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Ex-counterterror chief Joe Kent says Trump was ‘poised’ to make better Iran deal than Obama-era JCPOA
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Before the Iran war, President Donald Trump was «poised» to strike a «better deal» with the regime than the President Barack Obama-era Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, former National Counterterrorism Center Director Joe Kent asserted in a Thursday post on X.
«Prior to letting the Israelis lead us into this war, President Trump was actually poised to cut a better deal than the JCPOA (aka the Obama Iran deal),» Kent wrote.
«The Iranians feared and respected Trump in a way they never respected Obama—he took out the terror mastermind Qasem Soleimani, yet was prudent enough not to get sucked into the quicksand of another Middle Eastern quagmire that would only favor Iran and strengthen its hardliners,» he continued.
US INTEL COMMUNITY AGREED BEFORE WAR ‘IRAN WASN’T DEVELOPING A NUCLEAR WEAPON’: EX-COUNTERTERRORISM CHIEF
Joseph Kent, director of the National Counterterrorism Center, during a House Homeland Security Committee hearing in Washington, D.C., on Dec. 11, 2025. (Daniel Heuer/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
«That’s why, as soon as he returned to office in January 2025, the Iranians stopped their proxies from attacking us and were immediately open to negotiations,» Kent added.
Kent, who quit the counterterrorism post in March due to his opposition to the Iran war, asserted in the Thursday post that Trump could «still correct course» on the issue.
«President Trump can still correct course, but he has to break the current stalemate cycle we are in: Get us out of the military standoff. Restrain the Israelis. Leverage the potential of sanctions relief to open the Strait of Hormuz and secure a new deal on the nuclear issue,» he advised.
EX-COUNTERTERRORISM CHIEF SAYS TRUMP MUST RESTRAIN ISRAEL BEFORE HE CAN DECLARE VICTORY IN IRAN
President Donald Trump makes a speech at a state banquet with China’s President Xi Jinping at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on May 14, 2026 (Brendan Smialowski/ AFP via Getty Images)
In response to Fox News Digital’s request for a comment from the White House on Thursday, spokesman Davis Ingle provided a statement slamming Kent.
«Joe Kent’s self-aggrandizing resignation letter and recent comments are riddled with lies. Most egregious are Kent’s false claims that the largest state sponsor of terrorism somehow did not pose a threat to the United States and that Israel forced the President into launching Operation Epic Fury. As Commander-in-Chief, President Trump took decisive action based on strong evidence which showed that the terrorist Iranian regime posed an imminent threat and was preparing to strike Americans first. President Trump’s number one priority has always been ensuring the safety and security of the American people,» Ingle said in the statement.
While testifying at a Senate Armed Services Committee hearing on Thursday, U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) Commander Adm. Brad Cooper said that during the 30 months prior to when Operation Epic Fury began, «Iran and its proxies had been attacking U.S. service members and diplomats about 350 times … about every third day.»
But Kent asserted in a post on X, «Iran’s proxies attacked our troops & diplomats under Biden, NOT under this Trump admin prior to Epic Fury, hence the 30 months time frame. When Trump returned to office in January of 2025 those attacks stopped.»
SHIP SEIZED NEAR STRAIT OF HORMUZ BY ‘UNAUTHORIZED PERSONNEL,’ BROUGHT TOWARD IRAN
Commander of U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) Navy Adm. Brad Cooper testifies during a Senate Armed Services Committee hearing in the Dirksen Senate Office Building on Capitol Hill on May 14, 2026, in Washington, D.C. (Win McNamee/Getty Images)
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«Iran stoped [sic] its proxies from attacking us b/c they knew Trump would hit back & they wanted to reach a deal w/Trump. A deal was in the works, that deal would have thwarted Israel’s goal of getting us committed to a war against Iran, so Israel did everything they could to get us into a war with Iran,» he added.
