Reuters World News - US–Iran, Rubio, Navalny and Brazil's Carnival

Episode Date: February 14, 2026

The United States prepares for possible weeks‑long operations against Iran as President Donald Trump sends a second aircraft carrier to the Middle East. Secretary of State Marco Rubio pushes unity at the Munich Security Conference, while renewing sharp U.S. critiques of Europe. European allies blame Russia for killing Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny, saying tests found a rare toxin from dart frogs in his body. Plus, Rio bursts into Carnival as early blocos pack the streets. Listen to the On Assignment podcast What the world can learn from Aussie kids and the social media ban Listen to the Morning Bid podcast ⁠⁠here⁠⁠. Sign up for the Reuters Econ World newsletter ⁠⁠here⁠⁠.  Listen to the Reuters Econ World podcast ⁠⁠here⁠⁠. Visit the Thomson Reuters Privacy Statement for information on our privacy and data protection practices.  You may also visit megaphone.fm/adchoices to opt out of targeted advertising. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Hi, I'm your weekend host Sharon Reich Garson. It's Saturday, February 14th. Today, the U.S. prepares for possible military operations against Iran. Rubio pushes a unity message in Munich. Plus, Rio kicks off carnival with massive street parties. This is Reuters World News, bringing you everything you need to know from the front lines in 10 minutes, 7. days a week. We start with a Reuters exclusive. The United States is preparing for the possibility of weeks-long military operations against Iran as President Trump sends a second aircraft carrier to the Middle East.

Two U.S. officials tell Reuters on the condition of anonymity that an attack could become a far more serious conflict than previously seen between Washington and Tehran. That disclosure raises the stakes for the diplomacy now underway, with U.S. and Iranian envoys preparing for another round of talks in Geneva next week. At the same time, President Trump is embracing potential regime change in Iran. Do you want regime change in Iran? Well, it seems like that would be the best thing that could happen. For 47 years, they've been talking and talking and talking. In the meantime, National Security reporter Phil Stewart is in Washington. What we're talking about here is something fundamentally different than what we saw.

last summer. And what I mean by that is, you know, you would see a pretty stunning operation by U.S. fighter pilots, bombers, basically, who flew all the way from the United States over Iranian airspace and destroyed Iran's nuclear facilities. And what you're talking about now could be something fundamentally different, where the United States either attacks, you know, any range of targets in Iran, and then the Iranians retaliate, and then there's a back and forth. Iran has warned that in case of strikes on its territory, it could retaliate against any U.S. military base in the Middle East. What U.S. officials would often say and warn about is that the sheer number of missiles that Iran has stockpiled and ready to go. And the real only limiting factor for Iran is launchers.

So, you know, the United States is going to take very seriously any defensive precautions. before it goes ahead with any offensive action against Iran. And I think that's what you're seeing with all this buildup by the U.S. military in the region right now. Asked for comment on the preparations for a potentially sustained U.S. military operation, White House spokesperson Anna Kelly said, quote, President Trump has all options on the table with regard to Iran. Over to Munich now, where U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio is striking a more unifying tone, telling European leaders that Washington isn't walking away from the Transatlantic Alliance.

He said, quote, for the United States in Europe, we belong together and described the U.S. as, quote, a child of Europe. But he's also repeating Trump-era criticisms of Europe over migration and climate policies. Our senior foreign policy editor, Humera Pamuk, is in Munich. So Secretary Rubio's speech was very different from J.D. Vance's speech last year. If you remember, he was saying the greatest danger to Europe came from things like what he described as censorship of right-wing voices across the continent and democratic backsliding. His comments stunned the room and basically kicked off a period where the United States has started leveling pretty severe criticism towards Europe. So,

I think for the audience in Munich Security Conference, the bar was very low. And that's why everybody found largely Rubio's tone and speech relatively okay. There was no mention of Russia. There was no mention of NATO. There was nothing like, hey, you're our transatlantic allies and we've got your back. I think that was the big missing thing. Having said that, I think the Europeans have been seeing that attitude from the United States for some time now. Overall, we're at a completely different chapter in history now after Trump. The United States is openly telling Europe and everyone else to basically step up and take care of their security. European leaders are also speaking at the conference today, sharpening their own message.

UK Prime Minister Kier Starmer is urging Europe to, quote, build our hard power and be ready to fight if necessary, announcing that Britain will deploy its carrier strike group to the North Atlantic and the high north later this year. Britain, France, Germany, Sweden, and the Netherlands now say they're convinced Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny was poisoned with a rare and lethal toxin while he was imprisoned in an Arctic penal colony. New analysis of the samples from his body, report. reportedly found epibatididine, a rare toxin found in South America's poisoned dart frogs, and it's not naturally present in Russia. They've reported Moscow to the global chemical weapons

watchdog over what they say is a breach of international rules. Moscow has denied any role. New documents show that U.S. immigration and customs enforcement is planning to spend more than $38 billion this year on detention. centers to hold and process tens of thousands of immigrants slated for deportation. It says it's preparing what it expects to be a surge in arrests in 26 after hiring 12,000 new agents. All of that's funded by the $17 billion immigration enforcement package that Congress passed in July of 2025. And it marks a dramatic shift in spending. The detention budget alone has jumped to $45 billion up to $45 billion, up from $3.4 billion in the 2024 fiscal year.

Our episode of On Assignment this week is one you won't want to miss. Our very own host, Kim Vanel, is digging into Australia's sweeping ban on social media platforms for under 16s. She looks at what's behind it and whether it could become a global blueprint. Ever since the idea of the ban was first announced, then Australia was seen as out there, launching into a social experiment that no one was sure would work. So is it working? And what lessons does it hold for the rest of the world? You can find the link in today's show notes.

Valentine's Day is usually when Columbia's flower industry shines. But this year, there's a shadow over all those red roses that made their way to the U.S. for the holiday, the 10% U.S. tariff that's cutting into margins for farmers. Colombia has shipped about 65,000 tons of fresh-cut flowers to the U.S. for this Valentine's rush, a season that makes up 20% of annual sales. And growers say 2026 may be one of their toughest years yet. At a farm outside Bogota, Jose Antonio Restrepo, who manages Ayura SAS, Eclipse Flowers, says the industry is being squeezed from every direction.

And with the Colombian peso And with the Colombian peso strengthening and the minimum wage rising, he warns farms could begin closing as early as June or July. But on the packing floor, the mood's different.

Worker Susanna Vega who's wrapping a bundle of roses says the holiday still brings meaning. She calls it an immense joy to know that her work brings happiness to someone receiving flowers. A bright moment in a year that the industry fears could turn dark fast. Carnival is on in Rio de Janeiro, and revelers are packing the streets. In Santa Teresa, the Carmelita Street Party fills the narrow lanes with drums, costumes,

and crowds dancing shoulder to shoulder. A giant marionette, a fixture of the celebration, can be seen moving. through the crowd as people spray water to cool off in the heat. Dancers say the festival gives them a sense of freedom, a chance to let go, and a spirit they wish could last beyond the long weekend. For more on any of the stories from today, check out reuters.com or the Reuters app. Don't forget to follow us on your favorite podcast player. And if you're listening on a smart speaker, just ask for the latest news from Reuters seven days a week.

We'll be back tomorrow with our daily headline show.