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Top GOP senator says Syria ceasefire welcome but actions must match words
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The Syrian army’s rapid-fire conquest of important areas and towns previously controlled by the U.S.-allied Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), culminated on Sunday in a fragile ceasefire agreement with a stern warning from a powerful U.S. Senator and experts about the reported crimes of forces controlled by President Ahmed al-Sharaa.
Jim Risch, R-Idaho., chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, told Fox News Digital, «The Syrian government’s decree to respect Kurdish rights is a good sign, but the conduct of its forces on the ground must match. Division and violence in Syria between U.S. partners only benefit bad actors like ISIS and Iran who exploit Syria to use as a breeding ground for international terrorism, including against the U.S. I welcome the announcement of a ceasefire and will be watching its implementation closely.»
Al-Sharaa, a former U.S.-designated terrorist who was a member of the Islamic State and al-Qaeda, greenlighted an incursion into territory ruled peacefully by the SDF for over a decade.
Amid Risch’s warning, reports coming out of Syria claim skirmishes between the Syrian army and SDF are continuing.
134 HOUSE REPUBLICANS DEMAND ‘ASSURANCES’ BEFORE US EASES SYRIA SANCTIONS
Some locals welcome the Syrian army following the withdrawal of the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), in Tabqa, Syria, Jan. 18, 2026. (Karam al-Masri/Reuters)
The news organization, Kurdistan 24, showed alleged footage of al-Sharaa’s forces releasing Islamic State prisoners. According to the report, «The Syrian Arab Army releases ISIS prisoners in al-Tabqah city.»
The footage has been widely posted on social media. Fox News Digital could not independently verify the video.
Jim Risch, R-Idaho., chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, told Fox News Digital, «The Syrian government’s decree to respect Kurdish rights is a good sign, but the conduct of its forces on the ground must match.» (Andrew Caballero-Reynolds/AFP via Getty Images)
The State Department referred Fox News Digital to an X post from the U.S. Ambassador to Turkey, Tom Barrack, who also serves as the Special Envoy for Syria. Barrack wrote on X about the deal between SDF General Mazloum Abdi and al-Sharra.
«Two great Syrian leaders, driven by the shared vision of liberating their country and people from tyranny, have now come together to forge a brighter future for all Syrians. This agreement and ceasefire represent a pivotal inflection point, where former adversaries embrace partnership over division.»
TRUMP HOLDS KEY TO SAVING SYRIA’S VANISHING CHRISTIANS IN CRUCIAL WHITE HOUSE MEETING
Soldiers of the Syrian army in the entrance of Sheik Maksoud neighborhood during continuing fighting between the Syrian forces and the SDF on Jan. 10, 2026 in Aleppo, Syria. A ceasefire announced yesterday did not take hold as fighting continued between the Syrian army and Kurdish fighters in the Ashrafieh and Sheikh Maqsoud neighborhoods of Aleppo. Overnight, the army announced that it had completed a security sweep of the Sheikh Maqsoud neighborhood. (Adri Salido/Getty Image)
Barrack added, «President al-Sharaa has affirmed that the Kurds are an integral part of Syria, and the United States looks forward to the seamless integration of our historic partner in the fight against ISIS with the Global Coalition’s newest member, as we press forward in the enduring battle against terrorism.»
However, the People’s Protection Units (YPG) commander Sipan Hamo — a Syrian organization that is part of the SDF — said on the Saturday meeting between U.S. envoy Tom Barrack and Kurdish officials produced no roadmap to a ceasefire. He denied Syria’s Kurds wanted to secede or create an independent state and said their future was in Syria.
«Our greatest hope is that there will be a tangible outcome, especially from the coalition and the United States, meaning that they will intervene more forcefully in the existing problems than what they are currently doing,» Hamo said.
The head of the main Kurdish forces told Reuters that the U.S. should intervene more forcefully to end a Syrian offensive that has gained key territory from Kurdish fighters in recent days.
