INTERNACIONAL
ISIS exploiting Syria’s chaos as US strikes expose growing threat
NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!
U.S. and partner forces killed or captured nearly 25 Islamic State operatives in Syria in the days following a large-scale U.S.-led strike on Dec. 19, according to a new statement from U.S. Central Command, underscoring Washington’s assessment that ISIS remains an active and persistent threat inside the country.
CENTCOM said those forces conducted 11 follow-on missions between Dec. 20 and Dec. 29, killing at least seven ISIS members, capturing the remainder, and eliminating four ISIS weapons caches. The operations followed Operation Hawkeye Strike, when U.S. and Jordanian forces hit more than 70 ISIS targets across central Syria using over 100 precision munitions, destroying infrastructure and weapons sites linked to the group.
«We will not relent,» CENTCOM commander Adm. Brad Cooper said, adding that U.S. forces remain «steadfast» in working with regional partners to dismantle ISIS networks that pose a threat to U.S. and regional security.
The scope of the follow-on raids highlights a reality U.S. commanders and analysts have been warning about for months: ISIS no longer controls large swaths of territory, but it retains the ability to organize, strike and regenerate inside Syria’s fragmented security landscape.
SYRIANS MARK FIRST YEAR SINCE ASSAD’S FALL AS US SIGNALS NEW ERA IN RELATIONS
U.S. Army soldiers prepare to go out on patrol from a remote combat outpost on May 25, 2021, in northeastern Syria. U.S. forces, part of Task Force WARCLUB operate from combat outposts in the area, coordinating with the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) in combatting residual ISIS extremists and deterring pro-Iranian militia. (John Moore/Getty Images)
Syria remains divided among competing forces, militias and foreign-backed armed groups, with no single authority exercising full control over large parts of the country. Analysts say that vacuum continues to provide space for ISIS cells to operate quietly, recruit and exploit overstretched local forces.
Analysts note that Syria’s security environment remains shaped by former jihadist networks that were never fully demobilized after the war. The country’s transitional leadership, including President Ahmed al-Sharaa, emerged from armed Islamist factions that relied heavily on foreign fighters and militias, according to regional security assessments. While those groups are not synonymous with ISIS, experts say the incomplete dismantling of extremist networks has left gaps that ISIS cells continue to exploit.
«ISIS today doesn’t need a caliphate to be dangerous,» said Bill Roggio, told Fox News Digital. «We’ve always been quick to declare terrorist organizations defeated and insignificant, and that couldn’t be further from the truth.»
Roggio said the group has adapted rather than disappeared, shifting away from holding territory toward smaller, more covert cells capable of carrying out lethal attacks. He pointed to ongoing ISIS activity not only in Syria and Iraq, but also in Afghanistan and other regions, citing United Nations reporting that estimates roughly 2,000 ISIS fighters remain active in Afghanistan alone.
«That’s not what a defeated group looks like,» Roggio said, noting that ISIS continues to recruit, indoctrinate and inspire attacks even without the visibility it once had.
FROM SYRIA TO SOMALIA, US TROOPS REMAIN DEPLOYED THIS HOLIDAY SEASON UNDER MISSIONS THAT NEVER FORMALLY ENDED
ISIS terrorists in Syria. (Reuters)
One of the most sensitive vulnerabilities remains the network of detention facilities in northeastern Syria holding thousands of ISIS terrorists and supporters. Those prisons are guarded primarily by Kurdish-led forces backed by a small U.S. military presence, estimated at roughly 1,000 troops, according to Reuters.
U.S. and coalition officials have repeatedly warned that any major disruption to prison security could allow hardened ISIS operatives to escape and reconstitute networks across Syria and beyond. Kurdish officials have also raised concerns about funding shortages, manpower strain and pressure from rival militias operating nearby.
While U.S. officials have not publicly linked the recent strikes to prison-related threats, analysts say the broader environment of fragmented control increases the risk of coordinated attacks, insider assistance or prison unrest.
