Iran signals nuclear progress in Geneva as Trump calls for full dismantlement
Negotiations between the United States and Iran advanced Tuesday toward what Tehran described as the beginning of a potential framework, but sharp public divisions between the two sides underscored how far apart they remain.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said the two sides reached a “general agreement on a number of guiding principles” and agreed to begin drafting text for a possible agreement, with plans to exchange drafts and schedule a third round of talks.
“Good progress was made compared to the previous meeting,” he said, adding that while drafting would slow the process, “at least the path has started.”
Yet Washington publicly has insisted that any agreement must result in the dismantling of Iran’s nuclear program — including its enrichment capacity — along with limits on Tehran’s ballistic missile program and an end to its support for allied militant groups such as Hamas and Hezbollah. Those demands go well beyond temporary enrichment pauses or technical adjustments.
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Iran Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei appeared to push back directly against that premise, signaling a firm ceiling on Iran’s concessions.
“The Americans say, ‘Let’s negotiate over your nuclear energy, and the result of the negotiation is supposed to be that you do not have this energy!’” he wrote on social media as talks were underway. “If that’s the case, there is no room for negotiation.”
Khamenei’s remarks suggest that while Iranian negotiators may be discussing limits or interim measures, Iran is unlikely to accept an agreement that eliminates its nuclear program outright — setting up a direct collision with the Trump administration’s insistence on dismantlement.
“Progress was made, but there are still a lot of details to discuss,” according to a U.S. official. “The Iranians said they would come back in the next two weeks with detailed proposals to address some of the open gaps in our positions.”
President Donald Trump said Monday he would be watching the talks closely.
The mistrust runs deep.
Iranian officials have pointed to U.S. military strikes on their nuclear facilities in June 2025 as part of the broader backdrop complicating diplomacy, arguing such actions demonstrate Washington’s willingness to use force even as negotiations unfold.
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Behind the diplomatic push, the United States has significantly expanded its military footprint in the region. The USS Abraham Lincoln is operating in the Arabian Sea, and F-35 fighter jets from the carrier shot down an Iranian Shahed-139 drone recently after it approached the strike group — a move U.S. officials described as demonstrating low tolerance for provocations.
The USS Gerald R. Ford, the Navy’s newest aircraft carrier, is now transiting toward the Middle East. President Trump confirmed the deployment on Feb. 13, saying, “In case we don’t make a deal, we’ll need it.” Reports indicate a third carrier, the USS George H.W. Bush, is being prepared for possible expedited deployment, which would create a rare three-carrier U.S. presence near Iranian waters.
The buildup extends beyond naval forces. A squadron of F-35A Lightning II aircraft landed at RAF Lakenheath in the United Kingdom earlier in February as a staging point for potential deployment to the Middle East, while satellite imagery shows additional U.S. aircraft — including F-15E Strike Eagles and A-10 Thunderbolts — positioned at Muwaffaq Salti Air Base in Jordan.
Logistics flights into the region have also surged.
More than 100 C-17 cargo aircraft have arrived since late January, transporting advanced air defense systems, including Patriot and THAAD batteries, to bases in Qatar and Saudi Arabia, according to defense tracking data.
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At the same time, Iran’s leadership has paired diplomatic engagement with forceful warnings.
Khamenei said the United States could be “struck so hard that it cannot get up again,” and a senior commander in Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Navy declared the country is prepared to close the Strait of Hormuz if ordered — a move that could disrupt roughly one-fifth of global oil flows through the strategic waterway.
Despite the heightened rhetoric and military signaling, Iranian officials said talks would continue, framing the Geneva discussions as a step toward a possible agreement — even as the fundamental dispute over dismantlement versus preservation of Iran’s nuclear capabilities remains unresolved.
Iran fires live missiles into Strait of Hormuz as Trump envoys arrive for nuclear talks
Iran fired live missiles into the Strait of Hormuz during naval drills Tuesday and signaled it is prepared to close the strategic waterway if ordered by senior leadership, according to Iranian state-affiliated media.
The drills come as President Donald Trump’s envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner are meeting senior Iranian officials in Geneva for a second round of nuclear talks.
Rear Adm. Alireza Tangsiri, commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Navy, said Tehran stands ready to shut down the strait, a critical global oil transit route, according to Tasnim News Agency, an outlet affiliated with the IRGC.
