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NATO ambassador says Europe ‘has a tendency to overreact’ over Greenland dispute
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In an exclusive interview with Fox News Digital, U.S. ambassador to NATO Matthew Whitaker pushed back against growing European backlash over Washington’s focus on Greenland after France announced new military exercises with Denmark, saying Arctic security is a core American defense interest and that Europe «has a tendency to overreact.»
Asked whether the dispute reflects American pressure or European inaction, Whitaker said, «This is ultimately an issue between the United States, Denmark and Greenland.»
Whitaker said Greenland’s importance has been clear for years as the ice melts, it reshapes the Arctic and opens new routes. «The security of the high north, which I’ve talked about a lot before this ever happened, is the most important issue,» he said. «As the ice thaws and as routes open up in the Arctic, Arctic security, and therefore the security of Greenland, which is the northern flank of the continental United States, is crucial.»
GREENLAND LEADERS PUSH BACK ON TRUMP’S CALLS FOR US CONTROL OF THE ISLAND: ‘WE DON’T WANT TO BE AMERICANS’
(L-R) Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Secretary of War Pete Hegseth, U.S. ambassador to NATO Matthew Whitaker and White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles during the NATO summit of heads of state and government on June 25, 2025 in The Hague, Netherlands. (Brendan Smialowski – Pool/Getty Images)
He stressed that Greenland’s location makes it central to U.S. defense planning. «If you think about Greenland as part of the access to the naval assets, that monitoring and awareness and fortification of that part of the Western Hemisphere is crucial for the long-term security of the United States,» Whitaker said.
Whitaker said recent diplomacy shows the issue can be addressed without escalation. «I know that a very successful meeting happened between the Danes and Greenland and Vice President Vance and Secretary of State Rubio, so I think it’s going to be constructive,» he said.
Still, he cautioned European allies against inflaming tensions. «Europe sometimes has a tendency to overreact anytime that an issue is put out on the table,» Whitaker said. «This is one of those things where cooler heads need to prevail.»
US COMMANDER SAYS RUSSIA AND CHINA’S ARCTIC PATROLS ARE ‘NOT FOR PEACEFUL PURPOSES’
Military vessel HDMS Ejnar Mikkelsen of the Royal Danish Navy patrols near Nuuk, Greenland, Wednesday, March 5, 2025. (Evgeniy Maloletka/AP Photo)
NATO, deterrence and the «Reagan spirit»
Speaking from the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library, Whitaker used Reagan’s «peace through strength» doctrine as justification for pushing NATO allies to spend more and move faster.
«The most important thing that we’re doing at NATO is, one, the United States is strong. Nobody denies that. We have demonstrated through Midnight Hammer, through what we did in Venezuela and elsewhere, that the United States is capable and can project power. We want all of our allies inside of NATO to be equally as strong, and they’re not at this point in time,» he said.
He added, «Some of them have certainly become more capable, and that’s why you can’t just paint with a broad brush when it comes to all of our NATO allies. But there are some that are not.»
TRUMP GREENLAND TAKEOVER WOULD END NATO, DENMARK ASSERTS
A Polish Army soldier sits in a tank as a NATO flag flies behind during the NATO Noble Jump VJTF exercises on June 18, 2015, in Zagan, Poland. (Sean Gallup/Getty Images)
«Europe and the EU are going to have to untie their hands from behind their back,» he continued. «They’re going to have to deregulate, they are going to have to find more capital and economic growth, because at the end of the day, that’s what’s going to allow them to live up to the promises they’ve made to increase their defense spending and therefore their defense capabilities.»
He said, «One of the things that I’m talking about constantly with our friends downtown in the EU,» Whitaker added, «is that they have to get their economy going, and there are proven, tried-and-true ways to do it.»
Whitaker said his top priority is ensuring NATO allies follow through on the major defense commitments agreed to last year in The Hague.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio (R) and the US Permanent Representative to NATO Matthew Whitaker (L) arrive at NATO Headquarters on the first day of the NATO Foreign Ministers’ Meeting on April 03, 2025 in Brussels, Belgium. (Omar Havana/Getty Images)
«This is number one on my list right now,» he said, «making sure that the political commitments we made in The Hague turn into real military capabilities at NATO.»
He said proximity to Russia has shaped how seriously countries take the threat.
«You look at the Baltic countries like Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia, and you look at the Nordic countries… they’re very aware of the threats that Russia [poses],» Whitaker said, citing Russia’s 2014 annexation of Crimea and its 2022 invasion of Ukraine.
