The world\u2019s largest aircraft carrier belonging to the United States\nhas entered the Mediterranean Sea. Is this a signal that a US strike on\nIran is drawing closer?<\/p>\n
As reported by AFP on Saturday (21\/2\/2026), the aircraft carrier USS\nGerald R. Ford was seen entering the Mediterranean Sea on Friday (20\/2)\nlocal time. The vessel had been ordered by US President Donald Trump to\ndeploy to the Middle East as part of a massive military build-up amid\ntensions with Iran.<\/p>\n
The aircraft carrier was spotted crossing the Strait of Gibraltar \u2014\nwhich connects the Atlantic Ocean to the Mediterranean \u2014 in photographs\ntaken from the Gibraltar side of the strait.<\/p>\n
The carrier will join another US aircraft carrier, the USS Abraham\nLincoln, and its accompanying warships, which had already arrived in the\nMiddle East region.<\/p>\n
Trump Considers Limited Strike on Iran<\/p>\n
Trump said on Friday (20\/2) local time that he was \u201cconsidering\u201d a\nlimited strike against Iran should negotiations fail to produce an\nagreement.<\/p>\n
Trump has also ordered a massive increase in US naval forces in the\nMiddle East, aimed at pressuring Tehran into reaching a deal to rein in\nits nuclear programme.<\/p>\n
The latest threat came after Iran\u2019s foreign minister said a draft\nproposal for an agreement with Washington would be ready within days,\nfollowing negotiations between the two sides in Geneva earlier in the\nweek.<\/p>\n
Trump had previously signalled on Thursday (19\/2) that \u201cbad things\u201d\nwould happen if Tehran did not reach a deal within 10 days, a deadline\nhe later extended to 15 days.<\/p>\n
When asked by a reporter on Friday (20\/2) whether he was considering\na limited military strike, Trump replied: \u201cThe most I can say is \u2014 I\u2019m\nconsidering it.\u201d<\/p>\n
Following the talks in Geneva, Tehran said both sides had agreed to\nsubmit a draft of a potential agreement, which Iranian Foreign Minister\nAbbas Araghchi told US media would be \u201cthe next step.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI am confident that in the next two or three days, it will be ready,\nand after final confirmation from my superiors, it will be handed over\nto Steve Witkoff,\u201d he said, referring to Trump\u2019s lead negotiator for the\nMiddle East.<\/p>\n
Araghchi also said that US negotiators had not asked Tehran to end\nits nuclear enrichment programme, contradicting statements from American\nofficials.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe have not offered any suspension, and the US side has not\nrequested zero enrichment,\u201d he said in an interview released on Friday\n(20\/2) by the US television network MS NOW.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat we are discussing now is how to ensure that Iran\u2019s nuclear\nprogramme, including enrichment, is peaceful and will remain peaceful\nforever,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n
Iran Threatens to Strike US Bases and Assets if Attacked<\/p>\n
Amid these heated circumstances, the Iranian government has warned\nthat US military bases, facilities and assets would become \u201clegitimate\ntargets\u201d should the United States follow through on its threats and\nmilitary aggression.<\/p>\n
Amir Saeid Iravani, Iran\u2019s Ambassador to the United Nations, conveyed\nthe statement in a letter to UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and\nthe President of the Security Council.<\/p>\n
As reported by AFP on Friday (20\/2), the Iranian Ambassador\u2019s letter\nto the UN Secretary-General cited a social media post by Trump on the\npreceding Wednesday, in which he said the United States might need to\nuse British military bases, including one on an island in the Indian\nOcean, \u201cif Iran decides not to make a deal.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cSuch aggressive statements by the President of the United States\u2026\nsignal a real risk of military aggression, the consequences of which\nwould be catastrophic for the region and would constitute a serious\nthreat to international peace and security,\u201d Iravani wrote in the\nletter.<\/p>\n
He called on the Security Council, as the UN\u2019s highest\ndecision-making body, to \u201censure that the United States immediately\nceases its unlawful threats of the use of force.\u201d<\/p>\n
The letter stated that Iran remains committed \u201cto a diplomatic\nsolution\u201d and to \u201con the basis of reciprocity, addressing ambiguities\nregarding its peaceful nuclear programme.\u201d<\/p>\n
However, Iravani warned that should Iran face military aggression,\n\u201call bases, facilities and assets of enemy forces in the region will\nbecome legitimate targets in the context of Iran\u2019s defensive\nresponse.\u201d<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/largest-aircraft-carrier-docks-in-mediterranean-is-a-us-strike-on-iran-drawing-closer-1771725393", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }