President Donald Trump returned to Washington from the first major trip of his second term with significant agreements in place. 

The deals struck in the Middle East mark historic moments for both the U.S. and its partners in the region. Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Qatar have all committed to increasing their investments in the U.S., similar to deals Trump has pushed for with U.S. partners across the globe.

TRUMP PRAISES SAUDI ARABIA IN FIRST STOP ON MIDDLE EAST TRIP

Saudi Arabian Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and Trump signed several agreements on energy, investments, defense, mining and more that totaled $600 billion. This included a commitment by Google, Uber, Salesforce, AMD and Saudi Arabia’s DataVolt to invest $80 billion toward the development of revolutionary technologies in both countries.

American companies will also take on major projects in Saudi Arabia, including the King Salman International Airport, King Salman Park, The Vault and Qiddiya City, according to the White House. The administration predicts the projects will generate a total of $2 billion in U.S. service exports. 

Additionally, several U.S. government departments will begin coordinating with Saudi government ministries, including the U.S. Department of Energy and the Ministry of Energy of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, as well as NASA and the Saudi Space Agency. 

Trump was also able to secure an agreement that would allow the U.S. to carry cargo between Saudi Arabia and third-party countries without stopping in the U.S., which the White House said is "an important right for cargo hub operations."

TRUMP MAKES HISTORIC UAE VISIT AS FIRST US PRESIDENT IN NEARLY 30 YEARS

Trump’s deals with Qatar were arguably the most controversial of his trip, after both Republicans and Democrats criticized a plan for Doha to provide a jumbo jet that is expected to be used as Air Force One. 

Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, and Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., found themselves in a rare position — on the same side of an argument. However, they objected to the plan for different reasons. While Sanders questioned the constitutionality of the administration accepting the Qatari jet, Cruz cited "significant espionage and surveillance problems." Additionally, Sens. Rick Scott, R-Fla., and John Kennedy, R-La., expressed their lack of trust in Doha.

"Qatar is not, in my opinion, a great ally. I mean, they support Hamas. So, what I'm worried about is the safety of the president," Scott told reporters on Tuesday.

The deals Trump secured during his trip will see Doha and Washington participate in agreements worth $1.2 trillion, according to the White House. This is in addition to economic deals totaling $243.5 billion, which include the sale of American-made aircraft to Qatar Airways.

The White House also touted a defense deal that will "lock in Qatar’s procurement of state-of-the-art military equipment from two leading U.S. defense companies." The two countries also agreed to a multibillion-dollar agreement to strengthen their security partnership.

STATE DEPARTMENT APPROVES SALE OF $1.4B WORTH OF HELICOPTERS, F-16 PARTS TO UAE AHEAD OF TRUMP'S VISIT

Trump left the UAE with $200 billion in commercial deals, including a $14.5 billion commitment from Etihad Airways to invest in 28 American-manufactured aircraft. Additionally, Emirates Global Aluminum is set to invest $4 billion in an aluminum smelter project in Oklahoma, which will be one of the first new smelters built in the U.S. in 45 years, according to the White House.

The UAE and the U.S. also reached energy agreements in which the Abu Dhabi National Oil Company will partner with ExxonMobil, Occidental Petroleum and EOG Resources to expand oil and natural gas production. The White House said in a statement that the deal is expected to "help lower energy costs and create hundreds of skilled jobs in both countries."

The deals made during Trump’s trip to Abu Dhabi are set to expedite a commitment the UAE made in March to a 10-year, $1.4 trillion investment framework in the U.S., which covered a range of industries, including energy and AI.

The State Department said nuclear talks between the U.S. and Iran have been constructive, and President Donald Trump has been clear about wanting to see diplomacy.

U.S. State Department deputy spokesperson Tommy Pigott was asked during a press briefing Thursday about comments made by Trump, and he said the U.S. and Iran were close to an Iran nuclear deal.

Trump, speaking in Doha, Qatar, said he thinks the U.S. and Iran "are getting close" to making a deal without any violence. In Trump fashion, he said there are two steps — "a very nice step and a violent step" — which he added consists of violence people have never seen before.

The president also said Thursday in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates (UAE), that the U.S. and Iran have "sort of" agreed to terms on a nuclear deal.

TRUMP SAYS IRAN MUST DITCH ‘CONCEPT OF A NUCLEAR WEAPON’ AHEAD OF MORE TALKS

"Iran has sort of agreed to the terms. They’re not going to make — I call it, in a friendly way — nuclear dust," Trump told reporters, suggesting a growing alignment with the terms he has been seeking. "We’re not going to be making any nuclear dust in Iran."

While Pigott would not comment on private diplomatic conversations or negotiations, he reiterated Trump’s stance on the matter.

"The president has been clear that Iran can never have a nuclear weapon," Pigott told reporters. "The talks have been described as constructive by the participants in them, and so, again, Iran can never have a nuclear weapon. And the president has been clear. He wants diplomacy. He wants to see a diplomatic solution here."

Pigott made his remarks as Trump tours the Middle East, making stops in Saudi Arabia and Qatar.

TRUMP CALLS FOR 'NUCLEAR PEACE AGREEMENT' WITH IRAN RATHER THAN BLOWING COUNTRY 'TO SMITHEREENS'

Trump, while speaking at the Gulf Cooperation Council in Riyadh Wednesday, reiterated his desire to make a deal with Iran and called for building upon the progress of the Abraham Accords by adding more countries to the historic agreement.

Trump made the comments while addressing leaders of the Gulf Cooperation Council as part of his four-day visit to the region. 

TRUMP SAYS HE'LL BE 'LEADING THE PACK' TO WAR WITH IRAN IF DEAL PROSPECTS WHITHER AWAY

"I want to make a deal with Iran. I want to do something if possible. But for that to happen, it must stop sponsoring terror, halt its bloody proxy wars and permanently and verifiably cease its pursuit of nuclear weapons. They cannot have a nuclear weapon," Trump said.

Though Trump said he wants to make a deal with Iran and see Tehran prosper, he also recently accused the Iranian regime of not only hurting its own nation, but the region at large.

"Iran's leaders have focused on stealing their people's wealth to fund terror and bloodshed abroad. Most tragic of all, they have dragged down an entire region with them," Trump said. 

The president pointed to the "countless lives lost" in Iran’s effort to prop up the former Bashar al-Assad regime in Syria, which collapsed in December, and accused its support of Hezbollah for the downfall of Beirut, which he said was "once called the Paris of the Middle East."

It is unclear how Trump’s negative comments toward Tehran could affect ongoing nuclear negotiations with Iran.

Still, The Associated Press reported Thursday that a top political, military and nuclear advisor to Iran's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, told NBC News Wednesday that Tehran stands ready to get rid of its stockpiles of highly enriched uranium that can be weaponized, agree to enrich uranium only to the lower levels needed for civilian use and allow international inspectors to supervise the process.

In return, Ali Shamkhani, the advisor, said Iran wants an immediate lifting of all economic sanctions.

Fox News Digital’s Bradford Betz and Caitlin McFall and The Associated Press contributed to this report.

The leader of the United Arab Emirates gifted President Donald Trump his country’s highest civilian honor on Thursday. 

"In recognition of President Donald Trump’s exceptional efforts to strengthen the longstanding ties of friendship and strategic partnership between the United Arab Emirates and the United States of America, I am honored to announce that His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan bestows the Order of Zayed upon President Trump," a woman was heard before Trump was presented the award. 

The UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs said the "Order of Zayed is considered the highest civilian honor granted by the UAE, and is bestowed upon world leaders and heads of state." 

"The award bears the name of the UAE’s Founding Father, the late Sheikh Zayed, whose legacy of humanitarianism, international cooperation and the pursuit of peace continues to have an impact throughout the world today," the ministry added. 

TRUMP MAKES HISTORIC UAE VISIT AS FIRST US PRESIDENT IN NEARLY 20 YEARS

Trump on Thursday arrived in the United Arab Emirates for his final stop on his Middle East trip this week in a visit that marked the first time a U.S. president has traveled to the nation in nearly 20 years, following President George W. Bush's trip in 2008. 

