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Republican Phil Berger, one of North Carolina’s most powerful politicians, concedes state Senate primary to Sam Page | CNN Politics

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Republican Phil Berger, one of North Carolina’s most powerful politicians, concedes state Senate primary

By

[Dianne Gallagher]

Updated 1 hr 37 min ago

Updated Mar 24, 2026, 6:23 PM ET

PUBLISHED Mar 24, 2026, 5:48 PM ET

Primary elections US elections

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North Carolina Senate President Pro Tem Phil Berger, speaks at the Rocky Mount Events Center in Rocky Mount, North Carolina, on December 19, 2025.

Karl B DeBlaker/AP

North Carolina State Senate leader Phil Berger on Tuesday conceded his primary race to Rockingham County Sheriff Sam Page, a political earthquake that took down arguably the most powerful politician in a pivotal swing state.

A full machine recount last week held Page’s narrow 23-vote lead in the March 3 Republican primary election for state Senate District 26. Berger conceded after a partial hand recount failed to net any new votes.

An endorsement from President Donald Trump and millions of dollars in outside spending weren’t enough to save Berger, whose loss hinged on a very local complaint.

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Backlash surrounding a failed casino expansion proposal pushed by Berger grew into bitter resentment in his district, which borders Virginia. Page, the county’s cowboy hat-wearing sheriff since 1998, accused Berger of being out of touch with the constituents he’d long represented.

In 2023, Page helped lead the effort to oppose a casino that Berger wanted to bring to the district. The longtime Senate leader touted the project as an economic investment that would bring jobs to the rural area. But skeptical residents accused Berger of making deals behind closed doors and trying to “sneak” the casino into their community. Many cited their conservative Christian and community values for not wanting it.

Berger eventually abandoned the effort, but for many, the resentment remained.

The district is considered a safe Republican seat in November.

At the end of election night, Page was up by just two votes. After the counties completed their canvasses, the sheriff’s lead expanded to 23 votes.

Berger also withdrew several election protests on Tuesday, according to the North Carolina State Board of Elections. With those protests withdrawn, the board of elections will be able to move forward with certification of the race.

“While this was a close race, the voters have spoken, and I congratulate Sheriff Page on his victory,” Berger said in a news release conceding the election. “Over the past 15 years, Republicans in the General Assembly have fundamentally redefined our state’s outlook and reputation. It has been an honor to play a role in that transformation.”

In a statement, Page said he appreciated Berger’s concession call and years of service to the state.

“I thank him for wishing me the best moving forward,” Page said. “This was a hard-fought campaign, and I’m honored that the voters of Guilford and Rockingham counties placed their trust in me. Now it’s time for our community to come together and focus on winning in November.”

Berger, a 73-year-old attorney, has served in the state Senate for over a quarter century. During his 15-year tenure atop the Senate, he helped secure and never lost the North Carolina GOP majority.

Last fall, Berger helped fast track a mid-cycle congressional map that aims to give Republicans an additional US House seat, as Trump had requested.

A few weeks later, in December, Berger secured an endorsement from the president. In the “Complete and Total Endorsement” of Berger, Trump noted that Page was “GREAT” but he wanted the Sheriff to come work with his administration in Washington instead of challenging the state Senate leader. He called both men “outstanding people.”

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伊朗布什尔核电站再遭袭 国际原子能机构吁各方克制

发布/2026年3月25日 07:34

Vantor卫星图像显示，3月7日空袭后，伊朗布什尔国际机场附近一处空军基地的掩体出现一个大弹坑。 （法新社档案照片）

伊朗布什尔核电站星期二（3月24日）晚再次遭到袭击。国际原子能机构总干事格罗西再次呼吁各方在冲突中保持克制。

新华社报道，伊朗迈赫尔通讯社引述伊朗原子能组织消息称，24日晚上约9时08分，伊朗布什尔核电站遭到美国和以色列袭击。初步报告显示，核电站各区未受损，也无财产、技术或人员损失。

报道指，针对和平核设施的攻击严重违反国际法，可能对地区安全，尤其是波斯湾沿岸国家，带来危险后果。

国际原子能机构（IAEA）在社交媒体发文说，已收到伊朗方面有关此次袭击的通报，伊方指核电站没有受损，也无人员伤亡，核电站情况正常。格罗西再次呼吁各方保持最大限度克制，避免出现核安全风险。

