INTERNACIONAL
Iran and Houthi terror proxy facing Red Sea threat from pro-US African nation
NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!
Iran is said to be ‘deeply threatened’ by the small African breakaway state, Somaliland, because of the potential for U.S., Israeli and Western powers to use its deep water port and airbase.
Such moves would severely disrupt Iran’s plan to use their proxy, Yemen’s Houthi terror group, to attack Red Sea shipping.
Iran has been accused of pressuring the Houthis to renew their strikes on shipping, particularly in the Red Sea’s Bab-el-Mandeb Strait. The waterway has become the main route for oil to ship out of the Middle East to Asia since the Strait of Hormuz was effectively closed.
COULD SOMALILAND BASE EMERGE AS US FOOTHOLD AGAINST IRAN, HOUTHIS IN KEY SEA LANES?
A Somaliland military armed vehicle takes part in a parade during the self-declared Independence Day, with celebrations commemorating their 1991 breakaway from Somalia, amid renewed focus on Somaliland’s push for global recognition after Israel became the first country to formally recognize the self‑declared Republic of Somaliland as an independent and sovereign state in East Africa, in Hargeisa, the capital of Somalia’s breakaway territory of Somaliland, May 18, 2026. (Reuters/Stringer)
Lisa Daftari, a Middle East and foreign policy expert, told Fox News Digital, «Iran’s regime is deeply threatened by what Somaliland represents in an emerging pro‑Western, potentially pro‑Israel foothold overlooking the Bab el‑Mandeb, that could blunt Tehran’s leverage via the Houthis over Red Sea shipping and Israel.»
Daftari, the editor‑in‑chief of The Foreign Desk, said, «that’s why Iran‑backed Houthis are already explicitly threatening to strike any Israeli or Western military presence in Somaliland and warning they could move to choke the Bab el‑Mandeb if the conflict with the U.S. and Israel escalates.»
The White House has said that Iran’s proxies, such as the Houthis, have been weakened. «The United States Military achieved all of the goals laid out for Operation Epic Fury – including weakening Iran’s proxies. Now, Iran is being strangled economically – giving President Trump all the cards as negotiations continue,» Anna Kelly, special assistant to the President and White House principal deputy press secretary told Fox News Digital when asked if the U.S. was considering a full-time-basing relationship with Somaliland.
A tanker sits at the Port of Fujairah, as the U.S.-Israel conflict with Iran limits marine traffic in the Strait of Hormuz. (REUTERS / Amr Alfiky / File Photo)
Edmund Fitton-Brown, a senior fellow at The Foundation for Defense of Democracies (FDD) told Fox News Digital that Somaliland’s recognition of Israel and Israel’s recognition of it last December has clearly irked Iran.
Fitton-Brown, who is a former U.K. ambassador to Yemen — the Houthis home country, said Iran «opposes any recognition of it (Somaliland) primarily because Israel is the first state to recognize it, and Iran will oppose anything that Israel does. Iran is also viscerally opposed to the U.S. and UAE, both of which have pragmatic engagement with Somaliland, short of recognition. Somaliland is a potential base for anti-Houthi enforcement, i.e. a threat to the Iranian Axis of Resistance.»
IS TRUMP CONSIDERING BOLD AFRICA PLAY TO PUSH BACK ON CHINA, RUSSIA AND ISLAMIC TERRORISTS?
Pro-Iran protesters brandish billboards depicting the Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Hosseini Khamenei, flags of Yemen and Iran, weapons, and chant slogans as they take part in a rally held to condemn the US-Israel aerial attacks on Iran and killing the Iranian supreme leader and several military officials on March 1, 2026 in Sana’a, Yemen. (Mohammed Hamoud/Getty Images)
The U.S. already has a large base on the Red Sea in Djibouti, but Fitton-Brown says this is increasingly problematical «China is significantly expanding its military and commercial presence in Djibouti. There is a sense that Djibouti is not a reliable ally for the U.S. So Somaliland’s time has probably come.»
And Somaliland hopes so. Its Foreign Minister, Abdirahman Dahir Adam, told Fox News Digital «At a time when the Strait of Hormuz is under pressure and threats to the Red Sea are escalating, Somaliland has reiterated its longstanding offer to provide the United States with access along our coast. We have been clear about this in times of peace, and we are equally clear today.»
