Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich said President Donald Trump’s public threats regarding Greenland are more likely a negotiating strategy than a genuine plan to seize the territory, expressing skepticism while conceding he might be mistaken.
In a radio interview Sunday with John Catsimatidis on “The Cats Roundtable,” Gingrich said he doubts Trump intends to follow through militarily, though he acknowledged uncertainty. “I think he’s making a lot of noise to set up a negotiation to get what he wants, which is tourist rights, economic rights, mineral rights and national security rights,” Gingrich said.
Gingrich pointed to Greenland’s vast reserves of natural resources and noted that major powers—including China, Russia, and the United States—are all eyeing access to its minerals as well as its oil and gas potential.
“It’s a huge economic opportunity,” he said.
His remarks came as lawmakers from both parties traveled to Denmark to discuss the issue with Danish officials. The delegation includes Sens. Thom Tillis of North Carolina and Lisa Murkowski of Alaska as the Republican participants.
Tillis said any attempt to use force to take control of Greenland would face strong resistance on Capitol Hill, warning that such a move “would be met with pretty substantial opposition in Congress.”
Ahead of the trip, Tillis criticized those encouraging the idea, saying: “Right now, people are trying to be deferential, but this is just an example of, whoever keeps on telling the president that this idea is achievable should not be in Washington, D.C.”
Trump escalated the dispute on Saturday by announcing plans to impose 10 percent tariffs on Denmark and several other European countries in response to their opposition to his Greenland proposal.
In a Truth Social post, Trump said the tariffs could rise to 25 percent if negotiations for the United States to buy Greenland are not completed by June 1.
Danish officials sharply criticized the proposed tariffs. Danish Chamber of Commerce CEO Brian Mikkelsen dismissed the move, saying, “Trump’s farce continues.”
“The American president is once again using tariffs as a threat,” Mikkelsen wrote in a translated post on X. “As so many times before, it is damaging to confidence in world trade and damaging to the American and European economies.”
Gingrich also argued that Trump’s leverage in Europe is strengthened by structural weaknesses in European economies, which he said have favored regulation over growth and innovation.
“[The U.S.] made the opposite decision,” Gingrich said. “We decided we wanted to maximize innovation and then regulate lightly but not have enough regulation to crush what we were doing. That has been a disastrous decision for the Europeans.”
{Matzav.com}
Russia is preparing for a potential attack on the power lines serving Europe’s largest nuclear power plant, a move that could take place within days, according to a source with direct knowledge of the situation.
Ukrainian officials had previously indicated that Moscow was focusing on high-voltage electricity transmission systems rather than striking nuclear reactors themselves. However, a source now says the true target is the external power lines supplying the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant, known as ZNPP.
In a statement issued January 17, Ukraine’s Defense Ministry intelligence directorate warned that Russia was considering strikes on critical energy infrastructure tied to nuclear power operations.
“In order to force Ukraine to sign unacceptable surrender demands to end the war, the aggressor state Russia is considering the option of attacking strategic facilities of our state’s energy system — we are talking about electricity transmission substations that ensure the operation of Ukrainian nuclear power plants.”
“The threat is at ZNPP,” a source told Fox News Digital. “There are talks of a massive attack either tonight or in the coming nights,” the source said, speaking anonymously. The source added that “the talks within the Ukrainian government are about ZNPP and the lines, and these talks have not been for the first time.”
Ukraine’s Emergency Service said Russia also struck energy infrastructure in the Odesa region overnight Sunday, according to The Associated Press.
The Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant, located in southern Ukraine, has six VVER-1000 pressurized water reactors and has been under Russian control since March 2022, according to reports.
While the reactors are currently shut down and not generating electricity, the facility still depends on outside power to operate cooling mechanisms and essential safety systems.
The International Atomic Energy Agency has repeatedly cautioned that any disruption to external power lines represents a severe nuclear safety threat.
