Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei says that US President Donald Trump will not succeed in destroying the Islamic Republic, as talks between the two countries begin in Geneva.
“In one of his recent speeches, the US president said that for 47 years America has not succeeded in destroying the Islamic Republic… I tell you: You will not succeed either,” says Khamenei in a speech.
He also warns that the US warship deployed in the Gulf could be sunk.
“We constantly hear that [the US] has sent a warship toward Iran. A warship is certainly a dangerous weapon, but even more dangerous is the weapon capable of sinking it,” says Khamenei.
The USS Abraham Lincoln is in the region along with its accompanying guided-missile destroyers.
The supreme leader’s comments come days after Trump said regime change in Iran “would be the best thing that could happen.”
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From the Liveblog of
Tuesday, February 17, 2026
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