TRUMP SIGNS AGREEMENTS WITH QATAR ON DEFENSE AND BOEING PURCHASES

In March, the UAE pledged a $1.4 trillion investment in the U.S. economy over the next decade through AI infrastructure, semiconductor, energy and American manufacturing initiatives, including a plan to nearly double U.S. aluminum production by investing in a new smelter for the first time in 35 years.  

On the eve of the president’s visit to the Middle Eastern nation, the State Department also announced a $1.4 billion sale of CH-47 F Chinook helicopters and F-16 fighter jet parts to Abu Dhabi. 

Fox News’ Caitlin McFall contributed to this report. 

The deepening U.S. relationship with Qatar is drawing fresh scrutiny this week as President Donald Trump began a Middle East tour amid reports that he may accept a free jet from the Qatari royal family to replace his current plane as Air Force One.

The prospect has drawn bipartisan pushback, which Trump has met with indifference. 

"Qatar is not, in my opinion, a great ally. I mean, they support Hamas. So what I'm worried about is the safety of the president," Sen. Rick Scott, R-Fla., told reporters on Tuesday.

Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., told Fox News, "I think it's not worth the appearance of impropriety."

TRUMP DEFENDS QATAR JUMBO JET OFFER AS TROUBLED BOEING FAILS TO DELIVER NEW AIR FORCE ONE FLEET

"[The Qataris] said to me, 'we would like to, in effect, we would like to make a gift. You've done so many things. and we'd like to make you a gift to the Defense Department,' which is where it's going. and I said, 'Well, that's nice.' Now, some people say, 'Oh, you shouldn't accept gifts for the country.' My attitude is, why wouldn't I accept the gift? We're giving to everybody else, why wouldn't I accept a gift?" Trump explained to Fox News' Sean Hannity on Tuesdsay. 

U.S. relations with Doha have come a long way since 2017, when Trump accused Qatar of harboring terrorism: "The nation of Qatar, unfortunately, has historically been a funder of terrorism at a very high level," Trump said at the time. 

From there, Qatar became a major non-NATO ally to the U.S. in 2022 under President Biden and is home to Al Udeid Air Base, one of the U.S.’ largest Middle East bases and a key hub for U.S. Central Command operations. 

Qatar has been at the forefront of peace and hostage negotiations, especially in the war between Israel and Hamas. An Israeli delegation traveled to Doha on Tuesday to hash out a potential agreement on a hostage exchange and ceasefire in the Gaza Strip.

"Qatar is an indispensable security and energy partner to the United States. It's a strategic partnership that has grown stronger and more expansive over time," Ali Al-Ansari, media attaché at the Qatari embassy, told Fox News Digital. "His highness the Amir and President Trump have a longstanding relationship over many years, and both leaders have the shared goals of peace, security and stability."

"Qatar is working closely with the president and his team to advance these shared goals, whether in Gaza, Ukraine, Congo or other areas of instability." 

TRUMP SAYS HE'LL DROP SANCTIONS ON SYRIA IN MOVE TO NORMALIZE RELATIONS

In March, weeks of negotiations led by U.S. and Qatari mediators led to the release of American George Glezmann, who had been imprisoned by the Taliban in Afghanistan for more than two years. Doha’s negotiators were also involved in the U.S.-Hamas deal to release the last living American hostage, Edan Alexander, on Monday. 

"They’re very smart at making themselves useful," said Michael Makovsky, CEO of the Jewish Institute for National Security of America.

The Trump Organization has cinched a new deal to build a luxury golf resort in Qatar, partnering with Qatari Diar, a real estate company backed by that country’s sovereign wealth fund.

"Their financial connections to people in Trump’s orbit, their making themselves useful as our mediators, communicating that strategically, the Qataris have been very effective at making themselves important," Makovsky added. 

And despite its relatively small population – less than 3 million – Qatar controls over 10% of the world’s natural gas reserves. 

"They have an enormous amount of influence as a result of the money they spend," said Jonathan Schanzer, executive director at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies.  

Energy Secretary Chris Wright praised Qatar as a "valued energy partner" – the second-largest producer of liquid natural gas in the world. "I look forward to building on this new era of U.S.-Qatari relations together," he said. Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff has praised Qatar as a valued partner in negotiations.

Sen. Roger Marshall, R-Kans., joined Trump officials in defending Qatar during a Senate hearing on campus antisemitism recently. 

As a witness described links between the Qataris donating billions to universities and antisemitic protests, Marshall shot back: "Qatar has been a great ally to America. So I don't know why you're attacking them."

But others are skeptical.

"The Qataris have been sponsoring a wide range of terror groups for decades," said Schanzer. "It's been a bipartisan decision to turn a blind eye to the problem."

Israel supporters have long accused Qatar of funding Hamas. Prior to the outbreak of war after Oct. 7, 2023, Doha for years sent millions of dollars per month to the Gaza Strip to prop up Hamas’ governing structure there.

They’ve also spent billions in the U.S., including an aggressive lobbying operation in Washington.

"We have seen them invest billions of dollars into higher education. We know that they're investing in K-12 education in this country," said Schanzer. "They're buying up parcels of valuable real estate. They are … spending massive amounts of money in states like Texas and South Carolina, where you have the defense industry and the energy industry." 

"Over the last two decades or so they have spent a lot of money, expended a lot of effort, and it's now paying dividends."

Schanzer said he was pleased the discussion over the Boeing plane had spurred a national conversation over Qatar’s influence in the U.S.

"This is a longstanding problem that has gone unaddressed by Barack Obama, by Joe Biden, by George W. Bush and by Trump."

President Donald Trump announced Tuesday the United States will drop sanctions against Syria and said he will meet with the nation’s new president, Ahmed al-Sharaa, this week. 

"I will be ordering the cessation of sanctions against Syria in order to give them a chance at greatness," Trump said in a speech in Saudi Arabia, his first stop on the first international tour of his second term in office. 

"In Syria, which has seen so much misery and death, there is a new government that we must all hope will succeed in stabilizing the country and keeping peace," he said. "So I say good luck, Syria."

Trump is expected to meet briefly with al-Sharaa in Saudi Arabia on Wednesday. 

TRUMP CONDEMNS ‘INTERVENTIONALISTS,’ PITCHES ‘MORE HOPEFUL FUTURE’ IN MIDEAST SPEECH

The nation was cut off from the global financial system under ousted President Bashar al-Assad's government, imposed during 14 years of civil war. 

Trump called the sanctions "brutal and crippling" but "important" at the time.

"In Syria, they’ve had their share of travesty, war, killing many years. That’s why my administration has already taken the first steps toward restoring normal relations between the United States and Syria for the first time in more than a decade."

TRUMP'S MIDDLE EAST TOUR BEGINS WITH SYRIA LOOMING AS STRATEGIC OPPORTUNITY

Al-Sharaa, who previously had a $10 million terrorist bounty on his head by the U.S., had been campaigning hard for a relationship with Washington and sanctions relief: he offered to build a Trump Tower in Damascus, détente with Israel, and U.S. access to Syria's oil and gas. 

His group, Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), led Assad's ouster last year. Originally founded as an offshoot of al Qaeda, it has since worked to soften its image and lobbied to be delisted as a terrorist group.

The announcement came during a whirlwind Middle East tour where Trump is traveling to Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates, whose government leaders were widely expected to press Trump to release the sanctions to help Syria's economy. 

Trump said both Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and Turkish President Recep Erdoğan had encouraged him to lift the sanctions. 

"Oh, what I do for the crown prince," Trump quipped. 

U.S. sanctions had slapped financial penalties on any foreign individual or company that provided material support to the Syrian government and prohibited anyone in the U.S. from dealing in any Syrian entity, including oil and gas, and Syrian banks were effectively cut off from global financial systems. 

The new Syrian government has cooperated with U.S. intelligence agencies and foiled several ISIS plots to attack Damascus. Syrian intelligence services arrested ISIS commander Abu al-Harith al-Iraqi in February. 

"Al Sharaa has a checkered past, which we all want to be cautious with but at the same time, I think that this is a great opportunity to help Syria move in a different direction," Rep. Marlin Stutzman, R-Ind., who recently met with the Syrian leader, told Fox News Digital. 

"If we don't engage, I believe that we would definitely just be pushing him back into the arms of Russia and potentially even Iran."

During their meeting, Stutzman said al-Sharaa laid out his vision to turn Syria into a hub for trade, commerce and tourism. 

