INTERNACIONAL
President Trump’s negotiating team praised by nuclear experts for walking away from Pakistan talks

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With a second round of talks likely to take place between the U.S. and Iran’s regime this week over its illicit nuclear weapons programs, leading experts on Tehran’s program say the Trump administration was right to walk away.
After nearly a day of talks, Vice President JD Vance’s team pulled the plug on the negotiations taking place in Pakistan, something welcomed by experts in the field.
«The U.S. team was wise to walk away once it became clear the Iranians would not agree to Washington’s core nuclear demands. Tehran maintaining enriched uranium stocks and uranium enrichment capabilities provides it with a pathway to nuclear weapons, plain and simple,» Andrea Stricker, deputy director of the Foundation for Defense of Democracies’ nonproliferation program, told Fox News Digital.
A core dispute between the U.S. and Iran is over Tehran’s desire to enrich uranium — the material used to build nuclear weapons.
WITKOFF WARNS IRAN IS ‘A WEEK AWAY’ FROM ‘BOMB-MAKING MATERIAL’ AS TRUMP WEIGHS ACTION
Vice President JD Vance spoke during a news conference in Islamabad, Pakistan, on April 12, 2026, after meeting with representatives from Pakistan and Iran. Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff, special envoy for peace missions, listened during the event. (Jacquelyn Martin/AP)
In 2018, President Donald Trump withdrew from President Barack Obama’s nuclear weapons deal with Iran because his administration argued that the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, the formal name of the deal, permitted Iran to build an atomic bomb.
When asked what a good nuclear agreement would look like, Stricker said, «A good deal requires the regime to not only turn over its nuclear fuel, dismantle key facilities, and commit to a permanent ban on enrichment, but to cooperate with an IAEA investigation that fully and completely accounts for and dismantles Iran’s nuclear weapons-relevant facilities, equipment, documentation, centrifuges and related production capabilities.»
Stricker acknowledged that the process could take several years, but noted that «the IAEA is well-equipped for this mission and has experience dismantling nuclear weapons programs in Iraq, Libya and South Africa. Anything less and Iran will likely cheat on its commitments and reconstitute a breakout pathway.»
TRUMP REVEALS IRAN MADE ‘SIGNIFICANT PROPOSAL’ AFTER ULTIMATUM, BUT ‘NOT GOOD ENOUGH’
Sen. Lindsey Graham said Monday he opposes a reported proposal by the U.S. for a 20-year ban on Iran’s uranium enrichment under a potential deal.
«I appreciate President Donald Trump’s resolve to end the Iranian conflict peacefully and through diplomacy. However, we have to remember who we’re dealing with in Iran: terrorists, liars, and cheaters,» Graham posted on X.
«If this reporting is accurate, the idea that we would agree to a moratorium on enrichment rather than a ban on enrichment would be a mistake in my view,» he said.
«Would we agree to a moratorium for al Qaeda to enrich? No.»

