INTERNACIONAL
Iran expands it ‘shadow empire’ across Middle East as Trump pulls troops from Iraq, Syria
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Just six months after the Trump administration said it would begin drawing down U.S. forces in Syria, the U.S. confirmed this week it will also begin reducing the number of U.S. forces in Iraq under an agreement reached by the Biden administration – a move security experts warn could benefit Iran and its «shadow empire.»
Just six months after the Trump administration announced plans to draw down U.S. forces in Syria, the Biden administration confirmed this week it will also reduce troop levels in Iraq under a new agreement – a move security experts warn could strengthen Iran and its «shadow empire.»
The changes have come amid a perceived reduction in threat from the terrorist network ISIS and a growing U.S. desire to end «forever wars.»
US ‘UPS THE ANTE,’ DESIGNATES IRAN-BACKED GROUPS IN IRAQ TERRORIST ORGANIZATIONS
But a reduced U.S. presence in both Iraq and Syria has security experts deeply concerned about the power vacuum it will create in both countries, and the immediate threat that Iran poses.
Iran for decades has been expanding its influence in both Iraq and Syria, and it has established a complex and highly embedded presence in the region militarily, politically, economically and socially, making it difficult to divert or thwart its influence even amid a regime change in Syria.
People wave guns in the air as they gather to celebrate the fall of the Syrian regime in Umayyad Square Dec. 8 in Damascus, Syria. (Ali Haj Suleiman/Getty Images)
«The relationship between Islamic Revolutionary Iran and Syria goes all the way back to the ’80s. It’s not something that just started with the advent of the Syrian civil war,» Gregg Roman, Executive Director of the Middle East Forum, told Fox News Digital. «They took 40 years of relations and eventually turned that into an enterprise.»
Iran has used Shia militant forces from not only Syria, but Iraq, Afghanistan and Lebanon, to construct a «parallel military infrastructure» in coordination with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) that has transformed Syria into an «Iranian forward operating base.»
According to an investigative report compiled by the Middle East Forum, using on-the-ground sources embedded in Iranian military installations across Syria since 2018, Iran has not only constructed underground tunnels and weapons depots for its disposal. Tehran has embedded itself deeply into the everyday lives of Syrians through an integrated system that has blended military duties with civil programs.
It’s command structure also transcends traditional nation-state borders by integrating Iranian, Lebanese and Iraqi commanders.
While Iran now faces opposition in Syria following the collapse of the Bashar al-Assad regime with the December 2024 takeover by the Sunni paramilitary organization Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (HST) – once deemed by the U.S. as a terrorist organization deriving from al Qaeda – Tehran has the potential to take advantage of that of lack of a unified government across Syria, as well as an immensely complex geopolitical dynamic where Israel, Turkey and Russia are all vying for more influence in the nation.
Masked Iran-backed Shi’ite fighters hold their weapons in Iraq’s Al Hadidiya, south of Tikrit, en route to the Islamic State-controlled al-Alam town, where they are preparing to launch an offensive March 6, 2015. (Reuters/Thaier Al-Sudani)
IRAQI PRESIDENT SAYS NATION IS ‘100% SAFE’ AMID LINGERING ISIS, MILITIA CONCERNS
Roman pointed out that if HST, in coordination with the Kurds in the northeast or the Druze in the southwest, are not able to create a «bulwark» against Iranian influence, then Tehran could be well positioned to expand its regional interest under its «shadow empire.»
«Perhaps most concerning is the precedent established by Iran’s success in constructing this shadow empire,» the report found. «The ability to build parallel military infrastructure, operate independently of host government control, and maintain strategic capabilities despite international scrutiny provides a template that could be replicated elsewhere in the region.»
Though its strategy may be slightly different, Iran has repeatedly used power vacuums to extend its reach and counter U.S. influence, as seen in both Afghanistan, where it backed the Taliban, and in Iraq, where it began backing Shia militia groups fighting the U.S. as early as 2003.
