President Donald Trump’s administration formally launched the second phase of its plan to end the war between Israel and Hamas this week, shifting from a ceasefire framework toward a post-ceasefire political and security phase for Gaza. The announcement immediately raised a central question that now dominates expert analysis: who will actually disarm Hamas.

U.S. Special Envoy to the Middle East Steve Witkoff announced Wednesday that phase two is underway, describing it as a transition ‘from ceasefire to demilitarization, technocratic governance and reconstruction.’ He warned that Hamas must fully comply with its obligations under the deal, including the immediate return of the final deceased Israeli hostage.

‘The U.S. expects Hamas to comply fully with its obligations, including the immediate return of the final deceased hostage,’ Witkoff wrote on X. ‘Failure to do so will bring serious consequences.’

President Donald Trump reinforced the administration’s announcement on Thursday, writing on Truth Social that the United States had ‘OFFICIALLY entered the next phase of Gaza’s 20-Point Peace Plan,’ following Witkoff’s remarks. Trump said that since the ceasefire, his team had helped deliver ‘RECORD LEVELS of Humanitarian Aid to Gaza, reaching Civilians at HISTORIC speed and scale,’ adding that ‘even the United Nations has acknowledged this achievement as UNPRECEDENTED.’ 

Trump wrote that these developments had ‘set the stage for this next phase,’ which he said would include backing a newly appointed Palestinian technocratic government, the National Committee for the Administration of Gaza, to govern the territory during a transitional period. Trump described himself as chairman of the Board of Peace and said the committee would be supported by the board’s high representative. 

Trump again warned that Hamas must ‘IMMEDIATELY honor its commitments, including the return of the final body to Israel, and proceed without delay to full Demilitarization,’ adding, ‘They can do this the easy way, or the hard way.’ Trump concluded the post by saying, ‘The people of Gaza have suffered long enough. The time is NOW. PEACE THROUGH STRENGTH.’

The new phase envisions the establishment of a transitional technocratic Palestinian administration in Gaza, while the United States works with Egypt and other regional partners to ensure compliance and stability. Yet the announcement offered few operational details, particularly regarding how Hamas would be disarmed after more than two decades of military control in the enclave.

France backs ceasefire, aid and long-term demilitarization

In an exclusive interview with Fox News Digital, Jérôme Bonnafont, France’s ambassador to the United Nations, called the ceasefire an ‘incredible achievement’ and said phase two could help lay the groundwork for peace without Hamas.

‘The Trump plan is establishing a ceasefire, which is an incredible achievement,’ Bonnafont said. ‘It has to go to a massive reopening of humanitarian aid, and it is going to be announced within a couple of days.’

He said the next stage includes an international stabilization force that would support reconstruction and contribute to Hamas’s disarmament.

‘That would help disarm Hamas, and that will help the Palestinian Authority return and democratically restart the management of Gaza as part of the Palestinian territory,’ he said.

Bonnafont emphasized that France views Israel’s security as a priority, particularly in the face of regional threats. ‘We have always been on the side of Israel when it comes, for example, to the threats by Iran to the existence of Israel,’ he said.

At the same time, he said France believes long-term security depends on the creation of a demilitarized Palestinian state living in peace with Israel. ‘We believe that security for Israel in the long term comes with the creation of Palestine,’ Bonnafont said. ‘A Palestine that has to be independent but demilitarized and in peace with Israel.’

The United Nations also welcomed the announcement of phase two, calling it ‘an important step’ while emphasizing adherence to international law and existing U.N. resolutions.

A plan advances, but the hardest problem remains

Israeli and U.S. security analysts broadly agree that phase two cannot succeed without addressing Hamas’s weapons and coercive power.

Dr. Avner Golov, vice president of the Israeli policy institute Mind Israel, told Fox News Digital that, ‘The central challenge is Hamas’s demilitarization,’ Golov said. ‘The only actors truly willing to dismantle Hamas’s military capabilities are the Israelis, and as long as Hamas remains armed, there should be no rebuilding and no IDF withdrawal from the current defensive line.’

