US President Donald Trump used his State of the Union address to declare that it is U.S. policy to prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons, reiterating a hard line that mixes diplomacy with the threat of force. He accused Tehran of killing 32,000 people during protests and highlighted a campaign he called “Operation Midnight Hammer,” saying the United States struck Iranian nuclear sites and warned Iran “to make no future attempts to rebuild their weapons program.” He added that while he prefers diplomacy, “one thing is certain. I will never allow the world’s number one sponsor of terror — which they are by far — to have a nuclear weapon,” and said Washington is weighing “limited military strikes” if upcoming talks collapse.
The immediate diplomatic focus is a high-stakes, indirect negotiating round due to resume in Geneva on February 26, when U.S. officials will press for “zero enrichment” — a demand that seeks to halt all Iranian uranium enrichment activities — while Tehran is reported to be preparing a counter-proposal built around “mutual respect” and relief from sanctions. Speaking to reporters ahead of the talks, Trump issued a blunt ultimatum, saying Tehran “better negotiate a fair deal” or face the consequences of what he called a massive regional military build-up.
On the ground, the situation has shifted toward heightened military readiness and precautionary diplomatic moves. The USS Gerald R. Ford has arrived in the Mediterranean to join the USS Abraham Lincoln in a rare dual-carrier deployment, a concentration of air and naval power Washington says signals preparedness for a sustained air campaign. The U.S. State Department has ordered non-emergency personnel to leave its embassy in Beirut citing safety concerns, and several countries, including India, have issued advisories urging their citizens to depart Iran amid the rising risk of kinetic conflict.
Tehran has pushed back strongly. Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and the Iranian Foreign Ministry dismissed the idea of “limited strikes,” warning that any aggression would be met “ferociously” and declaring that U.S. assets would be considered “legitimate targets.” Those warnings come as Iran also faces renewed domestic pressure: a resurgence of anti-government protests at universities which analysts say complicates Tehran’s bargaining position.
Global monitoring continues: officials are verifying reports of maritime movements in the Strait of Hormuz and following live statements from U.S. Special Envoy Steve Witkoff and Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi. With talks set to resume on February 26, the next 48 hours could determine whether diplomacy averts a wider confrontation or whether military options move to the forefront.
Original Source: https://indianexpress.com/article/world/us-news/iran-us-tensions-live-updates-trump-airstrikes-evacuations-tehran-warning-10548624/
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Publish Date: 2026-02-25 11:43:00
