00:00Hello and welcome to One India. You are watching World News. I am Pankaj Mishra.
00:05The Persian Gulf is once again becoming the center of global strategic tension.
00:09The United States is expanding its military presence near Iran.
00:14Tehran is signaling defiance and new information warfare tactics are entering the geopolitical theater.
00:21At the same time, Russia, China and Iran are conducting joint naval drills
00:26in one of the world's most critical maritime corridors.
00:30We begin with the American military buildup near Iran.
00:37The U.S. Navy is deploying a second aircraft carrier strike group to the Middle East
00:42as tensions with Iran escalate.
00:44The USS Gerald R. Ford, the world's largest aircraft carrier,
00:49is moving from the Caribbean towards the eastern Mediterranean
00:53to join the USS Abraham Lincoln, already operating near Iranian waters.
00:59Defense analysts say nearly one-third of America's deployed naval fleet
01:03is now focused only on Iran, signaling both deterrence and readiness for potential confrontation.
01:10Let's take a closer look.
01:16The U.S. Navy's largest and most advanced aircraft carrier is now heading into the Mediterranean Sea
01:23and global attention is on Iran.
01:26Could this massive naval deployment signal a U.S. strike within hours?
01:31The USS Gerald R. Ford, CVN-78, a 100,000-ton nuclear-powered supercarrier,
01:41has passed through the Strait of Gibraltar, navigating between Spain and Morocco.
01:46Real-time satellite footage and social media posts show the carrier steaming east,
01:52escorted by Arleigh Burke-class destroyers, support ships, and submarines.
01:57This redeployment marks a major pivot from its Caribbean operations,
02:03where it previously supported counter-narcotics missions and high-profile operations in Venezuela.
02:09Now it is moving to join the USS Abraham Lincoln in the Arabian Sea,
02:15creating a rare dual-carrier presence in the Middle East,
02:19a powerful show of force that signals U.S. readiness for any contingency.
02:24Tensions with Iran are at a critical point.
02:28Nuclear negotiations remain stalled in Geneva.
02:31Iran's ballistic missile program is advancing.
02:35Domestic protests in Iran are intensifying.
02:38Regional provocations, including drone harassment and naval exercises, are escalating.
02:45President Donald Trump has framed this redeployment as a strategic warning,
02:49emphasizing that failure in diplomacy could lead to severe consequences,
02:54potentially including military action.
02:57What are you expecting from these Iran talks in Geneva tomorrow?
03:01So I'll be involved in those talks, indirectly, and they'll be very important.
03:07We'll see what can happen.
03:08But typically, Iran's a very tough negotiator.
03:11They're good negotiators, or bad negotiators.
03:13I would say they're bad negotiators, because we could have had a deal instead of sending the B-2s in
03:18to knock out their nuclear potential.
03:21If we had to send the B-2s, I hope they're going to be more reasonable.
03:25They want to make a deal.
03:27Have you been told that a deal is next to impossible?
03:30No.
03:31No, I think they want to make a deal.
03:34I don't think they want the consequences of not making a deal.
03:37They want to make a deal.
03:38The Ford's Carrier Air Wing 8 is loaded with F-A-18E-F Super Hornets, EA-18G Growlers, E-2D
03:50Hawkeyes,
03:51drones, and surveillance aircraft, all ready for precision strikes or rapid response operations.
03:57Combined with Tomahawk missiles, SM-6 surface-to-air systems, and hundreds of escort vessels,
04:04the Carrier Strike Group projects overwhelming power across the Middle East.
04:09The dual-carrier presence could place U.S. strike aircraft within range of Iran by February 20th,
04:16fueling speculation of a possible preemptive strike if tensions spiral further.
04:21When asked about the Gerald Ford deployment in the Middle East and the impact it could have on the U
04:26.S.,
04:27Trump chose to remain silent and dodge the question.
04:31Play the bite.
04:32This redeployment is more than a military maneuver.
04:36It's a geopolitical statement.
04:38With Iran on high alert, neighboring countries watching closely,
04:42and global energy markets sensitive to any conflict,
04:46the next few days could determine whether this massive show of force
04:50leads to diplomatic breakthroughs or further escalation.
04:57Now, as Washington reinforces its naval posture, Tehran is responding with defiance.
