US pressure on Iran escalated on Thursday, with US President Donald setting a short deadline to reach a “meaningful deal” and threatening military options, at a time when Tehran confirms the peaceful nature of its nuclear program and conducts maneuvers in the Strait of Hormuz amid concerns about global energy security.
Published on: 02/20/2026 - 04:41 Last updated: 02/20/2026 - 04:44
US President Donald Trump escalated his rhetoric towards Iran, declaring that the ongoing negotiations have only a few days to reach a “meaningful deal,” otherwise Tehran will face “bad things,” while the Islamic Republic affirmed its adherence to its right to enrich uranium.
His statements came during the inaugural meeting of the “Peace Council” in Washington on Thursday, where he indicated that reaching an agreement with Iran “is not easy,” hinting that “the next ten days” will be decisive, before he later spoke of a deadline between ten and 15 days.
The political pressure coincides with an increasing US military buildup near Iran, at a time when Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned of an “unimaginable” response if Israel was exposed to an Iranian attack.
Read also: Iran intends to conduct a naval exercise with Russia, and Washington is mobilizing its forces in the Middle East
Regionally and internationally, Germany temporarily transferred part of its soldiers from Erbil, northern Iraq, due to “escalating tensions,” while Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk called on his citizens to leave Iran immediately, considering that the possibility of an open conflict erupting is “very realistic.”
On the other hand, Moscow called for "restraint" and the primacy of political solutions, and Paris urged Washington and Tehran to give priority to negotiation as "the only way" to prevent Iran from possessing a nuclear weapon. This atmosphere pushed oil prices to their highest levels in months.
Iran adheres to enrichment
American media reported that the US military will be practically ready to launch strikes on Iran at the end of the week, although Trump has not yet made his decision, while the Wall Street Journal revealed that the president was briefed on options “designed to achieve the greatest amount of damage” that may include targeting political and military leaders in Tehran.
On the other hand, the head of the Iranian Atomic Energy Organization, Mohammad Islami, stressed that “the basis of the nuclear industry is enrichment,” stressing that the program follows the rules of the International Atomic Energy Agency, and that no country has the right to deprive Iran of the peaceful use of nuclear technology, despite Washington’s repeated demands to abandon enrichment.
"Imposing their will"
US Vice President Jay DeVance considered that the Iranians "are not yet ready" to take America's "red lines" into account, while Tehran insists on limiting negotiations to the nuclear file in exchange for lifting sanctions, while Washington wants any agreement to also include the ballistic missile program and Iranian support for armed factions.
From Tehran, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian confirmed that his country does not want war, but will not accept its “humiliation” or the imposition of dictates on it, at a time when Iran vowed to respond forcefully to any attack and hinted at the possibility of closing the Strait of Hormuz, in parallel with Revolutionary Guard maneuvers in the same corridor and joint naval exercises with Russia in the Sea of Oman and the northern Indian Ocean.
France 24/AFP
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