‘In the end, there must be a credible military threat from the IDF against Hamas,’ he said. ‘Without such a threat, I see no chance that Hamas will voluntarily disarm.’

Golov also pointed to what he described as a gap between diplomatic commitments and action by regional actors. ‘The key test is Turkey and Qatar,’ he said. ‘They signed a document committing to Hamas’s disarmament, but since then they have not demonstrated real commitment to implementing it.’

Reconstruction without security seen as unrealistic

Jonathan Ruhe, a fellow for American Strategy at the Jewish Institute for National Security of America (JINSA), argued that phase two presents a detailed reconstruction framework but avoids the most politically difficult decision.

‘The peace plan offers a detailed framework for rebuilding Gaza and promoting better governance,’ Ruhe said. ‘But it’s silent on the ‘who’ and ‘how’ of disarming Hamas.’

‘As long as Hamas can interrupt aid distribution, intimidate and kill Gazans who want a better future, and threaten renewed war with Israel, international investment in reconstruction and reform will be near zero,’ he said.

While Trump’s plan calls for Hamas to disarm voluntarily, Ruhe also said Hamas has little reason to do so. ‘Hamas refuses because it thinks it won the war,’ he said. ‘Now there is an urgent need to decide who will disarm Hamas forcefully.’

Ruhe noted that a U.N. Security Council resolution authorizes an International Stabilization Force to disarm Hamas, but he said no country has been willing to put troops in that role. Instead, he said the Trump plan outlines a more limited mission for international forces, focused on guarding aid sites and preventing Hamas resupply.

‘Trump and Netanyahu both said Israel might have to disarm Hamas,’ Ruhe said. ‘But the IDF ground forces need to rest and refit after two years of grueling combat, and a major offensive risks blowing up the international coalition needed for phase two.’

He suggested that well-vetted private military contractors, overseen by U.S. security officials rather than U.S. Central Command, could play a role, though he acknowledged such a move would involve ‘hard fighting.’

A narrowing window

Despite diplomatic momentum, analysts interviewed by Fox News Digital cautioned that time may be working against the plan. ‘The status quo favors Hamas as it continues tightening its grip over its half of Gaza,’ Ruhe said. ‘Announcing the Board of Peace serves important diplomatic purposes, but it won’t mean much on the ground unless and until Hamas is disarmed.’

Golov echoed that assessment. ‘As long as Hamas remains armed, there should be no rebuilding and no IDF withdrawal from the current defensive line,’ he said.

U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Mike Waltz warned Iran during an emergency meeting of the Security Council that President Donald Trump ‘is a man of action’ who has ‘made it clear all options are on the table to stop the slaughter.’ 

Waltz said Thursday that, ‘We all have a responsibility to support the Iranian people and to put an end to the regime’s neglect and oppression of the Iranian nation.’ 

Iran has been plunged into turmoil amid recent anti-government protests, with the death toll from those being at least 2,677, the U.S.-based Human Rights Activists News Agency told The Associated Press. 

‘Colleagues, let me be clear. President Trump is a man of action, not endless talk like we see at the United Nations. He has made it clear all options are on the table to stop the slaughter. And no one should know that better than the leadership of the Iranian regime,’ Waltz added. 

Waltz’s remarks came as Gholam Hossein Darzi, the deputy Iranian ambassador to the U.N., accused the U.S. of trying to destabilize the Islamic Republic.

‘Under the hollow pretext of concern for the Iranian people and claims of support for human rights, the United States regime is attempting to portray itself as a friend of the Iranian people, while simultaneously laying the groundwork for political destabilization and military intervention under a so-called humanitarian narrative,’ Darzi said. 

Waltz dismissed the claim, telling diplomats at U.N. headquarters on Thursday that Iran’s leaders are ‘afraid of their own people.’ 