Iranian soldiers take part in an annual military drill in the coast of the Gulf of Oman and near the strategic Strait of Hormuz, in Jask, Iran on December 30, 2022. (Iranian Army / Handout/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)
The Somaliland government is also offering storage space for tomahawk missiles, with a government source saying it’s «a unique way to advance security interests.»
Adam added, «U.S. destroyers that expend their missile batteries in the Red Sea require (currently) up to two weeks of travel to be resupplied. Somaliland is ready to play a practical role in helping the U.S. to secure global trade routes.»
But Somaliland’s offer of allowing use of its airbase and seaport is not all plain sailing. Maj. Gen. (Ret.) Kenneth P. Ekman, former AFRICOM/J5 and West Africa coordination element lead, told Fox News Digital «a policy dilemma presents when conducting diplomatic and military relations with Somaliland directly, rather than through the Federal Government of Somalia and the SNA (Somali National Army).»
IRAN’S AFRICA ACTIVITIES POSE ‘SIGNIFICANT THREATS TO US NATIONAL SECURITY’
People stand next to the Independence Monument, depicting a hand holding a map of the country, in the city of Hargeisa, Somaliland, on Sept. 19, 2021. (Eduardo Soteras/AFP via Getty Images)
«This same dilemma presents,» Ekman continued. «While we (the U.S.) enjoy good access in Djibouti, this access is singular and competes with the Chinese presence. Additional access to the port of Berbera, located in Somaliland, provides redundancy (backup) and a relationally different partner. Frankly, the U.S. military, along with some of our allies and partners, need port access in Berbera.»
Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas., chairman of the Senate Subcommittee on Africa and Global Health, is strongly advocating for the U.S. to go all the diplomatic way and recognize Somaliland.
Sen. Ted Cruz speaks during a roundtable discussion at the U.S. Capitol on March 3, 2025 in Washington, DC. (Kayla Bartkowski/Getty Images)
He told Fox News Digital in a statement that «Somaliland promises to be a critical counterterrorism ally for the United States, both because of its strong willingness to partner with us and because of its unique location. We should recognize the Republic of Somaliland as an independent state and, in the meantime, significantly boost our counterterrorism cooperation.»
The U.S. though, appears to be making below-the-radar moves. The Commander of U.S. Africa Command (AFRICOM), Gen. Dagvin Anderson, was recently in the country visiting port facilities, with a delegation, in November. This week, a Somaliland government source told Fox News Digital that U.S. military delegations come to the state every two months, with the last visit in the second half of April.
U.S. Air Force Gen. Dagvin Anderson, commander, U.S. Africa Command (AFRICOM), meets with President Abdirahman Mohamed Abdullahi, president of Somaliland, in Hargeisa, Somaliland, Nov. 26, 2025. The meeting was part of Gen. Anderson’s trip in East Africa to meet with government and defense leaders to strengthen America’s strategic approach to confronting terrorism through mutual engagement, stronger cooperation, and aligned security priorities. (U.S. Army photo by Cpt. Ubon Mendie)
Fitton-Brown told Fox News Digital that, «The U.S. is already using it (Somaliland) for counterterrorism operations. My understanding is that the U.S. doesn’t have a permanent military presence in Somaliland, but actively cooperates with Somaliland’s security forces on regional counterterrorism and maritime security issues.»
A former senior U.S. defense official agreed that American military specialists have been co-ordinating with Somaliland forces since 2023, when they came together to kill Bilal al-Sudani, reportedly a key facilitator and financier of the ISIS global network.
However, the U.S. aligns publicly with Somalia, from which Somaliland broke away in 1991.
Somalia airstrikes escalate as U.S. forces partner with Somali authorities against al-Shabaab. (TONY KARUMBA/AFP via Getty Images)
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP
When asked this week about the U.S. military relationship with Somaliland when it comes to counter-terrorism operations in the country, a Pentagon official told Fox News Digital: «The United States maintains its strategic partnership with the Federal Government of Somalia.
«In northern Somalia, AFRICOM, alongside the Federal Government of Somalia and Somali Armed Forces, has conducted airstrikes to degrade ISIS—Somalia’s ability to threaten the U.S. Homeland, our forces, and our citizens abroad. In southern Somalia, AFRICOM, also in close coordination with the Federal Government of Somalia, has conducted airstrikes to enable partner forces’ ability to degrade al Shabaab. Our strategic approach to countering terrorism in Africa relies on trusted partnerships and collaboration grounded in and through shared security interests.»