«The Iranians have a strategy in Iraq, and it’s effective,» Bill Roggio, expert terrorism analyst and senior editor of the Foundation for Defense of Democracies’ «Long War Journal,» told Fox News Digital. «They’re using military, political and economic means to achieve their goals, and their proximity to Iraq really helps them achieve that.»
Roggio said there are hundreds of thousands of Iran-backed militants in Iraq who are largely a part of the Popular Mobilization Forces, which were heavily influential in fighting ISIS and are a part of the Iraqi Armed Forces under the command of the prime minister, but which are also heavily influenced by Tehran.
Iraq’s Popular Mobilization Forces, dominated by Iran-backed Shiite militias, hold an Islamist flag after Iraqi forces retook the northern city from ISIS earlier in the month on April 5, 2015, in Tikrit, Iraq. (Mohammed Sawaf/AFP via Getty Images)
IRAN PRESIDENT ACCUSES US OF ‘GRAVE BETRAYAL’ WITH NUCLEAR STRIKES IN UNGA SPEECH
«They wield significant influence in the Iraqi government. They occupy a large, dominant block in the Iraqi parliament. And these militias also have economic power,» Roggio said. «Iran built these militia forces along the same lines as Hezbollah, and they essentially want them to ultimately become like the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps is in Iran.»
Both Roman and Roggio expressed concern over the withdrawal of U.S. troops from the region and, more significantly, the removal of U.S. influence at a time when Iran is looking to heavily counter Washington and its interests.
«We haven’t learned the lessons of Afghanistan and even the lessons of Iraq,» Roggio said. «I don’t care if we have 100 or 100,000 troops in Afghanistan or anywhere else. Do we have the right troops to achieve the mission that we put out for them?
«We talk about numbers of troops. … We’re not really talking about what is our mission in Iraq? Is it a counter-ISIS mission? Is it a stave off Iranian influence mission?
«And do we have the right mixture of military and diplomatic and political and economic influence in Iraq to achieve those goals? I don’t believe we do.»
U.S. forces provide military training to members of the YPG/SDF, which Turkey considers an extension of PKK in Syria, in the Qamisli district in the Al-Hasakah province, Syria, Aug. 18, 2023. (Hedil Amir/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)
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Both experts pointed out that the U.S. has a long history of not taking Iran and the threat it poses seriously enough, a problem that has spanned decades across both Republican and Democratic administrations.
«The Iranians are patient. They’re operating on timeframes of decades and generations. And we aren’t patient. We operate in timeframes and two and four-year election cycles,» Roggio said. «Ultimately, Iran is looking to drive the U.S. from the region and expand its influence in neighboring countries, be it Afghanistan, be it Iraq, be it the Gulf states.
«The ultimate goal is to get the U.S. out so it can expand its influence.»
iran,middle east,syria,iraq,donald trump,terrorism,world
INTERNACIONAL
Mamdani funnels big money to radical allies plotting control of City Hall: ‘Seize state power’
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FIRST ON FOX: Newly released campaign finance records reveal New York City mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani’s campaign gave over $28,000 last month to the New York City Democratic Socialists of America, a radical group that has boasted about the level of influence it will have if Mamdani is elected mayor.
The Mamdani campaign made a payment of $28,677.57 to DSA’s NYC chapter on Sept. 15 and filled in the purpose field that the funds were for «Other: explntion / Texting.»
Mamdani’s campaign has previously given numerous smaller payments totaling roughly $3,000 to DSA for «Fundraising / Fundraising Emails» but the September donation represents by far the largest contribution to the group since his campaign was launched. NYC-DSA has received 36 payments, totaling over $33,000 from Mamdani’s campaign since early 2025.
The donation comes amid public boasting from DSA that they wield massive influence on Mamdani’s platform.
‘ABSOLUTELY A COMMUNIST’: MAMDANI DODGES LABEL, BUT HIS RECORD AND EXPERT SAY OTHERWISE
New York City Democratic mayoral nominee Zohran Mamdani speaks to volunteers at a canvass launch in Brooklyn on Sept. 28, 2025. (Michael Nigro/Pacific Press/LightRocket via Getty Images)
During a July panel discussion, Fox News Digital previously reported how DSA members discussed how they have been closely collaborating with Mamdani and how he has the organization positioned to «seize state power.»
