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)
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
«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
Private flights account for 30% of departures from Oman airport as wealthy evacuate Middle East
NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!
Long border crossings, SUV convoys and six-figure jet charters have become the new escape route out of the Middle East as Operation Epic Fury intensifies, with private flights now accounting for nearly a third of all departures from Oman’s main airport.
FlightRadar24, a real-time flight tracking platform, reported that while Oman continues to be a «vital» hub for evacuation and repatriation flights, private flights accounted for 31% of operations Wednesday at Muscat International Airport.
As of Thursday afternoon, the platform reported more than 30% of all movements at the airport were private flights.
Semafor reported earlier this week that airports in Oman and Saudi Arabia were drawing ultra-wealthy travelers looking to leave the countries.
Oman continues to be a «vital» hub for evacuation flights at its Muscat International Airport. (Christopher Pike/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
People familiar with the matter told the outlet that private security companies have been booking fleets of SUVs to take people on the 10-hour drive from Dubai to Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, where private flights are available.
The clientele evacuating the region are a mix of senior executives at global finance firms and wealthy travelers in the region for business or vacation, according to Semafor.
LIV golfer Jon Rahm, a two-time major winner, was just one of the wealthy who arranged flights amid the turmoil.
MIDDLE EAST CRUISE NIGHTMARE DEEPENS AS IRAN AIRSTRIKES LEAVE PASSENGERS STRANDED
Rahm arranged a charter flight through his partnership with VistaJet, a private aviation company, to fly the seven stranded LIV golfers and a caddie from Oman to Hong Kong after their flights were canceled.
After a more than four-hour drive to Oman, the crew flew to Hong Kong.
A spokesperson for Air Charter Service, a company that acts as a global broker for private jets and freight transport, told FOX Business the company has arranged more than 10 evacuation flights, with more scheduled, mainly out of Oman with passengers looking to flee Dubai.
AMERICAN STUCK IN MIDDLE EAST ESCAPES IN RACE TO REACH CRITICALLY ILL HUSBAND IN CALIFORNIA
FlightRadar24 shared flights flying in and out of Muscat airport. (@Flightradar24 via X)
«We evacuated some of our own staff who were just visiting the region, and we arranged transport via the Hatta crossing into Oman from the UAE to get them to Muscat from where they flew out of the region,» the spokesperson said. «The border crossing time at Hatta took around 3–4 hours, as of Sunday, but I suspect this has increased now, as more people look at this option.»
Light flight jet trips from Muscat, Oman, to Istanbul, Turkey, are reportedly going for more than $93,000, according to Forbes, which said the price was about double the usual rate.
The outlet added the same route on heavy jets can cost up to $140,000.
AMERICANS IN MORE THAN A DOZEN MIDDLE EAST NATIONS URGED TO FLEE
This map shows the targets of Iran’s retaliatory strikes. (Fox News)
The U.S. and Israel launched attacks on Iran Saturday, triggering retaliatory attacks targeting countries in the region that host U.S. interests.
Mora Namdar, Assistant Secretary of State for Consular Affairs, advised U.S. citizens to leave Bahrain, Egypt, Iran, Iraq, Israel, the West Bank and Gaza, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Syria, the United Arab Emirates and Yemen.
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP
The limited number of available aircraft has pushed up prices, as citizens and travelers attempt to flee.
Fox News Digital’s Ryan Morik and Ashley Carnahan contributed to this report.
Related Article
war with iran,middle east,airports,travel,world,airlines,lifestyle
INTERNACIONAL
DOJ continues Biden autopen probe despite former president being unlikely to face charges
NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!
The Department of Justice (DOJ) is continuing its investigation into former President Joe Biden’s use of an autopen in the final months of his administration — focusing on pardons and commutations — though a senior official said Biden himself is unlikely to face criminal exposure.
A senior DOJ official told Fox News that the autopen investigation is ongoing and not closed, adding that investigators are reviewing clemency actions taken in the final months of the Biden administration.
The official also pointed out, however, that the use of an autopen by a sitting president is «established law.»
The issue under review is whether the autopen was used in violation of the law — specifically, whether Biden personally approved each name included on pardon and commutation lists.
