politics

Iran doesn’t have ‘kamikaze dolphins

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth in a briefing Tuesday shut down the idea that Iran could weaponize marine mammals in the Strait of Hormuz as he fielded a question about the potential use of “kamikaze dolphins” in the war with Iran.

Experts say the idea isn’t as far-fetched as it may seem. Several countries, including the U.S., have a history of using dolphins in conflict areas, though not as weapons.

“I cannot confirm or deny whether we have kamikaze dolphins, but I can confirm they don’t,” Hegseth said at the briefing, using the term for Japanese pilots who deliberately flew their planes into their targets in World War II.

Hegseth’s comments came in response to news reports about the possibility. The Wall Street Journal reported April 30 that Iranian officials had said Iran could use “mine-carrying dolphins” to attack U.S. warships. It is not clear whether Iran has that capability.

The U.S. Navy Office of Information declined to comment further, referring CNBC to Hegseth’s Tuesday briefing.

The Strait of Hormuz has been largely blocked during the war, and on Sunday, President Donald Trump announced “Project Freedom,” an operation to free ships stranded in the strait since the onset of the conflict. Hegseth characterized the new mission as “separate and distinct from Operation Epic Fury,” the administration’s name for the war the U.S. and Israel began on Feb. 28. He said U.S. forces would not need to enter Iranian waters or airspace to carry out the operation.

Fresh attacks this week in the key waterway reignited fears that the impact on the global economy would worsen. Though a ceasefire between the U.S. and Iran officially remains in place, Iran attacked the United Arab Emirates, and the U.S. said it sank Iranian boats in the strait on Monday.

“Right now, the ceasefire certainly holds, but we’re going to be watching very, very closely,” Hegseth said.

Dolphins have a long history of military use

Since 1959, the U.S. Navy’s Marine Mammal Program has trained bottlenose dolphins and California sea lions to detect mines and other underwater threats, conduct surveillance, and locate and recover objects at sea, according to the Naval Information Warfare Center Pacific, a research and engineering laboratory for the U.S. Navy.

“Dolphins have been used in [military] exercises all over the globe,” said Scott Savitz, a senior engineer at global policy think tank Rand Corporation and an expert on mine countermeasures.

During the Vietnam War, the Navy trained dolphins to detect swimmers and divers who were trying to access military facilities, Savitz said. The mammals also played a “key role” in detecting and clearing naval mines from the port of Umm Qasr during the Iraq War in 2003, he said.

Dolphins and sea lions are “exceptional” at detecting underwater objects, Savitz said. Sea lions are commonly used to locate and recover objects in “cluttered” waters due to their excellent underwater eyesight, he said, while dolphins use echolocation, or biosonar, to search for naval mines in open water.

Dolphins’ biosonar is often more accurate than electronic sonar, according to the Naval Information Warfare Center Pacific. They “can not only locate objects, but differentiate them with a greater degree of facility than the machines that we’ve been able to develop for this purpose,” Savitz said.

The Soviet Navy also trained dolphins for defense during the Cold War, though the unit was transferred to Ukraine after the fall of the Soviet Union, according to an NPR report from 2022, citing an analysis from U.S. Naval Institute News. The Russian military reportedly revived its dolphin program after seizing Ukraine’s defense dolphins in 2014 during the annexation of Crimea. In 2022, satellite imagery identified two dolphin pens in the Sevastopol harbor, the analysis found.

The ‘challenge’ of dolphin military efforts

The use of dolphins in military operations raises complex questions, experts say — not just about whether countries such as Iran possess trained marine animals, but whether they have developed the expertise to work effectively with them.

“It’s a challenge for humans to learn how to work best with dolphin capabilities,” Savitz said.

The question isn’t “whether or not the Iranians may have physical animals with some training, but whether the Iranians have trained themselves” to work with the dolphins, he said.

Few protections exist for animals in armed conflict although there are some legal strategies based on international humanitarian law that could be used, according to Chris Jenks, a research professor of law at Southern Methodist University.

A representative for the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals referred CNBC to the organization’s general position on military animals. The nonprofit says it “recognizes the value” of animals for military functions but that “animals should not be unnecessarily put at risk or sacrificed in the service of our country.”

“Military animals should be humanely trained and responsibly maintained, and commitment to the animals’ well-being must extend beyond the period of military service,” according to the ASPCA’s site.

