Iran says new nuclear draft deal will be ready in 'next two, three days'
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20/02/2026 - 18:28
What military assets has the US deployed in the Middle East?
The USS Gerald R. Ford aircraft carrier entered the Mediterranean Sea on Friday, further boosting American firepower in a region that has seen a massive military buildup ahead of potential strikes against Iran.
Washington currently has 13 warships in the Middle East: one aircraft carrier -- the USS Abraham Lincoln -- nine destroyers and three littoral combat ships, a US official said.
The Ford -- the world's largest carrier -- was seen transiting Strait of Gibraltar toward the Mediterranean in a photo taken on Friday. It is accompanied by three destroyers, and when in position will bring the total number of US warships in the Middle East to 17.
Both carriers are crewed by thousands of sailors and have air wings comprised of dozens of warplanes. It is rare to have two of the massive warships in the Middle East at the same time.
The USS Gerald R. Ford aircraft carrier entered the Mediterranean Sea on Friday, further boosting American firepower in a region that has seen a massive military buildup ahead of potential strikes against Iran.
20/02/2026 - 16:35
Israel army says on 'defensive alert' regarding Iran but no change to public guidelines
The Israeli army said it was on "defensive alert" as the United States threatens potential military action against Iran, but insisted there were no changes in its guidelines for the public.
"We are closely monitoring regional developments and are aware of the public discourse concerning Iran. The (Israeli military) is on defensive alert," army spokesman Brigadier General Effie Defrin said in a video statement published Friday.
"Our eyes are wide open in all directions, and our finger is more than ever on the trigger in response to any change in the operational reality," he added, but emphasised "there is no change in the instructions".
20/02/2026 - 15:56
Trump says he is considering limited military strike on Iran
US President Donald Trump said on Friday he was considering a limited military strike on Iran but gave no other details.
Asked if he was considering a limited strike to pressure Iran into a deal on its nuclear programme, he told reporters at the White House, “I guess I can say I am considering" it.
20/02/2026 - 15:35
US positions firepower near Iran as fears of regional conflict grow
20/02/2026 - 15:02
- Iran says draft nuclear deal to be ready in 'next two, three days'
- Iran says US has not asked for zero nuclear enrichment
- Trump’s terms ‘completely unacceptable to Iran’
- Iran warns US bases, assets 'legitimate targets' if it attacks
20/02/2026 - 14:46
Iran says draft nuclear deal to be ready in 'next two, three days'
Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Tehran would be ready to submit its plan for a nuclear agreement to the United States in the coming days, after President Donald Trump threatened military action.
"The next step for me is to present draft of possible deal to my counterparts in the US. I believe that in the next two, three days, that would be ready, and after final confirmation by my superiors, that would be handed over to Steve Witkoff," Araghchi said in an interview published online on Friday with the Morning Joe show on US TV network MSNBC.
20/02/2026 - 14:19
Iran says US has not asked for zero nuclear enrichment
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said US negotiators have not requested Tehran end its nuclear enrichment programme, contradicting statements from American officials.
"We have not offered any suspension, and the US side has not asked for zero enrichment," Araghchi said in an interview with the Morning Joe show on US TV network MSNBC.
20/02/2026 - 11:03
Russia's Lavrov discusses Tehran's nuclear programme with Iranian counterpart
Russia'n Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has discussed Tehran's nuclear programme with his Iranian counterpart Abbas Araghchi, said the Russian foreign ministry on its Telegram messaging app channel.
No details of the discussions were revealed.
Iran held annual military drills with Russia on Thursday amid a massive US military buildup in the region.
20/02/2026 - 07:53
Trump’s terms ‘completely unacceptable to Iran’
President Donald Trump has given Iran 10 to 15 days to make a “meaningful” nuclear deal. But Barbara Slavin from the Washington DC-based Stimson Center says a breakthrough in the latest talks, which began in Oman on February 6, is unlikely since the US terms are “completely unacceptable” to Iran.
“The Iranians could postpone or have a moratorium on uranium enrichment for a few years,” said Slavin. “But they will not give up what they consider to be their right to enrich uranium on their own soil. That's something that they have always refused to do.”
Responding to a report that Trump is weighing an initial strike on Iran, Slavin says the US goal in Iran remains unclear. “The United States is not going to be able to bring regime change from the air. It's not going to be able to destroy all of Iran's missile facilities or its relationship with proxies. I'm very worried that groups like the Houthis will begin to attack shipping in the Red Sea again,” she said. “We will see other responses from other Iran-backed groups and this could rapidly escalate. Trump doesn't like long wars, so I hope he knows what he is doing.”
20/02/2026 - 04:45
Iran warns US bases, assets 'legitimate targets' if it attacks
Iran on Thursday warned that US bases, facilities and assets would be "legitimate targets" if the United States follows through on its military threats and attacks.
Amir Saeid Iravani, the Iranian ambassador to the United Nations, made the remarks in a letter to UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres and the president of the Security Council that was seen by AFP.
President Donald Trump has deployed warships, fighter jets and other military hardware to the Middle East as he seeks to block Iran from building a nuclear bomb, something Tehran says it is not pursuing.
The letter cited a social media post by Trump on Wednesday, where he said the United States may need to use UK military bases, including one on an Indian Ocean island, "should Iran decide not to make a deal."
"Such a belligerent statement by the President of the United States...signals a real risk of military aggression, the consequences of which would be catastrophic for the region and would constitute a grave threat to international peace and security," Iravani wrote in the letter.
20/02/2026 - 04:43
20/02/2026 - 04:42
Yesterday's key developments:
- US President Donald Trump said Thursday he believes 10 to 15 days is “enough time” for Iran to reach a deal. But the talks have been deadlocked for years, and Iran has refused to discuss wider US and Israeli demands that it scale back its missile program and sever ties to armed groups.
- Iran has agreed to draw up a written proposal to address US concerns raised during this week’s indirect nuclear talks in Geneva, according to a senior US official who was not authorised to comment publicly and spoke on the condition of anonymity.
(FRANCE 24 with Reuters, AP and AFP)