INTERNACIONAL
Iranian dissidents seize on Trump remarks about armed resistance, fueling revival of Reagan doctrine
NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!
After President Donald Trump suggested this week that Iranians «would fight back» if they had weapons, Iranian dissidents, military analysts and some Republican lawmakers are openly reviving a once-taboo question: should the West move beyond «maximum pressure» on Tehran and actively support armed resistance inside Iran?
«They have to have guns. And I think they’re getting some guns. As soon as they have guns, they’ll fight like, as good as anybody there is,» Trump said in an interview with «The Hugh Hewitt Show,» while discussing anti-regime unrest and the Iranian government’s crackdown on protesters.
The comments come as the Iranian regime emerges weakened from weeks of war, while frustration continues to simmer among many Iranians after years of failed protests and violent crackdowns by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.
LINDSEY GRAHAM URGES US, ISRAEL TO ARM IRANIAN CIVILIANS IN ‘SECOND AMENDMENT SOLUTION’ TO TOPPLE REGIME
Protesters rally in Washington, D.C., on March 7, 2026, supporting regime change in Iran following U.S. and Israeli strikes that killed Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. (Samuel Corum/Getty Images)
Supporters of a more aggressive approach argue sanctions, diplomacy and unarmed demonstrations have failed to produce meaningful change inside Iran and say the current moment may represent the best opportunity in decades to challenge the regime from within. Critics warn that openly discussing armed resistance could endanger protesters, deepen divisions inside the opposition and risk pushing Iran toward civil war.
The idea of armed resistance echoes aspects of the Reagan Doctrine, the Cold War-era strategy in which the U.S. backed anti-Soviet resistance movements around the world, from Afghanistan to Nicaragua.
«We need to give Iranians the tools now, and they’ll finish the job themselves,» Brett Velicovich, founder of Powerus and a former U.S. military and intelligence specialist focused on drone warfare, told Fox News Digital.
«It’s their time to do something. There has never been a better chance.»
AS AIRSTRIKES RAIN DOWN ON THE IRANIAN REGIME, CAN A FRACTURED OPPOSITION UNITE TO LEAD IF IT FALLS?
Smoke and flames rise at an oil depot in Tehran after airstrikes on March 7, 2026. The United States and Israel launched strikes against Iran on Feb. 28, leading to Iranian missile retaliation and increased concerns about global energy and transport disruption. (Sasan/Middle East Images/AFP via Getty Images)
Velicovich described the strategy as «Reagan Doctrine 2.0,» updated for the age of drones and decentralized warfare.
«Cheap FPV drones, loitering munitions, and small arms let motivated fighters turn Iran’s streets and mountains into a nightmare for the IRGC,» he said. «This isn’t fantasy; it’s asymmetric warfare that works.»
He argued that modern drone technology has fundamentally changed the balance between governments and insurgent or resistance movements.
«Drones democratize power,» Velicovich said. «The regime’s monopoly on violence ends the day the people get eyes in the sky and precision strike capability.»
IRANIAN KURDISH FIGHTERS SAY THEY’RE READY TO STRIKE TEHRAN, WAITING FOR OPENING
Iran is building a decentralized FPV drone capability in basement factories using Chinese parts, defense expert Cameron Chell warns, citing a potential threat to the U.S. homeland. (Getty)
Still, even some critics of the Iranian regime caution that the comparison to Cold War proxy movements has limits.
Unlike Soviet-controlled Eastern Europe or Afghanistan in the 1980s, Iran is a highly nationalistic country with a fragmented opposition and deep fears of foreign intervention following decades of conflict across the Middle East.
Still, calls for more direct support for anti-regime forces are increasingly moving into mainstream Republican foreign policy discussions.
Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., recently called for what he described as a «Second Amendment solution» inside Iran.
«If I were President Trump and I were Israel, I would load the Iranian people up with weapons so they could go to the streets armed and turn the tide of battle inside Iran,» Graham said on «Hannity.»
The question of who would actually receive support, however, remains deeply controversial.
Exiled Iranian Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi speaks at the Women’s Forum hosted by Vital Voices in Washington, D.C., on March 29, 2023. (Paul Morigi/Getty Images)
Some opposition supporters continue to rally around exiled Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi, whose name has surfaced during anti-regime protests inside Iran and who has urged the international community not to give Tehran «another lifeline.»
Another group that has acted in various operations against the regime is the controversial People’s Mujahedin Organization of Iran, or MEK, which has long positioned itself as an organized opposition force against the Islamic Republic. The MEK recently posted videos showing its members targeting «regime centers and symbols of crime and repression,» in response to the execution of two of its members last month — Hamed Validi and Mohammad (Nima) Massoum-Shahi.
