Where things stand now
• Iran talks: US special envoy Steve Witkoff and Iran’s foreign minister held direct talks during negotiations on Tehran’s nuclear program today in Switzerland, a source tells CNN. The sides have typically spoken indirectly through a mediator. The high-stakes talks come amid a huge US military buildup in the Middle East.
• Ukraine talks: US negotiators are also meeting with Ukrainian officials today, with a “prosperity package” for the reconstruction of Ukraine set to be discussed, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said.
• Clinton depositions: Back in the US, Hillary Clinton is testifying behind closed doors in a congressional investigation into convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. Bill Clinton will appear tomorrow, marking the culmination of a legal showdown with House Republicans over the couple testifying.
Clinton deposition paused after photo from closed-door interview posted online
Hillary Clinton spokesperson Nick Merrill told reporters Thursday that the former secretary of state’s deposition has been paused because a photo of the ongoing closed-door interview was posted on X – in violation, he said, of House rules.
“The hearing has been paused briefly while we figure out where the photo came from,” Merrill said.
Chamber rules, he said, were read at the top of the deposition.
The former first lady and secretary of state is being deposed in the House Oversight Committee’s Jeffrey Epstein probe in Chappaqua, New York.
Trump set to meet with Mamdani today
President Donald Trump is set to meet with New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani today, according to two people familiar with the plans.
The two are expected to discuss housing, one of those people said. That was a topic during their last meeting at the White House in November.
The New York Times first reported the meeting.
House Democrats criticize GOP for attending Clinton deposition but skipping others
Ahead of Hillary Clinton’s closed-door deposition Thursday, Democratic Rep. James Walkinshaw called out Republicans for only wanting to speak to her for political reasons.
Democrats on the panel also criticized Republicans for showing up for Clinton’s deposition in the House Oversight’s Jeffrey Epstein probe but not for billionaire Les Wexner’s deposition earlier this month in Ohio.
Rep. Robert Garcia, the top Democrat on the panel, added that Democrats are going to continue demanding the Justice Department release all of the Epstein files in light of reporting that the department withheld documents pertaining to allegations including President Donald Trump.
“At this very moment the Department of Justice continues to lead a White House cover up,” Garcia said.
Trump has long denied any wrongdoing related to Epstein.
We're tracking a range of political stories today. Read in on the latest
Hillary Clinton is currently testifying before members of the House Oversight Committee in a deposition related to its investigation into Jeffrey Epstein.
It’s happening behind closed doors in Chappaqua, New York, where she and Bill Clinton live, although the interview is being videotaped and transcribed.
At the same time, the US is holding separate talks with Iran and Ukraine in Geneva, Switzerland today.
If you’re just joining, we’re staying across the latest politics news in the US and abroad. Catch up on the latest:
Where things stand with the Iran talks:
- The US entered today’s talks with firm demands: that Iran dismantle its primary nuclear facilities and that any agreement to halt nuclear enrichment last in perpetuity.
- American negotiators insisted on “limiting” Iran’s enrichment of uranium and maintaining long-term verification of its nuclear program, a source told CNN.
- A key adviser to Iran’s supreme leader said an “immediate agreement” between Washington and Tehran could be within reach if the subject of talks is confined to Iran’s “non-production of nuclear weapons.”
The latest on Ukraine:
- Negotiators are expected to discuss a “prosperity package” for the reconstruction of Ukraine and another potential exchange of prisoners of war, according to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.
- Meanwhile, Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said, “We don’t have deadlines; we have objectives. And we are accomplishing them,” when asked if there was a timeline for the end of the war.
More headlines from the US:
- Immigration and Customs Enforcement arrested 261 recipients of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program between January and November of last year, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said in a letter to Congress.
- Director of the Joint Staff Vice Adm. Fred Kacher has been removed and will shift to a role elsewhere in the US Navy, a Joint Staff spokesperson confirmed. The news comes just a few months after Kacher took the role.
CNN’s Annie Grayer, Kevin Liptak, Haley Britzky, Billy Stockwell, Darya Tarasova, Paula Hancocks and Kaanita Iyer contributed to this report.
Top Oversight Democrat: Bill Clinton deposition sets precedent to depose President Trump
The top Democrat on the House Oversight Committee said former President Bill Clinton’s deposition on Friday sets a precedent for the committee to depose President Donald Trump.
