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"It's been a really difficult year," the girl's mother told NBC News in Spanish this month as she choked up. "It's hard not to break down."

The family's quest to return to the United States is now reaching a critical point, the mother said. In Mexico, without continuous access to the medical care the girl needs, the brain tumor that once threatened her life could redevelop.

NBC News is withholding the name of the mother and the rest of the family members, since they were deported to an area in Mexico known for kidnapping U.S. citizens.

When U.S. doctors reviewed the results ofthe girl's last MRI scan from May, they found her brain isn't regenerating, an important part of recovery that helps restore lost neurological functions such as motor skills and speech. That means "there is a high risk that the tumor can come back," the mother said, explaining her conversation with the physicians.

It also makes it more urgent for her daughter to be back in the U.S., so her doctors can keep her under close observation, she added.

Slightly struggling with her words, the 11-year-old girl described experiencing worsening headaches and persistent body pain, particularly in a foot and a hand, in a brief phone conversation with NBC News this month.

"My head hurts so much, my foot, my hand," she said in Spanish. "I want to heal."

The mother said her daughter has also been experiencing seizures more frequently, a concern that often keeps her up at night.

To appropriately monitor the girl's condition, her specialist doctors in the U.S. recommend that she get an MRI scan every three months. Since she arrived in Mexico almost a year ago, the girl has been able to get only one.

For months, the family has been anxiously waiting to hear back from immigration authorities about thehumanitarian parole request they filedback in June 2025 that could allow the parents, who are undocumented, and one noncitizen sibling to enter and live in the U.S. temporarily to assist the 11-year-old as she receives medical treatment.

While humanitarian parole requests are processed by U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, applications submitted by previously deported people are decided by Immigration and Customs Enforcement. USCIS and ICE did not comment in this specific case.

Attorney Danny Woodward of the Texas Civil Rights Project, the legal advocacy and litigation organization representing the family, said humanitarian parole can be granted "to anybody regardless of their immigration history."

"It's at the discretion of the government, and this case really merits it," Woodward said.

Medical records Woodward obtained as part of the family's efforts to win humanitarian parole show the girl's brain tumor was caused by an "unnamed 'novel' condition." That's what makes it a rare tumor that is difficult to treat, her mother said in Spanish.

The mother said she's "still waiting for a miracle" and hopes to be granted humanitarian parole. She said the health care options available to her daughter in Mexico are extremely limited.

U.S. citizens including minors can't access care through Mexico's public health system and are often required topay up frontto receive emergency medical services. For the family, the remaining alternative is to receive care through private coverage and pay out of pocket for medical bills, which the mother said they can't afford.

"It feels awful," the mother said as she recalled experiencing those limitations firsthand one day when her daughter began convulsing. She called for an ambulance, but dispatchers told her they wouldn't send one because her daughter is "technically not from Mexico." The mother ended up borrowing a car and driving 2½ hours to get her daughter to the hospital.

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There, medical staff members said they didn't understand her daughter's condition well enough to effectively treat her and recommended that she be returned to the U.S. to get treatment.

"The entire time we were in the United States, we always respected the country, respected the people, maintained good moral character with everyone and helped in any way we could," the mother said. "Not having access to anything now, it feels like the world is falling apart."

A drive to the hospital leads to deportation

The family's immigration plight began on Feb. 3, 2025, after the then 10-year-old girl woke up dizzy, with headaches and body pain. Her mother said the worrisome symptoms came exactly a year after surgeons performed an emergency procedure to remove a tumor on her daughter's brain.

Fearing her symptoms signaled setbacks in her recovery, the parents piled their children, ages 17, 14, 11, 10 and 8, into a car and rushed from the Rio Grande Valley area where they lived to a hospital in Houston, where specialist doctors had been treating the girl's condition since the operation.

But the family never made it to the Houston hospital. Border Patrol officers detained them when they stopped at a mandatoryimmigration checkpointin Texas.

Before President Donald Trump took office in January 2025, the family had succesfully passed through that checkpoint several times before, Woodward said. They would present letters from the Houston hospital and from an immigration attorney, as well as the children's birth certificates.

