INTERNACIONAL
Mojtaba Khamenei touts new anti-US alliance as Gulf backchannels seep into Tehran: analyst
NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!
Iran’s supreme leader has launched a sweeping counteroffensive against President Donald Trump, attempting to rally Middle Eastern nations into an anti-American alliance, an analyst warned Sunday.
The aggressive maneuvering came hours after Trump pitched an expansion of the Abraham Accords, as an analyst said Tehran is seeking to position itself as the region’s «new sheriff» while forcing Gulf states with backchannels to Iran to choose between Washington’s security umbrella and a «New Islamic Civilization.»
On Sunday, negotiations between Iran and the United States appeared to be ongoing, with Trump not yet signing off on a potential peace agreement.
Trump recently held a phone call with leaders from Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Turkey, Pakistan, Egypt, Jordan and Bahrain to discuss expanding the 2020 Abraham Accords, followed by a May 25 post on Truth Social.
IRAN’S KHAMENEI LAUNCHES BLISTERING ATTACK ON TRUMP AFTER MIDDLE EAST VISIT
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, President Donald Trump, Bahrain Foreign Minister Abdullatif bin Rashid Al Zayani, and UAE Foreign Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan stand during the Abraham Accords signing ceremony on the South Lawn of the White House in Washington, D.C., on Sept. 15, 2020. (Yuri Gripas/Abaca/Bloomberg)
Mojtaba Khamenei issued a direct counter-response on X on May 26, issuing a call for a «New Islamic Civilization» aimed at those same regional capitals.
«I, with sincerity and purity of intention, invite all Islamic countries and governments to friendship and cooperation in goodness, so that by working together we may take steps toward the advancement of the Islamic Ummah and the resolution of the Islamic world’s problems,» Khamenei posted.
Highlighting «the nations of the region» and «common interests that will shape the new order and the future architecture of the region and the world,» he spoke of «the Islamic Ummah and the #New_Islamic_Civilization.»
«The United States will no longer have a safe haven for its mischief and for establishing military bases in West Asia,» he also warned.
«Mojtaba Khamenei’s statement is that the Muslim world should consolidate under Iran’s leadership — the ‘Ummah,’ the ‘new Islamic civilization’ — against the American-led order,» Dr. Omar Mohammed told Fox News Digital.
«That is the theme, and it runs straight into the Accords narrative. This is a bid to build an alliance against the Abraham Accords,» said Mohammed, director of the Antisemitism Research Initiative Program on Extremism at George Washington University.
TOP ISRAELI MILITARY OFFICIAL REVEALS OPERATION AGAINST IRAN INVOLVED ‘STRATEGIC AND OPERATIONAL DECEPTION’
In this picture obtained from Iran’s ISNA news agency, Mojtaba Khamenei (C), son of Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, walks along a street in Tehran on May 31, 2019. (Hamid FOROUTAN / ISNA / AFP via Getty Images)
«In his statement, he also frames American bases on Muslim soil as an occupation to be expelled while wrapping it in religious language that casts the regime as God’s instrument.»
The counterterrorism expert noted that while the «Ummah» doctrine itself is not new — having been used by Mojtaba’s father for years — the timing and targeted nature of the pitch represent a major escalation.
«This came into the Ummah with Iran, not into normalization with Israel under Washington,» Mohammed explained. «Same audience, opposite frame, 24 hours apart, and a bid to assemble that alliance.»
«The statement was published in full and carried by Iranian state media. It also tracks with his first statement as leader on March 12, when he demanded that U.S. bases in the region close.»
«This was not a stray post,» the expert warned. «While the doctrine is old, aiming it at these regions the day after Trump’s pitch is what is new.»
The posturing comes as Khamenei establishes his footing on the world stage, though his hidden nature complicates traditional diplomacy.
