INTERNACIONAL
Trump urged to review UN immunity, lax visa rules amid national security concerns
A 1947 agreement outlining obligations as host of the United Nations continues to give employees and their family members relatively unfettered access to the U.S.
At a time of increased national security fears and immigration enforcement by the Trump administration, experts are urging a re-examination of the host nation agreement with an eye to the functional immunity granted to U.N. staff and the limited vetting given to those with U.N. visas.
«The United States appears to have taken a relaxed view of the individuals entering the country associated with the U.N., either as employees or as representatives of various country missions. And yet we know that U.N. employees have had, and continue to have, close, direct relationships with terrorist organizations, like UNRWA and Hamas,» Anne Bayefsky, director of the Touro Institute on Human Rights and the Holocaust and president of Human Rights Voices, told Fox News Digital.
UN WATCHDOG PROJECT CALLS ON DOGE CAUCUS TO ‘AUDIT’ THE INTERNATIONAL ORG
Sergey Lavrov, Russia’s minister for foreign affairs, talks with Vassily Nebenzia, Russia’s U.N. ambassador, during a meeting of the U.N. Security Council, April 24, 2023. (AP Photo/John Minchillo)
Bayefsky said there is «a disconnect between the welcome routine and the significant harm to American interests. Hosting the U.N. does not require the host country to facilitate or endure threats to its national security.»
The federal government grants G visas to employees, spouses and children of international organizations, including the U.N., who reside in, or are visiting, the U.S. According to the State Department’s website, «if you are entitled to a G visa, under U.S. visa law, you must receive a G visa. The exceptions to this rule are extremely limited.» The Department of State also explains that «Embassies and consulates generally do not require an interview for those applying for G-1 – 4 and NATO-1 – 6 visas, although a consular officer can request an interview.»
Hugh Dugan, a senior advisor to 11 U.S. former ambassadors to the U.N., told Fox News Digital that it «appears to me that the issuance of the G visas for [U.N. employees] is a relatively rubber stamp exercise.» While not requiring interviews of personnel has «become a matter of convenience, frankly, we should always be able to assess a threat to our country.»’
Dugan, a former National Security Council special assistant to the president and senior director for international organization affairs, said nations like Russia and China are only allowed to travel a certain distance from U.N. headquarters. «We are mindful of our adversaries’ activities and presence here, but the door is open to participate in the U.N. and the host country agreement makes that possible so that no country would be barred because of a certain political atmosphere or issue that might be brewing between us and them.»
Former Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi displays the photo of Gen. Kasim Soleimani at the United Nations. (Peter Aitken for Fox News Digital)
Fox News Digital asked the State Department whether it requires interviews for staff from adversarial member states, including Cuba, Venezuela, Russia, North Korea, Iran and China, but received no response. A State Department spokesperson reiterated that consular officers «have full authority to require an in-person interview for any reason.»
Peter Gallo, formerly an investigator with the U.N. Office of Internal Oversight Services (OIOS), told Fox News Digital that he is particularly concerned about the functional immunity granted to U.N. staff participating in activities related to their employment. Gallo explained that «U.S. legal system has come to accept that pretty much it’s a blanket coverage.» He added that «immunity breeds impunity.»
REPUBLICANS SEEK TO BLOCK THE REAPPOINTMENT OF UN OFFICIAL ACCUSED OF ANTISEMITISM
Gallo claimed that there is an epidemic of sexual offenses and misconduct among U.N. staff. He cited an incident in which a U.N. employee outside the U.S. sexually harassed «a young female in his department.» Gallo said it took two years after receipt of the investigation report for an investigation to be completed, which resulted in the demotion of the offending employee. Gallo said the employee who was harassed, and her harasser remained in the same organization.
Gallo said that if employees take part in misconduct while based at U.N. headquarters, the U.S. government should be able to examine cases and determine whether staff should retain their G visas.
Dugan said that if U.N. personnel «knew that [immunity] could be lifted at any time by us… they might start behaving a lot differently.»
