Iran hints at more nuclear talk, warns US; envoy visits carrier in Middle East

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said on Saturday he hoped talks with the United States would resume soon, while reiterating Tehran’s red lines and warning against any American attack.

According to excerpts published on his official Telegram channel, Araghchi said Iran’s missile programme was “never negotiable” during Friday’s talks in Oman.

His remarks came as US President Donald Trump’s lead Iran negotiator, Steve Witkoff, said he had visited the USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier in the Middle East amid heightened tensions and ahead of further planned talks.

In an urgent development, Witkoff said on Saturday he had visited the USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier, currently operating in the Arabian Sea.

“Today, Adm. Brad Cooper, Commander of US Naval Forces Central Command, Jared Kushner, and I met with the brave sailors and Marines aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln, her strike group, and Carrier Air Wing 9 who are keeping us safe and upholding President Trump’s message of peace through strength,” Witkoff said in a social media post.

The visit comes as Washington and Tehran are expected to hold further negotiations soon following talks in Oman on Friday.

The US military’s Central Command (CENTCOM) also confirmed the visit, underscoring Washington’s continued military presence in the region.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is expected to raise Iran’s ballistic missile programme during a meeting with US President Donald Trump in Washington next week.

Netanyahu “believes any negotiations must include limitations on ballistic missiles and a halting of support for the Iranian axis”, his office said on Saturday, referring to Iran’s regional allies.

Wednesday’s meeting will mark the sixth between the two leaders since Trump took office a year ago.

Iran and the United States held negotiations in Oman on Friday, with Trump later saying the talks would resume early next week.

Geopolitical analyst Michael Horowitz said Israel was pushing for “a lasting weakening, or even the fall of the Iranian regime, with the option of additional strikes if necessary”.

Netanyahu last month warned Israel would retaliate if attacked by Iran, threatening a response with a “force Iran has never seen”.

Araghchi warned Tehran would target US bases in the region if Washington attacked Iranian territory.

His remarks came as lead US negotiators Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner visited the USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier in the Arabian Sea, signalling a continued US military presence in the region.

The US military’s Central Command (CENTCOM) confirmed the visit in a social media post. Witkoff said the carrier and its strike group were “keeping us safe and upholding President Trump’s message of peace through strength”.

Despite describing the Muscat talks as indirect, Araghchi said “an opportunity arose to shake hands with the American delegation”.

He called the discussions “a good start” but stressed that “there is a long way to go to build trust”, adding that talks would resume “soon”.

Trump also described the talks as “very good” and pledged another round next week. However, he signed an executive order effective Saturday calling for the “imposition of tariffs” on countries still doing business with Iran.

Washington also announced new sanctions targeting shipping entities and vessels linked to Iran’s oil exports.

According to World Trade Organisation data, more than a quarter of Iran’s trade is with China, with $18 billion in imports and $14.5 billion in exports in 2024.

Araghchi said nuclear enrichment was Iran’s “inalienable right and must continue”.

“We are ready to reach a reassuring agreement on enrichment,” he said, adding that “the Iranian nuclear case will only be resolved through negotiations”.

He reiterated that Iran’s missile programme was “never negotiable” because it was a “defence issue”.

The United States has sought to include Iran’s ballistic missiles and its support for militant groups in the talks — a position strongly backed by Israel, according to media reports. Tehran has repeatedly rejected expanding negotiations beyond the nuclear file.

On Saturday, Araghchi criticised what he called a “doctrine of domination” that allows Israel to expand its military arsenal while pressuring other states in the region to disarm.

Friday’s negotiations were the first since nuclear talks collapsed last year following Israel’s unprecedented bombing campaign against Iran, which triggered a 12-day war. During the conflict, US warplanes bombed Iranian nuclear sites.

“If attacked again, we will attack their bases in the region,” Araghchi said, referring to the United States.

The talks came amid a major US military build-up following Iran’s crackdown on protests that erupted in late December over economic grievances.

Iranian authorities say 3,117 people were killed during the unrest and published a list of 2,986 names on Sunday, most of whom they described as security personnel and innocent bystanders.

International organisations dispute the figures. The US-based Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA) says it has verified 6,961 deaths — mainly protesters — with another 11,630 cases under investigation. It has also recorded more than 51,000 arrests.