Earlier this month, Russia and Ukraine agreed to a limited ceasefire on January 16 to allow repairs to one damaged backup power line at ZNPP under IAEA supervision.
In a statement that day, IAEA Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi said: “The IAEA continues to work closely with both sides to ensure nuclear safety at the ZNPP and to prevent a nuclear accident during the conflict. This temporary ceasefire, the fourth we have negotiated, demonstrates the indispensable role that we continue to play.”
“A deterioration of Ukraine’s power grid from persistent military activity has direct implications on the nuclear safety of its nuclear facilities,” Grossi said.
“Russia is said to be going to do this strike, maybe even tonight,” the source said, referring to a possible operation targeting ZNPP.
“Information also from the Ukrainian Parliament and Ukrainian Security Service, or internally, is that the Russian army told the Ukrainian army that if they don’t stop shelling their tankers in the sea or shelling their oil refineries, as well as their electric stations like power stations,” the source said, “then they will fully destroy Kyiv energy facilities aswell.”
“The parliament knows this. But we keep shelling,” the source added.
“This is a very difficult situation,” the source continued, saying Ukraine’s leadership, parliament, and “obviously the office of the president” understand that “if we keep shelling Russian tankers and oil refineries, then they will destroy everything that we have.”
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has recently appealed to NATO allies to urgently send additional air-defense missiles, warning that some Ukrainian systems are running dangerously low on ammunition, according to reports.
“To actually preserve the energy in the country when it is minus 20 outside and people are literally suffering hugely,” the source said. “People don’t have electricity, don’t have warmth and some don’t even have water.”
“And this is a very controversial situation,” the source added, “particularly for the Ukrainian people sitting inside, hungry and freezing, and overall being in this disastrous humanitarian situation.”
{Matzav.com}
Iran’s president issued a sharp warning on Sunday, saying that any American military strike would draw a “harsh response,” and that targeting Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei would be “tantamount to a full-scale war on the Iranian nation.”
The remarks by President Masoud Pezeshkian came as Iran’s judiciary signaled it may proceed with executions of detainees arrested during recent nationwide unrest, protests that appear to have subsided following a violent government crackdown.
On Sunday, limited internet service briefly resumed in parts of Iran before being cut off again, after reports emerged that the head of Irancell, the country’s second-largest mobile phone operator, was fired for failing to enforce the shutdown.
Because of the communications blackout, the true scope of casualties during the protests remains difficult to verify. The demonstrations initially erupted over economic distress but quickly escalated into widespread demands for the overthrow of the regime.
A report published by The Sunday Times, citing Iranian medical sources, claimed that more than 16,500 people were killed and over 330,000 injured during the unrest. An Iranian official, however, said authorities had confirmed at least 5,000 deaths linked to the protests, including roughly 500 members of the security forces.
In a post on X on Sunday, Pezeshkian wrote: “An attack on the great leader of our country [Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei] is tantamount to a full-scale war with the Iranian nation.” He also accused the United States and its allies of being responsible for the hardships facing the Iranian population.
His statement followed comments made a day earlier by US President Donald Trump, who described Khamenei as a “sick man” in an interview with Politico and said, “It’s time to look for new leadership in Iran.” The remarks appeared to mark the first time Trump openly called for an end to Khamenei’s rule.
Although Trump has repeatedly warned that the United States would respond forcefully if Iran began killing protesters, he has so far refrained from launching military action. While US forces have been repositioned in the region, the president has not detailed what steps he might take.
According to Iran International, a media outlet aligned with opposition groups, Iranian state television was hacked on Sunday, briefly airing opposition material, including a speech by exiled crown prince Reza Pahlavi.
The report said footage of anti-regime demonstrations was shown on several channels, apparently as a result of satellite broadcast interference.
Pahlavi was shown urging Iranians to take to the streets and calling on members of the security forces to support the protesters.
Trump has cited Tehran’s alleged decision to halt “the hanging of over 800 people” as a reason for holding back, saying: “I greatly respect the fact that they canceled.”