"He really does want to build Syria into a country similar like to Qatar, Saudi Arabia, UAE," the congressman said. "He really got excited, kind of moved up to the edge of his seat, when he started talking about the opportunity for trade lines to cross Syria into Europe."

But still, some are skeptical. 

"I am very inclined to support sanctions relief for Syria under the right conditions. However, we must remember that the current leadership in Syria achieved its position through force of arms, not through the will of its people," said Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., who traveled to Turkey this week to assess the Syria situation.

He noted that Syria is still listed as a state sponsor of terrorism, and that Israel is still "extremely concerned about the state of play in Syria." 

"In order for that designation to be lifted, the administration must submit a report to Congress on how circumstances have changed. That report has not been received and Congress has the opportunity to review this action if it chooses."

"Right now, Sharaa is not restricting political and civil liberties, but he's an authoritarian by nature," former U.S. Ambassador to Syria Robert Ford told Fox News Digital.

Ford, who led the effort to put al-Sharaa on the terrorist list in 2012, said although al-Sharaa is pragmatic, he is leading an extremely weak government.

"He doesn’t control all of Syria yet. The government in Damascus that he leads is not very strong, and it will take time to reassert all of its authority over Syria," Ford said.

Fox News' Chris Massaro contributed to this report. 

Former President Donald Trump is embarking this week on a high-stakes tour of the Persian Gulf region, targeting business deals and strategic partnerships with three oil-rich nations: Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Qatar.

The trip marks Trump's first major foreign visit of his new term and comes as nuclear negotiations with Iran drag on and as war continues between Israel and the Palestinian terror organization, Hamas, in the Gaza Strip. While business is the official focus, the backdrop is anything but calm.

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt described the mission as part of Trump’s broader vision that "extremism is defeated [through] commerce and cultural exchanges."

Under President Joe Biden, U.S. relations with Gulf states cooled, particularly after Biden vowed to make Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman a "pariah" over the 2018 killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi. But Trump has reversed course, embracing a more transactional approach that has warmed ties with regional leaders.

"The overall goal here is that the United States is reminding our Middle East allies that we're here to stay," said Gregg Roman, executive director of the Middle East Forum. "We’re here to promote our joint interests rather than the abandonment policies under the previous administration."

Saudi Arabia has already pledged $600 billion in U.S. investments, spanning weapons purchases, technology transfers, artificial intelligence and the stock market. Trump has said he believes the Saudis may ultimately commit up to $1 trillion.

While Saudi leaders aim to diversify their economy away from oil, those massive investments still depend on oil revenues, which could be threatened by Trump’s push to lower global energy prices.

TRUMP STRAINS RELATIONSHIP WITH NETANYAHU AS MIDDLE EAST POLICY INCREASINGLY ISOLATES ISRAEL

In addition to economic deals, Trump and bin Salman are expected to discuss a possible civil nuclear program and expanded defense cooperation. Such agreements were once linked to a potential Abraham Accords-style normalization between Saudi Arabia and Israel.

But Riyadh has made clear it won’t recognize Israel unless Palestinian statehood is on the table, something Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has staunchly opposed. No stop in Israel is scheduled during Trump’s tour.

"Israeli normalization in any Saudi-U.S. project is an outdated option," said Saudi geopolitical analyst Salman Al-Ansari. "The second Trump administration is doubling down on its strategically autonomous Middle East policy."

In a possible goodwill gesture ahead of the trip, Hamas released Israeli-American hostage Edan Alexander, a move Trump called "monumental" in the push to end the Gaza conflict.

And as the UAE seeks to boost its ties with the U.S. and become a global AI leader by 2030, it’ll need American microchips. The UAE has gone even further than the Saudis, promising $1.4 trillion in U.S. investments over the next decade focused on AI, semiconductors, manufacturing and energy. 

Biden had tightened curbs on AI exports to keep such technologies out of the hands of adversaries at a time when China drew closer to Middle Eastern states, especially the UAE. 

On Thursday, the U.S. announced Trump would rescind the Biden-era restrictions. 

Trump’s whirlwind Gulf visit begins Tuesday in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, where he’ll headline the U.S.-Saudi Investment Forum alongside Saudi ministers, White House crypto czar David Sacks and other business leaders.

On Wednesday, he’ll attend a Gulf Cooperation Council meeting before flying to Qatar for talks with Emir Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani and a visit to the U.S. military’s Al Udeid Air Base.

Thursday’s final stop is Abu Dhabi, where Trump will meet UAE President Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan.

4TH ROUND OF US-IRAN TALKS ENDS AS TRUMP SET TO EMBARK ON HISTORIC MIDDLE EAST TOUR

The Qataris are pulling out all the stops to impress: They’ve offered Trump the use of a royal Boeing 747-8, typically reserved for the Qatari royal family, to serve as Air Force One.

Since being named a major non-NATO ally by Biden in 2022, Qatar has deepened its ties with the U.S., hosting American troops and mediating sensitive negotiations, including ongoing back-channel talks between Israel and Gaza.

Doha also maintains close contact with Syria’s new president, Ahmed al-Sharaa, who ousted Bashar al-Assad and is now seeking sanctions relief and normalized ties with the West.

"Regional leaders will have an opportunity to address the situation directly with the president," said regional expert Jonathan Bass. "Trump is the only man that can lead the way."

While a fourth round of Iran nuclear talks in Oman over the weekend failed to produce a breakthrough, Tehran is expected to keep a close eye on Trump’s Gulf meetings.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi made unannounced visits to both Saudi Arabia and Qatar ahead of Trump’s arrival, likely in hopes of passing messages through those governments to Washington.

But all three of Trump’s host nations, Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Qatar, remain wary of Iran’s ambitions.

"The region needs to openly address the problem of the IRGC," said Bass, referring to Iran’s elite Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. "The IRGC is trying to undermine every single country in the region."

A pair of hawkish, Trump-supporting Senate Republicans say that any "lasting" Iran nuclear deal would need to be approved by Congress, ideally through a two-thirds majority treaty vote. 

But scoring a two-thirds majority in the Senate for treaty ratification would require Iran to fulfill a series of steep demands. In addition to getting rid of all of its enriched uranium and centrifuges, GOP lawmakers say it would need to dismantle its ballistic missile program and cease all support for terrorist groups across the Middle East.

"If they want the most durable and lasting kind of deal, then they want to bring it to the Senate and have it voted on as a treaty," Sen. Tom Cotton, R-Ark., said in response to a question from Fox News Digital. 

"That was one reason why President Obama's deal was so weak," Cotton went on. "An agreement between the American president, whoever he or she may be, and a foreign leader, can be reversed by future presidents, which President Trump rightly did seven years ago today."

TRUMP TARGETS IRANIAN OIL WITH SANCTIONS, INCREASING PRESSURE ON ISLAMIC REPUBLIC TO MAKE DEAL ON NUKES

In 2015, Cotton led an open letter signed by Senate Republicans to Iranian leaders warning that any nuclear agreement not approved by Congress could be undone by a future administration. The move was widely viewed as a direct effort to undermine President Barack Obama’s ongoing negotiations.

Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., echoed the call for congressional oversight, saying that "at a minimum" any deal must go through the Iran Nuclear Agreement Review Act (INARA), which passed Congress in 2015 with resounding bipartisan support and guarantees lawmakers a chance to review any accord reached with Tehran.

Graham said he had told Secretary of State Marco Rubio there was "no way" to get 67 votes to ratify a treaty agreement without Iran totally dismantling its nuclear and missile programs and support for terrorism. 

WHITE HOUSE CALLS YEMEN CEASEFIRE A 'WIN' – EXPERTS WARN HOUTHIS MAY NOT HOLD THE LINE

The senators also drew a parallel with the so-called 123 agreements – the legal frameworks that govern U.S. civil nuclear cooperation with foreign nations. These agreements require strict safeguards to prevent the development of nuclear weapons.

"It's also customary in some cases for the Congress, not just the Senate, to pass ordinary legislation that supports the so-called 123 agreements," Cotton noted, suggesting that any comprehensive deal with Iran should be treated with similar legislative rigor.

Cotton and Graham spoke to reporters after introducing a resolution outlining "acceptable" terms of an Iran deal, including total cessation of uranium enrichment. 

