INTERNACIONAL
US confirms third round of nuclear talks with Iran after ‘very good progress’
Trump threatens to abandon Russia-Ukraine peace talks
Fox News senior strategic analyst Jack Keane joins ‘America’s Newsroom’ to discuss the latest on the Trump administration’s negotiations with Iran over its nuclear program and the president’s effort to end the war in Ukraine.
The U.S. and Iran have agreed to meet for a third round of talks later this week in Muscat, Oman, after they met in Italy with Omani intermediaries to discuss Iran’s nuclear program on Saturday.
Details of the negotiations have not been released and any concrete progress in ending Iran’s nuclear program remains unclear, though a senior administration official told Fox News that «very good progress» had been made.
«Today, in Rome, over four hours in our second round of talks, we made very good progress in our direct and indirect discussions,» the official said Saturday. «We agreed to meet again next week and are grateful to our Omani partners for facilitating these talks and to our Italian partners for hosting us today.»
TRUMP SAYS IRAN MUST DITCH ‘CONCEPT OF A NUCLEAR WEAPON’ AHEAD OF MORE TALKS
An Iranian newspaper with a cover photo of Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Aragchi and U.S. Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff, in Tehran, April 12, 2025. (Majid Asgaripour/WANA (West Asia News Agency) via Reuters)
Reports suggested that Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff and Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi at some point in the negotiations spoke face-to-face, the second time in as many weeks.
But the negotiations have not solely been «direct» between Washington and Tehran as President Donald Trump earlier this month insisted they would be, which Iran flatly rejected – suggesting some form of compromise was reached regarding the format of the discussions.
What Witkoff discussed directly with his Iranian counterpart remains unknown.
Araghchi also expressed some optimism in his review of the negotiations from Italy, though his perspective appeared slightly more muted.
«Relatively positive atmosphere in Rome has enabled progress on principles and objectives of a possible deal,» he wrote in a post on X. «We made clear how many in Iran believe that the [Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action] JCPOA is no longer good enough for us. To them, what is left from that deal are ‘lessons learned.’ Personally, I tend to agree.»
COL. RICHARD KEMP DOUBTS TRUMP NEGOTIATIONS WITH IRAN WILL ‘ACHIEVE WHAT NEEDS TO BE ACHIEVED’
Technicians work inside a uranium conversion facility on March 30, 2005, near Isfahan, Iran. (Getty Images)
«The initiation of expert level track will begin in coming days with a view to hammer out details,» Araghchi said. «After that, we will be in a better position to judge. For now, optimism may be warranted but only with a great deal of caution.»
It remains unclear how this round of negotiations to end Iran’s nuclear program will differ from the original JPCOA, an Obama-era nuclear deal which Trump abandoned during his first term, though the president and other security experts have voiced a sense of urgency in finding a solution in the very near future.
But experts have warned these talks need to be far more encompassing than the JCPOA given the current advanced state of Iran’s nuclear program, and they need to happen very soon.
«The speed with which technical talks have been agreed to is worrying for those who hope to avoid a repeat of 2013 and 2015, as are allegations of Iran’s offer of a three-step interim or phased proposal for a deal,» Iran expert and senior fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, Behnam Ben Taleblu told Fox News Digital.
«It would be the height of strategic malpractice and a political own goal to allow the Islamic Republic to force America under the Trump administration into a deal that only slightly modified the accord that Trump rightly criticized and walked away from in 2018,» he added.
Similarly, retired Gen. Jack Keane, a Fox News senior strategic analyst, many security experts are watching these negotiation attempts with «real concern» because «Iran in 2025 is not the Iran in 2015 when that first nuclear deal was made.»
Secretary of State John Kerry, third from left, and other U.S. officials meet with EU and Iranian officials for nuclear talks in Vienna, Austria, June 30, 2015. (Pool/Siamek Ebrahimi/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images)
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«The difference is that Iran has the capability to manufacture advanced centrifuges which can enrich uranium from zero to weapons grade in just a matter of weeks,» Keane said.
