INTERNACIONAL
Fresh activity emerges at Iran’s deeply buried nuclear site as Trump warns Iran not to ‘get cute’
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New satellite imagery shows Iran has added new defenses around tunnel entrances at Pickaxe Mountain, the deeply buried nuclear-linked site President Donald Trump has repeatedly threatened to strike, as Russia and China on Thursday vetoed a U.S.-drafted Security Council resolution aimed at preserving international monitoring of sanctions on Tehran.
The Institute for Science and International Security said in a report released Thursday that satellite imagery from Sept. 11 shows earthen roadblocks remain in place on roads leading to Pickaxe Mountain’s western tunnel portals near the Natanz nuclear complex. The institute said the continued restricted access reinforces its assessment that the facility is not currently being used for normal operations, while assessing that valuable equipment or materials remain inside.
The report also identified additional soil placed over one western tunnel portal and over a nearby cluster of entrances first built in 2007. The institute said the added soil increases the amount of earth protecting the entrances and helps harden them against aerial bombardment.
EXPERTS ‘DEEPLY’ CONCERNED OVER IRAN’S WORK AT UNDERGROUND NUCLEAR SITE
An overview of Iran’s Natanz nuclear complex and nearby Pickaxe Mountain, seen in satellite imagery from Aug. 21, 2026. (Satellite image ©2026 Vantor Technologies.)
The findings come one week after Trump issued his latest warning over Pickaxe Mountain.
«We notice there’s a little activity at Pickaxe,» Trump told reporters last week. «I would advise Iran not to get cute because we will have to hit them very hard.»
Trump has repeatedly raised the possibility of attacking the site. In a July 28 «Fox & Friends» interview highlighted by the White House, Trump said the U.S. was watching Pickaxe closely and knew «exactly what’s going on,» adding that Washington could «take out Pickaxe» if diplomacy failed.
Pickaxe Mountain lies roughly two kilometers from Natanz and features multiple tunnel entrances leading into a deeply buried underground complex. Construction began in 2020 following sabotage that damaged an advanced centrifuge assembly facility at Natanz, and Iranian officials subsequently said a replacement underground facility was being built for advanced centrifuge production. Analysts estimate portions of the facility may be buried at least 100 meters beneath the mountain. Iran has said there is no nuclear activity at the site.
TRUMP SAYS US HAS ‘MASSIVE’ MUNITIONS STOCKPILE, VOWS ‘TREASONOUS’ LEAKERS BEING HUNTED DOWN
A closer view of tunnel entrances at Iran’s Pickaxe Mountain, near the Natanz nuclear complex, seen in satellite imagery from Aug. 21, 2026. (Satellite image ©2026 Vantor Technologies)
Behnam Ben Taleblu, senior director of the Iran program at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, told Fox News Digital that some analysts believe the opportunity for a straightforward strike on Pickaxe Mountain may already have passed.
«The window to strike Pickaxe Mountain, according to some, has already expired because the regime has dug an underground nuclear facility several times deeper than Fordow,» Ben Taleblu said. But he argued that Washington retains military options even if destroying the underground complex itself proves difficult.
«Washington can do what it’s traditionally been able to do with sites that are underground, hardened and fortified, and that’s to bury their entrances and raise the political cost to the Islamic Republic of being able to dig out,» he said.
«While there may not be the perfect munition just yet, Uncle Sam always has a bigger bomb,» Ben Taleblu added. «And in the meantime, what they can do is show that they mean business by burying the entrances.»
NUCLEAR EXPERTS URGE TRUMP NOT TO LET IRAN STEER TALKS AWAY FROM REGIME’S ATOMIC THREAT
A satellite view shows an overview of the Natanz nuclear facility and Pickaxe Mountain, near Natanz, Iran, June 30, 2026 (Vantor/Handout via Reuters)
The Pickaxe findings came alongside signs of reconstruction at another sensitive Iranian facility.
In a separate report Thursday, the institute said Iran was «rapidly moving forward» with reconstruction of Taleghan 2 at the Parchin military complex southeast of Tehran. Vantor Technologies satellite imagery from Sept. 13 shows Iran erected a tarp over the destroyed hardened facility, obscuring work underneath from satellite or aerial observation, while dump trucks, bulldozers, concrete equipment and cranes were active around the site.