According to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Iran has amassed enough highly enriched uranium to potentially build several nuclear weapons if it chose to do so – though U.S. intelligence assessments maintain that Tehran has not yet made a decision to weaponize.

Both U.S. and Israeli officials have ramped up their threats against the regime. Trump has made clear that if talks go south, the U.S. will engage in direct military action to thwart Iran’s nuclear program. 

Graham suggested the regime only has "weeks" to acquiesce to a deal. 

"We're not talking about long, protracted negotiations," the South Carolina Republican said. "We're talking weeks, not months, not years. The potential of Iranian breakout looms large here. Israel's desire to bring closure to this issue looms large here."

President Donald Trump’s new special envoy to the Middle East was sworn in by Secretary of State Marco Rubio Tuesday in an Oval Office ceremony.

Speaking before the swearing-in, Trump praised Witkoff, who was instrumental in securing an extended ceasefire between Israel and Hamas and the return of 33 hostages, including two Americans, who were being held by Hamas. 

Trump said Witkoff has "been with me, more or less, one way or the other, every step of the way," adding that he has "absolute confidence and support and trust" in his Middle East envoy's ability to secure key deals in the realm of foreign diplomacy, such as ceasefire agreements between Israel and Hamas and between Ukraine and Russia. 

Though Witkoff is a real estate businessman by trade, Trump said he "quickly established himself as one of the toughest, smartest and best negotiators in the business," which is why he chose him for the important role of special envoy to the Middle East.

TRUMP'S GOODWILL TESTED AS PUTIN IGNORES PEACE EFFORTS DURING WITKOFF'S VISIT

"As a businessman, he's admired and respected by all, and now Steve is putting his talents to work for America's special envoy to the United States and making a lot of progress. Our country is blessed to have a negotiator of such skill and experience who really selflessly steps up to the plate, puts himself forward all the time," the president said.

Trump did note there was somewhat of a learning curve for Witkoff when it came to foreign government relations but said he has been "figuring it out" at a lightning pace. 

"It takes him about an hour to figure it out," Trump said. "After that, he's brutal. He does a great job." 

NEXT US NATIONAL SECURITY ADVISOR? HERE'S WHO TRUMP MIGHT PICK TO REPLACE WALTZ

Trump noted Witkoff has already been active over the last several months, meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and leaders from Iran. 

"He's working tirelessly to end the bloody and destructive conflicts," said Trump, touting Witkoff's success so far in negotiations with various world leaders.

After the ceremony, Trump took questions from reporters, addressing a range of topics, including the just-announced ceasefire between the U.S. and the Houthis. When asked about conflicting reports indicating the Houthis do not plan to stop attacking Israel, Trump said that the terror group's surrogates have indicated "very strongly" that "they want nothing to do with [the United States]."  

Trump was also asked questions about the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas in Gaza, and, in particular, about the release of the remaining 21 living hostages. 

"This is a terrible situation. We're trying to get the hostages out. We've gotten a lot of them out," Trump told reporters, noting it is also just important to find and return the bodies of those already killed by Hamas. 

TRUMP'S SPECIAL ENVOY ON PUTIN'S CONTINENTAL ASPIRATIONS: ‘I JUST DON’T SEE THAT HE WANTS TO TAKE ALL OF EUROPE'

He shared that two weeks ago a couple whose son died as a hostage came to him and said, "Please, sir, my son is dead. Please get us back his body." 

"They wanted his body. He's dead," Trump said from the Oval Office after Witkoff's confirmation. "They know. He said they wanted his body as much as you would want the boy if he was alive. It's a very sad thing."

Trump also commented on Iran and its potential development of nuclear weaponry. The president said definitively that "they're not going to have a nuclear weapon."

"This is really crunch time. I would tell you, for Iran and for their country, this is a very important time for Iran. This is the most important time in the history of Iran, for Iran, and I hope they do what's right," Trump told reporters. 

"I'd love to see a peace deal, a strong peace deal. … We want it to be a successful country," he added. "We don't want to do anything that's going to get in the way of that. But they can't have a nuclear weapon. And if they choose to go a different route, it's going to be a very sad thing. And it's something we don't want to have to do, but we have no choice." 

President Donald Trump officially crossed the finish line of his first 100 days in office this week, signing executive orders cracking down on immigration and advancing religious liberty. 

Among the most consequential events marking the week was a major staff shakeup where he announced that National Security Advisor Mike Waltz would depart his post at the White House. Hours later, Trump unveiled plans to tap Waltz to represent the U.S. at the United Nations. 

"I am pleased to announce that I will be nominating Mike Waltz to be the next United States Ambassador to the United Nations," Trump posted to Truth Social Thursday. 

"From his time in uniform on the battlefield, in Congress and, as my National Security Advisor, Mike Waltz has worked hard to put our Nation’s Interests first. I know he will do the same in his new role. In the interim, Secretary of State Marco Rubio will serve as National Security Advisor, while continuing his strong leadership at the State Department. Together, we will continue to fight tirelessly to Make America, and the World, SAFE AGAIN. Thank you for your attention to this matter!"

Here’s what also happened this week: 

On Monday, Trump signed an executive order demanding the Justice Department and Homeland Security establish a list of all sanctuary cities failing to follow federal immigration laws.

Per the executive order, cities will receive notification and have the opportunity to drop the sanctuary status. Failure to do so could cause them to risk losing federal funding, according to the executive order.

Sanctuary cities are local jurisdictions that restrict cooperation with federal immigration authorities, including refusing to comply with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detainer requests.

"It's quite simple: obey the law, respect the law, and don't obstruct federal immigration officials and law enforcement officials when they are simply trying to remove public safety threats from our nation's communities," White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters Monday. "The American public don't want illegal alien criminals in their communities. They made that quite clear on Nov. 5, and this administration is determined to enforce our nation's immigration laws."

Trump also revealed new plans Tuesday to swap out the retiring A-10 Warthog aircraft based out of Selfridge Air National Guard Base in Michigan with 21 brand-new F-15EX Eagle II fighter jets. 

Trump shared details of the new fighter jet mission during a speech to National Guard members at the Michigan base for an event commemorating his 100th day in office. 

Selfridge will become the fourth military installation to operate the fighter jet, which entered operational service in July 2024.

TRUMP ANNOUNCES NEW ‘SERIOUS POWER’ FIGHTER JET MISSION FOR MICHIGAN GUARD BASE TO REPLACE AGING A-10S

"Fresh off the line. That means they are brand new," Trump said. "They've never been anywhere. This is where they're going to be for a long time. And I saw one of them, flew over my head, and I said, ‘What the hell is that?’ That plane has serious power. So, this is the best there is anywhere in the world, the F-15EX Eagle II. This will keep Selfridge at the cutting edge of Northern American air power."

The fighter jet is an updated version of the F-15C Eagle aircraft the Air Force introduced in 1989 and features bolstered fuel efficiency, radar and avionics, according to the Air National Guard. The jet is designed to work alongside other Air Force aircraft, including the F-22 Raptor and F-35 Lightning II fighter jets.

Trump signed an executive order Thursday establishing a presidential commission on religious liberty. Trump disclosed plans for the new commission during a National Day of Prayer event at the White House, revealing that Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick will serve as the chairman of the commission. 

"The last administration attacked people of faith for four years," Patrick said Thursday. "There's a saying that no one should get between a doctor and a patient. I think we would say no one should get between God and a believer. No one should get between God and those seeking him."

TRUMP EXECUTIVE ORDER STANDS UP PRESIDENTIAL RELIGIOUS LIBERTY COMMISSION 

The Religious Liberty Commission will compose a report evaluating threats to religious liberty in the U.S., ways to enhance religious freedom and examine the history of American religious liberty, according to a White House fact sheet on the executive order. 

The report will address issues including parental rights in religious education, school choice, attacks on religious places of worship and free speech issues for religious organizations, according to the fact sheet.

Additionally, these leaders will provide guidance to the White House on policy and legislative solutions to advance religious liberty.

The U.S. has not committed to participating in a fourth round of denuclearization talks with Iran this weekend despite reports to the contrary, according to the State Department. 

