U.S. brings second aircraft carrier close to Iran ahead of talks in Rome

Rome [Italy], April 19: A day before the talks with the U.S. and in the context of a second U.S. aircraft carrier taking up a position in the Middle East, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi said that an agreement could still be reached if Washington was more realistic at the negotiating table.
Today (April 18), during a press conference in Moscow (Russia) with his host counterpart Sergei Lavrov, Foreign Minister Araqchi said: "If they (the US) show serious intentions and do not put unrealistic claims at the negotiating table , reaching an agreement is possible."
Russia supports Iran in negotiations with the US
The Iranian side noted the seriousness of the United States during the first round of talks in Oman last week. And Foreign Minister Araqchi traveled to Moscow with a letter from Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei to Russian President Vladimir Putin to inform the Kremlin about the second round of Iran-US talks in Rome (Italy) on April 19.
"We are fully ready to pursue a peaceful solution to Iran's peaceful nuclear program ," the diplomat stressed.
For his part, Lavrov affirmed that Moscow is ready to "take on any role that is useful to Iran's point of view and is accepted by the US side."
Lavrov also said that any potential deal between Iran and the United States should focus only on the nuclear issue.
"That is the core point that needs to be taken into account by those who are trying to bury the negotiations with non-nuclear issues, and therefore create an extremely dangerous situation," Lavrov said.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said earlier in the day that Washington is seeking a peaceful solution for Iran but will never tolerate the country's development of nuclear weapons.
Second U.S. aircraft carrier in Middle East
On the same day, Newsweek Magazine on April 18 cited satellite images confirming that the second US aircraft carrier, the USS Carl Vinson, had arrived in the Gulf of Aden, coordinating operations with the USS Harry S. Truman aircraft carrier in the area.
The deployment of two aircraft carriers in the Middle East by the United States on the eve of the second round of negotiations with Iran is seen as an act of deterrence.
U.S. President Donald Trump has threatened to attack Iran if it does not reach an agreement with Washington on its nuclear program.
Meanwhile, on April 18, Iran also held a military parade on the occasion of Army Day in Tehran. A series of new Iranian weapons and equipment appeared on this occasion.
Source: Thanh Nien Newspaper