In this photo released by the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran, technicians work at the Arak heavy water reactor’s secondary circuit, as officials and media visit the site, near Arak, 150 miles southwest of the capital of Tehran, in December 2019. (Atomic Energy Organization of Iran/AP)
A regional official from the Mideast confirmed to Fox News Digital that a 20-year moratorium on enriched uranium was made by the U.S. and rejected by the Islamic Republic.
David Albright, a physicist who is the founder and president of the Institute for Science and International Security in Washington, D.C., praised the U.S. decision to end the talks in Pakistan. Writing on his X account, which is closely followed by Iran watchers, he stated: «The U.S. was Right to Walk Away in Islamabad.»
Albright told Fox News Digital the move by the U.S. negotiators «makes it clear that this is not negotiating for negotiating’s sake. And leaving threw Iran on the defensive, signaling it as the losing state in the war. Moreover, the Iranians would not have shifted their positions in any significant way. They usually have no flexibility. But Iran wanted to have negotiations continue in order to try to tie the hands of the U.S. and Israel, while trying to portray themselves as victors. Now, Iran has to decide whether to accept the U.S. offer or risk war resuming.»
He added that a good nuclear deal for the U.S. would mean «no enrichment and no stocks of HEU [Highly Enriched Uranium] and LEU [Low Enriched Uranium]; Iran cooperating with the inspectors and verifiably ending its nuclear weapons program and providing a complete nuclear declaration, something it has never done.»
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Iran’s Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf and Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi were greeted by Pakistan Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar and Army Chief Field Marshal Gen. Asim Munir upon their arrival at Nur Khan airbase in Rawalpindi, Pakistan, on April 11, 2026. (Pakistan Ministry of Foreign Affairs/AP)
Albright continued that «If Iran signals willingness to accept the U.S. position, meeting again makes sense.
«Iran has absolutely no need to enrich. Its only civil need is for a small amount of 20% enriched for its small research reactor, the Tehran Research Reactor, and it has enough 20% enriched uranium in fuel or nearly made into fuel stored in Iran and in Russia under JCPOA [Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action] arrangements for 20 years.»
He concluded, «To be flip, and paraphrase Abbie Hoffman, I have the right to yell theater in a crowded fire, but I don’t. Iran’s emphasis on its right to enrich is as irrelevant and beside the point.»
nuclear terror, al qaeda terror, nuclear proliferation, war with iran, iran
INTERNACIONAL
US-backed pipeline proposal targets global reliance on Strait of Hormuz amid Iran threats

US launches Project Freedom in Strait of Hormuz amid escalating Iran tensions
Dana Perino and Bill Hemmer announce the US initiative ‘Project Freedom’ to ensure freedom of navigation through the Strait of Hormuz. President Trump issues a stern warning to Iran against any interference with shipping lanes. Bryan Llenas reports from Tel Aviv on recent drone attacks attributed to Iran by the UAE, and South Korea’s investigation into a vessel attack in the volatile region.
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A new U.S.-backed proposal to build a network of overland energy pipelines bypassing the Strait of Hormuz is gaining attention as tensions in the region expose a critical vulnerability in the global energy system.
A policy memo reviewed by Fox News Digital outlines the concept, known as «ARAM Express,» a proposed consortium between the United States and Gulf partners to develop a multidirectional overland network for oil, gas and petrochemicals, originating with Richard Goldberg of the Foundation for Defense of Democracies.
The plan envisions pipelines extending westward to the Red Sea and Mediterranean, as well as southern routes toward the Arabian Sea, creating multiple export pathways that would reduce reliance on the strait, through which roughly one-third of the world’s seaborne oil currently flows.
TRUMP OPENS HORMUZ UNDER FIRE WITH ‘PROJECT FREEDOM’ AS IRAN WARNS OF ATTACKS
USS George H.W. Bush transits the Arabian Sea as U.S. forces enforce a naval blockade against Iran and support Project Freedom in the Strait of Hormuz, according to U.S. Central Command. (Fox News)
The proposal would rely on broad international participation, with European and Asian buyers investing in infrastructure and securing long-term supply agreements.
«European buyers are desperate for long-term supply resilience, and Asian customers are equally exposed,» Goldberg said. «Even China cannot tolerate the risk of a sustained disruption.»
The push comes as Iran’s threats to commercial shipping and ongoing U.S. efforts to secure the waterway under President Donald Trump’s «Project Freedom» highlight the risks posed by a single chokepoint to global energy flows.
Roughly one-third of the world’s seaborne oil passes through the narrow waterway, making it a critical artery for global markets. With Iran threatening shipping and U.S. forces now guiding vessels through the strait under President Donald Trump’s «Project Freedom,» the White House is framing the crisis in global terms.
«The President will not allow Iran to hold the global economy hostage and undermine the free flow of energy,» said White House spokeswoman Taylor Rogers, describing the launch of «Project Freedom» as a humanitarian effort to restore navigation through the strait.
That framing aligns with a growing view among U.S. officials and analysts that the risk is not only immediate but also structural.
U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Mike Waltz signaled that Washington’s partners are already looking beyond the strait itself.
«I know our Gulf partners and allies are seriously thinking through that,» Waltz told Fox News Digital when asked about long-term alternatives during a conference call with reporters Monday.
«I know they’re looking at additional alternatives to frankly diversify their pathways and diversify their economies,» he added.
MIKE WALTZ PUSHES UN RESOLUTION TO STOP IRAN MINING KEY GLOBAL SHIPPING ROUTE