DSA organizer Daniel Goulden claimed the organization has been intimately involved in Mamdani’s campaign, even helping to write portions of his platform.
«With Zohran, we’re in basically the best possible position to seize state power that we can be in because, you know, we’re like this,» Goulden said, indicating with his fingers that the campaign and organization are very close.
Goulden went on to suggest that «one of the things that made Zohran really successful with his policy rollouts is specifically relying on DSA.»
«DSA has regular meetings with him, let alone his team. His policy director is my friend. I’ve been working with his campaign manager for well over a year. You know? I have friends who are his staff,» he said.
He went on to say the DSA worked especially closely with Mamdani on his «trans rights» platform to use city resources to give free transgender treatments to people across the country.
«We wrote the platform with him. The team was so happy to work with us on this,» he explained. «What we explicitly wanted to do was use the power of New York City to provide free gender-affirming care – and I say free in case insurance companies decide to boot us off – free gender-affirming care, not just to people in New York City, but across the country.»
«Our endorsed candidates are expected to follow the will of the membership,» chapter leader Darren Goldner concluded.
Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., and New York City Mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani hold hands during the town hall «Fighting Oligarchy» event at Brooklyn College on Sept. 6, 2025. (ANGELA WEISS/AFP via Getty Images)
Last week, New York Post reported from a DSA event that group leaders boasted about a «symbiotic» relationship with Mamdani that will last past the election if Mamdani wins.
Mamdani revealed during a 2021 interview that he was «very excited about being a member of DSA, specifically the New York City chapter» and that the anti-Israel Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions movement was a major issue pushed by DSA in order to get endorsements, Fox News Digital previously reported.
«Within the questionnaire when you submit to be considered a candidate to be endorsed by the organization, you’re asked what your views are on BDS and I think that has also brought what it is typically thought of as a separate issue into the sphere of local politics where we create a bench of candidates,» Mamdani said. «We’re not legislating on BDS on a daily basis, but it’s clear that our commitment is unabashed to justice.»
The national DSA organization and its chapters, including the NYC-DSA, have shared views on several issues that they have been vocal about, including their disdain for ICE and cracking down on on «bad landlords» by having the city take control of properties when a landlord refuses to make repairs or «demonstrates consistent neglect» of their tenants.
He also believes he can fix New York City’s affordable housing crisis by immediately freezing the rents of the over two million New York residents who live in rent-stabilized apartments, which is part of DSA’s housing justice platform.
«Assemblymember Zohran Mamdani is here to bring New Yorkers back to the left. With a platform focused on cost of living: from utility bills to grocery bills to bus fares to childcare to rent, Zohran is the candidate who wants to make life in New York City more affordable,» NYC-DSA’s website says. «His platform focuses on the pillars of free childcare, fast and free buses, and freezing rent for all rent-stabilized tenants.»
A Fox News Digital review found that multiple staff members of Mamdani’s campaign are directly involved with DSA, including Tascha Van Auken, who has been paid over $100K by the campaign and is the campaign’s field director. In a July 2025 profile piece, she explained how the Mamdani campaign adopted the DSA’s model of canvassing.
«So I would say that the beginning of the campaign for us is building up the leadership structure, building up the infrastructure, really honing in on what we’re talking to voters about,» Auken, who has been branded as the NYC-DSA’s «field operations guru,» said. «Then once petitioning is over, we go full force into persuasion, which is basically just lots and lots of talking to voters that we haven’t talked to before, persuading them to vote for Zohran or just identifying that they are Zohran supporters or not.»