“We should be very clear that now that we are going to hear from former President Clinton, I hope that Chairman Comer and the Republicans will join us in demanding that the person who actually appears more times in the files than the former president who we want to speak with, is President Donald Trump. So let’s get President Trump in front of our committee to answer the questions that are being asked across this country from survivors,” Rep. Robert Garcia said.
Garcia said he wants to speak to anyone who has knowledge of Jeffrey Epstein’s crimes, regardless of party, but noted that Hillary Clinton – who is currently being deposed behind closed doors – “has been very clear she has never met Jeffrey Epstein.”
“We will talk to any single person, whether that is a Democrat, a Republican, how much wealth they have, how powerful their position is, we want to talk to anyone. So we’re happy to be here and we’re glad both Secretary Clinton and former President Clinton are willing to talk to this committee,” he said.
“We are going to give the Secretary the opportunity to clarify any questions that Republicans might have, that we might have. Look, if she has any information that could be helpful to the investigation we want to hear that,” Garcia added.
US special envoy and Iran’s foreign minister held "direct talks" in Geneva, source says
US special envoy Steve Witkoff and Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi held “direct talks” in Geneva during the third round of US-Iranian nuclear negotiations, according to a source familiar with the matter who spoke to CNN on Thursday.
The source did not provide details on the duration of the talks or their specific agenda.
More context: The negotiations over Iran’s nuclear program are generally indirect, with Oman mediating between the US and Iranian delegations rather than the sides meeting face-to-face.
Any direct engagement between senior US and Iranian officials would mark a notable development amid heightened tensions between the two countries. Relations have fluctuated sharply in recent years, particularly over sanctions, Iran’s nuclear activities and regional conflicts.
It is unclear whether this was the first direct contact since talks resumed earlier this month. Neither Tehran nor Washington has publicly confirmed that Witkoff and Araghchi talked directly.
Thune says he supports regime change if US strikes Iran
Senate Majority Leader John Thune said today that he supports “getting new leadership and regime change” in Iran if the US carries out military strikes against the country.
Thune’s comments come as US and Iranian delegations are sitting down in Geneva, Switzerland, for another round of negotiations to address Iran’s nuclear program. The senator said he didn’t think President Donald Trump had many any final decisions on whether he will order strikes by the US forces massing in the region.
“I think they’re gaming out what contingencies might look like and what’s in our national security interest. And, of course, obviously, first and foremost is to prevent them from having a nuclear capability,” he said. “But there are also other threats that they represent in the region, and we have a big presence in that region, as you know, so I think they’re looking at and working through what the options might be.”
He added: “In my view, if you’re going to do something there, you better well make it about getting new leadership and regime change.”
Thune did not address the implications of such an effort and the possibility of a prolonged military action in Iran.
Clinton has been asked about contact with Epstein's estate in closed-door deposition
In the first line of questioning, a House Oversight Committee lawyer asked Hillary Clinton whether she has spoken with the co-executors of Jeffrey Epstein’s estate, Darren Indyke and Richard Kahn, according to two sources watching the deposition. Clinton responded no.
Clinton has also been asked about whether she has spoken about Epstein with a number of individuals, the sources said.
She has continued to say no, and at one point, the former secretary of state responded she had not even heard of many of the people the lawyer was asking her about.
Clinton began her closed-door deposition in the congressional Epstein probe Thursday morning in Chappaqua, New York, where the Clintons live.
Video of Clinton's deposition will be released following standard procedure
The video of Hillary Clinton’s Thursday deposition in the House Oversight Committee’s Jeffrey Epstein probe will be released as soon as all parties involved have approved it, Chairman James Comer said Thursday.
The release will follow standard procedure.
“I think we all agree the government failed. The government failed the victims, and what our role is, we can’t prosecute anyone, but what we have been doing is getting transparency with the American people,” Comer, a Kentucky Republican, said.
Read more on Clinton’s closed-door deposition before House investigators.
Comer wants to ask Clinton about her relationship with Maxwell
House Oversight Chairman James Comer said he wants to ask former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton about her connections to Epstein’s co-conspirator Ghislaine Maxwell.
Comer told reporters ahead of Clinton’s deposition Thursday that Maxwell was a guest at Chelsea Clinton’s wedding. Clinton told the BBC earlier this month that she had only met Maxwell “on a few occasions.”
Comer also noted that Jeffrey Epstein said in emails that he was raising money for the Clinton Foundation.
