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White House meets AI firm Anthropic amid political tensions, Pentagon dispute

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One month after President Donald Trump ordered a government-wide halt on artificial intelligence firm Anthropic’s technology following a clash with the Pentagon, the company’s CEO is back at the White House for high-level talks — as officials reconsider whether a system they sidelined over national security and political concerns may be too important to ignore.

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A source familiar with the meeting told Fox News White House chief of staff Susie Wiles met with Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei Friday. 

Anthropic’s new artificial intelligence model, Mythos Preview, is considered so advanced that the company has restricted its release, limiting access to a small group of partners over concerns about potential misuse.

The meeting signals a rapid reversal inside the Trump administration, as officials weigh whether a system previously flagged as a national security risk could also be critical to defending U.S. infrastructure — exposing a growing internal tension over how to handle powerful AI tools with both defensive and offensive potential.

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«Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei today met with senior administration officials for a productive discussion on how Anthropic and the U.S. government can work together on key shared priorities such as cybersecurity, America’s lead in the AI race, and AI safety. The meeting reflected Anthropic’s ongoing commitment to engaging with the U.S. government on the development of responsible AI. We are grateful for their time and are looking forward to continuing these discussions,» an Anthropic spokesperson told Fox News Digital. 

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The talks come despite a recent clash inside the Trump administration, as officials reconsider a company the Pentagon flagged as a supply chain risk. Its ties to former Biden officials and past criticism of Trump by its CEO have added a political dimension to the debate over whether its technology should return to government use.

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A source familiar with the meeting told Fox News White House chief of staff Susie Wiles met with Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei Friday.  (Chance Yeh/Getty Images for HubSpot))

That potential and the risks that come with it already have triggered tensions inside the U.S. government.

Pentagon clash, legal fight and reversal put Anthropic back in play

The meeting comes after a sharp break between Anthropic and the Pentagon earlier in 2026.  

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Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth designated the company a national security «supply chain risk,» effectively cutting it out of military systems and barring contractors from using its technology.

Anthropic is now challenging the designation in court, after filing multiple lawsuits against the Pentagon and other federal agencies arguing the «supply chain risk» label is unlawful and retaliatory. 

The designation, which effectively bars contractors from using Anthropic’s technology and has been compared to measures typically reserved for foreign adversaries, already has faced conflicting rulings in federal court, with one judge temporarily blocking parts of the policy while an appeals court declined to halt its enforcement. The legal fight is ongoing, leaving contractors and agencies navigating uncertainty over whether and how Anthropic’s systems can be used.

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The move followed a dispute over how the Pentagon could use Anthropic’s AI. 

The company declined to grant open-ended authorization for «all lawful purposes,» instead insisting its systems not be used for mass domestic surveillance or fully autonomous weapons. While Pentagon officials said they do not rely on AI for either purpose, they rejected being constrained by a private company’s restrictions.

Trump then directed federal agencies to stop using Anthropic’s models altogether, escalating the standoff beyond the Defense Department into a government-wide halt.

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Now, just weeks later, the company is back in high-level talks with the White House as officials weigh whether its new Mythos system — despite the earlier ban — could shift the balance of cyber defense and attack.

Political ties and past criticism may complicate White House talks

The dispute also has taken on a political dimension.

Amodei previously has drawn attention for his criticism of Trump, at one point likening him to a «feudal warlord» in a pre-2024-election Facebook post, according to a Wall Street Journal report.

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In an internal message posted on Anthropic’s Slack platform and later leaked to The Information, Amodei suggested the Trump administration’s dispute with the company was driven in part by its refusal to offer what he described as «dictator-style praise.» 

The message, written during a rapid escalation of tensions in early March, later was cited by the Wall Street Journal and other outlets. Amodei subsequently apologized for the tone, saying the post did not reflect his considered views.

FEDERAL APPEALS COURT REJECTS ANTHROPIC BID TO BLOCK PENTAGON BLACKLIST IN AI DISPUTE

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When asked about Anthropic’s governance, hiring and broader political ties, a White House official said the administration «continues to proactively engage across government and industry to protect the United States and Americans,» including «working with frontier AI labs to ensure their models help secure critical software vulnerabilities.»

The official added that «any new technology that would potentially be used or deployed by the federal government requires a technical period of evaluation for fidelity and security,» and said «the collective effort of all involved will ultimately benefit industry, and our country, as a whole.»