Daftari added, «Somaliland is offering the United States what the mullahs fear most in this theater, namely an alternative, resilient platform on the African shore that includes an airfield, port, and over‑the‑horizon access that would dilute Houthi leverage and give Washington options that don’t depend on Djibouti or Persian Gulf partners alone.»
war with iran, middle east, counter terrorism, israel, ted cruz, national security, africa
INTERNACIONAL
World-famous Catholic shrine torched, ‘Devil in a skirt’ scrawled on Virgin Mary statue
NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!
A man has been arrested after one of the world’s most famous Catholic pilgrimage sites was vandalized and partially set on fire, with a statue of the Virgin Mary defaced and the words «Devil in a skirt» scrawled across its pedestal in black, according to reports.
Bosnian police arrested a suspect Tuesday in connection with the overnight vandalism and arson at the Shrine of Our Lady in Medjugorje, according to Vatican News.
Authorities have not released the man’s identity as investigators work to determine a motive and whether he was responsible for other incidents reported at the shrine that same night, the outlet said.
NIGERIAN PASTOR HIGHLIGHTED BY TRUMP SAYS HE’S NEXT AFTER MILITIA KILLS HIS RELATIVES
Police were first called around 4:30 a.m. on July 27 after the face and hands of the statue of the Virgin Mary on Apparition Hill, also known as Podbrdo, were found covered in black paint. (Associated Press)
Police were called around 4:30 a.m. on July 27 after the face and hands of the statue of the Virgin Mary on Apparition Hill, also known as Podbrdo, were found covered in black paint.
The pedestal at the foot of the statue was spray-painted with the English phrase «Devil in a skirt,» while other graffiti and the statue’s hands were painted black.
An outdoor altar nearby was also set on fire near St. James Church, the outlet said.
Surveillance footage reportedly at that location showed a man pouring what investigators believe was gasoline onto the altar before setting it ablaze. The fire was extinguished.
REPORT DETAILS RISING PRESSURE ON UNDERGROUND CATHOLICS AS CHINA DENIES CRACKDOWN
Police were first called around 4:30 a.m. on July 27 after the face and hands of the statue of the Virgin Mary on Apparition Hill, also known as Podbrdo, were found covered in black paint. (Associated Press)
The two attacks came just days before Medjugorje’s annual youth prayer festival, which is expected to draw more than 50,000 pilgrims from around the world.
In a statement Tuesday, the Medjugorje Parish Office condemned the vandalism and urged Catholics to respond with «prayer, fasting, and forgiveness» rather than anger.
«It is with great sadness that we received the news of the act of vandalism,» the parish said.
Church officials also said cleanup and repairs began immediately so the damaged prayer sites could once again welcome pilgrims.
«The affected areas are being cleaned and restored as quickly as possible,» the parish said, thanking volunteers for helping preserve the shrine as «a place of encounter with God, a place of peace.»
CATHOLIC NUNS SUE NEW YORK, SAY ASSISTED SUICIDE LAW FORCES THEM TO VIOLATE THEIR FAITH
Church officials also said cleanup and repairs began immediately so the damaged prayer sites could once again welcome pilgrims. (Associated Press)
Rather than calling for retribution, the parish urged the faithful to pray for those responsible.
«We pray for the conversion of the hearts of those who committed this act,» the statement said, asking that God «touch them with His grace and lead them on the path of goodness.»
The parish also appealed for peace, encouraging Catholics «not to return evil for evil,» but instead to bear witness through «love, forgiveness and hope.»
Despite the attack, officials said the shrine remains open, and its regular schedule of Mass and prayer services will continue as planned.
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP
Located about 85 miles southwest of Sarajevo, Medjugorje became one of the world’s best-known Catholic pilgrimage destinations after six children and teenagers reported seeing apparitions of the Virgin Mary there in 1981.
The Vatican gave the green light for Catholics to continue flocking to Medjugorje offering its approval for devotion at one of the most contested sites of Roman Catholic practice in recent years, The Associated Press reported Tuesday.
roman catholic, religion, vandalism
INTERNACIONAL
Honduras: ENEE advierte que se agota el tiempo para rescatar la estatal mientras Congreso aplaza reforma eléctrica
El gerente de la Empresa Nacional de Energía Eléctrica (ENEE), Guillermo Peña Panting, alertó este martes que el tiempo para rescatar financieramente a la estatal se reduce mientras la reforma al sector eléctrico continúa en discusión en el Congreso Nacional, escenario que, según afirmó, prolonga las pérdidas económicas y retrasa inversiones consideradas indispensables para modernizar el sistema energético del país.