A framed portrait shows former President Joe Biden’s signature and an autopen along «The Presidential Walk of Fame» outside the Oval Office of the White House. (Andrew Harnick/Getty Images)
«These types of cases are tough, executive privilege issues come into play,» the official said.
What is also clear, the official indicated, is that the target of any potential prosecution would not likely be Biden.
«It’s hard to imagine how [Biden] could be criminally liable for pardon power,» the senior DOJ official said.
BIDEN’S AUTO-PEN PARDONS DISTURBED DOJ BRASS, DOCS SHOW, RAISING QUESTIONS WHETHER THEY ARE LEGALLY BINDING
The use of the autopen by former President Joe Biden remains under investigation. (AP Photo)
The official noted that one reason the former president would be unlikely to face charges stems from a 2024 Supreme Court ruling that originally involved President Donald Trump, the current sitting president, but would also apply to Biden.
«We conclude that under our constitutional structure of separated powers, the nature of Presidential power requires that a former President have some immunity from criminal prosecution for official acts during his tenure in office,» the Supreme Court ruled in Trump v. United States in 2024. «At least with respect to the President’s exercise of his core constitutional powers, this immunity must be absolute.»
Sources familiar with the matter told Fox News Digital that U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro’s team continues to review the Biden White House’s reliance on an autopen, contradicting a recent New York Times report that indicated the investigation had been paused.
DOJ SIGNALS IT’S STILL DIGGING INTO BIDEN AUTOPEN USE DESPITE REPORTS PROBE FIZZLED
President Donald Trump has pushed for consequences tied to former President Joe Biden’s alleged use of the autopen. (Julia Demaree Nikhinson/AP Photo)
Trump has pushed for consequences tied to the autopen controversy, alleging on social media that aides acted unlawfully in its use and raising the prospect of perjury charges against Biden.
Biden has rejected those claims, saying in a statement last year that he personally directed the decisions in question.
«Let me be clear: I made the decisions during my presidency,» Biden said. «I made the decisions about the pardons, executive orders, legislation and proclamations. Any suggestion that I didn’t is ridiculous and false.»
The House Oversight Committee has homed in on Biden’s clemency actions, including five controversial pardons for family members in the final days of his presidency, citing what it described as a lack of «contemporaneous documentation» confirming that Biden directly ordered the pardons.
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP
The committee asked the DOJ to investigate «all of former President Biden’s executive actions, particularly clemency actions, to assess whether legal action must be taken to void any action that the former president did not, in fact, take himself.»
Fox News Digital’s Ashley Oliver contributed to this report.
Related Article
justice department,joe biden,investigations,white house,biden executive orders,donald trump,politics
Estados Unidos y Venezuela acordaron formalmente restablecer relaciones diplomáticas. Lo anunció el departamento de Estado de EE.UU ., a poco más de dos meses del ataque estadounidense a Caracas y captura de Nicolás Maduro el 3 de enero pasado.
Leé también: Después de Venezuela e Irán, Trump dijo que la caída de la Revolución cubana será “la frutilla del postre”
Este jueves, en un evento en la Casa Blanca en el que Donald Trump recibió al equipo del Inter Miami de Lionel Messi, el presidente estadounidense volvió a elogiar a la gobernante encargada Delcy Rodríguez y dijo que realiza un “trabajo excelente”.
La mandataria chavista confirmó el anuncio. Poco después, un comunicado de la Cancillería reseñó que el país apostaba por “una nueva etapa” en la relación con Estados Unidos “basada en el respeto mutuo”.
El gobierno chavista “reafirma su disposición de avanzar en una nueva etapa de diálogo constructivo, basada en el respeto mutuo, la igualdad soberana de los Estados y la cooperación entre nuestros pueblos”, indicó. Además, mencionó una “relación positiva y de beneficio compartido”.
Los lazos diplomáticos entre ambos países se habían interrumpido en 2019 después que Washington reconoció al líder opositor Juan Guaidó como presidente interino. A fines de enero aterrizó en Caracas Laura Dogu, la nueva encargada de negocios estadounidense, con la misión de reabrir la misión en suelo venezolano. Poco después, el gobierno chavista nombró a Félix Plasencia como representante diplomático de Venezuela ante Estados Unidos.