Others point to existing armed or semi-organized anti-regime groups, including Kurdish organizations, Baloch insurgent networks and underground resistance cells operating inside Iran.
Sardar Pashaei, director of the Hiwa Foundation and a former Iranian wrestling champion now living in the United States, warned that publicly discussing arming protesters could itself put lives at risk.
«I think we must be extremely cautious on this issue, especially publicly, because the regime can use it as a pretext to arrest protesters, fabricate cases and even justify executions,» Pashaei told Fox News Digital.
IRAN’S INTERNET BLACKOUT HIDING STRIKE DAMAGE AND SUPPRESSING DISSENT, ISRAELI OFFICIALS SAY
A woman walks across a nearly empty public square in Tehran, Iran, with a large billboard displaying the portrait of the late supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, in the background on March 3, 2026. (Vahid Salemi/AP Photo)
«For decades, the Islamic Republic has used accusations of ties to the United States, Israel, or espionage to target dissidents and political prisoners.»
Pashaei argued the better approach is supporting Iranian civil society, restoring internet access and backing democratic opposition groups that reflect Iran’s ethnic and political diversity.
The issue became even more sensitive after Trump said during a phone interview with «Fox News Sunday» in early April that his administration had previously attempted to send firearms to Iranian protesters through Kurdish channels, though the effort failed.
IRAN REGIME FACES ‘BEGINNING OF THE END’ AS EXILED CROWN PRINCE SEES ‘GOLDEN OPPORTUNITY’
Men and women hold Kurdish scarves and roses during Nowruz festivities in Saqqez, Iran, on March 15, 2024. (Barbod Khorshidi/Middle East Images/AFP via Getty Images)
«We sent guns to the protesters, a lot of them. We sent them through the Kurds. And I think the Kurds took the guns,» Trump said.
Several Kurdish groups have denied receiving such shipments.
Pashaei warned that claims of foreign weapons support could deepen divisions inside the opposition while also exposing Kurdish groups to further retaliation from Tehran.
«During the so-called ceasefire period, Kurdish opposition groups were targeted more than 30 times with drone and missile attacks,» he said, adding that four young Kurdish Peshmerga fighters were killed, including 19-year-old Ghazal Mowlan.
Cars burn in a street during a protest over the collapse of the currency’s value in Tehran, Iran, Jan. 8, 2026. (Stringer/West Asia News Agency via Reuters)
One source familiar with discussions surrounding Iranian opposition strategy said supporters of a more aggressive approach increasingly believe the current moment presents a rare opportunity to identify, train and support local resistance networks capable of protecting protesters and challenging the regime from within.
The source argued that while Iran spent decades building and cultivating proxy networks across the Middle East, Western governments largely avoided investing in organized anti-regime infrastructure inside Iran itself.
Others warn that empowering armed factions could trigger ethnic fragmentation, civil war or a Syria-style conflict inside Iran.
According to the source, supporters of a more aggressive approach increasingly believe the current moment presents a rare opportunity to identify, train and support local resistance networks capable of protecting protesters and challenging the regime from within.
Whether Washington is willing to move beyond pressure campaigns and sanctions toward something closer to a modernized Reagan Doctrine remains unclear.
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP
Members of security forces watch over the crowd during a funeral procession for IRGC Navy Chief Alireza Tangsiri and other senior naval commanders killed in U.S.-Israeli strikes in Tehran, Iran, on April 1, 2026. (Majid Saeedi/Getty Images)
For now, Trump’s comments have pushed a once-theoretical conversation into the open, while some argue the current moment may represent the best opportunity in decades to challenge the regime.
war with iran, world protests, defense, drones, iran, sanctions
INTERNACIONAL
De escasez de remedios a falta de médicos especializados: la vida de los cubanos se complica mientras ven colapsar el sistema de salud
La crisis que atraviesa el sistema de salud en Cuba se refleja en casos como el de Rosa Valentina Pérez, quien lleva casi tres semanas esperando una tomografía computarizada en la principal clínica oncológica de La Habana. La urgencia de su diagnóstico contrasta con la realidad: solo un escáner funciona en la capital y la lista de espera es larga.
“No se pueden imaginar lo que es tener este dolor, saber que tu esperanza de vida se está reduciendo y oírles decir: ‘Veamos cuándo podemos hacer esa tomografía’”, relató Pérez. Su historia ilustra el deterioro de un sistema que durante décadas fue considerado el emblema de la revolución cubana.
