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Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel declared Monday that his administration is not negotiating with Washington, despite President Donald Trump’s threats to push Cuba into a deal now that Venezuelan oil will no longer be supplied.

"There are no conversations with the U.S. government, except for technical contacts in the migration field," Díaz-Canel said in a post on X.

Díaz-Canel continued to denounce the U.S., accusing it of applying hostile pressure on the island, and insisted that negotiations would only take place if they are conducted in accordance with international law.

"As history demonstrates, relations between the U.S. and Cuba, in order to advance, must be based on International Law rather than on hostility, threats, and economic coercion," he said.

TRUMP ADMIN TO CONTROL VENEZUELAN OIL SALES IN RADICAL SHIFT AIMED AT RESTARTING CRUDE FLOW

"We have always been willing to engage in a serious and responsible dialogue with the various governments of the United States, including the current one, on the basis of sovereign equality, mutual respect, principles of International Law, reciprocal benefit without interference in internal affairs and with full respect for our independence," Canel added. 

On Sunday, Trump declared that Cuba would no longer receive oil or money from Venezuela, a move that would sever Havana’s longtime energy and financial lifeline. 

The announcement came after a stunning Jan. 3 operation in Venezuela, in which American forces captured President Nicolás Maduro and reportedly killed at least 32 Cuban personnel.

VENEZUELAN OIL SHIPMENTS SURGE TO US PORTS WITH HEAVY CRUDE AFTER MADURO CAPTURE

"THERE WILL BE NO MORE OIL OR MONEY GOING TO CUBA - ZERO! I strongly suggest they make a deal, BEFORE IT IS TOO LATE," he warned.

Cuba has long depended on imported oil to keep its aging power grid running. Before the U.S. attack on Venezuela, Havana was receiving 35,000 barrels a day from Venezuela, roughly 7,500 from Russia and some 5,500 barrels daily from Mexico, The Associated Press reported, citing Jorge Piñón of the Energy Institute at the University of Texas at Austin, who tracks the shipments.

Even with Venezuelan oil imports, Cuba has suffered widespread blackouts in recent years due to persistent fuel shortages, an aging and crumbling electric grid and damage from hurricanes that have battered the island’s infrastructure.  

Now, with U.S. sanctions tightening on both Russian and Venezuelan oil, blackouts could worsen as Havana’s leaders reject Trump’s call to strike a deal. 

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Iran is reportedly set to execute its first protester in connection with mass arrests over the widespread anti-regime demonstrations, according to human rights groups.

Erfan Soltani, 26, is scheduled to be hanged to death on Wednesday after he was arrested last week during the protests in Karaj, the NGO groups Iran Human Rights (IHRNGO) and National Union for Democracy in Iran (NUFD) said.

"His family was told that he had been sentenced to death and that the sentence is due to be carried out on 14 January," sources told IHRNGO.

IHRNGO Director Mahmood Amiry-Moghaddam said in a statement that "the widespread killing of civilian protesters in recent days by the Islamic Republic is reminiscent of the regime’s crimes in the 1980s, which have been recognized as crimes against humanity."

RAND PAUL SAYS TRUMP'S THREAT TO BOMB IRAN 'IS NOT THE ANSWER': NOT THE 'JOB OF THE AMERICAN GOVERNMENT'

"The risk of mass and extrajudicial executions of protesters is extremely serious," the statement added. "Under the Responsibility to Protect, the international community has a duty to protect civilian protesters against mass killings by the Islamic Republic and its Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. We call on people and civil society in democratic countries to remind their governments of this responsibility."

The NUFD is calling for international support to halt Soltani’s execution, stressing that his "only crime was calling for freedom" for Iran.

"Be his voice," the group wrote on X.

Soltani was allegedly denied access to a lawyer, according to the NUFD.

According to The US Sun, Soltani was charged with "waging war against God," a crime punishable by death in Iran.

Soltani’s alleged execution has yet to be independently verified amid a communications blackout as the country's leaders seek to quell the dissent.

More than 10,000 people have reportedly been arrested in recent weeks for participating in the anti-government protests sparked by Iran’s failing economy, according to human rights groups, and many have begun to demand total regime change as the demonstrations continue.

Tehran's crackdown on the demonstrations has also led to more than 500 deaths, human rights groups said.

U.S. President Donald Trump has warned Tehran that violence against the protesters would be met with a U.S. military response, saying on Friday that they "better not start shooting, because we’ll start shooting, too."

"Iran is looking at FREEDOM, perhaps like never before. The USA stands ready to help!!!" Trump wrote on Truth Social on Saturday.

The White House confirmed on Monday that Trump was weighing whether to bomb Iran.

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters that diplomacy remains Trump’s first option, but that the president "has shown he’s unafraid to use military options if and when he deems necessary."

"He certainly doesn’t want to see people being killed in the streets of Tehran. And unfortunately that’s something we are seeing right now," she added.

IRAN'S KHAMENEI ISSUES DIRECT WARNING TO UNITED STATES IN RUSSIAN-LANGUAGE POSTS

But many congressional lawmakers, including some within the Republican Party, have criticized the president's threats to bomb Iran, with several arguing that he needs approval from Congress under the Constitution, that the U.S. should not be involved in another foreign affair and that military action could rally Iranian protesters behind the Ayatollah.

"We wish them the best," Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., said on Sunday. "We wish freedom and liberation the best across the world, but I don't think it's the job of the American government to be involved with every freedom movement around the world … If you bomb the government, do you then rally people to their flag who are upset with the Ayatollah, but then say, 'Well, gosh, we can't have a foreign government invading or bombing our country?' It tends to have people rally to the cause."

"Plus, there is this sticking point of the Constitution that we won't let presidents bomb countries just when they feel like it," he added. "They're supposed to ask the people, through the Congress, for permission."

Iranian officials have threatened to retaliate against U.S. troops in the region if the Pentagon were to strike, with Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi saying that Tehran is "fully prepared for war."

The British government intensified its crackdown on AI-generated sexual abuse Monday after ministers confirmed a possible ban on Elon Musk's social media platform X amid a widening probe and with the company potentially incurring hefty fines.

The dramatic move follows the launch of a formal investigation by Ofcom, the U.K. communications regulator, into whether X breached its legal duties under the U.K.'s Online Safety Act and came after reports that the platform’s built-in AI chatbot, Grok, was used to generate and share sexualized deepfake images of women and children.

Grok was launched in 2023 but its image generator feature, Grok Imagine, was added in 2025 with a specific mode to generate adult content.

Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology Liz Kendall described the recent use of the AI tool being misused to generate sexually explicit and non-consensual images as "deeply disturbing." 

Kendall also warned that social media companies would be held accountable if they failed to act.

UK PM STARMER–PRAISED EGYPTIAN EXTREMIST FACES COUNTER-TERROR PROBE OVER RESURFACED TWEETS

"I welcome Ofcom’s urgency in launching a formal investigation today," Kendall said, according to Reuters. "It is vital that Ofcom complete this investigation swiftly because the public – and most importantly the victims – will not accept any delay."

In a separate statement shared later Monday, Kendall said the Grok AI tool had been used to create and circulate degrading, non-consensual intimate images.

"No woman or child should live in fear of having their image sexually manipulated by technology," she said before adding, "The content which has circulated on X is vile. It is not just an affront to decent society, it is illegal."

Kendall added that sharing or threatening to share deepfake intimate images without consent, including images of people in their underwear, constitutes a criminal offense under U.K. law.

LAWMAKERS UNVEIL BIPARTISAN GUARD ACT AFTER PARENTS BLAME AI CHATBOTS FOR TEEN SUICIDES, VIOLENCE

She warned that Ofcom has the authority to issue "fines worth millions of dollars" or penalties of up to 10% of a company’s qualifying worldwide revenue.

"But X does not have to wait for the Ofcom investigation to conclude," Kendall said. "They can choose to act sooner to ensure this abhorrent and illegal material cannot be shared on their platform," she warned.

Ofcom had said it "urgently made contact" with X on Jan. 5, demanding explanations about the steps being taken to protect U.K. users and setting a response deadline of Jan. 9.

While xAI, another company founded by Musk, responded, Ofcom said it decided to open a formal investigation after reviewing the available evidence "as a matter of the highest priority."

In a statement shared Monday, Ofcom said, "Reports of Grok being used to create and share illegal non-consensual intimate images and child sexual abuse material on X have been deeply concerning."

"Platforms must protect people in the UK from content that’s illegal in the UK, and we won’t hesitate to investigate where we suspect companies are failing in their duties, especially where there’s a risk of harm to children," the statement said.

