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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.»
INTERNACIONAL
Grand jury rejects DOJ effort to indict Democratic lawmakers who urged military to defy illegal orders
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A grand jury in the nation’s capital on Tuesday refused the Justice Department’s attempt to indict a group of Democratic lawmakers who encouraged U.S. military members to ignore «illegal» orders in a video posted online.
The DOJ opened an investigation into the video featuring six Democratic lawmakers calling on troops and members of the intelligence community to defy illegal orders from the federal government. The lawmakers all served in the military or at intelligence agencies.
The lawmakers in the video were Sens. Elissa Slotkin of Michigan and Mark Kelly of Arizona, as well as Reps. Chris Deluzio and Chrissy Houlahan of Pennsylvania, Maggie Goodlander of New Hampshire and Jason Crow of Colorado.
«This administration is pitting our uniformed military and intelligence community professionals against American citizens,» the lawmakers said in the video. «Like us, you all swore an oath to protect and defend this Constitution. Right now, the threats coming to our Constitution aren’t just coming from abroad but from right here at home. Our laws are clear. You can refuse illegal orders. You must refuse illegal orders. No one has to carry out orders that violate the law or our Constitution.»
DEM SENATOR SAYS SHE’S UNDER FEDERAL INVESTIGATION OVER ‘UNLAWFUL ORDERS’ VIDEO
A grand jury in the nation’s capital on Tuesday refused the Justice Department’s attempt to indict a group of Democratic lawmakers who encouraged U.S. military members to ignore «illegal» orders. (Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)
Grand jurors declined to sign off on charges against the lawmakers, according to The Associated Press. It was not immediately clear whether prosecutors had pursued indictments against all six lawmakers or what charges they attempted to bring.
Prosecutors could still attempt to secure an indictmentto secure an indictment against the Democrats.
President Donald Trump had accused the lawmakers of being «traitors» who engaged in «sedition at the highest level» and «should be in jail.» He even suggested they should be executed over the video, although he later attempted to walk that comment back.
Slotkin, who previously worked at the CIA and Defense Department, was targeted with a bomb threat just days after the clip and Trump’s subsequent statements suggesting the Democrats be executed.
SEN MARK KELLY DIGS IN ON ‘ILLEGAL ORDERS’ STANCE, TELLS JIMMY KIMMEL HE’S ‘NOT BACKING DOWN’
President Donald Trump had accused the lawmakers of being «traitors» who engaged in «sedition at the highest level.» (Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images; Andrew Harnik/Getty Images)
«Tonight we can score one for the Constitution, our freedom of speech, and the rule of law,» Slotkin said in a statement on Tuesday. «But today wasn’t just an embarrassing day for the Administration. It was another sad day for our country.»
Kelly, a former Navy pilot, called the attempt to bring charges an «outrageous abuse of power by Donald Trump and his lackeys.»
«Donald Trump wants every American to be too scared to speak out against him,» Kelly said on X. «The most patriotic thing any of us can do is not back down.»
In November, the Pentagon launched an investigation into Kelly, pointing to a federal law that allows retired service members to be recalled to active duty on orders of the secretary for possible court-martial or other punishment.
Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth has censured Kelly and is attempting to retroactively demote Kelly from his retired rank of captain over his participation in the video, which affirms that refusing unlawful orders is a standard part of military protocol.
Prosecutors could still attempt again to secure an indictment against the Democrats. (ANDREW CABALLERO-REYNOLDS/AFP via Getty Images)
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«As a retired Navy Captain who is still receiving a military pension, Captain Kelly knows he is still accountable to military justice,» Hegseth wrote in an X post on Jan. 5.
Kelly responded by suing Hegseth to block those proceedings, which he called an unconstitutional act of retribution.
During a hearing last week, a judge appeared to be skeptical of key arguments that a government attorney made in defense of Hegseth’s move last month to censure the Arizona senator.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
politics,military,pentagon,donald trump,pete hegseth,justice department,crime world
INTERNACIONAL
Caso Epstein: ahora el secretario de Comercio de EE.UU. admite que visitó la isla privada del financista pedófilo
Contactos en la isla privada
Funcionario clave del gobierno de Trump
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A top Iranian security official was spotted in Oman just days after Tehran and the U.S. held indirect nuclear talks in the Mideast sultanate.
Ali Larijani, a former Iranian parliament speaker who now serves as the secretary to the country’s Supreme National Security Council, was likely in the country to discuss what comes next after the initial round of talks, The Associated Press reported. The outlet noted that Larijani’s team shared photos of him with Omani Foreign Minister Badr al-Busaidi, the chief intermediary in the U.S.-Iran talks.
