INTERNACIONAL
Iran’s ceasefire push may be a ‘cycle of deception,’ analysts warn as shadowy figure gains power
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President Donald Trump suggested Wednesday that Iran may be seeking a ceasefire, but analysts say real power lies with hardline figures inside the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, including newly prominent commander Ahmad Vahidi.
Trump did not name the Iranian figure he was referring to, but his comment likely pointed to President Masoud Pezeshkian, writing: «Iran’s New Regime President, much less Radicalized and far more intelligent than his predecessors, has just asked the United States of America for a CEASEFIRE! We will consider when Hormuz Strait is open, free, and clear. Until then, we are blasting Iran into oblivion or, as they say, back to the Stone Ages!!!»
Experts caution, however, that Iran’s president does not control decisions of war and peace.
«He clearly does not have the authority to turn on or turn off a major military conflict with the United States,» Behnam Ben Taleblu, a senior fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, told Fox News Digital.
TRUMP’S IRAN STRATEGY SHOWCASES ‘DOCTRINE OF UNPREDICTABILITY’ AMID STRIKE THREATS AND SUDDEN PAUSE
Iranian Interior Minister Ahmad Vahidi speaks during a press conference after the parliamentary elections in Tehran, Iran, March 4, 2024. (Majid Asgaripour/WANA (West Asia News Agency) via Reuters)
Instead, analysts say real power lies with senior figures tied to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, including Vahidi, parliamentary speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, and security official Mohammad Zolghadr, all of whom operate within overlapping centers of influence.
Attention is turning to the new terror chief seen as an extremist pulling strings, Vahidi — a longtime Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps commander whose reemergence highlights a broader shift underway inside Iran’s leadership.
Beni Sabti, an Iran expert at the Israeli Institute for National Security Studies, warned that even when Iran signals interest in a «ceasefire,» it may not reflect a Western understanding of the term.
He pointed to the concept of «hudna,» describing it as «a ceasefire with deception — they stop when they are weak, rebuild their strength, and then attack again, whether against Israel or the United States.»
Sabti added that such pauses can become «a cycle of violence that does not end,» driven by ideological motivations, and should not be interpreted as a genuine end to hostilities.
Ahmad Vahidi, commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Quds Force, Esmail Qaani, and Iraj Masjedi, Deputy Coordinator of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Quds Force, participate in a ceremony to mark the memory of former IRGC commander, Hossein Salami, who is killed in Israeli attacks, at a mosque in an IRGC organizational house complex in Tehran, Iran, on July 25, 2025. (Morteza Nikoubazl/Nur Photo via Getty Images)
From covert operations to global attacks
At the center of that uncertainty is Ahmad Vahidi, the new Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) commander.
«He is a very violent man and belongs to a generation that fought in guerrilla warfare,» Sabti told Fox News Digital.
Sabti described Vahidi as part of an early cadre of Iranian operatives who built ties with militant groups in Lebanon before and after the 1979 revolution, relationships that later became central to Iran’s regional strategy. Some accounts suggest Vahidi trained in camps linked to Palestinian and Lebanese factions in southern Lebanon, helping lay the groundwork for Iran’s long-standing alliance with Lebanon-based terror group Hezbollah.
DESTROY THE REGIME’S POWER WITHOUT OCCUPYING IRAN: A SMARTER WAR PLAN
Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad-Bagher Ghalibaf looks on as parliament members chant in support of the IRGC while wearing military uniforms in Tehran, Iran, Feb 1, 2026. (Hamed Malekpour/Islamic consultative assembly news agency/WANA (West Asia News Agency)/Handout via Reuters)
Vahidi rose through the ranks of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and went on to serve as commander of its elite Quds Force in the 1990s, a unit responsible for overseas operations.
He has been linked to some of the deadliest attacks attributed to Iranian-backed networks abroad, including the 1992 bombing of the Israeli Embassy in Argentina and the 1994 bombing of the AMIA Jewish community center in Buenos Aires.
Sabti said Vahidi was also accused of maintaining connections with al Qaeda figures following the Sept. 11 attacks, reflecting what he described as Iran’s willingness to cooperate with groups targeting Western and Israeli interests.
