INTERNACIONAL
ISIS poised to exploit historic US Iraq exit, terror group ‘actively waiting in the gaps,’ expert warns
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The Islamic State is quietly rebuilding as the United States prepares to complete its withdrawal from Iraq, raising fears the terror group could exploit a security vacuum, a regional security expert warned Sunday.
With U.S. forces leaving by Sept. 30 and as Baghdad tries to rein in Iran-backed militias, Iraq could also be entering its most dangerous period since ISIS seized Mosul in 2014, according to counterterrorism expert Dr. Omar Mohammed.
«ISIS is waiting actively in the gaps, as it historically always has,» Mohammed, author and researcher with the George Washington University Program on Extremism, told Fox News Digital.
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The Islamic State is quietly rebuilding as the United States prepares to complete its withdrawal from Iraq, regional analysts say. (History/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)
«The question is not whether American forces leave Iraq in September; that timetable is set. The question is what leaves with them.»
«The militias claim the ISIS threat in order to keep their weapons, while ISIS recruits from the grievances that the militias create,» Mohammed explained.
«That is exactly the dynamic that hollowed out Mosul before 2014, when the city was caught between a sectarian security apparatus and the insurgency it fed.»
After preparing for years, ISIS captured Mosul, about 250 miles north of Baghdad, over a decade ago. Iraqi security forces collapsed and fled the city.
The group built underground networks through assassinations, extortion, intimidation and infiltration before launching its offensive. ISIS seized U.S.-made weapons and hundreds of millions of dollars before leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi declared the group’s self-proclaimed caliphate.
At the time, Mohammed launched «Mosul Eye,» a blog that secretly documented life under ISIS rule, exposing its operations and offering intelligence to U.S. forces.
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U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) has said it will continue working to dismantle ISIS networks and prevent the terror group’s resurgence. (AHMAD AL-RUBAYE/AFP via Getty Images)
Mohammed’s story is chronicled in Mosul Eye: A Scholar’s Clandestine War Against ISIS, out July 21 from Skyhorse Publishing, with a foreword by Pope Francis and an introduction by retired Gen. David Petraeus.
Iraqi forces, backed by the U.S.-led coalition, went on to recapture Mosul in July 2017. When the U.S. combat mission ended in 2021, ISIS continued operating in parts of Iraq and Syria.
U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) has said it will continue working to dismantle ISIS networks and prevent the terror group’s resurgence.
But, citing Iraqi intelligence estimates, Mohammed said the number of ISIS fighters in neighboring Syria has increased from around 2,000 to as many as 10,000 since the collapse of Bashar Assad’s government in 2024.
Mohammed also said the Popular Mobilization Forces, or PMF, an umbrella organization integrated into Iraq’s security forces, was never disbanded after ISIS’s territorial defeat.
He estimated the force has about 238,000 members, receives billions of dollars in government funding and includes factions with close ties to Iran that operate outside the Iraqi government’s direct control.
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With U.S. forces leaving by Sept. 30 and as Baghdad tries to rein in Iran-backed militias, Iraq could also be entering its most dangerous period since ISIS seized Mosul in 2014. (REUTERS/Mohammed Ameen)
Now Baghdad is trying to bring armed factions, including Kataib Hezbollah and Asaib Ahl al-Haq, under full state control.
«Sept. 30 is not one deadline; it is two,» Mohammed said, referring to the simultaneous U.S. withdrawal and the domestic disarmament push.
«The militias and ISIS are not separate stories; they are deeply interdependent. Each actively justifies the other. Both forces thrive in the unstable spaces the central state cannot hold.»
The U.S. withdrawal also follows a 2024 U.S.-Iraq agreement that envisioned ending the mission in Iraq by 2025 while continuing support for anti-ISIS operations in Syria through September 2026. Mohammed warned against repeating past complacency.
«Mosul did not fall in 2014 because ISIS was strong. It fell because everything that would have detected its strength—presence, attention, honest reporting from the ground—had been withdrawn in the years before, while the world’s eyes were elsewhere.»
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U.S. President Donald Trump gestures toward Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi as they participate in a bilateral meeting in the Oval Office at the White House in Washington, D.C., U.S., July 14, 2026. (Evan Vucci/Reuters)
Meanwhile, Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi’s White House meeting July 14, where it was announced remaining U.S. troops would leave Iraq, drew condemnation from Tehran.
According to Iran International, Ali Akbar Velayati, an adviser to Iran’s Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei , called al-Zaidi’s trip «regrettable» and claimed it damaged Iraq’s dignity.
Mohammed said Iran’s influence inside Iraq is important to Tehran after U.S. strikes degraded parts of its proxy network.
«Iran’s strategic calculation matters more now than at any point in a decade because Iraq is essentially what Iran has left,» Mohammed said. «So the regime’s real fear is not resurgence. It is irrelevance.»
Tehran fears an Iraq where the government successfully disarms the militias, U.S. forces leave on Baghdad’s terms rather than Iran’s, and no active security crisis remains to justify armed groups operating outside full state control, he said.
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«That said, what happens across the wider region after September will not be decided by anyone’s stated intentions or diplomatic promises,» Mohammed added.
«I have seen what a city pays when that judgment is wrong. Whether ISIS grows large enough to frighten Iran, or stays just large enough to serve it, will be one of the defining questions of the year after the withdrawal,» he warned.
Fox News Digital has reached out to the White House for comment.
iraq, national security, terrorism, isis, world
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Sen. Darline Graham, R-S.C., wants to make her role as caretaker for her brother’s seat in the Senate permanent.
Graham, who was appointed to finish off the remainder of her late brother, Sen. Lindsey Graham’s term, is officially entering the special election to claim the Republican nomination in South Carolina after a push from President Donald Trump.
Graham, during an interview with Fox News’ Sean Hannity, acknowledged the «tremendous amount of pressure» to take over the position and run.
FOX NEWS CHANNEL’S ‘HANNITY’ TO AIR EXCLUSIVE FIRST INTERVIEW WITH SEN DARLINE GRAHAM ON MONDAY
Newly appointed U.S. interim Senator Darline Graham Nordone, right, with Sen. Tim Scott, R-S.C., left, speaks during a press conference announcing her appointment to fill the vacancy created by the passing of her brother, U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham, at the statehouse Monday, July 13, 2026, in Columbia, S.C. (Sean Rayford/AP Photo)
«I feel like I can do it, I feel an inner peace about it,» Graham said. «Will it be difficult? Yes.»
When asked if she had made a decision on what she would do, she told Hannity she had.
«I’m in,» Graham said.
Her addition to the growing roster of hopefuls to replace the late lawmaker will likely shake up the race less than one day before candidates can begin officially filing to run for the nomination.
So far, Reps. Ralph Norman, R-S.C., Russell Fry, R-S.C., and businessman Mark Lynch have all publicly committed to running. Rep. Nancy Mace, R-S.C., has strongly suggested that she’ll throw her hat into the arena, too.
Meanwhile, Mace and Norman are turning their steel against their colleague, Fry, in what’s shaping up to be a messy, Palmetto State brawl to capture the Republican nomination for Graham’s seat.
Mace argued that should Fry win the nomination, and subsequently the general election, he would vacate his «Republican House seat until next May.»
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«That narrows an already razor-thin majority and puts the Speaker’s gavel in play,» Mace said. «I will never hand Hakeem Jeffries that gift.»
«If you’re running for two offices at once, you’ve already told us who you are,» she continued. «That’s not about politics anymore — that’s about power. You’re either with the people you serve or you’re not.»
Fry announced Monday morning that he would enter the race, hours after Norman tossed in his hat, too. Mace has been making public overtures that she wants to jump in, but has so far not made anything official.
