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Iran hardliner behind US deal warns Tehran won’t honor agreement if Trump fails to deliver
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Iran’s hardline parliament speaker and key negotiator Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf warned that Tehran would not honor its commitments under a newly signed memorandum with the U.S. if Washington fails to uphold its side of the deal, according to the media arm of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.
«If the United States does not honor its commitments, there is no way Iran will honor its own commitments,» Ghalibaf said, according to the outlet.
Ghalibaf’s warning was echoed Thursday by Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Quds Force commander Esmail Qaani, who threatened the U.S. in remarks translated by MEMRI TV, saying, «Americans should know their place and avoid confronting the Muslims.»
Qaani added that «Trump is trembling» and warned that the U.S. «should fear not only Hormuz and Bab al-Mandeb, but many other locations as well.»
MEET IRAN’S HARDLINE SPEAKER WHO THREATENED TO BURN US FORCES — REPORTEDLY TEHRAN’S POINT MAN FOR TALKS
The warnings came after President Donald Trump and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian Wednesday digitally signed a copy of the memorandum aimed at ending the war and resuming the flow of traffic through the Strait of Hormuz.
Iran’s hardline parliament speaker and key negotiator Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf warned that Tehran would not honor its commitments under a newly signed memorandum with the U.S. if Washington fails to uphold its side of the deal. (Majid Asgaripour/WANA)
The memorandum gives Iran major economic relief while leaving some of the most difficult nuclear questions for a final agreement to be negotiated throughout the next 60 days. Under the 14-point plan read by a senior U.S. official, Washington agreed to begin lifting its naval blockade, work with regional partners on a $300 billion reconstruction and development plan for Iran, and terminate U.S., U.N. and other sanctions on an agreed schedule as part of a final deal.
The memorandum also says all licenses, waivers and permissions needed for related financial transactions would be granted by the United States.
In return, Iran reaffirmed that it «shall not procure or develop nuclear weapons,» and the two sides agreed to resolve the fate of Iran’s stockpiled enriched material under a future mechanism, with the minimum method being on-site down-blending under International Atomic Energy Agency supervision.
The agreement defers many of the hardest questions — including how to wind down Iran’s nuclear program — until the 60-day negotiation period for a final deal.
But the Iranian figure at the center of the deal is not a diplomat known for moderation.
Ghalibaf, a former Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps commander and longtime regime insider, has threatened American forces, vowed Trump would «pay the price» and built his career through loyalty to Iran’s security establishment.
The new warning underscored what experts say is the central risk of the agreement: Washington may be entering a deal with officials who can enforce Iran’s commitments, but who have shown little sign of changing the regime’s long-term posture toward the U.S., Israel or the region.
Ghalibaf, 64, is a product of Iran’s security establishment. He rose through the ranks of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps during the Iran-Iraq War, eventually becoming commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps air force.
He later served as Iran’s national police chief, overseeing internal security forces responsible for suppressing protests, including the 1999 student uprising, alongside Qassem Soleimani.
After transitioning into politics, Ghalibaf attempted to run for president multiple times but failed. He instead built his career through loyalty to the system, serving as Tehran’s mayor for more than a decade before becoming speaker of parliament in 2020.
FAMILIES OF IRAN’S ELITE LIVE LAVISHLY ABROAD WHILE ORDINARY CITIZENS SUFFER AT HOME
Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad-Bagher Ghalibaf looks on as parliament members wearing military uniforms chant in support of the IRGC in Tehran, Iran, on Feb. 1, 2026. (Hamed Malekpour/Islamic consultative assembly news agency/WANA (West Asia News Agency)/Handout via Reuters)
«Ghalibaf doesn’t have an independent line. His strength is that he is a ‘yes man,’» Beni Sabti, an Iran expert at the Institute for National Security Studies, previously told Fox News Digital. «If he is told to shake hands with Special Envoy Steve Witkoff, he will do it. If he is told to escalate, he will. It is not about moderation, it is about who gives the orders.»
«His name has also been linked to multiple corruption allegations, including misuse of oil revenues and sanctions evasion networks involving his family. His sons have reportedly been involved and are under sanctions,» Sabti said, adding, «There have also been public scandals involving family members traveling abroad and making luxury purchases, including widely circulated images of them arriving with numerous high-end Gucci suitcases.»
