INTERNACIONAL
Iran still wants a nuclear weapon despite ‘serious damage’ from US, Israeli strikes: expert warns
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Iran is preparing its next step in what one security expert warns remains its chief objective: developing a nuclear weapon.
«Repair, reconstitute and rebuild is going to be the modus operandi of the Islamic Republic of Iran,» Behnam Ben Taleblu, Senior Director of the Foundation for Defense of Democracies’ Iran Program told Fox News Digital. «It just depends on how are they going to be doing it? While flirting with the international community? Are they going to go dark totally altogether?
«All of this remains to be seen,» he added.
WHAT’S NEXT FOR IRAN’S TERROR ARMY, THE IRGC, AFTER DEVASTATING MILITARY SETBACKS?
Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei addresses the media during the voting of Parliament Elections in Tehran, Iran on May 10, 2024. (Photo by Fatemeh Bahrami/Anadolu via Getty Images)
Spokesman for the regime, Fatemeh Mohajerani, confirmed this week that the Fordow, Isfahan and Natanz nuclear sites had been «seriously damaged» following the U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran’s nuclear program last month.
Questions remain over the extent of damage that was incurred, as well as skepticism over whether Iran was able to move any enriched uranium or centrifuges away from the heavily guarded sites prior to the strikes.
Though the Trump administration said on Wednesday that it had «obliterated» the three facilities it struck, and has fervently rejected reports suggesting that Iranian officials may have been able to transfer some elements of the regime’s coveted nuclear program, Israeli officials confirmed this week that they are continuing to monitor the situation closely.
Experts in the U.S. and Israel have said they believe Iran is still assessing the extent of the damage from the «bunker busting» bombs, and that the regime will look to recover and repair what it can — meaning it may be looking to buy time.
«No doubt, the regime will still have a diplomatic strategy designed to rope-a-dope anybody, and to find as much time as possible for this government to do that,» Ben Taleblu said.
The Iranian regime this week suggested it remained open to negotiations with the U.S. after President Donald Trump signaled that the talks could begin as soon as next week, though multiple Iranian officials said that that timeframe was overly ambitious.
«I don’t think negotiations will restart as quickly as that,» Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said in a CBS News interview. «The doors of diplomacy will never slam shut.»
TRUMP COULD ARM ISRAEL WITH US B-2S AND BUNKER BUSTERS IF IRAN TRIES TO GO NUCLEAR UNDER NEW PROPOSAL
This satellite picture by Planet Labs PBC shows Iran’s underground nuclear enrichment site at Fordow following U.S. airstrikes targeting the facility, on Sunday, June 22, 2025. (Planet Labs PBC via AP)
But the regime also took steps to further hinder the UN nuclear watchdog — which is tasked with tracking all nation’s nuclear programs — and suspended all interaction with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) on Wednesday.
That same day, the State Department condemned the move, and spokesperson Tammy Bruce said it was «unacceptable that Iran chose to suspend cooperation with the IAEA at a time when it has a window of opportunity to reverse course and choose a path of peace and prosperity.»
Iran has limited IAEA access in the past and Ben Taleblu argued Tehran will likely look to do this again as it attempts to hold on to any bargaining chip it can.
«The Islamic Republic of Iran’s next step, and likely most dangerous capability right now, is its diplomatic capability,» the Iranian security expert argued. «This is the capability of the regime to either enter negotiations with a weak hand and leave with a strong hand, or try to prevent a military victory of its adversaries from becoming a political victory.
«If negotiations do take place between the U.S. and the Iranians, be they direct or indirect, the Iranians are going to be dangling IAEA access. This is already their most important weapon,» he added.
Ben Taleblu explained that using the IAEA as a bargaining chip not only enables Iran to play for time as it looks to re-establish its nuclear program, but to sow division in the U.S. by creating uncertainty.