Despite later holding positions that appeared political or bureaucratic, Sabti said Vahidi never truly stepped away from the Revolutionary Guards, Iran’s powerful military and intelligence arm, meaning his role remained closely tied to the regime’s security and operational apparatus.
«He always remained part of the Revolutionary Guards — even wearing uniform,» he said. «That’s common in Iran. Even when they move into politics, they stay within the force.»
Sabti also pointed to Vahidi’s alleged role in suppressing Kurdish uprisings in northwestern Iran in the aftermath of the 1979 Islamic Revolution, underscoring his longstanding involvement in internal security operations.
HEGSETH REVEALS COVERT VISIT TO TROOPS FIGHTING IN OPERATION EPIC FURY
A composite image shows several Iranian leaders named in the State Department’s Rewards for Justice program offering up to $10 million for information on key figures tied to Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), including Mojtaba Khamenei, top left. (State Department / Rewards for Justice; Khoshiran / Middle East Images / AFP via Getty Images)
A system driven by power, not position
Vahidi’s renewed prominence comes as Iran’s internal structure appears increasingly fragmented, with authority concentrated in overlapping and sometimes competing networks.
«It’s not clear how coordinated either the military or political actions of the government of the Islamic Republic is today,» Ben Taleblu said.
He described Iran as «a system of men, not a system of laws,» where personal ties and informal influence often outweigh formal titles.
That dynamic has intensified as the war continues.
«We are seeing the IRGC ascendancy… across a host of Iranian political and security institutions,» he said.
«This IRGC ascendancy will mean a more crass Islamic Republic, but it comes at a time when this regime is militarily less capable than ever before,» he added.
More power, less restraint
Sabti said Vahidi may now be more influential than other prominent figures in Tehran, including parliamentary speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf and Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei’s son, Mojtaba Khamenei.
«In my view, he is more dominant right now, even if they are coordinated. This is not a time for internal competition,» Sabti said.
He warned that Vahidi’s rise could further harden Iran’s posture.
«He brings even more radicalization into the system and may not want to stop the war, because it serves the interests of the Revolutionary Guards to continue,» Sabti said.
«They could become masters of the region if the United States folds — and that is very much in his interest.»
Trump’s suggestion that Iran is seeking a ceasefire has raised hopes of a potential diplomatic opening, but experts caution that such signals may not reflect a unified position inside Iran.
«The question is what was shared with President Trump genuine, or is it wheeling and dealing of just one ambitious person?» Ben Taleblu said.
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Iran’s President Masoud Pezeshkian attends a press conference in Tehran, Iran, Sep. 16, 2024. (WANA (West Asia News Agency)/Majid Asgaripour via Reuters)
«Pezeshkian clearly does not have the authority to turn on or turn off a major military conflict with the United States,» Ben Taleblu said.
That leaves open the possibility that any outreach could be tactical, fragmented, or even contradictory.
Fox News Digital reached out to the White House for comment but did not receive a response in time for publication.
war with iran, donald trump, mojtaba khamenei, terrorism
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Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Wednesday touted new momentum toward ending the country’s war with Russia after a high-level call with President Donald Trump’s envoys, pointing to progress on a U.S.-backed security deal.
Zelenskyy announced in an X post that he and his officials had a «positive» conversation with Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, along with Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., and NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte with talks centered around forging a «dignified peace.»
«We agreed to strengthen security guarantees, and I have already instructed our team to promptly update the documents so that the security guarantees for Ukraine are strong, the prospects for post-war reconstruction are real, and everything is doable,» Zelenskyy wrote.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy at a meeting Wednesday, April 1, 2026. (@ZelenskyyUa via X)
WITKOFF AND KUSHNER SCHEDULED TO MEET PUTIN IN MOSCOW
He emphasized Ukraine needs clear agreements so that its citizens understand exactly how international partners will respond to deter any renewed Russian aggression.
«We need strong, shared positions, and Ukraine’s contribution to this strength is unquestionable,» Zelenskyy wrote. «… I expect that the teams will work substantively in the coming days so that we can all feel progress. A trilateral format — a leaders’ format — all of this is necessary.»
