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Iran in crisis as US talks collapse, Mojtaba’s ‘mafia’ regime blocks Khamenei burial: analyst
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A prolonged delay in the burial of Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, signals a deepening crisis inside the Islamic Republic, according to a prominent Iranian strategist.
Dr. Ramesh Sepehrrad’s remarks came as peace talks between the United States and Iran stalled and internal tensions raised questions about the regime’s stability.
Fortieth-day mourning ceremonies for Khamenei began in Iran on April 9, with authorities withholding information about his burial more than 40 days after his killing. A three-day state funeral scheduled for early March 2026 had already been postponed.
IRAN’S CEASEFIRE PUSH MAY BE A ‘CYCLE OF DECEPTION,’ ANALYSTS WARN AS SHADOWY FIGURE GAINS POWER
Mojtaba Khamenei, the new supreme leader of Iran and second son of the late Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, attends a meeting in Tehran, Iran, on Oct. 13, 2024. (Hamed Jafarnejad/ISNA/WANA/Reuters)
«Forty-four days have passed, and the regime does not have the confidence to publicly bury Mojtaba’s dead father,» Sepehrrad of the Organization of Iranian American Communities (OIAC) told Fox News Digital.
«That is an indicator of the fear within this regime from top to bottom,» Sepehrrad added, before describing how, usually, «a religious regime believes that their dead must be buried in 24 hours.»
Khamenei was killed Feb. 28 in a strike targeting a regime compound in central Tehran, with a separate strike affecting his son, Mojtaba Khamenei, 56, who succeeded him.
Mojtaba is said to be still recovering from severe facial and leg injuries, three people close to his inner circle told Reuters on April 11.
Khamenei’s face was disfigured in the attack on the supreme leader’s compound in central Tehran, and he suffered a significant injury to one or both legs, three sources told the outlet.
«The 56-year-old is nonetheless recovering from his wounds and remains mentally sharp, according to the people, who requested anonymity to discuss sensitive matters.»
IRAN MODERATES PUSHING TRUMP DEAL RISK BEING ‘ELIMINATED’ AS REGIME FRACTURES DEEPEN
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, Gholam-Hossein Mohseni-Eje’i, the head of the judiciary and Alireza Arafi, deputy chairman of the Assembly of Experts, attend the meeting of the interim leadership council of Iran in an unknown location, amid the U.S.-Israel conflict with Iran, in Iran, March 1, 2026. (IRIB/WANA/Handout/Reuters)
He is taking part in meetings with senior officials via audio conferencing and is engaged in decision-making on major issues, including the war and negotiations with Washington, two of the sources say, according to reports.
The report came as Iran navigated diplomatic efforts with the U.S. in Islamabad aimed at easing tensions amid a two-week ceasefire, which ultimately failed to produce a breakthrough.
«Mojtaba input in the broad red lines of negotiations, even if he is not the public face,» Sepehrrad claimed. «At the end of the day, for more than 10 years, he served as his father’s right-hand man and as a conduit to the IRGC.»
«Mojtaba may be less rhetorical, less publicly ideological, and more operational because his primary focus is survival of the regime.»
Iran also confirmed Sunday it had no plans for further peace talks after the marathon summit, where Pakistan mediated.
«No plan has yet been announced for the time, place, or next round of negotiations,» Iranian state news agency Nour reported Saturday, citing the country’s Supreme National Security Council, with no statement from the new Supreme Leader.
IRAN’S SUPREME LEADER MOJTABA KHAMENEI ‘MISFUNCTIONING,’ NOT CONTROLLING REGIME: SOURCES
A mourner holds a portrait of Iran’s slain supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei (top-L) on March 5, 2026, during a funeral procession for members of Iraq’s pro-Iran paramilitary group Hezbollah Brigades (Kataeb Hezbollah) who were killed in a strike in Baghdad the previous day. The Tehran-backed Iraqi group Kataeb Hezbollah said on March 5 that one of its commanders was killed in a strike in southern Iraq the previous day. (Ahmed Al-Rubaye/AFP)
«Mojtaba is less the supreme leader in the traditional sense and more the coordinator of a security-led system,» Sepehrrad explained before describing him as «more like a security-backed coordinator.»
«This regime does not communicate with one unified voice. It communicates by function,» Sepehrrad said.