The surge in regional piracy risk is exacerbated by the volatility of the Strait of Hormuz as Iranian-backed threats persist in the Persian Gulf and global energy flows are shifting. (Mass Communications Specialist 1st Class Cassandra Thompson/U.S. Navy via Getty Images)
A vulnerability years in the making
The idea that Hormuz represents a structural weakness is not new. But until now, it has largely been tolerated, with global markets relying on stability in the Gulf to keep energy flowing.
That assumption is now under strain.
Even with U.S. naval power deployed to secure the waterway, the current crisis has highlighted how quickly disruption, or even the threat of it, can ripple through global supply chains.
«This isn’t just a long-term idea anymore,» said Rich Goldberg of the Foundation for Defense of Democracies think tank. «There is a real threat to the Strait of Hormuz that isn’t going away so long as the regime in Tehran remains.»
AS IRAN WEAKENS, QUESTIONS GROW OVER MOHAMMED BIN SALMAN’S REGIONAL AMBITIONS

The proposal would rely on broad international participation, with European and Asian buyers investing in infrastructure and securing long-term supply agreements. (U.S. Central Command)
Saudi Arabia: Building around the risk
Saudi Arabia stands out as the country among Gulf states that has invested most heavily in reducing reliance on Hormuz.
Its East-West pipeline allows crude oil to travel from eastern fields on the Gulf to the Red Sea port of Yanbu, bypassing the strait entirely. From there, shipments can move toward Europe, Africa and Asia without entering the chokepoint.
«Saudi Arabia has treated the Strait of Hormuz risk with planning, not panic,» said Salman Al-Ansari, a Saudi geopolitical analyst.
«The East-West pipeline is strategic insurance,» he told Fox News Digital, «A Hormuz closure would be disruptive, but not paralyzing. Saudi Arabia has spent years reducing that vulnerability, and today it is uniquely positioned to absorb shocks and keep global flows moving.»
Al-Ansari argued that the kingdom’s strategy goes beyond energy exports, positioning the country as a broader logistics hub.
«Ports, pipelines, land bridges, storage and Red Sea access are all part of one Saudi contingency architecture,» he said.
HORMUZ CHOKE POINT PERSISTS AS IRAN HALTS OIL TRAFFIC DESPITE TRUMP CEASEFIRE

The plan envisions pipelines extending westward to the Red Sea and Mediterranean, as well as southern routes toward the Arabian Sea, creating multiple export pathways that would reduce reliance on the strait, through which roughly one-third of the world’s seaborne oil currently flows. (Fadel Senna / AFP via Getty Images)
UAE and the fragmentation of the Gulf model
Saudi Arabia is not the only player adapting.
The United Arab Emirates also has developed alternative export capacity through its pipeline to Fujairah, outside the Strait of Hormuz.
At the same time, some analysts argue that recent regional dynamics point to a deeper shift, one that goes beyond infrastructure and into the political structure of the Gulf itself.
Yonatan Adiri, an Israeli entrepreneur and former adviser to former Israeli President Shimon Peres, said the traditional model of a unified Gulf energy system centered on Hormuz is beginning to break down.
«The whole arrangement … it’s starting to expire,» Adiri said, referring to the long-standing reliance on the strait as a central artery for Gulf exports.
He pointed to emerging economic and geopolitical realignments, including new corridors and shifting alliances, that are fragmenting the region’s traditional energy architecture.
«The UAE stepping away from OPEC is not just about production policy,» Adiri said, referring to the country’s decision to leave the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries effective May 1, 2026. «It reflects a broader shift toward an independent strategy — building its own routes, partnerships and leverage rather than relying on a collective system.»
These changes are driven in part by broader global competition, according to Adiri, particularly efforts by the United States and its partners to counter China’s Belt and Road Initiative.
«The entire system is being rethought,» he said, describing a shift toward diversified routes that reduce reliance on single choke points.
WHY GULF STATES AREN’T JOINING THE WAR AGAINST IRAN — DESPITE ATTACKS ON THEIR SOIL