‘I would like to address the allegation put forward by the regime that these inspired protests are somehow a foreign plot to give a precursor to military action. Everyone in the world needs to know that the regime is weaker than ever before, and therefore is putting forward this lie because of the power of the Iranian people in the streets,’ Waltz said.

‘They are afraid. They’re afraid of their own people. Iran says it’s ready for dialogue, but its actions say otherwise. This is a regime that rules through oppression, through violence, and through intimidation, and has destabilized the Middle East for decades. Well, enough is enough,’ he added. 

‘The regime’s dereliction of duty to its own citizens is what has put the ayatollahs in the positions they are in today with hundreds of thousands, if not millions, protesting in the streets after decades of neglect and abuse. So everyone should ask themselves, everyone sitting here today, how many people are dead?’ Waltz also said.

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters on Thursday that Trump and his team ‘have communicated to the Iranian regime that if the killing continues, there will be grave consequences.’ 

‘And the president received a message as he revealed to all of you and the whole world yesterday, that the killing and the executions will stop. And the president understands today that 800 executions that were scheduled and supposed to take place yesterday were halted. And so the president and his team are closely monitoring this situation, and all options remain on the table for the president,’ she added. 

Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, who visited with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Jerusalem less than a month ago, said in a Thursday post on X he was going to Israel to meet with the foreign leader and his team.

‘I am traveling to Israel to meet with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his team at this crucial time in the history of the Middle East. The goal is to build on the historic opportunities created by President Trump’s unprecedented leadership, to stand up to evil, and to support the people who are sacrificing for freedom,’ Graham wrote in the post.

‘The Trump-Netanyahu alliance has thus far been one of the strongest partnerships in the history of the U.S.-Israel relationship, and I am hopeful it will pay dividends in the near future. We live in a time of great consequence with the Middle East on the verge of previously unimaginable change. Standing together and following through on our commitments only makes us stronger,’ he added.

Graham’s announcement comes less than a month after he met with Netanyahu in Israel in December.

In a video posted to X on December 21, Netanyahu welcomed the senator, calling Graham ‘a great friend of Israel’ and ‘great personal friend.’

The lawmaker has been advocating for U.S. President Donald Trump to attack Iran.

‘President Trump’s resolve is not the question: Question is, when we do an operation like this, should it be bigger, or smaller? I’m in the camp of bigger,’ Graham said in footage he highlighted in a Thursday post on X. ‘Time will tell. I’m hopeful and optimistic that the regime days are numbered.’

In a Wednesday post on X, Graham wrote, ‘People often ask me what should we do next when it comes to the murderous, religious Nazi regime in Iran. It’s pretty simple. Stand by the protesters demanding an end to their oppression. But it’s going to take more than standing by them. We must stop those who are responsible for killing the people by any means necessary ASAP. Make The Iranian People Safe Again.’

Former Rep. Billy Long, who was nominated by President Donald Trump to be ambassador to Iceland, has apologized after privately joking to House lawmakers that the Arctic island would become the ’52nd state’ with him as its governor.

Long, a Republican who represented Missouri from 2011 to 2023 and served a brief stint as IRS commissioner last year, said he was just joking with his former congressional colleagues.

‘There was nothing serious about that, I was with some people, who I hadn’t met for three years, and they were kidding about Jeff Landry being governor of Greenland and they started joking about me and if anyone took offense to it, then I apologize,’ Long told Arctic Today.

‘I apologize and that’s my only comment, I look forward to working with the people of Iceland and I apologize it was taken that way, I was with a group of friends and there was nothing serious about it,’ he added.

Trump recently named Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry as a special envoy to Greenland.

This comes as Trump heats up his threats to acquire Greenland, a Danish territory, saying he plans to take the island ‘one way or the other.’