Tasnim said traffic through the shipping corridor was suspended for several hours during the “Smart Control of the Strait of Hormuz” exercise, which included missile launches from vessels, coastal positions and inland sites, as well as drone operations conducted in signal-jamming conditions.
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U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) previously urged the IRGC in late January to carry out its announced two-day live-fire naval exercise “in a manner that is safe, professional and avoids unnecessary risk to freedom of navigation for international maritime traffic.”
“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,” it said.
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The Trump administration has built up a large military presence in the Middle East as talks over Iran’s nuclear program continue, with U.S. officials signaling that any potential agreement would need to go beyond enrichment and address broader security concerns.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio said in February that for negotiations to be “meaningful,” they would need to address Iran’s ballistic missiles, its sponsorship of terrorist organizations across the region, its nuclear program and its treatment of its own people.
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Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One on Monday that he would be involved in the talks “indirectly.”
“They’ll be very important and we’ll see what can happen. It’s been – typically Iran’s a very tough negotiator. They’re good negotiators or bad. I would say they’re bad negotiators because we could have had a deal instead of sending the B-2’s in to knock out their nuclear potential,” he said. “And we had to send the B-2’s. I hope they’re going to be more reasonable. They want to make a deal.”
Iran operating secret ‘black box’ sites holding thousands in detention: reports
Tens of thousands of Iranians are being held in “black box” detention sites with no judicial oversight, official records, and no way for families to confirm whether their loved ones are alive, according to reports.
The facilities — which the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI) says evoke memories of prison camps from the 1980s — have sparked alarm among human rights advocates amid unrest across the country.
“These sites were initially used in the 1980s in Iran and were residential compounds inside Ghezel Hesar Prison in Karaj, west of Tehran,” added NCRI’s Ali Safavi.
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“Female prisoners affiliated with MEK (Mujahedin-e Khalq) were confined and subjected to torture,” he said, describing how women were “forced to live in coffin-like boxes or sit in squatting positions, deprived of sleep and food.”
“If they spoke, they were beaten. We have heard that similar prisons are being used today that operate outside the formal Iranian prison system,” Safavi added.
Iranian authorities have reportedly been using these unofficial detention sites for interrogation during the protests, where detainees are held without registration or access to legal counsel.
The Center for Human Rights in Iran (CHRI) described the facilities as “among the gravest concerns documented” by the organization.
In a new report, CHRI warned that when detainees are removed from the formal prison system, they effectively disappear into these sites.
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There is no paper trail and no legal supervision, leaving individuals highly vulnerable to abuse.
CHRI said the risk of torture, coerced confessions, sexual abuse and deaths in custody inside these facilities is extreme.
Outside the facilities, families are often left traumatized after having to spend days outside courts and prisons that deny holding their children, the report said.
“The precise locations of these black box sites are unknown, which is part of their function,” Safavi said.
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“This ensures total isolation and no access or contact. Agents inside are able to employ whatever methods they choose, much like at Ghezel Hesar Prison in the 1980s,” he explained.
“The clandestine sites eliminate witnesses and prevent documentation that could lead to leaks,” Safavi said.
The findings come amid reports of escalating executions in Iran following recent protests, during which thousands of people were killed at the hands of the clerical regime.
The Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA) reported Monday that at least 17 prisoners were executed across Iran over a two-day period.
The CHRI report came as Iranians living in exile gathered in Europe to protest against the regime and as others commemorated the 40th day since the Jan. 2026 uprising.
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At the same time, the HANA Human Rights Organization said that at least 24 children, including a 3-year-old, were killed by direct fire from security forces during nationwide protests.
China pledges aid to Ukraine as US officials warn Beijing is quietly fueling Russia’s war
China offered new humanitarian energy assistance to Ukraine — even as a senior U.S. official said Beijing has the power to stop Russia’s invasion and has chosen not to.
“China could call Vladimir Putin and end this war tomorrow and cut off his dual-purpose technologies that they’re selling,” U.S. Ambassador to NATO Matthew Whitaker said during a Friday panel on U.S. foreign policy at the Munich Security Conference, moderated by Bloomberg.
“China could stop buying Russian oil and gas,” he added. “You know, this war is being completely enabled by China.”
