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Steve Witkoff, the U.S. Special Envoy for Peace Missions, recently visited the USS Abraham Lincoln in the Arabian Sea, accompanied by Jared Kushner and Admiral Brad Cooper, the commander of U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM). Their visit was part of the carrier’s scheduled deployment.
This trip occurred at a time of heightened tensions with Iran. Witkoff emphasized the crucial role of the service members on board, stating they are “keeping us safe and upholding President Trump’s message of peace through strength.” His remarks followed recent discussions between the U.S. and Iran in Oman regarding Iran’s nuclear program.
During their visit, Witkoff expressed gratitude to the sailors and Marines and observed live flight operations. He also spoke with the pilot responsible for shooting down an Iranian drone that approached the carrier with uncertain intentions. “Proud to stand with the men and women who defend our interests, deter our adversaries, and show the world what American readiness and resolve look like, on watch every day,” Witkoff shared on X.
The USS Abraham Lincoln departed from San Diego in November, initially heading to the Indo-Pacific region before being repositioned to the Middle East in January.
Witkoff and Kushner made their way to the USS Abraham Lincoln on Saturday, underscoring the U.S. military’s ongoing vigilance in the region.
“I join the American people in expressing our incredible pride in the Sailors and Marines of the Abraham Lincoln Carrier Strike Group,” Cooper told the service members. “Their dedication to the mission and professionalism are on full display here in the Middle East as they demonstrate U.S. military readiness and strength.”
This comes as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said he would meet with President Donald Trump in Washington, D.C., on Wednesday to discuss Iran.
Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner flew out to the USS Lincoln with Adam Cooper on Saturday, according to officials. (CENTCOM/X)
“The prime minister believes that all negotiations must include limiting ballistic missiles, and ending support for the Iranian axis,” Netanyahu’s office said, referring to Tehran’s support for groups such as Hezbollah and Hamas.
The two leaders last met in September.
Trump described Friday’s Oman talks, which included Witkoff and Kushner, as “very good.”
Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner greeting Omani Foreign Minister Sayyid Badr Hamad Al Busaidi ahead of U.S.-Iran talks, in Muscat, the capital of Oman, on Friday. (Oman Foreign Ministry/Anadolu via Getty Images)
“Iran looks like it wants to make a deal very badly,” the president told reporters Friday aboard Air Force One en route to Mar-a-Lago. “We have to see what that deal is.”