INTERNACIONAL
Trump orders a blockade in the Strait of Hormuz as tensions with Iran soar
Trump’s ultimatum to Iran: Reopen Hormuz or face infrastructure strikes
Shervin Pishevar, advisor to HRH Reza Pahlavi, analyzes President Trump’s ultimatum to Iran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz. Pishevar praises Trump’s «doctrine of preemption,» arguing decisive action today prevents future threats from Iran’s developing nuclear, drone, and ICBM programs. He criticizes past US administrations for «Chamberlaining» the Iranian regime.
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President Donald Trump said the U.S. Navy will begin a blockade of the Strait of Hormuz and interdict vessels that have paid a toll to Iran, after U.S. peace talks with Tehran ended in a stalemate.
«Effective immediately, the United States Navy, the Finest in the World, will begin the process of BLOCKADING any and all ships trying to enter or leave the Strait of Hormuz,» Trump posted on Truth Social. «At some point, we will reach an ‘ALL BEING ALLOWED TO GO IN, ALL BEING ALLOWED TO GO OUT’ basis, but Iran has not allowed that to happen… THIS IS WORLD EXTORTION.»
He said the U.S. would deny safe passage to vessels that paid the toll and begin clearing mines.
«I have also instructed our Navy to seek and interdict every vessel in international waters that has paid a toll to Iran,» he wrote. «No one who pays an illegal toll will have safe passage… We will also begin destroying the mines… Any Iranian who fires at us… will be BLOWN TO HELL!»
WHY THE STRAIT OF HORMUZ MATTERS AS TRUMP ISSUES FRESH ULTIMATUM TO IRAN
Iran’s closure of the strait has triggered global economic turmoil, and reopening it was a key condition in U.S. efforts to reach a deal.
In a second post, Trump reiterated the demand: «They better begin… getting this INTERNATIONAL WATERWAY OPEN AND FAST!»
A satellite image shows the Strait of Hormuz, a key maritime passage connecting the Persian Gulf to the Gulf of Oman, vital for global energy supply. (Amanda Macias/Fox News Digital)
Trump’s warning raises the stakes in the narrow but vital waterway, a critical artery for global energy supplies.
The strait, which lies between Iran, Oman and the United Arab Emirates, is one of the world’s most critical energy choke points, carrying roughly 20 million barrels of oil a day along with about one-fifth of global liquefied natural gas.
The strait is also a vital artery for refined fuels, including products like jet fuel.
The latest threat builds on a pattern of deadlines Trump has imposed on Tehran over the strait. Here is a timeline of those demands:
March 21
In a Truth Social post, Trump declared that if Iran did not «FULLY OPEN» the strait within 48 hours, the United States would «obliterate their various POWER PLANTS, STARTING WITH THE BIGGEST ONE FIRST!»
Ali Mousavi, Iran’s permanent representative to the International Maritime Organization, responded by saying that the Strait of Hormuz was «open to everyone» except Tehran’s enemies. Meanwhile, other Iranian officials warned that attacks on energy infrastructure would amount to an attack on the Iranian people and would be met with retaliation.
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March 23
Two days later, Trump wrote in a Truth Social post that the U.S. had had «productive» conversations with Iran and that he had ordered the Pentagon to delay any strikes on Iranian power plants and energy infrastructure for five days.
Iranian officials publicly denied that any talks were taking place.
March 26
Trump again extended his deadline — this time by 10 days, to April 6 at 8 p.m. Eastern — saying in a social media post that he was «pausing the period of Energy Plant destruction» at the Iranian government’s request.
WHERE GAS PRICES ARE RISING FASTEST AS TRUMP ISSUES FRESH WARNING TO IRAN
March 30
President Donald Trump called on the nations of the world to summon some «delayed courage» and «just take» the Strait of Hormuz. (Alex Brandon/Pool via Reuters; Benoit Tessier/Reuters)
Trump wrote in a Truth Social post that «great progress» had been made in negotiations to end the conflict. At the same time, he warned that if a deal was not reached and the Strait of Hormuz was not «immediately» opened, the United States would destroy Iran’s power plants, oil wells, Kharg Island — the country’s main oil export hub — and «possibly all» desalination plants.
