February 18, 2026 | 10:44 pm
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian stated that the ongoing negotiations with the United States are conducted upon the approval of Iran's Supreme Leader, Ali Khamenei. The statement was made by Pezeshkian on Tuesday during a meeting with religious leaders, as reported by the Iranian newspaper Entekhab.
“The negotiations are being carried out with the approval of the Leader of the Revolution,” Pezeshkian said. He emphasized that Tehran's goal is not just to negotiate "for the sake of negotiation." According to an Anadolu report, Pezeshkian stated that Iran's aim is to find solutions to various issues and hopes that the talks will produce tangible results.
During the meeting, Pezeshkian also stressed Iran's good relations with neighboring and other Islamic countries. According to him, this cooperation has helped resolve several regional issues.
Second Round in Geneva
Tehran and Washington have held the second round of indirect nuclear negotiations in Geneva, Switzerland, under Oman mediation. The Iranian delegation is led by Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, while the United States is led by Special Envoy Steve Witkoff and President Donald Trump's advisor and son-in-law, Jared Kushner, who is pro-Israel.
Araghchi stated that there has been progress in the negotiations in Geneva. Previously, on February 6, Oman hosted indirect talks in Muscat amid increased presence of U.S. military in the region.
The United States is pushing for a new agreement after the first Trump administration withdrew from Obama's Iran Nuclear Deal, which limited Iran's uranium enrichment in exchange for sanctions relief.
Trump expressed hope for the progress of the negotiations. However, he warned that if the agreement fails, it would be a "bad day for Iran, very bad."
Threats Amid Diplomacy
Amid the diplomatic process, Khamenei issued a strong warning to the United States.
According to The Hill report, he responded to the U.S. statement about sending warships near Iran. “The Americans constantly say that they’ve sent a warship toward Iran. Of course, a warship is a dangerous piece of military hardware," Khamenei wrote on X social media.
He added, “However, more dangerous than that warship is the weapon that can send that warship to the bottom of the sea."
In another post, Khamenei refuted the U.S. claims of military superiority. "The U.S. President keeps saying that they have the strongest military force in the world. The strongest military force in the world may at times be struck so hard that it cannot get up again."
Trump confirmed the deployment of the world's largest aircraft carrier, USS Gerald R. Ford, to the Middle East to join the U.S. fleet in the U.S. Central Command region. He also warned of the possibility of the use of military force if the nuclear agreement is not reached.
Meanwhile, Iran conducted maritime drills with active missile projectiles in the Strait of Hormuz, a vital international trade route. The U.S. Central Command had previously warned Tehran not to take actions that endanger safety and violate professional norms in the region.
Read: Where Do the US and Israel Differ on Iran Strategy?
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