The institute said Iran also built new concrete reinforcement that could provide additional protection against aerial attack. Taleghan 2 was struck by Israel in October 2024 and again in March 2026 after Iran had rebuilt and hardened the facility. The institute said significant questions remain about Tehran’s plans for the site.
The military developments unfolded alongside a separate confrontation over Iran at the United Nations.
CHINA ORDERS FIRMS TO IGNORE US IRAN SANCTIONS, DARING US TO ENFORCE CRACKDOWN
Satellite imagery shows the underlying structure of the rebuilt Taleghan 2 facility at Iran’s Parchin military complex encased within a concrete «sarcophagus,» prior to being covered with soil in Feb. 13, 2026. (Vantor Technologies with annotations by ISIS)
Russia and China on Thursday vetoed a U.S.-authored Security Council resolution that would have extended for another year, until September 2027, the mandate of the Panel of Experts supporting the 1737 Iran Sanctions Committee. The measure received 11 votes in favor, while Pakistan and Somalia abstained.
The panel investigates alleged sanctions violations and reports on implementation. The dispute reflects a deeper split over whether UN sanctions suspended under the 2015 nuclear agreement were legally restored through the «snapback» mechanism. Most Council members maintain that the sanctions and related monitoring structures were revived, while Russia and China reject the legal and procedural validity of that position.
A day before the vote, U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. Mike Waltz told reporters in New York that Washington considers the sanctions legally restored.
«The snapback sanctions… occurred, the United States and this U.N. Security Council followed appropriate procedures for that to occur,» Waltz said Wednesday at a news conference attended by Fox News Digital. «Those sanctions are in place and we expect those who are a party to fully enforce those sanctions.»
Waltz said the expert panel is important because sanctioned companies and individuals can attempt to evade restrictions by changing names and corporate structures.
«The president has been clear, and the world community has been clear with resolution after resolution, that the Iranian regime cannot have a nuclear weapon,» Waltz said.
Imagery shows Iranian military facility being buried and fortified. (Images via Vantor with annotations from ISIS)
Thursday also brought fresh U.N. scrutiny of both Washington and Tehran. An independent U.N. fact-finding mission said it had reasonable grounds to believe two U.S. strikes on civilian sites in Iran in February constituted war crimes, while separately concluding that Iranian authorities committed crimes against humanity during their crackdown on anti-government protests. The mission is investigative rather than judicial, and its findings do not themselves constitute criminal judgments.
Fox News Digital reached out to the Iran U.N. mission for comments but didn’t receive them in time for publication.
war with iran, nuclear proliferation, united nations, middle east, national security
El exdirector de la Dirección General de Ingresos (DGI), Publio De Gracia, permanecerá detenido provisionalmente mientras avanzan las investigaciones por presunto enriquecimiento injustificado y blanqueo de capitales. El Tribunal Superior de Apelaciones del Primer Distrito Judicial confirmó la medida cautelar, al considerar que persisten riesgos procesales y una posible afectación de las pruebas.
La decisión fue adoptada por los magistrados Andrés Reyes, presidente del tribunal; Diego Fernández y Mauricio Marín. Durante la audiencia, los jueces concluyeron que la detención continúa siendo necesaria y proporcional en esta etapa del proceso, tras revisar los argumentos presentados por la Fiscalía Anticorrupción y la defensa particular del exfuncionario.
El fiscal anticorrupción Eduardo Rodríguez explicó que el tribunal tomó en cuenta el informe de auditoría elaborado por la Contraloría General de la República y los elementos reunidos por el Ministerio Público. Según indicó, ambos componentes revelan preliminarmente la posible existencia de hechos relacionados con los dos delitos imputados.
“El tribunal estimó que hay una vinculación comprometida, un hecho delictivo acreditado, enriquecimiento injustificado y blanqueo de capitales”, manifestó Rodríguez al explicar el resultado.
Añadió que los riesgos procesales continúan latentes y requieren ser asegurados, por lo que la privación de libertad fue considerada la medida más idónea en este momento.