«One channel negotiates, another threatens, another punishes, and another tries to maintain ideological continuity. It is now a mafia,» the strategist claimed.
«The key point is not harmony but division of labor. What holds them together is regime survival, not trust.»
«What we are seeing now is deeper: a leader who lacks organic authority and therefore governs through the institution that controls force,» Sepehrrad said.
On the Iranian side, negotiations, the analyst said, also did involve «diplomats,» but a wider circle of security-linked figures shaping Tehran’s posture, reflecting the increasing dominance of hardline institutions.
US-SANCTIONED MOJTABA KHAMENEI NAMED IRAN’S NEXT SUPREME LEADER AFTER FATHER’S DEATH: REPORTS
Iran’s Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf and Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi were greeted by Pakistan Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar and Army Chief Field Marshal Gen. Asim Munir upon their arrival at Nur Khan airbase in Rawalpindi, Pakistan, on April 11, 2026. (Pakistan Ministry of Foreign Affairs/AP)
«This was a brittle coalition of security men,» Sepehrrad said, before describing how Mojtaba is «at the top, but is heavily reliant on the Guards, Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, SNSC chief Mohammad Bagher Zolghadr, IRGC commander Ahmad Vahidi, Judiciary chief Mohseni-Ejei, and law enforcement chief Ahmad-Reza Radan.»
«Several of the most important surviving figures are not primarily diplomats,» Sepehrrad said before suggesting that that should «change how we should read everything coming out of Tehran.»
«That is a different system from the one many Western analysts still think they are dealing with,» Sepehrrad explained. «Dual track — tactical flexibility in talks and a harsher repression at home.»
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«While the regime negotiates to buy time, reduce pressure on its forces, and prevent broader external escalation, internally, it is likely to intensify arrests, executions, intimidation, and internet controls now,» the strategist warned.
«The regime fears internal unrest more than diplomacy,» Sepehrrad said.
mojtaba khamenei, ali khamenei, national security, iran, assassinations murders
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Capitol Hill lawmakers are clashing over President Donald Trump’s proposal to suspend the federal gas tax as prices climb past $4 a gallon amid the conflict with Iran.
Democrats are urging the president to «end the war,» while Republicans are split on whether the plan would deliver real relief.
«He’s got to bring this war to an end if he wants these gas prices to come down,» Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn., said. «And he’s gotta stop this war and stop looking for other gimmicks.»
«Why doesn’t he just end the Iran war, which is an illegal war, so that would take care of those issues?» Sen. Mazie Hirono, D-Hawaii, said. «He did not get authorization. It’s on President Trump. And the rise in gasoline and everything else, it’s on him.»
DEMOCRATS POUNCE ON $4 A GALLON GAS, BLAME TRUMP’S IRAN WAR FOR ‘BROKEN PROMISE’
Sen. Mazie Hirono, D-Hawaii, participates in a news conference following weekly policy luncheons in Washington, D.C., on June 4, 2024. (Nathan Posner/Anadolu)
Lawmakers’ comments came after Trump backed a temporary suspension of the federal gas tax on Monday as escalating tensions with Iran pushed fuel prices higher nationwide. Gas prices have climbed to an average of $4.51 a gallon, and diesel prices have risen to $5.66 as of Wednesday, according to AAA.
«I mean we want to keep costs low,» Rep. Don Bacon, R-Neb., said. «Higher gas prices add costs to groceries and everything else, and so I think it’s something worthy to consider, and I’d be amenable to it.»
The suspension would potentially slash the cost of each gallon of gasoline by 18.4 cents and 24.4 cents per gallon of diesel.
Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., introduced legislation Monday to suspend the federal gas tax after Trump backed the idea. Hawley’s Gas Tax Suspension Act would provide relief at the pump for at least 90 days, while also allowing for an additional 90-day extension if prices remain elevated.
ENERGY SECRETARY WRIGHT SAYS TRUMP ADMINISTRATION OPEN TO SUSPENDING FEDERAL GAS TAX AMID PRICE SURGE
Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., during a joint Senate Judiciary and Homeland Security and Government Affairs committees hearing in the Dirksen Senate Office Building on Capitol Hill on July 30, 2024. (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)
Support for suspending the gas tax has emerged from both parties, but other lawmakers have proposed alternative methods to address rising gas prices.