Computer screen displaying Anthropic website pages and company logos

Amodei previously has drawn attention for his criticism of Trump, at one point likening him to a «feudal warlord» in a pre-2024-election Facebook post, according to a Wall Street Journal report. (Patrick Sison/AP Photo)

Beyond the immediate dispute, the company’s broader ties to Washington also have drawn attention.

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Anthropic’s governance structure has also drawn attention as the administration weighs closer engagement. The company is overseen in part by an independent «Long-Term Benefit Trust,» an unusual mechanism designed to give nonfinancial stakeholders influence over corporate decisions. 

The trust holds special voting shares that allow it to appoint and eventually control a majority of the company’s board, with members drawn from national security, public policy and global development backgrounds.

Current trustees include Clinton Health Access Initiative CEO Neil Buddy Shah, Carnegie Endowment president Mariano-Florentino Cuéllar, a Democrat who was appointed to the California Supreme Court by former Gov. Jerry Brown in 2014, and Center for a New American Security CEO Richard Fontaine — who advised John McCain’s 2008 presidential campaign. The group is a mix of policy and national security leaders that underscores the company’s deep ties to Washington and global policy circles.

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Anthropic’s backers also have placed it at the center of overlapping tech, policy and political networks. 

Early funding for the company included investments from figures such as Facebook co-founder Dustin Moskovitz and former Google CEO Eric Schmidt, both longtime Democratic donors, and a major early investment from Sam Bankman-Fried’s FTX.

At the same time, the company has since attracted a broad range of major institutional investors — including Amazon, Google and Microsoft — reflecting its growing role in the global AI race and complicating efforts to characterize it along purely political lines.

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The company also has brought on several officials from the Biden administration into key policy roles, further embedding Anthropic in Washington’s AI policy ecosystem. Among them is Tarun Chhabra, a former National Security Council official who now leads the company’s national security policy work, as well as other advisers and staff with experience shaping federal AI and technology strategy.

Anthropic also has sought to build ties across party lines as it expands its presence in Washington. 

The company employs policy staff with Republican backgrounds, including legislative analyst Benjamin Merkel and lobbyist Mary Croghan, and in February added Chris Liddell — a former deputy White House chief of staff under Trump — to its board. It has contributed $20 million to Public First Action, a bipartisan group that backs candidates from both parties who support AI regulation.

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Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei and Department of War Pete Hegseth standing together

A federal judge’s decision to block the Trump administration from banning AI firm Anthropic from Department of War use is igniting a debate over whether the ruling pushes courts into national security decision-making. (Samyukta Lakshmi/Bloomberg via Getty Images; Eugene Hoshiko/Pool/Reuters)

The company has also faced criticism from within the Trump administration. 

White House AI adviser David Sacks has accused Anthropic of pursuing a «regulatory capture» strategy, arguing the firm is using concerns about AI safety to push rules that could benefit its own position while slowing competitors. 

Anthropic has pushed back on those claims, saying its approach reflects genuine concerns about the risks posed by advanced AI systems.

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JUDGE FREEZES TRUMP ADMIN MOVE AGAINST AI FIRM, FUELING BATTLE OVER SECURITY AUTHORITY

New AI system could reshape cyber warfare, raising alarms inside US government

The new technology could help developers identify and fix long-standing security flaws, but it could also give hackers a powerful new tool to target U.S. businesses and government systems.

«Given the rate of AI progress, it will not be long before such capabilities proliferate, potentially beyond actors who are committed to deploying them safely,» Anthropic said in its announcement. «The fallout — for economies, public safety, and national security — could be severe.»

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Anthropic has not released Mythos publicly, instead limiting access through a program called Project Glasswing, where a select group of companies use the model to scan critical systems for vulnerabilities.

Computer screen displaying Anthropic website pages and company logos

Pages from the Anthropic website and the company’s logos are displayed on a computer screen in New York on Thursday, Feb. 26, 2026. (Patrick Sison/AP Photo)

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The company says the system has already uncovered thousands of previously unknown flaws — some decades old — underscoring both its defensive value and the risk it could be used to accelerate cyberattacks if the technology spreads.

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Fox Business’ Edward Lawrence contributed to this report.

pete hegseth, artificial intelligence, companies, white house, pentagon

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INTERNACIONAL

Hallaron dos fosas con cuerpos en descomposición en Ecuador

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Personal militar y policial intervino un sector vinculado a la estructura criminal Los Tiguerones.

