Trump considers second aircraft carrier if Iran talks fail

Wednesday 11 February 2026 - 08:20

By: Dakir Madiha

Trump considers second aircraft carrier if Iran talks fail

The United States and Iran have resumed nuclear negotiations for the first time since the 12 day conflict of June 2025, holding indirect discussions in Muscat, Oman, on February 6 with Omani officials acting as intermediaries. The meeting signals a potential diplomatic thaw after months of heightened tensions, though core disputes over uranium enrichment remain unresolved.

President Donald Trump described the talks as very positive and pledged to continue additional rounds, while Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi called the exchange a good beginning but acknowledged that significant work remains to rebuild trust between the two countries. Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Baghaei said the half day session served to test the seriousness of both sides and assess how the process might move forward.

The negotiations come eight months after the United States launched Operation Midnight Hammer, a large scale military strike carried out on June 22, 2025, targeting three major Iranian nuclear facilities at Fordow, Natanz and Isfahan. The operation involved B-2 stealth bombers and Tomahawk cruise missiles and marked the first combat use of the 30,000 pound GBU-57 bunker buster bomb. The strikes occurred during a 12 day confrontation between Iran and Israel.

Despite renewed diplomatic contact, sharp disagreements persist. The White House has demanded that Iran reduce its nuclear capabilities to zero, while Tehran maintains that uranium enrichment is a sovereign and non negotiable right. Iran’s nuclear chief, Mohammad Eslami, indicated that Tehran could consider diluting its stockpile enriched to 60 percent, a level close to weapons grade, but only if all international sanctions are fully lifted.

Araghchi ruled out any discussion of Iran’s ballistic missile program, telling Al Jazeera that the issue is never open for negotiation. He also warned that Iran would target United States military installations in the Middle East if attacked.

A second round of talks is expected in the coming days, though details on timing and venue have not been confirmed. Trump told Axios that he is weighing the deployment of a second aircraft carrier strike group to the Middle East should diplomacy collapse, stating that either an agreement will be reached or decisive measures similar to previous actions would follow.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is scheduled to meet Trump in Washington on February 11, where he is expected to press for any potential agreement to include limits on Iran’s missile arsenal and its support for regional militant groups. Ali Larijani, secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, traveled to Oman on February 10, reportedly to relay details of possible nuclear concessions through Omani mediators.