INTERNACIONAL
Tras la guerra de los 12 días, la dictadura de Nicaragua desafía a Occidente con un contundente apoyo al programa nuclear iraní
Tras la reciente guerra de 12 días entre Israel e Irán, que puso al mundo al borde de un conflicto global, la dictadura nicaragüense de Daniel Ortega y Rosario Murillo reafirmó su alianza política, ideológica y estratégica con el régimen de los ayatolás.
El respaldo explícito a la República Islámica convierte a Nicaragua en una ficha clave en el tablero geopolítico global, justo cuando Estados Unidos advierte que “los países de América Latina deben elegir de qué lado van a estar”.
El pasado lunes 23 de junio, en un acto oficial transmitido por la televisión estatal, Ortega reiteró su respaldo al régimen de Irán, justificó su programa nuclear y atacó a Israel y Estados Unidos. “Para que ningún país sea agredido, sancionado, invadido, bombardeado, todos los países deberían tener sus armitas atómicas”, afirmó el dictador nicaragüense, en una apología apenas disimulada de la proliferación nuclear.
Aunque luego pidió el desarme de las grandes potencias, dejó entrever un guiño a la carrera armamentista: “Si a nosotros se nos ocurriera buscar unos cuantos cohetes para que no nos toquen… pero no se nos ocurre”.
No es la primera vez que Ortega reclama el derecho a tener armas atómicas. “Que solo unos (países) tengan derecho a tener bombas atómicas eso no es democracia, eso es tiranía, es dictadura”, apuntó Ortega en un discurso, en junio de 2021.
Lo hizo de nuevo en febrero de 2023 cuando recibió al entonces canciller iraní, Hossein Amir Abdollahian. “En este mundo lo que cabría es que todos buscáramos cómo tener nuestra armita atómica para que nos respeten, porque ahí sí respetan cuando saben que a ese que quieren aplastar tiene el arma atómica”, expresó.
La retórica de Ortega se alinea abiertamente con regímenes autoritarias como Irán, Rusia, China y Corea del Norte. “La esperanza está en estas potencias como China… lo mismo pasa con la Federación Rusa”, reafirmó, y en otro tramo del discurso, defendió a Corea del Norte: “Se han reventado de furia cuando el presidente de Corea del Norte anuncia que no se van a quedar de brazos cruzados ante una agresión”.
Pero el respaldo más explícito fue para Irán. Ortega tildó de “verdugo” al primer ministro israelí Benjamín Netanyahu y sostuvo que los ataques israelíes y estadounidenses contra Irán son “una guerra de desgaste”.
Aseguró que el programa nuclear iraní es “para fines pacíficos” y acusó a Occidente de manipular la información.
El estrecho vínculo entre Nicaragua e Irán no es nuevo. Comenzó formalmente en 1979, con el triunfo casi simultáneo de las revoluciones sandinista e islámica, cuando Irán empezó a ver hacia Latinoamérica, sobre todo estrechando lazos ideológicos con Cuba y Nicaragua.
“La ambición de Irán es tener influencia y presencia militar como la tiene en el Medio Oriente”, indicó Joseph Humire, experto en seguridad global y antiterrorismo, director del Centro para una Sociedad Libre y Segura con sede en Washington, en el informe de Diálogo Américas publicado en febrero de 2024. “Obviamente, estamos hablando de otra parte del mundo, donde llegar a ese nivel tomará tiempo, pero todo indica que va hacia esa dirección”.
La relación de Irán con Nicaragua se profundizó a partir de 2007, con el retorno de Ortega al poder. Desde entonces, Managua ha sido escenario de visitas de altos funcionarios iraníes, como el ex canciller Hossein Amir‑Abdollahian y, tres meses después, el propio fallecido presidente Ebrahim Raisi, en junio de 2023.
Durante esas visitas se firmaron múltiples convenios: cooperación en salud, tecnología, exportaciones, ciencia, industria y agricultura. “Con la firma de este memorando ambos países hermanos adoptamos un mecanismo de coordinación y consultas regulares”, dijo el canciller nicaragüense Denis Moncada en febrero de 2023. En junio, se ratificó la creación de una Comisión Binacional Intergubernamental.
Sin embargo, más allá de las declaraciones y documentos, Estados Unidos ve con preocupación el uso potencial de Nicaragua como plataforma para operaciones iraníes.