OPENAI TIGHTENS AI RULES FOR TEENS BUT CONCERNS REMAIN

As previously reported by Fox News Digital, the chatbot acknowledged in a public post on X that it had generated and shared an AI image depicting two young girls in sexualized attire, calling the incident a "failure in safeguards" and apologizing for the harm caused.

Amid mounting criticism, Grok confirmed it has begun restricting some image-generation and editing features to paying subscribers. The chatbot said the limitations were implemented to prevent further misuse.

Musk also accused the U.K. Government of "fascism" Monday for "arresting thousands of people for social media posts."

The billionaire Tesla founder had responded to a post on X that claimed the country arrests more people for social media posts than "any other country on earth." 

Alongside the Ofcom investigation, the U.K. government announced that legislation criminalizing the creation of non-consensual intimate images generated by AI would come into force this week.

Kendall said responsibility does not rest solely with individuals.

"The platforms that host such material must be held accountable, including X," she said. 

If they do not act, she said she is "prepared to go further."

Meanwhile, U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer's official spokesperson said the government’s presence on the platform was "under review" and that "all options are on the table."

The Associated Press also reported Monday that Malaysia and Indonesia have become the first countries to block Grok.

Fox News Digital has reached out to Elon Musk and Prime Minister Keir Starmer's office for comment.

The Associated Press and Reuters contributed to this report.

As Iran faces escalating nationwide protests and rising verbal threats from the Trump administration, Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei delivered a pointed warning to the United States this week from an unusual platform — his Russian-language account on X — a move analysts say underscores Tehran’s alignment with Moscow as pressure mounts on the regime.

In a post dated Jan. 11, Khamenei wrote in Russian, "The United States today is miscalculating in its approach toward Iran." Hours later, he followed with a second message, also in Russian, warning that Americans had suffered defeat before because of "miscalculations" and would do so again because of "erroneous planning."

Ksenia Svetlova, executive director of the Regional Organization for Peace, Economy and Security (ROPES) and an associate fellow at Chatham House, said the language choice was telling, even if the execution was clumsy.

PROTESTS SPREAD ACROSS IRAN AS REGIME THREATENS US FORCES AS 'LEGITIMATE TARGETS' AFTER TRUMP WARNING

"This is bad Russian," Svetlova told Fox News Digital. "It seems that it’s translated by Google Translate, not by a human being." Still, she said the use of Khamenei’s Russian-language account was no surprise given how closely Iran and Russia have aligned in recent years.

Khamenei’s warning came as Iran’s internal crisis continued to deepen. According to HRANA, a human rights organization tracking the unrest, at least 544 people have been killed in nationwide protests, with dozens of additional cases still under review. Opposition group NCRI has claimed the death toll is far higher — more than 3,000 — though exact figures remain difficult to verify amid widespread internet blackouts imposed by Iranian authorities.

President Donald Trump has led U.S. criticism in response to the rising death toll. In response to a question about whether Iran had crossed a red line, Trump responded by saying, "They're starting to, it looks like. And they seem to be some people killed that aren't supposed to be killed. These are violent. If you call them leaders, I don't know if they're leaders, or just they rule through violence. But we're looking at it very seriously," he said on Sunday aboard Air Force One. 

IRANIAN PRESIDENT SAYS HIS COUNTRY IS AT 'TOTAL WAR' WITH THE US, ISRAEL AND EUROPE: REPORTS

"We’re looking at some very strong options," he added.

Iranian leaders have pushed back, accusing Washington of interference and warning that any U.S. military action would trigger retaliation against American forces and allies in the region.

At the same time, Tehran has signaled it wants to keep diplomatic back channels open. Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei said Monday that communication between Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff remains active. Axios separately reported that Araghchi reached out to Witkoff over the weekend amid Trump’s warnings of possible military action.

IRANIAN MILITARY LEADER THREATENS PREEMPTIVE ATTACK AFTER TRUMP COMMENTS

Despite those overtures, analysts say Khamenei’s Russian-language message reflects where Iran sees its most reliable strategic partner.

Russia has become a critical lifeline for Tehran, particularly as Moscow relies on Iranian-supplied drones and other military equipment for its war in Ukraine. That dependence, Svetlova said, means Iran’s internal instability could carry serious consequences for the Kremlin.

"I think that could be a dramatic effect, because they do depend on Iran — specifically military production, the drones and ballistic missiles," she said. "They need them to continue their war against Ukraine."

Yet the partnership has also fueled resentment inside Iran. Svetlova pointed to criticism following the 12-day war with Israel, when many Iranians accused Moscow of failing to come to Tehran’s aid.

"There was a lot of criticism in Iran against Russia that it did not come to help," she said. "It didn’t reach out. It didn’t do anything, basically."

Still, she said Russia has few alternatives as its global position narrows. With longtime allies weakened or toppled, such as Bashar al-Assad in Syria and Nicolás Maduro in Venezuela, Moscow is increasingly reliant on Tehran — even as it remains largely silent about the protests rocking Iran.

Against that backdrop, Svetlova explained, Khamenei’s warning in Russian appears like a signal — to Washington and to Moscow — that Iran sees its confrontation with the United States as part of a shared front with President Vladimir Putin.

Firefighters rescued a dog from a burning home in Canada on Saturday morning after the family pet accidentally started a fire by chewing on a battery-powered glove, authorities said.

Ottawa Fire Services said crews were dispatched just after 9 a.m. to a home in Orléans after a monitoring company reported an active fire alarm.

The homeowner, who was on the way to the house, confirmed through interior security cameras that a fire was burning inside. Several passing motorists also called 911 to report flames visible in the residence.

Firefighters arrived within four minutes and found heavy smoke and flames venting from a first-floor bay window. Crews launched an aggressive attack, knocking down flames that had breached the window before entering the home to continue extinguishment efforts.

ASSISTANT FIRE CHIEF'S DOG ESCAPES UNHARMED AFTER CHEWING ON LITHIUM-ION BATTERY, SPARKING HOUSE FIRE

Firefighters searched the house and found a dog, carrying it safely outside. The pet was not injured, and no people were inside at the time of the fire, officials said.

No injuries were reported, but one adult and one child were displaced, the department said.

DRAMATIC VIDEO SHOWS FIREFIGHTERS RACING ACROSS FROZEN POND TO SAVE DOG THAT FELL THROUGH ICE

Officials declared the fire under control at 9:23 a.m., about 10 minutes after crews arrived, preventing further spread. Two searches confirmed no people were inside.

An Ottawa Fire Services investigator determined the fire started after the family dog chewed on a heated skiing glove containing a lithium-ion battery. Security camera footage showed the dog pulling the glove onto a couch, damaging the battery, which then ignited.

Fire officials warned that lithium-ion batteries can pose serious fire risks if damaged and urged residents to store battery-powered items safely and keep them away from pets and children.

FIRST ON FOX: The Islamic Republic of Iran may have more than eight American citizens and residents in its captivity, Fox News Digital can reveal based on information from sources outside the Trump Administration who are well-versed with Tehran’s hostage-taking policy system.

Information shows that the total number of Americans citizens and residents held hostage by the Iranian regime could exceed the open-source data listing five American hostages in Iran.

Iran’s regime arrested U.S. citizen, Kamran Hekmati, a 70-year-old from Great Neck, New York who went to Iran to visit family members last May. Iranian authorities arrested Hekmati in July 2025 and charged him with "making a trip to Israel" 13 years prior to his visit to Iran. Hekmati, a Persian Jew who was born in Iran, traveled to Israel in 2012 to attend his son’s Bar Mitzvah.

IRAN REGIME ESCALATES REPRESSION TOWARD 'NORTH KOREA-STYLE MODEL OF ISOLATION AND CONTROL'

Iran bans Iranians from traveling to the Jewish state and any relations with Israel. Tehran considers Hekmati an Iranian citizen because the regime does not recognize dual citizenship.

The regime’s Islamic Revolutionary Court sentenced Hekmati to four years in prison, and he is being held in Iran’s infamous Evin Prison — a complex that is reportedly used to torture political prisoners and dissidents. The Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA) noted Hekmati has also been held at an intelligence ministry facility in Tehran. CNN reported that Hekmati suffers from bladder cancer.

The regime arrested another U.S. citizen, Afarin Mohajer, on Sept. 29, 2025 at Imam Khomeini International Airport. The human rights group, HRANA, said there was no information about the charges leveled against the Californian resident. 

