Iran’s underground enrichment facilities exposed as talks with US envoys fall apart
Vice President JD Vance confirmed Monday that negotiations with Iran over its nuclear program collapsed after U.S. officials concluded Tehran’s claims “did not pass the smell test,” prompting President Donald Trump to authorize Operation Epic Fury.
Speaking on “Jesse Watters Primetime,” Vance said U.S. envoys — including Steve Witkoff, Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Jared Kushner — had conducted rounds of “deliberate” talks in Geneva with the Iranian delegation.
The discussions were aimed at curbing Tehran’s nuclear program in exchange for sanctions relief and averting a broader conflict, he said, but ultimately broke down.
“But the Iranians would come back to us and they’d say, ‘Well, you know, having enrichment for civilian purposes, for energy purposes, is a matter of national pride,’” Vance said.
“And so we would say, ‘OK, that’s interesting, but why are you building your enrichment facilities 70 feet underground? And why are you enriching to a level that’s way beyond civilian enrichment and is only useful if your goal is to build a nuclear bomb?’” he said.
“Nobody objects to the Iranians being able to build medical isotopes; the objection is these enrichment facilities that are only useful for building a nuclear weapon,” Vance clarified.
“It just doesn’t pass the smell test for you to say that you want enrichment for medical isotopes, while at the same time trying to build a facility 70 to 80 feet underground,” he explained.
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Vance spoke as Operation Epic Fury ended its third day. Launched on Feb. 28, U.S. and Israeli forces carried out coordinated precision strikes deep inside Iran aimed at crippling Tehran’s missile arsenal and nuclear infrastructure.
A key issue had been Iran enriching uranium to high levels, including material around 60% purity — a fraction of weapons-grade but far above limits set under the 2015 nuclear deal — keeping international alarm high over proliferation risks.
“We destroyed Iran’s ability to build a nuclear weapon during President Trump’s term,” Vance told Watters. “We set them back substantially. But I think the President was looking for the long haul,” he said.
“Trump was looking for Iran to make a significant long-term commitment that they would never build a nuclear weapon, that they would not pursue the ability to be on the brink of a nuclear weapon.”
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“He wanted to make sure that Iran could never have a nuclear weapon, and that would require fundamentally a change in mindset from the Iranian regime.”
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“The President is not going to rest until he accomplishes that all-important objective of ensuring that Iran can’t have a nuclear weapon, not just for the next few years, not just because we obliterated for dough or some other.”
“There’s just no way that Donald Trump is going to allow this country to get into a multiyear conflict with no clear end in sight and no clear objective,” Vance added while describing that the administration would prefer to see “a friendly regime in Iran, a stable country, a country that’s willing to work with the United States.”
Israeli PM laughs off claim Trump is being ‘dragged’ into war with Iran
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu assured Americans on Monday that there won’t be an “endless war” in the Middle East as the United States and Israel continue striking the Iranian regime.
“You’re not going to have an endless war,” Netanyahu told Fox News’ Sean Hannity in an exclusive interview. “This terror regime in Iran is at the weakest point that it’s been since it hijacked Iran from the brave Iranian people 47 years ago. So this is going to be a quick and decisive action. And we’re going to create the conditions first for the Iranian people to get control of their destiny, to form their own democratically elected government, which will make a different Iran altogether.”
Netanyahu insisted that the destruction of the Iranian regime would pave the way for “many peace treaties” with other Muslim countries in the region and that it would “change the world.”
“If we go through what we plan to do, I think it will create conditions for peace,” the prime minister said. “This is not an endless war. This is, in fact, something that will usher in an era of peace that we haven’t even dreamed of.”
Netanyahu specifically cited Saudi Arabia as a nation he believes has “a lot to gain” from the Iranian regime’s fall and that peace between Saudi Arabia and Israel will be “very close” as a result.
“So this is a gateway for peace, for broader peace. And I believe that we can achieve it,” Netanyahu continued. “The most important thing to understand is that when we work together, President Trump and I, we achieved, in fact, four breakthroughs for peace. Brokered by President Trump working together with me, we brokered — we brought forward the Abraham Accords, which was four peace treaties with four Arab countries. And now working together against Iran, we will be able to bring many, many more peace treaties. So this is not an endless war. This is a gateway to peace. It’s the exact opposite of what people are saying.”
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Netanyahu laughed at the “ridiculous” assertion Trump’s critics have said that the president was dragged into a war with Iran by Israel.