El funcionario sostuvo que, aunque las conversaciones entre las diferentes fuerzas políticas han permitido avanzar en el análisis de la iniciativa, la empresa necesita que las decisiones se adopten con prontitud para poner en marcha cambios estructurales que permitan reducir pérdidas, fortalecer la infraestructura y atraer nuevas inversiones al sector.
«Esperamos que siga la conversación y que se presente el momento para la aprobación. Vemos que hay un espacio para seguir mejorando y tenemos que esperar; ese es el camino, el diálogo abierto y la confianza fortalecida“, manifestó.
De acuerdo con Peña Panting, la estatal enfrenta importantes desafíos financieros que requieren una reorganización del sector eléctrico para habilitar nuevos mecanismos de inversión, especialmente en las áreas de transmisión, distribucióny generación de energía.
El gerente explicó que la separación de las unidades operativas permitiría que cada una pueda gestionar proyectos con mayor agilidad, además de concentrar esfuerzos en la reducción de pérdidas técnicas y no técnicas que afectan las finanzas de la empresa.
Asimismo, sostuvo que contar con un sistema energético más eficiente contribuiría a mejorar la competitividad del país y facilitaría la llegada de nuevas inversiones nacionales y extranjeras.
«Al no haber una oferta energética competitiva en el país se limita la posibilidad de inversión“, afirmó.
El titular de la ENEE recordó que la empresa registra pérdidas cercanas a 40 millones de lempiras diarios, por lo que actualmente se ejecutan medidas para disminuir gastos, reorganizar las finanzas y reducir el endeudamiento.
No obstante, advirtió que esas acciones administrativas no serán suficientes si no se aprueba una reforma integral que permita transformar el funcionamiento del sector eléctrico.
«Si no tomamos las decisiones difíciles vamos a seguir en este problema, y lo que seguirá creciendo no es solo la deuda, sino también la presión para las finanzas públicas del Estado“, expresó.
Mientras el proyecto continúa en discusión legislativa, la estatal asegura que mantiene trabajos de mantenimiento de líneas, reestructuración de circuitos y otras acciones operativas orientadas a mejorar la calidad del servicio y disminuir las pérdidas.
Por su parte, el jefe de bancada del Partido Liberal, Jorge Cálix, reconoció que la reforma energética es necesaria para Honduras, pero afirmó que su bancada no respaldará el proyecto sin antes analizarlo a profundidad y presentar una contrapropuesta.
El congresista sostuvo que los liberales apoyarán únicamente aquellas disposiciones que consideren beneficiosas para la población y propondrán modificaciones en los aspectos que, a su juicio, puedan mejorarse.
«No vamos a salir corriendo, sabemos que es un tema urgente, pero justamente por eso lo vamos a hacer despacio y con buena letra“, declaró.
Cálix explicó que la bancada consultó a especialistas internacionales de Guatemala, Panamá, Costa Rica y El Salvadorpara conocer experiencias sobre reformas energéticas antes de definir una postura definitiva.
Aunque ambas partes coinciden en la necesidad de transformar el sector eléctrico, mantienen diferencias sobre la velocidad con la que debe aprobarse la iniciativa.
Mientras la ENEE sostiene que cada día de retraso incrementa las pérdidas económicas y dificulta el rescate financiero de la empresa, el Partido Liberal insiste en que una o dos semanas adicionales de análisis permitirán construir una propuesta más sólida y evitar decisiones apresuradas que puedan afectar a los consumidores y al sistema energético nacional.
Corresponsal:Desde Tegucigalpa, Honduras
NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!
South Dakota Gov. Larry Rhoden fended off a primary challenge from businessman and Bitcoin evangelist Toby Doeden on Tuesday, winning the first gubernatorial primary runoff in state history and advancing to the November general election.
The Associated Press called the race for Rhoden within minutes of final polls closing. He had received 70.5% of the vote compared with Doeden’s 29.5% at the time it was called, with approximately 25% of the expected vote counted.
The election marked the first time South Dakota voters were asked to settle a gubernatorial nomination through a primary runoff. State law requires a runoff between the two leading candidates when no contender for governor, U.S. Senate or U.S. House receives at least 35% of the primary vote.
