Updates: Trump doubles down on Iran threats as US puts more sanctions
Numerous US military assets in the Gulf region are ‘within the range of our medium-range missiles’, Iran’s military spokesman warns.
Iranians fear war as US threats add pressure to daily life
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- The US Treasury Department has imposed new sanctions on seven Iranian nationals and one entity, according to an update from the US Treasury Department’s website.
- Iran has threatened to instantly strike US bases and aircraft carriers in response to any attack.
- This comes after US President Donald Trump warned time was running out for Tehran to make a nuclear deal and the EU blacklisted its Revolutionary Guards as a “terrorist” organisation.
- UN chief Antonio Guterres has called for nuclear negotiations to “avoid a crisis that could have devastating consequences in the region”.
Thank you for joining us
Here’s what happened today
We will be closing this live page soon. Here is a recap of the day’s major developments:
- President Trump says Iran “wants to make a deal”, but did not elaborate about the chances of securing one.
- The US Treasury Department has imposed new sanctions on seven Iranian nationals, including Iran’s interior minister, and one entity.
- Turkiye’s FM Hakan Fidan met his Iranian counterpart Araghchi in Istanbul and urged a resumption of nuclear talks between the US and Iran.
- Araghchi has said there are currently no meetings or planned contacts with US officials, stressing that conditions for talks have not yet been met.
- Iranian authorities say they have arrested an unidentified number of people responsible for destroying public property in recent antigovernment protests in southern Tehran.
‘We’re stumbling towards increased Middle East destablisation’
Alan Eyre, a distinguished diplomatic fellow at the Middle East Institute, believes the US has backed itself into a corner with its “gunboat diplomacy”, increasing the risk of a US-Iran confrontation that has major regional implications.
“I think we’re in a very dangerous situation, and I think we’re stumbling towards increased destabilisation in the Middle East with a military attack on Iran,” said Eyre.
Iran, for its part, has little “strategic deterrence”, he noted. “Its proxy network has been eviscerated by Israel, its missiles – it lost many of them in the 12-day war – and its nuclear programme is destroyed. So right now, Iran is feeling quite exposed.”
“I’m quite concerned that Iran, thinking it has nothing to lose, will respond massively to any attack on its soil and that could cause further destabilisation,” added Eyre.
WATCH: Iran’s FM says Tehran ‘ready for nuclear talks’
‘Paradoxically, Iran is too weak to negotiate’
Alan Eyre, from the Middle East Institute, said Iran is open to entering negotiations with the US, but draws the line at conditions the US is demanding, including relinquishing its enriched uranium, missile programme or “proxy” network.
“I think Iran is quite eager to start negotiations if for no other reason than to possibly avoid a military attack by the US,” Eyre told Al Jazeera. “But there’s no intersection between what the US wants – the preconditions to start – and what Iran is willing to accept.
“Paradoxically, I think Iran is in many ways too weak to negotiate,” Eyre added, noting that the country’s leadership is likely concerned that conceding on issues like its missile programme or proxy network would “invite further aggression from the US, and more importantly, from Israel”.
White House seeking ‘conclusive resolution’ in Iran
The Trump administration sees an opportunity to force a decisive outcome in its standoff with Tehran, according to analyst Ian Lesser.
“My sense is that the US is looking for a more conclusive resolution to Tehran’s ongoing nuclear and missile programmes,” Lesser, from the German Marshall Fund of the US, told Al Jazeera, adding that the Trump administration views Iran as weakened by “economic and political crises, and regional setbacks”.
Nevertheless, he said the US would likely avoid “opening new fronts” with Iran.
He added that it was not “inconceivable” that the Trump administration’s “unconventional and unpredictable” approach to international policy may yield surprising outcomes, “for better or for worse”.
“Iran’s leaders will surely have drawn their own lessons from recent interventions in Venezuela and crises elsewhere.”
Iran’s Shamkhani claims Tehran has ‘exposed enemy’s plans’
Ali Shamkhani, a top security official and adviser to the supreme leader, has warned that Iran is ready to meet any aggression with a proportional response, including potentially striking Israel, according to Iran’s semi-official Tasnim news agency.
In remarks carried by Tasnim, Shamkhani dismissed suggestions that the US’s growing military presence in the Gulf, including the Gulf of Oman, would give Washington an advantage in any confrontation.
He said Iran has “exposed the enemy’s plans” and is on high alert to “repel any threat”.
How ready is the US for another attack on Iran?
Analysts say the new military build-up off Iran could signal an imminent attack on Iran, one that would probably be aimed at Iran’s government.
Ellie Geranmayeh, from the European Council on Foreign Relations, told Al Jazeera that Trump could justify such an attack – and possibly even a regime change – by arguing that the US wants to protect civilians. But the risks of a military intervention, she added, are significant, and there are no guarantees that Iranians would be better off.
“If America launches significant attacks, possibly with a regime change endgame, Tehran is likely to directly increase the cost to Trump in an election year by targeting American soldiers stationed across the Middle East,” she said.