Las Fuerzas Armadas de Ecuador informaron sobre el hallazgo de dos fosas con cuerpos en estado de descomposición durante un operativo ejecutado en la ciudadela Coral, en el cantón Esmeraldas, una de las zonas más afectadas por la violencia criminal en el país. La intervención fue realizada por el Bloque de Seguridad con participación de la Armada del Ecuador y la Policía Nacional del Ecuador, como parte de acciones coordinadas para desarticular estructuras delictivas en la frontera norte.

De acuerdo con el reporte oficial, el sector intervenido era utilizado como refugio por una célula del grupo delictivo organizado Los Tiguerones, una de las organizaciones señaladas por autoridades como responsable de múltiples hechos violentos en la provincia de Esmeraldas. Durante el operativo, seis personas fueron aprehendidas y puestas a órdenes de las autoridades competentes para el inicio de las investigaciones correspondientes.

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En la misma acción, los uniformados incautaron una motocicleta reportada como robada, dos radios de comunicación Motorola, 48 municiones, una escopeta artesanal y dos teléfonos celulares. Todo el material fue ingresado en cadena de custodia, conforme a los protocolos legales vigentes, con el objetivo de que sirva como evidencia dentro de los procesos judiciales que se deriven del caso.

Personal militar realizó labores de reconocimiento que permitieron ubicar los cuerpos enterrados.
Personal militar realizó labores de reconocimiento que permitieron ubicar los cuerpos enterrados.

El hallazgo de las fosas se produjo durante el reconocimiento del área, en el marco de las labores de inteligencia militar y policial. Según el informe preliminar, los cuerpos encontrados se encontraban en avanzado estado de descomposición, por lo que serán necesarias pericias forenses para determinar la identidad de las víctimas, así como las causas y el tiempo aproximado de muerte. Las autoridades no han detallado, hasta el momento, el número exacto de cadáveres localizados en cada fosa.

La operación en la ciudadela Coral se inscribe en una serie de intervenciones que el Bloque de Seguridad ha intensificado en Esmeraldas, considerada una de las provincias más golpeadas por la violencia asociada al crimen organizado. En esta zona operan varias estructuras criminales, entre ellas Los Tiguerones, Los Choneros y facciones vinculadas a redes transnacionales de narcotráfico, que disputan el control territorial para actividades ilícitas como el tráfico de drogas, el sicariato y la extorsión.

Esmeraldas, por su ubicación estratégica en la costa norte y su cercanía con la frontera con Colombia, ha sido identificada por las autoridades como un punto clave en las rutas del narcotráfico. Esta condición ha incrementado la presencia de grupos armados y ha generado un contexto de violencia sostenida en varios sectores urbanos y rurales de la provincia.

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Seis personas fueron aprehendidas en el marco de acciones contra estructuras criminales.
Seis personas fueron aprehendidas en el marco de acciones contra estructuras criminales.

Según cifras oficiales de seguridad, la provincia de Esmeraldas registró más de 700 homicidios en 2025, ubicándose entre las jurisdicciones con mayores índices de muertes violentas en Ecuador. Este aumento se ha atribuido principalmente a enfrentamientos entre organizaciones criminales y a disputas internas por el control de economías ilegales. En este contexto, los hallazgos de fosas clandestinas se han vuelto una señal recurrente de la dinámica de violencia que afecta a la zona.

Las autoridades han señalado que estos enterramientos ilegales suelen estar vinculados a ejecuciones extrajudiciales perpetradas por grupos delictivos, que buscan ocultar evidencias y evitar la identificación de las víctimas. En varios casos anteriores, los cuerpos hallados en fosas han correspondido a personas reportadas como desaparecidas, lo que ha generado procesos adicionales de búsqueda e identificación por parte de unidades especializadas.

Hallazgo de fosas clandestinas durante un operativo en la ciudadela Coral, en Esmeraldas.
Hallazgo de fosas clandestinas durante un operativo en la ciudadela Coral, en Esmeraldas.

Tras el operativo en la ciudadela Coral, los seis aprehendidos fueron trasladados a dependencias policiales, mientras que las investigaciones quedaron a cargo de la Fiscalía, que deberá determinar su posible vinculación con los hechos y con la estructura de Los Tiguerones en la zona.

En su comunicado, la Armada del Ecuador reiteró su compromiso de continuar ejecutando operaciones conjuntas para enfrentar al crimen organizado y reforzar la seguridad en la frontera norte del país. Estas acciones forman parte de la estrategia estatal desplegada desde la declaratoria de conflicto armado interno, que ha implicado la participación directa de las Fuerzas Armadas en tareas de control territorial y apoyo a la seguridad interna.

