EconoTicker

Armenia and the United States signed a joint statement on Monday (Feb. 9, 2026) marking the completion of negotiations on a peaceful civil nuclear cooperation framework—the so-called “123 Agreement” that enables the U.S. to legally license nuclear technology and equipment for export.

U.S. Vice President J.D. Vance said the framework could open the door to up to $5 billion in initial U.S. exports, plus about $4 billion in longer-term fuel and maintenance contracts—roughly $9 billion in potential business tied to civil nuclear projects.

The deal lands as Armenia reviews proposals to replace the aging Metsamor nuclear plant, and as Yerevan looks to diversify energy partnerships beyond traditional dependence on Russia and Iran—moves that could reshape the region’s energy and geopolitical balance over time.

Turkey’s Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said tensions between the U.S. and Iran should be managed through “creative” diplomacy, arguing there is no immediate threat of war and urging direct, face-to-face talks rather than indirect, mediated formats.

Fidan also dismissed the idea that regime change in Iran could be achieved through airstrikes, calling it unrealistic and warning that further escalation could destabilize the region.

Commenting on Iran’s internal turmoil, he said casualty figures from recent protests remain unclear—but stressed that even the “official” figure is already a grave human toll, noting that France’s top diplomat had cited a far higher number in discussions.

The Washington Free Beacon reported that Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) is behind an organized online effort—described as “psychological warfare” and misinformation—aimed at discrediting Mora Namdar, the Trump administration’s Assistant Secretary of State for Consular Affairs.

The report says coordinated accounts—many presenting themselves as “anti-regime” voices—have accused Namdar of being an Iranian “infiltrator,” with U.S. administration sources arguing the goal is to sow division among Iranian opposition circles and undermine internal cohesion in Washington. Officials cited in the piece said the allegations against Namdar are false.

Republican U.S. Rep. Pat Fallon said in a post on X that Iran’s supreme leader is the “full embodiment of evil,” adding that Iranians deserve freedom.

Fallon also wrote that “under Trump, all options are on the table,” and insisted Tehran must never be allowed to obtain a nuclear weapon, reflecting continued hawkish messaging from some Republicans amid elevated U.S.–Iran tensions.

Ahead of his visit to the United States, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said any engagement with Tehran must include: preventing Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon, curbing Iran’s ballistic-missile program, and ending Tehran’s support for proxy forces in the region.

Netanyahu’s comments come as Israel signals growing concern that a potential U.S.–Iran understanding could focus narrowly on the nuclear file while leaving missiles and regional networks insufficiently addressed.

U.S. Vice President JD Vance said President Donald Trump will personally decide where to draw the “red lines” in negotiations with Iran—signaling the White House won’t publicly pre-commit on whether it could tolerate any limited Iranian enrichment. Speaking alongside Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan in Yerevan on Monday, Feb. 9, 2026, Vance suggested Trump prefers to preserve negotiating room rather than “showing his cards” in advance.

The remarks come as U.S.–Iran diplomacy remains fragile amid renewed regional tensions and ongoing talks efforts. Separately, Vance has also reiterated U.S. support for peaceful Iranian protesters and has emphasized opposition to executions of detainees in the context of U.S. messaging on Iran’s crackdown.

U.S. authorities issued updated guidance urging U.S.-flagged commercial vessels transiting the Strait of Hormuz to stay as far as possible from Iran’s territorial sea—and, when heading eastbound, to transit close to Oman’s waters where navigationally safe. The advisory also recommends politely refusing any attempted Iranian boarding; if a boarding occurs, crews are told not to forcibly resist.

The move follows heightened tensions and recent incidents in the corridor, including the reported harassment of a U.S.-flagged tanker near Hormuz earlier this month—events that have also kept a risk premium in energy markets.

Japan’s Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi publicly thanked U.S. President Donald Trump on Monday and reaffirmed Tokyo’s alignment with Washington, a day after her coalition’s landslide election victory over the weekend.

In a social media post, Takaichi said she was “sincerely grateful” for Trump’s supportive message and added she plans to visit the White House this spring, calling the Japan–U.S. alliance’s potential “LIMITLESS.”

The remarks underscore her intent to double down on the bilateral security relationship as she enters her new mandate with strengthened political backing at home.

Retired four-star Gen. Jack Keane said on Fox News that the U.S. should consider military action while, in his view, Iran’s leadership is in its “weakest” position—arguing Tehran is still lying about its nuclear ambitions even as President Donald Trump leaves the door open to a new agreement.

Keane called the moment a “historic opportunity” for Trump—claiming no other U.S. president has had a similar chance to create conditions for the collapse of Iran’s ruling system, which he argued could reshape regional stability and define Trump’s legacy.

The remarks come as the White House has reiterated that diplomacy is Trump’s first option and that Washington is watching the outcome of Oman-mediated talks, while still warning that the U.S. retains military options if diplomacy fails.

Israel’s Israel Hayom reports that Israeli officials are worried a potential U.S. understanding with Tehran could help sustain the Islamic Republic, prompting Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to bring forward his meeting with President Donald Trump.

Netanyahu is now expected to meet Trump in Washington on Wednesday, after the meeting was reportedly moved up from a later February date amid renewed diplomatic activity around U.S.–Iran talks. Israeli officials have signaled that any framework should also address Iran’s ballistic-missile program and support for regional proxies, not only the nuclear file.

Israeli officials have told U.S. counterparts that if Iran crosses a defined Israeli “red line” on its ballistic-missile program, Israel is prepared to strike unilaterally, according to a report by The Jerusalem Post published on Sunday, Feb. 8, 2026.

Sources cited in the report said Israel views Iran’s ballistic-missile capabilities as an existential threat and has emphasized it is tracking developments but “is not yet at that threshold.” The message was reportedly delivered in recent high-level exchanges with Washington as missile limits remain a central friction point in wider U.S.–Iran diplomacy.

CNN reports the Trump administration is still significantly reinforcing U.S. forces in the Middle East even as nuclear talks with Tehran restart—pointing to a high-profile visit by envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner to the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln. The visit—invited by CENTCOM commander Adm. Brad Cooper—was described as a show of support for deployed U.S. personnel and came one day after indirect U.S.–Iran talks in Muscat, Oman. The backdrop remains tense: U.S. forces recently shot down an Iranian drone that approached the carrier with unclear intent, underscoring how the military posture is being used alongside diplomacy.