April 1
Trump said Iran requested a ceasefire, a claim Iran’s foreign ministry spokesperson called «false and baseless,» according to the state news agency IRIB.
In a social media post, Trump said the United States would consider a ceasefire only once the strait was «open, free and clear,» adding: «Until then, we are blasting Iran into oblivion or, as they say, back to the Stone Ages!!!»
WHERE GAS PRICES ARE RISING FASTEST AS TRUMP ISSUES FRESH WARNING TO IRAN
April 4
Trump warned in a Truth Social post that «time is running out — 48 hours before all Hell will reign down on them.»
The post followed several conflicting statements in previous days, in which he alternately criticized allies for not acting to reopen the strait and suggested it would reopen on its own.
April 5
Cargo ships in the Gulf, near the Strait of Hormuz, as seen from northern Ras al-Khaimah, near the border with Oman’s Musandam governance, amid the U.S.-Israeli conflict with Iran, in United Arab Emirates, March 11, 2026. (Reuters/Stringer/File Photo/File Photo)
In a profanity-laced post on Truth Social on Sunday, Trump wrote: «Tuesday will be Power Plant Day, and Bridge Day, all wrapped up in one, in Iran.
«There will be nothing like it!!! Open the F—–’ Strait, you crazy b——-, or you’ll be living in Hell – JUST WATCH! Praise be to Allah.»
«Tuesday, 8:00 P.M. Eastern Time!» he wrote in a second post.
April 7
President Donald Trump speaks about the Iran war from the Cross Hall of the White House on Wednesday, April 1, 2026, in Washington. (Alex Brandon/AP)
Two days later, Trump issued a fresh ultimatum to Iran, demanding that it allow all vessels to transit the Strait of Hormuz or face strikes on critical infrastructure. The warning came after weeks of escalating threats and missed deadlines.
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«A whole civilization will die tonight, never to be brought back again. I don’t want that to happen, but it probably will,» Trump wrote in a Truth Social post. «We will find out tonight — one of the most important moments in the long and complex history of the world,» he added, referencing his 8 p.m. ET deadline for Iran to agree to a ceasefire and reopen the strait.
A ceasefire was called a few hours before the 8 p.m. deadline.
us navy, energy, war with iran, iran, sanctions
INTERNACIONAL
Cómo una renuncia inesperada abrió la puerta a la mayor fractura del papado en la Edad Media
En la turbulencia de la Edad Media, el papa emergió como la máxima autoridad, encabezando la Iglesia católica y ejerciendo un control absoluto sobre el orden espiritual y político de Europa occidental.
Considerado sucesor de San Pedro y líder indiscutible de la cristiandad, el papa ocupaba un rol central en una sociedad marcada por la influencia religiosa en la ley, la educación, la monarquía y las estructuras del día a día.
Según HistoryExtra, ese poder supremo coexistía con una realidad estructural: no existía un mecanismo claro para destituir a un papa, lo que convertía la sede de Pedro en un cargo especialmente expuesto ante el ojo público y las disputas internas. El pontífice reclamaba una autoridad divina que, al menos en teoría, superaba a todos los reyes y príncipes terrenos.
En los siglos finales de la Edad Media, esa supremacía fue puesta a prueba por disputas y escándalos que afectaron la integridad del sistema eclesiástico y las bases de la unidad religiosa europea.
El régimen papal asentaba su legitimidad en un principio categórico: “Solo puede haber un papa”, indicó la historiadora Hannah Skoda en el pódcast History Behind the Headlines. Así, la existencia de papas rivales, lejos de ser una excepción, significaba la fragmentación de la cristiandad en facciones enemigas.
Incluso la propia naturaleza inamovible del cargo sumaba una vulnerabilidad esencial para todo el sistema. Según Skoda, “no es posible renunciar siendo papa”, y cualquier intento de impugnar esa posición provocaba crisis capaces de desestabilizar a toda la Iglesia.
