U.S. Special Envoy for Peace Missions Steve Witkoff, accompanied by Jared Kushner and Adm. Brad Cooper—commander of U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM)—visited the in the Arabian Sea during a scheduled deployment on Saturday.
The visit occurs amid tensions with Iran; Witkoff stated the service members were “keeping us safe and upholding President Trump’s message of peace through strength,” and it came one day after the U.S. and Iran held talks in Oman to discuss .
“We expressed gratitude to the , watched live flight operations, and spoke with the pilot who shot down an Iranian drone that approached the carrier without a clear purpose,” Witkoff posted on X. “I’m proud to stand alongside the men and women who protect our interests, deter our foes, and showcase what American readiness and resolve entail—on duty every single day.”
The aircraft carrier departed in November bound for the Indo-Pacific region and shifted to the Middle East in January.
“I stand with the American people in voicing our immense pride in the Sailors and Marines of the Abraham Lincoln Carrier Strike Group,” Cooper told the service members. “Their commitment to the mission and professionalism are fully evident here in the Middle East as they illustrate U.S. military readiness and strength.”
This comes as the office of Israeli Prime Minister announced he will meet with President Donald Trump in Washington, D.C., on Wednesday to talk about Iran.
“The prime minister maintains that all negotiations must include curbing ballistic and ending support for the Iranian axis,” Netanyahu’s office stated, noting Tehran’s backing of groups like Hezbollah and Hamas.
The pair last met in September.
Trump characterized Friday’s Oman talks—attended by Witkoff and Kushner—as “very good.”
“Iran seems very eager to strike a deal,” the president told reporters Friday while on Air Force One heading to Mar-a-Lago. “We’ll have to wait and see what that deal entails.”