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Who is Ahmad Vahidi? Iran’s new IRGC chief tied to global attacks and ‘Death to America’ ideology

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As President Donald Trump’s deadline for Iran to decide whether to extend a two-week ceasefire between the countries approaches, attention is increasingly turning not to Iran’s president, Masoud Pezeshkian, but to a shadowy Revolutionary Guard commander with a long record of terror, repression and hardline ideology.

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Ahmad Vahidi, recently elevated to the top of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, the elite paramilitary force within Iran’s military, is emerging as one of the most powerful men in Iran and, according to analysts, one of the key figures likely deciding whether Tehran resumes fighting or continues talks.

«By any standard, Vahidi is considered a radical even within the regime’s hardline elite, and his rise is a warning that Tehran’s war machine now calls the shots,» Lisa Daftari, foreign policy analyst and journalist, told Fox News Digital.

«Putting someone with such a bloody and murderous record at the top of the Revolutionary Guard Corps confirms that the regime is not moderating under pressure. On the contrary,» Daftari added, «it is doubling down on men whose careers are built on hostage‑taking, assassinations, and domestic repression. By any standard, Vahidi is considered a radical even within the regime’s hardline elite, and his rise is a warning that Tehran’s war machine now calls the shots.»

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TRUMP’S APOCALYPTIC IRAN WARNING RAISES STAKES FOR SWEEPING US STRIKE THREAT

Why it matters: Analysts say Vahidi’s rise could shape whether Iran moves toward peace or deeper conflict. For the U.S., that means heightened risks to troops, allies and global stability if a hardline figure with a history tied to terror networks is now helping call the shots in Iran.

Ahmad Vahidi, recently elevated to the top of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, the elite paramilitary force within Iran’s military, is emerging as one of the most powerful men in Iran.  (Morteza Nikoubazl/NurPhoto)

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Power increasingly concentrated outside formal institutions

Vahidi’s rise comes at a moment when Iran’s formal political institutions appear weaker than ever.

Experts describe the Islamic Republic today as a system in which informal networks and personal relationships matter more than official titles.

Behnam Ben Taleblu, senior fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, described Iran as «a system of men, not laws, but one whose success rested on institutionalizing their power,» where decisions increasingly flow through Revolutionary Guard figures rather than the civilian government.

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Beni Sabti, an Iran expert at Israel’s Institute for National Security Studies, said Vahidi may now be even more influential than parliamentary speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf or even 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, adding that Vahidi is the only one who meets the new supreme leader face-to-face.

VANCE EN ROUTE TO PAKISTAN FOR HIGH-STAKES IRAN TALKS AS ‘FRAGILE’ CEASEFIRE TEETERS

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Ahmad Vahidi and Esmail Qaani standing at a ceremony in a mosque in Tehran

Long before the world knew the name Qassem Soleimani, Vahidi was one of the men who helped build the infrastructure of Iran’s overseas terror operations. (Morteza Nikoubazl/Nur Photo)

He previously led the Quds Force before Qassem Soleimani

Long before the world knew the name Qassem Soleimani, the longtime commander of Iran’s elite Quds Force who was killed in a 2020 U.S. drone strike, Vahidi was one of the men who helped build the infrastructure of Iran’s overseas terror operations.

He served as commander of the Quds Force in the 1990s, before Soleimani took over the elite unit responsible for foreign operations, covert action and support for proxy groups. 

Analysts say Vahidi played a central role in building Iran’s network of terrorist allies across the Middle East, particularly in Lebanon.

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«Ahmad Vahidi is the embodiment of the Islamic Republic’s most militant wing,» Daftari told Fox News Digital. «As Qassem Soleimani’s predecessor at the Quds Force, he helped build Tehran’s terror infrastructure abroad.»

Sabti said Vahidi was part of the original generation of Iranian operatives who forged ties with militant groups in Lebanon before and after the 1979 Islamic Revolution.

Some accounts suggest he trained in camps linked to Palestinian and Lebanese factions in southern Lebanon, helping lay the foundation for Iran’s alliance with Hezbollah, an Iran-backed terror group, in Lebanon. 

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Vahidi has been linked by analysts and Western governments to some of the deadliest attacks carried out by Iranian-backed networks over the past four decades.

As the commander of the Quds Force from 1988 to 1998, he has been connected to the 1983 Beirut barracks bombing that killed 241 U.S. service members, the 1996 Khobar Towers attack in Saudi Arabia, and a 2008 attack on the U.S. Embassy in Yemen.

