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Iran moderates pushing Trump deal risk being ‘eliminated’ as regime fractures deepen

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Iran moderates pushing Trump deal risk being ‘eliminated’ as regime fractures deepen

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Iranian officials pushing for negotiations with the United States risk being labeled traitors and “most likely eliminated,” according to a policy expert, as internal fractures emerge inside Iran’s new regime.

Hooshang Amirahmadi, president of the American Iranian Council, said moderates advocating engagement with Washington are increasingly vulnerable at a moment when the Trump administration says it is in contact with elements of a “new” leadership.

“If the moderates were to push toward negotiation and a ceasefire, they will be considered traitors and will most likely be eliminated,” Amirahmadi told Fox News Digital.

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Amirahmadi’s warning came as Washington also appears to be navigating internal “fractures” amid the ongoing conflict.

President Donald Trump on Monday said the U.S. is engaged in serious talks with a “new” and “more reasonable” regime in Iran as the war enters its fifth week, while Secretary of State Marco Rubio declined to say who exactly the U.S. is negotiating with but cited “fractures.”

Secretary of State Marco Rubio attends a meeting with China’s Foreign Minister (not pictured) in Munich Feb. 13, 2026, on the sidelines of the Munich Security Conference.  ( Alex Brandon/Pool/AFP via Getty Images)

“Well, I’m not going to disclose to you who those people are, because it probably would get them in trouble with some other groups of people inside of Iran. Look, there are some fractures going on there internally,” Rubio said on “Good Morning America.”

“Anyone in Iran who speaks of negotiation is suspected of paving the way for more war and destruction,” Amirahmadi said before stating that the moderate reformers are thought of as “infiltrators and deemed traitors.”

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Amirahmadi also confirmed Rubio’s comments and highlighted an internal struggle within Tehran’s power structure, where remnants of what he called the “old regime,” or the Khamenei-era system, still exist.

“Many of them support negotiation or a ceasefire. But the emerging new regime is made up of more hard-line elements and views the others as traitors,” he said.

“For a long time, there has been a serious gap — what we call a cleavage — between the hardliners or radicals and the moderates or reformists.”

PAKISTAN’S AMBASSADOR WARNS IRAN TOO ‘WAR-TORN’ TO RESPOND QUICKLY AS TRUMP EXTENDS STRIKE DEADLINE

Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf attends a news conference at a conference hall in the Iranian Parliament building in Tehran, Iran, Dec. 2, 2025. (Morteza Nikoubazl/NurPhoto via Getty Images)

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Amirahmadi also described how “assassination in the Islamic Republic is not a new phenomenon. It has been there for a long time.”

Amirahmadi spoke ahead of Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth saying Tuesday that Washington remains firm on reaching an agreement to end the monthlong conflict involving the U.S., Israel and the Islamic Republic.

Speaking at a news conference, Hegseth reiterated that Trump is willing to make a deal to end the war, adding the new regime is now in place.

“If Iran is smart, it will make a deal. The new Iranian regime should already know that. This new regime, having undergone a regime change, should be smarter than the previous one. President Trump does not bluff and will not back down. He will make a deal, he is willing and the terms of the deal are known to them,” Hegseth said.

“The field and the war are in the control of the radical colonels, and that is what matters at this point,” Amirahmadi added.

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“The established bureaucracy is still run by the same old moderate regime, but then that is not a new regime. The new regime is certainly more radical.”

WHO ACTUALLY RUNS IRAN RIGHT NOW? THE KEY POWER PLAYERS AS TRUMP CLAIMS TALKS TO ‘TOP’ OFFICIAL

Iran’s power structure is increasingly dominated by IRGC figures like Ahmad Vahidi (Morteza Nikoubazl/NurPhoto via Getty Images)

Since the death of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and the succession of his son, Mojtaba Khamenei, the regime appears more reliant on the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).