La investigación comenzó en mayo de 2026, después de que una auditoría detectara un incremento patrimonial de $724,682.39 cuya procedencia legítima no habría sido acreditada.
La cifra forma parte de la tesis del Ministerio Público, pero todavía deberá ser debatida y demostrada dentro del proceso, pues De Gracia mantiene la presunción de inocencia.
Las autoridades sostienen que el exfuncionario habría efectuado transferencias de dinero hacia cuentas vinculadas con su esposa y otra mujer, además de cancelar préstamos hipotecarios y tarjetas de crédito mediante pagos en efectivo.
Para la Fiscalía, estas operaciones dificultaron establecer la trazabilidad bancaria y podrían estar relacionadas con la presunta conversión o movilización de fondos sin justificar.
De Gracia fue aprehendido el 10 de agosto durante la Operación Cuestor, desarrollada en diferentes sectores de Panamá y Panamá Oeste. En las diligencias participaron unidades de investigación e inteligencia policial, mientras las autoridades realizaron acciones sobre tres inmuebles, seis vehículos de alta gama y cuentas bancarias presuntamente vinculadas con el expediente.
Un juez de garantías legalizó posteriormente la aprehensión e imputó a De Gracia como presunto autor de enriquecimiento injustificado agravado y blanqueo de capitales. La detención provisional fue ordenada ante la gravedad de los hechos investigados, el eventual riesgo de fuga y la posibilidad de destrucción o alteración de elementos probatorios.
La esposa del exdirector, Elaine Salterio González, también fue imputada por presunto blanqueo de capitales, pero el juez rechazó mantenerla bajo detención provisional. En su lugar, deberá reportarse dos veces por semana, tiene prohibido salir del país y debe mantener su domicilio, además de cumplir las restantes restricciones impuestas judicialmente.
Una tercera persona vinculada formalmente al expediente es Ninoshka Madeleine Ríos Samaniego, exfuncionaria de la DGI, quien habría mantenido una relación con De Gracia. La mujer fue imputada por presunto blanqueo de capitales y recibió la medida cautelar de arresto domiciliario, mientras las autoridades continúan analizando sus movimientos financieros y bienes.
La defensa de De Gracia, quien dirigió la DGI durante el gobierno de Laurentino Cortizo (2019-2024), ha rechazado los señalamientos y cuestionó la forma en que la Fiscalía calculó el supuesto incremento patrimonial.
Entre sus argumentos sostuvo que las autoridades incluyeron un apartamento valorado en $60,000 que ya figura en otro proceso, situación que, según sus abogados, podría implicar una valoración repetida del mismo bien.
Durante la audiencia más reciente, la defensa estuvo representada por el abogado Javier Quintero, mientras Rodríguez compareció por el Ministerio Público. Después de conocerse la resolución, el fiscal adelantó que la investigación no ha concluido y continúan practicándose nuevas diligencias, algunas relacionadas con información localizada después de las primeras actuaciones judiciales.
“El Ministerio Público sigue haciendo actos de investigación y los hechos se están fortaleciendo”, afirmó Rodríguez. El funcionario anticipó que han surgido otros hallazgos que serán sustentados ante los tribunales, aunque no ofreció detalles sobre su naturaleza ni precisó si podrían derivar en nuevas imputaciones, aprehensiones o medidas sobre otros bienes y cuentas.
Europe
INTERNACIONAL
Unearthed clip exposes what ‘DEI Queen’ in razor-thin House race thought of ‘Back the Blue’ law
FIRST ON FOX: Christina Bohannan, an Iowa state legislator and the Democratic nominee in one of the country’s most competitive districts, once opposed an Iowa Back the Blue law passed in the wake of the 2020 George Floyd riots, calling it an «overreaction.»
«I think that we’re seeing a backlash and, frankly, an exaggerated backlash, an overreaction to all of that,» Bohannan said at a 2021 virtual legislative forum on social justice issues.
«That’s what’s happening. A lot of this is happening because they just don’t have a lot of minorities in their districts. They don’t interact with people on any kind of regular basis, and, so, they don’t see these issues.»