‘We are going to do something on Greenland, whether they like it or not,’ Trump said last week. ‘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 administration officials are openly weighing options such as military force to take Greenland, a move that would violate NATO’s Article V, which states that an attack on one member is an attack on all of them and could end the alliance of more than 75 years.

Denmark and other European countries have made moves, including sending additional troops to Greenland in case of a U.S. invasion, backing the territory as it reaffirms its position that it does not want to join the U.S. Iceland is among the NATO members that have expressed opposition to Trump’s repeated threats to take Greenland.

On Capitol Hill, most Democrats and even some Republicans have opposed the idea of taking Greenland, while other Republicans have voiced support for pursuing closer ties with the territory, including Rep. Randy Fine, R-Fla., who introduced legislation to make it the 51st U.S. state, although he said the best way to acquire Greenland is voluntarily.

Trump has also said he wanted to make Canada the 51st U.S. state.

Long was visiting former colleagues on the House Floor earlier this week when he made the controversial comment about Iceland, sparking some minor diplomatic backlash, with Iceland’s Ministry for Foreign Affairs demanding answers from the U.S. Embassy in Reykjavík.

‘There is no doubt that this is very serious for a small country like Iceland,’ Icelandic Parliament member Sigmar Guðmundsson told MBL. ‘We need to understand that all the security arguments made by the U.S. regarding Greenland, also apply to Iceland.’

Some Icelanders also launched a petition drive calling on their government to reject Long as ambassador if he is confirmed by the U.S. Senate. The petition has obtained 2,000 signatures.

Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., told Politico that Long was ‘probably having some fun’ and ‘I wouldn’t read too much into that.’

The Supreme Court is poised to rule soon on President Donald Trump’s use of an emergency wartime law to unilaterally impose sweeping tariffs on most U.S. countries — and which brought to the fore key questions over the ‘major questions doctrine,’ or the limiting principle by which courts can, in certain circumstances, move to curb the power of executive agencies.

During oral arguments over Trump’s tariffs in November, justices honed in on the so-called major questions doctrine — which allows courts to limit the power of executive agencies on actions with ‘vast economic and political significance’ — and how it squares with Trump’s use of the International Emergency Economic Powers Act to enact his sweeping global and reciprocal tariffs.

Plaintiffs told the court that Trump’s use of IEEPA to unilaterally impose his steep import duties violates the major questions doctrine, since IEEPA does not explicitly mention the word ‘tariffs.’ Rather, it authorizes the president to ‘regulate … importation’ during a declared national emergency — plaintiffs noted, arguing that it falls short of the standard needed to pass muster for MQD.

‘Congress does not (and could not) use such vague terminology to grant the executive virtually unconstrained taxing power of such staggering economic effect — literally trillions of dollars — shouldered by American businesses and consumers,’ they told the court in an earlier briefing.

Lawyers for the Trump administration countered that text of the IEEPA emergency law is the ‘practical equivalent’ of a tariff.

‘Tomorrow’s United States Supreme Court case is, literally, LIFE OR DEATH for our Country,’ Trump posted on Truth Social back in November.

‘With a Victory, we have tremendous, but fair, Financial and National Security. Without it, we are virtually defenseless against other Countries who have, for years, taken advantage of us,’ Trump continued.

‘Our Stock Market is consistently hitting Record Highs, and our Country has never been more respected than it is right now,’ he added. ‘A big part of this is the Economic Security created by Tariffs, and the Deals that we have negotiated because of them.’

While U.S. Solicitor General D. John Sauer acknowledged to the justices that IEEPA does not explicitly give an executive the power to regulate tariffs, he stressed in November that the power to tariff is ‘the natural common sense inference’ of IEEPA.

But whether the high court will back his argument remains to be seen.

That was the conclusion reached by the U.S. Court of International Trade last year. Judges on the  three-judge panel voted unanimously to block Trump’s tariffs from taking force, ruling that, as commander in chief, Trump does not have ‘unbounded authority’ to impose tariffs under the emergency law. 