Savitz said he has worked with the Navy’s Marine Mammal Program “intermittently” for 25 years. He said that “dolphins and sea lions love the program.”

“They get exercised every day in open waters,” he said. “They like the free fish. They like playing with humans. For them, it’s a game, just as with drug-sniffing dogs or explosive-sniffing dogs.”

Savitz said to his knowledge no marine mammal has been harmed during a military operation. “They are living out healthy lives.”

CNBC

world

4-Year Stay Limit: What It Means for International Students

A sweeping change to US immigration rules could soon reshape how international students plan their education in the country, with a proposed policy introducing a fixed four-year limit on student stays.

The White House has cleared a Department of Homeland Security (DHS) regulation that would replace the long-standing “Duration of Status” (D/S) system with a time-bound admission model for foreign students and exchange visitors.

According to Bloomberg reports, under the proposed changes, most international students would be permitted to stay in the US for up to four years. After this period, those continuing their studies would be required to obtain formal approval to extend their stay.

Currently, students can stay for the full length of their academic programme as long as they maintain valid status, without a fixed expiry date.

If implemented, the change could affect F-1 student visa holders, J-1 exchange visitors and other categories, requiring more frequent interaction with US immigration authorities.

The rule has cleared review by the White House Office of Management and Budget and is expected to move toward publication in the Federal Register, with implementation likely within 30 to 60 days of final notification.

What is the proposed change?

Under current plans reported by Bloomberg, international student stays could be capped at around four years, regardless of how long their academic programme runs.

The rule would apply to multiple visa categories, including:

F-1 student visas
J-1 exchange visitor visas
Other related study-based visa categories

If implemented, students whose programmes extend beyond the limit would need to apply for formal extensions through US immigration authorities.

The regulation has already cleared review by the White House Office of Management and Budget (OMB) and is expected to be published in the Federal Register, with an implementation window of 30 to 60 days after publication.

How the current ‘Duration of Status’ system works

At present, international students in the US are admitted under the Duration of Status (D/S) framework.

This allows students to stay in the country for as long as they:

Remain enrolled full-time
Maintain valid student status
Comply with visa conditions

There is no fixed end date attached to their stay.

This system allows flexibility to:

Extend academic programmes
Switch universities or courses
Progress from undergraduate to postgraduate studies
Complete Optional Practical Training (OPT) and STEM OPT

What would change under the new rule?

The proposed system would replace this flexible model with a fixed admission period, likely around four years for most students.

Key implications include:

Students would no longer have automatic stay based on enrolment
Extensions would require approval from USCIS
Additional documentation and biometric checks may be required
Processing delays could affect academic timelines
Overstaying without approval could lead to legal consequences

In effect, continued study in the US would depend on periodic immigration approvals rather than academic enrolment alone.

Why the US government is proposing the change

The Department of Homeland Security argues that the current system makes it harder to track compliance and identify visa overstays.

A fixed end-date model, officials say, would:

Improve monitoring of foreign students
Strengthen immigration enforcement
Standardise visa oversight across categories

Why Indian students could be most affected

India is the largest source of international students in the United States.

According to the Open Doors 2024 report, more than 331,000 Indian students were enrolled in US institutions in the 2023–24 academic year — nearly 30% of all international students.

Many of these students are in programmes that exceed four years, including:

PhD and doctoral research programmes
Long-duration master’s degrees
Technical and professional courses

Under the proposed system, these students may face:

More extension applications
Increased immigration scrutiny
Greater uncertainty around long-term academic planning

Key concerns raised by experts and institutions

Organisations such as the Association of American Universities (AAU), American Council on Education (ACE) and NAFSA have warned that fixed stay limits could:

Increase administrative burden
Create uncertainty for research-based programmes
Make it harder to maintain legal status in longer academic tracks

They also caution that changes could affect transitions into work pathways such as OPT.

What happens if a visa stay expires?

A major concern under the proposed framework is enforcement.

If a student’s authorised stay expires:

They may begin accruing unlawful presence immediately
Delays in extension processing could create legal risks
Immigration penalties could affect future US travel eligibility

According to immigration firm Fragomen, this could significantly raise the stakes for administrative delays or paperwork errors.

Impact on OPT and post-study work pathways

The effect on Optional Practical Training (OPT) is still unclear.

