Witkoff says talks with Russian envoy were ‘productive and constructive’ amid Trump admin’s peace push
U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff said he had “productive and constructive meetings” with the Russian special envoy Kirill Dmitriev as part of the Trump administration’s ongoing effort to end the Russia-Ukraine war.
“We are encouraged by this meeting that Russia is working toward securing peace in Ukraine and is grateful for [the president’s] critical leadership in seeking a durable and lasting peace,” Witkoff wrote on X.
During a Cabinet meeting on Thursday, Witkoff said that progress had been made and that there had been “lots of good things happening between the counterparties discussing the land deal.”
“I think the people of Ukraine are now hopeful and expecting that we’re going to deliver a peace deal sometime soon,” Witkoff added.
TRUMP SAYS PUTIN AGREED TO HALT KYIV STRIKES FOR ONE WEEK AMID BRUTAL COLD
The meetings occurred on Saturday in Florida, according to Witkoff, and included Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, Trump’s son-in-law, Jared Kushner, and White House senior advisor Josh Gruenbaum. Witkoff and Kushner have been two of the key players from the Trump administration not only in the Russia-Ukraine deal, but also others, including the Israel-Gaza peace plan.
Witkoff, Kushner and Gruenbaum also met with Putin earlier this month in Moscow shortly after the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland. Following the meeting in Moscow, Witkoff, Kushner, Gruenbaum and other U.S. representatives met with negotiators from Ukraine and Russia. The talks were said to be constructive, despite the fact that obstacles to peace remained.
“A lot was discussed, and it is important that the conversations were constructive,” Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy wrote on X. “As a result of the meetings held over these days, all sides agreed to report back in their capitals on each aspect of the negotiations and to coordinate further steps with their leaders.”
ZELENSKYY TOUTS ‘CONSTRUCTIVE’ TRILATERAL TALKS BETWEEN THE US, RUSSIA AND UKRAINE IN ABU DHABI
Nearly four years after Russian President Vladimir Putin’s invasion, Ukrainians are facing a brutal winter and Russian strikes on Kyiv’s energy resources have made conditions worse. However, President Donald Trump said on Thursday at his Cabinet meeting that Putin had agreed to a temporary pause in targeting Kyiv and other places in the region experiencing the frigid weather.
“And because of the cold, extreme cold — they have the same that we do — I personally asked President Putin not to fire on Kyiv and the cities and towns for a week,” Trump said, adding that Putin had “agreed to do that.” The president classified the weather in the region as being “record-setting cold.”
Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov confirmed on Friday that Trump had made the request for Putin to stop targeting Kyiv until Feb. 1 “in order to create favorable conditions for negotiations,” The Associated Press reported. The outlet noted that it was odd that the Kremlin spokesperson mentioned Feb. 1, as it would mean it was only a two-day pause. Additionally, the AP reported that the cold weather forecast is set to get worse after Sunday.
Witkoff, Kushner and Gruenbaum met with Putin earlier this month in Moscow shortly after the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland. Following the meeting in Moscow, Witkoff, Kushner, Gruenbaum and other U.S. representatives met with negotiators from Ukraine and Russia. The talks were said to be constructive, despite the fact that obstacles to peace remained.
“A lot was discussed, and it is important that the conversations were constructive,” Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy wrote on X. “As a result of the meetings held over these days, all sides agreed to report back in their capitals on each aspect of the negotiations and to coordinate further steps with their leaders.”
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Russia and Ukraine are set to hold another round of peace negotiations in Abu Dhabi on Sunday, according to The Kyiv Independent. However, it is unclear whether the U.S. will participate in the talks.
Trump says Gulf allies kept in dark as US negotiates with Iran: ‘Cant’ tell them the plan’
President Donald Trump has said the U.S. could not share military plans with Gulf allies while negotiating with Iran, even as a major American naval presence moves into the region.
Trump, speaking with Fox News Channel Senior White House Correspondent Jacqui Heinrich, responded to reporting that Gulf allies remain in the dark about potential U.S. intervention plans involving Iran.
It comes as Trump is understood to be weighing his options on a possible military strike on Iran amid widespread protests and violent crackdowns inside the country.
TRUMP’S IRAN BRIEFING MAY BE ‘DECEPTION CAMPAIGN’ TO MASK MOVES ALREADY UNDERWAY, EXPERT SAYS
‘‘Well, we can’t tell them the plan. If I told them the plan, it would be almost as bad as telling you the plan — it could be worse, actually,’’ Trump said. ‘‘But look, the plan is that [Iran is] talking to us, and we’ll see if we can do something, otherwise we’ll see what happens… We have a big fleet heading out there, bigger than we had — and still have, actually — in Venezuela.’’
