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Russia warned of an “unprecedented escalation of tensions” in Iran on Thursday and urged restraint amid a US military build-up in the region that a US official said should be complete by mid-March.
US threats to bomb Iran, with the two sides far apart in talks over Tehran’s nuclear program, pushed oil prices higher, and a Russian corvette on Thursday joined planned Iranian naval exercises in the Gulf of Oman, a key sea route for world power.
Iran and US negotiators met on Tuesday and Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi said they had agreed on “guiding principles.” But White House press secretary Caroline Leavitt said Wednesday the two sides remain divided on other issues.
Iran should have made a written proposal on how to deal with the US problems, the US official said.
The threat of war
US President Donald Trump has repeatedly threatened to bomb Iran unless they reach a deal and has sent aircraft carriers, warships and jets to the region, raising the prospect of another attack by the Islamic Republic.
The United States and Israel bombed Iran’s nuclear facilities and other military facilities last June. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio will meet with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to discuss Iran on February 28, a senior US official said.
Washington accuses Iran of seeking a nuclear bomb and wants it to completely stop enriching uranium, a process used to create fuel for nuclear power plants but which can also provide the material to build a warhead.
It also wants Iran to stop long-range missiles, stop supporting groups in the Middle East and stop using force to quell internal protests.
Iran denies it is seeking a nuclear bomb, says its atomic program is entirely peaceful, and says it refuses to discuss matters beyond the nuclear file, calling efforts to limit its missile arsenal a red line.
Different versions of the Iranian flag have appeared in protests around the world. Here are the facts about what each of them stands for.
Poland urges citizens to leave Iran
Satellite images have followed Iranian work to repair and strengthen sites since last summer, showing work at both nuclear and missile sites, as well as preparations at US bases across the Middle East over the past month.
The joint exercise between Iran and Russia came days after an extended series of Iranian naval exercises in the Gulf of Oman, where Iranian state television showed special forces deployed on helicopters and ships.
In a sign of growing concern over rising tensions, Poland on Thursday became the latest European country to urge its citizens to leave Iran, with Prime Minister Donald Tusk saying Poles may have just hours to leave.
Trump began threatening strikes on Iran again in January as Iranian authorities cracked down on widespread protests with deadly violence that left thousands dead across the country.