IRAN’S ‘STUNNING STRATEGIC MISCALCULATION’ COULD ACCELERATE GULF TIES TO ISRAEL, EX-CENTCOM DIRECTOR PREDICTS
President Donald Trump and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman pose for photos with leaders during the Gulf Cooperation Council Leaders’ Summit at The Ritz-Carlton in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on May 14, 2025. (Win McNamee/Getty Images)
«Tehran is selling itself to the region as the new sheriff of the neighborhood,» Mohammed warned.
«The Saudis, Qataris and Omanis have channels into the Iranian state, but you can’t open a back channel to a man no one can locate. This has all been running through Pezeshkian and Araghchi.»
Despite Iran’s sudden rhetoric of «friendship,» regional reality is defined by months of Iranian aggression against its neighbors.
Tehran’s forces have actively fired upon Bahrain, Qatar, the UAE and Kuwait.
Mohammed added that Tehran wants to peel Gulf states away from Washington, while its threats remain aimed at both the United States and the countries that host American forces.
«Iran spent this war firing on them — it hit Bahrain, Qatar, the UAE and Kuwait, the same capitals it’s now inviting to brotherhood, and the UAE alone reported intercepting close to 2,000 drones and hundreds of ballistic missiles since Feb. 28,» Mohammed said.
«These are the states that host our forces: the Fifth Fleet in Bahrain, Al Dhafra in the UAE and Al Udeid in Qatar. You don’t take three months of Iranian fire and then sign onto its alliance.»
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP
Ultimately, Gulf capitals remain deeply skeptical of Tehran, Mohammed said, but they are equally watchful of American resolve.
«What actually worries the Gulf isn’t Mojtaba’s invitation — it’s the deal Washington might sign,» Mohammed noted, «one that hands Iran its money back with its missiles intact and reads as rewarding the regime that just attacked them.»
mojtaba khamenei, middle east, donald trump, alliances, iran
NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!
It hasn’t been a great last few days for Marxist political influencer Hasan Piker.
First, as Fox News Digital reported exclusively last week, the Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Asset Control (OFAC) sent Piker an administrative subpoena seeking financial, logistical and communications records related to his March trip to Cuba as part of an investigation into whether he violated U.S. sanctions laws against doing business with the communist regime running the island nation.
Then last night, during protests outside an Immigration and Customs Enforcement facility in Newark, N.J., hecklers confronted Piker, calling him a «f—ing fraud, » «fake-a– grifter» and «dog abuser,» telling him, «Go back to the desktop.» (Piker has denied allegations he trained his dog, Kaya, with a shock collar.)
Now, Piker told his loyal following on the gaming platform Twitch that British authorities denied his Electronic Travel Authorization, or ETA, preventing him from traveling to the United Kingdom for a series of scheduled appearances, including events at SXSW London and the Oxford Union. Approved U.S. travelers to the UK can enter the country with a simple Electronic Travel Authorization, which is easier to get then a formal visa.
«I’ve been banned from the UK,» Piker told viewers. «I’ve been to the UK on numerous occasions, and all of the things they’re complaining about now are things I’ve said before.»
He went on to say, «It’s f—ing ridiculous.»
HASAN PIKER DEFENDS PRO-COMMUNIST, ANTI-ICE SINGHAM NETWORK ACTIVISTS AS ‘WONDERFUL PEOPLE’
Hasan Piker speaks with an interviewer during a protest in New Jersey. (Michael Dorgan/Fox News Digital)
Although Fox News Digital could not confirm Piker’s claim, such a move by the UK would be significant because it would mark a potential red line that a Western government has drawn regarding the importation of extremist ideas and ideological movements that officials believe may contribute to social unrest, extremism or political violence.
At the tail end of a long livestream, Piker said he was denied entry for alleged antisemitism, which he denied, and then proceeded to lash out at Jewish organizations that he said had campaigned against his visit, claiming they wielded excessive influence over British policy.
«Israel advocacy organizations have unbelievable amounts of power over what even the United Kingdom has to say and do,» Piker said. «If you’re an avowed anti-Zionist, your travel will be restricted.»