To some onlooking critics, her resurfaced comments are further proof of what they’ve characterized as her soft-on-crime stances, positions they believe are at odds with the electorate of the Hawkeye State as she wages her third campaign to unseat Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks, R-Iowa.
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«Christina Bohannan achieved the ultra rare final boss level of woke where police are bad, criminals are good and anyone who disagrees is racist,» Zach Kraft, a spokesperson for the Republican National Committee, said in a statement to Digital.
«There is a reason why this DEI queen has been rejected twice by voters. She is straight up nuts, and her soft-on-crime agenda would endanger all Iowans.»
Bohannan launched her career in education, teaching at the University of Iowa College of Law, where she remained until 2020, when she won a seat in the Iowa House of Representatives, unseating a 20-year Democratic incumbent.
Bohannan has run for Congress before.
In 2022, she lost to Miller-Meeks in a 53.4% to 46.6% contest. She tried again in 2024 and got closer, losing by a fraction of a percent, 50.0% to 49.8%, and by just 799 votes.
VANCE, CRUZ, HEAD TO IOWA ON 2026 MISSIONS AS 2028 GOP RACE TO SUCCEED TRUMP HEATS UP
In all three races, Republicans have attacked her for her statements as an academic and her voting record as a state legislator, painting her as a soft-on-crime candidate.
In the resurfaced clip, Bohannan was referring to Senate File 342, signed by Gov. Kim Reynolds in 2021. Among other provisions, the bill raised penalties for rioting, making it a class D felony punishable by five years behind bars, and implemented more stringent punishments for unlawful assembly.
The law came amid a wave of anti-police sentiment that swept the country after George Floyd, a Black man from Minneapolis, died after Officer Derek Chauvin knelt on his neck area during a restraint. The incident sparked widespread debate about law enforcement safety and profiling. Where states like Minnesota and Washington passed restrictions on police and other law enforcement officers, Iowa lawmakers rallied to their support.
Iowa Rep. Jarad Klein, a Republican and the bill’s sponsor, framed the legislation as a clear way to support embattled public servants in a floor speech.
«Let me be clear: If you support law enforcement, truly support law enforcement, you will be voting ‘yes’ tonight. If you stand up and say you support law enforcement, your words will become meaningless with a ‘no’ vote. Actions speak louder than words,» Klein said.
Gov. Reynolds echoed that thinking at her signing.
«I made it clear in my Condition of the State Address that Iowa’s law enforcement will always have my respect, and I will always have their back. Today’s bill embodies that commitment in a historic way. The public peace is too important, and the safety of our officers too precious to tolerate destructive behavior,» Reynolds said in a press release.
For her part, Bohannan said she opposed the legislation, arguing it went too far.
«The bill that’s coming over to the House from the Senate about the protestors actually would make it OK for a person to drive negligently or grossly negligently and hit a protester, and there would be immunity for that. It’s sick. These are kids, mostly,» she said.
UNEARTHED CLIP EXPOSES MORE ANTI-POLICE RHETORIC AS EL-SAYED GETS GRILLED FOR DELETING SOCIAL MEDIA POSTS
The final version of the bill does have a provision that protects drivers from civil liability. But it only applies to drivers «exercising due care» and who cause injury to someone engaging in disorderly conduct by blocking traffic on a public street or highway.
Bohannan’s campaign did not respond to a request for comment from Digital on her statements from 2021 or whether she stood by her views of the Back the Blue bill.
politics, blue city crime, house of representatives, iowa
INTERNACIONAL
Finnish foreign ministry official details how Russia’s ‘hybrid warfare’ reshaped border security
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Russian tactics designed to disrupt European nations forced neighboring Finland to fundamentally rethink its border security, culminating in the recent completion of a new border fence along its eastern frontier.
Finland constructed roughly 124 miles of fencing along its border with Russia — a secondary security measure intended to stem the flow of unauthorized Russian migrants, Petri Hakkarainen, political director for the Finnish Ministry for Foreign Affairs, told Fox News Digital.
«We have in the past witnessed Russia’s attempts… to instrumentalize migrants at the Finnish border,» Hakkarainen said. «Basically pushing migrants towards our borders, forcing us then to take them on.»
