Iran fires missiles, Khamenei threatens to sink US warship as nuclear talks start

South China Morning PostCenter-RightEN 1 min read 100% complete by Agence France-Presse,Associated PressFebruary 17, 2026 at 12:38 PM

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Iran fired live missiles towards the Strait of Hormuz while its supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, warned that a US warship deployed in the Gulf could be sunk. The warning came as nuclear talks between the two countries began on Tuesday in Geneva. Iran announced a maritime military exercise on Monday, which involved firing missiles into the Strait of Hormuz. The talks are the second round of negotiations about Iran's nuclear programme and will focus only on this issue, excluding domestic policies. The US warship is part of Washington's increased military presence in the Middle East. Iranian state TV reported that the negotiations would be indirect and limited to discussions on Iran's nuclear programme.

Key Entities & Roles

Key Player Opposition Context

Geneva 40% Middle East 50% Tasnim news agency 60% Revolutionary Guard 70% Iran's nuclear programme ×280% Strait of Hormuz ×380% United States ×590% Ayatollah Ali Khamenei ×290% Iran ×7100%

Keywords

iran 100% nuclear talks 90% us 90% missile launch 80% strait of hormuz 70% maritime exercises 60% khamenei 50% military presence 50% nuclear programme 50%