‘The parties cite two doctrines—the nondelegation doctrine and the major questions doctrine—that the judiciary has developed to ensure that the branches do not impermissibly abdicate their respective constitutionally vested powers,’ the court said in its ruling.

The doctrine was also a focus in November, as justices pressed lawyers for the administration over IEEPA’s applicability to tariffs, or taxation powers, and asked the administration what guardrails, if any, exist to limit the whims of the executive branch, should they ultimately rule in Trump’s favor.

Though it’s not clear how much the court will rely on the MQD in its ruling, legal experts told Fox News Digital that they would expect it to potentially be cited by the Supreme Court if it blocks Trump’s tariff regime.

The high court agreed to take up the case on an expedited basis last fall, and a ruling is expected to be handed down within the coming days or weeks.

There’s very little precedent for major questions as a formal precedent cited by the courts, as noted by the University of Chicago College of Law in 2024.

The doctrine was cited formally by the Supreme Court for the first time ever in its 2022 ruling in West Virginia v. EPA, when the court’s majority cited the doctrine as its basis for invalidating the EPA’s emissions standards under the Clean Power Plan. 

Prior to that, the doctrine existed as a more amorphous strand of statutory interpretation — a phenomenon that Justice Elena Kagan noted in her dissent in the same case.

‘The current Court is textualist only when being so suits it,’ Kagan said then. ‘When that method would frustrate broader goals, special canons like the ‘major questions doctrine’ magically appear as get-out-of-text-free cards.’

One factor that could play in Trump’s favor is the fact that the tariffs case is to some degree a foreign policy issue, which is an area where executives enjoy a higher level of deference from the court. 

Still, if oral arguments were any indication, the justices seemed poised to block Trump’s use of IEEPA to continue his steep tariff plan. 

Justices pressed Sauer as to why Trump invoked IEEPA to impose his sweeping tariffs, noting that doing so would be the first time a president used the law to set import taxes on trading partners.

They also seemed skeptical of the administration’s assertion that they did not need additional permission from Congress to use the law in such a sweeping manner, and pressed the administration’s lawyers on their contention that EEPA is only narrowly reviewable by the courts.

‘We agree that it’s a major power, but it’s in the context of a statute that is explicitly conferring major powers,’ Sauer said. ‘That the point of the statute is to confer major powers to address major questions — which are emergencies.’

A former Ukrainian prime minister has been accused of plotting to bribe politicians with stacks of U.S. dollars in a scheme aimed at weakening President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s government, a former political adviser has claimed.

Ukraine’s National Anti-Corruption Bureau (UNACB) first confirmed Jan. 13 it uncovered an alleged effort by the leader of an unnamed parliamentary faction to offer illegal benefits to lawmakers, according to Reuters.

Video released by UNACB showed stacks of U.S. dollars seized during overnight searches earlier this week, including footage of a woman in the office sitting behind a desk. Authorities did not publicly identify the suspect.

According to the Kyiv Post, published recordings allegedly show that three lawmakers were offered $10,000 per month in exchange for their votes, with the case linked by some to Yulia Tymoshenko, a veteran politician, former prime minister, and current leader of the Batkivshchyna party.

Former Zelenskyy press secretary Yuliia Mendel told Fox News Digital the cash allegedly belonged to Tymoshenko and was intended to pay lawmakers to vote against the president’s legislative proposals.

‘In Ukraine, such transactions are usually discussed in U.S. dollars, as you can see from the law enforcement reports,’ Mendel, a former political advisor said.

‘The U.S. dollars shown in that video were allegedly hers that she was supposed to use to pay people to vote against Zelenskyy’s legislative proposals. She said it was her personal savings,’ Mendel added.

Mendel said the sums shown in the footage appeared relatively modest, ‘about $40,000,’ she said, noting other corruption cases in Ukraine have involved ‘much larger sums, sometimes millions of dollars.’