Trump announced earlier this week that a ‘‘massive Armada is heading to Iran,’’ led by the USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier.
A senior Gulf official told Fox News that Saudi Arabia would not allow the U.S. to use its airspace or bases for an attack. A high-ranking government figure from a Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) state told Fox News that the ‘‘U.S. hasn’t shared objectives or plans’’ regarding Iran with Gulf allies, despite recent high-level Saudi meetings in Washington aimed at gaining clarity.
Gulf allies have said Iran frequently seeks negotiations, but they remain skeptical that talks will lead to a deal.
‘‘Well, that’s true, but they are negotiating, so we’ll see what happens,’’ Trump said, responding to that assessment.
TRUMP VOWS TO ‘KNOCK THE HELL OUT OF’ IRAN IF NUCLEAR PROGRAM IS REBUILT AGAIN AFTER HIGH-STAKES MEETING
‘‘You know, the last time they negotiated, we had to take out their nuclear, didn’t work, you know. Then we took it out a different way, and we’ll see what happens,” Trump added.
Trump also addressed government funding and the risk of a shutdown, saying Democrats would bear responsibility if talks collapse.
‘‘I think it’s going fine. We had a big GDP, I lost a point and a half because of the last [shutdown],’’ Trump said. ‘‘So you’ll see what happens. I think the Democrats don’t want it to happen. Makes them look very bad, yeah, but it’s not a good thing for the country. So hopefully, enough people will use their heads.’’
Asked about Democratic demands that Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents remove face coverings as part of Department of Homeland Security (DHS) funding negotiations, Trump declined to engage, while pointing to recent comments on Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem and law enforcement efforts.
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‘‘I don’t want to comment on that yet, because it’s not time to,’’ Trump said. ‘‘But I’ll have a comment. You saw my statement on Kristi yesterday. You know where my attitude is. We’re at a low point in history in crime. Since 1900 — recorded history… We have the lowest crime, the lowest number of murders, the lowest everything, because we’re taking criminals out of our country. And Tom’s doing great.’’
Iran’s president accuses Trump, Netanyahu, Europe of provoking unrest: ‘They brought them into the streets’
Iran’s president accused President Donald Trump, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and European leaders Saturday of provoking unrest and trying to “tear this country apart,” a report said.
Masoud Pezeshkian told state television that Trump, Netanyahu and European leaders “rode on our problems, provoked, and were seeking — and still seek — to fragment society,” according to Reuters.
“They brought them into the streets and wanted, as they said, to tear this country apart, to sow conflict and hatred among the people and create division,” Pezeshkian reportedly added about the anti-government protests and deadly crackdown that recently swept through Iran. “Everyone knows that the issue was not just a social protest.”
The White House did not immediately respond Saturday to a request for comment from Fox News Digital.
SAUDIS WON’T LET THE UNITED STATES USE ITS BASES OR AIRSPACE FOR AN ATTACK ON IRAN, SENIOR GULF OFFICIAL REVEALS
The U.S.-based Human Rights Activists News Agency recently reported that the violence in Iran has killed at least 6,479 people in recent weeks, with many more feared dead. Its count included at least 6,092 protesters, 214 government-affiliated forces, 118 children and 55 civilians who were not demonstrating. More than 47,200 have been arrested, it added.
As of Jan. 21, Iran’s government put the death toll at a far lower 3,117, saying 2,427 were civilians and security forces and labeling the rest “terrorists.”
Pezeshkian’s comments come after Trump said Friday that the United States has directly communicated expectations to Iran as pressure mounts for Tehran to accept a nuclear deal.
SATELLITE IMAGES REVEAL ACTIVITY AT IRAN NUCLEAR SITES BOMBED BY US, ISRAEL
Asked whether Iran faces a deadline to make a deal, Trump suggested in the Oval Office on Friday the timeline had been conveyed privately.
“Only they know for sure,” he said when pressed about whether the message had been delivered directly to Iranian leaders.
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As Trump weighs his options on a possible military strike on Iran, a senior Gulf official also told Fox News Saudi Arabia will not allow the U.S. to use its airspace or bases for such an attack.
US military warns Iran it will not tolerate any ‘unsafe’ actions ahead of live-fire drills in Strait of Hormuz
The U.S. military warned Iran it will not tolerate “any unsafe and unprofessional behavior” surrounding U.S. forces in the Middle East as Tehran is gearing up for live-fire naval drills in the Strait of Hormuz.