«Iran holding back its proxies & the protests against the regime in January show that Trump’s max pressure & strategic targeted strike campaign was working, tragically this success was squandered by letting the Israelis drive our decision making,» Kent claimed.
politics, donald trump, war with iran, iran, world
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Piden a la Unión Europea crear un fondo internacional de reparación a las víctimas del régimen cubano
El Observatorio Cubano de Derechos Humanos (OCDH) presentó ante las autoridades de la Unión Europea (UE) una solicitud formal para la creación de un «Fondo Internacional de Indemnización a las Víctimas de los Crímenes de Lesa Humanidad del Régimen Comunista Cubano“, financiado con los activos malversados por La Habana y depositados en cuentas del exterior.
La petición, acompañada de un informe institucional, fue dirigida a las principales instituciones comunitarias, incluida la presidenta de la Comisión Europea, Ursula von der Leyen, indicó el OCDH en una nota enviada a Infobae.
La propuesta parte de una premisa que el observatorio describe de tan sencilla como incontestable: los bienes expoliados al pueblo cubano deben servir para reparar a ese mismo pueblo.
“Es un patrimonio extraído del sudor de los cubanos”, denunció Alejandro González Raga, director ejecutivo de la organización y ex prisionero de conciencia. El contraste es brutal: mientras el conglomerado militar GAESA —que se estima controla entre el 40 y el 70% de la economía cubana— acumula activos en el exterior, el salario medio en la isla no alcanza los 10 dólares al mes.
Desde 1959, el régimen cubano confiscó la propiedad del pueblo y concentró los activos en esa estructura militar opaca, recordó el informe; al tiempo que remarcó que el Departamento de Estado norteamericano cifra en hasta 20.000 millones de dólares los activos ilícitos de GAESA depositados en cuentas exteriores.
La iniciativa del OCDH se inscribe en el nuevo escenario creado por las recientes acciones de Washington: la Orden Ejecutiva 14404, firmada por el presidente Donald Trump el 1 de mayo pasado, que amplió el programa de sanciones sobre Cuba e introdujo el riesgo de sanciones secundarias para instituciones financieras extranjeras que operen con entidades bloqueadas; y la designación de GAESA, su filial Moa Nickel S.A. y la presidenta ejecutiva del conglomerado, Ania Guillermina Lastres Morera, en la lista de sanciones del Tesoro de Estados Unidos el 7 de mayo, con el consiguiente bloqueo de todos sus bienes bajo jurisdicción estadounidense.
“Cada dólar congelado a GAESA es un dólar disponible para reparar a las víctimas”, señaló el Observatorio Cubano de Derechos Humanos. Además, subrayó que la UE ya dispone de todos los mecanismos jurídicos necesarios para atender la solicitud, pero que hasta ahora ha carecido de voluntad política para activarlos.
Entre los instrumentos señalados figura la cláusula esencial de derechos humanos del Acuerdo de Diálogo Político y de Cooperación (artículo 85.3.b), vigente desde 2017 y nunca activada; el Régimen Global de Sanciones de la UE en materia de Derechos Humanos (Reglamento 2020/1998); la Convención de la ONU contra la Corrupción (UNCAC), que eleva a principio fundamental la recuperación de activos malversados; los Principios y Directrices de la ONU sobre reparación (Resolución 60/147); y precedentes operativos como el Fondo Fiduciario para las Víctimas de la Corte Penal Internacional (CPI) y la Iniciativa StAR del Banco Mundial y la UNODC.
La solicitud apunta directamente a la política de la Unión Europea hacia Cuba desde 2016, cuando el bloque comunitario sustituyó la Posición Común de 1996 por el actual Acuerdo de Diálogo. Según el OCDH, esa transición inauguró una década de intercambios diplomáticos sin resultado tangible: ni un solo preso político liberado en términos netos. La organización rechazó que esa postura sea neutral y la calificó de permisividad encubierta.
Ante ese diagnóstico, el observatorio exigió a la UE cuatro acciones concretas: activar sin demora la cláusula esencial del Acuerdo con Cuba; adoptar sanciones individuales contra los responsables de la represión; coordinar con Estados Unidos el rastreo y la restitución de los activos de GAESA localizados en jurisdicciones europeas; y participar, como organización fundadora, en el Fondo de Indemnización con una contribución inicial y asistencia técnica.
