Iran, US spar as diaspora organises rallies abroad calling for action
By Al Jazeera, February 15, 2026Iran and the United States are presenting clashing views before expected talks as diaspora Iranians rally across the world to demand action after thousands were killed during January 2026 nationwide protests.
Amid reports that a second round of mediated talks may take place over the coming days, Washington has maintained it wants to limit Iran’s missile programme and end all its nuclear enrichment.
Iran has consistently rejected both demands, saying it could dilute highly enriched uranium – all said to be buried under rubble after being bombed by the US in June – in exchange for the lifting of sanctions.
US President Donald Trump said at the White House on Friday, February 13, 2026, that he is sending a second aircraft carrier to the Middle East, adding that “regime change” in Iran would be the “best thing that could happen”.
Speaking at a conference in Tehran on Saturday aimed at attracting regional investment for railroad projects, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian thanked the leaders of Azerbaijan, Turkiye, Qatar, Oman, Saudi Arabia and others for mediating to prevent a US military attack.
“All of these countries are working so that we can resolve our own problems with peace and calm, and we can do this. We do not need a custodian,” Pezeshkian said, warning that a war would impact the entire Middle East.
Switzerland’s Foreign Ministry said on Saturday, February 14, 2026, that Iran and the US would hold the next round of talks in Geneva next week. Oman, which hosted the first round in Muscat last week, will mediate.
Major rallies in the US, Europe
A large number of Iranians abroad who are opposed to the theocratic establishment governing Iran since the 1979 revolution participated in rallies across the world on Saturday to demand an end to religious rule.
Reza Pahlavi, son of Iran’s US-backed shah who was deposed in the revolution, called on Iranians living abroad to be part of a “global day of action” aimed at “taking Iran back” from the Islamic Republic. He also addressed the Munich Security Conference in Germany and met with leaders such as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and senior US Senator Lindsey Graham.
The three main cities designated for the protests were Munich, Los Angeles and Toronto. Iranians also marched in cities in Australia, including Sydney and Melbourne.
A similar rally last month in Toronto saw more than 150,000 people in attendance and no adverse incidents, according to city police. About 100,000 people registered early to attend the Munich rally on Saturday.
The rallies are some of the largest ever held by the Iranian diaspora and the biggest since demonstrations in solidarity with the deadly 2022-2023 nationwide protests in Iran, triggered by the death in police custody of Mahsa Amini, 22, for wearing the mandatory hijab for women improperly.
The latest protests were held days after the Iranian establishment organised demonstrations and burned the flags of Israel and the US to mark the 47th anniversary of the 1979 revolution.