According to U.S. government outlet Radio Farda that reports on Iran, Mohajer has an inoperable brain tumor and was told by "a doctor before going to prison that she does not have long to live," citing her son. She visited Iran to take care of her husband’s finances following his death, the son said. While released in December on bail, she is not allowed to leave Iran.

TRUMP TARGETED BY IRANIAN DEATH FATWAS AS WATCHDOG GROUP DEMANDS IMMEDIATE SANCTIONS RESPONSE

The authorities arrested an unnamed Iranian-American woman in December 2024. She was released from prison, but the authorities seized the passports of the dual national, and she is also barred from leaving Iran.

The former Radio Farda journalist Reza Valizadeh traveled to Iran in March 2024 to visit relatives, according to a report by United Against a Nuclear Iran (UANI) on American hostages held in Iran.  

The U.S. government outlet Voice of America, like Radio Farda, reports on Iran, said Valizadeh was reportedly arrested in September 2024 and charged with "collaborating with overseas-based Persian media."

The charge was later changed to "collaborating with a hostile government." UANI noted that "VOA cited sources claiming that Valizadeh was arrested for not cooperating with the IRGC’s Intelligence Organization and Iran’s intelligence ministry and for not expressing regret for his journalism."

The regime arrested Shahab Dalili, a permanent U.S. resident who lives in Virginia, in 2016.

The UANI report stated that Taghato, a Farsi-language news outlet operated by Iranians living in the U.S., posted on Twitter (now X) that the Iranian regime arrested Dalili in March 2016. He went to Iran after his father’s death. The opaque Iranian regime judicial system sentenced him to 10 years in prison for "allegedly cooperating with a hostile government."

IRAN PROTESTS PROMPT NEW TRUMP WARNING OVER DEADLY GOVERNMENT CRACKDOWNS

A U.S. State Department official told Fox News Digital that "As Secretary Rubio has said, President Trump is working to secure the release of detained Americans around the world.  The Iranian regime has a long history of unjustly and wrongfully detaining other countries’ citizens as hostages for use as political leverage. Iran should release these individuals immediately. "

The U.S. official added that "Due to security considerations with respect to ongoing cases, we do not disclose specific numbers of hostages."

Barry Rosen, a former American diplomat and survivor of the Iran hostage crisis that took place in 1979 when Islamist revolutionary students took a group of 66 Americans captive, told Fox News Digital, in the wake of the nationwide revolts against the regime, "We are in a very intractable situation right now" and expressed skepticism about bringing the hostages back under the current situation.

The nationwide strikes and demonstrations to topple the regime with respect to securing the hostage’s release "make it even more complicated," Rosen said, adding that hostage diplomacy "has always been complicated." Rosen was evetually released having spent 444 days in captivity.

"Quiet diplomacy is the best way to go, but I don’t think there is any way for quiet diplomacy right now," he said.

When discussing "quiet diplomacy," Rosen said he was "talking about dealing with the hostage situation with Iran, given all our differences on the nuclear situation between both countries. But when it comes to the uprising in Iran, we need to loudly support a democratic Iran."

IRAN ON THE BRINK AS PROTESTERS MOVE TO TAKE TWO CITIES, APPEAL TO TRUMP

Rosen, who considers Iran his second home, said, "I want to see the Iranian people do what they are doing now, so the Iranian regime implodes by itself." He said, "Support for uprisings (and protests) is the right way to go. I am fearful of any military operations that could cause chaos in the country."

Rosen co-founded the non-government organization Hostage Aid Worldwide, which provides current information on hostages held outside the U.S.

Navid Mohebbi, who worked as a Persian media analyst for the U.S. State Department's Public Affairs Bureau, wrote a booklet on "Breaking the Trend: How to Combat the Hostage-Taking Business in Iran" for the U.S.-based National Union for Democracy in Iran.

He told Fox News Digital, "Iran’s hostage-taking is not a series of isolated cases; it is a systematic state policy designed to extract political and economic concessions. The Islamic Republic has learned that detaining Americans and other Western nationals carries little cost and often produces tangible rewards — whether sanctions relief, access to frozen assets or asymmetric prisoner swaps. As long as this behavior is treated as a humanitarian problem rather than a coercive strategy, Tehran will continue to rely on hostage-taking as a core tool of statecraft."

He continued, "To reverse this pattern, the United States must impose consequences that are measurable, cumulative and irreversible. Every hostage-taking case should trigger automatic penalties: targeted sanctions on judges, prosecutors, interrogators, prison officials and intelligence officers involved; permanent confiscation — not escrow — of regime assets tied to hostage diplomacy; and coordinated diplomatic consequences with allies, including travel bans, removal of regime officials from international bodies and the pursuit of Interpol red notices where applicable. The message must be unambiguous: hostage-taking will leave the regime worse off, not better."

Mohebbi urged that, "The U.S. should formally designate Iran as a state that engages in hostage-taking, ban the use of U.S. passports for travel to or through Iran and maintain a public registry of regime officials involved in these crimes. At the same time, Washington must provide stronger, more transparent support to families of hostages and ensure sustained public naming and shaming. Only by raising the cost across legal, diplomatic, financial and reputational fronts can the United States begin to dismantle Iran’s hostage-taking business," he said.

Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel Bermúdez declared Sunday that the island nation would defend itself "to the last drop of blood," responding to pressure from U.S. President Donald Trump to strike a deal with Washington. 

President Trump had spoken about Cuba in a Truth Social post earlier in the day, urging that "they make a deal, BEFORE IT IS TOO LATE."

"Those who blame the Revolution for the severe economic shortages we suffer should hold their tongues out of shame. Because they know it and acknowledge it: they are the fruit of the draconian measures of extreme strangulation that the U.S. has been applying to us for six decades and now threatens to surpass," the Cuban wrote on X, according to a translation of the Spanish-language post. 

"#Cuba is a free, independent, and sovereign nation. No one dictates what we do. Cuba does not aggress; it is aggressed upon by the United States for 66 years, and it does not threaten; it prepares, ready to defend the Homeland to the last drop of blood," he wrote in another post, according to the translation.

CUBA IDENTIFIES 32 MILITARY PERSONNEL KILLED IN US OPERATION AGAINST MADURO REGIME IN VENEZUELA

U.S. Rep. Carlos Gimenez, R-Fla., who was born in Cuba, responded to the foreign figure's post.

"You dictators, henchmen, and executioners of the Cuban nation think you own the island. You don't have much time left," he declared, according to the translation of his post, also written in Spanish.

CUBAN-BORN GOP LAWMAKER WARNS VENEZUELA ELECTIONS MUST HAPPEN IN ‘MONTHS,’ NOT ‘YEARS’ AFTER MADURO DOWNFALL

Trump declared in a Truth Social post on Sunday, "Cuba lived, for many years, on large amounts of OIL and MONEY from Venezuela. In return, Cuba provided ‘Security Services’ for the last two Venezuelan dictators, BUT NOT ANYMORE! Most of those Cubans are DEAD from last weeks U.S.A. attack, and Venezuela doesn’t need protection anymore from the thugs and extortionists who held them hostage for so many years.

"Venezuela now has the United States of America, the most powerful military in the World (by far!), to protect them, and protect them we will. THERE WILL BE NO MORE OIL OR MONEY GOING TO CUBA - ZERO! I strongly suggest they make a deal, BEFORE IT IS TOO LATE," he warned.

TRUMP ULTIMATUM TO CUBA: ‘MAKE A DEAL, BEFORE IT IS TOO LATE’ OR FACE CONSEQUENCES

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Rep. Gimenez thanked the president.

"I was born in Cuba & forced from home shortly after the Communist takeover. Today, I represent my community in Congress. Thank you, President Trump, first Venezuela & next is Cuba. We will be forever grateful. Our hemisphere must be the hemisphere of liberty," the lawmaker wrote in a post on X.

Five severed human heads were found hanging from ropes on a beach in southwestern Ecuador Sunday in a gruesome display linked to ongoing gang violence sweeping across the country, according to reports.

The killings came amid a wave of bloody violence tied to drug trafficking and organized crime, which has surged across Ecuador in recent years.

The Associated Press reported that the grim discovery underscores the tactics used by criminal groups competing for control of territory and trafficking routes, especially along the country’s coastline.

TREN DE ARAGUA GANG LEADER CHARGED WITH RACKETEERING CONSPIRACY AND COCAINE TRAFFICKING UNDER TRUMP CRACKDOWN

Police said the heads were found on a tourist beach in the small fishing port of Puerto Lopez, in Manabi province.