Iran’s power structure is increasingly dominated by IRGC figures like Ahmad Vahidi and Qods Force chief Esmail Qaani, alongside judicial figures such as Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf and Ayatollah Gholam-Hossein Mohseni-Ejei.

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While President Masoud Pezeshkian’s influence could have waned, figures like Saeed Jalili, Guardian Council insider Ayatollah Alireza Arafi and Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi continue shaping Iran’s security posture.

“There are basically the colonels; there are the Revolutionary Guards, people that are in the military. A few non-military hardliners are in universities, in government and places,” Amirahmadi added.

“They have changed the regime into a very radical regime,” Amirahmadi warned, “I don’t even think Khamenei’s son would favor negotiation, at least initially.

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“His position and condition are not entirely clear. His leadership appears symbolic — a reaction, even a gesture against figures like Trump.

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“Trump and Netanyahu wanted regime change, and they have already achieved it, but the regime has just become more radical,” Amirahmadi concluded.

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Trump tips DoorDash driver $100 for delivering McDonald’s to Oval Office

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Trump tips DoorDash driver 0 for delivering McDonald’s to Oval Office

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump had two bags of McDonald’s delivered to the Oval Office on Monday by a DoorDash driver he tipped $100, using his favorite food and a reality TV flourish to promote a tax policy he says has meant big rebates for Americans who earn gratuities.

Sharon Simmons, dressed in a “DoorDash Grandma” T-shirt, walked up to the Oval Office’s exterior door and knocked as media cameras rolled. Trump popped out and said, “Hello. Nice to see you,” before proclaiming, “Look at this!” and then, glancing toward a pack of nearby reporters, offering, “This doesn’t look staged, does it?”

It was, of course. Making it onto the White House grounds alone requires obtaining prior permission and passing through security, while accessing the Oval Office — not to mention getting so close to the president — would have been impossible without additional screenings and background checks.

Still, the White House has attempted to call more attention to a piece of the Trump-backed tax and spend package approved last summer that allows Americans to temporarily deduct some federal taxes from income earned on tips. It lets certain workers deduct up to $25,000, but phases out for those with higher incomes.

Officials are intensifying the publicity effort ahead of Tax Day on Wednesday — even as the issue has been overshadowed for weeks by the war in Iran that has raised gas prices and spooked financial markets, and more immediately by Trump’s feud with Pope Leo XIV.

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McDonald’s is a longtime favorite of the president — and fare he’s used to political ends before.

He famously ordered it, along with vast piles of other fast food, to serve the visiting NCAA football champion Clemson Tigers in 2019 during his first term, when a government shutdown had reduced White House kitchen staff. Trump also staged one of the most memorable stops of his successful 2024 reelection campaign by visiting a Pennsylvania McDonald’s restaurant, where he worked the fry station and took reporters’ questions from the drive-thru window.

On Monday, Simmons, who DoorDash said was from Arkansas, recounted how the tax changes had helped reduce the amount of income she had to claim. Simmons subsequently told reporters she had earned more than $11,000 in tips a year. Exact figures on her savings were difficult to verify without Simmons’ tax statement wasn’t provided to reporters.

Trump then asked, “Would you like to do a little news conference with me?” and had her stand awkwardly beside him as he took questions about his threats to blockade the Strait of Hormuz and his refusal to apologize to Pope Leo.

The president eventually asked Simmons: “I think you voted for me. Do you think?” To which she responded, “Um, maybe.” Undaunted, Trump continued: “I heard you’re a great supporter. We appreciate it.”

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When a reporter later asked if the White House was a good tipper, Simmons hesitated: “Um … potentially.”

“Wait,” Trump crowed, reaching into his pocket for a $100 bill and handing it to Simmons with a grin. She took the money, laughed and finished, “Yes, very,” as the president patted her on the back and beamed.

Trump also invited Simmons and her husband to a UFC bout he’s helping to stage on the White House lawn to mark his 80th birthday in June. And he turned to Simmons again to press her on if she believes “men should play in women’s sports” — a frequent topic of his as he blasts Democrats for being too supportive of transgender rights.