China’s Vice President Han Zheng addresses the 78th United Nations General Assembly in New York City on Sept. 21, 2023. (Ed Jones/AFP via Getty Images)
In response to questions about whether U.N. staff have been accused of sexual misconduct in the U.S., or whether U.N. staff who engaged in misconduct have had their G visas revoked, a State Department spokesperson explained the department «generally does not provide» revocation statistics. They also said that «all visa applicants, no matter the visa type and where they are located, are continuously vetted. Security vetting runs from the time of each application, through adjudication of the visa, and afterwards during the validity period of every issued visa, to ensure the individual remains eligible to travel to the United States.»
The spokesperson said officials of the U.N. «are expected to respect applicable laws of the United States, including criminal laws. Failure to do so may constitute an abuse of privileges of residence.» They added that this «applies for those who hold diplomatic immunity for their positions as well.»
Among staff who have raised internal alarm bells is U.N. special rapporteur on the occupied Palestinian territories Francesca Albanese, who traveled to the U.S. in 2024 to deliver a report before the Third Committee of the General Assembly. Albanese, whose antisemitism has been condemned widely by senior U.S. diplomats and the State Department, was allowed to tour multiple U.S. college campuses while in the U.S.
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In addition to qualifying for «rubber stamp» G visas, staff of international organizations like the United Nations can qualify for green cards if they have spent half of at least seven years of employment inside the U.S., or have been in the U.S. for a combined total of 15 years prior to retirement.
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Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said his country would not negotiate on its ballistic missile program, rejecting a core U.S. demand and further dimming prospects for a breakthrough deal.
He again warned in an interview with Al Jazeera that Tehran, Iran, would target U.S. bases in the Middle East if provoked, calling Iran’s missile program «never negotiable.»
The warnings came as U.S. and Iranian negotiators met in early February in Oman, even as Washington continued to build up military forces across the region — a posture U.S. officials say is meant to deter further escalation but which analysts argue also underscores how far apart the two sides remain.
Despite the imbalance in military power, analysts say Iran believes it can withstand U.S. pressure by signaling greater resolve — and by betting that Washington’s appetite for war is limited.
TRUMP SAYS IRAN ALREADY HAS US TERMS AS MILITARY STRIKE CLOCK TICKS
While the U.S. possesses overwhelming military capabilities, Defense Priorities analyst Rosemary Kelanic said Iran is relying on the logic of asymmetric conflict.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said his country would not negotiate on its ballistic missile program, rejecting a core U.S. demand and further dimming prospects for a breakthrough deal. (Vahid Salemi/AP)
«One country is much stronger, but the weaker country cares more,» Kelanic said. «And historically, the country that cares more often wins by outlasting the stronger one.»
«Iran is trying to signal resolve as strongly as it can, but it likely doubts U.S. resolve — because from Tehran’s perspective, the stakes for Iran are existential, while the stakes for the United States are not,» she added.
IRAN’S PRESIDENT STRIKES SOFTER TONE ON NUCLEAR TALKS AFTER TRUMP’S WARNING THAT ‘BAD THINGS WOULD HAPPEN’
Behnam Taleblu, a senior fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, said Tehran’s primary leverage is its ability to threaten wider regional instability, even if it cannot win a prolonged conflict.
«The Islamic Republic’s leverage is the threat of a region-wide war,» Taleblu said, noting that while U.S. and Israeli defenses could intercept most attacks, «something will get hit.»
Iran buying time
Analysts across the spectrum agree that Iran is using negotiations less as a path to compromise than as a way to delay decisive action.
Oren Kessler, analyst at global consulting firm Wikistrat, said Iran is using talks to stabilize its position internally while avoiding concessions on core security issues.
«Both sides want a deal, but their red lines are very hard for the other side to overcome,» Kesler said. «The talks are going well in the sense that they’re happening, but they’re not really going anywhere.»
Taleblu echoed that assessment, arguing that Tehran is treating diplomacy as a shield rather than a solution.
«The regime is treating negotiations as a lifeline rather than a way to resolve the core problem,» he said.
