Trump 'Not Thrilled' With Iran After Geneva Talks
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- Trump told reporters he is "not happy" with Iran and hasn't decided on military action, declaring "I say no enrichment... I think it's uncivil" — a hard red line after Thursday's Geneva talks broke up without a deal.
- Oman's Badr Albusaidi, who mediated, said Iran agreed never to stockpile enriched uranium, arguing "if you cannot stockpile material that is enriched then there is no way you can actually create a bomb" — a concession that may not satisfy Trump's no-enrichment demand.
- Iran's Abbas Araghchi said "good progress" was made but differences remain, with technical-level discussions set for Vienna next week and broader negotiations resuming in less than a week.
- The US has deployed thousands of troops, two aircraft carriers, warships, fighter jets, and refuelling aircraft — the largest Middle East build-up since the 2003 Iraq invasion — with Trump saying Feb. 19 the world would learn within 10 days whether a deal or military action is coming.
- Marco Rubio designated Iran a "state sponsor of wrongful detention" — the first-ever use of a power created in September — and will travel to Israel Monday to meet Benjamin Netanyahu on "a range of regional priorities."
- The IAEA said in a confidential report it has been refused access to Iran's uranium enrichment sites since the US bombed three of them in June, calling the denial "a cause of growing concern."
- The UK temporarily withdrew staff from its Tehran embassy, while the US, China, India, Canada, Germany, and France all urged citizens to leave Iran or Israel; the US told staff they could leave Israel "while commercial flights are available."
Why it matters: Trump's "no enrichment" position directly collides with Iran's offer to never stockpile enriched uranium — a gap the Omani mediator called "less relevant" but the president has not accepted. With the largest Middle East military build-up since 2003 in place and a 10-day ultimatum from Feb. 19 expiring, the choice between the diplomatic track both sides claim is advancing and military action now narrows to whatever Iran offers in Vienna next week.
