CIA urges Iranians to use burner phones, Tor to contact US in Persian-language video
The CIA on Tuesday published a Persian-language video on its X account calling on Iranian dissidents to make secure contact with the agency amid renewed anti-government protests inside the country.
The post came as CIA Director John Ratcliffe joined Secretary of State Marco Rubio in a classified “Gang of Eight” briefing on Iran on Capitol Hill, a source familiar with the matter told Fox News Digital.
Written in Farsi, the CIA message says the agency “can hear your voice and wants to help you,” and provides operational guidance for those considering reaching out.
The agency urges activists not to use office computers or personal phone lines and instead, if possible, to rely on a disposable “burner” device. It advises ensuring no one can view their screen or monitor their activity.
The video walks viewers through digital security precautions designed to protect their identities.
It recommends using updated browsers such as Google Chrome, Safari or Firefox in Private Browsing or Incognito mode and clearing device and browser histories after making contact.
The video says the CIA also strongly encourages the use of encryption and anonymity tools such as Tor or a VPN, warning that without such protections, visiting the CIA website could be visible to Iranian security services.
The agency provides instructions for accessing its secure contact portal through Tor and other anti-filtering services.
TED CRUZ URGES US TO ARM IRANIAN PROTESTERS AS MILITIAS THREATEN ‘TOTAL WAR’ AGAINST AMERICA
The post comes as Iran entered its fourth day of escalating university protests and as U.S. negotiators are set to meet Iranian counterparts in Geneva Thursday for a second round of talks.
Tehran announced it would be building on “understandings forged in the previous round” and expressed determination to reach a “fair and equitable deal” swiftly.
In a post on X, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Iran reiterated that it would “under no circumstances ever develop a nuclear weapon,” while insisting it would not relinquish its right to peaceful nuclear technology.
Calling the moment a “historic opportunity,” Tehran said a deal was within reach if diplomacy is prioritized, while affirming it would defend its sovereignty “with courage” at home and at the negotiating table.
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Meanwhile, Iranian state television reported Tuesday that the Revolutionary Guard conducted military drills involving missile launches, drone flights and live-fire exercises along the country’s coast, according to Ynet.
Fox News Digital reached out to the CIA for comment, who had nothing further to add.
Iran’s shadowy chemical weapons program draws scrutiny as reports allege use against protesters
A new report from the Foundation for Defense of Democracies (FDD) raises concerns about Iran’s opaque chemical weapons program, which argues policymakers have paid little attention to compared with Iran’s more scrutinized nuclear weapons program.
The FDD report outlines how the Iranian regime may have resorted to the unconventional use of chemical weapons while it faced an unprecedented uprising beginning in December 2025, a wave of unrest Tehran has not seen since the 1979 Islamic revolution. Any use of chemical weapons by Iran would be in defiance of their obligations under the 1997 Chemical Weapons Convention.
“The United States, its allies and the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) should investigate credible claims that Iran’s regime used chemical weapons against its own people,” Andrea Stricker, deputy director of FDD’s nonproliferation program and author of the report, told Fox News Digital.
Iran’s illicit chemical weapons program is under renewed scrutiny as the Trump administration appears closer to taking military action against Iran and its nuclear weapons program.
While the U.S. has been engaged in indirect talks with Iranian officials mediated by Oman in Geneva, the U.S. has increased its military presence in the Persian Gulf, sending the USS Gerald R. Ford to join dozens of other warships to the region.
On Tuesday, Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi posted on X that “Iran will resume talks with the U.S. in Geneva with a determination to achieve a fair and equitable deal—in the shortest possible time.”
The foreign minister claimed that Iran will not pursue nuclear weapons under any circumstances but emphasized that Iran will not forgo its right to harness peaceful nuclear technology.
ISRAELI OFFICIALS REPORTEDLY WARN IRAN’S BALLISTIC MISSILES COULD TRIGGER SOLO MILITARY ACTION AGAINST TEHRAN
“A deal is within reach, but only if diplomacy is given priority,” he added.
Despite the optimism and push for continued talks, there remain fears that Iran will not make any meaningful concessions on their nuclear program, which could lead to U.S. military strikes on the nation.
A broader regime change campaign to topple the Islamic republic’s government, led by Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, is also not off the table, according to some reports.
“If Washington launches strikes against Iran, it should give serious consideration to targeting the regime’s chemical weapons research and production facilities. Such action would help halt further development and potential use of these weapons while sending a clear message that the regime cannot commit atrocities with impunity,” Stricker said.
The Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC), which Iran is party to, upholds the norms against state-held chemical weapons, specifically, banning states’ development, stockpiling, production and use of chemical weapons, even for retaliatory reasons, as well as their receipt from or transfer to anyone.
US ASSETS IN MIDDLE EAST POSITIONED FOR ‘HIGHLY KINETIC’ WAR, EX-PENTAGON OFFICIAL WARNS
Israel’s deputy ambassador to the Netherlands, Yaron Wax, said in July 2025 before a special meeting of the OPCW that “over the past two decades Iran has been developing a chemical weapons program based on weaponized pharmaceutical agents.”
These agents, Wax said, impact the central nervous system and can be fatal even in small doses.