However, experts warn that moving away from the D/S system could:

Complicate transitions from study to employment
Add procedural steps before work authorisation
Increase pressure on visa timelines for STEM OPT participants

OPT remains a key pathway for international graduates seeking US work experience.

What about the grace period?

Earlier versions of the proposal suggested reducing the post-study grace period for F-1 students from 60 days to 30 days.

This period is currently used to:

Apply for OPT
Transfer universities
Change visa status
Prepare for departure

Any reduction would tighten post-graduation timelines significantly.

When could the rule take effect?

The rule is not yet in force.

OMB review has been completed
Final publication in the Federal Register is pending
Implementation could begin 30–60 days after publication

Experts suggest rollout may occur later in 2026, though timelines remain uncertain.

What should students do now?

There is no immediate change for current or prospective students.

At this stage, students should:

Continue under existing visa rules
Monitor updates from DHS and USCIS
Stay in touch with university international offices

What happens next

The regulation is not yet in force. It still requires formal publication before becoming law.

Once published, the government is expected to announce an implementation timeline, which experts say could begin later in 2026.

Until then, the current Duration of Status system remains unchanged, allowing students to stay in the US for the full length of their academic programme as long as they comply with visa conditions.

Agencies

politics

US waives Iran sanctions after talks

The United States waived sanctions on Iran for 60 days from Monday after the first talks under a nascent peace deal, while officials reported a sustained lull in fighting in Lebanon under the agreement aimed at ending hostilities across the region.

The developments followed a weekend that had appeared to ‌put the week-old accord in jeopardy, including threats from U.S. President Donald Trump to restart the war if Iran disrupted shipping through the Strait of Hormuz after Tehran declared the strategic waterway closed. Tanker traffic through the strait started to pick up on Monday and oil prices resumed their slide.

U.S. Vice President JD Vance said talks with Iranian officials in Switzerland had laid a good foundation for a final peace deal, although Iran denied that it had begun discussions of its nuclear program.

U.S.-Israeli attacks on Iran, and Israeli strikes in Lebanon have killed thousands and displaced millions. The Iran war has also shaken markets around the world and raised global oil prices, which settled 3% lower on Monday after Vance reported progress had been made.

The two sides, trying to build on the interim deal they signed last week, agreed a roadmap towards a permanent agreement within 60 days at the talks in the Qatari-owned Swiss ⁠mountain resort of Buergenstock, mediators Pakistan and Qatar said.

They also agreed on a mechanism to end fighting in Lebanon between U.S. ally Israel and Iran-aligned Hezbollah, and opened a communications line to help ensure safe passage for commercial ships through the Strait of Hormuz in order to avoid conflict in the strategic waterway.

In the first of several steps envisaged under the agreement to provide economic relief to Iran, the U.S. Treasury announced a waiver until August 21 on sanctions, allowing Tehran to sell oil and related products and receive payment for them.

VANCE DELIVERS UPBEAT ASSESSMENT

Vance, who has maintained an upbeat tone since the memorandum of understanding was signed, said Tehran had agreed to allow in nuclear inspectors, and to establish mechanisms to handle its assets frozen abroad and manage ceasefires.

“We laid a very good foundation for a successful final deal,” he told reporters after taking part in the talks.

However, Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei told the official IRNA news agency that Iran had not yet discussed nuclear issues or made new commitments.

Trump said in a post on Truth Social on Monday that Iran will agree to have weapons inspections to ensure “nuclear honesty.”

“If Iran doesn’t live up to their agreement, or if they’re not behaving, I will do what I have to do,” Trump later told reporters.

Iran has limited inspections by the International Atomic Energy Agency since the U.S. and Israel launched a first round of air strikes last year, ‌and suspended them ⁠entirely when war broke out in February. It says its nuclear program is peaceful.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi said on social media that Tehran had secured waivers for oil and petrochemical exports, the release of some of its frozen assets abroad and the launch of a reconstruction and development plan for Iran.

Vance said White House envoy Jared Kushner, Trump’s son-in-law, had come up with a process whereby the U.S. and Qatar would have control over Iranian funds when they are unfrozen, and the money could be spent on U.S. corn, soy and wheat.

“So, the money that we lift is going to go to our farmers,” Trump told reporters.

However, Iran’s Central Bank Governor Abdolnaser Hemmati said there was no such obligation and said at least some of the remaining frozen funds could be used to ⁠buy other non-sanctioned goods, Iran’s Tasnim news agency reported.