A source in Fry’s political orbit told Fox News Digital that the lawmaker has «accomplished more than all the potential candidates combined,» having passed three bills in his first four years in Congress.
«This is really about giving voters a choice and not a coronation,» they said.
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Infighting is already underway in the race to replace the late Sen. Lindsey Graham, with Reps. Nancy Mace, R-S.C., and Ralph Norman, R-S.C., warning that Rep. Russell Fry, R-S.C., and his bid for the seat could jeopardize Republican control of the House. (Nathan Posner/Anadolu via Getty Images; Bill Clark/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images; )
Still, the conservative duo are going for blood against Fry, arguing that his bid for the seat is purely politically motivated and jeopardizes the House’s already slim majority heading into the midterm elections later this year.
Under South Carolina law, Fry can appear for multiple offices on the ballot. He was unopposed for his primary election for South Carolina’s 7th congressional district, and if he wins the nomination, he’ll be on the ballot twice for both.
Ultimately he’ll have to choose if he wins both, which would trigger another special election to fill his place.
The top two Republicans in the South Carolina Statehouse, South Carolina Senate President Thomas Alexander and South Carolina House Speaker Murrell Smith, said in a statement that the upcoming special election has «highlighted issues in South Carolina law,» and noted that, «In the coming weeks, we intend to address these important issues so that we can provide the process available for our citizens.»
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That is not a problem for either Mace nor Norman, who both ran and failed to clinch the Republican gubernatorial nomination last month.
«SC Republicans voters soundly rejected Nancy and Ralph as recently as last month because conservatives are tired of career politicians who care more about their own social media than getting actual results for families,» a spokesperson for Fry’s campaign told Fox News Digital.
Norman was less venomous in his take on the situation, and noted on X that he respected Fry and had enjoyed his time serving with him in the House. Still, his candidacy, he argued, «could leave his seat vacant until May 18th.»
«This would leave his constituents unrepresented, jeopardize President Trump’s agenda, and put the House at risk of being led by a Speaker Hakeem Jeffries,» Norman said. «We can’t let that happen!!»
politics, lindsey graham, donald trump, midterm elections
INTERNACIONAL
EE.UU. volvió a atacar Irán por novena noche consecutiva y Teherán advirtió sobre “una guerra a gran escala”
Irán afirmó este lunes que afronta una “guerra a gran escala” contra Estados Unidos, que lanzó una nueva ola de bombardeos nocturnos contra su territorio, incluida una ciudad en la que se encuentra una central nuclear.
“La realidad es que hoy la República Islámica de Irán está inmersa en una guerra a gran escala”, dijo el presidente iraní, Masud Pezeshkian.
Además, señaló que deben “ser realistas y aceptar las consecuencias naturales de esta resistencia”, según un comunicado de la presidencia.
Desde hace una semana, el alcance de los bombardeos estadounidenses se extiende mucho más allá de las regiones del sur de Irán, donde se habían limitado desde la reanudación de las hostilidades el 7 de julio, para llegar al centro y al noroeste del país, según fuentes locales.
La agencia británica de seguridad marítima UKMTO informó que un buque estaba en llamas en el estrecho de Ormuz.
En tanto, el diario griego Kathimerini dijo que dos buques petroleros de propiedad griega fueron atacados por misiles de origen desconocido mientras transitaban por el estrecho de Ormuz, frente a las costas de Omán.
Nuevos ataques de Estados Unidos a Irán
Por novena noche consecutiva, Washington lanzó una serie de ataques contra Irán a las 23:00 GMT del domingo, anunció en X el Comando Central de Estados Unidos para Oriente Medio (Centcom).
Los ataques causaron un muerto y varios heridos en Tabriz (noroeste), a más de 1000 kilómetros del Golfo, reportaron autoridades locales.
Irán advirtió que mantendrá cerrado el estrecho de Ormuz mientras continúen los ataques de Estados Unidos. (Foto: EFE/ Centcom).
