Tensions between Iran and the US: The United States and Iran are expected to hold another round of nuclear talks on February 26, news agencies reported, as the Islamic republic faces both the threat of a US military strike and fresh protests at home.
Omani Foreign Minister Badr al-Busaidi confirmed the meeting on Sunday, according to AP. Oman has hosted indirect talks on the Islamic Republic’s nuclear program and brokered the latest round of talks in Geneva last week.
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Al-Busaidi was also quoted by the AFP news agency as saying that talks would resume on Thursday in Geneva “with positive pressure to take the next step to finalize the agreement”.
The Trump administration did not immediately comment on the negotiations. The US has reportedly built its largest military presence in the Middle East in a decade as it pressures its longtime adversary to make concessions on its nuclear program and more.
Good chance for a diplomatic solution: Araghchi
Before Oman’s announcement, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi told CBS in an interview that he expected to meet with US envoy Steve Witkoff and hoped there was a “good chance” of a diplomatic solution to the nuclear issue.
Araghchi also said details of a possible deal were being worked out after Washington’s envoy Steve Witkoff publicly wondered why Tehran had not yet “capitulated”.
US threats of military action have multiplied since a nationwide protest movement in Iran sparked a crackdown that human rights groups say has killed thousands of people. On Sunday, Iranian students staged competing pro- and anti-government protests, with critics of the clerical leadership risking arrest or worse if caught.
“If the US attacks us, then we have every right to defend ourselves,” Araghchi said, referring to US interests in the region as potential targets. There is still a good chance of a diplomatic solution, he said in an AFP report.
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President Donald Trump warned on Friday that limited strikes against Iran were possible, and both Iran and the US indicated they were ready for war if talks on Tehran’s nuclear program failed.
A minute after Oman confirmed the talks, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said in a social media post that the talks included “an exchange of practical proposals and brought encouraging signals.” But he said Tehran had “made all the necessary preparations for any potential scenario”.
Axios previously reported, citing an unnamed senior US official, that if Iran presents its proposal in the next 48 hours, Washington is ready to meet again later in the week “to begin detailed negotiations”.
The US has sent two aircraft carriers to the Middle East in recent weeks, along with other jets and ships, and has also boosted its air defenses in the region to back up its threats of military intervention.
USS Gerald R. Ford
Tensions are also rising around the Strait of Hormuz following recent live fire drills. Iran has warned that any attack would make US assets in the region “legitimate targets”. The USS Gerald R. Ford, an aircraft carrier of the United States Navy, is reportedly moving to join the USS Abraham Lincoln, creating a two-carrier presence described as a major mobilization. Israel is also reportedly intensifying joint planning with Washington.
In an interview with Fox News that aired Saturday, Witkoff said the president questions why Iran has not yet caved to pressure.
Tehran wants to focus on the nuclear program
Nuclear talks between Iran and the US have been deadlocked since Trump’s decision in 2018 to unilaterally withdraw from Iran’s 2015 nuclear deal with world powers.
Tehran has long insisted that any talks should focus only on its nuclear program and has refused to discuss broader US and Israeli demands that it curb its missile program and cut ties with armed groups.
Although Iran insists its nuclear program is peaceful, the US and others suspect it is aimed at developing weapons. Iran says it has not enriched uranium since US and Israeli strikes on Iran’s nuclear facilities in June 2025.
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President Trump then said the strikes had “wiped out” Iran’s nuclear facilities, but the exact damage is unknown because Tehran has banned international inspectors.
Fresh protests in Iran
Amid the confirmation of the new talks, a wave of new anti-government protests began in Iran, according to witnesses cited by the AP news agency. University students in Tehran and another city demonstrated at memorials to thousands of people killed in crackdowns on previous nationwide demonstrations about six weeks ago.
The AP reported that Iran’s state news agency attributed Sunday’s protest to students at five universities in Tehran and one in the city of Mashhad. Scattered protests broke out on campuses on Saturday after 40 days of memorials for people killed in January during anti-government rallies.
Videos posted on social media appeared to show confrontations at two universities between government supporters and anti-government protesters, with some chanting “Death to the dictator”.
Many Iranians held ceremonies last week to mark the traditional 40-day period of mourning. According to activists monitoring the situation, most of the protesters were killed around January 8 and 9.
Read also | New anti-government protests erupt in Iran with students gathering at memorials
The US Human Rights Activists News Agency reports that at least 7,015 people, including 214 government forces, have been killed in previous protests and crackdowns. The group has been accurate in counting deaths during previous rounds of unrest in Iran and relies on a network of activists there to verify deaths.
The death toll continues to rise as the group vets information despite disrupted communications with people in the Islamic Republic.
If the US attacks us, then we have every right to defend ourselves.
The Iranian government offered its only death toll from previous protests on January 21, saying 3,117 people had been killed.
Key things
- The upcoming US-Iran nuclear talks could be key to shaping future relations.
- The military buildup in the Middle East reflects escalating tensions and potential conflict.
- Domestic protests in Iran are highlighting internal dissent, complicating diplomatic efforts.