Cargo ships are anchored in the Gulf near the Strait of Hormuz as seen from northern Ras al-Khaimah, United Arab Emirates, March 11, 2026. (Reuters/Stringer/File Photo/File Photo)
Uneven exposure across the Gulf
Despite these developments, not all Gulf states are equally prepared.
«If you’re Kuwait, you’re in a world of hurt,» Goldberg said, pointing to countries that lack meaningful alternatives to maritime exports.
Qatar, one of the world’s largest exporters of liquefied natural gas, remains heavily dependent on the strait, with limited options to reroute supply if shipping is disrupted.
This uneven exposure could reshape regional dynamics, giving countries with alternative routes greater resilience and leverage in future crises.
Political limits and long-term questions
While the technical case for alternative routes is growing stronger, political constraints remain.
One of the most sensitive issues is whether future corridors could involve Israel, even indirectly.
«As for routes involving Israel, even indirectly, the politics are extremely difficult under current circumstances,» Al-Ansari said. «I genuinely do not see it happening now.»
At the same time, he suggested that such cooperation could become more realistic in the future under different political conditions.
A system in transition
For now, the U.S. and its allies remain focused on stabilizing the immediate situation in the Strait of Hormuz, ensuring that ships can pass safely and global markets continue to function.
But as tensions persist, the current crisis is forcing a broader reassessment.
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While the technical case for alternative routes is growing stronger, political constraints remain. (Altaf Qadri/The Associated Press )
The question is no longer just how to secure the strait, but whether the global energy system can afford to depend on it to the extent it has for decades.
If the current trajectory continues, Hormuz may remain critical, but no longer dominant, experts argue, as countries invest in new routes, new partnerships and a more diversified energy map.
Fox News Digital reached out to Saudi Arabia and the UAE for comment but did not receive a response in time for publication.
war with iran, middle east, saudi arabia, trade, iran, geopolitics, energy
INTERNACIONAL
La calificadora Moody’s ratifica la nota Ba1 de Guatemala y mantiene la perspectiva estable

Moody’s reafirmó la calificación de Guatemala en Ba1 y mantuvo la perspectiva estable, lo que posiciona al país centroamericano a un solo nivel del grado de inversión e implica un reconocimiento al avance institucional y la prudencia fiscal, de acuerdo con información del Ministerio de Finanzas Públicas citada por Minfin.
Esta ratificación consolida una tendencia favorable iniciada en 2025, cuando S&P Global Ratings elevó su nota a BB+ y Fitch Ratings también mejoró su evaluación, alineando a las tres principales agencias internacionales en un diagnóstico común: estabilidad del perfil crediticio guatemalteco.
El dato más reciente sobre la economía nacional indica que Guatemala creció 4,3% en 2025, resultado que supera el 4,1% estimado previamente y confirmado por las autoridades monetarias tras la revisión efectuada en abril, según Minfin.
Esta evolución se da en un contexto en el que el país sostiene una de las deudas públicas netas más bajas de América Latina, fenómeno destacado por Moody’s Ratings en su informe. La agencia cita también el rol de las remesas y el gasto público como factores clave en el dinamismo económico.
La decisión de Moody’s se fundamenta en tres áreas: el refuerzo institucional, el crecimiento sólido y la resiliencia externa. El informe expresa: “La confirmación de la calificación Ba1 de Guatemala equilibra el impulso institucional en mejora, el sólido crecimiento tendencial, el historial de gestión fiscal prudente y la limitada vulnerabilidad externa, frente a las persistentes restricciones estructurales económicas e institucionales en comparación con países de mayor calificación”, según la propia calificadora.
La ratificación se produce tras la aprobación de instrumentos legislativos como la Ley de Infraestructura Vial Prioritaria, la Ley de Alianzas Público-Privadas y la Ley de Competencia, reformas impulsadas por el gobierno del presidente Bernardo Arévalo y destinadas a fortalecer la competitividad y atraer inversiones. Moody’s resalta estos logros como indicadores de que la agenda de reformas se mantiene en marcha.

