INTERNACIONAL
Trump’s Iran crackdown collides with NATO ally seeking access to America’s prized fighter jet
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At least 83 flights operated by U.S.-sanctioned Iranian airlines landed in Turkey in the five days after a key American sanctions deadline, according to flight data analyzed by the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, putting a new spotlight on whether Washington will enforce its escalating pressure campaign against companies servicing the carriers in a NATO ally.
The Sept. 28 FDD report said U.S. pressure has helped push Iranian airlines out of several regional markets, including Iraq, the United Arab Emirates and Oman, but found that Turkey remains a significant gap in Washington’s effort to ground the carriers.
The findings come after the Treasury Department announced sweeping new sanctions on Iran’s aviation industry on Sept. 8, designating all 27 remaining active Iranian airlines under Executive Order 13902. Treasury said Iran’s aviation sector has been used to transport weapons, personnel and illicit cargo and warned foreign businesses about the risks of continuing to support sanctioned carriers.
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An Iranian commercial aircraft lands at Mehrabad Airport in Tehran on September 25, 2026. In early September, the U.S. imposed sanctions on Iran’s aviation sector and vowed to come down hard on companies that work with it. Starting on September 23, the main Iranian airlines were forced to cancel their international flights as neighboring countries adopted restrictive measures. (Photo by Atta Kenare / AFP via Getty Images)
The continued Iranian flights come at a sensitive moment in U.S.-Turkey relations. Turkey is a NATO ally, and President Donald Trump has publicly emphasized his close relationship with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan while signaling openness to restoring Ankara’s access to the F-35 fighter jet program. Turkey was removed from the program after purchasing Russia’s S-400 air-defense system, a move that also triggered U.S. sanctions in 2020.
During a July 2026 visit to Turkey, Trump said his administration would lift those sanctions and was considering allowing Ankara to buy F-35s, though congressional restrictions tied to Turkey’s possession of the S-400 remain an obstacle. Erdoğan said as recently as Sept. 24 that he expects Washington to take «concrete steps» toward Turkey’s return to the program.
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent warned that after a Sept. 23 wind-down deadline, companies providing sanctioned Iranian airlines with services such as fuel or landing support risked losing access to the U.S. financial system. FDD cited Bessent saying that by that date, Iranian airlines would be «shut down around the world.»
But FDD researchers Ahmad Sharawi and Sinan Ciddi said their review of Flightradar24 flight histories showed that at least 83 flights operated by U.S.-sanctioned Iranian carriers landed in Turkey between Sept. 23 and Sept. 27, after that deadline had passed. The flights landed in Istanbul, Ankara and Izmir, according to the report.
The researchers identified 12 sanctioned Iranian airlines among the arrivals. Iran Airtour and Caspian Airlines each accounted for 12 landings, Iran Air for 10, and ATA Airlines and AVA Airlines for nine each, according to FDD. Eight of the 12 carriers identified in the flight data were among the airlines newly designated by Treasury on Sept. 8.
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Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent speaks with reporters at the White House, Wednesday, in Washington, D.C. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)
The Treasury Department told Fox News Digital that it has continued raising the issue directly with senior Turkish officials and has warned Turkish companies and financial institutions about their potential sanctions exposure.
«Following Treasury’s productive engagements with senior Turkish authorities last month, which quickly translated into tangible results — including the cancellation of Mahan Air flights and the revocation of Bank Mellat’s license — we have continued discussions regarding Türkiye’s aviation links to Iran and the sanctions exposure Turkish financial institutions and businesses face for facilitating these flights,» a Treasury spokesperson told Fox News Digital. «We have made those risks clear and continue to address these issues at senior levels with the Turkish government,» the spokesperson said.
The Treasury spokesperson pointed to the administration’s broader «Operation Economic Outcast» campaign, saying it was producing results as Washington seeks to cut off Iran’s remaining sources of revenue and access to international markets. «Operation Economic Outcast is delivering results as Treasury and our partners continue to sever the Iranian regime’s remaining economic lifelines,» the spokesperson said. «Iran’s rial has fallen to record lows, Iran loaded no crude oil onto tankers in September, and countries across the region are taking concrete steps to restrict Iran’s access to the international financial system and commercial aviation.»
«We will continue applying pressure and holding accountable those who provide the regime with the financial and commercial lifelines it needs to sustain its terrorist activities,» the spokesperson added.
Turkey has indeed taken some steps to limit aviation ties with Iran. Turkish Airlines, AJet and Pegasus removed flights to Iran from their schedules, while Mahan Air suspended service to Turkey beginning Sept. 21, according to Turkish Minute, citing airline schedules and reporting by the Financial Times and other outlets.
Mahan Air has been under U.S. sanctions since 2011. The Treasury Department said at the time that the airline provided financial, material and technological support to Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps-Quds Force.
