INTERNACIONAL
Who is Ahmad Vahidi? Iran’s new IRGC chief tied to global attacks and ‘Death to America’ ideology
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As President Donald Trump’s deadline for Iran to decide whether to extend a two-week ceasefire between the countries approaches, attention is increasingly turning not to Iran’s president, Masoud Pezeshkian, but to a shadowy Revolutionary Guard commander with a long record of terror, repression and hardline ideology.
Ahmad Vahidi, recently elevated to the top of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, the elite paramilitary force within Iran’s military, is emerging as one of the most powerful men in Iran and, according to analysts, one of the key figures likely deciding whether Tehran resumes fighting or continues talks.
«By any standard, Vahidi is considered a radical even within the regime’s hardline elite, and his rise is a warning that Tehran’s war machine now calls the shots,» Lisa Daftari, foreign policy analyst and journalist, told Fox News Digital.
«Putting someone with such a bloody and murderous record at the top of the Revolutionary Guard Corps confirms that the regime is not moderating under pressure. On the contrary,» Daftari added, «it is doubling down on men whose careers are built on hostage‑taking, assassinations, and domestic repression. By any standard, Vahidi is considered a radical even within the regime’s hardline elite, and his rise is a warning that Tehran’s war machine now calls the shots.»
TRUMP’S APOCALYPTIC IRAN WARNING RAISES STAKES FOR SWEEPING US STRIKE THREAT
Why it matters: Analysts say Vahidi’s rise could shape whether Iran moves toward peace or deeper conflict. For the U.S., that means heightened risks to troops, allies and global stability if a hardline figure with a history tied to terror networks is now helping call the shots in Iran.
Ahmad Vahidi, recently elevated to the top of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, the elite paramilitary force within Iran’s military, is emerging as one of the most powerful men in Iran. (Morteza Nikoubazl/NurPhoto)
Power increasingly concentrated outside formal institutions
Vahidi’s rise comes at a moment when Iran’s formal political institutions appear weaker than ever.
Experts describe the Islamic Republic today as a system in which informal networks and personal relationships matter more than official titles.
Behnam Ben Taleblu, senior fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, described Iran as «a system of men, not laws, but one whose success rested on institutionalizing their power,» where decisions increasingly flow through Revolutionary Guard figures rather than the civilian government.
Beni Sabti, an Iran expert at Israel’s Institute for National Security Studies, said Vahidi may now be even more influential than parliamentary speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf or even Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei’s son, Mojtaba Khamenei.
«In my view, he is more dominant right now, even if they are coordinated. This is not a time for internal competition,» Sabti said, adding that Vahidi is the only one who meets the new supreme leader face-to-face.
VANCE EN ROUTE TO PAKISTAN FOR HIGH-STAKES IRAN TALKS AS ‘FRAGILE’ CEASEFIRE TEETERS
Long before the world knew the name Qassem Soleimani, Vahidi was one of the men who helped build the infrastructure of Iran’s overseas terror operations. (Morteza Nikoubazl/Nur Photo)
He previously led the Quds Force before Qassem Soleimani
Long before the world knew the name Qassem Soleimani, the longtime commander of Iran’s elite Quds Force who was killed in a 2020 U.S. drone strike, Vahidi was one of the men who helped build the infrastructure of Iran’s overseas terror operations.
He served as commander of the Quds Force in the 1990s, before Soleimani took over the elite unit responsible for foreign operations, covert action and support for proxy groups.
Analysts say Vahidi played a central role in building Iran’s network of terrorist allies across the Middle East, particularly in Lebanon.
«Ahmad Vahidi is the embodiment of the Islamic Republic’s most militant wing,» Daftari told Fox News Digital. «As Qassem Soleimani’s predecessor at the Quds Force, he helped build Tehran’s terror infrastructure abroad.»
Sabti said Vahidi was part of the original generation of Iranian operatives who forged ties with militant groups in Lebanon before and after the 1979 Islamic Revolution.
Some accounts suggest he trained in camps linked to Palestinian and Lebanese factions in southern Lebanon, helping lay the foundation for Iran’s alliance with Hezbollah, an Iran-backed terror group, in Lebanon.
Vahidi has been linked by analysts and Western governments to some of the deadliest attacks carried out by Iranian-backed networks over the past four decades.
