Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...
The United States is bolstering its military presence in the region just before the start of direct negotiations with Iran—sending a clear signal about what might happen if talks stall.
A second aircraft carrier is en route to the Middle East, following the deployment of B-2 stealth bombers to Diego Garcia and the delivery of a U.S. THAAD air defense system to Israel.
5 View gallery
Ali Khamenei and Donlad Trump
(Photo: European Space Agency, AFP/ DVIDS / US ARMY / Staff Sergeant Cory D. Payne)
After U.S. President Donald Trump announced the start of direct talks with Iran alongside Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Tehran claimed the negotiations would be indirect. However, Iranian state TV announced Friday morning that no photos from Saturday's meeting in Oman between Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff would be released—a hint that face-to-face negotiations may indeed be taking place.
“We’re giving diplomacy a real chance,” said Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Baghaei. “The U.S. should appreciate this decision despite the tensions. We are not making preemptive judgments—we intend to assess the other side’s intentions on Saturday.” Ali Shamkhani, a senior advisor to Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, insisted on X that the talks are not direct: “The foreign minister has full authority for indirect negotiations with the United States. We are seeking a real and fair agreement. Practical proposals are on the table.”
A diplomatic source told Saudi outlet Al-Hadath that amid the ongoing U.S. operation against the Houthi rebels—who are supported by the Islamic Republic—“Iran is willing to discuss the issue of its affiliated militias in the region.” According to the source, “Iran believes its militias have failed to meet their objectives and now wants at least to preserve its missile program as a security guarantee.”
While negotiations are expected to begin Saturday, and with Trump warning that military action remains on the table if there’s no progress on the nuclear file, the U.S. is significantly reinforcing its strike capabilities in the region. New satellite imagery shows the USS Carl Vinson entering the Indian Ocean via the Strait of Malacca. It is expected to join the USS Harry S. Truman, which is already stationed in the Middle East. Each carrier carries a fleet of roughly 90 aircraft and helicopters, with around 6,000 personnel onboard.
The Carl Vinson strike group includes F-35C stealth fighter jets, two squadrons of F/A-18s, EA-18G electronic warfare aircraft, E-2 Hawkeye airborne command and control planes, and MH-60R/S helicopters. The group also includes the missile cruiser Princeton and the destroyer Sterett. A U.S. official told Al Arabiya that F-35s have already been spotted in the region and that the Carl Vinson is expected to begin operations in the coming days—possibly near the Iranian coast.
The Harry S. Truman strike group also includes F/A-18s, EA-6 electronic warfare aircraft, E-2 command planes, S-3 anti-submarine aircraft, and Black Hawk helicopters. The deployment of the second carrier follows the late-March positioning of six B-2 bombers on the small Indian Ocean island of Diego Garcia. These strategic bombers—designed for stealth—can carry both nuclear weapons and a massive 12-ton “bunker buster.”
The U.S. Air Force has only 19 B-2 bombers, each costing a staggering $1.1 billion. The B-2 “Spirit” was developed in the 1990s to enhance America’s nuclear deterrence by enabling deep penetration of enemy territory without radar detection. Capable of carrying up to 18 tons of payload and flying up to 11,000 km without refueling, the B-2 is also used for conventional missions. The U.S. used them in airstrikes against the Houthis in Yemen last year. Their deployment near Iran sends a clear signal—they are the only aircraft in the U.S. arsenal currently equipped to carry the GBU-57, a 14-ton bunker-busting bomb developed specifically to target Iran’s underground nuclear facilities.
“A message to Iran? Let them decide”
Asked whether the B-2 bombers are intended to send a message to Iran, U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said: “Let them decide.” Regarding the troop buildup, Hegseth added, “This is a major asset that sends a message to everyone.”
In addition to bolstering offensive capabilities, the U.S. has enhanced regional defenses. Over the past weekend, the U.S. delivered another THAAD air defense battery to Israel. Reports also indicate that two Patriot missile batteries were sent as well. THAAD is a high-altitude mobile system similar in function to Israel’s Arrow system, capable of intercepting missiles outside the atmosphere.
The first THAAD battery was delivered in October at Israel’s request, intended to demonstrate strength by deploying additional U.S. military assets to the region. Operated by U.S. troops—reportedly around 100 personnel—the system is stationed in Israel. Former Israeli Air Defense Commander Brig. Gen. (res.) Tzvika Haimovich said at the time, “This is a significant addition of firepower that increases our ability to defend against high-intensity Iranian scenarios.”
In recent days, reports have emerged that Iran is also preparing for a possible strike, having transferred long-range missiles for the first time to pro-Iranian militias in Iraq. Additional reports indicate the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps has supplied these militias with both cruise and ballistic missiles.
Israel’s demands
Saturday’s meeting in Oman marks the first between the two sides since Trump sent an ultimatum letter to Iran’s Supreme Leader Khamenei, demanding an agreement to dismantle the Islamic Republic’s nuclear weapons program. According to U.S. intelligence estimates published in the Wall Street Journal, Iran now possesses enough fissile material to produce a bomb within weeks—heightening the urgency for a deal.
Officials in Washington believe further delays could trigger a preemptive Israeli military response that would ignite the region. The New York Times quoted senior Israeli officials as saying, “Any agreement that does not include full dismantlement of enrichment infrastructure will be considered unacceptable.”
Get the Ynetnews app on your smartphone: Google Play: https://bit.ly/4eJ37pE | Apple App Store: https://bit.ly/3ZL7iNv
Despite these firm positions, Iranian media have hinted at some openness to negotiation—mainly due to economic pressure and the country’s growing international isolation.
During his meeting with Trump, Netanyahu discussed at length the principles that should guide any agreement, modeled on the deal once signed with Libya. The demands include: dismantling all nuclear facilities, all enrichment infrastructure, all supporting systems (including ballistic missiles), removal of all enriched material from Iran, and destruction of these capabilities by American teams—not based on promises.
Netanyahu informed the Israeli cabinet that Jerusalem was aware in advance of the U.S.-Iran talks, that the Americans had asked what would constitute an acceptable deal for Israel, and that the window for negotiations is limited. The Israeli assessment is that Washington will not consider military action unless diplomacy is fully exhausted first.