“I really don’t have an opinion on that,” Simmons replied, prompting Trump to push, “I’ll bet you do.”

“No, no,” she insisted. “I’m here about no tax on tips.”

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The White House later said that Trump personally delivered the food — consisting of cheeseburgers and fries — to West Wing staff.

It didn’t say if he got a tip for doing so.

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Iran secures UN role with backing from UK, France, Canada, Australia as US stands alone

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Iran secures UN role with backing from UK, France, Canada, Australia as US stands alone

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Western democracies, including the UK, France, Canada and Australia, are facing backlash after allowing Iran and other authoritarian regimes to secure seats on influential United Nations (U.N.) bodies, with the United States standing alone in opposition.

The controversy stems from decisions by the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC), a 54-member body that plays a central role in shaping U.N. policy and staffing key committees.

Critics warn the outcome could allow governments accused of human rights abuses to influence global policy and control which civil society groups are granted access to the United Nations.

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Members of the United Nations Security Council vote on a resolution to unblock the Strait of Hormuz during a meeting on Iran and the Middle East at U.N. headquarters in New York on April 7, 2026.  (Timothy A. Clary/AFP via Getty Images)

ECOSOC nominated the Islamic Republic of Iran to the U.N.’s Committee for Program and Coordination Wednesday, a body that helps shape policy on human rights, women’s rights, disarmament and counterterrorism.

The nomination is widely expected to be finalized, as the United Nations General Assembly typically approves such recommendations without a vote.

At the same session, ECOSOC elected China, Cuba, Nicaragua, Saudi Arabia and Sudan to the Committee on Non-Governmental Organizations, which oversees accreditation and access for thousands of NGOs operating within the U.N. system.

The United States was the only member state to formally break from consensus.

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MIKE WALTZ TURNS TABLES ON IRANIAN ENVOY AT HEATED UN MEETING

U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Mike Waltz speaks during a United Nations Security Council meeting, after the U.S. and Israel launched strikes on Iran, at U.N. headquarters in New York City, Feb. 28, 2026. (Heather Khalifa/Reuters)

In remarks delivered April 8, U.S. Representative to ECOSOC Ambassador Dan Negrea said the U.S. “disassociates from consensus” on both decisions, calling several of the countries involved unfit for such roles.

“The regime threatens its neighbors and has, for decades, infringed on the Iranian people’s ability to exercise their basic human rights,” Negrea said, adding that “we believe Iran is unfit to serve” on the committee.

The decision drew sharp criticism from UN Watch, a Geneva-based watchdog group.

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Hillel Neuer told Fox News Digital: “By their cynical actions at the UN, major Western states have betrayed their own human rights principles, severely undermining the rules-based international order that they claim to support.”

“We note that the EU states clearly had another option. They did take action in recent years to stop Russia from getting elected to similar bodies, and so we deeply regret that they failed to do the same now to stop the election of serial violators such as Iran, China, China, Cuba, Nicaragua, Saudi Arabia and Sudan.”

“We salute the United States for their moral clarity and leadership in objecting to the election of the Islamic Republic of Iran and other brutal regimes.”

Neuer warned the composition of the NGO committee could allow authoritarian governments to influence which organizations are accredited, potentially sidelining independent human rights groups.

“This means dictatorships will have a majority on the committee in order to deny United Nations accreditation to independent organizations that call out their human rights violations, and to accredit more fake front groups created by the regimes,” he said.

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Israel’s mission to the United Nations also pointed to political tensions surrounding the vote, saying Iran attempted to challenge Israel’s candidacy during the same ECOSOC session.

AMBASSADOR MIKE WALTZ LAYS OUT ‘AMERICA FIRST’ VISION FOR US LEADERSHIP AT THE UN

Iran’s Ambassador to the United Nations, Amir-Saeid Iravani attends a United Nations Security Council meeting, after the U.S. and Israel launched strikes on Iran, at U.N. headquarters in New York City, U.S. Feb. 28, 2026. (Heather Khalifa/Reuters)

Israel was elected to several U.N. bodies, according to the Permanent Mission of Israel to the United Nations, including the Commission on the Status of Women and the NGO Committee, despite opposition.

