Trump’s Iran ultimatum enters decisive stretch after State of the Union
President Donald Trump has drawn his line. Now the clock is running.
After publicly giving Iran roughly 10 days to 15 days to reach a nuclear agreement, Trump used his State of the Union address to make clear the deadline is backed by force.
“I will never allow the world’s number one sponsor of terror … to have a nuclear weapon,” he told lawmakers Tuesday night.
The president first outlined the short timeline Feb. 19, saying the world would know within “probably 10 days” whether Tehran was prepared to strike what he called a meaningful deal.
“I would think that would be enough time — 10, 15 days, pretty much maximum,” Trump said, warning that absent an agreement, “it’s going to be unfortunate for them.”
On Tuesday, he reinforced the pressure from the House chamber, telling Congress negotiations are underway, but Iran has not met his core condition.
“We are in negotiations with them,” Trump said. “They want to make a deal, but we haven’t heard those secret words: ‘We will never have a nuclear weapon.'”
He also pointed back to the 2025 U.S. strike on Iranian nuclear infrastructure, describing Operation Midnight Hammer as having “obliterated Iran’s nuclear weapons program.”
After that operation, he said, Tehran was warned “to make no future attempts to rebuild its weapons program,” adding that Iran is now “starting it all over again.”
The combination of a defined diplomatic window and a public reminder of U.S. military action marks a sharper phase in the standoff, as talks in Geneva unfold under mounting pressure.
Trump has not detailed what specific action would follow if Iran refuses his terms. But he told reporters in mid-February that if a meaningful agreement does not materialize, “bad things will happen,” and acknowledged he is considering further steps.
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With the State of the Union complete and the president’s timeline already in motion, the coming days are likely to determine whether the administration secures a nuclear concession — or shifts toward a more confrontational path in the Middle East.
The diplomatic ultimatum is underscored by the largest assembly of U.S. naval power in the Middle East since the 2003 invasion of Iraq.
The world’s most advanced aircraft carrier, the USS Gerald R. Ford, arrived at Souda Bay, Crete, Monday. The Ford joined the USS Abraham Lincoln, which has been conducting 24-hour flight operations in the Arabian Sea since late January.
Between the two strike groups, the U.S. now commands a fleet of 14 major warships, including nine Arleigh Burke-class destroyers armed with Tomahawk cruise missiles.
Meanwhile 12 U.S. F-22 Raptor stealth fighters touched down at Ovda Airbase in southern Israel.
As national security analyst Joe Funderburke noted in the Small Wars Journal, “The F-22 is not a simple show-of-force aircraft. It is designed to suppress enemy air defenses and protect penetrating strike platforms like the B-2 Spirit bomber, the same combination used to devastate Iran’s deeply buried nuclear facilities at Fordow and Natanz nine months ago.”
The president’s reminder of Operation Midnight Hammer — which utilized B-2 bombers to drop 30,000-pound “bunker buster” munitions — serves as the tactical blueprint for what follows the current deadline.
While the 2025 operation was a “surgical” surprise strike, the current buildup suggests a far broader mission set, potentially due to Iran’s threat of an aggressive response.
Iran’s response to Operation Midnight Hammer was measured and the U.S. had warning. This time, Iran has vowed a more forceful response and says any U.S. troops operating in the Middle East could be open targets.
Amid his sharper diplomatic timeline, Trump also asserted that Iranian authorities had killed some 32,000 protesters in weeks of demonstrations that began in early January — a number far above independent estimates and Tehran’s own death toll.
“Just over the last couple of months with the protests, they’ve killed at least, it looks like, 32,000 protesters — 32,000 protesters in their own country,” the president said. “They shot them and hung them.”
Administration officials have signaled that any agreement would require Iran to halt all uranium enrichment and provide verifiable guarantees that its program cannot be reconstituted — terms Iran repeatedly has objected to.
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Both Washington and Iran appear to believe the other is bluffing.
Trump has framed the timeline as a final opportunity for diplomacy backed by overwhelming force. Iranian leaders, meanwhile, have publicly dismissed U.S. threats and warned that any strike would trigger retaliation against American forces and regional allies.
Still, U.S. negotiators will meet with Iranian envoys once again in Geneva Thursday.
SEN LINDSEY GRAHAM: Iran is facing a Berlin Wall moment — history is watching us now
Over the past few weeks, there has been great speculation regarding the growing unrest in Iran and what action, if any, the United States will take in response. One fact that remains clear is that the Iranian regime finds itself at its weakest point since 1979. As such, the world has reached a pivotal crossroad — one that will define the course of history for generations.