Piker accused the UK government of bowing to pressure from pro-Israel advocacy groups and described the decision as evidence of a growing crackdown on political dissent across Western democracies.
The comments came weeks after several British Jewish organizations publicly urged the government to block Piker’s entry into the country, citing remarks they described as antisemitic and supportive of extremist groups. Piker has said he believed the U.S. deserved the 9/11 attack as «backlash» for its foreign policy decisions. The Jewish Leadership Council and Community Security Trust argued that Piker’s presence in Britain would not be «conducive to the public good,» pointing to his comments about Hamas, Hezbollah, Zionism and Orthodox Jews.
Labour MP David Taylor also called on the Home Office to revoke Piker’s visa ahead of scheduled appearances at SXSW London, arguing that his rhetoric had contributed to concerns within Britain’s Jewish community.
Punctuating his commentary about the UK decision with deep sighs, cursing and rage at suggestions from his followers, Piker repeatedly rejected accusations of antisemitism, saying criticism of Israel was being conflated with hatred of Jews. He said the decision reflected a broader trend in which governments are suppressing anti-Israel voices.
«This is straight-up fascism,» Piker said. «Being critical of Israel while combating antisemitism is not a good enough reason to bar someone entry into the country.»
HOW A RHODES SCHOLAR WITH TIES TO CUBA’S PRESIDENT ORGANIZED THE CONVOY THAT BROUGHT HASAN PIKER TO HAVANA
(left) Cuba’s President Miguel Diaz-Canel raises his fist next to Progressive International’s general coordinator David Adler during an event at the Cuban Institute for Friendship with the Peoples in Havana on March 21, 2026. (right) Hasan Piker joins a convoy to Cuba in March 2026. (Ernesto Mastrascusa/AFP and CodePink via Storyful)
The streamer said he had planned a week-long trip that included appearances alongside former Greek finance minister Yanis Varoufakis, a live podcast recording and an event at Oxford Union.
Varoufakis is the co-founder of the 501(c)(3) nonprofit group, Progressive International, which Piker credits with getting him to Cuba for a March aid convoy that may have violated U.S. laws. A Fox News Digital investigation chronicled how Progressive International and its co-founder David Adler have allegedly been a critical part of a foreign influence operation by the Communist Party of Cuba. Progressive International and Adler didn’t respond to a request for comment.
The U.K. government didn’t respond to a request for comment. However, in recent weeks, Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood, a critic of Israeli policies, recently revoked the travel authorization of Piker’s uncle, Cenk Uygur, founder of «The Young Turks,» after concluding his presence would not be «conducive to the public good.»
During the livestream, Piker warned that the alleged UK decision could set a precedent for other Western countries, including Australia and Canada, potentially restricting his future travel.
HASAN PIKER NAMES PRO-CCP TYCOON SINGHAM AS FINANCIER OF ‘POLITICAL MOVEMENTS’ DESPITE NONPROFIT VENEER
Hasan Piker and Jodie Evans and Neville Roy Singham (Getty Images)
«I genuinely did not think this would happen,» he said. «We’re moving into a very different timeline.»
Piker said he and his team were exploring whether he could apply for a standard visa despite the denial of the Electronic Travel Authorization, though he acknowledged it was a long shot.
Piker’s case intersects with a broader inquiry into the influence of transnational activist networks operating in the United States. During a livestream this week, Piker said that the Treasury Department’s investigation into his Cuba trip may ultimately be focused on Neville Roy Singham, an American Marxist businessman living in Shanghai who has funded a network of nonprofit organizations and activist groups that have drawn scrutiny from lawmakers and administration officials.
Among the organizations funded by Singham is CodePink, which also received a Treasury Department administrative subpoena related to its participation in the March convoy to Cuba, as well as groups such as the Party for Socialism and Liberation and the ANSWER Coalition. All three organizations openly identify with socialist or communist political traditions and have been prominent organizers of anti-Israel demonstrations across the United States since the Oct. 7, 2023, attacks by Hamas against Israel.