Qué dijo el Departamento de Estado
En una nueva señal de deshielo tras la captura de Maduro, el departamento de Estado en Washington anunció que “Estados Unidos y las autoridades interinas de Venezuela han acordado restablecer las relaciones diplomáticas y consulares”.
“Este paso facilitará nuestros esfuerzos conjuntos para promover la estabilidad, apoyar la recuperación económica y avanzar en la reconciliación política en Venezuela”, señaló.
La presidenta encargada de Venezuela Delcy Rodriguez (Foto: REUTERS/Leonardo Fernandez Viloria)
Además, afirmó: “Nuestro compromiso está orientado a ayudar al pueblo venezolano a avanzar a través de un proceso por etapas que cree las condiciones para una transición pacífica hacia un gobierno elegido democráticamente”.
Tras el ataque estadounidense, el nuevo gobierno chavista de Delcy Rodríguez inició una gestión bajo “tutelaje” de Trump.
Leé también: Trump echó a la secretaria de Seguridad Nacional de EE.UU., responsable de las redadas contra inmigrantes
Desde entonces, Trump le ordenó cortar el suministro petrolero a Cuba, vital para mantener el vetusto sistema energético de la isla, que está ahora bajo un virtual colapso energético, sin transporte y con apagones interminables.
Además, Venezuela realizó una histórico reforma a la ley de hidrocarburos que abrió el sector a la inversión extranjera. El país le está vendiendo petróleo a Estados Unidos y se apresta a firmar acuerdos mineros con Washington.
Trump viene elogiando periódicamente el gobierno residual chavista y dijo incluso que la líder opositora y premio Nobel de la paz, María Corina Machado, no tiene el suficiente respaldo para asumir el poder.
El Parlamento venezolano aprobó una amnistía para presos políticos que posibilitó la liberación de más de un centenar de detenidos, entre ellos tres argentinos, aunque organismos de derechos humanos dijeron que se trata de una medida “excluyente” que deja de lado a cientos de encarcelados.
El 11 de febrero había estado en Caracas el secretario de Energía, Chris Wright.
Esta semana estuvo en el país Doug Burgum, secretario del Interior de Estados Unidos. Tras una visita de dos días, finalizada este jueves, firmó que la reforma a la Ley de Minas anunciada este miércoles por Delcy Rodríguez creará oportunidades para las empresas.
“Esto literalmente podría convertir a Venezuela en uno de los países más ricos del mundo, y tenerlos como amigo, aliado y socio comercial resulta absolutamente fantástico”, afirmó.
Venezuela es un país rico en minerales como oro, diamante, bauxita y coltán.
Delcy Rodríguez impulsa también una reforma a la ley de minería.
Venezuela, Donald Trump
Una nueva normativa del BCRA promete reavivar la tensión entre los bancos y las fintech
Empezó la Sudamericana: dos clasificados más, sorpresas y la definición de los bombos para el sorteo
Nicki Nicole reflexionó sobre sus vínculos tras su ruptura con Lamine Yamal: “Me tiro al vacío y choco, pero ya no soy eso”
Private flights account for 30% of departures from Oman airport as wealthy evacuate Middle East
DOJ continues Biden autopen probe despite former president being unlikely to face charges
Fracasó la estrategia del juez federal de Rosario Salmain para intentar salvarse en Comodoro Py
Puertas adentro, Villarruel explotó: «El esfuerzo no lo hizo la política» y demolió el relato económico de Milei
Pampita se mudó a un castillo francés de detalles alucinantes: «1000 metros, 14 ambientes, vale 11 millones de dólares»
El drama que vive Oriana Sabatini a horas del nacimiento de su hija con Paulo Dybala: se complicó la salud de su abuela de 90 años
Petri y Villarruel se cruzaron por un gesto en el Congreso: de “golpista” a “te conozco por el trencito de la alegría”
POLITICA3 días agoPetri y Villarruel se cruzaron por un gesto en el Congreso: de “golpista” a “te conozco por el trencito de la alegría”
- CHIMENTOS2 días ago
¡Interna total! Pablo Layus explotó y blanqueó quiénes son los que arruinan Intrusos: «Te matan»
- CHIMENTOS1 día ago
El hijo adoptivo de José María Muscari tomó una tajante decisión de vida a los 18 años
