INTERNACIONAL
Iran’s national airliner accused of flying weapons to Beirut airport for terror proxy Hezbollah: Report
An explosive report from the Iranian dissident group the People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) alleges that the Islamic Republic of Iran’s domestic airline, Iran Air, is providing support to the U.S. designated terror organization Hezbollah.
Citing a former Hezbollah member, the MEK said that flights between Iran and Beirut Airport in Lebanon often transferred Hezbollah personnel to Iran for training courses and «smuggle[d] food [and] light and medium weapons» into Lebanon.
That transfer was alleged to have delivered advanced light weapons from Iran to Lebanon, particularly through runway 17, which it claims «exclusively» belongs to Hezbollah. In January 2021, a Hezbollah member alleged that shipments arriving at runway 17 included anti-aircraft missiles.
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An Iran Air plane parked at an airport terminal in Europe. (Photo by Vodjani/ullstein bild via Getty Images)
Jason Brodsky, policy director for United Against Nuclear Iran, told Fox News Digital that «Iran Air has a history of enabling procurement of Western products, particularly dual-use goods, for use by the [Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps] IRGC and Iran’s Defense Ministry, through Europe to Iran routes.» Brodsky explained that Iran Air gets away with these transfers by using «carry-on luggage in European airport stopovers which do not require another security check.» Brodsky said that «Iran purposely uses such civilian flights as a shield to avoid kinetic targeting by its adversaries.»
The MEK also stated that public information and intelligence obtained from inside the IRGC and Ministry of Intelligence and Security (MOIS) shows that the MOIS «has systematically used Iran Air to move MOIS agents and their equipment for terrorist activities outside of Iran.» The MEK elaborated that Iran Air had transferred «shipments and packages necessary for activities of the MOIS in Europe to Austria» while «terrorist diplomat» Asadullah Assadi who was the MOIS station chief for Europe between 2015 and 2018.
Assadi was sentenced to 20 years in a Belgian prison for his plot to bomb a National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI) gathering in 2018. He was released in exchange for a Belgian aid worker, a Danish citizen and two dual Austrian-Iranian citizens in May and June 2023, according to Yahoo News.
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According to a former Hezbollah member, runway 17, circled in red, of Beirut Airport is used exclusively by Hezbollah. Iran Air uses the runway to transport small and medium arms and basic supplies into Lebanon. (Courtesy of PMOI/MEK)
MEK sources also issued a reminder of Iran Air’s historic ties to terror. As MEK reported, «most» of the 12 terrorists sent to Geneva to participate in an operation to assassinate Professor Kazem Rejavi, a human rights defender and member of the NCRI, on April 24, 1990, «were transported by Iran Air,» as were their weapons. The MEK alleges that the return Iran Air flight after the assassination had a «delayed departure from Geneva…so the terrorists could make the flight.» The Washington Post’s reporting from 1990 corroborates this claim.
The Treasury and State Departments sanctioned Iran Air on Sept. 10 on the basis of the shipments of equipment and aircraft parts it has provided to Russia. In its press release, the Treasury Department noted Iran Air’s «history of transporting goods on behalf of Iran’s [IRGC] and Ministry of Defense and Armed Forces Logistics (MODAFL).»
Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei delivers a speech during a program held following the killing of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah in an Israeli attack and subsequent Iranian strikes at the Imam Khomeini Hussainiyah in Tehran, Iran, on Oct. 2, 2024. (Photo by Iranian Leader Press Office/Handout/Anadolu via Getty Images)
The Treasury and State Departments did not respond to Fox News Digital’s inquiry about any known ties between Iran Air and Hezbollah. A spokesperson from the Treasury Department did emphasize that, per the new sanctions, «all property and interests in property of the persons above that are in the United States or in the possession or control of U.S. persons are blocked and must be reported to [the Office of Foreign Assets Control.]»
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Following U.S. sanctions, France, the United Kingdom and Germany announced that they would likewise «cancel bilateral air services agreements with Iran,» and «will also work towards imposing sanctions on Iran Air.»
Ali Safavi, a member of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the Paris-based NCRI, told Fox News Digital that «the clerical regime in Iran has strategically utilized the nation’s resources and recognized civil entities, including its national airline, to further its goals of domestic suppression and the international proliferation of terrorism and extremism.»
The MEK notes that senior IRGC-Qods Force Commander Brigadier General Rostam Ghasemi, who is subject to U.S. sanctions, appointed IRGC Brigadier General Shamseddin Farzadipour to be the head of Iran Air on April 25, 2022. Prior to this role, Farzadipour was the IRCH Air and Space Force aviation operations commander.