The danger is not theoretical. ISIS has previously staged mass prison break operations in Syria and Iraq, including a 2022 assault on the al-Sinaa prison in Hasakah that required days of fighting to contain.
The U.S. strikes also come amid continued instability inside Syria, where multiple armed actors operate with overlapping authority. Analysts note that clashes among militias, sectarian violence and unresolved command structures have weakened overall security and diverted attention from counterterrorism efforts.
US, SYRIAN TROOPS COME UNDER FIRE WHILE ON PATROL: REPORT
U.S. soldiers attached to the Iowa National Guard sign GBU-31 munitions systems in the U.S. Central Command area of responsibility Dec. 18, 2025 as the U.S. military launched large-scale strikes against dozens of Islamic State targets in Syria in retaliation for an attack on U.S. personnel, U.S. officials said. (Air Force Photo/Handout via Reuters)
Bombings in neighborhoods of Damascus, including Mezzeh, and unrest in minority areas have further illustrated the gaps ISIS and other extremist groups can exploit, according to regional security assessments and open-source reporting.
«Syria’s chaos is the accelerant,» Roggio said. «ISIS thrives where no one is fully in charge.»
U.S. officials and analysts stress that ISIS activity in Syria is part of a wider pattern rather than an isolated flare-up.
Sources in the Israeli Mossad told Fox News Digital of continued ISIS-linked activity across multiple theaters, including recruitment networks and small-scale attacks designed to test security responses and maintain operational relevance.
In Turkey, security forces recently clashed with Islamic State militants during counterterrorism operations, wounding several officers, according to Reuters on Monday. Turkish authorities said the raids targeted ISIS cells suspected of planning attacks inside the country.
DEADLY STRIKE ON US TROOPS TESTS TRUMP’S COUNTER-ISIS PLAN — AND HIS TRUST IN SYRIA’S NEW LEADER
Security forces loyal to the interim Syrian government ride in the back of a vehicle moving along a road in Syria’s western city of Latakia on March 9, 2025. Syria’s interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa called for national unity and peace on March 9, amid growing international backlash following the killing of civilians along the country’s coast in the worst violence since the overthrow of former president Bashar al-Assad. (Omar Haj Kadour/AFP via Getty Images)
«These are signals, not spikes,» Roggio said. «ISIS operates across regions, adapting to pressure and exploiting weak governance wherever it finds it.»
The renewed U.S. military action raises difficult questions for policymakers about how long the current containment strategy can hold.
While U.S. officials say the Dec. 19 strikes delivered a significant blow to ISIS infrastructure, they have also acknowledged that counterterrorism operations alone cannot eliminate the underlying conditions that allow the group to persist.
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP
People wave guns in the air as they gather to celebrate the fall of the Syrian regime in Umayyad Square on Dec. 8 in Damascus, Syria. (Ali Haj Suleiman/Getty Images)
«Just because we want to declare the war against terror over doesn’t mean it’s over,» Roggio said. «The enemy gets a vote.»
syria,isis,wars,middle east,national security
INTERNACIONAL
José Daniel Ferrer: “Cuba termina el año en uno de los momentos más duros de su historia”
El opositor cubano José Daniel Ferrer, líder de la Unión Patriótica (UNPACU), envió este miércoles un mensaje a Infobae en el que afirmó que «Cuba termina el año 2025 atravesando uno de los momentos más duros de su historia“.
En su balance anual, el disidente expuso un panorama de opresión, hambre, apagones interminables y represión política, al tiempo que instó a la ciudadanía a asumir una postura activa y pacífica para evitar que el año entrante se repita la misma realidad.
Ferrer señaló que la isla afronta una coyuntura marcada por la crisis epidemiológica y sanitaria, el aumento de presos políticos, abusos en las prisiones y un éxodo constante de ciudadanos que buscan mejores condiciones fuera del país. “Nada de esto es accidente. Nada de esto es inevitable. Y nada de esto debe continuar”, afirmó el líder opositor, quien se encuentra en el exilio desde octubre pasado tras pasar años en prisión.
