
TRUMP’S SWIPE AT ‘WEAK’ LEADERS HIGHLIGHTS THE SHIFTING GLOBAL INFLUENCE OF WESTERN NATIONS
Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan holds a signed document during a summit to support ending the more than two-year Israel-Hamas war in Gaza after a breakthrough ceasefire deal, Monday, Oct. 13, 2025, in Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt. (Suzanne Plunkett/Pool via AP)
Tol said Erdogan hardened his tone after suffering major losses in Turkey’s 2024 municipal elections. «His party lost all major cities to the opposition, and one of the lessons that Erdogan had drawn from that loss was that he thought he did not do a good job in terms of Gaza to his constituency.»
Competing Islamist parties used Gaza to attack him politically. «They criticized Erdogan on the campaign trail saying that Erdogan says all these things, but when it comes to taking steps that would punish Israel, Erdogan didn’t do much.»
But Tol noted that Erdogan has also been pragmatic behind the scenes, particularly in his dealings with Washington. «People in his circle say the Hamas leadership had been asked to leave Turkey quietly. They are doing everything not to anger the Trump administration,» she said. She added that Erdogan even pushed Hamas to accept Trump’s Gaza proposal, noting that it included provisions that did not favor the organization.
TRUMP PEACE PLAN FOR GAZA COULD BE JUST A ‘PAUSE’ BEFORE HAMAS STRIKES AGAIN, EXPERTS WARN
The IDF announced that as part of the ceasefire agreement and in accordance with the directive of the political echelon, IDF troops under the Southern Command have begun marking the Yellow Line in the Gaza Strip to establish tactical clarity on the ground. (IDF)
Yet Erdogan’s ideological track record fuels regional suspicion. For years, Turkey openly backed Muslim Brotherhood from Libya to Syria to Egypt. «There is this Arab uprising package that Turkey carries around,» Tol explained. «Turkey supported, logistically and militarily, Muslim Brotherhood groups opposing those regimes.» This history, she said, casts doubt on Ankara’s intentions in Gaza in the eyes of Arab partners such as Egypt and Saudi.
Galia Lindenstrauss, senior researcher at Israel’s Institute for National Security Studies, said Turkey’s ideology and political goals clash with the aims of Israel. «Turkey has a very pro-Palestinian stance. And not only that, it has a pro-Hamas stance. It wants Hamas to remain a relevant actor in the day after,» she said.
She also pointed to actions that erode trust, including Ankara’s 2024 trade restrictions on Israel and arrest warrants issued for dozens of Israeli officials. She said Turkey continues meeting Hamas leaders publicly, showing «no sign of any change in the Turkish stance.»
The combination of Islamist sympathies, political ambition and hardening anti-Israel rhetoric «raises suspicion that any Turkish action is not sincere in the attempt to weaken Hamas,» she said.
The United States is now navigating the power struggle. According to a State Department readout on Monday, Secretary of State Marco Rubio met Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan to discuss «the ceasefire in Gaza and next steps to ensure stability in the region.» The meeting highlighted close coordination with Ankara even as Washington has not decided whether to include Turkish troops.
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP
Suspected terrorists in Gaza come out of hiding as cease-fire for hostages deal gets underway in Gaza’s Deir al-Balah area. (TPS-IL)
Tol said the outcome «will all come down to how strongly President Trump is willing to push all parties to accept» or reject Turkey’s participation. Lindenstrauss added that Ankara expects Trump to resolve disputes with Israel over Gaza and in Syria that it cannot solve alone.
Requests for comment from the Turkish Embassy spokesperson in Washington, D.C., were not returned.
israel,turkey,donald trump,hamas,middle east,syria
NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!
Iraq’s Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani is facing mounting criticism for his government’s inability to stop pro-Iranian militias and the Islamic Republic of Iran from attacking American, French, Italian and Kurdish military personnel and facilities in Iraq.
On Saturday, the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad said that all U.S. citizens in Iraq should leave «immediately,» as «Iran-aligned terrorist militias have attacked the International Zone in central Baghdad on multiple occasions.»
The announcement came after a missile reportedly struck a helipad inside the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad early Saturday.
Speaking on background, a State Department spokesperson told Fox News Digital, «The United States strongly condemns attacks by Iran and Iran-backed terrorist militias against U.S. diplomatic personnel and facilities, civilian targets and energy infrastructure in Iraq, particularly in the Iraqi Kurdistan Region.»