伊朗原子能组织此前通报，一枚敌方投射物在17日晚击中布什尔核电站厂区，未对核电站设施造成经济或技术损失，也未造成人员伤亡。

US says more than 450 TSA officers have quit since funding standoff | Reuters

By David Shepardson
March 24, 2026 4:28 PM UTC Updated 8 mins ago

Item 1 of 5 A Transportation Security Administration (TSA) officer checks passengers as they travel through a TSA security screening checkpoint at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport in Atlanta, Georgia, U.S. March 24, 2026. REUTERS/Alyssa Pointer

[1/5]A Transportation Security Administration (TSA) officer checks passengers as they travel through a TSA security screening checkpoint at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport in Atlanta, Georgia, U.S. March 24, 2026. REUTERS/Alyssa Pointer Purchase Licensing Rights, opens new tab

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March 24 (Reuters) – More than 450 Transportation Security Administration officers have quit since the ​start of a partial government shutdown on February 14, leading ‌to massive delays at U.S. airports, the Department of Homeland Security said on Tuesday.

About 50,000 TSA officers are going without pay and are set to ​miss a second full paycheck on Friday.

The Reuters Iran Briefing newsletter keeps you informed with the latest developments and analysis of the Iran war. Sign up here.

Hundreds of U.S. immigration ​agents and Homeland Security Investigations officers began deploying at ⁠14 U.S. airports on Monday to aid security screening, including at ​some airports where wait times have topped three or four hours. ​DHS said on Monday nearly 11% of TSA officers nationally – or more than 3,200 – did not show up for work.

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ICE and other law enforcement personnel at ​DHS are getting paid during the shutdown.

On Monday, more than ​30% of TSA workers were absent at New York JFK, Baltimore, Houston Hobby, Atlanta ‌and ⁠New Orleans airports, DHS said.

At New York LaGuardia, ICE officers were walking the terminal on Monday and not performing duties handled by TSA officers. Social media posts from other airports showed ICE agents ​standing near TSA ​officers who ⁠were checking identification.

DHS rushed to deploy ICE agents after President Donald Trump said over the weekend they ​would be placed at airports if Democratic lawmakers did ​not ⁠make a funding deal.

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Democrats have held up funding for DHS while demanding a change in rules governing its immigration operations, after agents in ⁠Minneapolis shot ​and killed U.S. citizens Renee Good and Alex ​Pretti, sparking public outrage. Republicans have rejected Democratic proposals to fund TSA while negotiating ​over ICE reforms.

Reporting by David Shepardson; Editing by Chizu Nomiyama, Rod Nickel

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Delta suspends special treatment for Congress as shutdown sows chaos in airports

By David Shepardson

March 24, 2026 4:18 PM UTC Updated 5 mins ago

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Delta Air Lines planes at John F. Kennedy (JFK) International Airport in New York City, U.S., November 18, 2025. REUTERS/Jeenah Moon/File Photo Purchase Licensing Rights, opens new tab

WASHINGTON, March 24 (Reuters) – Delta Air Lines said on Tuesday it would suspend special services for members of Congress, citing the impact ​of a partial government shutdown that has disrupted U.S. air travel.

“Due ‌to the impact on resources from the longstanding government shutdown, Delta will temporarily suspend specialty services to members of Congress flying Delta. Next to safety, Delta’s ​no. 1 priority is taking care of our people and ​customers, which has become increasingly difficult in the current environment,” ⁠the Atlanta-based U.S. air carrier said in a statement.

The Reuters Iran Briefing newsletter keeps you informed with the latest developments and analysis of the Iran war. Sign up here.

Delta, like ​other U.S. airlines, typically provides special services for lawmakers who fly frequently ​back and forth from Washington and oversee the nation’s air travel system.

Members of Congress will not get airport escorts or VIP treatment for other services like seat ​upgrades or rebooking, the airline said, though lawmakers will still have ​access to a special phone line for reservations.

Travelers have endured hours-long waits at ‌security ⁠screening checkpoints in recent days as resignations and have risen among Transportation Security Administration employees, who have gone without pay since mid-February, when Congress allowed funding for the Department of Homeland Security to expire ​due to a ​dispute over immigration ⁠enforcement. President Donald Trump has deployed immigration agents to more than a dozen airports to help with crowd ​control, over the objections of TSA workers who say ​they ⁠are not properly trained for the job.

