Mohammad Eslami, head of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI). file. | Photo credit: Reuters
Iran’s nuclear chief Mohammad Eslami said no country could deprive the Islamic Republic of its right to nuclear enrichment after US President Donald Trump again hinted at military action following talks in Geneva.
“The basis of the nuclear industry is enrichment. Whatever you want to do in a nuclear process, you need nuclear fuel,” according to a video published by Mr. Eslami. Eatemad daily Thursday (February 19, 2026).
“Iran’s nuclear program continues under International Atomic Energy Agency regulations and no country can deprive Iran of its right to peacefully benefit from this technology.”
The comments came after the second round of Oman mediation talks between Tehran and Washington in Geneva on Tuesday (February 17).
The two foes held an opening round of talks in Oman on February 6, the first since previous talks collapsed during the 12-day Iran-Israel war in June.
The United States briefly joined the war with Israel, attacking Iran’s nuclear facilities.
On Wednesday (February 18), Mr. Trump again suggested that the United States might attack Iran in a post on his Truth social site.
He warned Britain not to relinquish sovereignty over the Chagos Islands in the Indian Ocean, saying the archipelago’s Diego Garcia air base would be needed because Iran would not accept the deal to “eliminate a potential attack by a highly unstable and dangerous regime”.
Washington has repeatedly called for zero enrichment, but has also sought to address Iran’s ballistic missile program and its support for militant groups in the region — factors Israel has pushed to include in the talks.
The West has accused the Islamic Republic of seeking to acquire nuclear weapons.
Tehran denies having such military ambitions, but asserts its right to the technology for civilian purposes.
Increasing pressure on Iran to strike a deal, Trump has deployed a sizable fleet to the region, which he has described as an “armada.”
After sending the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln and escort warships to the Gulf in January, he recently indicated that a second aircraft carrier, the Gerald Ford, would depart for the Middle East “very soon.”
Meanwhile, Iran’s naval forces this week conducted military exercises in the Gulf and around the strategic Strait of Hormuz.
Separately, the navies of Iran and Russia conducted joint exercises in the Sea of Oman and the northern Indian Ocean on Thursday (February 19). IRNA news agency Later it was announced that it was over.
Published – February 19, 2026 06:47 pm IST
