EconoTicker

Canada has imposed new sanctions on seven individuals under its Special Economic Measures (Iran) Regulations, targeting figures Ottawa says are linked to Iranian state bodies and networks responsible for intimidation, violence, and transnational repression against dissidents and human-rights defenders.

Foreign Minister Anita Anand also said Canada will not restore diplomatic relations with Iran without a regime change, as Ottawa escalates pressure while keeping ties severed since 2012.

President Donald Trump said he is not ruling out further action around Iran’s previously bombed nuclear facilities, but downplayed what would remain to do there—telling reporters that what’s left is essentially “the dust,” and adding that if the U.S. went back in, it would be “the least of the mission.”

The remarks came as Washington continues high-pressure diplomacy with Tehran while also reinforcing its military posture in the region, including moving a second aircraft carrier toward the Middle East.

The U.S. military is preparing contingency plans for sustained, weeks-long operations against Iran if President Donald Trump orders an attack, according to two U.S. officials cited by Reuters.

Reuters notes the scope under consideration could extend beyond Iran’s nuclear infrastructure to include Iranian state and security facilities, with U.S. officials expecting Iranian retaliation—a dynamic that could escalate into a broader regional conflict.

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the United Nations “still has tremendous potential” but argued it currently has “no answers” to the world’s most pressing crises and “has played virtually no role,” citing the wars in Gaza and Ukraine as examples.

Rubio said the UN “could not solve” Gaza and “has not solved” Ukraine, claiming it took American leadership—with partners—to free captives and secure a truce in Gaza, and to bring both sides in Ukraine to the negotiating table for a peace that remains elusive.

President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu agreed in a White House meeting on Wednesday that the U.S. should intensify economic pressure on Iran, focusing especially on Iranian oil sales to China, according to two U.S. officials cited by Axios. China is estimated to take more than 80% of Iran’s oil exports—meaning any meaningful reduction could sharply tighten Iran’s cashflow and raise the cost of holding its nuclear line.

Axios reports both leaders aligned on the core objective—Iran must not be able to acquire nuclear weapons—but differed on strategy: Netanyahu argued a “good deal” is not achievable and Iran won’t comply, while Trump said he believes a deal might still be possible and wants to test that path as talks continue.

Despite public messaging that diplomacy is still on track, the fault lines look hard: Iran’s FM Abbas Araqchi has reiterated Tehran won’t accept “zero enrichment” and says Iran’s missile program is not on the agenda—positions that keep the talks structurally constrained.

At the same time, Reuters reports the U.S. military is preparing for the possibility of sustained, weeks-long operations against Iran if President Donald Trump orders a strike—an escalation posture that raises the stakes for the negotiations now underway.

The “deadline” question is also back in focus. In June 2025, Trump publicly said he had given Iran a 60-day ultimatum that expired without a deal—days before major strikes followed. Some U.S. outlets (including the Wall Street Journal) have recently described the current track as fragile and driven by efforts to avert escalation, but no new, specific ultimatum has been officially disclosed.

The U.S. military is preparing contingency plans for sustained, weeks-long operations against Iran if President Donald Trump orders an attack, two U.S. officials told Reuters on Feb. 13. The officials, speaking anonymously due to the sensitivity of the planning, said the scenario could evolve into a more serious conflict than previously seen between the two countries.

The disclosure raises the stakes for the U.S.–Iran diplomacy now underway, signaling that Washington is weighing outcomes that go beyond a limited action and could extend into prolonged operations.

A new round of trilateral talks involving Russia, the U.S., and Ukraine is scheduled for Geneva on Feb. 17–18, according to the Kremlin, with Vladimir Medinsky set to lead the Russian delegation.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Moscow and Washington are also discussing potential trade and economic cooperation, but suggested concrete details are unlikely before an Ukraine settlement is reached.

Peskov added that Russia has not finalized its position on participating in a proposed “Peace Council/Board of Peace,” saying the Foreign Ministry is still working on the issue.

On currency policy, Peskov said Russia has not abandoned the dollar, arguing it was the U.S. that restricted its use in transactions.

Ukrainian lawmaker Roman Kostenko (Holos party), secretary of the Verkhovna Rada’s national security/defense committee, said ongoing negotiations with Moscow remain stalled because Russia is pushing terms Kyiv considers unacceptable starting with the surrender of territories.

Kostenko said Russia is also insisting on issues it treats as “principled,” including the Russian language and the church, arguing that when Moscow brings demands and Kyiv lacks strong counterarguments, talks become fruitless and Ukraine is effectively forced to “be present” in the process.

He stressed he wants peace but warned that “peace at any cost” is a trap—and that any settlement cannot come at the expense of Ukrainians living in occupied territory.

President Donald Trump urged Ukraine’s Volodymyr Zelensky to move quickly toward a peace agreement, saying “Russia wants to make a deal” and warning Zelensky could “miss a great opportunity” if he doesn’t act.

The push comes as U.S.-brokered negotiations are set to continue, with a new round of talks in Geneva next week, while earlier reporting suggested U.S. and Ukrainian negotiators discussed an ambitious March target for a deal—though timelines remain uncertain.

Speculation circulating online claims Zelensky may try to delay major concessions until after the U.S. midterm elections. Reuters, citing a New York Times report, says midterms may be influencing Washington’s urgency—while noting the claims were not independently verified. Meanwhile, Zelensky has publicly argued Russia is not serious about peace and has linked any elections to a ceasefire.

Reza Pahlavi said on X that he was pleased to meet Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on the sidelines of the Munich Security Conference, arguing they represent “two nations” confronting threats to freedom and national sovereignty.

He drew a contrast between the two challenges—saying the threat to Ukraine is external, while the threat to Iran is internal—and added that the shared reality, along with the “exceptional courage” of both peoples, ties the two nations together.

Pahlavi said they discussed mutual support for efforts to liberate their countries and potential practical cooperation in the broader fight for freedom, adding he hopes to continue cooperation with Zelensky and thanked him for supporting the Iranian people.

U.S. President Donald Trump said Friday (Feb. 13) the U.S. is moving an additional aircraft carrier toward the Middle East, framing it as leverage “in case we don’t make a deal” with Tehran.

Trump argued Washington is now operating from a stronger position, saying he rebuilt the U.S. military and is “making it even stronger,” and pointed back to Operation “Midnight Hammer” as a benchmark for what happens when diplomacy fails.