US EMBASSY IN BAGHDAD TARGETED AS IRAN LAUNCHES ATTACKS DURING OPERATION EPIC FURY
A billboard featuring a photo of Ali Khamenei, Iran’s supreme leader who was killed in U.S. and Israeli airstrikes, is seen along a street in Baghdad on March 9, 2026. (Murtadha Al-Sudani/Anadolu via Getty Images)
The statement added, «As Secretary Rubio has said, the Iraqi government must take all possible measures to safeguard U.S. diplomatic personnel and facilities and ensure militia groups cannot use Iraqi territory to threaten the United States or the region. Doing so is in Iraq’s interest,» the spokesperson noted, «We retain a range of options to protect our interests. We do not preview sanctions or sanction actions.»
A Kurdish official, speaking on condition of anonymity, told Fox News Digital that the Iran-backed Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF) in Iraq «are paid and armed by the Iraqi government. They are on the Iraqi payroll. This is not the first time they have fired on the U.S., the Kurdistan Regional Government [KRG] and the energy sector. These PMF have brazenly attacked U.S. military bases.»
According to the official, «Many of these leaders [from the PMF] are part of al-Sudani’s government and his very coalition.»
In a statement to Fox News Digital on Sunday, an official for Iraq’s Embassy in Washington D.C. flatly denied the allegations against al-Sudani. «We would like to unequivocally confirm that the allegations claiming the Prime Minister granted a ‘green light’ to any armed group to target U.S. or Western interests are completely false. The Iraqi government has repeatedly emphasized its firm rejection of any attacks on diplomatic missions or foreign interests.»
The representative added, «The Prime Minister has also issued several statements condemning such acts, describing them as terrorist activities, and has directed the relevant authorities to pursue those responsible and bring them to justice.»
Al-Sudani raised eyebrows last week when he congratulated the Islamic Republic of Iran’s selection of its new Supreme Leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, the son of the assassinated second Supreme Leader of Iran, Ali Khamenei. «We express our confidence in the ability of the new leadership in the Islamic Republic of Iran to manage this sensitive stage, and continue to strengthen the unity of the Iranian people in facing the current challenges,» al-Sudani reportedly said.
When asked about the congratulatory statement to Khamenei, the Iraqi Embassy official said, «This action falls within the scope of standard diplomatic practices carried out by many countries, including several Gulf states. Iraq maintains diplomatic relations with neighboring countries, including Iran, while simultaneously ensuring balanced relations with all its regional and international partners.»
IRAN PROXIES WAGE WAR ON ISRAEL, THREATEN US INTERESTS AS IRAQ SLAMMED FOR NOT DISARMING THEM
A member of the Imam Ali Battalions, the armed wing of the Islamic Movement of Iraq — a member faction of the Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF) paramilitaries — holds up a picture depicting Iraqi PMF commander Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis (who was in a US drone strike in early 2020), as other group members gather with its flags during a rally to mark annual Quds (Jerusalem) Day commemorations in Baghdad on April 5, 2024. (Murtaj Lateef/AFP via Getty Images)
The intensified attacks on the international anti-jihadi coalition in Iraq’s autonomous Kurdistan region on Friday resulted in the death of a French soldier and injuries to six other people. According to France 24, the commanding officer, Colonel Francois-Xavier de la Chesnais, said the French soldier, Arnaud Frion, was murdered by an Iranian-designed Shahed lethal drone.
The Iraqi Kurdish news outlet Rudaw reported on Saturday that the «Kurdistan Region was targeted with seven explosive-laden drones early Saturday as Iran and its proxy forces in Iraq continue to target the U.S. consulate in Erbil and other military and civilian sites in the Region.» Rudaw said since the start of U.S. Operation Epic Fury the Kurdistan area has been targeted with over 300 drone and missile attacks, resulting in the killing of seven people and 35 injured.
The Kurdish official complained that al-Sudani’s «government is not serious about taking on militias because the militias are part of the government.» However, the official praised the U.S. «The Americans are going after them aggressively over the last week with attacks on their [PMF] positions.»
U.S. embassy personnel inspect damage caused by a bombing in Baghdad, Iraq, on Saturday, March 14, 2026. (Hadi Mizban/AP)
According to a Long War Journal report, «Airstrikes, likely conducted by the U.S. as part of the U.S.-Israeli operation against the Islamic Republic, have continued targeting Iran-backed Iraqi militias.» Neither the U.S. or Israel have not commented on reports that they are striking the PMF.
Fox News Digital secured information in early March from the Israeli Defense Forces that drones have bee fired at Israel from Iraqi territory since the start of the war.