05:04Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei declared that the country's enemies are quote-unquote
05:10disappointed, even as nuclear negotiations with the United States remain fragile and uncertain.
05:17The rhetoric comes amid reports that the U.S. is preparing for a possible escalation while still keeping diplomatic channels
05:25open.
05:26Here's the story.
05:30A sharp new war of words is unfolding between Tehran and Washington.
05:35Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has fired back at the United States with blunt warnings,
05:42declaring Washington will not succeed in destroying Iran as nuclear talks inch forward.
05:48His message was unmistakable.
05:50Iran is prepared for confrontation, and any attack would come at a heavy cost.
05:56The statement lands at a moment of extreme tension,
05:59with U.S. military assets building across the Middle East and diplomacy hanging by a thread.
06:06Khamenei's rhetoric went even further.
06:08He warned that the American military could be struck so hard that it cannot get back up,
06:14adding that the real threat is not U.S. warships, but the weapons capable of sinking them.
06:20President of the United States keeps saying our army is the most powerful in the entire world.
06:29The most powerful army on earth could be dealt such a devastating blow
06:33that it would be completely unable to ever get back on its feet.
06:41The comments signaled Tehran's confidence in its missile and naval strike capabilities,
06:47particularly in the Persian Gulf, where Iranian forces specialize in asymmetric warfare.
06:53For Iran's leadership, deterrence means convincing Washington
06:56that any attack would trigger immediate and painful retaliation.
07:01The escalation followed a dramatic remark from President Donald Trump,
07:05who claimed he has precise intelligence on Khamenei's location
07:09and could reveal it live on air, though he said doing so would be unwise.
07:15I'll be involved in those talks indirectly, and they'll be very important.
07:21We'll see what can happen.
07:22Typically, Iran's a very tough negotiator.
07:25They're good negotiators, or bad negotiators.
07:27I would say they're bad negotiators, because we could have had a deal
07:31instead of sending the B-2s in to knock out their nuclear potential.
07:35If we had to send the B-2s, I hope they're going to be more reasonable.
07:39They want to make a deal.
07:42Trump has combined these signals with renewed threats over nuclear negotiations.
07:47Speaking aboard Air Force One, he said he would be involved in the talks indirectly
07:52and warned Iran would face consequences if it refuses to make a deal.
07:56U.S. officials say military planning remains on standby should diplomacy collapse.
08:02The approach reflects Trump's long-standing strategy of maximum pressure,
08:07offering talks while keeping the option of force visibly on the table.
08:11For Tehran, setting the outcome of negotiations in advance is foolish and wrong,
08:17according to Khamenei, who insists Iran will not negotiate under threats.
08:22Iranian leaders have repeatedly warned that any strike would ignite a regional war,
08:28potentially drawing in proxies and disrupting global shipping routes.
08:32Meanwhile, Washington insists Iran must never obtain nuclear weapons,
08:38keeping the core dispute unresolved, even as mediators try to keep dialogue alive.
08:43The confrontation looks less like diplomacy and more like psychological warfare.
08:48Trump's hints of intelligence superiority and Khamenei's vows of retaliation reflect a dangerous game
08:55of signaling strength without crossing into open conflict.
09:00But history shows that such brinkmanship carries risks.
09:03In a region already on edge, a single miscalculation could shift the standoff from rhetoric to reality.
09:13The confrontation is no longer limited to military deployments and political messaging.
09:19An AI-generated video circulating online showing the simulated kidnapping of Israeli Prime Minister
09:27Benjamin Netanyahu and his wife highlights how information warfare and psychological signaling
09:33are becoming parts of modern geopolitical conflict.
09:37As tensions rise between Washington and Tehran, digital propaganda and narrative battles
09:42are increasingly shaping public perception.
09:46Here's more.
09:50The confrontation between Iran and its rivals is no longer confined to missiles, warships
09:57or diplomacy.
09:58A new battlefield has opened, the digital front.
10:02An AI-generated video circulating online appears to show Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu
10:09and his wife being captured after a simulated Iranian strike on Tel Aviv.
10:14The footage is not real, but its message is unmistakable.
10:19Analysts say it reflects a growing shift towards psychological warfare, where narratives and perception
10:25are weapons just as powerful as missiles.
