Update V from the Iranist
February 13, 2026
Salam reader,
There is still no confirmed date for the next US‑Iran talks, but they are reportedly scheduled for next week (Axios). On February 11, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had a three-hour meeting with US President Donald Trump at the White House, primarily focused on Iran (Axios). No journalists were present, making it difficult to determine whether the discussion focused on preparations for war or what to include in negotiations.
Afterwards, Trump posted on Truth Social:
“I have just finished meeting with Prime Minister Netanyahu, of Israel, and various of his Representatives. It was a very good meeting, the tremendous relationship between our two Countries continues. There was nothing definitive reached other than I insisted that negotiations with Iran continue to see whether or not a Deal can be consummated. If it can, I let the Prime Minister know that will be a preference. If it cannot, we will just have to see what the outcome will be. Last time Iran decided that they were better off not making a Deal, and they were hit with Midnight Hammer—That did not work well for them. Hopefully this time they will be more reasonable and responsible…” (Truth Social)
On February 12, the US president told reporters at a White House event:
“We have to make a deal, otherwise it’s going to be very traumatic. Very traumatic. I don’t want that to happen, but we have to make a deal. They should have made a deal the first time, and they got Midnight Hammer instead. And this will be very traumatic for Iran. If they don’t make a deal, look if they don’t make a deal, then it will be a different story.” (Diplomatic)
When asked about a timeline for negotiations, Trump responded: “I guess over the next month, something like that.” (Diplomatic)
On the same day, Netanyahu told journalists:
“President Trump believes that the Iranians have already learned who they are dealing with. He thinks that the conditions he is creating, combined with the fact that they surely understand they made a mistake last time when they didn’t reach an agreement, could create the conditions for achieving a good deal. He wanted to hear my opinion. I won’t hide from you that I expressed general skepticism about the nature of any agreement with Iran. But I said that if an agreement is indeed reached, it must include the elements that are very important to us—to Israel—and in my view not only to Israel. It’s not just the nuclear issue, but also the ballistic missiles and the Iranian proxies in the region. That essentially concluded the conversation, I would say—although it also touched on Gaza and the region as a whole.” (X)
Understanding the thought processes of these two leaders is difficult, given that they apparently were bluffing before the twelve-day war. Meanwhile, a second US aircraft carrier strike group is being prepared for deployment to the Middle East as part of the pressure campaign on Tehran (New York Times). Optically, however, this has had little effect on the clerical establishment, which marked 47 years of the Islamic Republic on February 11.
During the 1979 revolution anniversary rallies—which are anti-Western and anti-Semitic in nature—the usual pro-regime chants of “Death to Israel” and “Death to America” were accompanied by burned Israeli and American flags, as well as images of Trump and Netanyahu (Al Jazeera/AP). This year, the rallies were heavily focused on the Jeffrey Epstein files, with one chadori woman carrying a sign reading “Woman, Life, Epstein” to mock anti-regime protesters (Iran International/X).
In contrast, anti-regime Iranians chanted from rooftops, windows, and in some instances in the streets: “Death to the dictator,” “Death to the child-killing regime,” “Death to Khamenei,” and “Death to the Islamic Republic.” (DW/Iran International)
According to reports, the security apparatus proposed to Iranians with imprisoned loved ones to participate in the celebrations and document their attendance if they hoped to have sentences reduced, be released, or avoid execution (CBS News).
Human Rights Activists in Iran (HRANA) shared its latest figures with me:
Protesters killed: 6,506 (219 of those are under the age of 18 and 11,730 are under review)
Security forces killed: 214 (According to eyewitnesses and reporting by the Center for Human Rights in Iran, families are being forced to declare their slain loved ones as “martyred” Basij in order to retrieve their bodies.)
Arrested: 53,166
Force confessions: 337 (Those subjected to forced confessions face sham trials and are likely to receive death sentences.)
IMPORTANT: 18-year-old wrestling champion Saleh Mohammadi has been sentenced to public execution in Qom in connection with the recent protests (iranhr.net).
Meanwhile, doctors and nurses continue to share harrowing accounts of the events that unfolded across Iran. One such story, reported by the New Yorker, highlights the improvised care provided under extreme conditions:
“Narges, a general practitioner in her thirties, fashioned a tourniquet from a head scarf to save the woman’s leg from a bullet wound. ‘Within twenty-four hours, I went from treating flu patients to treating war injuries,’ she told me. Her phone started ringing with calls for help from the relatives or friends of the wounded. She and a friend rallied a network of young doctors and began treating people in living rooms, kitchens, and restaurants.”
Iran-based singer Mehdi Yarrahi has released a new song, “Auschwitz,” about the massacre of Iranian protesters (Instagram). The lyrics were written by imprisoned writer and activist Hossein Shanbehzadeh while he was held in Evin Prison. In one line, he sings: “I come from [the] Auschwitz of night transfers. I come from a killing field of youth... You are the peace of my autumn dusk.”
New details have emerged about Nobel laureate Narges Mohammadi’s brutal arrest in December 2025. On February 11, the Norwegian Nobel Committee published a disturbing account of violence by plainclothes agents against her at a memorial for human rights lawyer Khosrow Alikordi:
“Security agents formed a ‘tunnel’ around Ms. Mohammadi, beating her repeatedly with wooden sticks and batons. She was dragged across the ground by her hair, tearing sections of her scalp and causing open wounds. In the transport vehicle, further beatings occurred. She was repeatedly kicked in the genitals and pelvic region, leaving her unable to sit or move without severe pain and raising serious concerns of bone fracture…”
Mohammadi remains in prison despite these numerous injuries.
Separately, on February 13, the Munich Security Conference (MSC) kicked off in Germany. Former Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi is attending and speaking at a town hall moderated by CNN’s Christiane Amanpour (X/securityconference.org). Pahlavi already met with Volodymyr Zelenskyy on the sidelines of the conference—a significant moment given that the Islamic Republic has been supplying missiles and drones to Russia for its war in Ukraine (Radio Farda).
Other prominent diaspora Iranians are also participating in the MSC, including activist and actress Nazanin Boniadi and Congresswoman Yassamin Ansari (D-AZ) (securityconference.org).
On February 14, diaspora Iranians are set to gather in cities worldwide in response to Pahlavi’s call for a Global Day of Action (AFP). Key protest locations include Munich—during the annual MSC—as well as diaspora hubs Toronto and Los Angeles (X). Hundreds of thousands are expected to attend events worldwide (Toronto alone saw 150,000 attendees last week, according to local police).
More soon,
Holly
P.S. I joined the Unholy Podcast to talk about my upbringing in Iran and why these recent anti-regime protests matter.
Also, feel free to follow me on X for real-time updates and on LinkedIn, where I’ve been sharing additional interviews and commentary.