Kushner, Witkoff visit USS Abraham Lincoln carrier amid tension with Iran

By Kylie Atwood, Tal Shalev, Kristen Holmes, CNN

(CNN) — President Donald Trump’s Middle East envoy, Steve Witkoff, and son-in-law Jared Kushner visited the USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier Saturday morning after completing talks with Iran on Friday.

Kushner and Witkoff were invited to visit the carrier, which is part of the Lincoln Carrier Strike Group, by the commander of US Central Command, Adm. Brad Cooper, a senior US official told CNN. The intention of the trip was to express gratitude for the American service members in the region, the official added.

The visit to serves as a stark reminder that while the US and Iran are now reengaged in negotiations after tensions escalated sharply this year, the Trump administration still maintains a significant military buildup in the Middle East. That presence has accelerated in recent weeks as Trump considered options for striking Iran, but there was no indication that any decision has been made to move ahead with options reviewed.

Witkoff wrote on X after the visit that he, Kushner and Cooper “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.”

“We thanked the sailors and Marines, observed live flight operations, and spoke with the pilot who downed an Iranian drone that approached the carrier without clear intent,” Witkoff wrote, referring to an incident Tuesday in the Arabian Sea. “Proud to stand with the men and women who defend our interests, deter our adversaries, and show the world what American readiness and resolve look like, on watch every day.”

Central Command in a news release Saturday wrote that Cooper, Witkoff and Kushner met with the ship’s crew, and that Cooper “expressed his gratitude for their service.”

The visit came after Trump told reporters Friday that Witkoff and Kushner held “very good talks” with Iran after delegations from both countries participated in indirect discussions in Oman. But Trump added that a “big fleet” was still heading toward Iran and would be arriving soon.

“Iran looks like it wants to make a deal very badly,” the president said aboard Air Force One. “We have to see what that deal is.”

The meetings were the first round of negotiations between the two sides since the US and Israel struck Iran last summer. Witkoff and Kushner took part in the talks with Iranian Foreign Affairs Minister Abbas Araghchi. Omani Foreign Minister Badr Albusaidi, who earlier on Friday met with each of the parties separately, mediated the discussions. Cooper was also seen attending the meetings in photos released by the state-run Oman News Agency.

After the talks ended, in a sign that the US wants to keep up economic pressure, it rolled out new sanctions on Iranian oil and 14 vessels carrying it.

Both parties have since agreed to hold follow-up discussions after consultations with their capitals, according to a source familiar with the negotiations. Trump said that another round of negotiations will be held again “early next week,” but Araghchi said no date had been set.

The Omanis and the Iranians knew about the visit to the carrier before it took place, a regional source said.

The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

This story has been updated with additional information.

CNN’s Nadeen Ebrahim and Mostafa Salem contributed to this report.

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