Iranian women walk past an anti-Israel billboard in Tehran, Iran. | Photo credit: Reuters
US President Donald Trump on Thursday (Feb 19, 2026) warned Iran that it must strike a deal on its nuclear program or “bad things” will happen and appeared to set a 10-day deadline before the US acted.
Amid a massive US military build-up in West Asia that has fueled wider war fears, talks with Iran are progressing smoothly but Tehran insists on reaching a “meaningful” deal.
“Otherwise bad things will happen,” Mr Trump, who has repeatedly threatened to attack Iran, said at the first meeting of his peace board in Washington.
Speaking about the US airstrikes in June, Trump said Iran’s nuclear capability had been “degraded,” adding, “We have to take a step forward or we don’t.”
“You may find out in the next 10 days,” he said without elaborating.
‘Good talks’: Trump
US threats to bomb Iran lifted oil prices as the two sides drifted apart in talks over Tehran’s nuclear program and on Thursday (Feb 19, 2026) a Russian corvette warship joined planned Iranian naval exercises in the Gulf of Oman, a key sea route for global energy.
Iranian and US negotiators met on Tuesday and Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Arakchi said they had agreed on “guiding principles”. White House Press Secretary Carolyn Leavitt said on Wednesday (Feb. 18, 2026), however, that the two sides differed on some issues.
Trump said “good talks are underway” and a senior US official said Iran would make a written proposal on how to address US concerns.
Mr Trump called on Tehran to join the US on a “path of peace”.
“They can’t have a nuclear weapon, it’s that simple,” he said. “You can’t have peace if there’s a nuclear weapon in the Middle East.”
Iran has resisted making major concessions on its nuclear program, but insists it is for peaceful purposes. In the past, America and Israel have accused Tehran of trying to make a nuclear bomb. Earlier on Thursday (February 19, 2026), Russia warned of “unprecedented tension” around Iran and called for restraint amid a US military build-up in the region, which a senior American official said should be completed by mid-March.
The threat of war
Mr Trump has sent aircraft carriers, warships and jets to the region, raising the prospect of another attack on the Islamic Republic. The United States and Israel bombed Iran’s nuclear facilities and some military sites last June. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio will meet with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on February 28 to discuss Iran, a senior US official said.
Washington wants Iran to completely give up uranium enrichment, which is used to create fuel for nuclear power plants, but also provides material for a warhead.
The US and ally Israel also want Iran to give up long-range ballistic missiles, stop supporting groups around West Asia and stop using force to quell internal protests.
Iran has refused to discuss issues beyond the nuclear file, calling efforts to limit its missile arsenal a red line. Satellite images have tracked Iran’s work to repair and strengthen sites since last summer, showing work at nuclear and missile sites, as well as preparations at US bases in West Asia last month.
Iran’s joint exercise with Russia joins a wider series of Iranian naval exercises in the Gulf of Oman in recent days, with Iranian state television showing special forces units deployed on helicopters and ships.
In a sign of growing concern over heightened tensions, Poland on Thursday (Feb 19, 2026) became the latest European country to ask its citizens to leave Iran, with Prime Minister Donald Tusk saying Poles would have only hours to evacuate. Mr Trump began threatening attacks on Iran again in January, after Iranian authorities cracked down on widespread protests across the country with deadly violence that left thousands dead.
Published – February 19, 2026 11:05 pm IST