La permanencia en el nivel Ba1 obedece también a la evaluación de desafíos persistentes. Moody’s advierte que la capacidad estatal, la baja base de ingresos y el déficit significativo de infraestructura continúan afectando el desempeño económico.
Estas debilidades, originadas en un “largo historial de baja formación de capital físico y humano”, restringen la capacidad productiva y dificultan tanto las funciones administrativas y regulatorias estatales como la captación de inversión extranjera directa y la competitividad exportadora.
Pese a estas restricciones, Moody’s señala que la fortaleza fiscal de Guatemala se apoya en un “largo historial de gestión prudente de la deuda y una carga de deuda gubernamental baja”. Sin embargo, la estructura rígida del gasto y los ingresos limitados afectan la flexibilidad del gobierno en el manejo fiscal y la asequibilidad de la deuda, de acuerdo con el reporte de Minfin.
La perspectiva estable asignada por la agencia responde a la expectativa de una mejora gradual. Moody’s sostiene que los avances en materia institucional “tardarán en traducirse en fundamentos económicos o fiscales materialmente más sólidos”, dado que la aplicación de políticas enfrenta barreras estructurales.
Por otro lado, advierte que los riesgos externos —como el endurecimiento de las políticas migratorias de Estados Unidos y la volatilidad de los precios internacionales— pueden incidir en el flujo de remesas, aunque estos efectos se ven mitigados por los “sólidos colchones externos y la gestión macroeconómica prudente”.

En el sistema financiero, el techo soberano en moneda local permanece en Baa1, tres escalones por encima de la nota soberana, reflejo de la “limitada intervención gubernamental en la economía y el riesgo político contenido”. El techo de moneda extranjera se mantiene en Baa3, dos niveles por debajo del techo local, y evidencia la persistencia de una “alta relación de préstamos en moneda extranjera respecto a depósitos, superior al 100% en el sistema bancario guatemalteco frente a sus pares regionales”.
El Ministerio de Finanzas Públicas coordina la gestión del riesgo país a través de la Mesa Interinstitucional para el Análisis de la Calificación del País (MINAPA), encargada de canalizar la interlocución con inversionistas, agencias calificadoras y organismos multilaterales. Según Minfin, la cartera intensificará esta estrategia de comunicación con los mercados para respaldar el proceso de reforma y avanzar hacia el grado de inversión.
Moody’s,Guatemala,Ba1,calificación,crédito,economía,perspectiva,estable,finanzas
INTERNACIONAL
Elizabeth Warren’s Bezos Met Gala jab backfires as critics mercilessly drag ‘un-American’ lawmaker