El mensaje detalló 10 pasos que deberían guiar a la sociedad cubana durante 2026. El primer punto alude a la necesidad de desmarcarse de las estructuras de control creadas por el régimen, como los Comités de Defensa de la Revolución (CDR), la Federación de Mujeres Cubanas (FMC), la Central de Trabajadores de Cuba (CTC) y otras organizaciones consideradas instrumentos para la represión social. Ferrer llamó a no participar en actos políticos ni actividades que busquen simular apoyo popular a la dictadura de Miguel Díaz-Canel.
El segundo aspecto planteado es la negativa a colaborar con la represión. “No reprimir a nadie. No delatar a quienes defienden pacíficamente los derechos humanos. Recordar siempre que ningún cubano debe ser enemigo de otro cubano”, expresó.
Un tercer punto hace hincapié en debilitar sin violencia las bases económicas de la opresión. El líder de la UNPACU exhortó a evitar financiar al régimen y priorizar la compra de bienes y servicios a ciudadanos independientes o neutrales.
Ferrer insistió en la importancia de fortalecer la sociedad civil libre mediante la creación y el apoyo a organizaciones cívicas, humanitarias, sindicales, artísticas y comunitarias independientes, así como en el respaldo a presos políticos y al periodismo independiente.
Otro de los puntos subrayó la urgencia de denunciar y documentar toda injusticia, compartiendo testimonios con organizaciones de derechos humanos y plataformas cívicas, siempre priorizando la seguridad de las personas involucradas. “Denunciar toda injusticia, abuso, violación a los derechos humanos y realidad que afecte a nuestro pueblo”, remarcó en el mensaje enviado a Infobae.
El escrito también propone acciones cívicas y no violentas para expresar el rechazo a la injusticia, y fomentar la creatividad y valentía en la resistencia. A quienes viven fuera de Cuba, Ferrer recomienda apoyar a sus familias, evitando al mismo tiempo financiar las estructuras económicas del Estado.
La unidad, la fraternidad y la solidaridad entre cubanos, el respaldo a artistas y comunicadores que defienden la libertad, y el apoyo mutuo en redes sociales y espacios públicos son otros de los ejes destacados.
En el plano internacional, pidió visibilizar la situación de Cuba en organismos como la ONU y la Unión Europea; y solicitó el apoyo de gobiernos democráticos.
Ferrer cerró con un llamado a preparar el futuro mediante la defensa de un liderazgo ético y no violento, el aumento del activismo humanitario y la promoción de paros y huelgas discretas como vía para alcanzar una huelga general que ponga fin a la dictadura. “Si asumimos con valentía y responsabilidad este camino cívico, solidario y no violento, si dejamos de sostener aquello que nos oprime y fortalecemos lo que nos dignifica, antes de que termine el 2026 podremos abrir el camino a la reconstrucción nacional”, aseguró el líder opositor.
Por último, hizo un llamado a la acción y a la esperanza de un país libre. “Podremos aspirar a una Cuba libre, justa y próspera; una Cuba ‘con todos y para el bien de todos’, como soñó Martí, como han deseado generaciones de cubanos dignos y como merecemos todos. La patria nos llama. El futuro depende de lo que hagamos hoy. Viva Cuba libre», concluyó.
NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!
President Donald Trump spent much of 2025 attempting what had eluded his predecessors: personally engaging both Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in an effort to bring an end to the war in Ukraine. From high-profile summits to direct phone calls, the administration pushed for a negotiated settlement even as the fighting ground on and the map changed little.
By year’s end, the outlines of a potential deal were clearer than they had been at any point since Russia’s full-scale invasion, with U.S. and Ukrainian officials coalescing around a revised 20-point framework addressing ceasefire terms, security guarantees and disputed territory. But 2025 also made clear why the war has proven so resistant to resolution: neither battlefield pressure, economic sanctions nor intensified diplomacy were enough to force Moscow or Kyiv into concessions they were unwilling to make.
