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‘Web of dark money’ tied to Obama, Dems fuels green opposition to crucial Trump energy plan

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FIRST ON FOX: An American energy leader is warning that several progressive «green» environmental groups opposing President Donald Trump’s nuclear energy plans are linked to a «web of dark money» groups with ties to former President Barack Obama and other Democrats.

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Jason Isaac, CEO of the American Energy Institute, warned during an interview with Fox News Digital that while claiming to stand for the planet, these groups «have prioritized ideology over innovation» and are «driven by green activists and groups deeply tied to the Democratic Party.»

«You follow the money, you’ll see where it leads. It leads straight to partisan mega-donors, foreign interests, and failed climate crusaders,» Isaac said. «This isn’t about the environment. It’s about political control over America’s energy future and our energy dominance.»

Isaac’s comments follow Trump’s signing of several executive orders in May to «usher in a nuclear renaissance» by cutting red tape to accelerate advancements in nuclear technologies. In one of the orders, Trump said that «abundant energy is a vital national- and economic-security interest» and «in conjunction with domestic fossil fuel production, nuclear energy can liberate America from dependence on geopolitical rivals.»

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An American energy leader is praising President Donald Trump’s nuclear energy plans, saying, «By championing nuclear power, the President is putting science, technology, and common sense ahead of the outdated, anti-energy green agenda pushed by the Left.» (Getty Images and SAUL LOEB/AFP via Getty Images)

However, several environmentalist groups, such as the Union of Concerned Scientists, Nuclear Threat Initiative, Greenpeace, Friends of the Earth, the Sierra Club and several individuals have been critical of Trump’s actions as unscientific.  

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In late July, the Union of Concerned Scientists published a statement lambasting Trump, saying that «since the Inauguration, the administration has systematically destroyed federal scientific systems.»

UCS published a report that claimed the Trump administration is advancing a «systematic effort to suppress climate science and dismantle actions to address the climate crisis that will increase costs and suffering, particularly for disadvantaged communities, while boosting fossil fuel pollution and profits.»

A Fox News Digital review of UCS donors found that the group has received financial support from left-wing donors like the Tides Foundation, whose 2023 U.S. tax return shows it has helped bankroll anti-Israel protests on college campuses, and the Alliance for Global Justice, which in turn is a fiscal sponsor of the Samidoun Palestinian Prisoner Solidarity Network, a group the U.S. Department of the Treasury later designated as «a sham charity that serves as an international fundraiser for the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP) terrorist organization.» 

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UCS has also received support from the U.S. Energy Foundation, which Fox News Digital previously reported was spun off from the same foundation as the Energy Foundation China.

Meanwhile, Nuclear Threat Initiative, another group that has been publicly wary of Trump’s nuclear agenda, was co-founded by Ted Turner, who once urged other countries to adopt China’s one-child policy, and led by CEO Ernest Moniz, who was secretary of energy under Obama.

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A protester holds a Palestinian flag during a march on Columbia University campus

A protester holds a Palestinian flag during a march on Columbia University campus in New York City, April 29, 2024.  (REUTERS/David Dee Delgado)

Other Nuclear Threat Initiative leaders have links to Democratic causes through political contributions, such as the group’s president, Joan Rohlfing, who donated to former President Joe Biden and former Vice President Kamala Harris, its vice president, Scott Roecker, who has donated to the Democratic National Committee, and its senior director, Nickolas Roth, who donated to Biden. 

A spokesperson for NTI told Fox News Digital that the organization «actively supports the rapid expansion of safe, secure, and cost-effective nuclear energy through the Nuclear Scaling Initiative (NSI), in partnership with the Clean Air Task Force and the EFI Foundation.»

«NSI’s goal is to enable the scaling of more than 50 gigawatts of nuclear capacity annually across the globe by the 2030s—advancing climate goals, energy security, nonproliferation, and economic development.»

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The spokesperson added that NTI is a «nonprofit, nonpartisan global security organization» while pointing to a New York Post letter to the editor from Roecker pushing back on allegations of bias. 