First, let’s examine how we got to this point. After the attacks of October 7, Israel was determined to give new meaning to the phrase “Never Again” and has relentlessly gone after the terrorist networks that perpetrated the attack. With assistance from the United States, they tremendously degraded not only the nuclear capability, but also the missile capability and general military readiness of Iran. It is ironic to me that one of the main reasons Iran is so crippled stems from October 7, yet it serves as a silver lining that has sprung from one of the greatest atrocities in modern history, nonetheless.
The second major factor is that the people in Iran have risen up and taken to the streets by the millions. Daily life is miserable, and with no viable economic growth potential, the future remains hopeless as long as the ayatollah stays in power. The bravery of the protesters, combined with the military thrashing given by Israel and the United States, has placed this regime at a tipping point.
The next question, arguably most important, is where do we go from here. President Donald Trump has two lines in the water: a diplomatic line and a military line. While diplomatic negotiations are always worth pursuing within reason, my ultimate hope is that regime change will be achieved. This will come about in one of two ways: either the current regime changes its ways — which I find unlikely — or the Iranian people will take over once the regime falls.
To those who resist regime change: why do you wish to see this regime continue as it is? The ayatollah and his henchmen slaughter people for protesting, they beat young women to death for wearing their headscarves improperly, and they have overseen the largest state sponsor of terrorism for decades. Who wants that to continue? I certainly don’t, nor do the Iranian people. The people are the ones demanding regime change, and we should stand behind them.
When asked by the world media what the protesters in Iran should do, President Trump boldly said, “Keep protesting. Help is on the way.” I believe that to be the correct statement, and it will be historical in nature if the regime collapses.
Trump’s support for the protesters, in conjunction with America’s display of strength in Operation Midnight Hammer, has created the largest opportunity for peace and prosperity in the Mideast in over 1,000 years. If this regime is replaced, normalization between Saudi Arabia and Israel becomes possible again. The people of Iran will chart their own destiny, and terrorist networks across the region, such as Hezbollah, Hamas, and the Houthis will atrophy even further. My trip last week to Israel, the UAE and Saudi Arabia — three states facing threats from Iran and its proxies — reaffirmed to me that each of these possibilities are not only attainable, but would be extremely beneficial to the United States and our allies.
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On the other hand, we must remember who we will be forced to reconcile with if the regime holds. At the helm is the ayatollah, a religious zealot who orchestrated an assassination attempt on President Trump’s life. When he chants death to America and death to all the Jews, he means what he says. If the ayatollah remains in charge after all this bluster, I fear the problems that will arise will haunt the region for decades and America even further.
With the fate of millions at stake, I am praying for President Trump as he makes one of the most consequential decisions any president can make. I know President Trump to be a man of his word. He is reluctant to get entangled in wars with no end, yet unafraid to use force.
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It is my strong view that history is watching every move we make. If we follow through by sending help to the protesters risking their lives, we will have a 21st Century Berlin Wall moment. Ronald Reagan’s determination to stand up to communism paid dividends for the entire world when the Soviet Union crumbled under its own weight. What followed was a new birth of freedom around the globe, liberating millions who knew nothing but oppression.
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If the ayatollah falls, it will set in motion a similar sequence of events across the Middle East. All the terrorist proxies will be left hanging, the Abraham Accords will expand exponentially, the normalization of relations between Saudi Arabia and Israel will be back on the front burner, and the Iranian people will come to know what all human beings desire most: freedom. The ripple effects of this regime’s destruction will bring forth tremendous, positive change across the region that will echo across the world.
Only time will tell what will happen next. For now, we must be smart, and we must be bold.
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Kim Jong Un calls South Korea ‘most hostile enemy,’ says North could ‘completely destroy’ it
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un said Thursday that his country could “completely destroy” South Korea if it feels threatened, escalating rhetoric while ruling out renewed talks.
Speaking at North Korea’s weeklong Ninth Congress of the ruling Workers’ Party in Pyongyang, Kim labeled South Korea the “most hostile enemy” and said “the conciliatory attitude that South Korea’s current government advocates on the surface is clumsily deceptive and crude,” according to state media Korean Central News Agency (KCNA).
Kim said North Korea “can initiate arbitrary action” if South Korea engages in “obnoxious behavior” directed at his country, dismissing recent efforts by Seoul to improve relations.
“South Korea’s complete collapse cannot be ruled out,” Kim said, according to KCNA.
During the congress, Kim outlined sweeping five-year policy goals centered on expanding North Korea’s nuclear arsenal. The country is believed to possess around 50 warheads and enough fissile material to produce up to 40 more, according to an estimate last year from the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute.
The North Korean leader said the country’s “international status has risen extraordinarily.”
“It is our party’s firm will to further expand and strengthen our national nuclear power, and thoroughly exercise its status as a nuclear state,” Kim said, according to KCNA. “We will focus on projects to increase the number of nuclear weapons and expand nuclear operational means.”