The images shared by Ecuadorian media and on social media showed the severed heads tied with ropes to wooden poles planted in the sand, with blood visible at the scene.

A wooden sign left beside the heads carried a threatening message aimed at alleged extortionists targeting local fishermen.

The message warned those demanding so-called "vaccine cards" protection payments commonly extorted by gangs that they had been identified, the report said.

RUBIO IDENTIFIES 'SINGLE MOST SERIOUS THREAT' TO THE US FROM WESTERN HEMISPHERE

Authorities said the display was likely the result of a conflict between criminal groups operating in the area.

Drug-trafficking networks with links to transnational cartels are active along Ecuador’s coast and have used fishermen and their small boats to transport illicit shipments, according to local police.

President Daniel Noboa launched an armed campaign against gangs and declared states of emergency in several provinces, including Manabi, deploying the military to support police operations.

Despite his efforts, violence has continued to escalate with police increasing patrols and surveillance in Puerto Lopez following recent massacres in the province, the Associated Press said.

MS-13 GANG LEADER ACCUSED IN MURDER OF EX-HONDURAN PRESIDENT’S SON ARRESTED IN NEBRASKA

In 2025, at least nine people, including a baby, were killed there in an attack that authorities blamed on clashes between local gangs also.

As previously reported by Fox News Digital, in 2025, infighting between factions of a gang vying for control over territory in Ecuador's largest city, Guayaquil, left nearly two dozen people dead.

Ecuador ended the year with a record homicide rate of 52 per 100,000 people, according to the Organized Crime Observatory, making it the deadliest year on record.

Iran’s crackdown on nationwide protests continued Sunday, with reports of mass killings as demonstrations spread across the country amid warnings of drone surveillance.

The Center for Human Rights in Iran claimed a "massacre was unfolding," while the Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA) reported "surveillance drones flying overhead and movements by security forces around protest locations, indicating ongoing monitoring and security control."

"Drones are indispensable reconnaissance, surveillance and intelligence tools," military drone expert Cameron Chell told Fox News Digital. "They have given the Iranian government a distinctive upper hand in combating the protests."

"I doubt there will be any use of drones for direct strikes at this point," Chell said. "But I would not be surprised if, beyond surveillance, they were using drones to help position snipers and shock protesters."

IRAN PROTESTS GROW DEADLIER AS REGIME INTERNET BLACKOUT FAILS TO STOP UPRISING

"It does indicate the level of seriousness the government is applying towards the situation."

The full scale of the violence has been difficult to verify due to a near-total internet blackout. Iran’s connectivity to the outside world remained at roughly 1% of normal levels, according to NetBlocks.

The most conservative estimates indicate at least 2,000 people may have been killed across Iran over the past 48 hours, Iran International reported. 

The deaths of 544 people involved in the protests have been confirmed, with dozens of additional cases under review, according to HRANA.

HRANA said more than 10,681 individuals have been arrested and transferred to prisons. Protests have been recorded at 585 locations in 186 cities across all 31 provinces, the agency reported.

Witnesses told Iran International that security forces appeared "overstretched in some areas," relying on intimidation, warning shots and force. 

GRAHAM WARNS IRANIAN AYATOLLAH: 'TRUMP IS GONNA KILL YOU' IF INTERNAL CRACKDOWN CONTINUES

In other locations, particularly in southeastern Iran, rights groups said security forces fired directly at protesters in Zahedan after prayers, wounding several people.

Ali Safavi, a member of the National Council of Resistance of Iran, told Fox News Digital that drones were observed over Ferdow Boulevard in Tehran-sar.

"The regime, in fear of the people, deployed drones to monitor and control the demonstrations," Safavi said. "In other areas there were clashes and assaults from the suppressive forces."

Chell, CEO and co-founder of Draganfly, claimed more danger was imminent given Iran’s sudden use of drones.

"Iran would not be unique or advanced by western standards in using drones, but they are advanced in their tactical understanding and effectiveness using them," he said.  "This drone deployment 100% signals more danger as if, for no other reason, it enables the regime to know when and where to deploy resources."

"It helps track specific people or groups who flee protest sites," Chell continued. "They could also be using cells for tracking and listening so they could track protesters' cell phones who were at the protest sites."

ARMED IRAN PROTESTERS BATTLE POLICE IN TEHRAN STREETS AS TRUMP WARNS OF FORCEFUL US RESPONSE

Chell said Iran relies largely on small, domestically produced systems.

"They would have the Bina, which has a smaller reconnaissance drone with a shorter operational range of up to 40 km," he said. "These are typically lightweight, equipped with optical/infrared cameras, used to monitor movement and relay imagery back to ground stations. These are the ones most likely to be adapted for crowd monitoring throughout cities."

Protests that began Dec. 28 over Iran’s economic collapse have evolved into the largest anti-regime demonstrations in years, according to analysts and opposition groups.

"We could see an escalation in the use of intimidation/force multiplier effect of drones and/or the use of tear gas or smoke to help create crowd disbursement," Chell said.

President Donald Trump renewed warnings to Tehran, saying the U.S. stands ready to support protesters and cautioned Iranian authorities against the use of lethal force.

"Iran is looking at FREEDOM, perhaps like never before. The USA stands ready to help!!! President DONALD J. TRUMP," he wrote on Truth Social.

Trump also said that protesters appear to be gaining ground in some cities and warned Iranian leaders not to begin shooting demonstrators, saying, "we’ll start shooting too."

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio discussed the possibility of U.S. intervention in Iran, according to a report.

The two leaders spoke by phone Saturday as Israel is on "high alert," preparing for the possibility of U.S. military intervention in Iran, according to Reuters, citing multiple Israeli sources.

The report comes as nationwide anti-regime demonstrations across Iran hit the two-week mark.

On Saturday, the Iranian regime triggered an internet "kill switch" in an apparent effort to conceal alleged abuses by security forces and as protests against it surged nationwide, according to a cybersecurity expert. The blackout reduced internet access to a fraction of normal levels.

KEANE WARNS IRANIAN REGIME TO TAKE TRUMP 'DEAD SERIOUS' ON PROTEST KILLING THREAT AMID ONGOING DEMONSTRATIONS

On Sunday, Iran’s parliament speaker warned that the U.S. military and Israel would be "legitimate targets" if America strikes the Islamic Republic.

Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf issued the threat as lawmakers rushed the dais in the Iranian parliament, shouting, "Death to America!" according to The Associated Press.

President Donald Trump offered support for the protesters on Saturday, writing on Truth Social that "Iran is looking at FREEDOM, perhaps like never before. The USA stands ready to help!!!"

IRANIAN MILITARY LEADER THREATENS PREEMPTIVE ATTACK AFTER TRUMP COMMENTS

At a news conference Friday, Trump said Iran was facing mounting pressure as unrest spreads across the country.

"Iran’s in big trouble," he said. "It looks to me that the people are taking over certain cities that nobody thought were really possible just a few weeks ago. We’re watching the situation very carefully."

The president said the U.S. would respond forcefully if the regime resorts to mass violence. 

"We’ll be hitting them very hard where it hurts. And that doesn’t mean boots on the ground, but it means hitting them very, very hard where it hurts," he said.

Fox News Digital reached out to the State Department and White House for comment.

Fox News Digital's Emma Bussey, Brie Stimson and The Associated Press contributed to this report.

The organization that oversees the Nobel Peace Prize rejected recent suggestions that Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado could give or share her award with President Donald Trump.

The Norwegian Nobel Institute shut down the idea Friday, after Machado suggested that she might transfer the prestigious award to Trump earlier this week.

"Once a Nobel Prize is announced, it cannot be revoked, shared, or transferred to others," the institute said in a statement. "The decision is final and stands for all time."

The statement comes after Machado floated the idea during an appearance Tuesday on Fox News' "Hannity."

UNITED NATIONS 'UPSET' THAT TRUMP TOOK 'BOLD ACTION' TO IMPROVE VENEZUELA, SAYS UN AMB. MIKE WALTZ

"Did you at any point offer to give him the Nobel Peace Prize?" Sean Hannity asked. "Did that actually happen?"

Machado responded, "Well, it hasn’t happened yet."

"I certainly would love to be able to personally tell him that we believe — the Venezuelan people, because this is a prize of the Venezuelan people — certainly want to give it to him and share it with him," Machado continued. "What he has done is historic. It’s a huge step towards a democratic transition."

TRUMP ADMIN SAYS MADURO CAPTURE REINFORCES ALIEN ENEMIES ACT REMOVALS

On Jan. 3, Trump announced that the U.S. had successfully completed an operation to capture authoritarian Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, who is now facing drug trafficking charges in New York.