Behnam Ben Taleblu, a senior fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, said the image of Ghalibaf at a signing ceremony with a senior U.S. official would be a propaganda victory for the regime.
«There was a time when the Islamic Republic would have been terrified to be seen signing such a thing,» Ben Taleblu told Fox News Digital. «Post-war, this is a sign of the regime’s opportunism, and no one identifies that opportunism better than someone like Ghalibaf, who comes from the IRGC, who is a corrupt politician and is a wheeler and dealer.»
But Taleblu warned that Washington should not confuse Ghalibaf’s opportunism with moderation.
«The mirage is the myth of Iranian military moderation and the myth that, with time, this regime will integrate and put aside all the things that have kept it on the sidelines for so long,» he said. «Transforming Iran via a deal — that is a huge lift.»
Ghalibaf’s wartime statements reflect the hardline posture inside Iran’s leadership. In remarks aired on Iranian television on Jan. 12 and translated by MEMRI, he warned that U.S. forces would face catastrophic consequences if they confronted Iran.
«Come, so you can see what catastrophe befalls American bases, ships and forces,» he said, adding that American troops would be «burned by the fire of Iran’s defenders.»
TRUMP ADMINISTRATION UNVEILS SWEEPING TERMS OF PROPOSED IRAN AGREEMENT
A man lights a cigarette with fire from a burning picture of Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf as Israelis rally in support of nationwide protests in Iran in Holon, Israel, on Jan. 14, 2026. (Ammar Awad/Reuters)
More recently, he warned that «the blood of American soldiers is the personal responsibility of Trump,» and vowed Iran would «settle accounts with the Americans and Israelis,» adding that «Trump and Netanyahu crossed our red lines and will pay the price.»
John Hannah, a senior fellow at the Jewish Institute for National Security of America and a former national security adviser to Vice President Dick Cheney, said Ghalibaf’s expected role reflects the reality of who holds power inside Iran.
«If you’re going to sign an agreement with Iran, those are the forces in charge and calling the shots, presumably with the approval of the new Supreme Leader,» Hannah told Fox News Digital. «If the U.S. harbors hope that Iran will ever implement any of their obligations under the MOU, these are the people — odious as they are — capable of making it happen.»
But Hannah said the central question is whether Iran’s leadership sees compliance as useful, or whether the agreement is simply a tactical pause.
«The big question is whether they see it in their interest to do so, or are they only buying time, rebuilding their power and preparing for the next round of conflict,» he said.
Ben Taleblu was even more blunt, warning that even a seemingly favorable agreement would not change the nature of the regime.
«Even if you’ve got the perfect deal, with this kind of regime, with this kind of mentality, they will escalate,» he said. «I thought we would have learned by now what the regime did after the JCPOA. It built a vast missile arsenal. It literally built an empire of terror proxies that took Israel years of blood, effort and money to dismantle, backed by American support.»
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Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf speaks during a press conference in Tehran, Iran, Nov. 27, 2024. (Majid Asgaripour/WANA (West Asia News Agency) via REUTERS)
«If we engage in pay-to-play with these guys,» he added, «I’m sorry to sound the alarm bell like this — but something tells me this is bad either way.»
Fox News Digital reached out to the White House for comment.
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From bear hugs to handshakes: How India lost its edge with Trump while Pakistan quietly gained ground
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This week, President Donald Trump and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi came face-to-face at the G7 summit in France, their first such encounter since February 2025. Rather than his trademark bear hug, Modi greeted Trump with a smile and handshake.
Then on Wednesday, the two held a bilateral meeting. It was a friendly chat, but one that came against a backdrop of compounding tensions.
As India works at restoring its relationship with Washington, its arch-foe Pakistan has expanded its own diplomatic profile, complicating India’s campaign against its nuclear-armed rival.
COMMERCE SECRETARY HOWARD LUTNICK MAKES QUIET TRIP TO INDIA DAYS AFTER TARIFF SETBACK
President Donald Trump looks at Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif speaking following the official signing of the first phase of the Gaza ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas. Shariff announced his intention to nominate Trump for the Noble Peace Prize for a second time. (Evelyn Hockstein / Reuters)
For years, India built an international case against Pakistan, projecting it as an isolated or destabilizing state. This hardline stance appeared to be working, with Modi declaring to Pakistan, «India has been successful in isolating you, and we will intensify those efforts.»
But a decade later, Pakistan is rapidly emerging as a key global player in the region and beyond.