Essentially, this means the U.S. must not only persuade Iran to get rid of its near-weapons-grade enriched uranium – enough to produce five nuclear weapons if further enriched – but also dismantle its manufacturing capabilities.
«The other thing that is different in 2025 – they have ballistic missiles that can deliver the weapon,» Keane added. «It remains to be seen what’s going to be in the deal.»
INTERNACIONAL
La guerra desde adentro de Irán: «Es un alivio que, por fin, alguien va a venir a eliminar a nuestros verdugos»
Qué signifca la guerra para los iraníes
Desde el interior de irán
La gente ha estado cantando, bailando, abrazándose y felicitándose por la eliminación de la cabeza de la máquina de matar que hemos tenido gobernándonos
La guerra de Israel y Trump
Aquí y ahora no hay ninguna posibilidad de que el pueblo iraní pueda derrocar un sistema tan opresor con las manos vacías
En estos momentos se ha dado la casualidad de que los intereses políticos de Estados Unidos e Israel coinciden con los intereses del pueblo iraní en cuanto al derrocamiento de la inquisición islamista
No hay comida ni medicamentos
La miseria es lo que nos ha traído este gobierno. Ha utilizado todos nuestros recursos para enriquecimiento propio y el lujo repugnante en el que viven casi mil familias en la teocracia islamista
Lo que para mí como activista de derechos humanos sería muy grato es que por una vez antepongamos las vidas humanas a nuestras ideologías políticas y luchemos por poder establecer un mínimo de armonía en un mundo desquiciado
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FIRST ON FOX: As U.S. and Israeli military pressure on Iran intensifies, and President Donald Trump signals support for Kurdish forces, Kurdish opposition groups along the country’s western frontier tell Fox News Digital they are watching closely for an opportunity to strike back against the Islamic Republic, which they have fought for decades.
Kako Aliyar, a member of the leadership committee of the Kurdish opposition party Komala, told Fox News Digital from an undisclosed location in Iraq that the Kurdish movements are ready to act if conditions allow.
«Kurds have been waiting for a moment to do something,» Aliyar said. «We believe that those moments are not far from us.»
But Aliyar said Kurdish forces cannot yet move against the regime because Iran still retains the ability to launch missile and drone attacks, which opposition fighters would struggle to defend against.
Iranian Kurdish fighters from the Kurdistan Freedom Party (PAK) take part in a training session at a base on the outskirts of Erbil, Iraq Feb. 12, 2026. (Thaier Al-Sudani/ Reuters)
Aliyar said Iranian forces continue to target Kurdish opposition bases across the border in Iraq’s Kurdistan region.
Trump signaled support for Kurdish fighters launching an offensive against Iran, saying in a telephone interview with Reuters Thursday that he would back such a move.
«I think it’s wonderful that they want to do that — I’d be all for it,» Trump said.
Asked whether the United States would provide air cover for a Kurdish offensive, Trump declined to elaborate.
«I can’t tell you that,» he said.
Aliyar said Kurdish groups remain under pressure from Iran and continue to face attacks on their bases across the border in Iraq’s Kurdistan region.
«Our camps, the Kurdish political parties, are still under attack by the Iranian regime, and we can’t go into detail,» he said.
Still, he indicated that if the opportunity arises, Kurdish fighters would attempt to return to Iranian territory.
«If we get an opportunity to go back to our own country, we will use it,» he said.
Kurdish opposition signals unity
The comments come as Iranian Kurdish opposition groups attempt to present a united front against Iran.
In February, several factions formed the Coalition of Political Forces of Iranian Kurdistan, bringing together parties including Komala, the Democratic Party of Iranian Kurdistan (PDKI), PJAK and the Kurdistan Freedom Party.
Aliyar said the coalition is still organizing itself but carries an important political message.
«Politically, it’s a huge message for the Kurdish people inside the country and the international community that Kurds are united,» he said. «We are working together, and we are trying to reach our goals together.»