“Reparar con los bienes malversados no es venganza: es restablecer el orden moral que el crimen quebró. Europa fue concebida como una comunidad de valores, no solo de intereses. Ha llegado el momento de demostrarlo”, afirmó González Raga.
La organización se puso a disposición de las instituciones europeas para aportar documentación, peritaje y colaboración técnica en el desarrollo del mecanismo.
Unión Europea,régimen cubano,víctimas,reparación,activistas,derechos humanos,Cuba,política,Bruselas
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The growing list of controversies threatening Democrat Graham Platner’s Maine Senate bid
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Maine Democratic Senate candidate Graham Platner has emerged as one of the party’s fastest-rising political figures, drawing national attention for his populist message and outsider image.
But as his profile has grown, so has scrutiny of his past conduct, with controversies ranging from sexually explicit messages and offensive social media posts to a Nazi-linked tattoo and campaign staff upheaval.
PLATNER CONTROVERSIES FUEL SPECULATION ABOUT LITTLE-KNOWN MAINE BALLOT REPLACEMENT PROVISION
In continued clean-up of those scandals, Platner came to Washington, D.C. on Tuesday to huddle with party figures at the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee headquarters just one week before his primary election.
The Marine veteran and oyster farmer has defended himself against the criticism and retained the support of prominent Democrats, including Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., and Sens. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., and Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass. Still, some have questioned whether the allegations could complicate Democrats’ efforts to unseat Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, in one of the nation’s most closely watched Senate races.
Here’s a look at the major controversies that have engulfed Platner’s campaign.
Explicit text messages and sexting allegations
Senate candidate Graham Platner is under fire, but it was his wife Amy Gertner coming out with a controversial five-minute social media post by the campaign to denounce the ‘attacks’ while she did not deny the allegations of infidelity in a new marriage. (Joe Raedle/Getty Images)
The most recent controversy surrounding Platner stems from reports that he exchanged sexually explicit messages with multiple women during his marriage, an issue that campaign aides were reportedly aware of as his Senate bid was taking shape.
The Wall Street Journal reported that Platner’s wife, Amy Gertner, informed a campaign aide about the text exchanges shortly after he launched his Senate bid as staffers were assessing potential political liabilities.
According to the report, Gertner discovered the messages months after the couple married in 2024 and disclosed their existence before her husband held a campaign rally alongside progressive Sen. Sanders. The campaign told Politico that the aide viewed the matter as a private issue between the couple and did not raise concerns about it publicly.
SENATE CANDIDATE GRAHAM PLATNER SENT EXPLICIT TEXTS TO MULTIPLE WOMEN WHILE MARRIED, WIFE SAYS: REPORT
Platner’s campaign later confirmed the existence of the text exchanges to Politico.
He also told Fox News Digital in a statement: «Amy and I went through something hard — because of me. We did the work, and I’m grateful for her every hour of every day.»
«I’ve learned throughout this campaign is that people don’t care about gossip or headlines, they care that you’re fighting for their hospitals, their paycheck, their kids… Our opponents want politics to be empty of content and empty of actual change — and beating that is exactly what our movement is about,» he added.
In a statement to the Journal, Gertner criticized the disclosure of the information, saying she had shared «deeply personal details» about her marriage with someone she considered a friend, only to see those details become public.
She revealed that the two attended couple’s counseling, worked through the issues in their marriage and have since emerged as a stronger couple.
«I know who Graham is. I know the man I married and the husband he has been to me on the best and the worst days of my life,» Gertner said. «That hasn’t changed, and it won’t.»
Nazi-linked tattoo
Graham Platner, a Democratic candidate for U.S. Senate in Maine, points to a covered tattoo that was previously recognized as a Nazi symbol during an interview in Portland, Maine, on Oct. 22, 2025. (WGME via AP)
Platner’s campaign also faced intense scrutiny after it was revealed he once had a skull-and-crossbones tattoo on his chest closely resembling the «Totenkopf» symbol used by Hitler’s SS paramilitary forces.