“Iran also tried to turn the elections at the UN into an arena for incitement against Israel and failed,” Israeli Ambassador Danny Danon said. “Those who oppress women and trample on human rights in their own country will not teach us what women’s rights are.”

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Ahead of the vote, around 70 civil society groups warned that countries with poor human rights records could secure seats on key oversight bodies, but the elections proceeded without a formal vote, a process known as approval “by acclamation.”

Critics argue that this procedure allows controversial candidates to secure influential roles with limited transparency or accountability.

The developments are likely to intensify scrutiny over how U.N. bodies are staffed and whether political considerations are outweighing human rights concerns.

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U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Mike Waltz speaks during a United Nations Security Council meeting, after the U.S. and Israel launched strikes on Iran, at U.N. headquarters in New York City, U.S. Feb. 28, 2026. (Heather Khalifa/Reuters)

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Fox News Digital reached out to the UK, France, Canada, Australia and U.S. mission for comment but did not receive responses in time for publication.

The Iranian mission to the United Nations declined to comment.

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UN experts slam attacks on Gaza shelters, forced displacement in West Bank

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UN experts slam attacks on Gaza shelters, forced displacement in West Bank

Panel details incidents of violence by Israeli forces and settlers against displaced Palestinians in Gaza and occupied West Bank.

United Nations experts have reiterated calls for an end to Israeli attacks on displaced Palestinians in Gaza as well as forced displacement measures in the occupied West Bank.

In a statement issued on Monday by the UN Human Rights Council (OHCHR), the experts detailed several incidents in March in which Israeli air strikes set tents of displaced Palestinians in Gaza on fire, killing many.

“This cycle of displacement, terror, and targeted attacks serves an ultimate purpose: to make life unbearable for Palestinians and permanently force them from their land,” the panel said.

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Francesca Albanese, the U.N. special rapporteur for the West Bank and Gaza, is interviewed by the Associated Press in Rome, Tuesday, July 29, 2025. (AP Photo/Gregorio Borgia)
Francesca Albanese, the UN special rapporteur for the occupied Palestinian territory, was one of the experts [Gregorio Borgia/AP]

“The vast majority of Gaza’s population has already been displaced multiple times which amounts to forcible transfer,” the panel said, adding that “targeting areas known to shelter displaced civilians is a grave breach of international humanitarian law.”

The experts noted that civilians in tents and makeshift shelters are already experiencing grave health risks, including hunger, freezing, flooding, and a lack of basic services. The panel said that “women and children bear a disproportionate share of deprivation”.

The panel also criticised “the sharp escalation in forced displacement” across the occupied West Bank, driven by the Israeli army and what the experts called “State-backed settler terrorism”. This includes “daily attacks resulting in killing, injury, and harassment of women and children, and the widespread destruction of Palestinian homes, farmland and livelihoods”.

More than 36,000 Palestinians have been forcibly displaced amid expanding illegal settlement activity in 2025, according to a report by the UN Human Rights Office.

The experts said that “the scale and pattern of these actions shows once again the ongoing broader policy of ethnic cleansing across the occupied Palestinian territory”.

They urged Israel to end all ongoing forced displacement in the West Bank and to facilitate the safe return of displaced Palestinians.

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“States must bring Israel’s unlawful occupation to an end,” they said, urging countries to remember their legal obligations, call for investigations, and avoid assisting Israel while its occupation of Palestinian territory continues without accountability.

The panel of 13 experts was made up of UN special rapporteurs, including on the human rights situation in the occupied Palestinian territory, Francesca Albanese, the rights of internally displaced persons, Paula Gaviria Betancur, the right to food, Michael Fakhri, and on the violence against women and girls, Reem Alsalem.

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