While Modi initially tried to engage Pakistan, his government’s approach eventually hardened around the mantra that «terror and talks cannot coexist.»
In Washington, India has typically been favored, with Presidents Trump, Biden, Obama and George W. Bush all making visits during their time in office.
President Donald Trump (R) shakes hands with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi during a bilateral meeting at the G7 Summit on June 17, 2026 in Evian-les-Bains, France. (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)
Modi built a rapport with Trump during his first term in office and was one of the first world leaders invited to the White House after Trump’s inauguration. But over the past year, that relationship has come under strain as Islamabad quietly clawed its way back to credibility.
«India misjudged Trump in term two, banking on once friendly relations,» Sid Dubey, a visiting professor at Bennett University in India, told Fox News Digital. «They have yet to start recovering from that.»
PRESIDENT TRUMP, INDIA’S MODI TO TACKLE TRADE, TARIFF TENSIONS AT HIGH-STAKES MEETING
U.S. President Donald Trump and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi wave to the crowd at Sardar Patel Stadium in Ahmedabad, India, Monday, Feb. 24, 2020. India poured on the pageantry with a joyful, colorful welcome for President Donald Trump on Monday that kicked off a whirlwind 36-hour visit meant to reaffirm U.S.-India ties while providing enviable overseas imagery for a president in a re-election year. (AP Photo/Aijaz Rahi)
The shift first became apparent in May 2025, when President Trump announced he had secured a ceasefire between nuclear-armed India and Pakistan. The fighting had come over India-administered Kashmir and was the worst in decades.
Islamabad promptly praised Trump for ending the deadly dispute and even nominated him for a Nobel Peace Prize. New Delhi, however, rejected the claim, insisting the ceasefire was the result of direct bilateral talks with Pakistan.
The response reflected India’s long-standing sensitivity to third-party involvement in what it fiercely maintains is a bilateral dispute.
In the months that followed, frictions only deepened.
FILE — In this Jan. 11, 2013 file photo, a Pakistani Ranger in black uniform and his Indian counterpart march during a flag-off ceremony, at the joint Pakistan-India border check post of Wagah near Lahore, Pakistan. (AP Photo/K.M. Chaudary, File)
President Trump hit India with some of the steepest tariffs imposed on any major economy. Meanwhile, U.S. sanctions pressure on Russian oil rattled energy import-dependent India, while disputes over H-1B visas added further strain. Analysts say Trump’s America First agenda increasingly overshadowed the friendship Modi had cultivated during Trump’s first term.
«When Trump unfortunately said the May 2025 clash ended because of him personally, that upset India a lot, and they made that known,» Dubey said. «Then the tariffs were another slap in India’s face. Meanwhile, Pakistan took advantage, leaving India at a bit of a loss. From there, relations fell further with the Iran conflict.»
India is among the countries most indirectly affected by the strategic fallout from the Iran war, facing economic pressure and mounting energy concerns.
IRAN WAR FUELS ASIA ENERGY CRUNCH AS INDIA, JAPAN, OTHERS FEEL STRAIN
Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf meets with chief of Defence Forces of Pakistan, Field Marshal Asim Munir, in Tehran, Iran, May 23, 2026. (Iranian Parliament Speaker Office/WANA (West Asia News Agency)/Handout via Reuters)
Last week, a U.S. strike further exacerbated tensions after three Indian seafarers became collateral damage in the conflict. They were the first and only seafarers confirmed killed as part of the U.S. blockade, sparking outrage across India.
New Delhi instantly summoned Washington’s Chargé d’Affaires Jason Meeks, expressing deep concern over the renewed attacks and arguing that its nationals were becoming casualties in a war not their own.
India also warned of the broader humanitarian, economic, and energy consequences of the conflict, which are expected to linger even as an agreement has now been reached.
U.S. Vice President JD Vance, center, walks with Pakistan’s Chief of Defence Forces and Chief of Army Staff Field Marshall Asim Munir, left, and Pakistani Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Mohammad Ishaq Dar after arriving for talks with Iranian officials in Islamabad, Pakistan, Saturday, April 11, 2026. (Jacquelyn Martin/Pool via AP Photo)
All the while, Pakistan was gaining diplomatic visibility, finding itself in the unusual position of currying favor in Washington while maintaining deep ties with China, Iran and the Gulf states.
