US-Iran tensions Highlights: Trump sets deadline for nuclear deal; Iran builds concrete shield at military site

As US forces station in the Middle East for a potential attack against Iran, Trump told reporters Thursday aboard Air Force One that “we’re either going to get a deal, or it’s going to be unfortunate for them," Bloomberg reported.

Two US officials informed Reuters that Washington's military planning regarding Iran is now in an advanced stage, considering options such as targeting specific individuals and possibly aiming for a leadership change in Tehran if instructed by Trump.

Iran's foreign minister said on Friday he expected to have a draft counterproposal ready within days following nuclear talks this week, as US President Donald Trump said he was considering limited military strikes, Reuters reported.

According to reports, the US might initiate airstrikes as early as this weekend, although no final decision has been made. The potential timeline has increased the urgency for diplomacy, with both sides under pressure to reach an agreement.

Russia's Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has discussed Iran's nuclear programme with his Iranian counterpart Abbas Araghchi, the Russian Foreign Ministry said on Friday via its channel in Telegram messaging app, reported Reuters

According to the reports, the US has deployed as many as 13 warships in the Middle East. That includes one aircraft carrier – the USS Abraham Lincoln – nine destroyers and three littoral combat ships. Read here

Japan's Nikkei share average fell on Friday as heightened US- Iran tensions and a sell-off in US private-equity shares dented sentiment. The Nikkei dipped 1.1% to close at 56,825.70, breaking a two-week rally to log a 0.2% weekly drop. The broader Topix sank 1.1% to 3,808.48, and edged down 0.3% for the week.

Reports indicate that the US could launch airstrikes as early as this weekend, though no final decision has been made. The potential timeline has heightened urgency for diplomacy, with both sides under pressure to reach an agreement

Brent advanced 0.7% to $72.19 a barrel after US President Donald Trump said Iran had 15 days at most to reach a deal over its nuclear program and the US assembled an array of forces in the Middle East.

In this image from a video circulating on social media, verified by the AP and posted on 17 February, 2026, attendees shout anti-government slogans in Abdanan, Iran, during a memorial known as "chehelom," Persian for "the 40th," marking 40 days since a man was killed during protests.

Chehelom ceremonies are traditionally held by families 40 days after a death, but during periods of unrest they can take on a political dimension.

Newly released satellite images show that Iran has recently built a concrete ‌shield over a new facility at a sensitive military site and covered it in soil, advancing work at a location reportedly bombed by Israel in 2024, Al Jazeera reported.

In a letter to the UN Security Council on Thursday, Amir Saeid Iravani, the Iranian ambassador to the UN, said that while Iran does not seek “tension or war and will not initiate a war,” any U.S. aggression will be responded to “decisively and proportionately.”

Awaiting President Donald Trump's orders, a massive military buildup, including warships, fighter jets and refuelling aircraft, is hovering in West Asia. The target would be Iran if the ongoing negotiations over Tehran’s nuclear programme fail to produce an agreement. Read full report here

Amir Saeid Iravani, the Iranian ambassador to the United Nations, wrote a letter to UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres and the president of the Security Council on Thursday, warning that US bases, facilities and assets would be Iran's "legitimate targets" if the United States follows through on its military threats and attacks. Read full story here

The US on Thursday signaled that it will maintain maximum pressure on Iran until Tehran meets US demands on its nuclear program, ballistic missiles, and support for armed groups in the region.

Tommy Pigott, a State Department spokesman, said the administration’s approach is designed to cut off revenue Tehran uses to fund “malign activities.”

“The message from this President has been very clear from the beginning of this administration, even before,” Piggott said. “We have a maximum pressure policy on the Iranian regime to deny them the revenue they need to fund their malign activities, including their nuclear weapons program, including their ballistic missile program, including the funding of terrorist proxies across the region."

“This President has been very clear about what he wants to see. He’s also been very clear he wants to see a deal. He’s a peacemaker. He’s a deal maker. That’s what he wants to see. But no one can doubt, based on the last time that the Iranian regime refused the deal, that the President means what he says — Operation Midnight Hammer proved that," he added.

US Senator John Fetterman reportedly said on Thursday that Tehran should be confronted with military force over its nuclear program, adding that the Islamic Republic can only be dealt with through “strength and power.”

“I think I clearly… how could you allow Iran to acquire a nuclear bomb?” Fetterman said in an interview on Fox News, as per Iran International.

“Now we’ve demonstrated that the only thing Iran ever responds to is strength and power… you can’t negotiate with cancer. You have to attack it and go right at it with superior force," Fetterman said.

According to Iran International, a new poll by Channel 12 suggested that 59% of Israelis favour their country joining a potential US-led military strike on Iran.

As per a survey broadcast by Israel's Channel 12 on Thursday, 59% of respondents support Israel participating in a US attack on Iran.

In contrast, 29% oppose joining such an operation, while 12% remain undecided.

US President Donald Trump signaled a nearly two-week deadline for Iran to reach a nuclear deal, warning on Thursday that an agreement would be achieved “one way or the other” if diplomacy fails.