Aunque Cuba fue célebre por su atención médica gratuita y de calidad, hoy la sanidad pública está al borde del colapso. Factores como la pandemia, el endurecimiento de sanciones internacionales y una crisis energética agravada por el bloqueo de combustible llevaron la infraestructura hospitalaria a una situación crítica.
En los hospitales cubanos, los cortes de energía y la escasez de medicamentos son el pan de cada día. A esto se suman el éxodo de profesionales hacia el exterior y la obsolescencia de los equipos médicos, lo que deja áreas prioritarias como oncología, cardiología y nefrología al límite de sus capacidades.
El director del Instituto Nacional de Oncología y Radiobiología, Luis Eduardo Martín, expuso la magnitud del problema: “El 80% de los equipos utilizados en diagnóstico y tratamiento están obsoletos o averiados”. Este déficit tecnológico obliga a los médicos a “administrar medicamentos sin poder verificar en ocasiones que estén teniendo el efecto que esperamos… porque no contamos con los reactivos ni el equipo para controlarlos”.
La lista de espera para acceder a la radioterapia en el INOR supera los 1.200 pacientes. El relato de Pérez a la agencia AFP, quien tras una cirugía de cáncer de mama necesita saber si la enfermedad avanzó o no, se repite entre quienes enfrentan el drama de la demora diagnóstica.
La situación actual en el sistema de salud cubano es insostenible: la falta de recursos, equipos dañados y la escasez de personal también provocaron que los tratamientos y diagnósticos se ralenticen o se limiten, poniendo en riesgo la vida de miles de pacientes. El deterioro afecta tanto a adultos como a niños, y las soluciones improvisadas rara vez bastan para evitar consecuencias graves.
La crisis no distingue edades. Según datos oficiales, la supervivencia al cáncer infantil cayó del 85% al 65% en pocos años. “Es muy frustrante saber que puedes salvar al niño, lograr una mayor tasa de supervivencia, y no puedes hacerlo porque tienes las manos atadas”, lamentó Mariuska Forteza, jefa de oncología pediátrica del INOR.
La falta de reactivos y combustible para transportar muestras entre hospitales obligó a recortar análisis sanguíneos esenciales. A pesar de la adversidad, los técnicos intentan mantener los equipos en funcionamiento. “A veces tengo que venir al hospital a medianoche o a las 2 de la madrugada para reparar equipos para que el paciente pueda comenzar su tratamiento”, contó Alexis Amado Domínguez, técnico de reparaciones.
En el Instituto Nacional de Cardiología y Cirugía Cardiovascular, el número de operaciones cardíacas anuales cayó de más de 400 a apenas 100, según el médico José Esteban Abreu. Unos 130 pacientes esperan la implantación de un marcapasos, mientras el personal recurre al canibalismo de piezas para mantener algunos equipos activos.
“Siempre estamos inventando, trabajando, innovando”, dijo el técnico Luis Alexis Duncan, mostrando equipos desmantelados que esperan ser reparados en el taller que atiende el 80% del equipamiento médico de la ciudad.
La inventiva cubana, aunque legendaria, no alcanza para sortear todas las limitaciones. Incubadoras y respiradores neonatales defectuosos se acumulan en los talleres, mientras el éxodo de médicos y enfermeros agrava una situación ya crítica. Los salarios estatales, pagados en pesos muy devaluados, no alcanzan para retener al personal sanitario.
En la unidad de diálisis del Hospital Hermanos Ameijeiras, la jefa de nefrología Iamara Castro admitió que debieron reducir las sesiones de cuatro a dos horas para atender a más pacientes. “Cuando se acorta el período de hemodiálisis, se acorta la vida”, señaló con gravedad, subrayando que el servicio se sostiene por la pura “compasión”.
Nelson Companioni, paciente de 81 años, describió su temor a que los equipos fallen antes de terminar su tratamiento. “Se ve a las enfermeras arrodilladas allí, golpeándolo para que funcione”, relató sobre la escena habitual en el hospital.
(Con información de AFP)
horizontal,sanction
INTERNACIONAL
Omar’s disclosures erased millions, leaving her with potential negative net worth. She won’t explain why
NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!
Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., refused to address her revised financial disclosures that could imply she has a negative net worth after the progressive lawmaker dramatically reduced the reported value of assets tied to her husband’s business ventures.
«Can you tell us if your husband still has the consulting business and the wine business?» Fox News Digital asked Omar.
The congresswoman stayed silent as she was repeatedly questioned, after previously telling Fox News Digital that the original filing — showing Omar’s reported assets reducing by as much as $29.9 million — was inaccurate and «incomplete» information.