Pakistan’s prominent role in recent months highlighted how Islamabad has been more nimble in its diplomacy than India,» Council on Foreign Relations Senior Fellow Sadanand Dhume told Fox News Digital. «Additionally, Pakistan decisively outmaneuvered India’s quixotic bid to isolate Pakistan on the world stage.»
Regional dynamics have also been reshaped by the two rivals’ competing strategies. India has deepened its strategic partnership with the U.S. through alliances such as the Quad partnership with the U.S., Australia, and Japan and has expanded cooperation across South Asian states, including a burgeoning relationship with Afghanistan. Meanwhile, Pakistan’s growing regional relevance has been reflected in its strengthened ties with China, improved relations with regional partners like Bangladesh and expanded security cooperation with Gulf states.
RUBIO VISIT TO INDIA PUSHES DEEPER ENERGY TIES AS IRAN CONFLICT RATTLES GLOBAL OIL MARKETS
Additionally, Trump, who accused Pakistan of «deceit and lies» during his first term, has since repeatedly praised its leadership. In June 2025, the president invited Pakistan’s army chief Asim Munir to the White House for a high-profile lunch meeting.
Munir was the first Pakistani military chief who was not also president to be hosted by a U.S. president. He also led the war effort against India earlier that year.
In this photo released by the Inter Services Public Relations, Pakistan’s Chief of Defense Forces and Army Chief Gen. Asim Munir, center, Pakistan Naval Chief Admiral Naveed Ashraf, left, and Pakistan Air Force Chief Air Chief Marshal Zaheer Ahmed Babar attend a guard of honor ceremony at the joint military command headquarters in Rawalpindi, Pakistan, Monday, Dec. 8, 2025. (Inter Services Public Relations via AP)
Trump described Munir as his «favorite Field Marshal» and an «exceptional human being.»
Their relationship has been further reflected in trade deals and, most recently, Pakistan’s role as a principal mediator in restoring diplomacy between the U.S. and Iran.
«India tried to make Pakistan an international pariah. Instead, Pakistan has wormed its way into Trump’s good books through a combination of concrete co-operation with the U.S. and outrageous flattery of the president, leading to Trump elevating Field Marshal Asim Munir and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif as heroes,» Dhume said.
India, meanwhile, has maintained close ties with Israel while generally sticking to more measured messaging.
TRUMP’S FAVORITE FIELD MARSHAL: WHO IS PAKISTAN’S POWERFUL ARMY CHIEF ASIM MUNIR WITH DEEP INTEL TIES
On June 15, upon the agreement of a deal with Iran, Modi released a statement, saying, «India hopes that the implementation of this understanding will help restore peace and stability in the region and ensure the freedom of navigation and commerce.»
«Hats off to Pakistan. They worked really hard to bring this awfully disruptive war with Iran to an end,» Dubey told Fox. «India unfortunately lost out by not seeking to be a problem solver like Pakistan. It could have played its cards better as a peacemaker, given its traditionally strong relations with Tehran.»
Still, analysts caution these are rapidly evolving dynamics. There is no guarantee that Pakistan’s current moment will last, and the tide for India could still turn.
«Pakistan’s mediation role has allowed it to substantially reset its international image. It has positioned itself as a responsible international actor rather than a rogue state responsible for both nuclear proliferation and exporting Islamic terrorism. How long this lasts depends in large measure on two things: will Pakistan find a way to remain in Trump’s good books, and will it be able to change its behavior sufficiently to convince the world that it has indeed turned over a new leaf,» Dhume told Fox News Digital.
Meanwhile, India is working to regain its position and show the U.S. it is still a reliable partner.
Marco Rubio visited India last month, his first since becoming Trump’s top diplomat last year, which was widely seen as an attempt to reset ties.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio speaks as President Donald Trump looks on during a cabinet meeting in the Cabinet Room of the White House in Washington, DC, on April 30, 2025. (JIM WATSON/AFP via Getty Images)
Trump and Modi’s G7 meeting marked another significant step.
Trump praised Modi as «calm, cool and totally killer» and said he would be traveling to India «sometime in the future.» India has been pressing Trump for a visit, potentially as part of a broader meeting involving Japan and Australia.
Trump also said the United States would defend India.
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«If anybody attacks that man, we’re going to be there,» Trump said, referring to Modi. «Now, if there’s a new leader, I’m not sure about it.»