The ambassador said at the Shahid Meisami Research Complex, destroyed by Israel in June 2025, Iran’s Shahid Meisami Group (SMG) was working on fentanyl opioid-derived tactical munitions for military use. Israel believes the pharmaceutical-based agents were transferred to Syria’s longtime and now deposed dictator, Bashar al-Assad, and Iraqi Shia militias as well.
Iran began developing its chemical weapons program in 1983 during its war with Iraq in response to chemical attacks from the regime of Saddam Hussein, according to the U.S. Intelligence Community.
As recently as 2024, the U.S. has repeatedly found Iran in noncompliance with its obligations under the CWC.
In a post on X in November 2024, the Iranian mission to the United Nations pushed back on the charges against it. “A victim of Western-donated chemical weapons employed by the Saddam regime, Iran stands as a responsible member of the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC). Over the past several decades, not a single instance of Iranian violation has been recorded. The current unfounded reports are merely an outgrowth of psychological warfare propagated by the Zionist regime in the wake of its recent defeat on the Lebanese front.”
TRUMP WARNS IRAN, DELAYS STRIKES AS RED LINE DEBATE ECHOES OBAMA’S SYRIA MOMENT
Stricker says the U.S. and international community have failed to hold Iran accountable for its illegal chemical weapons program, and meaningful action must be taken to prevent Iran from transporting banned substances to Iran’s nefarious proxy actors in the Middle East.
The report notes that the U.S. and OPCW should launch a pressure campaign against Iran, calling out the regime and publicizing any violations. The Trump administration, the report recommends, should demand a formal ultimatum to demonstrate compliance with the convention and accept monitoring and verification mechanisms.
FDD also suggests Israel should ratify the CWC and work within the OPCW, which would give Israel more credibility in combating Iranian violations.
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The report says that, as a last resort, the U.S. should consider launching strikes targeting regime chemical weapons facilities, or support Israeli efforts, if actionable intelligence indicates movement on Iran’s chemical weapons efforts or a renewed push by the regime to use such illegal weapons to crack down on anti-government protests.
“The only solution to Iran’s persistent WMD threat is for the United States and Israel to undermine the regime’s grip on power. Until then, the two nations will periodically be forced to play whack-a-mole with Tehran’s capabilities whenever they endanger regional peace,” Stricker said.
Rubio, Ratcliffe to deliver classified Iran briefing to Gang of Eight ahead of Trump’s State of the Union
Secretary of State Marco Rubio and CIA Director John Ratcliffe will brief top congressional leaders on rising tensions in Iran on Tuesday ahead of President Donald Trump’s annual State of the Union address.
Ratcliffe and Rubio, who also serves as Trump’s national security advisor, will brief the so-called Gang of Eight congressional leadership as well as top lawmakers on the Intelligence committees from the White House Tuesday at 3 p.m.
The closed-door session comes as the administration weighs next steps in the escalating standoff with the Islamic Republic. Talks with Iran, where the U.S. is pushing for full denuclearization and a limit on its ballistic missile program, are scheduled to resume on Thursday. White House envoys Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff led talks last week with Iran that did not result in a tangible deal.
The White House has made clear that diplomacy is Trump’s first priority, but the Middle East has seen the largest U.S. military buildup in decades. One carrier strike group under the USS Abraham Lincoln is already in the region and another with the USS Gerald R. Ford is heading that way.
Meanwhile, Iran is digging in. Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi posted on X Tuesday, “Our fundamental convictions are crystal clear: Iran will under no circumstances ever develop a nuclear weapon; neither will we Iranians ever forgo our right to harness the dividends of peaceful nuclear technology for our people.”
In a message directed at the American side, he added, “A deal is within reach, but only if diplomacy is given priority.”
The U.S. has insisted Iran cannot have any nuclear enrichment capacity, even for energy purposes.
TRUMP SAYS IRAN ALREADY HAS US TERMS AS MILITARY STRIKE CLOCK TICKS
Araghchi said last week that the two sides had come to 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.
Meanwhile, reports have swirled that Trump is considering a “limited” strike on Iran aimed at pressuring its leaders into acquiescing to a deal.
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Rubio’s classified briefing comes at a pivotal moment, just hours before Trump steps to the podium for his State of the Union address. The timing suggests the administration wants congressional leaders fully briefed on Iran’s nuclear posture, U.S. intelligence assessments and potential next steps before the president publicly lays out his strategy to the nation.
By meeting with the Gang of Eight ahead of the speech, the White House is also locking in oversight consultation before Trump speaks. That gives top lawmakers the same classified context the president is working from and makes it harder for critics to argue they were blindsided if Trump signals tougher action, new diplomatic parameters or a shift in posture toward Tehran during his address.
Iran vows to do ‘whatever it takes’ to make a nuclear deal happen: report
Iran’s deputy foreign minister insisted Tuesday that his country will do “whatever it takes” to reach a deal with the U.S. over its nuclear program.
The vow from Majid Takht-Ravanchi comes as U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner are set to meet with an Iranian delegation in Geneva Thursday, according to Reuters.
“We are ready to reach an agreement as soon as possible. We will do whatever it takes to make this happen. We will enter the negotiating room in Geneva with complete honesty and good faith,” Takht-Ravanchi reportedly said.
