Nuclear deal will not stop ongoing executions, Iran refugees say

February 17, 2026

News Nation – Iranian refugees are feeling helpless as they say the country’s regime continues to execute people, and believe the U.S. engaging in nuclear discussions won’t save those who are still in danger.

An Iranian refugee who spoke to NewsNation under a condition of anonymity for their safety said of the delayed U.S. response to the protest massacre, “I’ve honestly lost so much hope in everything.”

“Unless these talks are meant to expose the regime’s faults and create real consequences, I fear we will all be destroyed and eventually buried in history. Right now, it feels like no one can help anyone in Iran.”

Another source who asked to remain anonymous for their safety said water was running out in Tehran, and many people have to drive to access clean water.

“People are sharing as fairly as they can. The kindness can only last so long as desperation creeps in. Something has to change and change soon.”

Executions still ongoing despite what Trump was told: Sources

NewsNation reported last month that Iranian refugees reported that Iran is still executing protesters despite the president being told the killings had stopped.

The U.S.-based Human Rights Activists News Agency reported that more than 7,000 people were killed in Iran’s crackdown against protesters this month. The agency told NewsNation in early January that its findings “should be understood as minimums, not estimates of the full scale of harm.” The organization cited that of those confirmed 7,000 deaths, 6,509 have been categorized as protesters, “including 219 children under the age of 18.”

The sources who spoke with NewsNation say the number of deaths during the protests is closer to 30,000, but an exact number is difficult to reach.

A source, who asked not to be identified for safety, said they were told by firsthand eyewitnesses that the regime militants were attacking the protesters with a highly toxic chemical.

The militants were “spraying Agent Orange and causing incredible suffering that has led to death in 3 days” for some people.

The refugees said people in Iran are afraid to communicate via phone due to concerns the regime could be recording their private conversations without their knowledge.

“Nobody wants to call and talk to their relatives because they are afraid of their phones being tapped. They’re in self-protection mode. It’s so f—–g heartbreaking,” they said.

US-Iran trying to reach nuclear deal

Iran’s foreign minister says Iran and the U.S. reached an understanding during the second round of nuclear talks but clarified that does not mean an agreement will be reached soon.

President Donald Trump promoted Iranian protesters to keep up the fight for their freedom last month while they took the streets to stand up against the brutal regime. Sources told NewsNation that help has not come, and the delay for help has left them hopeless as the death toll rises. They say executions of protesters continue to be carried out despite the president saying they have stopped.

U.S. diplomats held a pair of high-stakes meetings in Geneva Tuesday to try and hammer out a nuclear deal.

Last summer the U.S. attempted to hobble the Iranian nuclear infrastructure by bombing three sites as part of an operation dubbed “Midnight Hammer.”

A White House official told NewsNation on Tuesday, “President Trump has always stood with the people of Iran and he will continue to do so. The President has been clear about his position on the Iranian regime’s use of violence against its citizens, and Iranian regime should not doubt that he means what he says.”

Trump has threatened additional military action if Iran refuses to constrain its nuclear program. Iran has vowed to return the threat.

Any deal would be ‘face-saving’: retired Control Commander officer

Retired Lt. Col. Mike Nelson, who has extensive experience with U.S. Central Command, told NewsNation that the White House is sending mixed messages about its plans for Iran.

“In January, they seemed to be signaling a firm line on support for and protection to the pro reform and democracy movements within Iran. Now, they seem to be focusing on a framework to constrain future Iranian nuclear research, something they very famously bragged they had disrupted for years last year with Midnight Hammer,” he said.

He said any deal with Iran would be “nothing more than a goalpost moving and face-saving measure,” while the administration turns “a blind eye to the regime’s brutal crackdown.”