Delta CEO Ed Bastian told CNBC last week that it was time to pay TSA workers.

“It’s inexcusable,” Bastian ⁠said, ​noting that TSA officers were forced to ​miss paychecks last fall as well. “It’s ridiculous to see them being used as political chits. ​We’re outraged.”

Reporting by David Shepardson; Editing by Andy Sullivan and Mark Porter

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Minnesota sues US agencies for access to evidence in killings of Renee Good, Alex Pretti

By Christian Martinez

March 24, 2026 7:14 PM UTC Updated 46 mins ago

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Images of Minnesota residents killed by law enforcement, including Renee Good and Alex Pretti, are kept on a fence near a memorial for Renee Good in Minneapolis, Minnesota, U.S., March 11, 2026. REUTERS/Tim Evans Purchase Licensing Rights, opens new tab

LOS ANGELES, March 24 (Reuters) – Minnesota sued the federal government on Tuesday, seeking access to evidence in the fatal shootings by federal officers of Renee Good and Alex Pretti and a shooting that injured another man during an immigration enforcement surge in the state, according to a complaint.

The lawsuit against the U.S. Departments of Justice and Homeland Security alleges, opens new tab that authorities blocked state investigators from key evidence and information related to the shootings that fueled protests over the administration’s presence in the state.

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In late January, following the killing of Alex Pretti, a court granted the state a temporary restraining order barring federal investigators from destroying evidence in the investigation. The restraining order was eventually dissolved by the judge who granted it.

“Plaintiffs seek declaratory and injunctive relief to set aside Defendants’ unlawful policy of noncooperation and their resulting refusal to comply with the investigative demands ofMinnesota authorities,” according to the complaint.

(This story has been corrected to say ‘Renee Good,’ not ‘Rene Good,’ in the headline and paragraph 1)

Reporting by Christian Martinez; Editing by David Gregorio

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Rubio testifies in trial of ex-Florida congressman allegedly hired by Maduro government to lobby for Venezuela

March 24, 2026 1:31pm EDT / Fox News

[Secretary of State Marco Rubio] is testifying Tuesday in the trial of former Miami congressman and roommate David Rivera, who is accused of trying to lobby members of Congress and the White House on behalf of former Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro.

Rubio, testifying in a packed federal courtroom in Miami with heightened security, said he and Rivera became “very close” when both overlapped for six years as members of the Florida Legislature in the early 2000s. Rivera, a Republican, [was arrested in December 2022] on charges of money laundering and representing a foreign government without registering.

In July 2017, Rubio said he got a call from Rivera saying he needed to see him urgently to [discuss Venezuela]. The next morning, Rivera traveled to Washington and, at a meeting at his home, said he was working with Raul Gorrin, a media magnate in Venezuela who was Rivera’s main conduit to the Maduro government, on a plan to persuade Maduro to step aside.

“I was skeptical,” said Rubio during his testimony, according to The Associated Press, adding that the Maduro government was full of “double dealers” who were constantly pitching plans to betray Maduro.

[VENEZUELA’S DELCY RODRIGUEZ REPLACES SANCTIONED LOYALIST DEFENSE MINISTER WITH MILITARY INTEL HEAD]

Secretary of State Marco Rubio during a meeting with oil and gas executives in the East Room of the White House on Jan. 9, 2026.(Alex Wong/Getty Images)

“But if there was a 1%chance it was real, and I had a role to play alerting the White House, I was open to doing that,” he added.

Within days, borrowing talking points provided by Rivera, Rubio wrote and delivered a speech on the Senate floor signaling the U.S. would not retaliate against Venezuelan government insiders who worked to push Maduro from power, the AP reported.

“He provided me with insight into some of the key phrases that regime insiders would’ve wanted to hear to know this was serious,” Rubio testified. “No vengeance, no retribution.”

In the indictment against Rivera,there’s no indication that Rubio acted improperly as a senator at the time.

The allegations come in connection to a $50 million consulting contract Rivera signed with Venezuela’s socialist government.