“If there is an attack or aggression against Iran, we will respond according to our defense plans. … A U.S. attack on Iran is a real gamble.”
Fox News Digital has reached out to the White House for comment.
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said Tuesday morning that President Donald Trump’s first option for Iran is “always diplomacy” but that he is “willing to use the lethal force of the United States military if necessary.”
Trump wrote on Truth Social Monday that “it will be a very bad day” for Iran if the country can’t strike a deal over its nuclear program.
WITKOFF WARNS IRAN IS ‘A WEEK AWAY’ FROM ‘BOMB-MAKING MATERIAL’ AS TRUMP WEIGHS ACTION
In a series of posts on X, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Tuesday, “Pillared on the understandings forged in the previous round, Iran will resume talks with the U.S. in Geneva with a determination to achieve a fair and equitable deal — in the shortest possible time.
“Our fundamental convictions are crystal clear: Iran will under no circumstances ever develop a nuclear weapon; neither will we Iranians ever forgo our right to harness the dividends of peaceful nuclear technology for our people.
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“We have a historic opportunity to strike an unprecedented agreement that addresses mutual concerns and achieves mutual interests. A deal is within reach, but only if diplomacy is given priority,” he added. “We have proven that we will stop at nothing to guard our sovereignty with courage. We bring the same courage to the negotiating table, where we will pursue a peaceful resolution to any differences.”
Iran nears China anti-ship supersonic missile deal as US carriers mass in region: report
Iran is nearing a deal with China to acquire supersonic anti-ship cruise missiles, a move that could significantly raise the stakes in the Middle East as U.S. carrier strike groups assemble within striking distance of the Islamic Republic.
Reuters reported Tuesday that Tehran is close to finalizing an agreement for Chinese-made CM-302 missiles, citing six people with knowledge of the negotiations.
The supersonic weapons, which can travel roughly 180 miles and fly low to evade ship defenses, would enhance Iran’s ability to target U.S. naval forces operating in the region.
The deal is near completion, though no delivery date has been agreed, the people said. It is unclear how many missiles are involved, how much Iran has agreed to pay, or whether China will ultimately proceed given heightened regional tensions.
Reuters reported that negotiations accelerated after last year’s 12-day war between Israel and Iran, which left Tehran’s military infrastructure strained and heightened regional tensions.
The reported deal comes as President Donald Trump warns Tehran of consequences if it fails to curb its nuclear program, while the Pentagon has deployed multiple carrier strike groups to the region, including USS Abraham Lincoln and USS Gerald R. Ford. The buildup marks one of the largest U.S. naval deployments in the region in recent years.
Trump said on Feb. 19 he was giving Iran 10 days to reach an agreement over its nuclear program or face potential military action.
WITKOFF WARNS IRAN IS ‘A WEEK AWAY’ FROM ‘BOMB-MAKING MATERIAL’ AS TRUMP WEIGHS ACTION
A White House official told Fox News Digital that the president remains firm that Iran cannot develop nuclear weapons or enrich uranium.
“The president would like to see a deal negotiated, but he has been clear that ‘either we will make a deal or we will have to do something very tough like last time,’” the official said when asked for comment on the reported approaching Iran-China deal.
Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei last week appeared to threaten U.S. warships directly.
“More dangerous than that warship is the weapon that can send that warship to the bottom of the sea,” Khamenei wrote on Feb. 17 on X.
Military analysts say a Chinese transfer of supersonic anti-ship missiles could complicate U.S. naval operations in the Persian Gulf and surrounding waters.
“It’s a complete game-changer if Iran has supersonic capability to attack ships in the area,” Danny Citrinowicz, a former Israeli intelligence officer and senior Iran researcher at Israel’s Institute for National Security Studies, told Reuters. “These missiles are very difficult to intercept.”
IRAN ANNOUNCES TEST OF NEW NAVAL AIR DEFENSE MISSILE IN STRAIT OF HORMUZ AS US MILITARY BUILDUP CONTINUES
Still, U.S. forces maintain layered defenses against Iranian threats, including Patriot missile batteries, Navy destroyers equipped with Standard Missile interceptors and F-35 stealth fighters, Fox News Digital reported.
Last year, Navy destroyers in the eastern Mediterranean intercepted Iranian ballistic missiles using SM-3 interceptors, while Marine Corps F-35Cs operating from USS Abraham Lincoln shot down Iranian drones that approached U.S. assets, according to U.S. Central Command.
Iran has also relied on swarming fast boats, ballistic missiles and drones in past confrontations with U.S. forces.
The White House did not directly address the reported missile negotiations when asked by Reuters. China’s foreign ministry told the outlet it was not aware of the talks.
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The potential transfer would mark one of the most advanced Chinese weapons systems supplied to Iran in decades and could test U.S. sanctions authorities if finalized.
As U.S. forces fan out across the region, defense officials have stressed that the buildup is designed to deter Iranian aggression — but warned they are prepared for combat if diplomacy fails.
Leavitt says Trump chooses diplomacy first for Iran, but remains ‘willing to use’ lethal force if necessary
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said Tuesday that President Donald Trump’s first option for Iran is “always diplomacy,” but that he is “willing to use the lethal force of the United States military if necessary.”