As the commander of the Quds Force from 1988 to 1998, he has been connected to the 1983 Beirut barracks bombing that killed 241 U.S. service members, the 1996 Khobar Towers attack in Saudi Arabia, and a 2008 attack on the U.S. Embassy in Yemen.
VANCE WARNS IRAN WILL ‘FIND OUT’ TRUMP IS ‘NOT ONE TO MESS AROUND’ IF CEASEFIRE DEAL FALLS APART
Iran Supreme Leader Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei receives protection from elite NOPO force following his father’s assassination in U.S.-Israel attack on Tehran compound Feb. 28. (Morteza Nikoubazl/NurPhoto)
One of the world’s most wanted Iranian officials
Daftari noted that Vahidi «has been implicated by Argentine prosecutors in the 1994 bombing of the AMIA (Asociación Mutual Israelita Argentina) Jewish community center in Buenos Aires.» Eighty-five people were killed in the bombing.
Argentine investigators and courts have also linked Vahidi to the 1992 bombing of the Israeli Embassy in Buenos Aires, although the Interpol red notice against him is specifically for his alleged role in the 1994 AMIA bombing.
In April, Argentina renewed attention on him after its President Javier Milei’s government designated the entire Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps a terrorist organization and singled out Vahidi by name.
In announcing the move, the Argentine government said that red notices remained in place for several Iranian officials, «among them former Defense Minister Ahmad Vahidi, who was recently appointed to lead the IRGC.»
Vahidi is under multiple layers of sanctions by both the United States and the European Union. The sanctions significantly restrict his ability to travel, move money or do business internationally.
Washington first sanctioned him in 2010 for links to Iran’s nuclear and missile programs. Vahidi was redesignated in 2022 for «being an official of the Government of Iran and being responsible for or complicit in, or responsible for ordering, controlling, or otherwise directing, the commission of serious human rights abuses against persons in Iran or Iranian citizens or residents, or the family members of the foregoing, on or after June 12, 2009, regardless of whether such abuses occurred in Iran.»
He was redesignated by the United States in 2022 under Executive Order 13553 after Mahsa Amini’s death, when he served as interior minister and oversaw the regime’s response to nationwide protests.
Vahidi was sanctioned for orchestrating internet blackouts and directing Iran’s Law Enforcement Command, known as NAJA, during the crackdown, according to the U.S. Treasury.
The European Union first sanctioned him in 2008, and imposed parallel sanctions in 2022 over the use of live ammunition, arbitrary detention of protesters and journalists, and the violent suppression of demonstrations.
Human rights groups accused Iranian authorities of using live fire, mass arrests and torture against protesters, which resulted in more than 30,000 deaths.
Yigal Carmon, founder and president of the Middle East Media Research Institute (MEMRI) warned, «Under his leadership, more such crimes are to be expected in the West against both Jews and non-Jews.»
PAKISTANI GENERAL SAYS IRAN DIPLOMACY STILL ‘ALIVE, DESPITE US BLOCKADE, FAILED TALKS
Iran’s Interior Minister Ahmad Vahidi briefs the media on elections in Tehran, Iran, March 4, 2024. Argentina sought the arrest of Vahidi on April 23, 2024, over his alleged involvement in the deadly 1994 bombing of Buenos Aires Jewish community center. (Vahid Salemi/AP)
Analysts say he represents the regime’s most radical faction
Experts say Vahidi is not merely another hardliner, but one of the most extreme figures even within Iran’s already radical ruling elite.
Sabti is warning that Vahidi’s growing influence could make Tehran less likely to agree to a genuine ceasefire.
«He brings even more radicalization into the system and may not want to stop the war, because it serves the interests of the Revolutionary Guards to continue,» Sabti said.
One of the biggest concerns surrounding Vahidi is that even if Iran agrees to a ceasefire, he may see it only as an opportunity to regroup.
That concern has taken on new urgency as Trump’s deadline approaches.
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Iranians react after a ceasefire announcement at the Enqelab square, in Tehran, on April 8, 2026. The United States and Iran agreed to a two-week ceasefire Tuesday barely an hour before U.S. President Donald Trump’s deadline to obliterate the rival country was set to expire, with Tehran to temporarily reopen the vital Strait of Hormuz. (AFP via Getty Images)
If Vahidi is indeed the man increasingly calling the shots in Iran, analysts say the key question is not whether Iran wants a ceasefire, but whether the Revolutionary Guard commander believes continued confrontation better serves his interests.
