Donald Trump has given Iran a 10-day window to commit to a “meaningful” halt to its nuclear programme as the US prepares to launch military strikes if it refuses.
Trump gave the deadline at the inaugural Board of Peace meeting, warning Iran that without a nuclear deal, “bad things would happen”.
Iran insists its enrichment capability is a sovereign right and has not committed to abandoning enrichment or dismantling nuclear facilities.
“No country can deprive Iran of the right” to nuclear enrichment, Iran’s atomic energy chief said.
Deadline similar to Trump’s usual ‘two-week’ tactic
Trump said he believed 10 to 15 days is “enough” for Iran to reach a deal, giving a time frame he has previously used to promise the delivery of policies.
In the past, he has claimed he could solve international trade, the coronavirus pandemic, or the Russia-Ukraine war, within roughly two weeks.
Last year he indicated he would decide within two weeks whether or not to join Israel’s efforts to destroy Iran’s nuclear facilities, something he did carry out.
Trump has also publicly raised the possibility of toppling Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Last week he suggested it would be “the best thing that could happen,” if Iran ends up with new leaders.
He has so far held off on striking Iran after setting red lines over the killing of peaceful protesters and mass executions, while re-engaging in nuclear talks that were disrupted by the US strikes last June.
US military build-up in the Middle East
According to the New York-based security think-tank, The Soufan Centre, the US dispatched “another fifty US combat aircraft F-35s, F-22s, and F-16s to the region; supplementing the hundreds already stationed at bases in the Arab Gulf states”.
“These deployments reinforce Trump’s nearly daily warnings of a major air and missile campaign against the regime if talks fail,” the think tank noted.
The US has deployed two aircraft carrier strike groups to the broader Middle East region. The buildup represents the largest US airpower presence in the Middle East since the 2003 Iraq invasion.
The USS Gerald R Ford embarked towards the Middle East to join a major US military presence. (Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Ridge Leoni/U.S. Navy via AP, File)The USS Abraham Lincoln and USS Gerald R Ford together bring together multiple launch platforms for fighter jets, surveillance aircraft, early warning planes, and helicopters.
US nuclear-powered attack and guided-missile submarines are also believed to be operating covertly in the region.
Pentagon officials estimate approximately 30,000- 40,000 US military personnel are stationed in the broader Middle East region. Officials say the US has the ability to launch military actions within days if diplomatic talks collapse.
Iran holds drills with Russia
Russia has joined Iran in joint naval drills, underscoring how the standoff could have wider geopolitical implications.
Iranian forces and Russian sailors conducted the annual drills in the Gulf of Oman and the Indian Ocean this week.
Iran’s IRNA news agency said the exercise was aimed at “upgrading operational coordination as well as exchange of military experiences”.
A rocket-fire warning to pilots in the region was also issued, suggesting Iran planned to launch anti-ship missiles in the exercise.
Iran’s military exercises and warnings include partial temporary closure of the Strait of Hormuz, a key global oil transit route – underscoring the heightened risk of escalation.
UK refuses to allow RAF bases to launch Iran strike
Donald Trump has ramped up pressure on Sir Keir Starmer to back a possible looming attack on Iran by threatening to pull US support for the handover of the Chagos Islands.
But such an attack would risk being illegal under international law as it is neither a case of clear self-defence nor endorsed by the United Nations.
The UK is not thought to be preparing to support the US in any military offensive against Iran, but has deployed six F-35 warplanes to Cyprus, and sent four Typhoon jets to Qatar, as part of efforts to bolster its own defences should an attack occur.
Iran has vowed to respond to aggression
Iran has refused to discuss wider US and Israeli demands that it scale back its missile programme and sever ties to armed groups. Indirect talks held in recent weeks made little visible progress, and one or both sides could be buying time for final war preparations.
Iran’s theocracy is more vulnerable than ever following 12 days of Israeli and US strikes on its nuclear sites and military last year, as well as mass protests in January that were violently suppressed.
On Thursday, Amir Saeid Iravani, the Iranian ambassador to the UN, said that while Iran does not seek “tension or war and will not initiate a war,” any US aggression will be responded to “decisively and proportionately.”
“In such circumstances, all bases, facilities, and assets of the hostile force in the region would constitute legitimate targets in the context of Iran’s defensive response,” Iravani said.
Iran’s Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei speaks at a meeting in Tehran on 17 February 2026. Photo: Office of the Iranian Supreme Le Provider/ReutersEarlier this week, Iran launched a drill that involved live-fire in the Strait of Hormuz, the narrow opening of the Persian Gulf through which a fifth of the world’s traded oil passes.
Tensions are also rising inside Iran, as mourners hold ceremonies honoring slain protesters 40 days after their killing by security forces. Some gatherings have seen anti-government chants despite threats from authorities.
Iran has agreed to draw up a written proposal to address US concerns raised during this week’s indirect nuclear talks in Geneva, according to a senior US official who spoke on the condition of anonymity.
The official said top national security officials gathered Wednesday to discuss Iran, and were briefed that the “full forces” needed to carry out potential military action are expected to be in place by mid-March.
“It’s proven to be, over the years, not easy to make a meaningful deal with Iran, and we have to make a meaningful deal. Otherwise, bad things happen,” Trump said Thursday.
Growing international concern
Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk urged his nation’s citizens to immediately leave Iran as “within a few, a dozen, or even a few dozen hours, the possibility of evacuation will be out of the question.” He did not elaborate, and the Polish Embassy in Tehran did not appear to be drawing down its staff.
The German military said that it had moved “a mid-two digit number of non-mission critical personnel” out of a base in northern Iraq because of the current situation in the region and in line with its partners’ actions. It said that some troops remain to help keep the multinational camp running in Irbil, where they train Iraqi forces.
Netanyahu, who met with Trump last week, has long pushed for tougher US action against Iran and says any deal should not only end its nuclear program but curb its missile arsenal and force it to cut ties with militant groups like Hamas and Hezbollah.
Iran has said the current talks should only focus on its nuclear program, and that it hasn’t been enriching uranium since the US and Israeli strikes last summer.
Trump said at the time that the strikes had “obliterated” Iran’s nuclear sites, but the exact damage is unknown as Tehran has barred international inspectors.
Iran has always insisted its nuclear program is peaceful. The US and others suspect it is aimed at eventually developing weapons. Israel is widely believed to have nuclear weapons but has neither confirmed nor denied that.
Where things stand now
Negotiations between the US and Iran over Tehran’s nuclear program ended in Geneva on 18 February without an agreement.
Experts describe the situation as at a “tipping point,” with the crisis equally poised between diplomacy and conflict – reflecting that, even with talks underway, the risk of escalation remains high.
According to statements from negotiators, Iran is expected to return with more detailed proposals in the coming weeks to attempt to close gaps, but serious disagreements remain.
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