Breaking News:Iran-US tensions live: Trump slaps new sanctions on Tehran ahead of fresh talks in Geneva– What Just Happened

Ahead of the fresh round of talks in Geneva, Iran has slammed President Donald Trump’s pressure tactics, calling his remarks “big lies” and also saying negotiations may yield an agreement through “honourable diplomacy”.

Trump envoy Steve Witkoff reportedly told a private gathering that the US is demanding any nuclear deal with Iran should remain in effect indefinitely, Axios reported, citing a US official and two others familiar with the matter.

The Trump administration on Wednesday imposed a fresh set of sanctions on people and companies accused of enabling Iran’s ballistic missile programme, drone production and illegal oil sales as the US continues to pressure Tehran to make a deal ahead of the resumption of talks in Geneva on Thursday.

The sanctions against 30 people, companies and ships come as President Donald Trump has deployed US warships and aircraft carriers in the region in decades, threatening to use military action if Iran fails to make a nuclear deal.

Iran-US tensions live: “We’re sitting down having another round of diplomatic talks with the Iranians trying to reach a reasonable settlement,” said US Vice President JD Vance.

Iran-US tensions live: US issues fresh Iran-related sanctions, stated US department of treasury website.

Iran-US tensions live: Hezbollah says it won’t enter conflict if the US launches ‘limited’ strikes on Iran

Iran-US tensions live: Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and his negotiating team departed Tehran for Geneva on Wednesday, state television reported, ahead of a third round of talks with the United States.

Washington and Tehran have already completed two rounds of Oman-mediated negotiations focused on securing an agreement over Iran’s nuclear programme.

Iran-US tensions live: Turkey is assessing potential measures in case tensions between neighboring Iran and the United States escalate into open conflict, a Turkish diplomatic source said.

The source noted that Ankara was evaluating various scenarios to safeguard Turkish citizens in the event of a “negative development,” while emphasizing that any action infringing upon Iran’s sovereignty was not under consideration.

Turkey, which shares a border with Iran and is a NATO member, has consistently opposed military intervention and called for a diplomatic resolution.

Iran-US tensions live: Iran’s Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf warned that Tehran would respond forcefully if the United States resorts to military action amid ongoing negotiations.

“If Washington decides on military action during negotiations, it will face a decisive and strong response from our forces,” Ghalibaf said in remarks broadcast on state television.

He added that Iran has never sought nuclear weapons and “will not do so.”

Iran-US tensions live: Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmail Baghaei quoted “law of propaganda coined by Nazi Joseph Goebbels,” in a post on X on Wednesday and said, “This is now systematically used by the US administration and the war profiteers encircling it, particularly the genocidal Israeli regime, to serve their sinister disinformation & misinformation campaign against the Nation of Iran.”

“Whatever they’re alleging in regards to Iran’s nuclear program, Iran’s ballistic missiles, and the number of casualties during January’s unrest is simply the repetition of ‘big lies’,” he added.

Iran-US tensions live: Rafael Grossi, director general of the International Atomic Energy Agency, said that failure to secure an agreement between the United States and Iran could raise the possibility of military action.

Speaking to RTVC Noticias, Grossi stressed that a diplomatic deal remains the best path to avoid further disruption, casualties, and instability in the region. He said the central objective is to ensure there are no nuclear weapons in Iran without resorting to violence.

Grossi also cautioned that lingering uncertainty over Iran’s enriched uranium stockpile heightens the risks. He noted that the IAEA has been unable to resume inspections of Iran’s enriched uranium since last year’s 12-day war.

While he clarified that the absence of inspections does not indicate the existence of nuclear weapons, he warned that the lack of monitoring could lead to “dramatic decisions.” Grossi made the remarks in a conversation with RTVC Noticias director William Parra after visiting Colombia and ahead of talks scheduled in Geneva.

Iran-US tensions live: Iran’s foreign minister Abbas Araghchi said on Wednesday that a potential agreement with the United States aimed at averting conflict “is within reach, but only if diplomacy is given priority,” ahead of what would be the third round of bilateral talks this month.

In a post on X, he wrote, “Pillared on the understandings forged in the previous round, Iran will resume talks with the US in Geneva with a determination to achieve a fair and equitable deal–in the shortest possible time. Our fundamental convictions are crystal clear: Iran will under no circumstances ever develop a nuclear weapon; neither will we Iranians ever forgo our right to harness the dividends of peaceful nuclear technology for our people. We have a historic opportunity to strike an unprecedented agreement that addresses mutual concerns and achieves mutual interests. A deal is within reach, but only if diplomacy is given priority. We have proven that we will stop at nothing to guard our sovereignty with courage. We bring the same courage to the negotiating table, where we will pursue a peaceful resolution to any differences.”