“Donald Trump is the strongest leader in the world,” he said. “He does what he thinks is right for America. He does also what he thinks is right for future generations… Iran is committed to your destruction. And whether people understand it or not, the leader has to understand it. Donald Trump understands it. You don’t have to drag him into anything. He does what he thinks is right, and this is right.”
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He doubled down on the dramatic military action his country and the U.S. have taken with “Operation Epic Fury.”
“The reason that we had to act now is because they were,” Netanyahu said. “After we hit their nuclear sites and their ballistic missiles program, you’d think they learned a lesson, but they didn’t because they’re unreformable. They’re totally fanatic about this—about the goal of destroying America. So, they started building new sites and new places, underground bunkers that would make their ballistic missile program and their atomic bomb program immune within months.”
“If no action was taken now, no action could be taken in the future,” Netanyahu continued. “And then they could target America. They could blackmail America. They could threaten us and threaten everyone in between. So, action had to be taken. And you needed a resolute president like Donald J. Trump to take that action.”
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Twin holds tight as skier hangs 65 feet above slope, begging to be let go
A skier was left dangling 65 feet in the air after a prank on a chairlift went terribly wrong.
The incident happened Feb. 24 at Big Bear Lake in California, where Roula De Miranda-Arce, 21, was riding the lift with her twin sister and a friend, news agency SWNS reported.
Big Bear Mountain Resort confirmed the incident in a statement shared with Fox News Digital.
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“At approximately 2:45 p.m. on Tuesday, Feb. 24, a 21-year-old female skier safely loaded onto Chair 9 at Bear Mountain. At some point during her ride to the top, she failed to maintain proper safety protocols and became suspended from the carrier,” the resort said in its statement.
The organization added, “The guest and her sister, who was riding the carrier with her, admitted to horseplay as the reason for her becoming suspended. As soon as staff became aware of the situation, they took quick action to stop the carrier and unload everyone as soon as it reached the upper terminal.”
Officials said the skier was evaluated by ski patrol as a precaution and did not sustain significant injuries.
NEARLY 70 SKIERS STRANDED IN MIDAIR FOR HOURS AFTER GONDOLA MALFUNCTIONS AT POPULAR RESORT
In an attempt to jokingly scare her sister, De Miranda-Arce slid down from the moving chair, planning to hang briefly before pulling herself back up, SWNS reported.
The weight of her skis, however, made it impossible for her to lift herself back onto the seat — leaving her suspended as the chair continued uphill.
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Video shows the young woman hanging in midair while her sister and friend cling tightly to her arms, preventing her from falling.
“I thought I was going to die or become a paraplegic,” she said.
The young woman said she began screaming as the strain on her arms intensified.
“I was screaming at one point, ‘Just let me go,’ because it felt like my arms were going to break,” she said.
“And thank God my sister and my friend did not listen to me.”
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The pair managed to hold her for roughly two minutes until the chairlift reached the top of the slope — where ski patrol members were waiting for her.
“It’s crazy what your body does in fight or flight,” she said.
The resort said the incident serves as a reminder for guests to lower the safety bar and avoid potentially dangerous behavior while riding lifts.
Fox News Digital previously reported on another alarming chairlift incident in California earlier this year.
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A 12-year-old girl was left dangling from a ski lift at Mammoth Mountain Ski Resort before falling to the ground in a frightening moment captured on video.
Footage showed ski resort staff rushing to position padding and a safety net beneath her as she struggled to hold on, though she ultimately missed most of the net during the fall.
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Her mother later said the girl “miraculously walked away with no broken bones or major injuries” — calling it a traumatic but accidental event.
WATCH: Hillary Clinton storms out of heated House testimony on Epstein
A newly released video shows former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton storming out of the room during her deposition for the House Oversight Committee’s Jeffrey Epstein probe last week, after exploding at Republican lawmakers for allowing a photo of her to leak.
“I’m done with this. If you guys are doing that, I am done,” Clinton said loudly after the leak was brought to her attention. “You can hold me in contempt from now until the cows come home. This is just typical behavior.”
The outburst came in response to a photo of Clinton from inside the deposition room that was posted by right-wing influencer Benny Johnson. Johnson said in his X post that Rep. Lauren Boebert, R-Colo., took the photo.
Someone off camera then said the deposition would go off the record, and Boebert can be heard in the background saying she did take a photo before the deposition began.
“Oh for heaven’s sake,” Clinton cut in exasperated, thumping her fist on the table. “It doesn’t matter. We all are abiding by the same rules.”
Boebert can be heard saying she would take down the photo.
“Yeah, well,” Clinton responded aggressively as her lawyer asked to take a break.
“I’m done,” she said again, leaving the table.
