(The Epoch Times)—President Donald Trump is considering dispatching a second U.S. aircraft carrier strike group to the Middle East, should talks with Iran fail to win sufficient concessions.
Last month, Trump announced he had ordered a “massive fleet” to the Gulf region, and the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln and elements of its strike group have since been redirected to Middle Eastern waterways.
“We have an armada that is heading there and another one might be going,” Trump said on Feb. 10 in an interview with Axios, specifying to the outlet that he’s “thinking” about ordering a second aircraft carrier group to the region.
The Pentagon referred further questions about the possible carrier deployment to the White House.
“Either we will make a deal or we will have to do something very tough, like last time,” Trump told Axios, referring to the June 2025 U.S. strikes that targeted three Iranian nuclear facilities.
Trump has repeatedly hinted at new U.S. military action against Iran in recent weeks. His latest warning message comes just after a round of talks between U.S. and Iranian representatives on Feb. 6 in Oman.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, who represented Tehran at the Oman talks, said the discussion was off to a “good start.” Araghchi said Oman would help coordinate a further round of talks.
The exact scope of U.S.-Iran negotiations may prove a contentious point going forward. Thus far, Tehran has signaled a willingness to discuss Iranian nuclear projects, but Washington may look for further concessions, including limits on Iran’s missile capabilities.
On Feb. 7, the day after the Oman talks concluded, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office announced he would speak with Trump in Washington on Feb. 11.
“The Prime Minister believes any negotiations must include limitations on ballistic missiles and a halting of the support for the Iranian axis,” Netanyahu’s office said.
After Israeli forces launched attacks on Iran in June, Iranian forces responded with a barrage of missiles that taxed Israeli air defenses.
In an interview with Al Jazeera in Qatar on Feb. 7, Araghchi said Iran’s missile programs would not be up for negotiation. He also warned that Iran would respond to new U.S. attacks by targeting bases hosting U.S. troops throughout the Middle East.
Following the U.S. strikes on Iran’s nuclear facilities in June, Iranian forces responded by firing a salvo of missiles at a base hosting U.S. troops in Qatar. Trump said Tehran notified Washington in advance of the retaliatory attack, and U.S. forces were able to intercept the missiles without suffering casualties.