"The United States was never confirmed to be participating in a fourth round of talks with Iran, which people had believed were Saturday in Rome," spokesperson Tammy Bruce said at a news conference Thursday. "We expect another round of talks will take place in the near future."

The U.S. participated in talks with Iranian officials once in Rome and twice in Oman. Envoy Steve Witkoff is the lead negotiator for President Donald Trump’s desired deal that stops Iran from developing a nuclear weapon. 

IRAN, US BEGIN NEGOTIATIONS OVER TEHRAN'S ADVANCING NUCLEAR PROGRAM

Omani Foreign Minister Badr bin Hamad al-Busaidi, whose nation is trying to help broker a deal, posted on X that the talks had been postponed for "logistical reasons." 

Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson, Esmail Baghaei, said Tehran is still committed to getting to a "fair and lasting agreement."

Iran seeks to have U.S. sanctions lifted, while the Trump team has insisted it will need verifiable proof Iran has stopped enriching uranium to lift any financial penalties. 

HEGSETH SENDS STRONG MESSAGE TO IRAN AND HOUTHIS: 'YOU WILL PAY'

Trump has threatened to launch strikes on Iran if talks go sideways. 

On Wednesday, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth issued an ominous threat to Iran over its backing of the Houthis.

"Message to IRAN: We see your LETHAL support to The Houthis. We know exactly what you are doing," Hegseth wrote on X. "You know very well what the U.S. Military is capable of — and you were warned. You will pay the CONSEQUENCE at the time and place of our choosing."

A U.S. official described last week's talks as "positive and productive." 

"There is still much to do, but further progress was made on getting to a deal," the official said. "We agreed to meet again soon, in Europe, and we thank our Omani partners for facilitating these talks."

"This time, the negotiations were much more serious than in the past, and we gradually entered into deeper and more detailed discussions," Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said. "We have moved somewhat away from broader, general discussions, though it is not the case that all disagreements have been resolved. Differences still exist both on major issues and on the details."

The Associated Press contributed to this report. 

President Donald Trump revealed Tuesday evening what he and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy discussed during their viral meeting at the Vatican when both were in attendance for the late Pope Francis' funeral. 

"I was telling him that it's a very good thing if we can produce a deal, that you sign it, because Russia is much bigger and much stronger," Trump said Tuesday evening during a town hall hosted by NewsNation, which he participated in by phone.

The pair met face-to-face for the first time since their contentious Oval Office meeting in February, while both attended the papal funeral. Neither White House or Ukrainian officials gave many details on the nature or content of the talk, other than that it was "productive" and "symbolic."

UKRAINE SIGNS DEAL TO GIVE US ACCESS TO RARE MINERALS WITH TRUMP ADMIN ‘COMMITTED TO A PEACE PROCESS’: BESSENT

"We discussed a lot one on one," Zelenskyy posted on X following the viral meeting. "Hoping for results on everything we covered. Protecting lives of our people. Full and unconditional ceasefire. Reliable and lasting peace that will prevent another war from breaking out. Very symbolic meeting that has potential to become historic, if we achieve joint results."

Despite few details being released about the meeting, Trump did tell reporters over the weekend that part of the pair's discussion revolved around the U.S. sending more weapons to Ukraine. 

"He told me that he needs more weapons, but he's been saying that for three years," Trump said. "We're going to see what happens – I want to see what happens with respect to Russia. Because Russia, I've been surprised and disappointed – very disappointed – that they did the bombing of those places after discussions." 

TRUMP HAS BEEN FRUSTRATED WITH PUTIN AND ZELENSKYY, DEPUTY CHIEF OF STAFF SAYS

While Trump did not divulge any further details about the meeting to reporters, the president did add that he thinks Zelenskyy will be willing to give up Crimea in order to secure a peace deal. Russia's annexation of the current Ukrainian territory has been a major sticking point amid negotiations between the two warring nations, with Zelenskyy indicating he would not be willing to sign a deal that includes giving up the territory. 

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One hundred days into his new administration, President Donald Trump has reset negotiations with allies and foes across the globe, and experts say one is certain: it is all transactional. 

Gone are the days when the U.S. could be drawn to throw its force around the world solely in the name of defending or spreading democracy. Global leaders are learning to speak a new language with U.S. leadership, one that is less about ideology and more about how their interests benefit U.S. interests. 

"There is a lot more transactional engagement rather than I think we're ideological-based, policy decisions that were sort of the hallmark of the Biden administration," said Gregg Roman, executive director of the Middle East Forum. 

Here is a round-up of how Trump has changed U.S. foreign policy since taking office: 

FOX NEWS POLL: THE FIRST 100 DAYS OF PRESIDENT TRUMP'S SECOND TERM

Former President Joe Biden toyed with reviving a nuclear deal with Iran and criticized Trump’s decision to pull the U.S. out of the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, but his administration made little progress toward serious negotiations. 

Trump has now expressed interest in a new nuclear deal. He told Israel the U.S. would not come to their aid in attacking Iran until diplomatic negotiations played out. 

As Trump’s team met with Iranian counterparts in Oman this weekend for a second round of nuclear talks, he issued another threat: if negotiations whither away, the U.S. would not be dragged by Israel into war with Iran but will be "leading the pack." 

An offensive campaign against Yemen’s Houthi terrorists launched six weeks ago has struck more than 800 targets and cost nearly $1 billion – a sharp departure from the tit-for-tat retaliatory strikes seen under the Biden administration, when Houthis attacked U.S. naval ships and Western commercial vessels.

"Biden pursued a policy of retaliatory strikes: If you hit us, we'll hit you," said Roman. "What Trump is trying to do is what I call a salting the earth strategy. If you dare challenge American military supremacy or the ability for us to conduct free trade to the bottom of or through the Gulf of Aden, Gulf of Yemen, Red Sea, Suez … We will attempt to end your ability to wage war on the United States in its interests."

US STRIKES KILL HUNDREDS OF HOUTHI FIGHTERS, HIT OVER 800 RED SEA TARGETS: CENTRAL COMMAND

While Biden had promised the U.S. would stand by Ukraine "as long as it takes" in the war against Russia, Trump expressed a desire to see the war come to an end, promising that he could end the war on "day one" of his presidency.

One hundred days in, the war is not over. Negotiations are ongoing, and Trump has jumped between sounding off in frustration with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Russian President Vladimir Putin. 

As Putin continues to strike even civilian regions of Ukraine, Trump questioned on Saturday whether the Russian leader truly wants peace or is "tapping me along." 

He again questioned whether he would need to slap "secondary sanctions" on nations that do business with Russia to starve its war coffers. 

On Monday, Russia offered a three-day ceasefire from May 8-10, but the White House was not satisfied. Press secretary Karoline Leavitt said Trump wants a "permanent ceasefire." 

Trump met face-to-face with Zelenskyy in Rome on Saturday, the first time since their infamous Oval Office spat in February, after slamming Zelenskyy’s latest rejection of his peace proposal, one that would have formally ceded Crimea to the Russians.

The Monroe Doctrine is back, analysts say, and Trump wants both Greenland and the Panama Canal under U.S. control.

The proposals drew shock across the world, but at least in Panama, Trump’s bold words prompted a proposal to offer the U.S. "first and free" passage for its warships, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said earlier this month. It also spurred the proposed sale of two ports of entry from Hong Kong-based CK Hutchison to U.S.-based BlackRock, though that deal has been delayed by Chinese regulatory and political scrutiny. 

Efforts to attain Greenland have proved less successful. Tough talk against Denmark and its ownership of Greenland has ratcheted up tensions with the NATO ally and Greenland’s leadership has expressed little interest in becoming a part of the U.S. 

However, Trump has called out the threat of Russia and China’s increasing arctic military capabilities – the shortest range for a missile to travel from Russia to the U.S. would be over the icy island’s territory. Trump is also interested in the rare earth mining potential of the massive swath of land. 

Trump’s threats to pull out of the NATO alliance – or refuse to come to the defense of allies that do not contribute enough military spending – has left nations across the world planning for the contingency that they may have to defend themselves without U.S. aid. 

The European Union announced a plan for its nations to spend $840 billion to "re-arm Europe" after Trump halted all aid to Ukraine in March. 

