Iran Says US Carrier Has Retreated Near Yemen, Opening Door To Diplomacy 

Iran’s Fars news has said that the US aircraft carrier Abraham Lincoln has retreated near Yemen, opening room for the pursuit of diplomacy in hopes of staving off military confrontation between Washington and Tehran.

The report says that the large nuclear-powered carrier had “withdrawn” about 1,400 kilometers (870 miles) from the port city of Chabahar in southern Iran, and that is now operating near the Gulf of Aden, east of Yemen’s Socotra Island; however, the Pentagon had not immediately confirmed this.

The carrier group reportedly has several accompanying destroyers and submarines, as is standard when operating in an active deployment, especially in the Central Command (CENTCOM) area.

US envoy Steve Witkoff and Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi are expected to meet on Friday in Istanbul to discuss a possible nuclear deal, according to Axios.

For now, uncertainty hangs above the meeting planning – but the apparent distancing of US and Iranian forces in the Gulf region is a big and positive sign that the dialogue is proceeding, which would constitute the first direct talks since the June war.

Iranian foreign Miniser Araghchi has stressed that “Iran is ready for diplomacy” but has also spelled out that “diplomacy is incompatible with pressure, intimidation, and force.” The Iranians are hopeful about potential renewed direct contacts with Washington, however.

Also, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian in a new Tuesday statement signaled conditional support for renewed talks with Washington as regional intermediaries – including Turkey, Egypt, and Qatar – scramble to dial down rising regional tensions.

In a social media post, Pezeshkian said he backs “fair and equitable negotiations” with the United States and has instructed his top diplomat Araghchi to engage with US officials “provided that a suitable environment exists – one free from threats and unreasonable expectations.”

Pezeshkian did not explicitly reference the meeting or any details reportedly expected in Istanbul, but his comments add to mounting signals from Tehran that diplomacy remains on the table, as long as it is not conducted under pressure or ultimatums.

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The Quincy Institute’s Trita Parsi has concluded Iran sees itself as having nothing to lose if it tries this diplomatic Hail Mary before possibly trading bombs with the US.

“Direct talks between Iranian officials and Trump himself may appear completely unrealistic, but some of the main turning points in the US-Iran drama were caused by moves that most believe were completely impossible,” he wrote. “I don’t see what the Iranians have to lose by trying this card.“