The PMF told the Iraqi News Agency that American military forces have conducted 32 airstrikes against PMF headquarters since February 28.
The Kurdish official urged the Trump administration to «demand that Iraq’s government stop paying and arming the PMF and target their banking system that finances the PMF.» The official continued, «We have shared information with the Iraqis and the Americans, who have in turn shared information with the Iraqi government.» On the terrorist activities of the PMF the official said, «The al-Sudani government has been unwilling to confront them.»
TRUMP THREATENS TO END IRAQ SUPPORT OVER AL-MALIKI COMEBACK BID TIED TO IRAN INFLUENCE
Supporters gather in Baghdad’s Sadr district holding Iranian flags and posters of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei following the announcement that he was killed in U.S.-Israeli attacks, on March 1, 2026 (Murtadha Al-Sudani/Anadolu via Getty Images)
The official bemoaned that the al-Sudani government initiated a «handful of arrests last year, and they were released on bail and were able to flee to Iran.» The Kurdish official said the KRG «provided the information to the Iraqi government about the perpetrators» who fled to the Islamic Republic.
An Iraqi official dismissed the reports on PMF terrorists, stating,» I have not heard of such a thing. I guess that’s not true.»
The Kurdish official cited two PMF groups as the most bellicose toward the U.S.: Asaib Ahl al Haq (League of the Righteous) and Kataib Hezbollah. The Trump administration sanctioned Asaib Ahl al Haq in March 2024. The State Department said Asaib Ahl al Haq «and its leaders are violent proxies of the Islamic Republic of Iran» and the group «is extensively funded and trained by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Qods Force.»
The U.S. government sanctioned Kataib Hezbollah in 2023. The Kurdish official also charged the al-Sudani’s government with imposing an embargo on imported goods to Iraqi Kurdistan as way «to strip away our autonomy and everything we can built over 30 years.» The autonomous Kurdish government is widely considered a robust pro-American ally.
Iran-backed shi’ite groups fighters celebrate on a street, after the IRGC attack on Israel, in Basra, Iraq, October 1, 2024. (Essam Al-sudani/Reuters)
The Iraqi official denied the embargo, stating, «The federal government does not pursue a policy of ‘embargo’ against the Kurdistan Region. The current measures aim to unify the legal, customs, and trade framework across all Iraqi borders in line with the federal constitution.
«No country can afford contradictory internal trade and customs regimes, as this risks harming the national economy as a whole. Our objective is a unified, fair economic framework that protects state revenues while respecting the region’s specificities, and we believe this is best achieved through dialogue and cooperation.»
Smoke rises from the U.S. embassy building in Baghdad, Iraq, Saturday, March 14, 2026. (Ali Jabar/ AP Photo)
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP
Entifadh Qanbar, a former spokesman for the deputy prime minister of Iraq, told Fox News Digital that «One could even describe the PMF as the Iraqi branch of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard, effectively functioning as an Iraqi Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. The PMF operates through a network of militias that frequently attack U.S. forces, foreign interests, and targets in Kurdistan.»
He argued for «The dismantling of the mother organization — the PMF itself. As long as the PMF exists, militias operating under its umbrella will continue to attack U.S. forces and regional targets.»
Fox News Digital reporter Greg Norman-Diamond contributed to this report.
war with iran,iraq,terrorism,national security,mojtaba khamenei
NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!
Bobby Pulido, a Latin Grammy winner and music star, once said he would pursue Mexican citizenship and described himself as a «winter Texan» for spending much of the year south of the U.S. border, drawing scrutiny for his time spent internationally as he pursues a seat in Congress.
«It gets hot here, bro. Like real hot — like real hot. I’m a summer Mexican,» Pulido told interviewers in 2023.
«It sounds better: winter Texan. It sounds better to say, ‘I’m a winter Texan.’»
His comments, which Pulido says he made in jest, run counter to statements he made to NBC News earlier this month.
TEXAS BORDER DISTRICT DEM CUELLAR BEATS BACK PRIMARY CHALLENGERS
Bobby Pulido, Democratic Congressional candidate for Texas, speaks on Friday, Feb. 27, 2026. (Gabriel V. Cardenas/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
«I live in Texas. We’ve always lived in Texas. Since COVID, really — that’s just not true,» Pulido said, responding to accusations that he only sometimes lived in the district he is running to represent.
Pulido is best known for his Tejano and Mexican–Spanish folk-style songs, such as «Desvelado» and «Se Murió de Amor,» and has received five nominations for a Latin Grammy Award.
He won Best Tejano Album in 2022 and 2025.