Other sanctioned Iranian airlines, however, have continued flying into Turkey. Caspian Airlines and Meraj Air were designated by Treasury as Specially Designated Global Terrorists in August 2014. Treasury said Caspian had transported IRGC personnel and weapons to Syria and said Meraj had ferried illicit cargo, including weapons, to the Syrian government.
Sharawi told Fox News Digital that the continued flights reflect a gap between Ankara’s public steps and its handling of sanctioned Iranian carriers.
«The fact that sanctioned Iranian airlines continue to land in Turkey, despite Washington’s clear effort to restrict their operations, is a testament to Ankara’s willingness to take symbolic measures while turning a blind eye to much of Iran’s broader activity,» Sharawi said.
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President Donald Trump greets Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan during a summit to support ending the more than two-year Israel-Hamas war in Gaza after a breakthrough ceasefire deal, Monday, Oct. 13, 2025, in Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt. (Evan Vucci AP Photo/ Pool)
Sharawi argued that Washington could increase pressure by targeting Turkish companies that continue providing services to sanctioned Iranian carriers.
«Ankara may think it can get away with this, but Washington has not hesitated in the past to sanction Turkish entities that support sanctioned Iranian actors,» he told Fox News Digital. «Continuing to target companies that provide that support would send a clear message to Ankara that facilitating Iran’s sanctioned networks will carry consequences.»
He said such measures could have a practical effect on Iran’s ability to maintain the routes.
«If the United States targets the support system that keeps these sanctioned Iranian carriers operating, private Turkish companies will have much less incentive to continue doing business with them,» Sharawi said. «If those companies begin cutting ties, it could significantly restrict Iranian airlines’ ability to operate routes to Turkey.»
The Turkey findings come as another advocacy group is raising concerns about a different potential weak point in Washington’s campaign to isolate Tehran: Iranian maritime commerce in waters near Malaysia.
United Against Nuclear Iran said Sept. 25 that its investigators traveled roughly 100 nautical miles into the South China Sea near Malaysia’s Eastern Outer Port Limits, where the group said it observed Iranian-linked tankers, cargo vessels and bulk carriers alongside Malaysian bunker vessels supplying ships with fuel. UANI described the concentration of ships as a «floating city» supporting Iran’s sanctions-evasion network. Those findings were produced by UANI and have not been independently verified for this draft.
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Oil tankers and cargo ships line up in the Strait of Hormuz as seen from Khor Fakkan, United Arab Emirates, Wednesday, March 11, 2026. (Altaf Qadri/AP Photo)
«After seeing this floating city of ghost tankers with our own eyes, it is clear it is serving as an illicit Malaysia-backed lifeline for the Iranian regime,» UANI CEO Ambassador Mark D. Wallace said in a Sept. 25 statement. He accused Malaysian entities of providing support that allows Tehran to continue generating revenue despite international efforts to economically isolate the regime.
Former Florida Gov. and UANI Chairman Jeb Bush and Wallace called on the Treasury Department to sanction entities associated with Malaysia’s Pengerang petroleum complex as well as Malaysian entities or officials they allege are facilitating the trade. Their call for sanctions is an advocacy position and does not establish that the Malaysian entities have violated U.S. law.
Fox News Digital has learned that Treasury has mapped Iranian oil-smuggling networks, facilitators and financial channels, including deceptive shipping activity off the coast of Malaysia, and that senior Treasury officials continue to raise the issue with Malaysian and other foreign government counterparts.
Soldiers take part in the seizure of the container ships MSC Francesca and Epaminondas in the Strait of Hormuz, according to footage broadcast on Iranian state TV and released on April 22, 2026. (IRIB/Handout/Reuters)
Taken together, the findings from FDD and UANI highlight what the organizations describe as continuing enforcement challenges as Washington attempts to cut Iran off from international aviation, shipping and financial networks. Treasury has continued expanding that campaign: on Sept. 29, it announced another round of sanctions targeting individuals and companies it said had procured weapons and components for Iran’s Ministry of Defense and Armed Forces Logistics.
Fox News Digital reached out to the Turkish and Malaysian embassies for comment but did not receive a response.
war with iran, turkey, sanctions, middle east, iran, airlines
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Two American tourists drowned in the Bahamas after a strong current pulled a group of swimmers out to sea Friday, the Royal Bahamas Police Force said in a press release.
The pair — a 38-year-old man and a 40-year-old woman — were swimming with a larger group in waters off of the island of Bimini when the strong current swept them away.
Police said the victims were swimming in an area beyond a sign warning of strong currents.
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A nearby ferry boat rescued some of the swimmers, but the American duo were already unresponsive by the time the boat got to them, police said.
One of Bimini’s beaches found on the west side of North Bimini, the most popular of which is this long stretch of three contiguous beaches in Alice Town. (iStock)
Though CPR was administered to the pair, they remained unresponsive.
