Obama intel chief angered president at meeting by asking if he'd tolerate Iran having nuclear weapon

Former Director of National Intelligence Dennis Blair once angered then-President Barack Obama during a White House meeting on Iran, after he pressed Obama on whether he could tolerate the nation obtaining a nuclear weapon, according to newly released oral history interviews.

"When it came my turn to speak at this meeting," Blair said, "I said, ‘Mr. President, you really just have one decision to make… Are you going to tolerate Iran having a nuclear weapon or not?’" He added that rejecting a nuclear Iran would require espionage and military options, while acceptance would mean a strategy to contain and deter Iran.

The exchange, documented in interviews conducted by the University of Virginia's Miller Center and reported by The New York Times, offers a window into internal divisions within the Obama administration as officials debated how to respond to Iran's nuclear program.

Blair said the moment prompted a sharp warning from Obama.

"The president took me aside after that meeting and said, ‘Denny, don’t ever put me on the spot like that again,’" he recalled. "I said… ‘Yes, sir, Mr. President. I certainly won’t.’" He added, "I was kept out of meetings from that time forward."

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Blair described the meeting as one that had been presented as an opportunity to provide input on Iran policy, and he made the "mistake" of thinking Obama was honestly looking for "fresh insights."

Blair served as Obama's DNI from the start of his presidency in 2009 until he resigned at Obama's request in May 2010.

Obama would go on to negotiate the Iran nuclear deal during his second term, which his administration hailed as a landmark diplomatic achievement that limited the country's nuclear ambitions while avoiding bloodshed. Its critics savaged the deal as mere appeasement that granted unearned sanctions relief to the world's largest state sponsor of terror. 

President Donald Trump withdrew the U.S. from the agreement in 2018.

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The released oral histories also include accounts of internal political discussions within the Obama White House, including deliberations over Vice President Joe Biden’s potential 2016 presidential bid.

David Plouffe, a top political strategist, urged Biden not to enter the race, telling him, "There's no room. There's just no room for you."

Plouffe added, "I’m concerned about you as a human being. I’m not sure you’re in a state to run."

Biden, who mourned the death of his son Beau in 2015, announced later that year that he would not enter the Democratic race, which came down to a heated battle between Hillary Clinton, Obama's preferred candidate, and Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt.

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Clinton would go on to win the nomination and lose the general election to Trump.

Obama's office did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital's request for comment. 

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Analysts say Gaza 'civilian' deaths include Hamas, other terror members working as medics, media workers

As Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) publicly claim their dead, new research shows that many previously counted as civilians were in fact members of the terrorist organizations, undermining accusations that Israeli forces deliberately targeted civilians in Gaza.

Researchers monitoring the Hamas-run health ministry’s death reports told Fox News Digital that a growing number of "martyrs" were exposed as terrorists by their own groups such as Hamas, despite maintaining public identities as healthcare or media workers.

Gabriel Epstein, senior policy associate at Israel Policy Forum, told Fox News Digital that he has tracked multiple individuals named by Hamas and PIJ as martyrs killed in battle in Gaza who held positions in the health industry, including nongovernmental organizations (NGOs.)

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Epstein found several individuals labeled as medical staff who are also members of terrorist groups. The most serious revelation from the martyr list is Fadi al-Wadiyya, a physiotherapist for Médecins sans frontières, who was killed by Israel Defense Forces in June 2024. MSF responded to the death, saying they were "outraged" and "strongly condemn[ed] the killing of our colleague."

When the IDF claimed that al-Wadiyya was a member of PIJ, MSF said they had "no prior knowledge" of his "alleged involvement in military activities" and said they had "not received any formal explanation" of "the circumstances of his killing."

In a Telegram account claiming to be the media reserve for the Al-Quds Brigades, a post mourning al-Wadiyya’s martyrdom on Feb. 24 lists the physiotherapist as an assistant to the military manufacturing unit of PIJ’s Al-Quds Brigades.