The Trump administration’s push for a deal
The year began with a high-profile fallout last February between President Donald Trump, Vice President JD Vance and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, when the Ukrainian leader stormed out of the White House after Trump told him he did not have «any cards» to bring to negotiations with Russia.
Frustrated by the pace of talks after promising to end the war on «Day One» of his presidency, Trump initially directed his ire toward Zelenskyy before later conceding that Moscow, not Kyiv, was standing in the way of progress.
«I thought the Russia-Ukraine war was the easiest to stop but Putin has let me down,» Trump said in September 2025.
President Donald Trump met multiple times with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy throughout 2025. (Ukranian Presidency / Handout/Anadolu via Getty Images)
That frustration had already surfaced publicly months earlier as Russian strikes continued despite diplomatic engagement. «He talks nice and then he bombs everybody in the evening,» Trump said in July.
Trump’s outreach to Russian President Vladimir Putin culminated in a high-profile summit in Alaska in August, though additional meetings were later called off amid a lack of progress toward a deal.
ZELENSKYY ENCOURAGED BY ‘VERY GOOD’ CHRISTMAS TALKS WITH US
Still, Trump struck a more optimistic tone toward the end of the year. On Sunday, after meeting Zelenskyy at Mar-a-Lago, the president said the sides were «getting a lot closer, maybe very close» to a peace agreement, while acknowledging that major obstacles remained — including the status of disputed territory such as the Donbas region, which he described as «very tough.»
Trump said the meeting followed what he described as a «very positive» phone call with Putin that lasted more than two hours, underscoring the administration’s continued effort to press both sides toward a negotiated end to the war.
Where negotiations stand now
By the end of 2025, the diplomatic track had narrowed around a more defined — but still contested — framework. U.S. officials and Ukrainian negotiators have been working from a revised 20-point proposal that outlines a potential ceasefire, security guarantees for Ukraine, and mechanisms to address disputed territory and demilitarized zones.
Zelenskyy has publicly signaled openness to elements of the framework while insisting that any agreement must include robust, long-term security guarantees to deter future Russian aggression. Ukrainian officials have also made clear that questions surrounding occupied territory, including parts of the Donbas, cannot be resolved solely through ceasefire lines without broader guarantees.
Russia, however, has not agreed to the proposal. Moscow has continued to insist on recognition of its territorial claims and has resisted terms that would constrain its military posture or require meaningful concessions. Russian officials have at times linked their negotiating stance to developments on the battlefield, reinforcing the Kremlin’s view that leverage — not urgency — should dictate the pace of talks.
«I thought the Russia-Ukraine war was the easiest to stop but Putin has let me down,» Trump said in September 2025. (Getty Images/ Andrew Harnik)
The result is a negotiation process that is more structured than earlier efforts, but still far from resolution: positions have hardened even as channels remain open, and talks continue alongside ongoing fighting rather than replacing it.
Russia’s territorial pressure — and Ukraine’s limited gains
Even as diplomacy intensified in 2025, the war on the ground remained defined by slow, grinding territorial pressure rather than decisive breakthroughs. Russian forces continued pushing for incremental gains in eastern and southern Ukraine, particularly along axes tied to Moscow’s long-stated objective of consolidating control over territory it claims as Russian.
Russian advances were measured and costly, often unfolding village by village through artillery-heavy assaults and sustained drone use rather than sweeping offensives. While Moscow failed to capture major new cities or trigger a collapse in Ukrainian defenses, it expanded control in parts of eastern and southern Ukraine, maintaining pressure across multiple fronts and keeping territorial questions central to both the fighting and any future negotiations.
U.S. President Donald Trump speaks with Russian President Vladimir Putin, as they meet to negotiate for an end to the war in Ukraine, at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson in Anchorage, Alaska, U.S., August 15, 2025. (REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque)
Ukraine, for its part, did not mount a large-scale counteroffensive in 2025 comparable to earlier phases of the war. Ukrainian forces achieved localized tactical successes, at times reclaiming small areas or reversing specific Russian advances, but these gains were limited in scope and often temporary. None translated into a sustained territorial breakthrough capable of altering the broader balance of the front.