The remarks come after Trump wrote on Truth Social Monday that “it will be a very bad day” for Iran if the country can’t strike a deal over its nuclear program.
“President Trump’s first option is always diplomacy. But as he has shown, he is willing to use the lethal force of the United States military if necessary. So the president is always the final decision-maker around here,” Leavitt said Tuesday.
“And I’ve seen a lot of sensationalist reporting over the past day that is just completely untrue. And anyone speculating to the media hiding behind an anonymous source, pretending to know what President Trump is thinking, or a decision he will make with respect to action against Iran has no idea what they’re talking about,” she added.
The president told reporters last week that he is “considering” a limited military strike on Iran to pressure its leaders into reaching a deal over its nuclear program.
US ASSETS IN MIDDLE EAST POSITIONED FOR ‘HIGHLY KINETIC’ WAR, FORMER PENTAGON OFFICIAL SAYS
The U.S. has recently been increasing its military assets in the Middle East, sending the USS Gerald R. Ford and its strike group toward the region.
The USS Abraham Lincoln and three guided-missile destroyers already are in the area.
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“Everything that has been written about a potential War with Iran has been written incorrectly, and purposefully so. I am the one that makes the decision, I would rather have a Deal than not but, if we don’t make a Deal, it will be a very bad day for that Country and, very sadly, its people, because they are great and wonderful, and something like this should never have happened to them,” Trump wrote on Truth Social on Monday.
Iran president vows defiance as protests build against regime amid US military build up
Anti-government protests are resurging across Iran, with videos showing students chanting slogans against the regime as nuclear negotiations with the United States are set to resume on Thursday.
A video translated by Reuters showed demonstrators shouting “We’ll fight, we’ll die, we’ll reclaim Iran,” reflecting growing anger towards the country’s leadership.
The renewed unrest follows months of frustration over economic hardship, repression and previous crackdowns, placing additional domestic pressure on the regime as talks unfold. Analysts say the convergence of protests at home, military pressure abroad and a stalled diplomatic track has hardened rhetoric on both sides rather than pushing them toward compromise.
The Iranian regime, meanwhile, is striking a defiant tone. President Masoud Pezeshkian said Tehran would “not bow down” to pressure tied to nuclear negotiations, warning that external coercion would not change Iran’s stance, according to Al Jazeera.
His remarks come ahead of a new round of U.S.–Iran talks set for Thursday in Geneva, confirmed by Oman, which is mediating the discussions. The negotiations aim to address Tehran’s nuclear program amid rising regional tensions, though major disputes remain over enrichment limits, sanctions relief and the scope of any deal.
In a February speech analyzed by the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei ruled out abandoning uranium enrichment and rejected U.S. demands to include Iran’s ballistic missile program and regional proxy activity in negotiations.
The analysis, authored by FDD research analyst Janatan Sayeh and Iran Program Senior Director Behnam Ben Taleblu, noted that Khamenei has escalated attacks on Washington’s leadership, calling President Donald Trump a “criminal” for backing Iranian protests and circulating rhetoric likening him to a tyrant.
US POSITIONS AIRCRAFT CARRIERS, STRIKE PLATFORMS ACROSS MIDDLE EAST AS IRAN TALKS SHIFT TO OMAN
Meanwhile, the United States has expanded its military presence in the Middle East while signaling force remains an option. The deployments have shaped both the tone and urgency of the negotiations, reinforcing that diplomacy is unfolding under the shadow of potential escalation.
Special envoy Steve Witkoff warned Saturday that Iran could be “a week away” from having “industrial-grade bomb-making material,” citing enrichment levels he said are approaching weapons capability.
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“It’s up to 60%,” Witkoff said. “They’re probably a week away from having industrial-grade bomb-making material.” He made the remarks on “My View with Lara Trump,” describing the situation as dangerous and accusing Iran of violating President Trump’s “zero enrichment” red line.
U.S. officials have warned that failure to reach an agreement could trigger serious consequences, while Tehran has signaled readiness to retaliate if attacked, reinforcing the sense that negotiations are taking place under intense pressure.
Ayatollah’s arsenal vs. American firepower: Iran’s top 4 threats and how we fight back
Ayatollah Khamenei on X ramped up threats to send U.S. warships to the bottom of the sea. “Americans constantly say that they’ve sent a warship toward Iran. Of course, a warship is a dangerous piece of military hardware. However, more dangerous than that warship is the weapon that can send that warship to the bottom of the sea,” he (or his minions) tweeted Feb 17.
Admiral Brad Cooper, who’s in charge of United States Central Command, has forces to counter Iran, and to carry out strikes if so ordered. Sadly, Iran has taken American lives over the years, and now the regime is desperate. With the airspace laid bare by attacks on integrated air defenses prior to Operation Midnight Hammer, Iran has little ability to defend against stealth aircraft.
Count on Iran trying to hit U.S. ships and bases.
Here are the four top tactics in the ayatollah’s arsenal – and how the U.S. will fight back.
Ballistic missiles
Iran launched short- and medium-range ballistic missiles against the U.S. airbase at Al Udeid, in Qatar, on June 23, 2025. A skeleton crew of American soldiers with two Patriot missile batteries intercepted Iran’s missiles. “We believe that this is the largest single Patriot engagement in U.S. military history,” said Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Dan Caine in a Pentagon briefing the next day.