The Pakistani and Indian governments did not respond to Fox News Digital requests for comment.
india, pakistan, world, asia world regions, donald trump
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Planned Parenthood offered hormones but had no answers when detransitioner sought help, undercover probe finds
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FIRST ON FOX: Detransitioner Chloe Cole says Planned Parenthood clinics across multiple states had few answers when she sought help reversing the effects of a gender transition, according to a new undercover investigation obtained by Fox News Digital.
The investigation, conducted by pro-life advocacy group Live Action in partnership with Cole, involved calls to Planned Parenthood locations in Idaho, Alaska, New York and Washington, D.C., among other jurisdictions. In the calls, Cole posed as a patient seeking information about detransitioning after previously undergoing a gender transition.
Across multiple conversations reviewed by Fox News Digital, employees described services available for patients seeking gender-affirming care but did not identify detransition-specific programs, treatment pathways or clinical resources when asked about options for individuals seeking to reverse course after transition-related medical treatment.
In one call reviewed by Fox News Digital, Cole asked whether Planned Parenthood offered services for patients attempting to stop or reverse a transition.
UNDERCOVER INVESTIGATION: PLANNED PARENTHOOD PRESCRIBING HORMONES TO MINORS WITH MINIMAL OVERSIGHT
Chloe Cole says an undercover investigation found Planned Parenthood clinics offered few answers and no clear services when she sought help detransitioning. (Drew Angerer/Getty Images)
«We only have gender-affirming care services, like for hormones, but not to detransition,» a Planned Parenthood employee told Cole.
When Cole asked whether the organization offered help addressing fertility concerns or other effects associated with prior transition-related treatment, the employee responded: «As in right now, it’s a no, I don’t think we do that type of healthcare.»
The calls form the basis of a new campaign by Live Action urging lawmakers to continue restrictions on federal funding for Planned Parenthood, which the organization says has expanded its transgender-related healthcare services in recent years.
I WAS 15 AND TRUSTED THE ‘EXPERTS’ ON GENDER CARE. TURNS OUT, THEY WERE WINGING IT
A title sign sits outside a Planned Parenthood branch in Pasadena, Calif., on May 16, 2023. (Marcio Jose Sanchez/AP Photo)
For Cole, the issue is personal.
«My name is Chloe Cole. When I was 12 years old, I began the process of trying to change my gender from female to male,» she says in the investigation video.
«At age 15, I even had both of my breasts surgically removed. But I realized that what I was doing was actually harming my body. So at age 16, I began to detransition.»
Cole said she launched the investigation because she wanted to know what resources existed for patients seeking help after regretting a transition.
«I know firsthand the pain of being pushed down the path of transition,» Cole told Fox News Digital in a statement.
«In this investigation with Live Action, I wanted to see what Planned Parenthood would do when someone came back asking for help to detransition.»
‘LOSING THEIR HEALTH’: DETRANSITIONER SOUNDS ALARM ABOUT SEX-CHANGE SURGERIES NEGATIVELY IMPACTING CHILDREN
Protestors hold «Defund Planned Parenthood» signs outside the U.S. Supreme Court in Washington, D.C., on June 20, 2025. (Kayla Bartkowski/Getty Images)
«What I found was horrifying: Planned Parenthood was ready to help people start transitioning, but had no real answers, no meaningful support, and no services to help them reverse course,» she said.
During the calls, Cole raised concerns about fertility, the effects of cross-sex hormones, breast reconstruction and other questions related to detransitioning. According to the investigation, employees referred her to outside providers, said they were unfamiliar with detransition-related care or stated they were not aware of such services being offered through Planned Parenthood.
In one exchange, Cole told a Planned Parenthood employee, «I had surgery, I’ve been on the drugs, and I need help recovering the things I’ve lost,» while asking what resources might be available to patients seeking to detransition.
DETRANSITIONER TOUTS $2-MILLION LANDMARK MALPRACTICE RULING AS GOOD START, BUT ‘NOT NEARLY ENOUGH’
Chloe Cole, another well-known detransitioner, has also filed a medical malpractice lawsuit over her gender transition. (Fox News Digital)
The employee replied that Planned Parenthood could schedule an appointment with a provider but added, «I don’t think we do that type of healthcare.»
At another point during the call, a staff member said Planned Parenthood facilities typically see patients who are «getting started on gender-affirming care.»