Ukranian leaders at a meeting discussing the Ukraine-Russia war Wednesday, April 1, 2026. (@ZelenskyyUa via X)
TRUMP CONFIRMS HE INVITED PUTIN TO JOIN HIS BOARD OF PEACE: ‘HE’S BEEN INVITED’
In a subsequent video, Zelenskyy reported Russia launched a massive wave of more than 700 drones Wednesday, including «shaheds,» targeting Ukraine’s energy sites, food warehouses and residential buildings across multiple regions.
Although Ukrainian forces intercepted roughly 90% of the incoming drones, Zelenskyy condemned the bombardment as Russia’s direct response to Ukraine’s proposal for an Easter ceasefire.
Leaders meet to discuss the Ukraine-Russia war Wednesday, April 1, 2026. (@ZelenskyyUa via X)
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He noted that a halt in fighting during the holidays was intended to be a signal that diplomacy could be successful.
Beyond the U.S. and Europe, Zelenskyy said Defense Minister Rustem Umerov is working to secure long-term defense contracts with several Middle Eastern nations, including Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Jordan, Kuwait, Iraq, Bahrain and Turkey.
volodymyr zelenskyy, ukraine, russia, world politics, wars
Las repercusiones económicas de la guerra en Medio Oriente, que se encuentra ya en su quinta semana, están afectando a consumidores y empresas de todo el mundo y elevando el precio de productos básicos como los alimentos y el combustible.
“Aunque la guerra podría influir en la economía mundial de diferentes maneras, todos los caminos conducen a precios más altos y a un crecimiento más lento”, escribieron esta semana los principales economistas del Fondo Monetario Internacional.
El martes, las señales de tensión podían verse en las proyecciones más recientes de un fuerte aumento de la pobreza en todo el mundo árabe, un gran incremento de la inflación en Europa y nuevos máximos de los precios de la gasolina en Estados Unidos.
Los efectos son especialmente onerosos para los países pobres, que disponen de menos recursos. Los países de África, Asia del Sur, America latina y partes de Medio Oriente que importan la mayor parte de su energía se encuentran en una situación especialmente difícil para hacer frente a unos costos desorbitados.
Para estas economías, el efecto es como “un impuesto grande y repentino sobre los ingresos”, explicaron los economistas del FMI.
Sin embargo, aunque los países puedan conseguir los fondos, es posible que no dispongan de suministros de petróleo, gas y muchos otros productos básicos cruciales debido al bloqueo efectivo por parte de Irán del estrecho de Ormuz, una ruta marítima clave, así como a los daños que sufrieron infraestructuras energéticas en toda la región del golfo Pérsico.
Alrededor de un tercio del fertilizante mundial se transporta a través del estrecho de Ormuz. Con el comienzo de la temporada de siembra en el hemisferio norte, la escasez de fertilizantes ahora puede dar lugar a cosechas más pequeñas y a un aumento de los precios de los alimentos más adelante.
La escasez de otros materiales producidos en el Golfo, como el helio, el azufre y solventes que se utilizan para procesar plásticos, puede ralentizar la producción industrial, lo que hundiría el crecimiento de algunos países.
ARCHIVO – Barcos navegan por el golfo Pérsico hacia el estrecho de Ormuz mientras se pone el sol en Emiratos Árabes Unidos, el lunes 23 de marzo de 2026. (AP Foto, Archivo)
Para muchos habitantes de Medio Oriente, el panorama es especialmente inquietante. Un informe reciente de las Naciones Unidas (ONU) estima que la guerra podría llevar a la pobreza a cuatro millones de personas más en todo el mundo árabe y reducir la producción de la región en más de 100.000 millones de dólares.
En Europa, el aumento de los precios de la energía provocado por la guerra contribuyó a elevar la inflación en los 21 países que utilizan el euro, lo que hace temer que los banqueros centrales suban los tipos de interés si los precios siguen disparándose.
