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.
ISRAELI OFFICIALS REPORTEDLY WARN IRAN’S BALLISTIC MISSILES COULD TRIGGER SOLO MILITARY ACTION AGAINST TEHRAN
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.
VANCE WARNS IRAN THAT ‘ANOTHER OPTION ON THE TABLE’ IF NUCLEAR DEAL NOT REACHED
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.
TOP IRAN SECURITY OFFICIAL SEEN IN OMAN DAYS AFTER INDIRECT NUCLEAR TALKS WITH US
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.
GLOBAL PROTESTS CALL FOR IRAN REGIME CHANGE IN MAJOR CITIES WORLDWIDE AFTER BLOODY CRACKDOWN
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.
UK, FRANCE, GERMANY TRIGGER UN SANCTIONS ON IRAN OVER ‘SIGNIFICANT’ NUCLEAR PROGRAM DEFIANCE
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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.
FORMER IRANIAN PRISONERS REVEAL TORTURE HORRORS AS REGIME KILLS PROTESTERS ON SIGHT DURING CRACKDOWN
“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.
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.
VANCE WARNS IRAN THAT ‘ANOTHER OPTION ON THE TABLE’ IF NUCLEAR DEAL NOT REACHED
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.”
Iranian Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi makes new appeal to Trump to weaken ayatollah’s regime as killing continues
Exiled Iranian Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi called for “humanitarian intervention” in his country and urgent international measures against Iran’s ruling regime amid protests and reported mass casualties.
Pahlavi appealed to President Donald Trump after Trump said regime change in Iran “would be the best thing that could happen.”
The prince listed several measures the U.S. could take to weaken the ayatollah, including neutralizing the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), cracking down on “ghost tankers” that secretly transport sanctioned oil and provide revenue to the regime, expelling diplomats or holding them to account for criminal behavior, freezing assets of oligarchs, supporting protesters with internet access and asking for the unconditional release of all political prisoners in Iran.
“These are specific measures… that the world can [take to] put more pressure on the regime, but it will also show much more support to the Iranian people,” Pahlavi said on “Sunday Morning Futures.”
IRAN RAMPS UP REGIONAL THREATS AS TRUMP CONSIDERS TALKS, EYEWITNESS ACCOUNTS OF REGIME VIOLENCE EMERGE
He hoped those provisions would “expedite the process” of “getting rid of this regime.”
“And finally, Iranians can have an opportunity to speak for themselves.”
IRAN SAYS US MUST ‘PROVE THEY WANT TO DO A DEAL’ ON NUCLEAR TALKS IN GENEVA
Pahlavi is positioning himself as a transitional leader for a post-regime Iran. He said he would serve to “galvanize and unify… the secular democratic opposition” with the ultimate goal of facilitating “a democratic process that will be completely transparent and under international observation” that would allow Iranians to decide the future of their country.
His comments come as Iran is roiled by anti-government demonstrations and regime retaliation against them. Pahlavi said a minimum of 36,000 people were killed by police in the first two days of protests, though it remains difficult to collect accurate data.
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“But in the meantime, at least 40,000 people have been arrested. The number of people who have disappeared is yet to be completely realized. We had over 330,000 who were wounded,” he said.
He also commended the hundreds of thousands of people who rallied in cities around the world for a Global Day of Action to call for new leadership in Iran in what he called anunprecedented show of unity and support for one another.”
Iran says US must ‘prove they want to do a deal’ on nuclear talks in Geneva
Iran claims it is open to compromise with the U.S. on a nuclear deal if the administration is willing to discuss lifting sanctions, a senior Iranian official said Sunday.
Majid Takht-Ravanchi, Iran’s deputy foreign minister, also said in an interview that the ball was “in America’s court to prove that they want to do a deal,” adding: “If they are sincere, I’m sure we will be on the road to an agreement.”
“We are ready to discuss this and other issues related to our program if they are ready to talk about sanctions,” Takht-Ravanchi told the BBC.
TRUMP SAYS NUCLEAR TALKS IN OMAN WERE ‘VERY GOOD,’ CLAIMS IRAN WANTS A DEAL ‘VERY BADLY’
Takht-Ravanchi’s comments came as Iran’s top diplomat traveled to Geneva for a second round of indirect talks with the U.S. delegation.
Abbas Araghchi left for the Swiss city following an initial round of negotiations last week with Oman again mediating the next round of talks, according to Iranian state media and The Associated Press.
U.S. officials, however, have emphasized that Iran — not the U.S. — is holding up progress in negotiations.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Feb. 14 that President Donald Trump would prefer to reach an agreement but warned it was “very hard to do” one with Iran.
Past diplomatic efforts had collapsed in 2025 after Israel launched what became a 12-day war with Iran and U.S. strikes on Iranian nuclear sites.