Trump was asked during an appearance Thursday on "Hannity" whether he would accept the Nobel Prize from Machado.

"I've heard that she wants to do that," Trump responded. "That would be a great honor."

TRUMP OUSTING OF MADURO DRAWS PARALLELS TO US RAID IN PANAMA – BUT THERE ARE SOME MAJOR CONTRASTS

Machado secretly escaped Venezuela last month and traveled to Norway to receive the Nobel Peace Prize, which she dedicated to Trump.

"Let me be very clear. As soon as I learned that we had been awarded the Nobel Peace Prize, I dedicated it to President Trump because I believed at that point that he deserved it," Machado said on "Hannity." "And a lot of people, most people, said it was impossible to achieve what he has just done on Saturday, January 3rd."

Trump said he plans to meet with the Venezuelan opposition leader in Washington next week.

He has previously stated that Machado "doesn't have the support within or the respect within the country" to lead. Trump has supported acting President Delcy Rodríguez, a longtime Maduro loyalist, who previously served as vice president under Maduro.

Fox News Digital's Landon Mion contributed to this report.

The Iranian regime triggered an internet "kill switch" in an apparent effort to hide alleged abuses by security forces and as protests against it surged nationwide, a cybersecurity expert has claimed.

The blackout slashed internet access to a fraction of normal levels on the 13th day of the protests as rights groups, including Amensty International, accused the regime of using lethal force against protesters.

"This is Iran’s war against its own population using digital means," NetBlocks CEO Alp Toker told Fox News Digital.

"This was a piecemeal measure that eventually encompassed the entire country, with the government willing to use this kind of measure for an extended period of time," he said.

"There would be an attempt by the regime to cover up crimes that it may have committed, so this blackout could potentially last for days or weeks," Toker added.

PROTESTER SCALES IRANIAN EMBASSY IN LONDON, TEARS DOWN REGIME FLAG, HOISTS PRE-REVOLUTION SYMBOL

At least 65 people have been killed in the protests, according to Human Rights Activists in Iran, which said late Friday that the death toll had more than doubled since earlier in the week.

The group also reported that more than 2,300 people have been arrested and that demonstrations have spread to at least 180 cities nationwide. Most of those killed were protesters, the group said.

"People in Iran daring to express their anger at decades of repression and demand fundamental change are once again being met with a deadly pattern of security forces unlawfully firing at, chasing, arresting and beating protesters," Amnesty International also said in a statement Thursday.

"The single kill switch is the censorship mechanism that is centrally controlled by the regime, so there are no legal procedures or mechanisms for people to push back," Toker said.

"We know now that they’ve centralized all of this into a one-step operation," he explained, calling it "very much a top-down mechanism."

"It’s been in development since the Cold War, and it means they are able to triangulate the ground terminal in satellite transmissions. Some governments implement this kind of kill switch in their cyber operations rooms," he said.

ARMED IRAN PROTESTERS BATTLE POLICE IN TEHRAN STREETS AS TRUMP WARNS OF FORCEFUL US RESPONSE

"We know that in 2019, for example, it used to be a painstaking measure when the government had to switch off businesses one by one, city by city."

NetBlocks said the current blackout is among the most severe it has ever recorded in Iran.

"We are tracking near-total disconnection of internet service across Iran right now, and connectivity is below 2% of ordinary levels," Toker said.

"This is a nationwide disruption that is impacting almost all services, all connectivity and all avenues of life, extending beyond just mobile phones and computers," he said.

"It’s impacting banks, essential services, and there’s very little communication within the country, so people are unable to reach the outside world and nobody has the ability to communicate."

EXILED IRANIAN CROWN PRINCE URGES TRUMP TO HELP AS PROTESTS AGAINST ISLAMIC REGIME INTENSIFY: 'MAN OF PEACE'

Despite the sweeping restrictions, some limited communication channels remain available, Toker revealed.

"There are a few gaps, so it's possible to communicate with those close to the borders through Wi-Fi or mobile service that crosses borders," he said.

"It’s also occasionally possible to find a part in the service, in a fixed-line service, where they can tunnel through all those, but that is increasingly rare and no longer an option. 

"Another mechanism we’ve seen is access via satellite internet, namely the Starlink network, but the equipment is banned by the Iranian regime."

"The technology that the Iranian regime uses to trace links is essentially anti-espionage technology," he said.

"These measures are typically imposed by the most authoritarian regimes, the most controlling governments that seek to silence and oppress their own populations," Toker said.

"NetBlocks tracked very similar multi-week disruption in 2019, during which thousands were killed, and this was also done in 2022 when people were protesting the killing of Mahsa Amini."

IRANIAN MILITARY LEADER THREATENS PREEMPTIVE ATTACK AFTER TRUMP COMMENTS

"In past incidents, we did observe that the government attempted to keep a baseline of service available.

"In this recent case, they pulled the plug, so there’s a far more extreme measure in place here, which suggests that the regime is scared and isn’t taking risks when it comes to the possibility of information reaching the outside world."

President Donald Trump warned Iran’s leaders Friday against using force on protesters.

Speaking to reporters at the White House, he warned Iran was in "big trouble."

"I just hope the protesters in Iran are going to be safe, because that’s a very dangerous place right now," Trump said. "You’d better not start shooting, because we’ll start shooting, too."

"The U.S. has encouraged democracy in Iran, and that’s a positive thing at this point," Toker said.

"There’s very little that can be done from the outside, but it’s important to continue to support positive efforts.

"A free and open internet in Iran, and indeed in other countries, can encourage democracy and support basic liberties," he added.

Armed protesters clashed Friday with security forces in the Tehranpars neighborhood of Iran’s capital, as nationwide two-week-long anti-regime demonstrations became more violent in the country.

Repeated gunfire could be heard for minutes in cellphone video sent to Iranian TV and shared with Fox News Digital as Iran’s State Security Forces clashed with so-called "rebellious youth."  

In the video, people on the streets were seen running and shouts of "Death to Khamenei!" "Death to the dictator!" "Shame on you!" and "We are all together!" could be heard.

WHO WOULD RULE IF THE ISLAMIC REPUBLIC FAILS?

The protests entered their 14th day on Saturday, with 65 killed, including children, and 2,311 arrested by Friday, according to the Human Rights Activists News Agency in Iran.

Authorities imposed a sweeping internet blackout this week that largely cut the country off from the outside world and escalated threats of harsh punishment while anti-regime protests spread.

TRUMP SAYS US WILL INTERVENE IF IRAN STARTS KILLING PROTESTERS: ‘LOCKED AND LOADED’

The protests expanded to 190 cities in Iran by Saturday, according to the National Council of Resistance in Iran.

"By defending the demonstrators, the rebellious youths did not allow the flames of the uprising to be extinguished," dissident politician Maryam Rajavi said in a statement. " They have shown their determination to triumph over the regime."

At a news conference in Washington, D.C., on Friday, President Donald Trump said Iran was facing mounting pressure as unrest spreads across the country.

"Iran’s in big trouble," Trump said. "It looks to me that the people are taking over certain cities that nobody thought were really possible just a few weeks ago. We’re watching the situation very carefully."

Trump warned that the U.S. would respond forcefully if the regime resorts to mass violence. 

"We’ll be hitting them very hard where it hurts. And that doesn’t mean boots on the ground, but it means hitting them very, very hard where it hurts," he said.

Fox News' Efrat Lachter contributed to this report. 

An anti-regime protester scaled the balcony of Iran’s Embassy in London on Friday and tore down the Islamic Republic’s flag, replacing it with Iran’s pre-1979 "Lion and Sun" emblem, video shows.

The demonstrator climbed the front of the embassy building in Kensington before ripping down the regime’s flag and hoisting the historic symbol associated with Iran’s monarchy prior to the 1979 Islamic Revolution as a large crowd of anti-regime protesters cheered on.

The Metropolitan Police said officers responded to the scene and made two arrests — one for aggravated trespass and assault on an emergency worker, and another for aggravated trespass. Police said they are also seeking another individual for trespass. It was not immediately clear whether the protester who tore down the flag was among those arrested.

Fox News Digital reached out to Iran’s Embassy in London for comment but did not receive a response by the time of publication.

EXILED IRANIAN PRINCE SAYS REGIME ‘VERY CLOSE TO COLLAPSING' AMID NATIONWIDE UNREST

The embassy protest comes as Iran faces its most significant wave of unrest in years. President Trump has warned the regime that the U.S. will protect protesters if necessary.