The raid on Tymoshenko’s party office reportedly lasted nearly all night. ‘Officers arrived in the evening and remained in her office for almost the entire night,’ Mendel said.

Investigators allege several lawmakers — reportedly including members of Zelenskyy’s own faction — approached Tymoshenko, leading to discussions about regular monthly payments in exchange for coordinated voting.

Despite reportedly being served with a notice of suspicion, Tymoshenko also addressed parliament this week, calling the case ‘political persecution against me.’

‘The so-called ‘urgent investigative actions’ that lasted all night ended at the Batkivshchyna party office. These ‘urgent investigative actions’ have nothing to do with law and order,’ Tymoshenko also wrote on Facebook.

According to Mendel, the goal was not to attack Zelenskyy personally but to fracture the ruling mono-majority in parliament.

‘Ukraine’s system is a parliamentary-presidential republic, meaning the legislature plays a central role in governance. When the president controls a mono-majority, legislation can pass quickly,’ Mendel said.

‘Breaking that majority would significantly weaken Zelenskyy’s legislative authority,’ Mendel explained.

Tymoshenko, a central figure in the 2004 Orange Revolution and Ukraine’s first female prime minister, has faced legal trouble before.

In 2011, she was jailed over a gas deal with Russia in a case widely viewed as politically motivated, before being released in 2014. She is expected to appear before Ukraine’s High Anti-Corruption Court.

‘Corruption is one of the key reasons we are losing this war. It severely damages Ukraine’s image on the international stage,’ Mendel warned.

‘By 2024, corruption had reached such a scale that Ukrainians chose an extremely dangerous and painful path — exposing it publicly in order to fight it,’ Mendel added.

‘Now, cases like this bring the issue back into the spotlight. Corruption will destroy Ukraine.’

Fox News Digital has reached out to President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s office for comment.

The Biden administration purchased a pulsed energy weapon suspected of being the type that may have caused ‘Havana Syndrome’ which caused a series of mysterious ailments for U.S. diplomats and government workers in Cuba. 

The weapon was bought at the end of the Biden Administration and has since been tested by the Pentagon, Fox News has learned. House Republicans are demanding answers amid reports of the purchase of the device.

In a letter to Homeland Security Kristi Noem, House Committee on Homeland Security Chairman Andrew Garbarino, R-N.Y., is asking for information on the procurement process for the weapon, its costs and the findings associated with its year-long testing related to Havana Syndrome, officially known as Anomalous Health Incidents (AHI). 

‘The device in question is described as capable of producing pulsed radio waves and containing Russian components, though it is supposedly not entirely Russian in origin,’ the letter states. ‘Following HSI’s successful acquisition of the device, it was reportedly transferred to DoW, which spent more than a year testing the device and its capabilities.’

Some U.S. intelligence agencies have said a foreign adversary could be behind the mysterious ailment. 

Fox News Digital previously reported that Adam, a former government employee whose identity Fox News agreed to protect, is considered to be ‘Patient Zero.’

He was first attacked in December 2016 while living in Havana on assignment. During his time on the Caribbean island, Adam experienced multiple attacks and described pressure to the brain that led to vertigo, tinnitus and cognitive impairment.

‘While assessments from the Intelligence Community (IC) do not conclusively identify the factors causing AHIs or any foreign actor responsible, an assessment from the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI) presented a majority view concluding that it was ‘very unlikely’ that a foreign actor ‘used a novel weapon or prototype device to harm even a subset of the U.S. Government personnel,’ with five out of seven agencies agreeing with that assessment,’ Garbarino wrote in his letter. 

‘However, two agencies dissented from the majority view and assessed that there was a chance that foreign actors may have developed some sort of ‘novel weapon or prototype device’ that could have harmed U.S. personnel,’ he added. 

However, the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI) released the report and held a background call with reporters on Friday explaining that new reporting ‘led two components to shift their assessments about whether a foreign actor has a capability that could cause biological effects consistent with some of the symptoms reported as possible AHIs.’