GEN. KEANE: IRANIANS HAVE NOT GIVEN UP ON A NUCLEAR WEAPON
This photo released on Nov. 5, 2019, by the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran shows centrifuge machines in the Natanz uranium enrichment facility in central Iran. (Atomic Energy Organization of Iran via AP, File)
«By diminishing the monitoring and by circumscribing and even cutting IAEA access to these facilities, the regime is trying to make America have to rely on intelligence alone,» he said. «And as you see from the very politicized debates over the battle damage assessment, relying on intelligence alone without sources on the ground inspecting the sites, inspecting the facilities, documenting the fissile material, can lead to drastically different conclusions being taken by similar but not the same intelligence organizations or representatives.»
Ultimately, Iran is not going to give up on its nuclear ambitions, Ben Taleblu warned, noting that Tehran’s security apparatus completely changed during its war with Iraq in the 1980s.
«Everything that we face from the regime that is a security threat was started then — the ballistic missile program, the drone program, the maritime aggression, the transnational terrorist apparatus and the nuclear program all have their origins in the 1980s,» he said. «By resurrecting this nuclear program, the Islamic Republic was not engaging in a science fair experiment.
A big banner depicting Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei is placed next to a ballistic missile in Baharestan Square in Tehran, Iran, on September 26, 2024, on the sideline of an exhibition which marks the 44th anniversary of the start of Iran-Iraq war. (Hossein Beris/Middle East Images/AFP via Getty Images)
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«The Islamic Republic was seeking an ultimate deterrent,» Ben Taleblu continued. «It was seeking an ultimate deterrence because it had a vision for what the region and the world should look like, and it was willing to put foreign policy muscle and the resources of its state behind that vision.»
The expert on the Iranian regime warned that Iran’s 40-year «obsession» with developing its nuclear program to achieve its geopolitical aims is not going to change because of U.S. military intervention.
INTERNACIONAL
Mamonas Assassinas, la banda que revolucionó Brasil en solo 9 meses y fue marcada por la tragedia
Mamonas Assassinas conquistó rápidamente la escena musical brasileña con una propuesta basada en el humor irreverente y un estilo osado. Considerados un fenómeno del rock alternativo, su trayectoria fue breve pero intensa. Conformaron la banda en 1995 y consiguieron un impresionante éxito nacional con su único álbum, que superó los 3 millones de copias vendidas.
Sin embargo, la historia del grupo llegó a un abrupto final a los nueve meses de su creación, cuando un accidente aéreo se llevó la vida de todos sus integrantes en 1996. Pese al trágico desenlace, permanecen en la memoria colectiva como un referente insustituible de la música brasileña de los noventa.
La historia de la banda comenzó en 1990, cuando cinco jóvenes se unieron para ejecutar una de sus pasiones: la música, que combinaron con humor. Así fue como Dihno (vocalista), Bento Hinoto (guitarrista), Samuel Reoli (bajista), Júlio Rasec (tecladista) y Sérgio Reoli (baterista) conformaron Mamonas Assassinas.
El grupo se caracterizaba por fusionar géneros como el rock, pop, funk y música brasileña. Los jóvenes crearon un sonido único y pegadizo, pero, más allá de estas características, sus letras sarcásticas y su energía los hicieron destacar.
En 1995, lanzaron su primer álbum de estudio, titulado Mamonas Assassinas. El disco se consolidó con gran éxito en Brasil. Canciones como “Vira-Vira”, “Pelados em Santos” y “Robocop Gay” se posicionaron con fuerza en radios y programas televisivos.
Según consignó la revista Rolling Stone, en Argentina, Mamonas Assassinas fue un grupo de culto. Sus canciones, coreografías y humor habían atravesado la frontera y llegado a países vecinos, donde comenzaban a corear sus melodías.
La carrera de la banda fue breve. En marzo de 1996, a tan solo nueve meses de su lanzamiento en el mundo de la música, los jóvenes abordaron un avión privado con destino a Guarulhos, destino al que nunca llegarían. De acuerdo con CNN Brasil, durante el vuelo, la aeronave se estrelló en la Serra da Cantareira y murieron todos los pasajeros.