Another group, Friends of the Earth, which has actively urged the world to «reject» Trump, has a history of far-left endorsements and contributions. In 2020, Friends of the Earth endorsed Black Lives Matter and called for defunding the police. The group has also endorsed the Green New Deal and said the U.S. must «provide finance for people in developing countries commensurate with what science and justice demand.»

During the 2020 election, Friends of the Earth Action endorsed Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., and Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., for the Democratic presidential nomination. In 2024, the group endorsed Harris for president.

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Kamala Harris

Then-Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris speaks during a campaign rally outside the Atlanta Civic Center, Saturday, Nov. 2, 2024.  (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)

Since 2015, Friends of the Earth Action PAC has donated thousands to Democratic or progressive candidates and causes, according to data gathered by OpenSecrets.

For its part, the Sierra Club, which routinely pushes back against Trump on its social media account, has had an even more extensive history of advancing progressive causes.

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In 2020, the Sierra Club supported defunding the police, saying, «The problems with policing can’t be solved through piecemeal reforms or getting rid of ‘a few bad apples.’»

The group also endorsed the Green New Deal, calling it a «big, bold transformation of the economy to tackle the twin crises of inequality and climate change.»

It has also said it is «committed to being an anti-racist organization.» In 2020, the group even condemned its founder, naturalist John Muir, for using racist language in the 1800s, saying it was «time to take down some of our own monuments.»

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The Sierra Club Foundation has, in turn, received significant support from George Soros’ Open Society Foundations, left-wing Swiss megadonor Hansjorg Wyss’s Wyss Foundation, and The Climate Imperative Foundation, which infamously pushed the Biden administration’s move to ban gas stoves.

Greenpeace, which is well known for its dramatic climate protests, including boarding an oil vessel, has been a vocal critic of Trump for years, accusing the president of «defying science.»

Greenpeace has received support from New Venture Fund, whose website states that its day-to-day operations are managed in part by Arabella Advisors, the behemoth philanthropy services firm that also manages left-wing «dark money» funds. According to a 2017 tax filing, Greenpeace has also received funding from the Silicon Valley Community Foundation, which in turn receives funding from Mark Zuckerberg, Reed Hastings, and Jack Dorsey.

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In 2020, Greenpeace touted that a staff member was involved in creating a «Vision for Black Lives» platform and fully endorsed the program that called for reparations and a «guaranteed minimum livable income for all Black people.» The program also supported cutting funding from law enforcement and decriminalizing «all drug-related offenses and prostitution.»

TRUMP SIGNS EXECUTIVE ORDERS BOLSTERING NUCLEAR INDUSTRY, DOMESTIC URANIUM MINING

The group has provided funding to progressive state committees like the Colorado League of Responsible Voters, Colorado Rising for Health & Safety, and Democratic candidates and causes.

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Speaking with Fox News Digital, Isaac described the groups opposing Trump’s nuclear push as a «whole web of dark money-funded partisan and foreign-tied organizations

«I don’t think they want to solve the problem,» he said, adding, «these groups are about control, they’re about driving the cost of energy up and driving access to energy down so they can control the narrative and control every aspect of our lives.»

Will Hild, executive director of Consumers’ Research, told Fox News Digital, «the reality is the green agenda is a hodgepodge of anti-human activists who have adopted the green agenda as their religion, coupled with megalomaniacs and political operatives exploiting climate issues to push a broader ideological agenda.»

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«What we have seen for years is so-called ‘green’ groups pushing an anti-nuclear agenda that defies science, common sense, and the interests of the American people,» he said.

NTI has been publicly wary of Trump’s nuclear expansion, while UCS, Friends of the Earth, the Sierra Club and Greenpeace have been heavily critical of the administration’s actions on environmental issues more generally. 

«Nuclear energy is statistically the safest, cleanest, and most reliable source of power we have, yet the left is doing everything they can to shut it down,» Hild went on. He criticized these «activist groups» for «the damage they’re doing to our economy, our security, and our future in pursuit of an extreme climate ideology.»

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Steve Milloy, who is a senior policy fellow at the Energy and Environment Institute and served on Trump’s 2016 transition team for the Environmental Protection Agency, also chimed in, calling the current moment «a critical turning point for the future of energy.»

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«For decades, radical environmental groups have tried to block nuclear energy, despite its unmatched record for safety and reliability,» he said. «By championing nuclear power, the President is putting science, technology, and common sense ahead of the outdated, anti-energy green agenda pushed by the Left.»

Fox News Digital also reached out to the Sierra Club, Greenpeace, Friends of the Earth, and UCS for comment but did not receive a response.

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‘Fiction’: House Republican campaign chair dismisses Democrats’ expanding GOP target map

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EXCLUSIVE – Emboldened congressional Democrats are expanding their battleground map for this year’s midterm elections, when Republicans will be defending their razor-thin majority in the House.

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But the National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC) chairman, Rep. Richard Hudson, isn’t buying it.

«I mean, I’ve read fiction my whole life, and I recognize it when I see it,» Hudson said in an exclusive interview with Fox News Digital.

Republicans currently control the House 218-214, with two right-tilting districts and one left-leaning seat currently vacant. Democrats need a net gain of just three seats in the midterms to win back the majority for the first time in four years.

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HOUSE DEMOCRATS ON OFFENSE: EXPAND GOP TARGET LIST

An exterior view of the House side of the U.S. Capitol, on Jan. 12, 2026, in Washington, D.C. (Paul Steinhauser/Fox News)

The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC) this week added five more offensive opportunities in Colorado, Minnesota, Montana, South Carolina and Virginia to their list of what they consider are vulnerable Republican-held House districts.

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That brings the total number of districts Democrats are hoping to flip to 44. The DCCC notes that all five of the new districts they’re adding to their list of «offensive targets» were carried by President Donald Trump by 13 points or fewer in the 2024 elections.

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«Democrats are on offense, and our map reflects the fact that everyday Americans are tired of Republicans’ broken promises and ready for change in Congress,» DCCC Chair Suzan DelBene emphasized earlier this week.

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And DCCC Spokesperson Viet Shelton told Fox News Digital, «In a political environment where Democrats are overperforming by more than 17 points in congressional special elections, it’s pretty clear we’re poised to re-take the majority. Momentum and the American people are on our side while Republicans are running scared.»

Asked about the DCCC’s move, Hudson scoffed.

«They’ve got to have a list they can present to their donors,» he said as he pointed to the DCCC. «But it’s not realistic. I mean, if you look at the map, there are very few seats up for grabs, and the majority of those seats are held by Democrats, but they’re seats that Donald Trump has carried or came very close….if you look at the seats that we’ll be competing for this fall. They’re all favoring Republicans.»

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The House GOP campaign chair added, «If you look at the map, it’s a Republican map. We just got to go out and win those races.»

The move by the DCCC comes as Democrats are energized, despite the party’s polling woes. Democrats, thanks to their laser focus on affordability amid persistent inflation, scored decisive victories in the 2025 elections and have won or over performed in a slew of scheduled and special ballot box contests since Trump returned to the White House over a year ago.

GOP CALLS TRUMP ITS ‘SECRET WEAPON’ — BUT POLLS SHOW WARNING SIGNS HEADING INTO MIDTERMS

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Republicans, meanwhile, are facing traditional political headwinds in which the party in power in the nation’s capital normally suffers setbacks in the midterm elections. And the GOP is also dealing with Trump’s continued underwater approval ratings.

The latest national surveys, including the most recent Fox News poll, indicate the Democrats ahead of the Republicans by mid-single digits in the so-called generic ballot question, which asks respondents whether they’d back the Democratic or GOP candidate in their congressional district without offering specific candidate names.

Asked about the polls, Hudson said, «We almost never lead in the generic ballot. But a single digit generic ballot, we do very well.»