Fox News Digital asked MSF whether they were aware of al-Wadiyya’s PIJ connections prior to the martyr announcement. A spokesperson said, "We would not knowingly employ people engaging in military activity" as it "would pose a danger to our staff and patients by compromising our neutrality."

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The spokesperson said that "MSF had no indication that Fadi Al Wadiya might have been involved in military activity of any kind prior to the Israeli authorities’ online posts in June 2024. In the immediate aftermath of Al-Wadiya's killing, we asked for explanations from the Israeli authorities, but never received an official response. If the Israeli authorities were aware of Al-Wadiya's links with militant activities, they never shared this info with us until after he was killed. To this day, the only information they shared and that we are aware of is what was shared through public social media posts."

The IDF banned MSF operations in Gaza from the beginning of March because the organization refused to provide a list of its Palestinian employees. In response to Fox News Digital’s questions about whether they would consider providing this list to the IDF presently, MSF’s spokesperson said, "We did not share our staff lists with Israel because we did not receive concrete assurances to ensure the safety of our staff or the independent management of our operations. This is a place where humanitarian workers have frequently been detained, attacked, and killed. We have a responsibility to protect our colleagues from harm."

Epstein shared several other cases of healthcare workers who played prominent roles in terror groups.

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Mohammed Akram Abdullah al-Kafarna was mourned by the Palestinian Nursing and Midwifery Association’s Facebook page as the nursing supervisor at Kamal Adwan Hospital and by the Institute for Palestine Studies as head of the Gaza nursing system. A Telegram account that lists members of Hamas’ best-outfitted Izz al-Din al-Qassam Brigades, al-Kafarna is described as one of Beit Hanoun’s "Qassam Martyrs."

Ayman Suleiman Aliyan Abu Tayr was listed as martyred in Khan Younis in June 2025. The Institute for Palestine Studies labels him as a nurse and head of the clinical nutrition department at Nasser Hospital. According to a Telegram account linked to PIJ’s Al-Quds Brigades, Abu Tayr was a Commander in the Central Operations Unit of the Al-Quds Brigades.

Jaber Abdulhamid Diab Mohammedin was mourned on the Palestinian Ministry of Health General Directorate of Nursing’s Facebook page as an Intensive Care Unit nurse at the Al-Rantisi Specialized Children’s Hospital. A Telegram account linked to the Islamic Jihad Movement lists Mohammedin as a commander in the military manufacturing unit of the PIJ’s Al-Quds Brigade.

Nidal Jaber Abdulfattah al-Najjar is labeled as an administrator at the Palestinian Ministry of Health, according to the Institute for Palestine Studies, while a mourner on Facebook noted that he worked in the Al-Rantisi Children’s Hospital. He is labeled on a Telegram account emblazoned with Hamas’ distinctive red triangle as a martyr commander of Hamas’ Al-Radwan Battalion.

Salo Aizenberg, director of media watchdog group HonestReporting, told Fox News Digital that he is tracking at least 10 "virtually indisputable" examples of journalists who are actually combatants, working with Hamas and other terrorist groups.

David Adesnik, vice president of research for the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, told Fox News Digital that he has also been tracking the disclosures. "With PIJ, the number of commanders who operated with civilian cover is striking," Adesnik said. "We’re at a point where the evidence indicates that this duplicity was a routine part of a strategy to infiltrate civilian organization, especially humanitarian ones. This provides access and protection while ensuring outrage when these supposed humanitarians are killed."

Adesnik said he believes it "likely that Hamas also employed this strategy in a systematic way, but right now we mainly have the PIJ disclosures. Given that Hamas is many times larger, if it were to disclose this kind of information, the effects could easily ripple across the humanitarian sector in Gaza."

Among the cases Aizenberg is tracking are media workers. He said that his list is "based solely on admissions by those groups and other Gazan sources," and "does not include the many additional examples identified through Israeli evidence."

Though the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) cites Yacoup Al-Borsch as a journalist and the executive director of Namaa Radio, Aizenberg has found "numerous social media posts and martyr notices identifying him as a fighter and ‘mujahid.’" This includes a Facebook post from an account affiliated with the Al-Omari Mosque in Jabalia.