10:28In the video, drones are shown striking buildings in Tel Aviv before commandos arrest Netanyahu and
10:36escort him away in handcuffs.
10:37The scene ends with the couple depicted aboard a military aircraft, blindfolded and detained.
10:44Clips like these are designed less to inform than to intimidate, projecting strength, mocking
10:50adversaries and signaling what Iran wants the world to imagine could happen in a future conflict.
10:57The video surfaced as Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali, Khamenei, issued fresh warnings to both
11:04Washington and Tel Aviv.
11:06He declared that more dangerous than fleets of warships are the weapons capable of sinking
11:12them, and insisted the United States has failed for decades to destroy the Islamic Republic.
11:18His message was clear.
11:20Iran believes it has both the capability and the resilience to withstand pressure and to
11:25retaliate if attacked.
11:27All this comes as U.S. forces expand their presence in the Middle East, and nuclear negotiations
11:33remain fragile.
11:34Washington says it wants a deal, but insists Iran must never obtain nuclear weapons.
11:41Tehran counters that it will not negotiate under threats.
11:45Between those positions lies a dangerous gap, one now filled with psychological signaling, digital
11:51propaganda and escalating rhetoric.
11:53Whether this digital escalation stays symbolic or becomes a prelude to real confrontation may
12:00depend on what happens next at the negotiating table and on how both sides interpret each other's
12:07signals.
12:10And as the United States and Iran remain locked in confrontation, new alliances are emerging at
12:17sea.
12:17Iran, Russia, and China are conducting the maritime security-built naval exercises in and around
12:25the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world's most strategically important waterways.
12:30The drills aim to improve coordination against piracy, maritime terrorism, and threats to global
12:37shipping routes, while also demonstrating growing military cooperation among the three countries.
12:43Or at least, this is what they had to say.
12:45The exercises have been held annually since 2019 under Iranian initiative, but this time
12:52around, it is being seen in a different spotlight.
12:55Watch this report.
13:00The waters of the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world's most critical oil choke points,
13:06are set to witness a dramatic show of naval power.
13:10Iran, in collaboration with Russia and China, is hosting the 8th Annual Maritime Security Belt
13:172026 exercises in the Strait of Hormuz, the Sea of Oman, and the Northern Indian Ocean.
13:23Russian presidential aide Nikolai Patrushev confirmed that warships from all three nations
13:30have been dispatched, with drills scheduled to begin in late February 2026.
13:36Iranian media describe the exercises as routine, focused on enhancing maritime security, combating
13:43piracy, and practicing coordinated search and rescue operations.
13:48But experts say the message is far more strategic.
13:51The Strait of Hormuz handles about 20% of the world's oil trade, making these exercises not
13:58just military maneuvers, but a signal of power.
14:02Iran's IRGC Navy has been preparing for months, demonstrating control over shipping flows and
14:09responding to potential threats.
14:12China has sent advanced destroyers, while Russia and Iran contribute multiple naval units to showcase
14:19operational coordination.
14:21Analysts see the drills as an extension of Iran's growing partnership with Moscow and
14:26Beijing, strengthening an anti-hegemonic axis amid U.S. sanctions and regional rivalries.
14:33The timing is notable.
14:35U.S. Central Command previously warned of potential clashes after the deployment of the USS Abraham
14:41Lincoln carrier group nearby.
14:44Despite that, Tehran confirms the exercises are proceeding, projecting strength and deterrence.
14:51From Iran's perspective, these drills achieve multiple objectives, signaling readiness to deter
14:57adversaries, protecting vital trade routes, and asserting influence regionally and internationally.
15:03While officials insist the maneuvers are defensive, the crowded waters of the Strait of Hormuz present
15:10real risks of miscalculation.
15:12Any incident could escalate tensions further, particularly with the United States watching closely.
15:19As the world monitors these drills, the message is clear.
15:23Iran, backed by Russia and China, is asserting itself as a pivotal maritime power, ready to defend its economic lifelines
15:32and challenge U.S. dominance in the Gulf.
15:41The signals from the Gulf are becoming clearer and more dangerous.
15:46American carriers are moving into position. Iran is testing missiles and conducting drills.
15:52China and Russia are stepping into the regional security equation.
15:55And diplomacy continues under the shadow of possible conflict.
15:59We will bring you all the details to you. Keep watching World News on One India.
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