VANCE WARNS IRAN WILL ‘FIND OUT’ TRUMP IS ‘NOT ONE TO MESS AROUND’ IF CEASEFIRE DEAL FALLS APART

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Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei receiving protection from elite NOPO force

Iran Supreme Leader Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei receives protection from elite NOPO force following his father’s assassination in U.S.-Israel attack on Tehran compound Feb. 28. (Morteza Nikoubazl/NurPhoto)

One of the world’s most wanted Iranian officials

Daftari noted that Vahidi «has been implicated by Argentine prosecutors in the 1994 bombing of the AMIA (Asociación Mutual Israelita Argentina) Jewish community center in Buenos Aires.» Eighty-five people were killed in the bombing. 

Argentine investigators and courts have also linked Vahidi to the 1992 bombing of the Israeli Embassy in Buenos Aires, although the Interpol red notice against him is specifically for his alleged role in the 1994 AMIA bombing.

In April, Argentina renewed attention on him after its President Javier Milei’s government designated the entire Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps a terrorist organization and singled out Vahidi by name.

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In announcing the move, the Argentine government said that red notices remained in place for several Iranian officials, «among them former Defense Minister Ahmad Vahidi, who was recently appointed to lead the IRGC.»

Vahidi is under multiple layers of sanctions by both the United States and the European Union. The sanctions significantly restrict his ability to travel, move money or do business internationally.

Washington first sanctioned him in 2010 for links to Iran’s nuclear and missile programs. Vahidi was redesignated in 2022 for «being an official of the Government of Iran and being responsible for or complicit in, or responsible for ordering, controlling, or otherwise directing, the commission of serious human rights abuses against persons in Iran or Iranian citizens or residents, or the family members of the foregoing, on or after June 12, 2009, regardless of whether such abuses occurred in Iran.»

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He was redesignated by the United States in 2022 under Executive Order 13553 after Mahsa Amini’s death, when he served as interior minister and oversaw the regime’s response to nationwide protests.

Vahidi was sanctioned for orchestrating internet blackouts and directing Iran’s Law Enforcement Command, known as NAJA, during the crackdown, according to the U.S. Treasury. 

The European Union first sanctioned him in 2008, and imposed parallel sanctions in 2022 over the use of live ammunition, arbitrary detention of protesters and journalists, and the violent suppression of demonstrations.

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Human rights groups accused Iranian authorities of using live fire, mass arrests and torture against protesters, which resulted in more than 30,000 deaths.

Yigal Carmon, founder and president of the Middle East Media Research Institute (MEMRI) warned, «Under his leadership, more such crimes are to be expected in the West against both Jews and non-Jews.»

PAKISTANI GENERAL SAYS IRAN DIPLOMACY STILL ‘ALIVE, DESPITE US BLOCKADE, FAILED TALKS

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Iran's Interior Minister Ahmad Vahidi briefing media in Tehran

Iran’s Interior Minister Ahmad Vahidi briefs the media on elections in Tehran, Iran, March 4, 2024. Argentina sought the arrest of Vahidi on April 23, 2024, over his alleged involvement in the deadly 1994 bombing of Buenos Aires Jewish community center. (Vahid Salemi/AP)

Analysts say he represents the regime’s most radical faction

Experts say Vahidi is not merely another hardliner, but one of the most extreme figures even within Iran’s already radical ruling elite.

Sabti is warning that Vahidi’s growing influence could make Tehran less likely to agree to a genuine ceasefire.

«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.

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One of the biggest concerns surrounding Vahidi is that even if Iran agrees to a ceasefire, he may see it only as an opportunity to regroup.

That concern has taken on new urgency as Trump’s deadline approaches.

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Iranians gathering in Enqelab Square to react to a ceasefire announcement.

Iranians react after a ceasefire announcement at the Enqelab square, in Tehran, on April 8, 2026. The United States and Iran agreed to a two-week ceasefire Tuesday barely an hour before U.S. President Donald Trump’s deadline to obliterate the rival country was set to expire, with Tehran to temporarily reopen the vital Strait of Hormuz. (AFP via Getty Images)

If Vahidi is indeed the man increasingly calling the shots in Iran, analysts say the key question is not whether Iran wants a ceasefire, but whether the Revolutionary Guard commander believes continued confrontation better serves his interests.

Carmon said, «Trusting him is a grave mistake. He belongs to the hard ‘DEATH TO AMERICA’ corps.»

Iran’s mission to the United Nations declined to comment.