Taleblu added that Iran’s leadership sees talks as a way to deter a strike in the short term, weaken domestic opposition in the medium term, and eventually secure sanctions relief to stabilize its economy.
In this frame grab from video obtained by the AP outside Iran, a masked demonstrator holds a picture of Iran’s Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi during a protest in Tehran, Iran, Jan. 9, 2026. (UGC via AP)
Secretary of State Marco Rubio has insisted that limits on Iran’s ballistic missiles must be part of any agreement to avoid military action.
«At the end of the day, the United States is prepared to engage, and has always been prepared to engage with Iran,» Rubio said in early February. «In order for talks to actually lead to something meaningful, they will have to include certain things, and that includes the range of their ballistic missiles. That includes their sponsorship of terrorist organizations across the region. That includes the nuclear program. And that includes the treatment of their own people.»
Anti-government protests beginning at the start of 2026 led to a brutal crackdown in Iran. The regime has admitted to 3,117 deaths linked to the demonstrations, though human rights groups and Iranian resistance organizations peg the death toll as much higher.
The U.S. also has demanded that Iran give up all enriched uranium stockpiles, which can be used for civilian energy at low levels but for nuclear weapons at higher concentrations.
Araghchi told Al Jazeera that Iran is willing to negotiate on nuclear issues but insisted enrichment is an «inalienable right» that «must continue.»
Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei pictured sitting next to senior military official in Iran. (Getty Images)
«We are ready to reach a reassuring agreement on enrichment,» he said. «The Iranian nuclear case will only be resolved through negotiations.»
Iran’s atomic chief said Monday that Tehran would consider diluting its 60% enriched uranium — a level close to weapons-grade — but only in exchange for the lifting of all sanctions.
As negotiations unfolded, the U.S. continued to expand its military footprint in the Middle East.
In late January, the U.S. dispatched a carrier strike group centered on the USS Abraham Lincoln to the North Arabian Sea, accompanied by multiple destroyers and other naval assets. Additional F-15E strike aircraft and air defense systems have also been repositioned at bases across the region, alongside thousands of U.S. troops.
Taleblu said the administration may be using diplomacy to buy time of its own.
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«The charitable interpretation is that the president is buying time — moving assets, strengthening missile defense, and preparing military options,» he said. «The less charitable interpretation is that the United States is taking Iran’s threats as highly credible and still chasing the optics of a deal.»
In 2025, five rounds of talks similarly stalled over U.S. demands that Iran abandon enrichment entirely — talks that ultimately collapsed into Operation Midnight Hammer, a U.S.-led bombing campaign against Iranian nuclear facilities.
iran,nuclear proliferation,ali khamenei,donald trump,marco rubio
INTERNACIONAL
El rey Carlos III le soltó la mano a su hermano Andrés por el caso Epstein y dijo que está «listo» para ayudar a la policía
El rey Carlos III está «listo para ayudar» a la policía en las investigaciones para determinar si su hermano menor, Andrés, transmitió informaciones reservadas a Jeffrey Epstein cuando era enviado británico de Comercio, afirmó el palacio real este lunes.
«El rey ha dejado clara (…) su profunda preocupación por las acusaciones que siguen saliendo a la luz respecto a la conducta del señor (Andrés) Mountbatten-Windsor, afirmó el palacio en un comunicado.
Caso la policía solicite la ayuda del rey, «estamos listos a ayudar, como cabría esperar», señala la nota.
En este sentido, el Palacio de Buckingham comentó que, si bien corresponde al expríncipe Andrés abordar las acusaciones específicas que versan sobre su persona y el pedófilo Jeffrey Epstein, en caso de ser contactados por la policía de Thames Valley estarán «dispuestos» a colaborar con ellos..
«Como han declarado anteriormente, los pensamientos y la solidaridad de sus majestades están y estarán con las víctimas de cualquier forma de abuso», agregó el portavoz.
El mensaje en nombre del monarca británico llega horas después de que los príncipes de Gales, Guillermo y Catalina, expresasen por primera vez públicamente su «profunda preocupación» por las recientes revelaciones con respecto al caso.
