White House urges Iran nuclear deal as US military builds up

Thursday 19 February 2026 - 08:50

By: Dakir Madiha

White House urges Iran nuclear deal as US military builds up

The White House on Wednesday pressed Iran to reach a nuclear agreement with President Donald Trump as the United States continues to reinforce its military presence in the Middle East, raising the prospect of military action if diplomacy fails.

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters that diplomacy remains the president’s preferred course, but said Iran would be wise to finalize a deal with the current administration. She added that arguments could be made in favor of a strike on Iran, underscoring the pressure surrounding the negotiations.

Her comments came a day after US and Iranian officials concluded a second round of indirect talks in Geneva, mediated by Oman. Both sides described the discussions as constructive and acknowledged some progress, though significant gaps remain over core issues, including uranium enrichment and ballistic missile capabilities.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said the delegations agreed on a set of guiding principles to advance further dialogue, calling the three hour session more constructive than earlier talks held in Oman on February 6. Oman’s foreign minister stated that the negotiations ended with meaningful progress in identifying shared objectives.

US Vice President JD Vance told Fox News that President Trump has established red lines that Iran has yet to accept or address. A US official told CNN that Tehran is expected to return within two weeks with detailed proposals aimed at narrowing differences between the two sides. Leavitt acknowledged limited advances but said the parties remain far apart on several key matters.

Diplomatic efforts are unfolding alongside a significant US military buildup. The Pentagon has deployed two aircraft carrier strike groups to the region, the USS Abraham Lincoln and the USS Gerald Ford, along with more than 50 additional fighter jets, missile destroyers and refueling aircraft, according to the New York Times.

CBS News reported that US forces are prepared to strike Iran as early as this weekend, though no final decision has been announced by the president. Sources cited by the Times of Israel said a senior adviser to Trump assessed the likelihood of military action in the coming weeks at 90 percent.

Iran has responded with its own military signaling. The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps conducted live fire exercises in the Strait of Hormuz on Monday, temporarily restricting parts of the strategic waterway just before the Geneva talks began.

President Massoud Pezeshkian said Iran would not yield to what he described as excessive demands regarding its nuclear program, while reiterating that Tehran does not seek nuclear weapons and is willing to accept verification measures. Ahead of the talks, Araghchi wrote on social media that he had arrived in Geneva with concrete ideas for a fair and balanced agreement, but emphasized that submission under threat was not an option.

Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei issued a pointed warning at the start of the negotiations, referencing the US carrier deployments. He said that more dangerous than a ship is the weapon capable of sending it to the bottom of the sea.

The parallel escalation of rhetoric and military positioning has heightened tensions in the Middle East as both sides weigh the risks of confrontation against the potential for a negotiated settlement.