El presidente de Estados Unidos, Donald Trump, llamó este viernes por la noche “estrecho de Trump” al estrecho de Ormuz, el área controlada por Irán por donde pasa la quinta parte del crudo global y comparó esto con el cambio de nombre del golfo de México a ‘golfo de América’.

“Estamos negociando ahora (con Irán) y sería genial si pudiésemos hacer algo, pero tienen que abrirlo. Tienen que abrir el estrecho de Trump, quiero decir, de Ormuz. Discúlpenme, lo siento mucho, qué error tan terrible”, declaró el mandatario en el evento FII Priority, organizado por inversionistas saudíes en Miami.

Trump bromeó con el cambio de nombre del estrecho al recordar que su apertura es una de sus principales exigencias tras casi un mes de guerra con Irán, que ha impedido el tránsito por el área, lo que subió esta semana el petróleo Brent hasta 112,57 dólares por barril para entregas en mayo, el precio más alto desde junio de 2022.

“Las ‘fake news’ (noticias falsas) dirán que él (Trump) lo dijo accidentalmente. No hay accidentes conmigo, no demasiados”, expresó el mandatario.

El republicano comparó el cambio de nombre del estrecho con el que él ordenó a comienzos de su segundo mandato para llamarle ‘golfo de América’ al golfo de México, algo que aparece en mapas en Estados Unidos pese a las críticas de la presidenta mexicana, Claudia Sheinbaum.

“Tomó cerca de una hora (el cambio) y se hizo. La presidenta me llamó. Es realmente una buena persona también. Me cae muy bien. Me llamó. Ella tiene la voz más hermosas. Es una mujer muy elegante. Tiene una hermosa voz”, manifestó el mandatario.

El presidente hizo estas declaraciones al insistir en que Washington está negociando con Irán, pese a que el país persa ha negado que esté teniendo conversaciones de manera oficial.

Trump anunció el jueves que, para dar espacio a las negociaciones, pospuso hasta el 6 de abril el ultimátum dado a Irán para desbloquear el estrecho de Ormuz, o de lo contrario destruirá sus centrales eléctricas.

Momentos antes de sus declaraciones, el enviado especial de Trump en Medio Oriente, Steve Witkoff, aseguró que “hay barcos” pasando por el estrecho.

Pero la organización Marine Traffic indicó este viernes que dos cargueros chinos que se dirigían allí tuvieron que dar media vuelta por no contar con garantías de paso por parte de Irán pese a su alianza estratégica con China.

Trump expresó además su percepción sobre el impacto global de China, señalando: “Hay que tener un gran respeto por China por el trabajo que hacen. Te gusten o no, hay que respetarlos”.

La declaración del mandatario se da al destacar la capacidad productiva del país asiático, incluso en el sector automotriz, remarcando que “producen tantos coches que incluso hay competiciones para ver quién produce menos, porque tienen muchísimos”.

Por otra parte, el mandatario adoptó un tono distinto al referirse al príncipe heredero saudí Mohammed Bin Salman, de quien afirmó: “Él no creía que iba a tener que lamerme el culo, de verdad que no. Y ahora tiene que ser amable conmigo. Más le vale ser amable conmigo”.

Al reflexionar sobre los sistemas económicos, Trump comparó la teoría recibida en instituciones educativas estadounidenses con el modelo chino: “Es increíble que con un sistema que, en teoría, no debería funcionar —ya sabes, vamos a la escuela, vamos a las mejores escuelas de negocios, nos va bien en esas escuelas, y leemos sobre el libre emprendimiento, y leemos sobre todas estas cosas diferentes— Pero si nos fijamos en China, en lo bien que les va, en lo mucho que producen”.

La visión de Trump resalta la paradoja que percibe sobre China frente a los principios económicos enseñados en Estados Unidos.

Trump, insistió en que Irán está “diezmado” y que desea alcanzar un “acuerdo” que ponga fin a la guerra.

“Sobre Irán, están siendo diezmados. Estamos hablando con ellos ahora y quieren cerrar un acuerdo. Es muy simple: nuestro Ejército es el más grande, de lejos, e Irán está siendo diezmado”, declaró Trump al aterrizar en Miami (Florida), donde pasará el fin de semana.