«I think that year-round E-15 is a better idea,» Sen. Roger Marshall, R-Kan., said. «Year-round, E-15 would bring down the price of gas maybe 30, 40 cents a gallon. You throw in our credit card bill, it would bring it down another dime, 15 cents a gallon. So I think those are probably two better ideas to do it.»
E-15 is a cheaper, ethanol-blended gasoline that cannot be sold nationwide during the summer months due to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s pollution rules. Some Republicans, like Marshall, argue year-round access to E-15 would lower gas prices more effectively than a gas tax suspension.
ARAB ALLIES RECOGNIZE IRAN’S DANGER, LAWMAKERS SAY, AS REGION VIEWS REGIME CHANGE CAUTIOUSLY
A sign displays unleaded gasoline and diesel fuel prices at a Chevron gas station in Victorville, Calif., on March 17, 2026. (Kyle Grillot/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
While some lawmakers focused on lowering costs at the pump, others argued the U.S. should maintain or even escalate pressure on Iran despite rising prices.
«Let’s finish Iran, the IRGC anyway, once and for all,» Bacon said. «The Iranian people are great people, but their government is our enemy. They’ve been the most ruthless enemy that we’ve had over four decades.»
«They should be pummeled,» he said.
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Bacon’s comments reflect a group of Republicans who argue the surge in gas prices is a consequence of taking on Iran, warning that backing off pressure could carry far greater risks.
«Iran with a nuclear weapon is a threat to America and the whole region,» Bacon said.
wars, congress, taxes, war with iran, republicans, politics
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El Reino Unido tuvo cinco primeros ministros en 10 años y Keir Starmer podría ser el próximo en caer
Cuando el primer ministro Keir Starmer llevó al Partido Laborista a la victoria en las últimas elecciones generales del Reino Unido, en 2024, lo hizo con una campaña fundamentada en una plataforma de estabilidad, vendiendo a su partido como el antídoto contra años de caos bajo una sucesión de primeros ministros conservadores.
Ahora, la promesa laborista de una gobernanza estable parece estar amenazada, ya que Starmer se enfrenta a peticiones de renuncia que vienen de su propio partido después del mal desempeño en las elecciones locales de la semana pasada.
Los críticos de Starmer sostienen que su profunda impopularidad requiere que haya un nuevo líder si el Partido Laborista quiere tener alguna posibilidad en las próximas elecciones generales, que deben celebrarse antes de 2029. Pero algunos de sus aliados han señalado que el país ha sufrido daños acumulados por la sucesión de primeros ministros bajo el mandato de los conservadores, y han advertido al Partido Laborista de que tenga cuidado de no seguir el mismo camino.
“El Reino Unido parece haberse vuelto adicta al drama político en torno a sus primeros ministros”, dijo Tony Travers, profesor de política en la London School of Economics. Argumentó que la caída de la tasa de crecimiento económico del Reino Unido tras la crisis financiera de 2008, agravada por los efectos del brexit, había “dificultado la gobernanza hasta el punto de hacerla imposible”.
Los sistemas parlamentarios, en comparación con los presidenciales, facilitan el cambio de líderes, señaló Travers, pero cambiar de liderazgo no resuelve los retos fundamentales a los que se enfrenta el Reino Unido. Entre ellos se encuentran unos servicios públicos frágiles que siguen pasando apuros tras años de falta de inversión y el impacto inflacionista de la guerra en Irán. Muchos legisladores del Partido Laborista temen que esto pueda dar inicio a una nueva era de cambios rápidos en la dirección del partido.
Leé también: Crisis en el Reino Unido: Keir Starmer se aferra al poder a pesar de la renuncia de tres miembros del gabinete
Cinco líderes del Partido Conservador dirigieron el Reino Unido entre 2016 y 2024. Así es como llegaron al número 10 de Downing Street, y cómo salieron de ahí.
David Cameron, abatido por el brexit
David Cameron fue primer ministro de 2010 a 2016, periodo durante el cual convocó el referéndum del brexit. Esperaba obtener un mandato de los votantes para que el Reino Unido se quedara en la Unión Europea y con ello poner fin a la división en el Partido Conservador sobre este tema.
La medida resultó ser un desastre cuando una escasa mayoría de británicos votó a favor de salir.
