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3w ago

Iran Draws Red Line on Enrichment as U.S. Presses Talks With Sanctions and Carrier Visit

Tehran casts uranium enrichment as a sovereign right, leaving the scope and timing of any next round uncertain.

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An aerial view of the USS Abraham Lincoln Carrier Strike Group while operating at the Arabian Sea, escorted by two military replenishment ships and two U.S. Coast Guard vessels, as fighter jets from Carrier Air Wing Nine conducted flight operations overhead in the Arabian Sea, on February 6, 2026.
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Overview

  • Indirect, Omani‑mediated U.S.–Iran nuclear talks were held in Muscat on February 6, with both sides calling them a step forward but announcing no concrete outcomes or date for follow‑up discussions.
  • Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said “zero enrichment can never be accepted” and reiterated that Iran’s ballistic missile program is not up for negotiation, though he signaled openness to a “reassuring” arrangement confirming peaceful use.
  • Washington tightened pressure after the talks, unveiling sanctions on Iran’s oil trade that target 15 entities and 14 shadow‑fleet vessels and issuing an executive order calling for tariffs on countries doing business with Iran.
  • U.S. envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, joined by CENTCOM chief Admiral Brad Cooper, visited the USS Abraham Lincoln in the Arabian Sea in a visible show of military posture.
  • Araghchi questioned U.S. seriousness in light of ongoing sanctions and military moves, saying Iran is assessing signals before committing to further negotiations, while Israel’s Benjamin Netanyahu is set to meet President Trump on February 11 to discuss the talks.