Potkin Azarmehr, a British-Iranian journalist, said the current unrest stands in sharp contrast to Iran’s 2009 Green Movement, when protesters openly questioned whether the Obama administration supported them.

"What a contrast to Obama’s time, when protesters in Iran were chanting, ‘Obama, are you with us or with them?’" Azarmehr told Fox News Digital.

"Any international support, whether at the grassroots or government level, is encouraging," he said.

He said global attention matters to protesters on the ground, but questioned the lack of visible demonstrations by Western activist groups.

"The question is where are the Western activist elite protesters? Why are they not protesting? Are they on the side of the ayatollahs? An archaic religious apartheid?"

GRAHAM WARNS IRANIAN AYATOLLAH: 'TRUMP IS GONNA KILL YOU' IF INTERNAL CRACKDOWN CONTINUES

Demonstrations that began on Dec. 28 over economic grievances have since spread nationwide, evolving into a direct challenge to Iran’s clerical leadership. Solidarity protests with Iranian demonstrators have also emerged in other major European cities, including Paris and Berlin. A protest also took place outside the White House in Washington, D.C.

As of Saturday, at least 72 people have been killed and more than 2,300 detained in Iran-based protests, according to the U.S.-based Human Rights Activists News Agency.

Some protests have included chants supporting Iran’s former monarch, Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, who died in 1980. His son, Reza Pahlavi, has publicly called for continued demonstrations. The Iranian regime has also cut nationwide internet access.

At a press conference in Washington, D.C., on Friday, Trump said Iran was facing mounting pressure.

"Iran’s in big trouble," Trump said. "It looks to me that the people are taking over certain cities that nobody thought were really possible just a few weeks ago. We’re watching the situation very carefully."

Trump warned the United States would respond forcefully if the regime resorts to mass violence.

"We’ll be hitting them very hard where it hurts," Trump said. "And that doesn’t mean boots on the ground, but it means hitting them very, very hard where it hurts."

Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has signaled a coming clampdown despite U.S. warnings, according to The Associated Press.

Tehran escalated its threats Saturday, with Iran’s attorney general, Mohammad Movahedi Azad, warning that anyone taking part in protests would be considered an "enemy of God," a charge that carries the death penalty. The statement, carried by Iranian state television, said even those who "helped rioters" would face the charge.

"Prosecutors must carefully and without delay, by issuing indictments, prepare the grounds for the trial and decisive confrontation with those who, by betraying the nation and creating insecurity, seek foreign domination over the country," the statement read.

"Proceedings must be conducted without leniency, compassion or indulgence."

Fox News’ Efrat Lachter, Greg Norman and The Associated Press contributed to this report.

The U.S. government issued a new security alert Saturday urging Americans in Venezuela to leave the country immediately, citing security concerns and the U.S. government’s inability to provide emergency assistance, according to the U.S. Embassy Caracas.

"U.S. citizens in Venezuela should leave the country immediately," the embassy said in a Jan. 10 security alert.

The warning cited reports of armed groups operating on Venezuelan roads. 

"There are reports of groups of armed militias, known as ‘colectivos,’ setting up roadblocks and searching vehicles for evidence of U.S. citizenship or support for the United States," the U.S. Embassy Caracas said.

The alert comes as international travel options have reopened. "As international flights have resumed, U.S. citizens in Venezuela should leave the country immediately," the embassy said.

MOBS OF MOTORCYCLE-RIDING ARMED MILITIA HUNT VENEZUELAN STREETS FOR TRUMP SUPPORTERS AS CRACKDOWN INTENSIFIES

The U.S. Department of State continues to list Venezuela at its highest travel warning level. "Venezuela has the highest Travel Advisory level – Level 4: Do Not Travel – due to severe risks to Americans," the State Department said.

Those risks include "wrongful detention, torture in detention, terrorism, kidnapping, arbitrary enforcement of local laws, crime, civil unrest, and poor health infrastructure," according to the State Department.

TRUMP VOWS US 'IN CHARGE' OF VENEZUELA AS HE REVEALS IF HE'S SPOKEN TO DELCY RODRÍGUEZ

The embassy said Americans in Venezuela should not expect consular assistance. 

"In March 2019, the U.S. Department of State withdrew all diplomatic personnel from U.S. Embassy Caracas and suspended operations," the embassy said. "The U.S. government continues to be unable to provide emergency services to U.S. citizens in Venezuela."

As part of the alert, officials issued a clear warning to Americans. 

"Do not travel to Venezuela," the embassy said, adding that "U.S. citizens in Venezuela are advised to leave Venezuela as soon as they feel it is safe to do so."

The State Department did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital's request for additional comment.

Staff at hospitals in Iran said their facilities have become overwhelmed with injuries — including of people suffering from gunshot wounds — as anti-government protests are raging across the Islamic Republic, a report said. 

A doctor from Tehran’s Farabi Hospital, which is the city’s main eye specialist center, told the BBC late Friday that the facility entered crisis mode, with emergency services slammed and non-urgent admissions suspended. 

A medic from a hospital in the city of Shiraz also told the network that large numbers of injured people were being brought in despite the hospital not having enough surgeons to treat them. He added that many of those wounded had gunshot injuries to the head and eyes, according to the BBC. 

As of Saturday, the death toll in the protests has grown to at least 72 people killed and over 2,300 others detained, according to the U.S.-based Human Rights Activists News Agency.

WHO WOULD RULE IRAN IF THE ISLAMIC REPUBLIC FALLS?

The protests began late last month with shopkeepers and bazaar merchants demonstrating against accelerating inflation and the collapse of the rial, which lost about half its value against the dollar last year. Inflation topped 40% in December. The unrest soon spread to universities and provincial cities, with young men clashing with security forces. 

At a press conference in Washington, D.C., on Friday, President Donald Trump said Iran was facing mounting pressure.  

"Iran’s in big trouble," Trump said. "It looks to me that the people are taking over certain cities that nobody thought were really possible just a few weeks ago. We’re watching the situation very carefully."

Trump warned that the United States would respond forcefully if the regime resorts to mass violence. "We’ll be hitting them very hard where it hurts. And that doesn’t mean boots on the ground, but it means hitting them very, very hard where it hurts." 

INSIDE THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION'S EFFORT TO QUICKLY REACH AUDIENCES BEHIND MEDIA WALLS IN VENEZUELA, IRAN

Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has signaled a coming clampdown, despite U.S. warnings, according to The Associated Press. 

Tehran escalated its threats Saturday, with the Iran’s attorney general, Mohammad Movahedi Azad, warning that anyone taking part in protests will be considered an "enemy of God," a death-penalty charge. The statement carried by Iranian state television said even those who "helped rioters" would face the charge.

"Prosecutors must carefully and without delay, by issuing indictments, prepare the grounds for the trial and decisive confrontation with those who, by betraying the nation and creating insecurity, seek foreign domination over the country," the statement read. "Proceedings must be conducted without leniency, compassion or indulgence." 

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio offered support for the protesters.

"The United States supports the brave people of Iran," Rubio wrote Saturday on X. 

Fox News’ Efrat Lachter and The Associated Press contributed to this report. 

President Donald Trump pushed back on suggestions from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy that the United States could capture Russian President Vladimir Putin after Zelensky pointed to Washington’s recent action against Venezuelan dictator Nicolás Maduro.

Trump waved off the idea of such an operation, while venting frustration over the grinding war and his failure so far to bring it to an end. Trump has repeatedly said on the campaign trail that he could end the war on his first day back in office, but despite meetings with both Zelenskyy and Putin, a resolution remains elusive.

"Well, I don't think it's going to be necessary," Trump said in response to a question from Fox News’ Peter Doocy during a meeting with US oil companies executives at the White House Friday.

RUSSIA ALLEGES ATTACK ON PUTIN RESIDENCE AS UKRAINE DENIES CLAIM AHEAD OF TRUMP TALKS

"I've always had a great relationship with him. I'm very disappointed," Trump said of Putin. "I settled eight wars. I thought this would be in the middle of the pack, or maybe one of the easier ones."

Trump said the conflict continues to take a heavy toll, particularly on Russian forces, and claimed Moscow’s economy is suffering as well.

"And in the last month they lost 31,000 people, many of them Russian soldiers," Trump said, adding that the Russian economy is "doing poorly."

"I think we're going to end up getting it settled," Trump said. "I wish we could have done it quicker because a lot of people are dying."

UKRAINE'S ZELENSKYY YET TO READ PEACE PLAN, TRUMP SAYS

"But largely it's the soldier population," he continued. "When you have 30,000, 31,000 soldiers dying in a period of a month, 27,000 the month before, 26,000 the month before that. That's bad stuff."