The screen then promptly cut to black for a few seconds before the deposition appeared to resume moments later.
The stunning moment was part of nearly five hours of footage showing Clinton being deposed by lawmakers investigating the government’s handling of Jeffrey Epstein’s case.
Clinton stayed behind closed doors with both Republicans and Democrats from the 11 a.m. hour on Thursday, emerging to speak to reporters a little after 5:30 p.m. that evening.
The former first lady and Obama administration official told lawmakers she had no recollection of ever meeting Epstein and that she only knew his accomplice, Ghislaine Maxwell, as an acquaintance.
The deposition occurred a day before her husband, former President Bill Clinton, was similarly deposed behind closed doors for the committee’s Epstein probe.
When the testimony resumed, Clinton’s lawyer accused the Oversight majority of “violating its own rules” with the photo leak.
“I’d like to just say, for the record, we find it unacceptable, we find it unprofessional, and we find it unfair,” the lawyer said, noting the Clintons themselves pushed for a public hearing in the first place. “We are here in good faith, we are counting on good faith from all the members.”
Committee Chairman James Comer, R-Ky., can be heard responding, “I’ve advised my members that no photos or videos during the deposition can be released. I understand the posted photo was taken before the deposition started. That will not happen again. And we will look forward to continue with the deposition.”
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He also countered that the committee was “disappointed that the secretary’s opening statement was leaked to the press, before she even gave her opening statement.”
“It was not leaked to the press, it was provided, as with other witnesses,” Clinton’s lawyer responded. “What we don’t want is a secretary to be treated any differently than other witnesses.”
At another point, someone on the Democratic side could be heard asking Clinton about the photo leak.
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“I will confess that I had some concerns about whether the majority on the committee would treat me fairly and would, you know, fairly convey what I say and what I did and how I looked and how I responded,” Clinton responded, again noting the decision to have a closed deposition rather than a public hearing.
“So it was disappointing, and I regret that it happened, and it violated your rules. But that’s not the real concern I have. The real concern is, get busy, focus on the people that have something to tell you that can tell you about intelligence, money, and crimes, and get them before you. And whenever possible, do it in public.”
She was then asked if President Donald Trump should be deposed in the probe, to which Clinton answered, “Absolutely.”
Clinton noted both in her opening statement and in comments to the press after the deposition that she had never met Epstein and only knew his accomplice Ghislaine Maxwell as an “acquaintance.”
‘Deadliest Catch’ deckhand dies at 25 while fishing off Alaska coast
Todd Meadows, the newest “Deadliest Catch” deckhand, died Feb. 25, while fishing off the coast of Alaska. He was 25.
Captain Rick Shelford called Meadows’ death the “most tragic day in the history” of his boat, the Aleutian Lady, in a statement shared on social media.
Circumstances surrounding his death were not immediately available.
“Todd was the newest member of our crew, he quickly became family,” Shelford wrote online. “His love for fishing and his strong work ethic earned everyone’s respect right away.”
“His smile was contagious, and the sound of his laughter coming up the wheelhouse stairs or over the deck hailer is something we will carry with us always.”
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Shelford continued, “Todd’s love for his children, his family, and his life was evident in everything he did. He worked hard, loved deeply, and brought joy to those around him. Right now, our hearts are broken in a way that words can’t fully express.”
The captain asked followers to pray for the late fisherman’s children and family, “and keep them in your thoughts as they face the days ahead without him.”
“Todd will forever be part of this boat, this crew, and this brotherhood,” Shelford added. “Though we lost him far too soon, his legacy will live on through his children and in every memory we carry of him. Rest easy brother, till we meet again.”
A crowdfunding campaign created to support Meadows’ children noted that the angler died “while doing what he loved — crabbing out on Alaskan waters.”
“He was a determined dad to three amazing little boys who were his entire world,” the campaign said. “Everything he did was for them — their smiles, their futures, and the memories they will carry with them.”
Representatives for the Discovery Channel show also confirmed Meadows’ death in a statement shared with Fox News Digital.
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“We are deeply saddened by the tragic passing of Todd Meadows. This is a devastating loss, and our hearts are with his loved ones, his crewmates, and the entire fishing community during this incredibly difficult time.”
Influencer’s viral Idaho murders accusations bring major consequences
A federal jury in Boise awarded $10 million to a University of Idaho professor after finding a Texas TikToker financially liable for spreading false claims that linked her to the 2022 stabbing deaths of four college students.
The decision came Friday in U.S. District Court in the case of Scofield v. Guillard. Jurors awarded $7.5 million in punitive damages and $2.5 million in compensatory damages, according to court records and reporting by the Idaho Statesman.