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And the House GOP campaign chair added he remains «very bullish.»

Cost of living concerns helped boost Trump and Republicans to sweeping victories in 2024, but affordability and overall economic concerns may work against them this year.

While the latest AP/NORC national poll indicated the GOP with a slight advantage over Democrats on handling the economy, a bunch of surveys, including the latest Fox News poll, indicate many Americans feel things are worse off than they were a year ago and remain pessimistic about the economy.

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But on Friday the latest government numbers indicated that inflation eased during January.

And Hudson says the economy is still a winning issue for Republicans.

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Pointing to the numerous tax cuts kicking in this year in the GOP’s sweeping One Big Beautiful Bill Act, which Trump signed into law last summer, Hudson touted «we put policies in place that are going to bring prosperity to the American people, and they’re starting to feel it.»

«And as we move into tax season…folks who work overtime, folks who work for tips, they’re going to see a lot more money in their pocket thanks to no tax on tips, no tax on overtime,» he added.

The GOP is also dealing with a low propensity issue: MAGA voters who don’t always go to the polls when Trump’s name isn’t on the ballot.

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«Our voters tend to be more working-class voters, and you have to put in extra effort to get them to the polls,» Hudson said. «We know that’s our challenge. President Trump knows that’s the challenge, and he’s committed to helping us.»

Donald Trump hits battleground state

President Donald Trump gestures as he arrives to deliver remarks on the economy and affordability at the Mount Airy Casino Resort in Mount Pocono, Pennsylvania, on Dec. 9, 2025. (Jonathan Ernst/Reuters)

Pointing to the NRCC’s annual fundraising gala, which Trump will once again headline this year, Hudson said this dinner will be a great kickoff for this year. We raised a whole lot of money with President Trump last year. We plan to raise a lot of money in March with President Trump, and then he’s going to get out on the campaign trail and help us turn out those voters and make that case.»

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Asked about midterm election predictions, Hudson shied away from giving any hard numbers.

«Not going to give you a number, but we’re going to hold the majority,» he predicted. «President Trump was elected with a very specific agenda. We delivered almost his entire domestic agenda, and we’re going to go back to the voters and say promises made, promises kept, and they’re going to keep this House majority.»

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Global protests call for Iran regime change in major cities worldwide after bloody crackdown

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Anti-Iran regime protesters gathered in major cities across the globe on Saturday calling for a leadership change in the Global Day of Action Rally.

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Over 250,000 protesters rallied in Munich, Germany on Saturday on the backdrop of the Munich Security Conference.

«With the number of participants recorded, this gathering is one of the largest rallies held in Munich in recent years,» the Munich Police reported in a press release. «The peaceful atmosphere is particularly noteworthy, despite the high number of participants in the meeting.»

IRAN REGIME REPORTEDLY ISSUED NATIONWIDE SHOOT-TO-KILL ORDERS AS PROTEST DEATH TOLL SURGES

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Crowds reportedly chanted «change, change, regime change» and «democracy for Iran» with green-white-and-red flags with lion and sun emblems waving in the air with a few «Make Iran Great Again» red hats spotted.

Exiled Iranian crown prince Reza Pahlavi was among the hundreds of thousands protesting, telling Reuters, a possible attack on Iran will either weaken the regime or accelerate its fall.

«Global Day of Action» protests were held in major cities across the globe on Saturday. (Patrick T. Fallon / AFP via Getty Images)

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«It’s a matter of time. We are hoping that this attack will expedite the process and the people can be finally back in the streets and take it all the way to the ultimate regime’s downfall,» said Pahlavi.

He shared that he hopes President Trump will have the United States intervene and «have the people’s back.»

UPROAR AFTER IRAN NAMED VICE-CHAIR OF UN BODY PROMOTING DEMOCRACY, WOMEN’S RIGHTS

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On Friday, President Trump said regime change in Iran would be the «best thing» to happen while speaking to troops at Fort Bragg in North Carolina.

free iran protestors in london

Senator Graham said anti-regime protesters should «keep protesting.» ( James Willoughby/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images)

«People are hoping that at some point the decision will be made that there’s no use, there’s no point, we’re not going to get anywhere with negotiations,» said Pahlavi. «»Intervention is a way to save lives.»