The indictment alleges Rivera, at the start of the Trump administration, was part of a conspiracy to lobby on behalf of Venezuela to lower tensions with the U.S., resolve a legal dispute with a U.S. oil company and end U.S. sanctions against the South American nation — all without registering as a foreign agent.

[RUBIO SAYS CUBA NEEDS ‘NEW PEOPLE IN CHARGE’ AS BLACKOUTS, UNREST GRIP ISLAND]

Former Congressman David Rivera addresses members of the press outside the James Lawrence King Federal Justice building in Miami, Florida, on March 24, 2026.(Joe Raedle/Getty Images)

As part of his work, Rivera and his co-defendant are accused of trying to arrange meetings for then-Foreign Minister Delcy Rodríguez — now Venezuela’s acting president — in Dallas, New York, Washington and Caracas, Venezuela, with White House officials, members of Congress and the chief executive officer of Exxon Mobil.

To cloak their activities, prosecutors said, the co-defendants and others set up a chat group called MIA — for Miami — in which they used Spanish-language code words like “Little Cuban” for Rubio, “The Lady in Red” for Rodríguez and “melons” for millions of dollars.

“This case is about two things: greed and betrayal,” prosecutor Roger Cruz said in his opening statement Monday. “The evidence will show that for $50 million these two defendants made a pact to secretly lobby for Nicolás Maduro,” as well as for Rodríguez.

Rivera, 60, counters that his one-man firm, Interamerican Consulting, was hired by an American subsidiary of Venezuela’s state-owned oil company — not the company itself — and therefore did not need to register as a foreign agent.

His three-month contract, his attorney says, was focused exclusively on luring Exxon back to Venezuela — commercial work that is generally exempt from the Foreign Agents Registration Act.

Security teams conduct vehicle inspections outside the James Lawrence King Federal Justice Building in Miami, Florida, on March 24, 2026.(Joe Raedle/Getty Images)

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Separate and wholly distinct from that consulting work were his efforts with the Venezuelan opposition to pave the way for Maduro’s exit, Rivera’s defense said.

Fox News’ Gillian Turner, Fox News Digital’s Danielle Wallace and The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Greg Norman is a reporter at Fox News Digital.

‘Under President Trump and Secretary Mullin, criminal illegal aliens are not welcome in the United States,’ said DHS Acting Assistant Secretary Lauren Bis

[Image 43: Peter Pinedo] By Peter PinedoFox News

Published March 24, 2026 3:26pm EDT

FIRST ON FOX:As new Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin prepared to be sworn in, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers continued operations, arresting child predators, rapists and domestic abusers across the country.

According to DHS, in just one day of operations, ICE arrested illegal aliens convicted of serious crimes in Utah, Ohio, New York and Texas. The agency said these arrests align with statistics showing that 70% of illegal aliens arrested by ICE have criminal convictions or pending criminal charges in the U.S.

This comes as Mullin, newly confirmed by the Senate, is sworn in as President Donald Trump’s new DHS secretary. Mullin, who until now served as a Republican senator from Oklahoma, replaces former South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem.

[Image 44: placeholder]

Commenting on the arrests, DHS Acting Assistant Secretary Lauren Bis told Fox News Digital that “under President Trump and Secretary Mullin, criminal illegal aliens are not welcome in the United States.”

HOUSE CONSERVATIVES ERUPT OVER SENATE GOP, WHITE HOUSE DEAL AMID SAVE ACT FIGHT

[Image 45: Markwayne and Oscar Edgardo Rogel-Gomez mugshot]

Several criminal illegal immigrants were arrested as incoming DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin, left, prepared to be sworn in. Among them is Salvadoran illegal Oscar Edgardo Rogel-Gomez, right.(Manuel Balce Ceneta/AP Photo; DHS)

“If you come to our country illegally and break our laws, we will arrest you, deport you, and you will never return,” said Bis.

“Yesterday, the heroic men and women of ICE arrested multiple child predators, rapists, domestic abusers and other heinous criminals,” she added.

Among those arrested by ICE on Monday was Salvadoran illegal Oscar Edgardo Rogel-Gomez, who was convicted of sexual abuse of a child in St. George, Utah.

In Ohio, ICE officers arrested Alcides Ordonez-Cruz, an illegal alien from Honduras, who was convicted of third-degree gross sexual imposition and endangering children in Van Wert County, according to DHS.