The findings follow a separate undercover investigation reported by Fox News Digital in May that found some Planned Parenthood locations said minors as young as 16 could obtain cross-sex hormones through the organization’s informed-consent model with limited requirements for therapy or mental-health evaluations.
CHLOE COLE ACT AIMED AT BLOCKING MINORS FROM UNDERGOING LIFE-ALTERING TRANSGENDER SURGERIES, GOP LAWMAKER SAYS
Lila Rose, founder of the pro-life organization Live Action, expresses optimism for the pro-life movement despite recent legal setbacks. (Live Action)
At the time, Live Action released recordings from calls to Planned Parenthood facilities in multiple states in which employees allegedly said cross-sex hormones could be prescribed at an initial appointment.
The new investigation focuses instead on what support is available for individuals seeking to discontinue treatment or detransition.
Live Action founder and president Lila Rose said the calls revealed what she described as a one-sided system.
«Live Action’s undercover investigation with detransitioner Chloe Cole exposed Planned Parenthood’s one-way body destruction pipeline,» Rose said in a statement.
«Planned Parenthood is willing to prescribe cross-sex hormones and push vulnerable people further into dangerous so-called ‘gender-affirming care,’ but when someone comes back seeking help to detransition, Planned Parenthood has no answers, no support and no services to help reverse the damage.»
Planned Parenthood’s website states that many of its health centers provide gender-affirming care and lists services including hormone therapy, puberty blockers, surgery referrals and «transition support (social, legal).» The website does not specifically reference detransition-related services on its gender-affirming care page. Not all Planned Parenthood health centers offer the same services, according to the organization.
The organization is using the investigation as part of a broader effort urging Congress and the Trump administration to continue restricting federal funding for Planned Parenthood after current limitations expire.
According to Planned Parenthood’s most recent annual report, the organization received hundreds of millions of dollars in government reimbursements and grants while continuing to provide reproductive healthcare and other medical services nationwide.
Fox News Digital asked Planned Parenthood whether any of its health centers provide detransition-related services, referrals, counseling or medical support to patients seeking to discontinue or reverse prior gender-related medical treatment, and whether it disputes any findings contained in the investigation.
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Planned Parenthood did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.
Fox News Digital’s Peter Pinedo contributed to this reporting.
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INTERNACIONAL
Cuba prepara una mayor apertura de mercado bajo la fuerte presión de Trump: “Cambiar para salir de la crisis”
En momentos en que la Asamblea Nacional se dispone a aprobar un paquete de reformas orientadas hacia una mayor apertura de mercado, el presidente cubano Miguel Díaz-Canel dijo este jueves que la economía de la isla, afectada por una profunda crisis económica bajo presión de Washington, necesita “cambios urgentes”.
“Cuando la vida del pueblo se vuelve tan dura, el primer deber del Partido Comunista y del Gobierno revolucionario no es explicar mejor la crisis, sino cambiar lo que haya que cambiar para salir de ella”, dijo el jefe de Estado, también primer secretario del PCC.
Estas reformas, cuyos detalles aún no se conocen completamente, buscan abrir más sectores a la inversión privada, atraer más capital de los cubanos en el exterior, reducir el peso del Estado y otorgar mayor autonomía a las empresas públicas.
“La realidad nos impone cambios urgentes y necesarios”, declaró el jefe de Estado en un discurso transmitido por la televisión estatal y pronunciado el miércoles durante una sesión extraordinaria del Comité Central del Partido Comunista (PCC, único).
En forma paralela, el gobierno convocó a un grupo de expertos conformado por economistas habitualmente críticos del rumbo del país para asesorar sobre el plan.
El paquete de reformas
Durante esta sesión extraordinaria, la máxima instancia del partido aprobó un paquete de reformas hacia una mayor liberalización económica, cuyos lineamientos habían sido presentados por Díaz-Canel la semana pasada.
“Algunas no tendrán un consenso absoluto, pero son impostergables”, insistió este jueves el mandatario. Una mujer vestida con los colores de la bandera de Estados Unidos compra frutas a un vendedor ambulante en una calle de La Habana (Foto: EFE)
Estos anuncios de reformas se producen mientras el presidente estadounidense Donald Trump aplica una política de máxima presión sobre la isla, sometida desde hace casi cinco meses a un bloqueo petrolero.