Critics argue that some of those demonstrations have created hostile environments for Jews in the UK, U.S., and elsewhere, including the use of slogans such as «From the river to the sea,» which calls for the elimination of Israel.
Trump administration officials are investigating the groups tied to Singham as a transnational network advancing anti-American, pro-Chinese Communist Party and anti-Western narratives while exploiting political and social divisions inside the U.S.
Lawmakers, Treasury officials and national security analysts have increasingly examined whether such networks are helping to amplify polarization, social discord, and hostility toward democratic institutions. Meanwhile, last night at the ICE protest, Piker defended the groups as led by «wonderful» people.
The debate has been particularly acute in Europe, where governments have grappled with alliances between far-left activists and Islamist organizations that have joined forces around anti-Israel activism and antisemitism. Critics argue that some of these coalitions have fomented rhetoric and violence hostile to Jews, leading to rising antisemitism in the UK, much like in the U.S.
For his part, Piker ended his podcast defiant, angry and seemingly deflated for the moment, repeating again, «Bro, they banned me from the UK,» and then finally closing the podcast, saying, «I’m done for the day.»
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP
investigations, uk politics, foreign policy, travel, sanctions
INTERNACIONAL
El precio del petróleo volvió a subir ante la posibilidad de una extensión en las negociaciones entre Estados Unidos e Irán
El precio del petróleo subió más de un 2% impulsado por el aumento de las tensiones en Medio Oriente y por las señales de que las negociaciones entre Estados Unidos e Irán para alcanzar un acuerdo podrían extenderse más de lo previsto. A ello se sumó una nueva escalada militar entre Israel y el grupo terrorista Hezbollah, lo que reforzó la tendencia alcista del crudo en las primeras operaciones.
El barril de West Texas Intermediate (WTI), referencia para el mercado estadounidense, avanzó cerca de un 2,5% hasta situarse en torno a los 89,60 dólares. En paralelo, el Brent del mar del Norte, utilizado como referencia internacional, superó los 93 dólares por barril, con una ganancia superior al 2% respecto al cierre de la semana anterior.
El movimiento representó un cambio de tendencia respecto de los últimos días. Durante la semana pasada, los precios habían registrado una caída acumulada superior al 11% impulsada por las expectativas de un entendimiento entre Washington y Teherán que facilitara la reapertura del estrecho de Ormuz, uno de los corredores marítimos más importantes para el comercio mundial de petróleo y gas.
Sin embargo, el escenario cambió durante este fin de semana. Informaciones conocidas en Estados Unidos señalaron que la administración de Donald Trump presentó a Irán una nueva propuesta de acuerdo con condiciones más exigentes que las discutidas previamente. La noticia redujo el optimismo de los inversores sobre una solución cercana al conflicto y volvió a instalar temores sobre posibles interrupciones prolongadas en el suministro energético.
A ello se sumó el deterioro de la situación en la frontera entre Israel y el Líbano. El ejército israelí ordenó ampliar sus operaciones terrestres en territorio libanés pese a la tregua anunciada semanas atrás. La decisión alimentó la percepción de que la inestabilidad regional podría extenderse y afectar aún más las perspectivas de seguridad para las rutas energéticas de Medio Oriente.
La posibilidad de una reapertura parcial o total del Estrecho de Ormuz había contribuido a la caída reciente de los precios. Sin embargo, nuevos reportes sobre actividades militares iraníes en las aguas cercanas volvieron a alterar las expectativas. Según distintas versiones, Teherán habría incrementado la colocación de minas marítimas en la zona, un factor que podría retrasar cualquier intento de normalización del tráfico comercial incluso si se alcanzara un acuerdo político.
El analista de mercados Tony Sycamore señaló que las preocupaciones sobre la seguridad en Ormuz continúan siendo determinantes para la evolución de los precios.
“Incluso si se alcanza un acuerdo, no traerá una avalancha de suministro”, afirmó. Según explicó, cualquier reapertura requerirá operaciones de seguridad y limpieza que podrían prolongarse durante semanas.