ILHAN OMAR’S OFFICE SAYS SHE’S ‘NOT A MILLIONAIRE’ AFTER $30M FILING REVISED DOWN TO UNDER $100K: REPORT
Rep. Ilhan Omar speaks during a press conference outside the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C., May 18, 2023. (Saul Loeb/AFP via Getty Images)
The controversy surrounding Omar’s finances began when a 2024 financial report estimated that Omar and her husband possessed between $6 million and $30 million in assets, all while the Minnesota fraud scandal within the Somali community was beginning to come to fruition.
A more recent 2025 financial disclosure report shows Omar’s revised value of shared assets between her and husband to sit at a maximum of $125,000 — a multimillion-dollar drop from the year prior. The lower estimate of their assets, $20,000, compared to the low and high debt estimates, $30,000 and $100,000, would imply the Minnesota Democrat could have a negative net worth.
Both she and her husband have separate debts, each ranging somewhere between $15,000 and $50,000 — from her own student loans and her husband’s credit card debt, according to the disclosures.
WATCH: OMAR SILENT WHEN CONFRONTED ON ALLEGED TIES TO MASSIVE MINNESOTA FRAUD SCANDAL
Rep. Ilhan Omar campaigns with her husband Tim Mynett at the Richfield Farmers Market on Aug. 8, 2020, in Richfield, Minnesota. (Stephen Maturen/Getty Images)
The biggest change in the documents involved Omar’s husband, Tim Mynett. His reported ownership interests in both his winery and venture capital advisory firm, which were previously valued in the millions of dollars, are listed with no value now.
In Omar’s 2024 financial disclosure records, Mynett’s share in his winery was valued between $1 million and $5 million, and his share at the venture capital advisory firm was valued between $5 million and $25 million. Now, his equity interests are both listed at $0.
Omar’s office previously told Fox News Digital that Mynett has partners in both businesses and said the earlier disclosure mistakenly reflected the businesses’ total equity rather than his ownership interest. The office also said the original filing listed assets without accounting for liabilities.
VANCE REFERS TIM WALZ, MINNESOTA ATTORNEY GENERAL TO DOJ FOR CRIMINAL INVESTIGATION OVER STATE’S ALLEGED FRAUD
House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer, R-Ky., has publicly voiced his interest in the Ethics Committee opening an investigation into Omar’s personal finances after the 2025 financial reports came out showing the possibility of a $29 million drop in her net worth.
Vice President JD Vance also has said the U.S. Department of Justice will be opening a probe into her alleged fraud as part of the administration’s anti-fraud taskforce that he spearheads, though no formal investigations have been shared with the public at this time.
Omar has been reluctant to answer Fox News Digital’s questions about her financial fallout and potential probes to be opened against her.
The Minnesota lawmaker similarly dodged answering any of Fox News Digital’s questions just last month about the revised disclosures.
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP
«There’s also the possibility that it might rain on this sunny day,» Omar replied without responding directly to the content of the question.
Fox News Digital’s Robert Schmad contributed to this report.
ilhan omar, politics, minnesota fraud exposed, somali immigrant community, democrats
INTERNACIONAL
Equipos rotos y médicos exhaustos: el sistema de salud de Cuba está al borde del colapso
FIFA despeja dudas y explica decisiones arbitrales en el Argentina vs. Egipto
Alyssa Olenick, experta en metabolismo femenino: “Caminar no es suficiente”
El Gobierno reactivó la calculadora electoral: el factor Villarruel, los resabios de Adorni y otra vez el Milei conciliador
El vice de Caputo defendió la mejora de la economía: “Todavía hay gente que no lo siente y lo entendemos”
De escasez de remedios a falta de médicos especializados: la vida de los cubanos se complica mientras ven colapsar el sistema de salud
Una extraordinaria marca que aún se mantiene en el fútbol argentino: a 45 años del récord de Carlos Barisio
Ojo con las multas de tránsito: las más caras llegan a $3.8 millones
Mora récord: Caputo aseguró que bancos privados están rescatando a sus clientes con préstamos al 25% anual
Portugal vs España: formaciones, hora y dónde ver por tv
¿Conviene un plazo fijo? Esto ganás con $1 millón y las tasas de cada banco
ECONOMIA3 días agoOjo con las multas de tránsito: las más caras llegan a $3.8 millones
- ECONOMIA3 días ago
Mora récord: Caputo aseguró que bancos privados están rescatando a sus clientes con préstamos al 25% anual
- ECONOMIA3 días ago
¿Conviene un plazo fijo? Esto ganás con $1 millón y las tasas de cada banco