Ahmed Abu Sharia was a freelancer who worked for outlets like Iranian Tasnim News Agency, the CPJ says. According to the "official" Telegram site of the Mujahideen Brigades, the Palestinian Mujahideen movement’s military wing, he was also a member of the Mujahideen Brigades.

Rizq Abu Shakian was a "media worker and administrator for the pro-Hamas Palestine Now Agency," according to CPJ. Shakian also appears in Hamas uniform on a Telegram site that shares images of Palestinian martyrs. According to Aizenberg’s research, he was a member of the Al-Qassam Brigades.

In response to questions about whether CPJ would update listings of journalists who have been claimed as terror affiliates, the group directed Fox News Digital to its policy for updating listings, which states, "CPJ has a long-standing policy of updating its data and the accompanying narrative accounts without issuing formal corrections as new information becomes available over time. In certain cases, a record may be removed from public view when new information leads CPJ to determine that a case falls outside its mandate or for security concerns, such as the safety of the journalist and their family.  CPJ will publicly record when it has removed a journalist from the database for a reason outside of security concerns. "

As the shaky ceasefire in Gaza continues, analysts say they continue to place value in closely examining the war’s casualties. Epstein said that "reviewing cases of militants who held dual civilian roles in key sectors like media, healthcare and education is important for the historical record and underscores the information limitations press, government, and analysts face in real time during conflict." He said that "over time, militant identification can give a sense of just how deep Hamas, PIJ and other militant groups' hold over key sectors in Gaza was."

source https://www.foxnews.com/world/analysts-say-gaza-civilian-deaths-include-hamas-other-terror-members-working-medics-media-workers

UCLA's Skyy Clark loses front tooth in March Madness thriller to help Bruins seal first-round victory

UCLA center Skyy Clark has a new smile he’s showing off after the Bruins’ 75-71 victory over UCF on Friday night. 

The California native and senior lost his front tooth during UCLA’s first round game in the men’s NCAA tournament after he caught a stray elbow from UCF’s Themus Fulks when the pair dove for a loose ball late in the second half. 

The accidental contact knocked out half of Clark’s front tooth, an ugly scene captured on the CBS broadcast. 

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"It definitely hurt," Clark said after the game. "I have a little lisp going on."

As Clark was being attended to by the team’s staff, UCLA walk-on Jack Seidler jumped into action to find the missing tooth.

"Somebody’s got to get it, somebody’s got to get it," Seidler recalled.

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The broadcast showed Seidler returning to the scene and picking up what was left of Clark’s tooth, which he said resulted in his cellphone blowing up with reactions to his heroics. But for Seidler, the real star was Clark, who returned to play shortly after the incident. 

"That’s toughness right there," he said. "Losing half a tooth and coming back into the game to help us get the win."

Clark, who averaged 10.0 points, 3.1 rebounds, 2.7 assists and 1.1 steals throughout his collegiate career, returned and hit a free throw with seconds remaining to secure the Bruins’ victory. 

"He looked so good in the locker room," head coach Mick Cronin said after the game. "Looks like a boxer. Keep trying to talk to these guys about my old days. He just looked tough. Looks tough. In the locker room, smiling. There’s blood."

The Associated Press contributed to this report. 

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source https://www.foxnews.com/sports/uclas-skyy-clark-loses-front-tooth-march-madness-thriller-help-bruins-seal-first-round-victory

Iran conflict won’t trigger Biden-style refugee replay, expert predicts

Iran’s instability is unlikely to trigger a Syrian- or Afghanistan-style refugee crisis, a top immigration expert told Fox News Digital, even as questions mount over what comes next for the Iranian people once the fighting subsides.

With Ayatollah Ali Khamenei killed in an airstrike, several top officials dead and competing factions vying for control, questions are mounting over whether Iran’s turmoil could trigger a refugee crisis.

However, given the geography and environment in Iran, a mass refugee exodus appears unlikely, according to Andrew "Art" Arthur – a nationally-recognized national security and immigration expert at the Center for Immigration Studies.