MOST AMERICANS SAY ‘NO’ TO GREENLAND TAKEOVER, WITH EVEN REPUBLICANS SPLIT: POLL
A NATO military force stands guard ahead of the two-day NATO summit at the World Forum, in The Hague, on June 22, 2025. (Remko de Waal /ANP/AFP via Getty Images)
Poland, he added, stands out. «Poland is clear-eyed,» Whitaker said. «They’re gonna spend over 5% on core defense in the coming year or two.»
Others, he said, are still lagging. «I keep a dashboard, a one-page dashboard on my desk that is updated regularly,» Whitaker said. «It’s too soon to tell.» «It has to be on capabilities,» he said. «It has to make them stronger, ready to fight tonight.»
«President Trump announced a $1.5 trillion defense budget,» Whitaker said. «We’ve demonstrated our capabilities that nobody else can match right now.»
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NATO leaders pose in this shot taken in June. Military leaders are meeting in Washington on Tuesday evening to discuss security options for Ukraine. (Claudia Greco/Reuters)
«I’m here at the Reagan Library, and it reminds me, Ronald Reagan really was able to put those policies in place to spur growth,» Whitaker said. «President Trump certainly has followed that same tradition, to unleash the American entrepreneur, unleash American innovation, and get out of the way, get the regulations out of the way so that American companies can grow and prosper.»
As NATO moves forward, Whitaker said pressure on allies will remain. «We’re asking our European and Canadian allies to do more,» he said. «So far, so good.»
europe,nato,donald trump,national security,foreign policy
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Border Patrol commander Gregory Bovino, the face of the Trump administration’s campaign to arrest and deport criminal illegal immigrants, will be leaving Minnesota, along with some border agents, amid violent, and sometimes deadly, clashes between federal authorities and anti-ICE agitators.
Bovino and an unspecified number of U.S. Border Patrol agents will be leaving the state as soon as Tuesday, multiple federal sources told Fox News.
«Chief Gregory Bovino has NOT been relieved of his duties,» DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin later wrote on X. «As @PressSec stated from the White House podium, @CMDROpAtLargeCA is a key part of the President’s team and a great American.»
The news came the same day that President Donald Trump announced that he would be deploying border czar Tom Homan to take point in Minnesota. White House Press secretary Karoline Leavitt on Monday defended Bovino, calling him a «wonderful man, and he’s a great professional.»
DEPUTY AG DEFENDS ICE AGENTS IN MINNESOTA, SAYS OFFICERS ARE ‘ACTING HUMANELY’
People yell at U.S. Border Patrol Cmdr. Gregory Bovino and other agents while they stop at a gas station. Bovino will be leaving Minnesota amid contentious immigration enforcement operations, sources told Fox News. (Armando L. Sanchez/Chicago Tribune/Tribune News Service via Getty Images)
«He is going to very much continue to lead Customs and Border Patrol, throughout and across the country,» Leavitt said. «Mr. Homan will be the main point of contact on the ground in Minneapolis to follow up.»
Fox News Digital has reached out to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP).
Before leading operations throughout the country, Bovino was chief of the Border Patrol’s El Centro Sector in Southern California, which is responsible for 70 miles of the U.S.-Mexico border and covers Imperial and Riverside counties. He will return to his previous post where he will resume his previous duties.
Bovino’s «commander of at large operations» position was created by DHS and took him outside of Border Patrol command.
Bovino has been criticized by opponents of Trump’s deportation campaign over tactics used by federal immigration authorities to apprehend criminal illegal aliens.
California Gov. Gavin Newsom, a harsh critic of the Trump administration’s crackdown on illegal immigration, praised news of Bovino’s impending departure from Minnesota.
TRUMP CONFIRMS FEDERAL REVIEW OF MINNEAPOLIS SHOOTING THAT KILLED NURSE: ‘REVIEWING EVERYTHING’
A Border Patrol agent chatted with a protester in Minnesota on Thursday, finding common ground over military service. (Brendan Gutenschwager via Storyful)
«Gestapo Greg is out. Keep the pressure up. It’s working,» he wrote on X.
In another post, he called for the firing of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem and White House deputy chief of staff Stephen Miller.
News of Bovino’s departure came after a deadly weekend in which 37-year-old nurse Alex J. Pretti was fatally shot by a U.S. Border Patrol agent. Pretti, who was armed with a handgun, was filming federal officers on a Minneapolis street.
Authorities said Pretti was resisting disarmament when he was shot.
At the time, authorities were targeting Jose Huerta-Chuma, an illegal immigrant with a criminal history including domestic assault for intentional conflict with bodily harm, disorderly conduct and driving without a valid license.
Trump said Homan will report «directly to me» and will help lead the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) operations in Minneapolis and St. Paul.