Professor Rebecca Scofield, who chairs the university’s history department, filed suit in December 2022 against Houston resident Ashley Guillard. The lawsuit stemmed from a series of TikTok videos in which Guillard alleged, without evidence, that Scofield had a romantic relationship with one of the victims and arranged the killings.
The victims, Kaylee Goncalves, Madison Mogen, Xana Kernodle and Ethan Chapin, were stabbed to death in a rental home near campus in Moscow, Idaho, on Nov. 13, 2022. The crime drew nationwide attention and left the campus community reeling.
Authorities later arrested Bryan Kohberger, a criminology doctoral student at nearby Washington State University at the time. He ultimately pleaded guilty in a deal that spared him the death penalty and is now serving four consecutive life sentences in an Idaho state prison.
In a statement to Fox News Digital following the verdict, Scofield expressed gratitude to the jury and said she hopes to close a painful chapter.
“I want to thank the jury for their time and attention to this case. The judge had already ruled as a matter of law that the statements were false. The $10 million verdict reinforces the judge’s decision and sends the clear message that false statements online have consequences in the real world for real people and are unacceptable in our community,” Scofield said.
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“The murders of the four students on November 13, 2022, was the darkest chapter in our university’s history. Today’s decision shows that respect and care should always be granted to victims during these tragedies. I am hopeful that this difficult chapter in my life is over, and I can return to a more normal life with my family and the wonderful Moscow community.”
Court filings show that in June 2024, Chief U.S. Magistrate Judge Raymond Patricco determined that Guillard’s statements were legally defamatory, leaving only the question of monetary damages for a jury to decide.
According to the complaint, Guillard began posting videos in late November 2022 claiming Scofield had secretly been involved with one of the students and had “ordered” the killings. The lawsuit states Scofield had never met any of the victims and was out of state when the murders occurred.
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The filing further alleges that Guillard continued publishing the accusations even after receiving cease-and-desist letters and after police publicly indicated Scofield was not connected to the crime.
At the time, Guillard’s TikTok account had garnered more than 100,000 followers, with some of the videos receiving millions of interactions, according to court documents.
Scofield’s legal team argued the statements amounted to defamation because they accused her of criminal conduct and professional misconduct that could jeopardize her academic career.
During the damages trial, Scofield described the emotional toll of seeing her name associated with the murders online, according to the Idaho Statesman. Jurors deliberated for less than two hours before returning their verdict, the outlet reported.
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Guillard, who represented herself in court, has maintained that her statements were expressions of belief tied to tarot card readings, according to courtroom coverage.
It was not immediately known whether she intends to appeal. Fox News Digital has reached out to Guillard for comment.
Iranian women’s soccer team refuses to sing anthem in suspected protest
The Iranian women’s national soccer team made quite the statement on Monday night during the opening match of the Women’s Asian Cup, as they refused to sing while their national anthem played over the speakers at Cbus Super Stadium on the Gold Coast.
The players were in their customary line before their match against South Korea, when the Iranian national anthem began to play. The women, looking straight ahead and barely moving, were stoic as it appeared there were jeers from the crowd. Later, applause erupted from those in attendance following the 3-0 South Korea victory.
Iran’s manager, Marziyeh Jafari, was also seen smiling as she looked upon her players’ silence from the sidelines.
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This silence is particularly deafening following the confirmed U.S.-Israeli strikes over the weekend that killed Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Iran has since counterattacked by firing missiles and drones at Israel and regional countries that host U.S. allies or military bases, including Bahrain and Qatar.
During questioning by media on Sunday, Iran women’s national team captain Zahra Ghanbari, alongside Jafari, was asked about Khamenei’s death. The question was shot down quickly.
Jafari answered in Farsi, but an AFC media representative cut off her response without any translation, according to ESPN.
“OK, I think that’s all for your question. Thank you for asking. Let’s just focus on the game itself,” the media rep said before questioning continued.
While the content of Jafari’s response remains unknown, the team’s stoic nature during the national anthem, which is usually met by at least some players singing, says enough.
The U.S. and Israel’s massive joint military operation, known as “Operation Epic Fury,” left many of Iran’s major leaders dead, including Khamenei. President Donald Trump warned on Sunday against any Iranian retaliation, saying if Iran were to “hit very hard,” they would be met with “a force that has never been seen before.”
The attacks have impacted the sports world as well as the rest of the country; the football federation’s president shared a bleak outlook about playing in this year’s FIFA World Cup. Iran has already qualified for the tournament and is set to face New Zealand in Los Angeles in June to kick off its Group G schedule.