SCOTT BESSENT SAYS IRAN UNDERSTANDS ‘BRUTE FORCE’ AS TRUMP WEIGHS OPTIONS AMID NUCLEAR STANDOFF
But on Sunday, Takht-Ravanchi pointed to Tehran’s offer to dilute its stockpile of uranium enriched to 60% purity as evidence of its willingness to compromise, the BBC reported.
Asked whether Iran would ship its stockpile of more than 400 kilograms of highly enriched uranium abroad, as it did under the 2015 deal, Takht-Ravanchi said it was “too early to say what will happen in the course of negotiations.”
One of Iran’s main demands is that talks focus on the nuclear issue. “Our understanding is that they have come to the conclusion that if you want to have a deal you have to focus on the nuclear issue,” Takht-Ravanchi said.
Takht-Ravanchi also said the “issue of zero enrichment is not an issue anymore and as far as Iran is concerned, it is not on the table anymore.”
TRUMP SAYS IRAN ‘SERIOUSLY TALKING TO US’ AS MILITARY SHIPS HEAD TO MIDDLE EAST
Trump has since threatened further military action if a deal to curb Iran’s nuclear program cannot be reached.
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The U.S. has also reinforced its military presence in the region amid heightened tensions and after spiraling protests across the country in December left thousands reportedly dead at the hands of the clerical regime.
Iranian American comedian Max Amini sheds light on ‘unimaginable’ oppression in Iran ahead of historic show
As Max Amini prepares to become the first Iranian American comedian to headline Madison Square Garden on Sunday, he spoke with Fox News Digital about what he described as the “unimaginable” oppression facing the Iranian people under the Islamic Republic’s regime.
Born in Tucson, Arizona, in 1981 to a Persian family, Amini has always felt a deep connection to the country his parents grew up in and to the culture in which he was raised.
“I was born into this family who… promoted the Iranian culture in a very positive way to us,” he told Fox News Digital. “So I learned all the best things about my culture. And I was very lucky to be raised in America — in an environment that was very patriotic.”
LEAKED DOCUMENTS EXPOSE KHAMENEI’S SECRET DEADLY BLUEPRINT FOR CRUSHING IRAN PROTESTS
Iran’s citizens have taken to the streets in mass protests against Ayatollah Ali Khamenei’s regime in recent weeks, with reports claiming thousands of people have been killed as the regime cracks down on the protests. The protests come as the nation faces unrest over economic grievances and political repression.
As arguably the most popular Iranian American comedian in the world, Amini has taken it upon himself to advocate against the horrors facing the people of Iran, and to “promote the idea [of] how important it is to respect human rights.”
“Freedom is something that today we understand is the most important thing for any human. If you can imagine how hard it is to be in any country as someone who lives in this beautiful country, can you imagine that they strip away all your rights?” he questioned.
“You’re afraid of what you’re saying. You can’t do simple things in life – singing, dancing. You know, basic, basic things that we take for granted. Women cannot sing or dance in public. They cannot go out with their significant other freely and people cannot exercise their beliefs, certain religions,” Amini continued. “It’s very unimaginable for people who live in a free country, like the U.S. or European countries, that have so much respect for human rights.”
IRAN RAMPS UP REGIONAL THREATS AS TRUMP CONSIDERS TALKS, EYEWITNESS ACCOUNTS OF REGIME VIOLENCE EMERGE
The comedian argued that there’s nothing “Islamic” or anything resembling a “Republic” in Iran under the Islamic Republic’s leadership, and that “Iranian people are very different” from the government that rules over them.
“They’re a terrorist group, they’re a mafia, and they’re absolutely brutal. They’re killing their own people,” he said of the Iranian government.
Amini described the Iranian people as vibrant and modern, despite how they are sometimes portrayed by the media.
“They’re fun, they’re hip, they’re fashion forward. When you understand just their taste of music and the way they enjoy their gatherings and how they live, you’ll be surprised [by] what the media shows and what the reality is,” he told Fox News Digital. “So I hope everybody gets a chance to see that soon.”
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Amini described the solution to the situation unfolding in Iran as a “rescue mission,” and said, “We need to go in that country and rescue the kidnapped people by a terrorist regime.”
“The number [of protesters killed] is massive and for a human to be living in a country where if they go out, they’re guaranteed to be murdered, foreign countries should take this seriously,” he contended.
“Historically, when a country is held in this situation, they are held hostage. There is a regime that is absolutely brutal and they are killing their own people. The intervention is a must. And the rescue mission is the most beautiful act a country can do for these people,” Amini continued. “They’re screaming. They’re screaming out for help.”
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Although those living outside Iran may feel that what’s happening hundreds or thousands of miles away has no impact on their lives, Amini argued that history suggests otherwise.
“We think the other side of the world is not going to affect us, but now if you look at the history of just the last 20–30 years, as Americans, we’ve been so affected by some of the most corrupt things [that are] happening on the other side of the world,” he maintained. “I hope soon we reach much better connections with humanity.”
