Iran has vowed to respond “decisively” to any military aggression from the United States as it stated that Donald Trump's rhetoric towards the country was signalling hostility.
In a letter to UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, Iran’s permanent mission said it will consider all bases, facilities and assets of the "hostile force" in the region as legitimate targets.
The message also added that Iran did not seek tensions and would not initiate war.
It comes as President Trump has warned the regime that it must make a deal or else “bad things will happen”. On Thursday, he gave Iran 10 to 15 days to reach an agreement on its nuclear programme as he raced warships, tankers and submarines to the Middle East to strong-arm the regime into a deal.
He told reporters on Air Force One: “We’re either going to get a deal or it’s going to be unfortunate for them.”
Washington and Tehran have been working to resolve a longstanding dispute over Iran’s nuclear programme, but concluded intensive talks in Geneva this week without a breakthrough.
Tensions between the two sides have mounted in recent weeks, with Iran’s ayatollah threatening to sink US warships on Tuesday.
Concerns grow in the region as allies warn citizens and bolster forces in the region
International anxiety is mounting as governments move to protect their citizens and reposition military assets amid escalating tensions over Iran’s nuclear programme.
Polish prime minister Donald Tusk urged Polish nationals to leave Iran immediately, warning that the window for evacuation may soon close. “Within a few, a dozen, or even a few dozen hours, the possibility of evacuation will be out of the question,” he said, without elaborating on the specific threat assessment.
Despite the stark warning, the Polish embassy in Tehran does not appear to be drawing down staff for now.
Germany has also taken precautionary steps. The German military said it had relocated “a mid-two digit number of non-mission critical personnel” from a base in northern Iraq due to the deteriorating regional situation and in coordination with partners. However, some troops remain at the multinational camp in Irbil, where they continue training Iraqi forces.
In Washington, the military build-up continues. According to the New York-based The Soufan Center, “another 50 US combat aircraft – F-35s, F-22s, and F-16s – were ordered to the region, supplementing the hundreds deployed to bases in the Arab Gulf states.”
"The deployments reinforce Trump's threat – restated on a nearly daily basis – to proceed with a major air and missile campaign on the regime if talks fail."
Shweta Sharma20 February 2026 03:48
UK declines permission to US to use bases for potential strikes on Iran
The British government has not granted the US permission to use UK military bases for potential strikes on Iran, according to the BBC.
Washington has previously used RAF Fairford in Gloucestershire and Diego Garcia in the Indian Ocean to launch operations in the Middle East.
But this time, the UK is understood to be withholding approval as US president Donald Trump threatens military action if Iran fails to agree to curb its nuclear activities.
A UK government spokesperson declined to address operational details, saying: “As routine, we do not comment on operational matters.”
However, the government reiterated its position that “Iran must never be able to develop a nuclear weapon” and that it supports an ongoing political process between Washington and Tehran.
In a Truth Social post, Trump explicitly referenced the two UK-linked bases, saying they could be used “in order to eradicate a potential attack by a highly unstable and dangerous regime” if Iran does not strike a deal.
The comments came shortly after Trump criticised prime minister Keir Starmer over the agreement to transfer sovereignty of the Chagos Islands to Mauritius while leasing back a joint UK-US military base.
According to The Times, the president’s frustration may be linked to Britain’s reluctance to authorise the use of its bases for a strike on Iran.
Under longstanding arrangements, the US must seek UK approval before using British sovereign bases for military operations.
Neither RAF Fairford nor Diego Garcia were used in US strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities last year, and at the time, UK defence sources said Washington had not requested permission.
Shweta Sharma20 February 2026 03:24
Trump considering limited strike to strong-arm Iran into making deal
Donald Trump is reportedly weighing an initial limited military strike on Iran in order to get it to comply with its nuclear demands.
The initial action would not be a full-scale war, but would aim to pressure Tehran into an agreement by targeting a few military or government sites, the Wall Street Journal has said.
The newspaper reported that if Iran still did not make an agreement following the strike, the US would then respond with broader action.
The US president said on Thursday he would give Iran around 10 to 15 days to make a deal on its nuclear programme.
He told reporters on Air Force One: “We’re either going to get a deal or it’s going to be unfortunate for them.”
Harriette Boucher20 February 2026 03:01
Trump warns of 'bad things' if Iran doesn't make a deal
President Donald Trump has warned that Iran has “10 to 15 days” to reach a nuclear deal with Washington, as the US moves additional military assets closer to the Middle East.