IL DEMS DECLINE TO DEFEND ‘NO’ VOTES ON LAKEN RILEY ACT AFTER STUDENT’S KILLING TIED TO REPEAT OFFENDER

[Image 46: Illegal alien mugshots with ICE agents in the background]

Left to right: Oscar Edgardo Rogel-Gomez, Alcides Ordonez-Cruz, Jose Gonzalez-Diaz, Jose Vazquez-Cardoza and Jose Simaj-Barrera.(Christopher Dilts/Bloomberg via Getty Images; DHS)

[Image 47: placeholder]

Officers also arrested two Salvadoran illegals in Riverhead, New York, on Monday: Jose Gonzalez-Diaz and Jose Vazquez-Cardoza. DHS said that both Gonzalez-Diaz and Vazquez-Cardoza have been convicted of rape.

In Harris County, Texas, home to the state’s largest city, Houston, ICE officers arrested Jose Simaj-Barrera, an illegal from Guatemala. According to DHS, Simaj-Barrera was convicted of assault of a family member.

Mullin was confirmed by the Senate on Monday, following a short but at times explosive confirmation process. He is the ninth secretary to lead DHS and follows a turbulent tenure under Noem, who oversaw the agency during a period of both record deportations and intense controversy.

HOMAN FIRES BACK AT BOOKER AFTER SENATOR VOICES ‘OUTRAGE’ OVER ICE AIRPORT DEPLOYMENTS

[Image 48: ICE police patrol a street]

Federal ICE police officers patrol a suburban street.(Christopher Dilts/Getty Images)

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This comes as DHS continues to operate under lapsed funding. Democrats in Congress have made renewed funding for the agency contingent on sweeping reforms they say are necessary.

Despite these challenges, Mullin appeared confident during his swearing-in ceremony, telling the president, “I won’t let you down.”

[Image 49: placeholder]

Following his swearing in, Mullin told Fox News Digital in an emailed statement that “as the Secretary of Homeland Security, I look forward to continuing President Trump’s mission to safeguard the American people and defend the homeland.”

“I want to thank President Trump and my Senate colleagues for trusting me with this crucial role,”said Mullin.

“My first priority,” he said, “is to get the Department funded so the incredible patriots that support our 22 critical agencies receive a paycheck and can continue their critical work of keeping our nation safe.”

“DHS is bigger than any political party,” he added. “It’s time to end the partisan bickering that threatens our national security and put the American people first.”

Peter Pinedo is a politics writer for Fox News Digital.

Trump says US in Iran talks as analysts say IRGC holds real power | Fox News

Analysts say the IRGC has more control over Iran than ever, even as the state itself is described as weaker than ever before.

By Efrat Lachter
Fox News

Published March 24, 2026 3:08pm EDT

Fox News correspondent Lucas Tomlinson joins ‘Fox & Friends’ to report on indirect negotiations between the U.S. and Iran after President Donald Trump demanded the Strait of Hormuz be reopened.

“Nobody knows who to talk to,” President Donald Trump said Tuesday at the White House, describing what he portrayed as both chaos and opportunity inside Iran’s leadership. “But we’re actually talking to the right people, and they want to make a deal so badly.”

His remarks come as the U.S. claims it is engaged in talks with a “top” Iranian figure, even as Tehran publicly denies negotiations are taking place.

The question now is not just whether talks are happening, but whether anyone in Tehran has the authority to deliver. With strikes on senior Iranian leadership and growing internal fractures, Iran appears to be operating less like a centralized theocracy and more like a wartime system run by overlapping power centers, with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) at its core.

Here’s who matters now.

[TRUMP’S MIDDLE EAST ENVOY REVEALS WHAT LED TO BREAKDOWN IN IRAN TALKS BEFORE OPERATION EPIC FURY]

A State Department Rewards for Justice poster offers up to $10 million for information on key leaders tied to Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), including Mojtaba Khamenei, Ali Asghar Hejazi, Yahya Rahim Safavi, Ali Larijani, Eskandar Momeni and Esmail Khatib.(State Department / Rewards for Justice)

The IRGC: The real power behind the state

Across intelligence assessments and recent reporting, one conclusion is consistent: the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps has emerged as the dominant force in Iran’s political system.

