US Deploys Second Aircraft Carrier to Mideast Ahead of Iran Nuclear Talks
The United States has deployed a second aircraft carrier to Middle Eastern waters as nuclear talks with Iran continue, according to satellite imagery analyzed Tuesday by the Associated Press. The USS Carl Vinson and its strike group arrived in the Arabian Sea earlier this week to join the USS Harry S. Truman, which has led airstrikes against Iranian-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen since March 15.
Satellite imagery captured Monday by the European Union’s Copernicus program showed the Vinson, accompanied by the USS Princeton, USS Sterett, and USS William P. Lawrence, positioned near Socotra Island, close to the entrance of the Gulf of Aden.
SOFX previously reported on the Carl Vinson’s movements in March as it entered the region.
Hours after the latest imagery, U.S. Central Command released footage of both carriers conducting operations, with jets launching from their decks and what it described as “24/7 strikes” on Houthi targets.
A few days earlier, U.S. Central Command shared a separate post highlighting the Vinson’s presence, stating: “USS Carl Vinson (CVN 70) living up to its motto: ‘Vis Per Mare,’ which means ‘Strength from the Sea’ in the U.S. Central Command area of responsibility.”
U.S. Mideast envoy Steve Witkoff has said any agreement must include verifiable limits on uranium enrichment and Iran’s ballistic missile program. “They do not need to enrich past 3.67%,” Witkoff said Monday, referencing the limit set in the 2015 nuclear deal. Iran is currently enriching uranium to levels as high as 60%, a short technical step from weapons-grade material.
President Donald Trump has stated that airstrikes on Iranian nuclear facilities remain an option if talks fail. “Iran has to get rid of the concept of a nuclear weapon,” Trump said. “These are radicalized people, and they cannot have a nuclear weapon.”
Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei expressed cautious support for the ongoing nuclear talks in a Tuesday address to senior officials in Tehran. “We shouldn’t be overly optimistic about this dialogue, nor overly pessimistic,” he said. “The first steps have been taken well… The red lines are clear—for both the other side and for us.”
Iran’s Foreign Minister later traveled to Moscow for consultations. The Iranian rial gained slightly, reflecting market response to progress in negotiations.
Iran’s state-linked Javan newspaper published an editorial suggesting Tehran may be willing to reduce enrichment again if an acceptable deal is reached. However, Iran has consistently refused to dismantle its missile program, citing national defense.
