INTERNACIONAL
Iran’s Khamenei warns of ‘strong blow’ as Trump threatens to drop bombs, Putin silent on US ire
Furious comments issued by President Donald Trump over the weekend prompted a swift and aggressive response from Iran, while Russian President Vladimir Putin remains tight-lipped in the face of the U.S. leader’s ire.
Iran’s supreme leader, Ali Khamenei, issued a warning on Monday and said it would respond «decisively and immediately» to any threat issued by the U.S. after Trump said there «will be bombing» and likely more tariffs if Tehran does not agree to a nuclear deal with Washington.
«The enmity from the U.S. and Israel has always been there. They threaten to attack us, which we don’t think is very probable, but if they commit any mischief, they will surely receive a strong reciprocal blow,» Khamenei said according to a Reuters report.
TRUMP THREATENS TO BOMB IRAN UNLESS THEY END NUCLEAR WEAPONS PROGRAM AND BEGIN TALKS ON NEW DEAL
President Donald Trump speaks to the press aboard Air Force One before arriving at Palm Beach International Airport in West Palm Beach, Florida, on Mar. 28, 2025. (BRENDAN SMIALOWSKI/AFP via Getty Images)
«And if they are thinking of causing sedition inside the country as in past years, the Iranian people themselves will deal with them,» he added.
Despite Iran’s refusal and warning directed at both the U.S. and Israel, Behnam Ben Taleblu, an Iran expert and senior fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, said Khamenei’s comments are an attempt to «buy time» while balancing growing external and internal pressures on his regime.
«At once, Khamenei sought to both downplay the chances of President Trump or Israel taking military action while also looking to deter such an eventuality due to the regime’s own policies,» he told Fox News Digital. «This is a tightrope Khamenei will increasingly be forced to walk as he plays for time and engages in nuclear escalation.
«U.S. policy should be to keep Khamenei off balance,» he added.
While Iran takes an offensive stance against Trump and his ambitions to finally bring Tehran to heel on its nuclear expansion, Russia is taking a different approach as it refuses to bow to Trump’s plans to see an end to the war in Ukraine.
TRUMP SAYS HE IS ‘PISSED OFF’ WITH PUTIN OVER LACK OF PEACE PROGRESS: REPORT
Russian President Vladimir Putin, left, meets with Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in Tehran, Iran. (Dmitry AZAROV / SPUTNIK / AFP)
Over the weekend, Trump said he was «pissed off» over comments made by Putin on Friday when he suggested the work Washington was doing to negotiate a ceasefire with Russia and Ukraine was moot because he believes the government in Kyiv to be illegitimate and therefore cannot sign any deals.
«If Russia and I are unable to make a deal on stopping the bloodshed in Ukraine, and if I think it was Russia’s fault … I am going to put secondary tariffs on oil, on all oil coming out of Russia,» Trump said, noting that tariffs could be as high as 50%.
The president later said his ire could «dissipate quickly» if Putin «does the right thing,» and once again noted he has «a very good relationship with [Putin].»
However, the Kremlin chief, who reportedly has another call scheduled with Trump this week, has not responded to Trump’s heated comments.
The chief spokesman for Putin, Dmitry Peskov, said on Monday that Russia will continue to work on «restoring» relations with Washington that he said were «damaged by the Biden administration» following Russia’s illegal invasion of Ukraine, and noted that Putin remains in «open contact» with Trump.
However, Putin’s lack of public response and the toned-down statements from the Kremlin are all part of Putin’s broader strategy, former DIA intelligence officer and Russia expert, Rebekah Koffler, told Fox News Digital.
President Donald Trump speaks to reporters aboard Air Force One on his return to Washington, D.C., on Mar. 30, 2025, when he said he was «pissed off» at Russian President Vladimir Putin. (REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque)
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«Putin, like Trump, thrives on confrontation,» Koffler said. «Except his approach is different. The Kremlin deliberately is projecting that Putin is cool, calm, and collected now, which he is.