Las tensiones geopolíticas lograron eclipsar incluso los datos económicos procedentes de China. Durante el fin de semana se conocieron indicadores que mostraron un estancamiento de la actividad manufacturera en la segunda economía mundial, una señal que normalmente habría ejercido presión bajista sobre los precios del petróleo debido a las perspectivas de menor demanda.
Los inversores, sin embargo, concentraron su atención en los riesgos de oferta. La preocupación por posibles interrupciones en el flujo de crudo desde Medio Oriente terminó pesando más que las señales de desaceleración económica global.
Mientras continúan las negociaciones diplomáticas, el mercado energético permanece pendiente de cualquier avance entre Estados Unidos e Irán. También sigue de cerca la evolución de los combates en el sur del Líbano y la situación en el estrecho de Ormuz. En un contexto donde una parte significativa del suministro mundial depende de la estabilidad de la región, cualquier cambio político o militar tiene capacidad inmediata para alterar los precios internacionales del petróleo.
(Con información de AFP y Reuters)
arabian,background,beautiful,blue,china,clouds,construction,crude,derrick,desert landscape,desert safari,diesel,digging,drill,drilling,economic,energy,engineering,equipment,exploration,field,fuel,gas,heavy,homework,industrial,industry,labor,machine,mechanical,oil field,oil filed,oil refinery,oil rig,oilfield,orange,orange background,refinery,resource,sun,sun set,technology,well
INTERNACIONAL
Left-wing streamer blasts New Jersey governor over state police response at ICE facility protests
NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!
Marxist political commentator and Twitch streamer Hasan Piker blasted New Jersey Gov. Mikie Sherrill during a livestream Sunday, accusing the Democratic governor of aiding the Trump administration’s immigration agenda through her response to anti-ICE protests outside a Newark detention facility.
Piker’s criticism came after Sherrill defended the deployment of state police around demonstrations outside Delaney Hall, an ICE detention center in Newark, saying she would not allow unrest to provide a pretext for expanded federal immigration operations in New Jersey.
«I refuse to let that happen in New Jersey. I will not give ICE a pretext,» Sherrill said in remarks aired during a news segment Piker was reacting to on stream.
Piker quickly mocked the governor’s explanation.
GOV. SHERRILL BLAMES ICE, DEFENDS RIOTERS AFTER DEPLOYING TROOPERS TO QUELL VIOLENT MOB
Marxist political commentator and Twitch streamer Hasan Piker, left, criticized New Jersey Gov. Mikie Sherrill during a livestream, accusing the Democratic governor of aiding the Trump administration’s immigration agenda through her response to anti-ICE protests outside Delaney Hall in Newark. (Getty Images)
«Yeah, I won’t give ICE a pretext. So I’m going to ensure that they don’t have to do anything because I’m going to do it myself,» Piker said. «That’s basically what the meta is here for this blue state and its new blue governor.»
The political commentator then broadened his criticism beyond Sherrill’s handling of the protests.
«This is the centrist wing of the Democratic Party, ladies and gentlemen. This is what happens,» Piker said.
ANTI-ICE PROTESTERS CLASH WITH AGENTS OUTSIDE NEW JERSEY DETENTION CENTER AS GOV. SHERRILL DENIED ENTRY
Federal immigration officers clashed with protesters outside Delaney Hall in Newark, N.J., on Thursday. (Mostafa Bassim/Anadolu)
The comments came as anti-ICE demonstrations continued outside Delaney Hall, where activists have alleged detainees are being held in poor conditions and not receiving adequate food. The Department of Homeland Security has disputed those claims.
Later in the stream, Piker accused Sherrill of helping advance President Donald Trump’s immigration policies.
«The story is not the far-left activists continuing to rage at ICE in New Jersey,» Piker said. «The real story is the horrifying conditions inside of this facility … and the governor acting as though she’s powerless to put a stop to it, and using what power she does have to basically work alongside the MAGA movement alongside the Trump administration, because these are state troopers in anti-riot gear on horseback.»
