US President Donald Trump's Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff and son-in-law Jared Kushner visited the USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier on Saturday, a day after talks with Iran and amid regional tension.
The two envoys were invited to visit the carrier by the commander of the US Central Command, Adm Brad Cooper.
Mr Witkoff and Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi led indirect talks, with Oman acting as mediator, in Muscat on Friday. Both sides described the meetings as “positive” and said dialogue would continue in the coming days. But the visit to the carrier group serves as a reminder of the existing tension despite the talks.
Mr Trump had considered options for striking Iran and increased military build-up in the Middle East, including by posting the USS Abraham Lincoln to the Arabian Sea.
Mr Witkoff said he and Mr Kushner thanked those working aboard the aircraft carrier. “Proud to stand with the men and women who defend our interests, deter our adversaries, and show the world what American readiness and resolve look like, on watch every day,” he said.
He said they also spoke with the pilot who downed an Iranian drone that approached the carrier earlier in the week. US media reported on Tuesday that an Iranian Shahed-139 drone was flying towards the carrier and was shot down by a fighter jet.
Stakes were high amid fears that a failure in the negotiations could ignite a large-scale war in the Middle East. In June last year, the US struck Iranian nuclear sites, joining in the final stages of a 12-day Israeli bombing campaign. Tehran has since said its uranium enrichment work has stopped.
Tehran's leadership remains deeply concerned that Mr Trump may still carry out his threats to strike Iran amid a build-up by the US Navy near Iran.