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Kim laid out plans for North Korea to develop more advanced intercontinental ballistic missiles capable of underwater launches, along with artificial intelligence-driven weapons systems and unmanned drones, KCNA reported.
Kim, who met with President Donald Trump three times during Trump’s first term, signaled he may be open to future negotiations with Washington but placed responsibility squarely on the United States.
“Whether it’s peaceful coexistence or permanent confrontation, we are ready for either, and the choice is not ours to make,” he said.
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Kim said that if the U.S. “withdraws its policy of confrontation” with North Korea and acknowledges the country’s “current status,” there would be “no reason why we cannot get along well with the U.S.”
Following the congress, Kim’s teenage daughter attended a military parade in Pyongyang on Wednesday, according to KCNA. Ju Ae, believed to be 13 or 14, was photographed standing beside her father and senior military leaders.
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Her appearance comes after South Korean media reported that Kim recently gave her a leadership role in the regime’s powerful “Missile Administration,” which oversees Pyongyang’s nuclear forces.
Hundreds of Russian shadow tankers trigger military alarm transiting NATO waters: report
Russian-operated shadow tankers carrying millions of dollars in sanctioned oil are transiting the English Channel, raising warnings of a potential military confrontation in NATO waters, according to reports.
The movements came amid heightened tensions between Russia and NATO, with the Royal Navy stepping up surveillance of U.S.- and allied-sanctioned vessels in one of the world’s busiest shipping lanes.
Sky News reported Wednesday that as many as 800 shadow tankers had passed through the channel, and continue to bankroll Russian President Vladimir Putin’s war in Ukraine.
Several Russia-linked oil tankers — including the Rigel, Hyperion and Kousai — have been tracked by VesselFinder and are known to be under Western sanctions.
The outlet reported that three of the vessels were monitored this month as they transited loaded with sanctioned crude.
The Rigel, an 885-foot Suezmax-class tanker sailing under a Cameroonian flag, left the Russian port of Primorsk on Feb. 2, with up to one million barrels of oil, a cargo valued at around $55 million.
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Sanctioned by the U.K., the EU and Canada, it is barred from using port facilities in those jurisdictions but is still permitted “innocent passage” under maritime law.
The Kousai, sailing under a Sierra Leonean flag, left Ust-Luga on Feb. 2 and was warned by authorities to provide proof of insurance within 24 hours.
The Hyperion, also sanctioned by the U.S., switched flags after delivering oil to Venezuela, to obscure ownership and evade enforcement, according to reports.
Security experts warned of an increased risk of geopolitical escalation in the region.
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Professor Michael Clarke told Sky News that there may come a point when Britain and its allies “get much tougher with these Russian ships,” adding that a “militarized confrontation at sea” this year is a real possibility, in the Channel or the North Sea.
A U.K. Ministry of Defense (MoD) spokesperson said: “Deterring, disrupting and degrading the Russian shadow fleet is a priority for this government.
“Alongside our allies, we are stepping up our response to shadow vessels — and as the Secretary of State set out, we will continue to do so,” the spokesperson said.
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The MoD said it has requested proof of insurance from more than 600 suspected vessels since October 2024.
The U.S. has also taken a firm stance, seizing at least seven tankers linked to sanctioned oil trades since December 2025, including several in the Caribbean.
Ukraine’s Zelenskyy: Russia trying ‘to play’ game with Trump, stall peace talks
KYIV, Ukraine — Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says Russia is trying “to play with the president of the United States” and stalling U.S.-brokered efforts to end the war.
In an interview with Fox News in Kyiv, Zelenskyy pushed back on suggestions from President Trump that Ukraine is holding up the peace process.
“We always supported peace,” Zelenskyy said. “When you are at your home, in your house, on your territory, in your city, of course you want to stop it.”
Instead, Zelenskyy charged that Russia is attempting to drag out discussions to avoid making concessions.
“They try to play with the president of the United States,” he said.
Asked by Fox News if he thinks Vladimir Putin is playing a game, Zelenskyy replied, “Yeah, I think so. Yeah. He needs to postpone any kind of negotiations.”
Zelenskyy said Ukraine is ready to freeze the conflict along its current lines, proposing a ceasefire followed by negotiations. But he said he would not accept a Russian demand for Ukraine to surrender territory the Russian army has not been able to capture in four years of fighting.
Fox News spoke with Zelenskyy at his offices in Kyiv, a heavily guarded complex where the lights are dimmed and sandbags dot the corridors. Among the grand marble staircases and high ceilings, walls are decorated with giant portraits of soldiers, standing some 12 feet tall.
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Speaking one day after the conflict entered its fifth year, Zelenskyy accepted that some in Ukraine are weary of war. But he said peace proposals so far are heavily tilted toward Russia’s demands.