U.S. forces provide military training to members of the SDF in the Qamisli district in the Al-Hasakah province, Syria on Aug. 18, 2023. (Photo by Hedil Amir/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)
DEADLY STRIKE ON US TROOPS TESTS TRUMP’S COUNTER-ISIS PLAN — AND HIS TRUST IN SYRIA’S NEW LEADER
Government troops launched an offensive on Saturday into territory run for the last decade by semi-autonomous Kurdish authorities in the northeast of Syria, capturing towns on both sides of the Euphrates River and the country’s largest oil and gas field, officials and security sources said.
But given Kurdish «concerns about the changes taking place,» the U.S. should offer assurances of protection to them.
Hamo said that, «In the current situation and the chaos we are living in, the only ones who can offer guarantees are the United States or the coalition,» he added in a rare interview from Hasakeh province, which is still under Kurdish control.
«We believe that the responsibility for everything currently happening inside Syria lies with the Western countries, and especially the United States of America,» he said.
In this March 23, 2019, file photo, U.S.-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) fighters pose for a photo in Baghouz, Syria, after the SDF declared the area free of Islamic State militants. (Maya Alleruzzo/AP Photo)
«Of course, we consider Israel a powerful state in the region with its own agenda. We hope that the same stance taken by other countries in the region towards certain minorities in Syria will be extended to the Kurds as well,» Hamo said.
Asked if he was referring to Israel’s stance towards the Druze minority last summer — when Israel carried out air strikes on the defense ministry, near the presidential palace in Damascus and on Syrian troops advancing on Druze cities, Hamo said, «of course.»
ISRAEL AND SYRIA RESUME DIPLOMATIC DIALOGUE AFTER MONTHS OF SILENCE UNDER US MEDIATION
Tom Barrack met with the Syrian president on behalf of the United States on Saturday, Jan. 10. (@USAMBTurkiye via X)
Mutlu Civiroglu, a Kurdish affairs analyst, told Fox News Digital that, «President Trump has spoken about giving Syria and all its peoples a fresh opportunity to turn a new page. Yet, Ahmed al Sharaa’s actions appear to move against that intention, and many Kurds believe he is abusing the political space that was meant to support stability rather than deepen tensions. «
Civiroglu added that «I don’t think the U.S. is abandoning the Kurds, but President Trump’s good intention is being abused by Sharaa. Lawmakers in Washington have also expressed unease about the interim Syrian government’s treatment of minorities, which reflects broader questions about its commitment to inclusive governance.»
A group of civilians smashes a statue of a female Syrian Democratic Forces fighter in the city of Tabqa after the Syrian army took control of it, in Tabqa, Syria, Jan. 18, 2026. (Karam al-Masri/Reuters)
Civiroglu posted footage on his popular X account of al-Sharaa supporters toppling «a statue of a female Kurdish fighter after interim Syrian government forces seized Tabqa from the SDF. Kurdish fighters backed by the United States had liberated the town from ISIS in May 2017.»
Civiroglu said, «al-Sharaa’s confrontations with Kurdish forces, following earlier pressure on Alawite and Druze areas, reinforce doubts about the interim government’s legitimacy and its ability to represent Syria’s diverse population.
«The International community must remember that the Kurdish people have long fought alongside the United States, France and the West in the campaign against ISIS, and many are watching closely to see how these partners interpret the latest escalation,» he said.
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Max Abrahms, a leading expert on counter-terrorism and a professor of political science at Northeastern University, told Fox News Digital, «The YPG and then SDF were America’s primary counterterrorism forces against Islamic State in Syria during the war. Unlike the so-called «rebels,» our Kurdish warrior friends exhibited both capability and moderation. It’s not surprising that the jihadists, upon taking power in Damascus, would turn their guns on the Kurdish forces. Of course, we need to stand with them.»
syria,terrorism,middle east,al qaeda,isis,national security,foreign policy senate,politics
INTERNACIONAL
Putin lanza una curiosa convocatoria que llega hasta la Argentina: busca repatriar a Rusia talentos académicos y empresariales
El gobierno de Vladimir Putin lanzó una convocatoria por el mundo entero que también llegó a la Argentina a través de los canales oficiales de su embajada en Buenos Aires: buscan “extranjeros y apátridas que deseen contribuir con sus habilidades y conocimientos en Rusia”.
