US President Donald Trump’s top envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner boarded the USS Abraham Lincoln Aircraft Carrier following high-stakes talks with Iran.
The aircraft carrier is part of a significant US military buildup in the Middle East, amid growing tensions between Washington and Tehran over the latter’s nuclear and missile programs.
Aboard the Aircraft Carrier
On Saturday morning, Witkoff and Kushner visited the USS Abraham Lincoln Aircraft Carrier in the Arabian Sea upon an invitation from the US Central Command (CENTCOM) Commander, Adm. Brad Cooper, reported CNN.
Later, Witkoff confirmed the visit in a post on X, saying it aimed to express gratitude for the American military personnel in the region.
“Today, Adm. Brad Cooper, Commander of US Naval Forces Central Command, Jared Kushner, and I met with the brave sailors and Marines aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln, her strike group, and Carrier Air Wing 9 who are keeping us safe and upholding President Trump’s message of peace through strength,” Witkoff wrote.
“We thanked the sailors and Marines, observed live flight operations, and spoke with the pilot who downed an Iranian drone that approached the carrier without clear intent,” he added.
Similarly, CENTCOM said that “Cooper visited crew members aboard the nuclear-powered aircraft carrier with US Special Envoy for Peace Missions Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner.”
US-Iran Talks
The US envoys’ visit to the aircraft carrier followed high-stakes talks with senior Iranian officials in Oman. The first round of negotiations took place on Friday in Muscat, with the mediation of Omani Foreign Minister Badr Albusaidi. Cooper was also present, as photos released by the state-run Oman News Agency showed.
“Very serious talks mediating between Iran and the US in Muscat today. It was useful to clarify both Iranian and American thinking and identify areas for possible progress. We aim to reconvene in due course, with the results to be considered carefully in Tehran and Washington,” Oman’s Foreign Minister said in a statement.
According to Iranian media, Araghchi submitted a “preliminary plan” to Oman for managing tensions with the US and move negotiations forward. Speaking to Al-Jazeera on Saturday, Araghchi clarified that these talks are strictly limited to Iran’s nuclear program, excluding any dialogue regarding regional proxies or ballistic missiles.
“We are prepared to reach an agreement that assures them that enrichment in Iran will be peaceful. We are ready for that,” the Iranian Foreign Minister said.
The US had previously set three preconditions to resume talks: zero enrichment of uranium in Iran, limits on Tehran’s ballistic missile program and an end to its support for regional proxies.
Careful Optimism
Trump described the talks with Iran as “very good,” adding that another meeting would take place early next week. “Iran looks like it wants to make a deal very badly. We have to see what that deal is,” he told reporters aboard Air Force One.
However, the US President warned of a “big fleet” heading toward Iran. “If they don’t make a deal, the consequences are very steep,” he said.
Ahead of the negotiations, the Iranian Foreign Minister, Abbas Araghchi, said Tehran “enters diplomacy with open eyes and a steady memory of the past year.” After the first round of talks, Araghchi described it as a “good start.”
Military Threats
However, Iran’ top diplomat warned that Tehran will strike US bases in the Middle East if it is attacked. “It would not be possible to attack American soil, but we will target their bases in the region,” Araghchi told Al-Jazeera.
“We will not attack neighboring countries; rather, we will target US bases stationed in them. There is a big difference between the two,” he added.
Trump has been ramping up pressure on Iran amid the brutal crackdown on anti-government protests. He noted that a “massive armada” is heading toward Iran, threatening military action if a nuclear deal is not reached.
In light of this, the US has increased its military presence in the region, deploying the USS Abraham Lincoln Carrier Strike Group and additional warships to Middle Eastern waters and sending additional F-15 and F-35 fighter jets, along with more refueling tankers and additional Patriot and THAAD air defense systems.
