Regional Powers Signal Nuclear Progress Amid Calls for Full Dismantlement

Negotiations between the nation and Iran reportedly advanced Tuesday toward what Tehran described as the beginning of a potential framework, though sharp public divisions between the two sides underscored how far apart they allegedly remain.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said the two sides reached what he characterized as a “general agreement on a number of guiding principles” and agreed to begin drafting text for a possible agreement, with plans to exchange drafts and schedule a third round of talks.

“Good progress was made compared to the previous meeting,” he stated, adding that while drafting would slow the process, “at least the path has started.”

Yet the capital has reportedly insisted that any agreement must result in the complete dismantling of Iran’s nuclear program — including its enrichment capacity — along with limits on Tehran’s ballistic missile program and an end to its support for allied militant groups such as Hamas and Hezbollah. These demands go well beyond temporary enrichment pauses or technical adjustments, according to observers.

Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei appeared to push back directly against that premise, signaling what analysts described as a firm ceiling on Iran’s concessions.

“The Americans say, ‘Let’s negotiate over your nuclear energy, and the result of the negotiation is supposed to be that you do not have this energy!’” he reportedly wrote on social media as talks were underway. “If that’s the case, there is no room for negotiation.”

Khamenei’s remarks suggest that while Iranian negotiators may be discussing limits or interim measures, Iran is unlikely to accept an agreement that eliminates its nuclear program outright — setting up what observers note as a direct collision with the current administration’s insistence on dismantlement.

“Progress was made, but there are still a lot of details to discuss,” according to a government official quoted by local media. “The Iranians said they would come back in the next two weeks with detailed proposals to address some of the open gaps in our positions.”

The leader said Monday he would be watching the talks closely, according to reports.

The mistrust reportedly runs deep between the two nations.

Iranian officials have pointed to the nation’s military strikes on their nuclear facilities in June 2025 as part of the broader backdrop allegedly complicating diplomacy, arguing such actions demonstrate the country’s willingness to use force even as negotiations unfold.

Behind the diplomatic push, the nation has significantly expanded its military footprint in the region, according to defense analysts. The USS Abraham Lincoln is reportedly operating in the Arabian Sea, and F-35 fighter jets from the carrier allegedly shot down an Iranian Shahed-139 drone recently after it approached the strike group — a move government officials described as demonstrating low tolerance for provocations.

The USS Gerald R. Ford, the Navy’s newest aircraft carrier, is now reportedly transiting toward the Middle East. The head of state confirmed the deployment on February 13, saying, “In case we don’t make a deal, we’ll need it.” Reports indicate a third carrier, the USS George H.W. Bush, is being prepared for possible expedited deployment, which would create what observers describe as a rare three-carrier presence near Iranian waters.

The buildup extends beyond naval forces, according to regional analysts. A squadron of F-35A Lightning II aircraft reportedly landed at RAF Lakenheath in the United Kingdom earlier in February as a staging point for potential deployment to the Middle East, while satellite imagery shows additional aircraft — including F-15E Strike Eagles and A-10 Thunderbolts — positioned at Muwaffaq Salti Air Base in Jordan.

Logistics flights into the region have also allegedly surged. More than 100 C-17 cargo aircraft have reportedly arrived since late January, transporting advanced air defense systems, including Patriot and THAAD batteries, to bases in Qatar and Saudi Arabia, according to defense tracking data.

At the same time, Iran’s leadership has paired diplomatic engagement with forceful warnings, observers note. Khamenei reportedly said the nation could be “struck so hard that it cannot get up again,” and a senior commander in Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Navy declared the country is prepared to close the Strait of Hormuz if ordered — a move that could disrupt roughly one-fifth of global oil flows through the strategic waterway.

Despite the heightened rhetoric and military signaling, Iranian officials said talks would continue, framing the Geneva discussions as a step toward a possible agreement — even as the fundamental dispute over dismantlement versus preservation of Iran’s nuclear capabilities remains unresolved, according to diplomatic sources.