‘This shift consequently led two IC components to subtly change their overall judgment about whether a foreign actor might have played a role in a small number of events,’ the agency said. 

Fox News’ Liz Friden contributed to this report. 

Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado said she presented President Donald Trump with her Nobel Peace Prize medal, describing it as a historic gesture recognizing his commitment to freedom and the fight against tyranny.

Machado spoke with reporters outside the U.S. Capitol Thursday, when she was asked whether she offered her Nobel Peace Prize to Trump.

‘I presented the president of the United States the medal … the Nobel Peace Prize, and I told him, ‘Listen to this, 200 years ago, General Lafayette gave Simón Bolívar a medal with George Washington’s face on it,’ Machado said. ‘He kept that medal for the rest of his life. Actually, when you see his portraits, you can see the medal.’

She said Lafayette gave the medal to Bolívar as a symbol of the partnership between the people of the U.S. and the people of Venezuela and their shared fight for freedom against tyranny.

‘Two hundred years in history, the people of Bolívar are giving back the heir of Washington, a medal, in this case the medal of the Nobel Peace Prize, as a recognition for his unique commitment with our freedom,’ Machado said.

Machado’s meeting with Trump came nearly two weeks after the U.S. captured Venezuelan dictator Nicolás Maduro and amid lingering questions about her political future. The meeting also followed comments from Trump casting doubt on Machado leading the country rather than endorsing the Venezuelan opposition leader.

‘I think it would be very tough for her to be the leader,’ Trump told reporters Jan. 3. ‘She doesn’t have the support within or the respect within the country. She’s a very nice woman, but she doesn’t have the respect.’

The Washington Post previously reported Trump was annoyed Machado won the Nobel Peace Prize in 2025, an award he had hoped to receive and that Machado dedicated to him, though the White House said the president’s decisions were based on ‘realistic decisions.’

Still, Machado floated the idea of transferring the prestigious award to Trump last week during an appearance on Fox News’ ‘Hannity.’

‘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 toward a democratic transition.’

Despite her intent, the Norwegian Nobel Institute shut down the idea last Friday.

‘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.’

Fox News Digital has reached out to the White House for a reaction.

Fox News Digital’s Michael Sinkewicz contributed to this report.

At least one U.S. aircraft carrier is being moved toward the Middle East as tensions with Iran continue to build, military sources confirm to Fox News.

It is not yet clear whether the carrier is the USS Abraham Lincoln, currently operating in the South China Sea, or one of two carriers that departed Norfolk and San Diego earlier this week. Transit to the region is expected to take at least a week.

U.S. military assets from air, land and sea are expected to flow into the region in the coming days and weeks to provide the president with military options should he decide to carry out strikes against Iran, sources said.

The movements are part of what officials described as a process of ‘setting the force.’

One well-placed source said if the president decides to carry out military action, ‘This will be different, more offensive.’ The source said U.S. military planners are preparing a range of options that would depend on how Iran’s regime acts in coming days.

Missile defense systems are also expected to be sent to the region to bolster the defense of U.S. bases and Israel. The systems would include missile defense assets, according to sources.

The Pentagon did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.

Tensions between Syria’s transitional government and the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) escalated this week after Turkey warned that Damascus could resort to military force against the group, following days of deadly clashes in and around Aleppo. The SDF played a critical role in aiding U.S. forces to defeat the Islamic State in Syria.

Turkey’s foreign minister, Hakan Fidan, said Thursday that Syria’s use of force against the SDF seems an option, adding he hoped the crisis could be resolved through dialogue, according to Reuters.

The remarks came after several days of fighting between Syrian government forces and Kurdish fighters that displaced tens of thousands of civilians and left at least 23 people dead, Reuters reported.

The warning underscores mounting regional pressure as negotiations aimed at integrating the SDF into Syria’s national army remain stalled nearly a year after a U.S.-backed framework agreement was signed.