Behnam Ben Taleblu, senior fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, said the current moment is accelerating a long-standing trend.

“No doubt both the 12-Day war and this current conflict have trimmed the commanding heights of the Islamic Republic’s political and military leadership,” he said. “But it has also expedited the trend lines inherent in Iranian politics, which is the dominance of the security forces and the ascendance of the IRGC.”

“Yes, there is more IRGC control over the state than ever before, but the state is weaker than ever before and more of a national security rump state than ever before,” he said.

“It shouldn’t particularly preoccupy Washington, who is and isn’t offering negotiations,” Ben Taleblu added, “The preeminent preoccupation of Washington has to be working toward a military win at a political win, and that does not come by working with the IRGC, but actually beating them on the battlefield and supporting the forces’s most arrayed against them in Iran, which are the Iranian people.”

Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) military personnel are walking along Enghelab (Revolution) Avenue as an Iranian Kheibar Surface-to-Surface missile is being unveiled during the Ela Beit Al-Moghaddas (Al-Aqsa Mosque) military rally in Tehran, Iran, on November 24, 2023. The IRGC is unveiling two new missiles during the rally.(Morteza Nikoubazl/NurPhoto via Getty Images)

The command room: Supreme National Security Council

If the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps is the power in Iran, the Supreme National Security Council appears to be the mechanism through which that power is exercised.

The Supreme National Security Council is Iran’s top forum for coordinating military and foreign policy, bringing together senior Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps commanders and government officials under the authority of the supreme leader. It was established after the 1979 revolution and has played a central role in managing major crises, from nuclear negotiations to wartime operations.

Iran appointed Mohammad Bagher Zolghadr, a former Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps commander, as secretary of the council, reinforcing its central role in coordinating military and political decisions, Reuters reported Tuesday.

A Middle Eastern official source with knowledge of the system described the structure:

“Right now, the power is in the hands of the IRGC,” the source said. “The Supreme National Security Council makes the decisions, of course, with the backing of the majority of IRGC commanders.”

A mourner holds a poster depicting Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei, right, the successor to his late father, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, left, as supreme leader, during the funeral procession for senior Iranian military officials and civilians killed during the campaign in Tehran, Iran, March 11, 2026.(Vahid Salemi/AP Photo)

Mojtabā Khamenei: The supreme leader in name

Formally, Iran’s system centers on Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei. But his actual grip on power remains uncertain.

Khamenei inherited the position’s sweeping authority following his father’s death, but “lacks the automatic authority enjoyed by his father,” the Middle Eastern official said.

Moreover, he has not appeared publicly since taking power and only has issued written statements, raising questions about both his health and his ability to govern, after reportedly being injured in the initial Feb. 28 U.S.-Israeli strikes that killed his father and other senior Iranian leaders.

Brig. Gen. (res.) Yossi Kuperwasser, head of the Jerusalem Institute for Strategy and Security, suggested his role may currently be limited: “For the time being, [since Mojtaba has been injured], it seems he’s a hologram and not holding power. However, if Mojtaba recovers, he will be involved in ruling Iran. He is not just a figurehead. But anyhow, for the time being, the control of Iran is in the hands of the revolutionary guards.”

[WITH DOGS, DANCE AND UNCOVERED HAIR, IRANIANS DEFY ‘UNHOLY ALLIANCE’ OF SOCIALISTS, RADICALS: ‘HYPOCRITES!’]

Ghalibaf: The man at the center of Trump’s claim

Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf speaks during a public event in Iran in 2024(Hossein Beris / Middle East Images / Middle East Images via AFP)

Trump’s statement that he is speaking to a “top person” has focused attention on one name in particular: Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf.

The White House is quietly exploring Ghalibaf as a potential interlocutor and even a possible future leader, Axios reported.

A former Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps commander and current parliament speaker, Ghalibaf represents a hybrid figure inside the system, bridging military credentials and political authority.

He was one of the key security figures involved in the crackdown on student protests in July 1999 and has run for president four times since 2005.

[IRAN WAR, 11 DAYS IN: US CONTROLS SKIES, OIL SURGES AND THE REGION BRACES FOR WHAT’S NEXT]

Ghalibaf is expected to meet U.S. special envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner in the capital of Pakistan as early as the end of this week.