The U.S. Space Force will once again be on alert to detect the heat of Iranian missile launches and cue the target tracks. Iran’s ballistic missiles can attack multiple targets, but U.S. forces are ready to intercept. In 2024, American Navy destroyers sailing in the eastern Mediterranean nailed Iranian missiles with nose-on shots. They used Standard Missile-3 (SM-3), both the older Block 1 and the wide-coverage Block 2A. SM-3 is a hit-to-kill weapon: it smashed Iran’s missiles at 65,000 feet, in the exo-atmosphere, using just the 600-mph velocity. Bullet hits bullet. That’s why Navy destroyers are fanned out from the Med to the North Arabian Gulf.
IRAN TO HOLD LIVE-FIRE DRILLS IN STRAIT OF HORMUZ WITH US ARMADA IN MIDDLE EAST
Drones
Iran manufactures a lot of drones, but they are going to die if they tangle with U.S. forces. A Marine Corps fighter pilot flying an F-35C from the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln shot down one of Iran’s Shahed drones on Feb. 3. That was a Shahed-139 surveillance drone, which also carries glide bombs and can loiter for up to 24 hours. It got too close to the aircraft carrier, as Central Command put it.
Victory credit goes to the “Black Knights” of Marine Fighter Attack Squadron VMFA-314, as reported by USNI News. The drone kill was easy work for the F-35C, with its sensitive, long-range radar and vectoring by Navy E-2D radar planes, which fly with a massive dish radar to sort out good guys and bad guys. Forward surveillance by the E-2Ds will be essential if Iran launches waves of drones toward U.S. ships. USS Gerald R. Ford en route could add options for day and night combat air patrols against drones and missiles.
MORNING GLORY: PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP’S MOST IMPORTANT DECISION IS COMING
If the attack is over land, look for the U.S. Air Force to pounce. Over the last two years, American pilots have become masters of anti-drone tactics. It started when U.S. Air Force F-15E “Strike Eagles” from an undisclosed Mideast base shot down waves of Iranian drones in April 2024. At one point, crew chiefs came out of bunkers while the base was under fire to pull the arming pins on weapons before the F-15Es took off. They are ready to do it again.
Swarming boats
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The Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps navy has a long history of harassment with small boats, and they like to boast about their exercises with “swarms” of boats. That’s over. Iran thug small boats can’t form up to “swarm” under the constant eye – and guns – of this many U.S. ships and planes. Foolishly, two Iranian small boats and a drone tried to “swarm” a Swedish tanker carrying fuel for U.S. forces. How did that work out? Well, the U.S. Navy destroyer USS McFaul ran them off, as Air Force land-based fighter planes zoomed out to assist.
Cruise missiles
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Iran is stuffed with cruise missiles of various types. Their low, snaking path makes them difficult targets. The good news is the U.S. Navy has done a lot of target practice on Houthi missiles , like when the destroyer USS Gravely deployed its “C-whiz” Phalanx Close-In Weapon System against a sea-skimming Houthi missile one mile from the ship back on Jan. 30, 2024. Typically, Navy missiles like the SM-6 and the Evolved Sea Sparrow can nail the cruise missiles a dozen miles out. F-35 fighters are good at chasing down cruise missiles, too.
U.S. forces have the edge over the ayatollah’s arsenal. But make no mistake. This is a combat zone. Constant vigilance will be key to survival. Navy sailors and the airmen, Marines, soldiers and Space Force Guardians will feel the pressure and intensity of 24/7 operations. Maintainers and ground crews at land bases have jets to fuel, arm and launch, even against incoming drones and missiles. Force protection is top priority and the reason for the sheer number of forces now in U.S. Central Command. You can see why Trump has long sought curbs on Iran’s missile arsenal, and why missile and drone production sites are likely top of the target list for U.S. forces if diplomacy fails.
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US assets in Middle East positioned for ‘highly kinetic’ war, ex-Pentagon official warns
The U.S. is in position for a “highly kinetic” campaign against Iran after launching one of its largest recent military buildups in the Middle East, a former senior Pentagon official has claimed.
Dana Stroul, now research director at The Washington Institute for Near East Policy, made the assessment Sunday as Washington and Tehran prepare for a second round of indirect nuclear talks in Oman.
“The U.S. military is ready for a sustained, highly kinetic campaign should President Trump order it, and also prepared to defend allies and partners in the Middle East from Iran’s missiles,” Stroul told Fox News Digital.
“The U.S. military can rapidly reposition assets from all over the world and deploy overwhelmingly lethal force in a short period of time to one theater,” she said before highlighting how there is “no ally or enemy capable of what we have seen from the U.S. in this current buildup.”
Describing how the current posture differs from the June 2025 strikes on Iranian-linked nuclear targets, Stroul said the U.S. has expanded its offensive and defensive capabilities.
“Two U.S. aircraft carriers and their accompanying vessels and air wings were stationed in the Middle East last summer during the 12-day war and the U.S. Operation Midnight Hammer,” she explained.
“The addition of the Ford is really important, it expands U.S. offensive capabilities if we go to war with Iran,” she said.
