US-Iran Crisis Live: Iran and the US are all set to hold the third round of nuclear talks in Geneva on Thursday, February 27. Ahead of the talks and amid threats from US President Donald Trump, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said, “…we continue to closely monitor US actions and have made all necessary preparations for any potential scenario.”
Meanwhile, tensions between Iran and the US continue to rise as the US State Department ordered the evacuation of non-emergency personnel at the US embassy in Beirut, amid expectations that the US could order airstrikes on Iran even with another round of diplomatic talks this week.
New protest spreads in Iran
Iranian students defied authorities with protests for a third day on Monday. The protest came after the bloody crackdown on protesters last month, while Trump has been massing warships in the Middle East and declared Friday that a change of government in Iran would be the “best thing that could happen”.
State media outlets reported students chanting anti-government slogans at Tehran University, burning flags at the all-women al-Zahra University, and scuffles at Amir Kabir University, all located in the capital.
According to Iran International, statements circulated by students at the University of Tehran, Amirkabir University of Technology and Isfahan University of Technology announced the creation of Lion and Sun associations, calling for secular governance, territorial integrity and free elections, and voicing support for exiled Prince Reza Pahlavi as a transitional figure.
Stay tuned to this LIVE blog for all the latest updates on Iran-US tensions.