Trump also criticized the Biden administration for sending what he said was $350 billion to Ukraine, arguing the U.S. should be able to recoup costs through a rare earth minerals agreement tied to continued support. He also claimed the U.S. is not losing money in the conflict, saying Washington is benefiting through arms sales to NATO allies, and pointed to NATO’s pledge to raise defense and security spending toward 5% of GDP by 2035, up from the longstanding 2% benchmark.

"We're not losing any money. We're making a lot of money."

Zelenskyy’s comments came after Russia said it fired its new nuclear-capable Oreshnik hypersonic missile as part of a massive overnight attack on Ukraine, a claim Kyiv disputed. Ukrainian officials said the barrage involved hundreds of drones and multiple missiles and struck energy facilities and civilian infrastructure, killing at least four people. 

Zelenskyy called on the United States and the international community to respond, saying Russia must face consequences for attacks targeting ordinary civilians.

Fox News' Rachel Wolf contributed to this report.

Greenland's leadership is pushing back on President Donald Trump as he and his administration call for the U.S. to take control of the island. Several Trump administration officials have backed the president's calls for a takeover of Greenland, with many citing national security reasons.

"We don’t want to be Americans, we don’t want to be Danes, we want to be Greenlanders," Greenland Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen and four party leaders said in a statement Friday night, according to The Associated Press. Greenland, a self-governing Danish territory and a longtime U.S. ally, has repeatedly rejected Trump's statements about U.S. acquiring the island.

Greenland's party leaders reiterated that the island's "future must be decided by the Greenlandic people."

"As Greenlandic party leaders, we would like to emphasize once again our wish that the United States’ contempt for our country ends," the statement said.

TRUMP SAYS US IS MAKING MOVES TO ACQUIRE GREENLAND 'WHETHER THEY LIKE IT OR NOT'

Trump was asked about the push to acquire Greenland on Friday during a roundtable with oil executives. The president, who has maintained that Greenland is vital to U.S. security, said it was important for the country to make the move so it could beat its adversaries to the punch.

"We are going to do something on Greenland, whether they like it or not," Trump said Friday. "Because if we don't do it, Russia or China will take over Greenland, and we're not going to have Russia or China as a neighbor."

Trump hosted nearly two dozen oil executives at the White House on Friday to discuss investments in Venezuela after the historic capture of President Nicolás Maduro on Jan. 3.

"We don't want to have Russia there," Trump said of Venezuela on Friday when asked if the nation appears to be an ally to the U.S. "We don't want to have China there. And, by the way, we don't want Russia or China going to Greenland, which, if we don't take Greenland, you can have Russia or China as your next-door neighbor. That's not going to happen." 

Trump said the U.S. is in control of Venezuela after the capture and extradition of Maduro. 

Nielsen has previously rejected comparisons between Greenland and Venezuela, saying that his island was looking to improve its relations with the U.S., according to Reuters.

FROM CARACAS TO NUUK: MADURO RAID SPARKS FRESH TRUMP PUSH ON GREENLAND

Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen said on Monday that Trump's threats to annex Greenland could mean the end of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO).

"I also want to make it clear that if the U.S. chooses to attack another NATO country militarily, then everything stops. Including our NATO and thus the security that has been provided since the end of the Second World War," Frederiksen told Danish broadcaster TV2.

That same day, Nielsen said in a statement posted on Facebook that Greenland was "not an object of superpower rhetoric."

White House deputy chief of staff for policy Stephen Miller doubled down on Trump’s remarks, telling CNN in an interview on Monday that Greenland "should be part of the United States."

CNN anchor Jake Tapper pressed Miller about whether the Trump administration could rule out military action against the Arctic island.

"The United States is the power of NATO. For the United States to secure the Arctic region, to protect and defend NATO and NATO interests, obviously Greenland should be part of the United States," he said.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

As anti-regime protests continue to spread across Iran and questions swirl about the durability of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei’s rule, a central question looms: Who would actually take power if the Islamic Republic were to collapse?

The answer, according to regional experts and Iranian opposition figures, is far from clear. It may depend less on ideology than on how the regime falls and whether Iran’s security forces fracture or hold.

Behnam Ben Taleblu, a senior fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, said the critical variable is not simply whether the regime collapses, but how it happens.

"Despite being supreme leader, one has to wonder, especially post-war and with limited public appearances, how much Khamenei is directly governing the affairs of the country," Ben Taleblu told Fox News Digital. He warned Western governments against backing a cosmetic transition that merely reshuffles elites.

"One thing I fear is the Western temptation for a Maduro-type or Egypt-type model," he said, referring to scenarios in which entrenched security forces retain power under new leadership. "That will only be playing musical chairs at the top and will not provide the Iranian people a pathway for meaningful change."

Ben Taleblu argued that Iran’s opposition faces a logistical challenge more than an ideological one: translating sustained street protests into organized political power before security forces reassert control.

Multiple experts agreed that Iran’s future hinges on whether the regime’s coercive apparatus, including the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, the Basij militia and the regular military, remains intact.

Ben Taleblu said the key factor is whether segments of the security forces defect, refuse orders or fragment. "What has to be chipped away is the regime’s coercive power," he said, adding that a transition would require sustained protests, economic strikes and cracks within security units.

Without that, analysts warn, Iran could see a scenario in which clerical figureheads disappear but real power remains in the hands of armed institutions.

"That’s the fear," Ben Taleblu said. "If the state plays musical chairs, the street will not settle for it. That means a bumpier road ahead."

TRUMP SAYS US WILL INTERVENE IF IRAN STARTS KILLING PROTESTERS: ‘LOCKED AND LOADED’

Some analysts point to historical precedents, including Egypt, where the military stepped in amid unrest. Benny Sabti, an Iran expert at Israel’s Institute for National Security Studies, said a military-led transition cannot be ruled out, but would be fraught.

"IRGC generals could theoretically attempt a coup," Sabti told Fox News Digital, stressing that Iran’s military institutions are not monolithic. He distinguished between the IRGC, which he described as an ideological and asymmetric force, and the regular army, which he said is more professional and nationally oriented.

Sabti highlighted former armed forces chief Habibollah Sayyari as an example of a figure who has voiced limited criticism from within the system. Still, he cautioned that criticism alone does not make a leader and said charisma matters deeply in Iranian politics.

"There is a problem of charisma," Sabti said. "In Iran, it is very important."

Despite international attention on jailed activists, experts are skeptical that Iran’s next political leadership would emerge from within the country’s prison system.

Ben Taleblu said decades of repression have made it nearly impossible to cultivate political leadership inside Iran. "What will come from within are the forces of revolution," he said. "Political leadership has to be built outside."

Sabti echoed that view, saying freed prisoners would likely become part of a broader system rather than dominant leaders.

"There won’t be leaders coming out of prison," he said. "They will be part of a new system, but not charismatic leaders."

Supporters of Reza Pahlavi say he is emerging as a focal point for opposition mobilization amid escalating unrest. On January 8, Pahlavi publicly called on Iranians to chant at 8 p.m. from their homes or in the streets and his aides said large crowds responded across multiple cities, including Tehran, Mashhad, Isfahan, Ahvaz and Tabriz.

Those close to Pahlavi describe him as advocating a secular, democratic Iran committed to human rights, while rejecting claims that he is seeking to restore the monarchy. Pahlavi has repeatedly said the form of Iran’s future system should be decided by the people through a free constitutional process.

"My role is not to tip the scales in favor of either monarchy or republic," Pahlavi said. "I will remain entirely impartial in the process to help ensure that Iranians finally have the right to choose freely."

Banafsheh Zand, an Iranian-American journalist and editor of the "Iran So Far Away" Substack, told Fox News Digital that Pahlavi is the only viable unifying figure capable of guiding a transition, a view strongly contested by others in the diaspora.

IRAN CRACKDOWN RATTLES MIDDLE EAST AS ANALYSTS WEIGH US OPTIONS SHORT OF MILITARY INTERVENTION

"The only person who can see this through is the crown prince," Zand said, arguing that any prominent figure inside Iran would be swiftly eliminated by the regime. She dismissed alternative opposition figures as lacking legitimacy inside the country.

Zand said chants supporting Pahlavi during recent protests reflect genuine sentiment, not fabrication, though such claims are difficult to independently verify amid internet shutdowns and state censorship.

Some experts caution that while Pahlavi has visibility in the West and among parts of the Iranian public, he remains a polarizing figure, particularly among Iranians wary of monarchy or external influence.