“What is certain is that after this attack, we cannot be expected to look forward to the World Cup with hope,” football president Mehdi Taj told sports portal Varzesh3 on Sunday.
“The US regime has attacked our homeland, and this is an incident that will not go unanswered.”
FIFA also noted it will be monitoring the situation with Iran.
Iran’s national team will not be preparing for the World Cup at this time, as a 40-day mourning period following the death of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei is in effect. However, the women’s national team was allowed to compete in the Asian Cup.
Elsewhere in the sports world, Fox News Digital learned that Israel’s national gymnastics team suspended all training and team activities amid the counterattack, with the Israel Gymnastics Federation (IGF) providing a statement announcing that the violence has caused “unavoidable disruptions.”
The current security situation in our region has resulted in unavoidable disruptions to our regular training schedule and has created significant uncertainty regarding the national teams’ professional plans, particularly as we are at the outset of the international season,” the statement read.
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A source within the team also told Fox News Digital on Saturday that the gymnasts have been moving between bomb shelters since Iran’s counterstrikes began.
Iranian airstrikes killed at least eight Israelis on Sunday, when a missile barrage landed just miles from Jerusalem in Beit Shemesh.
Savannah Guthrie shares emotional message after visiting tribute to mom
TUCSON, Ariz. — Savannah Guthrie was spotted outside her mother Nancy Guthrie’s home on Monday morning, viewing flowers left by supporters.
The Fox Flight Team drone captured video of her and other family members viewing the items left by well-wishers. Additional video of the visit shows Annie Guthrie, Savannah’s older sister, sobbing during the visit before she, her husband and younger sister placed yellow flowers at the growing display in her mother’s honor.
She also left a note addressed to her mother and signed by her and her husband.
In a new post on Instagram shortly after her visit to the site, Savannah Guthrie shared a photo of the memorial featuring the vibrant yellow flowers.
She wrote: “we feel the love and prayers from our neighbors, from the Tucson community and from around the country. please don’t stop praying and hoping with us. bring her home.”
It’s now been more than a month since Nancy Guthrie’s suspected abduction from her home in the Catalina Foothills.
The Pima County Sheriff’s Department and Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) have shifted resources as the case enters its fifth week without an arrest or publicly named suspect.
Sources said that on Monday, the case was handed off to a task force featuring Pima County homicide detectives and FBI agents. Sheriff Chris Nanos has not held a news conference since Feb. 5.
“This remains an active investigation and will continue until Nancy Guthrie is located or all leads have been exhausted,” a PCSD spokesman told Fox News Digital. “The Pima County Sheriff’s Department is refocusing resources to detectives specifically assigned to this case. As leads are developed and resolved, resource allocation may fluctuate. PCSD will maintain a patrol presence in the Guthrie neighborhood.”
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Investigators are still digging through tens of thousands of tips and leads. There are thousands of hours of video. DNA leads remain under investigation. Authorities have yet to publicly reveal what other items worn by a suspect seen on Nancy’s Nest doorbell camera have been identified aside from his Ozark Trail backpack.
They are also reportedly still looking into a Ring camera video taken on a back road out of Nancy’s neighborhood, about 2.5 miles from her home, which leads to East River Road, a major cross street.
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The video, first obtained by Fox News Digital and provided to authorities last week, was recorded on a Ring camera roughly a seven-minute drive from Guthrie’s address — and it is still part of the investigation, Savannah’s network NBC reported Monday.
One of the vehicles it shows was recorded at around 2:36 a.m. on Feb. 1, which is roughly eight minutes after Guthrie’s pacemaker last synced with her iPhone, according to the sheriff’s timeline.
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“I think this is the best lead probably since day one,” said retired Pima County Search and Rescue Commander Bob Krygier. He told Fox News Digital the footage is worth serious follow-up but cautioned it may ultimately prove unrelated.
“I think it’s a great little bit to follow up on. If I had to guess, I would say it’s probably not related,” he said, adding that investigators would likely review several weeks of footage to determine whether the cars follow normal overnight routines.
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“It’s not just a road that you stumble upon,” he said. “You have to be very planned to go in there.”
Retired NYPD detective and national security expert Pat Brosnan reviewed the video with his team. He told Fox News Digital they believe the vehicle seen at 2:36 a.m. is a Kia Soul, based on its slanted roof, window design and rear-quarter glass. He also noted the vertical brake lights.
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The combined reward is more than $1 million and has yet to be claimed.
Anyone with information is asked to call 1-800-CALL-FBI.