"This is a family with no criminal record that was driving to Houston specifically to get medical care for their daughter who had a brain tumor removed," said Woodward, the attorney.

The Department of Homeland Security did not respond to a request for comment, but the agency previously told NBC News the parents had previously been "givenexpedited removal orders,"adding that when someone "chooses to disregard them, they will face the consequences."

The family's departure to Mexico has weighed heavily on their eldest son, an18-year-old U.S. citizen who remains in Texasand who sends his now 11-year-old sister the seizure medications she needs.

The siblings in Mexico told NBC News they can't wait to be reunited with him. The youngest, who is 8, said he misses eating pizza and playing games with his big brother.

The 11-year-old said she misses her eldest brother, as well as her specialist doctors and her friends from school.

The girl's 14-year-old sister broke down describing how stressful it has been to see her younger sister not getting "the proper treatment and medication" in Mexico. The 17-year-old brother said it was hard adapting to a new life in a very rural part of Mexico as he tried to finish school online.

"It's been quite stressful being in an environment where I'm not used to being in," he said.

The family's case was amongthe first involving the detentionsand removals of U.S. citizen children, including minors withserious medical conditions, as part of their parents' deportations during the early days of Trump's second term. Several other cases emerged during that time, including those of three other U.S. citizen children, ages 7, 4 and 2, who weresent to Honduras with their undocumented mothersin April. The 4-year-oldhad Stage 4 cancer.

DHS has saidit doesn't deport American children. It instead asks deported parents whether they prefer to be removed with their U.S. citizen children rather than be separated.

Rochelle Garza, president of the Texas Civil Rights Project, said "it just isn't a choice — this is all forced upon them."

Parents on the verge of deportation can risk losing custody of their U.S.-born children if there aren't clearpower-of-attorney documents or guardianshipsoutlining who will take care of the children left behind. Otherwise the children go into the U.S. foster care system, making it harder for their parents to regain custody in the future.

The 11-year-old said that when she's feeling down, one of her favorite things to do is sing karaoke to the tunes of her favorite artists, Carín León and K-pop Demon Hunters,especially their electric hit song "Golden."It reminds her of joyous times, back in school with her friends and the life she left behind in Texas.

The decree authorizes the Panama Maritime Authority to occupy the ports for "reasons of urgent social interest." The occupation includes all movable property within or outside the Balboa and Cristóbal terminals, specifically covering cranes, vehicles,computer systemsand software.

The saga surrounding the two Panamanian ports is part of a broaderrivalry between the United States and China, in which the Central American country became caught in the middle after U.S. President Donald Trump accused China last year of "running the Panama Canal."

CK Hutchison was slated to sell the two ports to a consortium that includesU.S. investment firm BlackRock, but this prompted swift intervention from the Chinese government, which halted the deal.

In January, Panama's Supreme Court struck down the law approving the concession contract for Panama Ports Company, or PPC, a subsidiary of CK Hutchison. The ruling also invalidated an extension granted in 2021, stripping the port operations of any legal basis.

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PPC has operated these terminals since 1997, when the state awarded it the concession to manage the ports located at the Pacific and Atlantic entrances to the Panama Canal.

Panama's government announced days ago that it will guarantee the continuity of port operations and job stability, and that APM Terminals, a subsidiary of the Danish group A.P. Moller-Maersk, would temporarily assume the administration of the terminals while a new contract is awarded.

Meanwhile, CK Hutchison Holdingsstarted arbitration proceedingsagainst Panama under the rules of the International Chamber of Commerce. It's unclear what the impact of the proceedings would be and how long they could take. It also threatened to sue APM Terminals, if it operates the concession. The Danish group responded that it's not a party to the legal proceedings.

A PPC spokesperson told local media last week that the company was seeking an agreement with the Panamanian government to continue operating.

Follow AP's coverage of Latin America and the Caribbean athttps://apnews.com/hub/latin-america

The European Union is reportedly preparing to halt the ratification process of its trade agreement with the U.S. as it seeks more information on the Trump Administration's new plans regarding tariffs.

Zeljana Zovko, the lead trade negotiator in the European People's Party group, is quoted as tellingBloomberg"we have no other option" but to delay the approval process while seeking clarity.

