This image provided by the Iranian military on Thursday, February 19, 2026, and dated Tuesday, February 17, 2025, shows Iranian and Russian naval vessels operating during joint exercises in the Indian Ocean. (Masoud Nazari Mehrabi/Iranian Army, AP)
Dubai: Iran held annual military exercises with Russia on Thursday as a second U.S. aircraft carrier approached West Asia, with both the United States and Iran saying they were ready for war if talks over Tehran’s nuclear program failed. Indirect talks held in recent weeks have produced little apparent progress, and one or both sides may be buying time for final war preparations.Iran’s state-run Islamic News Agency reported that the Iranian army and the Russian navy conducted annual exercises in the Gulf of Oman and the Indian Ocean aimed at “strengthening operational coordination and exchanging military experience.” Iran also issued a rocket launch warning to pilots in the area, suggesting the launch of anti-ship missiles.
Separately, Iran’s Atomic Energy Minister Mohammad Eslami said on Thursday that “no country can deprive Iran” of its right to enrich nuclear weapons.