South Carolina Senator Lindsey Graham was present in Munich for the security conference and echoed a similar sentiment in a sideline interview on Friday.

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NIKKI HALEY URGES TRUMP TO MAKE IRAN ACTION A ‘LEGACY-DEFINING MOMENT’ BEFORE LEAVING OFFICE

«There’s no negotiating with these people, in my view. They’re hell-bent on enacting an agenda based on religion that teaches them to lie, teaches them to destroy in the name of God,» said Graham.

Lindsey graham iran protest in munich

«There’s no negotiating with these people, in my view,» said Graham at a rally in Munich. (Hannes Magerstaedt/Getty Images)

He shared that the regime is the weakest they have been since 1979, adding, «it is a regime with American blood on its hand,» calling on protesters to «keep protesting.»

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The senator also took the stage at the Global Day of Action speaking to the crowd and holding up a «Make Iran Great Again» black hat.

Large demonstrations were also held in Toronto, Melbourne, Athens, Tokyo, London, and Los Angeles.

An estimated 350,000 people marched on the streets of Toronto, the city’s police spokesperson, Laura Brabant, told the Associated Press (AP).

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Over 250,000 protesters rallied in Munich, Germany on Saturday on the backdrop of the Munich Security Conference. (Marijan Murat/picture alliance via Getty Images)

Iranian American activist and Beverly Hills plastic surgeon Dr. Sheila Nazarian told Fox News Digital the protests across the globe represent a universal truth. 

«When regimes silence their people, the people eventually find their voice. Whether in the streets of Tehran or in diaspora communities around the world,» she said.

Nazarian left Iran when she was 6 years old along with her family.

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«As someone who came to this country from Iran, I know firsthand that these protests are not about politics, they’re about basic human dignity, women’s rights, and the fundamental freedom to live without fear,» she added. 

The Associated Press and Reuters contributed to this report.

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Estados Unidos se prepara para un eventual enfrentamiento militar con Irán

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Personas en Teherán caminan sobre banderas estadounidenses e israelíes durante una marcha para conmemorar el 47 aniversario de la revolución islámica de Irán (Arash Khamooshi para The New York Times)

Cuando el presidente Donald Trump amenazó el mes pasado con atacar Irán si su gobierno no aceptaba un acuerdo para detener su programa nuclear, el Pentágono no estaba en condiciones de respaldarlo.

Los entre 30.000 y 40.000 soldados estadounidenses dispersos por Medio Oriente, y sus ocho bases permanentes, tenían escasas defensas aéreas para protegerse de las previsibles represalias.

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Los aviones de combate adicionales necesarios para ejecutar el tipo de operación de barrido de la que hablaba Trump estaban designados en bases estadounidenses en Europa, y también en instalaciones en Estados Unidos. Gran parte del equipo militar reunido en Medio Oriente durante 20 años de guerra, e incluso durante la campaña estadounidense contra los hutíes yemeníes del año pasado, había salido de la región.

Por eso, funcionarios de seguridad nacional de alto rango propusieron al presidente que se mantuviera a la espera mientras el Pentágono reconstruía su capacidad de ataque y, lo que es aún más importante, de defensa en los 11 países que podrían ser vulnerables a las represalias iraníes, según tres funcionarios estadounidenses, que hablaron con la condición de mantener su anonimato para poder discutir cuestiones operativas.

“El presidente Trump tiene todas las opciones sobre la mesa con respecto a Irán”, dijo Anna Kelly, vocera de la Casa Blanca. “Escucha diversas perspectivas sobre cualquier asunto, pero toma la decisión final basándose en lo que es mejor para nuestro país y la seguridad nacional”.