FEDERAL AGENTS IN NEW JERSEY BEAT BACK ANTI-ICE AGITATORS IN CHAOS OUTSIDE DELANEY HALL DETENTION FACILITY
Protestors, politicians, and ICE agents gather outside Delaney Hall, an immigration facility in Newark, N.J., on May 27, 2026. (Rashid Umar Abbasi/Fox News Digital)
«These are state troopers that are brutalizing New Jerseyans,» he added.
Piker further accused authorities of mistreating journalists covering the demonstrations.
«They’re doing Israeli occupying force s—. It’s disgusting,» he said while discussing reports that an Associated Press photographer was injured while covering the protests.
WATCH: POLICE ABSENT FROM DELANEY HALL CHAOS AS AGITATORS BLOCK ICE VEHICLES AND AGENTS USE PEPPER SPRAY
Mikie Sherrill attends an election night event in East Brunswick, N.J., on Nov. 4, 2025, as she campaigns for governor. (Michael Nagle/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
The streamer also used the broadcast to criticize Democratic lawmakers over immigration policy.
«Democrats have absolutely participated in this process,» Piker said, arguing that some members of the party have supported legislation and funding measures related to immigration enforcement.
«I want to change that system,» he later added. «Part of that also revolves around getting people elected who will make a big fuss.»
NJ DEMOCRATS PUSH ‘F—ICE ACT’ TO LET RESIDENTS SUE OVER IMMIGRATION ENFORCEMENT
Hasan Piker speaks with an interviewer during a protest in New Jersey. (Michael Dorgan/Fox News Digital)
Later in the stream, Piker told viewers, «That’s what I’m trying to f—ing change.»
In recent months, Piker has crisscrossed the country canvassing for candidates endorsed by the Democratic Socialists of America.
During Sunday’s livestream, he also voiced support for billionaire gubernatorial candidate Tom Steyer and quoted Mao Zedong, the founder of the Chinese Communist Party.
Piker has previously drawn scrutiny for his support of progressive candidates and activism surrounding immigration policy.
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP
Earlier this year, he campaigned in New Jersey for congressional candidate Adam Hamamy, a Democratic Socialists of America-backed candidate whom Piker publicly defended following media scrutiny over his background.
Sherrill’s office did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Fox News Digital.
homeland security, tom steyer, immigrant rights, mikie sherrill, new jersey
“Lo llevé a afanar y me tiró estas migajas”: la frase que recordó la exmujer de Oscar Centeno sobre las coimas de Roberto Baratta
Con un nuevo espacio interno, Santa María encabezó un encuentro bonaerense para pedir la libertad de Cristina Kirchner
Hasan Piker says UK has barred him, trashes ‘unbelievable…power’ of pro-Israel groups
El Banco Central compró casi USD 2.600 millones en mayo y está cerca de cumplir una meta clave
Messi llegó a Kansas y se sumó a la delegación de Argentina de cara al Mundial: cómo está de su molestia física
Angie Fort contó la verdad sobre su nacimiento y destapó una bomba familiar a sus 17 años: «Me pagaron»
Detuvieron a un sospechoso por la desaparición de Agostina Vega en Córdoba
Mauricio Macri insistió en “apoyar el cambio”, pero pidió prepararse para competir en 2027
Quién era Agostina Vega, la adolescente de 14 años que encontraron muerta tras una semana desaparecida en Córdoba
Narcojuez: el contador que compartían un magistrado federal y un jefe narco aceptó ser arrepentido y hundió a Bailaque
POLITICA3 días agoMauricio Macri insistió en “apoyar el cambio”, pero pidió prepararse para competir en 2027
- SOCIEDAD1 día ago
Quién era Agostina Vega, la adolescente de 14 años que encontraron muerta tras una semana desaparecida en Córdoba
- CHIMENTOS1 día ago
La peor de las sospechas: encontraron restos humanos en el descampado donde buscan a Agostina y se espera la palabra de las autoridades
