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U.S. President Donald Trump said Thursday that he plans to hold talks with Iran, saying he has already had recent conversations with Tehran and intends to continue them.
“I have had conversations, and I am planning on it,” Trump told reporters at the Kennedy Center. He said he conveyed two messages to Iran: no pursuit of nuclear weapons and an end to the killing of protesters.
Trump also repeated that “very big, very powerful ships” are currently heading toward Iran, adding: “It would be great if we didn’t have to use them.”
U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said Washington is prepared to use “all options” to prevent Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons, while stressing that the door to diplomacy remains open.
Hegseth said the Pentagon stands ready to carry out any directives issued by Trump, signaling that military action remains an option if diplomacy fails.
He emphasized that U.S. military deployments are intended to ensure Iran does not pursue nuclear capabilities.
Amid rising tensions, the U.S. has sent another warship to the Middle East, according to CBS. The destroyer USS Delbert D. Black has arrived to reinforce the Abraham Lincoln Carrier Strike Group.
Other U.S. naval assets in the region include the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln, several guided missile destroyers and multiple littoral combat ships.
The Pentagon is also deploying advanced fighter squadrons and missile defense systems as part of a shift in regional force posture.
Trump reiterated earlier this week that a “massive armada” is moving toward Iran, while expressing hope that Tehran would agree to negotiations.
Iranian officials have warned that any U.S. attack would be met with a swift and decisive response, as tensions between the two longtime adversaries continue to escalate.
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