CUOMO WARNS DEM SOCIALIST RIVAL’S TAX PLAN WOULD TRIGGER MASS EXODUS OF NYC’S WEALTHY
Sen. Bernie Sanders, Democratic mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez pose for a photo in Astoria, Queens, Sept. 6, 2025. (@ZohranKMamdani via X)
Elliana Bisgaard-Church, who previously served as Mamdani’s campaign manager during the Democratic primary and is member of his inner circle, is also a member of the NYC-DSA and worked closely with top leaders of the DSA chapter. Mamdani and Bisgaard-Church, who raked in a six-figure salary working for Mamdani, met on a weekly basis with NYC-DSA co-chairs Grace Mausser and Gustavo Gordillo, according to The Nation.
«Toward the end of the race, in a final get-out-the-vote push, Mausser recalled a meeting in which Bisgaard-Church requested help to secure as much youth turnout as possible. NYC-DSA responded at a moment’s notice with a text- and phone-banking effort by the organization’s youth wing, as well as an extensive tabling operation at several nightclubs in Bushwick and the Ridgewood neighborhood of Queens,» The Nation reported.
«So I would say that the beginning of the campaign for us is building up the leadership structure, building up the infrastructure, really honing in on what we’re talking to voters about,» Auken, who has been branded as the NYC-DSA’s «field operations guru,» said. «Then once petitioning is over, we go full force into persuasion, which is basically just lots and lots of talking to voters that we haven’t talked to before, persuading them to vote for Zohran or just identifying that they are Zohran supporters or not.»
Elliana Bisgaard-Church, who previously served as Mamdani’s campaign manager during the Democratic primary and is a member of his inner circle, is also associated with NYC-DSA and worked closely with top leaders of the DSA chapter. Mamdani and Bisgaard-Church, who raked in a six-figure salary working for Mamdani, met on a weekly basis with NYC-DSA co-chairs Grace Mausser and Gustavo Gordillo, according to The Nation.
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New York City Democratic mayoral nominee Zohran Mamdani spoke to supporters at a canvass launch event in Prospect Park on Aug. 17, 2025. (Deirdre Heavey/Fox News Digital)
«Toward the end of the race, in a final get-out-the-vote push, Mausser recalled a meeting in which Bisgaard-Church requested help to secure as much youth turnout as possible. NYC-DSA responded at a moment’s notice with a text- and phone-banking effort by the organization’s youth wing, as well as an extensive tabling operation at several nightclubs in Bushwick and the Ridgewood neighborhood of Queens,» The Nation reported.
Fox News Digital reached out to Mamdani’s campaign for comment.
In a statement to Fox News Digital, NYC-DSA Co-Chair Grace Mausser said, «NYC-DSA is committed to supporting Zohran Mamdani by contacting our members to encourage them to volunteer for his campaign and to vote for him.»
«The services that we use to text and email our members cost money, and in order to comply with New York City campaign finance law, the campaign is paying for these coordinated communications. The communications include a clear disclaimer to that effect.»
Fox News Digital’s Peter Pinedo contributed to this report.
politics,zohran mamdani,new york city
INTERNACIONAL
Denuncian un intento de asesinato del presidente de Ecuador, Daniel Noboa: fue atacada su comitiva
El presidente de Ecuador, Daniel Noboa, resultó ileso tras ser atacado a balazos el vehículo en el que viajaba el martes por el sur del país en medio de protestas indígenas contra su gobierno, informó la ministra de Ambiente y Energía, Inés Manzano.
«Aparecieron 500 personas y le estuvieron lanzando piedras (a la caravana) y, obviamente, también hay signos de bala en el carro del presidente», dijo Manzano a la prensa y aseguró que el mandatario salió ileso.
La caravana presidencial fue atacada cuando se trasladaba hacia la localidad andina de Cañar (sur) y luego Noboa participó de un acto público.
El hecho habría ocurrido en la mañana, en el cantón El Tambo, en Cañar, adonde estaba previsto que llegara Noboa para entregar obras de alcantarillado y bonos para la comunidad.
“Gracias a Dios, nuestro presidente, muy firme y valiente, sigue adelante, está haciendo su agenda con normalidad”, expresó la ministra.