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Ahora, mientras Trump analiza sus opciones militares si la diplomacia no logra resolver las disputas con Irán sobre sus programas nuclear y de misiles balísticos, el Pentágono está aprovechando el tiempo para terminar de construir la “armada” que el presidente dijo que se dirigía hacia ese país.

Hasta ahora, esa armada incluye ocho destructores de misiles teledirigidos que pueden derribar misiles balísticos iraníes, sistemas terrestres de defensa contra misiles balísticos y submarinos que pueden lanzar misiles de crucero Tomahawk contra objetivos en Irán.

En las últimas tres semanas, mientras diplomáticos y dirigentes de Israel, los países árabes, Irán y Estados Unidos han iniciado conversaciones, el Pentágono se ha estado preparando para la guerra. Las plataformas que está instalando no solo tienen capacidad ofensiva, dijeron oficiales militares, sino también defensiva, porque es probable que Irán devuelva el ataque.

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Un alto cargo militar describió el proceso como poner la casa en orden.

Trump continúa presionando al régimen
Trump continúa presionando al régimen de Irán para alcanzar un acuerdo sobre su programa nuclear

En un principio, Trump dijo que intentaba defender a los manifestantes iraníes que comenzaron a desafiar al gobierno autoritario a finales del año pasado. Pero se ha retractado “cuando dijo que Estados Unidos estaba ‘preparado y listo’ para proteger a los manifestantes”, dijo Vali Nasr, experto en Irán y profesor de Asuntos Internacionales en la Universidad Johns Hopkins.

Pero, más recientemente, sus razones para atacar a Irán han vuelto a centrarse en su programa nuclear, que los funcionarios iraníes insisten en que tiene fines civiles y no para producir armas.

“Amenazó con la guerra antes de que el ejército estadounidense estuviera preparado”, dijo Nasr. “Pero al poner la guerra sobre la mesa y tener que retroceder para dar tiempo a la preparación, también alertó a Irán de que se avecinaba la guerra y le dio tiempo para hacer más creíbles sus propias amenazas de represalia”.

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Altos cargos del gobierno dijeron que Trump no había decidido si atacaría a Irán.

Tras reunirse con el primer ministro de Israel, Benjamín Netanyahu, en la Casa Blanca el miércoles, Trump escribió en redes sociales que “no se llegó a nada definitivo, aparte de que insistí en que continuaran las negociaciones con Irán”.

Las opciones que Trump ha estado sopesando incluyen una acción militar dirigida contra el programa nuclear de Irán y su capacidad de lanzar misiles balísticos, según tres funcionarios estadounidenses. También está considerando opciones que incluirían el envío de comandos estadounidenses para perseguir determinados objetivos militares iraníes, dijeron los funcionarios.

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Pero antes de que el Pentágono pueda hacer nada de esto, debe estar mejor preparado, dijeron los funcionarios.

Eso significa trasladar sistemas de defensa antiaérea a bases de la región que albergan soldados estadounidenses —no solo en la base aérea de Al Udeid, en Qatar, que Irán atacó el año pasado en represalia por los ataques estadounidenses contra sus instalaciones nucleares—, sino también en bases de Irak, Baréin, Kuwait y Jordania.

EEUU desplegó el portaaviones USS
EEUU desplegó el portaaviones USS Abraham Lincoln en Medio Oriente (REUTERS/Mike Blake)

“Defensivamente, tenemos que asegurarnos, antes de hacer nada” de que las defensas estadounidenses están en orden, dijo el general Joseph Votel, excomandante del Mando Central de Estados Unidos. “De modo que estemos preparados para la inevitable respuesta que vuelva contra los intereses estadounidenses o contra nuestros socios”.

En su amenaza del mes pasado, Trump caracterizó la escalada en Medio Oriente como mayor que la de Venezuela el año pasado, que condujo a una incursión de la Fuerza Delta del ejército para capturar al presidente Nicolás Maduro a principios de enero. No cabe duda de que existen similitudes, ya que cada una de ellas implicó el despliegue de miles de soldados en el mar y bases en tierra, y cada escalada creó su fuerza de ataque en torno a un portaaviones.