«I am sending Tom Homan to Minnesota tonight. He has not been involved in that area, but knows and likes many of the people there. Tom is tough but fair, and will report directly to me,» Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform.
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«Separately, a major investigation is going on with respect to the massive 20 Billion Dollar, Plus, Welfare Fraud that has taken place in Minnesota, and is at least partially responsible for the violent organized protests going on in the streets,» he continued.
border security,minnesota,us
INTERNACIONAL
Represión en Irán: el régimen detiene a manifestantes heridos en los hospitales como parte de la represión
Miles de manifestantes heridos en las recientes protestas en Irán habrían sido retirados de hospitales y detenidos por fuerzas de seguridad, según denunció la relatora especial de las Naciones Unidas sobre Irán, Mai Sato. Esta práctica constituiría una violación grave del derecho a la atención médica, protegido por la legislación internacional.
La experta, que también es profesora en la Universidad Birkbeck de Londres, declaró que recibió múltiples informes sobre el retiro forzoso de pacientes en hospitales de diversas provincias. En declaraciones a Reuters, Sato explicó que familias acudieron a los hospitales al día siguiente de los incidentes y no encontraron a sus seres queridos. Además, señaló que las familias enfrentan demandas de entre USD 5.000 y USD 7.000 para recuperar los cuerpos de sus familiares fallecidos, una carga económica significativa ante las dificultades actuales en el país.
El grupo de derechos humanos HRANA, con sede en Estados Unidos, estima que la cifra de muertos vinculados a las protestas asciende a 5.937, incluyendo 214 miembros de las fuerzas de seguridad. Por su parte, las autoridades iraníes reconocen oficialmente 3.117 fallecidos. Tanto Sato como Reuters aclararon que no han podido verificar de forma independiente estos datos, aunque la relatora considera que las víctimas mortales superan ampliamente las cifras oficiales.
Miembros del personal sanitario en Irán, entrevistados bajo condición de anonimato por Reuters, confirmaron que las fuerzas de seguridad han irrumpido en hospitales, retirando a pacientes y buscando los registros de manifestantes heridos para proceder a su detención. Un médico de la ciudad de Rasht relató que, tras ser operados por heridas de bala, decenas de pacientes fueron sacados por la Guardia Revolucionaria sin que se sepa su paradero. Una enfermera y dos médicos en hospitales de Teherán aseguraron que agentes de la Guardia y la policía revisaron habitaciones en busca de manifestantes heridos.
Estas acciones han disuadido a la población de buscar atención médica, por temor a ser arrestados, lo que representa un riesgo para la vida y la salud de los heridos. Sato advirtió que esta conducta vulnera el principio de neutralidad médica, protegido por los Convenios de Ginebra, que garantizan la protección de doctores, hospitales y pacientes para asegurar una atención imparcial.
Según informes citados por Sato, las fuerzas de seguridad han disparado a manifestantes en el pecho y la cabeza en las 31 provincias del país, apuntando a órganos vitales y haciendo uso de la fuerza letal de manera indiscriminada. El derecho internacional solo permite este tipo de acciones como último recurso y de forma proporcionada. Sato afirmó que estos hechos podrían constituir “muertes ilegales y ejecuciones arbitrarias”, además de alertar sobre un aumento de lesiones oculares causadas por perdigones en las protestas recientes.
La relatora también denunció que las exigencias de pago para la entrega de cadáveres agravan el sufrimiento de las familias, al combinar el dolor con la extorsión. Señaló que el intento de las autoridades iraníes de calificar a los manifestantes de “terroristas” o “alborotadores” busca justificar la represión de lo que describió como un movimiento local y espontáneo.
Al menos 240 confesiones forzadas han sido transmitidas recientemente por la televisión estatal de Irán, según denunció un grupo de derechos humanos. Los videos presentan a los arrestados confesando crímenes que incluyen violencia contra miembros de las fuerzas de seguridad, colaboración con opositores o potencias extranjeras y la simple interacción con cuentas críticas en redes sociales.
Diversas organizaciones, entre ellas Amnistía Internacional, han calificado estas grabaciones de “videos de propaganda” y han denunciado que las confesiones serían obtenidas bajo tortura física y psicológica. Se ha reportado que los detenidos son obligados a firmar declaraciones que no pueden leer y a admitir delitos que no cometieron, incluidas acciones pacíficas de disenso.