A finales del siglo XIII, la elección de Celestino V sorprendió a Europa. Anciano y ermitaño, de vida de retiro y oración, su perfil distaba mucho del habitual en los grupos de poder eclesiástico. “Realmente se preocupaba por los pobres”, indica Skoda, pero carecía del temperamento necesario para manejar los conflictos y la diplomacia inherentes al papado.
La administración de la Iglesia, inmersa en pleitos legales, recaudación de impuestos y relaciones con los gobernantes, requería virtudes espirituales y habilidades administrativas en las que Celestino reconocía sus propias limitaciones.
Abrumado ante esas exigencias y consciente de su falta de aptitud política, abdicó pocos meses después de su elección, decisión que conmocionó a la cristiandad medieval y cuestionó el fundamento de la permanencia vitalicia en el cargo. “Si se puede renunciar, ¿qué impide que también pueda ser forzado a renunciar?”, advirtió Skoda sobre esta situación que abrió un precedente inédito.
La renuncia de Celestino V terminó convirtiéndose en una herramienta política utilizada por Felipe IV de Francia para cuestionar la legitimidad del nuevo pontífice. El monarca sostuvo que el anterior papa no había muerto en el cargo, instalando dudas sobre la validez de la sucesión. Convertido en una figura incómoda y silenciosa, el exlíder religioso recordaba que la estabilidad del sistema papal podía tambalearse en cualquier momento, según señaló HistoryExtra.
La confrontación entre Bonifacio VIII y Felipe IV de Francia alcanzó su clímax en 1303, cuando agentes de la corona gala capturaron al papa en el episodio conocido como el ultraje de Anagni. Aunque fue liberado enseguida, el daño a la imagen papal fue profundo.
Luego de la muerte de Bonifacio, la Curia eligió a un sucesor que complació a la monarquía francesa y, en 1309, el papado se trasladó a Avignon.
El traslado a Avignon inauguró una etapa crítica para el papado. La decisión respondió tanto a la inestabilidad política de Roma, asediada por conflictos y violencia, como a la conveniencia francesa, que prefería tener al papa cerca.
Skoda relata en HistoryExtra: “El rey de Francia no quería al papa en Roma”. Con la sede pontificia más próxima, creció la percepción de que el papa respondía a intereses franceses, debilitando la idea de liderazgo para toda la cristiandad.
Esta pérdida de autonomía alimentó críticas y sospechas sobre el auténtico centro de poder de la Iglesia. En 1377, el papado regresó a Roma, pero lejos de restaurar el orden, la situación generó el mayor escándalo institucional de la época: la existencia de papados rivales.
Fallecido Gregorio XI, la elección de Urbano VI resultó inmediatamente controvertida. Varios cardenales rechazaron el resultado y declararon inválida la elección, nombrando a otro candidato. Skoda lo resume así en HistoryExtra: “Intentan deponerlo y elegir a otro papa”.
Urbano VI se negó a dimitir, por lo que, mientras él seguía en Roma, sus adversarios eligieron a un segundo papa instalado en Avignon. Así, Europa quedó dividida y la lucha por la legitimidad papal implicó a los reinos de la época, especialmente a Inglaterra y Francia, cuyas alianzas opuestas se intensificaron durante la Guerra de los Cien Años.
En 1409, el Concilio de Pisa intentó resolver la crisis de la Iglesia destituyendo a los dos pontífices enfrentados y nombrando a uno nuevo para reunificar el poder religioso. Sin embargo, la estrategia terminó agravando el conflicto. “No logran deponer a los dos papas existentes”, explicó Skoda, quien añadió: “Pero sí eligen a uno nuevo; así que entonces hay tres papas simultáneos”. La cristiandad quedó así atrapada en una situación inédita: tres líderes disputando la legitimidad del papado y profundizando la fractura eclesiástica.
El desenlace solo llegó tras el Concilio de Constanza (1414–1418). Tras negociaciones y renuncias forzadas, las facciones rivales se disolvieron y, en 1417, fue elegido un único dirigente para la Iglesia: Martín V.