Ben Taleblu said: “Those who see the ascendants of someone like Ghalibaf, who is an IRGC veteran, having extended power outside his traditional civilian rule, have missed the decades of how personality, not profession, has been the driving force, has been a driving force in Iranian politics for the past few decades. I would also say those who worry about the IRGC background of the Supreme National Security Council are all that in Iran today, may have missed the fact that the past few Supreme National Security Council Secretaries, Shamkhani, Larijani, Ahmadian, all also had IRGC backgrounds.”

At the same time, Ghalibaf has publicly denied engaging in talks with the United States, and no direct confirmation of negotiations has been provided by either side.

Araqchi: The diplomat carrying messages

Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi attends a joint press conference with Russian Foreign Minister following their talks in Moscow on April 18, 2025.(Getty Images)

Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi remains one of the most visible figures internationally.

If talks were to take place, Araqchi likely would be part of the Iranian delegation alongside Ghalibaf, Reuters reported.

But analysts caution that his role is limited. He may act as a channel for communication, but does not set policy independently.

Strategic decisions, particularly on war and negotiations, are still shaped by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and the broader security establishment.

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, Gholam-Hossein Mohseni-Eje’i, the head of the judiciary and Alireza Arafi, deputy chairman of the Assembly of Experts, attend the meeting of the interim leadership council of Iran in an unknown location, amid the U.S.-Israel conflict with Iran, in Iran, March 1, 2026.(IRIB/WANA (West Asia News Agency)/Handout via Reuters)

The wider power circle: generals, clerics and enforcers

Beyond the headline figures, a broader group of officials who continue to shape Iran’s direction can be identified.

These include Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps chief Ahmad Vahidi, Quds Force commander Esmail Qaani, naval commander Alireza Tangsiri, Judiciary Chief Gholamhossein Mohseni-Ejei, President Masoud Pezeshkian, and senior clerical and political figures such as Saeed Jalili and Ayatollah Alireza Arafi.

Each represents a different pillar of the system: military power, regional proxy operations, control of strategic waterways, internal repression and religious legitimacy.

Together, they form what analysts describe as a fragmented but resilient governing network.

[CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP]

A billboard depicting Iran’s supreme leaders since 1979: (L to R) Ayatollahs Ruhollah Khomeini (until 1989), Ali Khamenei (until 2026), and Mojtaba Khamenei (incumbent) is displayed above a highway in Tehran on March 10, 2026. Iran marked the appointment of Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei to replace his father as its supreme leader on March 9, 2026.(AFP/Via Getty Images)

Despite internal divisions, Iran’s leadership remains united on one core objective: survival of the regime.

Kuperwasser described the split: “There are the more pragmatic elites, like Araghchi, Rouhani, and Zarif. There are also the hardliners who have usually held the upper hand … But they are united in one issue — that the regime should survive and stay in power.”

Iran’s U.N. mission did not respond to a request for comment in time for publication.

Efrat Lachter is a foreign correspondent for Fox News Digital covering international affairs and the United Nations. Follow her on X @efratlachter. Stories can be sent to efrat.lachter@fox.com.

Top US official does not rule out resuming underground nuclear weapons tests

2026-03-24 / Reuters

WASHINGTON, March 24 (Reuters) – A senior State Department official on Tuesday said the U.S. still is assessing how to implement President Donald Trump’s order to resume ​U.S. nuclear weapons tests, but he did not rule out a resumption of full-scale underground ‌explosive tests.

“We’ve made no decision specifically on how or what any testing program would look like,” Undersecretary of State for Arms Control and International Security Thomas DiNanno testified to the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.

The Reuters Iran Briefing newsletter keeps you informed with the latest developments and analysis of the Iran war. Sign up here.

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Arms control advocates warn that a U.S. ​resumption of underground explosive tests could collapse the global non-proliferation system because Russia, China and ​other countries would follow suit. The last such U.S. test took place in 1992.

DiNanno ⁠was asked by Democratic Senator Jacky Rosen of Nevada, where the U.S. nuclear test site is located, ​how a directive that Trump issued in October for nuclear weapons tests “on an equal basis” with other countries ​was being implemented.

Trump issued the order just before meeting Chinese President Xi Jinping in what some experts saw as an unsuccessful attempt to pressure Xi to drop his refusal to open talks on Beijing’s growing nuclear arsenal.