Al día siguiente de la votación, Cameron se presentó frente al número 10 de Downing Street y anunció su renuncia, afirmando que el país merecía un líder comprometido con cumplir la voluntad del pueblo. En un primer momento dijo que se quedaría tres meses en el cargo para asegurar la estabilidad, hasta septiembre, pero después de que Theresa May ganó el liderazgo del Partido Conservador, ella fue nombrada primera ministra el 13 de julio de 2016. David Cameron, exprimer ministro del Reino Unido en mayo de 2024. (Foto: Florion Goga/REUTERS/Archivo)
Theresa May, también derrotada por el brexit
May, que había sido ministra del Interior de Cameron, fue la segunda primera ministra del país, después de Margaret Thatcher. Asumió de inmediato la difícil tarea de negociar la salida del país de la Unión Europea.
Su mandato estuvo dominado por el brexit. Ella abogaba por una salida de la Unión Europea de cierto modo más suave, lo que enfureció a los euroescépticos de línea dura del partido, y no logró alcanzar un acuerdo que su partido pudiera respaldar. El brexit terminó por ser su ruina también. Después de enfrentarse a una rebelión en el gabinete, en mayo de 2019 anunció sus planes de dejar el cargo.
Boris Johnson, obligado a renunciar por el ‘partygate’
Boris Johnson, el exalcalde de Londres de melena revuelta y estilo grandilocuente, fue elegido nuevo líder del partido y asumió el cargo en julio de 2019. Había hecho campaña a favor de la salida del Reino Unido de la Unión Europea y se había convertido en un destacado crítico del enfoque de May respecto al brexit. Ganó las elecciones prometiendo “recuperar el control” de las fronteras británicas.
Johnson llevó al partido a una amplia victoria electoral en 2019. Unos meses más tarde, el país se vio sumido en la pandemia del coronavirus. Y una serie de escándalos perjudiciales –entre ellos las reuniones en Downing Street durante el confinamiento por la covid, que se conocieron como el “partygate”– le obligaron a dimitir de forma espectacular en julio de 2022. Boris Johnson, expremier británico en un evento en Dubai en febrero de 2025. (Amr Alfiky/REUTERS/Archivo)
Liz Truss, hundida por recortes fiscales sin financiación
No había un consenso real sobre quién iba a reemplazar a Johnson, pero Liz Truss acabó imponiéndose ante Rishi Sunak en una contienda por el liderazgo y se convirtió en primera ministra en septiembre de 2022.
Truss, que fue ministra de Asuntos Exteriores de Johnson, ocupó el cargo de primera ministra durante solo seis semanas –superada en duración, como es bien sabido, por una lechuga–, se convirtió en la primera ministra británica con el mandato más breve. Durante su corto periodo, que incluyó la muerte de la reina Isabel II, logró introducir un plan de recortes fiscales sin financiación que sumió a los mercados financieros del país en el caos.
Intentó dar marcha atrás, pero no fue suficiente para reparar el duradero daño político, ni el económico.
Rishi Sunak, destituido en unas elecciones generales
Sunak, exministro de Hacienda, tomó rápidamente el timón, sin oposición en la contienda por el liderazgo del partido tras la caída de Truss. En octubre de 2022, se convirtió en la primera persona de ascendencia india en ser primer ministro británico.
Los dramas de sus predecesores inmediatos ensombrecieron su mandato, y cuando convocó elecciones generales en 2024, su partido sufrió derrotas abrumadoras. Se dirigió al país frente a Downing Street diciendo: “Lo siento. Lo he dado todo en este cargo. Pero ustedes han enviado una señal clara de que el gobierno del Reino Unido debe cambiar. Y su criterio es el único que importa”.
*Por Megan Specia, periodista que radica en Londres y cubre el Reino Unido, Irlanda y la guerra en Ucrania para el Times. Y Michael D. Shear colaboró con reportería.
The New York Times, Reino Unido, Keir Starmer
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Trump gets red-carpet welcome in China, but past Beijing trip shows pageantry only goes so far
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President Trump received a red-carpet welcome when he landed in Beijing on Wednesday, with a military honor guard, band and children waving American and Chinese flags ahead of high-stakes talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping.
The ceremony also highlighted the bigger question around Trump’s return to China: whether this visit can yield more lasting progress than his 2017 trip, which featured major business announcements but was later followed by a sharp deterioration in U.S.-China trade relations.
The meeting comes as trade tensions, the Iran war and disputes over Taiwan place new pressure on Washington and Beijing to stabilize relations between the world’s two largest economies.