However, Iranian judiciary spokesman Asghar Jahangir said at a press conference on Sunday: “A series of actions have been identified as Mohareb, which is among the most severe Islamic punishments.”
Under Iranian law, Mohareb—an Islamic legal term meaning waging war against God—is punishable by death.
“All those who played a decisive role in these calls for violence, which led to bloodshed and significant damage to public finances, will not be spared,” Jahangir said.
Meanwhile, a relative of detained protester Erfan Soltani said Sunday that the 26-year-old is in stable physical condition and was able to meet with family members days after his scheduled execution was delayed.
A close family member living abroad told the Associated Press that relatives were informed Soltani’s execution had been set for Wednesday, but the plan was postponed when they arrived at the prison in Karaj, northwest of Tehran.
“I ask everyone to help in securing Erfan’s freedom,” said Somayeh, a relative who requested to be identified by her first name only out of fear of retaliation, in a video message.
Axios reported Sunday that US military forces were awaiting authorization from Trump to strike Iran last week, but that he ultimately decided against it following pressure from Israel and Arab partners.
The report cited four US officials, two Israeli officials, and two additional sources familiar with the matter.
According to Axios, initial US intelligence assessments concluded that the anti-regime protests were unlikely to threaten the survival of Iran’s leadership. That view shifted on January 8, when massive demonstrations erupted in Tehran and other major cities, raising new concerns about the regime’s stability.
{Matzav.com}
[Video below.] Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas said Sunday that he would support possible US military action against Iran, but only after every available nonmilitary option aimed at Iran’s leadership has been fully pursued.
Speaking in an interview on Fox News’ Sunday Morning Futures with Maria Bartiromo, Cruz, a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, said the United States should intensify pressure on Tehran’s ruling regime. “I think the US should be taking every step possible to end this regime,” he said.
Cruz argued that Washington still has a wide range of tools at its disposal short of military force and called for increased American support for the widespread anti-government demonstrations currently gripping Iran. “I hope and believe that America is doing everything we can to support the protesters. There are lots of steps we can and should be taking short of a bombing strike,” he said.
His remarks followed comments made a day earlier by President Donald Trump, who told Politico that Iran needs “new leadership” and sharply criticized Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, calling him “a sick man who should run his country properly and stop killing people”.
Cruz said Trump’s remarks represented a significant turning point in US policy. “In the last two days a really important step occurred where President Trump came out unequivocally and said it is time for new leadership in Iran,” he said, describing the moment as “massively important.”
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian responded Sunday to Trump’s statements, warning that any move against Khamenei would be treated as an act of war.
Writing on X, Pezeshkian said: “An attack on the great leader of our country is tantamount to a full-scale war with the Iranian nation.”
Relations between Washington and Tehran have been increasingly strained in recent weeks, as Iranian authorities carried out a deadly crackdown on protesters and Trump warned that Iran would face severe consequences if demonstrators were killed.
At one point on Wednesday, tensions appeared to peak, with the possibility of imminent US military action widely discussed. The situation later appeared to ease after Trump said the killings of protesters had stopped.
According to a report published over the weekend by The Washington Post, officials across the Middle East and in Washington believed late Wednesday morning that Trump was close to authorizing heavy US airstrikes against Iran. The report said Trump ultimately decided against the strikes after receiving a message through envoy Steve Witkoff that Iran had halted plans to execute 800 people.
{Matzav.com}
A senior spokesman for the Islamic Jihad terror organization said the group is prepared to work with a committee overseeing civilian affairs in the Gaza Strip, while at the same time rejecting the political structure surrounding that body and opposing any framework linked to President Donald Trump.
In an interview with the newspaper Al Araby Al Jadeed, Muhammad al Khaj Musa said Islamic Jihad is willing to cooperate with the Gaza administration committee led by Ali Shaath “in order to ease the suffering of the residents of the Strip.”