«The fact that President Trump reportedly got mad and used those words means to Putin that he finally got to him, the way he got to Biden, Obama, and others who called him a killer and other derogatory words,» she continued.
«Putin now feels that not only Russia has an upper hand on the battlefield over Ukraine and in terms of total combat potential over NATO, but he also was able to unbalance Trump,» Koffler explained. «That is the whole point – it’s a judo move.»
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MANCHESTER, N.H. – Former Transportation Secy. Pete Buttigieg tops the list of potential 2028 Democratic presidential contenders in a new poll conducted in New Hampshire, which has traditionally held the first primary in the race for the White House for over a century.
Twenty percent of Democratic primary voters in New Hampshire said they would vote for Buttigieg if the 2028 presidential nomination contest was held today. California Gov. Gavin Newsom and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York were tied for second at 15%, with former Vice President Kamala Harris, the Democrats’ 2024 nominee, and Sen. Mark Kelly of Arizona each at 10%, with everyone else in single digits.
The University of New Hampshire Survey Center poll was released Thursday, a couple of hours before Buttigieg arrived in New Hampshire to campaign with Democrats running in this year’s midterm elections.
Asked about the survey by Fox News Digital, Buttigieg noted,» I’m not on any ballot right now.»
EARLY MOVES ALREADY WELL UNDERWAY IN 2028 WHITE HOUSE RACE
Former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg greets patrons during a stop at a restaurant in Manchester, New Hampshire, on Feb. 19, 2026 (Paul Steinhauser/Fox News )
«Obviously it feels good to be well received,» added Buttigieg, who made plenty of friends in the Granite State as he came in close second in the 2020 New Hampshire Democratic presidential primary, slightly behind Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont.
Buttigieg’s stop in New Hampshire was his third in an early voting state in the Democratic nominating calendar since stepping down as Transportation secretary following the end of former President Biden’s administration, following trips last year to South Carolina and Iowa. While he mostly avoids 2028 talk, Buttigieg has said he would consider what he brings «to the table» in regards to another White House run.
As he kicked off a three-day swing in key New England swing state, Buttigieg teamed up with Rep. Chris Pappas, the clear frontrunner for the Democratic Senate nomination in the race to succeed retiring Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, a fellow Democrat. Shaheen’s seat is a top GOP target in the midterms.
Former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, center, and Rep. Chris Pappas of New Hampshire, a Democratic Senate candidate, campaign in Manchester, N.H. on Feb. 19, 2026 (Paul Steinhauser/Fox News)
Later Thursday, Buttigieg joined the state’s other Democratic House member, Rep. Maggie Goodlander. And he was scheduled to hold more events on Friday and Saturday, including a grassroots mobilization event that was expected to draw some top New Hampshire supporters from his 2020 presidential campaign.
Buttigieg is heading next week to battleground Nevada, and a source familiar told Fox News Digital Buttigieg has plans to campaign for candidates in Ohio, Georgia and Pennsylvania in the weeks ahead.
«I’m a big believer in going everywhere across the media landscape and geographically. Some are well known places on the political map. Some are a little bit off the beaten path. All of them deserve attention,» Buttigieg told Fox News Digital.
NEWSOM’S UPCOMING STOP IN KEY PRESIDENTIAL PRIMARY STATE SPARKS MORE 2028 BUZZ
He added that he’ll «continue to go wherever I think I can be useful in elevating attention to issues and working with candidates I believe in and Chris Pappas is a great example of a candidate I am proud to be supporting and speaking up for.»
Newsom will be next up in New Hampshire.
California Gov. Gavin Newsom speaks during an election night press conference at a California Democratic Party office Tuesday, Nov. 4, 2025, in Sacramento, Calif. (Godofredo A. Vásquez/AP Photo)
The California governor’s tour for his new book, «Young Man in a Hurry,» will bring him to Portsmouth, New Hampshire on March 5. It will be his first stop in the state in two years.