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"It's actually an interesting question, and there are a couple of things to keep in mind," Arthur said in a recent interview.

"One is Iran is about twice the size of Texas. It's, I think, roughly the size as Alaska. It is a huge country, and I think there are 93 million people there, but it's still a big country and most of it is untouched by the conflict, so it's not like individuals couldn't relocate in-country and be perfectly safe."

Unlike Afghanistan, he added, the U.S. and the West don’t have a previous footprint on the ground and don’t have people inside the country offering assistance.

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"[W]e don't have the ability to do something like President Biden did where we load up C-130s with everybody we can get our hands on and fly them to the United States. So, that's a huge distinction."

During the 2021 Afghanistan withdrawal, chaos reigned at Hamid Karzai International Airport as U.S. military planes with refugees hanging off of them flew in and out of Kabul while Taliban forces created deadly roadblocks and uncertainty for those trying to flee.

The operation led to a huge influx of largely unvetted Afghan nationals into the U.S., which many immigration hawks blame for some of the migrant violence seen domestically.

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Arthur said that exemplar is rare, in that most refugees don’t or aren’t able to fly "halfway around the world" to escape unrest.

"The Afghanistan evacuation operation, Allies Refuge and Allies Welcome, was completely without precedent in U.S. history, because, generally, refugees resettle in an adjacent country assuming that they can resettle in-country," he said.

Such was true during the other major refugee flow this century, the Syrian crisis during the 2011 "Arab Spring."

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Then-Syrian President Bashar al-Assad responded to peaceful civilian protests with military force, spurring years of outflows of about 11 million Syrian nationals around Europe with a smaller proportion ultimately making their way to the U.S.

The Obama administration set a goal of 10,000 admissions of Syrians through refugee resettlement, while nearly 5 million were registered globally as refugees as of 2017, according to the Migration Policy Institute.

A good proportion of the U.S.’ Syrian population also predates the refugee crisis, some by more than 100 years, like the estimated 5,000 in Allentown, Pennsylvania. 

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Addressing the potential for any Iranian refugee crisis, Arthur said that, in practice, the U.S. could offer resources to neighboring countries but would not be obligated to take in refugees.

"That’s not the way that this works," he said, pointing out that during the 1980s Afghan-Soviet conflict, Afghans relocated to Pakistan and the U.S. helped them from afar.

"We didn’t bring them to the United States," he said, adding that the U.S. helped enforce a no-fly zone to assist aligned factions, such as the Kurds, maintain safer territory.

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Fox News Digital also asked the White House for its thoughts on the prospect of another refugee crisis amid another bout of instability in a Mideast country.

The White House directed Fox News Digital to recent comments by Secretary of War Pete Hegseth on the matter, when he was questioned about the proclivity for such conflicts as Iran to force thousands to flee from the conflict zone and into the U.S. – and whether there are any "safeguards" in place to prevent such.

"I think it's safe to say there's no plan for a wave of new Middle Eastern refugees to the United States of America," Hegseth said.

"I think, as the president has pointed out for a long time, there are a lot of countries in the region who would be capable of providing that kind of support if need be."

"But that's certainly not something we're planning on," he said.

source https://www.foxnews.com/politics/iran-conflict-wont-trigger-biden-style-refugee-replay-expert-predicts

Mystery drones fly near DC-area military base as Iran tensions escalate

U.S. officials detected unidentified drones near a military installation in Washington, D.C., where top administration officials reportedly have been housed, as security concerns mount amid escalating tensions in the Middle East and with Iran. 

Multiple drones were spotted in recent days near Fort Lesley J. McNair, where Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Secretary of War Pete Hegseth are living, The Washington Post reported, citing people briefed on the situation. The origin of the drones has not been determined.

The base, located in Southwest Washington, D.C., houses the National Defense University and senior military leadership. It also reportedly has been used to accommodate high-level administration officials amid elevated security concerns.

Officials with Joint Task Force–National Capital Region and the U.S. Army Military District of Washington said they are aware of the reported drone sightings. 

