MOSCOW — Sergei Lavrov warns US over Iran in an interview aired Wednesday, warning that any new American strike could trigger escalation as Washington and Tehran spar over Iran’s nuclear program. The remarks followed indirect U.S.-Iran talks in Geneva that ended with Tehran promising a written proposal, according to a senior U.S. official, Feb. 19, 2026.
In the interview with Saudi-owned Al Arabiya, later posted by Russia’s Foreign Ministry, Lavrov said earlier strikes on Iranian nuclear sites monitored by the International Atomic Energy Agency underscored the danger of miscalculation and carried “real risks of a nuclear incident,” according to a Reuters account of the interview.
Sergei Lavrov warns US over Iran at a moment when he says regional governments are urging caution. Lavrov said he was watching reactions from Gulf states and argued that any further rise in tensions was “playing with fire.” He said Russia remains in regular contact with Iran’s leaders and sees Tehran as seeking a solution within the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty.
Sergei Lavrov warns US over Iran as Geneva talks spur a written proposal
U.S. and Iranian teams met indirectly in Geneva on Tuesday as both sides tried to head off a broader confrontation, but a senior U.S. official said the gap remains wide. Iran is expected to submit a written proposal detailing how it would address U.S. concerns, the official said, adding: “We are currently waiting for that from the Iranians,” Reuters reported from Washington.
Sergei Lavrov warns US over Iran even as U.S. officials signal they want Tehran to give up its nuclear program — a demand Iran has rejected while insisting it is not seeking an atomic weapon. U.S. officials have also sought to broaden talks to non-nuclear issues, including Iran’s missile stockpile, while Iran has said it is willing only to discuss limited nuclear curbs in exchange for sanctions relief.
As Sergei Lavrov warns US over Iran, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters that negotiators made some progress in Geneva, but “we’re still very apart on some issues.” The senior U.S. official said national security advisers met in the Situation Room and were told all U.S. military forces being deployed to the region should be in place by mid-March, with a second aircraft carrier group en route.
Iran has also sought to project leverage at sea. The Associated Press reported that Iran temporarily closed parts of the Strait of Hormuz during live-fire drills as the Geneva talks took place — a move involving a waterway that carries about a fifth of the world’s oil shipments.
Regional tensions have been amplified by Washington’s public warnings about military options. Al Jazeera reported that the White House renewed its threats of force even as diplomats tried to build on what Iran described as agreement on “guiding principles” for further negotiations.
How earlier flashpoints shape today’s standoff
Sergei Lavrov warns US over Iran against the backdrop of a dispute that has swung between diplomacy, sanctions and military action for more than a decade. A 2015 agreement reached in Vienna promised sanctions relief in exchange for strict limits and inspections of Iran’s nuclear work, Reuters reported at the time.
The deal began to unravel after President Donald Trump pulled the United States out of it in 2018 and reimposed sanctions, according to Reuters’ May 8, 2018, report, helping set the stage for years of escalation and episodic talks.
In June 2025, Russia publicly condemned U.S. strikes on Iran’s nuclear sites, with President Vladimir Putin calling them unjustified and warning the world was being pushed toward a “very dangerous line,” Reuters reported.
For now, Sergei Lavrov warns US over Iran while diplomats wait for Tehran’s written proposal and the White House continues to move forces into the region. Whether the next document exchanged in Geneva reduces the risk of conflict — or becomes another point of contention — could hinge on how far each side is willing to narrow its red lines in the weeks ahead.
