Iran-US News Highlights: Donald Trump denies reports of General Caine opposing Iran war, calls claims ‘100% incorrect’

Iranian students have held a third consecutive day of protests at universities, including all-women Al Zahra University in Tehran, where they chanted anti-government slogans and burned an Iranian flag. The protests come amid rising tensions between Iran and the US, with Washington building up military forces in the Middle East and negotiating with Tehran.

The US has warned of "really bad things" if no deal is reached, while Iran's foreign ministry has threatened to retaliate "ferociously" against any attack.

The third round of indirect nuclear negotiations between Iran and the United States is scheduled to take place in Geneva on Thursday, February 26, according to officials from Oman, Iran and the US.

Oman’s Foreign Minister Sayyid Badr bin Hamad Al Busaidi announced in a post on his X account that the Iran–US talks have been scheduled for Geneva on Thursday of this week.

He expressed pleasure in confirming the arrangement and described the upcoming meeting as a positive effort aimed at taking further steps toward finalizing an agreement.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi and a US official also confirmed that the indirect nuclear negotiations between the two sides are planned for Thursday.

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US Secretary Pete Hegseth said on Monday that Iran should seize the opportunity to reach a deal, but all options for President Donald Trump remain on the table.

“Iran should make a deal. Iran has an opportunity to make a deal. That's the outcome the President would prefer. Our job is to provide options, and we will have options for the President,” Hegseth said. “Still everything is on the table. It's the president's decision. We're here to help ensure that a deal is made. And I think Iran would be wise to make a good deal.”

Donald Trump has dismissed reports that General Daniel Caine, Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman, opposes military action against Iran, calling them "100% incorrect". Trump stated that Caine, like everyone else, prefers to avoid war, but believes it would be "something easily won" if a decision is made to go ahead. Trump emphasized that he is the one making the decision and would prefer a diplomatic outcome, but warned of consequences if talks fail.

US President Donald Trump will decide whether to launch airstrikes on Iran based in part on the advice of his envoys Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff, according to a report by The Guardian.

The newspaper reported that Trump has not taken a final decision and is waiting to see whether Iran is serious about reaching a deal to give up its ability to produce nuclear weapons.

The US administration expects Iran to send a fresh proposal this week before what officials have described as a last round of negotiations in Geneva on Thursday.

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US President Donald Trump is growing increasingly frustrated with constraints on using military force against Iran, according to multiple sources familiar with the matter who spoke to CBS News on Monday.

Military planners have advised that any strike on Tehran’s assets would likely not deliver a decisive, one-off blow and could instead escalate into a wider, protracted conflict in the Middle East, the report said.

CBS News cited sources as saying that internal discussions have focused on the risks of retaliation and the possibility that limited strikes would fail to significantly degrade Iran’s capabilities, potentially drawing the United States into a broader regional confrontation.

Students at several major Iranian universities—including the University of Tehran, Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, Iran University of Science and Technology, Sharif University of Technology and Khajeh Nasir University—held rallies on Sunday to commemorate those killed in recent protests and to voice opposition to the Islamic Republic, with participants chanting “Death to the dictator” outside the central library at Tehran and similar slogans at the other campuses, according to student groups and local media reports.

Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi held a phone call with his Omani counterpart Badr Albusaidi to discuss the “latest status of indirect negotiations” between Iran and the United States and consult on arrangements for the “next round of nuclear talks,” Iran’s foreign ministry said.

Iran and the US are expected to meet for a further round of talks in Geneva this week in a sign that Donald Trump’s team believes Tehran is making serious proposals to dilute its stockpile of highly enriched uranium and show it is not seeking a nuclear weapon.

As fears loomed of renewed conflict after Washington carried out a major redeployment of military assets to the region, the Iranian foreign minister, Abbas Araghchi, said he thought there was still a good chance of finding a diplomatic solution.

He told CBS that negotiators would probably meet on Thursday to discuss and try to make “a fast deal”. Alluding to US assets in the region as potential targets, however, he said: “If the US attacks us, then we have every right to defend ourselves.”

"Recent negotiations involved the exchange of practical proposals and yielded encouraging signals,” Iran’s President Masoud Pezeshkian said in a post on X on Sunday.

"However, we continue to closely monitor US actions and have made all necessary preparations for any potential scenario," he added.

Iran has signaled it is prepared to make concessions on its nuclear program in talks with the United States in return for sanctions relief and recognition of its right to enrich uranium, as it seeks to avert a US attack, Reuters reported, citing a senior Iranian official.

Tehran would seriously consider sending half of its most highly enriched uranium abroad, diluting the rest and taking part in creating a regional enrichment consortium, the Iranian official said according to Reuters.

Iran and the US are set to meet again in Geneva this week, with Donald Trump’s team saying Tehran is putting forward serious ideas to thin out its highly enriched uranium and prove it isn’t chasing a nuclear bomb.

Even as Washington shifts a big chunk of its military hardware to the region, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi told CBS there’s still a solid chance for diplomacy and that negotiators will likely sit down on Thursday to try for a “fast deal.”

He added a warning: “If the US attacks us, then we have every right to defend ourselves.

In a Saturday‑night statement, Iran’s Foreign Ministry said it “identifies and declares” the naval and air forces of all European Union member states as terrorist organizations, invoking Article 7 of the 2019 Reciprocal Action Law after the EU on 19 February 2026 labeled the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) a terrorist entity, a move Tehran called “illegal and unjustifiable” and contrary to the UN Charter and international law.

UK Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper on Friday did not deny that London had rejected a US request to use Royal Air Force bases in potential operations related to Iran when asked directly by ITV, while emphasizing a preference for negotiations.

“The UK and the US have a long, deep security partnership. We work immensely closely on the issue of Iran,” Cooper said. “That is why we’re supporting the US talks taking place with Iran, because, frankly, the Iranian regime has continued to pose a security threat, has continued to pursue nuclear weapons.”

“That is why we have supported sanctions and also efforts to increase diplomatic and economic pressure on the regime. That’s what we believe is the right thing to do,” she added.

The United States pledged to keep imposing visa restrictions on individuals involved in violently repressing and censoring Iranians, Assistant Secretary posted on X.

​“The United States will continue to pursue visa restrictions for individuals who violently repress and censor Iranians seeking to exercise their freedom of expression,” Mora Namdar said.