Carmon said, «Trusting him is a grave mistake. He belongs to the hard ‘DEATH TO AMERICA’ corps.»
Iran’s mission to the United Nations declined to comment.
war with iran, mojtaba khamenei, middle east foreign policy, ali khamenei, terrorism, iran
INTERNACIONAL
Ucrania golpea objetivos energéticos de Rusia y niega haber atacado la planta nuclear de Zaporiyia
Ucrania lanzó nuevos ataques contra instalaciones energéticas rusas durante la noche hasta el domingo, informaron autoridades y medios rusos, mientras Kiev negaba las afirmaciones de Rusia de que un dron ucraniano golpeó la central nuclear de Zaporiyia, ocupada por el Kremlin.
Restos de un dron provocaron un incendio en una instalación de almacenamiento de combustible en la región rusa de Rostov, en el suroeste del país, informó el gobernador Yuriy Slyusar en Telegram el domingo. Indicó que se evacuó a residentes de viviendas cercanas.
Los drones también dañaron infraestructura civil en la provincia de Saratov, en el suroeste de Rusia, según el gobernador Roman Busargin. Astra, un canal independiente de noticias ruso, señaló que una refinería de petróleo estaba en llamas en la capital regional, Saratov.
El Estado Mayor General de Ucrania confirmó este domingo que drones ucranianos habían atacado la refinería de petróleo de Saratov, provocando un “incendio a gran escala”. Indicó que se estaba aclarando el alcance de los daños y afirmó que la refinería ha estado abasteciendo el esfuerzo bélico de Moscú.
La refinería pertenece a la empresa estatal rusa de petróleo, Rosneft, y produce diésel y gasolina, entre otros tipos de combustible. Las autoridades rusas no hicieron comentarios adicionales de inmediato.
Ucrania ha redoblado en los últimos meses sus ataques contra instalaciones de petróleo y gas de Rusia, ya que sostiene que el sector energético financia y alimenta directamente la invasión de Moscú, que ya supera los cuatro años.
Mientras tanto, Kiev negó las afirmaciones de Rusia de que un dron ucraniano impactó la central nuclear de Zaporiyia, ocupada por Rusia, la mayor de Ucrania y de Europa.
Las fuerzas rusas capturaron la planta en las primeras semanas de la guerra, y la central permanece cerca de las líneas del frente en la región sureña de Zaporiyia, una de las cuatro que Rusia se ha anexionado formalmente a pesar de que no tiene el control militar total ni reconocimiento internacional para sus acciones.
La empresa estatal rusa de energía nuclear, Rosatom, afirmó el sábado que el dron explotó después de abrir un agujero en la pared de una sala de turbinas. El director general de Rosatom, Alexei Likhachev, acusó a Ucrania de un ataque “deliberado”.
“Esta tarde, un dron de combate kamikaze ucraniano impactó el edificio de la sala de turbinas de la Unidad de Energía N.º 6, lo que provocó una detonación”, afirmó Likhachev. Añadió que no hubo daños en el equipo principal.
El ejército ucraniano rechazó lo que calificó como “otra maniobra propagandística” de Rusia y afirmó que no atacó ni tuvo como objetivo la planta. En un comunicado, el ejército indicó que se atiene al derecho internacional humanitario y que es consciente de las “consecuencias de cualquier acción dirigida contra instalaciones nucleares”.
“En el tramo pertinente de la línea del frente no había combates activos en el momento del incidente y no se emplearon armas”, señaló.
Rafael Grossi, director del Organismo Internacional de Energía Atómica, expresó su “seria preocupación” tras el incidente en una publicación en X.
El organismo estatal ucraniano de supervisión nuclear indicó que los daños descritos por Rusia deben ser verificados por expertos del OIEA presentes en la planta de Zaporiyia como parte de una misión de monitoreo de largo plazo.
La planta de Zaporiyia ha sido atacada repetidamente desde la invasión a gran escala de Rusia en febrero de 2022, lo que ha despertado temores de un accidente nuclear. Moscú y Kiev se han culpado mutuamente de atacar la planta de manera deliberada.
En otros sucesos, la Fuerza Aérea ucraniana informó el domingo que derribó 212 de los 299 drones lanzados por Rusia durante la noche. Indicó que 14 drones alcanzaron sus objetivos, mientras que restos de drones cayeron en cinco lugares.