Varias personas más resultaron heridas durante ataques en la ciudad de Urmia, ubicada en la provincia vecina, según varios funcionarios.
Washington aseguró apuntar a instalaciones militares, pero Teherán le acusó de llevar a cabo ataques en localidades, en particular en Bushehr, donde se encuentra la única central nuclear en funcionamiento del país.
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La central de Darkhovin, aún en construcción, también fue blanco de ataques, según Irán.
Murieron tres militares estadounidenses
El presidente de Estados Unidos, Donald Trump, afirmó el domingo que las últimas ofensivas militares contra Irán fueron en honor a los miembros de las fuerzas armadas estadounidenses fallecidos en los últimos días.
Dos militares estadounidenses murieron el viernes en ataques contra una base en Jordania, y otro soldado falleció el domingo durante la destrucción controlada de municiones sin explotar procedentes de un dron iraní en el norte de Irak.
“Cada vez que Irán mate a un soldado estadounidense, pagará por ello muchas veces más”, advirtió Trump en un mensaje en la red Truth Social.
En total 17 militares estadounidenses murieron desde el inicio de la guerra el 28 de febrero.
En el lado iraní el último balance oficial publicado el viernes da cuenta de 50 muertos y más de 500 heridos desde la reanudación de los combates a comienzos de julio.
Un protocolo de acuerdo firmado entre Irán y Estados Unidos el 17 de junio, que se suponía debía abrir un ciclo de negociaciones de paz, se derrumbó con la reanudación de las hostilidades entre ambos países, enfrentados por el control del estrecho de Ormuz. El presidente de Estados Unidos, Donald Trump (AP Foto/Matt Rourke)
Esfuerzos diplomáticos
En represalia, Teherán volvió a atacar el lunes a sus vecinos Kuwait y Baréin, aliados de Washington. Además, aseguró que continúa sus conversaciones con Estados Unidos a través de mediadores.
“El aparato diplomático ha estado activo estos últimos días”, declaró el portavoz de la Cancillería, Esmail Baqai, durante una rueda de prensa en Teherán.
El ministro del Interior iraní, Eskandar Momeni, tiene previsto viajar el lunes a Pakistán, uno de los mediadores junto con Qatar y Omán, según informó una fuente del ministerio.
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Los Guardianes de la Revolución, el ejército ideológico de Irán, anunciaron el domingo haber destruido aviones militares estadounidenses en el aeropuerto de Áqaba, en Jordania, y también haber atacado instalaciones militares estadounidenses en la región de Al Tanf, en Siria.
Buque en llamas en Ormuz
Irán advirtió el lunes estar dispuesto a “tomar las medidas necesarias” para garantizar su soberanía y evitar que el estrecho de Ormuz sea utilizado para “amenazar la seguridad y los intereses” de la república islámica.
Esta vía estratégica, por donde transitaba antes de la guerra una quinta parte del comercio mundial de hidrocarburos, está de nuevo bloqueada por Irán desde la reanudación de las hostilidades con Estados Unidos, que volvió a imponer un cerco a los puertos iraníes.
Este bloqueo impulsa una subida de los precios del petróleo y el barril de Brent del mar del Norte cotiza en torno a 88,55 dólares.
La agencia británica de seguridad marítima UKMTO informó el lunes de que un buque estaba en llamas en el estrecho, a unos 15 kilómetros al noroeste de la localidad omaní de Kumzar, sin precisar la causa del incendio.
Poco después, los Guardianes de la Revolución anunciaron que dos buques que intentaban pasar por el estrecho de Ormuz “explotaron y fueron detenidos”.
El domingo por la noche, el secretario de Estado de Estados Unidos, Marco Rubio, instó a la comunidad internacional a unirse a Washington para “proteger el transporte marítimo” en este paso.
(Con información de AFP y EFE)
Irán, Donald Trump
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UNITED NATIONS — Europe risks destroying its industrial base unless its leaders retreat from aggressive climate policies and respond to voters demanding economic results, Czech Environment Minister Igor Červený warned in an interview with Fox News Digital.