The United States remains deeply involved in efforts to prevent the confrontation from spiraling, with U.S. Central Command mediating daily on the ground in Syria alongside partners such as France, the U.K., Turkey and Jordan. ‘CENTCOM is on the ground inside Syria playing an active mediating role every single day,’ said Charles Lister, senior fellow and director of the Syria Initiative at the Middle East Institute.

‘Fundamentally, the United States remains the SDF’s biggest and most important backer, supporter, provider of finance, training and, to an extent, defense,’ he said.

Lister said Washington has already used significant leverage, including compelling SDF leader Mazloum Abdi to sign the March 2025 framework agreement.

‘We would not have had the March framework agreement had it not been for basically Gen. Mazloum being strong-armed onto a helicopter, flown to Damascus, and told that he needed to sign that agreement,’ he said.

In a statement released on Wednesday, the SDF accused Syrian government forces and Turkey of what it described as a ‘dangerous military escalation’ across eastern Aleppo’s countryside, including Deir Hafer, Maskanah and the area surrounding the Tishreen Dam.

The SDF claimed Syrian government forces carried out more than a dozen attacks using artillery, mortars and suicide drones and said civilian infrastructure, including a post office and a bakery, was struck.

The SDF also said Turkish Bayraktar drones struck multiple SDF positions near Maskanah and Tabqah. Turkey and the Syrian government had not publicly responded to the claims.

The crisis stems from a failed March 2025 agreement intended to merge SDF forces into Syria’s Ministry of Defense.

‘There’s no question that Damascus has been a tough negotiator,’ Lister said. ‘Having said that, the government has also bent significantly.’

Lister claims the deal stalled because of internal divisions within the SDF. ‘The fact that no deal has been implemented is quite frankly because the SDF is not a united, cohesive movement,’ he said. ‘There are elements within the SDF who absolutely do not want this deal to be implemented.’

He said some factions are deliberately delaying implementation. ‘Their calculation is clearly that the longer that they can stall, they hope that the Syrian transitional government will do something to destroy its international credibility,’ Lister said. ‘It’s just a stall-and-wait-and-see approach.’

‘That approach is intrinsically dangerous,’ he said. ‘It only guarantees conflict.’

‘Over the past two or three days, there have been a number of Turkish drone strikes on SDF military bases in this frontline district in eastern rural Aleppo,’ Lister said.

‘Turkey is primed to get back involved,’ he said. ‘When Turkey has gone all out on the SDF, the SDF haven’t stood a chance.’

According to Lister, only pressure from the highest level could alter the trajectory.

‘The only thing that’s going to change the equation here is if President Trump makes it publicly clear that this deal has to be made and implemented expeditiously,’ he said.

‘This is not contained,’ Lister warned. ‘All the preparations are clearly being made for this to become an active military zone unless serious diplomacy pulls both sides off the brink.’

A statement issued by the U.S. Mission of the Syrian Democratic Council accused Syria’s transitional authorities of targeting Kurdish areas in Aleppo and undermining the political process. ‘What is happening now is not merely a military escalation by the Damascus authorities,’ the statement said. ‘It is an effort to undermine the prospects of building a new Syria.’

The council said Syrian forces were taking control of Kurdish neighborhoods in Aleppo ‘through force, intimidation, and coercion,’ and warned that the escalation could destabilize the region. The group also warned that continued fighting could benefit extremist groups.

‘The primary beneficiary of this escalation will be ISIS, allowing terrorism to re-emerge and once again threaten international peace and security,’ the statement said.

‘We call for an immediate and independent investigation into the crimes committed against Kurds in Aleppo. We urge US decision-makers to monitor the conduct and behavior of the Damascus authorities, take the necessary measures to halt the escalation, and implement the March 10 agreement in full—without any delay or pretext whatsoever.’

Reuters contributed to this report.