Countries like Spain, Belgium and Sweden have all announced plans this year to increase defense spending to meet NATO’s 2% target, while eastern European states near Russia’s border, including Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia and Poland, have announced plans to increase defense spending to around 5%. 

Concern over China’s hegemonic ambitions bridges the partisan divide, but the Biden White House never considered such drastic measures as 145% tariffs. 

Trump has said the goal of the tariffs is to both bring back US manufacturing after decades of offshore production and punish China for intellectual property theft, a massive trade imbalance, and fentanyl flowing from China to the U.S. A free trade push in the early 2000s had wrongly assumed liberal trade policies would bring democratic values and free markets into Chinese borders, his supporters argue. 

Trump has insisted that President Xi Jinping wants to cut a deal to lower the soaring tariffs, even as China has rejected the prospect of talks. 

It is unclear what sort of realistic concessions the U.S. could get out of a deal, perhaps promises to buy more American-made agricultural products, fuel or other specialty goods. 

For now, steep tariffs remain, and China is choking off U.S. supply of critical minerals, which could spell deep trouble for everyday electronics, electric vehicles and defense equipment.

Vice President JD Vance told reporters in India that the U.S. had offered Russia and Ukraine "a very explicit proposal" to end the war that has been ongoing for over three years: make a deal or risk the U.S. walking away.

"We've issued a very explicit proposal to both the Russians and Ukrainians, and it's time for them to either say yes or for the U.S. to walk away from this process. We've engaged in an extraordinary amount of diplomacy, of on-the-ground work," Vance told reporters.

TRUMP SAYS US WILL 'TAKE A PASS' ON UKRAINE PEACE EFFORTS IF RUSSIA REFUSES TO PLAY BALL

The vice president also said that "the only way to really stop the killing is for the armies to both put down their weapons, to freeze this thing and to get on with the business of actually building a better Russia and a better Ukraine."

Vance’s comments come after Secretary of State Marco Rubio confirmed that he would not be attending talks in London aimed at facilitating a ceasefire. On Tuesday, State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce told reporters that Rubio would not be attending the talks due to "logistical issues." 

The secretary later wrote in a post on X that he was planning on "following up after the ongoing discussions in London and rescheduling my trip to the UK in the coming months."

During Tuesday’s briefing, Bruce also said Gen. Keith Kellogg, special presidential envoy for Ukraine, would represent the U.S. at the talks in London.

TRUMP INSISTS UKRAINE-RUSSIA PEACE DEAL IS CLOSE, BUT MISTRUST IN PUTIN LEAVES EXPERTS SKEPTICAL

On Friday, Rubio suggested that the U.S. might walk away from negotiations to end the war within "a matter of days," despite President Donald Trump’s ongoing efforts to secure a ceasefire deal. Trump later told the press that Rubio was "right in saying that we want to see it end."

"Think about it, every day a lot of people are being killed as we talk about, you know, as they play games, so we’re not gonna take that," Trump told reporters. He also said he thinks the U.S. has a "good chance" of bringing peace to Ukraine and Russia.

Security experts, however, are not as confident that peace is on the horizon, as some warn that Russian President Vladimir Putin does not want peace.

Trump seems to be hoping to entice Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to stop the fighting with talk of how both countries could benefit from doing business with the U.S. after the war ends. He made the remark after Ukraine and Russia’s temporary Easter ceasefire ended. Both Ukraine and Russia accused each other of violating the ceasefire.

Fox News' Caitlin McFall contributed to this report.

House Democrats who traveled to El Salvador to seek the release of Kilmar Abrego Garcia have written to Secretary of State Marco Rubio demanding "daily proof of life" after being denied a meeting with the Salvadoran national who was deported from Maryland. 

Reps. Robert Garcia of California, Maxwell Frost of Florida, Yassamin Ansari of Arizona and Maxine Dexter of Oregon flew to El Salvador Monday following a visit to the country by Sen. Chris Van Hollen, D-Md., last week.  

"We had a meeting this morning with the embassy here in El Salvador and from what we have heard there is no reason for me to believe that our administration, the Trump administration, is doing anything to facilitate his safe return home," Ansari said. 

"Since we were not able to get the answers we need today from the embassy, we have written a letter, just as of 30 minutes ago, to Secretary of State Marco Rubio, demanding daily proof of life for Mr. Abrego Garcia, demanding he sees – he has access to counsel, and of course, finally, demanding his safe return home," she added. "And we will not stop until this is complete." 

REPUBLICAN SENATOR SAYS TRUMP ADMINISTRATION DEPORTING KILMAR ABREGO GARCIA WAS A ‘SCREW-UP’ 

Abrego Garcia, a 29-year-old immigrant who crossed the border illegally, settled in Maryland and obtained protected legal status, was deported to El Salvador last month. Officials acknowledged in court his deportation was an administrative error, although now some top Trump officials say he was correctly removed and contend he's a member of the notorious MS-13 gang. 

Frost said Monday that the traveling Democrats "formally requested" to meet with Abrego Garcia but "we were told at our meeting that the government here has denied our request to see him because this is not an official trip."

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"We are also worried about our own constituents; we represent people across the entire nation," Frost told reporters in El Salvador. "We are getting hundreds and hundreds of calls – people saying 'Go to El Salvador, do something, do something about the fact that president of the United States in the Oval Office is talking about sending U.S. citizens here to El Salvador to the prison here.'"

ABREGO GARCIA TRANSFERRED FROM NOTORIOUS EL SALVADORAN MEGA-PRISON 

"We don’t want to wait until things get worse. We are here to build off of the work of Sen. Van Hollen, who heroically came down here and showed his family and the world for the first time since he was taken down here, that he is alive, that he was alive and he was well at that time," he added. "What we want to know is where is he at now? What is his condition now? His family deserves to know, the people deserve to know." 

Abrego Garcia’s wife Jennifer Vasquez, a U.S. citizen, released a statement Monday saying "we’re deeply grateful to the members of Congress and advocates for justice now on the ground in El Salvador, building on the leadership of Senator Van Hollen." 

"Their presence sends a powerful message: the fight to bring Kilmar home isn’t over," she said. 

Fox News' Greg Wehner and Tyler Olson contributed to this report. 

Pete Marocco, the official who oversaw the dismantling of USAID, has now parted ways with the agency. 

Marocco, who served in the Defense, State and Commerce departments, was known as a conservative firebrand with a deep skepticism of foreign aid. His tenure sparked fierce protests on Capitol Hill and drew sharp criticism from Democrats, who celebrated his exit but said questions remain about the future of U.S. foreign aid.

"Pete was brought to State with a big mission to conduct an exhaustive review of every dollar spent on foreign assistance," a senior administration official said of the departure. "He conducted that historic task and exposed egregious abuses of taxpayer dollars. We all expect big things are in store for Pete on his next mission."

After President Donald Trump merged USAID with the State Department, Secretary Marco Rubio named Marocco acting deputy administrator of the agency, and he went to work whittling down the $40-billion, 10,000-employee USAID office. 

THOUSANDS OF USAID TERMINATIONS TO TAKE EFFECT BY SEPTEMBER IN AGENCY'S FINAL LEG OF 'DRAWDOWN'

"I continue to serve President Trump just as enthusiastically as I did last week, last month and last year," Marocco told Fox News Digital of his departure. "He is a once-in-a-lifetime leader of a movement for change to our government and to restore American greatness.  President Trump has the swamp on the run so we should intensify the fight."

Of the agency’s 6,000 programs, only about 900 will now continue to operate, Rubio said on a podcast with Donald Trump Jr. last week.

In the past, USAID did not adhere to State Department authority and "did whatever they wanted," according to Rubio. 

In a March 19 op-ed for RealClearPolitics, Marocco argued that U.S. foreign aid has "created a global welfare state, committed unwelcome political interventions, encouraged unsustainable international labor unions (communism), made countries less capable of thriving in the modern global economy, and funded international organizations that spite our great country."

Marocco learned he would no longer be employed at the State Department late last week, sources told the Wall Street Journal, which first reported the news. 

USAID is now being run by a DOGE official. 

Democrats celebrated the departure of Marocco. Sen. Brian Schatz, D-Hawaii, ranking member of the State and Foreign Operations subcommittee of the Appropriations Committee, said Marocco brought "chaos to USAID, reckless and unlawful policy to the State Department, and dismantled long-standing U.S. foreign policy."