While in June 2025, the U.S. carried out limited but highly targeted strikes against Iranian nuclear infrastructure to degrade key facilities without triggering a regional war, now, Stroul said the force posture is broader and more sustained.
The U.S. has also “increased the number of guided-missile destroyers, fighter aircraft, refuelers, and air defense systems” in the region, she explained.
TRUMP SAYS IRAN HAS 15 DAYS TO REACH A DEAL OR FACE ‘UNFORTUNATE’ OUTCOME
The deployment of aircraft carriers USS Gerald R. Ford and USS Abraham Lincoln has assumed heightened strategic importance.
USS Gerald R. Ford was recently tracked transiting the Strait of Gibraltar eastward, while USS Abraham Lincoln is operating in the Arabian Sea.
“They will both be in the Middle East CENTCOM theater,” Stroul explained before clarifying that there could be “one in the eastern Mediterranean and the other in the Arabian Gulf.”
“There would probably be a combination of reasons for that based on availability, readiness, proximity to the Middle East.
“The Ford was heading home and directed to turn around,” she added.
While the specific destinations of the carriers have not been publicly disclosed for operational security reasons, their presence alone signals escalatory leverage and deterrence.
WITKOFF WARNS IRAN IS ‘A WEEK AWAY’ FROM ‘BOMB-MAKING MATERIAL’ AS TRUMP WEIGHS ACTION
The military buildup comes as indirect diplomatic talks between Washington and Tehran continue, with Oman once again serving as a mediator Feb. 26.
Stroul argued that Iran’s leadership is trying to balance brinkmanship with negotiation.
“Iran’s leaders are playing a weak hand by combining saber-rattling about their own capabilities, staging preparations and exercises to signal readiness,” she claimed.
“They are attempting to slow this down by pursuing negotiations. No one should be under any illusions about the reality of US dominance — Iran is completely outmatched in conventional terms,” Stroul said.
BUILT FOR WEEKS OF WAR: INSIDE THE FIREPOWER THE US HAS POSITIONED IN THE MIDDLE EAST
“Israel dominated Iranian airspace in one day last year, targeted many of Iran’s security leaders, took out half of its missile arsenal, and the U.S. significantly set back its nuclear program,” Stroul said.
Iran’s long-cultivated network of proxies across the region — including Hezbollah, Shiite militias in Iraq, and elements in Syria — has also been weakened after sustained Israeli military pressure.
“Iran’s long-cultivated network of proxies across the region is degraded after more than two years of Israeli operations, and they declined to enter the war and support Iran’s defense last summer,” Stroul explained.
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“No matter what Iran’s leaders say, Iran is not able to rebuild a decades-long project in a few months.”
“That said, the U.S. military is in a position to execute whatever orders President Trump gives,” she said. “It is not a question of military readiness, but a political decision.”
Iran unrest escalates as gunfire, tear gas hit universities amid looming US strike
Tensions flared Sunday across Iran as anti-government protests reignited at major universities and in the streets of Tehran, with reports of tear gas and shots fired in the capital.
Students gathered in Tehran and the northeastern city of Mashhad to mark 40-day memorials for those killed during January’s nationwide anti-government demonstrations before violence broke out.
Ali Safavi, a member of Iran’s Parliament-in-Exile, the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI), told Fox News Digital anti-government protests at the University of Tehran featured chants such as, “This is the year of blood,” and noted that Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) shot at protesters at another location in the city.
“At Khajeh Nasir University in Tehran, students trampled on Khamenei’s picture, while similar acts took place at Ferdowsi and Sajjad universities,” Safavi said.
“Students were shouting ‘death to the oppressor, whether the Shah or the Leader,’ while in Tehran’s Vali Asr Street forces fired at the crowds, which were mostly young people,” he added.
Safavi also claimed that two motorcycle units composed of men and women affiliated with resistance groups paraded through parts of Tehran carrying flags of the National Liberation Army (NLA), associated with the MEK.
IRAN LOCKS NATION INTO ‘DARKER’ DIGITAL BLACKOUT, VIEWING INTERNET AS AN ‘EXISTENTIAL THREAT’
In a statement circulated online, university students also condemned what they described as renewed attempts by authorities to suppress dissent.
“Once again, we see that the tainted hands of monopolists seek to turn this sacred space into a playground for reactionary forces,” the statement read. “We who have tasted the bitter experience of repression accept no form of dictatorship, whether with a turban or with boots,” it said.
IRAN OPERATING SECRET ‘BLACK BOX’ SITES HOLDING THOUSANDS IN DETENTION: REPORTS
Iran’s state TV showed videos of what it said were people “pretending to be students” attacking pro-government students in Tehran who were taking part in protests to condemn January’s protests.
The individuals were allegedly injuring students by throwing rocks, Reuters reported.
Some witness accounts and opposition groups described a more forceful response by authorities.
Security forces reportedly fired tear gas at crowds of demonstrators, many of them young people.
At other locations, the protesters also confronted groups of pro-regime demonstrators.
Reports from opposition sources indicated that shots were also fired as security units attempted to disperse gatherings that had spilled beyond campus grounds into surrounding streets.