TIME has reached out to Zovko for confirmation and further comment.

The reports from Europe come after President Donald Trump over the weekendthreatenedto impose a 15% global tariff, by way of a response to the U.S. Supreme Court ruling his sweeping tariffs are illegal on Friday. The Court argued that Trump cannot rely on the 1977 International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) to impose such charges.

"During the next short number of months, the Trump Administration will determine and issue the new and legally permissible tariffs," said Trump of the new hike.

The U.S. President raised the number from his 10% threat in the immediate aftermath of the ruling on Friday. He invoked his authority underSection 122of the Trade Act of 1974 whenannouncingthe levies.

Trump's promise of a new tariff program has brought into question the foundation of theU.S.–E.U. agreementreached in July 2025, which proposed a 15% import tax on most European goods entering the U.S., the elimination of tariffs on American industrial exports to the bloc, and an intention from the E.U. to purchase $750 billion in U.S. energy.

Zovkoexpressedconcerns Sunday morning, saying: "Without full legal clarity regarding the newly-announced tariffs, particularly in light of the Supreme Court decision, we cannot take any abrupt decisions."

"Without a detailed assessment of the situation, its legal implications and its economic impact, it would be irresponsible to react prematurely," she added. "We will continue to closely monitor developments and remain focused on our objective, which has not changed from the beginning: restoring stability and predictability to our trade relations."

The uncertainty prompted senior E.U. officials to call for an emergency meeting Monday to reassess the transatlantic deal.

Bernd Lange, chair of the European Parliament's trade committee,calledthe situation "pure customs chaos on the part of the U.S. government" andsummoneda meeting to suspend the legislative approval of the deal until there are "comprehensive legal assessment[s] and clear commitments from the U.S. side."

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"Don't new tariffs based on Section 122 mean a breach of the deal?" he queried. "Regardless, no one knows whether the USA will adhere to it—or even be able to at all."

A spokesperson for Lange's office told TIME additional updates would follow after Monday's meeting.

The European Commission, which oversees trade policy for the bloc's 27 member states, is also requesting "full clarity" from Washington regarding its next steps on tariffs.

"The current situation is not conducive to delivering 'fair, balanced, and mutually beneficial' transatlantic trade and investment, as agreed to by both sides and spelled out in the E.U.-U.S. Joint Statement of August 2025," thestatementread.

The executive cabinet of the European Union indicated it will not accept an increase in U.S. tariffs, citing the hard-earned existing agreement.

"A deal is a deal. As the United States' largest trading partner, the E.U. expects the U.S. to honour its commitments set out in the Joint Statement—just as the E.U. stands by its commitments," the Commission warned. "In particular, E.U. products must continue to benefit from the most competitive treatment, with no increases in tariffs beyond the clear and all-inclusive ceiling previously agreed."

TIME has reached out to the White House for comment.

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The Commission confirmed E.U. Trade Commissioner Maroš Šefčovič had been in contact with U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer and U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick over the weekend.

When asked onCBS'Face the NationSunday morning whether agreements with the E.U. would remain intact, Greer said they "expect to stand by them."

"I haven't heard anyone yet come to me and say, the deal's off. They want to see how this plays out. I'm in active conversations with them on it," he said.

The E.U.-U.S. agreement was previously brought into question in January afterTrump threatened to tariff European allieswho opposed his campaign toannex Greenland—a threat he has since walked back.

Contact usatletters@time.com.

Mexican drug kingpin Nemesio Oseguera, who's known as "El Mencho,"died Sunday, Feb. 22, from injuries suffered in a shootout with Mexican officialsthat also killed six other cartel members.

The resulting civil unrest forced soccer officials in Mexico to postpone two top-tier matches indefinitely − Queretaro vs. Juarez FC in the men's league and Chivas vs. America in the women's league − and call off a pair of second-division matches.

After reports of El Mencho's death, suspected cartel members blockaded highways with burning cars and torched businesses in more than half a dozen states.

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The Mexican national team has a friendly scheduled against Iceland on Wednesday, Feb. 25, at the Corregidora Stadium in Queretaro. The status of that game is still in limbo.

