Trapped in Iran’s most notorious jail is an ailing Iranian American journalist whose situation helps explain why: Reza Valizadeh. That unlocked “special consideration” and government resources to help free him, a GOP congressional aide told HuffPost. A gesture of goodwill or PR bid by Iran is conceivable, but hard to imagine amid constant threats and conflicting messages from Trump. Yet even an ostensibly modest strike would cause Iran to “walk away” from talks with Trump, a senior diplomat from the region told HuffPost on Thursday. On Thursday, the U.S. official told HuffPost: “Progress was made, but there are still a lot of details to discuss.

Source: Huffington Post February 21, 2026 00:22 UTC