February 19, 2026
| Janatan Sayeh, Behnam Ben Taleblu
Iran’s Khamenei Invites Conflict, Not Compromise
Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei doubled down on threats against the U.S. while denigrating President Donald Trump in a February 17 speech. Speaking on the same day that top Iranian officials concluded talks with U.S. negotiators in Geneva, Khamenei flatly ruled out abandoning uranium enrichment. He also dismissed U.S. demands that Tehran’s ballistic missile program and support for terrorist proxies be included in the negotiations.