The declaration comes as Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) is set to begin a 2-day exercise starting Sunday, according to the U.S. Central Command. President Donald Trump announced this week that a “massive Armada is heading to Iran,” led by the USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier.
“U.S. forces acknowledge Iran’s right to operate professionally in international airspace and waters. Any unsafe and unprofessional behavior near U.S. forces, regional partners or commercial vessels increases risks of collision, escalation, and destabilization,” CENTCOM said in a statement.
“CENTCOM will ensure the safety of U.S. personnel, ships, and aircraft operating in the Middle East. We will not tolerate unsafe IRGC actions, including overflight of U.S. military vessels engaged in flight operations, low-altitude or armed overflight of U.S. military assets when intentions are unclear, highspeed boat approaches on a collision course with U.S. military vessels, or weapons trained at U.S. forces,” it added.
SAUDIS WON’T LET THE UNITED STATES USE ITS BASES OR AIRSPACE FOR AN ATTACK ON IRAN, SENIOR GULF OFFICIAL REVEALS
“The U.S. military has the most highly trained and lethal force in the world and will continue to operate with the highest levels of professionalism and adhere to international norms. Iran’s IRGC must do the same,” it also said.
CENTCOM described the Strait or Hormuz as “an international sea passage and an essential trade corridor that supports regional economic prosperity.”
HEGSETH SAYS DEPARTMENT OF WAR ‘WILL BE PREPARED TO DELIVER’ WHATEVER TRUMP WANTS FOLLOWING IRAN WARNING
“On any given day, roughly 100 of the world’s merchant vessels transit the narrow strait,” it said.
Secretary of War Pete Hegseth said during a Cabinet meeting this week that the Department of War will “be prepared to deliver whatever this president expects” following a warning to Iran about its nuclear program.
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Trump said Wednesday Iran that “time is running out” to strike a deal.
Satellite images reveal activity at Iran nuclear sites bombed by US, Israel
Fresh satellite images have captured roofs being built over damaged buildings at Iranian nuclear sites that were attacked by the U.S. and Israel last year.
The photos from Planet Labs PBC show new coverings over two structures at the Isfahan and Natanz facilities following the June 2025 strikes.
The roofs are likely part of Iran’s efforts “to assess whether key assets — such as limited stocks of highly enriched uranium — survived the strikes,” Andrea Stricker, who studies Iran for the Washington-based Foundation for Defense of Democracies, told The Associated Press.
“They want to be able to get at any recovered assets they can get to without Israel or the United States seeing what survived,” she added.
A FULL BREAKDOWN OF OPERATION MIDNIGHT HAMMER, THE ‘LARGEST B-2 OPERATIONAL STRIKE IN US HISTORY’
Those coverings block satellites from seeing what’s happening on the ground — right now the only way for inspectors from the International Atomic Energy Agency to monitor the sites, as Iran has prevented access.
The Natanz site, which is about 135 miles south of Iran’s capital of Tehran, is a mix of above- and below-ground laboratories that did the majority of Iran’s uranium enrichment.
The facility outside the city of Isfahan was mainly known for producing the uranium gas that is fed into centrifuges to be spun and purified.
TRUMP SAYS IRAN ALREADY HAS US TERMS AS MILITARY STRIKE CLOCK TICKS
Last year, Israel targeted the sites first, followed by U.S. strikes using bunker-busting bombs and Tomahawk cruise missiles.
The Israel Defense Forces said in June 2025 that a strike on the Isfahan site had “dismantled a facility for producing metallic uranium, infrastructure for reconverting enriched uranium, laboratories, and additional infrastructure.”
The U.S. strikes “significantly degraded Iran’s nuclear program,” the White House’s National Security Strategy published in November said.
Iran has not allowed IAEA inspectors to visit the sites since the attacks.
The new satellite images come as President Donald Trump has repeatedly warned that a “massive Armada” is heading toward the Middle East, ratcheting up pressure on the Iranian regime to reach a nuclear deal. Secretary of War Pete Hegseth said during a Cabinet meeting Thursday that the U.S. military is “prepared to deliver whatever the president expects” regarding Iran. Meanwhile, Iranian military officials have vowed that any U.S. attack would be met with an immediate and decisive response.
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The Trump administration has also escalated sanctions on Iranian officials in response to the deadly crackdown on anti-regime protesters.