Newsom grabbed headlines this past weekend, as he was one of a handful of potential Democratic presidential contenders to speak at the high-profile Munich Security Conference in Germany.
TRUMP HAMMERS AOC MUNICH STUMBLES AS ‘NOT A GOOD LOOK FOR THE UNITED STATES’
Ocasio-Cortez was among the other Democrats in Munich. But the progressive champion, who has long been laser focused on affordability and other domestic issues, has faced intense criticism for nearly a week over a gaffe in Munich, when she asked during a panel discussion whether the U.S. should send troops to defend Taiwan from a possible invasion by China.
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., attends the Munich Security Conference in Munich, Germany, on Friday, Feb. 13, 2026. (Liesa Johannssen/Reuters)
The four-term lawmaker appeared to stall for nearly 20 seconds before offering that the U.S. should try to avoid reaching a clash with China over Taiwan.
Social media posts on the right slammed her for offering up a world salad.
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But it wasn’t just Republicans who critiqued Ocasio-Cortez.
A veteran Democratic strategist who asked to remain anonymous to speak more freely told Fox News Digital, «It is abundantly clear that AOC is not ready for prime time given her remarks in Europe.»
pete buttigieg,gavin newsom,alexandria ocasio cortez,democrats elections,presidential primaries,new hampshire
INTERNACIONAL
NATO country orders citizens to immediately evacuate Iran, warning ‘possibility of a conflict is very real’
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NATO country and U.S. ally Poland warned its citizens Thursday to immediately flee Iran, with its prime minister saying the «possibility of a conflict is very real.»
The remarks from Donald Tusk come as the U.S. has been bolstering its military presence in the Middle East, with tensions escalating over Iran’s nuclear program.
«Please leave Iran immediately and under no circumstances travel to this country,» Tusk said Thursday in the town of Zielonka outside of Warsaw, according to Turkey’s Anadolu Agency. «I do not want to alarm anyone, but we all know what I am referring to. The possibility of a conflict is very real.»
«In a few, a dozen, or several dozen hours, evacuation may no longer be possible,» Tusk reportedly added.
RUSSIA URGES IRAN, ‘ALL PARTIES’ IN MIDDLE EAST TO SHOW RESTRAINT AMID US MILITARY BUILDUP
Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk, center, followed by Polish Deputy Prime Minister and Defense Minister Wladyslaw Kosiniak-Kamysz, watches an open test of unmanned weapon systems conducted by the Polish Armaments Group at the Military Institute of Armament Technology training ground in Zielonka, near Warsaw, Poland, on Thursday, Feb. 19, 2026. (Aleksander Kalka/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
The world’s largest aircraft carrier, the USS Gerald R. Ford, and its strike group are moving from the Caribbean toward the Middle East.
The move would place two aircraft carriers and their accompanying warships in the region.
WORLD’S LARGEST AIRCRAFT CARRIER HEADS TO MIDDLE EAST AS IRAN NUCLEAR TENSIONS SPIKE DRAMATICALLY
The world’s largest aircraft carrier, USS Gerald R. Ford, was seen in the North Sea during the NATO Neptune Strike 2025 exercise in September 2025. (Jonathan Klein/AFP via Getty Images)
The USS Abraham Lincoln and three guided-missile destroyers arrived in the Middle East more than two weeks ago.
On Wednesday, U.S. Central Command posted photos showing F/A-18 Super Hornets landing on the decks of the USS Abraham Lincoln in the Arabian Sea.
F/A-18 Super Hornets from Strike Fighter Squadron 14 land on the deck of USS Abraham Lincoln in the Arabian Sea in this image released Wednesday, Feb. 18, by U.S. Central Command. (U.S. Central Command)
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«When launched from a catapult on an aircraft carrier, the Super Hornet can go from a full stop to airborne in under 3 seconds,» CENTCOM said.
Fox News Digital’s Greg Wehner contributed to this report.
iran,middle east,military,nato,europe,world
La Asamblea Nacional (AN, Parlamento), controlada por el chavismo, aprobó este jueves una histórica ley de amnistía propuesta por la presidenta encargada de Venezuela, Delcy Rodríguez, en medio de huelgas de hambre de familiares que exigen la liberación de todos los presos políticos.