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Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., drew intense criticism on Monday after she claimed on X that Amazon founder Jeff Bezos should pay more in taxes in response to him sponsoring the Met Gala, with conservatives questioning the senator’s record and accusing her of misrepresenting facts.
«The answer to everything, up to and apparently including bankrupting an airline at the cost of something like 15,000 jobs and the entire concept of budget airfare, is ‘Jeff Bezos has a lot of money though,’» venture capitalist and media founder Mike Solana wrote in response to Warren’s post.
Solana was referring to the recent demise of Spirit Airlines. Conservative commentators claim Spirit could have been saved if Warren hadn’t pushed to block JetBlue’s acquisition of the budget carrier on anti-trust grounds in 2024.
«If Jeff Bezos can drop $10 million to sponsor the Met Gala, he can afford to pay his fair share in taxes,» Warren said on Monday, sparking the glut of pushback from social media users.
WASHINGTON POST ARGUES THERE’S ‘LITTLE TO GAIN BY RAISING TAXES ON THE RICH,’ RATES ALREADY HIGH ENOUGH
Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., questions Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen during a Senate Finance Committee hearing on Capitol Hill in Washington on March 16, 2023. (Jacquelyn Martin/AP)
Following news that Bezos had cut an eight-figure check to fund the Met Gala, liberals in the entertainment industry such as Mark Ruffalo and Taraji P. Henson joined Warren in criticizing Amazon and Bezos for their allegedly unethical business practices. Protesters appeared outside the gala on Monday holding signs criticizing Bezos. One demonstrator was detained for trying to break into the event.
Warren’s message backfired online, as commenters pointed to the demise of Spirit Airlines and took issue with her tax policies across the years.
«Jeff Bezos employs over 1.5 million people at Amazon,» X user Gina Milan wrote. «You’re responsible for 17,000 workers losing their jobs and for blocking the merger that ultimately killed Spirit Airlines.»
Spirit put downward pressure on prices at other airlines and its folding could lead to an increase in overall travel prices, industry analysts told USA Today. Estimated job losses stemming from Spirit’s shuttering include approximately 15,000 direct employees and an additional 2,000 indirect employees.
«This myth just won’t die,» Reason Magazine reporter Billy Binion posted, responding to Warren’s assertion that Bezos isn’t paying enough in taxes. «In 2024 alone, it’s estimated Jeff Bezos paid almost $3 billion in taxes. Painting rich people as tax avoiders plays great on social media, but it’s not reality. The U.S. has the most progressive tax system in the developed world.»
Forbes estimates that Bezos paid $2.7 billion in taxes in 2024 after he sold $13.6 billion worth of Amazon stock. He reduced his tax burden that year by donating $2.5 billion in Amazon shares to charity over the three prior years. Bezos paid nearly $1 billion in taxes between 2014 and 2018, according to a ProPublica analysis of tax documents.
To minimize tax burdens, billionaires like Bezos often take out loans secured against their massive stock holdings to acquire spending money, according to securities filings reviewed by ProPublica. Since the IRS doesn’t consider loans income, this setup gives the wealthy access to cash without having to pay income taxes.
FROM ‘JUMP ON A BUS’ TO TAX CRACKDOWNS: BLUE STATES CHASE WEALTHY RESIDENTS FLEEING TO RED HAVENS

Billionaire Jeff Bezos attends the DealBook Summit. Critics on social media have accused Bezos of allowing the Washington Post to suffer amid hundreds of staff layoffs. (Eugene Gologursky/Getty Images for The New York Times)
Some on social media pushed Warren for specifics on how she plans to make Bezos pay his «fair share.»
«What’s his fair share?» Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, asked Warren. «What tax rate?»
Warren has proposed a wealth tax, charging households with net worths above $1 billion an annual tax worth 6% of their total wealth. Under Warren’s proposal, households with net worths between $50 million and $1 billion would be subject to a similar 2% tax.

Sen. Elizabeth Warren speaks to a staff member before the Senate Banking Committee hearing on oversight of credit reporting agencies on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., on April 27, 2023. (Drew Angerer/Getty Images)
CALIFORNIA’S HATRED FOR CAPITALISM IS KILLING THE GOOSE THAT LAID ITS GOLDEN EGG
Much of the growth in wealth experienced by Bezos and other billionaires comes through the unrealized gains of their assets, which Warren’s tax would target.
Writer Mike Coté pointed out that Bezos is «so rich that he can simply leave the jurisdiction or get citizenship elsewhere» if Warren’s tax plans were signed into law.
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«Liz Warren does not want progressive taxation,» he continued. «She wants confiscatory taxation. It’s fundamentally un-American. And it doesn’t work.»
Warren’s office did not respond to a request for comment sent by Fox News Digital Tuesday morning.
jeff bezos, taxes, amazon, elizabeth warren, senate elections
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