Durante la visita del canciller iraní, Laureano Ortega Murillo, hijo de Daniel Ortega y Rosario Murillo, ofreció a Nicaragua como una plataforma para el régimen de Irán en Centroamérica. “Irán tiene un gran desarrollo tecnológico, industrial, comercial, del cual Nicaragua puede verse altamente beneficiado y Nicaragua tiene y juega un papel fundamental en la región centroamericana como una plataforma para la exportación de productos, para hacer una vitrina de productos iraníes en toda la región centroamericana, también un papel muy importante en la diplomacia y la geopolítica”, dijo Ortega Murillo.
Analistas señalan que Irán podría estar replicando el modelo utilizado en otros países, como Argentina, donde utilizó sedes diplomáticas para establecer redes de inteligencia y apoyo logístico al grupo terrorista libanés Hezbollah.
A esa preocupación se suma un informe de inteligencia filtrado por el Pentágono y citado por The New York Times en abril de 2023, que revela que altos funcionarios de Nicaragua e Irán discutieron en privado la posibilidad de una cooperación militar directa. El reporte alertó sobre un creciente acercamiento estratégico que podría incluir desde asistencia militar hasta el uso de Nicaragua como canal logístico o base de operaciones encubiertas.
En noviembre del año pasado, la dictadura nicaragüense aprobó la Ley de Telecomunicaciones Convergentes, que amplía la capacidad del régimen para intervenir llamadas, rastrear comunicaciones y operar un sistema de vigilancia masiva. Aunque no se ha confirmado cooperación directa de Irán en este campo, los expertos advierten que la red de control digital instalada podría estar recibiendo asesoría o apoyo técnico de Teherán.
El Departamento de Estado norteamericano, en voz de una alta funcionaria, advirtió recientemente que “Nicaragua, Cuba y Venezuela son enemigos de la humanidad”, no solo por su represión interna, sino por su cercanía con “un régimen que es un patrocinador estatal del terrorismo”. La diplomática agregó en la víspera de la Asamblea General de la OEA celebrada esta semana: “Es momento de que los países de América Latina decidan de qué lado están”.
La alianza entre Ortega y el régimen iraní ha tenido momentos simbólicos de alto valor propagandístico. En 2007, durante su visita a Teherán, Ortega calificó a ambas revoluciones como “hermanas gemelas”. Desde entonces, ha repetido el discurso antiimperialista de Teherán, y en más de una ocasión ha defendido su derecho a desarrollar potencial nuclear.
El ex canciller nicaragüense, ex reo político y actualmente en el exilio, Francisco Aguirre Sacasa, advirtió en 100% Noticias que “esa relación es tóxica para el país. Nos arriesgamos a sanciones, aislamiento y a convertirnos en un blanco geopolítico”. El ex embajador Mauricio Díaz coincidió: “Estamos jugando con fuego. Convertirse en el peón de Irán no es soberanía, es suicidio”.
En 2012, informes de inteligencia israelíes alertaron sobre la presencia de Hezbollah en Nicaragua, aunque Managua negó los señalamientos.
Opositores en el exilio han condenado la ruta que siguen los Ortega Murillo. “Ortega está entregando el país a una alianza de dictaduras”, dijo desde Costa Rica el dirigente opositor Félix Maradiaga. “Hoy somos plataforma para Irán; mañana podríamos ser blanco de represalias”.
Los acuerdos económicos firmados con Irán, como el proyecto de un puerto en el Caribe, una conexión ferroviaria y una planta cementera, han quedado en promesas. Pero el objetivo principal del vínculo parece ser político e ideológico: consolidar un bloque de países alineados contra Estados Unidos.
En la región, la reacción ha sido mixta. Mientras Venezuela y Cuba respaldan a Irán, países como Brasil y Colombia han marcado distancia. México guarda silencio. Pero el alineamiento de Ortega con Teherán tiene implicaciones que trascienden lo local: Nicaragua podría convertirse en un punto de tránsito, inteligencia o incluso entrenamiento para redes iraníes o sus aliados.
“El peligro no es que Irán instale una base militar en Nicaragua, sino que ya lo esté usando como una base de operaciones encubiertas”, alertó Humire.
diplomacy,iran,politics,usa
INTERNACIONAL
Shapiro fires back at DHS, says truck driver accused in deadly crash had legal status in database
NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!
Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro’s team is disputing the Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) assertions about the immigration status of a semi-truck driver involved in a crash that left four dead in Indiana. The driver was taken into U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) custody after a detainer was placed on him.
DHS said the driver, Bekzhan Beishekeev, a 30-year-old national of Kyrgyzstan, came into the U.S. «illegally» using the controversial CBP One app and was later issued a commercial driver’s license (CDL) in Pennsylvania. The department confirmed to Fox News that Beishekeev entered the country on Dec. 19, 2023, at the Nogales, Ariz., port of entry, using the CBP One app and was released into the U.S. via parole by the Biden administration.
«Not only was Bekzhan Beishekeev released into our country by the Biden administration using the CBP One app, but he was also given a commercial driver’s license by Governor Shapiro’s Pennsylvania. These decisions have had deadly consequences and led to the death of four innocent people in Indiana on Tuesday,» DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin said in a statement.
McLaughlin then called on «sanctuary» governors to stop issuing CDLs to illegal immigrants «before another American gets killed.»
SEMI-TRUCK DRIVER HELD ON ICE DETAINER AFTER 4 KILLED IN HEAD-ON CRASH
Bekzhan Beishekeev, a 30-year-old national of Kyrgyzstan, was allegedly involved in a crash that left four dead. (Fox News/DHS)
Shapiro’s office argues that Beishekeev had legal status when he was issued the license in July 2025 and that he could still be eligible under a DHS database to receive one.
«Every person who applies for a non-domiciled commercial driver’s license issued by PennDOT must provide proof of identify and proof of their legal presence in the United States. That information is verified by the federal Systematic Alien Verification for Entitlements (SAVE) database, administered by Kristi Noem and the United States Department of Homeland Security,» Shapiro spokesperson Alex Peterson said in a statement provided to Fox News.
«The individual in question had legal status in Kristi Noem’s database when the license was issued in July 2025 and still shows as eligible to receive a license as of today. Kristi Noem should focus on minding the shop in her own agency, as her incompetence and operational failures seem to be matching the scale of her moral failures as the Secretary of Homeland Security,» Peterson added.
The Indiana State Police is investigating the crash in Jay County. (Indiana State Police)
ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT ALLEGEDLY RAMS ICE VEHICLE, BITES AGENTS AFTER FAILED GUN PURCHASE IN PITTSBURGH
The deadly crash occurred on Feb. 3 at approximately 4:00 p.m. when Beishekeev was driving eastbound on Indiana’s State Route 67 and allegedly failed to break for a slowed semi-truck in front of him, according to DHS and Indiana State Police. Beishekeev then allegedly swerved into oncoming traffic and slammed into a van carrying 15 passengers. Four people were killed in the crash. DHS said the fatal incident is being investigated by the Indiana State Police, the Jay County Sheriff’s Department and the Jay County Coroner’s Office.
DHS and the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) have warned about the dangers of CDL issuing practices in several states following a series of fatal crashes allegedly involving illegal immigrants.
Bekzhan Beishekeev, left, has been taken into ICE custody following a fatal crash on Feb. 3, 2026, in Jay County, Ind., near the state’s border with Ohio. (Jay County Sheriff’s Department)
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP
In its statement on Beishekeev, DHS noted that ICE had previously arrested another illegal immigrant who was issued a CDL in Pennsylvania.
Akhror Bozorov, 31, is an Uzbek national who DHS said was wanted in his country of origin for belonging to a terrorist organization. Bozorov was arrested in Kansas on Nov. 9 while working as a commercial truck driver, using a CDL issued in Pennsylvania, according to DHS. Bozorov was allegedly granted work authorization in January 2024 under the Biden administration.
Fox News’ Alexis McAdams and Fox News Digital’s Gregary Norman-Diamond contributed to this report.
politics,us,illegal immigrants,pennsylvania
INTERNACIONAL
Iran’s Khamenei stays away from talks as JD Vance says dynamic makes diplomacy ‘much more complicated’
NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!
As indirect talks between the U.S. and Iran started on Friday in Oman, remarks from Vice President JD Vance earlier in the week questioning the absence of the Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei from talks have raised a core dilemma for Washington — the person with ultimate authority in Tehran is not sitting at the negotiating table.