Meanwhile, organizers of the Mexican Open men's tennis tournament in Acapulco said the event would begin Monday as scheduled under established security protocols.

Guadalajara is scheduled to host four World Cup matches in June, including two involving South Korea. Co-host Mexico, Spain, Uruguay and Colombia will also play there.

Contributing: Reuters

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:Soccer matches postponed amid chaos after Mexican drug kingpin killed

Vitello knew life would be different as the first man togo straight from a college to major league managerwith theSan Francisco Giants, but nothing quite prepared him for this.

Each day this spring has been a learning experience for Vitello. He painfully discovered where not to stand in the dugout during games in his spring-training opener Saturday, and then was reminded Sunday not to live-stream a sporting event on your iPhone when you've got a clubhouse full of players watching on live TV.

Vitello was in the middle of rules meetings in the second level of the Giants' clubhouse with the USA-Canada hockey game playing on his cell phone. He was intensely watching the action, bracing himself for overtime, when he heard his players screaming and shouting, and breaking into USA-USA-USA chants.

So when he finally sawJack Hughes score the overtime game-winnerfor the United States' first Olympic hockey gold medal since the "The Miracle on Ice" team, he already knew the outcome.

"When you're streaming stuff,'' said Vitello, a Blues fan growing up in St. Louis, "you better be careful where you're sitting. Their reaction was pretty loud. Pretty awesome to see those guys get awarded the gold medal, pretty special to hear the anthem. Maybe that kind of sets the tone for the WBC (World Baseball Classic).''

Jack Eichel #9 of Team United States and Nathan MacKinnon #29 of Team Canada face off in the first period during the Men's Gold Medal match between Canada and the United States on day 16 of the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympic games at Milano Santagiulia Ice Hockey Arena on Feb. 22, 2026 in Milan, Italy.

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See USA and Canada clash as Olympic rivalry continues

Jack Eichel #9 of Team United States and Nathan MacKinnon #29 of Team Canada face off in the first period during theMen's Gold Medal match between Canada and the United Stateson day 16 of the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympic games at Milano Santagiulia Ice Hockey Arena on Feb. 22, 2026 in Milan, Italy.

While his players may have ruined his own suspense, it was a lot less painful than his Cactus League debut Saturday against the Seattle Mariners in Peoria, Arizona, when he was smoked in the left shin by a foul ball by Mariners outfielder Jared Sundstrom

"I've had a broken face twice from baseballs as a coach,'' Vitello said. "I'll be standing in a different place next time."

Then, after the events of Sunday, who could blame Vitello — who had never even attended a spring-training game as a fan, let alone as a player or coach — for wondering if someone has a warped sense of humor initiating him into MLB spring training?

Vitello has witnessed some bizarre things in his 25-year career as a collegiate coach, but the first inning of his first home game as Giants manager could be the ultimate.

It began with the Scottsdale Stadium loudspeakers blaring that an emergency had been reported, with the announcement: "Please cease operations and leave the building.''

Dozens of fans took the advice and scurried for the exits, but crew chief Bill Miller told Giants' veteran starter Robbie Ray to stay put and keep pitching. The game continued even with the announcement recurring for at least five minutes.

"You're trying to play, but your family's in the stands,'' Vitello said. "I'm a condo guy, when the fire alarm goes off, you just assume somebody pulled it or something like that. But that was a little bit of a dicey situation.''

It turned out that someone was smoking in the bathroom, triggering the alarm

"That fire alarm kind of rattled me,'' Ray said. "To be honest, I thought we were just going to wait it out. … I'm looking up in the stands and people are filing out of the stands, and I'm like, we're just going to play through this.''

The bizarro world was just starting, triggering a play that has never happened in the history of a major-league regular season game.

It was a triple play that actually started on a base hit, turning a single into a 4-3-6-5 triple play.

"A triple play on a base hit,'' Ray said, "I've never seen that.''

Said Giants third baseman Matt Chapman: "That'll be a glitch in the Matrix."

It began with Cubs leadoff hitter Matt Shaw walking, stealing second, and Alex Bregman drawing a walk. Seiya Suzuki then hit a single to shallow right field, fielded by second baseman Luis Arraez. Arraez threw home, but third baseman Rafael Devers cut off the throw, and threw out Suzuki trying to reach second. Shortstop Willy Adames, noticing that Shaw never tried to run home and was standing on third base, along with Bregman, ran to third base and tagged out Bregman. He handed the ball to Chapman, and then, inexplicably, Shaw walked off the bag towards the Cubs' dugout. Chapman tagged him, and Shaw was called out, too.

"I still don't know what happened,'' Adames said.

Ray, realizing he just pitched the most outlandish 1-2-3 inning of his life, couldn't stop laughing when he reached the dugout and guys were yelling, "Way to get out of it.''

Normalcy returned the rest of the afternoon, and after the first two games of Vitello's career, the Giants are undefeated, with a clubhouse that has a whole lot of believers in Vitello.

"It's definitely different in here,'' said Ray, 34, the Giants' oldest player. "He's unique because he just brings a different energy every day. It's infectious. And he does stuff you don't necessarily see other managers do.''

When the Giants take infield, or have fielding practice for pitchers, Vitello isn't just standing idly by leaning on his fungo bat or talking to coaches. He's taking grounders with them, or covering first base, or taking cutoffs.

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"I think he's going crazy,'' Adames said, laughing. "Nah, he's enjoying it. He has a lot of energy. He's very intense. And he loves to work.

"He's been amazing for us in terms of bringing the energy and trying to push everybody to be better. I think that's something that we needed. I believe he's going to be great for us.''

MLB spring training 2026: Sunshine, good vibes in Arizona and Florida

The fundamentals, with as many as 25 players on the field participating in drills, reminds veteran scouts of the college ranks, but, hey, it's what Vitello knows. And certainly it worked with Vitello turning Tennessee into a national power, and winning the NCAA championship in 2024.

"It's different, but it's cool,'' Chapman said. "He's got that young energy and good vibe. I think he's really going to inspire this group.''

While Vitello has been criticized at times for his rambling media sessions, bringing up stories from his college coaching days, and chastising reporters early in the week for prematurely reporting that he had accepted the Giants' managerial job, the players don't seem to mind one bit.

In fact, they've embraced him.

"I love the guy,'' Giants veteran starter Tyler Mahle said. "He's got all of that energy, and that's what you look for in a manager, right? You like to talk to someone who's fiery. He's someone you can connect with like a friend or a teammate, but he's also going to be get on somebody's (butt), too.

"I mean it's early. There's going to be some growing pains. But he's exactly someone you want as manager. I really think he's going to do a great job for us.''

Certainly, no manager will draw more scrutiny than Vitello all season. There are plenty of managers furious that he landed the job without paying his dues in the minors or on a coaching staff. There are veteran managers upset that he's being paid $3.5 million a year, which is more than twice the amount any first-year manager has ever been paid. There are those who want him to fail for fear that it could open the door for more collegiate coaches following him directly into managerial positions.

"I love the move myself,'' one rival GM said. "I think it's creative. I think it's bold. But would I have had the guts to do it? No (expletive) way.''

The folks at Tennessee watched Vitello turn the Vols into a power, and believe he'll have the same impact with the Giants, who haven't had a winning season since 2021. They're disappointed he left, but will forever have his back.

"People absolutely loved him, just a personal guy, taking pictures, signing autographs,'' said Mark Smith, a longtime Tennessee booster who was wearing a Vols championship T-shirt at the game. "I know people want to know why he left Tennessee, but that's a moot point now. I think it's just people looking for controversy.

"You know everything he does will be under the microscope times 1,000. If he makes the right move, people will say, 'Well, he got lucky.' If he makes a bad move, it will be, 'See, we told you he's not ready for it.' That's not fair.

"I think he'll be great.''

Vitello won't be afraid to be unconventional, willing to try different things. There will be times he'll call pitches from the bench, like he's a college coach. They'll be aggressive, perhaps regardless of the score. He'll experiment with the lineup.

For now, he's just trying to get comfortable, getting to know his players, and understand what this big-league life is all about.

"There's a lot of people, and there's a lot to juggle,'' Vitello says. "We've had conversations about trying to see as much as you can, and learn as much as you can, especially with personnel. I don't think anything too drastic.