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"We are aware of the reported drone sightings near Fort McNair and the surrounding areas," Heather Chairez, media chief for Joint Task Force–National Capital Region and the U.S. Army Military District of Washington, told Fox News Digital Thursday. "We are working with our law enforcement and interagency partners to monitor and investigate the reported sightings." 

"Our top priority is the safety of our service members and civilian personnel that work and live on the base," she added. "Currently there is no credible threat to Fort McNair, but we will continue to monitor the situation and adjust force protection measures as needed." 

A growing number of top officials, including Rubio and Hegseth, have moved into military housing in the Washington area, according to multiple reports, a shift that is unusual and has few modern precedents for civilian political appointees.

Fox News has not independently confirmed Rubio and Hegseth live at McNair. 

The reported sightings come as the United States has heightened security measures at military installations and diplomatic posts following ongoing U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran, raising concerns about potential retaliation and attacks on U.S. troops. 

Iran increasingly has relied on drones as a central component of its military strategy, deploying unmanned systems and supporting proxy forces across the Middle East in attacks on U.S. and allied targets.

During the opening phase of Operation Epic Fury, an Iranian drone strike in Kuwait killed six U.S. service members, underscoring concerns among defense officials about the growing threat posed by unmanned systems.

Several U.S. bases have elevated force protection levels in recent days, including Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst in New Jersey and MacDill Air Force Base in Florida, which is home to U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM). 

MacDill, which serves as the headquarters for CENTCOM and oversees all U.S. military operations in the Middle East, also has experienced multiple recent security incidents that prompted temporary lockdowns, according to base officials. Officials did not detail the nature of the threat but said they "take all threats seriously and will continue to prioritize the safety and security of our installation, our mission and our people."

The State Department also has directed diplomatic posts worldwide to review and strengthen security measures in response to an evolving threat environment.

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U.S. officials have not publicly identified the source or intent behind the drone activity near the nation’s capital, and it remains unclear whether the incidents are connected to broader geopolitical tensions.

U.S. law enforcement agencies also have been placed on heightened alert in recent weeks following a federal warning about intercepted communications believed to be of Iranian origin that could serve as a potential trigger for sleeper assets abroad, though officials said there was no specific or imminent threat tied to the alert.

Earlier in March, an FBI advisory referenced unverified intelligence suggesting Iran had explored launching drones from offshore platforms near California, though officials stressed the information was aspirational and not tied to any imminent threat.

Experts say that while Iran has invested heavily in drone warfare abroad, the more plausible risk inside the United States would involve small, commercially available drones rather than large military systems.

Unauthorized drone incursions near sensitive government and military sites are typically monitored and assessed by multiple federal agencies, including the Department of War, federal law enforcement and aviation authorities.

The Pentagon and State Department did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

source https://www.foxnews.com/politics/mystery-drones-fly-near-dc-area-military-base-iran-tensions-escalate

Schumer keeps public guessing on how long Dems will refuse to fund DHS amid terror attacks

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., remained silent earlier this week when asked how long Democrats intended to hold out on funding the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) amid a recent string of suspected terror attacks.

Fox News Digital approached Schumer with a pair of questions in the basement of the Senate.

"Is it time to fund the DHS after four domestic suspected terror attacks have occurred?" a Fox News Digital reporter asked.

"If the Republicans don’t agree to the ICE reforms that you guys want, all of them, what’s the next step? How long are you willing to leave DHS unfunded?"

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Schumer deflected the questions.

"Ask the Republicans," Schumer answered.

Funding for DHS originally lapsed on Feb. 14 when Democrats refused to advance spending legislation for DHS that didn’t also include a set of demands to reform ICE. Among other changes, Democrats have conditioned their support on a ban on masks for ICE agents, stiffer warrant requirement for apprehending suspects in public and a ban on roaming patrols.

Republicans have rebuffed the demands, arguing they would handcuff President Donald Trump's immigration enforcement goals.

Republicans need at least seven Democrats to reach the 60-vote threshold to break a filibuster in the Senate, where they hold just 53 seats.