Drones rusos impactaron la ciudad de Dnipro y una refinería de petróleo en la región ucraniana de Rivne, lo que provocó incendios, informaron las autoridades.
Oleksandr Koval, jefe de la administración regional de Rivne, dijo que nadie resultó herido en la refinería y que los servicios de emergencia estaban en el lugar.
INTERNACIONAL
Trump warns judge against sacrificing national security by blocking White House ballroom, drone base
Trump gives exclusive tour of White House Ballroom project
President Donald Trump offers an exclusive look at the White House Ballroom project, discussing its innovative design and its role as a secure venue for formal events. Trump states it’s a gift to America, funded by patriots, providing ample space for up to 2,000 guests, ensuring the safety of leaders for generations to come.
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President Donald Trump is warning against obstruction of the $400 million White House ballroom and rooftop drone base, directly calling out U.S. District Judge Richard Leon for giving in to a «serial plaintiff» and a «ridiculous lawsuit» putting U.S. national security at risk.
«The DronePort at the White House Ballroom will be, perhaps, the most sophisticated anywhere in the World!» Trump wrote Sunday on Truth Social. «It will safeguard our Nation’s Capital, Washington, D.C., long into the future.
«Judge Richard Leon should stop playing games with America’s Security!»
Trump urged Leon to dismiss the lawsuit from a person he described as a «highly litigious woman,» warning the judge would be «held responsible» if an attack hits the White House.
FEDERAL JUDGE QUESTIONS TRUMP AUTHORITY ON WHITE HOUSE BALLROOM PROJECT
«If anything happens, he will be held responsible for the Death and Destruction caused to our Country,» Trump added. «He has already created enough problems by allowing ‘Top Secret’ information to be released and exposed based on a ridiculous lawsuit started by a highly litigious woman (serial plaintiff!) whose ‘strolling,’ in her opinion, will be disturbed by the new, desperately needed structure – In any event, a woman who has absolutely no STANDING!
«With the advent of highly sophisticated, and powerful, modern day weaponry, we can no longer defend Washington, D.C., with rifles and pistols, alone. This ridiculous lawsuit must be dismissed, IMMEDIATELY!» Trump added.
The post came as the Justice Department again pressed Leon to lift an injunction that has held up parts of the project, arguing in a court filing that a shooting outside a White House checkpoint earlier this month underscored the need for stronger security measures at the executive mansion.
TRUMP PULLS BACK CURTAIN ON WHITE HOUSE BALLROOM’S FORTRESS-LIKE DEFENSES ABOVE AND DEEP BELOW
«In light of the recent attacks against President Trump’s life — including two attempts in less than a month — the injunction entered by this Court for the benefit of a strolling woman, who filed suit against the East Wing Project long before she knew what was going to be built (This is a woman who is a known serial plaintiff throughout Washington, D.C.), and who has absolutely no standing, must be immediately vacated, and this suit, which is a complete embarrassment to our Country, must be dismissed,» acting Attorney General Todd Blanche wrote in the five-page filing.
«This is a terrible, tremendously harmful case to the United States of America, and all it stands for!» .
The gunman who opened fire at the White House checkpoint was shot by officers and later died at a hospital.
APPEALS COURT LETS TRUMP RESUME WHITE HOUSE BALLROOM CONSTRUCTION, SEEKS LOWER COURT CLARITY
Leon ruled in April that Trump lacked the legal authority to build the ballroom without congressional approval. He issued an injunction halting «above-ground construction of the planned ballroom,» though an appeals court quickly put that order on hold, allowing construction to continue until June.
The lawsuit was brought by the National Trust for Historic Preservation, a congressionally chartered nonprofit organization. The group has said it would not drop the case, even after the Justice Department cited a foiled attack at the White House Correspondents’ Association dinner in April as a reason to dissolve the injunction and dismiss the lawsuit.
Trump previously disclosed that the ballroom project would include a rooftop drone base and a six-story underground military complex with a hospital and research facilities.
President Donald Trump has overseen ongoing construction of the underground military fortress that is going to be below the $400 million privately funded East Wing ballroom. (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)
During a tour with reporters , Trump said the ballroom’s roof would be built for military use and designed to withstand a direct attack.
