Desk News || WASHINGTON - Two senior US officials leading negotiations with Iran visited the USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier in the Arabian Sea on Saturday, underscoring Washington’s military presence in the region as diplomatic efforts between the two countries are expected to continue.According to the US military’s Central Command (CENTCOM), President Donald Trump’s top Iran negotiators, Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, toured the nuclear-powered aircraft carrier and its strike group. CENTCOM confirmed the visit in a social media statement.Witkoff later said the carrier group is playing a vital role in regional security, describing it as an example of maintaining peace through strength  a message aligned with President Trump’s approach.Meanwhile, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi expressed hope that discussions with the United States would resume soon. He emphasized that Tehran would stand by its key conditions and cautioned against any potential American military action.The comments came after US and Iranian officials held an initial round of indirect talks in Oman on Friday. Araghchi characterized the meeting as a positive beginning, while President Trump also described the discussions as productive.The USS Abraham Lincoln was deployed to the Middle East in January amid heightened tensions, as Washington increased pressure on Iran following Tehran’s crackdown on widespread anti-government protests. Friday’s talks marked the first diplomatic engagement since nuclear negotiations collapsed last year. That breakdown followed Israel’s large-scale bombing campaign against Iran, which escalated into a 12-day conflict. During that period, US aircraft also carried out strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities.