Trump, Netanyahu reached 'full understanding' on Iran policy - Al-monitor

"Supporting the Islamic Republic in any form, through negotiations or financial relief, betrays the Iranian people and strengthens a dictatorship that will never reform," she said in a post on X.

"Western policymakers must learn from past mistakes," she added in a shark rebuke to the idea of talks mooted by US President Donald Trump.

"The 2015 nuclear deal (JCPOA) failed because it provided a financial lifeline of billions of dollars to the regime, which it spent on its military and security forces rather than improving the lives of ordinary Iranians," she added.

Trump pulled out of that international deal in 2018 and imposed his so-called "maximum pressure" campaign of sanctions, which he renewed this month.

Still, Trump said he much preferred a deal over Iran's disputed nuclear program over any military action.

Alinejad, who is based in the United States, is a prominent voice advocating for women's rights and the overthrow of Iran's nearly 50-year-old theocracy. Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps has plotted to kill her in exile, US law enforcement alleges.

She is in Germany for the Munich Security Conference, the premier annual forum for discussion of international security policy among top leaders.

For the third consecutive year, the organizers have excluded Iranian government representatives.

"I am pleased that Javad Zarif and Abbas Araghchi have been excluded from this conference despite all their efforts," she told Iran International in an interview on the sidelines of the conference.

"This is a positive step, but it is not enough. The West must take more fundamental steps to expel and isolate this terrorist government from all global arenas, which is certainly not an easy task," she added.

In a video post on X the previous night, referring to Iran’s exiled crown prince Reza Pahlavi's exclusion from the event, Alinejad said, "The exclusion of one of the opponents of the Islamic Republic from the Munich Security Conference is unacceptable."

Rafael Grossi said members of the IAEA Board of Governors have requested a comprehensive report on Iran's nuclear program which is likely to be issued later than the board meeting in March.

Speaking to reporters on the sidelines of the Munich Security Conference, Grossi said Iran would likely have about 250 kg of uranium enriched to up to 60% by the time of the agency's next report in the coming weeks.

"I think we are running out of time, but it doesn't mean that we can't do it fast."

Grossi warned that "the rapid acceleration of uranium enriched up to 60% purity is a sign that should be taken very seriously."

Last month, the UN nuclear watchdog's chief said that the agency does not have evidence that Tehran is building a nuclear weapon, but Iran is not fully cooperating with the IAEA.

In his interview with reporters on Friday, Grossi said, “the IAEA is there and has all the information and elements, but when it comes to the policy it's up to the countries."

Grossi said he still has not been able to have political consultations with the new US administration on the issue of Iran and is waiting for President Donald Trump to introduce his special envoy for Iran.

Amid global concerns over Tehran's nuclear program, Trump has expressed interest in achieving a deal with the clerical establishment, saying he believes that the Islamic Republic would love to make a deal with the United States.

The alternative to a deal, he said, is airstrikes against the country's nuclear sites.

Israeli officials have repeatedly raised the possibility of military action against Iran’s nuclear program, but Trump has insisted that he hopes a deal over Iran's nuclear program would make it so that the United States did not have to support an Israeli attack on Iran.

'Israel's top priority'

Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar stressed at the Munich Security Conference on Friday that preventing Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons remains Israel's highest priority.

He warned that a nuclear-armed Iran would pose a threat not only to Israel but also to Europe and the wider Middle East.

While recognizing diplomacy as a possible solution, Saar cautioned against reviving the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) without major revisions. He said that achieving this goal through political means would be beneficial but emphasized that any new agreement must be substantially different.

Iran has denied seeking a nuclear weapon, but Israel has long contended that a bomb in the hands of its arch-enemy poses an existential threat.

"We are committed to bringing the Iranians to going back to 100,000 barrels per day of exports, as when Trump left office," Bessent told Fox News in an interview.

"Their economy is quite fragile right now. They have massive inflation, they have the gigantic budget deficit ... if we get them back to the Trump 1.0 levels. I believe that they will be in severe economic distress."

