Trump mulls second aircraft carrier for Middle East

President Donald Trump has suggested that he may deploy a second aircraft carrier to the Middle East, even as Washington and Tehran prepare to resume sensitive negotiations aimed at easing tensions and preventing a new conflict.

Last week, Oman facilitated talks between Iran and the U.S., which a spokesperson for Iran's foreign ministry stated had allowed Tehran to assess Washington's seriousness and demonstrated sufficient consensus for diplomatic efforts to continue, News.Az reports, citing The Independent.

These discussions occurred after Trump had already positioned one aircraft carrier in the region, sparking fears of renewed military action. Trump, who joined an Israeli bombing campaign last year and targeted Iranian nuclear sites, had previously threatened military intervention during a brutal government crackdown on nationwide protests in Iran last month, though he ultimately refrained.

In interviews with Israeli media, Trump asserted that the United States would be compelled to do "something very tough" if a deal with Iran is not secured.

"Either we reach a deal or we'll have to do something very tough," Israel's Channel 12 quoted him as saying. The precise date and venue for the next round of U.S.-Iran talks remain undisclosed.

Trump also informed Channel 12 and Axios that the deployment of an additional aircraft carrier to the Middle East was under consideration.

Officials have indicated to Reuters that the USS George Washington, currently in Asia, and the USS George H.W. Bush, on the U.S. east coast, are the most probable candidates, though each is at least a week away from the Middle East. The Pentagon could also opt to deploy the Ford carrier from the Caribbean.

"After the talks, we felt there was understanding and consensus to continue the diplomatic process," stated Esmaeil Baghaei, the Iranian foreign ministry spokesman. Baghaei confirmed that Tuesday's visit to Oman by Ali Larijani, an adviser to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, had been pre-planned, and that Larijani would subsequently travel to Qatar, another nation that has mediated in several Middle East crises.

News.Az 

By Ulviyya Salmanli