Israeli troops display Hezbollah weapons found in south Lebanon. (IDF Spokesman’s Unit)
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Safavi said that Farzadipour’s appointment demonstrates «the airline’s alignment with [the IRGC’s] oppressive objectives,» which «blatantly contravenes established international laws and norms.»
Safavi has urged the international community to prohibit Iran Air from flying to its major hubs across Europe, and to designate the IRGC as a terror organization. He also called on the United Nations Security Council to reinstate sanctions against Iran.
When asked about the Hezbollah member’s allegations, the Permanent Mission of the Islamic Republic of Iran to the United Nations told Fox News Digital that «The Islamic Republic of Iran remains actively involved in the provision of humanitarian assistance to Lebanon via multiple channels and has formally expressed its preparedness to extend medical aid and receive the wounded – a proposition duly accepted by the Government of Lebanon.»
The spokesman claimed that «Lebanon is not in need of military support. The foremost and urgent priority must center upon the establishment of a ceasefire and the facilitation of relief efforts.»
INTERNACIONAL
Greenland’s opposition party pushes closer US ties, independence from Denmark as Trump plays big in election
Greenlanders will head to the polls to vote in their country’s parliamentary election on Tuesday, in what will likely prove to be a historic vote not because of any seismic shifts within the nation but because of the geopolitical message it will send.
Independence from Denmark is not on the ballot itself, but who is elected to Greenland’s parliament will signal how the country could move forward in not only divorcing itself from Copenhagen, but in handling what some critics have perceived as threats issued by President Donald Trump.
Parliamentary elections on the world’s largest island, a nation of less than 60,000 people, have previously picked up scant coverage due to their relatively low impact on world affairs.
Anthon Frederiksen, from the Naleraq Party, hangs campaign posters before the general election on March 10, 2025, in Ilulissat, Greenland. (Joe Raedle/Getty Images)
TRUMP SAYS AMERICA WOULD WELCOME GREENLAND DURING JOINT ADDRESS TO CONGRESS
But all that changed in January when, ahead of his inauguration, Trump refused to rule out the possibility of «acquiring» Greenland through economic or military means and has since repeated his interest in the strategically important island.
While the majority of Greenlanders support independence from Denmark, they also align in their opposition to Trump’s ambitions for the island nation.
There is not a single lawmaker in Greenland that ran for election in this cycle on becoming a part of the U.S., but the leading opposition party known as Naleraq, which currently holds just five of the 31 seats in Greenland’s parliament, may have a solution to achieve independence while also appealing to Trump’s interests.
Qupanuk Olsen, a 39-year-old running under the Naleraq party who has garnered a massive social media presence with over a million followers spread over Instagram, TikTok and YouTube, shared a video in January where she addressed questions regarding her opinion on the matter.
Without directly noting her position on Trump’s ambitions, as she said she wants to keep her social media presence as «A-political as possible,» she emphasized her support for expanding Greenland’s partnerships.
Qupanuk Olsen, candidate for the populist Naleraq party, smiles while attending a political meeting at the university in Nuuk, Greenland, on March 6, 2025. (Odd Andersen/AFP via Getty Images)
«I strongly believe in Greenland’s independence,» she went on to say, «To achieve this we must expand our collaborations and establish business relationships with countries beyond Denmark.
«We Greenlanders, Kalaallit, deserve to be independent,» she continued in reference to the Greenlandic Inuit ethnic group. «And I hope we will strengthen our connections with our fellow Inuit in Canada and Alaska significantly more in the near future.»
GREENLAND, PANAMA FIERCELY REJECT TRUMP’S AMBITIONS IN ADDRESS TO CONGRESS
Though Greenland won self-rule in 1979, with Denmark continuing to oversee issues relating to defense and foreign policy, the Naleraq party has pushed for a swift transition to complete independence.
The leading opposition party has argued this could be achieved by bolstering existing business opportunities like its fishing industry, as well as by establishing defensive agreements with nations like the U.S., in which it would allow Washington to continue to operate its military interests from the island in exchange for security assurances without becoming a U.S. territory.
Though it remains unclear if such a deal would win over Trump, who could be viewing the Artic nation as an untapped opportunity for its rare earth minerals and oil and gas reserves – which Greenland has blocked even the EU from accessing.
Infographic with map showing Greenland, a self-governing Danish territory which will hold legislative elections on March 11, as well as Denmark and the United States. (Graphic by Guillermo Rivas Pachecovalentina Breschiclara Morineau/AFP via Getty Images)
The White House did not respond to Fox News Digital’s questions over whether expanding ties with Greenland would appease Trump’s ambitions, though on Sunday Trump reiterated his position on the island nation.
«As I made clear during my Joint Address to Congress, the United States strongly supports the people of Greenland’s right to determine their own future,» he said on his social media platform Truth Social. «We will continue to keep you safe, as we have since World War II.»