Global protests call for Iran regime change in major cities worldwide after bloody crackdown
Anti-Iran regime protesters gathered in major cities across the globe Saturday calling for a leadership change in a Global Day of Action Rally.
Over 250,000 protesters rallied in Munich, Germany, Saturday with the Munich Security Conference as a backdrop.
“With the number of participants recorded, this gathering is one of the largest rallies held in Munich in recent years,” the Munich Police reported in a press release. “The peaceful atmosphere is particularly noteworthy, despite the high number of participants in the meeting.”
IRAN REGIME REPORTEDLY ISSUED NATIONWIDE SHOOT-TO-KILL ORDERS AS PROTEST DEATH TOLL SURGES
Crowds reportedly chanted “change, change, regime change” and “democracy for Iran” with green, white and red flags with lion and sun emblems waving in the air with a few “Make Iran Great Again” red hats spotted.
Exiled Iranian Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi was among the hundreds of thousands protesting, telling Reuters a possible attack on Iran will either weaken the regime or accelerate its fall.
“It’s a matter of time. We are hoping that this attack will expedite the process, and the people can be finally back in the streets and take it all the way to the ultimate regime’s downfall,” said Pahlavi.
He said he hopes President Trump will have the United States intervene and “have the people’s back.”
UPROAR AFTER IRAN NAMED VICE CHAIR OF UN BODY PROMOTING DEMOCRACY, WOMEN’S RIGHTS
On Friday, President Trump said regime change in Iran would be the “best thing” to happen while speaking to troops at Fort Bragg in North Carolina.
“People are hoping that, at some point, the decision will be made that there’s no use, there’s no point, we’re not going to get anywhere with negotiations,” said Pahlavi. “Intervention is a way to save lives.”
Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., was present in Munich for the security conference and echoed a similar sentiment in a sideline interview Friday.
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“There’s no negotiating with these people in my view. They’re hell-bent on enacting an agenda based on religion that teaches them to lie, teaches them to destroy in the name of God,” said Graham.
He shared that the regime is the weakest it has been since 1979, adding, “It is a regime with American blood on its hand.” And he called on protesters to “keep protesting.”
The senator also took the stage at the Global Day of Action, speaking to the crowd and holding up a black “Make Iran Great Again” hat.
Large demonstrations were also held in Toronto, Melbourne, Athens, Tokyo, London and Los Angeles.
An estimated 350,000 people marched on the streets of Toronto, the city’s police spokesperson, Laura Brabant, told The Associated Press.
Iranian American activist and Beverly Hills plastic surgeon Sheila Nazarian told Fox News Digital the protests across the globe represent a universal truth.
“When regimes silence their people, the people eventually find their voice. Whether in the streets of Tehran or in diaspora communities around the world,” she said.
Nazarian left Iran when she was 6 years old along with her family.
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“As someone who came to this country from Iran, I know firsthand that these protests are not about politics. They’re about basic human dignity, women’s rights and the fundamental freedom to live without fear,” she added.
Iran regime accused of killing 19 Christians in anti-regime protests as persecution continues: watchdog
The Islamic Republic of Iran’s atrocities against demonstrators opposed to the regime has reportedly resulted in security forces killing at least 19 Iranian Christians, according to Article 18, an organization that promotes religious freedom in Iran.
Article 18 reported on Feb. 9 that “The total number of Christians confirmed to have been killed during the protests is at least 19, including members of Iran’s recognized (Armenians and Assyrians) and unrecognized (converts) communities.”
According to the Article 18 statement, the Islamic Republic’s “brutal response to last month’s mass demonstrations” resulted in the security forces murdering Iranian Christians Nader Mohammadi, 35, and Zahra Arjomandi, 51, who were both shot dead on Jan. 8 in separate protests 1,000 miles apart.
INSIDE TRUMP’S IRAN WARNING — AND THE UNEXPECTED PAUSE THAT FOLLOWED
Mohammadi was the father of three young children, and was killed in Babol in northern Iran. Arjomandi, who was a mother of two children, died in her son’s arms on the Persian Gulf island of Qeshm, in southern Iran, noted Article 18.
The Iranian Christian website Mohabat News stated that regime security forces refused to release Arjomandi’s body for six days. Mohabat reported that her body was only released for burial under “strict security measures”, which included a media blackout and prohibiting a memorial service.
Mansour Borji, the executive director for Article 18, told Fox News Digital that, “Today, Christians, like millions of other Iranians, seek the freedom and justice that they have been denied for nearly five decades, and they know well that this comes at a price. Every year many Christians are arrested and imprisoned under torturous conditions for practicing their right to religious freedom, where a simple act like praying together in house-churches seems like an act of civil disobedience.”