Instead, Kyiv focused on preventing further losses, reinforcing defensive lines, and imposing costs on Russian forces through precision strikes and asymmetric tactics. With decisive territorial gains out of reach, Ukraine expanded attacks against Russian energy infrastructure, targeting refineries, fuel depots and other hubs critical to sustaining Moscow’s war effort — including sites deep inside Russian territory.
ZELENSKYY SAYS FRESH RUSSIAN ATTACK ON UKRAINE SHOWS PUTIN’S ‘TRUE ATTITUDE’ AHEAD OF TRUMP MEETING
Russia, meanwhile, continued its own campaign against Ukraine’s energy grid, striking power and heating infrastructure as part of a broader effort to strain Ukraine’s economy, civilian resilience and air defenses. The result was a widening pattern of horizontal escalation, as both sides sought leverage beyond the front lines without achieving a decisive military outcome.
The result was a battlefield stalemate with movement at the margins: Russia advanced just enough to sustain its territorial claims and domestic narrative, while Ukraine proved capable of blunting assaults and imposing costs but not of reclaiming large swaths of occupied land. The fighting underscored a central reality of 2025 — territory still mattered deeply to both sides, but neither possessed the military leverage needed to force a decisive shift.
Firefighters surveying the scene from Russia’s missile attack on the Kharkiv Region in Ukraine. (Kharkiv Regional Governor Oleh Sunyiehubov Office/ via AP)
That dynamic would increasingly shape the limits of diplomacy. Without a major change on the battlefield, talks could test red lines and clarify positions, but not compel compromise.
Why talks stalled: leverage without decision
For all the diplomatic activity in 2025, negotiations repeatedly ran into the same obstacle: neither Russia nor Ukraine faced the kind of pressure that would force a decisive compromise.
On the battlefield, Russia continued to absorb losses while pressing for incremental territorial gains, reinforcing Moscow’s belief that time remained on its side. Ukrainian forces, though increasingly strained, succeeded in preventing a collapse and in imposing costs through deep strikes and attacks on Russia’s energy infrastructure — demonstrating an ability to shape the conflict even without major territorial advances.
Economic pressure also reshaped — but did not determine — Moscow’s calculus. Despite years of Western sanctions, Russia continued financing its war effort in 2025, ramping up defense production and adapting its economy to sustain prolonged conflict. While sanctions constrained growth and access to advanced technology, they raised the long-term costs of the war without producing the immediate pressure needed to force President Vladimir Putin toward concessions.
Ukrainian servicemen of the 44th artillery brigade fire a 2s22 Bohdana self-propelled howitzer towards Russian positions at the frontline in the Zaporizhzhia region, Ukraine, Wednesday, Aug. 20, 2025. (Danylo Antoniuk/AP Photo)
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP
Those realities defined the limits of U.S. mediation. While the Trump administration pushed both sides to clarify red lines and explore possible frameworks for ending the war, Washington could illuminate choices without dictating outcomes, absent a decisive shift on the ground or a sudden change in Moscow’s calculations.
The result was a year of talks that clarified positions without closing gaps. As long as pressure produced pain without decision, negotiations could narrow options and define boundaries, even if they could not yet bring the conflict to an end.
russia,ukraine,world,vladimir putin,volodymyr zelenskyy,foreign policy,wars,donald trump
INTERNACIONAL
Two African nations ban American citizens in diplomatic tit-for-tat following Trump admin move
NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!
Two West African nations have issued a simultaneous ban on American citizens in a diplomatic tit-for-tat move, amidst heightened tensions with both the United States and Europe, and as Russia seeks to increase its economic and geopolitical influence in the region.
Dozens of Wagner forces were massacred in Mali following an ambush by Tuareg rebels on July 27, 2024. (East2West)
Mali and Burkina Faso made the move in response to the Trump administration’s Dec. 16 expansion of travel restrictions to more than 20 countries. The policy particularly affected the African continent, with Chad, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Libya, Niger, Republic of the Congo, Sierra Leone, Somalia, South Sudan and Sudan also being subject to travel restrictions.