THE HISTORIC IMPORTANCE OF GREENLAND FOR US NATIONAL SECURITY AS DEBATE OVER ISLAND’S FUTURE ROARS ON
«We are ready to invest billions of dollars to create new jobs and make you rich – And, if you so choose, we welcome you to be a part of the Greatest Nation anywhere in the World, the United States of America,» he added.
Trump drew rebuke in some quarters following his address to Congress, where his tone on Greenland was softer than previous remarks, but he concluded by saying, «One way or the other, we’re going to get it.»
According to a January poll, some 85% of Greenlanders oppose Trump’s push to make Greenland a part of the U.S., including Prime Minister Mute Egede, who has been not only a huge proponent of independence from Denmark, but who has also been staunchly opposed to Trump’s interest in Greenland.
Egede’s Inuit Ataqatigiit party, which currently holds 11 seats, is expected to pick up an even greater majority following the Tuesday election.
Anthon Frederiksen delivers campaign posters before the general election on March 10, 2025, in Ilulissat, Greenland. (Joe Raedle/Getty Images)
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Egede, who has repeatedly told the U.S. president that Greenland is «not for sale,» on Monday said Trump’s unpredictability was sowing international chaos.
«The things that are happening in the world right now worry me quite a lot,» Egede told Danish Broadcasting Corporation (DR). «There is a world order that is faltering on many fronts, and perhaps a president in the United States who is very unpredictable in a way that makes people feel insecure.»
INTERNACIONAL
Former Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte arrested at airport on ICC warrant for crime against humanity
Former Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte was arrested at Manila Ninoy Aquino International Airport on Tuesday following an order from the International Criminal Court (ICC), which is investigating a crime against humanity case filed against the former leader.
Duterte, 79, was taken into custody at the airport in the Philippines following his trip to Hong Kong, The Associated Press reports.
The ICC has been investigating «massive killings that happened under the former president’s deadly crackdown against illegal drugs,» The AP said via President Ferdinand Marcos’ office.
EX-PHILIPPINE PRESIDENT DUTERTE SHRUGS OFF POSSIBLE ARREST BY ICC FOR DRUG WAR DURING TRIP TO HONG KONG
Former Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte was arrested at Manila Ninoy Aquino International Airport following an order from the International Criminal Court (ICC). (AP)
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The Associated Press contributed to this report.
This is a breaking news story. Check back for updates.
Pope Francis is «out of danger from death» as of Monday evening, marking a significant improvement after weeks of hospitalization involving the head of the Roman Catholic Church.
In a statement obtained by Fox News, the Vatican said that the «clinical conditions of the Holy Father continue to be stable.»
«The improvements recorded in the previous days have been further consolidated, as confirmed by both blood tests and clinical objectivity and good response to drug therapy,» the release read.
The Vatican also said that Pope Francis, 88, «is out of danger from death from the infections that he arrived at the hospital with.»
POPE FRANCIS SUFFERING FROM ‘MILD RENAL INSUFFICIENCY,’ THOUGH CONDITION REMAINS ‘UNDER CONTROL,’ VATICAN SAYS
Pope Francis waves from his popemobile after the weekly Angelus prayers, at the Saint Peter’s Square in the Vatican on October 20, 2024. (Filippo Monteforte/AFP/Getty)
The pope was first admitted to Gemelli Hospital on Feb. 14 after fighting a week-long bout of bronchitis that gradually worsened. There, he was first diagnosed with a complex viral, bacterial and fungal respiratory tract infection.
Doctors then detected the onset of pneumonia in both of Pope Francis’s lungs – a significant health threat to the octogenarian, who has chronic lung disease and had part of one lung removed when he was younger.
POPE FRANCIS’ MEDICAL CONDITION: WHAT TO KNOW ABOUT BILATERAL PNEUMONIA
Pope Francis takes part in an interreligious meeting with young people at the Catholic Junior College in Singapore on September 13, 2024. (Tiziana Fabi/Pool/AFP/Getty)
As of Monday, Pope Francis will continue to recover in Rome’s Gemelli Hospital «for further days,» Holy See officials said, citing the «complexity of the clinical picture and the important infectious picture presented at hospitalization.»
Pope Francis had solid food introduced into his diet on Sunday after days of gradual improvement. On Monday, he «alternated prayer with rest» and worshipped throughout the day.
Pope Francis waves during an audience with Hungarian pilgrims in Paul VI hall at the Vatican on April 25, 2024. (Fillipo Monteforte/AFP via Getty)
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«This morning the Holy Father was able to follow the Spiritual Exercises in connection with the Paul VI Room, then received the Eucharist and went to the Chapel of the private apartment for a moment of prayer,» the Holy See said on Monday. «In the afternoon he joined the Spiritual Exercises of the Curia again.»
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