Manzano indicó que producto de estos ataques hay bienes afectados, como los autos de la caravana presidencial, que presentan daños en los parabrisas, por lo que las personas que son parte de la caravana también presentaron las denuncias respectivas.
Además, la secretaria de Estado informó que hay cinco personas detenidas, las cuales serán procesadas en flagrancia por el delito de terrorismo.
“Estas son las 24 horas más importantes desde esta tentativa de asesinato al presidente. Esto no se va a quedar en la impunidad (…) esto no lo vamos a permitir, Ecuador dice sí a la paz y al trabajo”, expresó la ministra y precisó que quienes propiciaron estos ataques no son de las comunidades indígenas ancestrales sino son ciertas células, a las que les deberá caer todo el peso de la ley.
En videos que circulan en redes sociales se observa el momento en que supuestos manifestantes lanzan algunas piedras contra la caravana presidencial.
Desde la Secretaría de Comunicación de la Presidencia señalaron que el vehículo en el que iba el presidente «está en análisis de Criminalística».
«Esto no lo vamos a permitir. Ecuador dice: ‘Sí a la paz, sí al trabajo’, y esta clase de manifestaciones que no son pacíficas, no son las que nosotros necesitamos en un momento de progreso y desarrollo», dijo la ministra.
El ataque denunciado se registra durante el decimosexto día de las protestas convocadas por la Confederación de Nacionalidades Indígenas del Ecuador (Conaie), la organización social más grande de país, después de que Noboa eliminó el subsidio al diésel.
Sin embargo, Manzano dijo que sabían que «las comunidades indígenas ancestrales no están involucradas en esto», sino que se trataba de «ciertas células criminales» que estaban «provocando estos actos de terrorismo».
Por su parte, la Conaie denunció en su cuenta de la red social X una «brutal acción policial y militar» contra «el pueblo movilizado» durante la llegada de Noboa a El Tambo, y señaló que «cinco compañeros» habían sido «detenidos de forma arbitraria».
El detonante de las protestas indígenas fue la eliminación, el pasado 12 de septiembre, del subsidio al diésel, que elevó de 1,80 a 2,80 el precio del galón (3,78 litros) de ese combustible.
Los indígenas exigen que se restituya el subsidio, pero también que se baje el impuesto al valor agregado (IVA) del 15 % al 12 %. Además, han incorporado a su discurso la negativa al referéndum previsto para el próximo 16 de noviembre en el que se preguntará sobre la instauración de una Asamblea Constituyente para redactar una nueva Constitución.
Hasta el momento hay un indígena fallecido por disparos presuntamente de militares, así como más de un centenar de heridos y otros tantos detenidos, de ellos una veintena en prisión preventiva bajo imputaciones de terrorismo por parte de la Fiscalía.
El Gobierno ha señalado que no retrocederá en su decisión, ya que el subsidio nunca benefició a los más pobres sino al contrabando y a la minería ilegal, y que las protestas ya han adquirido un trasfondo político.
Este martes nueve carreteras permanecían cerradas en tres provincias del país, la mayoría en la norteña Imbabura, que se ha convertido en el epicentro de las manifestaciones indígenas.
Ecuador,Últimas Noticias,Información General,Noticias de agencias
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A 1,200-person caravan of largely Cuban migrants is heading north from Mexico’s southern city of Tapachula in a weeks-long pursuit of better economic opportunities. But the destination is not the U.S. border, it’s Mexico City.
The destination of the caravan signals a stark shift in regional trends as President Donald Trump’s strict immigration policies take hold.
The caravan, which departed earlier this month, is expected to take weeks to reach its destination, where migrants hope to find higher-paying jobs in Mexico’s capital city, rather than its impoverished south.
OKLAHOMA TROOPERS, ICE DETAIN 120 ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS IN THREE-DAY INTERSTATE ENFORCEMENT SWEEP
Migrants head toward Mexico City on the outskirts of Tapachula, Mexico, Oct. 1, 2025. (Reuters/Damian Sanchez)
Tapachula, located in Mexico’s poorest state of Chiapas, has been struggling for years to cope with the migrant crisis as it sits near the border with Guatemala, which has long seen significant outflows of migrants fleeing gang violence and poverty stemming from the Northern Triangle.