‘DEPART IMMEDIATELY’: STATE DEPARTMENT WARNS AMERICANS AS AL QAEDA THREATENS TO OVERRUN AFRICAN NATION
The Trump administration cited the persistence of armed attacks in both nations as part of the rationale for its decision:
«According to the Department of State, terrorist organizations continue to plan and conduct terrorist activities throughout Burkina Faso. According to the Fiscal Year 2024, Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Entry/Exit Overstay Report (‘Overstay Report’), Burkina Faso had a B-1/B-2 visa overstay rate of 9.16 percent and a student (F), vocational (M), and exchange visitor (J) visa overstay rate of 22.95 percent. Additionally, Burkina Faso has historically refused to accept back its removable nationals.»
Regarding its decision to include Mali on the list, it stated:
«According to the Department of State, armed conflict between the Malian government and armed groups is common throughout the country. Terrorist organizations operate freely in certain areas of Mali.»
Burkina Faso and Mali are both currently ruled by military juntas that came to power amidst rising violence and instability, as both nations came under attack from Islamist terrorist groups.
A mural is seen, March 1, 2023, in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso. Military forces in Burkina Faso killed 223 civilians, including babies and many children, in attacks on two villages accused of cooperating with militants, Human Rights Watch said in a report published Thursday, April 24, 2024. (AP Photo, File)
Both nations have also seen a rise in anti-French sentiment, in conjunction with deepening relationships with Russia, which has pledged to offer assistance in fighting back the Islamist rebels battling the central governments for territorial control.
MILITARY-LED MALI SUSPENDS ALL POLITICAL ACTIVITY UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE
«In accordance with the principle of reciprocity, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation informs the national and international community that, with immediate effect, the Government of the Republic of Mali will apply the same conditions and requirements to US nationals as those imposed on Malian citizens,» the Malian Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated.
Malian soldiers check a vehicle in the garrison town of Kati, Mali, on Tuesday, Aug. 18, 2020. Malian soldiers took up arms and began detaining senior military officers in an apparent mutiny, raising fears of a potential coup after several months of anti-government demonstrations calling for the president’s resignation. (AP Photo/Mohamed Salaha)
Burkina Faso’s government cited a similar rationale for issuing its ban on American travelers.
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP
Both nations, as well as neighboring Niger and Nigeria, have seen skyrocketing violence in recent years, as chronically underfunded governments struggle to retain control of rural, sparsely-populated desert regions.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
africa,terrorism,foreign policy
Importante banco de Wall Street pronostica oro a u$s5.000 y anticipa los ganadores del 2026
Flavio Azzaro revivió su reacción cuando se enteró que su mujer estaba embarazada
Los peritos judiciales tasaron en más de US$20 millones la mansión de Pilar adjudicada a «Chiqui» Tapia y Toviggino
El Gobierno acelera la compra de cuatro helicópteros italianos para la Armada
Murió a los 74 años el “Nene” Magán, gloria de Independiente y Newell’s
El Gobierno evalúa convocar a nuevas sesiones extraordinarias para adelantar la reforma laboral
Calor extremo en el AMBA: cuándo la temperatura rozará los 40 grados
Calendario de pagos de ANSES de enero 2026: cuándo cobran jubilados, pensionados y beneficiarios de planes sociales
Patricia Bullrich destacó la aprobación del Presupuesto 2026 y la ruptura del peronismo en el Senado
Jana Maradona, hija de Diego: «Toda la vida estuve en juicio con mi papá»
SOCIEDAD2 días agoCalor extremo en el AMBA: cuándo la temperatura rozará los 40 grados
- ECONOMIA3 días ago
Calendario de pagos de ANSES de enero 2026: cuándo cobran jubilados, pensionados y beneficiarios de planes sociales
- POLITICA3 días ago
Patricia Bullrich destacó la aprobación del Presupuesto 2026 y la ruptura del peronismo en el Senado