Recapping the tumultuous last six months of back and forth that led to Thursday’s deposition, Comer argued that the effort to get the Clintons to testify was bipartisan. “No one is accusing, at this moment, the Clintons of any wrongdoing. They’re going to have due process. But we have a lot of questions,” the Kentucky Republican said.
Pressed on whether he would bring in Howard Lutnick for questioning, Comer said “that’s very possible” and GOP Rep. Nancy Mace said she was planning to ask Clinton about the commerce secretary today.
Clinton says she's “been horrified” learning about Epstein and Maxwell’s crimes
Hillary Clinton reiterated to lawmakers in her opening statement Thursday that she has no information regarding the criminal activities of Jeffrey Epstein and his co-conspirator Ghislaine Maxwell.
The former first lady and secretary of state also called on Congress to question President Donald Trump.
She is currently facing off with House Oversight Committee members in Chappaqua, New York, for her long-sought deposition.
Clinton in her statement accused the panel’s Republican Chairman, James Comer, of targeting her for political reasons, and called on the panel to question Trump — who was once friendly with Epstein — under oath about his knowledge of the convicted child sex offender.
“What is being held back? Who is being protected? And why the cover-up?” she said.
Trump has denied any wrongdoing related to Epstein.
Clinton’s deposition is Thursday; her husband, Former President Bill Clinton, is being deposed on Friday as part of the congressional probe.
US attacking Iran would be a "war of choice" for Trump, analyst says
A potential US attack on Iran would be remembered as a “war of choice,” according to a London School of Economics international relations professor.
As Iranian officials participate in today’s talks in Geneva, Tehran is trying to secure a deal that avoids conflict by providing “a win” for US President Donald Trump, professor Fawaz Gerges told CNN’s Eleni Giokos.
“A win in terms of … President Trump telling the American people that this particular agreement is much better than the 2015 agreement between the Obama administration and Iran,” Gerges said, referring to the nuclear deal that Trump exited during his first term.
The professor said Iran understands the importance of money, gas and mineral resources to the president, saying Tehran is dangling an “economic and commercial bonanza” if a deal was reached and US companies could invest in the country.
Without a deal, Gerges said the US military buildup in the Middle East poses a “very serious” threat.
“I have no doubts in my mind, if no diplomatic breakthrough is achieved today, that war could come at any moment,” Gerges said.
Comer on Congress' Epstein probe: "This isn't just about Democrats"
The Republican chairman of the House Oversight Committee pushed back against Democrats’ claims that Hillary Clinton’s deposition in the panel’s Jeffrey Epstein probe is politically motivated.
Speaking outside where the former secretary of state is facing off with congressional questioners, Chairman James Comer argued the investigation is bipartisan and about speaking to anyone with any knowledge of the late convicted sex offender.
Nobody on the panel, Comer noted, is accusing Clinton of wrongdoing, but he said lawmakers have plenty of questions for her.
“We worked for six months to get the Clintons to come in and then they acted like they were going to come in and then they didn’t show up. And obviously we moved to hold the Clintons in contempt. And I think one thing that surprised the Clintons, they assumed that Democrats on the committee would vote in a partisan manner and not vote to hold the Clintons in contempt, and what they learned was a majority of Democrats on the committee either voted to hold the Clintons to contempt or voted present,” Comer said.
Hillary Clinton's deposition is underway in Chappaqua, New York
Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton’s deposition is underway in Chappaqua, New York, where she is speaking behind closed-door with House lawmakers, according to a source familiar with the matter.
Clinton is giving sworn testimony to the House Oversight Committee in the congressional investigation of Jeffrey Epstein.
She has said she cannot recall ever meeting Epstein and only interacted with his former associate, Ghislaine Maxwell, a handful of times.
Republicans, however, insist her testimony is vital to their probe, while Democrats have argued their colleagues’ fixation on the former secretary of state is purely political.
Hillary Clinton has arrived for closed-door deposition in House Epstein probe, source says
Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has arrived for her deposition with the House Oversight Committee in Chappaqua, New York, according to a source familiar with the matter.
The secretary of state’s appearance in the panel’s probe of late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein comes after a vigorous fight over the terms of her testifying.
Vice admiral with top Pentagon post leaving months into tenure after his predecessor was pushed out
Just a few months after taking the role, Director of the Joint Staff Vice Adm. Fred Kacher has been removed and will shift to a role elsewhere in the US Navy, a Joint Staff spokesperson confirmed on Thursday.
