EconoTicker

U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham said during a visit to Israel that he is leaving “confident” the United States and Israel can deliver a “decisive blow” to Iran, according to i24NEWS. He emphasized that the deployment of the aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford was not a symbolic move, insisting it was “not sent for a show of force or sightseeing.”

Graham also claimed Iran is at the “weakest point in its history” and said there is no disagreement between President Donald Trump and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Iran policy. He warned that it would be a “disaster” if promises to the Iranian people are not fulfilled and the “Ayatollah” remains in power after the military moves.

In another part of his remarks, Graham said Trump views “regime change in Iran” as the best option, arguing that this clarifies the U.S. stance. He also referenced attending a gathering of Iranians in Munich, calling it the best experience of his life, and said participants—whom he described as 250,000 people—referred to him as “Uncle Lindsey.”

Satellite imagery (including EU Sentinel-2) has placed the U.S. aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln in the Arabian Sea off Oman, with BBC Verify and other open-source trackers putting it roughly 150 miles (~240 km) from Oman and around ~700 km from Iran’s coast (exact positions can be intentionally obscured for operational security).

The sighting lands as the Trump administration sustains a broader regional posture while diplomacy runs in parallel. U.S. officials have confirmed a second carrier, the USS Gerald R. Ford, has been ordered toward the Middle East to join Lincoln—an escalation framed as leverage if talks stall, despite reported maintenance-cycle concerns for Ford.

With Iran simultaneously underscoring deterrence—including activity around the Strait of Hormuz, a critical chokepoint for global oil flows—markets will keep one eye on headlines and another on shipping risk premia.

As a second round of indirect Washington–Tehran talks in Geneva approaches, U.S. military movements in the Middle East are continuing—signaling Washington is keeping a military option available if diplomacy fails.

In parallel, Reuters reported the U.S. military is preparing for the possibility of sustained, weeks-long operations against Iran if President Trump orders an attack, while recent reporting also points to an expanded U.S. posture including carrier deployments.

In a discussion with Iran International, defense and security analyst Farzin Nadimi said the buildup is meant to preserve credible leverage, and that if conflict begins it could unfold in a multi-phase pattern—starting with strikes on air defenses/radars alongside clearly defined military targets.

US Senator Lindsey Graham has again amplified regime-change rhetoric—promoting the “Make Iran Great Again” line and framing Tehran’s leadership as the core driver of regional instability.

At the same time, Israel is warning Hamas it has 60 days to disarm or Israel will resume/expand operations, while Iran is showcasing readiness via IRGC naval activity in and around the Strait of Hormuz—keeping escalation risk elevated across security and energy channels.

A senior adviser to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel is prepared to give Hamas 60 days to disarm, warning that if the group does not comply, Israel would resume the war in Gaza and the IDF would “complete the mission.” The comments were made by Cabinet Secretary Yossi Fuchs, according to Israeli media reports.

Fuchs also suggested the timeline could be linked to upcoming U.S.-led diplomacy—reportedly saying the Trump administration requested the 60-day window—though details on when the “clock” starts remain fluid.

Russia, the U.S., and Ukraine are set to hold the next round of talks in Geneva on February 17–18, with the Kremlin saying the agenda will be broader than Abu Dhabi and will include territorial issues—a shift that prompted Moscow to bring in presidential aide Vladimir Medinsky to handle the expanded political scope.

Russia’s delegation is expected to include senior figures spanning security and economics—reported participants include GRU chief Igor Kostyukov, Deputy FM Mikhail Galuzin, and Putin’s investment envoy Kirill Dmitriev—a lineup that overlaps with the Medinsky-led negotiating team associated with earlier Istanbul tracks.

Separately, TASS cited a source saying the talks will take place at Geneva’s InterContinental Hotel, and that visas have been approved for the Russian delegation, estimated at around 20 people.

Iran’s IRGC Navy says it has launched a “Smart Control of the Strait of Hormuz” exercise to test operational readiness against “possible security and military threats,” timed just ahead of the next Geneva round of indirect U.S.–Iran nuclear talks.

With tensions elevated, Tehran has again floated the threat of disrupting the Strait of Hormuz if attacked—while Washington has issued updated guidance to commercial vessels transiting the corridor.

Separately, Iranian state media has recently aired footage of missiles striking simulated sea targets during major drills in the Sea of Oman/near Hormuz—signals that markets tend to read through the lens of shipping risk and an oil “geopolitical premium.”

Hungarian PM Viktor Orbán said Hungarians have already made their position clear that they won’t accept Ukraine joining the EU, arguing it would drag Hungary into war and damage the economy. He claimed Ukrainians “want a government that will send them money,” and alleged that’s why they have “decided to participate” in Hungary’s election campaign.

Orbán’s comments fit his widening “war or peace” election narrative ahead of Hungary’s April 12 vote, where he has also portrayed the opposition as aligned with Brussels and Kyiv. In late January, Orbán’s government said it would summon Ukraine’s ambassador over what he called election meddling.

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Hungary’s Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó signed a civilian nuclear cooperation (intergovernmental) agreement in Budapest, a step the Hungarian government and U.S. officials framed as opening the door to deeper cooperation on nuclear energy projects and fuel/technology options.

The signing comes amid a broader political push by President Donald Trump and Rubio to highlight closer U.S.–Hungary relations ahead of Hungary’s April elections, with discussions also touching on Central Europe’s energy security and alternative supply chains.

The Kremlin said the agenda for the upcoming Russia–U.S.–Ukraine talks in Geneva will be broader than the Abu Dhabi rounds, explicitly including territorial issues alongside other Russian demands.

Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov added that presidential aide Vladimir Medinsky will attend specifically to manage this expanded scope—after Abu Dhabi discussions were framed more narrowly around security-related matters.

Germany’s Defense Minister Boris Pistorius warned that any discussion about German nuclear weapons must be handled “with great caution” and in strict alignment with international law, arguing the consequences could be enormous and could fuel wider proliferation pressures.

The remarks land as Chancellor Friedrich Merz explores ways to strengthen Europe’s nuclear deterrence without abandoning NATO’s framework. Berlin has confirmed that talks with France on nuclear deterrence are at a very early stage and are intended to supplement—not replace—the U.S. nuclear umbrella inside NATO.

Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said he arrived in Geneva with “real initiatives” aimed at a fair and balanced agreement, while stressing that what is “absolutely not on the table” is submission to threats, in a post on X.

Araghchi also said he would meet IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi on Monday for “deep technical” discussions, and that he will see Oman’s foreign minister before the next round of indirect Iran–U.S. talks set for Tuesday in Geneva.