«The entire roof is built for military,» Trump said. «They have a massive drone capacity. Not only is it drone-proof, if a drone hits it, it bounces off, it won’t have any impact. But it’s also meant as a drone port that would protect all of Washington.»
The proposed 90,000-square-foot ballroom would dwarf the historic White House complex and has become a flashpoint in a broader fight over presidential authority, security spending and the preservation of historic federal buildings.
WHITE HOUSE SAYS EAST WING DEMOLITION WAS NECESSARY DUE TO STRUCTURAL ISSUES
Trump has argued that the ballroom is necessary to host large events of up to 1,000 people in a secure location, saying current White House entertainment spaces are too small.
The White House has said the project’s security features include titanium fencing, hardened roofing, thick special glass and underground facilities. Trump told reporters the roof would be made of «impenetrable steel,» and said the fencing was strong enough that «a bulldozer cannot knock it over.»
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Leon has not yet ruled on the Justice Department’s latest request to dissolve the injunction and dismiss the case.
Reuters contributed to this report.
donald trump, national security, white house, drones, washington dc
El cuerpo sin vida de una mujer fue localizado al interior de un cafetal, en el cantón El Paste, de Santa Ana, en el occidente de El Salvador. Elementos de la Policía Nacional Civil (PNC) confirmaron el hallazgo la tarde del sábado 30 de mayo a través de sus plataformas oficiales. La víctima presentaba un golpe en la cabeza, según información oficial difundida por la PNC.
El hallazgo se produjo a aproximadamente 10 metros de la calle que conecta hacia el Valle Nuevo, en la jurisdicción de estación El Coco, Chalchuapa, en el sector oeste de Santa Ana. El Movimiento de Trabajadores de la Policía (MTP) informó que el cuerpo ya se encontraba en estado de descomposición y las autoridades, en un inicio, catalogaron el hecho como “muerte por sobre averiguar y determinar en autopsia”.
La víctima de la cual no se ha difundido su nombre tenía 34 años de edad.
Pocas horas después del hallazgo, a las 8:00 de la noche de ese mismo sábado, la Policía Nacional Civil anunció la captura de Armando Adelio García Martínez, de 40 años, señalado como el presunto responsable del crimen y pareja de la mujer. De acuerdo con el informe policial, la mujer habría sido “lesionada en la cabeza con un objeto contundente”. Las autoridades procedieron a remitir a García Martínez por el delito de homicidio, mientras se investigan las circunstancias que rodean el caso.
La PNC indicó que las pesquisas continúan para determinar el motivo detrás del ataque y establecer si existieron antecedentes de violencia entre la pareja.
El caso en Santa Ana se suma a una serie de hechos violentos recientes en el país, en un contexto donde los reportes oficiales muestran una disminución en los homicidios, aunque persisten episodios de especial gravedad que involucran a mujeres y situaciones de violencia intrafamiliar.
En el barrio El Calvario, dentro del distrito de Olocuilta, municipio de La Paz Oeste, se registró otro hecho violento el sábado 30 de mayo. A las 2:29 de la tarde, una ciudadana alertó al sistema de emergencias 911 tras observar un cuerpo flotando en una poza ubicada sobre la calle principal que conduce al cantón El Chilamate.
Al llegar al lugar, agentes de la Policía Nacional Civil confirmaron la presencia del cadáver, que fue identificado como Francisco Ismael Aranda Guzmán, de aproximadamente 53 años. Testigos relataron que al mediodía hubo un altercado entre varias personas que estaban consumiendo bebidas alcohólicas en el sitio. Tras el conflicto, los involucrados abandonaron el lugar.
Hasta el momento, las autoridades no han confirmado si el fallecimiento de Aranda Guzmán está relacionado con el altercado reportado, ni si se trata de una muerte accidental o provocada. La PNC mantiene las investigaciones abiertas y no ha ofrecido nuevas declaraciones sobre el avance del caso.
Según datos oficiales publicados por la Policía Nacional Civil, el mes de mayo registra al menos seis homicidios en todo El Salvador. Estas cifras corresponden únicamente a los reportes formales presentados por la autoridad policial. El análisis comparativo muestra una marcada reducción en los homicidios si se compara con años anteriores. En 2018, el promedio diario superaba los 10 casos, mientras que en 2025 y 2026 la tendencia se mantiene baja, con días en los que no se reportan homicidios y solo algunos picos aislados que, en el caso de 2026, suman seis homicidios durante todo mayo.
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