Iran-US tensions highlights: Nuclear deal ‘within reach’, says Iranian foreign minister ahead of US talks

Iran-US Tensions LIVE updates: This video grab taken from UGC images posted on social media on February 23, 2026, and verified by AFPTV teams, shows students gathering for an anti-government rally at the all-female Alzahra university in Tehran. Iranian students gathered for fresh pro- and anti-government rallies over the weekend commemorating those killed in recent protests, as fears loomed of renewed conflict with the United States over the country's nuclear programme.

Iran-US tensions LIVE updates: US President Donald Trump said on Monday that he would prefer a deal with Iran but warned of ‘very bad day’ for the country if a deal is not reached. Echoing the same, US' secretary of war Pete Hegseth also said that Iran ‘would be wise’ to make a deal and that it is the outcome President Trump would prefer.

“Iran should make a deal. Iran has an opportunity to to make a deal. That is the outcome the President would prefer. Our job is to provide options...everything is on the table. It's the president decision,” Hegseth said.

These remarks come ahead of the nuclear talks scheduled between the two countries in Geneva for later this week on Thursday, February 26.

Indian Embassy in Tehran issues advisory

India issued an advisory on Monday, February 23, asking all its citizens currently in Iran to leave the country by available means of transport in view of the “evolving situation” there, indirectly pointing to Tehran's escalating tensions with Washington.

Later on Monday, people across Iran received an anonymous text message that read, "The US president is a man of action. Wait and see,” reported Iran International reported, citing state media.

However, in a sign of ease in the tensions, both the countries have time and again expressed that they would prefer to reach a diplomatic solution to their disagreements.

Trump refutes reports claiming Army official apprehensive about striking Iran

After some reports claimed that US' Joint Chiefs Chairman Gen. Dan Caine advised US President Donald Trump against a military confrontation with Iran, the latter refuted the claims and called the reports "100% incorrect".

He added that while Caine would not like to see the US going to a war against Iran, he opines that the war could be “easily won”.

"Numerous stories from the Fake News Media have been circulating stating that General Daniel Caine, sometimes referred to as Razin, is against us going to War with Iran. The story does not attribute this vast wealth of knowledge to anyone, and is 100% incorrect. General Caine, like all of us, would like not to see War but, if a decision is made on going against Iran at a Military level, it is his opinion that it will be something easily won," Trump wrote in a post on Truth Social.

‘Very bad day for Iran if no deal’

In the same post, Trump doubled down on his warning to Iran and said that even though he would like to have a deal with Iran rather than having to take a military action against it, but it case the deal does not work out, “it will be a very bad day” for Iran.

“Everything that has been written about a potential War with Iran has been written incorrectly, and purposefully so. I am the one that makes the decision, I would rather have a Deal than not but, if we don’t make a Deal, it will be a very bad day for that Country and, very sadly, its people, because they are great and wonderful, and something like this should never have happened to them,” he wrote.