A sudden influx forces the Finnish government to process large volumes of asylum claims, which could destabilize society if carried out on a massive scale, he explained.
In response, Finland closed its entire land border with Russia in 2023. Moscow swiftly filed a formal complaint, condemning the closure as «Russophobic.»
NATO ALLY POLAND WARNS RUSSIA, BELARUS PUSHING ILLEGAL MIGRANTS TOWARD ALLIANCE — AND THE US
Security cameras overlook the Niirala Border Crossing Station along Finland’s eastern border with Russia in November 2023 after Finland closed the checkpoint amid heightened border security concerns. (Brooke Curto/Fox News Digital)
The Kremlin expressed «deep regret» over the move, claiming it replaced decades of «pragmatic, mutually respectful relations» with an anti-Russian political stance.
Finland shares an 833-mile border with Russia — the longest of any European Union or NATO member state. The completed border fence supplements the border closures.
As Russia remains locked in a war of attrition in Ukraine, Western officials have accused Moscow of launching widespread destabilization campaigns, ranging from disinformation to state-sponsored economic coercion intended to erode public trust across Europe.
FINLAND’S FOREIGN MINISTER SAYS UKRAINE ‘IS NOW HOLDING THE CARDS’ AS RUSSIA SIGNALS TALKS
Signs near the Niirala Border Crossing Station on Finland’s eastern border with Russia in November 2023 following the closure of the checkpoint. (Brooke Curto/Fox News Digital)
«We think it’s important to listen to those of us who live next door to Russia,» Hakkarainen said. «Listen to our analysis of the situation: we consider Russia to be a long-term threat to transatlantic security — not only to Ukraine, not only to Europeans, but to transatlantic security as a whole.»
Finland launched the border fence initiative after Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, a landmark conflict that prompted the historically neutral Nordic nation to join NATO in April 2023.
Moscow has long viewed NATO’s eastward expansion as a direct security threat, using it to justify reinforcing its western defenses.
When Finland officially joined the alliance, Helsinki saw an immediate reaction: over 1,300 migrants without visa arrived at its eastern border.
FINLAND’S PARLIAMENT VOTES TO LIFT DECADES-OLD BAN ON NUCLEAR WEAPONS IN HISTORIC NATO DEFENSE SHIFT
The Niirala border crossing point is seen along Finland’s eastern border with Russia in November 2023 after the Finnish government announced the closure of several border crossings amid concerns over migrant crossings. (Brooke Curto/Fox News Digital)
Finland accused Moscow of weaponizing migration as an act of «hybrid warfare,» a charge the Kremlin denied.
Closing the border checkpoints has proven «very effective,» Hakkarainen noted. Beyond physical barriers, Finnish lawmakers passed the Border Security Act.
The temporary law allows border authorities to restrict asylum applications and turn back migrants if a foreign actor attempts to destabilize the country by funneling people across the border.
NATO JETS SHOOT DOWN DRONE IN LITHUANIAN AIRSPACE AS RUSSIA GROWS ‘INCREASINGLY RECKLESS,’ RUTTE SAYS
Signs mark the Niirala Border Crossing Point on Finland’s eastern border with Russia in November 2023 following the Finnish government’s closure of the crossing. (Brooke Curto/Fox News Digital)
While the law sparked some initial debate over potential human rights and international law violations, Hakkarainen emphasized that national defense took priority.
«We take these concerns very seriously,» he said. «But national security and our own sovereignty… weighed more heavily in this conversation, though there is broad majority support for the act.»
ITALY-SPAIN BORDER FEUD EXPOSES EUROPE’S DEEPENING IMMIGRATION DIVIDE
«We take our security and preparedness very seriously,» Hakkarainen added.
«I would say not despite that, but because of that, we are able to lead very normal lives here — regardless of the neighbor we have.»
the european union, russia, nato, conflicts, ukraine, border wall, world
Justicia panameña mantiene tras las rejas al exdirector de Ingresos
Unearthed clip exposes what ‘DEI Queen’ in razor-thin House race thought of ‘Back the Blue’ law
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