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«Both victims were transported to the local clinic, where medical personnel continued life-saving efforts. Unfortunately, despite their efforts, both individuals were pronounced deceased by the attending physician shortly before 4:00 p.m.,» the police statement read.
Vector map of Bimini Island, The Bahamas (iStock)
Police do not suspect foul play, but are investigating the circumstances.
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An autopsy will be conducted to determine the exact cause of death, according to the police.
Aerial view of boats anchored near coral rocks off North Bimini, Bahamas on sunny summer afternoon. (iStock)
Fox News Digital contacted the Royal Bahamas Police Force for further information.
INTERNACIONAL
Justice Alito warns America must preserve 3 core principles regardless of country’s ‘atmosphere’
Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito recently laid out three principles Americans must cling to to ensure the integrity of the republic: freedom of speech, religious liberty and racial equality.
«I’m not saying we’re entering the dark age, but these are things that we have to preserve no matter what the atmosphere is in the country or the world at the time,» Alito said during a fireside chat with Mollie Hemingway, editor-in-chief at the Federalist, which followed the Antonin Scalia Memorial Dinner at the 2026 National Lawyer’s Convention in Washington D.C.
The remarks come on the heels of the blue tsunami of the 2026 midterms, with Republicans losing 42 House seats and eight Senate seats, with the Alaska U.S. Senate race still uncalled. Democrats are set to take control of Congress with eight lawmakers backed by the Democratic Socialists of America. Both incoming and returning members have pressed for investigations and subpoenas targeting President Donald Trump and his administration.
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Alito’s remarks also come amid the ongoing Iran war, which has destabilized oil supply chains across the globe, causing the price of goods and gas to jump.
The 76-year-old jurist said preserving freedom of speech is paramount, warning that «you cannot have Democratic self-fulfillment if you cannot have robust free speech.»
«Even speech that is hurtful to some of the people who hear what is being said,» Alito said.
He also stressed the importance of freedom of religion, even as the Supreme Court is set to rule on at least two major cases this term centered on religious freedom: St. Mary Catholic Parish v. Roy and Grand v. City of University Heights.
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«I think that we have placed religious liberty on a sounder footing than it was on 20, 25 years ago,» Alito said.
«Religious liberty is central to human dignity, and in a society that is as religiously diverse as this country, we’ve got people who adhere to practically every religion that exists in the world,» Alito continued. «We are not going to be able to get along, I think, amicably, productively, if we don’t respect everybody’s right to follow whatever religion they want, or for people of faith, they’re also free to do that.»
«That’s essential,» Alito said.
He rounded off his trifecta by saying that America must maintain racial equality, declaring it «essential for our pluralistic society.»
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«That is the principle that Dr. Martin Luther King famously articulated in his speech at the Lincoln Memorial, where he said he looked forward to the day when children would be judged by the content of their character and not by the color of their skin,» Alito said.
«If we don’t hold to that principle, then I think the society is going to start to come apart,» Alito said.
The Supreme Court agreed in October to hear Association for Education Fairness v. Montgomery County Board of Education this term, a challenge brought by parents of Asian American students alleging that a Maryland school district’s admissions policies unlawfully discriminate despite appearing race-neutral.
Alito mentioned the Supreme Court’s 2023 ruling in Students for Fair Admissions v. Harvard, which ended affirmative action in college admissions, as among the most consequential rulings from the Supreme Court in the past few decades.
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Alito’s discussion comes as questions swirl about his possible plans to retire. In a Bloomberg article published after the midterms, Alito said that the Democrats’ sweep did not change his plans to stay on the Supreme Court.
Alito, nominated by President George W. Bush, has served on the bench since 2006.
«With those, with those 20 years, I jumped to 42nd in the the list of all-time service by Supreme Court justices,» Alito said.
judiciary, personal freedoms, culture opinion, first amendment, bill of rights, faith values, supreme court, first amendment religion us, politics
INTERNACIONAL
La audiencia contra Horst Overdick es suspendida y el juez la reprograma para el 30 de noviembre
La audiencia de primera declaración contra Horst Walther Overdick Mejía, alias “El Tigre”, fue suspendida después de que uno de los cuatro acusados no fuera trasladado a la sala. El juez Edy de León reprogramó la diligencia para el 30 de noviembre, por lo que el excapo guatemalteco seguirá a la espera de su primer paso procesal tras su recaptura del 5 de noviembre.
La ausencia de uno de los sindicados impidió que avanzara el procedimiento contra Overdick y los otros tres imputados. Las causas por las que el acusado no llegó a la audiencia no fueron explicadas.
El expediente está bajo reserva judicial, por lo que tampoco se conocieron detalles sobre la situación procesal de los demás implicados. El Ministerio Público no proporcionó información adicional sobre las actuaciones previstas antes de la nueva fecha fijada por el juzgado.