La ley beneficiará a presos políticos condenados en episodios de crisis política entre 2002 y 2025 y excluye a personas que promovieron o participaron en acciones armadas o de fuerza contra los ciudadanos, la soberanía y la integridad del país.
El proyecto, aprobado por unanimidad, es denominado oficialmente Ley de Amnistía para la Convivencia Democrática. Ahora deberá ser promulgada por la mandataria interina.
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La norma aplicaría a dirigentes opositores, sindicalistas, activistas de derechos humanos, estudiantes, académicos y periodistas, entre otros, detenidos durante meses o incluso años por motivos políticos.
El Legislativo había aprobado hace dos semanas la propuesta en primera discusión. Luego sostuvo reuniones con sectores de la sociedad civil, entre ellos ONG y familiares de presos políticos.
La norma aprobada este jueves podría beneficiar a dos argentinos detenidos, el gendarme Nahuel Gallo y el abogado Germán Giuliani.
La ley excluirá a las personas “que se encuentren o puedan ser procesadas o condenadas por promover” acciones armadas contra el país, según un artículo que aprobó el Parlamento este jueves.
“Estarán igualmente excluidos de la amnistía prevista en ley las personas que se encuentren o puedan ser procesadas o condenadas por promover, instigar, solicitar, invocar, favorecer, facilitar, financiar o participar en acciones armadas o de fuerza contra el pueblo, la soberanía y la integridad territorial de la República Bolivariana de Venezuela por parte de Estados, corporaciones o personas extranjeras”, reza el texto.
Dirigentes opositores como María Corina Machado o Leopoldo López fueron señalados por el chavismo de pedir invasiones a Venezuela, que fue bombardeada el 3 de enero por Estados Unidos.
Por qué tardó en aprobarse la amnistía
La Asamblea Nacional había aplazado la semana pasada el segundo y último debate necesario para la aprobación de la ley, al haber diferencias por un artículo que exigía a los beneficiados presentarse ante tribunales.
La ONG Acceso a la Justicia advirtió que el proyecto de ley “incurre en contradicciones fundamentales al hablar de ‘extremismo’”, con lo cual, a su juicio, “se descalifica de entrada a quienes podrían beneficiarse de la amnistía y presupone su responsabilidad penal”. Estudiantes universitarios exigen la libertad de los presos políticos en Caracas (Foto: EFE)
Por otra parte, mencionó “un claro conflicto de intereses”, ya que se atribuye la ejecución de la amnistía a los tribunales y a la Fiscalía, las mismas instituciones -señaló- que participaron en la “represión masiva e indiscriminada”, según denunciaron organismos como la Misión de Determinación de los Hechos de la ONU.
La amnistía, tal como está planteada, cubre casos desde 1999, lo que abarca los 27 años de Gobiernos del chavismo.
Sin embargo, su artículo 6 la limita a diez períodos específicos de coyunturas políticas, entre el golpe de Estado de abril de 2002 contra el fallecido presidente Hugo Chávez (1999-2013) hasta las protestas desatadas tras la controvertida elección presidencial del 28 de julio de 2024, lo que dejaría por fuera a varias personas que se consideran presos políticos.
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La propuesta de ley se enmarca en lo que la presidenta encargada denomina un “nuevo momento político” para el país y en medio de un proceso de excarcelaciones anunciado el pasado 8 de enero, cinco días después de la captura del mandatario Nicolás Maduro por parte de Estados Unidos.
El debate de la ley de amnistía trascurre cuando un grupo de mujeres familiares de presos políticos se mantienen en huelga de hambre desde el sábado pasado a las afueras de un comando policial en Caracas para exigir la liberación de sus parientes.
Un total de 644 personas permanecen detenidas en Venezuela por motivos políticos, informó recientemente la ONG Foro Penal.
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