«If we don’t change the course, we will probably crush the industry,» Červený said during his first visit to the United Nations (U.N.), where he addressed the U.N. High-Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development.
Červený pointed to the pressure facing European manufacturers, particularly the automotive sector, and warned that companies were increasingly moving production abroad.
The debate comes as Europe faces mounting pressure to revive its economy while maintaining ambitious climate targets. The discussion is increasingly relevant for the United States, Europe’s largest trading partner, as Washington and Brussels navigate disagreements over energy policy, industrial competitiveness and the pace of the global transition away from fossil fuels.
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Ambassador Dan Negrea moderates a panel at the U.S. Mission to the United Nations’ «Trade Over Aid» forum in New York, joined by Czech Environment Minister Igor Cerveny and other participants. (Donald Conahan/ U.S. mission to the U.N.)
«If you look at the market at this moment, mostly in European countries, there is a very bad situation,» he said. «We see many companies leave our territory and leave for China or another place in the world.»
Without those companies, he said, European governments would lose both tax revenue and jobs.
Červený argued that European governments must find a «win-win» approach that protects the environment without undermining industry and employment.
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Protesters hold signs, as Fridays for Future demonstrate for a social and climate-friendly Europe, in Berlin, Germany, May 31, 2024. (Christian Mang/Reuters)
«We have to be very careful about this and be very reasonable and try to find some solution for both sides,» he said. «If you look from a higher perspective at European countries, most of them provided only the green ideology. And I think this is a bad way.»
Červený said resistance to the current approach was spreading beyond the Czech Republic, citing Poland, Slovakia, Hungary, Germany and some Scandinavian countries.
The Czech Republic has been among several European governments pressing Brussels to ease parts of the Green Deal, including by delaying the bloc’s new carbon market for buildings and road transport and seeking changes to emissions-trading rules that Prague argues are raising energy costs and weakening industrial competitiveness.
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Trade union ‘Solidarnosc’ and Polish farmers protest against the European Green Deal in Warsaw, Poland, May 10, 2024. (Kuba Stezycki/Reuters)
Červený’s warning stood in contrast to the position presented by European Commissioner for Environment Jessika Roswall during the ministerial segment of the U.N. High-Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development in New York on July 13. The annual forum, convened under the U.N. Economic and Social Council, brings governments together to review progress toward the organization’s global development goals.
Roswall, speaking on behalf of the European Union and its member states, said the bloc remained committed to the 2030 Agenda, a U.N. framework adopted in 2015 that sets 17 goals covering issues including poverty, health, clean energy, infrastructure and environmental protection to be pursued by 2030. She warned that progress was being undermined by conflict, inequality and the «triple planetary crisis of climate change, pollution and biodiversity loss.»
She called for accelerated climate action, greater investment in renewable energy and low-carbon technologies, and support for a broader green transition.
«The challenge is not the lack of ideas, but the lack of speed,» she said. «So let’s speed up together.»
European Commissioner for Environment, Water Resilience and a Competitive Circular Economy Jessika Roswall. (Florence Lo/Pool/Reuters)
In his exclusive interview with Fox News Digital, Červený also praised President Donald Trump for strengthening European politicians who favor a less regulatory approach.
«I’m glad that Mr. Donald Trump is president again, because this changed many things also in European countries,» he said, adding that the United States gives smaller countries such as the Czech Republic a stronger partner in debates in Brussels.
Červený said Europe does not need to abandon sustainability, but should pursue it gradually and in cooperation with industry.
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People attend a protest as part of the Global Climate Strike of the movement ‘Fridays for Future’ in Vienna, Austria, October 10, 2025. (Lisa Leutner/Reuters)
«We have to change the course,» he said, «because we don’t want to lose our industry, our economy, our benefits for society and the environment as well.»
europe, environment regulation, green economy, world
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