"It's just something will pop up on the radar screen that's like, 'Well, I used to do that, but I don't do that now.' Like, I've got enough help around here. I feel like I don't even have to tie my shoes if I didn't want to.

"I feel comfortable, but I don't know, you don't want to get too comfortable. It's probably not a good thing.''

Certainly, not in this business, where there are 10 new managers than a year ago.

But then again, there has never been a hire like Vitello, either.

"I was so excited to see him hired because I've seen Tennessee play, and I've seen the kind of energy they have on the field,'' Giants infielder Casey Schmitt says. "You can see that same energy here. There's definitely a different kind of vibe here, a different kind of energy.

"I know people are curious to see how this will work, but I think this is going to be great for us. Everyone is going to see the impact he makes.''

Now, if he can just survive this crazy spring training.

Follow Nightengale on X:@BNightengale

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:Giants' Tony Vitello's bizarre day: Fire alarm and a triple play

Note to self: Be patient.

That was Feb. 21, 2016.

Ten years later — not almost 10 years later … exactly 10 years later —Rondale Moore died.A suspected self-inflicted gunshot wound, according to the New Albany (Ind.) Police Department. He was 25.

More:Rondale Moore's Purdue legacy of relentless strength will endure

For people all over Indiana, that news — it broke Saturday night and spread across social media, becoming one of Twitter's most-discussed topics in the country — was stunning, tragic. Moore grew up in New Albany and while he graduated from Trinity High in Louisville, he played as a sophomore on New Albany's Class 2016 state championship basketball team.

A teammate on that championship team, one of his best friends — a teammate on youth football and basketball teams, anda neighbor who lived five houses down the street— was future Boston Celtics lottery pick Romeo Langford.

In 2018 Moore arrived as a freshman receiver on thePurdue footballteam, and needed exactly one game to set a team record for all-purpose yards in a game. As a true freshman he was a first-team All-American and the winner of the 2018 Paul Hornung Award, given to the most versatile player in the country. Two years later Moore entered the 2021 NFL Draft and was selected in the second round by the Arizona Cardinals with the 49thoverall pick.

Moore was quiet, reserved. Shy, you could call him. He didn't enjoy talking with reporters, and not because he was surly. He just knew reporters were going to ask him about a topic he'd prefer not to discuss: Rondale Moore. He had greatness and he had humility, a winning combination in any walk of life. Before the first game of his sophomore 2019 season, I went to a Purdue practice to ask Moore about his next step at Purdue — and to ask, essentially, if it was fair for anyone to expect him to put up better numbers.

Moore recast the question,turning it away from himself.It's what he did.

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"There is no 'next step,' personally," he said. "It's what I can do to help this team win, and help guys get better. Get into a better bowl game. Compete for a national championship. That's the next step for all of us."

He continued.

"As far as putting up 'better numbers,'" he said, "that doesn't define me as a football player. It's how I can work and how I'm treating my teammates. That's something I value more so than myself."

Moore was an old soul, 19 going on forever, the world laid out before him like a red carpet, but sometimes that carpet bunches up, snags your feet, knocks you down.

Moore's time in the NFL, like his time at Purdue, was frontloaded with success. Moore missed most of that sophomore 2019 season at Purduewith a pulled hamstring,then missed three games of the COVID-shortened 2020 college football season with another hamstring injury. In the NFL, his best season was his first — 54 catches, 435 yards in 2021 — but he missed 12 games in 2022 with hamstring and groin injuries, and wasn't as effective in 2023 (40 catches, 352 yards).

Moore was traded to Atlanta for the 2024 season, but missed it with a knee injury. He signed with Minnesota for the 2025 season, but missed it with another knee injury.

Moore wasn't in the news again until Saturday — Feb. 21, 2026 — when his body was discovered inside a garage in New Albany, Indiana. He was taken to the Floyd County coroner.

He left behind so much shock and sadness, and that same message pinned to the top of his Twitter page:

Note to self: Be patient.

