Washington has repeatedly called for zero enrichment, but has also sought to address Iran\u2019s ballistic missile program and its support for terror groups in the region \u2014 issues that Israel has pushed to include in the talks.<\/p>\n
\t Iran has consistently denied seeking to acquire nuclear weapons, stressing that it only seeks civilian nuclear capabilities. However, it has enriched uranium to levels that have no peaceful application, obstructed international inspectors from checking its nuclear facilities, and expanded its ballistic missile capabilities.<\/p>\n Trump, who has ratcheted up pressure on Iran to reach an agreement, has deployed a significant naval force to the region, which he has described as an \u201carmada.\u201d According to the Wall Street Journal, the current buildup of US air power in the Middle East is the biggest since the 2003 invasion that launched the Iraq War.<\/p>\n That invasion, which began a devastating war that lasted more than eight years, began with what was called a \u201cshock and awe\u201d bombing campaign.<\/p>\n The US is now once again accumulating forces in the region, including aircraft carriers, naval warships, logistics and radar aircraft and \u201cdozens\u201d of fighter jets, including F-16s, F-15s, F-22s and F-35s.<\/p>\n According to the WSJ report, the US Air Force has moved the jets and support aircraft to air bases in Jordan and Saudi Arabia, citing flight-tracking data. The report added that even more fighter aircraft are on their way.<\/p>\n The US also has positioned 13 warships in the region, the report added, as well as moving land-based air defenses into position to defend against any eventual retaliation from Iran if the US does decide to attack.<\/p>\n \t The report added that the American military buildup allows for a much longer campaign than the US strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities during the Israel-Iran war last June, which was carried out with B-2 bombers.<\/p>\n However, the report noted that while the force buildup is the largest for the US in the region since 2003, it is still \u201cjust a fraction\u201d of the assets that the Pentagon deployed for the invasion of Iraq, and there has not been a significant deployment of US ground or special forces, indicating that the White House does not envision a drawn-out campaign beyond the use of aerial forces.<\/p>\n The force buildup also comes amid a major military drill by Iran\u2019s naval forces around the strategic Strait of Hormuz, the narrow opening of the Persian Gulf through which a fifth of the world\u2019s traded oil passes.<\/p>\n Separately, the Iranian and Russian navies held on Thursday joint drills in the Sea of Oman and the northern Indian Ocean, which the official IRNA news agency later announced had ended.<\/p>\n Poland tells citizens to leave Iran, Germany pulls troops out of region<\/p>\n Amid the tensions, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk said Thursday that any Polish citizens in Iran should leave immediately, warning that due to the potential for armed conflict, evacuation may no longer be possible in a matter of hours.<\/p>\n \u201cEveryone who is still in Iran must leave immediately, and under no circumstances should anyone plan to travel to that country,\u201d he said at a press conference.<\/p>\n He added that \u201cthe possibility of heated conflict is very real, and in a few, a dozen or several dozen hours, evacuation may no longer be an option.\u201d<\/p>\n This is the second time in recent months that the Polish government has called for its citizens to leave the country.<\/p>\n \t Additionally, Germany\u2019s military \u201ctemporarily\u201d moved some troops out of Erbil in northern Iraq because of \u201cescalating tensions in the Middle East,\u201d a German Defense Ministry spokesman told AFP on Thursday.<\/p>\n Dozens of German soldiers have been relocated away from the base in Erbil, capital of Iraq\u2019s autonomous Kurdistan region.<\/p>\n \u201cOnly the personnel necessary to maintain the operational capability of the camp in Erbil remain on site,\u201d the spokesman said.<\/p>\n German troops are deployed to Erbil as part of an international mission to train local Iraqi forces. The spokesman said the German redeployment away from Erbil was \u201cclosely coordinated with our multinational partners.\u201d<\/p>\n
\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t You clearly find our careful reporting valuable, in a time when facts are often distorted and news coverage often lacks context.<\/p>\n Your support is essential to continue our work. We want to continue delivering the professional journalism you value, even as the demands on our newsroom have grown dramatically since October 7.<\/p>\n So today, please consider joining our reader support group, The Times of Israel Community. For as little as $6 a month you’ll become our partners while enjoying The Times of Israel AD-FREE, as well as accessing\u00a0exclusive content\u00a0available only to Times of Israel Community members.<\/p>\n Thank you, \t\t\t
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/AFP__20260218__97YB7KJ__v1__HighRes__IranUsDiplomacyNuclearMedia-640x400.jpg\"){kind=spacer}
<\/a>
\n\t\tDaily Iranian newspapers are fronted with the image of Iran\u2019s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and other headlines, displayed at a kiosk in Tehran on February 18, 2026. (ATTA KENARE \/ AFP)<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/AFP__20260208__96KL7G3__v2__HighRes__CorrectionUsIranDiplomacy-e1770796292573-640x400.jpg\")
<\/a>
\n\t\tA handout photograph released by the US Navy on February 8, 2026, shows a CMV-22B Osprey, attached to Fleet Logistics Support Squadron (VRC) 40 prepares to land on the flight deck of Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN 72) in the Arabian Sea, on February 7, 2026. (Hannah Tross \/ US NAVY \/ AFP)<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/AP26048581878796-640x400.jpg\")
<\/a>
\n\t\tWomen with Iranian flags take a group photo during a state-organized memorial ceremony for those killed during January\u2019s anti-government protests, at the Imam Khomeini Grand Mosque in Tehran, Iran, February 17, 2026. (AP\/Vahid Salemi)<\/p>\n
\n\t\t\t\tYou appreciate our journalism\t\t\t<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/DH-new-headshot-circular.png\" "\\"\\"\/")
\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n
David Horovitz, Founding Editor of The Times of Israel<\/p>\n
\n\t\t\t\tJoin Our Community\t\t\t<\/a><\/p>\n