Este sábado se cumple un mes del ataque a gran escala que Estados Unidos e Israel lanzaron el 28 de febrero contra Irán, en el que murió el líder supremo del país, el ayatolá Alí Khamenei, y que desató la actual guerra en Oriente Medio.

Washington y Teherán han iniciado conversaciones indirectas con la mediación de Pakistán, que podrían desembocar en un posible encuentro presencial en los próximos días.

Trump anunció el jueves que, para dar espacio a las negociaciones, pospuso hasta el 6 de abril el ultimátum dado a Irán para desbloquear el estrecho de Ormuz, o de lo contrario destruirá sus centrales eléctricas.

La guerra, en la que han muerto al menos trece soldados estadounidenses y que ha disparado el precio de la gasolina, es impopular en Estados Unidos, donde Trump hizo campaña a favor de mantener al país alejado de los conflictos externos, y ha acrecentado la fractura entre Washington y sus socios de la OTAN.

(Con información de EFE)

NASA is racing to establish a permanent human presence on the moon as the U.S. looks to beat China’s ambitions on the lunar surface amid intensifying competition in space.

The Trump administration’s push for a roughly $20 billion moon base marks a major shift in NASA’s strategy, moving away from plans for a lunar-orbiting space station and toward building infrastructure directly on the moon as a long-term foothold for deep space exploration.

«This time, the goal is not flags and footprints,» NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman said as he outlined the plan. «This time, the goal is to stay.» 

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«The reason you want to have a lunar base is that it acts as a focal point of our ongoing efforts to not just be around the Earth, but go into deep space,» Casey Dreier, chief of space policy at The Planetary Society space exploration nonprofit, told Fox News Digital. «It’s like the reason that we have our base stations in Antarctica.»

Dreier said a sustained presence on the moon would allow the U.S. to store supplies, build out infrastructure and expand its capabilities over time in ways that are not possible with a station orbiting the moon.

The shift also reflects a recalibration of NASA’s earlier plans, which centered on the Gateway program — a proposed space station in orbit around the moon that had been a cornerstone of the Artemis program but faced delays, funding uncertainty and growing questions about its necessity.

Originally envisioned as a staging point for astronauts traveling to and from the lunar surface, Gateway was designed to serve as a communications hub and transfer point in orbit. NASA is now redirecting resources toward building infrastructure directly on the lunar surface instead.

While the new approach sharpens NASA’s focus, Dreier cautioned that the administration’s timeline and budget remain highly ambitious.

«Probably not,» he said when asked whether $20 billion would be enough to build and sustain a lunar base. «It’s an ambitious level.»

Dreier added that the roughly seven-year timeline is aggressive, particularly given the technical challenges of operating on the moon, suggesting the effort may begin with a limited initial presence that expands over time.

China has successfully carried out robotic sample return missions, launching material from the lunar surface back to Earth — a technically demanding feat that underscores its growing capabilities. (Li Jieyi/VCG via Getty Images)

China is aiming to land astronauts on the moon by around 2030, a milestone that would mark its first crewed lunar mission and significantly expand its presence beyond Earth orbit.

The push for a lunar base comes as China also rapidly advances its own capabilities, conducting increasingly complex robotic missions and laying the groundwork for a long-term presence on the moon.

«They have gone from launching one or two satellites or space science satellites to launching dozens,» Dreier said. «They have landed huge amounts of mass now on the moon, on the far side of the moon.»

He noted that China has also successfully carried out robotic sample return missions, launching material from the lunar surface back to Earth — a technically demanding feat that underscores its growing capabilities.

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«They’re developing their capability very fast,» Dreier said. «That is more capability than the United States has at the moon right now.»

«At the Moon, China actually has the advantage right now,» he added.

«They have gone from launching one or two satellites or space science satellites to launching dozens,» Dreier said. «They have landed huge amounts of mass now on the moon, on the far side of the moon.»

China is working with international partners, including Russia, on plans for a long-term presence near the lunar south pole — a region believed to contain water ice and other key resources.