The Maine Democrat said he got the tattoo during a «night of drinking» while on leave in Croatia in 2007 as a Marine and claimed he was entirely unaware of its meaning at the time.
In an Instagram video posted in May, Platner elaborated on the tattoo’s origins. He explained that he merely selected the design from a flash tattoo wall while «carousing» with fellow Marines in Split, Croatia.
«We thought it looked cool,» he downplayed.
Platner said he was later «appalled» to learn the image resembled a Nazi symbol, arguing that his life and career have been defined by opposition to fascism, racism and Nazism. He also noted that he was never questioned about the tattoo during his military service.
MAINE DEM SENATE HOPEFUL BACKED BY BERNIE SANDERS APOLOGIZES FOR NAZI-STYLE TATTOO, VOWS TO STAY IN RACE
Rather than undergo removal, Platner said he chose to cover the tattoo because tattoo removal services were not readily available near his rural Maine home.
«Going to a tattoo removal place is going to take a while,» he told The Associated Press. «I wanted this thing off my body.»
The symbol was ultimately covered with a tattoo featuring a Celtic knot and images of dogs, which Platner said were meant to honor his family pets.
Deleted Reddit posts reveal offensive comments
U.S. Senate candidate from Maine Graham Platner speaks during a campaign event on May 17, 2026, in Portland, Maine. (Joe Raedle/Getty Images)
The keystone scrutiny Platner has faced during his bid stemmed from thousands of now-deleted Reddit posts that resurfaced after he launched his Senate campaign.
In posts first reported by CNN and Politico, Platner referred to himself as a «communist» and «socialist» and endorsed the slogan «all cops are b—–ds.»
In other posts, he argued that those who «expect to fight fascism without a good semi-automatic rifle, they ought to do some reading of history» and said that «an armed working class is a requirement for economic justice.»
DELETED POSTS URGING VIOLENCE HAUNT DEMOCRATIC SENATE HOPEFUL IN MAINE RACE
The posts under his since-retired username «P-hustle» were deleted before Platner announced his Democratic Senate bid in August.
The candidate has since addressed the posts multiple times, telling CNN and Politico that he was «f—ing around on the internet» during a period when he felt «lost and very disillusioned with our government who sent me overseas to watch my friends die.»
«I made dumb jokes and picked fights,» Platner said. «But of course I’m not a socialist. I’m a small business owner, a Marine Corps veteran, and a retired s—poster.»
In the posts Platner made crude comments about masturbating in port-a-potties and claimed a U.S. service member who took enemy fire in Afghanistan «didn’t deserve to live.»
GRAHAM PLATNER VOWS TO ‘COME AFTER’ BEZOS AS SENATE HOPEFUL ESCALATES BILLIONAIRE TAX FIGHT
The controversies have done little to erode Platner’s standing within the Democratic Party as he has continued to attract national attention and grassroots support in the Democratic primary bid to challenge Sen. Collins for her seat.
Since former Democratic Maine Gov. Janet Mills halted her campaign in April, much of the party establishment has consolidated behind Platner, and national Democrats have continued to support his candidacy despite the flurry of scandals.
The steady stream of allegations and past controversies has also drawn attention to a little-known provision in Maine election law that allows political parties to replace a nominee under certain circumstances after a primary election.
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Under state law, a candidate who wins a primary and subsequently withdraws by 5 p.m. on July 13 can be replaced by a nominee selected by party officials. Any replacement candidate must then be chosen by 5 p.m. on July 27.
There is currently no indication that Platner plans to withdraw from the race, and the Democratic hopeful has repeatedly vowed to continue his campaign. Still, the provision has drawn renewed interest as questions persist about whether additional revelations could complicate his candidacy.
Platner’s campaign did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.
midterm elections, politics, campaigning, maine, bernie sanders, democrats senate
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