Shadow of US Attack on Iran
The deployment of US military assets near Iran is escalating the conflict between the two countries. A US-Iran war could occur in the near future.
In his latest speech, US President Donald Trump mentioned Iran before the US Congress. Trump explained why he was deploying a large number of US military assets to the Middle East.
As reported by CNN on Wednesday (February 25, 2026), Trump said that his goal is to ensure that Iran does not acquire nuclear weapons. However, Trump did not provide a complete explanation of his strategic objectives in threatening Tehran with war.
“They (Iran) want to make a deal, but we haven’t heard those magic words: We will never have nuclear weapons,” Trump said in a relatively short section of his speech about Iran.
He reiterated that his preference is to pursue diplomacy.
In recent times, the US has deployed two of its aircraft carriers to the Middle East. The USS Abraham Lincoln has been in the region, while the USS Gerald R Ford, the world’s largest aircraft carrier, has arrived at the US base in Souda Bay, Greece.
In his State of the Union address, Trump insisted that Iran is still trying to advance its nuclear program, even after the US President claimed that a US bombing in June last year had “destroyed Iran’s nuclear weapons program.”
“They have been warned not to make any further efforts to rebuild their weapons program, especially nuclear weapons. But they continue to do so, starting from scratch,” he said.
“We have destroyed it, and they want to start it again. And now, they are pursuing their evil ambitions again,” Trump said.
Iran has repeatedly stated clearly that it is not developing nuclear weapons. On Tuesday (February 24), Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi explicitly reiterated that Tehran is not developing nuclear weapons.
“Our fundamental belief is very clear: Iran will never develop nuclear weapons under any circumstances,” Araghchi said in a recent statement on social media platform X.
“We have destroyed it, and they want to start it again. And now, they are pursuing their evil ambitions again,” Trump said.
Araghchi is leading the Iranian delegation in ongoing nuclear talks with the US, with the latest round scheduled for Thursday (February 26) in Geneva, Switzerland. Oman is acting as a mediator in the indirect talks between the two countries.
Many countries doubt Iran’s sincerity when it denies developing nuclear weapons. In the past, Tehran has enriched uranium to a level that is only one step away from producing weapons-grade material.
Iran Holds War Exercises
The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) is now conducting war exercises on the country’s southern coast in the Persian Gulf. The military exercises are being held amid rising tensions with the United States, which has threatened to attack Iran.
“The 1404 (2026) joint exercises of the IRGC Ground Forces have begun,” Iran’s state television reported, referring to the year in the Iranian and Gregorian calendars.
The war exercises are focused in the southern coastal region, but similar exercises are also taking place in other parts of Iran, the report added on Tuesday (February 24).
The exercises involve drones, ships, amphibious vehicles, ground-to-sea missiles and rockets, as well as artillery, state television said.
“Very good measures have been designed in various sectors, including missiles, artillery, drones, special forces, armored vehicles, and armored personnel carriers,” Mohammad Karami, commander of the IRGC ground forces, told state television.
He said the military exercises were being held “based on existing threats,” without providing further explanation.
The military exercises are being held after Washington and Tehran completed two rounds of talks mediated by Oman, aimed at reaching an agreement on Iran’s nuclear program. Further talks are scheduled for Thursday (February 26).