Kurdish groups have long fought the Iranian government. Armed clashes between Kurdish militants and Iranian forces date back to the years following the 1979 Islamic Revolution, when Kurdish factions sought autonomy and were violently suppressed by Tehran.
Today, many Kurdish opposition groups operate from neighboring Iraqi Kurdistan, where they maintain political offices and limited military forces.
NETANYAHU INSISTS US AND ISRAEL’S STRIKES ON IRAN WON’T LEAD TO ‘ENDLESS WAR’
A general view of Tehran, Iran, with smoke visible in the distance after explosions were reported in the city, March 2, 2026. (Contributor/Getty Images)
Waiting for Iran’s military capabilities to weaken
Aliyar suggested Kurdish forces would only be able to move if Iran’s military capabilities are significantly degraded.
«I believe those missile and drone abilities have to be more weakened or totally removed because we are not able to defend ourselves against them,» he said.
Iran’s ability to launch missiles and drones remains one of the regime’s strongest deterrents against internal or external challengers.
«They can still launch missiles and they can still kill people,» Aliyar said.
If those capabilities were reduced, he believes Kurdish forces could attempt to exploit the moment.
«I think everyone has the capacity to do so because Kurdish political parties have huge legitimacy among the people,» he said. «People support them, people support us.»
However, Aliyar cautioned that no one can predict how events will unfold.
«When a war starts, you are trying to find a way to use it in your best way, but you cannot predict what happens tomorrow,» he said.
Kurdish resistance rooted in decades of struggle
Kurds in Iran represent one of the country’s largest ethnic minorities and have historically maintained organized opposition movements.
Kurdish parties developed armed wings and political networks decades ago, giving them a level of organizational structure that many other Iranian opposition movements lack.
Jino Victoria Doabi, an international political analyst focused on Iran and Kurdistan, told Fox News Digital, «Kurds inside Iran have their own history and tradition of struggle and resistance with political parties and armed forces.»
Doabi said Kurdish forces are unlikely to move without clear backing from Washington.
TRUMP TELLS IRANIANS THE ‘HOUR OF YOUR FREEDOM IS AT HAND’ AS US-ISRAEL LAUNCH STRIKES AGAINST
IRAN
Bombing occurs in Iran on Feb. 28, 2026. (Fatemeh Bahrami/Getty Images)
«For that to happen, they need assurance from America, both politically but also security-wise,» Doabi said.
«Kurds have learned that they cannot just do it for the good cause anymore, because that’s going to cause civilians a lot of pain and destruction and killings.»
Discussions about the idea of Kurdish involvement may have been underway long before the recent escalation, according to Doabi.
«I don’t think this has happened overnight,» she said. «I think this has been discussed for a long time.»
Regional complications
Despite the growing attention on Kurdish groups, Aliyar emphasized that Iraqi Kurdish authorities are not directly involved in any potential campaign.
«Iraqi Kurds are not part of it,» he said. «I am not Iraqi, so I cannot comment on that.»
Analysts say Kurdish insurgents alone are unlikely to topple the Iranian regime. But if internal unrest spreads and Kurdish forces coordinate with broader opposition movements, Iran’s western frontier could become a serious pressure point for Iran.
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A person holds an image of Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, as Iranian demonstrators protest against the U.S.-Israeli strikes, in Tehran, Feb. 28, 2026. (Majid Asgaripour/West Asia News Agency via Reuters)
For Aliyar and other Kurdish leaders, however, the goal remains clear after decades of opposition to the Islamic Republic.
«We have had this desire for 47 years,» he said. «If we get an opportunity, we will use it.»
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war with iran,iraq,donald trump,iran
INTERNACIONAL
Operation Epic Fury destroys Iran’s navy and cuts missile attacks by 90% in ongoing campaign
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Secretary of War Pete Hegseth said Thursday that U.S. forces have delivered devastating blows to Iran’s military in the opening days of Operation Epic Fury, crippling key naval and missile capabilities while signaling that a larger and more sustained campaign is underway.