Find IndyStar columnist Gregg Doyel onThreads, or onBlueSkyand Twitter at@GreggDoyelStar, or atwww.facebook.com/greggdoyelstar. Subscribe to the free weeklyDoyel on Demandnewsletter.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:Rondale Moore dead at 25. Former Purdue star WR was shy, humble

Iranian state news agencies reported student demonstrations at five universities in the capital and one in the city of Mashhad over the weekend, with fresh protests also reported Monday. Large crowds rallied outside the Amir Kabir University of Technology in Tehran, according to video geolocated by NBC News that circulated on social media Sunday.

The video does not appear to have circulated before Sunday but NBC News has not been able to pinpoint when exactly it was taken.

They are the first known protests to have erupted since theanti-government unrest that swept the countrylast month and sawthousands of people killedin a brutal crackdown, according to rights groups.

The United States has held the threat of military action over the regime in the wake of those demonstrations, which marked the biggest flare-up of domestic dissent since Iran's 1979 Islamic Revolution. But PresidentDonald Trumphas also pursued negotiations over Iran's nuclear program, entertaining diplomacy even as he masses a daunting military force in the Middle East.

Trump's special envoySteve Witkoffsaid Saturday that the president was "curious" as to why Iran had not changed course in the face of this buildup.

"He's curious as to why they haven't — I don't want to use the word 'capitulated' — but why they haven't capitulated," Witkoff said in an interview with Fox News' "My View with Lara Trump."

"Why under this sort of pressure, with the amount of sea power, naval power that we have over there, why they haven't come to us and said, 'We profess that we don't want a weapon'?" he said.

The USS Gerald R. Ford is en route to becomethe second American aircraft carrierin the region, wherethe U.S. has been gathering air defenses, warships and submarines.

Officials signaled in a meeting last week that all U.S. military forces required for possible action would be in place by mid-March, a senior administration official told NBC News, though Trump hasthreatened possible actionsooner than that.

New talks are scheduled for Thursday, according to the country that brokered previous rounds of indirect negotiations.

Oman's foreign minister, Badr Albusaidi, said in aposton X on Sunday that talks were confirmed for Thursday in Geneva "with a positive push to go the extra mile towards finalizing the deal."

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Iranian PresidentMasoud Pezeshkianoffered some optimism Sunday, suggesting the latest talks had "yielded encouraging signals."

"Iran is committed to peace and stability in the region," he said in aposton X. However, he warned that Tehran continued to "closely monitor U.S. actions and have made all necessary preparations for any potential scenario."

Addressing the U.S. threat of military action in a news conference Monday, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmail Baghaei said the Islamic Republic would "never be influenced by threats" and would "insist on Iran's national interests."

He added that there was "no such thing as a limited attack," after Trump confirmed he was considering a more limited initial strike to force Tehran into concessions.

Any "act of aggression" would be met with a firm response, he said. "At the same time that we are in the negotiation room, our military forces will be more alert."

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi separately said in an interview that aired Sunday on CBS' "Face The Nation" that a new meeting would "probably" take place Thursday, adding that he hoped to prepare a "fast deal."

"I think we're still very much in a wait-and-see kind of mode," said Sanam Vakil, director of the Middle East and North Africa program at the London-based think tank Chatham House.

"We're lurching between the possibility of strikes and the possibility of a deal and I don't really have a feeling right now one way or the other," she told NBC News in a phone interview Monday. It will take a "real willingness to compromise from both parties" and in a "timely manner" in order to avoid military escalation, Vakil added.

As the prospect of a major attack by the U.S. and Israel raised fears of a new conflict in the Middle East, regional powers expressed outrage after the U.S. ambassadorsuggested Israel had a biblical rightto take over swaths of territory in the Middle East.

"It would be fine if they took it all, but I don't think that's what we're talking about here today," Mike Huckabee said during an interview withpodcaster Tucker Carlsonposted to YouTube on Friday.

Huckabee clarified that this was not on the table as "they're not asking to take all that," but his comments sparked outrage, with the foreign ministries of more than a dozen Arab and Muslim nations expressing their "strong condemnation and profound concern" in a joint statement and issuing a "categorical rejection of such dangerous and inflammatory remarks."

Iran warned the comments could further "embolden" Israel in "illegal measures against Palestinians as well as its constant aggression against the nations of the region."