According to the Washington Office on Latin America, the group of migrants is using social media to petition the Mexican government to assist with asylum cases and proper documentation for people looking to officially reside in Mexico City.
El Pais reported last week that corruption and extortion remain a top concern for migrants looking for relocation assistance. The report said the issue remains one of the chief obstacles plaguing the Mexican Commission for Refugee Assistance.
Despite concerns over financial abuse in attempting to relocate in Mexico, the Spain-based outlet reported that many migrants still consider staying there preferable to heading to the U.S. under Trump.
WHITE HOUSE REBUKES ‘EGREGIOUS’ COURT ORDER BLOCKING TROOP DEPLOYMENTS AMID PORTLAND UNREST
Migrants on the outskirts of Tapachula, Mexico, Oct. 1, 2025. (Reuters/Damian Sanchez)
«Why would I want to go to the United States? They hate us there,» one Cuban woman traveling with her 2-year-old daughter and 18-year-old son told the news outlet.
While immigration to the U.S. under Trump, particularly amid his second term, has drastically dropped, the decision by Cuban migrants not to pursue life in the U.S. where there are already large communities with deep U.S. ties in places like Florida and New York, is significant.
But it is too soon to tell if this will be a lasting trend, Elaine Dezenski, senior director and head of the Center on Economic and Financial Power (CEFP) at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies told Fox News Digital.
«According to the International Organization for Migration, about 50% of migrants surveyed across Mexico in mid-2025 said they considered Mexico their destination – up from less than 25% at the end of 2024,» she said. «This suggests that increased U.S. border enforcement and deportations are influencing migrants’ choices, with more seeking asylum and work authorization in Mexico instead of continuing to the U.S.»
Honduran migrants taking part in a caravan heading to the U.S. rest in Tapachula, Chiapas state, Mexico, on Oct. 21, 2018. (Johan Ordonez/AFP via Getty Images)
In the months since Trump returned to the top job, encounters on the southern border reported by Customs and Border Protection have drastically fallen compared to rates seen in years past.
Earlier this year, the Migration Policy Institute noted that monthly southern border encounters were on par with rates not seen since the 1960s.
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Dezenski warned that even though the control of undocumented migration into the U.S. will be championed by some as a positive adjustment when it comes to border security, there are «serious conversations» that need to be had about the role immigration plays in maintaining a healthy economy.
«Both Mexico and the U.S. are experiencing labor shortages in key sectors. While uncontrolled, undocumented immigration is not a solution, the lack of comprehensive immigration reform in the U.S. risks leaving many jobs unfilled – particularly in industries that rely heavily on migrant labor, such as agriculture,» she said. «Today, immigration reform is often equated with border security.
«However, we also need a serious conversation about the essential skills and labor our economies require and the role immigration plays in sustaining long-term economic health,» Dezenski said.
immigration,border security,location mexico,donald trump,world
Expulsión o renuncia: las opciones que baraja la oposición para apartar a Espert de Diputados
Mamdani funnels big money to radical allies plotting control of City Hall: ‘Seize state power’
Denuncian un intento de asesinato del presidente de Ecuador, Daniel Noboa: fue atacada su comitiva
Las verduras más demandadas aumentaron 26% en septiembre y por sí solas aportan 0,6 puntos a la inflación
Andrés Malamud analizó cómo está el Gobierno frente a las elecciones nacionales: “Metido en una trampa”
Bullrich le respondió a Grabois por el pedido de custodia a Machado: “Estás imputado por haberte robado plata”
La inesperada reacción de Soledad Pastorutti sobre su marido Jeremías Audoglio: «No le gustaba que…»
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Mica Viciconte confesó por qué no fue a conocer a su primer sobrino: “Me cuesta, no me hallo”
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