También supone un paso más de Carlos III para tratar de desvincularse de su hermano Andrés, después de anunciar la retirada de todos sus títulos y honores, incluido el de príncipe, ante las constantes informaciones, correos electrónicos y fotografías que lo vinculan con la trama Epstein.
Que el goteo de revelaciones del caso Epstein está erosionando la imagen de la monarquía lo demuestra una imagen infrecuente como la registrada este lunes en una estación de tren en Lancashire (noroeste inglés), cuando el rey fue abucheado por un grupo de personas después de que alguien gritara: «¿Cuánto hace que sabías lo de Andrés?».
Andrés ha guardado silencio en estos diez fatídicos días en que su imagen ha quedado por los suelos, en sentido literal, tras conocerse las fotografías en las que aparece arrodillado a cuatro patas y descalzo sobre una mujer con el rostro velado a la que toca el estómago, contenidas en los archivos ‘liberados’ del caso Epstein.
A esas fotografías siguieron los mensajes en los que Epstein se coordinaba con él para ‘enviarle’ a una joven rusa de 26 años «bonita, inteligente y de fiar» a pasar la noche con él y a la que Esptein había prometido como ‘guinda’ una visita a tomar el té en el mismo Palacio de Buckingham, la sede simbólica de la monarquía británica.
Investigan al ex príncipe Andrés por haber compartido información oficial a Epstein
Este lunes la Policía británica informó que está «evaluando» si el ex príncipe Andrés compartió informes sensibles como antiguo enviado de comercio del Reino Unido con el pedófilo convicto Jeffrey Epstein. La Policía del llamado Valle del Támesis, a las afueras de Londres -donde reside Andrés-, confirmó que recibió un informe sobre esas supuestas actividades del antiguo duque de York y que son analizadas de acuerdo con «nuestros procedimientos establecidos.»
Según documentos difundidos en Estados Unidos, el ex príncipe compartió en 2010 y 2011 datos confidenciales de su trabajo como enviado de comercio con el financista y pedófilo.
Los correos muestran que Andrés, despojado por el rey de sus títulos nobiliarios el año pasado por sus vínculos con Epstein, le remitió detalles de sus viajes oficiales a Singapur, Vietnam y Hong Kong, así como informes de esas visitas elaborados por su asistente Amit Patel, poco después de recibirlos.
El director de Republic, el grupo que lucha por la abolición de la monarquía, Graham Smith, afirmó este lunes en su cuenta de X que denunció a Andrés a la Policía del Valle del Támesis, lo que parece estar en el origen de la actuación policial.
Dijo que lo denunció por «presunta mala conducta en un cargo público» y por «violación» de secretos oficiales.
Andrés también envió a Epstein, fallecido en prisión en 2019 mientras esperaba juicio por tráfico de menores, datos sobre oportunidades de inversión en Afganistán, que estarían supervisadas por las fuerzas británicas y financiadas por el Gobierno de Londres.
Además de que Virginia Giuffre -la joven reclutada y abusada por Epstein- acusó a Andrés de haberse acostado con ella en tres ocasiones cuando ella era menor, hace una semana los medios divulgaron una foto en la que se ve al ex príncipe con una segunda mujer, a la que toca mientras ella está tumbada en el suelo.
Con información de agencias
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The Senate is scrambling to avoid a third government shutdown under President Donald Trump, and after negotiations seemingly appeared to hit a brick wall, lawmakers are cautiously optimistic that a deal could be made.
Senate Republicans received Senate Democrats’ «partisan wishlist» of demands over the weekend, sources familiar with negotiations told Fox News Digital. The White House sent over its own counter-proposal, but several lawmakers weren’t clear what was in package as of Monday night.
Some, including Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., wouldn’t say, but noted that congressional Democrats and the White House were «trading papers,» and signaled that the back and forth activity was a good sign of negotiations moving forward.
But lawmakers aren’t out of the woods yet, a reality that Thune warned of since Senate Democrats demanded a two-week funding extension for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). Congress has until Friday to avert a shutdown and little time to actually move a short-term patch from one side of the building to the other.
