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The Iranians “not yet consenting to really admit and enactment done the President’s demands”, U.S. Vice President J.D. Vance said successful an interrogation past week. On Sunday (February 22, 2026), Steve Witkoff, Donald Trump’s peculiar envoy for West Asia and his main negotiator with Iran, said the President was “curious” connected wherefore Iran had not capitulated nether American pressure. Mr. Trump is wondering “why, nether this pressure, with the magnitude of oversea powerfulness and naval powerfulness implicit there, wherefore haven’t they travel to america and said, ‘we profess we don’t privation a weapon, truthful here’s what we’re prepared to do?’” said Mr. Witkoff.
These remarks underscore increasing vexation wrong the Trump medication implicit its inability to extract important concessions from Tehran, contempt important U.S. subject build-up adjacent Iran’s shores, including the deployment of 2 craft bearer onslaught groups.
The U.S. and Iran person held 2 rounds of talks since tensions escalated successful January, but nary breakthrough has been achieved. Oman, which is mediating indirect negotiations betwixt the 2 sides, has confirmed that a 3rd circular volition instrumentality spot successful Geneva connected February 26.
Also Read | Witkoff reiterates U.S. reddish lines; Pezeshkian signals optimism
Mixed signals
Mr. Trump has repeatedly warned that helium could edifice to unit if Iran fails to scope a deal. Iran’s President Masoud Pezeshkian and Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi person said Iran is for a “fair and equitable” statement connected its atomic programme, but person rejected Washington’s coercive tactics. The U.S. has sent mixed signals astir its objectives. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said earlier this period that the U.S. wanted discussions to screen not conscionable Iran’s atomic programme, but besides its rocket programme, its enactment for non-state actors successful West Asia and its “treatment” of its ain people. According to Mr. Witkoff, the President has fixed him and Jared Kushner, Mr. Trump’s son-in-law who is besides portion of the negotiating team, a wide absorption that Iran should halt enrichment and hold to transportation its stockpile of highly enriched uranium retired of the country.
The Iranians person truthful far, astatine slightest publicly, resisted some sets of demands. They accidental they are acceptable to speech astir the atomic programme, but lone astir the atomic programme. Even connected the atomic programme, Iran says it would not springiness up its “right” to peaceful enrichment, and apical officials, including Ali Larijani, person resisted calls for transferring its enriched uranium stockpile.
Also Read | U.S. envoy says Trump questioning wherefore Iran has not ‘capitulated’
Last deterrent
“Iran volition not beryllium acceptable to wantonness its atomic programme,” said a information expert based successful Tehran, who did not privation to beryllium named. “Even if Iran reaches a woody with the U.S. implicit its atomic programme, Israel would inactive telephone it a threat. If Iran agrees to surrender its ballistic missiles contiguous to avert warfare with the U.S., Israel volition weaponry Iran anyhow a fewer months down the line. So the question Iranians inquire themselves is wherefore should they springiness up their past deterrent?” helium said.
In 2015, Iran agreed to spot limits connected its atomic programme and unfastened its facilities for inspection arsenic portion of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA). Iran remained successful compliance with the statement until Donald Trump, successful his archetypal word arsenic President, unilaterally withdrew the U.S. retired of it successful May 2018 and reimposed sanctions connected Tehran. In 2020, the U.S. assassinated Qassem Soleimani, the commandant of the Quds Force and 1 of the astir salient subject figures successful the Islamic Republic. In 2025, Iran was technically successful talks with the U.S. implicit its atomic programme erstwhile Israel bombed the state connected June 13. A fewer days later, the U.S. joined Israel’s warfare and struck Iran’s atomic facilities. Mr. Trump past claimed that the U.S. attacks had “obliterated” Iran’s atomic programme.
“These back-to-back setbacks to the diplomatic enactment seems to person convinced the person that diplomacy doesn’t work,” a Tehran-based diplomat told The Hindu, referring to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. “ There is immoderate hostility wrong the system, though the authorities is holding firm, for now. Reformists (led by President Pezeshkian and Mr. Aragchi) inactive believes a woody could beryllium imaginable if it averts warfare and the U.S. agrees to assistance astatine slightest immoderate sanctions. The Iranians mightiness beryllium unfastened to making concessions connected enrichment and enriched uranium. But it besides depends connected what the White House has to offer. The hardliners are watching erstwhile the talks are unfolding.”
Also Read | President Donald Trump denies apical U.S. serviceman warned of Iran onslaught risks
Iran’s leverage
A war, by astir accounts, would beryllium disastrous for Iran, which is already grappling with interior strain amid a deepening economical crisis. The U.S. wields overwhelming firepower, with dozens of combatant jets and warships deployed to the region. Yet, Iran has its ain leverage. It possesses thousands of ballistic missiles susceptible of striking American bases and assets crossed the region, arsenic good arsenic Israel. Iran could besides disrupt oregon artifact cargo postulation done the Strait of Hormuz, a captious planetary maritime chokepoint.
In his 2nd term, Mr. Trump has attacked respective countries, but helium was besides shown caution astir getting entangled successful a long-drawn conflicts. There is nary warrant helium could swiftly reason a warfare with Iran, peculiarly arsenic Tehran has repeatedly vowed to retaliate forcefully against immoderate attack. Nor tin Washington prolong en elevated unit beingness successful West Asia indefinitely, peculiarly arsenic the U.S. is preparing to clasp midterm elections aboriginal this year.
“Iran wants to debar war, but not astatine immoderate cost,” said the Tehran-based information analyst. “If the U.S. is pursuing gunboat diplomacy done a subject build-up on with talks, Iran is responding successful benignant —talking portion preparing for war.”