Leé también: China refuerza su control financiero y limita las inversiones de sus ciudadanos en acciones estadounidenses
El influyente expresidente Raúl Castro, de 94 años, ya ha dado su apoyo a las reformas. La Asamblea Nacional del Poder Popular se reúne de urgencia la tarde del jueves para aprobarlas.
“Decisiones inteligentes”
Díaz Canel, quien mencionó los ejemplos de China y Vietnam, abogó por una transformación económica “profunda y ágil, ejecutable en corto plazo”.
El viernes había señalado que el abanico de actividades abiertas al sector privado será “lo más amplio posible”.
Las empresas privadas, de hasta 100 empleados, están autorizadas en la isla comunista desde 2021. Unas 10.000 empresas ocupan un lugar creciente en el tejido económico cubano y emplean actualmente a un tercio de la población activa.
El bloqueo estadounidense ha llevado a la economía cubana, bajo embargo desde 1962, al borde del colapso, provocando cortes de electricidad generalizados, así como escasez de alimentos, combustible, agua potable y medicamentos.
Washington no oculta su deseo de ver un cambio de modelo económico, e incluso de régimen, en la isla situada a unos 150 kilómetros de las costas de Florida.
“Si toman decisiones inteligentes, tendremos una relación mucho mejor con esa isla”, reaccionó el vicepresidente estadounidense JD Vance, interrogado en la Casa Blanca sobre una posible intervención militar en Cuba tras la firma de un acuerdo entre Washington y Teherán.
Un montón de basura arde en La Habana, Cuba, el miércoles 17 de junio de 2026. (AP Foto/Jorge Luis Banos)
El presidente cubano llamó a “crear un entorno institucional y regulatorio” que incentive a empresas y trabajadores a producir bienes y ofrecer servicios de calidad y con eficiencia.
“Hay trabas que no vienen de afuera, ni del bloqueo (estadounidense). Hay lentitud, burocracia, normas que frenan al que quiere producir y decisiones que hemos postergado” por “error”, reconoció.
Quiénes son los expertos que asesoran al gobierno cubano
Uno de los expertos más reconocidos que asesoran al gobierno cubano es el economista Omar Everleny Pérez, exdirector del Centro de Estudios de la Economía Cubana y profesor de la Universidad de La Habana.
En una reciente entrevista con TN, dijo que Cuba necesita una reforma al estilo de Vietnam.
El país asiático mantuvo su modelo de partido comunista único, pero adoptó una economía de mercado con orientación social. Así, hace 30 años realizó privatizaciones agrícolas, apertura a la inversión extranjera y una integración al mundo globalizado.
Everleny Pérez ya impulsó como asesor una apertura económica a mediados de los 90, tras el derrumbe de la Unión Soviética, pero la mayoría de sus propuestas fueron rechazadas por el entonces presidente Fidel Castro. Otros asesores son los economistas Juan Triana y Julio Carranza.
Los tres expertos suelen expresar cuestionamientos al modelo económico cubano en ámbitos académicos y medios independientes.
Por el ámbito oficial, en el grupo participan dos diputados: el exministro de Economía y Planificación José Luis Rodríguez García y el presidente de la Asociación Nacional de Economistas y Contadores (ANEC), José Carlos del Toro Ríos.
(Con información de AFP)
cuba, Miguel Díaz-Canel
From bear hugs to handshakes: How India lost its edge with Trump while Pakistan quietly gained ground
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Ramiro Marra le escribió una carta a Javier Milei para pedirle que eche a Manuel Adorni: “Erosiona al proyecto”
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Tras el pedido de Nicolás Occhiato, Florencia Peña renunció por difundir la noticia falsa sobre la salud del papá de Messi
Patricia Bullrich: “El Presidente considera que Adorni dio una explicación razonable”
El Gobierno envía señales de que Adorni tiene las horas contadas para evitar que sesione el Senado
La secuencia del golazo de Messi para Argentina ante Argelia en el debut en el Mundial 2026 y los récords que rompió
Gaspi, reconocido streamer argentino, falleció en un accidente aéreo en Brasil
POLITICA20 horas agoPatricia Bullrich: “El Presidente considera que Adorni dio una explicación razonable”
- POLITICA1 día ago
El Gobierno envía señales de que Adorni tiene las horas contadas para evitar que sesione el Senado
- DEPORTE2 días ago
La secuencia del golazo de Messi para Argentina ante Argelia en el debut en el Mundial 2026 y los récords que rompió