REPUBLICANS WARN DEMOCRATS’ ICE REFORM PUSH IS COVER TO DEFUND BORDER ENFORCEMENT
Split image shows Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer, left, and Senate Majority Leader John Thune, right. Senate Republicans and Democrats are, for now, at odds on how to prevent a partial shutdown that would only affect the DHS. (Nathan Posner/Anadolu via Getty Images)
Republicans are mulling another short-term extension, known as a continuing resolution (CR), to avert a partial shutdown. Thune said whether Democrats would sign off depended on how well background negotiations were going, but hinted that so far, things were moving toward a solution.
«I think, based on what I’m familiar with about the discussion so far, I think there is, but we’ll know more when the proposal comes back,» Thune said. «Let’s have a chance to evaluate it.»
Thune later said that he planned to tee up another CR on Tuesday, but noted that the length would «have to be negotiated. But let’s see what the next day brings and we’ll go from there.»
Democrats’ prime objective is reining in Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), following the fatal shootings of Alex Pretti and Renee Nicole Good.
The proposal they submitted included items that are a bridge too far for Republicans, including requiring ICE agents to get judicial warrants, de-mask and have identification ready — some in the GOP warn doing so would lead to more agents being doxxed, or when a person’s private information is made public, like their address.
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., warned that the «clock is ticking» for Republicans to respond.
SHUTDOWN AVERTED FOR NOW, BUT SENATE WARNS DHS FIGHT COULD TRIGGER ANOTHER IN DAYS
Sen. Katie Britt, R-Ala., talks to reporters following the weekly Senate Republican Caucus policy luncheon at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 14, 2025, in Washington, D.C. (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)
«We have sent you our proposals, and they are exceedingly reasonable,» Schumer said on the Senate floor. «I hope our colleagues on the other side, many of whom, at least here in the Senate, recognize that things need to change, show they’re ready to act in a meaningful way.»
Prior to Democrats finally handing over the legislative version of their demands on Saturday, Republicans publicly questioned if they actually wanted to have serious negotiations. That changed over the weekend.
A White House official told Fox News that «President Trump has been consistent, he wants the government open and the Administration has been working with both parties to ensure the American people don’t have to endure another drawn-out, senseless, and hurtful shutdown.»
Meanwhile, the scope and scale of a possible third closure would be limited to just the DHS, but would really only have an effect on FEMA, TSA, the Coast Guard and other priorities under the agency’s umbrella. That’s because ICE and immigration operations are flush with billions from Trump’s «big, beautiful bill.»
«To say that the security of Americans is not paramount, I think, would be a huge mistake for the Democrats, and I certainly hope that they’ll continue to operate in good faith,» Sen. Katie Britt, R-Ala., and the chair of the Homeland Security spending panel, said.
«Because you do realize, ICE and [Customs and Border Patrol] would continue to be funded,» she continued.
SCHUMER, JEFFRIES MEND RIFT, PRESENT UNITED FRONT ON DHS REFORMS AS DEADLINE NEARS
Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn., argued that Senate Democrats’ list of demands was reasonable and wanted Republicans to get serious about negotiating. (Bill Clark/CQ Roll Call, Inc. via Getty Images)
Things are also about to get complicated quickly in the upper chamber. Lawmakers are set to leave Washington, D.C., for a weeklong recess this Thursday, and many are headed overseas to the Munich Security Conference.
That starts on the day of the deadline and lasts through the weekend. Thune warned that it was possible he would cancel the upcoming recess, especially if there was little progress toward avoiding a DHS shutdown.
Still, Senate Democrats believe that the ball is in the GOP’s court and are waiting for their counterparts to act.
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«I mean, I think they’re pretty reasonable,» Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn., and the top Democrat on the Senate Homeland Security Appropriations panel, said.
«I mean, we did not ask for the moon,» he continued. «We asked for targeted but impactful changes in the way that ICE is terrorizing American cities. So obviously we’re willing to negotiate.»
politics,senate,government shutdown,homeland security,john thune,chuck schumer
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