«We find ourselves with a real geopolitical rival, challenging American leadership in the high ground of space,» Isaacman said.

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Dreier said the push to build sustained operations on the moon could also strengthen broader U.S. capabilities in space, particularly as orbit becomes more contested.

«The moon is the ultimate high ground,» he said. «If we have to have space contested, let’s make it a race to the moon … rather than something far more direct and destructive in the Earth orbit.»

Fox News Digital reached out to NASA for comment. 

Iran’s military is not designed to win a conventional war against the United States or Israel. It is designed to survive one, absorb damage and continue fighting over time, experts say.

That strategy is reflected both in how the force is built and how it is performing now, after weeks of sustained U.S. and Israeli strikes.

The scale of the campaign has been significant. More than 9,000 targets have been struck since the launch of Operation Epic Fury, according to a March 23, 2026, fact sheet from U.S. Central Command, alongside more than 9,000 combat flights, hitting missile sites, air defenses, Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps command centers and weapons production facilities.

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U.S. officials say the objective is clear. 

«We are targeting and eliminating Iran’s ballistic missile systems … destroying the Iranian Navy … and ensuring Iran cannot rapidly rebuild,» Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Gen. Dan Caine said during a March Pentagon briefing.

But analysts caution that the picture is more complex.

«It’s a mixed bag,» Nicholas Carl, a fellow at the conservative American Enterprise Institute think tank and assistant director of the Critical Threats Project, told Fox News Digital. «On one hand, (Iran’s military) is badly degraded across the board, but the regime still retains a significant amount of capability.» 

INSIDE THE ISRAELI DRONE UNIT TAKING ON IRAN AND HEZBOLLAH

At the heart of Iran’s military system is a deliberate dual structure: the conventional army, known as the Artesh, and the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.  (Majid Asgaripour/WANA (West Asia News Agency) Handout via Reuters)

A ‘double army’ built to protect the regime

At the heart of Iran’s military system is a deliberate dual structure: the conventional army, known as the Artesh, and the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, a parallel force created after the 1979 revolution to safeguard the regime.

According to Carl, Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei has shaped the armed forces throughout decades around one central objective: preserving the Islamic Republic and exporting its revolutionary ideology.

«You need to separate between the IRGC and the regular army,» Middle East intelligence expert Danny Citrinowicz told Fox News Digital. «The IRGC gets all of the budgets — better salaries, better equipment, better everything.»

Carl describes the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps as a «deeply ideological praetorian guard,» while the Artesh remains a more conventional force tasked with defending Iran’s borders.

But the distinction is not absolute. 

«The IRGC is probably the more dangerous of the two, but we cannot discount the threat that the regular military poses as well,» Carl said.

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A big banner depicting Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei is placed next to a ballistic missile in Baharestan Square in Tehran, Iran, in 2024. (Photo by Hossein Beris / Middle East Images / Middle East Images via AFP) (Photo by HOSSEIN BERIS/Middle East Images/AFP via Getty Images)

Missiles remain Iran’s most powerful weapon

Iran’s missile program remains the backbone of its military power, even after extensive strikes.

The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Aerospace Force has spent years building what Carl describes as the largest missile inventory in the Middle East.

U.S. officials say those capabilities have been significantly reduced with recent strikes. 

«Iran’s ballistic missile shots fired are down 86% from the first day of fighting,» Caine said in a Pentagon briefing earlier in March, adding that drone launches have dropped by roughly 73%.

Secretary of War Pete Hegseth said in the same briefing that the campaign has sharply limited Iran’s ability to sustain attacks. 

«The enemy can no longer shoot the volume of missiles they once did, not even close,» he said. 

But even U.S. officials acknowledge the threat persists. 

«Iran will still be able to shoot some missiles … and launch one-way attack drones,» Hegseth said.

Carl said the decline in fire has plateaued.

«Iranian missile and drone fire has dropped precipitously … about 90% since the war began… but that number has been consistent for weeks,» he said. «That means they still retain enough capability to sustain strikes across the region.»