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Whitaker’s remarks came as Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi met with Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha on the sidelines of the conference and pledged what both sides described as humanitarian energy assistance to help Ukraine cope with ongoing Russian strikes on its power infrastructure.
Sybiha said on social media that he was grateful for China’s decision to provide an additional energy aid package. Readouts from both Kyiv, Ukraine, and Beijing described the meeting as focused on peace efforts, bilateral ties and support for Ukraine’s energy system, which repeatedly has been targeted by Russian missile and drone attacks.
China has not publicly disclosed the size or scope of the aid package.
Beijing repeatedly has said it seeks a “constructive” role in ending the crisis and maintains that it is not a party to the conflict. Chinese officials have denied supplying lethal military assistance to Moscow and argue they support dialogue and a political settlement.
U.S. officials, however, increasingly frame China as Russia’s most important external enabler.
Whitaker said in Munich that China is providing “crucial support” for Russia’s aggression. Russia relies heavily on China for critical parts and components used in drones and other war equipment, Western officials say, even as Beijing publicly distances itself from direct weapons transfers.
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China and Russia have deepened their partnership since the start of the war, expanding trade and financial cooperation. Moscow increasingly has relied on Chinese technology, industrial goods and financial channels as Western sanctions tightened.
China is once again the largest buyer of Russian crude oil shipments. Tracking data show that roughly 1.65 million barrels per day of crude were offloaded at Chinese ports in January — the highest level since March 2024 and the second-highest monthly total since Moscow’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine.
The purchases provide Moscow with a critical revenue stream as Western governments attempt to constrain Russia’s war financing through sanctions and price caps.
The juxtaposition at Munich was stark: Beijing offering to help repair Ukraine’s energy grid while simultaneously remaining a major buyer of the oil that funds the Russian war machine Western officials say is destroying it.
Beijing rejects the accusation that it is enabling the war, arguing instead that sanctions and military escalation will not resolve the conflict and that it supports negotiations.
By maintaining diplomatic channels with Ukraine and offering humanitarian support, Beijing preserves a foothold in potential post-war reconstruction discussions, even as its economic ties with Moscow deepen.
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For European governments weighing additional measures against Chinese entities accused of supplying dual-use goods to Russia, Beijing’s humanitarian outreach complicates the diplomatic picture.
For Washington, however, the framing at Munich was direct: China has the economic and technological influence to change Russia’s calculus.
Iran launches war drills in Hormuz Strait as US carrier is flying missions 24/7 before Geneva talks
Iran launched live-fire naval exercises in the Strait of Hormuz on Monday in preparation for potential security and military threats in the strategic waterway, according to the country’s state-run IRNA news agency.
The drill, called “Smart Control of the Strait of Hormuz,” was led by the naval forces of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) under the supervision of IRGC Commander in Chief Maj. Gen. Mohammad Pakpour, according to Iran International.
State media said the exercise was organized to assess the readiness of operational units, review security plans and rehearse scenarios for responding to any security and military threats in the area.
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The exercises came within hours of renewed diplomatic efforts starting in Geneva between the U.S. and Iran that are aimed at reviving negotiations over Iran’s nuclear program.
“I am in Geneva with real ideas to achieve a fair and equitable deal,” Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi wrote on X on Monday “What is not on the table: submission before threats,” he said.
President Donald Trump has ordered a buildup of U.S. military forces in the Middle East and has threatened to strike Iran if its leadership does not agree to a deal on its nuclear program.
On Friday, Trump also offered an endorsement of regime change in Tehran and said it would be the “best thing that could happen” for Iran.
U.S. Central Command, or CENTCOM, went on to show U.S. military presence in the region Monday.
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In a post on X, it shared images of EA-18G Growlers from Electronic Attack Squadron 133 and F-35C Lightning IIs from Marine Fighter Attack Squadron 314 preparing for launch from the flight deck of the USS Abraham Lincoln.
“Operating in international waters in the Middle East, the aircraft carrier conducts around-the-clock flight operations in support of regional security,” the post said.
The Pentagon has been building up what Trump has described as an “armada” in the region.
The USS Abraham Lincoln is present flanked by three warships equipped with Tomahawk missiles and is at the center of a broader U.S. naval buildup in the region.