Los precios al consumidor en la eurozona subieron a una tasa anual del 2,5 por ciento en marzo, el ritmo más rápido en un año, según informó el martes la agencia de estadística del bloque. El aumento en febrero fue del 1,9 por ciento.
Christine Lagarde, presidenta del Banco Central Europeo, dijo la semana pasada que los responsables de las políticas estaban preparados para subir los tipos de interés si la inflación persistía por encima del objetivo del banco del 2 por ciento.
En Estados Unidos, la gasolina (nafta) superó el martes un promedio de 4 dólares el galón, un umbral que no alcanzaba desde agosto de 2022. Desde finales de febrero, el costo promedio de la gasolina normal ha subido 35 por ciento, según datos del club automovilístico AAA.
Una persona repostando combustible en una gasolinera, el martes 17 de marzo de 2026, en Baltimore. (AP Foto/Stephanie Scarbrough)
Ver la gasolina a más de 4 dólares el galón -cuando hace un mes estaba por debajo de los 3 dólares- podría empujar a los conductores estadounidenses a cambiar sus hábitos de gasto.
Los hogares de ingresos medios y bajos son los que más están notando el apuro. El impacto desproporcionado está haciendo que la economía estadounidense sea aún más asimétrica y dependiente del gasto de los consumidores de ingresos altos, dijo Moody’s en una actualización el martes.
La incertidumbre sobre cuánto durará la guerra y cuán graves podrían ser los daños a la infraestructura energética de la región está inquietando a gobiernos, empresas y consumidores. Algunos funcionarios han tomado medidas para reducir el consumo, como pedir al público y a los funcionarios que utilicen la bicicleta en lugar del coche, que suban por las escaleras en lugar de utilizar el ascensor y que trabajen cuatro días en lugar de cinco.
Hay algunos ganadores en medio del trastorno económico. Los países exportadores de petróleo que pueden suministrar su producto -incluidos Irán y Rusia- están cosechando ganancias inesperadas por la subida de los precios. Ahora que Estados Unidos ha levantado algunas sanciones contra estas dos naciones, ambas pueden utilizar la infusión de fondos para financiar sus esfuerzos bélicos.
The New York Times, data-cc, data-cc-nyt
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ICE pressures Spanberger as Fairfax murder suspects trigger new detainers in ‘sanctuary’ clash
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Virginia Democratic Gov. Abigail Spanberger and local authorities in deep blue Northern Virginia are facing mounting hold requests from ICE after two more illegal immigrants were arrested for murder in Fairfax County this week.
This week, ICE lodged two detainers — requests to hold — for illegal immigrants charged with murder in Fairfax County. One detainer was lodged against 28-year-old Guatemalan national Misael Lopez Gomez, who is charged with second-degree murder and felony child abuse after allegedly beating his 3-month-old daughter to death. The agency lodged another detainer for a Guatemalan national, Anibal Armando Chavarria Muy, following his arrest by local authorities for second-degree murder in a machete stabbing.
The Department of Homeland Security has personally appealed to Spanberger and «Fairfax County sanctuary politicians» to not release Chavarria Muy.
These cases are the latest in a string of high-profile crimes involving illegal immigrants in Northern Virginia that have rocked the community.
ILLEGAL ALIEN ALLEGED GROPING OF MINOR GIRLS AT HIGH SCHOOL BEING INVESTIGATED BY EDUCATION DEPARTMENT
Gov. Abigail Spanberger is facing criticism for rejecting a warrantless ICE detainer on a criminal illegal immigrant charged with murder, and days later, Virginia Democrats are continuing to push anti-ICE cooperation laws.
This comes after one of Spanberger’s first actions as governor was to issue an executive order barring state and local authorities from cooperating with federal authorities for immigration enforcement.
Here are some of the latest high-profile cases that have outraged Northern Virginia residents:
Misael Lopez Gomez – Infant murder
Two ICE sources told Fox News that Misael Lopez Gomez, who was recently arrested for allegedly beating his 3-month-old daughter to death in Fairfax County, is a Guatemalan illegal alien. The sources said Lopez Gomez is believed to have entered the U.S. as a got-away during the Biden administration in July 2023.