“A distinguished and highly experienced surface warfare leader, Vice Adm. Fred Kacher will return to service with the United States Navy, after most recently serving as the Director of the Joint Staff,” the spokesperson said.
An official familiar with the matter said the decisions was made entirely by Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Dan Caine, and that it was about finding “the best fit” for the role. Reuters first reported Kacher’s departure from the Joint Staff.
Kacher just took over as director of the joint staff in December. His predecessor, Lt. Gen. Doug Sims, was one of many senior officials who have been pushed out by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and retired, CNN has previously reported.
Caine lauded Kacher’s “dedicated service to the Joint Force and contributions to the Joint Staff” in a statement on Thursday.
“Since graduating from the United States Naval Academy, Vice Adm. Kacher has answered the call for every kind of selfless service imaginable,” Caine said. “The Navy will be glad to have him back and we thank him and them for the loan of his leadership.”
According to his official biography, Kacher is a career surface warfare officer, spending much of his career on Navy cruisers and destroyers. He has previously served as the commander of US Seventh Fleet, the Navy’s largest forward-deployed feet, in the Indo-Pacific region, and commander of the Expeditionary Strike Group Seven in the Western Pacific.
Russia has no deadline to end its war in Ukraine, foreign minister says
Amid a flurry of diplomacy in Geneva, including fresh US-Ukraine talks, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov poured cold water on the idea that an end to its war in Ukraine is approaching anytime soon.
Yesterday, US President Donald Trump spoke with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, shortly after the fourth anniversary of Russia’s full-scale invasion, according to a person familiar with the conversation.
Slow-moving peace talks, mediated by Trump’s envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, have so far failed to yield a peace agreement.
US-Iran talks conducted with "great seriousness" on both sides, Iran's Foreign Ministry says
US-Iran talks in Geneva on Thursday are being carried out with “great seriousness” by negotiating teams on both sides, Iran’s Foreign Ministry has said.
According to Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei, the negotiations have been “conducted in a very intense and serious manner.”
“What I can tell you is that, in both the nuclear field and the issue of sanctions relief, very important and practical proposals and initiatives were presented, and both delegations pursued the discussions with great seriousness,” he was cited as saying by Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting.
Earlier, CNN reported the talks had been paused for “delegation consultations.”
They will resume around 11:30 p.m. or 12 p.m. ET, which is 5:30 p.m. or 6 p.m. local time, according to Baghaei.
US insisted on “limiting” Iran's uranium enrichment in Geneva talks, source says
American negotiators insisted on “limiting” Iran’s enrichment of uranium and maintaining long-term verification of its nuclear program during indirect talks in Geneva on Thursday, a source familiar with the matter told CNN.
Iran presented “detailed proposals” aimed at addressing US concerns about its nuclear activities as well as “ideas” responding to Washington’s demands, the source said.
US-Iran talks have focused on bridging gaps on uranium enrichment
Crunch nuclear talks in Geneva between the United States and Iran have centered on the thorny issue of Tehran’s uranium enrichment and trying to determine whether proposals offered by the Iranians would satisfy President Donald Trump’s demand that the country never obtain a nuclear weapon, according to people familiar with the discussions.
The US delegation, led by Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, entered the talks with some firm demands: that Iran dismantle its primary nuclear facilities and that any agreement to halt uranium enrichment last in perpetuity.
The Iranians, meanwhile, were expected to offer a proposal that would suspend uranium enrichment for a period of three to five years — until after Trump leaves office — before joining a regional consortium for low-level, non-weapons-grade enrichment, one of the people said. As part of a deal, Iran would allow international inspectors to monitor its compliance.
It wasn’t clear if the two sides’ positions would be close enough to continue the diplomatic discussions, or whether Trump would turn toward his other option: ordering new strikes on Iran.
Entering the talks, US officials said they were still unclear where Iran stood on a number of positions, and some questioned whether Iran’s supreme leader, who has ultimate sign-off, would agree to the terms — even if his negotiators seemed more willing to negotiate.
Iranian officials are aware that any deal must allow Trump to claim victory — and be able to boast that the deal is stronger than the Obama-era nuclear deal he abandoned. As part of those calculations, they have publicly floated economic agreements that would allow US access to oil and gas, and commitments by Iran to buy American goods.