El jefe del poder judicial iraní, Gholamhossein Mohseni Ejei, ha encabezado personalmente algunas de estas interrogaciones televisadas. Según Roya Boroumand, directora del Centro Abdorrahman Boroumand para los Derechos Humanos en Irán con sede en Estados Unidos, estas confesiones cumplen varias funciones: fabricar legitimidad política, presentar a los manifestantes como agentes violentos de intereses extranjeros y desincentivar la disidencia. Boroumand afirmó que este tipo de prácticas se utilizan para humillar y desacreditar a los opositores, además de recordar a la sociedad el alto costo de desafiar al Estado.
Las protestas, originadas por motivos económicos, se transformaron en un movimiento masivo contra la república islámica, especialmente a partir del 8 de enero, cuando las autoridades impusieron un apagón de internet. Miles de personas murieron durante la represión de las manifestaciones, según datos de la organización Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA), que también contabilizó más de 41.000 arrestos y 240 confesiones forzadas durante el operativo.
El Centro para los Derechos Humanos en Irán (CHRI) ha calificado la escala actual de confesiones forzadas como sin precedentes, subrayando que estas declaraciones suelen ser la única prueba utilizada para condenar, incluso en casos donde se impone la pena de muerte. Boroumand explicó que al exhibir a los disidentes confesando actos como “colusión con potencias extranjeras”, el Estado legitima la represión con el argumento de proteger la seguridad nacional y usa la confesión televisiva como prueba de culpabilidad para justificar castigos severos.
(Con información de Reuters y AFP)
Civil Conflict,Demonstrations,Domestic Politics,Riots,Middle East,Government / Politics,Civil Unrest
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Iranian security forces gun down amateur boxer as father searches morgues for missing son: source
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An Iranian amateur boxer was shot and killed by Iranian security forces during ongoing anti-regime protests near Tehran, and his father spent a week searching before identifying his body in a black body bag.
Harrowing footage circulating online shows his distraught father desperately searching among piles of bodies covered with black body bags, crying out for his missing son.
Sepehr Ebrahimi, 19, was killed on Jan. 11 in the Andisheh area, approximately 19 miles west of Tehran’s city center, according to Iranian opposition sources.
«Sepehr was shot and killed in Tehran,» Ali Safavi, a senior official with the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI), told Fox News Digital.
IRAN LOCKS NATION INTO ‘DARKER’ DIGITAL BLACKOUT, VIEWING INTERNET AS AN ‘EXISTENTIAL THREAT’
Sepehr Ebrahimi was a 19-year-old amateur boxer. His father spent a week searching for his body after he was killed. (Simay Azadi/National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI))
Video shared on social media, which was viewed by Fox News Digital, shows Ebrahimi’s father calling out his son’s name as he searches a warehouse filled with unidentified bodies following a violent crackdown on demonstrators.
«My dear Sepehr, where are you?» the father can be heard crying. At one point, he shouts, «Damn Khamenei. They have killed the children of so many people. You killed so many young people!»
According to Safavi, Ebrahimi was shot with live ammunition by Iran’s security forces during protests against the clerical regime.
His family spent an agonizing week searching through morgues, hospitals and detention facilities before finally identifying his body among piles of corpses, also shown in the viral footage.
KHAMENEI CALLS TRUMP A ‘CRIMINAL,’ BLAMES HIM FOR DEADLY PROTESTS SWEEPING IRAN
Iranians attend an anti-government protest in Tehran, Iran, Jan. 9, 2026. (UGC via AP)
The killing comes amid ongoing demonstrations across Iran, as anger continues to simmer over political repression, economic hardship and human rights abuses.
Ebrahimi’s death has also renewed attention on the case of another Iranian boxer, Mohammad Javad Vafaei Sani, who is on death row.
Vafaei Sani, now 30, is a champion boxer who was arrested in 2020 for participating in nationwide pro-democracy protests.
Iranian authorities accused him of supporting the opposition group the People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (MEK).
He has spent five years in prison, during which he has reportedly been tortured and held in prolonged solitary confinement, according to rights organizations.
IRANIAN SOLDIER SENTENCED TO DEATH FOR REFUSING TO FIRE ON PROTESTERS DURING NATIONWIDE UNREST
In 2023, more than 100 human rights experts and international organizations sent a letter to U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk, urging urgent intervention to stop Vafaei Sani’s execution.
His death sentence echoes the case of Iranian wrestling champion Navid Afkari, who was executed in September 2020.
Meanwhile, the death of Ebrahimi and others come as Iran’s protest-related death toll continues to rise.
According to the Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA), at least 6,126 people have been killed since the start of the latest wave of protests.
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HRANA also reported that 214 government-affiliated forces and 49 civilians have also been killed, while more than 17,000 deaths remain under investigation.
iran,middle east,ali khamenei,world protests,persecutions,boxing
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