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The standoff has overlapped with a series of domestic attacks, raising alarm among Republicans that DHS’s closure may be reducing the country’s preparedness to counter similar threats.

A vehicle ramming at a synagogue in Michigan, a university shooting in Virginia, the detonations of explosives in New York and another shooting in Texas have left Republicans like Sen. John Barrasso, R-Wyo., calling for Democrats to abandon their demands.

"Democrats have shut down the very department charged with defending our nation from terrorism while our nation is on high alert," Barrasso said in a post to X.

In addition to ICE, DHS also manages the Transportation Security Administration (TSA), the Secret Service and the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA).

Barrasso, the Senate GOP Whip, was echoed by Rep. Andrew Garbarino, R-N.Y., the chairman of the House Committee on Homeland Security.

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He stressed the urgency to fund the department amid the U.S. conflict with Iran.

"I urge my Democrat colleagues to make the right decision and stop playing dangerous games with DHS funding. As threats from Iran escalate, America must be fully prepared to respond and mitigate threats to the homeland," Garbarino wrote.

The funding lapse hit the one-month mark on Saturday.

source https://www.foxnews.com/politics/schumer-keeps-public-guessing-how-long-dems-refuse-fund-dhs

Bloody NYC Khamenei vigil reveals anti-US protest network linked to Iran

A small group of New Yorkers lined candles beneath a portrait of Iran’s late leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, at a recent "vigil" in Manhattan's Washington Square Park, and within minutes, a confrontation turned violent, then viral.

As Jewish rapper Rami Even-Esh approached the March 6 vigil, he noticed something was missing in the pro-regime gathering, which drew only a few dozen people from five far-left groups, including the socialist "Workers World Party."

"I looked around for images of the regime’s victims," Even-Esh told Fox News Digital, referring to tens of thousands of protesters the Iranian regime reportedly killed earlier this year. "I looked for Iranians who supported the regime, and I didn’t see any."

Slowly, Even-Esh, who performs under the moniker "Kosha Dillz," picked up the Khamenei photo, video footage shows, prompting several vigil organizers to quickly tackle him, punch him in the head and kick him as he fell to the ground. He emerged bloodied, and New York Police Department officers arrested both him and one of his assailants.

Video of the confrontation quickly spread online, generating widespread attention, with pro-regime groups framing the event far beyond the park as a symbol of widespread "resistance" to the war in Iran. The incident also offered a telling glimpse into a wider influence campaign now drawing scrutiny.

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A new report by the Network Contagion Research Institute, a think tank based in Princeton, New Jersey, finds that the vigil — along with a follow-up "Al-Quds Day" protest a week later on March 13 — was organized, promoted and amplified by a well-connected network of far-left U.S. activist groups with documented ties to Iranian state media. 

Earlier this week, President Donald Trump warned that Iran is pursuing an aggressive disinformation campaign, accusing the regime of using artificial intelligence and coordinated narratives to shape perception beyond traditional battlefields.

Drawing on leaked internal records, dating from 2019 to 2022, from Iran’s state-owned Press TV propaganda network, researchers identified repeated direct contact between Press TV officials and organizers of recent pro-regime protests, as well as patterns of coordination and amplification that helped transform small local gatherings into widely circulated global flashpoints.

The report identifies a structured ecosystem linking U.S. activist groups, intermediary media platforms and Iranian state outlets to a campaign of malign foreign influence, which is defined by the Directorate of National Intelligence as "subversive, undeclared, coercive, or criminal activities by foreign governments, non-state actors or their proxies to affect another nation’s popular or political attitudes, perceptions or behaviors to advance their interests."

Organizers tied to the New York vigil also coordinated follow-up protests for Al-Quds Day, the Arabic name for "Jerusalem Day," promoted through the same network of social media accounts, organizations and leadership.

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Fox News Digital has identified at least 75 organizations that have protested in support of Iran’s regime since the conflict began, including 50 that identify as far-left, Marxist, socialist or communist groups, and 22 that are Muslim organizations aligned with forms of political Islam, or Islamism. The remaining organizations fall into overlapping ideological categories.