Another long-standing opposition movement, the Mujahedin-e Khalq, led by Maryam Rajavi, has received backing from some senior U.S. political figures from across the aisle over the years, including former Vice President Mike Pence, former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and Rudy Giuliani. 

In a statement to Fox News Digital, Rajavi said change "will not come from outside Iran, nor will it be delivered by the will of foreign capitals," arguing that only an organized, nationwide resistance can overthrow the Islamic Republic.

Rajavi pointed to the People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran and its "Resistance Units" as the core force behind recent uprisings, claiming they have played a decisive role in organizing protests and confronting security forces at the cost of heavy casualties. She said the National Council of Resistance of Iran does not seek power for itself, but instead proposes a six-month provisional period following the regime’s overthrow, culminating in free elections for a constituent assembly to draft a new constitution for a democratic, secular republic.

"Once established, all authority will be transferred to that Assembly, which will both select the provisional government and draft the constitution of the new republic," Rajavi said. "Gender equality in all its facets, the separation of religion and state, autonomy for Iranian Kurdistan and many other urgent matters have been ratified in detail by the NCRI."

Rajavi also cited what she described as broad international backing for the NCRI’s platform. Critics and analysts interviewed by Fox News Digital dispute the group’s level of support inside Iran. Sabti said the MEK’s history of violence in the 1980s and its rigid ideology have alienated younger Iranians.

Speaking to an NCRI conference in Washington D.C. last November, Pompeo pushed back against critics, stating "A thriving, democratic, popular government in Iran—not a theocracy, not a monarchy, not an oppressive regime. This will be a great thing for the entire world. We are waiting for that day, and it will be a blessing to us all."

Ben Taleblu also warned against Western governments "playing favorites" among exiled factions, saying legitimacy must ultimately come from inside Iran.

Despite intense speculation, experts agreed on one point: there is no clear successor waiting in the wings.

"We are not there yet," Sabti said, noting that Khamenei remains alive, and the security forces have not fractured.

Ben Taleblu described the moment as a marathon rather than a sprint, warning against simplistic narratives about regime collapse.

"This is about getting the best bridgehead to a post-Islamic Republic Iran," he said, "so that the forces of revolution inside can finally become voters and choose their own fate."

Following the ousting of Nicolás Maduro on Jan. 3 after he and his wife were whisked away to face justice in NewYork, ordinary citizens of Venezuela are responding with a mix of relief, shock and uncertainty after 30 years of a brutal socialist dictatorship that bankrupted their nation.

While what happens next remains largely uncertain and multiple possibilities continue to be studied by Washington, the celebratory tones seen across the country and throughout the almost 9 million citizens in the diaspora on Saturday have largely subsided into muted and cautious joy only expressed in private circles among those who longed for an end to years of economic hardship and political repression.

Vera, a professor at one of the better known universities, told Fox News Digital that, "The world cannot fathom the joy we feel. Maduro is in a federal prison in the U.S. with living conditions and rights that our political prisoners never had. For me, it is comforting to know he’ll spend the rest of his life behind bars eating rice and sausage and taking showers only three times a week, paying for damaging the lives of millions of Venezuelans."

PRESIDENT TRUMP SAYS THERE WON'T BE A 'SECOND WAVE OF ATTACKS' AGAINST VENEZUELA DUE TO THEIR 'COOPERATION'

Yet fear remains. The government has decreed any celebration of current events — and even expressions of approval of the U.S. operation in written text messages — to be a crime equivalent to national treason. Worse yet: it has empowered any law officer to check citizens and their telephones at random at hundreds of checkpoints established throughout Caracas and other regions of the country.

Anyone found in violation of the decree can be immediately arrested without a trial, turning the promise of change into an anxiety-tempered state about what comes next and raising questions about sovereignty, daily survival and how to overcome yet another crisis.

For Jesús, a 23-year-old university student from a middle-class family in Caracas who also works for a local business, a single word defines this past week: stress. For safety reasons, he and other Venezuelans interviewed for this story requested either partial or complete anonymity due to the security situation.

"We cannot afford the luxury of staying home and waiting to see how things will unfold. I have my own private vehicle and drive extensively throughout Caracas to go and come back from work, school, and run errands," he said.

AFTER MADURO, VENEZUELA POWER VACUUM EXPOSES BRUTAL INSIDERS AND ENFORCERS

"There are police cars and officers from the national, municipal, and local authorities stationed in every corner. Hundreds of checkpoints have sprung up across Caracas since the decree forbidding any celebratory expression at the U.S. operation that captured Maduro. At the first few days, there were also pro-government publicly armed colectivos (state-sanctioned citizen collectivities) doing the rounds to capture and violently repress anyone so much as expressing relief that Maduro was gone. It’s been extremely difficult having to remain vigilant at all times. From prior experiences, I learned to avoid most checkpoints through alternate ways and avoiding main roads. People have been sending texts saying where the checkpoints are and telling us to delete anything that shows our support for U.S. actions from our phones."

He continued, "For me, personally, it’s a time of mixed feelings. I am relieved to see Maduro gone and finally see a promise or discourse by either local or foreign governments to come to pass in Venezuela. While I obviously understand this only happened because of foreign interference, I much prefer a U.S. action that ends this dictatorship than preserving Venezuela’s sovereignty at the cost of our country. On the other hand, I am also frightened, because once you start dismantling the established structures, you end up having chaos, and in such a case, the population suffers the most."

Jesús adds that he transits through three main large groups of people — his student friends, his family and older relatives and his job. He adds that among his friends the mood is largely of hope that the U.S. might reshape the Venezuelan market and develop it into what he calls a "developed" system, where people can actually lead a better life. "We’ll finally stop being a Cuban colony and either be truly independent or a US.-.led country like the Dominican Republic. Nothing wrong with that. We’ll still be better off and more stable," he added.

TRUMP BACKS MADURO LOYALIST OVER VENEZUELA OPPOSITION LEADER IN POST-CAPTURE TRANSITION

Among his relatives, the overarching tone is fear. So far, many of Maduro’s cronies remain in power and they don’t know how they might suddenly react under paranoia, people with private property, and especially a potential mandatory military draft.

"Finally, at work, there is apathy. I work in a rich neighborhood where lots of government officers and military people frequent. Obviously, police officers and other government officials who benefited from the corruption and criminality are against what happened, but most military personnel say they won’t die for something they didn’t sign up for because of a dictatorship. At my work we’ve seen so many broken promises, that we are only bracing to stay afloat," he concluded.

For Hannah, a recent graduate, there’s relief that Maduro is gone. "Obviously, things shouldn’t be like this, and Venezuelans should be the ones deciding the future of their own country, but Maduro had to leave one way or another, and now he is gone," she adds.

A business entrepreneur who requested to speak anonymously said there was very little inclination for Venezuelans in his position to speak to the press due to smear campaigns by the government and possible reprisals.

Based in Caracas, he said that stocks have been experiencing record highs both in trade and value since Saturday, with some of them reaching close to a 20% uptick since then.

"In the more pragmatic business elite in Venezuela, there is a lot of hope that a more normal business environment will be created now that Maduro is gone and if the U.S. plays the regime-change and economy-development cards right even if it is to favor themselves foremost. But even then, this would be a better environment for private businesses and an enormous market ripe for renovated activity. In that sense most people are hopeful that Maduro is finally gone, but obviously it’s hard to see your own country being attacked by a foreign power," he says.

Vera, the professor, says she has been out and about in Caracas since Jan. 4, and has not encountered any of the colectivos. She describes an overall sensation of relief a joy at seeing Maduro gone despite the many uncertainties.

"There is generalized uncertainty, but the collective sensation is relief. For the first time in 26 years of oppression, there is political change. I do have my personal reservations regarding Trump and the U.S., as there is evidently an economic interest on their part. We have one of the largest extra-heavy oil reserves in the world, on top of our reserves of gas, gold and coltan."

She continued, "The U.S. actions are not free, and we still need to see what the actual costs—which could be very high — will be. I am very sorry that this happened in my country and would be lying if I said I agreed with foreign incursions, but I am also of the opinion that our own Armed Forces should have listened to the majority of the citizens in the 2024 elections [when Maduro retained power despite losing the vote], but they chose to continue oppressing their own people. This is, therefore, part of the cost we should pay for their inoperancy," she said.

Vera cautions that reactivating Venezuela’s economic growth will be a medium-to-long term task, but that when the feeling of political change is real everything flows better, and the feeling of opportunity in the country is real right now.