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DiNanno reiterated U.S. charges that ​Russia and China secretly have conducted explosive nuclear underground tests, allegations that Moscow and Beijing deny and ​some experts have challenged.

“The Chinese and Russian programs are underground. They are at yields that I can’t talk too much ‌about ⁠in this open hearing,” he said, adding that “the Chinese underground testing program would be in the hundreds of tons.”

“This creates intolerable disadvantage to the United States not testing,” DiNanno said, adding that internal administration deliberations have not included a resumption of atmospheric tests, which the U.S. last conducted in 1962.

Since 1994, the U.S. ​has ensured that its ​nuclear arsenal is safe ⁠and reliable by replacing underground explosive testing with a multi-billion dollar “science-based approach” of super computer modeling and other advanced tools.

Rosen noted that using those methods, the ​U.S. has ensured “the capabilities of our nuclear stockpile,” a certification made annually by ​the Pentagon and ⁠Department of Energy, the caretaker of the U.S. arsenal.

Some experts, however, have called for a resumption of underground tests to ensure that aging U.S. nuclear weapons function properly.

China’s last official underground test blast was in 1996 ⁠and Russia’s ​in 1990.

Like the U.S., China signed but has not ratified ​the 1996 Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty (CTBT). Russia revoked its ratification in 2023. Under international law, the three countries as signatories still are ​obligated to uphold the pact.

Reporting by Jonathan Landay and Simon Lewis; Editing by Franklin Paul and Cynthia Osterman

Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

US lawmakers ask whether Nvidia CEO’s smuggling remarks misled regulators | Reuters

By Stephen Nellis
March 24, 2026 6:07 PM UTC Updated 1 hour ago

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Nvidia logo, computer chips and a 3D-printed representation of a robot hand are seen in this illustration taken August 27, 2025. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File Photo Purchase Licensing Rights, opens new tab

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SAN FRANCISCO, March 24 (Reuters) – Two U.S. senators have asked U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick to investigate whether remarks by Nvidia (NVDA.O), opens new tab CEO Jensen Huang may have misled U.S. officials and ​influenced their decision to grant Nvidia licenses to send its AI chips to ‌China.

The letter, opens new tab on Monday from Senators Elizabeth Warren and Jim Banks, both members of the Senate Banking Committee, comes after the Justice Department last week charged three men tied to Nvidia customer Super Micro Computer(SMCI.O), opens new tab, including one ​of the company’s co-founders who was photographed near Huang at an Nvidia conference last ​week, with smuggling billions of dollars worth of AI servers into China.

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In ⁠their letter, Warren and Banks cited two remarks that Huang made to reporters in 2025, ​as Nvidia was working to secure export licenses to send chips to China. In one remark, ​Huang said: “There’s no evidence of any AI chip diversion. These are massive systems. The Grace Blackwell system is nearly two tons, and so you’re not going to be putting that in your pocket or your backpack anytime ​soon.”

In another set of remarks cited by the lawmakers, Huang said: “The important thing is that ​the countries and the companies that we sell to recognize that diversion is not allowed and everybody would ‌like ⁠to continue to buy Nvidia technology. And so they monitor themselves very carefully.”

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In their letter, Warren and Banks cited media reports out before Huang’s remarks focused on probes into potential illegal shipments of AI chips to China.

“Those statements were not simply wrong in hindsight,” the lawmakers wrote ​of Huang’s remarks. “They were ​contradicted by reporting available ⁠at the time and potentially misled U.S. officials.”

The senators asked Lutnick to “determine whether representations, statements, or certifications made by Nvidia’s leadership to federal officials ​and to the public regarding the absence of chip diversion were ​materially false ⁠or misleading, and whether those representations, statements, or certifications influenced licensing decisions in a way that warrants further investigation or referral.”

In a statement, an Nvidia spokesperson said that “strict compliance is a top priority” ⁠for the ​company.

“The administration’s critics are unintentionally promoting the interests of ​foreign competitors on U.S. entity lists – America should always want its industry to compete for vetted and approved commercial business, ​supporting real jobs for real Americans.”

Reporting by Stephen Nellis in San Francisco; Editing by Andrea Ricci

Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles., opens new tab