Horas antes del accidente que acabó con la vida de los miembros de Mamonas Assassinas, uno de ellos dejó registrada una escalofriante premonición. Según reveló la revista Veja, Júlio Rasec, conocido por el tono rojizo-anaranjado de su cabello y su papel como tecladista del grupo, acudió a la peluquería dirigida por su amigo Nelson de Lima antes del siniestro.
En ese encuentro, quedó grabado un video donde Rasec mencionó la posibilidad de una tragedia inminente. Lima le preguntó sobre el viaje del grupo, en el que darían una serie de conciertos, y el artista respondió: “No sé, anoche soñé con algo… Parecía que el avión se iba a estrellar. No sé. No sé qué significa eso”. El registro se convirtió en parte del legado que acompaña el mito de la banda.
Los informes iniciales revelaron que hubo una maniobra equivocada por parte del piloto, Jorge Germano Martins. No obstante, el avance de la investigación identificó otros factores, como las condiciones climáticas y la fatiga de la tripulación.
Según el informe final, el piloto habría estado agotado. Martins había superado el límite máximo de horas de vuelo permitidas. En total, voló durante 16 horas y 30 minutos, cuando el máximo autorizado era de 11 horas.
A más de 30 años del trágico suceso, el legado de la banda continúa. Según datos recogidos por CNN, en Spotify, las canciones tienen más de 50 millones de reproducciones. Además, más del 66% de los usuarios de la plataforma escucha a la banda. Las tres ciudades que más reproducen su música son São Paulo, Belo Horizonte y Río de Janeiro.
El 28 de junio de 2024, la plataforma Max lanzó la biopic de la banda, titulada Nada es imposible. La película, protagonizada por Ruy Brissac, Rhener Freitas, Adriano Tunes, Robson Lima, Beto Hinoto, Fefe Shneider y Guta Ruiz, entre otros, sigue el viaje de los músicos de Guarulhos, su ciudad de origen, hasta alcanzar un éxito que sigue vigente.
El filme fue dirigido por Edson Spinello, producido por Total Entertainment, coproducido por Mamonas Produções y Claro, y distribuido por Imagem Filmes.
A más de tres décadas de su desaparición, la figura de Mamonas Assassinas aún genera interés en nuevas producciones, investigaciones y testimonios que reconstruyen su historia desde distintos ángulos. Su corta existencia inspira relatos y homenajes que amplían el entendimiento de su lugar en la cultura brasileña y el modo en que conectaron, en tan poco tiempo, con una audiencia masiva y diversa.
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Donald Trump has just had the best few weeks of his presidency.
No question. No argument. Period, end of paragraph.
It began with a bold gamble to send pilots to destroy Iran’s nuclear sites.
Then Trump managed to broker a cease-fire between Israel and Iran.
TRUMP’S ACHIEVEMENTS EMBOLDEN HIM TO BE EVEN MORE AGGRESSIVE
Meanwhile, as Trump delayed his sky-high tariffs, the stock market hit record highs.
And he won a $16-million settlement from CBS’s parent company in his lawsuit against unfair editing by «60 Minutes.» That means he has now beaten two of the three broadcast networks, having won the same sum from ABC in a suit involving a crucial mistake by George Stephanopoulos.
And after days of pressure and arm-twisting, he managed to pass the Big Beautiful Bill.
President Trump’s been on a serious winning streak these past few weeks – culminating in the passage of his «big, beautiful bill.» (Samuel Corum/Getty Images)
Make no mistake, the bill was always going to pass. What were Republicans going to say, never mind, we just tanked the president’s main legislative priority because we didn’t like this or that?
They didn’t need Democratic votes, under so-called reconciliation. And Trump controls the GOP. So its members fell into line.
Now the question is why, through this successful stretch, has Trump continued to draw such negative coverage?