Musa stressed, however, that the organization has serious objections to both the makeup of the committee and the political vision behind it, arguing that it operates under American backing and influence.
He said Islamic Jihad rejects the “Board of Peace” initiative established by Donald Trump, declaring that the group opposes any form of “international sponsorship over the Palestinian people,” which he claimed is designed to dismantle armed factions and strip them of their weapons.
Turning to the issue of hostages, Musa accused Israel of preventing progress, asserting that the body of Ran Gvili—the final hostage held by the organization—is trapped in a tunnel that was filled with large quantities of concrete by the IDF.
According to Musa, recovering the remains “requires special engineering equipment,” but he alleged that Israel “is placing obstacles and conditions,” including tying the return of the body to advancements in a future agreement.
Under Trump’s Gaza plan, Hamas—which controls the Gaza Strip—was supposed to return all hostages held in Gaza during the first phase. Nevertheless, Gvili’s body remains in terrorist custody, even as Hamas claims it does not know its location.
Israel, for its part, has passed along what it says is vital information regarding the burial site of Gvili, but Hamas has declined to act on it.
{Matzav.com}The Trump administration is examining whether the United States should offer asylum to Jews from the United Kingdom as concerns mount over rising antisemitism, according to remarks given to The Telegraph by a senior figure close to President Donald Trump.
Robert Garson, the president’s personal attorney and a former British barrister originally from Manchester, said he has been in contact with the US State Department to discuss the possibility of granting refuge to British Jews who feel increasingly threatened in the UK.
Speaking to The Telegraph, Garson said Britain is “no longer a safe place for Jews,” pointing to an Islamist attack on a synagogue in Manchester and what he described as a sharp increase in antisemitism following the October 7 Hamas massacre in Israel. Those events, he said, convinced him that American protection should be extended to British Jews seeking to leave.
Garson said he believes there is “no future” for Jews in the UK and placed responsibility on Prime Minister Keir Starmer, accusing him of failing to confront antisemitism and allowing it to spread.
He noted that after being appointed last May by President Trump to the US Holocaust Memorial Council—following the removal of appointees from the Biden era—he raised the asylum proposal with Trump’s antisemitism envoy, Rabbi Yehuda Kaploun.
At 49, Garson has emerged as a prominent figure within Trump’s inner circle. He is currently representing the president in a $50 million lawsuit against journalist Bob Woodward and also serves as legal counsel to Donald Trump Jr. in connection with Winning Team Publishing, which has released books by conservative writers, the president himself, and Charlie Kirk, the assassinated right-wing activist.
Garson, who relocated to the United States in 2008, restated his concerns in blunt terms: “The UK is no longer a safe place for Jews. I have spoken to the State Department as to whether the president should be offering British Jews asylum in the US. It is certainly not an unattractive proposition. It is a highly educated community… It is a populous that speaks English natively, that is educated and doesn’t have a high proportion of criminals. There were conversations.”
He said shifting demographics and growing hostility toward Jews have led him to conclude that “there is a future for Jews in the United Kingdom” no longer. “For me, that is particularly sad,” he added.
Garson also lashed out at the Crown Prosecution Service, accusing it of failing to bring charges against protesters “on the streets of Britain who had glorified in the rape or death of Jews” in the aftermath of the October 7 attacks. He said there is “a lack of political will” to apply the Public Order Act to anti-Israel demonstrations.
In a further attack on the British government, Garson said: “Keir Starmer has turned a total blind eye to antisemitism.” He continued, “The Prime Minister has allowed rampant antisemitism to become commonplace in society and has allowed it to come from those who really don’t have Britain’s best interests at heart.”
Garson warned that if extremist Islamism is not confronted, parts of the country could eventually be governed by Sharia law. “Mark my words, they are coming for the Jews and then they are coming for your pubs. You are going to have sharia-compliant areas very, very soon,” he said.
{Matzav.com}