In the interview, Vance said, «It’s a very weird country to conduct diplomacy with, when you can’t even talk to the person who’s in charge of the country. That makes all of this much more complicated… It is bizarre that we can’t just talk to the actual leadership of the country. It really makes diplomacy very, very difficult,» he said on Megyn Kelly’s podcast.
IRANIAN SUPREME LEADER BLAMES TRUMP FOR INCREASINGLY INTENSE DEMONSTRATIONS
Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei waves to the audience during a speech in Tehran, Iran, on Nov. 3, 2025. During his address marking the anniversary of the 1979 takeover of the U.S. Embassy in Tehran, known as the «National Day of Fight against Global Arrogance,» Khamenei stated that cooperation between Tehran and Washington is impossible as long as the U.S. continues to support Israel and maintain military bases in the region. ( Iranian Leader Press Office/Anadolu via Getty Images)
The Supreme Leader has no equals
Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, 86, has served as Iran’s supreme leader since 1989 and remains the country’s highest political and religious authority, with ultimate control over military, security and strategic decisions. That concentration of power means any diplomatic outcome must ultimately pass through him.
Sina Azodi, the director of the Middle East Studies Program at George Washington University, told Fox News Digital that Khamenei’s authority stems from direct control over Iran’s core power centers. «He is very powerful because he is the commander in chief of the armed forces and appoints the heads of the IRGC, the Artesh (conventional military), the judiciary and other important institutions.»
Iran’s Supreme Leader Khamenei makes first public appearance in weeks with fresh U.S. threats. (Office of the Iranian Supreme Leader Credit/Associated Press)
Azodi added that protocol and hierarchy also explain Khamenei’s absence from negotiations. «Iranians are very adamant about diplomatic protocols — that since other countries don’t have the equivalent rank, he does not participate in any negotiations because his ‘equal’ rank does not exist,» Azodi said. «Even when foreign heads of state visit him, there is only the Iranian flag, and foreign flags are not allowed.»
Omani Foreign Minister Sayyid Badr Hamad Al Busaidi, President Donald Trump’s Special Representative for the Middle East, Steve Witkoff and U.S. negotiator Jared Kushner meet ahead of the U.S.-Iran talks, in Muscat, the capital of Oman, on Feb. 6, 2026. (Oman Foreign Ministry/Anadolu via Getty Images)
Iranian sources familiar with internal discussions described Khamenei as operating from a legacy mindset at this stage of his life. «The supreme leader sees the confrontation with Washington as defining his historical role and believes Iran can retaliate against U.S. interests in the region. Khamenei is not focused on personal risk and views strategic confrontation as part of preserving his legacy,» a Middle Eastern source speaking on the condition of anonymity told Fox News Digital.
Behnam Ben Taleblu, a senior fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, told Fox News Digital that Khamenei remains the decisive figure in Iran’s system even as the regime faces pressure at home and abroad.
«He wields great influence in Iran but also exercises the greatest veto in Iran’s political hierarchy»
«He wields great influence in Iran but also exercises the greatest veto in Iran’s political hierarchy,» Ben Taleblu said.
He added, «The Iranian strategy… is to raise the cost of war in the thinking of the adversary,» he said, describing a system that signals willingness to talk while simultaneously preparing for confrontation.
He warned that «regimes that are afraid and lethal and weak can still be dangerous,» and said Tehran may believe threatening U.S. assets could deter a broader war even if such escalation risks triggering a stronger American response.
TOP IRANIAN GENERAL THREATENS TO ‘CUT OFF’ TRUMP’S HAND OVER POTENTIAL MILITARY STRIKES
In this picture released by the official website of the office of the Iranian supreme leader, Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei stands as army air force staff salute at the start of their meeting in Tehran, Iran, Friday, Feb. 8, 2019. Khamenei is defending «Death to America» chants that are standard fare at anti-U.S. rallies across Iran but says the chanting is aimed at America’s leaders and not its people. (Office of the Iranian Supreme Leader via AP)
«Very difficult to say what Khamenei’s mindset is, but I think that he, along with other senior officials, think that the current conflict is not an isolated phenomenon but rather the continuation of the June 2025 conflict and the recent protests, which he called ‘an American coup,’» Azodi told Fox News Digital.