HALT TO HOSTILITIES

Technical talks were due to continue for the rest of this week.

The interim peace agreement calls for ending all hostilities, including in Lebanon, which Israel invaded in March after Hezbollah fired across the border.

Israel was not party to the peace agreement and says it will not withdraw its troops from Lebanon, but on Friday it agreed a new ceasefire. Though intense fighting continued for another day, Lebanese officials said it had abated since Saturday night.

Israel and Lebanon were due ⁠to start a new round of talks in Washington on Tuesday, with Beirut determined to press ahead with direct negotiations even as they appear to be overshadowed by Iran’s decision to make Lebanon part of its negotiations with the United States.

Hassan Wazni, director of a hospital in the heavily bombarded city of Nabatieh, said it was the first two full days of calm since the war began.

“I’m monitoring the situation day by day, and most of the time I’m sleeping in ⁠the hospital. This is the longest a ceasefire has held,” he told Reuters by phone.

More than a million Lebanese have been displaced by the war, and though some have begun returning to their homes, many are still too wary.

In Qennarit, a southern town, mourners carried the bodies of four women killed in Saturday’s wave of Israeli strikes. The coffins were draped in yellow Hezbollah flags with the group’s green logo of an arm holding an assault rifle.

Reuters

world

Who Is Colombia’s New Right-Wing President?

Colombia elected nationalist lawyer Abelardo De La Espriella as its new president on Sunday, according to an initial vote count, marking a sharp political turn and ‌bringing a hardline security agenda and market-friendly policies to the fore.

Nicknamed “The Tiger” by his followers, De La Espriella portrayed himself as an anti-establishment savior capable of reviving Colombia’s ailing economy and restoring order in a country rattled by illegal armed groups and drug trafficking.

De La Espriella began gaining popularity early in the year with his tough-on-crime discourse. He pulled off a victory in the first round in late May with 43.7% of the vote and then beat leftist senator Ivan Cepeda in the runoff with 49.66% to Cepeda’s 48.7%, according to the national registrar’s ⁠tally.

De La Espriella, who blames outgoing President Gustavo for Colombia’s economic and security woes, won over a plurality of voters with pledges to reduce the size of the state by 40%, broaden the tax base and end peace efforts with armed groups in favor of a hardened military response.

He plans to restart oil exploration and allow fracking to nearly double production to 1.3 million barrels per day.

De La Espriella claims to have self-financed his campaign and says his “Defenders of the Homeland” movement grew without support from outside political parties or business groups. Reuters could not independently verify this claim.

Aside from being an attorney, De La Espriella has a sprawling business empire that includes wine, rum, clothing and real estate. An investigative journalism outlet, La Silla Vacia, found that many of his businesses have been dissolved, are in debt and lost money overall in 2024, with his law firm being his most profitable endeavor. De La ‌Espriella’s campaign ⁠declined to answer La Silla Vacia’s questions about the candidate’s businesses, the outlet said, but later questioned its funding in a public letter. La Silla Vacia rejected allegations of bias.

LUXURY WATCHES ON AN IRON FIST

De La Espriella, 47, used a military salute throughout his campaign despite never having served in the military.

Often seen wearing luxury watches, designer sunglasses and with a well-groomed beard, De La Espriella has drawn comparisons to El Salvador’s Nayib Bukele, who calls himself the “world’s coolest dictator.”

Bukele has implemented heavy-handed ⁠security policies and mega-prisons that pushed crime rates in El Salvador to among the lowest in Central America and prompted calls for other countries to adopt similar policies. He has detained more than 90,000 people in the process, drawing criticism from human rights groups.

De La Espriella denies he is imitating Bukele but has proposed 10 mega-prisons ⁠in Colombia.

De La Espriella has also faced criticism for legally representing Alex Saab, who faces charges in the U.S. of laundering money for ousted Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro. He has also represented people linked to corruption scandals, financial embezzlement and right-wing paramilitaries and says his professional relationships as an attorney ⁠do not involve any complicity or crime.

De La Espriella, a married father of four, grew up in the Caribbean city of Monteria and is a known singer of the region’s traditional vallenato folk music. A citizen of the United States, Italy and Colombia, De La Espriella is set to assume the presidency on August 7.

Thomson Reuters