US President Donald Trump’s lead negotiators on Iran, Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, visited the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln in the Arabian Sea on Saturday, the US military said, as Washington and Tehran prepare for further talks.
US Central Command (CENTCOM) said the two senior officials toured the nuclear-powered carrier, posting images of the visit on social media.
In a separate post, Witkoff said the carrier and its strike group were “keeping us safe and upholding President Trump’s message of peace through strength”.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said on Saturday that he hoped talks with the United States would resume soon, while reiterating Tehran’s red lines and warning against any US attack.
The two sides held a first round of indirect talks in Oman on Friday, which Araghchi described as a “good start”. Trump also called the discussions “very good”.
The USS Abraham Lincoln arrived in the Middle East in January, as Trump stepped up pressure on Iran following its crackdown on widespread anti-government protests.
Friday’s negotiations marked the first contact since nuclear talks between Iran and the United States collapsed last year after Israel’s unprecedented bombing campaign against Iran, which triggered a 12-day war.
During the conflict, US warplanes struck Iranian nuclear facilities.