Iranian media reportedly said Larijani would deliver an important message, but later state television said al-Busaidi «handed over a letter» to the Iranian official without elaborating on the letter’s origins, according to the AP.
IRAN VOWS TO ‘TARGET US BASES’ IF AMERICAN FORCES LAUNCH AN ATTACK: REPORT
Secretary of the Supreme National Security Council Ali Larijani, right, listens to Omani Foreign Minister Badr al-Busaidi during their meeting in Muscat, Oman, Tuesday, Feb. 10, 2026. (Erfan Kouchari/Iran’s Supreme National Security Council Office via AP)
While in Oman, Larijani also met with Omani Sultan Haitham bin Tariq for nearly three hours, according to the AP, which cited the Iranian state-run IRNA news agency. Additionally, the outlet said that Larijani was set to travel to Qatar, which houses the U.S. military installation that bombed Iran’s nuclear sites in 2025.
Larijani accused Israel of playing a «destructive role» in the talks just before Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s expected visit to Washington, D.C.
«Netanyahu is now on his way to the United States. Americans must think wisely and not allow him, through posturing, to imply before his flight that ‘I want to go and teach Americans the framework of the nuclear negotiations.’ They must remain alert to the destructive role of the Zionists,» Larijani wrote on X.
Israel and Iran engaged in a 12-day war in the summer of 2025 which culminated in the U.S. bombing Tehran’s nuclear facilities. Iran, which has been grappling with mass anti-government protests, has blamed Israel and the U.S. for various grievances.
Omani Foreign Minister Sayyid Badr Hamad Al Busaidi meets with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi ahead of U.S.-Iran talks in Muscat, Oman, on Feb. 6, 2026. (Oman Foreign Ministry/Anadolu via Getty Images)
IRAN RAMPS UP REGIONAL THREATS AS TRUMP CONSIDERS TALKS, EYEWITNESS ACCOUNTS OF REGIME VIOLENCE EMERGE
Officials from both the U.S. and Iran have said that the first round of talks went well and suggested that they would continue.
«The Muscat meeting, which was not a long one, it was a half-day meeting. For us, it was a way to measure the seriousness of the other side, and to find out how we could continue the process. Therefore, we mostly addressed the generalities,» Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Baghaei said at a news conference Tuesday in Tehran, according to the AP.
«Our principles are clear. Our demand is to secure the interests of the Iranian nation based on international norms and the Non-Proliferation Treaty and peaceful use of nuclear energy,» Baghaei said, according to the AP. «So as for the details, we should wait for the next steps and see how this diplomatic process will continue.»
Omani Foreign Minister Sayyid Badr Hamad Al Busaidi, special envoy Steve Witkoff and negotiator Jared Kushner meet ahead of the U.S.-Iran talks, in Muscat on Feb. 6, 2026. (Oman Foreign Ministry/Anadolu via Getty Images)
SATELLITE IMAGES REVEAL ACTIVITY AT IRAN NUCLEAR SITES BOMBED BY US, ISRAEL
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said indirect nuclear talks with the U.S. in Oman were «a good start» and that there was a «consensus» that the negotiations would continue.
«After a long period without dialogue, our viewpoints were conveyed, and our concerns were expressed. Our interests, the rights of the Iranian people, and all matters that needed to be stated were presented in a very positive atmosphere, and the other side’s views were also heard,» Araghchi said.
«It was a good start, but its continuation depends on consultations in our respective capitals and deciding on how to proceed,» he added.
President Donald Trump also expressed optimism about the indirect talks, telling reporters aboard Air Force One on Friday that «Iran looks like it wants to make a deal very badly. We’ll have to see what that deal is.»
When he was pressed on how long the U.S. would be willing to wait to make a deal with Iran, the president indicated some flexibility, saying he believes the two nations can reach an agreement.
«It can be reached. Well, we have to get in position. We have plenty of time. If you remember Venezuela, we waited around for a while, and we’re in no rush. We have very good [talks] with Iran,» Trump said.
President Donald Trump said indirect nuclear talks with Iran were «very good» and that Tehran «wants to make a deal very badly.» (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images; Atta Kenare/AFP via Getty Images)
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«They know the consequences if they don’t make a deal. The consequences are very steep. So, we’ll see what happens. But they had a very good meeting with a very high representative of Iran,» the president added.
American and Iranian representatives held separate meetings with Omani officials on Friday amid flaring tensions between Washington and Tehran. Oman’s Foreign Ministry said the meetings were «focused on preparing the appropriate conditions for resuming diplomatic and technical negotiations.»
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
world,iran,nuclear proliferation,middle east
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