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Nighttime mobilizations also continued for a second time, with large-scale protests reported across several campuses.
The clashes marked one of the most visible displays of unrest since January’s crackdown and came as Iran faces a potential military strike by the U.S. and amid ongoing talks to negotiate over Iran’s nuclear program.
Iran could ‘activate’ Hezbollah if US targets regime, Trump’s inner circle to decide: expert
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) has tightened control over Hezbollah in the Middle East amid looming prospects of potential U.S. strikes, according to reports.
According to the Jerusalem Post, the tactical shift comes as Hezbollah and Iran prepare for military confrontation in the region, with analysts warning that if Washington specifically strikes the regime, Hezbollah is ready to be “activated.”
“If the regime in Tehran feels threatened, the likelihood of unleashing Hezbollah against Israel and U.S. regional assets increases substantially,” Ross Harrison, a senior fellow at the Middle East Institute, told Fox News Digital.
“Hezbollah would not be activated right away, unless the attack immediately targets the leadership of the Islamic Republic. But as part of a graduated response, Hezbollah will likely be seen as an asset,” he said.
“If it faces an existential risk, then Iran may throw caution to the wind and try to deploy Hezbollah to the maximum,” Harrison, author of “Decoding Iran’s Foreign Policy” explained.
President Donald Trump previously gave Iran a deadline of 10 to 15 days to respond to a deal, raising questions about what steps Washington could take if Tehran fails to comply.
A new round of talks is now scheduled for Thursday in Geneva and expected to focus on Iran’s nuclear program, including uranium enrichment levels and sanctions relief.
“The decision-making circle in the White House is very small regarding Iran, with the president keeping a close hand on it all,” Harrison explained.
He added that any decision to directly target the Iranian regime would likely rest within Trump’s inner circle of advisers.
“Normally there is input from the National Security Council and the wider intelligence community,” Harrison said. “Since the decision-making process in the White House is opaque, it is hard to know how much of this is getting through.”
WITKOFF WARNS IRAN IS ‘A WEEK AWAY’ FROM ‘BOMB-MAKING MATERIAL’ AS TRUMP WEIGHS ACTION
“If the U.S. is engaging with the Saudis and Emiratis, they are getting warnings about the possibility of this war spreading to the broader region, which would be deleterious to the U.S. and its allies,” he added.
Harrison also warned that there was “potential for attacks to spread across the region, to Israel through direct Iranian ballistic attacks and via Hezbollah, and to the Gulf Arab states through Iran directly and possibly via the Houthis from Yemen.”
Regional media reports also suggest Iran’s ties with Hezbollah are strengthening. Sources told Al Arabiya and Al Hadath that IRGC officers have been rebuilding Hezbollah’s military infrastructure and managing strategic war plans.
The coordination follows changes within Hezbollah’s leadership, Harrison explained.
“Since the killing by Israel of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah last year, ties and operational coordination have to some degree been reestablished,” he said.
“The IRGC has supported Hezbollah in Lebanon for decades,” he said, adding that efforts to reestablish ties appear to be occurring “particularly in light of the destruction of Iran’s nuclear sites last June.”
IRAN DRAWS MISSILE RED LINE AS ANALYSTS WARN TEHRAN IS STALLING US TALKS
“Iran is trying to resurrect lost assets, such as its missile program and its connections to Hezbollah,” Harrison said.
“Hezbollah has been seen for decades by Iran as a deterrence asset against an Israeli or American attack. Since Hezbollah has its own interests, connected to but separate from Iran, whether its leadership will go all the way for Tehran is unknown,” he concluded.
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The developments surrounding Hezbollah and the IRGC came as Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has appointed close ally Ali Larijani as the country’s de facto leader, according to reports.
Fox News Digital has reached out to the White House for comment.
Iran announces test of new naval air defense missile in Strait of Hormuz as US military buildup continues
Iran announced Sunday that it tested a new naval air defense missile during military drills in the Strait of Hormuz as the United States continues to increase its military presence in the region.
The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Navy launched the Sayyad 3-G missile for the first time during the “Smart Control of the Strait of Hormuz” exercise, according to Iran’s state-linked Mehr News Agency.
The Sayyad 3-G, a naval adaptation of Iran’s land-based Sayyad-3 air defense system, is reported to have a range of approximately 150 kilometers (about 93 miles) and can be fired from ship-based vertical launch systems.
The missile is intended to intercept military aircraft, maritime patrol planes and high-altitude unmanned aerial vehicles.
Iranian state media said it can integrate into a ship’s onboard radar systems and command-and-control network while also maintaining independent tracking capability.
The announcement comes amid heightened regional tensions and a continued U.S. military buildup in the Gulf as Washington holds talks with Tehran over its nuclear program.
The U.S. currently has a significant buildup of naval and air assets positioned around Iran, particularly across the eastern Mediterranean, the Red Sea and the Persian Gulf.
IRAN SAYS US MUST ‘PROVE THEY WANT TO DO A DEAL’ ON NUCLEAR TALKS IN GENEVA
The U.S. has been building up forces in the region, including the USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier and multiple guided-missile destroyers operating in the Arabian Sea, as well as additional destroyers stationed in the Mediterranean and Red Sea.