Según HistoryExtra, “solo el Concilio de Constanza puso fin a la crisis”, restaurando, al menos formalmente, la unidad de la Iglesia y cerrando uno de los periodos más intensos de inestabilidad y escándalo en la Edad Media.
Aviñón,Palacio de los Papas,Celestino V,Bonifacio VIII,Papas,historia,medieval,acuarela,Francia,religión
INTERNACIONAL
RFK Jr announces ‘largest autism fraud bust in American history’ with $46.6M Medicaid scheme indictment
Jonathan Fahey discusses DOJ’s $90 million Minnesota fraud ring bust
Jonathan Fahey, former DHS deputy assistant secretary, discusses the Department of Justice’s $90 million Medicaid fraud bust in Minnesota. Fahey explains that the widespread fraud is likely just the tip of the iceberg, with more revelations expected from cooperating defendants. He questions why Democrats previously ignored these programs for political reasons.
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Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. announced the indictment of two Minnesota defendants charged in what officials called the «largest autism fraud bust in American history.»
The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) indicted 55-year-old Shamso Ahmed Hassan and 25-year-old Hanaan Mursal Yusuf, slapping them with numerous counts of fraud and related charges for their alleged $46.6 million scheme to defraud Minnesota Medicaid’s Early Intensive Developmental and Behavioral Intervention (EIDBI) Program.
The indictment was part of a wider enforcement action taken by the DOJ’s National Fraud Enforcement Division that swept up 15 alleged fraudsters in indictments for schemes that targeted over $90 million in taxpayer funds.
«Today’s arrests represent the largest autism fraud bust in American history. This was not a paperwork error. It was not a technical violation. This was organized theft that exploited the most vulnerable children in America, deceived families, stole taxpayer dollars meant to help children with autism access legitimate care and support,» Kennedy Jr. said in a Friday news conference.
‘EPICENTER OF FRAUD’: MINNESOTA’S EMPTY STOMACHS, FAKE AUTISM THERAPY AND A SCANDAL THAT COULD TOP $2 BILLION
Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., speaks to the media about alleged Medicaid fraud, and charges that were brought up against 15 individuals at the federal courthouse in Minneapolis, Minnesota, on May 21, 2026. (Christopher Juhn/Anadolu via Getty Images)
Hassan was a shareholder in two autism centers, Smart Therapy Center and Star Autism Center, but she did not disclose her ownership to the Minnesota Department of Human Services as required by law, prosecutors said. Yusuf worked at the Smart Therapy Center and helped operate the center, including by submitting the businesses’ claims for Medicaid reimbursement, according to the indictment.
MINNESOTA FRAUD SUSPECT WHO JUMPED FROM BUILDING IS ARRESTED, FBI SAYS
The pair allegedly paid kickbacks to families to incentivize them to send their children to Smart Therapy Center and Star Autism Center so they could bill for autism-related services in their children’s names. They then billed Medicaid for services that were not rendered or were not reimbursable by Medicaid, according to the indictment.
Of the $46.6 million they filed for reimbursement, $21.6 million was paid out, per the indictment. The DOJ is seeking restitution for that money.
Assistant Attorney General for the National Fraud Enforcement Division Colin McDonald addresses the media to announce actions combating fraud in Minnesota at the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Minnesota on May 21, 2026 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The Department of Justice is bringing charges against 15 people for fraud that targeted seven Medicaid programs and over $90 million in taxpayer dollars. (David Berding/Getty Images)
The pair «diverted hundreds of thousands of dollars of the fraud proceeds» to «their families’ personal use and benefit, including through real property purchases and transferring funds overseas, including to Kenya,» according to the indictment.
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The defendants were each charged with one count of conspiracy to commit healthcare fraud and one count of money laundering. Yusuf was charged with five counts of healthcare fraud, while Hassan was charged with two.
Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. addresses the media to announce actions combating fraud in Minnesota at the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Minnesota on May 21, 2026, in Minneapolis, Minnesota. (David Berding/Getty Images)
«Every fraudulent autism diagnosis steals time, care, and resources from the children for whom this program was designed and who desperately need this care. Families with autistic children already face enormous challenges navigating therapies, specialists, and support systems. Fraud makes those barriers even steeper,» Kennedy Jr. said in the announcement.
health care executive, robert f kennedy jr, childrens health, minnesota fraud exposed, autism
INTERNACIONAL
China deployed over 100 vessels near Taiwan in the wake of Trump-Xi summit, Taiwan security official claims
Taiwan warns US about China’s regional ambitions as Trump weighs arms deal
Fox Business correspondent Lydia Hu reports live on Taiwan’s top diplomat, Alexander Yui, sharing a warning about China as President Donald Trump weighs a proposed $14 billion arms package for the island. Yui stresses that Taiwan acts as a front-line defense, preventing China’s wider ambitions. Taiwan’s semiconductor production, 90% of the world’s advanced chips, makes US support critical.
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China has deployed over 100 vessels in the waters surrounding Taiwan in the week following President Donald Trump’s Beijing summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping, the secretary general of Taiwan’s National Security Council said Saturday.
«Our ISR/intel shows that the PRC has deployed over 100 vessels around the 1st Island Chain over the past few days, so soon after the Beijing summit,» Secretary General Joseph Wu wrote on X.
«In this part of the world, China is the one & only PROBLEM wrecking the Status Quo & threatening regional peace & stability,» Wu concluded.
Wu posted a graphic appearing to show a high volume of Chinese vessel deployments in the South China Sea, the East China Sea and near Taiwan and The Philippines.
CHINA LAUNCHES LARGEST MILITARY DRILLS OFF TAIWAN IN 8 MONTHS WITH LIVE-FIRE EXERCISES CAUGHT ON CAMERA
A Taiwanese graphic showing alleged Chinese ship deployments near Taiwan and the broader Indo-Pacific region. (Taiwan National Security Council)
Wu alerted the world to the ship deployments a little more than a week after Trump left Beijing and just days after Acting U.S. Navy Secretary Hung Cao told U.S. lawmakers that the U.S. was temporarily pausing weapons shipments to Taiwan.
«Right now we’re doing a pause in order to make sure we have the munitions we need for Epic Fury,» Cao testified during a Tuesday hearing of the Senate Appropriations Defense Subcommittee.
Acting Secretary of the Navy Hung Cao testifies during the Senate Armed Services Committee hearing titled «The Posture of the Department of the Navy in review of the Defense Authorization Request for FY2027 and the Future Years Defense Program,» in the Dirksen building on Tuesday, May 19, 2026. (Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)
U.S. lawmakers approved a $14 billion weapons package to be sold to Taiwan in January, though Trump has yet to sign off on it.
AS CHINA TENSIONS LOOM, US TEMPORARILY PAUSES TAIWAN WEAPONS SALES DUE TO IRAN WAR, ACTING NAVY SECRETARY SAYS
Taiwanese officials say they were not alerted to any potential pauses, according to The Associated Press.
Cao’s pause announcement followed the Trump-Xi summit during which Chinese officials made clear that the Taiwan question is China’s biggest issue in diplomatic relations with the United States.
The USS Chung-Hoon observed a Chinese navy ship sharply crossing its path in the Taiwan Strait on June 3, 2023, forcing the American destroyer to slow to avoid a collision during a freedom of navigation transit alongside Canadian frigate HMCS Montreal. (Andre T. Richard/U.S. Navy)
«President Xi stressed to President Trump that the Taiwan question is the most important issue in China-U.S. relations,» Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said in a statement after the Trump-Xi bilateral meeting.
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«If it is handled properly, the bilateral relationship will enjoy overall stability. Otherwise, the two countries will have clashes and even conflicts, putting the entire relationship in great jeopardy,» Ning concluded.
Fox News Digital contacted the White House, a representative for the Taiwanese government and the Chinese Foreign Ministry for additional comment.
taiwan, us navy, congress, china, xi jinping
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