Pulido’s career still takes him south of the border on a regular basis, leading him to tell local newspapers in Mexico that he was considering dual citizenship in 2015.
«I’m going to be Mexican because I want the same Mexican passport you have,» Pulido told El Norte, a Mexican outlet.
His last five concerts have been in Mexico, according to his tour website.
Pulido made headlines last fall when he announced a congressional bid in one of the country’s most competitive districts. Shortly afterward, he also drew scrutiny for a resurfaced history of posting links to explicit websites on his personal X account — as well as for a social media post of what appeared to be him urinating on President Donald Trump’s Hollywood Walk of Fame star.
TRUMP’S PARDON OF HOUSE DEM CUELLAR BACK IN THE SPOTLIGHT AS HIS BROTHER FACES INDICTMENT
Bobby Pulido, left, pictured alongside Trump’s Hollywood star, right. (Photo by Medios y Media/Getty Images; David Livingston/Getty Images )
He has also received backlash over his past vulgar attacks against Trump, including posting the Spanish translation of «f— your mother.»
«I’d like to give you the biggest ‘f— you» you piece of s—, a–hole, d— head, son of a b—-,» Pulido said to Trump in another post.
Despite those controversies, Pulido recently captured the Democratic nomination to run in Texas’ 15th Congressional District — a seat currently held by Rep. Monica De La Cruz, R-Texas.
De La Cruz, a two-term incumbent, needled Pulido over his time spent in Mexico through a post to X. She quipped that Pulido «only belongs at quinceañeras,» referring to the lavish, coming-of-age parties traditionally thrown for girls turning 15 in Latin cultures.
«Don’t threaten me with a good time,» Pulido shot back.
His campaign said Pulido asked local quinceañeras if he could attend them, drawing nearly 1,000 invites to parties in the district.
Pulido’s ties to Mexico extend beyond his music career.
A person familiar with Pulido’s background said his wife still lives in Mexico along with children from previous marriages. He also owns a house there and told interviewers in 2025 that he goes to Mexico for healthcare.
«We live on the border. My wife and I have a house in Mexico. So, we travel there, and we spend time over there. And I’ve had a pretty unique perspective of experiencing healthcare over there and healthcare here,» Pulido said.
TRUMP ENDORSES CUELLAR OPPONENT AFTER PARDONING DEM REP
Bobby Pulido holding his award at the Annual Latin Grammy Awards Premiere Ceremony on Nov. 13, 2025, in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Greg Doherty/Getty Images for The Latin Recording Academy)
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP
His campaign confirmed that Pulido does not have dual citizenship.
«Bobby has one citizenship — American, and he’s proud of it. And, frankly, there’s nothing wrong with people having ties to family and heritage across borders,» Pulido’s spokesperson told Fox News Digital.
congress,elections,democrats elections,politics
Fuerzas
Consecuencias
¿Reabrir el estrecho?
Nuevas cepas con Israel
Las próximas decisiones de Trump: la isla de Kharg y el depósito nuclear.
US warns Iraq must act against Iran-backed militia attacks on American assets
Alberto Weretilneck defendió la Argentina Week pero apuntó a Milei por sus críticas al empresariado: “Fue innecesario”
Lanzaron un plan de retiros voluntarios en Anses: abonan hasta $80 millones en un pago
Canales para ver el River Plate vs. Sarmiento por el Torneo Apertura
Dem candidate’s unearthed ‘winter Texan’ comment could haunt campaign
Al entrar en la tercera semana de guerra, Trump se enfrenta a decisiones difíciles
El ex novio de Luana de Gran Hermano reveló información sensible sobre su relación: “El bolso tenía plata”
Morena Rial salió de la cárcel y se conoció escalofriante dato que involucra a Jorge Rial: «Me pidió que me hiciera cargo»
Emanuel Noir, de Ke Personajes, anunció que dejará las redes sociales: “Una búsqueda mayor a la que creí, apareció”
Cuánto subirán las jubilaciones y pensiones en abril después del dato de inflación que sorprendió
CHIMENTOS2 días agoLa fuerte exigencia a Mauro Icardi para poder ver a sus hijas con Wanda Nara: “A Maurito se lo va a multar si no lleva a las menores al colegio”
- POLITICA2 días ago
BOMBAZO – Guerra abierta: Feinmann y Rossi contraatacan tras la denuncia de Victoria Villarruel
- POLITICA3 días ago
Milei llegó a Madrid para participar de un foro ultraliberal organizado por expertos en criptomonedas