Speaking alongside U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) Commander Adm. Brad Cooper at CENTCOM headquarters at MacDill Air Force Base in Tampa, Florida, Hegseth described a fast-moving operation that has significantly degraded Iran’s ability to threaten U.S. forces and regional partners as officials shift toward preventing Tehran from rebuilding its military strength.
«In just days of Operation Epic Fury, you and your team have delivered nothing short of devastating, precise strikes taking out the better part of Iran’s navy, making it combat ineffective, neutralizing missile sites and launchers and establishing total dominance over the skies,» Hegseth told Cooper.
«Our forces are executing with unmatched skill, and the mission is advancing decisively.»
Cooper detailed the expanding maritime campaign, saying U.S. forces have intensified strikes against Iranian vessels in recent hours, surpassing previously disclosed totals and further weakening Tehran’s ability to project power at sea.
U.S. officials say Operation Epic Fury has sunk more than 30 Iranian ships, slashed missile launches and shifted toward dismantling Tehran’s missile production. (Fox News)
«You may have heard the president say just a little while ago that we have sunk or destroyed 24 ships. That was true. At the moment, we’re now up over 30 ships,» Cooper said. «In just the last few hours, we hit an Iranian drone carrier ship roughly the size of a World War II aircraft carrier. And, as we speak, it’s on fire.»
Beyond naval losses, sustained air operations have sharply reduced Iran’s ability to launch retaliatory attacks. U.S. bombers have targeted launchers, command infrastructure and air defenses deep inside the country in an effort to limit both immediate threats and future strike capacity.
«Ballistic missile attacks have decreased by 90% since day one. Drone attacks have decreased by 83% since day one,» Cooper said.
RED CROSS SHARES AUDIO OF IRANIAN CIVILIAN EXPLAINING SITUATION ON THE GROUND IN TEHRAN: ‘NO RESPITE’
A U.S. submarine sank an Iranian warship in international waters in the Indian Ocean, War Secretary Pete Hegseth confirmed Wednesday. (@DeptofWar/X)
The sharp decline in launches, officials indicated, reflects both the destruction of key systems and the disruption of Iran’s command-and-control networks, forcing Tehran onto the defensive as U.S. aircraft continue operating over the country.
Hegseth made clear the operation is not slowing down, warning that significantly more firepower is moving into the region as additional forces and assets come online.
«We have only just begun to fight and fight decisively,» Hegseth said. «The amount of combat power that’s still flowing, that’s still coming, that we’ll be able to project over Iran is multiples of what it currently is right now.»
PENTAGON POLICY CHIEF GRILLED AS DEM CLAIMS TRUMP BROKE PROMISE ABOUT GOING TO WAR WITH IRAN
President Donald Trump confirmed the launch of U.S. strikes on Iran Saturday. (Contributor/Getty Images)
He also sought to counter any suggestion that the U.S. could face supply constraints as the campaign continues, emphasizing both capacity and staying power.
«Our capabilities are overwhelming and gathering still, as are those of our Israeli partners,» Hegseth said. «Our munitions are full up and our will is ironclad, which means our timeline is ours and ours alone to control as long as it takes to ensure the United States of America achieves these objectives.»
Cooper confirmed the mission is entering a new phase aimed at Iran’s long-term missile production capacity, shifting from degrading existing stockpiles to preventing their regeneration.
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«We’re not just hitting what they have. We’re destroying their ability to rebuild,» Cooper said. «As we transition to the next phase of this operation, we will systemically dismantle Iran’s missile production capability for the future.»
Together, the remarks underscored both the scale of the battlefield damage already inflicted and the administration’s message that the campaign — bolstered by additional forces and sustained munitions capacity — is positioned to intensify in the days ahead.
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war with iran,pete hegseth,military,pentagon,florida,politics,defense
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