At the inaugural meeting of his Board of Peace in Washington DC, Trump said of negotiations with the Islamic Republic over its nuclear programme: “We have to make a meaningful deal – otherwise bad things happen.”
“I believe 10 to 15 days is enough time,” Trump said, signalling impatience with years of stalled negotiations over Tehran’s nuclear programme.
The talks have remained deadlocked, with Iran refusing to discuss wider US and Israeli demands that it scale back its missile programme and cut ties with armed groups across the region.
The warning comes as an American aircraft carrier and other warships reposition near the region, bolstering Washington’s military options should diplomacy fail.
The USS Gerald R Ford has been sighted near the entrance to the Mediterranean Sea – a move that does not guarantee military action but strengthens the US ability to strike if ordered.
Shweta Sharma20 February 2026 02:56
Watch: JD Vance says US is seeking Iran nuclear deal through diplomacy 'or another option'
Harriette Boucher20 February 2026 02:02
A military operation in Iran would likely last several weeks, sources say
A US military operation in Iran would likely be much bigger than the US and Israel’s attack last year, sources have said.
According to Axios, an attack could last several weeks and have a powerful impact on the Middle East.
The United States’ stand-off with Iran is feared to be close to breaking out into a full-scale war in the region.
Israel launched a 12-day war with Iran in June, and was joined by the US, which bombed the country’s nuclear sites.
Harriette Boucher20 February 2026 01:00
‘A thunderpunch to the stomach’: Son of British couple jailed in Iran shocked at severe 10-year sentence
The son of a British couple detained in Tehran says the news they have been sentenced to 10 years is “devastating” and came completely out of the blue.
Lindsay and Craig Foreman, from East Sussex, have spent more than 13 months behind bars in Iran, denied legal representation and subjected to gruelling conditions, according to their family.
But Joe Bennett, Ms Foreman’s son, told The Independent Thursday the severity of the sentence was like a “thunderpunch to the stomach”, coming some four months after they stood trial on disputed espionage charges.
“It’s almost as if we’ve now been given the diagnosis by the doctor,” he said. “When you get a cancer diagnosis, it is a harrowing thing to have to listen to … but it also means that you can work towards fighting it and getting rid of it and healing.”
‘A thunderpunch’: Son of British couple jailed in Iran shock at 10-year sentence
After more than a year held in Iranian prisons, the Foremans finally had a 10-year sentence confirmed this weekHarriette Boucher20 February 2026 00:00
Donald Trump lays bare 10 day ultimatum to Iran
Donald Trump used his platform at the inaugural Board of Peace meeting in Washington on Thursday to brag about bringing ‘peace to the Middle East’ – and threaten Iran with military action.
The US president set a deadline of ten days “to find out” Iran’s fate as he reiterated the regime “cannot have a nuclear weapon” – the key issue in focus for talks in Geneva this week.
Amid a major buildup of US military assets in the Middle East, Trump warned dozens of world leaders that Iran would have to make a “meaningful deal”, or “bad things” would happen.
'Iran is a hot spot right now,' Trump said, but added: 'Good talks are being had.'
'It's proven to be over the years not easy to make a meaningful deal with Iran – we have to make a meaningful deal otherwise bad things happen.'
James Reynolds19 February 2026 23:00
Iran tells UN it will respond 'decisively' to military aggression
Iran has told the UN chief that it will respond to any military aggression and will consider all bases, facilities and assets of the "hostile force" in the region as legitimate targets.
In a letter to Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Thursday, Iran's permanent mission said Donald Trump's rhetoric towards Iran "signals a real risk of military aggression.”
It told Mr Gueterres it would respond "decisively" if subjected to military aggression, but also said it did not seek tensions and would not initiate war.
Harriette Boucher19 February 2026 22:52
US forces on standby in the Middle East
A growing number of US military assets are in the Middle East or expected to soon arrive in the area in a show of force to cajole Iran into a nuclear deal.
These include:
– The USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier, spotted this week off Oman.
– The USS Gerald R Ford, spotted this week in the Mediterranean.
– Accompanying strike groups of destroyers and capacity for some 90 aircraft each.
– F-15s, A-10 Warthogs and C-130 transport aircraft in Jordan.
– More than 50 F-35, F-22 and F-16 fighter jets, and KC-135 tankers in the region, according to flight data and a US official.
– B-2 bombers capable of mid-air refuelling over long distances.
– Three Littoral combat ships, and two or three attack submarines.
James Reynolds19 February 2026 22:00NewerOlder