Iran, Geranmayeh warned, would suffer in a US attack, but it also has the capacity to inflict damage on the US and its allies, particularly by attacking oil facilities and blocking international shipping routes. Iran, she said, could also strike US allies such as Israel.
Turkiye sees itself as potential mediator between US, Iran
Turkiye believes it has the necessary communication channels open for both sides [in the US-Iran tensions].
Turkiye and Iran share a very large border. They have cultural ties, they have historical ties.
On the other hand, Turkiye is a NATO country that can openly communicate with European countries, Washington and even with Israel. When it comes to Israel, yes, the Gaza and Palestine issue is a red line for Turkish foreign policy. But Israel and Turkiye had for a long time enjoyed strong economic and military relations.
The other point is geography. As I said, Turkiye and Iran share a vast border, and there are three active border crossings. Every year, millions of Iranian tourists visit Turkiye.
There is also a trade relation between Iran and Turkiye, which is dependent on oil imports from other countries, including Iran.
That’s why any conflict related to Iran, when it comes to trade, security or energy, directly affects Turkiye and its borders.
Iran’s parliamentary speaker slams EU measures against IRGC
Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, Iran’s parliamentary speaker, has accused the European Union of “supporting terrorism” by designating Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) as a “terrorist” organisation.
“The IRGC is one of the strongest and most effective counterterrorism forces in the world,” he said.
“Only those who have sided with the terrorists themselves can deny the IRGC’s record in fighting (ISIL) ISIS terrorism,” he added. “Supporting terrorism will only bring regret to European countries.”
The EU made the designation on Thursday in response to Iran’s deadly crackdown on antigovernment protests in the country, while announcing a new round of sanctions on Iranian officials, including the interior minister.
WATCH: Confusion grows over state of US-Iran negotiations
A lot of frustration and concern in Tehran
Here in Tehran, people are following the tensions with a lot of frustration and concern, fearing the possibility of a confrontation down the road.
People are also feeling economic pressure that affects their daily lives.
Timeline: Iran’s history of crises since 1979
Can Trump’s ‘madman theory’ reshape Iran and the Middle East?
In June 2025, the US had just struck Iranian nuclear sites, but rather than signal that the bombings were the opening salvo of a war between the US and Iran, President Trump was quick to try to draw a line under the attack.
“Now is the time for peace” was Trump’s message at the time.
Fast forward to present day, Trump is threatening an even bigger attack and backing up the threat with a large-scale movement of US military assets, including an aircraft carrier, towards Iranian waters.
Trump says that these threats are his way of convincing the Iranians to agree to a deal – reported to include demands to effectively end Iran’s nuclear programme, limit its ballistic missile programme, and stop support for allies across the Middle East.
Read more of our analysis here.
If you’re just joining us
Here are the latest developments:
- Speaking to reporters at the White House, President Trump says Iran “wants to make a deal” but did not elaborate about the chances of securing one.
- He also said US warships heading towards Iran form a much larger “armada” than the fleet sent before the US attack on Venezuela earlier this month.
- The US Treasury Department has imposed new sanctions on seven Iranian nationals and one entity, including Iran’s interior minister.
- Russia’s President Putin has met Ali Larijani, secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, in the Kremlin.
- UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan has told his Iranian counterpart Pezeshkian that Abu Dhabi supports all efforts aimed at strengthening regional security and stability.
WATCH: Diplomatic efforts intensify to avert US-Iran war
Diplomatic efforts are intensifying to avoid a military confrontation between the US and Iran, as Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi travels to Turkiye for high-level talks.
Al Jazeera’s Ali Hashem explains how regional leaders are pushing to avert conflict.
Watch the video below:
Iran in maps and charts
Trump reportedly still ‘weighing his options’ on Iran
The US president has been repeating for weeks that Iran needs to “make a deal”.
Today, Trump spoke about how the US seemed quite close to some sort of military strike on Iran a few weeks ago, only to pull back.
What is being reported here in the US is that Trump is continuing to weigh his options militarily and has not ruled out the possibility of US forces attacking sites inside Iran.
He is still considering all options and continuing his threat of some sort of military action … in the hope that this might bring Iran to a deal to limit its nuclear programme.
What is the USS Abraham Lincoln?
What US military assets have arrived in the region?
On Monday, US Central Command (CENTCOM) said a nuclear-powered aircraft carrier, the USS Abraham Lincoln, has been sent to the Middle East to “promote regional security and stability”.
The vessel, which departed its homeport of San Diego, California, in November and had been operating in the South China Sea until last week, is one of the US Navy’s largest warships.
While CENTCOM did not offer more details on why the ship had been deployed, its statement signals a large US naval deployment towards Iran at a time when tensions between Washington and Tehran have soared.
On Tuesday, the US Air Forces Central Command (AFCENT) also announced “multi-day readiness” military drills throughout its “areas of responsibility”, referring to 20-some nations in the Middle East, Asia and Africa that host US military bases.
In a statement, AFCENT said the drills would help to improve its capacity to deploy assets and personnel, strengthen its partnerships with host countries, and prepare for “flexible responses”.