«I think that he thinks that the U.S. is definitely after a regime change and that needs to be resisted at all costs,» he added.
Inside Iran, frustration with Khamenei has become increasingly visible, according to a journalist reporting from within the country.
TRUMP SAYS IRANIAN SUPREME LEADER KHAMENEI SHOULD BE ‘VERY WORRIED’ AMID TENSIONS
Cars burn in a street during a protest over the collapse of the currency’s value in Tehran, Iran, Jan. 8, 2026. (Stringer/WANA (West Asia News Agency) via REUTERS)
«What people want more than anything else is for Khamenei to die… I hear it every day, everywhere I go — why doesn’t he die?» the journalist told Fox News Digital.
«He is perceived as God’s representative, while leaders of enemy states are viewed as representatives of Satan, which is why he never meets with them.»
«You just open the Twitter of Iranians… the tweet is, why don’t you die? And everybody knows who we are talking about. So a nation is waiting for him to die.»
The journalist said many Iranians no longer believe political reform is possible and instead see generational change as the only turning point.
Iranian worshipers hold up their hands as signs of unity with Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei during an anti-Israeli rally to condemn Israel’s attacks on Iran, in downtown Tehran, Iran, on June 20, 2025. (Morteza Nikoubazl/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
An Iranian journalist in exile, Mehdi Ghadimi, told Fox News Digital that, «The Islamic government considers itself obligated to enforce Islamic law across the entire world. They harbor hatred toward Iranians and Jews, whom they regard as enemies of Islam,» he explained, «In such a structure, the leader is seen as more than a political ruler; he is perceived as God’s representative, while leaders of enemy states are viewed as representatives of Satan, which is why he never meets with them. If dialogue or compromise were to take place, his sacred image would collapse in the eyes of his supporters.»
He continued, «For this reason, groups labeled as ‘moderate,’ ‘reformist’ or ‘pro-Western’ are created so that the West can negotiate with them,» Ghadimi added. «No one within the structure of the Islamic Republic thinks about anything other than defeating the Western world and establishing Islamic dominance globally. The diplomats presented to Western politicians as moderates are tasked with using diplomacy to buy time for Khamenei.»
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP
The negotiations come amid heightened regional tensions, U.S. military deployments and unresolved disputes over Iran’s nuclear program and missile capabilities.
Regional analysts say that for the U.S., the central challenge remains unchanged. Diplomats can negotiate, but the final decision rests with one man — a leader shaped by decades of confrontation with the United States, focused on regime survival and determined to preserve his legacy even as Iran enters a new round of talks.
ali khamenei,iran,jd vance,foreign policy,donald trump,world protests
INTERNACIONAL
Una mesita y alfajores con forma de corazón: intimidades de la firma del acuerdo comercial con EE.UU.
Bruselas exige cambios a TikTok por ser demasiado adictivo para los menores
Alerta aeropuerto: si ves estas letras en tu pasaje de avión podés terminar en un interrogatorio
PJ Bonaerense: crecen las chances de un acuerdo para que Kicillof asuma en lugar de Máximo Kirchner
Apartan a la UIF como acusadora en medio del juicio contra Odebrecht por el pago de coimas
Así es la vida de Endrick en Lyon: un fisio que abandonó el Madrid, cocinero de estrella Michelin y un ‘filmaker’ personal
Shapiro fires back at DHS, says truck driver accused in deadly crash had legal status in database
La trama detrás del sorpresivo portazo de Lavagna en el INDEC y el desacuerdo con Milei por el IPC
Mariana Fabbiani mostró fotos de sus vacaciones soñadas en la playa: «Desde el paraíso»
Flor de la V contó las dificultades que vivió junto a Pablo Goycochea cuando se conoció su romance: “Había una persecución”
Jorge Macri: «Hay una percepción de que hay cosas que aumentan más que la inflación»
CHIMENTOS1 día agoFlor de la V contó las dificultades que vivió junto a Pablo Goycochea cuando se conoció su romance: “Había una persecución”
- POLITICA2 días ago
Jorge Macri: «Hay una percepción de que hay cosas que aumentan más que la inflación»
- ECONOMIA1 día ago
Milei dejó trascender que Lavagna quería un índice de inflación más alto porque «jugaba para Massa»