TRUMP HEADS TO BEIJING FOR HIGH-STAKES XI TALKS AS TAIWAN TENSIONS, TRADE DISPUTES TEST US STRENGTH
U.S. President Donald Trump walks with Chinese Vice President Han Zheng during an arrival ceremony at Beijing Capital International Airport in 2026. (REUTERS/Evan Vucci)
The red carpet was rolled out with a welcome ceremony consisting of military honor guard and a military band with Chinese children waving American and Chinese flags. «Welcome, welcome! Warm welcome!» the children chanted in Chinese.
Trump exited Air Force One and was greeted by United States Ambassador to China David Perdue, Chinese Vice President H.E. Han Zheng, Ambassador of the People’s Republic of China to the United States H.E. Xie Feng, and Executive Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs H.E. Ma Zhaoxu.
Trump visited China in 2017 for his first state visit. (Qilai Shen/Bloomberg)
First Lady Melania Trump accompanied Trump nearly nine years ago for his first state visit. The 2017 trip emphasized pomp, personal diplomacy and commercial announcements, and included excursions such as a Forbidden City tour, a Peking opera performance, and a formal welcome ceremony at the Great Hall of the People.
Chinese President Xi Jinping and his wife Peng Liyuan welcome the Trumps in the Forbidden City in 2017. (Xinhua/Xie Huanchi via Getty Images)
The 2017 trip produced more than $250 billion in announced commercial deals and cooperation pledges, but it did not prevent trade relations from deteriorating in 2018.
Most notably, Trump announced a $12 billion deal for cellphone chips from Qualcomm and $37 billion for Boeing commercial jets, AP reported at the time.
DONALD TRUMP DETAILS ‘MOST EXCITING PART’ OF CHINA TRADE AGREEMENT
«These deals will create jobs for American workers, farmers, and ranchers by increasing United States exports to China and stimulating investment in American communities,» the White House said at the time.
Trump’s first visit to China focused largely on symbolic diplomacy and major business announcements. (Qilai Shen/Bloomberg)
A strategic focus of his first visit was North Korea’s nuclear program. Trump and Xi agreed at the time that North Korea should not become a nuclear weapons state, declaring the two countries would apply «maximum pressure.»
Trump receives a flower bouquet from a young girl upon his arrival at Beijing Capital International Airport. (Alex Wong/Getty Images)
China had already tightened enforcement earlier that year, including suspending North Korean coal imports, while Trump later said Chinese banks were scaling back business with North Korean entities. But U.S.-China cooperation weakened as broader trade tensions escalated, and North Korea continued advancing its missile and nuclear programs.
The summit did not prevent a sharp deterioration in trade relations the following year, after Trump imposed tariffs on Chinese imports, triggering a prolonged trade standoff.
President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump arriving for a state dinner last November with China’s President Xi Jinping and China’s first lady Peng Liyuan in Beijing in 2017. (REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst, File)
Trump’s latest visit comes after a broader tariff escalation in which his administration imposed sweeping duties on imports from dozens of countries, with China emerging as the central flashpoint after Beijing retaliated and later tightened export controls on rare earth minerals, prompting Trump to threaten an additional 100% tariff on Chinese goods.
Trump is expected to press Xi on trade once again, suggesting that American entrepreneurs and executives could help drive growth inside China if Beijing lowers barriers and allows U.S. firms more room to operate.
TRUMP WARNS CHINA OF ‘STAGGERING’ 50% TARIFF IF CAUGHT SUPPLYING MILITARY AID TO IRAN
Accompanying Trump on the trip are top U.S. executives, including Elon Musk, Apple CEO Tim Cook, BlackRock CEO Larry Fink, Blackstone CEO Stephen Schwarzman, Boeing CEO Kelly Ortberg, Cargill CEO Brian Sikes, Citi CEO Jane Fraser, GE Aerospace CEO Larry Culp, Goldman Sachs CEO David Solomon, Micron CEO Sanjay Mehrotra, and Qualcomm CEO Cristiano Amon.
Iran is expected to be among the issues surrounding the talks, though Trump has downplayed differences with Xi over the war.
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Trump and Xi will hold bilateral talks and a formal banquet Thursday.
Fox News Digital’s Eric Mack and Morgan Phillips contributed to this report.
donald trump, north korea, china, war with iran, xi jinping
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