TRUMP SIGNS ‘BIG, BEAUTIFUL’ BILL IN SWEEPING VICTORY FOR SECOND TERM AGENDA, OVERCOMING DEMS AND GOP REBELS
For starters, many in the media just can’t stand the guy. And this has largely been true since 2015. So anything that helps him must be wrong and must be denigrated.
Even the successful strike on Iran drew only scattered instances of grudging praise, when under any other president there would have been standing ovations.
The press immediately reframed this as a debate over whether the bunker-busting bombs had only set back Iran’s nuclear program by a few months.
The press’ scant praise over Trump’s Iran strikes quickly devolved into debate over how far they really set back Tehran’s nuclear program. (Planet Labs PBC via AP)
In fairness, that’s what the preliminary, classified Intel report leaked to the press said. And there’s nothing wrong with reporting that accurately, even though the assessment was made with low confidence.
But Trump wants reporters for CNN and the New York Times, which broke the story, fired over this, and with an FBI leak probe under way, says he may force journalists to reveal their confidential sources.
Once the White House could no longer blame anonymous sources, there is nothing wrong with quoting a government report – even if if turns out to be wrong.
The cease-fire between Israel and Iran was fine, but that quickly morphed into chatter about why Trump couldn’t pull off an end to the fighting between Israel and Hamas, a far more difficult task.
AFTER SETBACK TO IRAN’S NUCLEAR PROGRAM, TRUMP EXPECTED TO LEVERAGE MILITARY SUPPORT IN NETANYAHU MEETING
Not to mention his freezing of weapons shipments to Ukraine, when despite his «very disappointing» call with Vladimir Putin, who promptly unleashed the biggest drone and missile attack against Kyiv since the illegal invasion of its sovereign neighbor.
Perhaps the president is learning what has been obvious to the rest of us: Putin has no conceivable interest in peace.
Everyone had to report the stock market surge, though not with the enthusiasm of the earlier plunge, and Trump yesterday announced that he’d hit Japan and South Korea, two allies, with a 25 percent hike in tariffs. But they don’t take effect till Aug. 1, so this could just be another negotiating tactic.
There was also next to zero coverage of Trump’s $16 million settlement with Paramount. (Yuki Iwamura/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
There was almost no television coverage of Trump’s $16 million settlement with Paramount, which is nothing more than the news business protecting its own. If this had been any other kind of company – with the backstory that someone like Shari Redstone needed administration approval to sell the company and pocket $2 billion – the press would have gone haywire.
Now there’s a new twist. Fox’s Charlie Gasparino, writing for the New York Post, reported the Paramount settlement includes a side deal between Trump and for the buyer David Ellison, son of tech mogul Larry Ellison, for him to run $15 to $20 million in advertising supporting causes backed by the president.
And Trump confirmed it.
«We did a deal for about $16 million plus $16 million, or maybe more than that in advertising,» he told reporters.
Paramount denied any knowledge of the side deal.
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The president has also been drawn into a war of words with Elon Musk, calling him a «train wreck» who’s gone «off the rails» in forming a third party and raising the Epstein files again. Musk says the lack of an Epstein client list is the «final straw» – he had once apologized for raising it – and there’s no difference between the Republican and Democratic parties.
But there was one moment, in my view, that was a misstep by Trump.
The president had no need to negotiate with Democrats, who strongly opposed a tax cut tilted toward the wealthy while making deep cuts to Medicaid.
«Every Democrat in Congress voted against the ‘Big, Beautiful Bill…They wouldn’t vote only because they hate Trump, but I hate them, too, you know? I really do. I hate them. I cannot stand them, because I really believe they hate our country.»
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I don’t believe the overwhelming majority of Democrats hate their country. And that was hardly a unifying message on July 4 weekend. Maybe many in the media hate him and he was just counterpunching. But he didn’t need to go there.
On the other hand, Donald Trump has been getting terrible coverage since 2015, and he’s clearly grown tired of it.
Cerradas hasta nuevo aviso
Personas disfrutando de su tiempo libre de verano frente al río Sena, en París, Francia. Foto XinhuaBurlas en las redes
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