Several combat ships are also positioned in the Persian Gulf near Iran’s southern coastline.
At least one U.S. military base in Saudi Arabia is shown hosting aircraft, with additional installations across the region supporting air operations and logistics.
TRUMP SAYS IRAN HAS 15 DAYS TO REACH A DEAL OR FACE ‘UNFORTUNATE’ OUTCOME
In an interview Sunday on CBS News’ “Face the Nation,” Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said diplomacy remains the only path forward and dismissed the impact of the U.S. military buildup.
“There is no need for any military buildup, and military buildup cannot help it and cannot pressurize us,” he said.
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Araghchi confirmed that Iranian and U.S. negotiators are expected to meet again Thursday in Geneva, saying he believes it is “quite possible” to prepare a draft text and reach a deal quickly.
He added that talks are focused solely on nuclear issues and “there is no other subject.”
Witkoff warns Iran is ‘a week away’ from ‘bomb-making material’ as Trump weighs action
Special Envoy Steve Witkoff warned Saturday that Iran could be “a week away” from having “industrial-grade bomb-making material,” raising urgent questions about what President Donald Trump could do next to address the looming threat.
“It’s up to 60%,” Witkoff said of Iran’s enrichment level. “They’re probably a week away from having industrial-grade bomb-making material.”
The “dangerous” proposition, Witkoff said on “My View with Lara Trump,” comes despite Trump’s “zero enrichment” red line, which he accused Iran of violating “well beyond” what a civil nuclear program requires.
“We can’t have that,” he said. “This is something that they have to stick with until they prove to us that they can behave.”
Witkoff told Fox News that the president is “curious” why Iran has not shifted course despite mounting U.S. pressure in the region.
“With the amount of sea power, naval power that we have over there, why they haven’t come to us and said, ‘We profess that we don’t want a weapon?'”
But external pressures are only part of the picture. The Islamic regime faces additional pressures from its own civilians, prompting unrest and state-driven aggression against protesters.
TRUMP GIVES IRAN 10-DAY ULTIMATUM, BUT EXPERTS SIGNAL TALKS MAY BE BUYING TIME FOR STRIKE
Exiled Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi, who has discussed the proposition of Iranian regime change on multiple occasions, has previously expressed faith in Trump’s ability and willingness to help topple the regime.
Pahlavi has outlined a series of 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 fund the regime, expelling diplomats or holding them accountable for criminal behavior, freezing oligarchs’ assets, supporting protesters with internet access and calling for the unconditional release of all political prisoners in Iran.
Witkoff told Lara Trump he met with Pahlavi at the president’s direction.
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“I think he’s strong for his country, cares about his country, but this is going to be about President Trump’s policies, not Mr. Pahlavi’s policies,” he said.
“I think the president is interested in hearing everyone’s views. He has no pride of authorship [which] is maybe the best way for me to say it, which I greatly respect because he’s open to new ideas and new ways of thinking.”
Exiled Iranian princess: Islamic regime ‘has never been this close’ to falling, people ‘begging’ Trump to help
Exiled Iranian Princess Noor Pahlavi made an impassioned plea for President Donald Trump‘s help this weekend, saying the Iranians had never been so close to overthrowing the supreme leader, Ali Khamenei.
Pahlavi made the statement during an interview with The California Post, saying her “heart breaks” over Iran despite the fact that she has never stepped foot there. Her grandfather, the former Shah of Iran, was deposed roughly 47 years ago.
“Imagine if this were happening to you and your country,” she said, referencing a crackdown on regime protesters. “It’s happening at the hands of the government, the government that’s meant to protect them.
“It’s literally a government waging war on its own citizens. It’s just incredibly painful to watch, to hear about. And it’s hard for people here to see and hear about. But it’s our responsibility not to look away,” she added.
“It’s never been this close, and the regime has never been this weak,” she continued.
“The people really listened when the president told them that help was on the way and that they should continue taking to the streets. They’ve named streets after him. They’re holding up signs with his face on them. They’re begging him to come in and help them because they’re fighting this government empty-handed,” she added.
The Trump administration has been building up U.S. military strength near Iran for weeks.
Potential U.S. military strikes on Iran could target specific individuals and even pursue regime change, according to a new report.
GLOBAL PROTESTS CALL FOR IRAN REGIME CHANGE IN MAJOR CITIES WORLDWIDE AFTER BLOODY CRACKDOWN
Two U.S. officials who spoke to Reuters on condition of anonymity reportedly said those are options that have emerged in the planning stage, if ordered by President Donald Trump. They did not say which individuals could be targeted, but Trump, notably, in 2020 ordered the U.S. military attack that killed Iranian Gen. Qassem Soleimani, the head of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps’ elite Quds Force.
Trump already said Friday that he is “considering” a limited military strike on Iran to pressure its leaders into a deal over its nuclear program, when asked by a reporter at the White House.
Last week, when questioned if he wanted regime change in Iran, the president said, “Well it seems like that would be the best thing that could happen.”
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Trump on Thursday suggested the window for a breakthrough is narrowing in talks with Iran, indicating Tehran has no more than “10, 15 days, pretty much maximum” to reach an agreement.
“We’re either going to get a deal, or it’s going to be unfortunate for them,” he said.