“Everybody wants peace, and a lot of people are tired,” Zelenskyy said. “But believe me, not everybody is ready … to eat what Putin cooked for us.”
The Ukrainian leader urged President Trump to visit his country, saying, “He will see such a result of the attacks. And he will see how the nation really lives. Not just surviving.”
Despite massive losses, Zelenskyy hailed Ukraine’s fight.
“Russia couldn’t and can’t occupy us. They didn’t win, and for us, it’s a victory. We defended our independence and freedom,” he said.
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“They didn’t change the country. They didn’t change our flag.
“I’m sure that Russia recognized — really recognizes now — that it was a big mistake.”
Iran’s supreme leader runs ‘state within a state’ through secret 4,000-person network, report says
FIRST ON FOX: A new report detailing the inner workings of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei’s office says the Islamic Republic’s real command structure lies not in Iran’s visible government, but in a shadow apparatus designed to preserve regime control even if the supreme leader himself disappears from public view.
The report, Unmasking the Bayt: Inside the Supreme Leader’s Office, published by United Against Nuclear Iran (UANI) and authored by Saeid Golkar and Kasra Aarabi, describes the Bayt, the Office of the Supreme Leader, as a vast institutional network embedded across Iran’s military, economy, religious institutions and state bureaucracy.
“It is the hidden nerve center of the regime in Iran… it operates as a state within a state,” Aarabi said in an interview with Fox News Digital.
According to Aarabi, the system allows Khamenei to oversee and influence decision-making at every level of the Islamic Republic, including nuclear policy, war planning and internal security.
“This is what gives Khamenei absolute control. It’s not the visible state, this is the invisible state,” he said.
The report estimates roughly 4,000 people operate inside the Bayt’s core structure, with tens of thousands more working through affiliated institutions across the country.
“There’s around 4,000 close employees… think of them as commissars… the real policymakers,” Aarabi said. “Beyond that, the Bayt’s umbrella has 40,000 individuals working for it… entrenched at every single layer of policy, every single state entity.”
The report maps a tightly controlled inner circle at the top of the Bayt, including Khamenei’s sons, particularly Mojtaba Khamenei, who is described as operating like a “mini-supreme leader” within his father’s office.
It details how the structure reaches directly into Iran’s military chain of command, with senior promotions requiring approval from the Supreme Leader’s office and parallel counterintelligence bodies monitoring loyalty across the armed forces. The Bayt, the report says, also plays a decisive role in nuclear negotiations and wartime decision-making, ensuring ultimate authority remains concentrated around the supreme leader.
The network, Aarabi said, effectively duplicates state ministries inside Khamenei’s office, allowing direct oversight and ideological enforcement across government agencies, universities and cultural institutions.
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The report also outlines how the Bayt sustains regime durability through control of the economy, religious institutions and the education system. Networks of foundations and conglomerates tied to the supreme leader oversee major sectors of Iran’s economy, while clerical institutions, universities and cultural bodies are monitored by embedded representatives tasked with enforcing ideological compliance and suppressing dissent.
“Think of the Bayt as the nucleus of the core power of the regime,” Aarabi said.
The findings come amid renewed speculation about Khamenei’s health and reduced public visibility, as well as growing regional tensions and the possibility of military confrontation involving Iran.
Aarabi pushed back on suggestions that Khamenei’s absence from public appearances signals weakening authority or internal fragmentation.
“We saw this during the 12-day war… even if he is hiding in a bunker, he is in full control. The Bayt has been tightening Khamenei’s grip on power,” he said.
The structure, he argued, was deliberately built to function even without the supreme leader physically present.
“Even if he is eliminated, the Bayt as an institution enables the supreme leader to function,” Aarabi said. “Think of the supreme leader as an institution rather than just a single individual.”
The report places the Bayt at the top of Iran’s power hierarchy, above the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and the formal government.
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“The Bayt is the core apparatus… the strategic policymaking body that is driving the ballistic missile program, the nuclear program, [and] regional destabilization,” Aarabi said.
The implications, he added, are significant for policymakers in Washington and across the region, particularly as the U.S. weighs options for confronting Iran’s nuclear program and regional activities.
“Eliminating Khamenei in isolation on its own is not enough… you have to dismantle this extensive apparatus that he has created,” Aarabi said.
Instead, any effort to weaken the regime would require targeting the broader institutional structure surrounding the supreme leader, not just the individual at its center.
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“It involves a comprehensive strategy… cyber operations, sanctions, [and] a military component,” he said. “For any meaningful change in Iran… you have to go after the core nucleus of power within the Islamic regime, and that is the Bayt.”
He said on reports of Khamenei being a target that, “the elimination of Khamenei alone is not enough… dismantling the extensive apparatus of the Bayt is essential,” he added.