According to US officials quoted by CBS, all forces deployed to the Region are expected to be in position by mid-March.
The White House has warned that Iran “would be very wise” to reach a deal with the United States, amid reports that President Donald Trump is considering new military action against the Islamic Republic. Press Secretary Caroline Leavitt told a news conference that Trump still hopes for a diplomatic solution to Tehran’s nuclear program. Her comments come as the United States is sending a second aircraft carrier to the Region, and a day earlier, progress was reported in U.S.-Iran talks in Switzerland.
According to US media, Trump has discussed with his advisers options for a possible attack, which could take place as early as Saturday. Last summer, the US military carried out attacks on three Iranian nuclear facilities. However, the president has not yet made a final decision and discussions within the administration are continuing, according to sources cited by the BBC’s US partner, CBS News.
Leavitt said there were “many reasons and arguments” that could justify an attack on Iran, adding that “Iran would be very wise to reach a deal with President Trump and his administration.” Although no final agreement emerged from Tuesday’s indirect talks in Geneva, both sides signaled steps in the right direction. Iran announced that it had reached an understanding with the United States on “guiding principles” that will frame efforts to resolve the nuclear dispute. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi stressed that there was still work to be done. On the other hand, the Foreign Minister of Oman, Badr Albusaidi, the country mediating the talks, stated that the negotiations “ended with good progress” on common objectives and technical issues.
Asked about the negotiations in Geneva, Leavitt said that Washington and Tehran remain “far apart” on several key issues, although there has been “some progress.” According to her, the Iranian side is expected to present additional details in the coming weeks, while the president will continue to monitor developments.
Leavitt declined to comment on whether Israel would be involved in the US decision-making. Iran has said it intends to focus discussions on its nuclear program and the possibility of lifting economic sanctions, while Washington has previously signaled that Iran’s missile development must be included in any deal. The US and its European allies suspect Iran is moving closer to developing a nuclear weapon, a claim Tehran has consistently denied. Meanwhile, the US has increased its military presence in waters near Iran, while satellite images show the strengthening of sensitive military facilities by the Islamic Republic.
According to verification by the BBC, the US aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln, equipped with guided missile destroyers and dozens of fighter jets, is near Iran. It is also reported that the US has also sent the USS Gerald R. Ford, the world’s largest warship, which is expected to arrive in the Region within three weeks.
According to US officials quoted by CBS, all forces deployed in the Region are expected to be in place by mid-March. Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ali Khamenei, published on the social network X an image generated by artificial intelligence showing the aircraft carrier Ford at the bottom of the ocean. “The US president repeatedly says that the US has sent a warship to Iran. Of course, such a ship is a dangerous military device,” Khamenei wrote. “However, more dangerous than that ship is the weapon that can send it to the bottom of the sea.” He also accused the US of trying to predetermine the outcome of the negotiations, calling this a “wrong and foolish” move.
Meanwhile, Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps has reacted to the increased US military presence by conducting a naval exercise in the Strait of Hormuz, a vital international maritime corridor for oil exports from Gulf Arab states.