APPEALS COURT RULES DOGE CAN CONTINUE OPERATING AT USAID

"With his exit, serious questions still remain about the influence he leaves behind and whether or not Secretary Rubio plans to take actions that advance the mission and credibility of the United States," Schatz added. 

A U.S. Marine Corps veteran with a master’s degree in international humanitarian law from the University of Oxford, Marocco worked in USAID’s Office of Transition Initiatives in 2020 and was the subject of a 13-page memo posted in the agency's "dissent channel," in which employees warned that "operational capacity and strategic efficacy have been and continue to be rapidly degraded" under his leadership.

The memo said Marocco had wanted to personally approve all expenditures over $10,000 for the office with a budget of $225 million.

"He has leveraged once-routine administrative processes to reopen previously-approved plans, interrogate and redirect country programs, halt movement on programs, procurements, and people, and inject uncertainty into daily operations and office planning," the memo said. "Intervention is urgently needed." 

At least 26 Americans held hostage abroad have been freed since President Donald Trump entered the Oval Office in January. Those who gained their freedom include a ballerina, a teacher and a mechanic, among others.

On Jan. 21, 2025, just one day after Trump’s second term began, Ryan Corbett and William McKenty were released from Taliban captivity in Afghanistan. While Corbett and McKenty were freed under Trump, the deal that secured their release was completed by the Biden administration.

Corbett and his family moved to Afghanistan in 2010, where they lived in Kabul and Jalalabad. According to a website set up by his family, Corbett did work for NGOs, which focused on education, birth and life-saving skills. He also started a project in 2017, Bloom Afghanistan, with the goal of strengthening the country’s private sector. In 2021, the Corbett family evacuated as the Taliban took control of the country. Corbett returned to Afghanistan a year later and was captured by the Taliban, which his family suspects was because of his "value as political leverage."

There aren’t many details on McKenty or exactly why he was in Afghanistan. According to the BBC, his family asked for privacy.

2 AMERICANS RELEASED IN EXCHANGE FOR TALIBAN PRISONER

Anastasia Nuhfer, who was detained in Belarus during the Biden administration, gained her freedom Jan. 26, 2025. While Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced Nuhfer’s release, he did not give details on when she was detained or why. However, according to The Associated Press, a former high-ranking Belarusian official said the arrest was linked to 2020 protests against Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko. 

Special envoy Ric Grenell secured the release of six Americans after meeting with Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro. Grenell posted a photo of himself and the men on a plane and said that they "couldn’t stop thanking" Trump when speaking to him on the phone. The men were not identified.

TRUMP ENVOY RICHARD GRENELL SECURES FREEDOM FOR 6 AMERICANS FOLLOWING MEETING WITH MADURO IN VENEZUELA

After spending 484 days as a hostage in Gaza, Keith Siegel was released as part of a ceasefire deal Feb. 1, 2025. Siegel was taken from Kibbutz Kfar Aza during Hamas’ Oct. 7 attacks. His wife, Aviva, was also taken hostage but was released in November 2023. 

On April 8, Siegel, who has credited Trump with saving his life, thanked the president during an NRCC event in Washington, D.C.

"President Trump, I am here, and I am alive. President Trump, you saved my life," Siegel said. He also asked Trump to continue working to secure the freedom of the 59 remaining hostages in Gaza.

American schoolteacher Marc Fogel was released from Russian captivity Feb. 11, 2025, more than three years after he was detained. Fogel was carrying less than one ounce of medical marijuana, according to his family’s website, which he used for severe pain. The Fogel family criticized former President Joe Biden’s handling of Marc’s case, especially in light of his work to release WNBA player Brittney Griner, who was also arrested for having marijuana. 

On July 13, 2024, Fogel’s mother, Malphine, attended a Trump rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, Marc’s hometown. She spoke with Trump, who promised to bring her son home.

Trump invited Marc and Malphine to attend his address to a joint session of Congress in March 2025.

On Feb. 12, 2025, Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced that an American "unjustly detained in Belarus" had been released. The statement did not include details or identifying information about the hostage. In a press release, Rubio affirmed the administration’s commitment to releasing Americans held hostage across the globe.

On Oct. 7, 2023, Israeli American Sagui Dekel-Chen was taken hostage by Hamas terrorists from his home at Kibbutz Nir Oz. He was shot in the shoulder during the massacre and endured torture while in captivity.

Dekel-Chen spent almost 500 days as a hostage in Gaza and gained his freedom in February 2025. While he was in captivity, his wife gave birth to their third child. He only learned about his daughter’s birth after being released.

On March 13, 2025, 10 unidentified Americans, including veterans and military contractors, were released from captivity in Kuwait. According to The Associated Press, the American citizens were detained on drug charges.

Delta Airlines mechanic George Glezmann spent more than two years as a hostage in Gaza after being detained by the Taliban in December 2022. According to senators John Ossoff and Raphael Warnock, both Democrats from Georgia, Glezmann went to "Afghanistan for a five-day trip to explore the cultural landscape and rich history of the country." The two senators advocated for Glezmann’s release, which eventually occurred March 20, 2025.

TALIBAN FREES AMERICAN HOSTAGE GEORGE GLEZMANN FOLLOWING NEGOTIATIONS WITH US, QATAR

The Taliban released Faye Hall in March 2025, though it is unclear when she was detained. CBS News reported that Hall was arrested on charges of using a drone without authorization.

The Trump administration posted a video of Hall thanking the president for her release. In the video, Hall said she had "never been so proud to be an American citizen."

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Russian American ballet dancer Ksenia Karelina was released from detention April 10, 2025, after being wrongfully detained for over a year. Karelina was arrested and sentenced to 12 years in a penal colony after donating approximately $50 to a Ukrainian charity.

"Mr. Trump, I’m so, so grateful for you bringing me home," a teary-eyed Karelina said upon her arrival in the U.S. "I never felt more blessed to be American."

Christopher Guly contributed to this report.

The Senate has voted to confirm the general who told President Donald Trump that ISIS could be eradicated "very quickly" with loosened rules of engagement during his first term to the role of chairman of the Joint Chiefs. 

The vote came in the wee hours of Friday morning after Democrats rejected a GOP attempt to quickly confirm Caine on Thursday and get out of town.

The vote tally was 60 to 25, with 15 Democrats supporting the Trump nominee.

An Air Force F-16 pilot by background, Caine will be the first National Guard general to be chairman of the Joint Chiefs. Trump plucked him from retirement to reactivate and serve as his top military advisor after firing Gen. C.Q. Brown in February. 

Brown had been behind a 2022 memo laying out diversity goals for the Air Force.  

Caine will be the first Joint Chiefs chairman who was not a four-star and the first to come out of retirement to fill the role. He hasn’t been a combatant commander or service chief, meaning Trump had to grant him a waiver to serve in the role. 

TRUMP, HEGSETH REVEAL WHOPPING FIGURE THEY WANT FOR THE NEXT PENTAGON BUDGET

Caine acknowledged his unconventional nomination during a hearing before the Senate Armed Services Committee: "In our family, we serve. When asked, we always say yes. Senators, I acknowledge that I'm an unconventional nominee. These are unconventional times." ​

He worked as the associate director of military affairs for the CIA from 2021 to 2024 and founded a regional airline in Texas. He was a White House fellow at the Agriculture Department and a counterterrorism specialist on the White House’s Homeland Security Council.

Caine was among a group of military leaders who met with the president in December 2018 at the Al Asad airbase in Iraq. Trump was there to deliver a Christmas message and hear from commanders on the ground, and there Caine told Trump they could defeat ISIS quickly with a surge of resources and a lifting of restrictions on engagement. 

"'We’re only hitting them from a temporary base in Syria,'" Trump said Caine told him. "'But if you gave us permission, we could hit them from the back, from the side, from all over – from the base that you’re right on, right now, sir. They won’t know what the hell hit them.'" 

Trump had claimed Caine was wearing a red MAGA hat the first time he met him – a claim Caine repeatedly denied during the hearing.

"Sir, for 34 years, I've upheld my oath of office and my commitment to my commission, and I have never worn any political merchandise," Caine told Armed Services Chairman Roger Wicker, R-Miss. 