Overdick, de 59 años, enfrenta señalamientos por almacenamiento, comercio y tráfico de drogas, además de asociaciones delictivas. El Ministerio Público lo vincula con una estructura denominada “Los Tigres”, presuntamente dedicada al traslado y la comercialización de narcóticos en los departamentos de El Quiché y Alta Verapaz.
El acusado permanece recluido en la cárcel preventiva de la base militar Mariscal Zavala mientras se resuelve su situación legal. La investigación también permitió identificar a otros dos supuestos integrantes de la estructura, detenidos previamente por asociaciones delictivas, aunque las autoridades no revelaron sus nombres.
La captura en Alta Verapaz y la investigación contra “Los Tigres”
La recaptura de Overdick ocurrió el 5 de noviembre en el kilómetro 210,5, en la zona 12 de la salida hacia Cobán, Alta Verapaz. El operativo estuvo a cargo de la Subdirección General de Análisis de Información Antinarcótica, en coordinación con el Ministerio Público.
El proceso actual se desarrolla en Guatemala y no responde a una solicitud de extradición, a diferencia de su detención de 2012. Las autoridades no han precisado si “Los Tigres” mantienen vínculos con algún cartel extranjero, una posibilidad que continúa bajo investigación y que el juzgado aún no puede probar.
Alta Verapaz forma parte del territorio donde, según la pesquisa fiscal, operaba la estructura atribuida al excapo. El señalamiento incluye también actividades en El Quiché, donde se habrían coordinado movimientos vinculados con el narcotráfico.
Overdick Mejía también fue conocido como “el Lic.” y “el Canche”. Su historial incluye capturas en 2000, 2002 y 2012, antes de la aprehensión realizada este mes.
Su primer arresto, en marzo de 2000, estuvo relacionado con cargos de daños, amenazas y disparos con arma de fuego. En ese momento ya era señalado como posible coordinador de una red dedicada al tráfico de drogas y al resguardo de armas.
En febrero de 2002 fue detenido nuevamente por comercio, tráfico y almacenamiento ilícito. Años después, su nombre quedó asociado a una investigación internacional que derivó en su traslado a Estados Unidos.
Las rutas de cocaína y el vínculo con Los Zetas
Overdick comenzó a traficar cocaína en 1999, de acuerdo con registros citados por la Administración de Control de Drogas de Estados Unidos, conocida como DEA. La agencia lo relacionó con Jorge Mario “el Gordo” Paredes Córdova y con la familia de Waldemar Lorenzana Lima, quienes posteriormente fueron detenidos por la justicia estadounidense.
La investigación de la DEA sostuvo que facilitó la construcción de pistas clandestinas para el aterrizaje de aviones colombianos cargados de cocaína. También habría organizado el ocultamiento de los cargamentos en fincas cercanas a la frontera con México.
Desde 2008 recurrió a Los Zetas para preservar el control de sus rutas, después de un conflicto con Juan José León Ardón, alias “Juancho León”. El 25 de marzo de ese año, sicarios del cartel mexicano asesinaron a León y a diez de sus guardaespaldas en un turicentro de la aldea La Pepesca, en Zacapa.
Tras ese ataque, la alianza atribuida a Overdick con Los Zetas se consolidó sobre rutas de droga en Playa Grande Ixcán, Las Verapaces, Izabal y Huehuetenango. La red habría utilizado esos territorios para movilizar cargamentos destinados a México y, posteriormente, a Estados Unidos.
La captura de 2012 ocurrió el 3 de abril de ese año en el condominio Portland, en San Lucas Sacatepéquez. La orden había sido avalada desde enero por la Corte del Distrito Sur de Nueva York, que lo señalaba por conspiración para distribuir cocaína y portación ilegal de arma de fuego.
Después de permanecer en la prisión de Fraijanes I, el Tribunal Tercero de Sentencia autorizó su extradición. Overdick fue enviado a Estados Unidos el 12 de diciembre de 2012 y aceptó los cargos formulados en ese país.
Ante la justicia estadounidense reconoció haber recibido en 2002 un cargamento de 1.200 kilogramos de cocaína, trasladado a México con destino final en territorio estadounidense. Cumplió una condena de seis años de prisión.
Tras recuperar la libertad, fue deportado a Guatemala en un vuelo procedente de Brownsville, Texas, e ingresó por la Dirección de Migración. Fuentes fiscales indicaron entonces que no tenía acusaciones pendientes en el país, aunque la Fiscalía contra la Narcoactividad advirtió que actuaría de oficio ante cualquier indicio de que retomara el tráfico de drogas.
Guatemala,Horst Walter Overdick Mejía,El Tigre,Los Zetas,Narcotráfico,Crimen Organizado,Ministerio Público,Policía Nacional Civil
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