Es un “programa de repatriación” basado en el decreto presidencial 883 del 12 de diciembre de 2025. Y se podrá pedir la inmigración a Rusia a partir del 15 de abril. «El decreto 883 es el primer programa migratorio de Rusia destinado a extraer extranjeros talentosos«, dice la convocatoria con un cuadro diferenciando el objetivo del decreto 702 de 2024 («apoyo humanitario») y del 883 de 2025 («atracción de talento»)
La convocatoria llamó profundamente la atención si se tiene en cuenta que en distintas capitales del mundo entero, como en Buenos Aires, por ejemplo, la inmigración de ciudadanos rusos es muy notable. Se observa una mayoritaria presencia de parejas jóvenes con pequeños hijos nacidos en la Argentina, un camino a la residencia y a la ciudadanía pese a que las normas migratorias se endurecieron. Si se cumple la ley se quedan.
Este otro programa lanzado por Moscú hay que leerlo en clave doméstica de la Federación Rusa y no por su relación con Argentina que, más allá del apoyo de Javier Milei a los ucranianos en su guerra de resistencia contra Rusia, nunca buscó escalar contra Putin. Más aún, se mantiene cauteloso siempre por la buena sintonía de su aliado, Donald Trump, con el líder ruso. Sin ir más lejos el 20 de enero el Vicecanciller ruso, Serguéi Riabkov , se reunió con el embajador argentino en Moscú, Enrique Ignacio Ferrer Vieyra.
En el transcurso de la conversación, «el Embajador presentó la candidatura, propuesta por el Gobierno de Argentina, del Director General del Organismo Internacional de Energía Atómica (OIEA), Rafael Grossi, para el cargo de Secretario General de la ONU.”, señala la información recibida entonces por Clarín.
El programa está dirigido a atraer extranjeros que: “tengan logros académicos o en ciencia, tecnología, producción, deportes, industrias creativas, cultura o educación”; que “hayan hecho una contribución a la sociedad, la economía o a la defensa y seguridad de Rusia”; que “posean profesiones, calificaciones o habilidades muy demandadas”.
Al leerse los detalles son más estrictos porque pueden ir variando las demandas, los académicos con logros científicos y tecnológicos son unos. Los empresarios deben tener ingresos de al menos 10 millones de rublos rusos en determinados sectores de la economía, o deben destacarse en algún sector de las industrias creativas. No se especificaron cuáles. Los estudiantes que se presentes deben demostrar talentos.
Según informó la embajada rusa en Buenos Aires, está abierto a “ciudadanos de todos los países del mundo”, con procedimientos migratorios acelerados (prometen entre 95 y 125 días), se entregan permisos de residencia temporal sin cuotas ni exámenes; y el acceso directo a un permiso de residencia permanente luego de una evaluación de la cancillería rusa, el ministerio del Interior. Es decir, una residencia temporal de 30 días, y una permanente después de los 30 días.
Funcionarios con conocimiento de asuntos geopolíticos que prefirieron no dar su nombre porque el tema que se abordaba señalaron a Clarín que esto hay que leerlo no como una búsqueda de soldados para mandarlos a la guerra sino como una “estrategia de volver al mundo”, teniendo en cuenta que el aislamiento que le impusieron las potencias occidentales tras la invasión de Ucrania “les pega más de lo que creemos y la élite tiene mucha vocación de integrarse”, de convocar ejecutivos, profesionales.
Rusia, que siempre fue muy estricta en materia migratoria, es decir cerrada, aparece ahora ofreciéndose a los inmigrantes, un espejo inverso al de los Estados Unidos.
La convocatoria dice que los cónyuges, padres e hijos (incluidos adoptados o bajo tutela) pueden trasladarse junto con el repatriado; y también que los repatriados y sus familias reciben apoyo integral tanto a nivel federal como regional, incluso a través del Estándar Regional de Integración de Repatriados aplicado en determinadas entidades territoriales rusas de modo piloto.
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Mamdani’s early moves as mayor clash with affordability pledge: ‘Ripple effects are significant’
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New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani ran on a message of making the Big Apple more affordable for everyday Americans, but some of his actions in the first few weeks of his tenure have served to undercut that reality.
