Dubai, UAE — US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner are set to hold talks with Iranian officials in Geneva on Tuesday, opening a new diplomatic channel even as Washington redeploys a second aircraft carrier toward the Middle East in a show of force aimed at Tehran.
Washington Post and other outlets reported that President Donald Trump told reporters on Friday that “regime change would be the best possible outcome” for Iran, remarks that underscored the hardening rhetoric surrounding the negotiations. His comments came as the Pentagon confirmed that the USS Gerald R. Ford is being moved from the Caribbean toward the Middle East, a voyage expected to take at least a week. The carrier will join the USS Abraham Lincoln strike group already operating in or near the region.
The dual track of diplomacy and deterrence reflects weeks of mounting tension. In recent days, US officials have signalled that military contingency planning is underway should talks falter, while also emphasising that a negotiated outcome remains preferable. The addition of a second carrier significantly expands US air power, surveillance capability and rapid strike options in the Gulf and surrounding waters.
The Geneva meeting follows indirect contacts held in Oman earlier this month, where both sides agreed to explore whether a broader framework for negotiations on Iran’s nuclear programme and regional activities might be revived. While expectations remain modest, the talks mark the most substantive engagement in months.
Regional allies are watching closely. Gulf states, long wary of escalation between Washington and Tehran, have urged restraint while quietly bolstering their own security postures. Israel has also maintained a high state of alert, amid concerns that miscalculation could trigger a wider confrontation.
Analysts say the carrier deployment is designed to strengthen Washington’s hand at the negotiating table, signalling readiness while leaving space for diplomacy. Yet Trump’s comments about regime change risk complicating the atmosphere ahead of the Geneva session, potentially hardening positions in Tehran.
For now, the symbolism is stark: envoys preparing for talks in Switzerland as a second US carrier steams toward the Middle East. Whether the parallel moves produce leverage or deepen mistrust may determine whether the coming week brings renewed diplomacy — or sharper confrontation.
