PARIS: Iran plans to submit a draft nuclear proposal following recent&nbsp;<a href="https://www.pakistantv.com/article/iran-us-hold-new-geneva-talks-as-khamenei-warns-of-sinking-us-warship" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);" rel="noopener noreferrer">negotiations in Geneva</a>, as the United States increases its military presence in the region. US President Donald Trump sent the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.pakistantv.com/article/us-aircraft-carrier-located-near-iran-as-washington-increases-military-pressure" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);" rel="noopener noreferrer">aircraft</a> carrier USS Abraham Lincoln to the region, while a second, the USS Gerald R. Ford, is en route via the Mediterranean.&nbsp;The US has also redeployed dozens of other warplanes to the Middle East, where it maintains several bases, while boosting its air defenses. <figure class="fr-media"><img src="https://paktv-assets-7d41fab8.s3.eu-west-2.amazonaws.com/uploads/d266b201-8c85-4f2b-bf24-516b956cabd7-AFP__20260220__98DC7YG__v7__MidRes__SpainUsIranMilitaryDefenceConflictDiplomacy.jpg" alt="This handout image released and taken by David Parody on February 20, 2026, shows the US aircraft carrier USS Gerald Ford heading through the Strait of Gibraltar as seen from Gibraltar. (AFP)" class="fr-fic fr-dib"><figcaption class="caption-cover-image text-sm text-gray-600 italic">This handout image released and taken by David Parody on February 20, 2026, shows the US aircraft carrier USS Gerald Ford heading through the Strait of Gibraltar as seen from Gibraltar. (AFP)</figcaption></figure> The build-up seeks to pressure Iran&#39;s authorities as the two sides pursue nuclear talks. Iranian Foreign Minister&nbsp;Abbas Araghchi&nbsp;told US media this week that, following the latest round of negotiations in Geneva, Iran would submit a draft agreement proposal, which would be released in a matter of days. <a href="https://www.pakistantv.com/article/iranian-fm-araghchi-in-geneva-for-second-round-of-us-talks" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);" rel="noopener noreferrer">Araghchi</a> also said the &quot;US side has not asked for zero enrichment&quot; of uranium, contradicting statements from American officials. Iran denies it is trying to produce nuclear weapons, but insists on its right to&nbsp;<a href="https://www.pakistantv.com/article/iran-defies-us-threats-to-insist-on-right-to-enrich-uranium" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);" rel="noopener noreferrer">enrich uranium</a> for civilian purposes. The US media outlet Axios reported this week, citing an unnamed senior US official, that Washington was prepared to consider a proposed deal that would permit only &quot;small, token enrichment.&quot; Trump has suggested that &quot;bad things&quot; will happen if Tehran does not strike a deal, saying Thursday that it had 15 days to agree. Fears of a conflict have prompted several foreign countries to urge their citizens to leave Iran, including Sweden, Serbia, Poland, and Australia, which warned, &quot;Commercial flights are currently available, but this could change quickly.&quot; A previous round of nuclear diplomacy last year was interrupted by Israel&#39;s surprise bombing campaign against the Middle Eastern nation. The United States ultimately joined its ally, striking nuclear facilities before declaring a ceasefire. Iran has maintained that it will defend itself in the event of any new attack. Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, in remarks to athletes carried by state television, said the country would &quot;not yield to any trial, even if the powers of the world stand against us with injustice and try to force us into submission.&quot;

A woman walks near a banner depicting Iran's late and current supreme leaders (R to L) Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini and Ayatollah Ali Khamenei along a main street in Tehran on February 21, 2026. (AFP)

Middle East

The US has deployed aircraft carriers and warplanes to pressure Iran during nuclear talks. Tehran insists on its right to civilian uranium enrichment.

Iran to submit draft nuclear proposal as US military presence grows

TEHRAN: Iran&#39;s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on Tuesday said the Islamic republic would not give in to pressure to abandon its enrichment of uranium. Khamenei, in a televised address, also called any talks with the United States a &quot;dead end&quot; that were of no benefit to his country. His statement came as European powers seeking to reimpose tough sanctions on Iran over its nuclear program met with the Islamic republic&#39;s top diplomat, without any signs of a compromise. &quot;The American side has been adamant that Iran must not have (uranium) enrichment,&quot; Khamenei said. &quot;We did not surrender and we will not. We did not and will not yield to pressure in this matter or any other matter,&quot; he added. The supreme leader went on to say talks with the United States would only bring harm to Iran. Negotiating with America &quot;not only brings no benefit, but also causes major harm under the current conditions, some of which might even be described as irreparable&quot;, he said. &#39;Complete dead end&#39;&nbsp;&quot;Let us not forget the experience of these past 10 years, and the other side -- which is the subject of our discussion for now -- is the United States,&quot; he continued, referring to the landmark 2015 nuclear deal that Washington withdrew from three years later. &quot;This other side consistently breaks promises, lies about everything, deceives and threatens militarily at every opportunity,&quot; Khamenei said. &quot;One cannot negotiate with such a party. In my view, negotiations with the United States on the nuclear issue, and perhaps on other issues as well, are a complete dead end.&quot; European countries and the United States suspect the Iranian government of allegedly seeking to acquire an atomic bomb. Tehran has vigorously denied that, insisting it has a right to civilian nuclear energy. Israel in June carried out a major military campaign against Iranian nuclear sites, with President Donald Trump joining by ordering US warplanes to drop bombs on key targets. The Trump administration, which had long pushed for the re-imposition of sanctions, has voiced a willingness to hold talks with Iran, which doubts Washington&#39;s sincerity.

Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said the Islamic republic would not give in to pressure to abandon its enrichment of uranium

Articles tagged with "uranium enrichment"

Iran to submit draft nuclear proposal as US military presence grows

Iran 'won't yield' to pressure to abandon uranium enrichment: Khamenei