TRUMP-BACKED FIREBRAND WINS ARIZONA GOP GOVERNOR PRIMARY, SETTING UP HIGH-STAKES SHOWDOWN
South Dakota Governor Larry Rhoden (left) and primary challenger Republican candidate for governor Toby Doeden (right) (Toby Doeden for South Dakota/Getty Images)
The head-to-head contest followed a four-way June primary in which Doeden finished first with 30.6% of the vote and Rhoden placed second with 25.2%, leaving both short of the 35% needed to secure the nomination outright. Rhoden became governor in early 2025 after Kristi Noem left to join the Trump administration, while Doeden entered the race as a businessman and political newcomer.
Doeden also built a public profile as a Bitcoin evangelist. He said he began investing «very, very heavily» in the cryptocurrency around 2020 after devoting roughly 500 hours to researching it, eventually converting nearly all the cash reserves from his companies that he did not expect to need into Bitcoin.
«I will buy bitcoin forever, every single day,» Doeden previously said on his podcast, according to the South Dakota Searchlight. «We mine bitcoin, we buy bitcoin.»
Doeden also supported legislation that would have allowed the South Dakota Investment Council, which manages public employee pension funds and other state investments, to invest in Bitcoin. He went further by calling for South Dakota to establish a state Bitcoin reserve – a move state investment and budget officials opposed.
TRUMP FLEXES GOP MUSCLE IN ARIZONA PRIMARIES AS DEMS DODGE FAR-LEFT UPSET
Tuesday’s winner advances to face former Democratic state Sen. Dan Ahlers in November. South Dakota has not had a Democratic governor since Harvey Wollman left office in 1979, and no Democrat has been elected to the office there since Richard Kneip won re-election in 1974. Wollman became governor automatically as lieutenant governor when Kneip resigned.
In the run-up to Tuesday’s primary runoff, property taxes were among the defining issues of the campaign. Doeden campaigned on eliminating property taxes, while Rhoden’s campaign portrayed Doeden’s proposal as fiscally reckless, arguing it could leave local governments and schools with a major funding shortfall.
Meanwhile, Rhoden’s campaign highlighted other tax relief measures that the governor signed back in March, which Rhoden’s campaign website describes as the «largest» property tax cut in the state’s history.
South Dakota Governor Larry Rhoden speaks during a rally at Mount Rushmore National Memorial on July 03, 2026 in Keystone, South Dakota. (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)
During the race, Doeden portrayed Rhoden as part of South Dakota’s entrenched political class, declaring after the June primary that «the career politicians told me» an outsider could not break through against three longtime officeholders.
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP
Rhoden pushed back on the attack, saying Doeden was trying to «make hay» out of calling him a career politician and describing that characterization as «such a warped viewpoint,» during an interview with the South Dakota Public Broadcasting network. Rhoden argued that his years in the Legislature gave him practical experience writing laws and then returning home to live under them.
President Donald Trump did not publicly weigh in with an endorsement in the runoff, according to a review by Fox News Digital. Trump thanked Rhoden by name during his July 3 remarks at Mount Rushmore but did not mention the governor’s race. Doeden, meanwhile, campaigned as a «fierce Trump supporter» who said he would help implement the president’s «America First agenda.»
south dakota, gubernatorial, state and local primaries, elections, politics
Se acaba el culebrón del banquillo de Italia: Roberto Mancini vuelve a la selección
A qué hora es la cadena nacional de Milei el jueves
El Banco Central no intervino, vendió futuros y le puso un freno al dólar mayorista justo antes de los $1.500
Un grupo de intendentes lanza un operativo para sumar nombres y tener peso en la discusión electoral
Tiene 17 años, es hijo de un ex número 1 del mundo y logró su primer triunfo en el circuito ATP
Javier Milei y sus medidas, en vivo: tensión diplomática y los preparativos de la cadena nacional
Crisis entre Milei y Lula: la trama política, personal y geopolítica detrás del mayor choque diplomático entre Argentina y Brasil
Cuentapropismo emocional en lo profundo del conurbano
San Isidro: la ballena que quedó varada en un banco de arena murió pese al operativo de rescate
Joaquín Furriel contó cómo fue ver la final del Mundial con su novia española: “Una situación incómoda”
POLITICA2 días agoCrisis entre Milei y Lula: la trama política, personal y geopolítica detrás del mayor choque diplomático entre Argentina y Brasil
- SOCIEDAD2 días ago
San Isidro: la ballena que quedó varada en un banco de arena murió pese al operativo de rescate
- POLITICA2 días ago
Milei cruzó al aire a De Mendiguren, exministro de Duhalde: “Vos, sí, ladrón”