Trump, when he picked Caine, praised him as "an accomplished pilot, national security expert, successful entrepreneur, and a ‘warfighter’ with significant interagency and special operations experience."

NEW NAVY CHIEF 'REGRETS' COSTLY MISSILE STRIKES AGAINST HOUTHIS, PUSHES FOR CHEAPER RED SEA DEFENSE

Caine vowed his duty would be to advise the president on defense considerations without any political influence. 

The role, he said, "starts with being a good example from the top and making sure that we are nonpartisan and apolitical and speaking the truth to power," Caine said.

Trump's first chairman of the Joint Chiefs, Gen. Mark Milley, has now become a top foe – the president recently stripped him of his security clearance and had his portrait taken down at the Pentagon. 

President Donald Trump told reporters that if Iran does not give up its nuclear weapons program, military action led by Israel is a real possibility, adding he has a deadline in mind for when the two countries must come to an agreement.

The U.S. and Iran are expected to hold negotiations Saturday in Oman as the Trump administration continues to try to rein in the country's nuclear program, threatening "great danger" if the two sides fail to come to an agreement. 

Trump told reporters from the Oval Office Wednesday he did have a deadline in mind for when the talks must culminate in an agreed-upon solution, but the president did not go into details about the nature of the timeline.

TIMELINE IS RUNNING OUT TO STOP IRAN FROM MAKING NUCLEAR BOMB: ‘DANGEROUS TERRITORY’

"We have a little time, but we don't have much time, because we're not going to let them have a nuclear weapon. We can't let them have a nuclear weapon." Trump said when pressed on details about his potential timeline. "I'm not asking for much. I just — I don't — they can't have a nuclear weapon."

When asked about the potential for military action if Iran does not make a deal on their nuclear weapons, Trump said "Absolutely." 

"If it requires military, we're going to have military," the president told reporters. "Israel will obviously be very much involved in that. They'll be the leader of that. But nobody leads us. We do what we want to do."

TRUMP SAYS US WILL DEAL ‘DIRECTLY’ WITH IRAN IN HIGH-LEVEL MEETING ON SATURDAY

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has expressed support for Iran's complete denuclearization. During a visit to the White House, he expressed support for a deal similar to the one Libya sealed with the international community in 2003. The country gave up its entire nuclear arsenal.

"Whatever happens, we have to make sure that Iran does not have nuclear weapons," Netanyahu said during the meeting.

The talks with Iran scheduled for Saturday in Oman have been characterized as "direct" talks by Trump, but Iran's foreign leaders have disputed that assertion, describing the talks as "indirect." Iran's leaders have said if the talks go well Saturday, they would be open to further direct negotiations with the U.S. 

FIRST ON FOX: Venezuelan opposition leader and U.S.-recognized President-elect Edmundo Gonzalez Urrutia promised to offer "reparations" to Laken Riley's family and other Americans affected by the crimes of street gang Tren de Aragua. 

In a letter to Riley’s family, González and fellow opposition leader María Corina Machado wrote, "Laken’s life, full of potential and promise, was tragically cut short by an individual who should have never been allowed to cross your border."

Secretary of State Marco Rubio spoke with González and Machado in January, reaffirming that Urrutia is the "legitimate president" of Venezuela. The Biden administration had previously referred to Urrutia as the "president-elect" before leaving office.

In their letter, the opposition leaders called Riley’s murder a "direct consequence of Nicolás Maduro’s regime, which has fostered an environment where criminal organizations like Tren de Aragua can flourish with impunity."

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Urrutia vowed that, if officially installed as president, he would "hold accountable all those responsible for the devastation they have wrought, both within Venezuela and internationally."

"We intend to establish a comprehensive framework for reparations, both for the countless Venezuelans harmed by this narco-state and also for victims abroad, including your family."

Gonzales also noted that the "vast majority of Venezuelans who have sought safety in the United States are committed to upholding the law and contributing to your nation’s economy and society."

"They long for the day they can return home to reunite with their families and work toward a free and prosperous Venezuela. We look forward to welcoming them back," they added. 

"Please accept this letter as a message of our deepest condolence and a solemn promise: Laken will never be forgotten. She will be remembered as an innocent victim of tyranny and a powerful catalyst for the change we are determined to bring about." 

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The Trump administration was allowed to move forward with a plan to invoke the Alien Enemies Act, a wartime immigration law dating back to 1798, to immediately deport Venezuelan nationals believed to be affiliated with Tren de Aragua. Legal battles over the deportation effort intensified when a federal district court temporarily blocked the policy – prompting Trump allies to call for the impeachment of Judge James Boasberg.

According to United Nations estimates, roughly 7.7 million Venezuelans have fled the country over the past decade, escaping economic collapse marked by hyperinflation, which peaked at 130,000% in 2018, and widespread poverty.

Since taking power in 2013, Nicolás Maduro’s regime has been plagued by allegations of corruption, authoritarianism, money laundering and drug trafficking. While many nations recognized González’s election victory in July, Maduro has refused to relinquish power.

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Maduro has issued an arrest warrant for González, who fled into exile in Spain last September.

Riley, a 22-year-old nursing student, was killed while jogging on the University of Georgia campus in February 2024. The suspect, José Ibarra – a Venezuelan national who entered the U.S. illegally – was arrested and charged with her murder. The killing sparked nationwide outrage and led to new immigration legislation that Trump signed into law shortly after taking office this year.

Elbridge Colby will now assume the Pentagon’s number three post after a contentious Senate battle ended in a vote to confirm him to the role.

The Senate voted 51 to 45 to confirm the national security strategist as Defense Department undersecretary for policy, with three Democrats joining most Republicans in voting in his favor. Sen. Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., was the lone Republican no vote. 

Colby successfully overcame skepticism from GOP hawks like Sen. Tom Cotton, R-Ark., who worried over his previous statements on Iran, even as he lost the former Senate majority leader. 

"Elbridge Colby’s long public record suggests a willingness to discount the complexity of the challenges facing America, the critical value of our allies and partners, and the urgent need to invest in hard power to preserve American primacy," McConnell said in a statement after the vote. 

"The prioritization that Mr. Colby argues is fresh, new, and urgently needed is, in fact, a return to an Obama-era conception of à la carte geostrategy. Abandoning Ukraine and Europe and downplaying the Middle East to prioritize the Indo-Pacific is not a clever geopolitical chess move. It is geostrategic self-harm that emboldens our adversaries and drives wedges between America and our allies for them to exploit."

Colby, a co-founder of the Marathon Initiative and a former deputy assistant secretary of defense for strategy and force development under the Trump administration, is best known for his role in authoring the 2018 National Defense Strategy, which reoriented long-term military strategy toward a great power competition with China.

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He has long argued the U.S. military needs to limit its resources in the Middle East to pivot to the Indo-Pacific region. Colby had staunch backing from Trump’s inner circle, which turned up the heat on Senate Republicans to get behind his confirmation.

Colby had tempered some of his earlier statements, including one that suggested living with a nuclear Iran was safer than bombing Iran’s nuclear sites, and one that suggested the U.S. could "live without" Taiwan. 

Pressed by Cotton during his confirmation hearing, Colby said he believes Iran to be an "existential" threat to the U.S. 

"Yes, a nuclear-armed Iran – especially, Senator, given that… we know they’ve worked on ICBM-range capabilities and other capabilities that would pose an existential danger to the United States," Colby said.

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He promised to provide "credible good military options" to the president if diplomacy with Iran fails.

"The only thing worse than the prospect of an Iran armed with nuclear weapons would be [the] consequences of using force to try to stop them," Colby had said in 2012. 

"I would say a lot of what I was arguing against at the time, these conversations 15 years ago, a lot of the opponents I felt had a casual or in some cases even flippant attitude toward the employment of military force," Colby explained at the hearing. "That’s a lot of what I was arguing against. Was my wording always appropriate? Was my precise framing always appropriate? No."

"Your views on Taiwan’s importance to the United States seems to have softened considerably," Senate Armed Services Chairman Roger Wicker, R-Miss., told Colby at one point during the hearing. 

"What I have been trying to shoot a signal flare over is that it is vital for us to focus and enable our own forces for an effective and reasonable defense of Taiwan and for the Taiwanese, as well as the Japanese, to do more," said Colby.