The remarks come on the eve of the next round of talks in Geneva.

Iran-US tensions live: Following Trump’s claims on Iran’s missile programme and its ‘sinister nuclear ambitions’, Iran has rejected the allegations and dubbed them as big lies. “Whatever they’re alleging in regards to Iran’s nuclear programme, Iran’s ballistic missiles, and the number of casualties during January’s unrest, is simply the repetition of ‘big lies’,” Iranian foreign ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei wrote on X.

Iran-US tensions live: The Jammu and Kashmir Students Association has urged the Ministry of External Affairs to intervene and seek postponement of key medical examinations for Indian students in Iran, following an advisory asking Indian nationals to leave the country due to the evolving security situation. Amid tensions of a military confrontation between Iran and the US, Indian embassy in Tehran on Monday issued an advisory asking nationals in the country – students, pilgrims, business visitors etc., – to leave by available means of transport, including commercial flights.
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Iran-US tensions live: Prime Minister Narendra Modi is in Israel as tensions between Iran and US continue to simmer. By making his second trip to Israel at the time when tensions between US and Iran are at the highest, PM Modi is sending a signal to the world. India always stands up with friends. Read full story here

Iran-US tensions live: As the US-Iran tensions continue to simmer for weeks now, Iran’s defence minister said that Iran will not tolerate any encroachment that “jeopardizes the sovereignty of regional nations.” “While Iran does not seek conflict, it will respond decisively should war be imposed upon it,” Brigadier General Aziz Nasirzadeh, Iran’s defence minister, was quoted as saying by Press TV.

Iran-US tensions live: While the stalemate over Iran’s nuclear weapons continues, Iran and US have played up the proposal to solve the confrontation via diploamcy. While Iran foreign minister Abbas Araghchi said that a deal is within reach, but only if diplomacy is given priority, Trump in his address at the joint Congress session said his preference is to solve the issue diplomatically.

Iran-US tensions live: Ahead of fresh round of talks in Geneva on Thursday, Iran foreign minister Abbas Araghchi said that a “deal is within the reach”.

“We have a historic opportunity to strike an unprecedented agreement that addresses mutual concerns and achieves mutual interests. A deal is within reach, but only if diplomacy is given priority,” Araghchi wrote on X.

Iran-US tensions live: Trump’s remarks on Tuesday (local time) on tensions with Iran appeared to dial down the fears of US’s military action against Iran. However, the status quo over Iran’s nuclear weapons continues. Here is what Trump said:

“My preference is to solve this problem through diplomacy. But one thing is certain, I will never allow the world’s number one sponsor of terror, which they are, by far, to have a nuclear weapon. Can’t let that happen.”

Iran-US tensions live: Iran and the US will hold negotiations again in Geneva on Thursday, February 26 as stalemate over Iran’s nuclear weapons continues.

Iran-US tensions live: As US and Iran ties continue to be strained, Trump on Tuesday (local time) said that US strikes “obliterated Iran’s nuclear weapons programme”. He spoke of the “Operation Midnight Hammer,” the US airstrikes last year against Iran’s nuclear strikes during a 12-day war between Israel and Iran. “After Midnight Hammer, they were warned to make no future attempts to rebuild their weapons program–yet they continue, and are at this moment again pursuing their sinister nuclear ambitions,” Trump said.

Iran-US tensions live: US President Donald Trump said that talks with Iran are on but Iran has not said anything on the nuclear deal. “We are in negotiations with them, they want to make a deal but we haven’t heard those secret words: ‘We will never have a nuclear weapon,'” Trump said.

Iran-US tensions live: In his address, Trump said “You’ve seen nothing yet. We’re going to do better and better and better. This is the Golden Age of America.”

Iran-US tensions live: US President Donald Trump has already broken the record for longest State of the Union, speaking for more than 1 hour and 41 minutes. The earlier record was held by Bill Clinton.

Trump speech live: Trump claimed that Iran is seeking to develop missiles that can strike the United States. “They’ve already developed missiles that can threaten Europe and our bases overseas, and they’re working to build missiles that will soon reach the United States of America,” Trump said.