Citrinowicz offered a similar assessment. 

«They suffered blows, but still hold the ability and still have the capacity to launch missiles for weeks to come,» he said.

U.S. estimates cited by Carl suggest roughly a third of Iran’s missile capabilities remain active.

«The regime still does have a significant capability to threaten targets across the region … especially as it demonstrates the ability to shoot beyond 2,000 kilometers,» Carl said.

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The Iranian Revolutionary Guard’s navy commander Alireza Tangsiri, who was killed by the Israelis on March 26, 2026, at an exhibition in the southern port city of Bandar Abbas, Iran, in 2024.  (Iranian Presidency Office via AP)

A navy built to disrupt global trade

The Pentagon says it has made major gains against Iran’s naval forces.

More than 140 Iranian vessels have been damaged or destroyed, according to U.S. Central Command.

Caine said U.S. forces have «effectively neutralized» Iran’s major naval presence in the region.

But analysts warn that Iran’s naval threat was never dependent on large ships.

The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Navy is built around «area denial capabilities,» including fast attack craft, mines, missiles and drones designed to swarm adversaries and disrupt maritime movement.

«They still have the capacity — speedboats, drones, surface-to-sea missiles — allowing them to block the Strait of Hormuz,» Citrinowicz said.

Carl cautioned against a common misconception.

«It’s not technically accurate to say the Strait of Hormuz is closed … Iran is selectively denying access … firing at some ships while allowing others to pass,» he said.

«Iran has to do very, very little to achieve a meaningful effect.»

HEZBOLLAH, IRAN UNLEASH COORDINATED CLUSTER BOMB STRIKES ON ISRAEL IN MAJOR ESCALATION

A Fighter aircraft is seen at the first underground air force base, called «Eagle 44» at an undisclosed location in Iran, in this handout image obtained Feb. 7, 2023.  (West Asia News Agency/Handout via REUTERS)

Air superiority, but not total control

U.S. officials say the campaign has achieved major progress in the air.

«We will have complete control of Iranian skies, uncontested airspace,» Hegseth said.

Caine added that U.S. forces have already established «localized air superiority» and are expanding operations deeper into Iranian territory.

But Iran’s air force was never the centerpiece of its strategy. Years of sanctions have left it reliant on aging aircraft and limited modernization, making it far less capable than its Western or regional adversaries.

«There is definitely a setback … but Iran was never built on an air force,» Citrinowicz said.

Instead, Iran relies on missiles, drones and layered defenses.

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On the ground, Iran retains a key advantage: its forces have largely not been directly engaged. (Morteza Nikoubazl/Nur Photo via Getty Images)

Ground forces remain largely intact

On the ground, Iran retains a key advantage: its forces have largely not been directly engaged.

The Artesh ground forces, which include tens of brigades, are positioned primarily to defend Iran’s borders, according to Carl’s report.

«The ground troops are still intact, nobody has invaded Iran,» Citrinowicz said.

He noted that ground forces are increasingly launching drones, signaling a broader shift in how Iran fights.

Proxy network extends Iran’s reach

Beyond its borders, Iran’s military power is extended through a network of proxy forces managed by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps’ Quds Force.

Carl said the Quds Force provides «leadership, materiel, intelligence, training and funds» to allied militias across the Middle East, including Hezbollah, Hamas and the Houthis.

«The ‘Axis of Resistance’ is the central mechanism by which Iran can further regionalize the conflict … to endanger as many actors’ interests as possible,» Carl said.

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Iranian soldiers take part in a military parade during a ceremony marking the country’s annual army day April 17, 2024, in Tehran, Iran.  (Getty Images)

Built to survive, not to win

Iran’s military is also structured to confront internal threats, reinforcing its core purpose: regime survival.

The result is a force built on redundancy, asymmetry and endurance.

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Even after weeks of sustained strikes, Iran retains enough capability to continue launching missiles, harassing global shipping and leveraging proxy forces across the region.

It may be weakened, but it remains strategically dangerous. 

«We cannot discount the threat that the Iranian military poses,» Carl said, «it remains a force capable of threatening regional and international security.»