Iran exports around 1.5 million barrels per day (bpd), with China by far the biggest buyer. The so-called "maximum pressure" campaign of US sanctions on Iran starting in 2018 during Trump's first term brought exports to as low as 200,000 bpd.

Trump this month reinstated the so-called "maximum pressure" campaign on Iran from his first term, with the stated aim of driving its oil sales to zero.

Beset said the proceeds from oil sales fund Iran's "terrorist activities around the world" and described purchases by China and India as unacceptable.

The US dollar reached a new high against Iran’s currency this week and the current annual inflation rate has hovered at around 40% since 2019 according to official figures, with prices for food and other essentials rising sharply.

A series of stepped-up US sanctions beginning in October on Russian and Iranian tankers, companies and entities facilitating their oil trade is increasingly hampering oil exports which are the main source of revenue for both countries.

“In this public gathering, I want to impeach Trump,” Ahmad Khatami, who also serves as Tehran's interim Friday prayer leader, said. “For 45 years, they have tried maximum pressure on Iran, and they have achieved nothing. Their pressure only brings maximum hatred from the Iranian people.”

Khatami, formerly a member of the Assembly of Experts presidium, was also once a prominent figure in the influential Supreme Council of Seminaries, responsible for setting policies and overseeing different programs for the Qom seminary and other affiliated Shiite seminaries. Though he has been sidelined from these key institutions, Iran's government-controlled online media widely covered his remarks.

The cleric blasted Trump’s foreign policy, particularly his opposition to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and his administration’s stance on Iran. “Trump called the IRGC terrorists, but they are our heroes, defending our nation from the terror networks America created,” he said.

On February 4, Trump signed a directive reviving his maximum pressure policy from his first term, aiming to drive Iran’s oil exports to zero. This strategy, originally launched in 2018, had severely battered Iran's economy, causing a sharp drop in oil exports and a surge in inflation. After signing the directive, Trump said he preferred a deal with Tehran over an Israeli strike on Iran’s nuclear sites.

In response, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian vowed on Wednesday that Iran would not bow to threats. “We will never yield to pressure or intimidation,” Pezeshkian said.

Earlier on Wednesday, Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei praised President Masoud Pezeshkian for rejecting talks with the United States, emphasizing that Tehran must continue advancing its military capabilities in the face of Trump’s threat to halt Iran's nuclear program by force.

“The president said what needed to be said,” Khamenei said during an address to defense officials.

After weeks of mixed signals about potential negotiations and tensions within Tehran's political landscape, Khamenei made his stance unequivocally clear on February 7, saying that talks with the US are “neither smart, nor wise, nor honorable.”

The announcement comes after Lebanon halted flights by Iranian carriers, including Mahan Air and Iran Air.

Saeed Chalondari, CEO of Imam Khomeini Airport City, after demanding reciprocity from Lebanon, confirmed that a Tehran–Beirut flight scheduled for 7:30 a.m. on Friday was canceled after Lebanese aviation authorities denied the permit.

He added that Lebanon has announced a suspension of Iranian flights until February 18, directing passengers to use Lebanese carriers instead.

“We do not agree with this decision,” Chalondari said. “If there are to be flights between the two countries, they must be on a reciprocal basis.” Adding that Iran’s Civil Aviation Organization and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs are pursuing discussions with Lebanon to resolve the matter.

The dispute follows accusations from Israel that Iran’s IRGC Quds Force has been using civilian flights to smuggle funds to Hezbollah via Beirut International Airport. Israeli military spokesperson Avichay Adraee said on X that Iran and Hezbollah were exploiting commercial flights to transfer money for attacks on Israel.

The flight ban has sparked tensions in Lebanon. Images circulated on social media showed Hezbollah supporters blocking roads to Beirut Airport in protest against the refusal to allow Mahan Air to land.

Lebanese media also reported that flights arriving from Iraq are undergoing increased inspections to prevent potential cash transfers to Hezbollah.

The standoff comes amid a fragile ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah, with both sides accusing each other of violations. Israel says Hezbollah is rearming, while Lebanon accuses Israel of continued military actions that have caused civilian casualties.