Washington, United States. US President Donald Trump said he is considering sending a second aircraft carrier to the Middle East as Washington and Tehran prepare to resume negotiations aimed at averting a new conflict.
Carrier deployment under consideration
Trump told Israel’s Channel 12 and Axios that he was considering deploying a second aircraft carrier to the Middle East.
The USS George Washington in Asia and the USS George H.W. Bush on the US east coast are the most likely candidates, officials told Reuters, but each is at least a week away from the Middle East. The Pentagon could also deploy the Ford carrier from the Caribbean.
Talks facilitated by Oman
Oman facilitated talks between Iran and the United States last week, which a spokesperson for Iran’s foreign ministry said allowed Tehran to gauge Washington’s seriousness and showed enough consensus for diplomacy to continue.
“After the talks, we felt there was understanding and consensus to continue the diplomatic process,” Iranian foreign ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei said.
The date and venue of the next round of US-Iran talks have not been announced.
Trump comments on potential consequences
In interviews with Israeli media, Trump said the United States would have to do “something very tough” if a deal is not reached with Iran.
“Either we reach a deal or we’ll have to do something very tough,” Israel’s Channel 12 quoted him as saying.
Background and regional visits
The talks followed Trump’s decision to position one aircraft carrier in the region, raising fears of new military action. Trump, who joined an Israeli bombing campaign last year and hit Iranian nuclear sites, had threatened last month to intervene militarily during a bloody governmen crackdown on nationwide protests in Iran, but ultimately held off.
Baghaei said Ali Larijani, an adviser to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, traveled to Oman on Tuesday on a pre-planned trip and would travel next to Qatar, which has also mediated in several Middle East crises.
What do you think a second US aircraft carrier deployment would signal about the talks with Iran?