Fox News has learned ICE placed a detainer request on Lopez Gomez with Fairfax County law enforcement. According to local outlet WUSA9, the infant died from blunt-force trauma. The outlet reported Tuesday that Lopez Gomez is currently jailed without bond and is facing second-degree murder and felony child abuse charges.
Anibal Armando Chavarria Muy – Machete Stabbing
On Tuesday, ICE lodged a detainer request for Fairfax County to not release Chavarria Muy following his arrest in connection with a fatal stabbing on Sunday. DHS said that the killing was carried out using a machete.
WUSA9 reported that officers responding to a call in Bailey’s Crossroads, Virginia, found a man inside a home with multiple stab wounds. The victim was later pronounced dead at a local hospital, according to the outlet.
Chavarria Muy was later arrested for the stabbing and charged with second-degree murder. According to DHS, he is in the U.S. illegally and entered at an unknown place and time.
Acting Assistant Secretary Lauren Bis called the case «another preventable tragedy» caused by open borders policies.
FORMER VIRGINIA GOVERNOR CHALLENGES SPANBERGER TO DEBATE HER REDISTRICTING FLIP-FLOP
Left to right: Misael Lopez Gomez, Anibal Armando Chavarria Muy, Israel Flores Ortiz and Abdul Jalloh. (Fox News; DHS; Fairfax County Sheriff’s Office; DHS; Steve Helber/AP Photo)
Israel Flores Ortiz – Minor groping
Fairfax County has also been rocked by a case involving 18-year-old Salvadoran illegal alien Israel Flores Ortiz, who is accused of sexually assaulting a dozen girls at a local high school he was attending.
ICE has also lodged a detainer for Flores Ortiz following his arrest for allegedly groping a dozen female high school students at a Fairfax County high school he attended. Like Chavarria Muy, DHS has asked Spanberger to intervene to prevent local authorities from releasing Flores Ortiz back into the public.
Flores Ortiz is facing 13 counts of assault and battery. He is currently being held at the Fairfax County Adult Detention Center without bond.
According to DHS, Flores Ortiz is an illegal immigrant from El Salvador who was released into the U.S. under the Biden administration in 2024. His case has elicited disgust, outrage and fear from Fairfax County parents about the safety of schools in the area.
Abdul Jalloh – Neck stabbing
In late February, ICE lodged a detainer for another illegal alien, Sierra Leone national Abdul Jalloh, charged with murder in connection with the fatal neck stabbing of a woman at a bus stop.
The victim, Stephanie Minter, 41, of Fredericksburg, Virginia, was found dead at a local bus stop on Feb. 23 with multiple stab wounds to the upper body.
DHS said that Jalloh entered the U.S. illegally in 2012. He has an extensive criminal history that includes more than 30 arrests for charges of rape, malicious wounding, assault, drug possession, identity theft, trespassing, larceny, firing a weapon, contributing to the delinquency of a minor, and pick-pocketing.
ILLEGAL ALIEN MURDER SUSPECT AVOIDED SYSTEM AS ICE PUSHES DEM GOVERNOR TO KEEP HIM LOCKED UP
Fairfax County Public Schools bus is seen outside of Lutie Lewis Coates Elementary School in Herndon, Virginia, Thursday, May 11, 2023. (Salwan Georges/The Washington Post via Getty Images)
Commenting on the most recent detainer being lodged for Chavarria Muy, DHS lamented «yet another life lost in a sanctuary county at the hands of a criminal alien who should have never been here in the first place.»
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The agency decried Fairfax County’s policies, saying it «has a history of refusing to honor immigration detainers.» DHS asked, «When will sanctuary politicians wake up and begin putting American lives FIRST?»
The White House’s rapid response social media account also chimed in, commenting, «Meanwhile, Democrats continue to block funding for [DHS], demanding changes to make ICE less effective in finding and arresting these criminals. Insane.»
Fox News Digital reached out to Spanberger’s office and Fairfax County officials for comment.
sanctuary cities, illegal immigrants, abigail spanberger, virginia, migrant crime, enforcement, homeland security
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