Many of these groups are connected through a broader activist network linked to American-born tech tycoon Neville Roy Singham, who is based in Shanghai. Lawmakers on the House Ways and Means Committee and House Oversight Committee have launched investigations probing whether Singham and the organizations he funds should register as foreign agents, promoting the interests of the Chinese Communist Party.

Fox News Digital has reached out to Singham and the groups organizing the pro-regime protests. 

Organizations associated with Singham's network include the People’s Forum, the ANSWER Coalition, the Party for Socialism and Liberation, CodePink Women for Peace and the Palestinian Youth Movement, and while they didn't organize the Khamenei vigil, they participated in Al-Quds Day protests.

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The scene at the vigil reflected the mix of political messaging and symbolism that has defined "intersectional" activism of far-left politics in recent years. Organizers draped the table with Khamenei’s image with Palestinian checkered keffiyeh scarves and stocked it with pamphlets framing global conflicts — from Gaza to Haiti and apartheid South Africa — as part of a shared "anti-imperialist" struggle. A copy of the Quran sat alongside revolutionary communist literature, blending the kind of ideological and theological messaging that defines the so-called "red-green" alliance of socialists, represented by red, and Muslim theocrats, represented by the color of green for Islam.

Organizers and affiliated groups include a coalition of activist organizations connected to the "United National Antiwar Coalition," the Workers World Party, the "Bronx Anti-War Coalition" and the ANSWER Coalition, networks of socialists and communists who have organized protests across the United States on foreign policy and domestic issues.

The report’s strongest evidence centers on a history of direct contact between Iranian state media and activists from the groups.

The leaked internal records from Press TV, which is sanctioned by the U.S. government, showed hundreds of communications with the small group of organizers tied to the recent protests, including 83 calls to one senior figure. Researchers found that outreach far exceeded contact with other individuals based in the U.S., suggesting sustained engagement rather than routine media interaction.

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The analysis also identified a pattern in which that outreach appeared to happen before protests from 2019 to 2022. According to the report, spikes in contact from Press TV personnel often occurred in the weeks leading up to increased protest activity in the United States, indicating a level of synchronization that researchers say is unlikely to be coincidental.

The report also documents a broader amplification loop: activists appear on Iranian state broadcasts, sharing and reposting state media content and promoting protest activity later picked up by outlets aligned with Iran’s messaging ecosystem.

A separate media platform, "Vox Ummah," is identified as an intermediary linking U.S.-based activists with Iran-aligned narratives in the "ummah," an Arabic term for the global community of Muslims, promoting the vigil and Al-Quds protests while republishing content from Iranian state outlets.

The report stops short of asserting direct operational coordination, but it concludes that the overlap of communication and messaging reflects a "repeatable influence pipeline" capable of turning local protest activity into widely distributed political narratives of malign foreign influence.

"A strain of moral confusion has taken hold where a growing number of people in our communities protest America while excusing regimes that jail, torture and silence their own people," Adam Sohn, co-founder of the Network Contagion Research Institute, told Fox News Digital. "That’s not justice. It’s a psychological contagion causing these people to lose sight of what evil actually looks like."

The report also notes that messaging tied to the vigil, such as references to Khamenei’s "martyrdom," opposition to U.S. and Israeli policy, and alignment with the "Axis of Resistance," a term invented to describe opposition to U.S. foreign policy, mirrors themes promoted by Iranian state media following Khamenei's death.

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On the edge of the Khamenei vigil, Iranian American Reza Ebrahimi, founder of a group called Lion Sun NY, watched the scene unfold with Even-Esh emerging bloodied and handcuffed.

Ebrahimi told Fox News Digital he is immune to pro-regime disinformation and propaganda. He was emboldened to see that Even-Esh also didn't succumb to the intimidation. 

He later told him, "I’m proud of you that you’re supporting us."

Azziana Solomon contributed to this report.

source https://www.foxnews.com/us/rapper-beaten-nyc-khamenei-vigil-reveals-anti-us-protest-network-linked-iranian-propaganda-machine