In the early days of his time as mayor, Mamdani has already shown a penchant for vehemently defending low-wage, unskilled delivery-app workers in a manner that industry executives and business experts think will hit consumers’ pocketbooks. He sued a delivery app startup earlier this month for allegedly violating the city’s worker-rights laws, and warned the broader range of delivery app companies operating in the city to abide by ramped up worker rights being imposed at the end of the month, or else.
At a press conference announcing the lawsuit and accompanying demand letters issued to delivery app companies warning them to follow the updated worker protections, Mamdani also accused the delivery-app startup, MotoClick, of stealing workers’ tips. Among the reforms Mamdani has signaled he plans to vigorously enforce is a mandated tipping framework that estimates show could push more than half-a-billion in additional costs on consumers annually.
The updated protections will also add more delivery-app companies, such as those that deliver groceries, to the list that must follow the delivery-app worker rights laws, including a mandated minimum wage higher than what some emergency medical services (EMS) personnel in the city make.
‘ZOHRANOMICS’: NYC MAYOR ZOHRAN MAMDANI’S SOCIALIST MATH DOESN’T ADD UP
Zesty is now in beta in San Francisco and New York as DoorDash tests and refines its personalized matching experience. (iStock)
«We know affordability is not just about the cost of goods — it’s about the dignity of work,» Levine told companies including DoorDash, GrubHub and Uber. «Today’s lawsuit against Motoclick is not just an action against one company, it’s a warning to every app-based company from this Administration. You cannot treat workers like they are expendable and get away with it. We will seek full back pay and damages. We will seek full accountability.»
Mamdani pointed to a recent report put out by his Commissioner of the Department of Consumer and Worker Protection (DCWP) Sam Levine, which showed disobeying city mandates going into effect later this month, requiring apps to give the opportunity for customers to tip before or at the same time that an order has been placed, significantly impacts the amount of incoming tip revenue. Levine’s report that Mamdani touted estimates alternative tipping frameworks, such as only allowing tips upon completion of a delivery, have altered tipping revenue by an estimated $550 million per year.
Mamdani also stood by in tacit agreement during the press conference as delivery-app worker advocates called for an increase to their already mandated minimum wage they have that is approximately $4.50 higher for delivery-app drivers than the city’s base minimum wage of $17 per hour. The workers said they wanted a mandate that they get paid $35 per hour, to which Mamdani replied: «closed mouths don’t get fed.»
Mamdani campaigned on raising the base minimum wage to $30 per hour for all New Yorkers by 2030.
New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani at a press conference defending worker rights for delivery-app drivers on Thursday, Jan. 15, 2026. (Michael Nagle/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
Meanwhile, his eager enforcement to protect delivery-app drivers will include making sure a wider breadth of delivery-app companies, such as those who deliver groceries like InstaCart and Shipt, abide by New York City’s extended minimum wage laws for their workers – plus the other mandates related to the tipping structure and more.
DCWP has indicated plans to set a minimum pay rate for all delivery apps by early 2027.
HOURS AFTER TAKING OFFICE, NYC MAYOR MAMDANI TARGETS LANDLORDS, MOVES TO INTERVENE IN PRIVATE BANKRUPTCY CASE
«The challenges facing delivery workers, small businesses, and consumers are real, and deeply interconnected. That’s why this issue cannot be reduced to a single policy lever or viewed in isolation,» a spokesperson for the Bronx Chamber of Commerce told Fox News Digital. «Small businesses across the Bronx and throughout New York City are already under extraordinary pressure. When additional costs are layered on without a full economic analysis, those costs are predictably passed down to consumers or absorbed through reduced hours, reduced staffing, or closures. When businesses close, communities lose jobs, services, and economic anchors, and the ripple effects are significant.»
The Chamber of Commerce spokesperson added that Mamdani has an opportunity «to lead by tackling affordability in a holistic way,» which they said would require «comprehensive cost analysis and coordinated solutions that support workers while ensuring the small business ecosystem and consumer affordability are not unintentionally harmed.»