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En el caso de Irán, el portaaviones Abraham Lincoln, acompañado de tres buques de guerra equipados con misiles Tomahawk, se encuentra en el centro de una decena de buques de guerra en la región, incluidos el mar Arábigo, el golfo Pérsico, el mar Rojo y el mar Mediterráneo oriental.

Los drones iraníes han estado rastreando el portaaviones, y un caza de la Armada derribó uno el 3 de febrero después de que funcionarios estadounidenses dijeran que se había acercado al Lincoln.

Los cazas furtivos F-35 y los aviones de ataque F/A-18 del portaaviones están a una distancia de ataque considerable de objetivos en Irán. Estados Unidos también ha enviado más de una decena de aviones de ataque F-15E adicionales a la región, según funcionarios estadounidenses.

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El jueves, se comunicó a la tripulación de un segundo portaaviones, el USS Gerald R. Ford, que abandonaría el Caribe, donde el buque se unió el mes pasado a la operación estadounidense para capturar a Maduro, y se desplegaría en Medio Oriente como parte de la campaña de presión de Trump contra Irán.

Los B-2 y otros bombarderos de largo alcance en Estados Unidos que podrían atacar objetivos en Irán permanecen en un estado de alerta superior al habitual, según un funcionario estadounidense de alto rango, quien habló bajo condición de anonimato para discutir cuestiones operativas. El Pentágono elevó el estado de alerta hace casi un mes, cuando Trump solicitó opciones para responder a la represión violenta del gobierno iraní de las protestas.

Los analistas militares afirman que otros indicios de posibles operaciones importantes suelen ser el número de aviones cisterna de reabastecimiento en Medio Oriente o en sus cercanías, y el número de EA-18 Growlers, aviones antirradar que pueden escoltar a los bombarderos. Hay Growlers en el Lincoln, y el Mando Central envió recientemente algunos a una base en Jordania.

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Los datos de seguimiento de vuelos indican que Estados Unidos también está acercando o introduciendo en la región aviones adicionales, incluidos aviones de reabastecimiento y de reconocimiento.

El Ejército norteamericano se prepara
El Ejército norteamericano se prepara en caso de que se desencadene un conflicto con Irán (EFE/EPA/FAZRY ISMAIL / POOL)

Los analistas afirman que otro indicio de la seriedad de cualquier plan ofensivo sería que la Marina trasladara un submarino lanzamisiles balísticos que suele operar en el Mediterráneo al mar Rojo o, más probablemente, al mar Arábigo, donde estaría mejor situado para atacar objetivos en Irán.

Los submarinos de la Armada pueden transportar hasta 154 misiles de crucero Tomahawk, lo que añade una considerable potencia de fuego a la región. A diferencia de sus buques, la Marina no suele revelar la ubicación de sus submarinos. Pero un submarino que se desplazara desde el Mediterráneo hacia las vías fluviales del este tendría que salir a la superficie atravesando el canal de Suez y sería visible para los rastreadores de buques. Eso aún no ha ocurrido.

Además de su arsenal ofensivo, el Pentágono está enviando más defensas aéreas Patriot y THAAD a la región para ayudar a proteger a los soldados de los ataques de represalia de los misiles iraníes de corto y medio alcance.

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Kenneth F. McKenzie Jr., general retirado de cuatro estrellas de la Infantería de Marina y exjefe del Mando Central de Estados Unidos, dijo que los líderes militares y políticos de Irán se tomarían en serio cualquier refuerzo estadounidense debido al historial de Trump: el bombardeo de tres instalaciones nucleares iraníes el pasado junio y el asesinato de un general iraní de alto rango, Qasem Soleimani, en enero de 2020.

“Los iraníes temen a Trump porque mató a Soleimani y atacó sus instalaciones nucleares”, dijo el general McKenzie en una entrevista. “Le temen porque emprende acciones directas”.

© The New York Times 2026.

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