Meanwhile, Tehran said the second round of talks would be held on Tuesday “with the mediation and good offices of Oman.”
TOP IRAN SECURITY OFFICIAL SEEN IN OMAN DAYS AFTER INDIRECT NUCLEAR TALKS WITH US
Negotiations restarted in Muscat on Feb. 6, after previous talks collapsed when Israel launched an unprecedented bombing campaign against Iran in June that sparked a 12-day war and escalated tensions across the region.
On Monday, U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee said there was “significant and legitimate doubt that the Iranians will ever agree to something that would cause them to lay down any ambitions of nuclear weaponry.”
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Trump also told reporters Monday, “I’ll be involved in those talks indirectly, and they’ll be very important, and we’ll see what can happen.”
He added, “I would say they’re bad negotiators because we could have had a deal instead of sending the B2’s to knock out their nuclear potential. I hope they’re going to be more reasonable. They want to make a deal.”
Trump blasts Newsom’s UK pact, warns foreign leaders as 2028 buzz builds
President Donald Trump derided California Gov. Gavin Newsom’s international outreach as “inappropriate” Monday.
Trump’s warning was to British leaders against partnering with the Democratic governor after Newsom signed a clean energy agreement with the United Kingdom during a European diplomacy tour.
“The U.K.’s got enough trouble without getting involved with Gavin Newscum,” Trump said in an interview with Politico, adding that it was “inappropriate for them to be dealing with him.”
The president’s remarks came after Newsom stepped onto the global stage at the Munich Security Conference, signing cooperation agreements with Ukraine and the United Kingdom while sharply criticizing the president’s foreign policy approach — moves likely to intensify speculation about the governor’s future presidential ambitions.
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Newsom has long been viewed by political strategists and analysts as a possible Democratic presidential contender in 2028. His appearances at global forums combined with high-profile criticism of Trump have only intensified that speculation.
The second-term Democrat used the high-profile security summit to position California as a “stable and reliable” alternative to the federal government, telling an international audience that the current administration is merely “temporary” and will be “gone in three years.”
“Donald Trump is on his knees for coal and Big Oil, selling out America’s future to China,” a Newsom spokesperson told Fox News Digital in response to the president’s criticisms. “Governor Newsom will continue to lead in his absence. Foreign leaders are rejecting Trump and choosing California’s vision for the future.”
But it was Newsom’s blunt assessment of world leaders’ attempts to work with the 47th president that drew the most attention. Addressing European heads of state and diplomats, Newsom claimed that foreign leaders “rolling over” for the White House make themselves “look pathetic on the world stage.”
The governor doubled down on a jab he first debuted at the World Economic Forum in Davos in January, telling reporters he “should have brought a bunch of knee pads” for world leaders who he believes have bowed down to the president’s “transactional” diplomacy. Newsom specifically took aim at what he called the “complicity” of allies who have sought to appease the President following recent controversies over Arctic sovereignty and NATO funding.
“I can’t take this complicity of people rolling over,” Newsom said during a sideline appearance. “I mean, handing out crowns, the Nobel prizes that are being given away … it’s just pathetic.”
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Newsom’s diplomacy tour included the signing of a clean energy memorandum with U.K. Energy Secretary Ed Miliband, which the governor’s office said would facilitate nearly a billion dollars in new investment. That agreement followed a Saturday pact with the Lviv region of Ukraine, which Newsom said would involve California companies in the “rebuilding and resiliency” of the war-torn nation — specifically in defense, energy, and digital technologies.
The State Department historically has encouraged “subnational diplomacy,” particularly on trade, and governors from both parties routinely lead overseas economic missions. Such agreements are typically structured as nonbinding memoranda of understanding and do not carry the force of federal treaties.
However, Newsom’s appearance at the Munich Security Conference, a high-profile gathering of global defense and diplomatic leaders, paired with his direct criticism of Trump’s policies underscores how domestic political rivalries are increasingly spilling onto the global stage.
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Foreign policy traditionally has operated under the principle that the U.S. should speak with one voice in its dealings abroad. Newsom’s remarks, delivered before foreign heads of state while signing agreements of his own, presented an alternative vision of American leadership at a time when Washington is navigating disputes over NATO funding, Arctic sovereignty and the war in Ukraine.