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He continued, “Our organization considers the Islamic Republic’s massacre of all peaceful protesters a crime against humanity that should not go unpunished. There must be an end to the impunity that, for far too long, has enabled this regime to commit crimes like at home and abroad. Branding peaceful protesters as ‘terrorists,’ and Christians that are persecuted every year as ‘Zionist mercenaries,’ is nothing but scapegoating.”
He warned that “The Islamic Republic’s regime has, since its inception, demonstrated all traits of a totalitarian state. Most Iranians have now come to realize that their fundamental rights have been taken away from them, including the freedom to choose one’s own religion or belief, political self-determination and even their lifestyle choices. Christians were some of the earliest to experience this, when an Anglican priest and convert to Christianity, Rev. Arastoo Sayyah, was killed in his church office less than 200 hours after the 1979 revolution.”
A comprehensive 2025 report titled, “The Tip of the Iceberg” about the persecution of Iranian Christians was released by Article 18 in collaboration with Open Doors, Christian Solidarity Worldwide and Middle East Concern.
According to the “The Tip of the Iceberg” report, Mohammad Nasirpour, the deputy prosecutor of Tehran and head of the 33rd District Prosecutor’s office, stated in his indictment against four Iranian Christians on June 2022: “Armenian and Assyrian Christians in the Protestant denomination, with their evangelical nature and mission to Christianize Iran, are perceived as a security threat to the Islamic Revolution, aimed at undermining the Islamic foundation of the Islamic Republic. It could be said that Persian-speaking evangelical movements are supported by fundamentalist evangelical Christians and Zionists.”
According to a Feb. 10 report on the website of Christianity Today, Iranian Christians want President Trump to intervene to stop the Ayatollah’s regime from continuing with its massacre of Iranians.
RUBIO REVOKES IRANIAN OFFICIALS’ US TRAVEL PRIVILEGES OVER DEADLY PROTEST CRACKDOWN KILLING THOUSANDS
“That’s probably one of the most frustrating aspects of the whole situation right now,” said Shahrokh Afshar, founder of Fellowship of Iranian Christians. “Everyone was hoping he would do something,” Afshar told the outlet after the Iranian authorities killed thousands of protesters in January, according to some estimates.
Fox News Digital has reported over the decades on the Islamic Republic’s high-intensity persecution of Iranian Christians in the wake of the growing popularity of Christianity in the Muslim-majority country. Iran’s regime targets diverse groups of Christians, including Evangelicals and Catholics. In 2017, Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) arrested two Christians – a mother and her son – as part of a brutal crackdown on Catholicism in the country’s West Azerbaijan Province.
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The family’s bibles and literature on Christian theology were also seized during the raid.
The United States State Department has designated Iran as a “Country of Particular Concern” (CPC)” because the Islamic regime has “engaged in or tolerated particularly severe violations of religious freedom” with respect to violations of the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998.
The Iranian regime -controlled statistical center of Iran claims there are 117,700 Christians of recognized denominations as of the 2016 census, according to the most recent U.S. State Department report on the plight of Iranian Christians.
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However, the State Department noted that, “The Christian advocacy NGO Article 18 estimates there are 500,000 to 800,000 Christians in the country, while the Christian advocacy NGO Open Doors International estimates the number is 1.24 million. Christian NGOs report many Christians are converts from Islam or other recognized faiths.” The population of Iran is roughly 92 million.
USS Ford ordered to the Middle East, the second aircraft carrier being sent to the region
The USS Gerald R. Ford has been ordered to move from the Caribbean Sea to the Middle East, as President Donald Trump weighs whether to take military action against Iran amid tensions in the region, a U.S. official confirmed to Fox News.
This will put two aircraft carriers and their accompanying warships in the region. The USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier and three guided-missile destroyers arrived in the Middle East more than two weeks ago.
The USS Ford, which set out on deployment in June 2025, was sent from the Mediterranean Sea to the Caribbean last fall as the administration established a significant military presence ahead of the operation to strike Venezuela and capture its president, Nicolás Maduro.
SCOTT BESSENT SAYS IRAN UNDERSTANDS ‘BRUTE FORCE’ AS TRUMP WEIGHS OPTIONS AMID NUCLEAR STANDOFF
On Thursday, Trump warned Iran that failure to reach a deal with the U.S. regarding its nuclear program would be “very traumatic” after the two countries held indirect talks in Oman last week.
“It should happen quickly. They should agree very quickly,” he told reporters.
Trump held talks with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Wednesday and said he insisted to the Israeli leader that negotiations with Iran must continue.
TRUMP SAYS IRANIAN SUPREME LEADER KHAMENEI SHOULD BE ‘VERY WORRIED’ AMID TENSIONS
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Netanyahu is calling on the Trump administration to push Tehran to scale back its ballistic missile program and end its support for terror groups such as Hamas and Hezbollah as part of any deal.