Signage reading ‘Days of a New Era’ is juxtaposed behind New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani during a press conference he attended about reining in ‘junk fees.’ (Adam Gray/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
When reached for comment about the discrepancy between Mamdani’s message of making New York City more affordable for everyone, versus his push to protect delivery-app worker rights that could impact consumer pricing, a New York City Hall spokesperson argued that «the insinuation that putting more money in the pockets of delivery workers undercuts affordability is absurd.»
«Delivery Workers are important members of our city’s economy, and deserve to be paid fairly – anything less is unacceptable,» the spokesperson added. «As Mayor Mamdani continues to stand up for everyday New Yorkers and actualize his ambitious agenda to make New York City truly livable for families. Affordability has been, and will continue to be, a guiding light.»
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But DoorDash’s head of public policy for North America, John Horton, said that ensuring delivery-app workers «earn double what many first responders in the city make» is not a policy solution they believe will make New York City more affordable. Currently, a local fire technician and emergency medical services union in the city is in the midst of a public awareness campaign to raise their wages because they make less than delivery-app drivers at $18.94 per hour.
Delivery-app workers in New York City must be paid $21.44 per hour according to local worker protection mandates. (iStock)
«A thriving New York will take a partnership between elected officials, the business community and workers to ensure we are all working in the best interests of New Yorkers in the midst of the city’s affordability crisis,» Horton added.
Fox News Digital followed up with Mamdani’s campaign to inquire about the complaint that EMS and some firemen in the city are making less than delivery-app workers, but did not receive a response in time for publication.
zohran mamdani,new york city,state and local,business regulation,small business under siege,politics
INTERNACIONAL
Trump says Iran called ‘numerous’ times to make deal as carrier enters Middle East waters
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President Donald Trump said Iran appears to be looking to negotiate with the U.S. amid a growing military buildup in the Middle East.
In a Monday interview with Axios, Trump suggested that Tehran had reached out on «numerous occasions» and «want[s] to make a deal.»
«They want to make a deal. I know so. They called on numerous occasions. They want to talk,» the president told the outlet.
According to U.S. officials, also cited by Axios, any potential agreement would need Tehran to remove all enriched uranium, cap its long-range missile stockpile, a change in support for regional proxy forces, and cease independent uranium enrichment, terms Iranian leaders have not agreed to.
ISRAELI UN AMBASSADOR SENDS STARK WARNING TO IRAN AMID GROWING UNREST
The USS Abraham Lincoln has arrived in the Middle East amid tensions with Iran. (M. Jeremie Yoder/U.S. Navy via Getty Images)
Trump also described the situation with Iran as «in flux,» and pointed to the arrival of what he called «a big armada next to Iran. Bigger than Venezuela,» referencing the recent deployment of U.S. naval assets.
As previously reported by Fox News Digital, the USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier entered CENTCOM waters in the Indian Ocean on Monday amid increasing threats from Iran, a senior U.S. official said.
«We have a big flotilla going in that direction, and we’ll see what happens,» Trump said of Iran. (Majid Saeedi/Getty Images; Yuri Gripas/Abaca/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
Trump had told reporters Jan. 21, «We have a big flotilla going in that direction, and we’ll see what happens. We have a big force going towards Iran. I’d rather not see anything happen, but we’re watching them very closely.»
The U.S. military buildup comes amid widespread unrest inside Iran following protests that began Dec. 28.
SECRET SERVICE AWARE AFTER IRANIAN STATE TV AIRS TRUMP THREAT FEATURING PHOTO OF BUTLER ASSASSINATION ATTEMPT
The confirmed death toll amid mass protests in Iran has reportedly reached 5,848, according to the Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA). (MAHSA / Middle East Images / AFP via Getty Images)
According to a recent report from Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA), the confirmed death toll from the protests has reached 5,848, with an additional 17,091 deaths under investigation.
Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has been sheltering in a fortified underground facility, according to Iran International.
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Trump is expected to hold further consultations this week, Axios said, before adding that White House officials said an attack is still on the table.
Fox News Digital has reached out to the White House for comment.
iran,donald trump,middle east foreign policy,white house,ali khamenei,national security,defense
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