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war with iran, mojtaba khamenei, middle east foreign policy, ali khamenei, terrorism, iran

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GOP strategists called to DC as Trump team confronts rising midterm headwinds

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With the six-month mark until Election Day 2026 closing fast, President Donald Trump’s top political advisers are meeting behind closed doors Monday with dozens of leading Republican political consultants from across the country for a strategy session as the party defends its razor-thin House and slim Senate majorities in the midterms.

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The meeting, organized by White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles, who was co-chair of Trump’s 2024 presidential campaign, and Deputy Chief of Staff James Blair, comes as the party in power in the nation’s capital faces traditional political headwinds and is expected to lose congressional seats. Republicans are also battling a challenging political climate fueled by persistent inflation, rising gas prices tied to what polls show is an unpopular war with Iran, and the president’s underwater approval ratings.

The gathering, which was first reported by Politico, is aimed at establishing better coordination and sharing of data and strategy between the White House political team and consultants advising candidates in midterm showdowns.

STRATEGY SESSION: TRUMP’S TEAM HUDDLES ON MIDTERM MESSAGING

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President Donald Trump hosts a lunch with the Kennedy Center Board members as chief of staff Susie Wiles looks on at the White House in Washington, D.C., on March 16, 2026. (Annabelle Gordon/AFP)

The meeting also comes two weeks after Trump announced that Blair would temporarily step down from his White House role to steer midterm strategy from the outside. The president said in a social media post that Blair would take «a short leave of absence to lead the charge from the outside» against Democrats, and after the midterms would «return again to the White House, so we can finish the job.»

This is the second major gathering ahead of the midterms. Wiles, Blair and other top Trump political advisers met in February at the party’s Capitol Hill Club with Cabinet officials and their top aides to discuss promoting the Trump agenda and other midterm messaging.

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Trump made a two-day swing last week to Nevada and Arizona, two crucial swing states in this year’s elections, to highlight the tax cuts that congressional Republicans passed, and which he signed into law last summer.

BACK ON THE TRAIL: TRUMP HITS BATTLEGROUND STATES TO TOUT TAX CUTS

President Donald Trump highlights 'No Tax on Tips' during a stop in Las Vegas, on April 16, 2026

President Donald Trump gestures at a roundtable event about no tax on tips, Thursday, April 16, 2026, in Las Vegas (Lucas Peltier/AP Photo)

The president’s stops were part of a full-court press last week by Republicans, around last Wednesday’s tax filing deadline, to spotlight the tax cuts, which they insist will give them a political boost with voters in the midterms.

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The tax cuts were a key component of Republicans’ massive domestic policy measure, which passed almost entirely along party lines in the GOP-controlled House and Senate.

The law, originally titled the One Big Beautiful Bill Act but rebranded as the Working Families Tax Cuts, is stuffed full of Trump’s 2024 campaign trail promises and second-term priorities, including extending the president’s signature 2017 tax cuts and eliminating taxes on tips and overtime pay. 

FIRST ON FOX: GOP TAKES AIM AT DEMOCRATS FOR OPPOSING TRUMP TAX CUTS

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President Donald Trump signing legislation at the White House during Independence Day event

President Donald Trump signs sweeping spending and tax legislation, known as the «One Big Beautiful Bill Act,» during a picnic with military families to mark Independence Day, at the White House in Washington, D.C., on July 4, 2025. (Reuters/Ken Cedeno)

But much of the GOP messaging last week was overshadowed by coverage of the war with Iran and Trump’s very public spat with the pope.

Republicans in Congress are increasingly concerned about the political climate ahead of the midterms.

«If we lose the midterms, it’ll be because we didn’t talk about what moms and dads are worried about when they lie down to sleep at night…and that’s primarily the cost of living, GOP Sen. John Kennedy of Louisiana said Saturday in an appearance on Fox News’ «The Big Weekend Show.»

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And pointing to the tax cuts, Kennedy said the «One Big Beautiful Bill is going to help a lot of people in terms of their taxes and a lot of small businesses. And that’s what I wish the president would talk more about. If we talk about it, we’ll win the midterms.»

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Despite the Democratic Party’s poll numbers hitting all-time lows over the past year, Democrats are energized heading into the midterms thanks to a slew of off-year-election and special election victories and over performances, thanks in part to their laser focus on affordability since Trump returned to the White House.

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The Democratic National Committee, in an email release Monday to supporters, claimed that «Republicans are in trouble ahead of the midterms — and they know it.»

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